[Smt-talk] General term for movements, acts, numbers

[Locke, Ralph]

As a further clarification to my suggestion ("work-section"), I should add that, of course, part of the problem is with the (ontological?) concept of what a "work" is.

Among other things, an aria can gain an independent existence, separate from the opera it came from.  (For example, "Bel raggio lusinghier," often performed by sopranos, whereas _Semiramide_ is not often mounted by opera companies.)  

An opera can have many versions, all with some claim to aesthetic (and social, i.e., through their acceptance by performers and audiences) validity.  

Even instrumental works can be performed minus a movement (we almost never hear the Blumine movement from Mahler's First; and Lalo's Symphonie espagnole was usually reduced from 5 mvts. to 4, including in some early recordings).  

Or the reverse: one movement can take on a life of its own (the Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber, which started out as the slow mvt. of his String Quartet; or the Scherzo from Litolff's Concerto Symphonique No. 4, which is often performed by itself).

Ralph Locke

Ralph P. Locke
Professor of Musicology
26 Gibbs St.
Rochester NY 14604-2599 USA
Tel.: 585-274-1455
Fax: 585-274-1088 ("for R. Locke")
RLocke at esm.rochester.edu




-----Original Message-----
From: smt-talk-bounces at lists.societymusictheory.org on behalf of Locke, Ralph
Sent: Fri 5/25/2012 8:51 AM
To: smt-talk at societymusictheory.org
Subject: RE: [Smt-talk] General term for movements, acts, numbers
 
Clearly you're looking for a term that doesn't exist and that is broad enough to include many diff. kinds of things (an aria, a slow movement, etc.): how about "work-section"?

Ralph Locke

Ralph P. Locke
Professor of Musicology
26 Gibbs St.
Rochester NY 14604-2599 USA
Tel.: 585-274-1455
Fax: 585-274-1088 ("for R. Locke")
RLocke at esm.rochester.edu




-----Original Message-----
From: smt-talk-bounces at lists.societymusictheory.org on behalf of Richard Lewis
Sent: Fri 5/25/2012 7:04 AM
To: smt-talk at lists.societymusictheory.org
Subject: [Smt-talk] General term for movements, acts, numbers
 
Collective wisdom,

Is there any established term which covers the concepts of
"movements", "acts" and "scenes", "numbers", etc., i.e. the components
of musical works?

I ask in the context of developing a thematic catalogue database in
which I need to be able to capture this concept and therefore need a
name for it.

In previous similar work I've used "sub-work". But this not only
sounds quite computer-oriented, it also has slightly denigrating
nuances. "Parts" is problematic because the term is commonly used in
music publishing for instrumental and vocal parts. A colleague
suggested "integer" (as a neologism, I think), citing its root meaning
something like indivisible. A problem with this is its
well-established meaning in mathematics and computer science for whole
numbers.

Any thoughts?

Best wishes,
Richard Lewis
-- 
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Richard Lewis
ISMS, Computing
Goldsmiths, University of London
t: +44 (0)20 7078 5134
j: ironchicken at jabber.earth.li
@: lewisrichard
s: richardjlewis
http://www.richardlewis.me.uk/
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