History of Music Theory

Liszt Ferenc Zenemuveszeti Egyetem

The dichotomy of musica theorica and musica practica has existed hand in hand through the entire history of music. The content of the subject is the complete, systematic and historic survey of the theory of European music, from the doctrine of the ’7 liberal arts’ to the present times. Fundamental object of the course is to focus on the central theoretical questions of the different historical periods. Thus, the system of medieval modes is followed by the components of early polyphony (rhythm, consonance/dissonance), Renaissance vocal polyphony (counterpoint), the doctrine of the basso continuo, phenomena of musical expression (musica poetica), then, originated in the epoch-making concept of Rameau. the modern science of Harmonielehre and Formenlehre. The 20th century is represented by the 12-tone technique, serial composition, and Schenker analysis. 1st semester: from the Middle Ages to the Baroque 2nd semester: 18th-19th-20th centuries

The subject is available for music theory major students, after having completed 6 semesters of music theory.

The reading and analysis of a representative selection from the following theoretical sources. Boethius, De institutione musica (5-6th c.) Isidorus, Etymologiae (6-7th c.) Guido d’Arezzo, Epistola de ignoto cantu (c. 1030) Franco von Köln, Ars cantus mensurabilis (c. 1250) Jacques de Liege, Speculum musicae (early 14th c.) Tinctoris, Liber de arte contrapuncti (1477) Gafurius, Practica musicae (1496) Glareanus, Dodecachordon (1547) Zarlino, Istitutioni harmoniche (1558) BASSO CONTINUO (Viadana, Agazzari, Praetorius, Gasparini, J.S.Bach) Mattheson, Der vollkommene Capellmeister (1739) Fux, Gradus ad Parnassum (1725) Rameau, Traité de l’harmonie (1722) Koch, Versuch einer Anweisung zur Composition, I-III (1782-93) Marx, Die Lehre von der musikalischen Composition, I-IV (1837-47) Hugo Riemann Schönberg, Harmonielehre (1911) , Der freie Satz (1935)