Art and Nature in Kenneth Frazelle's Music

In this treatise, I study four of Kenneth Frazelle’s piano works, Elixir, Appearances, Inventions to Marden and Wildflowers. In composing these works, Frazelle took inspiration from extramusical sources including Paul Cezanne’s artistic technique, the artworks of Brice Marden, and the wildflowers of North Carolina. Musical influences include the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, Aaron Copland, and Roger Sessions. More specifically, Elixir takes inspiration from the nocturnes of Chopin, infusing the nocturne genre in its compositional technique and style. Appearances is a set containing seven miniatures that feature Americana and modernist idioms. The work reflects Frazelle’s analysis of Paul Cézanne’s technical abilities as a painter. Inventions to Marden is cyclical work that expressesthe composer’s impression of Brice Marden’s paintings and drawings. I reexamine the qualities of J. S. Bach’s Inventions and how they relate to Frazelle’s own Inventions. I also explore the many allusions to art, literature, and history in the piece. Wildflowers is a set that is inspired by the visual properties of North Carolina wildflowers. In addition to examining how these flowers are symbolized in the music, I analyze how individual movements of Wildflowers achieve unity through the development of a basic musical idea. Prior to my analyses, I provide a brief biography of the composer and a historical background for each piece.