Issues on the Grundgestalt analysis applied to popular music

Authors

Keywords:

Grundgestalt and developing variation, Popular music, Derivative analysis

Abstract

This paper deals the suitability of the use of analytical tools associated with Schoenberg’s theory of Grundgestalt for the examination of structural relationships in pieces of popular music. Following the presentation of basic concepts, some of the conclusions presented in a pioneering paper by GREEN (2008), on Duke Ellington ́s motivic treatment are examined. Afterward, the songs Chovendo na Roseira, by Tom Jobim, and Something, by George Harririson are analyzed with specific methodology developed in the research which this study is inserted. The results suggest that, although limited to special conditions and requiring appropriate adaptations, it is possible to apply the derivative analysis to pieces of popular music.

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Author Biography

Carlos de Lemos Almada, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Adjunct Professor at the School of Music, UFRJ, teaching both undergraduate and graduate levels. He holds a doctorate and a master's degree in Music from UNIRIO, both courses with research focused on structural analysis of the First Chamber Symphony op.9, by Arnold Schoenberg. He is a composer with several works presented in editions of the Bienal de Música Brasileira Contemporânea, as well as recorded in CDs by Ethos Brasil. He also works in popular music as an arranger, with several works recorded recently. He is a researcher with several articles published in academic journals, having presented papers in the last four ANPPOM congresses, based on his researches. He is the author of the books Arranjo (Editora da Unicamp, 2001), A estrutura do choro (Da Fonseca, 2006) and Harmonia funcional (Editora da Unicamp, 2009), as well as coauthor of a series of 12 books on Brazilian popular music, published between 1998 and 2010 by the American publishing house MelBay.

References

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Published

2014-06-13

How to Cite

Almada, Carlos de Lemos. 2014. “Issues on the Grundgestalt Analysis Applied to Popular Music”. Per Musi, no. 29 (June):1-8. https://periodicos.ufmg.br/index.php/permusi/article/view/39686.

Issue

No. 29 (2014): General Topics

Section

Articles in Portuguese/Spanish

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