Musical Affinities Between Ann Southam's Glass Houses and Canadian Fiddle Tunes with Performance Considerations for Glass Houses No. 5

Authors

• Evangelia Nikolaidou, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Paul Barnes

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)

Committee Members

Anthony Bushard, Brenda Wristen

Department

Music

Date of this Version

4-28-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Doctor of Musical Arts

Major: Music

Under the supervision of Professor Paul Barnes

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, Rebecca McDermott. Used by permission

Abstract

Ann Southam stands as one of Canada’s foremost minimalist composers. Her fifteen-piece piano set Glass Houses, composed in 1981 and revised in 2009, reflects the joyful, dance-like energy of Canadian fiddle music that inspired it. While Glass Houses has frequently been discussed within the context of minimalist composition, less attention has been given to the ways in which the work resonates with Canadian fiddle traditions. This document draws on existing scholarship on Métis, French-Canadian, Newfoundland, Anglo-Canadian, and Scottish fiddle traditions to trace and clarify structural, rhythmic, and textural affinities between Canadian fiddle tunes and Glass Houses. Focusing on Glass Houses No. 5 as a representative piece from the set, the document further presents performance considerations, particularly in matters of phrasing, articulation, touch, pulse, and the sustaining of momentum across extended spans of repetition. These considerations are informed both by Southam’s own performance indications and by the structural and stylistic affinities between the piano set and Canadian fiddle music, which together provide a framework for pianistic interpretation.

Recommended Citation

Nikolaidou, Evangelia, "Musical Affinities Between Ann Southam's Glass Houses and Canadian Fiddle Tunes with Performance Considerations for Glass Houses No. 5" (2026). Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–. 475.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissunl/475