Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis

Rating:
Summary: Best when used by a great teacher
Review: Forte's "Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis" is most effective when used by a good teacher. After all, this is a textbook and not a novel. I feel that some of the reviewers of this book are comparing Forte to Ernest Hemingway, or Robert Frost. Writings on music theory are extremely technical; they are almost never going to be eloquent or poetic. Sometimes things are difficult to understand. THAT'S WHY PROFESSORS EARN $90,000 PER YEAR.

This book contains several examples from the tonal literature that define, explain, and illuminate the principles associated with Schenkerian theory in a candid, matter-of-fact way. I recommend this book for anyone interested in music theory.

Rating:
Summary: A nightmare!
Review: I am a student of music and read musical analyses avariciously; I had no problem understanding 'The Art of fugue' or Piston's 'Harmony'. This book, on the other hand, is an abstruse Nightmare! It's odd because Mr. Forte at least pretends to want to explain his subject clearly, and the book has just hundreds of examples; but I'm afraid I hardly understood a single one of them. From the very earlist examples on, Mr. Forte paints full Schenkerian grafts, before you even know what half of those silly lines and phrasing markes mean, and example after example I found my poor self asking: why this way, and not that way? And so I read the entire book, front to cover, various times, trying to see if this or that question would eventually be addressed, but in vain.
Since then I have come to understand Schenkerian thought, partly, through other sources. I have concluded that the reason his theories are so very hard to understand and to put into practice is because a great deal of it is just nonsense for people who wish they were composers but aren't, and so they spend their time painting little complicated grafts (which are often even misleading about the way we hear music). That said, I nevertheless hope that one day a better, clearer book on this historically important subject will soon be writ.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Intro to Schenker
Review: I've been looking for a book like this for a long time. I'm using it for self-study of Schenker's theories. I find Schenkers own works to assume that one already understands a lot about his theories. This book starts from the beginning, and leads you through some very complex and worthwhile ideas. I think any serious musician not acquainted with Schenker and interested in more than a superficial understanding of his thought could greatly benefit from reading this book (and working through the exercises).

Rating:
Summary: Does this really need a review?
Review: If you have navigated your way to this page and are actually reading this review my advice is simple: stop now and buy the book because if you actually tried to find this book you shouldn't need any coercion one way or the other. However, if you want a little prodding, here's a little more about this selection:

It's not literature, it's the introduction to a school of theory that is becoming increasingly popular in the United States because of the need to analyze music based on how it sounds, not just how it looks. If you're looking for a supplemental book for class use, or simply the opportunity to get your feet wet in Schenkerian analysis then look no further. Although the translation to English is evident you shouldn't ever find yourself confused on account of syntax. If you're looking for a primary textbook to use for a music theory course I recommend adapting Schenker's theories and explaining them thus in your classroom. Your students will thank you, trust me...

Rating:
Summary: clumsy
Review: Never fear. No one is likely ever to mistake the author of "Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis" for Ernest Hemingway. In fact there exist many eloquent and elegantly written music theory textbooks, Walter Piston's "Counterpoint" and Cecil Forsyth's "Orchestration" among them. But I don't expect eloquence. I expect that a writer who can't distinguish adjectives and nouns, who doesn't understand that pronouns require antecedents, and who mangles his diction should not be published--or at least that his manuscript should be carefully edited. By this criterion alone I might reasonably withhold from "Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis" as many stars as I am allowed. (Alas, I am not so reasonable.) I don't have room now to discuss its treatment of Schenker's theories. I should like to point out, however, (to belabor the obvious) that 1) no book can be excused its faults on the ground that it is intended as a classroom supplement and that 2) it is illogical and...rude to gratuitously assume criticism the concomitant of ignorance or opacity.

Rating:
Summary: More misconceptions
Review: The author of "clumsy" no doubt wrote a similar review for Straus's Intro. to Post-Tonal theory, wherein he affirms once again that "criticims is not concomitant with ignorance or opactiy." Such an argument and string of academic babble, misplaced twice within similar contexts, canonly be willful ignorance. In both cases, the reviewer critcizes not an iota of the book's content he is reviewing! Forte/Gilbert is a standard text in Schenkerian Analysis. It is by no means, however, a great text. It is indeed dense and its organization is quite often flawed. However, this is a presentational issue mainly. It is neither what "clumsy" has implied (that it lack content), nor what "A nightmare!" has stated out right (that it is a theoretical imposition of a composer-wannabe's ideas onto compositions). Neither the original theory nor this book explains all of tonal music (or claims to!) and to make the calims such as those made above is absurd. If you need to buy this book, you will. Otherwise, it is not exactly enjoyable reading. The Cadwallader/Gagne text is a more practical introduction to Schenkerian Analysis, for those that are freelancing in music theory. I give this book no more than 3 stars as well but I do it on the basis of having read, grappled, and understood the book and its flaws. No book, no matter how flawed, deserves the treatment of an ignorant gloss in an honest review.

Rating:
Summary: More misconceptions
Review: The author of "clumsy" no doubt wrote a similar review for Straus's Intro. to Post-Tonal theory, wherein he affirms once again that "criticims is not concomitant with ignorance or opactiy." Such an argument and string of academic babble, misplaced twice within similar contexts, canonly be willful ignorance. In both cases, the reviewer critcizes not an iota of the book's content he is reviewing! Forte/Gilbert is a standard text in Schenkerian Analysis. It is by no means, however, a great text. It is indeed dense and its organization is quite often flawed. However, this is a presentational issue mainly. It is neither what "clumsy" has implied (that it lack content), nor what "A nightmare!" has stated out right (that it is a theoretical imposition of a composer-wannabe's ideas onto compositions). Neither the original theory nor this book explains all of tonal music (or claims to!) and to make the calims such as those made above is absurd. If you need to buy this book, you will. Otherwise, it is not exactly enjoyable reading. The Cadwallader/Gagne text is a more practical introduction to Schenkerian Analysis, for those that are freelancing in music theory. I give this book no more than 3 stars as well but I do it on the basis of having read, grappled, and understood the book and its flaws. No book, no matter how flawed, deserves the treatment of an ignorant gloss in an honest review.

Rating:
Summary: reluctantly recommended
Review: This gets three stars because it is the only readable (just) exposition of Schenker's theory in one volume available--to my knowledge. Otherwise it should get one star. The author's prose is clumsy, often ungrammatical, and his argument is unsound, often logically fallacious. Eventually something better will come along. (Readers interested in music theory will probably want to look at PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns too.)