A comparison of analyses from the semiological point of view

the theme of Mozart’s Symphony in G minor, K 550

Authors

  • Jean-Jacques Nattiez
  • Sandra Loureiro de Freitas Reis Federal University of Minas Gerais

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35699/2317-6377.2003.55783

Keywords:

Epistemology, methodology, semiology, comparative analysis, Mozart

Abstract

The aim of this contribution is to classify and compare some of the most important analyses of the theme of the Symphony in G minor of Mozart, K. 550: Abert, Schenker, Réti, Cooke, Stefani, Lerdahl and Jackendoff. To achieve this, a typology of analyses is presented: distinction is made between analysis with a semantic orientation and immanent analyses. The latter are in their turn classified in two families: taxonomic and linear. The comparison of analyses is undertaken according to three questions: is the analysis based on an explicit methodology or not? Does the model conceive the work according to a hierarchy of levels? What is the semiological pertinence of the analysis (reference is made here to the theory of tripartition which distinguished between the poietic, neutral and aesthesic levels)? Reference to the performance of this symphony is done when it is relevant. In conclusion, it is
proposed to superimpose “lines” of analysis in order to facilitate comparison.

Author Biography

  • Jean-Jacques Nattiez

    Jean-Jacques Nattiez is considered a pioneer of musical semiology. He developed the so-called tripartition model, proposed by Jean Molino, in his theoretical works ("Fondements d’une sémiologie de la musique," 1975; "Musicologie générale et sémiologie," 1987). He applied this model to Wagner ("Tétralogies," 1983; "Wagner androgyne," 1990) and to Hanslick, Gould, and Boulez, in a collection of articles, "Le combat de Chronos et d’Orphée," to be published soon in Brazil by Editora Via Lettera and Livraria, in a translation by Luiz Paulo Sampaio. Jean-Jacques Nattiez also worked on the relationships between music and literature ("Proust musicien," 1984, reissued in 1999), and in the field of ethnomusicology, he studied the music of the Inuit, Aïnou, Chukchi, and Baganda peoples, publishing several records. His current research focuses on musical historiography from a semiological perspective.

References

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Published

2003-07-01

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No. 08 (2003): General Topics

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How to Cite

“A Comparison of Analyses from the Semiological Point of View: The Theme of Mozart’s Symphony in G Minor, K 550”. 2003. Per Musi, no. 08 (July): 5-40. https://doi.org/10.35699/2317-6377.2003.55783.

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