A Basic Overview of Schenkerian Analysis

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A Basic Overview of Schenkerian Analysis

• By Eric J. Potter

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Music in Nature

• Schenker derives many of his early theories from
  Nature. He constantly refers to nature in Music
• Tonal Music is man-made
• Tonal Music is the only art which cannot immitate
  nature as other arts do

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The other Theory

• In reading Schenkers treatises, he mentions
  multiple times of a theory which is flawed in
  many was

• Schenker does not explain this theory in detail
  but Oswald Jonas, his pupil, describes it as
  unpractical

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The Schenkerian approach

• Schenker discovered the use of structural pitches
  and essential harmonies
• He discovered many techniques composers used to
  move within and through a piece

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The fifth relationship

• One of these discoveries was the
  fifth-relationship.
• The fifth-relationship could be used to define
  any progression and was used many a time by the
  Great Composers

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The Great Composers

• Schenker mentions the Great Composers many
  times in his books and writings.
• The composers he is referring to are those who
  could compose fully and completely (within
  tonality) despite any flawed teachings in theory
  or voice leading
• Some include Mozart, Beethoven, The Bachs, and
  Franz Liszt. There are many others

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The Use of Music Theory

• What is the actual point to study Music Theory?
• Why teach it in college?
• Why not just perform?

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Music Theory in Practial Use

• The most important use for music theory is to
  better ones performance.

• In using music theory, one can try to understand
  what a composer may have meant when the piece was
  written.
• This would allow for an effective and outstanding
  performance.

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Helpful Sources

• Heinrich Schenker, Annoted by Oswald Jonas,
  translated by Elisabeth Mann Borgese. Harmony
  (Chicago University of Chicago Press, 1954
• Heinrich Schenker, Translated and edited by Ernst
  Oster. Free Composition (Der Freie Statz) (New
  York Longman Inc.)
• Oswald Jonas, Translated and Edited by John
  Rothgeb. Introduction to the Theory of
  Heinrich Schenker (New York 1934, 1982)
• Dr. Donald Watts, Towson University Music Theory
  Staff

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Some more sources

• Joseph Lubben, Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 15,
  No. 1 (Spring, 1993), pp. 59-75
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• 114. Roger Sessions, Critical Inquiry, Vol. 2,
  No. 1 (Autumn, 1975), pp. 113-119
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Thank you for your time!

• Thank you for allowing me to speak a little about
  Schenker and the basics of his theory
• I will take any questions now and answer them to
  the best of my abilities