Revisiting the Galant in Gjerdingenian Schemata

Abstract

Robert Gjerdingen's schema theory focuses the long‐debated ‘galant’ style concretely onto an inventory of stock musical phrases, or ‘galant schemata’. The rich historico‐cognitive discourse sparked by this growing ‘schematicon’ has provided significant theoretical evidence for their historical situatedness, coherence and objectivity; however, there remains a shortage of empirical studies that problematise their contexts of applicability, as well as descriptiveness within full galant works. In light of this, the present investigation schematically interprets three varied works by the eighteenth‐century composer C. P. E. Bach, who is known for pushing the boundaries of the galant style: the Magnificat in D, Wq. 215; Die Israeliten in der Wüste, Wq. 238 (all applicable movements); and the ‘Württemberg’ Sonatas, Wq. 49 (opening movements). Similar proportions of each vocal work are found to be covered by galant schemata (55 per cent and 46 per cent, respectively), atypical schema variants (17 per cent and 24 per cent respectively) and non‐schematic space (25 per cent each), whilst the ‘Württemberg’ Sonatas yielded more (82 per cent) typical schemata, fewer (3 per cent) atypical schemata and reduced (13 per cent) non‐schematic space. Comparisons and analyses within and between these works and schematic categories reveal potential additions to the galant schematicon; highlight the existence of interactions between galant schemata, higher‐level schemas and partimenti schemata; and elucidate both fluid and strict understandings of Gjerdingen's galant category within eighteenth‐century music. Consequently, they focus the question of schema historicity back onto their galant situatedness and establish an important evidence‐based framework from which the Gjerdingenian galant category – and the schemata which constitute it – may be further elucidated.