The Oxford Handbook of Critical Concepts in Music Theory

by Alexander Rehding (Editor), Steven Rings (Editor)

Overview

Music Theory has a lot of ground to cover. Especially in introductory classes a whole range of fundamental concepts are introduced at fast pace that can never be explored in depth or detail, as other new topics become more pressing. The short time we spend with them in the classroom belies the complexity (and, in many cases, the contradictions) underlying these concepts. This book takes the time to tarry over these complexities, probe the philosophical assumptions on which these concepts rest, and shine a light on all their iridescent facets. This book presents music-theoretical concepts as a register of key terms progressing outwards from smallest detail to discussions of the music-theoretical project on the largest scale. The approaches individual authors take range from philosophical, historical, or analytical to systematic, cognitive, and critical-theorical-covering the whole diverse spectrum of contemporary music theory. In some cases authors explore concepts that have not yet been widely added to the theorist's toolkit but deserve to be included; in other cases concepts are expanded beyond their core repertory of application. This collection does not shy away from controversy. Taken in their entirety, the essays underline that music theory is on the move, exploring new questions, new repertories, and new approaches. This collection is an invitation to take stock of music theory in the early twenty-first century, to look back and to encourage discussion about its future directions. Its chapters open up a panoramic view of the contemporary music-theoretical landscape with its expanding repertories and changing guiding questions, and offers suggestions as to where music theory is headed in years to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190077600
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/19/2019
Series:	Oxford Handbooks
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	600
File size:	32 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Alexander Rehding teaches music theory at Harvard University. He specializes in the music of the nineteenth century, history of music theory, and media theory. His publications include Hugo Riemann and the Birth of Modern Musical Thought (2003), Music and Monumentality (2009), and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (2017). He is editor-in-chief of the Oxford Handbooks Online in Music and series editor for a six-volume Cultural History of Music. Steven Rings teaches music theory at the University of Chicago. His research ranges from transformational theory to studies of the popular singing voice. His book Tonality and Transformation received the Emerging Scholar Award from the Society for Music Theory, and his article "A Foreign Sound to Your Ear: Bob Dylan Performs 'It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding),' 1964-2009" received the Outstanding Publication Award from the SMT's Popular Music Interest Group. He is Series Editor of Oxford Studies in Music Theory.

Table of Contents

Contributors Introduction 1. Pitch, Tone, and Note Bryan Parkhurst, Stephan Hammel 2. Interval Henry Klumpenhouwer 3. Mode Susan McClary 4. Scale Matthew Gelbart 5. Tonic Steven Rings 6. Timbre David Blake 7. Texture Jonathan De Souza 8. Repetition Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis 9. Meter Richard Cohn 10. Temporalities Martin Scherzinger 11. Groove Guilherme Schmidt Câmara, Anne Danielsen 12. Phrase Janet Schmalfeldt 13. Music's Moving Form Daniel Grimley 14. Expressive Timing Mitch Ohriner 15. Melody David Trippett 16. Consonance and Dissonance Alexander Rehding 17. Tonal Harmony Ian Quinn 18. Key and Modulation Suzannah Clark 19. Cadence Daniel Harrison 20. Sequence Naomi Waltham-Smith 21. Polyphony Michael Tenzer 22. Musical Grammar Robert O. Gjerdingen 23. Beneath Improvisation Vijay Iyer 24. Analytical Relationships Marion Guck 25. Images, Visualization, and Representation Dora Hanninen 26. What is Music, Anyway? Andrew Bowie Index

Editorial Reviews

"In reading it, I learned and I was exercised; the collection is outstanding indeed" — Andrew J Chung, Music Theory Spectrum

From the Publisher