This study describes the integration of harmonic idiom and tonal design in
Schoenberg's First Quartet, op. 7. Two general questions are answered:
whether the composition should be judged by common-practice-period norms, and
whether a coherent tonal structure is truly discernible.
Chapter 1 first surveys the existing literature. It then describes a prime
motivator of foreground chromaticism in the quartet—the chromatic surrounding
of tonic and dominant pitches—and discusses two features of large-scale pitch
organization applicable to Schoenberg's first-period music that contravene
common-practice-period norms: tonal structure consisting of a pattern of keys,
and systematic use of dual or even multiple tonics in place of monotonality.
Examples illustrate three types of graphic representation of tonal duality to be
used in the study.
The next four chapters describe tonal process within and across the four
"movements" of the quartet (Schoenberg's Parts I through IV). Chapter 2, which
studies Part I, reveals systematic avoidance of V-I function in the opening key, D,
tonal rivalries between D and each of its two semitone-related keys, and the
beginning of a large-scale chromatic surrounding of the key of D. Chapter 3, on
Part II of the quartet, demonstrates continuation of the rivalry between tonics D
and Dt> by their use as competing secondary tonics within the Scherzo, and the
harmonic progression VII-I replacing V-I at a crucial structural point. Chapter 4,
on Part III of the quartet, describes tonal duality as it occurs in the Adagio, the
furthering of the tonal plot in a section that engages in a "plagal" system of
tonality, and the beginning of a large chromatic surrounding of A. Chapter 5
shows that Part IV eschews a simple relationship between the A-major tonic of the
Rondo and the D-major tonic of the Coda by allowing the infiltration of elements
of the Db-major collection.
Chapter 6 summarizes the evidence contradicting a monotonal
understanding of the composition and reviews evidence that the demonstrated
multi-tonal coherence is part of the musical reality of the work.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/6276 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Cavanagh, Lynn Marie |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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