Thinking and Hearing Schenker -Style:

1. Thinking and HearingSchenker-Style: Introduction to the Ideas of Heinrich Schenker

2. Heinrich Schenker

6. Beethoven Piano Sonata, Op. 2, no. 1 in f minor, (1st movement)

7. Opening Harmonic Progression(Conventional Theory Explanation) Vŀ_____________ I_______________ I VII6or VŁ II6 V I6 I Vŀ I VII6 I6 II6 V or VŁ How many harmonies in this passage?

8. I. Schenker’s View of Harmony Opening Progression (Schenkerian Explanation) N Tonic(I) Nb harmony P harm. Dom(V) Tonic Tonic Interm. a.k.a Divider (Divides I-V span)

9. I. Schenker’s View of Harmony I II6 V tonic prolongation divider dom. #1: Harmonic Prolongation: Progressions ≠ strings of chords, but means of prolonging more basic harmonies. #2: “Chords” vs. “Harmonies” (Beethoven passage therefore has 7 chords, but only 3 real harmonies) #3 Linear Embellishments: Most chords not harmonic, but have contrapuntal or melodic functions (neigh., pass., etc.)

10. I. Schenker’s View of Harmony What else would interest Schenker about the bass, mm. 1-8? ^1______ ^2 ^3 ^4 ^5 #4. Schenker Theory is a melodic/contrapuntal theory. (It sees chord as secondary to melody).

11. II. Schenker’s Concept of Embellishment and Structural Layers

12. II. Schenker’s Concept of Embellishment and Structural Layers Arpeggiation #5: Linearizing or Composing-Out: Melodies linearize chords (often in much more subtle ways!)

13. II. Schenker’s Concept of Embellishment and Structural Layers Chordal Skip Arpeggiation PT NN #6: Structure vs. Ornament: Schenker theory recognizes a distinction btw. structural tones and ornamental tones(diminutions).

14. II. Schenker’s Concept of Embellishment and Structural Layers Chordal Skip PT NN #7. Variation without a Theme Great works are like a Variationonan unannounced theme

15. II. Schenker’s Concept of Structural Layers Foreground Middleground “Background” NN ? NN #8. Structural Depth and Structural Layers: great music has structural depth; behind embellished surface lurks deep structure or background (structural layers=foreground, middleground, background).

16. The nature of the “invisible theme” orbackground

17. III. Schenker’s Concept of Counterpoint

18. III. Schenker’s Concept of Counterpoint • Viewed conventionally, does the right hand melody move: • only by step, • only by leap, • or a combination of steps and leaps? What is the melodic function of this bĚ (how does it relate to c)? b& inflects c as lower NN

19. III. Schenker’s Concept of Counterpoint #9: Melodic Fluency Structural lines (middle/background) are melodically fluent—move mostly stepwise & recover leaps

20. III. Schenker’s Concept of Counterpoint Find the melod- ically fluent line in the “jumpy” bass starting here:

21. Find the melodically fluent Schenkerian line in the upper voice:

22. NN

23. III. Schenker’s Concept of Counterpoint Combine the 2 fluent lines. What does this remind you of? pt

24. III. Schenker’s Concept of Counterpoint pt #10: Outer-Voice Contrapuntal Framework In great music, the middle/background, esp. outer voices, resembles strict species counterpoint: • Elegantly fluent lines • Dissonance subordinate to consonance • Follow rules of strict voice leading

25. III. Schenker’s Concept of Counterpoint Corollary: Beneath irregular foreground with leaps, Dissonance, etc: is a regular background of strict counterpoint: pt

26. IV. Schenker’s Concept of Melody

27. IV. Schenker’s Concept of Melody Assuming fluent structural lines, where does LT, e& resolve? ? Soprano Alto pt 3rd 6th 5th 3rd 6th 5th unfolded unfolded unfolded #11: Compoundmelody or polyphonic melody: Single-line melodies w/ leaps often imply 2 or more voices.

29. V. Schenker’s View of Tonality

30. Conventional View of Tonal Form in minor key sonata form Exposition 1. First theme in _________ 2. Modulation to second theme__________ 3. Closing theme also in _____________ Development • Tonally unstable, eventually retransition leads • via __________ back to ___________ Recapitulation 1. First theme in ___________ 2. Second theme in_________ 3. Closing theme in__________

31. Establish Tonic Modulate to Relative Major Modulate through a series of remote keys, Eventually modulate via V back to tonic End in Tonic

32. V. Schenker’s View of Tonality #12: Schenker rejects the idea of modulation. (e.g., regards minor-key sonata form as one expansive progression, I-III-V-I in the tonic key)

33. V. Schenker’s View of Tonality #13: The Fundamental Progression = I-V-I The trek from I-V is music’s natural law. Tonal composition = the prolongation or composing-out of the fundamental progression.

34. Let this triangle be sacred to him!

35. V. Schenker’s View of Tonality #14. Bassbrechung (the breaking of the bass) = The funda- mental progression I-V-I is itself a prolongation of the tonic. = #15. The ascending 5th of the Bassbrechung creates I-V tonal space that is often filled via dividers (II, III, IV or related harmonies)

36. VI. Schenker’s Concept of Motive

37. VI. Schenker’s Concept of Motive What is the most important motive in mm. 1-8? 3rd-prg. #16: To Schenker, motives often = middleground melodic patterns rather than rhythmic surface

38. V. Schenker’s Concept of Motive Can you find a 6th-progression elsewhere on p. 1? There’s something very interesting about that 6th-prg.

39. Opening fills in span of a 6th, C-EĚ = ^5to ^7 in f minor • Mm. 16-20 fill in 6th span, ^E@ -G = 5 to ^7 in A@ (relative Maj) 6-prg 6-prg 6-prg.

40. V. Schenker’s Concept of Motive Can you find additional appearances of the Schenkerian motive (6th-prg. ^5-^7, E@-G) on page 1?

41. V. Schenker’s Concept of Motive Remember ME? What do you notice about my melodic shape? =Same Linear Descent of a 6th: ^5-^7 (C-E&) as opening

42. V. Schenker’s Concept of Motive Remember ME, too?? Holy S&*^! another Linear Descent of a 6th: ^5-^7 (C-E&) #17: Great music is unified by motives below the surface level (motivic parallelism).

43. Bottom Line:Schenker developed some of the most elegant and powerful theories of tonal music

45. III. Schenker’s Concept of Counterpoint Why does Beethoven use the RH sf markings in this passage?