This thesis explores contemporary American composer John Corigliano’s (*1938) work for piano solo Winging It. My agenda is how this work stands in terms of the use of piano timbre in piano literature from Baroque to the present. In “Introduction,” I review primary and secondary literature of the study of timbre, especially the works by Hermann Helmholtz (1821-1894), Robert Cogan (*1930) and Wayne Slawson (*1932). I survey theses scholars’ definition of timbre, and the pros and cons of their theories when applied to a productive discussion of piano timbre.

Chapter One (“Composer’s Overview”) briefly introduces Corigliano’s life, in which I relate to the significance of the use of timbre in his works. Chapter Two (“Modern Piano Timbre and Techniques”) explores timbre in piano literature from Baroque to the present, focusing on the issues of how timbre related to both the changing construction of the piano and the corresponding performance style and techniques. In Chapter Three (“An Analysis of the Timbre in and the Interpretation of Winging It”), I discuss how Corigliano’s treatment of registers, dynamic marking, and structure in Winging It reveals his special conception and definition of timbre. I also offer interpretive suggestions, showing possible ways to enable these factors’ contribution to stand out. In the concluding chapter, I sum up Corigliano’s contribution to the use of piano timbre in Winging It, and suggest how this work stands in the evolution history of piano timbre.