The Second Practice of Nineteenth-Century Tonality [Hardcover]

William Kinderman (Editor), Harald Krebs (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1996

In 1861, a half-century before Arnold Schoenberg's break with tonality, a young composer associated with Liszt saw a threshold to musical modernism as lodged in the "suspension of the main key." As the unified tonal perspective of earlier music yielded increasingly to dualistic key structures often laden with chromaticism, the language of music was transformed. In The Second Practice of Nineteenth-Century Tonality, nine prominent theorists and historians explore aspects of this musical evolution, from Schubert to the end of the nineteenth century. Many works discussed are masterpieces of the performance repertory, ranging from Chopin's piano pieces and Wagner's music dramas to the symphonies of Bruckner. The integration of analytical and historical approaches in the essays seeks to avoid narrow specialization as well as the polemic stance of some recent studies. A critical assessment of issues including inter-textuality, narrative, and dramatic symbolism enriches this investigation of what may be described as the "second practice" of nineteenth-century tonality.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William Kinderman and Harald Krebs are professors of music at the University of Victoria. Kinderman is author of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations and Beethoven and editor of Beethoven's Compositional Process (Nebraska 1991).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 281 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (July 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803227248
• ISBN-13: 978-0803227248
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,915,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)