New Approaches to the Linear Analysis of Music

A number of recent studies incorporate linear analysis of non-standard tonal music and non-tonal music. Although the author takes issue with the application of strict Schenkerian paradigms to such music he acknowledges the historical importance of the Schenkerian canon. Invoking new procedures, among them pitch-class set-analytical techniques, the author presents a series of analyses which reveal linear-motivic features held to be essential to the music under consideration over temporal spans of varying length. The study, which includes works by Stravinsky, Wagner, and Scriabin, ends by suggesting three guidelines for subsequent efforts in this new area of analytical research.