Issues

1. Discuss the historical conditions (recite works) concerning the breaking of tonal practices.

2. Discuss the historical importance of Schoenberg’s 4th String Quartet.

3. What happens when an interval of 2 semitones is present in a row? Discuss this interval in the context of 12-tone music.

4. What is the difference between partitioning & segmentation?

5. Why are tonal rhythms and 12-tone pitch structures incompatible?

6. What is the time-point system? How is it different from durational systems used in Europe in the ‘50’s?

7. What set properties does Babbitt prefer to use?

8. Talk about combinatoriality. What types are there? How does one figure out a set’s property?

9. How does a composer achieve a cadence in non-tonal music?

10. How is pacing defined in 12-tone music?

11. In a numeric 12-tone set, what is represented by the numbers?

12. What ambiguity does Berg enlist in some of his sets?

13. What is the fundamental difference between the nature of tonal and non-tonal harmonic structures?

14. Discuss the opening of Babbitt’s St. Qt. #3.

15. Discuss tonal rhythmic structure in terms of non-harmonic tones. How does the situation differe in non-tonal music?

16. What does the term “chromatic completion” imply? To what musical parameters does it apply?

17. Is 12-tone music a “style”? Why or why not?

18. What are the differences between mod 12 and mod 9 pitch systems? In what type of music is each formula applied?

19. Of all the types of combinatorial sets, which yields the most intervallic linearly? The least?

20. What is interesting about the Webern Piano Variatoins, 2nd mvt?

21. Why is combinatoriality desirable?

22. What is a “source” hexachord?

23. What is meant by a “degenerative” set?

24. What was the first piece of music to use rhythmic serialization?

25. Discuss the history of music in 20th C. America. Why is the educated public so far behind composers today?

1900-22: German music banned in US; American culture misses out on transition from tonal to non-tonal music