Product Description

Designed as an introductory text for upper-level undergraduates and beginning graduate students, Analysis of Tonal Music: A Schenkerian Approach, Second Edition, explains the fundamental principles of Schenkerian analysis by focusing on the music itself. Intended for use in one- or two-semester courses on Schenkerian theory, this text will also appeal to individuals interested in Schenker's work. The book assumes no prior knowledge of the subject, but it does require a background in harmony and voice leading; a familiarity with species counterpoint is also desirable. The authors develop Schenkerian techniques through the practical analysis of specific compositions, an approach that parallels the evolution of Schenker's work. The book explains structural principles in actual composition rather than through models and formulas, and teaches students how to think about and critically examine compositions in ways that will inform their understanding and performance of great compositions of Western art music.
The first part of the volume provides the foundation for the analysis of complete pieces and includes discussions of melody, counterpoint, bass-line structures, the Imaginary Continuo, linear techniques, and the essential properties of the Ursatz and its elaborations; the presentation of complete compositions in Part II is organized by formal category. The revised concluding chapter summarizes many of the general tonal patterns that recur throughout the literature. The book includes more than 200 analytical graphs, musical examples--some new to this edition--and a bibliography. Analysis of Tonal Music: A Schenkerian Approach, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive introduction to Schenker's ideas and demonstrates how they can be applied toward a better understanding of tonal music.
Features of the Second Edition
* NEW: An accompanying Student Workbook containing thirty-four exercises with guided analyses
* Adds a primer on graphic notation (as an appendix)
* Places greater emphasis on the Imaginary Continuo as a tool for analysis
* Introduces interruption technique earlier and in more depth
* Provides new examples in Chapter 9 that demonstrate the common middleground plans underlying Baroque binary movements
* Delves more deeply into rhythmic principles
* Features a completely revised Chapter 12, which now presents common tonal patterns (structural "paradigms")
* Includes suggestions for further analysis at chapter ends and refers students to appropriate workbook exercises

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #407566 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 416 pages

Review
"Excellent introduction. It's particularly valuable in its focus on analyzing the music rather than terminology and technique."--Guy E. Garnett, University of Illinois at Urbana

About the Author
Allen Cadwallader is Professor Music Theory at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. David Gagne is Associate Professor at Queens College, CUNY.

Customer Reviews

Schenkerian analysis text strong on presentation, conten
This text is intended for graduate students in music (and perhaps for advanced undergraduates as well). It replaces Allen Forte and Steven Gilbert's Schenker text of ca. 1979 as an authoritative introduction to the themes and tools of Schenker's way of looking at the music of the Western Classical tradition. Long considered a "secret code" impenetrable to outsiders, Schenkerian analysis has at last been accepted as defining the mainstream of music theory in this country, thanks to the widespread availability since the '80s of English translations of his most important books, _Harmonielehre_, _Kontrapunkte_, the _Five Graphic Analyses_, and Schenker's late summary of his techniques and theories, _Der Freie Satz_. Cadwallader and Gagne succeed where Forte and Gilbert failed to find a clear, uncluttered style of presentation and a tone that is suited to the level of preparation one is likely to find among the target student population. A good test of this boo! k's success is that it is _almost_ usable by students with little or no prior specialized background; it succeeds to a remarkable degree in making Schenkerian theory a tool for musicians at large, rather than for specialists. A glossary of specialized terms would have been useful, as well as more extensive treatment of certain topics such as mixture about which Schenker had quite idiosyncratic ideas, but all in all this is a teacher-friendly, student-friendly contribution to the study of music theory which should be known to everyone in the discipline.

Best introduction to Schenkarian Analysis
I agree whole hearted with Perry's review, but give this book 5 Stars as it really is the best introduction to this subject. The book is clear and well laid out but it could benefit with more details on larger forms and completed analyses. That being said you should be able to tackle Schenker's books and analyse, and get into Salzer's Structrual Hearing and Forte's work after completing this book.

I honest felt I had a better understanding of music form and structure after using this book, and this of course is the point of Schenkarian Analysis, it's not just a thoery, it is supposed to be useful in understanding musical form and structure; which is easily forgotten with other books on the subject.