Thesis submission ID 802 | created | last updated

Fabian Gregor Huss, Inspiration, Influence and Stylistic Development in the Symphonies and Concertos of E.J. Moeran
MA, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, 2007


Volumes, pp.: 1  
Supervisor(s): Dr. Michael Murphy

General specialism: Musicology
Key terms, persons: E.J. Moeran

Abstract:
In 1935 E.J. Moeran (1894-1950) came to Ireland with the intention of completing his Symphony in G minor, which he had first attempted in 1924. Moeran had stayed in Ireland only once before, when he was an officer in the British army stationed in Boyle, Co. Roscommon, at the end of the First World War. During this sojourn he had become interested in Irish folk-song, which was to be an enduring influence on his music. Furthermore, he was naturally attracted to striking, secluded landscapes, which were a lifelong source of inspiration. Moeran's view of Ireland and specifically Kerry (particularly as a suitable place in which to work), his interest in folk-song and his reliance on inspiration from nature were important influences on the Symphony in G minor and the series of substantial orchestral works which followed. These works, including a violin concerto, a rhapsody for piano and orchestra, a sinfonietta, a cello concerto and a second, unfinished symphony, are the principal focus of this thesis. While the significance of environmental influence and Moeran's dual heredity (his family on his father's side was Irish) has been widely noted in previous studies of Moeran's music, they have not been explored in detail; these will be considered in the first part of this thesis. Similarly, the significance of the connections between the symphonies and concertos, and the manner in which they reveal Moeran's stylistic and technical development during the final stage of maturity they represent, has not been examined in great depth; this will be examined in the second part of my thesis. These connected explorations will lead to a more thorough understanding of Moeran's mature orchestral works and the most important influences on Moeran at the time he wrote them.
Thesis submission ID 802