Extended program notes on works by Bach, Beethoven, Dett, and Liszt

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Honors Thesis consists of a sixty minute piano recital of advanced repertoire from the Baroque period through the 20th century, prepared over the course of the senior year. The Senior Piano Recital is a culmination of a course of study demonstrating an advanced level of musical proficiency. The thesis also contains extended program notes of the senior recital that occurred on April 3, 2025. The purpose of program notes is to engage the audience’s understanding and listening experience of the pieces to be performed and their composers. A recording of the recital will be submitted along with the Thesis. Chosen works were composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, and Nathaniel Dett. The overarching research question was, “did writing extended program notes build my performance connection?” By writing a biography, analysis and performance suggestions from pieces such as J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in F Minor, Well Tempered Clavier Book II, BWV 881, Franz Liszt’s Sonnetto 47 del Petrarch, Nathaniel Dett’s Magnolia Suite, and lastly Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in A-flat Major, Op.110, I hoped to bring a conversational approach to the recital. Sonnetto 47 del Petrarch was chosen to represent the romantic period and demonstrate virtuosic repertoire as it connects to other pieces within a recital program. A Bach prelude and fugue was chosen to deepen my understanding of Bach’s use of polyphony in fugal textures. Magnolia Suite was chosen to firstly perform music by an underrepresented composer, and secondly to build a connection to a character piece through his thematic portrayals of poetry. Lastly, Piano Sonata in A-flat Major, Op.110 stands out amongst other pieces of its time due to its unconventional structure and expressive markings. Overall, every piece selected was selected with the intention that I would have a deeper appreciation for all these composers and their music. Visit this link for a full recording of the recital: https://youtu.be/VIyKl_YuN5k?si=xAd8qZa8TVc7Uv01