Music Theory in Concept and Practice

Music Theory in Concept and Practice Synopsis

Historical, theoretical and analytical studies of principally 19-20c topics, reflecting current musical research. This collection of nineteen essays, all by leaders in the field of music theory, reflects the rich diversity of topics and approaches currently being explored. The contributions fall within three principal areas of study that haveremained at the heart of the discipline. One is historical research, which includes efforts to trace the development of theoretical ideas and their philosophical bases. Representing this broad category are essays dealing with issues like Scriabin's mysticism, neoclassicism, modern aesthetics, and the development of the concept of pitch collection in twentieth-century theoretical writings. The second area embraces the theory and analysis of common-practicetonality and its associated repertoire (including chromatic and 'transitional' music). Within this category are several studies related directly to or derived from Schenkerian theory, covering repertoire from Bach through Schubert and Chopin to Gershwin. Complementing these articles are a study of a chromatic work by Liszt and an essay on Schoenberg's concept of tonality. The third broad category includes the large body of work associated with the theoryand analysis of post-tonal music. Representing this extensive area of inquiry are essays dealing with voice leading in atonal music and extending Allen Forte's theory of the set complex, and analytical studies dealing with works by Schoenberg and Webern. Adding to these contributions are articles that deal with works by composers less frequently discussed in the analytical literature, Milhaud and Peter Maxwell Davies, and an empirical study of aural cognition of atonal and tonal music. These essays, all by colleagues, friends, and students of Allen Forte are intended as a celebrationof his enormous contribution to the discipline of music theory. James Baker is Professor of Music at Brown University; David Beach is Dean of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto; Jonathan Bernard is Professor of Music at the University of Washington.

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