The podcast features Robert Gjerdingen, an esteemed professor and author of the groundbreaking book 'Music in the Galant Style' and the excellent 'Child Composers in the Old Conservatories.' He discusses topics such as the influence of professors in music theory, the connection between music perception and cognition, the controversy surrounding their book, the origin and use of chord symbols, understanding language through context and cues, testing partamento in music education, and creativity in music.
Music perception and cognition studies influenced the speaker's research on schema and partimenti in 18th-century music.
Learning schema and partimenti can benefit musicians, and these concepts can be taught on various instruments.
Creativity in music arises from combining and reinterpreting existing musical ideas, using tradition and familiarity to enhance communication with audiences.
Deep dives
Influence of Leonard Meyer and Eugene Narmer on Schema and Partimento Study
The speaker discusses their background in music theory and how they were influenced by professors Leonard Meyer and Eugene Narmer. Meyer and Narmer took a psychological approach to music theory, emphasizing that music happens in the mind. They were amongst the first to be involved in music perception and cognition studies. The speaker was particularly intrigued by an article written by Leonard Meyer about a schema (later referred to as the Meyer) that could be found in music by Mozart, Beethoven, and Berlioz. This led to their own research and the discovery that schema and partimenti were prevalent in 18th-century music. The speaker's work faced initial criticism but received recognition and awards later on.
The Utility and Teaching of Schema and Partimento
The speaker discusses the utility and teaching of schema and partimento. They suggest that learning these concepts can be beneficial for musicians and can be taught on various instruments. The speaker emphasizes the importance of contextual understanding and how concepts like chord progressions and melodies can be adapted and personalized. They also mention that schema and partimenti can be tested through performance-based assessments, allowing instant evaluation of a student's understanding and creativity in applying these concepts.
The Role of Clichés and Creativity in Music
The speaker explores the role of clichés and creativity in music. They argue that clichés are not inherently negative and that originality in music often arises from combining and reinterpreting existing musical ideas. They highlight that creativity can be found in the way musicians assemble and develop musical materials, rather than solely in the choice of material itself. The speaker expands on how tradition and familiarity with certain musical patterns and conventions can actually enhance creativity and communication with audiences.
Contrasting Approaches to Large-Scale Harmonic Analysis
The speaker addresses the contrasting approaches to large-scale harmonic analysis in music. They mention that while Roman numerals can be useful for identifying key centers and labeling harmonic progressions, they may not capture the nuanced structural relationships that exist in more complex music. They suggest that schema can provide a more effective framework for analyzing larger harmonic motions and understanding the overall organization of a musical work. The speaker emphasizes the importance of acknowledging different time scales and how the human mind processes music at various levels of detail.
Testing and Grading in Partimento Education
The speaker discusses the idea of testing and grading in partimento education. They propose that testing partimento skills can be done through performance-based assessments, such as realizing figured bass or improvising partimenti. They mention the value of immediate evaluation and how it provides insight into a student's understanding and application of partimento concepts. The speaker also notes the need for different levels of testing, starting with chordal realizations and progressing to more advanced partimenti. They suggest that testing should focus on assessing musicality and application rather than simply replicating cliched patterns.
I have the huge honor to welcome back to the program, the esteemed Professor Robert Gjerdingen, he is the author of the groundbreaking 2007 “Music in the Galant Style” which won the Wallace Berry award from the Society of Music Theory in 2009. He followed up that book with the excellent 2020 book “Child Composers in the Old Conservatories” and he frequently updates the great website partimenti.org which if you are interested in partimento, need to have that website bookmarked because it has a ton of great material and is constantly being updated.
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