The Rhythmic Analysis of 20th-Century Music

Smither, Howard E.

doi:10.2307/842973

Journal of Music Theory

1964

DOI: 10.2307/842973

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The Rhythmic Analysis of 20th-Century Music

Howard E. Smither¹

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1978

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“…Rhythm as a temporal concept has been an area of investigation by a selected number of psychologists and music theorists for many years. As it is a term dif cult to de ne, scientists have chosen a general de nition such as: rhythm is order in time (Fraisse, 1982;Jones, 1978;Smither, 1964). However, in spite of this dif culty, there is agreement that rhythm is a time phenomenon characterized by two essential components, structure and periodicity (Cooper & Meyer, 1960;Davies, 1978;Fraisse, 1974;Jones, 1978;Seashore, 1938).…”

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The Role of Rhythm in Ballet Training

Côté-Laurence¹

2000

Research in Dance Education

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The Role of Rhythm in Ballet Training

Côté-Laurence¹

2000

Research in Dance Education

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Rhythm in Tippett's Early Music

Kemp¹

1978

Proc. R. Music. Assoc.

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Rhythmic energy is the most striking single feature of Tippett's music – and especially of that written during the first ten years or so of his creative maturity, the period with which this paper is concerned. Tippett's significance lies less, however, in the fact that he has made a major contribution to a vital trend in twentieth-century music than in the particular complexion of his contribution. By associating rhythmic energy so closely with the idea of regeneration, he has given rhythm the decisive role in the formulation of a philosophy; and by articulating this philosophy broadly in terms of a received musical language he has shown that regeneration can grow from within and need not be imposed from without. With one exception, the components of his rhythmic language are drawn from the common currency of the present and previous centuries. The disposition of these components may be unexpected, but their identity remains familiar and is rarely distorted – by melodic angularity or rhythmic displacement, for example. When Tippett uses syncopation it is readily heard as such (as in bar 2 of ex. 2 below or the second half of bar 6 of ex. 3) and thus can easily be distinguished from the exception, anticipatory rhythm, with which it bears a superficial resemblance.

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Interacting Pulse Streams in Schoenberg's Atonal Polyphony

Roeder¹

1994

Music Theory Spectrum

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Rhythmic organization in much of Schoenberg's music extends and even transcends common metrical practice. Innovation is evident especially in his middle-period works where the texture is highly polyphonic and the often canonic voices are saturated with a few distinct motives. Although regular pulses are fleetingly evident in these works, the surface rhythms change rapidly and irregularly. Constantly changing meter signatures apparently preclude the regular hierarchy of pulses necessary for hypermeter. For example, the opening of the Little Piano Piece, Op. 19 No. 1, reproduced in Example 1, presents a polyphony of temporally overlapping but distinguishable rhythmic groups, each consisting of diverse arrangements of accents. The irregular accents do not conform to the notated meter signatures, nor to any single regular pulse for that matter. Even in pieces that parody conventional tonal forms and phrase structures, such as the texturally and metrically more regular twelve-tone works, rhythmic gestures are accentually shaped contrary to the notated meter. 1 The fragmentary texture in this music suggests analyzing it in terms of pitch-class sets-that is, essentially without re-1 See, for instance, the composer's diacritics in m. 22 of the Prelude to the Suite, Op. 25, or in mm. 3-4 of the first movement of the Fourth String Quartet, Op. 37. gard to accents arising from pitch order, contour, or duration within segments. However research by Harald Krebs and Paul Johnson has revealed that Schoenberg conceived some of his pieces primarily rhythmically, insofar as he sketched several versions using the same rhythms but different pitches. 2 Moreover in some of his theoretical writings Schoenberg cites some complex polyphonies by Mozart and Brahms as instances of a "progressive" rhythmic practice that influenced his music. 3 Manifestly an analytical method is 2Harald Krebs, "Three Versions of Schoenberg's Op. 15, No. 14: Obvious Differences and Hidden Similarities," Journal of the Arnold Schoenberg Institute 8, no. 2 (1984): 131-40. His Example 1 demonstrates a "great similarity" of the vocal rhythm in the three sketched versions of Op. 15, No. 14; he also describes a similarity in motives, and in the use of hemiola. Paul Johnson, in "Rhythm and Set Choice in Schoenberg's Piano Concerto," Journal of the Arnold Schoenberg Institute 11, no. 1 (1988): 38-51, displays sketches of three versions of the concerto's opening. The sketches use different twelve-tone "sets" but the rhythm is the same in every case. Johnson comments: "The rhythm of the opening 35 bars took precedence over his pitch ideas.... Rhythm was the primary feature of all the other sketches of the opening.... It is the pitches in the final version that are adjusted, not the rhythm" (48) .

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The Rhythmic Analysis of 20th-Century Music

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

The Role of Rhythm in Ballet Training

The Role of Rhythm in Ballet Training

Rhythm in Tippett's Early Music

Interacting Pulse Streams in Schoenberg's Atonal Polyphony

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