Understanding Post-Tonal Music

Understanding Post-Tonal Music is a student-centered textbook that explores the compositional and musical processes of twentieth-century post-tonal music. Intended for undergraduate or general graduate courses on the theory and analysis of twentieth-century music, this book will increase the accessibility of post-tonal music by providing students with tools for understanding pitch organization, rhythm and meter, form, texture, and aesthetics. By presenting the music first and then deriving the theory, Understanding Post-Tonal Music leads students to greater understanding and appreciation of this challenging and important repertoire. The updated second edition includes new "Explorations" features that guide students to engage with pieces through listening and a process of exploration, discovery, and discussion; a new chapter covering electronic, computer, and spectral musics; andadditional coverage of music from the twenty-first century and recent trends. The text has been revised throughout to enhance clarity, both by streamlining the prose and by providing a visual format more accessible to the student.

Introduction: An Overview of Twentieth Century Compositional Styles The Century of Plurality: Tonal, Post-tonal, Atonal, and Other Styles The Stylistic Mosaic Chapter 1. Pitch Centricity and Composition with Motivic Cells Pitch Centricity Diatonic Collections Pentatonic Collections Analysis 1.1. Debussy, "La cathédrale engloutie," from Preludes, Book I (Anthology, no. 1) Analysis 1.2. Stravinsky, Introduction to Part I, from The Rite of Spring (Anthology, no. 4) Chapter 2. Pitch Centricity, Equal Divisions of the Octave, and Symmetry Interval Cycles and Equal Divisions of the Octave Symmetrical Motivic Cells Symmetry Around an Axis Symmetrical Scales Analysis 2.1. Bartók, "Song of the Harvest," from Forty-four Violin Duets (Anthology, no. 5) Analysis 2.2. Bartók, "Whole-tone Scale," from Mikrokosmos, Vol. 5 (Anthology, no. 6) Chapter 3. Introduction to Pitch-Class-Set Theory Preliminary Concepts Pitch-Class Sets: Orderings and Basic Relationships Pitch-Class Sets: Further Properties and Relationships Pitch-Class Set Theory: A Summary Chapter 4. Analyzing Atonal Music Analyzing Atonal Music Analysis 4.1. Webern, "Five Movements for String Quartet," Op. 5, III (Anthology, no. 10) Analysis 4.2. Schoenberg "Angst und Hoffen," No. 7 from Book of the Hanging Gardens, Op. 15 (Anthology, no. 11) Chapter 5. Drawing on (and Reinterpreting) the Past . . . Neoclassicism Analysis 5.1. Stravinsky, Agnus Dei, from Mass (Anthology, no. 13) Hindemith’s Theoretical and Compositional Premises Analysis 5.2. Hindemith, Interlude in G, from Ludus tonalis (Anthology, no. 14) Chapter 6. . . . And Inventing the Future Ultramodern Aesthetics Ives and Musical Borrowing Analysis 6.1. Ives, "The Cage" (Anthology no. 16) Analysis 6.2. Crawford, Diaphonic Suite No. 4, III (Anthology no. 17) Chapter 7. Twelve-Tone Music I: An Introduction The Twelve-Tone Method Basic Principles Building a Row Labeling Row Forms Building a Twelve-Tone Matrix Identifying Given Row Forms Without Using a Matrix Analysis 7.1. Dallapiccola, "Contrapunctus secundus," from Quaderno musicale di Annalibera (Anthology no. 18) Chapter 8. Twelve-Tone Music II: Invariance, Symmetry, and Combinatoriality Invariance Webern and Row Symmetry Analysis 8.1. Webern, Piano Variations, Op. 27, II (Anthology no. 20) Hexachordal Combinatoriality Analysis 8.2. Schoenberg, Klavierstück, Op. 33a (Anthology no. 21) Chapter 9. Serialism: Developments After 1945 Control vs. Indeterminacy Stravinsky and Serialism Analysis 9.1. Stravinsky, "Lacrimosa," from Requiem Canticles (Anthology no. 22) Analysis 9.2. Boulez, Structures Ia (Anthology no. 23) Milton Babbitt’s Serial Methods Chapter 10. Expanding the Limits of Musical Temporality Rhythmic and Metric Irregularities in Post-Tonal Music Temporal Issues in the Music of Messiaen Analysis 10.1. Messiaen, Introduction, from Turangalîla Symphony (Anthology, no. 24) Tempo as a Structural Element in the Music of Elliott Carter Analysis 10.2. Stockhausen, Stimmung (Anthology no. 25) Chapter 11. Aleatory Music: Sound Mass, Texture, and Timbre John Cage’s Creative Journey Analysis 11.1. Lutoslawki, Jeux vénitiens, I (Anthology no. 26) Analysis 11.2. Penderecki, St. Luke Passion, no. 13, "Et Surgens Omnis Multitudo" (Anthology no. 27) Analysis 11.3. Gubaidulina, String Quartet no. 2, Reh. 1–21 (Anthology, no. 28) Chapter 12. Electronic, Computer, and Spectral Musics The Principles of Sound Synthesis Analysis 12.1. Stockhausen, Telemusik, Sections 1–5 (Anthology no. 29) Composition with Computers Analysis 12.2: Jonathan Harvey, Mortuos plango, vivos voco Analysis 12.3. Barry Truax, Riverrun (Anthology no. 30) Spectral Music Chapter 13. Integrating the Past and Reimagining Harmony Integrating the Past Analysis 13.1. Berio, Sinfonia, III (Anthology no. 31) Analysis 13.2. Ligeti, Ramifications, mm. 1–44 (Anthology no. 32) Analysis 13.3. Crumb, "Primeval Sounds," from Makrokosmos, vol. 1, no. 1 (Anthology no. 33) Chapter 14. Simplifying Means Minimalism Analysis 14.1. Reich, Violin Phase (Anthology no. 35) Nonfunctional Triadic Voice Leading Analysis 14.2. Adams, Nixon in China, Act I, "News" Aria, mm. 374–542 (Anthology no. 36) Analysis 14.3. Pärt, Cantus (Anthology no. 37) Chapter 15. Into the Twenty-First Century Analysis 15.1. Torke, Adjustable Wrench, mm. 1–72 (Anthology no. 38) The Return of the Motive Analysis 15.2. Thomas, Spring Song (Anthology no. 39) Analysis 15.3. Adès, Asyla, II (Anthology no. 40) Analysis 15.4. Saariaho, Ariel’s Hail (Anthology no. 41)

Miguel A. Roig-Francolíis a Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.