Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Philosophical Tome - Not a Textbook, August 19, 2002
No...Schonberg's Harmonic works are not where anyone should start when trying to learn standard western harmony. Let's get that out in the open first. You should not read this book as a way to learn the rules of figured-bass style harmony. For that, better to read Piston. This book is a philosophical tome. As such, it is verbose, but it is also extremely instructive, mostly for the composer. I first read the Theory of Harmony as a grad student. My composition teacher suggested it. (He was always correcting my chord spelling in ways that didn't make sense to me, until I read the Schonberg.) This book opened me to the "mystical" side of harmonic theory. It also was a great clarifier on the relationship between harmony and counterpoint in voice leading. And, most harmony texts really are based on the rules of Rameau, which amazingly work up until the post Wagnerian era, when they begin to break down. Schonberg's work is the best examination of post-Wagnerian tonal harmony that I've come across. So to me, this is more than an historical artifact, it is a useful tool for the experienced composer. But definately not for your usual undergrad!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Masterpiece for every musician, May 31, 2004
This book is a must for a musician.It is not a textbook. You need another standard one for this purpose. But it is essential as a companion, if you want to UNDERSTAND the reasons behind the rules. And you better read it in parallel with a standard textbook. Schoenberg starts from the most ancient sources to the most modern and EXPLAINS everything! You are his pupil because this book was written for his real pupils. (And btw a 6th chord is a 6th chord for every classical harmony manual...). I agree that sometimes some digressions may be questionable and some "rules" are introduced and then eliminated in a questionable way, but he is undoubtely an artist, and this book reflects it. The way he explains, for instance, the minor mode is unsurpassed. You can't break harmony rules if you don't know what's behind them. AMM
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29 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An artful course in harmony, January 23, 2006
I have read most reviews below...and I find most of them incomprehensible. Someone compares Shoenberg's Treatise to the Treatise by Rameau,for example. A rather irrelevant comparison,because both books have their area of undeniable expertise. How do you compare a book about building a Ferrari and one about building an aeroplane? They both talk about aerodynamics,but there are differencies,I think!
Then there is the person that finds the book very hard to grasp. Well,I doubt this is Mr. Shoenberg's fault!
This is a books about CLASSICAL harmony! It seems that nowadays people playing popular pop or doing songwriting or jazz-rock fusion guitarists (nothing wrong with any of this ) think,for some strange reason, that Shoenberg's book is actually a whatever course of harmony and because he was so open-minded and wide ranging,that actually anyone after learning a Beatles song just starts on Shoenberg? Or that in the book the technique of 'atonality' is taught ?
No,no....there is some very real confusion here. Not many people know that Shoenberg practiced and learned the traditional techniques in an amazingly diligent and through way for years....incredibly hard work. On his own! The 'serialism' part it's entirely his own quirk and style,and it is not the main point in this book...it's only people that see it this way. It is basicly an assumption.
So basicly,if you want to fly,learn to run properly on your own ground first. That is the philosophy,and this is exactly what he does in the book: he starts and progress VERY logically. Some people may be puzzled ,but again,if you dont understand,well,read it 'till you do. Do not forget that Shoenberg had unsurpassed experience in teaching ,and that he started teaching in universisites WITHOUT the help of titles or master degree's but ONLY because of his SKILL.
And that has to be kept in mind too,so,if they appear ramblings,I am sorry,it's only laziness on the part of the student. Sure it's not easy to keep pace,but if you do,you will be rewarded.
If anyone actually STUDIED seriously even part of the book,he would realize that ,in fact,this is exactly what Shoenberg says:
''I bolt the door against the bravado which would like to burst in absolute disregard for the rules. I bolt the door by developing his sense of form,according to the rigorous old rules.''
The people that say that 'it's not a textbook' ,dont know what they are talking about. This is a course in harmony prepared by a real artist,a real composer,not by an historian,not by a teacher in a university,master's degree or otherwise. You make out of this whatever you want. Of course I am not saying that the other people are bad ,or good. I am only saying that this book was written by a real composer,not by a theorist. He just happened to study most major harmony texts and compose in his mind for 14 instruments while going for morning walks!
People who think of his book as having a place as a theorist treatise did not really know the book in question.This book was written for people that want to learn about harmony. Very simply. But not to the extent that a guitarists may really study it on guitar! Otherwise,as some reviewer mentioned ,it will not be understood why Shoenberg calls a first inversion chord a 'sixth' chord. This is classical method,Rameau for example calls it the same way. It is simple: because the bass ,being in first inversion,forms a sixth with the root above it.
It cannot be studied by a guitarist if that guitarist does not know the difference between a root and a bass note. In popular music it's just the bass,but not in classical.
I am about halfway the book,and no,I did not read it,I am STUDYING it.That is an ENORMOUS difference. Some people said that they read it...or worse,studied 'a couple of chapters,and then read the rest'. I STRONGLY doubt that you will get much from that book in this way. That is just superficiality and laziness,let's be very clear about this. Again,this is hardly Mr. Shoenberg' fault.You will better off by not even starting on it.
To me he is a unique teacher ,musician and artist. I am learning A LOT from his book,and I am grateful he took so much time and patience to write it down. I really like his book,even going so far as being very honoured that I actually study a book written by such an intelligent artist ,musician and teacher. Someone mentioned that he calls the student of the book 'pupil' as if it's a strange,unnecessary thing....I fail to understand why,I would not really be interested in knowing why either,since the book is a complete course in harmony,if not ,infact, a much better one than even the university one. I feel honoured that he calls the person that decides to study the book, 'pupil',and I only hope I will work even much harder than I do.
It's no-one business if Shoenberg viewed harmony in his own way,he does not have to excuse himself for lack of superficiality or laziness or personal idea.
If you want the book that teaches you modulation in a couple of ways only,then, by all means 'Theory Of Harmony' was definitely not written for you. By all means buy another book.
But ,if you want to became an EXPERT about modulation,then start eating it! It's up to you. Shoenberg it's not making it simplistic for you. But it does not ,ever ,makes it difficult or superficial.
You do not care about the roman empire,fine,but just so you know,Shoenberg was a very cultured person,and he really cared about self-education,musical independence and independence of thought. He knew people like Strauss,Mahler,Brahms,Goethe. He had amazing musical and pedagogy skills. He was a famous and controversial composer from Vienna,and,quite frankly,I doubt that anybody here has even a right about saying what's best or not about him,and I refer even to master's degrees owners here,simply because you cannot be taught such independence in in any school;as Bruce Lee said 'All real knowledge it's ultimately SELF knowledge'. You will not be taught that in any music course,Shoenberg is a real master because his wish in his books is not to create students or historians or theorists,his hope instead is to create creators.
Someone here even said that 'it's not a textbook' ; 'it's a supplement'. I do not think those people understood much about the book. Those are just pretentious assumptions of people who just box the book into a narrow category,and the job's done.
It's funny,but I do not find Shoenberg's book difficult. I have bought it because I wanted to teach myself CLASSICAL harmony. And believe it or not, I learn more from it than going to a music college. Yes,I say that without any doubts because I actually went to a college ,and as I was studying BOTH the book and at the college,I found I was really MUCH better off with the book.
I must say that at the very beginning,I too did think the book was hard and complex and had 'too much philosophy' in it,although I did think highly of it from the start,and never actually went as far as defining Shoenberg's thoughts 'ramblings'...it may appear so only to superficial and green attidudes. Someone with a penchant for doing things quickly rather than throughly,maybe?
There are other misundertandings,I think,about the book,for example the fact that most people do not really know that this book is about TRADITIONAL harmony ,not a manual that makes of a total ignoramus a 'serialist' in a couple of months.
It's your choice...but one last thing I will say; I have seen concepts such as modulation and many other treated with such amazing detail ONLY in this books. I have bought many others,including Rameau,C.p.e Bach,Piston,Kitson,Lovelock and others,but I will stay with this one because it teaches in such detailed way.
I recommend it highly,very highly,but only to people that really want to create ,not to historians or 'theorists'. I respect all of them ,but to me Shoenberg is no mere historian.
So,if you have courage and true dedication,buy this amazing book and go slowly,but actually start it and make sure you keep going. I think it is amazing just as the other books by the same Shoenberg....they are all keepers as far as I am concerned.
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