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Schenkerian Analysis: Schenker and Chromaticism

This guide is an introduction to Schenkerian Analysis sources. It will help you retrieve primary and secondary sources

Books and Articles

Benjamin, William E. “Interlocking Diatonic Collections as a Source of Chromaticism in Late Nineteenth-Century Music.” In Theory Only 1/11-12 (1976): 31-51.

In this article, Benjamin challenges “Schenkerian” approaches to chromaticism which treat chromaticism as diatonic substitution or, alternatively, linear interpolation. Benjamin primarily pursues this end through an analysis of mm. 6-12 of Franck’s D minor Symphony; in the process, he also offers an alternative approach involving “interlocking diatonic collections.”

 

Brown, Matthew. “The Diatonic and the Chromatic in Schenker’s Theory of Harmonic Relations.” Journal of Music Theory 30/1 (1986): 1-33.

Brown considers Schenker’s treatment of chromaticism in Harmonielehre and Der freie Satz. In doing so, Brown shows that 1) Schenker’s notion of tonality accommodated chromaticism as far as the deep middleground, and 2) Schenker supplied a theory which did not mean to treat chromaticism as a diatonic derivative or means of diatonic substitution. Indeed, Brown’s work suggests that chromaticism can be generative (due to its inclusion in the deep middleground). 

 

Damschroder, David Allen. “Structural Levels: A Key to Liszt’s Chromatic Art.” College Music Symposium 27 (1987): 46-58.

Damschroder provides a handful of short analyses which illustrate the utility of linear, Schenkerian approaches (as opposed to Roman numeral analysis) in the analysis of Liszt’s music and chromatic music in general. Although Damschroder does seek to make more particular points here – for example, that notation does not always speak to structural function – his argument is primarily aimed at revealing the benefits of a Schenkerian approach for the analysis of chromatic music.

 

The section "Schenker and Chromaticism" was prepared by Matt Schullman