"The Picador March" and "Nymphalin" of John Philip Sousa: Transcriptions and Editions for Historically-Informed Performance
Date of Completion
January 2012
Keywords
Music
Degree
D.M.A.
Abstract
John Philip Sousa is one of the most performed composers of the wind - band medium. While many editions and transcriptions have been made of Sousa's works, the repertory (most notably his marches) lacks historical and stylistic performance information from the Sousa Band era. In this document, a march from Sousa's early period and a solo instrumental work are adapted using available print sources and interviews from Sousa Band members. The compositions discussed are The Picador March and Nymphalin. ^ The author examined historical research and sources including books, dissertations and journal articles to determine pertinent performance practice for the march and scoring of the arrangement. Additionally, available editions of each work were compared to identify errors, orchestration differences, individual part differences, rhythmic differences, dynamics, and articulation. Each chapter discusses the form and analysis of the composition and describes the steps that were taken to create its respective edition. The result is a performance edition arrangement of The Picador March and a chamber winds arrangement of the violin solo Nymphalin. ^
Recommended Citation
Smith, Matthew Joseph, ""The Picador March" and "Nymphalin" of John Philip Sousa: Transcriptions and Editions for Historically-Informed Performance" (2012). Doctoral Dissertations. AAI3520409.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/dissertations/AAI3520409