How to Be a Formalist (And Love It)
The Theories of Heinrich Schenker
Heinrich Schenker (1868-1935)
I. Schenker’s World
A. Writing about music dominated by
hermeneutic criticism
B. Composition dominated by Late
Romanticism
C. Study of music as a discipline (in colleges
and universities) doesn’t even exist
III. Schenkerian Theory: Basic Assumptions
A. Tonal music is a projection of the triad, the chord
of nature
B. Prolongation or composing out
Linear Progressions
Arpeggiation
Passing Tones
Neighbor NT
III. Schenkerian Theory: Basic Assumptions
A. Music is a prolongation of
the triad, the chord of nature
B. Prolongation or composing out
C. Structural Levels: Musical structure is hierarchical,
with Deep Structure vs. Surface Ornament
D. Organicism: masterpieces have deep (organic)
unity at deep structural levels
IV. Communicating the Theory
A. Increasingly Graphic rather than verbal
B. Seems to offer a way of many of the linguistic
dilemmas: representation, lack of specificity of
language, etc.
V. Schenkerian Vocabulary
A. Ursatz (Fundamental Structure)
B. Bass-Brechung (Bass arpeggiation)
C. Urlinie (Fundamental Line)
D. Structural Levels: Foreground, Middleground,
Background
E. Auscomponieren (Composing Out or Prolongation)
1. Great composers compose-out the Ursatz
2. Mortals reduce the surface to reveal the underlying unity
VI. Thinking About Music in “Schenkerian
Mode”
A. Organicism: Great music not a series of discrete
events of differing character, but manifestation of
deep, organic whole
B. Meanings fixed, manifestation of the natural,
determined by composer, demonstrable, verifyable
C. Provides “road map” to subtle awakening/prolonging
thwarting of expectation
D. Schenker’s Critics
1.
2.
By analyzing you’ve already designated as
worthy, system just proves it
Upholds processes as timeless, natural, pre-ordained
(absolutes) that are maybe really contingent
3. Music’s temporal/processive aspects deemphasized
4. No place for historical or cultural context (dehistoricizes)