Music, the Listener's Art

Citation preview

Music The UsTeNeR’s

ART

LEONARD G. RATNER STANFORD UNIVERSITY

McGRAW-hf ILL

SERIES

IN

M U S I c

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MUSIC

RENAISSANCE

BAROQUE

:icher, iuller sound; nedium registers with greater importance of Dass level; moderate itrength

wide variety of instru¬ mental and vocal sonorities; contrasts between full and thin; greater range in register! often great strength and amount of sound

to 6 or more parts; some hordal texture; principal jxture remains olyphonic; fuller sound rnds to disguise olyphony

polarity between sopran and bass; middle voices add fullness; some chordal texture; principally polyphonic action

rds, 6ths, 5ths, 8ves, misons; 4th treated as issonance at times; high oncentration of onsonance; triad sounds

3rds, 6ths, 5ths, 8ves, unisons; 4th partial dissonance; consonance equals stability

reparation and esolution of assonances; elimination f clashes

increase in amount and intensity of dissonance; many "tritone" dissonances

ppearance of strong ndences at phrase idings; more leading nes; beginning of key :nse; increase in feeling harmonic drive

much stronger and more pervasive cadential action; full emergence oi key sense; active, compact harmonic flow with strong feeling of drive

eady, moderate pace; insiderable difference manner in different yles; growing vigor movement in secular id instrumental music; sntle accentuation

in early baroque, sharp contrasts of pace, often with uncertain flow; in late baroque, vigorous, steady, "motoric" pace throughout a piece; widi range of pace and manner present; growini vigor of accent

The Listener’s Art McGraw-Hill Series in Music

Written for the student who wants to increase his understanding of music, this book emphasizes listening as an approach to understanding music, rather than the usual historical data or facts about music. Thus, the book provides the listener with the means by which he can better analyze, evaluate, and appreciate the music he hears. The qualities of sound-—how loud or strong, how much, what level or pitch, and the special colors—are presented. Next the movement of musical sound is assessed—how fast, how smooth, how regular or irregular, how gentle or forceful. The arrival of the movement itself—gentle, forceful, clear, doubtful, tentative, final—is also discussed. Gen¬ eral expressive values as suggested by the music are also evaluated. The listening experiences are explained in terms of basic musical processes and relationships. The phrase as a basic unit of musical structure is discussed; mel¬ ody as the salient feature, the element most easily discerned, is described; rhythm is presented as the element which organizes musical time; texture deals with the manner in which the component voices being heard act with or against each other; and harmony covers relationships between musical tones and the sense of position which such relationships can give. (Continued on hack flap)

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McGRAW-HILL SERIES IN MUSIC Douglas Moore,

Consulting Editor

Music

o

The Listener’s Art

Gift of

Prof. Marjorie Hayward

McGRAW-HILL SERIES IN MUSIC Douglas Moore, Consulting Editor

AtKisson: Chase:

Basic Counterpoint

America’s Music

Ratner: Wagner:

Music: The Listener’s Art Orchestration: A Practical Handbook

Other titles in preparation

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THE LISTENER'S ART

Leonard G. Katner STANFORD

UNIVERSITY

McGRAW-HILL BOOK CO., INC. 1957

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New York

T E' L,ERA”Y

Metropolitan /., a. Boston, MA 02156 (617) 364-3510

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