Graduate Studies

 

First Advisor

Paul Barnes

Degree Name

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

Committee Members

Brenda Wristen, ED Daly III, Stanley Kleppinger

Department

Music

Date of this Version

4-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

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

Major: Music

Under the supervision of Professor Paul Barnes

Lincoln, Nebraska, 2025

Comments

Copyright 2025, Micah Robert Leary. Used by permission

Abstract

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s piano transcriptions represent an underperformed genre among his works. They offer a unique perspective on Rachmaninoff’s compositional language because they directly compare to other composer’s original works. Much research is dedicated to understanding Rachmaninoff’s harmonic language through analysis of his own original works. However, very little has been written on Rachmaninoff’s piano transcriptions, and no studies focus on Rachmaninoff’s harmonic language displayed in the transcriptions.

The following analysis aims to reconsider three of these lesser-known works and provide context for their placement alongside Rachmaninoff’s other compositions. Harmonic analysis provides insights relative to the original works within the larger framework of Rachmaninoff’s harmonic language. I will draw connections to Rachmaninoff’s other compositions and demonstrate the specific harmonic tendencies Rachmaninoff used. Through my analysis of three selected transcriptions, I aim to highlight this repertoire for further performances and cultivate a deeper understanding of Rachmaninoff’s harmonic language.

Advisor: Paul Barnes

Download

Share

COinS