Materials and Techniques of Twentieth-Century Music

From Book News, Inc.
Textbook for a college-level course of a few weeks to a full year. Arranged by compositional technique rather than strict chronology. Covers neither music history per se nor the detailed analysis of specific composers. Includes examples, mostly available on recordings, and exercises. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Book Description
This book provides the most comprehensive analytical approach to 20th-Century Music available -- from Impressionism to recent trends. It covers music from the early 1900s through such movements as Minimalism and the Neoromanticism of the 1990's, and includes chapters on rhythm, form, electronic and computer music, and the roles of chance and choice in Twentieth-Century music. Explores an exceptionally broad range of styles and techniques --including electronic music and MIDI, chance music, and quotation music. Stresses analysis and composition rather than historical aspects. Organizes content by compositional technique. Covers all facets of materials and techniques -- from microtonal scale to melodic organization, chord structures, and serialism. Contains over 100 examples from music literature -- ranging from the beginning of the 20th-Century to the 1990's -- and representing a broad range of styles -- from Impressionism to Serialism to Minimalism and beyond. Includes exercises involving drills, analysis, composition, and listening. For anyone interested in music theory and harmony, analysis of 20th-Century music, or history of 20th-Century music.

The publisher, Prentice-Hall Humanities/Social Science
An analytical and compositional approach to the musical achievements of the 20th century -- from Impressionism through Minimalism and Neo-tonality.

From the Back Cover
This book provides the most comprehensive analytical approach to 20th-Century Music available -- from Impressionism to recent trends. It covers music from the early 1900s through such movements as Minimalism and the Neoromanticism of the 1990's, and includes chapters on rhythm, form, electronic and computer music, and the roles of chance and choice in Twentieth-Century music. Explores an exceptionally broad range of styles and techniques --including electronic music and MIDI, chance music, and quotation music. Stresses analysis and composition rather than historical aspects. Organizes content by compositional technique. Covers all facets of materials and techniques -- from microtonal scale to melodic organization, chord structures, and serialism. Contains over 100 examples from music literature -- ranging from the beginning of the 20th-Century to the 1990's -- and representing a broad range of styles -- from Impressionism to Serialism to Minimalism and beyond. Includes exercises involving drills, analysis, composition, and listening. For anyone interested in music theory and harmony, analysis of 20th-Century music, or history of 20th-Century music.


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Unlike other books on this subject, this survey of 20th-century music is organized according to compositional methods and analytical techniques rather than historical movements. Emphasizing hands-on compositional and analytical experience, it covers scale formations, chords and simultaneities, melody and voice leading, harmonic progression and tonality, rhythm, serial and nonserial atonality, electronic music, and movements such as minimalism and neoromanticism. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.


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