Stylistic Analysis Of Antoine Reicha

The main purpose of the topic is to enlighten Antoine Reicha 's principles of melodic “phraseology” regarding his theoretical work, the Traité de Melodié, and to offer a structural, stylistic and interpretive analysis of L 'art de Varier, Op. 57 and Variations on a theme by Gluck, Op. 87. By addressing the Reicha 's conception of how musical phrases represent “the building blocks” of the entire composition, these set of variations for piano provide an opportunity to gain insights about his systematic theory on melody, harmony and formal structure.

Born in Prague, Antoine (Antonín) Reicha (Rejcha) (1770-1836), an influential composer, theorist, and teacher, plays a major role in the scope of the music theory in Western music in the early

57 between the years 1802 and 1804. The piece not only marks the characteristics of the late eighteenth-century instrumental piano music but also carries out the new language of composer 's accounts on music theory and practice in his time. Whereas this large cycle of variations highlights Reicha 's relation to Viennese classicism, regarding form and harmony far in advance of his day, it also anticipates stylistic elements which are a feature of the culminating phase of musical romanticism, and occasionally even points to contemporary musical conceptions. The exact date of composition and publication of Variations on a theme by Gluck, Op. 87 is unkown but its opus number suggests that the work was published around 1815, eleven years therefore after the monumental 57 Variations for piano Op.

57 an Variations on a theme by Gluck, Op. 87, in which a group of detailed analytical observations of the chosen variations in terms of phrase structure, harmonic and melodic shapes, as well as thematic process, will be examined. As considered an inductive methodology, Baker (1992) indicates that “ his analysis treats only external aspects of the work. The small modules of music are combined and built into a large structure. It is an additive and cumulative approach to music syntax and structure, developed by first deconstructing finished compositions.” In addition to it, there is a dissertation by Peter M. Landey (1992), “Phrase rhythm and thematic function in early nineteenth-century music theory: Anton reicha and his contemporaries,” who is the translator of Traité de Melodié in English, that I will go into the scope of the early nineteenth century music theory in detail to refer to methodologies derived from the analytical thoughts of that time. The priority will be given to the statements of the music theorists which are indicated in the chapters. The analytical observations will be based on selected variations of L 'art de varier, Op. 57 an Variations on a theme by Gluck, Op. 87 so that the analysis and detailed attention to the all relevant parameters, such as the principles of melodic and harmonic