Besides working on your personal research (contextual essay) on a topic of your choice we will cover in our lessons the following topics:
History: we focus on the nineteenth century
Chapters from AHWM: 25, 26, 29, 30, parts of 28
From the perspective of developments in the nineteenth century we cast a glance into the twentieth century
Composers: Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, Grieg; Wagner, Wolf, Bruckner, Strauss; Fauré, Debussy.
Harmony: we will study characterstics of romantic harmony
- chromaticism and enharmonicism
- typical chords, turns and modulations
- the use of chromaticism and enharmonicism for different purposes by a variety of composers, such as obscuring tonality (Wagner c.s.) introduction modal elements (Fauré), new octave divisions and scale patterns (Debussy)
- 1800-1850, functional tonality expanded (concentric chromaticism)
- 1850-1900, romantic harmony approaching its boundaries; possibilities are exhausted, new directions are being explored
Analysis
Modified use of traditional form, form means, form principles in comparison with the 18th century:
- continued development of existing form types and procedures
- development towards more "fluid" forms
- continued development of working with themes and motives
- emerging of developing forms besides sequential and balanced forms
- new relations within tonal structures
- length and proportions of musical form
- organic thinking and designing; aiming for unity in diversity
