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Schenker’s Concept(s) of Melody

Explore Schenker's ideas on melody structural tones, prolongation, and descent in compositions by Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert. Learn how to differentiate between structural and ornamental tones to create melodically fluent lines.

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Schenker’s Concept(s) of Melody

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  1. Schenker’s Concept(s) ofMelody

  2. Bach Chorale 198: Christus, der uns selig macht 1. The Tonic Triad as Matrix • Notes of the tonic triad are the most stable and form a compositional grid/matrix. • Others generally less stable (e.g. LT, upper LT; ^4 often functions as N or PT) 2. Melodic descent: falling motion is the most natural, providing closure/completion. 3. Melodic fluency = stepwise or predominantly stepwise motion 4. Melodic prolongation: tones in melodically fluent lines can remain active in the ear even when they are not sounding

  3. Beethoven, Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 27, no. 1 (III) 5. In great music, structural tones connect to form melodically fluent lines.

  4. Beethoven Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 26 6. Structure vs. ornament: Schenker theory distinguishes structural tones \ from ornamental tones; works therefore have structural levels/layers. 7. A dissonant note is never a structurally important tone (and is generally incapable of further prolongation).

  5. Bach: Subject from WTC I, C# minor Fugue 8. Melodic Prolongation: structural tones can be prolonged (aural retention of a tone) techniques = (NN), linear progressions, (stepwise lines leading into or away from the structural note), et al. • 9. Compound or Polyphonic Melody: Leaps often suggest two (or more) • melodically fluent voices in different registers. 10. Horizontalization: Melodies can horizontalize chords: ^5 ^5 PT ^3 PT ^1 11. Composing-Out: Structural lines often horizontalize (compose out) the tonic triad.

  6. Schubert, Impromptu in B-flat Major S S A A ^3 ^2 ^1 12. Compound melody or polyphonic melody often suggests long-range voice-leading connections between nonadjacent tones. 13. Å compound melody dominated by leaps can often suggest two underlying fluent melodic lines. 14. To Schenker, a melodic leap is often not a mere skip, but a temporary switch to an inner voice. 15. Upward leaps can therefore mean that an inner voice has been “flipped” or transferred above the structural melody.

  7. Schubert, Impromptu in B-flat Major ?? ^2 ^3 ^4=NN ^3 ^2 ^1 ^4=NN ^3 ^3 16. Interruption: Antecedant/Consequent Structures often suggest two melodic descents, one incomplete, breaking off at ^2, the descending leading tone, the other a complete descent to ^1. 17. Substitution. Schenker sometimes infers a note that is not prominent or even present.

  8. Mozart, Sonata in F Major

  9. Phrase 1 Melodically fluent structural Melody ^5-^4-^3-^2-^1 ^5 prolonged by chordal skips ^5 prolonged by filling in ^5-^3 (linear progresson) ^5 prolonged by NN Phrase 2 ^2 prolonged by choral skips ß I ________________________ Parallel 6ths connect V7 I I to II6 (interm) smoothly

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