Study of Selected Solo Vocal Works of Ernst Krenek

Book excerpt: The primary purpose of the study is to determine vocal difficulty for grading of Ernst Krenek's fifteen solo vocal works written between 1927 and 1931, and to discover and identify the several stylistic elements. The first chapter is a basic introduction. Included are a review of related literature, a definition of terminology, and an explanation of criteria. The second chapter gives a biographical sketch, concentrating on Krenek's activities as composer and scholar. Chapter Three is an analysis of the selected solo vocal works of Krenek involving both stylistic and vocal features. The study of the stylistic elements examined two things. The first was the style of vocal writing. The second was how the songs should be graded according to difficulty. Three levels of difficulty were considered: elementary, intermediate, and advanced. The individual songs, with specific examples, are discussed according to the following topics in stylistic analyses: form, rhythm and tempo, tonality, melodic style, harmony, phrases length, range, tessitura, diction, texture, and text setting. Chapter Four is a conclusion and summary.