Why americans so love Schenker (and Riemann even more)

Abstract

In the history of music theory in the 20^th century, two figures stand out above all others: Heinrich Schenker and Hugo Riemann. In Russia Riemann’s conceptions have dominated, while in the United States Schenker is preeminent. However, there are strong undercurrents of Schenkerian theory in Russia and Riemannian theory in America.

In this article the author contextualizes these two figures by examining their reception in Russia and America and by explaining how both countries currently understand the legacy of these two authors.

Among the main followers of Schenker in Russiaб the author distinguishes Yu. Kholopov (he wrote a number of articles on Schenker's theory, as well as the book «The Musical and Theoretical System of Heinrich Schenker»), B. Plotnikov, who translated Schenker's «Der freie Satz» into Russian and E. Lagutina, who wrote the dissertation «Heinrich Schenker and his “Harmonielehre”».

In the United States, such scientists as G. Weiss, O. Jonas, E. Oster, F. Salzer, and K. Shakhtar played a key role in the dissemination of Schenker theory. Thanks to them and other authors, almost all of Schenker's works were translated into English, the most important articles and books about him and his works were written, journals devoted to Schenker's ideas were founded, scientific conferences were organized, teaching of music theory based on his ideas began.

The ideas of Riemann in Russia were transmitted through the works of G. Catoire («Теоретический курс гармонии» [«The Theoretical Course of Harmony»]), I. Dubovsky, S. Evseev and I. Methodin («Учебник гармонии» [«Textbook of Harmony»]), B. Yavorsky (translation of Riemann’s «Systematische Modulationslehre als Grundlage der musikalischen Formenlehre»).

In America, Riemann’s harmonious theories were ignored for a long time until the work of David Lewin came out in the 1980s: «A Formal Theory of Generalized Tonal Functions», «Generalized Musical Intervals and Transformations», and «Some Notes on Analyzing Wagner: The Ring and Parsifal». Lewin was one of the initiators of the creation in the USA of a new school of harmonic analysis («Neo-Riemannian Theory»), which arose as a reaction to the prevailing Schenker system.

Currently, most American harmony textbooks are based on Schencker's theories. But there are also new publications, for example, «Harmony in Context» by M. Roig-Francoli and «Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony» by J. Strauss and P. Burstin, based on the ideas of Riemann.

Keywords: Heinrich Schenker, Hugo Riemann, music theory, harmony,musical analysis, step theory, function theory, history of music theory,American music theory