Heinrich Schenker (1868–1935)

Der freie Satz is one of the most important books ever written about Western tonal music. It should be much more known than it is. Schenker describes musical composition in terms of an unfolding of the overtone series -- a phenomenon of nature that talented musicians, both composers and performers, hear in musical sounds. The theory he expounds is not dry and abstract, but leads the composer and performer into deeper understanding of tonal music by revealing the grammatical structure of a good composition. The composition is "free" because the underlying structure is firm while the overlying elaboration is creative and unique to each work. A fitting analogy is the basic line and shape sketching an artist puts on the paper at the beginning of a painting, which is later elaborated with beautiful and unique details. Do not be fooled by imitations! Read the source and do not rely on what many authors explain as being Schenker's theory. Many of these books simplify Schenker's ideas to the point of distorting them. Admittedly, his ideas are difficult, but they are well worth the effort to understand. It is a great tool for unlocking the meaning in Western tonal music, especially for the performer who wants to discover how to "speak" the meaning in the works he plays. Every performer who is serious about increasing his appreciation of tonal music should study this book.… (más)