String chamber music performance in New York City, 1842-1852: The social and cultural context of representative works by George Frederick Bristow

This dissertation focuses on string chamber music performances in New York City during the years 1842 to 1852. George Frederick Bristow, an American composer, wrote string chamber works in 1845 and 1849. The study discusses the broader context of chamber music during the years surrounding Bristow’s composition of his string chamber works. From a consultation of primary sources, key performances are documented and assessed, including a discussion of the sacralization of string chamber genres in music journal performance reviews. The paper will further discuss the influence of mid-century German immigration upon repertoire selection and canon formation. More common in the earlier years of this study, string chamber music frequently appeared on “miscellaneous” performances, featuring a variety of instrumentation and genres, wherein string chamber works would often serve in a secondary role. As a contrast, early efforts to establish concerts series in New York consisting primarily of string chamber music will be presented and discussed. The final chapter will discuss much of George Frederick Bristow’s (1825-1898) musical activity during this period. As a violinist, he appeared in public performances of string chamber music, as well as in the Philharmonic Society of New York. Bristow was also a member of the Euterpean Society, a primarily amateur social-musical group, and his compositional output of string chamber works will be discussed in the context of Bristow’s broader musical experience at the time. Finally, this project produces the first edition of Bristow’s Quartetto, Op. 1 (ca. 1849), and the work’s first appearance in a score format, previously existing only as manuscript parts.

Name thesis:degree_name

A.Mus.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Hopkins, Robert

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bashford, Christina
• Magee, Jeffrey S.
• Milenkovich, Stefan
• Solya, Andrea

• String Chamber Music
• Chamber Music
• String Quartet
• New York
• New York City
• Bristow
• George Bristow
• George Frederick Bristow
• Canon
• Canonization
• Sacralization
• Theodor Eisfeld
• 1840s
• 1850s

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2014 Robert Hopkins

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/49418

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/49418