Digital Portfolio
Music History and Literature Papers
This paper discusses Paul Hindemith and his opera Mathis der Maler. The opera is about an artist, Matthias Grunewald, during the Protestant Reformation. The plot of the opera follows Grunewald's struggle with if and how he can serve the peasent revolt while maintaining his position as a court artist. Similarly, Paul Hindemith wrote this opera while living in Nazi Germany during the 1930s. He, too, struggled with how he could best serve his people under the totalitarian regime. The discussion in this paper draws parallels between Hindemith and Grunewald, analyzes aspects of the opera, and examines the process and circumstances under which it was written.
Twentieth Century Opera, Dr. Michael Dodds, University of North Carolina School of the Arts (Spring 2013)
In this paper, I examine the life of Cosmia Wagner, known for being the daughter of Franz Lizst and wife of Hans van Bulow and Richard Wagner. However, she also had a strong sense of business, was incredibly dedicate to Wagner, and played an important role in preserving Wagner’s music and artistic vision. After Wagner's death, she took over the Bayreuth music festival, using her intimate understanding of his music and philosphies to stage his operas.
Women in Music, Dr. Ayana Smith, Indiana Univeristy Jacobs School of Music (Fall 2014)