Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory

by Joseph N. Straus

For undergraduate/graduate-level courses in Twentieth-Century Techniques, and Post-Tonal Theory and Analysis taken by music majors. A primer –rather than a survey–this text offers exceptionally clear, simple explanations of basic theoretical concepts for the post-tonal music of the twentieth century. Emphasizing hands-on contact with the music–through playing, singing, listening, and analyzing–it provides six chapters on theory, each illustrated with musical examples and fully worked-out analyses, all drawn largely from the “classical” pre-war repertoire by Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Bartok, Berg, and Webern. "Straus takes a paced, methodical, logical approach to each topic. He introduces it in context and — perhaps most significantly of all — uses language that's so transparent that merely to follow his descriptions, explanations and illustrations carefully is to understand each aspect of the theory under consideration." Mark Sealey, Classical.net

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1989

Reviews

[Tom Blurbgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazingly comprehensive text on post-tonal music analysis, the only criticism being that its determination to cover a few pretty esoteric compositional devices in depth make it a bit ungainly/overkill in parts. Still the go-to though!

[Rie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Music is... sooooooo mathematical. If you read this book, you'll know what I mean.

[Jason Cady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the clearest introduction to Set Theory I've read so far.

I read Jon Rahn's Basic Atonal Theory, which has some easy to read sections, and some nearly impossible for mere mortals sections, and I read the first half of Allen Forte's Structure of Atonal Music , which I found very difficult.

I'm so glad I found Straus! This book is helpful for not only atonal music, but also complex late-tonal music and I think it clarified my thinking about tonal music as well.

[Christopher Lawhorne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read, some of the concepts are explained in a rather complicated way, and examples tend not to be sequential. Leads the reader to backtrack to figure out calculations. Overall very thorough in scope.

[Eule Hagar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but over-abstracts the theory to the point of not explaining the emotional impacts and consequences of musical choices, instead focusing on interesting relations between notes.

[Youngkwang Choi · Rating 4 out of 5]

good enough for music students!

[Pedro Proença · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my views on Composition. I loved it.