Music Theory II

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Music Theory II

• New York University

2
Housekeeping (1/31/05)

• Quote of the day
• Here's the Remains of the Day lunchbox
• Kids don't like eating at school.
• But if they have a Remains of the Day lunchbox
• They're a lot happier.
• - Corky St. Clair

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Agenda

• Leonard Meyer
• 13.4 - Writing Pre-Dominants

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Leonard Meyer

• Has tried to ground musical emotion in formal
  musical meaning.
  
• Delineates two types of musical meaning
• Absolute meaning (synonyms include syntax as well
  as formal, intrinsic, and intra-musical meanings)
  concerns musical structure, harmony, melody,
  and rhythm.
• Referential meaningextrinsic meaningthe
  dimension which exemplifies extra-musical
  meanings such as the cultural world of the
  composer.
• Referential meaning remains undeveloped in
  Meyers theory.
  

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Leonard Meyer (contd)

• For Meyer, there are at least two broad
  approaches to the analysis of absolute musical
  meanings
  
• Formalismmusical meaning is purely intellectual.
  Although emotions may be present, they are not
  relevant.
  
• Absolute Expressionismaffirms that syntax can
  arouse emotions in listeners and that these
  responses are a result of intrinsic (not
  extra-musical) processes.

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Leonard Meyer (contd)

• Meyers theory is closer to absolute
  expressionism though he is dissatisfied by
  absolute expressionists attempts to account for
  emotional responses in musical syntax. Meyers
  theory seeks to systematize this process.
• He proposes building a bridge between musical
  syntax and human emotion.
  
• Meyers ideas are derived, in part, from John
  Deweys theory of emotion
  
• John DeweyEmotion is aroused when a tendency to
  respond is arrested or inhibited.
  
• Using Deweys theory, Meyer notes how musical
  stimuli arouse and inhibit tendencies and thereby
  give rise to emotions.
  
• Tension and release is central to Meyers theory

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Musical style

• Once learned and internalized, musical style may
  be regarded as a complex system of
  probabilitiesMozart sounds like Mozart, not
  Stravinsky.
• Probabilities combined with the modes of
  perception constitute the norms.
  
• Expectation becomes active when the norms are
  disturbed.
  
• A tonal process, which moves in the expected way
  may be said to be neutral with regard to
  meaning.
  
• Musical meaning arises when expectant habit
  responses are delayed or blocked.

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Musical style (contd)

• Intrinsic musical meaning is directly related to
  probability and uncertainty
  
• When a piece conveys a high degree of certainty
  and probability, there is little musical
  meaning.
  
• When uncertainty increases, musical meaning
  increases.
  
• But if uncertainty moves beyond certain
  boundaries, it can cause music to be meaningless,
  e.g., Avant garde music.
  
• For Meyer, meaning occurs when one musical idea
  refers to another.
  
• Meyers bridge between syntax and emotion
  clarifies the way in which music is both
  intellectually and emotionally meaningful.

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Music Theory II

• New York University

10
Housekeeping (2/2/05)

• Quote of the day
• As you get older, three things happen.
• First, your memory goes
• And I cant remember the other two.
• - Sir Norman Wisdom

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Agenda

• 13.4 - Completed
• The Pre-Dominant Function (contd) - Introduction
  to the Phrase Model
  
• Harmonic Dictation

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Introduction to the Phrase Model

• Complete musical statements rely on tonic and
  dominant chords. These units (phrases) are
  punctuated by strong closing gestures called
  cadences.
• Most phrases also incorporate a pre-dominant
  function to create a richer harmonic progression.
  
  
• The harmonic motion of I-PD-V(-I) that guides a
  phrase from its beginning to its cadence is
  called the phrase model.
  
• Although the phrase model can occupy any number
  of measures, four measures (or some multiple of
  four) is very common as in ex. 13.12

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Introduction to the Phrase Model (contd)

• In 13.12, a balanced motion is felt because the
  harmonic rhythm shifts once every measure. But
  there is much room for variation, and the
  harmonic rhythm of tonic, pre-dominant, and
  dominant can vary considerably. For instance, the
  opening tonic often occupies as much time as the
  pre-dominant and the dominant combined.
• In 13.13, Mozart extends the tonic for three and
  1/3 measures while the PD and V occupy barely
  more than one beat

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Introduction to the Phrase Model (contd)

• In 13.12, the phrase model closed with an
  authentic cadence while 13.13 closed with a half
  cadence. These two basic models are represented
  in 13.14
• The models presented in 13.14B are as suitable as
  13.14A, but the fact that they close on the V
  suggests that the piece will go on in order to
  resolve the tension of the dominant.

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Introduction to the Phrase Model (contd)

• It is common for the dominant to occupy 2 or even
  3 times more time than the pre-dominant as in
  13.15

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Introduction to the Phrase Model (contd)

• Far from being a constraint on the composer, the
  phrase model generates unlimited possibilities.
  
• Consider the two excerpts in 13.16.
• Both examples share the same harmonic structure,
  yet because of their surface figurations they
  could not sound more different

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Harmonic Dictation (2/2/05)
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Assignment (2/2/05)

• Workbook 13.5 (pp.158-159)
• Textbook Read over beginning of Chapter 14 (pp.
  238-247)