Influences and Musical Quotation in the Solo Piano Works of Aaron Jay Kernis

This treatise will introduce the solo piano works of Aaron Jay Kernis to pianists interested in learning his music and show how Kernis' use of musical quotation constructs the musical content of these pieces using musical quotation, timbral quotation, and homage. I will describe the composer's background, examine the question of postmodernism as a possible framework for viewing Kernis' use of quotation, and provide a brief history of music that uses quotation. I will provide an analysis of Aaron Jay Kernis' solo piano works by describing harmonic, textural, rhythmic, and structural features of his music and include performance suggestions for each piano work, addressed to the performer and teacher. The piano pieces chosen for this treatise span a twenty-year time period from 1987 to 2007. "Playing Monster" for solo piano is listed by the publisher but will not be discussed in this treatise as the score is not yet available.