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<font face="Calibri">Hindemith wrote:<br>
</font>
<blockquote><font face="Calibri">Erschwerend für den Unterricht ist
die unglückselige Spaltung der Lehre in zwei getrennte
Unterrichtsfäder. Gewiß muß dem Studierenden der Stoff
übersichtlich geordnet dargeboten werden; mit Übungen zur
Entfaltung der melodischen Phantasie müssen solche zur Erziehung
einer klaren harmonischen Satzweise abwechseln, wie ja auch der
Instrumentalschüler Fingerübungen und Vortragsstücke
nebeneinander erlernt. Die gänzliche Abtrennung aber des
harmonischen Lehrstoffes, dem frühestens nach einem
Unterrichtsjahre ebenso abgesondert wie unzulänglich melodische
Übungen folgen, ist so verfehlt wie etwa eine Methode des
Schlittschuhlaufens, die vor dem Erlernen der eigentlichen
Bewegung forgestztes Üben jedes einzelnen Beines vorschreibt. <br>
(<i>Unterweisung im Tonsatz</i> I, Neue, erweitete Ausgabe,
1940, p. 19.)<br>
<br>
The unfortunate division of the teaching in two separate strands
of education is complicating the instruction. Certainly the
matter must be presented to the student in a clearly arranged
order; exercises for the development of the melodic imagination
must alternate with those teaching a clear harmonic writing,
much as the student performer must learn side to side finger
exercises and concert pieces. The complete separation of the
harmonic matter, which follows after at least a year of teaching
</font><font face="Calibri"> equally segregated and inadequate </font><font
face="Calibri">melodic exercizes, is as faulty as a method of
skating which before the acquisition of the movements properly
speaking requires the continuous exercice of each leg
separately.<br>
</font></blockquote>
<font face="Calibri">The context makes it clear that what Hindemith
understands by "melodic exercizes" concerns voice leading and
counterpoint.</font><br>
<br>
Nicolas Meeùs,<br>
Université Paris-Sorbonne (emeritus)<br>
<br>
<font face="Calibri"><br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Le 11/10/2013 00:21, Ninov, Dimitar N a
écrit :<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:7F2C6E04297A2E4BBF81D4F6F48838990F0234BC@exchmbx3.matrix.txstate.edu"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Dear Colleagues,
In relation to the discussion on specialization versus generalization, I would like to summarize my thoughts with the following passage.
Frequently, we hear the claim that the “integrated approach” to music theory leads to the development of a more complete musician. In our current situation, this literally means that if you studied for three semesters (the fourth one is lost to calculating sets and drawing matrixes) a little bit of harmony, counterpoint and musical form – all in one single “integrated” book – you would gain more theoretical and practical knowledge in theory than if you spent two years in studying separately harmony, counterpoint and musical form from books written by composers or other professionals (who make a living off the creative application of those disciplines). If many colleagues believe that that is the case, I will probably not be able to convince them in the opposite. On the other hand, I believe that specialization eventually leads to greater professionalism and greater completeness in the study of music theory.
Eventually, one thing is certain. The deficiency of skills in the craft of harmonization severely affects one’s scholarship and undermines the development of original ideas which can only emerge in the process of “doing things”. In this sense, I believe that professional theorists cannot rely on research and verbal speculation alone, unless they are historical musicologists. But even then they must possess musical talents and certain performing skills.
Thank you,
Dimitar
Dr. Dimitar Ninov, Lecturer
School of Music
Texas State University
601 University Drive
San Marcos, Texas 78666
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