{"id":{"repo_id":"houston","oai_identifier":"oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19530"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/houston/oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19530","repository":{"repo_id":"houston","name":"University of Houston","base_url":"https://uh-ir.tdl.org/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.4, Op.40 – A Historical Survey and Motivic Analysis of the Third Movement","abstract":"Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Concerto is an anomaly in his output. It is a mystery whether the work was largely produced in Russia or America; therefore it is hard to make a claim as to which musical and extramusical influences pre- and post-emigration contributed to the aesthetic. In addition, the composer twice revised it, to make it more accessible to audiences. Despite these revisions, it remains the least accessible of Rachmaninoff’s five works for piano and orchestra. This study will be in two chapters. Chapter one is a historical review of the concerto. It traces the origins of the work, specifically the genesis of the concerto pre-1917 and the completion of the work after Rachmaninoff’s immigration to the United States. It also outlines Rachmaninoff’s process of revision. Of particular interest here is that despite two revisions of the work, Rachmaninoff seems never to have questioned that the distinct contrast in style between the Fourth Concerto and its predecessors may have contributed to public dissatisfaction with the work. The question of what is so different about the Fourth is taken up in chapter two, which focuses on its motivic density and rhythmic complexity. Looking specifically at the finale, which is perhaps the least accessible of the three movements, through a motivic analysis, I demonstrate that the movement is highly cohesive, with all motivic content derived from the introduction, primary theme area and transition. From the development onwards I provide a report of Rachmaninoff’s ingenious treatment of melodic and rhythmic motives. Finally, I ask the question, what does a motivic analysis reveal beyond a masterful treatment of motives?","abstract_html":"Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Concerto is an anomaly in his output. It is a mystery whether the work was largely produced in Russia or America; therefore it is hard to make a claim as to which musical and extramusical influences pre- and post-emigration contributed to the aesthetic. In addition, the composer twice revised it, to make it more accessible to audiences. Despite these revisions, it remains the least accessible of Rachmaninoff’s five works for piano and orchestra. This study will be in two chapters. Chapter one is a historical review of the concerto. It traces the origins of the work, specifically the genesis of the concerto pre-1917 and the completion of the work after Rachmaninoff’s immigration to the United States. It also outlines Rachmaninoff’s process of revision. Of particular interest here is that despite two revisions of the work, Rachmaninoff seems never to have questioned that the distinct contrast in style between the Fourth Concerto and its predecessors may have contributed to public dissatisfaction with the work. The question of what is so different about the Fourth is taken up in chapter two, which focuses on its motivic density and rhythmic complexity. Looking specifically at the finale, which is perhaps the least accessible of the three movements, through a motivic analysis, I demonstrate that the movement is highly cohesive, with all motivic content derived from the introduction, primary theme area and transition. From the development onwards I provide a report of Rachmaninoff’s ingenious treatment of melodic and rhythmic motives. Finally, I ask the question, what does a motivic analysis reveal beyond a masterful treatment of motives?","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["McCarroll, Paul 1984-"],"institution":"University of Houston","degree_name":"Doctor of Musical Arts","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Piano Performance","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Guez, Jonathan"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Van Kekerix, Todd","Hester, Timothy","Morgulis, Tali"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-05","date_published":"2025-05","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:31:52Z","subjects":["Music"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19530","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Guez, Jonathan"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Van Kekerix, Todd","Hester, Timothy","Morgulis, Tali"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["McCarroll, Paul 1984-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-06-20T21:25:57Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-05"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Piano Performance"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Musical Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Houston"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Music"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19530"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Concerto is an anomaly in his output. It is a mystery whether the work was largely produced in Russia or America; therefore it is hard to make a claim as to which musical and extramusical influences pre- and post-emigration contributed to the aesthetic. In addition, the composer twice revised it, to make it more accessible to audiences. Despite these revisions, it remains the least accessible of Rachmaninoff’s five works for piano and orchestra. This study will be in two chapters. Chapter one is a historical review of the concerto. It traces the origins of the work, specifically the genesis of the concerto pre-1917 and the completion of the work after Rachmaninoff’s immigration to the United States. It also outlines Rachmaninoff’s process of revision. Of particular interest here is that despite two revisions of the work, Rachmaninoff seems never to have questioned that the distinct contrast in style between the Fourth Concerto and its predecessors may have contributed to public dissatisfaction with the work. The question of what is so different about the Fourth is taken up in chapter two, which focuses on its motivic density and rhythmic complexity. Looking specifically at the finale, which is perhaps the least accessible of the three movements, through a motivic analysis, I demonstrate that the movement is highly cohesive, with all motivic content derived from the introduction, primary theme area and transition. From the development onwards I provide a report of Rachmaninoff’s ingenious treatment of melodic and rhythmic motives. Finally, I ask the question, what does a motivic analysis reveal beyond a masterful treatment of motives?"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.4, Op.40 – A Historical Survey and Motivic Analysis of the Third Movement"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Guez, Jonathan"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Van Kekerix, Todd","Hester, Timothy","Morgulis, Tali"],"dc:creator":["McCarroll, Paul 1984-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-06-20T21:25:57Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-05"],"dc:description.abstract":["Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Concerto is an anomaly in his output. It is a mystery whether the work was largely produced in Russia or America; therefore it is hard to make a claim as to which musical and extramusical influences pre- and post-emigration contributed to the aesthetic. In addition, the composer twice revised it, to make it more accessible to audiences. Despite these revisions, it remains the least accessible of Rachmaninoff’s five works for piano and orchestra. This study will be in two chapters. Chapter one is a historical review of the concerto. It traces the origins of the work, specifically the genesis of the concerto pre-1917 and the completion of the work after Rachmaninoff’s immigration to the United States. It also outlines Rachmaninoff’s process of revision. Of particular interest here is that despite two revisions of the work, Rachmaninoff seems never to have questioned that the distinct contrast in style between the Fourth Concerto and its predecessors may have contributed to public dissatisfaction with the work. The question of what is so different about the Fourth is taken up in chapter two, which focuses on its motivic density and rhythmic complexity. Looking specifically at the finale, which is perhaps the least accessible of the three movements, through a motivic analysis, I demonstrate that the movement is highly cohesive, with all motivic content derived from the introduction, primary theme area and transition. From the development onwards I provide a report of Rachmaninoff’s ingenious treatment of melodic and rhythmic motives. Finally, I ask the question, what does a motivic analysis reveal beyond a masterful treatment of motives?"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19530"],"dc:language.iso":["English"],"dc:subject":["Music"],"dc:title":["Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.4, Op.40 – A Historical Survey and Motivic Analysis of the Third Movement"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Piano Performance"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Musical Arts"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Houston"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:31:52Z"}