Lerdahl Alfred Whitford (Fred)
ISSN 2308-1333
Master of Fine Arts, Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts of Lawrence University of Wisconsin, Professor Emeritus of Musical Composition of Columbia University оf the City of New York
E-mail: awl1@columbia.edu
Generative Music Theory in Relation to the Schenkerian and Riemannian Traditions
Abstract
Generative music theory treats music theory as a branch of cognitive science and, through a rule system, models the structures that listeners implicitly infer from a musical surface. This paper discusses commonalities and differences between this approach and those of two major predecessors in the history of music theory, Schenker and Riemann. An analysis of a Schumann song helps make the comparisons tangible.
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