The Rise and Fall of the Cellist-Composer of the Nineteenth Century: A Comprehensive Study of the Life and Works of Georg Goltermann Including A Complete Catalog of His Cello Compositions

• Other Authors: Geeseman, Katherine Ann (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Music
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-4860

In the late eighteenth century the violoncello began its ascent toward acceptance as a solo, virtuosic instrument equal to the violin. Much of this ascent was due to the tradition of cellist-composers: virtuoso performers who composed works for the cello that served to showcase the versatility of the instrument. These cellist-composers built a repertoire for the instrument, and without their influence, modern cello performance and pedagogy would not be the same. However, these great artists are mostly forgotten because their music has fallen out of style. Yet the pieces they wrote, both original and transcribed, provided generations of cellists with guides to technique and musicality that are missing today. It is important that cellists, both as performers and teachers strive to reintroduce these works into the studios and recital halls so that cellists of all levels can continue to build upon a tradition that created the field to which they aspire. The purpose of this treatise is to highlight the works of one of the preeminent cellist-composers, Georg Goltermann. The processes used will firstly be an in-depth study of his life and secondly, the creation of an annotated bibliography of his cello works, including all pertinent publication and location information. The goal of this research is to create a catalog of Georg Goltermann's works and an easy-to-use resource for cellists. Through this guide, both teachers and performers alike can familiarize themselves with the entirety of the works of Georg Goltermann and thus expand the repertoire available to teachers seeking to guide cellists of all ability levels toward a more virtuosic technique and musicality. After a brief introduction, Chapter Two will discuss the rise of the cellist-composer in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This overview will lead to a discussion in Chapter Three concerning the development of the modern bow and violoncello as well as progress in score-writing consistency. Finally, Chapter Four will finish the historical discussion on cellist-composers with a look at how the cellist-composer lost fame and importance and diminished into a forgotten field. Chapter Five will delve into the life of Georg Goltermann with a discussion of his life, his works and his legacy. Chapter Six will conclude the main text of the treatise with an assessment of the life and works of Georg Goltermann, and their importance today. After the conclusion, two catalogs are attached to this treatise. The first is an annotated bibliography of the violoncello works of Georg Goltermann, and the second, is a complete works list. The annotated bibliography lists all of Georg Goltermann's works that include violoncello either in a solo or accompanimental role. The bibliography is listed by opus number and contains the work title, key, movement titles, instrumentation, publication information and where the scores can be found today. After the main annotated bibliography, the author has included two bibliographies of Goltermann's cello works organized by instrumentation and by genre. The complete works list is self-explanatory, but gives the reader a larger picture of Goltermann's compositional output. === A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts. === Fall Semester, 2011. === October 20, 2011. === 19th-century violoncello, cello repertoire, Goltermann, intermediate cello, violonello repertoire === Includes bibliographical references. === Gregory Sauer, Professor Directing Treatise; Evan Allan Jones, University Representative; Alexander Jiménez, Committee Member; Corinne Stillwell, Committee Member.