Heinrich Schenker

Heinrich Schenker ( born June 19, 1868 in Wisniowczyk, Ukraine, † January 13, 1935 in Vienna ) was an Austrian music theorist and composer of Galician origin.

Life

In 1884 Schenker moved to Vienna. He first studied law, then at the Conservatory harmony with Anton Bruckner, and counterpoint and piano. Schenker accompanied singers and chamber musicians and began to compose. Finally he gave up composing and he dedicated himself to issues of music theory. He earned his living as a private tutor for piano, analysis and interpretation.

Among the known donor supporters include Walter Dahms, Wilhelm Furtwängler and Paul Hindemith, who wrote enthusiastically to Schenker: "You say right the first time, what a good musician hears, feels and understands. "

Schenker was a Jew. The persecution by the Nazis he did not live because he died in Vienna in January 1935. His wife Jeanette was deported to the Theresienstadt ghetto and murdered shortly before the war ended. Under the Nazis, Schenker's works and editions were ostracized. This contributed to the fact that his theory was seldom recited in the decades after 1945 in Germany. Many of his students who had emigrated to the USA and established in the Anglo-American music theory whose idea of tonal music.

As a character Schenker was problematic. He was ardent nationalist and bordering on arrogance, self-stylization, as the draft shows as an example to his own grave stone ". Rest, which heard the soul of music, [ of ] their laws within the meaning of the Great proclaimed as no one before him " (20. May 1934 )

Time life (the title of one of his journals as ) stood for Schenker 's masterpiece in music in the center. In many analyzes of the work of great composers ( Bach to Brahms ) he put the supporting structure of tonal music according to his schemes of Urlinie and Ursatz dar. This reconstructed Schenker an equally original as faithful to the original conception of tonal music. Already Wagner says Schenker, that he would not extend the tonality, but already lose.

Ursatz

The substantiated by Schenker reduction analysis is based on the assumption that tonal music is constructed in hierarchical layers. During the foreground includes small denominations, the middle and the background is simple, robust structure. The last- possible reduction of tonal polyphony called Heinrich Schenker Ursatz.

In Ursatz melody and harmony appear connected in their elemental form. While the upper voice diminuated the Terzraum falling ( one-, under - and parts ) (3 - 2 - 1 ), the lower voice occupies the se dissonant passing tone ( 2) consonant (I - V - I), so that the melodic second appears as the fifth V..

This progression is so elementary that it is, for example, played on natural horns with the material of the first 10 harmonics ( Klarinblasen ). While below the overtones 2 - 3 - 2 will sound, plays another voice overtones 10-9 - 8

Not every analysis of tonal music that promote an Ursatz to days. Although the Ursatz is the primary structure of tonal music, but one piece can also be based on a secondary structure. That is Found in an analysis not Ursatz, so is therefore not refuted donor Ursatz theory, but merely demonstrated a secondary form.

The Ursatz is obtained from larger, more comprehensive multiple clocks sections or the whole work and represents the last possible reduction, as it were, the extract of the voice-leading analysis. Since the Ursatz works in the background and can extend over many cycles, including its representation itself no rhythmic motivic information.

Design and reduction analysis

The reduction analysis attempts to return the ostensible notation on a bearing set in the background. The graph reflects this, ultimately missing all superficial, rhythmic, motivic movements. From this it could be concluded that it did not go Schenker to the fore, that he would consider that the subject is irrelevant. But Schenker has not denied the importance of the subject. He summed up the concept just different, as he sought to reform the meaning of the terms " harmony " and " counterpoint ".

Urtext Editions

The reprints of musical works of the classics published Schenker increasingly diluted by a theory, the more intellectual speculation is as a result of practical listening experience. In 1902 he criticized the fact that the printed music contain serious errors that stimulates and then Urtext editions of ( classic editions of the Universal Edition).

Schenker published his theories in journals, articles and books.

Works

Writings

Main work:

  • New musical theories and fantasies Volume 1: Theory of Harmony. 1906
  • Volume 2: counterpoint. 1910
  • Volume 3: The free kit. 1935

Periodica

  • The Tonwille. Leaflets to the testimony of immutable laws of music offered up a new youth, 10 vols, Vienna / Leipzig 1921-1924
  • The masterpiece in music. Three yearbooks, Munich 1925, 1926 and 1930

Smaller fonts:

  • A contribution to the ornamentation. 1904
  • Instrumentation table. 1908
  • Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. 1912
  • Brahms Johannes, octaves, fifths et al. 1933
  • Five Urlinie panels. 1935

Compositions

  • Six Songs (Op. 3, 1898) for voice and piano. Texts: Detlev von Liliencron, Ludwig Jacobowski, Wilhelm Müller
  • Three Songs (Op. 6) for voice and piano. Text: Richard Dehmel, Joseph von Eichendorff, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
  • Moon for 4- part mixed choir and piano. Text: Richard Dehmel

Papers

Letters of Heinrich Schenker are in the inventory of the Leipzig music publisher CF Peters in Leipzig State Archives.

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