Schenkerian analysis was developed by the Viennese theorist Heinrich Schenker (1868-1935) mostly during the 1920s
It was formalised by his
students and subsequent generations of scholars mostly in the
If used intelligently and with sensitivity to the music, it is uniquely powerful and provides unsurpassed insight; it is, however, beset with ideological dogmas and can induce a certain distorted perspective (Schenkerian analysis cannot successfully be undertaken without accepting its tenets, which are in themselves questionable; followers tend to view music from a Schenkerian perspective from the start, not noticing its limitations)
Although it is not possible to learn Schenkerian analysis in one lecture, it's fruitful to learn to read existing analyses; more importantly, Schenkerian concepts such as 'prolongation' (below) are important correctives and additions to traditional analytic techniques and provide genuinely 'deeper' insight into music
The 'classic' textbook is Forte/Gilbert, but Cadwallader/Gagné have produced a more accessible alternative; Cook provides a superb introduction; Dunsby/Whittall adds some biographical and historical context
Schenkerian analysis posits a distinction between musical 'surface' and 'structure', and it is able to demonstrate this distinction on different levels of structure (for convenience foreground, middleground and structural background)
Combining traditional counterpoint and harmonic theory, the operation consists of the reduction of the musical surface to a consonant structure, using modified musical notation
On foreground level, Schenkerian analysis distinguishes between 'arpeggiations' which act as 'unfoldings' of a consonant structure and passing and neighbour notes, which, as dissonances, are relegated to the foreground
Where Schenkerian analysis departs from traditional modes is that this procedure is carried out on higher structural levels, such as the middleground: e.g. a consonant chord can on middleground level have a similar function to a neighbour note on foreground level; in this way Schenkerian analysis reveals the replication of certain configurations on different levels of structure
Another important feature is that structural elements are combined in a linear fashion which demonstrates large-scale continuity in a composition (thus Schenkerian analysis does not only posit larges-scale harmonic connections, as is often claimed, but also contrapuntal ones - namely linear motion)
The structural level is the 'fundamental structure' (Ursatz), consisting of a 'bass arpeggiation' (I-V-I) together with a fundamental line (Urlinie) descending from ^3, ^5 or ^8 (handout)
The idea is that every 'tonal masterwork' thus replicates the fundamental structure of tonality itself; although this claim is highly dubious, Schenkerian analysis does reveal large-scale structures and higher-level regularities
Ex. 1: Bach's Prelude No. 1 from WTC 1 consists mostly of a regular pattern of arpeggiated chords; there are only two deviations, which are therefore highly significant: bar 23, which includes passing notes, and 33-34, which present a different pattern of arpeggiation
o The term for such arpeggiations is style brisé ('broken style') or style luthé; it refers to the technique for playing chord sequences on the lute which was adapted to keyboards (particularly by François Couperin); this style-historical term can be compared to the music-theoretical term 'compound melody'; the latter can refer also to scalar melodies and to irregular arpeggiations (such as in J. S. Bach's Fugue subjects)
A first analytical step consists of conceiving the piece as a chorale: this isn't Schenkerian per se
Cook and Cadwallader/Gagné present Roman numeral analyses of this chorale (the handout shows Cadwallader/Gagné); these are useful, but in this kind of harmonic analysis, there is no hierarchical distinction between chords; they are all equal
The Schenkerian analyses by Schenker himself, Forte/Gilbert and Cadwallader/Gagné reveal much more about the piece (handout)
o They show that the piece falls into two parts: the first (1-19) consists of an octave descent in parallel motion between bass and soprano with a local cadence on V (11), so that we end on the same configuration as at the beginning, but an octave lower
o The sequential patters between 4-5 and 6-7 as well as between 12-13 and 14-15, and the parallelism between the cadences in 11 and 19 are also revealed very clearly (we would probably have spotted this anyway, but Schenkerian analysis shows it exceptionally well)
o But, as usual, the real revelation is the middleground level: here, all analyses show that the piece can be viewed as an extended I-IV-V-I cadence with linear connections: the crucial concept at work is that of 'prolongation', whereby, for instance, bars 1-19 'prolong' I as underlying harmony (despite 'foreground' chord changes), with ^3 as part of the fundamental line; this is out of bounds for traditional harmonic analysis which has no means of systematically distinguishing between hierarchic levels. (Traditional Schenkerians regard IV as subsidiary to V but that need not concern us.)
o It could be argued that analysts just search for what fulfils their a priori expectation - and that is the basic problem of Schenkerian analysis - but, in this case at least, Bach clearly emphasises the middleground steps: I-V-I are marked by prolongations (first by the octave descent, then by the bass pedals) and IV by the octave in the bass (unique!), a series of climactic dissonances in famously bewildering sequence as well as the only break of the arpeggiation pattern
Thus, Schenkerian analysis captures pitch structure exceptionally well, but it has little to say about what are often primary aspects of music perceptively, such as rhythm, motive, form, dynamics, textural contrast, etc.
In fact, all of these play a role in distinguishing between surface and structure; but why are we to assume that pitch structure is primary whereas all other musical features are secondary whose only function is to reveal the background structure?
Other problematic aspects include the normative function of the fundamental structure (why is only I-V-I acceptable and why only stepwise motion downwards in the fundamental line; why does the middleground have to be consonant when seventh chords are treated as ordinary chords at foreground level etc.?)
Ex. 2 (handout), Bach, Cello Suite, d minor, 'Courante' (deviation from course outline!) shows compound melody (but not broken style!): distinguishing in Schenkerian fashion (although this practice follows traditional counterpoint and harmony) between arpeggiation and passing and neighbour notes reveals the underlying harmony
In a Schenkerian analysis, this harmonic framework would form the middleground; further reduction reveals the structural background and finally the fundamental structure
The piece is in what is considered 'closed binary form' (handout); Schenkerian analysis does capture form, usually as an 'interrupted structure' (handout)
This specific analysis is unusual in positing a fundamental line descending from ^8 without interruption, but notice that an interrupted structure with a ^3 line is possible - with an initial ascent to the f in bar 5.
For week 5, analyse the 'Allemande' from J S Bach's English Suite No. 3 in G minor with particular attention to the structural function of harmony (see course outline)
Your model should be Forte and Gilbert's analysis of the 'Courante' from Bach's Cello Suite d-minor, together with a commentary
There should be at least two levels (although these can be combined in one graph)
o By distinguishing between arpeggiations and passing and neighbour notes, you should reveal the underlying harmony and voice leading
o You should further outline the overall structure and its relation to the form
In doing so, you can use (simplified) Schenkerian notation (no specific penalties for incorrect use!), Roman numerals, figured bass notation, and other symbols, together with explanatory text (as long as your analysis is clearly readable)
Terms (check Grove): Binary Form, Style brisé, Fundamental Structure (Ursatz), Prolongation, Compound Melody
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