Form and Analysis
Recommended Books
Books on form and analysis can be found in many places across the print Music Collection, including MT 50, "Harmony," MT 58 to 67, "Forms and genres," and MT 90 to 146, "Analysis and appreciation of music." Sonata form (sonata principle) has been of particular consequence to Western classical music: find histories of sonata form in ML 1156 and analytical works in MT 62. The recommended books below are sorted by their call numbers. Hover over the info icon to see a description of the book.
The Sonata by
What is a sonata? Literally translated, it simply means 'instrumental piece'. It is the epitome of instrumental music, and is certainly the oldest and most enduring form of 'pure' and independent instrumental composition, beginning around 1600 and lasting to the present day. Schmidt-Beste analyses key aspects of the genre including form, scoring and its social context - who composed, played and listened to sonatas? In giving a comprehensive overview of all forms of music which were called 'sonatas' at some point in musical history, this book is more about change than about consistency - an ensemble sonata by Gabrieli appears to share little with a Beethoven sonata, or a trio sonata by Corelli with one of Boulez's piano sonatas, apart from the generic designation. However, common features do emerge, and the look across the centuries - never before addressed in a single-volume survey - opens up new and significant perspectives.
Call Number: ML1156 .S54 2011Publication Date: 2011
Analysis of 18th- and 19th-Century Musical Works in the Classical Tradition by
Analysis of 18th- and 19th-Century Musical Works in the Classical Tradition is a textbook for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in music analysis. It outlines a process of analyzing works in the Classical tradition by uncovering the construction of a piece of music--the formal, harmonic, rhythmic, and voice-leading organizations--as well as its unique features. It develops an in-depth approach that is applied to works by composers including Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms. The book begins with foundational chapters in music theory, starting with basic diatonic harmony and progressing rapidly to more advanced topics, such as phrase design, phrase expansion, and chromatic harmony. The second part contains analyses of complete musical works and movements. The text features over 150 musical examples, including numerous complete annotated scores. Suggested assignments at the end of each chapter guide students in their own musical analysis.
Call Number: MT6 .B294 2012Publication Date: 2012
Guidelines for Style Analysis by
Guidelines for Style Analysis, now in its expanded second edition, sets forth Jan LaRue's original, penetrating, and adaptable approach to the understanding of musical works. LaRue provides a consistent point of view from which music of any historical period can be examined. His style-analytic method ensures the close examination of all musical dimensions and elements, an understanding of their functions and interrelations, and a firm basis for evaluation and comparison. Guidelines presents a codification of various ways of looking at music, within a comprehensive framework. LaRue discusses in detail each aspect of the style-analytic routine, illustrating points with illuminating examples and diagrams.
Call Number: MT6.L146 G8 2011Publication Date: 2011
Harmony and Voice Leading by
A comprehensive volume spanning the entire theory course, Harmony and Voice Leading begins with coverage of basic concepts of theory and harmony, and moves into coverage of advanced dissonance and chromaticism. It emphasizes the linear aspects of music as much as the harmonic, and introduces large-scale progressions--linear and harmonic--at an early stage. The first three units of the book are designed to be taught sequentially, but instructors have the flexibility to teach the latter units in any combination and order they choose.
Call Number: MT50 .A444 2003Publication Date: 2003
Chromatic Transformations in Nineteenth-Century Music by
David Kopp's book develops a model of chromatic chord relations in nineteenth-century music by composers such as Schubert, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, and Brahms. The emphasis is on explaining chromatic third relations and the pivotal role they play in theory and practice. The book traces conceptions of harmonic system and of chromatic third relations from Rameau through nineteenth-century theorists such as Marx, Hauptmann, and Riemann, to the seminal twentieth-century theorists Schenker and Schoenberg and on to the present day. Drawing on tenets of nineteenth-century harmonic theory, contemporary transformation theory, and the author's own approach, the book presents a clear and elegant means for characterizing commonly acknowledged but loosely defined elements of chromatic harmony, and integrates them as fully fledged entities into a chromatically based conception of harmonic system. The historical and theoretical argument is supplemented by plentiful analytic examples.
Call Number: MT50 .K84 2002Publication Date: 2002
Harmony, Fifth Edition by
Years after Walter Piston's death, his students and their students can still take great pride in the enduring vitality of his teaching. By now it is plain that the book is different from what it used to be, but its essential approach and its basic substance remain as they were. The major departure of the fourth edition was the addition of seven new chapters, including four on the complicated subject of harmony after common practice, which had not been discussed in the first three editions. However, then as now, the core of the book remains the exhaustive treatment of common-practice harmony, the subject of most one-year or two-year courses in tonal harmony. In the present edition, the entire text has been carefully revised with a view to clarifying the language and illuminating the essential principles. Wherever possible, the text has been "opened up" to allow the reader to adopt a more leisurely pace through what had been a terse and detailed presentation. The results will also be perceived in the more spacious design of this edition. New exercises have been added to the early chapters as well as some fresh music examples. There is an entirely new chapter on musical texture that serves to clear up many difficult points encountered by the beginning student. Another innovation is the rearrangement of the chapters dealing with harmonic rhythm and the structure of the phrase as well as the inclusion of a short summary of analytical method. This book has long been known as an introductory textbook, but because of its comprehensive range, it also serves as an invaluable reference book. The acquisition of an consummate knowledge of composers' practice-the goal of any study of harmony-is admittedly an endless assignment. Ars longa, vita brevis, but consolation may be derived from the thought that intellectual and artistic rewards are to be found at all stages along the way.
Call Number: MT50 .P665 1987Publication Date: 1987
Analyzing Classical Form: An Approach for the Classroom by
Analyzing Classical Form builds upon the foundations of the author's critically acclaimed Classical Form by offering an approach to the analysis of musical form that is especially suited for classroom use. Providing ample material for study in both undergraduate and graduate courses, Analyzing Classical Form presents the most up-to-date version of the author's "theory of formal functions." Students will learn how to make complete harmonic and formal analyses of music drawn from the instrumental works of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Part 1 introduces the principal theme - types of classical instrumental music; part 2 provides a methodology for analyzing sonata form, the most important formal type in this style period; and part 3 considers other full-movement forms found in this repertory (such as minuet, rondo, and concerto).The chapters are organized in a way that presents the most basic materials upfront and then leads the student through more details and finer points of theory. Every topic is illustrated with annotated musical examples; as well, the book contains many unannotated examples that can be used for in-class discussion and for out-of-class analytical exercises. A complete glossary of terms and questions for reviewing the theory will help students assimilate the many theoretical concepts employed in the book. A companion website provides audio and musical scores for all of the examples in the book as well as additional examples for the analysis of the simple theme-types presented in part 1.
Call Number: MT58 .C36 2013Publication Date: 2013
A Sonata Theory Handbook by
The sonata is the most common musical form in the oeuvres of the great masters of classical music, from Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven to Schubert and Brahms. Sonata Theory, an analytic approach developed by James Hepokoski and Warren Darcy in their award-winning Elements of Sonata Theory (2006), has emerged as one of the most influential methodologies for understanding this musical structure. What can this method from "the new Formenlehre" teach us about how these composers put together their most iconic pieces and to what expressive ends? In this new Sonata Theory Handbook, Hepokoski introduces readers step-by-step to the main ideas of this approach. At the heart of the book are close readings of eight individual movements - from Mozart's archetypal Piano Sonata No. 13 to more structurally complex pieces like Schubert's String Quartet No. 14 - that show this analytical method in action. These illustrative applications of the method are supplemented with four updated discussions of the most foundational concepts behind the theory, including dialogic form, expositional action zones, trajectories toward generically normative cadences, rotational theory, and the five sonata types. With its detailed examples and deep engagements with recent developments in form theory, schema theory, and cognitive research, this handbook updates and advances Sonata Theory and confirms its status as a key lens for analyzing the sonata form.
Call Number: MT62 .H47 2021Publication Date: 2021
Resources on Schenkerian Analysis
A Topical Guide to Schenkerian Literature: An Annotated Bibliography with Indices by
To the growing list of Pendragon Press publications devoted to the work of Heinrich Schenker, we wish to announce the addition of this much-needed bibliography. The author, a student of Allen Forte, has created a work useful to a wide range of researchers, music theorists, musicologists, music librarians, and teachers. The Guide is the largest Schenkerian reference work ever published. At nearly 600 pages, it contains 3600 entries (2200 principal, 1400 secondary) representing the work of 1475 authors. Fifteen broad groupings encompass seventy topical headings, many of which are divided and subdivided again, resulting in a total of 271 headings under which entries are collected.
Call Number: ML128.T5 B47 2004 (Music Reference)Publication Date: 2004
Heinrich Schenker: A Guide to Research by
This bibliography and guide consists of over 1,500 citations to both primary sources and the burgeoning secondary literature, annotated and subdivided by category. The list is supplemented with indices cross-referencing entries according to individual works and analytical topic. Reviews of many of the books cited are included, as are discussions stemming from certain articles. Appendices include a chronology of Schenker's life and information on symposia dedicated to his life and works. A multilingual glossary of Schenkerian terms and an index of authors concludes the volume.
Call Number: ML134.S25 A95 2004 (Music Reference)Publication Date: 2004
Readings in Schenker Analysis and Other Approaches by
Since the death of Heinrich Schenker in 1935, interest in his method of musical analysis has steadily grown. Today he is widely recognized as the most important music theorist of the 20th century. Yet no full introduction to his system exists in English. The articles in this collection appeared in the Journal of Music Theory over a period of 17 years. Together they constitute a comprehensive exposition of Schenkerian theory & analysis. There are numerous musical examples throughout the book.
Call Number: ML423.S33 R4Publication Date: 1977
SchenkerGUIDE: A Brief Handbook and Website for Schenkerian Analysis by
SchenkerGUIDE is an accessible overview of Heinrich Schenker's complex but fascinating approach to the analysis of tonal music. The book has emerged out of the widely used website, www.SchenkerGUIDE.com, which has been offering straightforward explanations of Schenkerian analysis to undergraduate students since 2001. Divided into four parts, SchenkerGUIDE offers a step-by-step method to tackling this often difficult system of analysis. Part I is an introduction to Schenkerian analysis, outlining the concepts that are involved in analysis Part II outlines a unique and detailed working method to help students to get started on the process of analysis Part III puts some of these ideas into practice by exploring the basics of a Schenkerian approach to form, register, motives and dramatic structure Part IV provides a series of exercises from the simple to the more sophisticated, along with hints and tips for their completion.
Call Number: MT6 .P195 2008Publication Date: 2008
Analysis of Tonal Music: A Schenkerian Approach by
Analysis of Tonal Music: A Schenkerian Approach, Third Edition, introduces the fundamental principles of Schenkerian technique. Rather than relying on stereotypical models or formulas, authors Allen Cadwallader and David Gagne use specific, memorable compositions to explain structural principles. This approach teaches students how to think about and critically examine music in ways that will inform their understanding and performance of Western art music. Part I covers principles fundamental to the study of Schenkerian analysis and includes discussions of melody, counterpoint, bass-line structures, the imaginary continuo, linear techniques, and the essential properties of the Ursatz (fundamental structure). Part II presents complete compositions by formal category, beginning with one-part forms; proceeding through binary, ternary, and rondo forms; and concluding with the sonata principle. The book includes more than 200 analytical graphs-many new to this edition-an appendix on graphic notation, and a bibliography.
Call Number: MT6.C12 A53 2011Publication Date: 2011
Introduction to the Theory of Heinrich Schenker: The Nature of the Musical Work of Art by
Translation of "Einführung in die Lehre Heinrich Schenkers," originally published in 1934 as "Das Wesen des musikalischen Kunstwerks"
Call Number: MT6.J76 W43 1989Publication Date: 1982
The Masterwork in Music by
The three volumes of The Masterwork in Music present complete English translations of major works by Austrian music theorist Heinrich Schenker, one of the twentieth century's leading figures in the field. First published in German between 1925 and 1930, these essays represent Schenker's greatest writings in analysis prior to the 1935 definitive formulation of his theory of music in Der freie Satz (Free Composition). This new publication of the long-awaited English translation, which first appeared in the distinguished Cambridge University Press edition, provides a valuable resource for scholars. Editorial annotations and elucidations by Dr.William Drabkin and his translators offer additional insights. Volume One includes analyses of keyboard pieces by Bach, Scarlatti, Chopin, and Beethoven, along with studies of solo violin music by Bach. Volume Two contains a major essay on Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor and shorter studies of works by Bach, Haydn, and Reger. Volume Three's contents include Schenker's celebrated analysis of Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony and other works.
Call Number: MT6.S2874 M413 2014 V.2-3Publication Date: 2014
Structural Hearing: Tonal Coherence in Music by
Written by a pupil of the late Heinrich Schenker, this outstanding work is the most thorough exposition in English of Schenker's work. Developing and extending the Schenker approach to include modern music, it explores the phenomenon of tonal organization in Western music by means of a detailed analysis and discussion of more than 500 musical examples ranging in time from the Middle Ages to such moderns as Bartok, Hindemith, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky. Heinrich Schenker's great contribution was the discovery of fundamental principles of tonal organization, continuity, and coherence. In theory he was the first to define these organic forces of the musical language, particularly the tonal functions and relationships which form both the generative and cohesive forces of great music. Dr. Salzer, in expanding and formulating anew many of Schenker's ideas, has embarked upon a systematic approach. Using the concept of chord functions as a basis, he differentiates sharply between chord grammar (or labeling) and significance, showing that function rather than the ordinary label is really significant. Further distinctions between chords of structure and chords of prolongation, harmonic and contrapuntal uses, and the concept of musical direction provide effective tools for the analysis of music. This set, which is a standard work used in all important music schools, starts with basic definitions and simple examples, and trains the reader not only to hear successions of tones, melodic lines, and progressions of chords, but also to understand their structural coherence and significance. It is invaluable for musicians and for all who are seriously interested in music, whether as a student, critic, performer, or conductor.
Call Number: MT40 .S2 1982Publication Date: 1982
Harmony by
Harmony, Heinrich Schenker's first published work, originally appeared in German in 1906 as "New Musical Theories and Phantasies, by an Artist." Its unusual title indicates what was to be the rationale of Schenker's lifework, that artistic problems call for artistic solutions. Schenker's dedication to the formulation of a complete musical theory above the commonplace theoretical discussions was, in essence, his quest for a pattern in nature for music as art. Schenker's theory draws upon a profound understanding of the works of the masters and every proposition is illustrated by a living musical example.
Call Number: MT40 .S2912Publication Date: 1954
Five Graphic Music Analyses by
The concepts of theorist Heinrich Schenker offer a unique method of structural analysis that differentiates between harmonic and contrapuntal functions of chords, emphasizing the relative significance of all tones in terms of motion and direction in the achievement of organic tonal unity. These sketches study the musical architecture of five compositions from three stylistic periods: Ich bin's ich sollte büssen from the St. Matthew Passion, and Prelude no. 1 in C major, from the Well-tempered clavier, v. 1, by J.S. Bach, Sonata in E-flat major, H. XVI, no. 49, by J. Haydn, and the Etudes, op. 10, no. 8 and 12 by F. Chopin. Each composition is analyzed in a series of sketches, with selective interpretations of chords, indications of voice leading, and other easily understood devices that demonstrate Schenker's theories and their expression.
Call Number: MT140 .S29 1969Publication Date: 1969
Interlibrary Loan
Users are encouraged to search for items beyond University Libraries' catalog via RILM Abstracts of Music Literature and WorldCat. Materials not available in print or online may be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Please allow up to seven days for electronic delivery and up to fourteen days for delivery of physical items.