The String Compositions of Louise Lincoln Kerr
Analysis and Editing of Five Solo Viola Pieces
Description:... This research examines the string literature of American composer and violist Louise Lincoln Kerr. A biography of Mrs. Kerr is given, emphasizing compositional training and skill, her style of composition, contributions to musical organizations in the Phoenix area, and her donation of the Kerr Cultural Center and her manuscripts to the Arizona State University College of Fine Arts. Selected string compositions are examined for their historical significance, compositional style, performer accessibility, and significance to the repertoire. Kerr made use of Native American and Spanish folk melodies in some of her compositions in a Southwest Impressionist genre.
It is the findings of this study that Louise Kerr made significant contributions to the string repertoire and that these works should be edited and published for all to enjoy. Five character pieces for viola and piano are edited in this dissertation in preparation for publication. An entire chapter is devoted to the analysis of the Kerr Violin Concerto, including the influences, harmonic content, and formal aspects of this work.
Louise Lincoln Kerr's compositions, as well as compositions by other women composers, comprise "undiscovered treasures" for the violist and the string player. In past centuries, women composers and violists have suffered equally in discrimination and neglect. Historically, women have been denied the opportunity for compositional training, had their creative acumen publicly challenged, and their works rejected for publication on the basis of their sex. Today, women composers are among the most exciting research topics in musicology.
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