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Steve Laitz, Chair

Theory Department
Eastman School of Music
26 Gibbs Street
Rochester, New York 14604
585-274-1550

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Inter-dept. Collaboration

Dept.
dissertations

Music Cognition
Symposium

Music Research Lab

Dissertations in Progress and Completed

Current Dissertations

Student

title

Advisor

Chang, Phil -- Matthew Brown
Flowers, Andrew Music Representation Dave Headlam
Francis, Kelly Attention and Multi-Part MusicDavid Temperley
Koslovsky, John Felix Salzer and the Transmission of Schenkerian Thought in the United States Matthew Brown - Robert Wason
Mailman, Josh -- Robert Morris
Miller, Paul -- Ciro Scotto
Sommerville, David Ginastera String Quartets Dave Headlam
Stephan-Robinson, Ann Form in Paul Simon's Music John Covach
Titus, Jason Modal Improvisation and Composition in the Music of Miles Davis, 1958-1968 Matthew Brown - Robert Wason
Wadsworth, Ben Dialectical Opposition in Fin-de-siecle Music: A Model of Balance applied to Melodic Motives, Harmonic Context, and their Interaction Dave Headlam

Dissertation Titles of Music Theory PhDs 1983-2006

Graduate

date

title

Advisor

Adrian, John 1987 Development Sections That Begin with the TonicDavid Beach
Alegant, Brian 1993 The Seventy-Seven Partitions of the Aggregate: Analytical and Theoretical Implications Robert Morris
Au, Aiu-Wah 2003 Diminution, Schenkerian Theory, and Variation Form: Three Case Studies Matthew Brown
Auerbach, Brent 2005 The Analytical Grundgestalt: A New Model and Methodology Based on the Music of Johannes Brahms Steve Laitz
Bartlette, Christopher 2007 -- David Temperley
Bribitzer-Stull, Matthew 2001 Thematic Development and Dramatic Association in Wagner's Der Ring Des Nibelungen Matthew Brown
Buchler, Michael 1998 Relative Saturation of Subsets and Interval Cycles as a Means for Determining Set-Class Similarity Robert Morris
Cadwallader, Allen 1983 Multi-leveled Motivic Repetition in Selected Intermezzi for Piano of Johannes Brahms David Beach
Capuzzo, Guy 1999 Variety Within Unity: Expressive Ends and Their Technical Means in the Music of Elliott Carter, 1983-1994 Robert Morris
Carey, Norman 1998 Distribution Modulo 1 and Musical Scales Robert Morris
Chuck, Gavin 2004 Toward a Cognitive Theory of Musical Meaning Robert Wason
Clevenger, John 2002 The Origins of Debussy's Style Aleck Brinkman
Cohn, Richard 1987 Transpositional Combination in 20th-Century Music Robert Morris
Crotty, John 1986 Design and Harmonic Organization in Beethoven's String Quartet, Op. 131 David Beach
Crumbley, Stefanie 2002 Tonal Voice Leading as an Analytic Basis for Liszt’s Late Experimental Music Matthew Brown
Folio, Cynthia 1985 An Analysis and Comparison of Four Compositions by Joseph Schwantner: and the Mountains Rising Nowhere; Wild Angels of the Open Hills; Aftertones of Infinity; and Sparrows Robert Morris
Hanninen, Dora 1996 A General Theory for Context-Sensitive Music Analysis: Applications to Four Works for Piano by Contemporary American Composers Robert Morris
Heath, Mary Jo 1988 A Comparative Analysis of Dukas's Arian Et Barbe-Bleu and Bartók's Duke Bluebeard's Castle Marie Rolf
Hermann, Richard1994 A General Measurement for Similarity Relations a Heuristic for Constructing or Evaluating Aspects of Possible Musical Grammars Robert Morris
Jenkins, Danny 2007 Issues of Form in Schoenberg's Atonal Period Vocal Music: Three Case Studies Dave Headlam
Jones, Evan 2002 Pervasive Fluency: A Contrapuntal Definition of Stability and Transience in Tonal Music Norman Carey
Jurkowski, Edward 1998 A Theory of Harmonic Structure and Voice-Leading for Atonal Music Dave Headlam
Kaminsky, Peter 1990 Aspects of Harmony, Rhythm and Form in Schumann's Papillons, Carnaval and Davidsbündlertänze David Beach
Kraus, Joseph 1987 Contexts for Chromatic Third Relations in the Late String Quartets and Quintets of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart David Beach
Krumholz, Jay 1995 Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg's Abhandlung von der Fuge David Beach
Laitz, Steve 1992 Pitch-Class Motive in the Songs of Franz Schubert: The Submediant Complex Robert Wason
Lambert, Jay Philip 1987 Compositional Procedures in Experimental Works of Charles E. Ives Robert Gauldin
Leong, Daphne 2001 A Theory of Time-Spaces for the Analysis of Twentieth-Century Music: Applications to the Music of Bela Bartók Robert Morris
Lewis, Christopher 1983 Tonality and Structure in the Ninth Symphony of Gustav Mahler David Beach
Mak, Susanna Yin 2004 Structure, Design, and Rhetoric: Variation Procedures in Selected Instrumental and Vocal Works by Franz Schubert Gretchen Wheelock - David Beach
Marvin, Eliz West 1989 Cognitive Structures and Strategies for the Understanding of Non-Tonal Music: Their Analytical and Pedagogical Implications Robert Morris
Marvin, William 2002 Tonality in Selected Set-pieces from Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg: A Schenkerian Approach. Matthew Brown
Mavromatis, Panayotis 2005 The Echoi of modern Greek church chant in written and oral transmission : a computational model and its cognitive implications Matthew Brown
McGowan, James 2005 Dynamic Consonance in Tonal Jazz Robert Wason
Murphy, Scott 2004 Relations Among Boundaries, Expectations, and Closure in Tonal and Post-Tonal Music Daniel Harrison
Neal, Jocelyn 2002 Song Structure Determinants: Poetic Narrative, Phrase Structure, and Hypermeter in the Music of Jimmie Rodgers Dave Headlam
Nelson, Richard 1984 Theories of Harmonic Modulation in Selected German Treatises of the 18th-Century David Beach
Ng, Yuet-Hon Sam 2005 A Grundgestalt Interpretation of Metric Dissonance in the Music of Johannes Brahms Dave Headlam
Painter, Noel 2000 Exploring Contour Associations Through Transformation Networks: Identification and Classification of Contour Relations in Modern Multiple Percussion Music Elizabeth Marvin
Palmer, David 1998 Polar Processes in Stravinsky's Neoclassical Music Daniel Harrison
Patty, Austin 2006 A Theory of Pacing Scenarios with Application to the Violin Sonatas of Brahms Dave Headlam
Peters, Penelope 1990 French Harmonic Theory in the Conservatoire Tradition: Fétis, Reber, Durand, and Gevaert Robert Wason
Poulin, Pamela 1983 Three Stylistic Traits in Poulenc's Chamber Works for Wind Instruments Robert Gauldin
Quinn, Ian 2004 A Unified Theory of Chord Quality in Equal TemperamentsRobert Morris
Randall, Richard 2006 A General Theory of Comparative Music Analysis Robert Morris
Reed-Knouse, Nola 1983 The Theories of Joseph Riepel as Expressed in His Ansangsgrunde zur Musicalischen Setzkunst(1752-1768 David Beach
Ricci, Adam 2004 The Nineteenth-Century Sequence as Transformation of Eighteenth-Century ModelDaniel Harrison
Richards, James 1986 Pitch Structure in the Opera Don Rodrigo of Alberto Ginastera David Beach
Rifkin, Deborah 2000 Tonal Coherence in Prokofiev's Music: A Study of Interrelationships of Structure, Motives and Design Daniel Harrison
Rogers, Nancy 2000 The Role of Verbal Encoding in Memory for Musical Timbre and Pitch Patterns Elizabeth Marvin
Rohr, Deborah 1997 Brahm's Metrical Dramas: Rhythm, Text Expression, and Form in the Solo Leider Robert Wason
Sallmen, John Mark 1998 A Flexible Approach to Ordering and Grouping in Atonal Music in General: Text-Music Relations in Elliott Carter's In Sleep, In Thunder in Particular Robert Morris
Silberman, Peter 2006 Neighbor Spaces: A Theory of Harmonic Embellishment for Twentieth-Century Neotonal Music Daniel Harrison - Norm Carey
Sly, Gordon 1995 An Emerging Symbiosis of Structure and Design in the Sonata Practice of Franz Schubert David Beach
Scott Charles Spiegelberg. 2002. The psychoacoustics of musical articulation Dave Headlam - Betsy Marvin
Taavola, Kristin 2002 Cyclic shape theory: an approach to modeling modal processes in pieces from Balinese gamelan and Bartok Dave Headlam
Terefenko, Dariusz 2004 Keith Jarrett's Transformation of Standard Tunes Robert Wason - Matthew Brown
Traut, Donald 2002 Displacement and Its Role in Schenkerian Theory. Matthew Brown
Trucks, Louise 1992 The Metric Complex in Johannes Brahms's Klavierstücke, Op. 76 David Beach
Uno, Yayoi 1994 Avant-garde Music circa 1950-60: Analysis of Works by Boulez, Cage, Babbitt, and Xenakis Robert Morris
Waters, Keith 1997 Rhythmic and Contrapuntal Structures in the Music of Arthur Honegger Robert Wason
Wise, Herbert 1987 The Relationship of Pitch-Sets to Formal Structure in the Last Six Piano Sonatas of Scriabin David Beach