Abstract:
The compositional career of the British composer Frank Bridge spanned late 19th-century Romanticism through early 20th-century Modernism, and his music reflects those profound changes in harmony and form. Though Bridge's chamber music is still occasionally performed, his many solo piano works rarely are. My dissertation explores two piano suites from different periods of his life, Three sketches and The hour glass, with the aim of bringing to light, as well as the concert hall, what I believe is a significant and performance-worthy body of work for the piano. The pieces are first analyzed theoretically and include a discussion of the compositional traits Bridge incorporated into each piece. Then the pieces are discussed from a pedagogical perspective, and specific technical and musical suggestions are given in the form of a performance and practice guide. A supplemental recording is provided for further guidance.
