This dissertation develops an analytical model for studying the specific nature of "themes of return" in the instrumental music of Brahms. Such a formal type, whose most familiar examples are the period and the small ternary, is distinguished by the presence of a "return," that is, the restatement, after intervening material, of its initiating material, which performs the same function as it did in its first appearance. / Brahms' return structures are analyzed according to four parameters: cadence, return, phraseology (which combines aspects of grouping, accentuation and rhythmic activity) and variation of tension (produced by the combined action of such factors as the curve of the melodic line, dynamics and surface and harmonic rhythms). / Brahms' use of cadence and return differs fundamentally from that of classical composers. His cadential gestures are subjected to a looser categorization and articulate broader tonal relations than those found in classical practice. With respect to his treatment of return, he differs from classical composers largely in the influence of underlying factors, such as greater continuity in texture or a tendency to avoid an over-predictibility in cadential organization. The study of cadences and returns thus leads to the identification of formal traits characteristic of Brahms, including the use of structures beginning off tonic harmony. / Both the phraseology and the variation of tension in Brahms' themes exhibit a striking diversity in organization. For example, the phraseology may feature a grouping hierarchy based on a binary division combined with an irregular pattern of accentuation, an additive structure associated with a regular accentuation, or asymmetrical groupings. Variations in tension are often organized around a climax; however, the size and range of the fluctuations in tension can vary considerably, the accumulation of intensity which prepares the climax may be accomplished by different combinations of parameters, and each climax may occupy a different position within a given segment. / Return structures, so abundant in the Brahms' instrumental music, feature a great variety in their organization. This abundance and diversity is due to the structural type's ready adaptability to the particular demands of Brahms' musical style.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.34943 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | De Médicis, François. |
| Contributors | Caplin, William E. (advisor), McLean, Donald R. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | French |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Music.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001610039, proquestno: NQ44405, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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