Music Notation In The Twentieth Century

In this comprehensive and definitive survey of current notation procedures, Kurt Stone has brought order to a field traditionally fraught with confusion and idiosyncrasy. He not only describes and recommends new methods for notating modern music, thereby establishing standard procedures for the present and future, but integrates them with traditional practices still in use. The result is a guide to all forms of notation used in serious music today.

Ton de Leeuw was a truly groundbreaking composer. As evidenced by his pioneering study of compositional methods that melded Eastern traditional music with Western musical theory, he had a profound understanding of the complex and often divisive history of twentieth-century music. Now his renowned chronicle Music of the Twentieth Century is offered here in a newly revised English-language edition. Music of the Twentieth Century goes beyond a historical survey with its lucid and impassioned discussion of the elements, structures, compositional principles, and terminologies of twentieth-century music. De Leeuw draws on his experience as a composer, teacher, and music scholar of non-European music traditions, including Indian, Indonesian, and Japanese music, to examine how musical innovations that developed during the twentieth century transformed musical theory, composition, and scholarly thought around the globe.

Behind Bars is the indispensable reference book for composers, arrangers, teachers and students of composition, editors, and music processors. In the most thorough and painstakingly researched book to be published since the 1980s, specialist music editor Elaine Gould provides a comprehensive grounding in notational principles. This full eBook version is in fixed-layout format to ensure layout and image quality is consistent with the original hardback edition. Behind Bars covers everything from basic rules, conventions and themes to complex instrumental techniques, empowering the reader to prepare music with total clarity and precision. With the advent of computer technology, it has never been more important for musicians to have ready access to principles of best practice in this dynamic field, and this book will support the endeavours of software users and devotees of hand-copying alike. The author's understanding of, and passion for, her subject has resulted in a book that is not only practical but also compellingly readable. This seminal and all-encompassing guide encourages new standards of excellence and accuracy and, at 704 pages, it is supported by 1,500 music examples of published scores from Bach to Xenakis. This is the full eBook version of the original hardback edition.

Publisher Description

The vocal repertoire of the twentieth century--including works by Schoenberg, Boulez, Berio, Larsen, and Vercoe--presents exciting opportunities for singers to stretch their talents and demonstrate their vocal flexibility. Contemporary composers can be very demanding of vocalists, requiring them to recite, trill, and whisper, or to read non-traditional scores. For singers just beginning to explore the novelties of the contemporary repertoire, Exploring Twentieth-Century Vocal Music is an ideal guide. Drawing on over thirty years of experience teaching and performing the twentieth century repertoire, Sharon Mabry has written a cogent and insightful book for singers and voice teachers who are just discovering the innovative music of the twentieth century. The book familiarizes readers with the new and unusual notation systems employed by some contemporary composers. It suggests rehearsal techniques and vocal exercises that help singers prepare to tackle the repertoire. And the book offers a list of the most important and interesting works to emerge in the twentieth century, along with suggested recital programs that will introduce audiences as well as singers to this under-explored body of music.

A detailed critical and historical investigation of the development of musical notation as a powerful system of symbolic communication.

No other book has covered the subject of 20th-century microtonal notation in such depth as this comprehensive guide book. 20th-Century Microtonal Notation surveys the many attempts to notate various microtonal divisions of the octave in our western music. The concerts, festivals, and journals devoted exclusively to microtonal composition evince the widespread interest and involvement in microtonal music today. Activity in the specialized field of microtonalism is also supported by the design and construction of a number of novel instruments capable of producing various fractional pitches in the octave, including the digital synthesizer. However, despite the developing interest and activity, no consensus has yet been reached about the clearest and most logical notation for each degree of microtonal division of the half and whole step. This lack of an essential consensus on a suitable, standardized notation system has, in some cases, hampered the complete integration of microtonalism into western music. Bringing considerable expertise to bear, Read divides the volume into five sections, each addressing the notation of specific microtones. This volume is a comprehensive repository of the many attempts to find a logical notation for all degrees of microtonality. It represents an invaluable resource to anyone interested in studying the history and development of music notation, or in evaluating the many forms of microtonal notation in terms of their potential for contemporary notation. 20th-Century Microtonal Notation will be an important addition to the library collections of colleges and universities and will be of interest to composers, theorists, performers, and musicologists.

Examines the principles of musical notation and discusses the development of staff notation from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century