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Papers by Fred Sienkiewicz
The career of prolific Armenian pianist and composer Alexander Arutiunian [Alek’sandr Harut’unyan... more The career of prolific Armenian pianist and composer Alexander Arutiunian [Alek’sandr Harut’unyan] spanned the Soviet age in Armenia (1920–1991), and his Trumpet Concerto (1950) achieved worldwide recognition and acclaim. Despite the importance of this work to trumpeters internationally, the information and context necessary for performers and scholars to understand Arutiunian’s Concerto and other works has not been previously available in English. Prior to this study, the composer’s biography, compositional style, and works have not been the subject of any significant published research by English-language scholars. This dissertation demonstrates that Arutiunian’s early compositional style was nurtured and influenced by the antecedents of Armenian folk music and early Armenian nationalist composers. To establish the nature of these influences, this discussion begins by exploring Armenian peasant song and professional folk-singer (ashugh) traditions, and traces the development of early Armenian nationalist composers including Komitas, Romanos Melik’yan, Aleksandr Spendiaryan, Sargis Barkhudaryan, and Aram Khachaturian. During his early schooling in the 1930s, Arutiunian studied both Armenian folk music and the music of these Armenian nationalist composers and developed a style which incorporated, emulated, and expanded on those precedents. During the 1940s, Arutiunian’s advanced training in Yerevan and Moscow led to a broadening of scope and internationalization of his style. He drew new influence from the distinct motives of Khachaturian, the Neo-Classical and modernist influence of Prokofiev, and the contrapuntal approach of Genrikh Litinsky. Following the Stalinist denunciations of 1948 (Zhdanov decree or Zhdanovshchina), Arutiunian’s Big Soviet style emerged, and is so-called because it blended his early style with the grand, dramatic, and Romantic tradition of Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. His first composition in this vein, Cantata About the Motherland (1948), was considerably more conservative than his other works but it so successfully fit the political requirements of Socialist Realism that it earned him the Soviet Union’s highest artistic honor, the Stalin Prize. In the wake of this achievement, Arutiunian’s Big Soviet style rapidly developed, producing major successes in his Festive Overture (1949) and Trumpet Concerto (1950). This study is based primarily on the examination of rare Soviet-era scores and recordings and the new translation of Russian- and Armenian-language primary and secondary sources, including Arutiunian’s own Memoirs (2000). The resulting descriptive and contextual analysis establishes the nature of Arutiunian’s compositional output up to 1950 and the influences that Armenian and Soviet antecedents had upon his music. It lays the foundation of background, context, and connections for performers and scholars to understand the idioms and stylistic conventions found in Arutiunian’s early works, culminating with a detailed examination of his Trumpet Concerto (1950)
Middle Tennessee Suzuki Association Newsletter, 2023
Exploration of a strategy for teachers, parents, or students to use in the Suzuki teaching studio... more Exploration of a strategy for teachers, parents, or students to use in the Suzuki teaching studio or practice room to make practicing and overcoming challenging tasks more fun and enjoyable.
American Suzuki Journal, 2023
Discussion of ear training for teachers, students, and parents in the private lesson and Suzuki s... more Discussion of ear training for teachers, students, and parents in the private lesson and Suzuki studio. Seven strategies for teachers to use with students includes singing, sing and finger, speaking/singing with physical commands, speaking/singing with note names or fixed-do solfege, speaking/singing with scale numbers or moveable-do solfege, singing with a drone, and filling in the leaps.
Middle Tennessee Suzuki Association Newsletter, , 2023
Reflections on learning and playing "by ear" in the Suzuki method lesson studio, including a revi... more Reflections on learning and playing "by ear" in the Suzuki method lesson studio, including a review of an idea from Ed Kreitman's "Teaching from the Balance Point".
ABSTRACT Title: Research in Performance: Analysis of Five Trumpet Works Author: Frederick A. Sie... more ABSTRACT
Title: Research in Performance: Analysis of Five Trumpet Works
Author: Frederick A. Sienkiewicz
Research Area: Music
Guidance Committee Chair & Dept: Eric M. Berlin, Music
Guidance Committee Member & Dept: Nikki R. Stoia, Music
The academic tools provided by the undergraduate music curriculum here at the University of Massachusetts are not mere academic exercises, separate from the practice of music-making, but an integral part of the process of preparing and performing. As part of preparing my Senior Recital, I chose to make an in-depth study to experience what this perspective on musical performance means to me as a performer. For my recital and this exploration, I chose five of the central works of trumpet repertoire, "The Trumpet Shall Sound" (from Messiah) by G. F. Handel, Concerto for Trumpet in E-flat Major by Joseph Haydn, Legend by Georges Enesco, Sonata fur Trompete und Klavier by Paul Hindemith, and Variations on The Carnival of Venice by J. B. Arban. In this paper, I discuss my own experience of the process of learning, studying, and performing each work, comment on the diverse tools I used to gain deeper insight, and present the applicable conclusions I've come to through my research and experience. These conclusions, where appropriate, take the form of music-theoretic notes including harmonic, thematic, and formal analytic sketches, historical background, and/or a survey of available recordings. At every step of preparing this research, I was surprised at the new depth and interest, as both performer and listener, which I found through the richer understanding of the formal structures and historical context of each work. It is now my conviction that this process of detailed and informed musical preparation is essential to my ability to be an effective performer and create great music.
Honors Project (499Y/P)
Recitals by Fred Sienkiewicz
Fred Sienkiewicz & Tom Weaver present a lecture-recital entitled "Alexander Arutiunian: Life, Con... more Fred Sienkiewicz & Tom Weaver present a lecture-recital entitled "Alexander Arutiunian: Life, Context, and Trumpet Works"
Dissertation by Fred Sienkiewicz
OpenBU, 2019
The career of prolific Armenian pianist and composer Alexander Arutiunian [Alek’sandr Harut’unyan... more The career of prolific Armenian pianist and composer Alexander Arutiunian [Alek’sandr Harut’unyan] spanned the Soviet age in Armenia (1920–1991), and his Trumpet Concerto (1950) achieved worldwide recognition and acclaim. Despite the importance of this work to trumpeters internationally, the information and context necessary for performers and scholars to understand Arutiunian’s Concerto and other works has not been previously available in English. Prior to this study, the composer’s biography, compositional style, and works have not been the subject of any significant published research by English-language scholars.
This dissertation demonstrates that Arutiunian’s early compositional style was nurtured and influenced by the antecedents of Armenian folk music and early Armenian nationalist composers. To establish the nature of these influences, this discussion begins by exploring Armenian peasant song and professional folk-singer (ashugh) traditions, and traces the development of early Armenian nationalist composers including Komitas, Romanos Melik’yan, Aleksandr Spendiaryan, Sargis Barkhudaryan, and Aram Khachaturian. During his early schooling in the 1930s, Arutiunian studied both Armenian folk music and the music of these Armenian nationalist composers and developed a style which incorporated, emulated, and expanded on those precedents. During the 1940s, Arutiunian’s advanced training in Yerevan and Moscow led to a broadening of scope and internationalization of his style. He drew new influence from the distinct motives of Khachaturian, the Neo-Classical and modernist influence of Prokofiev, and the contrapuntal approach of Genrikh Litinsky. Following the Stalinist denunciations of 1948 (Zhdanov decree or Zhdanovshchina), Arutiunian’s Big Soviet style emerged, and is so-called because it blended his early style with the grand, dramatic, and Romantic tradition of Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. His first composition in this vein, Cantata About the Motherland (1948), was considerably more conservative than his other works but it so successfully fit the political requirements of Socialist Realism that it earned him the Soviet Union’s highest artistic honor, the Stalin Prize. In the wake of this achievement, Arutiunian’s Big Soviet style rapidly developed, producing major successes in his Festive Overture (1949) and Trumpet Concerto (1950).
This study is based primarily on the examination of rare Soviet-era scores and recordings and the new translation of Russian- and Armenian-language primary and secondary sources, including Arutiunian’s own Memoirs (2000). The resulting descriptive and contextual analysis establishes the nature of Arutiunian’s compositional output up to 1950 and the influences that Armenian and Soviet antecedents had upon his music. It lays the foundation of background, context, and connections for performers and scholars to understand the idioms and stylistic conventions found in Arutiunian’s early works, culminating with a detailed examination of his Trumpet Concerto (1950).
The career of prolific Armenian pianist and composer Alexander Arutiunian [Alek’sandr Harut’unyan... more The career of prolific Armenian pianist and composer Alexander Arutiunian [Alek’sandr Harut’unyan] spanned the Soviet age in Armenia (1920–1991), and his Trumpet Concerto (1950) achieved worldwide recognition and acclaim. Despite the importance of this work to trumpeters internationally, the information and context necessary for performers and scholars to understand Arutiunian’s Concerto and other works has not been previously available in English. Prior to this study, the composer’s biography, compositional style, and works have not been the subject of any significant published research by English-language scholars. This dissertation demonstrates that Arutiunian’s early compositional style was nurtured and influenced by the antecedents of Armenian folk music and early Armenian nationalist composers. To establish the nature of these influences, this discussion begins by exploring Armenian peasant song and professional folk-singer (ashugh) traditions, and traces the development of early Armenian nationalist composers including Komitas, Romanos Melik’yan, Aleksandr Spendiaryan, Sargis Barkhudaryan, and Aram Khachaturian. During his early schooling in the 1930s, Arutiunian studied both Armenian folk music and the music of these Armenian nationalist composers and developed a style which incorporated, emulated, and expanded on those precedents. During the 1940s, Arutiunian’s advanced training in Yerevan and Moscow led to a broadening of scope and internationalization of his style. He drew new influence from the distinct motives of Khachaturian, the Neo-Classical and modernist influence of Prokofiev, and the contrapuntal approach of Genrikh Litinsky. Following the Stalinist denunciations of 1948 (Zhdanov decree or Zhdanovshchina), Arutiunian’s Big Soviet style emerged, and is so-called because it blended his early style with the grand, dramatic, and Romantic tradition of Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. His first composition in this vein, Cantata About the Motherland (1948), was considerably more conservative than his other works but it so successfully fit the political requirements of Socialist Realism that it earned him the Soviet Union’s highest artistic honor, the Stalin Prize. In the wake of this achievement, Arutiunian’s Big Soviet style rapidly developed, producing major successes in his Festive Overture (1949) and Trumpet Concerto (1950). This study is based primarily on the examination of rare Soviet-era scores and recordings and the new translation of Russian- and Armenian-language primary and secondary sources, including Arutiunian’s own Memoirs (2000). The resulting descriptive and contextual analysis establishes the nature of Arutiunian’s compositional output up to 1950 and the influences that Armenian and Soviet antecedents had upon his music. It lays the foundation of background, context, and connections for performers and scholars to understand the idioms and stylistic conventions found in Arutiunian’s early works, culminating with a detailed examination of his Trumpet Concerto (1950)
Middle Tennessee Suzuki Association Newsletter, 2023
Exploration of a strategy for teachers, parents, or students to use in the Suzuki teaching studio... more Exploration of a strategy for teachers, parents, or students to use in the Suzuki teaching studio or practice room to make practicing and overcoming challenging tasks more fun and enjoyable.
American Suzuki Journal, 2023
Discussion of ear training for teachers, students, and parents in the private lesson and Suzuki s... more Discussion of ear training for teachers, students, and parents in the private lesson and Suzuki studio. Seven strategies for teachers to use with students includes singing, sing and finger, speaking/singing with physical commands, speaking/singing with note names or fixed-do solfege, speaking/singing with scale numbers or moveable-do solfege, singing with a drone, and filling in the leaps.
Middle Tennessee Suzuki Association Newsletter, , 2023
Reflections on learning and playing "by ear" in the Suzuki method lesson studio, including a revi... more Reflections on learning and playing "by ear" in the Suzuki method lesson studio, including a review of an idea from Ed Kreitman's "Teaching from the Balance Point".
ABSTRACT Title: Research in Performance: Analysis of Five Trumpet Works Author: Frederick A. Sie... more ABSTRACT
Title: Research in Performance: Analysis of Five Trumpet Works
Author: Frederick A. Sienkiewicz
Research Area: Music
Guidance Committee Chair & Dept: Eric M. Berlin, Music
Guidance Committee Member & Dept: Nikki R. Stoia, Music
The academic tools provided by the undergraduate music curriculum here at the University of Massachusetts are not mere academic exercises, separate from the practice of music-making, but an integral part of the process of preparing and performing. As part of preparing my Senior Recital, I chose to make an in-depth study to experience what this perspective on musical performance means to me as a performer. For my recital and this exploration, I chose five of the central works of trumpet repertoire, "The Trumpet Shall Sound" (from Messiah) by G. F. Handel, Concerto for Trumpet in E-flat Major by Joseph Haydn, Legend by Georges Enesco, Sonata fur Trompete und Klavier by Paul Hindemith, and Variations on The Carnival of Venice by J. B. Arban. In this paper, I discuss my own experience of the process of learning, studying, and performing each work, comment on the diverse tools I used to gain deeper insight, and present the applicable conclusions I've come to through my research and experience. These conclusions, where appropriate, take the form of music-theoretic notes including harmonic, thematic, and formal analytic sketches, historical background, and/or a survey of available recordings. At every step of preparing this research, I was surprised at the new depth and interest, as both performer and listener, which I found through the richer understanding of the formal structures and historical context of each work. It is now my conviction that this process of detailed and informed musical preparation is essential to my ability to be an effective performer and create great music.
Honors Project (499Y/P)
Fred Sienkiewicz & Tom Weaver present a lecture-recital entitled "Alexander Arutiunian: Life, Con... more Fred Sienkiewicz & Tom Weaver present a lecture-recital entitled "Alexander Arutiunian: Life, Context, and Trumpet Works"
OpenBU, 2019
The career of prolific Armenian pianist and composer Alexander Arutiunian [Alek’sandr Harut’unyan... more The career of prolific Armenian pianist and composer Alexander Arutiunian [Alek’sandr Harut’unyan] spanned the Soviet age in Armenia (1920–1991), and his Trumpet Concerto (1950) achieved worldwide recognition and acclaim. Despite the importance of this work to trumpeters internationally, the information and context necessary for performers and scholars to understand Arutiunian’s Concerto and other works has not been previously available in English. Prior to this study, the composer’s biography, compositional style, and works have not been the subject of any significant published research by English-language scholars.
This dissertation demonstrates that Arutiunian’s early compositional style was nurtured and influenced by the antecedents of Armenian folk music and early Armenian nationalist composers. To establish the nature of these influences, this discussion begins by exploring Armenian peasant song and professional folk-singer (ashugh) traditions, and traces the development of early Armenian nationalist composers including Komitas, Romanos Melik’yan, Aleksandr Spendiaryan, Sargis Barkhudaryan, and Aram Khachaturian. During his early schooling in the 1930s, Arutiunian studied both Armenian folk music and the music of these Armenian nationalist composers and developed a style which incorporated, emulated, and expanded on those precedents. During the 1940s, Arutiunian’s advanced training in Yerevan and Moscow led to a broadening of scope and internationalization of his style. He drew new influence from the distinct motives of Khachaturian, the Neo-Classical and modernist influence of Prokofiev, and the contrapuntal approach of Genrikh Litinsky. Following the Stalinist denunciations of 1948 (Zhdanov decree or Zhdanovshchina), Arutiunian’s Big Soviet style emerged, and is so-called because it blended his early style with the grand, dramatic, and Romantic tradition of Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. His first composition in this vein, Cantata About the Motherland (1948), was considerably more conservative than his other works but it so successfully fit the political requirements of Socialist Realism that it earned him the Soviet Union’s highest artistic honor, the Stalin Prize. In the wake of this achievement, Arutiunian’s Big Soviet style rapidly developed, producing major successes in his Festive Overture (1949) and Trumpet Concerto (1950).
This study is based primarily on the examination of rare Soviet-era scores and recordings and the new translation of Russian- and Armenian-language primary and secondary sources, including Arutiunian’s own Memoirs (2000). The resulting descriptive and contextual analysis establishes the nature of Arutiunian’s compositional output up to 1950 and the influences that Armenian and Soviet antecedents had upon his music. It lays the foundation of background, context, and connections for performers and scholars to understand the idioms and stylistic conventions found in Arutiunian’s early works, culminating with a detailed examination of his Trumpet Concerto (1950).