Chapter 9: Twelve-Tone Music — Read

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9.1: Basics of Twelve-Tone Theory
This page explores the twelve-tone composition technique, which treats all twelve pitch classes equally and is linked to the Second Viennese School. It explains the use of fixed rows that can be manipulated in various ways, yielding 48 forms, and illustrates how composers creatively interpret this technique through examples like Dallapiccola's "Piccola Musica Notturna" and Tavener's "The Lamb.
9.2: Naming Conventions for Rows
This page examines various methods for representing twelve-tone music, including pitch notation and row labeling, focusing on fixed and movable zero conventions. It discusses different matrix structures for organizing twelve-tone rows, emphasizing the importance of consistent application to avoid confusion. The chapter also introduces various matrix types and encourages exploration of row distribution methods while referring to external analysis for deeper understanding.
9.3: Row Properties
This page examines twelve-tone rows' properties in serial music, focusing on all-interval rows, derived rows, and hexachordal combinatoriality. It highlights the appeal of distinct intervals and explores segmentations that enhance compositional unity. The discussion includes semi-combinatorial relationships and transformations such as transposition and inversion, emphasizing the "magic hexachord" and its impact on composers like Webern and Schoenberg.
9.4: Analysis Examples – Webern Op. 21 and 24
This page explores the intricacies of analyzing Webern's twelve-tone music, specifically his works Op. 21 and Op. 24. It emphasizes technical aspects like row forms and canons alongside broader contextual questions, such as the classification of his atonal pieces. The discussion highlights the complexity of Webern's thematic structures and the interplay between traditional symphonic forms and innovative techniques.
9.5: History and Context of Serialism
This page explores serialism in 20th-century music, tracing its origins to figures like Hauer and examining structural changes it introduced. It discusses the dual nature of serialism as a new order and a potential totalitarian influence. The influence of tonal precedents from composers like Bach and Haydn is highlighted, along with the development of "integral" serialism that broadens the technique's scope.

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