YSP 2007

Yale Summer Program Abroad 2007: Vienna, Austria Music. S138 Major Austrian Composers of the Early Twentieth Century. Dates: July 9-August 10, 2007. Instructor: Allen Forte, Yale University

An introduction to the music of Mahler, Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern (the "Second Viennese School") in the cultural and geographical settings related to the genesis of selected compositions by these composers.

Instructor:Professor Allen Forte
Dept of Music, Yale University
allen.forte@yale.edu

For further information on registration and accommodations in Vienna please contact william.whobrey@yale.edu
William Whobrey, Director of YSP

OMG OMG OMG

Allen Forte! Vienna! Schoenberg! It's like a dream come true.
I don't care how much this costs. I am going.

Final Bibliography for Literature Review Project

Anderson, Gillian B. and Ronald H. Sadoff. “Music and Image Bibliography.” http://pws.prserv.net/loosepoodle/AndrsonSadofBib.pdf.

Buhler, James, Carol Flinn, and David Neumeyer, editors. Music and Cinema. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 2000.

Dickinson, Kay, editor. Movie Music: The Film Reader. New York, NY: Routledge, 2003.

Donnelly, K.J., editor. Film music: Critical Approaches. New York, NY: Continuum, 2001.

Flinn, Carol. “The Most Romantic Art of All: Music in the Classical Hollywood Cinema.” Cinema Journal 29, no. 4 (1990): 35-50. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Gallez, Douglas W. “Satie’s ‘Entr’acte:’ A Model of Film Music” In Cinema Journal 16. no. 1 (1976): 36-50. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Gallez, Douglas W. “Theories of Film Music.” Cinema Journal 9, no. 2 (1970): 40-47. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Gessner, Robert. “’The Parts of Cinema’: A Definition” In The Journal of the Society of Cinematologists 1 (1961): 25-39. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Huntley, John and Roger Manvell, editors. Techniques in Film Music. New York, NY: Focal Press, 1975.

Kaye, Peter D. “Film Music Cognition Bibliography.” http://pws.prserv.net/loosepoodle/FilmMusic.html.

Kubik, Gail. “The Composer’s Place in Radio” In Hollywood Quarterly 1, no. 1 (1945): 60-68. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Leinberger, Charles. Ennio Morricone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: A Film Score Guide. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004.

MacDonald, Lawrence E. The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History. New York, NY: Ardsley House Publishers, 1998.

MacGowan, Kenneth. Behind the Screen: The History and Techniques of the Motion Pictures. New York: Dell, 1965.

Marks, Martin. “Film Music: The Material, Literature, and Present State of Research.” In Notes 36, no. 2 (1979): 282-325. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Mathieson, Muir. “Aspects of Film Music.” In Tempo 9 (1944): 7-9. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Miceli, Sergio. “Analizzare la musica per film, una riproposta della teoria dei livelli.” Rivista italiana di musicologia 29, no. 2 (1994): 517-544. Via RILM, http://www.rilm.org

Morton, Lawrence. “Film Music of the Quarter” In The Quarterly of Film Radio and Television 6, no. 1 (1951): 69-72. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Nelson, Robert U. “Film Music: Color or Line?” In Hollywood Quarterly 2, no. 1 (1946): 57-65. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Neumeyer, David. “Film Music Analysis and Pedagogy.” Indiana Theory Review 11 (1990): 1-28.

Plantinga, Carl. “Film Theory and Aesthetics: Notes on a Schism” In The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 51, no. 3 (1993): 445-454. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Prendergast, Roy M. Film Music: A Neglected Art: A Critical Study of Music in Films. New York, NY: Norton, 1992.

Reay, Pauline. Music in Film: Soundtracks and Synergy. New York, NY: Wallflower, 2004.

Russell, Mark and James Young. Film Music. Boston, MA: Focal Press, 2000.

Schelle, Michael. The Score: Interviews with Film Composers. Los Angeles, CA: Silman-James Press, 1999.

Smith, Jeff. The Sounds of Commerce: Marketing Popular Film Music. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 1998.

Spande, Robert. “The Aesthetics of Film Music.” http://web.archive.org/web/20031208182300/http://www.franklinmarketplace.com/filmmusic.html. Via FilmSound.org, http://www.filmsound.org/filmmusic

Toeplitz, Jerzy. “Film Scholarship: Present and Prospective” In Film Quarterly 16, no. 3 (1963): 27-37. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

MuCT 519 Project Proposal

Title:
The Harmonic Languages of Florestan and Eusebius in Schumann’s Phantasiestücke, op. 12

Proposal:
Robert Schumann’s dual nature is well documented in studies of his literary and musical works. Florestan, the extrovert, is flamboyant and ebullient; Eusebius, the introvert, is controlled and introspective. These two personalities transcended every aspect of Schumann’s life, both professionally and personally. As a writer, Florestan and Eusebius became his pseudonyms; as a composer, Florestan and Eusebius offered two unique harmonic aesthetics for his musical works.

Phantasiestücke, a collection of eight works for solo pianoforte, utilizes the dichotomy of Florestan and Eusebius. Each personality has its own tonic pitch – F for Florestan and E for Eusebius – as well as their own tonal compasses based on strength/weakness and independence/dependence. “In der nacht,” the fifth song of the collection, exhibits harmonic traits that characterize both personalities.

Although these two personalities provide an explanation for the musical material of “In der nacht,” they do not supply an analytical rationalization for its harmonic language. This article will attempt to solve the analytical riddle of “In der nacht” by using contemporary systems set forth by Charles J. Smith, Richard Cohn, and Daniel Harrison. If one theory will encompass the entire work, or multiple theories will add up to a complete analytical explanation, is yet to be seen.

Resources:

Cohn, Richard. “Maximally Smooth Cycles, Hexatonic Systems, and the Analysis of Late-Romantic Triadic Progressions” In Music Analysis 15, no. 1 (1996): 9-40. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Harrison, Daniel. Harmonic Function in Chromatic Music: A Renewed Dualist Theory and an Account of Its Precedents. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1994.

Kaminsky, Peter. “Principles of Formal Structure in Schumann’s Early Piano Cycles” In Music Theory Spectrum 11, no. 2 (1989): 207-225. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Krebs, Harald. Fantasy Pieces: Metrical Dissonance in the Music of Robert Schumann. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Lewis, Christopher. “Into the Foothills: New Directions in Nineteenth-Century Analysis” In Music Theory Spectrum 11, no. 1 (1989): 15-23. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Sams, Eric. “Why Florestan and Eusebius?” In The Musical Times 108 (Feb 1967): 131, 133-4. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Smith, Charles J. “The Functional Extravagance of Chromatic Chords” In Music Theory Spectrum 8 (Spring 1986): 94-139. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

The Minor Second in Béla Bartók’s Second String Quartet, Mvt. II

The Minor Second in Béla Bartók’s Second String Quartet, Mvt. II

One of the most interesting devices Bartók uses in his second string quartet is the minor second interval. Bartók’s uses the minor second like a cadential gesture in this movement; the appearance denotes the ending of an idea and introduces the following phrase. Take, for example, the very opening of the movement. Bartók immediately sets up a small motive that is used in the movement in altered and fragmented versions. This motive begins with a minor second motion from F to E, and again up to F.

Example 1. First appearance of motive and minor second motion, m. 2.

This first appearance sets up the importance of the interval; here it implies the importance of F, and is supported by entrance of the violin parts on F in m.1 , as well as the repetition of the motive an octave higher – still beginning on F – in m. 4.

As the piece continues to develop, the minor second begins to signal the end of passages and the beginning of the following sound events. In m. 7 both violin parts play the minor second of E flat to D.

Example 2. Minor second motive setting up following passage, mm. 7-8.

The half-step motion downwards from E flat to D accentuates D, and in m. 8 the movement’s next passage begins on a D. This highlights the minor second’s function as an arrival, stressing a particular pitch and emphasizing the starting note of the music to come. This same minor second interval – E flat to D – reappears later in the movement; in each instance, it signals the arrival of the next musical idea often similar to the one described above.

At rehearsal 4, this E flat to D returns, and the following musical material is quite similar to the material at m. 8, with the variation of the first violin playing an E natural against the second violin’s D, as well as fragments of the motive (Example 1) throughout the viola and cello lines. Two bars before rehearsal 7 the Eflat to D is played again in the first violin, and the following material presents a second variation of the opening material; this time, the reused characteristics of the opening material are the repeated staccato eighths in both violin parts, and repeated pizzicato quarter note fifths in the viola.

In the third bar after rehearsal 9 the E flat reappears in the first violin, but this time it moves down to a C instead of a D. At this juncture the alteration of the minor second motive is appropriate, seeing as the following section becomes the contrasting middle section of the movement.

Example 3. Alteration of signaling motive in first violin, three after rehearsal 9.

Following this alteration the material of the movement is drastically different, including harmonics, glissandos, and short-lasting tempo changes. In this way the motive signals both returning musical ideas as well as their alterations.

Rough Bibliography on Film Theory/Philosophy Sources

Buhler, James, Caryl Flinn, and David Neumeyer, editors. Music and Cinema. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 2000.

Colón Perales, Carlos, Fernando Infante Del Rosal, and Manuel Lombardo Ortega. Historia y teoria de la musica en el cine: Presencias afectivas. Sevilla, Spain: Alfar, 1997.

Dickinson, Kay, editor. Movie Music: The Film Reader. New York, NY: Routledge, 2003.

Donnelly, K.J., editor. Film music: Critical Approaches. New York, NY: Continuum, 2001.

Flinn, Carol. “The Most Romantic Art of All: Music in the Classical Hollywood Cinema.” Cinema Journal 29, no. 4 (1990): 35-50. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Gallez, Douglas W. “Theories of Film Music.” Cinema Journal 9, no. 2 (1970): 40-47. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Huntley, John and Roger Manvell, editors. Techniques in Film Music. New York, NY: Focal Press, 1975.

Kivy, Peter. “Music in the Movies: A Philosophical Enquiry,” In Film Theory and Philosophy, edited by Richard Allen and Murray Smith, 308-328. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Leinberger, Charles. Ennio Morricone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: A Film Score Guide. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004.

Marks, Martin. “Film Music: The Material, Literature, and Present State of Research.” Notes 36, no. 2 (1979): 282-325. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Mathieson, Muir. “Aspects of Film Music.” Tempo 9 (1944): 7-9. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Miceli, Sergio. “Analizzare la musica per film, una riproposta della teoria dei livelli.” Rivista italiana di musicologia 29, no. 2 (1994): 517-544. Via RILM, http://www.rilm.org/

Nelson, Robert U. “Film Music: Color or Line?” Hollywood Quarterly 2, no. 1 (1946): 57-65. Via JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org

Neumeyer, David. “Film Music Analysis and Pedagogy.” Indiana Theory Review 11 (1990): 1-28.

Paulin, Scott D. “Richard Wagner and the fantasy of cinematic unity: The idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk in the history and theory of film music.”

Prendergast, Roy M. Film Music: A Neglected Art: A Critical Study of Music in Films. New York, NY: Norton, 1992.

Rabenalt, Robert. “Über die Bedeutung kompositorischer Techniken in der Filmmusik: Segmenttechnik bei Ennio Morricone” In Musiktheorie 20, no. 3 (2005): 267-278. Via RILM, http://www.rilm.org

Smith, Jeff. The Sounds of Commerce: Marketing Popular Film Music. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 1998.

Revised Abstract

Abstract for

PERFORMANCE PRACTICE ISSUES FOR THE
SYMPHONIC CHOIR IN BÉLA BARTÓK’S
CANTATA PROFANA (1930)

by
Emily Kausalik

In 1996 Robert Shaw led the Atlanta Symphonic Orchestra and Choir in a performance of Béla Bartók's Cantata Profana. Leading up to the performance Shaw reflected in a letter to the choir members that of the works scheduled for the program, Cantata Profana had proven to be the most challenging to learn and rehearse. Within this letter from October 24th, 1996, Shaw wrote about three main factors that directly affected the rehearsal and performance-readiness of the work. Two of these issues involved the genetics of the modern symphonic choir: how the typical modern symphonic choir is made up of amateur/volunteer members, and the nature of the learning process with a vocal group of this nature. The third, however, involved issues of a more analytical nature – the harmonic, metric, and melodic languages, and how these characteristics make the piece difficult to learn and rehearse.

Shaw's comments on this third point are limited; he highlights the need for vocal athleticism and superior musicianship but does not delve deeper into these analytical issues. Using his statements as a springboard for further study, one can find a few interesting problems that arise for a performance by a symphonic choir. A few of these critical performance practice issues in Cantata Profana will be discussed in this article.

Swinden's Unconformed Tonnetz, Chromatic Theory

Check this out.




This picture is a graph created by Kevin J. Swinden for his article in volume 27/2 of Music Theory Spectrum. Let me break it down for you:
- An upward pointing triangle is a major triad
- A downward pointing triangle is a minor triad
- Mix structures are denoted by the diagonals (Ab-C-E, A-C-Eb, Eb-G-B, E-G-Bb, etc.)
- Motions toward the Left/West denote moves towards the Subdominant (Tonic to Subdominant, Dominant to Tonic)
- Motions toward the Right/East denote moves towards the Dominant (Subdominant to Tonic, Tonic to Dominant)
- The main East-West Axis (in the center) contains the three primary functions (Dominant, Subdominant, and Tonic); Offset rows to the North and South denote "functional agents" (tendency tones)

I find that this is a fantastic way to visualize the relationships of triads, tendency tones (Harrison calls these "functional agents"), and how third relationships can move a piece towards or away from different tonal areas.

Here is the abstract to his article:

Daniel Harrison's 1994 study, Harmonic Function in Chromatic Music, questions the traditional mapping of chords onto function, and instead suggests that scale steps embody the source of harmonic function. His reformulation creates a new one-to-one mapping of scale steps onto harmonic function, which may be, at times, problematic. This article examines aspects of Harrison's theory and advances a different mechanism for the evaluation of harmonic function based on the Tonnetz. It examines a particular set of chromatic harmonies that display plural function, which may be organized according to a genus and species mode of classification.

For a more in-depth discussion of Swinden's analytical approach to chromatic music of the late 19th-Century refer to the articles listed below.

- Swinden, Kevin J, "When Functions Collide: Aspects of Plural Function in Chromatic Music," Music Theory Spectrum 27/2 (Fall 2005): 249-82.

- Harrison, Daniel, Harmonic Function in Chromatic Music: A Renewed Dualist Theory and an Account of its Precedents, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
- Smith, Charles J, "The Functional Extravagance of Chromatic Chords," Music Theory Spectrum 8: 94-139.

MuCT 514 Paper Abstract

Abstract for

PERFORMANCE PRACTICE ISSUES FOR THE
SYMPHONIC CHOIR IN BÉLA BARTÓK’S
CANTATA PROFANA (1930)

by
Emily Kausalik

Since its inception in 1930, Béla Bartók’s Cantata Profana has been considered one of the most difficult choral works of the Twentieth Century. An overview of the harmonic language, switching of tonalities and harmonic language, and density of part-writing in the chorus exposes compositional writing of an incredibly demanding nature.

In this paper I will discuss the analytical issues listed above, and examine the impact Bartók’s compositional devices has had on the performance of Cantata Profana. Considering that the majority of symphonic choruses (in America) are 90-95% volunteer, the character of a piece such as this makes it a relatively undesirable work for performance. In addition, the variations of divisi in the choir, along with extended vocal ranges, high demand of vocal musicianship and flexibility, and issues of balance that arise for all play into the fact that this wondrous piece is rarely performed or recorded. Combining this examination with an overview of the modern symphonic choir – regarding musicianship, size, and rehearsal technique – will shed light on the performance issues of the work.

Subject: Movies Scores

Dear Emily,

unfortunately my father's movie scores are not
published.
He is the only one who owns them.
Suvini Zerboni in Milan is a good connection for his
contemporary production.
Sorry I can't help you...

Cheers,

Andrea Morricone

It really is all about who you know ...

Over the course of the last three weeks I have more-or-less decided on my thesis topic for my dual masters degree. Through a recent surge of interest in (1) spaghetti westerns and (2) Gregorian/Early sacred chant I have dreamed up the topic of relating early chant melodies to the writings of Ennio Morricone. Morricone is known best for his film scores from The Mission, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars, and countless other famous westerns and popular movies from other genres. The idea came to me from watching the movie Vamos a matar, Compañeros with a friend of mine. In one of the special features, Morricone was interviewed about the theme of the movie, and he mentioned that he "simply" took the melodic line from an old chant melody.

The idea I have is to analyze Morricone's use of chant melody in his film music and other vocal settings. This provides a tie to the history and theory of music, fulfilling the need to encompass both areas of study in my thesis to be eligable for both degrees.

An old former professor of mine, Dr. Michael Schelle, has published on the topic of film score and film composers, so I contacted him about how to get ahold of orchestral scores. He in turn gave me the email of a contact of his in LA, who I emailed in hopes of a possible lead in getting some scores. The contact emailed me back within an hour, stating that he had contacted Andrea Morricone, Ennio's son, and asked how I might be able to get ahold of some of his father's scores. Chances are I will hear from him directly. Chances are also fair that he will mention my desire to analyze his works to his father.

It is a small world we live in.

I have managed to get a few of his scores from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
Ennio Morricone : the best of
Notturno e passacaglia : version
Finale : invenzione improvvisata
Scherzo per violino e pianoforte
Voci dal silenzio : per voce registrate, coro e orchestra

As well as the books:
The Exotic in Western Music - Jonathan Bellman
Ennio Morricone's The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: A film score guide - Charles Leinberger

I may contact Dr. Leinberger about how he got his score for analysis.

I will more or less chronicle my thesis pursuit here, which can be seen by using the label system that the new Blogger has built-in.

A Few Computer-Generated Schenker Graphs

Schumann, Carnaval Op.9, No. 3 "Arlequin," mm. 1-16



Schumann, Carnaval Op. 9, No. 4 "Valse Noble," mm 1-16

Bela Bartok's Cantata Profana

The following is a self-gradifying (haha) centering of thoughts for a term paper proposal needed in BGSU's MuCT 514, 20th Century Analysis: The Hungarian Connection.

---

When discussing Béla Bartók in a music history class, a student is faced with one of two works: Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta or the Concert for Orchestra. There are a few others, such as the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, Bluebeard's Castle (his sole opera), or The Miraculous Mandolin, that are talked about at all in a typical music student's historical and/or analytical studies. So when someone stumbles across a well-written article about the masterful Hungarian composer's life and works, mention of choral works can be a bit suprising. I myself had no idea Bartók wrote any choral works, with the exception of settings of the copius amounts of Hungarian folk-tunes he collected, published, and sometimes reorchestrated.

While searching on JSTOR for any information on Contata Profana (1930), I stumbled across a lone article about the work. Within the first paragraph it covers the very issue of the knowledge of Bartók's "other" compositions:

Ever since its composition an aura of mystery has surrounded Béla Bartók's Cantata Profana. It has been treated and approached by many as a secretive work of art lacking a particular interpretation and, consequently, has been interpreted from various points of view and via a number of scientific fields ranging from psychology and anthropology to historiography and even astrology. But the work - whose mythical ballad text and oratorio-like dimensions, unique in the author's output - still seems to be wrapped in concealment. (Vikárius 1)

But why? Perhaps the fact that this work is so unique to Bartók's output that professors do not discuss the work, as it does not fit into his "typical" neo-classicist composition style. Or perhaps because not many Bartók scholars focus on works that are not overtly influenced by his ethnomusicological pursuits or have strong Hungarian nationalistic tendencies.

What I plan on doing is researching and analyzing this relatively unknown work by Béla Bartók, attempting to discover compositional practices that make this piece unique, and maybe in the process build up some interest in this cast-aside choral work. Due to the timing of this composition's inception, ties his ethnomusicological mission are almost guaranteed. But discovering where he wrote the piece (perhaps when he was living in America), for what purpose, and delving deeper into the Romanian Christmas songs (colinde) that the work and its text are based upon, may shed some light onto the mysterious topic of Béla Bartók's Contata Profana.

---

Vikárius, László. "Béla Bartók's 'Cantata Profana' (1930): A Reading of the Sources." Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, T. 35, Fasc. 1/3, Ed. Denijs Dille Nonagenario. (1993 - 1994), pp. 249-301.

McCreless and his "Evolutionary Perspective"

For an interesting read, check out:

McCreless, Patarick. “An Evolutionary Perspective on Nineteenth-Century Semitonal Relations.” The Second Parctice of Nineteenth-Century Tonality. Ed. William Kinderman and Harold Krebs. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1996. 87-113.

Here is my reaction to the article condensed into paragraph form:

The McCreless article offered some very interesting views in how to bridge so-called 'classical diatonic tonality' to 'nineteenth-century chromatic tonality.' He states that this nineteenth-century chromaticism has an underlying space made up of twelve diatonic keys, unlike the Schenkerian approach of a work having one diatonic key that governs the tonal space. McCreless relates this to the theory of biological evolution, suggesting that the older functions and styles of music have not disappeared in this new chromatic tonality, but have rather adapted themselves to take on different functions. Therefore, chromatic writing takes on a new role; instead of being a foreground event that falls back onto a tonal background, diatonic space becomes a “foreground with respect to the chromatic space demanded by the whole, which accordingly must be viewed as background” (McCreless 103). Instead of the Schenkerian process of justifying a chromatic passage in terms of some sort of diatonic prolongation, in 'nineteenth-century chromatic tonality' diatonic prolongation needs to be rationalized in a way that shows “how it fits into the larger context of chromatic space” (103).

Responses to Readings for August 28th, 2006 (MuCT 519, Fall 2006)

In the article entitled “Into the Foothills: New Directions in Nineteenth-Century Analysis” from Vol. 11/1 of Music Theory Spectrum, author Christopher Lewis highlights conceptions of diatonic tonality of the 19th-century as follows:

- William Benjamin suggests that any two diatonic collections may interlock, not limited to just parallel major and minor modes. In a sense, because diatonic collections can follow similar processes and progressions they can be linked together. Beyond this, Benjamin suggests that “chromatic detail may have more than local significance.”
- William Mitchell proposes that chromaticism is not based upon a scale of seven diatonic and five non-diatonic notes, but rather a scale of twelve tones that can partially or fully supplant a diatonic scale.
- Gregory Proctor’s studies focus on the issue of distinguishing two common practices in the 19th-century, those of the “classical diatonic tonality” and “nineteenth-century chromatic tonality.” The former implies a more Schenkerian approach to chromaticism, where it is used in tonicization and modal mixture. The latter embraces Mitchell’s idea of the twelve-tone scale, as well as the idea of the layering of “tonal space,” where there is a background tonality and foreground tonality that move in parallel motion and have a chromatic result.
- Patrick McCreless advocates the idea of diatonic linear motion that, unlike “classical diatonic tonality,” contributes to the overall structure of a piece but does not define it. As Lewis states in the article*, the “fundamental shape of the piece may be created by principles that are harmonic rather than linear, and chromatic rather than diatonic.” Therefore, McCreless suggests that music of this timeframe should be studied not as specifically harmonic/linear or diatonic/chromatic, but should instead be looked at for the relationship and interaction between diatonic and chromatic elements.

Lewis discusses various alternatives to diatonic/monotonal background structures as follows:

- Harold Krebs is listed as identifying three possible deviant backgrounds in 19th-century music. The first is one involved a work containing two discrete, complete fundamental structures, one in the opening key and one in the final key. Second is a work with an incomplete opening structure, followed by a complete one in the final key. The third is a piece with two complete but overlapping structures.
- Robert Bailey developed a theory of the “double-tonic complex,” where the essential feature of a work is the pairing together of two tonalities a minor third apart, giving each tonic its own chromatic mode. The two tonalities are linked so that they can serve as local representatives of the tonic, and my actually co-exist, with one of them in a primary position and the other subordinate.
- Deborah Stein focuses on the idea of “extended-tonal” techniques, suggesting conventional dominant-tonic polarity is undermined by replacing the dominant at the foreground and middle ground and expanding the plagal domain of a tonal area.
- Allen Forte describes the usage of defining motives and analyzing their design and usage throughout a work. He suggests that motivic penetration of the middleground may be “a structural aspect of widespread significance in all music of the later nineteenth-century.” Using set theory, Forte has noted that specific pitch classes and dyads serve as structural determinants, initiating or terminating crucial motions of providing structural cross-references. In this sense it is motivic development that controls tonal/chromatic sounds events in a work.

Associative Tonality: where specific melodies or motives can be associated with a particular pitch level, and/or a particular tonality can be associated with particular characters or underlying dramatic themes.

Directional Tonality: a “tonal plot,” where the principal operation involves the motion from one key to another, rather than the prolongation of a single tonality.

Expressive Tonality: the repetition or recall of a passage, transposed up to underscore intensification, or shifted down to indicate relaxation, both of which directly correlate to the action or desire for expressiveness in a composition.

---

Bailey, Richard. "The Structure of 'The Ring' and its Evolution." 19th-Century Music vol. 1/1 (1977), pp. 48-61.
Lewis, Christopher. "Into the Foothills: New Directions in Nineteenth-Century Analysis." Music Theory Spectrum vol. 11/1 (1989), pp. 15-23.
McCreless, Patrick. "Ernst Kurth and the Analysis of the Chromatic Music of the Late Nineteenth Century." Music Theory Spectrum vol. 5 (1983), pp. 56-75.

Reaction to the Groves Reading on Béla Bartók (MuCT 514, Fall 2006)

First, I have to confess that I know very little about Bartók, in regards to either of his roles as composer or ethnomusicologist. In a few of the theory courses I took in my undergraduate career we touched on his compositions and usages of folk melodies, but we never really discussed his history, his passion for creating a unique style of his own, or his influences early in his compositional career.

Personally, I believe his quest to find a unique style of compositional technique is an interesting subject that I might delve into at some point. It would be interesting to listen to his compositions pre-folk tune influence and those that followed, particularly after his ‘Transylvanian tour.’ In the Grove article it states that Busoni found Bartók’s Fourteen Bagatelles to be “at last something truly new.” This statement peaks my interest in that Bartók began to create ‘new music’ that was inspired by ‘old music.’ I find that this ‘revelation’ by Bartók plays into the idea that a better understanding of the past bears fruit in the future. By embracing the stylistic traits of Hungarian (and other European) folk tunes, he was able to transform his style and compositional practices into something unique and interesting.

This positive influence of the folk tunes on Bartók’s compositional career is two-sided. On one side was the accessibility of these works after his collection of them, and how he could – as many could have and have themselves – use the tunes as either melodic, rhythmic, and textual models for new works. The other side is how specifically the older, less heterogeneous Hungarian tunes embraced the ecclesiastical (Aeolian/Dorian) or pentatonic modes that provided material straying away from the tonal compositions he was writing earlier in his career. Due to the burgeoning usage of chromaticism and atonality in the early 20th century, Bartók could use the folk tunes to embrace this new direction in music. In essence, he utilized tradition to adapt his compositional technique into a more contemporary style. The topic of utilizing old/traditional and new/contemporary falls into an area that I am personally very interested in: the bridging of early and new music.

Partial of "An Examination of Renaissance Stylistic Traits in Clément Janequin’s Le Chant des Oiseaux"

French composer and musician Clément Janequin is one of the most notable composers of the Renaissance era over the course of musical history. Born in 1485, he was raised in a time of great musical development and change. The expansion of music and musical education grew beyond the influence of the parish, and in turn allowed for new and exciting compositional ideas and techniques to flourish. Vocal music had new possibilities when outside of the church; instead of writing to explicitly glorify the church and its teachings, works could center around nonsectarian text and explore new ways to portray serenity, harmonious sounds, and beautiful textures within a piece. Continuing in the style of sacred vocal music, however, these secular pieces lacked functional tonal harmony (as the concept had not come to fruition yet), paid special attention to the setting of the text, and carefully utilized dissonance without taking away from the serenity and moderation desired of a vocal work. It is within this conglomeration of ideas that Le Chant des Oiseaux was composed.

Written in 1537, this unique score for four unaccompanied voices utilizes the concepts of harmonious sounds and careful attention to the text to shape the overall tone and shape of the piece. What contributes to this work being so notable, however, is Janequin’s foreshadowing of tonal music with the implementation of melodic motives and progressions that hint at tonal harmony. In addition to this is his use of fabricated text meant mimic bird sounds throughout the piece. Even though he uses made-up syllables and consonant sounds as text, he lends attention to how the text is set allow these syllables to faithfully imitate the warbles and chirps of a bird in the wild. Along with this imitation of birdcall sounds is the more conventional idea of polyphonic imitation between the four voices of the work. Oftentimes this imitation can be seen as a vehicle for setting text, but is also used to create tension and resolution throughout various passages.

What makes discussing these concepts in Le Chant des Oiseaux so difficult, however, is that the impression the music sets upon its audience aurally cannot always be apparent by just studying the score. Early musicians did not think in terms of Roman Numerals; their concern was the movement of melodic lines and interplay between voices. In this sense a thorough chord-by-chord analysis of a modal work can be a futile effort. Instead, the outlining of passages that exhibit particular Renaissance compositional ideals and concepts is a more effective way of discussing a piece from this time period. An examination of Le Chant des Oiseaux that outlines and discusses passages throughout the work shows Janequin’s ingenuity and creativity shining through. Janequin’s acceptance of and departures from typical Renaissance style help make this piece a striking example of his compositional mastery and highlight the reasons this piece has stood the test of time.


This work exemplifies modality through stylistic elements and concepts that fall within the rules of contrapuntal and sixteenth-century Renaissance style. Works of the Renaissance era typically fall within one of the six church modes, which can be found by establishing the concluding note (or root of the concluding chord), which will usually be the central tone of the piece. An examination of the final chord of the piece shows that it follows a G Dorian mode; this decision is also supported by the frequent cadential “arrivals” on G chords (which will be discussed later). Generally, the tonic and fifth above the tonic (in this case G and D) become principal tones throughout a work, also aiding in the determination of its mode. On the flip side of this comes the connection of the tonic and its fifth, which later develops into the tonal Tonic-Dominant relationship. The utilization of these two pitches at cadential arrival points plays a part in how Le chant des Oiseaux hints at the tonal functions and ideas to come later in timeline of musical development.

Beyond the mode, the work also exhibits other stylistic elements that are found within the realm of Renaissance music. A trademark of Renaissance works is the use of intricate-sounding polyphony; although equally comfortable with homophony, composers of this era embraced polyphonic textures and considered it a crowning glory of their art . This is compromised of either canonic imitation (where the voices sing the exact same melody) or free imitation (where the voices sing similar material but not exactly the same melody as another voice). Points of imitation oftentimes show how a work is divided into sections and are also used to mark cadential arrival points. Within this falls one of the most definitive features of a modal work: the overlapping of musical and textual phrases.

Sixteenth-century composers also took care in regards to the placement and projection of textual phrases within their musical framework. The meaning and mood of the words can often be found in the way the text is set to music. Melodic contour often represents an emotional idea, such as descending passages showing tears of sadness moving downwards or ascending lines like a soul ascending to heaven in a more spiritual setting. Rhythm often takes on the shape of the words, such as quick, bouncing rhythms for happiness and slow, legato phrasing for sorrow and grief. Clement Janequin is well-known for his use of onomatopoetic sounds – such as the fabricated bird-like syllables used in this work – and the way he sets these sounds musically to faithfully imitate bird sounds.

Within this modal system is where Le chant des Oiseaux resides. The following examples and analyses will be an examination of how Janequin composed within the given boundaries set by modal writing, as well as went beyond with implications of later tonal ideas. As this piece is examined it can be seen how it, as well as similar chansons and other Renaissance works of the time period, begin to change and develop into ideas that would soon become tonal music.
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