Questioning Schenkerism

Description

During the past fifty years Schenkerian theory has been adopted as the main method for analysing tonal music. This book questions the value of Schenker’s «tonal analysis» for musical description and interpretation, and discusses its relations to «generative» theory and «implicational» analysis – taking into account its links with linguistic syntax and the perception of tonal closure. It is observed how auxiliary theoretical concepts transform the music so as to pave the way for preordained tonal structures. Alternative readings of the music examples are provided. Cover Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 Schenkerian theory and better comparison: An out-of-the-way perspective Introduction Schubert’s Das Wandern and the question of consecutive fifths What went wrong with this “good comparison”? A further Schenkerian reading of Das Wandern A free reduction of a free composition The initial theme of Beethoven’s Op. 90: Schenker’s background Salzer’s reduction Beethoven’s theme: some preliminary observations An alternative reduction to be discarded Final attempts at a reduction Beethoven’s theme: some conclusions Schenker and Schumann’s Aus meinen Thränen sprießen A critical scrutiny of Schenker’s reduction Schenker’s analysis of the middle section: the foreground Schenker’s analysis of the middle section: the middleground Harmonic observations Conclusions and a bottom/up attempt at reduction Bringing in the context of the song General conclusions Chapter 2 Disciplining reduction and tonalizing interpretation Introduction Reduction and interpretation Disciplining reduction Schenker’s analysis: the first phrase of the antecedent The second phrase of the antecedent The first part of the middle section The second part of the middle section The entire theme von Cube’s reduction Correcting the disciple von Cube’s defence Enforcing discipline Maintaining discipline: Beach teaching teachers The A-sections according to Beach The B-section according to Beach Tonalizing interpretation Schenker’s analysis von Cube’s dual descent reading Beach’s analysis Searching for the theme’s “tonal content” A model and its expanded, inverted-counterpoint replica Rising fourths and falling seconds; a network of implications Tonal structure in terms of “drones” Tonal structure in terms of “focal” events “Focal” reduction and interpretation Conclusions Chapter 3 Is tonal music hierarchic? An impenitent sermon Introduction Two ways of presenting tonal reductions Schenker’s reduction: the first half of the chorale The second half of the chorale Cook’s discussion of Schenker’s analysis Cook’s alternative reduction Lerdahl and Jackendoff’s “Generative Theory” The first phrase: metric accents and rhythmic groups The first phrase: time-span reduction The first phrase: prolongational reduction Issues of “final-state” understanding Cadences and branching Issues of grouping and form Assigning hierarchical structure to music Summary of the reductive accounts Towards a non-hierarchical analysis Finding the “focus” of the chorale Chapter 4 Prolongation vs. implication Introduction Implications and prolongations in the Les Adieux introduction Comparing prolongations and implications A selection of observations Chapter 5 A hitch-hiker’s guide to the repeat Introduction Main objection The first section The third section The middle section Schachter’s middleground and Schubert’s sketch Motivic relationships and the element of dialogue Schachter’s “phrase rhythm”: some critical observations Metre and rhythm in the middle section The Trio A question of maps An alternative structural account The outer sections The middle section Conclusions Some issues of interpretation Chapter 6 Schubert, Schumann, and Schenkerism. Tonal vs. focal Reduction Introduction Salzer’s reading of a Schubert waltz A bottom/up reduction of the waltz Schumann’s Albumblatt: a preliminary musical description Some attempts to make reductive sense of the Albumblatt “Outer” form and “tonal” form; the problem of repeats Revisiting Schubert’s waltz Conclusion Chapter 7 Syntactic vs. rhetoric structure. Language, music, and tonal reduction Syntax and closure in language and music Clauses and sentences in language and music Closure, unity, and coherence Tonal structure vs. tonal content God Save the King: two syntactically independent units A Schenkerian reduction Alternative readings Conclusions Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser: three relatively independent units Schenker’s reduction in Der freie Satz Schenker’s reduction in Der Tonwille Alternative readings Conclusions General discussion Chapter 8 Tonics and returns. A modest investigation Introduction Salzer’s readings of a Schubert waltz and a Mozart Adagio Modulating variants of the waltz and the Adagio Lerdahl and Jackendoff’s prolongational trees Experimental design Results Conclusions and discussion Chapter 9 Shaving Schenker Introduction Schenker’s and Bursteins’ readings: a comparison Criticism of Schenker’s analysis Starting from scratch Three deep-layer structures Summary and discussion Music Examples Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 References