The Languages of Western Tonality

Nonfiction, Computers, Advanced Computing, Computer Science, Entertainment, Music, History
Cover of the book The Languages of Western Tonality by Eytan Agmon, Springer Berlin Heidelberg
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Eytan Agmon ISBN: 9783642395871
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg Publication: November 29, 2013
Imprint: Springer Language: English
Author: Eytan Agmon
ISBN: 9783642395871
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication: November 29, 2013
Imprint: Springer
Language: English

Tonal music, from a historical perspective, is far from homogenous; yet an enduring feature is a background "diatonic" system of exactly seven notes orderable cyclically by fifth. What is the source of the durability of the diatonic system, the octave of which is representable in terms of two particular integers, namely 12 and 7? And how is this durability consistent with the equally remarkable variety of musical styles — or languages — that the history of Western tonal music has taught us exist? This book is an attempt to answer these questions. Using mathematical tools to describe and explain the Western musical system as a highly sophisticated communication system, this theoretical, historical, and cognitive study is unprecedented in scope and depth. The author engages in intense dialogue with 1000 years of music-theoretical thinking, offering answers to some of the most enduring questions concerning Western tonality. The book is divided into two main parts, both governed by the communicative premise. Part I studies proto-tonality, the background system of notes prior to the selection of a privileged note known as "final." After some preliminaries that concern consonance and chromaticism, Part II begins with the notion "mode." A mode is "dyadic" or "triadic," depending on its "nucleus." Further, a "key" is a special type of "semi-key" which is a special type of mode. Different combinations of these categories account for tonal variety. Ninth-century music, for example, is a tonal language of dyadic modes, while seventeenth-century music is a language of triadic semi-keys. While portions of the book are characterized by abstraction and formal rigor, more suitable for expert readers, it will also be of value to anyone intrigued by the tonal phenomenon at large, including music theorists, musicologists, and music-cognition researchers. The content is supported by a general index, a list of definitions, a list of notation used, and two appendices providing the basic mathematical background.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Tonal music, from a historical perspective, is far from homogenous; yet an enduring feature is a background "diatonic" system of exactly seven notes orderable cyclically by fifth. What is the source of the durability of the diatonic system, the octave of which is representable in terms of two particular integers, namely 12 and 7? And how is this durability consistent with the equally remarkable variety of musical styles — or languages — that the history of Western tonal music has taught us exist? This book is an attempt to answer these questions. Using mathematical tools to describe and explain the Western musical system as a highly sophisticated communication system, this theoretical, historical, and cognitive study is unprecedented in scope and depth. The author engages in intense dialogue with 1000 years of music-theoretical thinking, offering answers to some of the most enduring questions concerning Western tonality. The book is divided into two main parts, both governed by the communicative premise. Part I studies proto-tonality, the background system of notes prior to the selection of a privileged note known as "final." After some preliminaries that concern consonance and chromaticism, Part II begins with the notion "mode." A mode is "dyadic" or "triadic," depending on its "nucleus." Further, a "key" is a special type of "semi-key" which is a special type of mode. Different combinations of these categories account for tonal variety. Ninth-century music, for example, is a tonal language of dyadic modes, while seventeenth-century music is a language of triadic semi-keys. While portions of the book are characterized by abstraction and formal rigor, more suitable for expert readers, it will also be of value to anyone intrigued by the tonal phenomenon at large, including music theorists, musicologists, and music-cognition researchers. The content is supported by a general index, a list of definitions, a list of notation used, and two appendices providing the basic mathematical background.

More books from Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Cover of the book Labor Markets and Social Security by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book The Message of Quantum Science by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book Nuclear Medicine Technology by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book Cell-Free Protein Expression by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book The Mammalian Carotid Body by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book System Analysis of Ambulatory Care in Selected Countries by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book The Architecture of Green Economic Policies by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book Methoden für die klinische Forschung und diagnostische Praxis by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book Finanzmathematik in diskreter Zeit by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book Ontology Engineering in a Networked World by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book Notfallkommando - Kommunikation in Notfallsituationen für Gesundheitsberufe by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book Wie kommt die Kultur in den Kopf? by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book The Human Yolk Sac and Yolk Sac Tumors by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book Hiroshima to Fukushima by Eytan Agmon
Cover of the book Biology of Ovarian Follicles in Mammals by Eytan Agmon
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy