Course Outline-Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis
Information for Students
Dr. Timothy L. Jackson, Professor of Music Theory
Purpose: The course has three primary aims: 1) to teach the student how to do Schenkerian
analysis, 2) to familiarize the student with Schenker's works, commentaries on his works, and
recent work in the field of Schenkerian analysis, and 3) to re-examine music history in light of
Schenkerian theory.
The following texts are recommended and placed on reserve:
Jonas, Oswald. Einführung in die Lehre Heinrich Schenkers. Das Wesen des musikalischen
Kunstwerkes. Vienna: Universal Edition, 2. Auflage, 1972. Introduction to the Theory of
Heinrich Schenker. Trans. John Rothgeb. New York: Longman, 1982.
Salzer, Felix. Sinn und Wesen der abendländischen Mehrstimmigkeit. Vienna: Saturn Verlag,
1935.
Schenker, Heinrich. Der freie Satz. Neue musikalische Theorien und Phantasien. Vienna:
Universal Edition, 1935. Free Composition.
Ed. and trans. Ernst Oster, New York: Longman,
1979.
--. Fünf Urlinie-Tafeln. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1932. Five Graphic Music Analyses. New
York: Dover, 1969.
In addition to these texts, the professor has placed microfilms of Schenker's legacy, most
(although not all) of Schenker's unpublished materials on reserve in the library. The files on
microfilm contain many unpublished analyses by Schenker dating from different periods in his
life.
The following books will be placed on reserve for ready reference:
Beach, David (ed.). Aspects of Schenkerian Theory. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1983.
Cadwallader, Allen (ed.). Trends in Schenkerian Research. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
--. Allen Cadwallader and David Gagné. Analysis of tonal music : a Schenkerian approach. New
York : Oxford University Press, 1998.
Forte, Allen. Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis. New York: Norton, 1982.
Rothstein, William. Phrase Rhythm in Tonal Music. New York: Schirmer Books, 1989.
Salzer, Felix. Structural Hearing. Tonal Coherence in Music. New York: Charles Boni, 1952.
Salzer, Felix (ed.). The Music Forum, vols. 1-6. New York: Columbia University Press, 1967.
Schenker, Heinrich. Das Meisterwerk in der Musik. Jahrbuch I, 1925; Jahrbuch II, 1926;
Jahrbuch III, 1930. Munich: Drei Masken Verlag. Thirteen Essays from the Three Yearbooks
"Das Meisterwerk in Die Musik," trans. Sylvan Kalib. Northwestern University, Ph.D. 1973.
Siegel, Hedi (ed.). Schenker Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
Yeston, Maury (ed.). Readings in Schenker Analysis and Other Approaches. New Haven: Yale
University Press, 1977.
For detailed bibliographies of recent Schenkerian research, see David Beach, "A Schenkerian
Bibliography," in Readings in Schenker Analysis and Other Approaches, ed. Yeston, New
Haven: Yale University Press, 1977, 275-302; "The Current State of Schenkerian Research,"
Acta Musicologica 57 (1985), 275-307; "Schenkerian Theory," Music Theory Spectrum 11/1
(1989), 3-14.
The paper: "An Analysis of An Unpublished Analytical Graph by Heinrich Schenker." The
work will be determined as the course unfolds. The paper (c. 10 pages plus musical examples
and bibliography) discusses Schenker's unpublished analytical graph of a work by Bach,
Beethoven, Chopin, or Brahms. The unpublished graph, which will be one of Schenker's more
worked out analyses, is carefully explained. The student also attempts to place the unpublished
graph historically in Schenker's development on the basis of analytical terms and symbols used.
The class presentation: Each student will prepare a Schenkerian analysis of a piece to be
presented in class. A short paper (no more than 5 pages) explaining the graphs will be submitted
after the class. The hand-out accompanying the class presentation will consist of: 1) a copy of the
piece, and 2) the student's own graphs.
The weekly analytical Assignments: Each week, the class will analyze a number of
compositions. The student may be asked to begin, continue, or complete Schenkerian graphs of
assigned pieces. Every student is expected to attempt a graph, which may be handed in.
Individual students will be asked to put their graph on the board for discussion. At the end of the
semester the student will be required to submit a portfolio of work, which will include all of the
weekly assignments.
In-class discussion: the class will read articles or sections of books (some listed above) and
students will be asked to report on and discuss these materials. A sample of the articles to be
discussed:
Timothy L. Jackson, "Current Issues in Schenkerian Analysis," The Musical Quarterly 76/2
(1992), 243-63.
--. "The Tragic Reversed Recapitulation in the German Classical Tradition," Journal of Music
Theory 40.1 (1996), pp. 23-72.
William Pastille, "The Development of the Ursatz in Schenker's Published Works," in
Cadwallader, Trends in Schenkerian Research, 71-86.
Nicholas Cook, "Schenker's Theory of Music as Ethics," The Journal of Musicology 7/4 (1989).
Carl Schachter, "Motive and Text in Four Schubert Songs," in Beach, Aspects of Schenkerian
Theory, 61-76.
Patrick McCreless, "Schenker and Chromatic Tonicization: A Reappraisal," in Siegel, Schenker
Studies, 125-44.
Edward C. Laufer, "Brahms 'Wie Melodien zieht es mir,'" in Yeston, Readings in Schenkerian
Analysis, 254-74.
Jack Adrian, "The Function of the Apparent Tonic at the Beginning of Development Sections,"
Intégral, 1992.
The take-home Examination: A Schenkerian graphic analysis of a composition done entirely
by the student. The piece will be assigned in the last two weeks of classes.
Portfolio of Work Presented at the End of the Semester and Breakdown of Final Grade:
1) Paper on Schenker graph/ 30%
2) Class presentation of analysis and short paper/ 20%
3) Graphs of all pieces analyzed in the course/30%
4) Take-home exam/20%
General Marking policy:
To receive a grade, all written assignments must be submitted no later than one class after the
due date. At least one unit of the grade could be deducted for lateness (e.g. A could become A-).
Attendance is expected at all classes. The student may arrange in advance to hand in work late
or to miss a class. Three unexplained missed classes could result in a report to the department
chair and/or the student's dean and advisor.
Selected Reference List (books and articles making reference to Schenker's
unpublished legacy and recent translations):
Ayotte, Benjamin McKay. Heinrich Schenker: A Guide to Research, (New
York : Routledge, 2004).
Berry, David Carson. A topical guide to Schenkerian Literature: An annotated
Bibliography with Indices (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2004).
Cadwallader, Allan. Cadwallader. “Foreground motivic ambiguity: Its
clarification at the middleground levels in selected late piano pieces of
Johannes Brahms,” Music analysis VII (1988), 59-91.
--. Schenker's unpublished graphic analysis of Brahms's intermezzo, op. 117,
no. 2: Tonal structure and concealed motivic repetition.” Music theory
spectrum VI (1984) 1-13.
Drabkin, William. “Felix-Eberhard von Cube and the North-German Tradition
of Schenkerism,” Journal of the Royal Music Association 111 (1984-85), pp.
180-207.
--. “Schenker, the consonant passing note, and the first-movement theme of
Beethoven's sonata op. 26,” Music analysis XV (1996), 149-189.
--. “A lesson in analysis from Heinrich Schenker: The C-major prelude from
Bach's Well-tempered clavier, book 1.” Music Analysis IV (1985) 241-58.
Federhofer, Hellmut. Heinrich Schenker. Nach Tagbüchern und Briefen in der
Oswald Jonas Memorial Collection (Hildesheim Georg Olms Verlag, 1985).
Jackson, Timothy L. ‘Diachronic Transformation in a Schenkerian Context. A
Study of the Brahms Haydn Variations Op. 56a-b,’ in Schenker Studies 2, eds.
Hedi Siegel and Carl Schachter, Cambridge University 1999, pp. 195-237.
--. “The Schenker-Oppel Exchange: Schenker as Composition Teacher,” Music
Analysis 20/1 (2001) (Oxford), pp. 1-116. (Blackwells, Oxford).
Kosovsky, Robert. “Levels of understanding: An introduction to Schenker's
Nachlass,” in Schenker Studies 2, eds. Hedi Siegel and Carl Schachter,
Cambridge University 1999.
Rothstein, William. “Analysis and the act of performance,” in: The practice of
performance: Studies in musical interpretation, (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1995) pp. 217-240.
--. “Heinrich Schenker as an interpreter of Beethoven's piano sonatas,” 19thcentury music VIII, 3-27.
Schenker, Heinrich. Tonwille. English, pamphlets in witness of the immutable laws of
music, offered to a new generation of youth;
edited by William Drabkin ; translated by Ian Bent ... [et al.], (Oxford ; New York :
Oxford University Press, 2004-).
--. Meisterwerk in der Musik. English The masterwork in music: a yearbook; edited by
William Drabkin ; translated by Ian Bent ... [et al.], (Cambridge [England] ; New York :
Cambridge University Press, 1994-)
--. Kunst des Vortrags. English The art of performance; edited by Heribert Esser ;
translated by Irene Schreier Scott, (New York ; Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2000).
Siegel, Hedi. “A source for Schenker's study of thorough bass: His annotated
copy of J.S. Bach's Generalbassbuchlein” in: Schenker studies. New York
(Cambridge University Press, 1990), pp. 15-28.
Publications drawing on the letters include:
Bent, Ian, “ ‘That Bright New Light’: Schenker, Universal Edition, and the
Origins of the Erläuterung Series, 1901–1910,” JAMS 58/1 (2005), 69–138
Berry, David Carson, “Hans Weisse and the Dawn of American Schenkerism,”JM
20/1 (2003), 104–56
ibid, “Victor Vaughn Lytle and the Early Proselytism of Schenkerian Ideas in the
U.S.,” Journal of Schenkerian Studies 1 (Fall 2005), 92–117
Drabkin, William, “A Lesson in Analysis from Heinrich Schenker: The C Major
Prelude from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I,” MusA 4/3 (1985), 241–58
ibid, “Schenker, the Consonant Passing Note, and the First-Movement Theme of
Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 26,” MusA 15/2–3 (1996), 149–89
ibid., “Felix-Eberhard von Cube and the North-German Tradition of
Schenkerism,” PRMA 111 (1985), 180–207
ibid., “Schenker’s ‘Decline’: An Introduction”, MusA 24/1–2 (2005), 3–31
Drabkin, William, et al, Der Tonwille: Pamphlets in Witness ... (New York: OUP,
2004–05) [esp. “General Preface” to each volume]
Erwin, Charlotte E. & Simms, Bryan R., “Schoenberg’s Correspondence with
Heinrich Schenker,” JASI 5/1 (1981), 22–43
Jackson, Timothy L.,“Heinrich Schenker as Composition Teacher: The Schenker–
Oppel Exchange,” MusA 20/1 (2001), 1–115
Johns, Donald, “ ‘Aimez-vous Brahms?’: Ein Hindemith–Schenker-Briefwechsel,”
Hind-J 20 (1991), 141–51
Rothfarb, Lee A., “August Halm on Body and Spirit in Music,” 19th Century
Music XXIX/2 (Fall 2005), 121–41
Rothgeb, John & Siegel, Hedi, “The Opening of Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 111: A
Letter by Heinrich Schenker,” T&P 8/1 (1983), 3–13
Siegel, Hedi, “When ‘Freier Satz’ was Part of Kontrapunkt: A Preliminary
Report,” Schenker Studies 2 (1999), 12–25
See also:
Eybl, Martin & Fink-Mennel, Evelyn, eds., Schenker-Traditionen: Eine Wiener
Schule der Musiktheorie und ihre internationale Verbreitung / A Viennese
School of Music Theory and Its International Dissemination (Vienna: BöhlauVerlag, 2006)
Gagné, David & Burstein, L. Poundie, Structure and Meaning in Tonal Music:
Essays for Carl Schachter (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2006)