Graduate Studies

 

First Advisor

Diane Barger

Degree Name

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

Committee Members

John Bailey, Clark Potter, Anita Breckbill

Department

Music (Clarinet Performance)

Date of this Version

5-2025

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 (Clarinet Performance)

Under the supervision of Professor Diane Barger

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2025

Comments

Copyright 2025, Rachel S. Levison. Used by permission

Abstract

Composer Rachel Galinne self-identifies first and foremost as an Israeli with Swedish roots. She was born and raised in Sweden to Holocaust survivors and always felt a deep connection to Jewish traditions and culture, leading her to immigrate to Israel. Her compositions are derived from her formal education in musicology and composition in contemporary music, as well as from her Jewish community. Her Jewish heritage is represented in her compositions through text, motivic ideas, and specific topics. Dybbuk for solo clarinet is an excellent example.

This solo follows the perspective of Leah, one of the main characters in Solomon Ansky’s play The Dybbuk, set in an Ashkenazi Jewish community. Both tonal and atonal compositional techniques create this piece, along with seven identifiable motifs. The atonal sections represent the emotional turmoil of Leah, and the tonal sections represent the storyline, the latter of which are embodied by klezmer characteristics such as modes, harmonies, melodic qualities, and ornamentation. Dybbuk is Galinne’s only specifically uses klezmer characteristics, a necessity due to the setting of the story.

Several academic projects have referenced Rachel Galinne, but there has not been a distinct academic study of Galinne and her work Dybbuk for solo clarinet. The document provides an overview of the professional life of Rachel Galinne and her compositional periods and style, followed by a brief history and explanation of klezmer characteristics as it pertains to Dybbuk, and an analysis of Galinne’s work. The appendices include a glossary of terms, an analyzed score of Dybbuk, a table of the klezmer characteristics identified in the piece, an interview with the composer, a list of Galinne’s solo and chamber works for clarinet, and a summary of her honors and awards.

The goal of this document is to demonstrate how Galinne composed Dybbuk by integrating her unique compositional style with her Jewish heritage.

Advisor: Diane Barger

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