Music and Expression in Piano Performance: A Comparative Analysis of Two Performances of Mozart's Sonata in B-Flat Major, K281 (First Movement)

Abstract

Recital preparation is an experience that all undergraduate and graduate music majors undertake. It requires technical mastery that can be accomplished with significant time and attention to detail. But the best performances have something special – an artistic flair or some fabulous expression that draws the audience in. This is exciting to hear but also difficult to quantify for teaching purposes. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the idea of musical expression: what do you have to know to be expressive? Drawing on the works of Taruskin and Meyer, I explore musical expression using the written score, but also through an analysis of two different performances of Mozart’s piano sonata K 281 in order to create a richer understanding of musical expression that can be used to inform recital performances and the teaching of students.