Forma jako prostor pro vyjádření hudební myšlenky Title of the Diploma Thesis: Form as a space for expressing musical ideas Abstract: The Diploma thesis deals with form as a meaningful space for expressing and developing musical ideas. The theoretical part describes various aspects of musical forms and elaborates the basic principles of musical forming. It also compares several books on the topic of musical forms concerning their use in pedagogical practice. Another part presents research on the topic of musical forms teaching. The chapter on pedagogical applications introduces ideas about presenting forms in music classes with the use of productive activities.

The aim of this diploma thesis is a profound understanding of the compositional intention and interpretation of the piano cycles Bagatelles et Impromtus by Bedřich Smetana. The first part of the thesis focuses on composer's personality and circumstances associated with the origin of this music piece. The second part of the thesis deals with a complex analysis of individual parts of the music cycle and its educational and interpretative grasp. Part of this thesis is an interview with pianist Miroslav Sekera and his view on the interpretation of the work.

Composition for Arnold Schoenberg is a comprehensible presentation of a musical idea (musikalische Gedanke); the totality of a piece represents the idea. For tonal works, he defines Gedanke as a process of resolving the "tonal relation" or "tonal problem." Contrary to the numerous tonal examples illustrating the notion of Gedanke, Schoenberg hardly expounds on the Gedanke principle for his atonal and twelve-tone repertoires. This study reevaluates Schoenberg's compositional philosophy and aesthetics including Gedanke, comprehensibility, Grundgestalt, and developing variation in light of his compositional practices in Begleitungsmusik zu einer Lichtspielszene, Op. 34. Although Schoenberg denies the existence of a tonal problem and hierarchy among pitches in twelve-tone compositions, the registral placement found in Op. 34 indicates certain functionality assigned to each pitch-class, producing a sense of "departure and return." The approach here elucidates the "idea" of Op. 34, in which the large-scale formal organization unfolds through contextually emphasized tonal relations. This study also explores Schoenberg's concept of the multi-dimensional presentation of a musical idea. Even though Schoenberg's discussion of musical coherence is usually limited to the immediate musical surface, I believe that he was also aware of an extended realization of foreground motives in the sense of Heinrich Schenker's "concealed motivic repetition." This analysis of Op. 34 demonstrates how the enlargement of a surface motive facilitates an understanding of the relation between the parts and the whole, which is perceived as the totality of Gedanke.

In this diploma thesis I deal with the issue of a musical sign. My goal is to introduce theory of musical sign, which would primarily address the question of its object. It seems that the object of the musical representation is the most problematic part of this thesis. I have based my arguments on theories of Eduard Hanslick, Susanne Langer and Felicia Kruse. Also, the emotions are heavily connected to this question. I attempt to find out if emotions may be the actual object of musical sign and what should its character be. I do so through a critical assesement of the above mentioned theories. The hypotethical outcome of this thesis such theory of musical sign which would address the dilema of musical emotions but also a paradox of composer - listener part in musical representation.