Waveland Press - Glenn Spring, Jere Hutcheson

Understanding the way music unfolds to the listener is a major key for unlocking the secrets of the composer’s art. Musical Form and Analysis, highly regarded and widely used for two decades, provides a balanced theoretical and philosophical approach that helps upper-level undergraduate music majors understand the structures and constructions of major musical forms. Spring and Hutcheson present all of the standard topics expected in such a text, but their approach offers a unique conceptual thrust that takes readers beyond mere analytical terminology and facts.

Evocative rather than encyclopedic, the text is organized around three elements at work at all levels of music: time, pattern, and proportion. Well-chosen examples and direct, well-crafted assignments reinforce techniques. A 140-page anthology of music for in-depth analysis provides a wide range of carefully selected works.

“The best Form & Analysis textbook out there!” — Kevin Olson, Utah State University

“An excellent, well-organized text. The musical scores that accompany the chapters are perfectly chosen.” — Stephen Burnaman, Huston-Tillotson University

“The organization of the book is well done and the included examples are, by and large, excellent.” — Frank Felice, Butler University

PRELUDE: Why Analysis?

Part I: TIME: The Motivating Forces

1. Basic Factors in Form
Rhythm / Melody / Harmony and Tonality / Tension and Relaxation / Articulation of Structural Units

2. The Phrase
General Characteristics / The Additive Process / Phrase Length / The Semiphrase / The Rhythmic Structure of the Phrase / The Harmonic Cadence / The Harmonic Structure of the Phrase / Phrase Extension / Motivic Structure of the Phrase

3. Phrase Groupings
The Two-Phrase Period / Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Periods / Three- and Four-Phrase Periods / The Repeated Period / The Independent Phrase / The Repeated Phrase / The Phrase Group / The Connection of Phrases / Disguised Phrase Endings / Duple Measure Groupings / Description of the Period

Part II: PATTERN: The Shaping Factors

4. The Simple Part Forms
One-Part Form / Two-Part Form / Macrorhythm and Macrotonal Plan / Three-Part Form / Four- and Five-Part Forms / Simple Part Forms as Internal Units / Simple Part Forms in Vocal Music / The Connection of Parts

INTERLUDE: Auxiliary Members
Beginnings / Connections / Conclusions

5. Composite Part Forms
Composite Three-Part Form / Composite Five-Part Form / Composite Part Forms in Vocal Music / Other Composite Part Forms

6. The Rondo
Historical Background / The Classical Rondo: General Characteristics / Treatment of the Principal Theme / The Episodes / The Transition / The Coda / The Five-Part Rondo / The Seven-Part Rondo / Rondo and Part Forms: Similarities and Differences

7. Variation Forms
Theme and Variations / Ostinato Variations

8. Fugue
The Exposition / The Episode / The Middle Entries / The Conclusion / The "Form" of the Fugue / Fugues with Multiple Subjects / Related Types

9. Sonata Form
General Characteristics; Historical Background / The Introduction / The Exposition / The Development / The Recapitulation / The Coda / Sonata Form in the Concerto / Related Forms

Part III: PROPORTION: The Distinguishing Features

10. Multimovement Form
Classical Models / The Concerto: Special Considerations / Cyclical Design / Away from the Classical Model

11. Broader Horizons
Rhythmic Delineation / Parametric Change and Expansion of the Phrase Concept

POSTLUDE: Metaform: Beyond Formal Analysis
The Musical Idea / Musical Character / Proportional Aspects / Under the Magnifying Glass: The Copyist

Anthology: Music for Analysis