James Kent Williams

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Theories and Analysis of 20th Century Music

James Kent Williams; Kent Williams

Synopsis:
This introduction to the theories and analytical approaches of contemporary Western art music focuses primarily on pitch, but also treats rhythm and meter, texture, and form. Analyses of three songs exemplifying distinct modes of pitch organization (functional tonality, atonality, and neotonality) engage students, helping them understand the implications of what they have learned. Williams covers the fundamentals of set theory, and then expands on these fundamentals in chapters on diatonicism, symmetrical sets, neotonality, free atonality, and serialism. The author also explores more recent compositional techniques, such as chance and indeterminacy, minimalism, and eclecticism.

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