[Smt-talk] Criteria for Old and New

[Nicolas Meeùs]

Dear Ninov,

I really wonder where you got what you think you know abour Schenker.

Schenker himself certainly never "prescribes a prolongation": this 
merely is foreign to his vocabulary. Schenker, at most, would say that a 
given T–S–D–T progression at a given level may ultimately form the 
elaboration of T at a deeper level. Most of his fundamental structures 
are T–S–D–T successions (even if, from an abstract point of view he 
himself did not much stress, they might be viewed as the elaboration of 
an abstract tonic chord).

Schenker also clearly said that a perfect cadence includes not only 
re–do (^2–^1) above sol–do (V–I), but also si–do in an "inner voice". 
This is clearly stated in §17 of Free Composition. And the relation 
between upper and inner voice must be understood in the abstract: it may 
as well be that the "inner" voice is the top one in the music.

Schenker never erases degree IV to replace it with degree III. He merely 
says that possible fundamental structures (which may or may not be 
cadences) include I–IV–V–I or I–III–V–I. Even Wikipedia says so (see the 
'Schenkerian analysis' article).

Nicolas Meeùs
Université Paris-Sorbonne



Le 8/03/2013 18:13, Ninov, Dimitar N a écrit :
> Dear Paul,
>
> If they compose, or arrange, or play harmonic progressions on the piano and devise modulations, they are certainly using working knowledge on harmony, not a speculative one.
>
> Thus they would certainly enjoy the dynamic interaction between T, S, D and their substitute chords: at some places where Schenker prescribes a prolongation, they will hear clear harmonic exchange; wherever he alters an ascending melodic line to convince the world it is descending, they will appreciate the ending on “si-do” or “sol-do” as a perfect melodic cadence; wherever he erases scale degree 4 in the bass to replace it with 3, they will appreciate the logic of the “do-fa-sol-do” fundamental bass as a typical means of  unfolding a key.
>
> In doing all that, they will see no Schenker, but the colorful picture of the holy trinity (T, S, and D) and their apostles (SII, M, SM and DVII).
>
> Thank you,
>
> Dimitar
>
> Dr. Dimitar Ninov, Lecturer
> School of Music
> Texas State University
> 601 University Drive
> San Marcos, Texas 78666
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