-----DAY 1-----

It is inevitable, and appropriate, that the concept of deconstruction in musicology should be

surrounded by controversy, given the proposition, as formulated by Subotnik, that
‘characteristically, a deconstruction results in (at least) two readings of a single text that coexist
but cannot be reconciled with each other

I like this sentence because the labeling of form in musical works can sometimes lead to different
answers between musicians/theorists as to where one thing might start/finish. Musical form and
overall structure tends to have only one answer but there are times where people argue over the
smallest eighth note and what it’s significance is in the overall structure of the work.

Adorno’s Culture Industry: For a genius composer to be writing, innovating, independently like
Beethoven.
Jazz, things on radio comprise the culture industry. This numbs the brains of the masses.
Overall, it’s the idea that listening to Schoenberg and Beethoven makes you smart; listening to
jazz, pop, things on the radio makes you stupid.

*What kind of beauty is the beauty of a musical combination?*

-It is a specifically musical kind of music.

“The artist is inscrutable, but the artwork is not”

Formalism: The exploration of general musical analysis without opinionated interpretation (The
absolute musical qualities: ternaries, chord progressions, chord names, etc.).

Caplin’s Music Theory

- Exposition: Main theme, transition, and a subordinate theme
-Themes themselves have beginning, middle, and ends
-Closest structural level
*His two big ideas of themes:*
-Sentence: Has a basic idea that is presented, repeated with a continuation that is fragmented
before cadenced (beginning, middle, and end)
-Period: has an antecedent (basic idea) and a consequent (contrasting idea) that half cadences at
the end of the antecedent and then lands on a PAC at the end of the consequent.
-Caplin is Cadences!!!! Very picky as what is and what isn’t a cadence
-Cadence must be in root position with simple V and no major 7th. Needs a formal
function! Phrases have beginning middle and ends. If a phrase skips one of these, there is no
cadence at the end

-----DAY 2-----
*Reading 1*
“A single motive can saturate a musical composition without obscuring the form, precisely
because motives carry little in the way of functional implications”
-I find this statement to be quite interesting. As listeners, these musical motives have a
large influence on how we perceive various works. Shouldn’t they have a larger impact on the
overall form than what is being described here? To say that it can saturate a piece without getting
in the way of the overall form while also saying that its implied harmony is important is a
fascinating statement to me.
*Reading 2*
The analogy of the race in FRAMING FUNCTIONS
-I thought this was an interesting analogy to describe how introductions and post-
cadential functions fit in a piece of music. Even though an introduction is not as long or
frequently used in music like a post-cadential material (codettas, closing sections, etc.), when
used it still becomes a viable in helping identify structure of the themes.
*Reading 3*
Question in SLOW-INTRODUCTION

Caplin’s Sonata Form

1.) Exposition-Development- Recap
*initiation-medial-concluding
All groups can bleed over each other
2.) Main theme- Transition- Subordinate Theme (Always will end with a PAC) This applies to
the Exposition and the recap
-Development has a pre core, core, and HC. Almost like its’ own beginning, middle, and
end.
3.) presentation/antecedent- HC/Consequent- cadence
Post-Cadential
-Very important to caplin

-----DAY 3-----
Reading:
Page 8- “It is not the obligation of a sonata to ‘conform’ to a fixed background pattern, which
then, in turn, might be constructed as an ‘ideal’ or ‘well informed’ shape from which deviations
might be regarded as compositional errors or aesthetically undesirable distortions. Rather \, the
composer generates a sonata-which we regard as a process, a linear series of compositional
choices- to enter into a dialogue with an intricate web of interrelated norms as an ongoing action
of time.”
-Kind of shows what their true perspective is of the term sonata. I feel like they’re more focused
on the micro musical choices that build what we know as a sonata rather than the macro/overall
structure we tend to pinpoint.
Compensatory function- Adding things to music to compensate for the overall form/function that
wasn’t added earlier in the piece where it needed to be.

FOR RESEARCH PAPER: talk about what others said to support or go against your claim. It
should be in the introductory. “Heres what this person said about this..”
HEPOKOSKI
Exposition terms:
P: Launch, proposes main idea for the sonata
TR: Energy gained plus acceptance of P that is modulatory OR nonmodulatory
MC: A medial caesura (MC) is a break or gap in music that divides an exposition into two
parts. It's usually found near the middle of the exposition and is often built around a half cadence
(HC) or dominant arrival.
S: Relaunch usually in a new key with piano. Often lyrical
C: Post cadential Appendix or set of “accessory ideas”. Can be multi-sectional with a C1 and C2.
Usually forte and gaining in rhetorical force
EEC- Essential Expositional Closure. The first satisfactory PAC with the secondary key that goes
on to differing material.
-Following the EEC one or more additional Cadences (C) may follow.
Exposition part I: P-TR-MC (in tonic)
Expostion part 2: S-PAC/EEC-C (in V or if p was minor, in III or v)
Development
-Typically initiates more active, restless, or frequent tonal shifts. A sense of comparative tonal
instability.
-Often P or TR dominated
Recap-
P-TR-S-ESC-C-FINAL CADENCE-CODA
-Resolves tonal tension generated in exposition.
-ESC: Recap’s S launches the tonal resolution in the form of PAC that goes on to differing non-S
material following a recap MC. This PAC is the ESC: Essential structural closure. It is parallel
with the EEC. The ESC represents the tonal goal of the entire sonata form, the tonal and
cadential point toward which the trajectory of the whole movement had been driving. It is only
here where the movement’s tonic is fully called forth, stabilized as a reality as opposed to a mere
potential.
-----DAY 5----- (DAY 4 SKIPPED)

-Deformation: Unusual or strongly characterized ad hoc moments that are common within the
works of many 18th century composers. Such occurrences in dialogue with a norm should not be
regarded as redefining that norm unless the composer continued to employ the feature.
Hepokoski thinks that deformations are features of the music while Caplin believes them to
“bugs” in his theory.
-----10/8-----
Form is the gateway to interpretation.
 -----10/15-----
Quality of a chord determines and is equal to the function of the chord.
In rock and popular music, we can negate this idea.
Certain functions (like Tonic, dominant, predominant, etc.) do not need to be fulfilled by
certain qualities
In rock the roman numerals we are used to can move all around.
Corpus Studies- The study/statistical analysis of a broad subject over multiple texts
Melodic-Harmonic Divorce: In rock, the melody doesn’t (need to) line up with the harmony of
the music.
Functions can withstand any issues that come from harmony in rock.
Harmonic Syntax: Order, sequence, going to meaning
Harmonic Functions: Tonic, predominant, dominant, tonic functions. All appearing in this order
Asks 3 questions:
-What kind of chord is this?
-What other chords does this chord want to proceed to?
-What role does this chord play in the musical context?