Analysis of Post-Tonal Music (355-0-1)
Instructors
Danuta Mirka
Meeting Info
RCMA 1-168: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
Analysis of Post-Tonal Music
Dissolution of functional tonality in the first decades of the twentieth century was a complex process which took different routes in different countries and led to different rules of pitch organization adopted by different composers—not infrequently inspired by their philosophical outlooks, religious beliefs or artistic agendas. This complexity of historical process and multiplicity of compositional techniques is obliterated by the uniformity of analytical method (pitch-class set theory) that dominates the field of post-tonal analysis today. The course will not be a systematic presentation of this method, but a series of glimpses into compositional techniques developed by some of the most prominent twentieth-century composers, and it will teach you how to use concepts derived from these techniques in analysis of their music. This twofold—theoretical and analytical—orientation will be reflected in the course design, in which discussion of concepts will be followed by analytical exercises. The assessment will include preparation for and participation in the discussion (20%), and two analytical papers (40% each).
The course will be of particular interest for students in music theory and composition, and it will appeal to some students in music performance, conducting, and musicology.
Class Materials (Required)
No textbooks required.