Out

H.
LESLIE ADAMS’ TWENTY-SIX ETUDES FOR SOLO PIANO:

A PERFORMANCE AND STYLISTIC ANALYSIS
by
Aaron Balthazar Mathews
Bachelor of Arts
Morehouse College, 2008
Master of Music
Georgia State University, 2010
__________________________________________________________
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in
Piano Pedagogy
School of Music
University of South Carolina
2015
Accepted by:
Scott Price, Major Professor
Charles Fugo, Committee Member
Joseph Rackers, Committee Member
J. Daniel Jenkins, Committee Member
Lacy Ford, Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies

ProQuest Number: 10008953
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ii
DEDICATION
To Mom, Dad, Aliya, Allison, and Yasmin
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My deepest gratitude goes to my parents, grandparents, sisters, family members,
friends, church families, colleagues, and students. Your love, support, encouragement,
and prayers have given me the strength to keep my eyes on the prize.
Special thanks go to my piano professors, Dr. Scott Price, Dr. Sergio Gallo, Dr.
Jeff Ethridge, and Mrs. Tena Hehn for their stellar example of scholarship, musicianship,
and pedagogy.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to my advisor Dr. Scott Price for his
guidance, mentorship, and friendship. In addition, thank you to Dr. Charles Fugo, Dr.
Joseph Rackers, Dr. J. Daniel Jenkins, and Dr. Sarah Williams for serving on my
committees. Thank you to the staff at the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia
College Chicago for their assistance in my research.
Lastly, I am sincerely grateful to H. Leslie Adams for his brilliant and captivating
music. Thank you for your willingness and eagerness to share your thoughts, comments,
and advice with me.
iv
ABSTRACT
H. Leslie Adams (b. 1932) is a prolific and well-respected American composer,
performer, and educator. He currently works as a full-time composer and travels the
country promoting his music. Past faculty appointments of H. Leslie Adams include
serving as an Assistant Professor of Music at Stillman College, Florida A & M
University, and the University of Kansas. Over the years, he has received numerous
commissions, honors, and awards including the Composer Fellowship Award from the
National Endowment for the Arts to study in Bellagio, Italy, the Yaddo Artists Colony
fellowship, the Jennings Foundation, and grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and the
Cleveland Foundation. He has published three sets of works for solo piano – Contrasts
for Piano, Three Preludes for Piano, and Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano.
The focus of this study is a performance and stylistic analysis of the Twenty-Six
Etudes for Solo Piano, Adams’ largest and most important contribution to the solo piano
literature. The analysis includes an examination of form, melody, harmony, rhythm, and
keyboard usage in each etude. In addition, the study provides biographical information
on H. Leslie Adams, an overview of his compositional style, and a transcript of a phone
interview. The goal of this study is trifold—to stimulate significant interest in Adams’
works, to provide new information to the musical community, and to facilitate the
assimilation of the Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano into the standard repertory of
pianists and pedagogues.
v
PREFACE
This document is part of the dissertation requirement for the Doctor of Musical Arts
degree in Piano Pedagogy. The remaining portion of the dissertation consists of two
public recitals. Copies of the recital programs are bound at the end of this paper, and
recordings of the recitals are on file in the Music Library.
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv
ABSTRACT .........................................................................................................................v
PREFACE .......................................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................1
About the Composer ................................................................................................3
Pedagogical Piano Literature ...................................................................................5
Overview of the Musical Elements ..........................................................................6
Methodology for Analysis .....................................................................................10
Purpose of the Study ..............................................................................................10
Need for the Study .................................................................................................10
Limitations of the Study.........................................................................................11
Related Literature...................................................................................................12
Design and Procedures ...........................................................................................14
CHAPTER II: BACKGROUND ......................................................................................15
Biography of H. Leslie Adams (b. 1932) ...............................................................15
About the Etudes ....................................................................................................17
Inspiration for the Research ...................................................................................20
vii
CHAPTER III: STYLISTIC ANALYSES OF THE TWENTY-SIX ETUDES
FOR SOLO PIANO BY H. LESLIE ADAMS (b. 1932) ......................................23
CHAPTER IV: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ....................................................100
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................102
APPENDIX A: AN INTERVIEW WITH H. LESLIE ADAMS ....................................106
APPENDIX B: RECURRING MOTIVES, TEXTURES, AND ENDINGS .................110
APPENDIX C: ADDITIONAL CHARTS AND TABLES............................................116
APPENDIX D: PERFORMANCE HISTORY ...............................................................120
APPENDIX E: PERMISSION TO REPRINT MUSICAL EXAMPLES ......................124
APPENDIX F: PERMISSION TO PRINT INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT ....................125
APPENDIX G: RECITALS ............................................................................................126
viii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1 Generations of Black American Composers ........................................................2
Table 3.1 List of Symbols and Abbreviations ...................................................................23
Table 3.2 An overview of Part 1, No. 1 Etude in G minor ................................................24
Table 3.3 An overview of Part 1, No. 2 Etude in G major ................................................27
Table 3.4 An overview of Part 1, No. 3 Etude in A minor ................................................30
Table 3.5 An overview of Part 1, No. 4 Etude in C major.................................................34
Table 3.6 An overview of Part 1, No. 5 Etude in D minor ................................................36
Table 3.7 An overview of Part 1, No. 6 Etude in D major ................................................39
Table 3.8 An overview of Part 1, No. 7 Etude in B minor ................................................41
Table 3.9 An overview of Part 1, No. 8 Etude in G-flat major ..........................................43
Table 3.10 An overview of Part 1, No. 9 Etude in B-flat minor ........................................46
Table 3.11 An overview of Part 1, No. 10 Etude in D-flat major ......................................49
Table 3.12 An overview of Part 1, No. 11 Etude in C-sharp minor ..................................51
Table 3.13 An overview of Part 1, No. 12 Etude in E-flat minor ......................................54
Table 3.14 An overview of Part 2, No. 1 Etude in E major ...............................................59
Table 3.15 An overview of Part 2, No. 2 Etude in A-flat minor .......................................61
Table 3.16 An overview of Part 2, No. 3 Etude in D-sharp minor ....................................63
Table 3.17 An overview of Part 2, No. 4 Etude in F-sharp minor .....................................66
Table 3.18 An overview of Part 2, No. 5 Etude in C minor ..............................................69
Table 3.19 An overview of Part 2, No. 6 Etude in B major...............................................72
ix
Table 3.20 An overview of Part 2, No. 7 Etude in A major ..............................................75
Table 3.21 An overview of Part 2, No. 8 Etude in C-sharp major.....................................77
Table 3.22 An overview of Part 2, No. 9 Etude in E minor...............................................80
Table 3.23 An overview of Part 2, No. 10 Etude in F minor .............................................83
Table 3.24 An overview of Part 2, No. 11 Etude in G-sharp minor ..................................86
Table 3.25 An overview of Part 2, No. 12 Etude in F major .............................................89
Table 3.26 An overview of Part 2, No. 13 Etude in A-flat major ......................................92
Table 3.27 An overview of Part 2, No. 14 Etude in C major.............................................96
Table B.1 Recurring Motives ...........................................................................................110
Table B.2 Unique Harmonic Ending ...............................................................................115
Table C.1 Form ................................................................................................................116
Table C.2 Melody ............................................................................................................116
Table C.3 Harmony..........................................................................................................117
Table C.4 Rhythm ............................................................................................................117
Table C.5 Character .........................................................................................................117
Table C.6 Tempi ..............................................................................................................117
Table C.7 Keyboard Usage/Texture ................................................................................118
Table C.8 Length Differences between Part 1 and Part 2 ................................................118
Table C.9 Leveling...........................................................................................................119
x
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 3.1 Adams: Etude in G minor, Part 1, No. 1, mm. 1-4 ...........................................25
Figure 3.2 Adams: Etude in G minor, Part 1, No. 1: Transition, mm. 17-18 and
Second theme, mm. 19-20 .................................................................................................25
Figure 3.3 Adams: Etude in G minor, Part 1, No. 1: Third theme (starting at m. 36),
mm. 35-38 ..........................................................................................................................26
Figure 3.4 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2, mm. 1-2 ...........................................28
Figure 3.5 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2: Second theme, mm. 11-12 ..............29
Figure 3.6 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2: Third theme, mm. 52-54 .................29
Figure 3.7 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2: Ending of the piece, mm. 112-113 ..30
Figure 3.8 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3: Motive one, m. 1 .............................31
Figure 3.9 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3: Motive two, mm. 2-3 ......................31
Figure 3.10 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3: Motive three, m. 5 .........................31
Figure 3.11 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3, mm. 1-4 .........................................32
Figure 3.12 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3: Descending whole tone scale
into the second theme (starting at m. 44), mm. 41-48 .......................................................32
Figure 3.13 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3: Third theme, mm. 101-108 ...........33
Figure 3.14 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 1, No. 4, mm. 1-2 .........................................35
Figure 3.15 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 1, No. 4: Second theme, mm. 19-20 .............35
Figure 3.16 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 1, No. 4: Layered motives, mm. 27-28 ........35
Figure 3.17 Adams: Etude in D minor, Part 1, No. 5, mm. 1-2 .........................................37
Figure 3.18 Adams: Etude in D minor, Part 1, No. 5: Second theme, mm. 35-36 ............37
xi
Figure 3.19 Adams: Etude in D minor, Part 1, No. 5: Ending of the piece, mm. 73-76....38
Figure 3.20 Adams: Etude in D major, Part 1, No. 6, mm. 1-4 .........................................39
Figure 3.21 Adams: Etude in D major, Part 1, No. 6: Second theme, mm. 17-18 ............40
Figure 3.22 Adams: Etude in B minor, Part 1, No. 7, mm. 1-3 .........................................42
Figure 3.23 Adams: Etude in B minor, Part 1, No. 7: Second theme (starting at m. 39),
mm. 38-43 ..........................................................................................................................42
Figure 3.24 Adams: Etude in G-flat major, Part 1, No. 8, m. 1 .........................................44
Figure 3.25 Adams: Etude in G-flat major, Part 1, No. 8: Second theme, mm. 17-20 ......44
Figure 3.26 Adams: Etude in G-flat major, Part 1, No. 8: Ending of the piece,
mm. 60-65 ..........................................................................................................................45
Figure 3.27 Adams: Etude in B-flat minor, Part 1, No. 9, mm. 1-6 ..................................47
Figure 3.28 Adams: Etude in B-flat minor, Part 1, No. 9: First theme, mm. 7-10 ............47
Figure 3.29 Adams: Etude in B-flat minor, Part 1, No. 9: Second theme, mm. 39-40 ......48
Figure 3.30 Adams: Etude in B-flat minor, Part 1, No. 9: Second theme in the LH,
mm. 51-54 ..........................................................................................................................48
Figure 3.31 Adams: Etude in D-flat major, Part 1, No. 10, mm. 1-2 ................................50
Figure 3.32 Adams: Etude in D-flat major, Part 1, No. 10: Second theme
(starting at m. 25), mm. 24-29 ...........................................................................................50
Figure 3.33 Adams: Etude in D-flat major, Part 1, No. 10: Third theme, mm. 89-91 .......51
Figure 3.34 Adams: Etude in C-sharp minor, Part 1, No. 11, mm. 1-6 .............................52
Figure 3.35 Adams: Etude in C-sharp minor, Part 1, No. 11: Transition
(starting at m. 18), mm. 17-20 ...........................................................................................53
Figure 3.36 Adams: Etude in C-sharp minor, Part 1, No. 11: Second theme,
mm. 31-34 ..........................................................................................................................53
Figure 3.37 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12, mm. 1-4 .................................55
Figure 3.38 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12: First theme “Answer”,
mm. 21-26 ..........................................................................................................................56
xii
Figure 3.39 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12: Second theme, mm. 41-46 ....56
Figure 3.40 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12: Third theme
(starting at m. 66), mm. 65-70 ...........................................................................................57
Figure 3.41 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12: Cadenza-like section,
mm. 241-245 ......................................................................................................................58
Figure 3.42 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12: Ending of the piece,
mm. 254-258 ......................................................................................................................58
Figure 3.43 Adams: Etude in E major, Part 2, No. 1, mm. 1-6..........................................60
Figure 3.44 Adams: Etude in A-flat minor, Part 2, No. 2, mm. 1-6 ..................................62
Figure 3.45 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3, mm. 1-4 ...............................64
Figure 3.46 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3: Hand-crossing in the
introduction, m. 10 .............................................................................................................64
Figure 3.47 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3: Theme, m. 18-19 .................65
Figure 3.48 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3: Descending arpeggiated
sequence over a pedal (starting in m. 29), mm. 28-31 .......................................................65
Figure 3.49 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3: Ending of the piece,
mm. 128-131 ......................................................................................................................65
Figure 3.50 Adams: Etude in F-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 4, mm. 1-4................................67
Figure 3.51 Adams: Etude in F-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 4: Second statement of the
first theme, mm. 11-17; Transition, m. 18; Second theme, mm. 19-20 .............................68
Figure 3.52 Adams: Etude in F-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 4: Ending of the piece,
mm. 55-56 ..........................................................................................................................68
Figure 3.53 Adams: Etude in C minor, Part 2, No. 5, mm. 1-4 .........................................70
Figure 3.54 Adams: Etude in C minor, Part 2, No. 5: Second theme, mm. 17-20 ............70
Figure 3.55 Adams: Etude in C minor, Part 2, No. 5: Second theme harmonic motion,
mm. 37-40 ..........................................................................................................................71
Figure 3.56 Adams: Etude in C minor, Part 2, No. 5: Third theme (starting at m. 44),
mm. 41-48 ..........................................................................................................................71
xiii
Figure 3.57 Adams: Etude in B major, Part 2, No. 6, mm. 1-4 .........................................73
Figure 3.58 Adams: Etude in B major, Part 2, No. 6: Second theme, mm. 41-43 .............73
Figure 3.59 Adams: Etude in B major, Part 2, No. 6: Second statement of second
theme, mm. 59-61 ..............................................................................................................73
Figure 3.60 Adams: Etude in B major, Part 2, No. 6: Ending of the piece, mm. 90-92 ....74
Figure 3.61 Adams: Etude in A major, Part 2, No. 7, mm. 1-2 .........................................75
Figure 3.62 Adams: Etude in A major, Part 2, No. 7: Return of the first theme
(starting at m. 38), mm. 37-40 ...........................................................................................76
Figure 3.63 Adams: Etude in A major, Part 2, No. 7: Second theme, mm. 17-18 ............76
Figure 3.64 Adams: Etude in C-sharp major, Part 2, No. 8, mm. 1-2 ...............................78
Figure 3.65 Adams: Etude in C-sharp major, Part 2, No. 8: Second theme, mm. 13-14 ...78
Figure 3.66 Adams: Etude in C-sharp major, Part 2, No. 8: Third theme, mm. 21-24......79
Figure 3.67 Adams: Etude in C-sharp major, Part 2, No. 8: Ending of the piece,
mm. 73-75 ..........................................................................................................................79
Figure 3.68 Adams: Etude in E minor, Part 2, No. 9, mm. 1-4 .........................................81
Figure 3.69 Adams: Etude in E minor, Part 2, No. 9: First theme in the LH, mm. 9-10 ...81
Figure 3.70 Adams: Etude in E minor, Part 2, No. 9: Transition, mm. 49-52 ...................82
Figure 3.71 Adams: Etude in E minor, Part 2, No. 9: Second theme, mm. 57-60 .............82
Figure 3.72 Adams: Etude in E minor, Part 2, No. 9: Ending of the piece, mm. 139-141 83
Figure 3.73 Adams: Etude in F minor, Part 2, No. 10, mm. 1-9........................................84
Figure 3.74 Adams: Etude in F minor, Part 2, No. 10: LH melody (starting at m. 34),
mm. 31-39 ..........................................................................................................................85
Figure 3.75 Adams: Etude in F minor, Part 2, No. 10, mm. 19-24....................................85
Figure 3.76 Adams: Etude in G-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 11, mm. 1-8 .............................87
Figure 3.77 Adams: Etude in G-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 11: Second theme
(starting at m. 17), mm. 15-20 ...........................................................................................87
xiv
Figure 3.78 Adams: Etude in G-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 11: Ending of the piece,
mm. 64-69 ..........................................................................................................................88
Figure 3.79 Adams: Etude in F major, Part 2, No. 12, mm. 1-6 ........................................90
Figure 3.80 Adams: Etude in F major, Part 2, No. 12: Second part of the theme,
mm. 13-16 ..........................................................................................................................90
Figure 3.81 Adams: Etude in F major, Part 2, No. 12: Passagework, mm. 31-32 .............91
Figure 3.82 Adams: Etude in F major, Part 2, No. 12: Ending of the piece,
mm. 58-60 ..........................................................................................................................91
Figure 3.83 Adams: Etude in A-flat major, Part 2, No. 13, mm. 1-4 ................................93
Figure 3.84 Adams: Etude in A-flat major, Part 2, No. 13: First theme, mm. 5-6 ............93
Figure 3.85 Adams: Etude in A-flat major, Part 2, No. 13: Second theme, mm. 20-24 ....94
Figure 3.86 Adams: Etude in A-flat major, Part 2, No. 13: Third theme, mm. 37-40 .......94
Figure 3.87 Adams: Etude in A-flat major, Part 2, No. 13: Ending of the piece,
mm. 105-110 ......................................................................................................................95
Figure 3.88 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14, mm. 13-15 ...................................97
Figure 3.89 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14: Second theme
(starting at m. 21), mm. 19-23 ...........................................................................................97
Figure 3.90 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14: Modified dominant chord,
mm. 1-2 ..............................................................................................................................98
Figure 3.91 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14: Substitute dominant at the
ending of the piece, mm. 69-72 .........................................................................................98
Figure 3.92 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14: Octaves, mm. 48-51 ....................99
Figure 3.93 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14: Embellishments, mm. 59-60 .......99
Figure B.1 Adams: Etude in G minor, Part 1, No. 1, mm. 71..........................................110
Figure B.2 Adams: Etude in F-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 4, mm. 11-16 ...........................111
Figure B.3 Adams: Etude in F minor, Part 2, No. 10, mm. 19-24 ...................................111
xv
Figure B.4 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2, mm. 1-2 ........................................112
Figure B.5 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2, m. 6 ...............................................112
Figure B.6 Adams: Etude in C-sharp minor, Part 1, No. 11, mm. 1-2 ............................112
Figure B.7 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3, m. 20 ...................................112
Figure B.8 Adams: Etude in A major, Part 2, No. 7, mm. 17-18 ....................................113
Figure B.9 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2, m. 29 .............................................113
Figure B.10 Adams: Etude in D minor, Part 1, No. 5, mm. 1-2 ......................................113
Figure B.11 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3, mm. 21-24 ..................................113
Figure B.12 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3, mm. 44-47 ..................................114
Figure B.13 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 1, No. 4, mm. 1-2 .......................................114
Figure B.14 Adams: Etude in C-sharp major, Part 2, No. 8, mm. 1-2 .............................114
Figure B.15 Adams: Etude in D-flat major, Part 1, No. 10, mm. 154-156 ......................115
Figure B.16 Adams: Etude in B major, Part 2, No. 6, mm. 90-92 ...................................115
xvi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
Contributions to American classical music by African-American composers fill a
transitional place in American music history.1 Simultaneous with developments in
American jazz, African-American composers wrote music in the classical genre.2 James
P. Johnson and Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington are among several composers who
composed in both jazz and classical forms.3 Since the late nineteenth century, Black
American composers have been active, some gaining national and international
recognition.4 Others, although unrecognized, provided music in church and school
settings for their own enjoyment. They, too, contributed to the long-standing African-
American tradition of classical music, producing a variety of works in many genres
including symphonies, operas, art songs, choral pieces, and instrumental music.5
Black American composers may be divided into four generations.6
1
I will use the terms Black American and African American interchangeably to describe a population of
people who have African ancestry and either were born or lived in the United States.
2
Hildred Roach, Black American Music: Past and Present. (2nd edition, Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing
Company, 1992), 109.
3
Ibid, 80-81.
4
Helen Walker-Hill, From Spirituals to Symphonies: African American Women Composers and Their
Music. (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2002), xiv.
5
Ibid.
6
William C. Banfield, Musical Landscapes in Color: Conversations with Black American Composers.
(Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2003), xii-xiii.
1
Table 1.1: Generations of Black American Composers7
Generation Years Composers

First Generation Born 1880–1900 Harry Burleigh, Robert Nathaniel Dett, Florence
Price, Hall Johnson, and William Grant Still
Second Generation Born 1900–1930 William Dawson, Margaret Bonds, Jester
Hairston, and Undine Smith Moore
Third Generation Born 1930–1950 George Walker, David Baker, Ulysses Kay,
Thomas Jefferson Anderson, Betty Jackson
King, and H. Leslie Adams
Fourth Generation Born 1950–1970 Anthony Davis, Donal Fox, Lettie Alston
Beckon, Uzee Brown, Jr.
These few names only begin to account for the high number of African-American
composers who have produced noteworthy classical concert repertoire.
The primary visible contributions by Black American composers have been in the
area of jazz. Prominent jazz figures such as William Christopher Handy, James P.
Johnson, Thomas (Fats) Waller, and Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington are well known
for their significant contributions to the genre.8 But there is a strong tradition of classical
music as well. James P. Johnson, Florence Price, William Grant Still, George Walker,
and others produced art music consisting of “various styles built upon formulas of past
eras as well as the more dissonant techniques of the modern century.”9 As James R.
Heintz states in Perspectives on American Music since 1950, music composed by African
Americans should not be seen as limited to jazz and blues, but encompassing all genres of
American music.
7
Further information can be found in books by William C. Banfield, Musical Landscapes in Color:
Conversations with Black American Composers, (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2003), xii-xiii and
Hildred Roach, Black American Music: Past and Present, (2nd edition, Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing
Company, 1992), 109-184.
8
Company, 1992), 75-96.
9
Ibid, 112.
2
“…Many individuals, including many African Americans, associate Black music only
with the popular, less formal genres such as jazz, rhythm and blues, rap, gospel, and
reggae. Even among those who know the corpus of classical music literature produced
by Blacks associate it almost exclusively with jazz and Negro spirituals. Although there
are notable examples where such an association would be appropriate, for example, in
some of the symphonic music of William Grant Still (1895-1978), William L. Dawson
(1898-1990), James P. Johnson (1894-1955), and Duke Ellington (1899-1974), there are
still several exceptions. According to composer Olly Wilson, Black composers
frequently reveal Black and nonblack influences.”10
Scholars have made significant strides to demonstrate that “Black American
composers are an important part of the Western framework of composition.”11 Several
books on the music of Black Americans, including Lift Every Voice: The History of
African American Music by Burton W. Peretti, have been written and revisions have been
done to existing books to include that history.12 The progress is encouraging and
knowledge of such composers and their music provides a more accurate sense of
American music history and literature.13
About the Composer
H. Leslie Adams is an American composer who works as a full-time composer
and musician. He is continually growing in recognition and popularity, and his musical
output reflects a synthesis of classical and contemporary genres. As summarized in the
New Grove Encyclopedia, his music has a “lyrical style that fuses elements of jazz and
10
James R. Heintze. Perspectives on American Music Since 1950. (Taylor & Francis, 1999), 225.
11
(Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2003), x.
12
Other books on the music of Black American composers include African American Music: An
Introduction by Mellonee Burnim and Portia Maultsby, Bibliography of Black Music, Vols. 1-4 by
Dominique Rene de Lerma, Black American Music: Past and Present by Hildred Roach, The Music of
Black Americans: A History by Eileen Southern, and From Spirituals to Symphonies: African American
Women Composers and Their Music by Helen Walker-Hill.
13
Company, 1992), xv.
3
Black folksong with 20th century compositional techniques.”14 Although best known for
his art song and choral compositions, he has also composed works for orchestra, chamber
ensembles, opera, piano, and various solo instruments.15
Although ethnicity has not been an issue in his schooling and career, H. Leslie
Adams prefers to be known as an American composer. He has enjoyed positive and
healthy relationships with people of all ethnicities, one reason being that he was reared in
a culturally diverse neighborhood.16
Born in 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio, H. Leslie Adams was educated in the public
school system, and he developed a love and talent for music at an early age. Throughout
his schooling, Adams took piano and voice lessons and participated in school and church
musical productions. Because of his enthusiasm and ability for music, his teachers
suggested that he audition at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, where he was
accepted in January 1951.17
Adams received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with an emphasis in
piano, voice, and composition from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. His
education continued at California State University at Long Beach, where he earned a
Master’s degree in Composition and the Ohio State University, where he earned a Ph.D
in Composition.
14
Josephine Wright, “H. Leslie Adams,” in Stanley Sadie, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians. (London: Macmillan, 2001), II: 146-147.
15
Allanda Constantina Small, “H. Leslie Adams’ Nightsongs: Poetry, Music, and Performance.” (D.M.A.
dissertation, The University of Southern Mississippi, 2007), ii.
16
(Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2003), 27.
17
Ibid, 26.
4
Adams served as an Assistant Professor of Music at Stillman College, Florida A
& M University, and The University of Kansas. Over the years, he received numerous
commissions, honors, and awards including the Composer Fellowship Award from the
National Endowment for the Arts to study in Bellagio, Italy, the Yaddo Artists Colony
fellowship, the Jennings Foundation, and grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and the
Cleveland Foundation. In addition, he has appeared as a performer with the Prague
Radio Symphony, Iceland Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic,
Indianapolis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Savannah Symphony, Springfield
Symphony, Oakland-Pontiac Symphony, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, and Black Music
Repertory Ensemble.18
Pedagogical Piano Literature
The etude genre is well established with a long and venerable tradition of
contributions by famous composers, including Carl Czerny, Frederic Chopin, Claude
Debussy, Franz Liszt, Sergei Rachmaninov, and Alexander Scriabin. What may not be
well known is that there are collections of etudes by African-American composers,
specifically H. Leslie Adams, that merit examination and performance. This study
investigates the Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano by H. Leslie Adams. The analysis
focuses on the inherent pedagogical and compositional features within each etude
through the musical elements of form, melody, harmony, rhythm, character, tempo, and
keyboard usage.
18
dissertation, The University of Southern Mississippi, 2007), 5-6.
5
This collection of etudes is noteworthy and distinctive because it uses popular and
regional idioms in the music. While Black American composers, such as Florence Price,
Hale Smith, and William Grant Still certainly wrote pedagogical pieces at a high level of
accomplishment and acumen, H. Leslie Adams is the only African-American composer
to have contributed a comprehensive set of concert-etudes to the repertoire.19
Overview of the Musical Elements
“Etude” is a French word that means “study.” In the context of piano playing, an
etude is a composition that is written with the intention of improving a particular
technique or skill, such as double notes, octaves, balance between melody and
accompaniment, scales, and arpeggios. Composers frame their piece around a certain
skill or skills, but transcend those skills in the creation of a work of art. While H. Leslie
Adams’ etudes certainly require and reinforce certain technical prowess, they are also
lyrical, evocative, and appropriate for concert settings.
The Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano by H. Leslie Adams provide an avenue for
the study of a variety of technical skills. These skills include double notes, octaves,
triplets, broken and blocked chords, rolled chords, oscillating chords, syncopation,
hemiola, ornamentation, and hand crossing. These etudes provide pianists and teachers
with a refreshing take on technical exercises.
19
Aaron Horne, Keyboard Music of Black Composers: A Bibliography. (New York: Greenwood Press,
1992). Aaron Horne’s book cites six black composers who have published etudes: Regina A Harris
Baiocchi (Two Piano Etudes), Lucien Leon Guillaume Lambert (Cloches et Clochettes: Etude Mazurka
Brilliante, Op. 31), Maurice Henderson McCall (Study No. 1), James Orville Brown Moseley (Piano
Pieces: Five Studies), Donald Cortez Reece (Studies), and Ronald Roxbury (Three Transcendental Etudes).
6
Certain stylistic elements are common among Leslie Adams’ twenty-six etudes.
This paper is comprised of an analysis of their form, melody, harmony, rhythm,
character, tempi, and keyboard usage.
Form
The etudes use a mixture of formal structures and procedures. In regard to overall
structure, a few etudes exhibit characteristics of variation form, ternary form, rondo form,
and 32-bar song form, but are not bound to their formal implications and procedures.
Adams deviates somewhat from these formal templates in his treatment of the harmonic
and thematic material. Phrases are primarily built on four-measure symmetrical groups.
Furthermore, a sense of continuity is accomplished not only by the use of melodic unity
throughout each piece but also by the consistency of rhythmic treatment.
Melody
H. Leslie Adams is an avid composer of art songs, and he transfers this stylistic
element of a ‘singing melody’ to the etudes.20 The etudes are lyrical and accessible.
Once the motivic ideas are introduced, they pervade the rest of the etude.
Each etude develops one or multiple melodic ideas. Written in various styles,
such as Beguine, dance styles, and popular song styles, the melodies reflect a wide scope
of cultural and stylistic influences. The upper melodic line usually predominates over a
simple or elaborate accompaniment. However, in his development of the melody, Adams
will occasionally place it in the left hand part or in an inner voice. When repeated, both
melody and accompaniment are frequently embellished with subtle variations.
20
H. Leslie Adams, Liner Notes, Twelve Etudes, Maria Corley (piano), Albany Records, 2004, compact
disc.
7
Harmony
“The etudes each are in different tonalities, the objective being to utilize the
essence of the respective tonalities. This goes beyond the more superficial to penetrate
and achieve the core of the various key centers’ character.”21 Twelve of the etudes are in
major keys, while fourteen are in minor keys.
The harmonic framework of the etudes is distinct and characteristic of Adams’
compositional style. Not only does he use tertian harmonies, but also he explores
sonorities that employ fourths, fifths, sevenths, and ninths. There is a myriad of modal
mixture, extended chords, non-functional harmonies, quartal and quintal harmonies,
modes, chromaticism, and atypical harmonic progressions within the etudes.
Rhythm
The abundant use of syncopation is present in all of the etudes. One important
compositional feature is the repeated use of simple rhythmic motives to form a unified
section. Adams uses multiple meters in his etudes. In eight etudes, Adams mixes meters.
Four etudes are based on rhythmic motives.
Character
These etudes vary in mood and character, and are intended to capture the essence
of the given tonality. Thus, the individual character of each piece is clearly defined.
Adams alludes to certain character traits through tempo indications.
21
H. Leslie Adams, Program Notes. Accessed on
http://www.hleslieadams.com/pnsoloinstrumentandpiano.html
8
“The composer draws from his entire personal compositional experience in
crafting these etudes. Some are light and charming, others more dark and pensive. Each
mood represents the composer at his most personal and characteristic.”22
Five etudes have an improvisatory effect and/or sections that yield improvisation.
The last three etudes are based on pop songs in form, character, rhythm, melody, and
harmony.23 Eight of the etudes are highly virtuosic concert-etudes. They require a
considerable amount of dexterity and endurance for proper execution and delivery.
Tempi
The tempo indications include descriptive language and musical terminology.
Sixteen etudes indicate tempi with musical terminology, while ten etudes indicate tempi
with expressive language. The former include tempi such as allegro con fuoco, moderato
con moto, allegretto grazioso, agitato, moderato tempestoso, molto maestoso, largo e
molto espressivo, con anima, andante, molto amoroso, andantino cantabile, molto
marcato, and beguine. The latter includes phrases such as “flexibly, with great
expression,” “brightly with movement,” “playfully and brightly,” “spirited,”
“energetically, with great motion,” “very sonorously,” “andantino, with great freedom
and emotion,” “very freely,” “ardently expressive,” “carefree at first, becoming more
intense,” and “somewhat freely.”
Only eight of the twenty-six etudes have metronome markings. These range from
the quarter note to 56, 56-72, 60, 80, 96, 98, 100, and 108.
22
23
H. Leslie Adams, Liner Notes, H. Leslie Adams: Piano Etudes, Part II, Thomas Otten (piano), Albany
Records, 2014, compact disc.
9
Keyboard Usage
Adams takes full advantage of the range of the keyboard. He creates many
different colors through writing in the high and low registers. Moreover, he uses several
different articulations, including staccato, legato, tenuto, marcato, and sforzando.
The etudes have a mixture of homophonic and polyphonic textures. Those with
contrapuntal textures are multi-layered—usually two, three, or four voices when
layered—and each voice has its own melody. Yet the inner voices are just as important.
Melodies, occasionally appearing in the left hand, are coupled with various
accompaniment styles—simple or elaborate, homophonic or polyphonic.
Adams’ use of various textures includes: double notes (double thirds, fourths,
sixths, sevenths, octaves), hand crossing, thick, chordal textures, and arpeggiated chords.
One etude has graphic notation and instructions for performance. There is also a
predominance for left hand and right hand figures that use octaves with added fifths.
Methodology for Analysis
The aforementioned compositional and musical elements are examined in depth.
The analysis for each etude includes a chart having the form, key areas and harmony, and
technical and compositional devices.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to analyze the Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano by
H. Leslie Adams. Adams’ etudes play an important function in the American classical
music scene. While the etudes require and develop technical proficiency, their scope
10
extends past simply serving as finger exercises. Adams includes non-traditional elements
such as dance rhythms and popular harmonies that help to elevate the genre and continues
the practice of elevating the piano etude into a high art form. In addition, the research
provides insight into an uncommon use of the etude genre and promotes research of piano
etudes by African-American composers.
Need for the Study
The Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano by H. Leslie Adams are important
compositional documents that reflect a transition in this genre of music. They are an
important contribution to the literature because they incorporate a variety of non-
traditional styles and some popular elements in a classical format. The etudes are works
of stature that move beyond the aim of finger exercises found in the etudes of Chopin,
Liszt, and Debussy. A study of these etudes will diversify the offerings in the piano
etude repertoire, bring awareness to music by African-American composers, and provide
new information to the musical community. To date, no comprehensive study has been
done on the piano etudes of H. Leslie Adams.
Limitations of the Study
The study is limited to an analysis of the Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano by H.
Leslie Adams. The analysis consists of an examination of form, harmony, texture,
melodic and rhythmic usage and keyboard usage. References are made to other works
composed by H. Leslie Adams, but the analysis is limited to the twenty-six etudes.
11
Related Literature
Throughout his lifetime, the intellectual community has recognized H. Leslie
Adams’ contributions as a composer. There is information on H. Leslie Adams and his
compositions in major research sources.
In Musical Landscapes in Color: Conversations with Black American Composers
by William Banfield,24 a transcript of an interview of Leslie Adams includes the
composer’s personal account of his education, career, and compositional process.
There have been a number of articles written on Adams’ life and music, including
Ruth Anderson’s “Leslie Adams, Composer” in Contemporary American Composers: A
Biographical Dictionary25 and Darlene Dawkins’ “Leslie Adams, Composer: Man and
His Music” for Clubdate.26 Both give background information on Leslie Adams and
provide insight into his compositional style. Karen Green-Crocheron’s article, “Meet
The Composer Leslie Adams,”27 gives insight into Adams’ career as a full-time composer
as seen in his tour of the Cleveland schools, introducing children to his music and work.
A significant amount of information on Adams is available in journals for singers.
“Songs of H. Leslie Adams” in Journal of Singing (2008) by Darryl Taylor28 gives an
overview of the numerous art songs that Adams has written. Taylor designates three
24
(Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2003).
25
Ruth Anderson, “Leslie Adams, Composer,” Contemporary American Composers: A Biographical
Dictionary. (Boston: G. K. Hall, 1982).
26
Darlene Dawkins, “Leslie Adams, Composer: Man and His Music.” Clubdate (Vol. 8, No. 2, 1987).
27
Karen Green-Crocheron, “Meet The Composer Leslie Adams.” Galore Magazine (May 1982).
28
Darryl Taylor, “Songs of H. Leslie Adams.” Journal of Singing (Vol. 64, No. 3, 2008).
12
primary compositional periods for the composer and documents the contributions of each
period.
The entries “H. Leslie Adams” by Josephine Wright in the New Grove Dictionary
of Music and Musicians,29 by Gayle Sherwood in the International Dictionary of Black
Composers,30 by Aaron Horne in Keyboard Music of Black Composers: A
Bibliography,31 by Hildred Roach in Black American Music: Past and Present,32 and in
Who’s Who in America33 are important sources for biographical information and a list of
Leslie Adams’ works.
Two dissertations–“The Solo Vocal Works of H. Leslie Adams: A Descriptive
Commentary and Catalogue” by Linda Childs34 and “H. Leslie Adams’ Nightsongs:
Poetry, Music, and Performance” by Allanda Small35–focus primarily on Adams’ vocal
music, namely his art songs, but they also provide information on Adams’ background
and compositional style. “Beyond Technique: An Examination of Musical and Textual
29
Josephine Wright, “H. Leslie Adams,” in Stanley Sadie, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians. (London: Macmillan, 2001).
30
Gayle Sherwood, “H. Leslie Adams,” in Samuel Floyd, ed., International Dictionary of Black
Composers. (Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1999).
31
Aaron Horne, Keyboard Music of Black Composers: A Bibliography. (New York: Greenwood Press,
1992).
32
Company, 1992).
33
Biographical entry in Who’s Who in America 2014. 68th Edition.
34
Linda Childs, “The Solo Vocal Works of H. Leslie Adams: A Descriptive Commentary and Catalogue.”
(Ph.D. dissertation, The University of Arizona, 1997).
35
dissertation, The University of Southern Mississippi, 2007).
13
Expression from the Baroque to the Twentieth Century,” a thesis by Charles Moore,
features a discussion of H. Leslie Adams’ Nightsongs.36
Other dissertations which serve as important reference guides include “The Art
Songs of Black American Composers” by Everett McCorvey37 and “The Piano Etudes of
A. P. F. Boely (1785-1858): A Stylistic Analysis” by Taeseong Kim.38
This body of literature supports the idea that H. Leslie Adams is an important
composer, but it also shows a need for an in-depth study of his Twenty-Six Etudes for
Solo Piano.
Design and Procedures
The study comprises four chapters, a bibliography, and appendices. Chapter one
consists of an introduction that briefly discusses the history of Black American classical
music and H. Leslie Adams’ place in that history as well as the purpose and need for the
study, limitations of the study, review of related literature, and design and procedures.
Chapter two consists of biographical information on H. Leslie Adams. Chapter three
consists of an analysis of the Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano by H. Leslie Adams.
Chapter four provides a summary, conclusion, and recommendations for further study.
36
Charles Moore, “Beyond Technique: An Examination of Musical and Textual Expression from the
Baroque to the Twentieth Century.” (Thesis, The University of Mississippi, 2013).
37
Everett David McCorvey, “The Art Songs of Black American Composers.” (Ph.D. dissertation, The
University of Alabama, 1989).
38
Taeseong Kim, “The Piano Etudes of A. P. F. Boely (1785-1858): A Stylistic Analysis.” (D.M.A.
dissertation, The University of South Carolina, 2007).
14
CHAPTER II: BACKGROUND
Biography of H. Leslie Adams (b. 1932)
Harrison Leslie Adams was born on December 30, 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio. His
affinity for music was seen at an early age and flourished as he grew. He began piano
lessons at the age of four with a private teacher in his neighborhood. Adams recalls that
his lesson books had empty staves in the back of the books, and he was fascinated by the
notion that one could write notes down, play them repeatedly, and have someone listen to
the pieces that were created.39
Throughout high school, Adams continued his piano studies, accompanied the
school choir, and took voice lessons. His musical education was also enriched and
cultivated through experiences in both his church community and the city of Cleveland.40
In regard to the former, he performed in local church musicales and in the youth choir at
Antioch Baptist Church.41 The city of Cleveland regularly hosted renowned artists such
as pianist Arthur Rubinstein and singer Paul Robeson. Adams remembers, “There was
just a wealth of talent, just top notch. And then the opera [Metropolitan Opera touring
company] would come on a regular basis. They had major stars: Ezio Pinza, Helen
Traubel, Lily Pons, and Jan Peerce. There would usually be at least two stars in every
39
40
dissertation, The University of Southern Mississippi, 2007), 2.
41
Ibid, 3.
15
production, so I really got a wonderful education.”42 His teachers saw great potential in
him and encouraged him to audition at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, where he
was enrolled in January 1951.
While an undergraduate student at Oberlin, Adams studied music education with
an emphasis in piano, voice, and composition. “While there he continued his piano
instruction with Emil Danenberg and took voice from Robert Fountain. He also studied
music composition with Herbert Elwell and Joseph Wood.”43 He was exposed to various
opportunities for performing, composing, conducting, and singing. Further, the musical
culture and experiences helped to shape his future path as a composer and educator.
After graduation in 1955, he studied composition privately with Robert Starer and
Vittorio Giannini in New York City. “He supported himself during this period by
working as a studio pianist for several New York dance companies…he also concertized
as a pianist and gave concerts of his own musical compositions in the city.”44 He
produced several compositions, many of which were performed and favorably reviewed
in periodicals such as the New York Times and New York Herald-Tribune.45 His graduate
studies included California State University at Long Beach for his Master’s degree in
Composition and the Ohio State University, where he earned a Ph.D in Composition.
42
Linda Childs, “The Solo Vocal Works of H. Leslie Adams: A Descriptive Commentary and Catalogue.”
(Ph.D. dissertation, The University of Arizona, 1997), 11.
43
Yvonne C. Williams, “Leslie Adams and the making of the opera Blake: an interview with the
composer” in Josephine Wright and Samuel Floyd, Jr., ed., New Perspectives on Music: Essays in Honor of
Eileen Southern. (Warren, MI: Harmonie Park Press, 1992), 173.
44
Ibid.
45
16
Adams has served as a faculty member at Stillman College, Florida A & M
University, and The University of Kansas.46 He has appeared as a performer with several
national and international symphonies along with receiving numerous commissions,
honors, and awards. Most recently, he was awarded the 2015 Cleveland Arts Prize Life
Achievement Award for his career as a pianist and composer.
About the Etudes
Adams has published three sets of works for solo piano – Contrasts for Piano,
Three Preludes for Piano, and Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano. His unpublished works
for piano include Four Pieces (1951), Theme and Variations in A-flat Minor or
“Variations on a Serious Theme” (1953), Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1964).
These pieces have not been examined, in part because of the lack of awareness of H.
Leslie Adams’ work in the standard canon of piano literature. Consequently, his vibrant
and compelling music is absent from pianists’ traditional repertoire for performance and
pedagogy.
The Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano are Adams’ largest and most important
contribution to the solo piano literature. Composed over a ten-year span, beginning in
1997 and lasting until 2007, they consist of studies that vary in style, mood, and tonality.
Adams’ etudes blend many stylistic elements, including lyricism, syncopation,
counterpoint, modal mixture, and complex harmony. His writing reflects “the rich and
diverse musical training and involvement in his community’s music scene in
46
dissertation, The University of Southern Mississippi, 2007), 5-6.
17
Cleveland.”47 Additionally, it reveals his passion for Romantic music and also his
admiration for Johann Sebastian Bach. Regarding Bach, Adams says,
“J. S. Bach is the musician that I have listened to the most and have the greatest
respect for. I am in awe of his ability, talent, and beauty in creation. I never
cease to enjoy listening to him. I do appreciate all kinds of composers, and I
began listening to many composers in my teens. I enjoyed the music of Jerome
Kern, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Johannes Brahms, Beethoven and Richard
Rodgers. Yet without a doubt, Bach by all accounts is number one.”48
Impressionistic and jazz influences are apparent in Adams’ widespread use of modal
harmonies and quartal and quintal spacing of chords in certain etudes. Furthermore,
rhythmic elements such as syncopation and hemiola indicate that aspects of African-
American idioms are included. Adams says, “I feel my American orientation emerges
freely throughout the etudes, often mixing with European classicism.”49
H. Leslie Adams also states, “My work is more heart-based and intuitive than
analytical. For me, composing is pulling out what’s inside, and I’m often surprised what
that may turn out to be.”50
Adams draws from “his entire personal compositional experience in crafting these
etudes. Some are light and charming, others more dark and pensive. Each mood
represents the composer at his most personal and characteristic. Each is like an extended
theme, as the Composer brings to the piano the characteristic quality he renders in his art
47
48
Ibid, 8-9.
49
50
Ibid.
18
songs.”51 Regarding the melody of his art songs, Adams states, “…I usually begin with a
tune that can be heard throughout each piece. It will sometimes develop and expand, but
it always returns.”52 The melodies of the etudes share this lyrical quality and a certain
amount of accessibility is created through repetitive melodic figures, which allow
listeners to remember them throughout the etude.
The Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano are divided into two parts. Twelve etudes
comprise Part 1, and fourteen etudes comprise Part 2. Pianist Maria Corley recorded the
first twelve etudes on the Albany label. Corley describes the etudes as “highly
representative of his compositional language, including jazz-inflected syncopations, neo-
romantic harmonies, and the strong melodic sense one would expect of such a brilliant
composer of songs.”53 In the spring of 2004, corresponding with the release of the
recording, Corley and Adams gave a series of presentations to the Piano Literature
classes at the Juilliard School in Lincoln Center, New York.54
Thomas Otten recorded the last fourteen etudes. The recording was released in
the fall of 2014. The premier performance took place on November 1st and 2nd, 2014 at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Both performances have helped stir
wider appeal and interest in Adams’ repertoire. Regarding the etudes, Otten says,
51
52
53
H. Leslie Adams, Liner Notes, Twelve Etudes, Maria Corley (piano), Albany Records, 2004, compact
disc.
54
19
“As one unfamiliar with Leslie’s music, I found myself in for a real treat! His
style, though classically rooted, incorporates strong elements of jazz and pop
music, giving it a crossover vibe that’s most engaging and very current/“hip” in
feel. It’s highly melodic and gorgeously crafted in terms of sonority and texture,
invoking a sound world where Rachmaninoff meets Burt Bacharach, so to speak.
These engaging pieces are enjoyable and rewarding to play, and people respond
strongly to their inherent warmth and depth of emotion.”55
For several years, Adams has worked as a full-time composer, and he takes great
pride in this fact. He says, “I have the freedom to express myself in any way I see fit,
unlike many famous composers of the past, some of whom wrote for patrons or never
lived to see their works honored. I am so lucky that I have the chance to express myself
without reserve and see others appreciate it also.”56 Still quite active, he is dedicated to
sharing his music with the wider community. His main goal is for his music “to have a
timelessness, a spirituality to it, something that can last and not be limited to a style,
trend, or ideology.”57 He describes his compositional inspiration as “fluid, spontaneous,
almost coming from an unearthly source.”58
Inspiration for the Research
In April 2007, when I was studying at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, I had
the pleasure of meeting H. Leslie Adams and hearing his music for the first time. He had
55
56
57
(Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2003), 28.
58
Darryl Taylor, “Songs of H. Leslie Adams.” Journal of Singing (Vol. 64, No. 3, 2008), 3.
20
been invited to conduct a weeklong residency, in which he would share his music and
knowledge with the students there. This residency featured studies of his art songs. Prior
to his arrival, voice students were assigned one of his pieces to learn. Dr. Adams agreed
to coach the students on their assigned song throughout that week before the culminating
recital of his works. I accompanied a friend who was singing the beloved, “For You
There is No Song.”
Dr. Adams graciously and diligently worked with the students and the student
accompanists on his music, providing insight into his compositional intent and how the
piece should be performed to maximize its effectiveness of communication. I benefitted
a great deal from Dr. Adams’ comments and encouragement while working with him.
Little did I know that this chance encounter would affect my future educational and
research endeavors.
At the time, I was aware that Dr. Adams had sketched some piano etudes;
however, they were not complete, so I could not obtain a copy of the score.
It is Adams’ approachable manner and distinctive style that have inspired me to
expand the body of research in this area. Not only has working with these etudes opened
my eyes, heart, and mind to the power and influence that music can bring, but also it has
given me new techniques and teaching strategies that may be applied to all students.
Having studied etudes in the past, I know the importance and value in including
them in my own teaching. Several composers have written sets of etudes, be it for their
students or for the larger musical community. However, few have approached the genre
in a way that incorporates the African-American experience through the use of rhythm,
21
harmony, and inflections. I hope that my investigation and analysis will open the door to
further inquiry into the music of H. Leslie Adams.
22
CHAPTER III: STYLISTIC ANALYSES OF THE TWENTY-SIX ETUDES
FOR SOLO PIANO BY H. LESLIE ADAMS (b. 1932)
The Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano by H. Leslie Adams are studies of various
technical skills. These skills include, but are not limited to, double notes (thirds, fourths,
sixths, sevenths), octaves, octaves with the added fifth, arpeggios, rolled chords,
oscillating chords, hand crossing, hemiola, ornamentation, and voicing/balance.
In these etudes, certain stylistic elements emerge that are indicative of H. Leslie
Adams’ compositional style. These include lyrical melodies, syncopation, chromaticism,
modal mixture, quartal and quintal harmonies, extended chords and harmonies, popular
and jazz styles, counterpoint, multiple-layered textures, mixed meters, adventurous
harmonic progressions, and symmetrical phrases.
The table below explains symbols and abbreviations that will be used in the
analysis of the etudes.
Table 3.1: List of Symbols and Abbreviations
Symbol Meaning
----- Ambiguous harmonic shifts
— Harmonic modulation or tonicization of a new key area.
Ex: E major—D major
LH Left Hand
RH Right Hand
23
Part 1, No. 1 Etude in G minor “Flexibly, with great expression”
(Quarter note at 60)
Length: 82 measures, approximately 6 minutes
Technical Devices: Hemiola, voicing/balance, full chords, thirds,

LH leaps, arpeggiated accompaniment patterns (triplets)
Special Features: Chromaticism, long melodic lines, meter changes, use of wide
keyboard range
Table 3.2: An overview of Etude in G minor
Form Sub-section Key Area/Harmony

A (mm. 1–17) (mm. 1–9) G minor
(mm. 10–17) E-flat major—F minor
Transition (mm. 17–18) (mm. 17–18) F minor
B (mm. 19–35) (mm. 19–27) F minor - - - - -
(mm. 28–35) F minor - - - - -
C (mm. 36–56) (mm. 36–44) E-flat minor—E minor—D minor
(mm. 44–52) A-flat minor—E minor—D minor
(mm. 52–56) extension D minor
A (mm. 57–73) (mm. 57–65) G minor
(mm. 65–73) E-flat major
Transition (mm. 73–74) (mm. 73–74) F minor
Coda (mm. 75–82) (mm. 75–82) F minor—A minor—G minor
Etude in G minor is lyrical and sectional. One of the chief technical exercises in
this etude is the balance between melody and accompaniment. Adams accompanies the
long, lyrical and melodic lines with various accompaniment styles, the first of which is
reminiscent of a nocturne or barcarolle. The haunting melody atop an oscillating bass
figure creates a mystical atmosphere. In regard to form, this etude follows an A B C A
Coda structure with brief transitional material after each ‘A’ section. The material in
each individual section is repeated but varied. Phrases in this first theme area follow a
“short-short-long” scheme or groups of 2+2+4 measures.
24
The first theme area motive is repeated three times for emphasis. Each phrase
begins with a rising interval, either a sixth or an octave, and then descends mainly by step
(Figure 3.1).
Figure 3.1 Adams: Etude in G minor, Part 1, No. 1, mm. 1-4
Harmonically, Adams begins the etude in G minor, with a LH pedal point, but
quickly moves away, tonicizing B-flat, then reaches the submediant of E-flat major for
the second statement, which features full chords and wide leaps. By the transition,
Adams has arrived at F minor, but takes the listener through a series of keys in the second
theme area, utilizing such techniques as blocked thirds in parallel and contrary motion,
voicing, layering, and hemiola (Figure 3.2).
Figure 3.2 Adams: Etude in G minor, Part 1, No. 1: Transition, mm. 17-18 and Second
theme, mm. 19-20
25
This second theme area is more fluid and reflective, incorporating stepwise
accompaniment material, but has the same “short-short-long” phrase structure. The third
theme area springs forth two-measure motivic material through several key areas,
including E-flat minor, A-flat minor, E minor, and D minor. This section has a darker,
more brooding atmosphere (Figure 3.3).
Figure 3.3 Adams: Etude in G minor, Part 1, No. 1: Third theme (starting at m. 36), mm.
35-38
The recapitulation of the ‘A’ material has a different accompaniment pattern, time
signature (12/8), and harmonic treatment. The second statement is in the traditional E-
flat major. The recapitulation employs the full range of the keyboard, arpeggiated leaps
in the LH, and RH octaves and full-texture chords. A climax is reached in mm. 66–73,
which is marked “molto appassionato.” The entire range of the keyboard is used through
the use of full chords and wide leaps and arpeggios in a culmination of the intensity.
This one etude includes several technical and stylistic elements, including long,
melodic lines and phrases, balancing melody and accompaniment through voicing of
several textural layers, octaves, leaps, thirds, arpeggios, scalar figures, LH melody, meter
changes, rhythmic complexity, including widespread use of hemiola (5 against 3), and
26
articulations – staccatos and finger legatos. Shifts in mood, full textures, and long lines
abound and demand great attention to voicing and phrasing.
Part 1, No. 2 Etude in G major “Brightly, with movement”

(No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: RH broken octave patterns with added fifths, voicing/balance, LH

wide leaps, octaves, ornamentation
Special Features: Syncopation, meter changes, harmonic shifts, irregular phrase

lengths, multi-layered textures
Table 3.3: An overview of Etude in G major

A (mm. 1–10) (mm. 1–6) G major; circle progression
(mm. 7–10) extension Modal mixture
B (mm. 11–31) (mm. 11–18) G major—B minor—F-sharp minor
(mm. 19–20) extension C-sharp minor
(mm. 21–28) G major—B minor—F-sharp minor
(mm. 29–31) extension G major
A’ (mm. 32–39) (mm. 32–37) G major; circle progression
B’ (mm. 40–51) (mm. 40–43) G minor—D minor
(mm. 44–47) D minor—A minor
(mm. 48–51) extension A minor
C (mm. 52–67) (mm. 52–58) F major—A-flat major
(mm. 59–65) F major—C-sharp minor
(mm. 66–67) extension -----
A’’ (mm. 68–79) (mm 68–73) G major; circle progression
Development and Transition (mm. 76–79) -----
(mm. 76–95) (mm. 80–83) G major—C-sharp minor
(mm. 84–87) C-sharp minor
(mm. 88–89) B minor
(mm. 90–94) C major - - - - -
(m. 95) extension G major
A’’’ (mm. 95–103) (mm. 95–100) G major; circle progression
Coda (mm. 104–113) (mm. 104–113) G major - - - - - G major
27
Etude in G major, marked “brightly, with movement,” is a study in RH broken
octave patterns with added fifths, voicing/balance of melody and accompaniment as well
as multi-layered textures, articulation, syncopation, and LH wide leaps. This etude
presents consistent rhythmic motives throughout, but has irregular phrase lengths and
several meter changes. In terms of form, the etude exhibits a rondo-like structure (7-parts
with a development and coda), in that it continuously returns to the first theme after each
contrasting section.
The first theme presents RH broken octave patterns with added fifths
accompanied by disjunct LH notes that outline the harmony (Figure 3.4). The second
half of the theme uses a rhythmic motive that recurs in several other etudes – two groups
of four sixteenth notes with a syncopation tie. Harmonically, this first theme features a
brief circle progression and some modal mixture.
Figure 3.4 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2, mm. 1-2
The second theme’s syncopated motive includes a rising and falling third and is
repeated three times in a “short-short-long” phrase structure (Figure 3.5). Adams
instructs the performer to play in a “more languid” style. The melody is coupled with a
new LH accompaniment pattern of arpeggiated 9th chords and octaves with added fifths.
28
Figure 3.5 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2: Second theme, mm. 11-12
A brief, contrasting third theme beginning in F major incorporates several meter
changes. Melodic material is found in the middle register and is surrounded by disjunct,
staccato chords and ornamental embellishments (Figure 3.6).
Figure 3.6 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2: Third theme, mm. 52-54
The development section is segmented and harmonically unstable, exploring the
first theme material in multiple keys. The coda features a brief restatement of the first
theme along with new chromatic material that leaves the tonic key; however, Adams ends
the etude with an emphatic, and somewhat abrupt, V-I authentic cadence (Figure 3.7).
29
Figure 3.7 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2: Ending of the piece, mm. 112-113
Part 1, No. 3 Etude in A minor “Allegro con fuoco” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Octaves, double sixths, contrary motion, LH arpeggiated ninth

chords, RH voicing/balance (for octaves, chords, melody),
glissando
Special Features: Use of wide keyboard range, meter changes, syncopation, accents,
whole tone scale, connection between sections in this etude is
seamless with no identifiable cadences
Table 3.4: An Overview of Etude in A minor

A (mm. 1–43) (mm. 1–8) A minor
(mm. 9–16) E minor
(mm. 17–26) G-sharp minor/A-flat minor
(mm. 27–43) G-sharp minor/A-flat minor
B (mm. 44–75) (mm. 44–59) D major—E-flat minor
(mm. 60–75) D major—E-flat minor
A’ (mm. 76–102) (mm. 76–89) G-sharp minor/A-flat minor—A minor
(mm. 90–102) A minor—B Mixolydian
transition
C (mm. 103–140) (mm. 103–124) A Mixolydian—G Dorian—D Dorian—A Dorian
(mm. 125–140) A Mixolydian—G Dorian—F major
A (mm. 141–148) (mm. 141–148) A minor
(Repetition of all material from
mm. 9–89)
Coda (mm. 149–172) (mm. 149–172) B minor—B-flat major—A minor
30
Etude in A minor serves as the quintessential octave etude. This bravura piece
marked “allegro con fuoco" is an effective study of octaves as well as dexterity and
control. It requires a considerable amount of virtuosic skill and endurance. In regard to
form, this etude has three main themes plus a coda. Major thematic sections are
connected by elided rhythmic and motivic activity rather than conventional cadences,
while sub-sections are determined by harmonic movement.
The first theme is comprised of three motifs of three-note groupings: a lower
neighbor-upper neighbor figure (Figure 3.8); a three-note ascending-descending scalar
figure (Figure 3.9); and broken octaves with added fifths (Figure 3.10), all of which recur
throughout the piece. This theme is transposed to four keys (Figure 3.11).
Figure 3.8 Adams Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3: Motive one, m. 1
Figure 3.9 Adams Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3: Motive two, mm. 2-3
Figure 3.10 Adams Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3: Motive three, m. 5
31
Figure 3.11 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3, mm. 1-4
A descending whole tone scale leads to a second theme in the key area of D
major. In this second theme area, a new LH arpeggiated ninth figure accompanies a new
RH melodic motive in octaves (Example 3-5). The second statement of this theme is an
octave lower and accompanied by chords. Harmonically, this section is ambiguous and
traverses through several key areas.
Figure 3.12 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3: Descending whole tone scale into
the second theme (starting at m. 44), mm. 41-48
The third theme, similar in form to the second theme, is two parts, the second
statement being varied. There is a change of texture and material, with softer dynamics.
In addition, the composer explores Mixolydian and Dorian harmony. The RH chordal
32
and syncopated melody has double sixths, while the LH uses blocked, then broken 7th
chords (Figure 3.13).
Figure 3.13 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3: Third theme, mm. 101-108
The coda is quite dramatic and features motives from the first and third themes,
but also has some different closing material, such as octaves that move in contrary
motion and drive to the final cadence.
Harmonically, Adams fluctuates between minor and modal tonalities and
incorporates whole tone scales as well as quartal and quintal harmonies.
The etude demands an ease of wrist movement and execution of articulations in
both hands encompassing the entire keyboard range. Wide leaps, fast octaves, scalar
passages, syncopation, a glissando, and repetitive blocked chords are among the
important features of the piece.
33
Part 1, No. 4 Etude in C major “Playfully and brightly” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Counterpoint, thirds, voicing/balance of melody and

accompaniment, LH arpeggiated ninth chords
Special Features: Meter changes, syncopation, syncopated motive
Table 3.5: An Overview of Etude in C major

Simple Introduction (m. 1) (m. 1) C major (added 9th)
A (mm. 2–9) (mm. 2–5) C major—A minor
(mm. 6-9) C major—F minor
Transition (mm. 9-13) (mm. 9-13) F minor—A minor
A’ (mm. 14–17) (mm. 14–17) A minor
Simple Introduction (m. 18) (m. 18) F major
B (mm. 19–26) (mm. 19–22) F major—B-flat major
(mm. 23–26) B-flat major—C major
A’’ (mm. 27–34) (mm. 27–30) C major
(mm. 31–34) C major—A minor
Codetta (mm. 35–37) (mm. 35–37) A minor—C major
“Playfully and brightly” aptly describes Etude in C major. This etude is a study in
projecting a syncopated melody over varied textures with a syncopated accompaniment
pattern. The piece demands careful rhythmic and melodic control and balance between
the contrapuntal lines. The first theme material is stated three times, each one varied;
however, there is a brief, contrasting second theme. The etude’s syncopated character
pervades the piece and provides the rhythmic pulse by which the piece is propelled.
There are three main motives in the piece. The first motive, which is a slight
variation of a recurring motive that can be found in several other of Adams’ etudes, is the
two groups of four sixteenth notes with a syncopation tie (Figure 3.14). The second
motive is a two-note falling third/fourth dotted eighth note plus a dotted sixteenth tied to
a quarter note (Figure 3.14). The third motive is an ascending arpeggiated figure
34
followed by a stepwise descent: four sixteenth notes connected to two sixteenths and an
eighth with a syncopation tie (Figure 3.14).
Figure 3.14 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 1, No. 4, mm. 1-2
The second theme is preceded by a simple one-measure introduction and contrasts
in key and texture (Figure 3.15). It explores F major and B-flat major before modulating
back to the tonic key.
Figure 3.15 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 1, No. 4: Second theme, mm. 19-20
Throughout the etude, Adams uses extended chords. There are some changing
meters, yet sections are identifiable by clearly defined cadences.
At measure 27 or A’’, Adams layers all of the rhythmic motives and repeats this
material in the upper registers before presenting the codetta and a very emphatic V7–I
final cadence (Figure 3.16).
Figure 3.16 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 1, No. 4: Layered motives, mm. 27-28
35
Part 1, No. 5 Etude in D minor “Allegro” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Rapidly oscillating and repeated chords between hands,

voicing/balance, octaves with added fifths
Special Features: Use of wide keyboard range, modal mixture, thick textures
Table 3.6: An Overview of Etude in D minor

A (mm. 1–22) (mm. 1–8) D minor (Dorian)/F major
(mm. 9–12) D minor (Dorian)/F major
(mm. 13–20) G minor (Dorian)—B-flat major
(mm. 21–22) transition D minor
(Repetition of all A material)
Transition (mm. 23–34) (mm. 23–28) -----
(mm. 29–34) A minor—D minor
B (mm. 35–51) (mm. 35–42) D minor
(mm. 43–49) D minor
(mm. 50–51) transition
mm. 1-51)
Coda (mm. 52–76) (mm. 52–53) transition
(mm. 54–57) B material G minor
(mm. 58–66) A material D minor
(mm. 67–72) transition -----
(mm. 73–76) new material - - - - - D minor
Etude in D minor is a virtuosic study in rapidly oscillating and repeated chords
between the hands, wide leaps, and the voicing/balance of thick textures. This etude
demands endurance and control of finger and wrist movement. A consistent eighth note
pulse propels the rhythmic motives throughout. This etude is made up of two chordal
themes that contrast in texture, articulation, and dynamics.
The first theme features LH octaves with added fifths that rapidly oscillate with
RH first inversion triads (Figure 3.17). The conjunct and disjunct motion of the chords
supports the melody line.
36
Figure 3.17 Adams: Etude in D minor, Part 1, No. 5, mm. 1-2
The phrase structure is symmetrical, with two four-measure groups making up a
section. This is similar to an antecedent-consequent structure, but without the tonal
implications. In terms of harmony, this theme stays within D minor (Dorian) and the
relative F major and the closely related keys of G minor (Dorian) and B-flat major.
The second theme, also in D minor, makes full use of the range of the keyboard.
Accented and arpeggiated octaves with added fifths coupled with wide leaps in both
parallel and contrary motion characterize the texture (Figure 3.18).
Figure 3.18 Adams: Etude in D minor, Part 1, No. 5: Second theme, mm. 35-36
The coda provides a summation of all previous thematic material, but also has a
surprise ending with completely new material as well as a harmonic deviation. Even with
this tonal diversion, Adams emphatically ends the etude in D minor (Figure 3.19).
37
Figure 3.19 Adams: Etude in D minor, Part 1, No. 5: Ending of the piece, mm. 73-76
This etude travels through several passing tonalities and chromatic and modal
harmonies over a span of six octaves. Connection between sections is seamless without
an identifiable cadence. Thematic areas are discernible because of their textural variety.
Part 1, No. 6 Etude in D major “Moderato con moto” (Quarter note at 108)
Length: 73 measures, approximately 3:30 minutes
Technical Devices: Rolled chords, octaves with added fifths, voicing/balance, rapid
ornamental triplet figures
Special Features: Use of wide keyboard range, extended chords, unexpected

modulations, modal mixture, substitutions, dynamic contrast
38
Table 3.7: An Overview of Etude in D major

A (mm. 1–16) (mm. 1–8) D major—F minor
(mm. 9–16) D major—F minor
B (mm. 17–38) (mm. 17–24) D major—G-sharp minor
(mm. 25–32) D major—G-sharp minor
(mm. 33–38) extension/transition G-sharp minor—D major
A’ (mm. 39–46) (mm. 39–46) D major—F minor
Transition (mm. 47–54) (mm. 47–50) A-flat minor—A major - - - - -
(mm. 51–54) G-sharp major
B’ (mm. 55–65) (mm. 55–62) D major—G-sharp major
(mm. 63–65) extension -----
Coda (mm. 66–73) (mm. 66–73) D major
Etude in D major is a study in rolled chords, octaves with added fifths,
voicing/balance, wide leaps, and extended harmony. This etude contains two themes, and
they both provide an abundance of textural variety.
The first theme presents the rolled chordal motive and ascending and descending
ornamental triplet figures (Figure 3.20). These figures create an improvisatory effect.
The eight-measure theme is repeated twice, and each statement begins in D major and
modulates to F minor.
Figure 3.20 Adams: Etude in D major, Part 1, No. 6, mm. 1-4
39
The second theme has a multi-layered texture that presents a duet between the
soprano/tenor and alto/tenor voices (Figure 3.21). Projecting and balancing the
continuous polyphonic layers requires careful control of the fingers. Within a four-
voiced texture, the principal melody is situated in the top layer. Both themes are
recapitulated but with more elaborate figuration. The coda features a brief return of the
first theme material.
Figure 3.21 Adams: Etude in D major, Part 1, No. 6: Second theme, mm. 17-18
The harmonic scheme of this etude is somewhat different in scope from previous
etudes. Much colorful harmony is created through the use of chromaticism. Adams’
harmonic idiom in this etude is impressionistic. He utilizes many harmonic procedures
that are characteristic of pieces by Claude Debussy, such as quartal and quintal
harmonies, extended harmonies, substitutions, unexpected modulations, and modal
mixture. Adams meticulously notates dynamic contrasts and tempo changes, providing
many color possibilities in this dramatic work.
40
Part 1, No. 7 Etude in B minor “Allegretto grazioso” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Broken sixths (alternates between hands), voicing/balance, seventh

chords, LH chordal leaps, octaves
Special Features: Call and answer, points of imitation
Table 3.8: An Overview of Etude in B minor

A (mm. 1–38) (mm. 1–12) B minor (Dorian)
(mm. 20–31) B minor (Dorian)
B (mm. 39–56) (mm. 39–44) B minor
(mm. 52–56) B minor (Dorian)
A (exact repetition of all material)
Etude in B minor is a study in broken sixths. Other technical elements include the
execution of seventh chords, octaves, and chordal leaps. The LH adds animation with a
stride-like accompaniment. This, in combination with the piece’s triple meter, evokes a
feeling of a waltz. In terms of form, this etude uses a ternary structure and a
quintessential “call and answer” theme.
The first theme is divided into four subsections, and it consists of a theme and
transitional material. In the first part, the RH gets the one-measure “call” motive
followed by two measures of “answer” (Figure 3.22). This combination is presented in
four phrase groups.
41
Figure 3.22 Adams: Etude in B minor, Part 1, No. 7, mm. 1-3
A transition section features another variant of the call and answer: the LH
presents the broken sixth motive, and the RH imitates a third above. In the third
subsection of the first theme, the roles are reversed. The LH now has the one-measure
“call” motive followed by a more elaborate two-measure response. After another four
phrase groups, Adams presents the transition material with some slight variation. This
time it begins one octave lower.
The second theme contrasts in tempo, dynamic, texture, and rhythmic continuity,
but still utilizes the broken-sixth figure (Figure 3.23). It functions as a developmental
section and has continuous rhythmic activity.
Figure 3.23 Adams: Etude in B minor, Part 1, No. 7: Second theme (starting at m. 39),
mm. 38-43
42
Much colorful harmony is created through the use of chromaticism. This etude
does not begin in a clear tonality. The first measure “call” material suggests E major.
Coupled with the “answer,” it could be considered B Dorian. The principal key is not
secured with a cadence until measure 19, halfway through the first theme area.
Part 1, No. 8 Etude in G-flat major “Agitato” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Arpeggiated chords, blocked chords, voicing/balance
Table 3.9: An Overview of Etude in G-flat major

A (mm. 1–16) (mm. 1–8) G-flat major—circle progression
(mm. 8–16) G-flat major—circle progression
B (mm. 17–35) (mm. 17–20) B (Lydian, major, minor)
(mm. 21–24) D major—D minor
(mm. 25–28) B (Lydian, major, minor)
(mm. 29–32) D major—D minor
Transition (mm. 33–35) G-flat major
(Repetition of all material to m. 38)
*mm. 36–37 are restatements of mm. 1–2
Transition (mm. 39–46) (mm. 39–46) F major—G-flat major
A’ (mm. 47–54) (mm. 47–54) G-flat major—circle progression
B (mm. 55–57) Fragment (mm. 55–57) B (Lydian, major, minor)
Coda (mm. 58–65) (mm. 58–65) G-flat major
Etude in G-flat major is an effective study in rapid arpeggiated chords, voicing,
even touch, dexterity, and control. This piece demands a masterly technique in fingering
and ease of wrist movement. There is a clear symmetrical phrase structure based on the
harmonic motion. This virtuosic romantic etude is comprised of two contrasting themes
that alternate three times throughout the piece.
43
The first theme consists of a series of broken chordal 32nd note motives (Figure
3.24).
Figure 3.24 Adams: Etude in G-flat major, Part 1, No. 8, m. 1
The motives descend in a stepwise fashion for four measures and then move in a
circle progression for four measures. The circle progression moves down a perfect
fourth, then up a minor third.
The second theme is a blocked chordal, syncopated melody with moving inner
voices (Figure 3.25).
Figure 3.25 Adams: Etude in G-flat major: Second theme, mm. 17-20
The transition section develops ideas from the first and second themes. The coda
contains a black-key pentatonic scale, spanning almost the entire range of the keyboard.
The harmonic scheme of the whole piece is straightforward, and the harmonic
rhythm is repetitive, rapid, and incorporating modal mixtures. Much colorful harmony is
44
created through the use of chromaticism, especially in the second theme. The beginning
and ending of the etude are of note, the former starting on the tonic 6/4 and the latter
ending with a raised minor dominant before cadencing on the tonic chord (Figure 3.26).
Figure 3.26 Adams: Etude in G-flat major: Ending of the piece, mm. 60-65
45
Part 1, No. 9 Etude in B-flat minor “Spirited” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance of the melody and accompaniment, double

fourths, embellishments
Special Features: Rhythmic motives, syncopation, use of wide keyboard range,

reminiscent of ragtime
Table 3.10: An Overview of Etude in B-flat minor

Introduction (mm. 1–6) (mm. 1–6) B-flat minor with F pedal (Dominant harmony)
A (mm. 7–38) (mm. 7–14) B-flat minor—E Major
(mm. 15–22)
(mm. 23–30) C-sharp minor—E Major
(mm. 31–38)
B (mm. 39–52) (mm. 39–42) E minor—D major—B major—G major/E
(mm. 43–46) minor—F-sharp major
(mm. 47–50)
(mm. 51–52)
Transition (mm. 53–60) (mm. 53–60) E-flat minor/G-flat major—B-flat minor
A’ (mm. 61–76) (mm. 61–68) B-flat minor
(mm. 69–76)
mm. 23–76)
Coda (mm. 77–84) (mm. 77–84) C-sharp minor—B-flat minor
This spirited etude is a study in rhythm, voicing/balance of the melody and
accompaniment, descending fourths, embellishments, and syncopation. The use of
consistent propulsive syncopated motives throughout, thick textures, and a wide keyboard
range are reminiscent of ragtime.
This etude is consists of an introduction, two contrasting themes, a transition, and
a coda. The brilliant introduction begins on a dominant (V) pedal point with an
ascending build-up of chords, followed by a descending RH fourths sequence that leads
into the first theme (Figure 3.27).
46
Figure 3.27 Adams: Etude in B-flat minor, Part 1, No. 9, mm. 1-6
The first theme is chordal and syncopated (Figure 3.28). The first two measures
feature a descending chromatic melodic line in the lower RH voice. The LH provides a
syncopated accompaniment with varied articulations.
Figure 3.28 Adams: Etude in B-flat minor, Part 1, No. 9: First theme, mm. 7-10
47
The second theme, which begins in the distant key area of E minor, is also in a
blocked chordal texture with inner voices and moving lines (Figures 3.29 and 3.30).
Figure 3.29 Adams: Etude in B-flat minor, Part 1, No. 9: Second theme, mm. 39-40
Figure 3.30 Adams: Etude in B-flat minor: Second theme in the LH, mm. 51-54
The transition incorporates fragments of the first and second themes. Sections are easily
determined by contrasts in texture, dynamics, and tempo.
There are hints of jazz influence in this piece, emphasized by the ii-V-I chord
progressions at key changes. Sections with embellishments and rapid passagework evoke
an improvisatory effect.
48
Part 1, No. 10 Etude in D-flat major “Energetically, with great motion”
Technical Devices: Arpeggiation, voicing/balance of melody and accompaniment, LH

broken octave chords with added fifths
Special Features: Unpredictable harmonic shifts, 8/8 meter (6+2 beat groupings),
accents, use of wide keyboard range, multi-layered textures;
Table 3.11: An Overview of Etude in D-flat major

A (mm. 1–24) (mm. 1–24) D-flat major (pedal point)
B (mm. 25–56) (mm. 25–40) F minor
(mm. 41–56) F minor—E-flat minor
Transition (mm. 57–72) (mm. 57–72) -----
B’ (mm. 73–88) (mm. 73–88) F minor—E-flat minor
C (mm. 89–96) (mm. 89–96 downbeat) E-flat minor
Re-transition (mm. 96–103) (mm. 96–103) -----
(Repetition of all material from mm.
1–87)
Coda (mm. 104–156) (mm. 104–120) B material -----
(mm. 120–128 downbeat) C material E-flat minor
(mm. 128–135) Re-transition material -----
(mm. 135–153) A material D-flat major
(mm. 154–156) C material D-flat major
Etude in D-flat major, marked “energetically, with great motion,” is a study in
arpeggiation, voicing/balance of inner-melodies and accompaniment, articulation, meter
changes, and syncopation. There is consistent rhythmic propulsion throughout the etude
and its’ three contrasting themes.
The beginning of this etude resembles the beginning of Chopin’s Etude Op. 25,
No. 12 (“Ocean” Etude) in that its first theme features a melody projected by the thumb
while it is decorated with two-handed ascending and descending arpeggios over a tonic
pedal tone (Figure 3.31). A significant difference, however, is Adams’s use of
unpredictable harmonic shifts and an unusual meter: 8/8 with 6+2 beat groupings.
49
Figure 3.31 Adams: Etude in D-flat major, Part 1, No. 10, mm. 1-2
The second theme, in F minor, provides contrast with a three-voice texture. The
LH presents a consistent motive that ascends in an arpeggio and descends in a stepwise
motion. Meanwhile, the RH maintains both a lyrical melody and an oscillating
accompaniment (Figure 3.32). A transition section contains an inverted motivic figure
from the first theme and meter changes.
Figure 3.32 Adams: Etude in D-flat major, Part 1, No. 10: Second theme (starting at m.
25), mm. 24-29
The third theme, in E-flat minor and marked “meno mosso ma non troppo,” is
chordal and requires attention to voicing, articulation, and meter shifts (Figure 3.33). A
50
re-transition leads to a repetition of all previous material. An extensive coda recalls all
previously presented themes.
Figure 3.33 Adams: Etude in D-flat major, Part 1, No. 10: Third theme, mm. 89-91
Part 1, No. 11 Etude in C-sharp minor “Very sonorously” (Quarter note at 56)
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance, texture, octave chords with added fifths
Special Features: Rhythmic motives, syncopation, multiple textures, use of wide

keyboard range
Table 3.12: An Overview of Etude in C-sharp minor

Simple Introduction (m. 1) C-sharp minor (Dorian)/Dominant
A (mm. 2–17) (mm. 2–9) C-sharp minor (Dorian)
(mm. 10–17) C-sharp minor (Dorian)
Transition (mm. 18–29) Two-measure units -----
B (mm. 30–41) (mm. 30–33) D-flat major—G minor—F-sharp major
(mm. 34–37) E Lydian—C-sharp Dorian; D Lydian—B
Dorian (two-measure sequence down a
minor third)
(mm. 38–41) C-sharp minor (Dorian)
(two-measure sequence down a step)
B’ (mm. 42–49) (mm. 42–45) E-flat minor—A minor—C major
(mm. 46–49) C minor
Transition (mm. 50–53) (mm. 50–53) E-flat minor
(Repetition of all material to m. 59) C-sharp minor (Dorian)/Dominant
*mm. 54–58 are restatements of
mm. 1–5
Transition (mm. 59–62) (mm. 59–62) - - - - - (quartal/quintal harmonies)
Development (mm. 63–68) B material -----
(mm. 69–72) A material C-sharp minor (Dorian)
(mm. 73–80) A material C-sharp minor (Dorian)—B-flat minor
Coda (mm. 81–87) C-sharp minor (Dorian)
51
Etude in C-sharp minor is a study in voicing/balance of a singing melody with
accompaniment, multiple textures, rhythmic motives, and syncopation. In this lyrical and
expressive etude, marked “very sonorously,” there is a consistent rhythmic flow and
motivic development throughout as well as an expansive range in dynamics and keyboard
usage. Motives are varied on repetition. The piece demands careful rhythmic and
melodic control and balance between the contrapuntal lines, involving independence
between voices. There are two main themes plus transitions and a coda. Each section is
identifiable by changes in texture, harmony, dynamic, and rhythm.
The first theme is comprised of a chordal rhythmic motive over a LH ostinato
(Figure 3.34). It is further characterized by a “short-short-long” phrase structure and
multi-layered texture.
Figure 3.34 Adams: Etude in C-sharp minor, Part 1, No. 11, mm. 1-6
52
The transition section contains syncopated arpeggios in contrary motion and
explores several keys, which serves both a developmental and transitional function
(Figure 3.35).
Figure 3.35 Adams: Etude in C-sharp minor: Transition (starting at m. 18), mm. 17-20
The second theme presents a similar rhythmic motive, but expanded (Figure
3.36), and later includes octaves with added fifths at mm. 42-48. The coda draws its
material from the first theme.
Figure 3.36 Adams: Etude in C-sharp minor, Part 1, No. 11: Second theme, mm. 31-34
Harmonically, this etude is adventurous and makes use of colorful harmony and
chromaticism. Of all the etudes, this is the most picturesque and ethereal.
53
Part 1, No. 12 Etude in E-flat minor “Moderato tempestoso” (Quarter note at 96)
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance, arpeggios, full chords
Special Features: Quintuplet motive, multiple textures, articulation (accents),

virtuosic ending (cadenza-like)
Table 3.13: An Overview of Etude in E-flat minor

Simple Introduction (m.1) E-flat minor
A (mm. 2–41) (mm. 2–5) question E-flat minor
(mm. 6–13, extension) question E-flat minor
(mm. 14–17) question E-flat minor
(mm. 22–27, extension) answer E-flat minor
(mm. 28–31) LH question E-flat minor
(mm. 32–35) LH question E-flat minor
(mm. 36–41, extension) RH answer E-flat minor
B (mm. 42–65) (mm. 42–45) G-flat major/E-flat minor
(mm. 46–49) G-flat major/E-flat minor
(mm. 62–65) E-flat minor
C (mm. 66–73) (mm. 66–69) D-flat Mixolydian—B-flat minor
Development (mm. 74–116) (mm. 74–116) in segments -----
A (mm. 117–130) (mm. 117–120) question G-flat Major
(mm. 121–124) question G-flat Major
(mm. 125–130) answer E-flat minor
Transition (mm. 131–147) (mm. 131–147) in segments -----
B (mm. 162–177) (mm. 162–165) E-flat minor
(mm. 170–173) C minor
C (mm. 178–185) (mm. 178–185) D-flat Mixolydian—E-flat minor
Transition (mm. 186–197) (mm. 186–197) in segments -----
A (mm. 198–211) (mm. 198–211) E-flat minor
B (mm. 212–216) (mm. 212–216) fragments -----
Development (mm. 217–227) (mm. 217–227) in segments -----
Coda (mm. 240–258) (mm. 240–258) E-flat minor
54
Etude in E-flat minor, marked “moderato tempestoso,” is the longest of Part 1,
and is arguably the most difficult etude out of the entire set of twenty-six. It is a study in
voicing/balance, articulation, arpeggios, full chords, dexterity, control, and endurance.
Its virtuosity is especially clear in the conclusion, which includes a cadenza-like section.
A pervasive quintuplet motive is present throughout the piece as well as LH
perpetual motion and a clear phrase structure. There are three contrasting themes.
The first theme presents a marcato melody with an accompaniment featuring
quintuplets (Figure 3.37).
Figure 3.37 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12, mm. 1-4
In terms of form, it follows a symmetrical phrase structure, first as a single line,
then in a chordal texture (Figure 3.38). When the first theme is recapitulated in measure
117, it appears in the relative major, G-flat.
55
Figure 3.38 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12: First theme “Answer”, mm.
21-26
The second theme features a melody given to the LH thumb with a RH sixteenth-
note accompaniment and a new rhythmic motive (Figure 3.39).
Figure 3.39 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12: Second theme, mm. 41-46
56
The third theme contains an entirely new syncopated motive (Figure 3.40).
Figure 3.40 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12: Third theme (starting at m. 66),
mm. 65-70
A development section includes penta-scale figures that move in parallel and
contrary motion. The bravura coda section is cadenza-like, especially during measures
241-258, and encompasses the entire range of the keyboard (Figure 3.41). It is highly
chromatic; however, the piece concludes on an emphatic tonic chord (Figure 3.42).
57
Figure 3.41 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12: Cadenza-like section, mm.
241-245
Figure 3.42 Adams: Etude in E-flat minor, Part 1, No. 12: Ending of the piece, mm. 254-
258
58
Part 2, No. 1 Etude in E major “Molto maestoso” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance, hemiola, octaves, wide LH leaps
Special Features: Thick chordal texture, pervasive rhythmic motive, harmonic shifts
Table 3.14: An Overview of Etude in E major

Simple Introduction (m.1) (m. 1) E major
A (mm. 2–13) (mm. 2–5) E major (circle progression, borrowed chords
from parallel minor)
(mm. 6–9) E major/C-sharp minor
Transition (mm. 14–17) (mm. 14–17) A major—G major—E major
A’ (mm. 18–25) (mm. 18–21) E major (circle progression, borrowed chords
A’’ (mm. 26–29) (mm. 26–29) E major (circle progression, borrowed chords
Marked “molto maestoso,” this etude in E Major makes a grand and majestic
opening to Part 2. The technique lies in voicing and balancing the melody and
accompaniment in a very thick chordal texture. A rhythmic motive, characterized by
hemiola and wide LH leaps, is pervasive throughout this brief etude.
This etude is monothematic, with varied restatements of the subject material.
Sections of the etude are connected seamlessly without an identifiable cadence. There
are four-measure phrase groups that are clearly defined by the slowing down of the
tempo.
The chordal texture is constituted of two to four layers, and varies from
contrapuntal to homophonic. Double thirds, double sixths, wide leaps, blocked octaves,
and use of extreme registers increase the complexity of the piece.
59
The harmonic scheme of the whole piece is straightforward, and the harmonic
rhythm is rapid. There are some ii-V-I progressions as well as measures with circle
progressions (Figure 3.43). A unique moment of harmony happens at the end when the
circle progression does not resolve to the tonic chord, but rather ends on the flat-two
chord (bII) of F major.
Figure 3.43 Adams: Etude in E major, Part 2, No. 1, mm. 1-6
60
Part 2, No. 2 Etude in A-flat minor “Andantino, with great freedom and emotion”
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance, hemiola, octaves, double notes (sixths),

counterpoint
Special Features: Irregular meters: 7/8 meter (3+2+2 beat groupings), 8/8 meter
(3+3+2 beat groupings), 12/8 meter, rhythmic propulsion,
chromaticism
Table 3.15: An Overview of Etude in A-flat minor

Introduction (mm. 1–4) A-flat minor (Dorian)
A (mm. 5–15) A-flat minor (Dorian)—F-sharp minor—B Mixolydian
Introduction (mm. 16–19) A-flat minor (Dorian)
A’ (mm. 20–30) A-flat minor (Dorian)
Introduction’ (mm. 31–34) A-flat minor (Dorian)
Codetta (mm. 35–36) A-flat minor
Etude in A-flat minor provides a study in irregular meters, counterpoint,
voicing/balance, hemiola, octaves, and double notes (sixths). It requires a flexible tempo
and is quite introspective, as indicated by the tempo marking “andantino, with great
freedom and emotion.”
This etude is monothematic with two primary motives, which are combined and
altered in various ways. The LH part acts as a quasi-ostinato and provides an
accompaniment to the lyrical melody (Figure 3.44). The piece demands careful rhythmic
and melodic control and balance between the contrapuntal lines.
The etude is formed around two eleven-measure theme sections with four-
measure introductions for each. The second statement of the theme is in octaves. Each
phrase of the etude is elided to the next. The irregular phrase structure is “short-short-
long” (2+2+7 measure groupings), and incorporates changing meters: 7/8 meter (3+2+2
61
beat groupings), 8/8 (3+3+2 beat groupings), and 12/8. The harmony features a
consistent underlying harmonic progression with use of some modal mixture and chords
in the Dorian mode.
Figure 3.44 Adams: Etude in A-flat minor, Part 2, No. 2, mm. 1-6
Part 2, No. 3 Etude in D-sharp minor “Very freely” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Arpeggios, voicing/balance, full chords, octaves, hand crossing,

syncopation, RH double thirds, octaves with added fifths,
ascending/descending triplet figures
Special Features: Extreme registers, varied textures, harmonic shifts, irregular phrase
lengths, cadenza-like sections, changing meters
62
Table 3.16: An Overview of Etude in D-sharp minor

Introduction (mm. 1–9) G-sharp minor—C-sharp minor
(mm. 1–16) (mm. 10–13) C-sharp minor
(mm. 14–16) F-sharp minor - - - - -
(mm. 17–18) D-sharp minor
A (mm. 18–36) (mm. 18–22) *3+2 measure groupings D-sharp minor—F-sharp minor
(mm. 23–28) *3+2 measure groupings, D-sharp minor—C-sharp minor
one-measure extension
Transition (mm. 29–32) A minor
(mm. 29–42) (mm. 33–36) G minor
(mm. 39–42) G-sharp minor—F-sharp major
A (mm. 43–53) (mm. 43–47) *3+2 measure groupings D-sharp minor
(mm. 54–67) (mm. 58–61) G minor
(mm. 64–67) G-sharp minor—F-sharp major
A (mm. 68–78) (mm. 68–72) *3+2 measure groupings D-sharp minor
(mm. 73–78) *3+2 measure groupings, D-sharp minor—C-sharp
(mm. 83–86) G minor
(Repetition of mm.
38-85)
*includes m. 87
Transition (mm. 88–92) -----
(mm. 88–92)
A (mm. 93–103) (mm. 93–97) *3+2 measure groupings G-sharp major—G-sharp minor
(mm. 103–111) (mm. 107–111) G minor
Introduction (mm. 112–120) B major—G-sharp minor—C-sharp
(mm. 112–124) minor
(mm. 121–124) C-sharp minor
Coda (mm. 125–132) C-sharp minor—G-sharp minor—D-
(mm. 125–132) sharp minor
Etude in D-sharp minor is a study in arpeggiation, voicing/balance, full chords,
octaves, hand crossing, syncopation, varied textures, and changing meters. This bravura
piece requires a masterly technique in fingering and wrist movement. The entire range of
the keyboard is employed, with wide leaps and vaulting motions in both hands, fast
octaves and scalar passages, and repetitive blocked chords.
63
This etude is monothematic. The introduction to the piece is unique in that it
presents the theme in a fragmentary form, with an irregular phrase structure, open
harmony, frequent harmonic shifts, wide leaps, two-handed arpeggios, hand crossing
(Figures 3.45 and 3.46), and beginning in a key other than the tonic. This improvisatory
material appears again towards the end of the piece.
Figure 3.45 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3, mm. 1-4
Figure 3.46 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3: Hand crossing in the
introduction, m. 10
The five-measure theme may be subdivided into 3+2 phrase groups. It consists of
lyrical and syncopated melody over a syncopated accompaniment that is both in two-part
and three-part textures (Figure 3.47). Throughout the piece, the theme is developed in
various ways with the addition of thirds, octaves, and triadic harmony.
64
Figure 3.47 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3: Theme, m. 18-19
The transition sections feature a LH pedal point and syncopated rhythm while the
RH has a descending arpeggiated sequence of notes. This material is modulatory and
falls into four-measure groups (Figure 3.48).
Figure 3.48 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3: Descending arpeggiated
sequence over a pedal (starting in m. 29), mm. 28-31
The ending of the piece features octaves that accelerate to an emphatic cadence.
Figure 3.49 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3: Ending of the piece, mm. 128-
131
65
Part 2, No. 4 Etude in F-sharp minor “Largo e molto espressivo”
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance of the melody in a three-voice texture,

counterpoint, syncopation, finger legato, chords
Special Features: Some graphic notation and specific performance instructions in the
coda, 12/8 and 6/8 meters
Table 3.17: An Overview of Etude in F-sharp minor

Simple Introduction (m. 1) (m. 1) C-sharp minor
A (mm. 2–17) (mm. 2–5) C-sharp minor
(mm. 6–9) - - - - - F-sharp minor
(mm. 10–13) F-sharp minor
(mm. 14–17) -----
Transition (m. 18) (m. 18) -----
B (mm. 19–26) (mm. 19–20) F-sharp Dorian
(mm. 21–22) A Dorian
(mm. 23–24) G Dorian
(mm. 25–26) D-sharp/E-flat minor
Transition (mm. 27–28) (mm. 27–28) E major—D major - - - - -
Coda (mm. 29–56) (m. 30) transition -----
(mm. 31–34) B material A Dorian—C Dorian
(mm. 35–36) transition A Dorian—G Dorian
(mm. 37–50) A material F-sharp minor
Etude in F-sharp minor is a study in counterpoint and voicing/balance of melody
and accompaniment in multiple layers and various textures. Marked “largo e molto
espressivo,” the piece demands careful rhythmic and melodic control and balance
between the contrapuntal lines in order to evoke its expressive qualities effectively. This
etude contains such technical challenges as wide leaps, broken octaves, agitated sixteenth
runs, and multi-layer textures.
The etude has two main thematic areas with brief transitions and a coda. In the
first theme, the RH fifth finger needs to project the syncopated melody over a three-
66
layered texture and arpeggiated accompaniment. The eight-measure theme exhibits a
“short-short-long” phrase structure with groups of 2+2+4 measures. The etude begins in
C-sharp minor, but progresses to F-sharp minor for the second statement of the first
theme, which features full chords and wide leaps (Figure 3.50).
Figure 3.50 Adams: Etude in F-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 4, mm. 1-4
The second theme encompasses a RH descending arpeggiated motive while the
LH moves in both scalar and arpeggiated motions (Figure 3.51). The key area and
harmony change with every two-measure phrase group. There is some modal mixture
and the use of the Dorian mode.
An extended coda section derives its material from the previous themes and
transitions. A unique textural and harmonic moment towards the end of the etude
includes some graphic notation and calls for specific performance instructions (Figure
3.52). This quasi-improvisatory end to the piece invites some creativity from the
performer.
67
Figure 3.51 Adams: Etude in F-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 4: Second statement of the first
theme, mm. 11-17; Transition, m. 18; Second theme, mm. 19-20
Figure 3.52 Adams: Etude in F-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 4: Ending of the piece, mm. 55-
56
68
Part 2, No. 5 Etude in C minor “Con anima” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance of multiple voices, octaves, octaves with added

fifths
Special Features: Counterpoint
Table 3.18: An Overview of Etude in C minor

A (mm. 1–16) (mm. 1–4) A minor
(mm. 5–8) D minor
(mm. 13–16) D-flat major—C minor
B (mm. 17–44) (mm. 17–24) C minor—G minor—A-flat major
(mm. 25–32) F minor—D-flat major—E-flat minor
(mm. 33–44, downbeat) E-flat minor—circle progression
C (mm. 44–60) (mm. 44–51) B-flat minor—E-flat minor—C-sharp minor - - - - -
C major
(mm. 52–60) C minor—G minor—A-flat major (deceptive motion)
B’ (mm. 61–88) (mm. 61–68) C minor—G minor—A-flat major (deceptive motion)
(mm. 69–76) F minor—D-flat major—E-flat minor
(mm. 77–88, downbeat) E-flat minor—circle progression
C’ (mm. 88–104) (mm. 88–95) B-flat minor—E-flat minor—C-sharp minor - - - - -
C major
(mm. 96–104) extension C-sharp minor - - - - - C minor (deceptive motion)
Transition (mm. 105–116) - - - - - (sequence) - - - - - (D minor)
(mm. 105–116)
A’ (mm. 117–136) (mm. 117–120) A minor
(mm. 121–124) D minor
(mm. 125–128) C minor
(mm. 129–132) D-flat major—C minor (deceptive motion)
(mm. 133–136) extension C minor
Etude in C minor is an effective study in counterpoint, voicing/balance, octaves,
and octaves with added fifths. There is a lot of textural variety in this piece, including
polyphonic, homophonic, and chordal sections; therefore, a high level of independence
within each hand and ease of wrist movement is necessary to perform the piece
successfully. In regard to form, sections are determined by textural and motivic activity;
each of the three themes is varied on repetition.
69
The first theme is a simple melody in a four-voice texture, presented in four-
measure phrase groups. The texture produces a three-hand effect with wide leaps
between the layers (Figure 3.53). There are multiple lines within the polyphonic layers
that must be projected, but the principal melody is primarily in the top voice. In regard to
harmony, the piece does not begin in the tonic key; the tonic is not established with a
cadence until measure 16.
Figure 3.53 Adams: Etude in C minor, Part 2, No. 5, mm. 1-4
The second theme contains more contrapuntal elements but maintains the same
four-measure phrase group structure (Figure 3.54).
Figure 3.54 Adams: Etude in C minor, Part 2, No. 5: Second theme, mm. 17-20
This section is reminiscent of J. S. Bach’s Inventions in that the motivic figures
are imitated between the hands. This section and its recapitulation constitute two to three
layers of polyphonic texture and presents large leaps and consecutive octaves. The
harmonic motion changes rapidly and many key areas are established (Figure 3.55).
70
Figure 3.55 Adams: Etude in C minor, Part 2, No. 5: Second theme harmonic motion,
mm. 37-40
The third theme presents a contrasting chordal melody with a forte dynamic.
Increased chromaticism establishes additional distant key areas (Figure 3.56).
Figure 3.56 Adams: Etude in C minor, Part 2, No. 5: Third theme (starting at m. 44), mm.
41-48
Part 2, No. 6 Etude in B major “Andante” (Quarter note at 80)
Technical Devices: RH and LH bouncing broken 6/4 and 7th chords (ascending and
descending), LH rolled chords, octaves, octave chords added fifths
Special Features: Anacrusis, irregular phrase length, multiple textures, LH melody
71
Table 3.19: An Overview of Etude in B major

A (mm. 1–14) (anacrucis–4) B major
(mm. 5–9.5) C-sharp minor—D major
(mm. 9.5–14) G major—F major - - - - -
extension/transition
A’ (mm. 15–26) (mm. 15–18) B major
(mm. 19–23) C-sharp minor—D major
(mm. 23–26) G major—F major - - - - -
A” (mm. 27–40) (mm. 27–30) B major
(mm. 31–35.5) C-sharp minor—D major
(mm. 35.5–40) - - - - - B major
B (mm. 41–58) (mm. 41–44) B major
(mm. 45–48) B major
(mm. 53–58) extension B major
B’ (mm. 59–69) (mm. 59–62) B major
(mm. 67–69) extension B major
Transition (mm. 70–75) (mm. 70–75) -----
A (mm. 76–79) (mm. 76–79) B major
*to Coda
Coda (mm. 80–92) (mm. 80–85) transition material -----
(mm. 86–87) A material B major
(mm. 88–92) closing material B major
Etude in B major is an effective study in broken-chord melodies and
accompaniments and the projection and balance of multiple layers and textures. Hand
independence is important to balance the contrapuntal lines. The LH adds animation with
an accompaniment of bouncing broken chords of sixths and sevenths.
There are two distinct themes that contrast in melody, texture, and dynamic level.
The first theme has a broken chordal melody with four measure phrases (Figure 3.57). It
is presented three times consecutively with textural variation but similar harmonic
progressions.
72
Figure 3.57 Adams: Etude in B major, Part 2, No. 6, mm. 1-4
The second theme features a LH thumb-projected melody, rolled chords, a layered
texture, and four measure phrases (Figures 3.58 and 3.59). It remains in the tonic key
area. The coda derives its material from fragments from the first theme.
Figure 3.58 Adams: Etude in B major, Part 2, No. 6: Second theme, mm. 41-43
Figure 3.59 Adams: Etude in B major, Part 2, No. 6: Second statement of Second theme,
mm. 59-61
73
Sections are easily identifiable due to abrupt changes in harmony, tempo, textures,
and the use of fermatas. The phrase structure is somewhat irregular, with some phrases
asymmetrical due to extensions.
In terms of harmony, this piece travels through several passing tonalities and
chromatic progressions in the first theme material. A unique cadence occurs at the end
(Figure 3.60). Adams inserts a flat IIIMAJ 7 as the penultimate chord before ending on an
ambiguous open-fifth B chord.
Figure 3.60 Adams: Etude in B major, Part 2, No. 6: Ending of the piece, mm. 90-92
Part 2, No. 7 Etude in A major “Molto amoroso” “Ardently expressive”

(Quarter note at 56–72)
Technical Devices: Arpeggiated chords, voicing/balance, RH double notes (thirds),

hemiola, octave chords with added fifths
Special Features: Syncopation, use of wide keyboard range, multiple textures;

similar to Chopin’s Etude Op. 25, No. 1
74
Table 3.20: An Overview of Etude in A major

A (mm. 1–8) (mm. 1–4) A major (tonicizes F-sharp minor)
(mm. 5–8) A major (tonicizes F-sharp minor)
A’ (mm. 9–16) (mm. 9–12) A major (tonicizes F-sharp minor)
B (mm. 17–29) (mm. 17–20) G major—F major
(mm. 21–24) B-flat major—G-flat major
(mm. 25–28) - - - - - B major
(m. 29) extension A major
A (mm. 30–45) (mm. 30–33) A major (tonicizes F-sharp minor)
B (mm. 46-52) (mm. 46–49) A major—G major/E minor
(mm. 50–52) B major—A major
Codetta (mm. 53–56) A major
Etude in A major is a study in arpeggiated chords, counterpoint, voicing/balance
of melody and accompaniment, multiple-layered textures, syncopation, and double notes.
The fifth finger needs to be projected over the texture, similar to Chopin’s Etude Op. 25,
No. 1.
This etude is composed of two contrasting themes that are clearly sectionalized
into four-measure phrases. Sections of the etude are connected seamlessly without an
identifiable cadence in the process.
The first theme is based on arpeggiated figures in both parallel and contrary
motion (Figure 3.61).
Figure 3.61 Adams: Etude in A major, Part 2, No. 7, mm. 1-2
75
When recapitulated later on in the piece, the texture is thickened with double
notes (Figure 3.62).
Figure 3.62 Adams: Etude in A major, Part 2, No. 7: Return of the first theme (starting at
m. 38), mm. 37-40
The second theme uses a similar LH pattern, a syncopated melody, and a
recurring motive found in other etudes by Adams: two groups of four sixteenth notes
with a syncopation tie (Figure 3.63). Harmonic motion is abrupt and explores distant key
areas. When the second theme material returns later in the etude, it is greatly altered and
uses octaves with added fifths and hemiola.
Figure 3.63 Adams: Etude in A major, Part 2, No. 7: Second theme, mm. 17-18
76
The texture consists of two to four layers. There are double thirds, double sixths,
and arpeggios. This piece produces a multiple-hand effect with wide leaps between the
layers.
Part 2, No. 8 Etude in C-sharp major “Agitato”——“Presto furioso”

Technical Devices: Arpeggiated chords, voicing/balance, contrary motion, quintuplets

hand crossing
Special Features: Syncopation, frequent harmonic shifts, multiple textures; similar to

Chopin’s Etude Op. 25, No. 1
Table 3.21: An Overview of Etude in C-sharp major

A (mm. 1–12) (mm. 1–4) C-sharp major (pentatonic)
(mm. 5–8) C-sharp major - - - - -
(mm. 9–12) A Lydian (11th)—F-sharp Dorian—D-sharp
minor—C-sharp Dorian
B (mm. 13–20) (mm. 13–14) B Mixolydian
(mm. 15–16) C-sharp Dorian—D-sharp minor
(mm. 17–18) F-sharp Dorian—G-sharp Mixolydian
(mm. 19–20) A-sharp minor—B major
C (mm. 21–32) (mm. 21–32) D-sharp minor—B Mixolydian—F-sharp minor—
D major—C major
(m. 33) extension C-sharp major
A (mm. 34–45) (mm. 34–37) C-sharp major (pentatonic)
(mm. 38–41) C-sharp major - - - - -
(mm. 42–45) A Lydian (11th)—F-sharp Dorian—D-sharp
minor—C-sharp Dorian
B (mm. 46–53) (mm. 46–47) B Mixolydian
(mm. 48–49) C-sharp Dorian—D-sharp minor
(mm. 50–51) F-sharp Dorian—G-sharp Mixolydian
(mm. 52–53) A-sharp minor—B major
(Repetition of mm. 22–52)
*includes m. 54
Transition (mm. 55–61) (mm. 55–57) -----
(mm. 58–61) -----
(Repetition of all material to
m. 52)
CODA (mm. 62–75) - - - - - A minor - - - - - C-sharp
77
Etude in C-sharp major is a study in arpeggiated chords (predominantly in
contrary motion), counterpoint, voicing/balance of melody and accompaniment, multiple-
layered textures, syncopation, and hand crossing. This etude presents various technical
challenges such as wide leaps, broken octaves, agitated sixteenth runs, and multiple
layered textures in a rapid tempo. Therefore, the etude requires a masterly technique in
fingering, ease of wrist movement, and execution of articulations. To balance the
contrapuntal lines, the performer must execute a great independence between and within
the hands.
This virtuosic etude is constructed of three contrasting themes. In the first theme,
the fifth finger needs to be projected over the texture, similar to Chopin’s Etude Op. 25,
No. 1 and to Adams’ Etude in A major, Part 2, No. 7. This theme features arpeggiated
chords—broken octave chords with added fifths and arpeggiated 9th chords—in contrary
motion in four-measure symmetrical phrase groups (Figure 3.64).
Figure 3.64 Adams: Etude in C-sharp major, Part 2, No. 8, mm. 1-2
The second theme has a prevalent syncopated RH rhythmic motive over a steady
LH sixteenth figure. It also features a recurring motive found in other etudes by Adams:
two groups of four sixteenths tied together (Figure 3.65). In two-measure phrase
groupings, it passes through several key areas in a sequential fashion.
78
Figure 3.65 Adams: Etude in C-sharp major, Part 2, No. 8: Second theme, mm. 13-14
The third theme, also syncopated and using the same recurring motive, adds an
additional layer to the texture and some scalar passages (Figure 3.66). The repetition of
the first and second themes brings variations in texture and register.
Figure 3.66 Adams: Etude in C-sharp major, Part 2, No. 8: Third theme, mm. 21-24
The “presto furioso” coda features a very brief recap of the first and second
themes before presenting a new quintuplet figure with hand crossing that gradually
encompasses the entire range of the keyboard. Although the harmony in this section is
predominantly ambiguous, the tonality is defined by the C-sharp in the last measure
(Figure 3.67).
79
Figure 3.67 Adams: Etude in C-sharp major, Part 2, No. 8: Ending of the piece, mm. 73-
75
Part 2, No. 9 Etude in E minor “Allegretto” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Arpeggiated octave triplet motives, voicing/balance of chords,

octaves, and double notes (thirds and sixths)
Special Features: Four-measure phrases, large chords, wide leaps
Table 3.22: An Overview of Etude in E minor

A (mm. 1–48) (mm. 1–4) a E minor
(mm. 5–8) b F-sharp Dorian—D major—E minor
(mm. 9–12) a E minor
(mm. 21–24) c D-sharp Dorian—E major
Transition (mm. 49–56) (mm. 49–56) Circle progression (D major, C major, B-flat major,
A-flat major)
B (mm. 57–74) (mm. 57–64) D-flat major—B major
(mm. 65–72) D-flat major—B major
(Repetition of mm. 57–70)
Transition (mm. 73–84) (mm. 73–84) Circle progression (D major, C major, B-flat major)—
E minor)
80
A (mm. 85–112) (mm. 85–88) a E minor
Transition (mm. 109–112) E major—E minor
(mm. 109–128) (mm. 113–117) -----
(mm. 118–123) Circle progression (B-flat major, D-flat major, C-flat
major)—E minor)
(mm. 124–128) E major—E minor
Coda (mm. 129–141) (mm. 129–141) E minor
Etude in E minor is a study of arpeggiated octave triplet motives, voicing/balance
of chords, octaves, and double notes (thirds and sixths). This bravura romantic etude
demands a high level of virtuosity and dexterity. Both the RH and LH have equally
important roles and share responsibility in presenting each theme. Large chords and wide
leaps predominate; therefore, the etude demands a careful technique in fingering, ease of
wrist movement, and execution of articulations. Wide leaps, fast octaves and scalar
passages, and repetitive blocked chords are among the important features of the piece.
This etude has a ternary-like structure presenting two main themes and a coda.
The first theme features a chordal melody accompanied by broken octaves with
added fifths and is clearly divided into four-measure phrases (Figures 3.68 and 3.69).
Figure 3.68 Adams: Etude in E minor, Part 2, No. 9, mm. 1-4
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Figure 3.69 Adams: Etude in E minor, Part 2, No. 9: First theme in the LH, mm. 9-10
In total, the theme is twenty-four measures in length and may be divided into
three sections based on the manipulation of the motive. The theme is presented twice in
measures 41-48; however, in the second statement, Adams uses octaves to accompany the
chordal melody. A transition section then presents a circle progression that travels
through several key areas (Figure 3.70).
Figure 3.70 Adams: Etude in E minor, Part 2, No. 9: Transition, mm. 49-52
The second theme features a syncopated chordal melody and a multi-layered
texture (Figure 3.71).
82
Figure 3.71 Adams: Etude in E minor, Part 2, No. 9: Second theme, mm. 57-60
This section is completely contrasting in tempo, articulation, texture, melody, and
harmony. Only sixteen measures in length, it presents material in D-flat major and B
major. Another transition section leads to another twenty-four bars of the first theme
material followed by a transition to the coda. The coda presents a brief final statement of
the first theme material, a descending sequence of first inversion triads, wide leaps, and
an incessant drive to the final cadence (Figure 3.72).
Figure 3.72 Adams: Etude in E minor, Part 2, No. 9: Ending of the piece, mm. 139-141
Part 2, No. 10 Etude in F minor “Andantino cantabile” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance, singing melody, octaves, LH chords and double

notes
Special Features: Counterpoint, multiple lines and interweaving melodies, rubato,

antecedent/consequent phrases
83
Table 3.23: An Overview of Etude in F minor

Simple Introduction (mm. 1–2.5) (mm. 1–2.5) F minor
A (mm. 2.5–18.5) (mm. 2.5–6.5) antecedent F minor
(mm. 6.5–10.5) consequent F minor
(mm. 10.5–14.5) antecedent F minor
A’ (mm. 18.5–34.5) (mm. 18.5–22.5) antecedent F minor
A” (mm. 34.5–50.5) (mm. 34.5–38.5) antecedent F minor
A’’’ (mm. 50.5–73.5) (mm. 50.5–54.5) antecedent F minor
(mm. 66.5– 70.5) antecedent F minor
Coda (mm. 73.5–79) (mm. 73.5–79) F minor
Etude in F minor is a study in voicing/balance of singing melody with various
accompaniment settings and contrapuntal textures. There are multiple lines within the
polyphonic layers that must be projected, but the principal melody is primarily in the top
voice. The melody is sectionalized by cadences in every four measures, and the rhythm
is propelled by a motoric eighth note figure throughout.
The music is monothematic. The eight-measure theme is periodic, containing
antecedent and consequent phrases. The antecedent phrase ends with a descending
interval, while the consequent phrase concludes with an ascending interval (Figure 3.73).
84
Figure 3.73 Adams: Etude in F minor, Part 2, No. 10, mm. 1-9
Each section of the etude is sixteen measures. New sections are clearly defined
by the accompaniment pattern. The first and third sections use broken arpeggios and
stepwise motion; the second and fourth sections use a chordal texture. The LH also has
the opportunity to present the melody against a contrapuntal accompaniment figure in the
RH (Figure 3.74).
Figure 3.7 Adams: Etude in F minor, Part 2, No. 10: LH melody (starting at m. 34), mm.
31-39
85
Because of the polyphonic texture and large leaps in the piece, the performer must
maintain rhythmic and melodic control and balance between the contrapuntal lines
(Figure 3.75). A high level of independence between and within hands is needed.
Figure 3.75 Adams: Etude in F minor, Part 2, No. 10, mm. 19-24
Harmonic progressions are straightforward, chiefly utilizing diatonic harmonies.
The entire piece remains in the tonic key.
Part 2, No. 11 Etude in G-sharp minor “Molto marcato” (No metronome marking)
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance, RH full chords, LH wide leaps, octaves
Special Features: Rhythmic motive, syncopation, multiple textures
Table 3.24: An Overview of Etude in G-sharp minor

A (mm. 1–16) (mm. 1–8) G-sharp minor
(mm. 9–16) G-sharp minor
B (mm. 17–32) (mm. 17–24) G-sharp major
(mm. 25–32) C major—G-sharp minor
A’ (mm. 33–40) (mm. 33–40) G-sharp minor
B’ (mm. 41–48) (mm. 41–48) G-sharp major/A-flat major
(Repetition of material from mm. 26–40)
*includes m. 49
Coda (mm. 50–69) (mm. 50–57) G-sharp minor - - - - -
(mm. 58–63) F minor - - - - -
(mm. 64–69) - - - - - G-sharp minor
86
This spirited etude is a study in syncopation, voicing/balance of multiple voices,
chords, and octaves. The piece demands careful rhythmic and melodic control and
balance between the contrapuntal lines; therefore, a high level of independence between
and within hands is required.
There are two contrasting themes and a coda. Both the first and second themes
have a rhythmic motive that is supported by chords; however, the second theme is lyrical
as well. The syncopated and ‘marcato’ first theme features eight-measure phrases which
are divided into 2+2+4 measure groupings. The harmonic framework is straightforward,
utilizing primary chords (I, IV, and V) as its content. The LH has a “walking” bass line
quality (Figure 3.76).
Figure 3.76 Adams: Etude in G-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 11, mm. 1-8
The second theme’s eight-measure phrases are divided into 4+4 measure
groupings (Figure 3.77). Both themes, when repeated, are varied through register shifts,
dynamics, and more elaborate accompanying figures.
87
Figure 3.77 Adams: Etude in G-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 11: Second theme (starting at m.
17), mm. 15-20
The harmonic scheme of the first theme is straightforward, using the i, IV, and V
chords; while the second theme makes use of the ii-V-I chord progression and the parallel
major mode. Much colorful harmony is created in the coda through the use of
chromaticism. The coda presents several unique and quick harmonic shifts, but secures
the principal key at the end with a ii-V-i progression (Figure 3.78).
Figure 3.78 Adams: Etude in G-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 11: Ending of the piece, mm. 64-
69
88
Part 2, No. 12 Etude in F major “Beguine” (Quarter note at 100)
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance of the melody and accompaniment, hemiola,

finger legato, hand crossing
Special Features: Latin beat (“Beguine”), jazz style, use of wide keyboard range,
embellishments
Table 3.25: An Overview of Etude in F major

Introduction (mm. 1–4) F major
A (mm. 5–20) (mm. 5–12) F major
(mm. 13–20) F major; circle progression
A’ (mm. 21–42) (mm. 21–28) F major
(mm. 29–39 downbeat) F major
(mm. 39–42) extension F major
A” (mm. 43–58) (mm. 43–50) LH melody F major
(mm. 51–58) F major; circle progression
(Repeat all material from mm. 21–41) F major
Codetta (mm. 59–60) (mm. 59–60) F major
Etude in F major is a study in the Latin “Beguine” rhythm, hemiola, voicing the
melody over a varying accompaniment pattern with inner voices, hand crossing, and
finger legato.
This etude is the first of the last three etudes, which, as expressed by Adams, are
based on popular tunes and harmony. The music is monothematic and encompasses two
motives: a descending arpeggiated figure and a LH bass rhythm. The motives are
combined and altered in various ways throughout the piece.
The theme has two parts, eight measures each and corresponding to two textures,
both contrapuntal and homophonic. The first motivic unit consists of a triad: starting on
the root, it rises to the fifth and falls to the third (Figure 3.79). The second motivic unit
presents a chordal melody in a new, homophonic texture (Figure 3.80). Melodies are
89
projected by either the thumb or the fifth finger. The piece demands careful rhythmic and
melodic control and balance between the contrapuntal lines.
Figure 3.79 Adams: Etude in F major, Part 2, No. 12, mm. 1-6
Figure 3.80 Adams: Etude in F major, Part 2, No. 12: Second part of the theme, mm. 13-
16
The textural differences with each variation of the theme clearly defines each
section. Double thirds, double sixths, combinations of various harmonic intervals,
90
arpeggios, block and broken octaves, LH rolled chords, and passages with jazz style
embellishments increase the complexity of the piece (Figure 3.81).
Figure 3.81 Adams: Etude in F major, Part 2, No. 12: Passagework, mm. 31-32
Harmonic progressions are straightforward, chiefly utilizing diatonic and
secondary harmonies, and the tonality is limited to closely related keys. A unique use of
the Neapolitan in the penultimate chord resolves to the tonic (Figure 3.82).
Figure 3.82 Adams: Etude in F major, Part 2, No. 12: Ending of the piece, mm. 58-60
91
Part 2, No. 13 Etude in A-flat major “Carefree at first, becoming more intense”
(Quarter note at 98)
Technical Devices: Triplets, voicing/balance, octaves in contrary motion, hand

crossing, LH ascending arpeggiated 7ths, tremolos, glissando
Special Features: Jazz style, syncopation, use of wide keyboard range, multiple-
voice texture
Table 3.26: An Overview of Etude in A-flat major

Introduction (mm. 1–4) A-flat major
A (mm. 5–12) (mm. 5–12) A-flat major
B (mm. 20–28) (mm. 20–24) C-flat major
(mm. 24–28) - - - - - A-flat major
C (mm. 37–54) (mm. 37–40) D-flat major (9th)—E major
(mm. 45–48) D-flat minor—E-flat minor
(mm. 49–54) -----
B (mm. 70–81) (mm. 70–74) C-flat major
(mm. 74–78) - - - - - A-flat major
(mm. 78–81) extension A-flat major
Coda (mm. 89–110) (mm. 89–96) A-flat major
(mm. 97–104) A-flat major
(mm. 105–110) A-flat major
Etude in A-flat major is a study in voicing/balance of a singing melody with
various accompaniment settings and multiple textures, syncopation, octaves, and jazz
harmony. This etude challenges performers with various articulations in a multi-layered
texture, occasionally with the melody in an inner layer, and features hand crossing, LH
arpeggiated ascending 7ths, wide leaps, tremolos, a glissando, and the use of a wide
keyboard range. In some instances the harmonic scheme is straightforward. In others,
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the harmonic movement includes many unexpected chromatic alterations and harmonic
progressions.
This etude has two sections in 32-bar song form (A A B A) separated by a third
theme area that acts as a development section, in addition to a coda. The contrasting
sections can be determined visually through changes in texture, melody, and harmony. A
brief introduction starts on the dominant chord, but then leads to the first theme with a
standard ii-V-I progression (Figure 3.83).
Figure 3.83 Adams: Etude in A-flat major, Part 2, No. 13, mm. 1-4
The first half of the first theme is built upon two motivic figures, an upper figure
in the soprano that moves stepwise and a lower figure in the alto that descends
chromatically (Figure 3.84). The second half of the first theme rises in an arpeggiated
figure and descends in stepwise motion.
Figure 3.84 Adams: Etude in A-flat major, Part 2, No. 13: First theme, mm. 5-6
93
The second theme is supported by a ii-V-I progression in C-flat major. The
syncopated melody begins in the alto voice before the first phrase before moving to the
soprano. The melodic movement is by skips and steps within a penta-scale (Figure 3.85).
Figure 3.85 Adams: Etude in A-flat major, Part 2, No. 13: Second theme, mm. 20-24
The third theme contrasts rhythmically and melodically with both the first and
second themes. Both the LH and RH parts feature an oscillating figure while the RH
projects a syncopated melody (Figure 3.86). This third theme area also acts as a quasi-
development in that it is sectional and involves several key areas.
Figure 3.86 Adams: Etude in A-flat major, Part 2, No. 13: Third theme, mm. 37-40
94
The return of the 32-bar song form is much grander in scope and use of the
keyboard. The louder dynamic, fuller chords, use of octaves, and expanded range
increase the complexity. Of note is the four-measure prolongation of the dominant
harmony following the second theme that builds to a fortissimo climax for the final
statement of the first theme.
The coda begins with a common jazz descending harmonic progression. This
final section has many virtuosic features: ascending/descending double sixths, wide LH
leaps, extreme registers of the keyboard, tremolos, octaves in contrary motion, and a
glissando (Figure 3.87).
Figure 3.87 Adams: Etude in A-flat major, Part 2, No. 13: Ending of the piece, mm. 105-
110
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Part 2, No. 14 Etude in C major “Final Etude” “Somewhat freely”
Length: 72 measures, 5:30 minutes
Technical Devices: Voicing/balance, octaves with added sixths, hemiola, double notes
(sixths), triplets
Special Features: Jazz style, syncopation, complex harmony, multiple voice texture,
passages with embellishment
Table 3.27: An Overview of Etude in C major

Introduction (mm. 1–4) C major
A (mm. 5–12) (mm. 5–8) C major—E-flat major
(mm. 9–12) E-flat major—C major
A (mm. 13–20) (mm. 13–16) C major—F major—E-flat
major
B (mm. 21–28) (mm. 21–24) G-flat major
(mm. 25–28) C major
(mm. 33–38 two-measure extension with a E-flat major—C major
transitional function)
(mm. 43–46) E-flat major—C major
B (mm. 55–62) (mm. 55–58) G-flat major
(mm. 59–62) C major
(mm. 67–72 two-measure extension with E-flat major—C major
terminative function)
This is the last etude of Part 2, and it is the only one that has a title: “Final
Etude.” It is in C major, based on a 32-bar song form (A A B A), and is a study in
voicing/balance of a singing melody with various accompaniment styles and multiple
textures, syncopation, octaves, hemiola, and jazz harmonies.
The etude has two sections in 32-bar song form preceded by a four-measure
introduction and concluded by two-measure extensions. The second section adds more
complex accompaniment material.
96
True to form, there are two primary themes in this etude. Each contrasting section
can be determined by visual cues: change in texture, melody, and/or harmony. The first
theme features a five-note ascending melodic figure that then descends in triadic form.
The opening accompaniment material is fairly simple; however, it increases in difficulty
as the etude progresses (Figure 3.88).
Figure 3.88 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14, mm. 13-15
The second theme is supported by a ii-V-I progression in G-flat major. The use of
embellishment gives this section an improvisatory character (Figure 3.89).
Figure 3.89 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 13: Second theme (starting at m. 21),
mm. 19-23
Sometimes the harmonic scheme is straightforward, chiefly utilizing diatonic and
secondary harmonies and ii-V-I progressions that are characteristic of jazz music, but at
times the harmonic movement includes many unexpected chromatic alterations and
harmonic progressions. In the second measure, Adams uses a modified dominant chord
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(Figure 3.90) and toward the end he uses a substitute dominant for the penultimate chord
(Figure 3.91).
Figure 3.90 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14: Modified dominant chord, mm. 1-2
Figure 3.91 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14: Substitute dominant at the ending
of the piece, mm. 69-72
This piece requires a high level of independence between and within hands. The
performer must carefully balance each voice of the texture, which is constituted of two to
four layers (Figures 3.92 and 3.93). Double thirds, double sixths, combinations of
various harmonic intervals, arpeggios, block and broken octaves, extreme registers, and
rolled chords in the bass enhance the complexity of the piece.
98
Figure 3.92 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14: Octaves, mm. 48-51
Figure 3.93 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 2, No. 14: Embellishments, mm. 59-60
Adams ends the etude on a simple C major chord (Figure 3.91). The simplicity of
the final chord culminates the experience of this significant collection of etudes in a
refreshing and conclusive way.
99
CHAPTER IV: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The purpose of this research was to analyze the form, melody, harmony, rhythm,
and keyboard usage in the Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano by H. Leslie Adams.
Certain stylistic traits and compositional devices emerged as indicative of Adams’ style.
These include lyrical melodies, symmetrical phrase lengths, extended harmony, modal
mixture, syncopation, multiple-layered textures, and use of the entire range of the
keyboard. The recurrence of these features enhances one’s grasp and recognition of the
composer’s “voice.” H. Leslie Adams’ style indeed is eclectic, fusing elements of classical,
jazz, and popular idioms into pieces that are melodically, harmonically, rhythmically, and
aesthetically pleasing and engaging.
The composer has stated that his work is “more heart-based and intuitive than
analytical.”59 For him, composing is “pulling out what’s inside.”60 In my investigation
of these etudes, I have discovered their inherent beauty and sophistication as well as their
distinctiveness. Each etude communicates something different from the composer to the
performer and the listener.
The Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano represent a significant achievement in H.
Leslie Adams’ compositional output. The etudes fill a void, not only in H. Leslie Adams’
body of work, but also in the canon of pedagogical and performance piano literature.
This collection solidifies his place and contribution to the piano etude genre. As works of
59
60
Ibid.
100
stature, they extend beyond their function as technical exercises and broaden one’s
perspective and exposure to various styles and popular elements in a classical format.
They elevate the piano etude into a high art form.
The Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano are important documents and merit a place
in the pianist and piano teacher’s repertoire along with those of Czerny, Chopin,
Debussy, Rachmaninov, and others. They diversify the offerings and bring awareness to
compositions by American composers to the musical community. Further study might
include an analysis of H. Leslie Adams’ Preludes for Piano and Contrasts for Piano as
well as pedagogical piano repertoire by African-American composers.
101
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Commentary and Catalogue.” Ph.D. dissertation, The University of Arizona,
1997.
Kim, Taeseong. “The Piano Etudes of A. P. F. Boely (1785-1858): A Stylistic Analysis.”

D.M.A. dissertation, The University of South Carolina, 2007.
McCorvey, Everett David. “The Art Songs of Black American Composers.” Ph.D.
dissertation, The University of Alabama, 1989.
Moore, Charles. “Beyond Technique: An Examination of Musical and Textual Expression

from the Baroque to the Twentieth Century.” Thesis, The University of
Mississippi, 2013.
Small, Allanda Constantina. “H. Leslie Adams’ Nightsongs: Poetry, Music, and
Performance.” D.M.A. dissertation, The University of Southern Mississippi,
2007.
Principal Archives
Leslie Adams Collection. Center for Black Music Research, Columbia College, Chicago.
The Leslie Adams Music Archives. Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland.
104
Interviews
Telephone conversation with H. Leslie Adams, October 2012.
Telephone interview with H. Leslie Adams, May 2015.
Scores
Adams, H. Leslie. Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano. American Composers Alliance, Inc.
(BMI), 2007.
Adams, H. Leslie. "Etude in C-sharp Minor" In Piano Music of Africa and the African
Diaspora, Vol. 5. Compiled and Edited by William Chapman Nyaho. New
York City: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Discography
Adams, H. Leslie. Twelve Etudes. Maria Corley, piano. Albany Records. 2004, compact
disc.
Adams, H. Leslie. H. Leslie Adams: Piano Etudes, Part II. Thomas Otten, piano. Albany
Records. 2014, compact disc.
Internet Resources
“H. Leslie Adams, American Composer.” Composer’s website.

http://www.hleslieadams.com (accessed March 23, 2015).
“H. Leslie Adams.” Africlassical.com.

http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Adams.html#13 (accessed March
23, 2015).
“H. Leslie Adams.” http://composers.com/h-leslie-adams (accessed March 23, 2015).
105
APPENDIX A: AN INTERVIEW WITH H. LESLIE ADAMS
The following is a transcription of a telephone interview between H. Leslie Adams and

Aaron Mathews on May 1, 2015.
AM: The purpose of this interview is to get a better sense of you as a composer, your
inspiration in writing the etudes, your compositional process, and any anecdotes
or commentary that you would like to add about the etudes.
On Analysis vs. Creating
HLA: Composing and analyzing are two separate things. In the process of composing,
it’s practically impossible to analyze while one is creating. After it’s over, then
it’s part of the musicologist’s job to do analysis, not necessarily the composer’s.
I have a great deal of trouble doing program notes, which sometimes I am asked
to do; however, if I don’t do them myself, and somebody else does them, quite
often it won’t be representative of what I’ve done. The job of a music critic
primarily is to communicate with their readers, and the best way they can do this
is to find some link between the subject (the music they’re dealing with) and their
readership. Often times the link is other well-known composers’ music, so they’ll
start talking about George Gershwin or Aaron Copland so that the reader can say,
“Ah! Okay, now I understand.” I’ve been compared to many different composers,
and I think, “That’s okay, if that’s what they believe.” Although it often may not
make much sense to me, I understand they’ve got to find some way to
communicate what my music sounds like.
Creating is a process, like a playwright. Writers start out with a blank page. They
might start out writing consciously, then after a while it’s almost a subconscious
process. Their characters take over and lead the writer to where their character is
going. This is very similar to the composing process.
On Composing
HLA: I enjoy composing. I chose to become a composer many years ago before I
shared the idea with anyone. I allowed it to remain in my subconscious. Later
when I was teaching at a university, I had an opportunity to do an opera. I looked
at my work as a professor and what it entailed and what the job of composing a
large work like an opera would be. I realized that I couldn’t comfortably do both
at the same time. So I had to make a decision. That was back in 1979 when I
committed to composing, pretty much full-time, and let the chips fall where they
106
may. So here we are in 2015, and I’m still doing it. And I’m very gratified. It’s
been an interesting ride.
AM: When did you start working on the etudes?
HLA: It was a ten-year project from the first to last, beginning in 1997 and concluding
in 2007.
AM: Did you start the project with a specific number of etudes in mind?
HLA: Yes, I did. Before I even starting writing a note, the title of the work just came to
me: “Twenty-Six Etudes For Solo Piano.” I had no idea what this meant or how
long it would take; however, I would say that before I started the etudes I really
didn’t have a project that was eminent. I looked around my studio and the piano
was sitting there, and I thought, “I really haven’t done a truly large-scale work for
the piano so far.” When I continued thinking about that, the title came to me.
“Etudes” was decided because they are of a general nature, and I wouldn’t have to
come up with a title for each piece.
I will say that I was a little challenged by Chopin and his marvelous works.61
With my etudes, I knew that I wanted to express something different with each
piece. I realized that to give twenty-six etudes variety and character, my
compositional approach would need to include different moods, forms, and
tonalities. As I finished each etude, I looked at what I had done and tried not
repeat tonalities.
AM: Being that etudes are typically designed as technical exercises, did you intend for
each piece to address a particular skill in addition to the different tonalities?
HLA: Yes, generally speaking. My compositional process for the etudes was a
combination of conscious and subconscious. I thought that my subconscious
would lead me in the right direction. For example, in the process of writing
certain etudes, I subconsciously noticed that what was emerging was a
“barcarolle” or a “song without words” or a “waltz.” On the other hand, other
etudes were created consciously to deal with octaves and arpeggios. I just let it
flow.
On the Two Parts
When I composed the etudes, I wasn’t thinking about dividing them into two
parts, rather having them go straight through. When Maria Corley62 got the
61
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) composed two sets of etudes for piano: Etudes, Op. 10 (1829-1832) and
Etudes, Op. 25 (1832-1836).
62
Maria Thompson Corley recorded the first twelve etudes on the Albany label in 2004.
107
manuscripts (I might have had fifteen etudes at the time), she recorded twelve. I
thought that might be a nice break. When the second pianist Thomas Otten63
came on the scene, he recorded etudes thirteen to twenty-six, so we just called it
Parts 1 and 2.
AM: How involved were you in the recording process? Did you give the artists
feedback?
HLA: No. Maria Corley did send me some preliminary recordings. She was playing
them in different venues, and I liked what she was doing. I don’t think I said
anything to her about making changes. Likewise, with Thomas Otten we never
discussed interpretation per se.
On Performance of the Etudes
HLA: I tried to make the tempi very clear. If it was something that required a
metronomic number, I put that in. However, I tried not to place a definite number
in sometimes because it locks the tempo into place. Many pianists have played
the etudes with different tempi, and it sounded justified. Sometimes I would put a
hyphen in between numbers to provide flexibility. I tend to view the manuscript
as a blueprint for expression, and artists can find different tempi, styles and
approaches, and the results might pleasantly surprise me. I’ve learned that over
the years, so I just decided to be flexible and allow the process to become a
collaborative effort. They’re doing it; it’s their expression.
AM: In your musical training, did you happen to study etudes?
HLA: Yes, to an extent, I studied some of the Chopin etudes. While I don’t call myself
a concert pianist per se, earlier in my career I did give concerts playing my own
works in recitals. Presently, I don’t perform my own work in concert; rather, I
allow that task to others.
AM: Did any particular style or musical genre influence the creation of any of the
etudes?
HLA: Just my own. I found my “voice.” I came into my own after wondering for many
years, “What is my voice or style?” which is, I’m sure, eclectic, like many other
composers these days. All composers, once they’ve heard another work, it
becomes part of their subconscious and awareness. There’s no way you can blot
it out. I always think of Puccini and his opera Manon Lescaut. I’ve heard that
opera a couple of times. It goes on for quite a while, and then all of a sudden,
“Bam! He’s got it. He’s found his voice. There is the Puccini that we know and
recognize.” Suddenly, it just blossoms out. That is what I call finding one’s
“voice.” That is what I was searching for. Many times I was surprised at what
63
Thomas Otten recorded the remaining fourteen etudes on Videmus records in 2014.
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was emerging. I still am surprised at what emerges. However, I am pleased when
many people tell me that they recognize an Adams song or work right away.
AM: Do you have any works in progress now?
HLA: I’m working on a piece for trumpet and piano. It is my first trumpet solo. I do
enjoy writing for smaller as well as larger groups.
It was very pleasant for me to have done smaller works such as piano and violin,
piano and clarinet, piano and oboe, piano and English horn, and also vocal works.
Incidentally, I was a voice major as an undergrad at Oberlin and took a fifty-
minute voice lesson twice a week straight through my four years. That’s a lot of
voice lessons. I also sang in the college choir on their major tours. So I am really
vocally oriented; my “DNA” is as much vocal as instrumental. I also have a long
history of choral directing, and I’m still doing that at Grace Presbyterian Church
in Lakewood, Ohio.
AM: Do you have any etudes that are your favorite?
HLA: Not really. They are all so different, so unique. I composed them
chronologically. I didn’t think of mixing them up, like “this piece is early…this
one will come last.” One flowed into the next.
AM: So the order that is in the published score is the order in which you composed the
etudes?
HLA: Yes, with the exception of the E-flat minor etude which was actually created
third.64 Composing in this manner helped me because I didn’t know where I was
going other than what I had already done. There was no way of switching. And
when I finished, this was the journey: it started in G minor, and it just flowed
until the end in C major. After I finished number twenty-three, I thought, “Now
where am I going? What can I say that is different?” And I remembered pop
songs that I wrote back when I was in New York. I utilized three of those songs
as the basis for the final three etudes. The last three, which originally had lyrics,
became in the new context “songs without words.”
It was a goal of mine, even before I started the etudes, to finish a large-scale work
on a C major chord. So when I did the final etude, I knew that it had to be in C
major. It felt good to end with a “song without words” and to finish it very softly
on a simple C major chord.
64
The published score by American Composers Alliance, Inc. places the E-flat minor etude at the end of
Part 1.
109
APPENDIX B: RECURRING MOTIVES, TEXTURES, AND ENDINGS
Some motives and textures recur in several of the twenty-six etudes. The
reemergence of these rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic figures help to codify Adams’
compositional style. In the following, I refer to the etudes by which book they appear in
and what order. For example, the first etude of Part 1, Etude in G minor, will be labeled
1.1.
Table B.1: Recurring Motives
Recurring Motives Etude

1. LH Low register chord, octave leap, 1.1, 2.4, 2.10
pedal point chords with moving thumb
2. Two groups of four sixteenth notes with 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.11, 2.3, 2.7, 2.8
a syncopation tie
3. Octaves with added fifths (broken and 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.8, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12, 2.1,
blocked) 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.10,
2.11, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14
4. Octaves with added fifths triplet motive 1.3, 2.11
5. Arpeggiated 9th chords 1.3, 1.4, 2.8
One: Low register chord, octave leap, pedal point chords with moving thumb
Figure B.1 Adams: Etude in G minor, Part 1, No. 1, mm. 71
110
Figure B.2 Adams: Etude in F-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 4, mm. 11-16
Figure B.3 Adams: Etude in F minor, Part 2, No. 10, mm. 19-24
111
Two: Two groups of four sixteenth notes with a syncopation tie
Figure B.4 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2, mm. 1-2
Figure B.5 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2, m. 6
Figure B.6 Adams: Etude in C-sharp minor, Part 1, No. 11, mm.1-2
Figure B.7 Adams: Etude in D-sharp minor, Part 2, No. 3, m. 20
112
Figure B.8 Adams: Etude in A major, Part 2, No. 7, mm. 17-18
Three: Octaves with added fifths (broken and blocked)
Figure B.9 Adams: Etude in G major, Part 1, No. 2, m. 29
Figure B.10 Adams: Etude in D minor, Part 1, No. 5, mm. 1-2
Four: Octaves with added fifths triplet motive
Figure B.11 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3, mm. 21-24
113
Five: Argpeggiated 9th Chords
Figure B.12 Adams: Etude in A minor, Part 1, No. 3, mm. 44-47
Figure B.13 Adams: Etude in C major, Part 1, No. 4, mm. 1-2
Figure B.14 Adams: Etude in C-sharp major, Part 2, No. 8, mm. 1-2
114
Table B.2: Unique Harmonic Ending
Unique Harmonic Ending Etude

Penultimate chord 1.10, 2.6
Unique Harmonic Ending
Figure B.15 Adams: Etude in D-flat major, Part 1, No. 10, mm. 154-156
Figure B.16 Adams: Etude in B major, Part 2, No. 6, mm. 90-92
115
APPENDIX C: ADDITIONAL CHARTS AND TABLES
The following tables correspond with the overview of the musical elements (Chapter I)
for the Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano. I refer to the etudes by which book they appear
in and what order. For example, the first etude of Part 1, Etude in G minor, will be
labeled 1.1.
Table C.1: Form
Form Etude
Introductions 1.1, 1.4, 1.9, 1.11, 1.12, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.10,
2.12, 2.13, 2.14
Simple introductions* 1.1, 1.4, 1.11, 1.12, 2.1, 2.4, 2.10
*establishment of the accompaniment
pattern before the melody begins; one
measure
Anacrusis 2.6, 2.11
Da capo al fine 1.7
Codas/Codettas 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10,
1.11, 1.12, 2.2 (ext.), 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 (ext.), 2.6,
2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14
Symmetrical phrase lengths 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.11, 1.12,
(4-measure phrases/groups) 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12,
2.13, 2.14
Irregular phrase lengths 1.1, 1.2, 1.10, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6
Phrases: “short-short-long” 1.1, 1.2 (Second theme), 1.6, 1.11 (First
theme), 2.2, 2.4 (First theme), 2.11
Call and response phrases 1.6, 1.7, 1.12, 2.10
Cadenza-like sections/ad lib. 1.12 (end), 2.3 (beginning), 2.4 (end), 2.8
(end), 2.14 (ending instructions to ad lib)
Monothematic 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.10, 2.12
Ternary 1.7
Variation-like 2.12
32-bar song form 2.13, 2.14
Sonata-like 2.9
Rondo-like 1.2
Table C.2: Melody
Melody Etude
Lyrical 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.10, 1.12, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 2.10,
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2.12, 2.13, 2.14
Melodies supported by 1.2, 1.5, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11,1.12, 2.1, 2.6, 2.8, 2.9, 2.11,
chords 2.12
Scalar 1.3
Features a LH melody 1.2, 1.9, 1.12, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.9, 2.10, 2.12, 2.14
Table C.3: Harmony
Harmony Etude
Etude does not end on the tonic chord 2.1 (unresolved circle progression)
Etude does not begin in the tonic key 1.7, 2.3, 2.5
Etude begins on dominant harmony 1.9, 1.11, 2.4, 2.13
Modal-like and/or sections that use modes 1.3, 1.5, 1.8, 2.2
Unique and similar endings #1: 1.2, 1.5, 1.12, 2.8, 2.9
unique harmony and ends loudly
Unique and similar endings #2: 1.8, 1.10, 2.6, 2.12
unique harmony and ends softly
Unique ending #3: emphatic V-I cadence 1.2, 1.4, 1.12 (but not a V), 2.11
One main key area 2.1, 2.10, 2.12
Five or less key areas 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 2.1, 2.2, 2.11, 2.13,
2.14
Five or more key areas 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12, 2.3, 2.4,
2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9
Table C.4: Rhythm
Rhythm Etude
Meter changes 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.11
Rhythmic motives 1.3, 1.9, 1.11, 2.11
Table C.5: Character
Character Etude
Improvisatory effect 1.9, 2.3, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14
Jazz songs and/or influence 2.12, 2.13, 2.14
Ethereal 1.11
Haunting 2.10
Dance 2.11
Table C.6: Tempi
Tempi Etude
Metronome marking 1.1, 1.6, 1.11, 1.12, 2.6, 2.7, 2.12, 2.13
Expressive language for tempo marking 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 2.2, 2.3, 2.13,
2.14
117
Musical terminology for tempo marking 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.12, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4,
2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11
Table C.7: Keyboard Usage/Texture
Keyboard Usage/Texture Etude

Counterpoint 1.4, 1.11, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.10, 2.11,
2.12, 2.14
Double Notes 1.3, 1.4, 1.9, 2.1, 2.2, 2.9, 2.10, 2.14
Broken double notes/Broken chords 1.7, 1.3, 2.6, 2.9, 2.12
Octaves 1.3, 2.5, 2.6, 2.9, 2.13, 2.14
Octaves with added fifths 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.8, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12, 2.1, 2.2,
2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12,
2.13, 2.14
Hand crossing 1.8, 2.3, 2.8, 2.12, 2.13
Thick, chordal textures 1.5, 1.9, 1.11, 1.12, 2.1, 2.4, 2.6, 2.9, 2.10,
2.11, 2.13, 2.14
Arpeggiated chords 1.8, 1.10, 2.3, 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 2.12, 2.14
Glissando 1.8, 2.13
Graphic notation 2.4
Special ending 2.8, 2.12 (ad lib.)
Table C.8: Length Differences between Part 1 and Part 2
Part 1 Part 2
Longest 1.12 (258 measures) 2.9 (141 measures)
Shortest 1.4 (37 measures) 2.1 (29 measures)
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LEVELING
After an analysis of all the etudes, I determined that they fall into certain
categories of difficulty. Based on technical and musical difficulty, textural and rhythmic
challenges, and keyboard usage, I have placed the etudes in these ranges: Late
Intermediate and Advanced.
Table C. 9: Leveling
Part 1 Part 2
Etude Key Level Etude Key Level
1. G minor Advanced 1. E major Advanced
2. G major Advanced 2. A-flat minor Advanced
3. A minor Advanced 3. D-sharp minor Advanced
4. C major Late 4. F-sharp minor Advanced
Intermediate
5. D minor Advanced 5. C minor Late
Intermediate
6. D major Late 6. B major Advanced
Intermediate
7. B minor Late 7. A major Advanced
Intermediate
8. G-flat major Advanced 8. C-sharp major Advanced
9. B-flat minor Advanced 9. E minor Advanced
10. D-flat major Advanced 10. F minor Late
Intermediate
11. C-sharp minor Advanced 11. G-sharp minor Advanced
12. E-flat minor Advanced 12. F major Late
Intermediate
13. A-flat major Advanced
14. C major Advanced
Total: 5 major, 7 minor Total: 7 major, 7 minor
Grand 12 major, 14 minor
Total: Doubled: C major
Enharmonic: D-flat (C#) major, D-sharp (Eb) minor, A-flat (G#) minor
Excluded: B-flat major, E-flat major
119
APPENDIX D: PERFORMANCE HISTORY
*This is not a comprehensive list of performances of the twenty-six etudes. The majority
of performances included on this list have been communicated to the composer and are
listed on his website.
“Three Etudes.” Lucile Soule, piano. Epworth Euclid Methodist Church; University
Circle; Cleveland, Ohio. January 11, 2000.
Etudes in G minor, G major, E-flat minor, A minor, and D-flat major. Leon Bates, piano.
Musik far Sankt Gallen Concert Series. Drinko Hall, Cleveland State University;
Cleveland, Ohio. March 1, 2001.
Etudes for Solo Piano, I. (Complete.) Maria Corley, piano. Millersville University;
Lancaster, PA. June 23, 2001 and February 6, 2002.
Etudes for Solo Piano, I. (Complete.) Maria Corley, piano. Midwestern premiere.
Gallagher-Bluedom Performing Arts Center; Green Hall; University of Northern
Iowa. Waterloo, IA. September 9, 2001.
Etudes in D minor, D major, B minor, and E major. John McDonald, piano. Department
of Music; Tufts University; Medford, MA. April 3, 2002.
Etudes in G minor and C major. Lucile Soule, piano. Second Annual Benefit for Society
for Rehabilitation. Holden Center; Lake Erie College; Painesville, OH. August 4,
2002.
Etudes for Solo Piano: G minor, G-flat major, C major, and A minor. Maria Corley,
piano. Ruth Seaton James Hall; Prospect, Bermuda. June 26, 2003.
Etudes for Solo Piano: G minor, G major, A minor, C major, D minor, D major, B minor,
G-flat major, and B-flat minor. Maria Corley, piano. CD broadcast. Composer
interviewed. A. Grace Lee Mims, host. Radio Station WCL V-FM; Cleveland,
OH. March 24, 2004.
Selected Etudes for Solo Piano: C Major, A minor, D minor, and G-flat major. Maria
Corley, piano. David Dubal, host. Composer present, giving talks at four two-hour
Piano Literature sessions. The Juilliard School; Lincoln Center Plaza; New York,
New York. April 24–28, 2004.
120
“Selected Piano and Vocal Music of H. Leslie Adams.” Etudes in D-flat major, C-sharp
minor, and E-flat minor. Maria Corley, piano. A. Grace Lee Mims, host. Radio
station WCL V-FM; Cleveland, OH. June 16, 2004.
Etude in E-flat minor. Maria Corley, piano. National Association of Negro Musicians,
National Convention. August 5, 2004
Etude in C major. Maria Corley, soloist. On: David Dubal's radio show. WQXR and
WQXR.com; New York, NY. February 16, 2005
Etudes in C major, G-flat major, and E-flat minor. Maria Corley; piano. Central
Presbyterian Church; Montclair, NJ. February 26, 2005.
Etudes in G minor and G major. Leon Bates, piano. Bayshore-Brightwaters Public

Library. Brightwaters, NY. Composer in live interview. Dee Perry, moderator.
WCPN PM [National Public Radio.] Featuring recordings of Pianist Maria Corley
and Tenor Darryl Taylor. Cleveland, Ohio. February 26, 2005.
Etudes in E major, A-flat minor and A major performed by Althea Waites.

Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts center, California State University
Long Beach; Long Beach, CA. April 2, 2006.
Etude in F minor. Halida Dinova, piano. On: Fine Arts Series. Jewish Community
Center; Beachwood, OH. April 23, 2006.
Selected Piano Etudes. Leon Bates, Pianist in Recital. Bryn Mawr and Haverford
Colleges, Pennsylvania. February 28–29, 2009.
Etude in A minor. Maria Corley, piano. Recital in Bermuda. Review in the Royal
Gazette. February 11, 2011.
Etude No. 11 in C-sharp minor. William Chapman Nyaho, pianist. On: African
American Art Song Alliance Concert, University of California Irvine. February 9,
2012.
Piano Music of H. Leslie Adams. Etude in G minor, F minor, G-sharp minor. Thomas
Otten, pianist. The Music House; Greenville, North Carolina. February 22, 2012.
Etudes in E major, F minor, G-sharp minor. Thomas Otten, pianist, in faculty recital.
Etude in F major. Sarah Peterson, pianist, in Karen Walwyn’s Masterclass. Etude
in C-sharp minor. William Chapman Nyaho, pianist. Selected Art Songs. Darryl
Taylor, countertenor. On: Videmus Music Festival. ("Reflecting in the
Past...Reaching Toward the Future"). The University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill. March 23-24, 2012.
121
Etude in A major. Thomas Otten, pianist. Saarburger Serenaden International Music
Festival; Saarburg, Germany. July 10, 2012
Selected Piano Etudes. Phillip Pfaltzgraff, soloist. Coe College Department of Music.
Cedar Rapids, IA. September 14, 2012.
Selected Piano Etudes. Thomas Otten, pianist. Fundraiser for Durham School of the Arts.
Durham, NC. May 17, 2013.
Lecture-Recital on the Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano. Thomas Otten, pianist.
Morgantown, WV. June 27, 2013.
Lecture-Recital on the Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano. Aaron Mathews, pianist.
University of South Carolina; Columbia, SC. November 8, 2013.
Lecture-Recital on the Twenty-Six Etudes for Solo Piano. Thomas Otten, pianist.
University of North Carolina; Greensboro, NC. December 16, 2013.
Selected Piano Etudes. Thomas Otten, pianist. Charlotte Piano Teachers Forum.
Charlotte, NC. January 10, 2014.
Selected Piano Etudes. Thomas Otten, pianist. Chapel Hill Music Teachers Association.
University of North Carolina. January 13, 2014.
Selected Piano Etudes. Thomas Otten, pianist. Alabama School of Fine Arts;
Birmingham, AL. February 2, 2014.
Selected Piano Etudes. Thomas Otten, pianist. North Carolina Central University;
Durham, NC. February 7, 2014.
Selected Piano Etudes. Thomas Otten, pianist. Joint Regional Conference of College
Music Society Southern Chapter, and College Music Society Mid-Atlantic
Chapter. School of Music; University of Tennessee; Knoxville, TN. February 12,
2014.
Selected Piano Etudes. Thomas Otten, pianist. Howard University; Washington, DC.
February 18, 2014.
Selected Piano Etudes. Thomas Otten, pianist. Wake Forest University; Winston-Salem,
NC. February 21, 2014.
Selected Piano Etudes. Thomas Otten, pianist. University of California Santa Barbara;
Santa Barbara, CA. April 6, 2014.
Selected Piano Etudes. Thomas Otten, pianist. Summer Music Festival. West Virginia
University. June 27, 2014.
122
World Premiere: First Complete Live Performance. Adams Piano Etudes, Part I. Maria
Corley, soloist. The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. November 1, 2014.
World Premiere: First Complete Live Performance. Adams Piano Etudes, Part II. Thomas
Otten, soloist. The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. November 2, 2014.
Selected Piano Etudes. Aaron Mathews, pianist, in faculty recital. Selected Art Songs.
Diana Cataldi, soprano. On: “A Celebration of African American Composers.”
Viterbo University; La Crosse, WI. February 8, 2015.
123
APPENDIX E: PERMISSION TO REPRINT MUSICAL EXAMPLES
124
APPENDIX F: PERMISSION TO PRINT INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
125
APPENDIX G: RECITALS
AARON B. MATHEWS, piano AAR
in
GRADUATE RECITAL G
Friday, August 31, 2012 F

7:30 PM !Recital Hall
Sonata in G Minor, K. 35 Domenico Scarlatti Sonata in G Minor, K

Sonata in D Minor, K. 18 (1685-1757) Sonata in D Minor, K
Mazurka in F Minor, Opus 63, No. 2 Frederic Chopin Mazurka in F Minor, O

Mazurka in A Minor, Opus 17, No. 4 (1810-1849) Mazurka in A Minor,
Mazurka in B Minor, Opus 30, No. 2 Mazurka in B Minor,
Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor, Opus 27, No. 1 Nocturne in C-Sharp M
Sonata No. 24 in F-Sharp Major, Opus 78 Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 24 in F-Sh
Adagio cantabile, allegro ma non troppo (1770-1827) Adagio cantabile,
Allegro vivace Allegro vivace
Piano Sonata, Opus 1 Alban Berg Piano Sonata, Opus 1

(1885-1935)
Allegro de Concierto Enrique Granados Allegro de Concierto

(1867-1916)
Mr. Mathews is a student of Scott Price. Mr. Mat

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for This recital is presente
the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Pedagogy. the Doctor of M
126
AARON B. MATHEWS, piano AA
in
GRADUATE LECTURE RECITAL GRAD
Friday, November 8, 2013 F

4:30 PM !Recital Hall
Part I. Lecture
Part II. Performance
Etude No. 4 in C Major, Book 1 H. Leslie Adams Etude No. 4 in C M

Etude No. 5 in C Minor, Book 2 (b. 1932) Etude No. 5 in C M
Etude No. 6 in D Major, Book 1 Etude No. 6 in D M
Etude No. 1 in G Minor, Book 1 Etude No. 1 in G M
Etude No. 9 in B-flat Minor, Book 1 Etude No. 9 in B-fl
Etude No. 12 in F Major, Book 2 Etude No. 12 in F M
Etude No. 14 in C Major, Book 2 Etude No. 14 in C M
Etude No. 3 in A Minor, Book 1 Etude No. 3 in A M
Mr. Mathews is a student of Scott Price. Mr. M

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for This recital is presen
the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Pedagogy. the Doctor of
127

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H.

LESLIE ADAMS’ TWENTY-SIX ETUDES FOR SOLO PIANO:

Aaron Balthazar Mathews

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in

University of South Carolina

Scott Price, Major Professor

Charles Fugo, Committee Member

Joseph Rackers, Committee Member

J. Daniel Jenkins, Committee Member

Lacy Ford, Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies

All rights reserved

INFORMATION TO ALL USERS

All rights reserved.

To Mom, Dad, Aliya, Allison, and Yasmin

My deepest gratitude goes to my parents, grandparents, sisters, family members,

College Chicago for their assistance in my research.

and advice with me.

H. Leslie Adams (b. 1932) is a prolific and well-respected American composer,

serving as an Assistant Professor of Music at Stillman College, Florida A & M

on H. Leslie Adams, an overview of his compositional style, and a transcript of a phone

pianists and pedagogues.

recordings of the recitals are on file in the Music Library.

DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix

LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................1

About the Composer ................................................................................................3

Pedagogical Piano Literature ...................................................................................5

Overview of the Musical Elements ..........................................................................6

Methodology for Analysis .....................................................................................10

Purpose of the Study ..............................................................................................10

Need for the Study .................................................................................................10

Limitations of the Study.........................................................................................11

Design and Procedures ...........................................................................................14

CHAPTER II: BACKGROUND ......................................................................................15

Biography of H. Leslie Adams (b. 1932) ...............................................................15

About the Etudes ....................................................................................................17

Inspiration for the Research ...................................................................................20

CHAPTER IV: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ....................................................100

APPENDIX A: AN INTERVIEW WITH H. LESLIE ADAMS ....................................106

APPENDIX B: RECURRING MOTIVES, TEXTURES, AND ENDINGS .................110

APPENDIX C: ADDITIONAL CHARTS AND TABLES............................................116

APPENDIX D: PERFORMANCE HISTORY ...............................................................120

APPENDIX E: PERMISSION TO REPRINT MUSICAL EXAMPLES ......................124

APPENDIX F: PERMISSION TO PRINT INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT ....................125

APPENDIX G: RECITALS ............................................................................................126

Table 1.1 Generations of Black American Composers ........................................................2

Table 3.1 List of Symbols and Abbreviations ...................................................................23

Table 3.2 An overview of Part 1, No. 1 Etude in G minor ................................................24

Table 3.3 An overview of Part 1, No. 2 Etude in G major ................................................27

Table 3.4 An overview of Part 1, No. 3 Etude in A minor ................................................30

Table 3.5 An overview of Part 1, No. 4 Etude in C major.................................................34

Table 3.6 An overview of Part 1, No. 5 Etude in D minor ................................................36

Table 3.7 An overview of Part 1, No. 6 Etude in D major ................................................39

Table 3.8 An overview of Part 1, No. 7 Etude in B minor ................................................41

Table 3.9 An overview of Part 1, No. 8 Etude in G-flat major ..........................................43

Table 3.10 An overview of Part 1, No. 9 Etude in B-flat minor ........................................46

Table 3.11 An overview of Part 1, No. 10 Etude in D-flat major ......................................49

Table 3.12 An overview of Part 1, No. 11 Etude in C-sharp minor ..................................51