April 2013 MTNA e-Journal

Comparative Study Of Editions Of Chopin’s Grand Valse Brillante In E-flat Major, Op. 18
By Tianjiao Wang
Frédéric Chopin’s compositions have been popular since they first appeared in print. Unfortunately, that popularity has not always resulted in editions of his works that follow modern, critical editorial conventions. A single composition by Chopin can have many types of “authentic” sources, and editors and publishers have taken liberties in changing details of the score to suit their own ideologies. This article examines the editorial issues involved in fashioning a critical edition of Chopin’s Grand Valse Brillante in E-flat Major, Op.18. Specifically, it focuses on four modern editions and compares and contrasts the editions among themselves, as well as to various 19th-century editions and manuscripts. The evaluation compares the stated goals of the editions to the editors’ execution of those goals and assesses the effect of the editors’ choices of marking on a performance of the waltz. The author also shows how editorial methodology—presentation of sources, editorial decisions, critical repots and such—leads to such discrepancies among the editions. [Read More]

Authentic Assessments In Group Piano Classes: The Effect On Performance Skills And Attitudes
By Margaret Young
This article explores the effect of authentic assessment on the performance skills and attitudes of third-semester, university-level group piano students. Students from two group piano classes participated in this study. The experimental group (n = 12) participated in activities over six weeks, which required them to demonstrate their piano proficiency by teaching or accompanying their classmates, while the control group (n = 10) demonstrated their piano skills by performing solos and other exercises for their instructor. Following the posttest, students completed a questionnaire gathering their opinions regarding group piano courses. Statistical analyses compared pretest and posttest performance scores; results indicated that students from both groups made significant improvements, although there were no significant differences between the two groups. Students from the experimental group found the activities rewarding and were more positive regarding piano classes than the control group, suggesting that authentic assessments improve students’ perceptions of group piano instruction for music majors. [Read More]