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Theory of Harmony
A new critical foreword by Walter Frisch, H. Harold Gumm/Harry and Albert von Tilzer Professor of Music at Columbia University, expands this centennial edition. Frisch puts Schoenberg's masterpiece into historical and ideological context, delineating the connections between music, theory, art, science, and architecture in turn-of-the century Austro-German culture.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
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2,278 people want to read
About the author
Arnold Schoenberg
428books54followersNoted Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg abandoned tradition and developed the twelve-tone system for music.
Associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, he led the second Viennese school. He used the spelling Schönberg until his move to the United States in 1934, whereupon he altered it to Schoenberg "in deference to American practice."
His approach in terms of harmony developed among the major landmarks of 20th-century thought; at least three generations in the Europeans and Americans consciously extended his thinking or in some cases passionately reacted in opposition. During the rise of the Nazi party, people labeled jazz as degenerate art.
People widely knew Schoenberg early in his career for his success in simultaneously extending the opposed German romantic styles of Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner. Later, his name came to personify pioneering innovations, the most polemical feature of 20th-century art. In the 1920s, the technique, a widely influential method of Schoenberg, manipulated an ordered series of all in the chromatic scale. He also coined the term variation, and this first modern embraced ways of motifs without resorting to the dominance of a centralized melodic idea.
Schoenberg, an important theorist, also painted and influentially taught his students, who included Alban Berg, Anton Friedrich Wilheim von Webern, Hanns Eisler, Egon Wellesz, and later John Milton Cage, Lou Harrison, Earl Kim, and many other prominent. Avant-garde thought throughout the 20th century echoes many of practices, including the formalization of method and his habit of openly inviting audiences to think analytically. His crucial, often polemical views of history and aesthetics influenced many significant critics, including Theodor Adorno, Charles Rosen, and Carl Dahlhaus,of the 20th century. His thought also considerably influenced the pianists Rudolf Serkin, Artur Schnabel, Eduard Steuermann, and later Glenn Gould.
The Arnold Schönberg center in Vienna collects his archival legacy.
Associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, he led the second Viennese school. He used the spelling Schönberg until his move to the United States in 1934, whereupon he altered it to Schoenberg "in deference to American practice."
His approach in terms of harmony developed among the major landmarks of 20th-century thought; at least three generations in the Europeans and Americans consciously extended his thinking or in some cases passionately reacted in opposition. During the rise of the Nazi party, people labeled jazz as degenerate art.
People widely knew Schoenberg early in his career for his success in simultaneously extending the opposed German romantic styles of Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner. Later, his name came to personify pioneering innovations, the most polemical feature of 20th-century art. In the 1920s, the technique, a widely influential method of Schoenberg, manipulated an ordered series of all in the chromatic scale. He also coined the term variation, and this first modern embraced ways of motifs without resorting to the dominance of a centralized melodic idea.
Schoenberg, an important theorist, also painted and influentially taught his students, who included Alban Berg, Anton Friedrich Wilheim von Webern, Hanns Eisler, Egon Wellesz, and later John Milton Cage, Lou Harrison, Earl Kim, and many other prominent. Avant-garde thought throughout the 20th century echoes many of practices, including the formalization of method and his habit of openly inviting audiences to think analytically. His crucial, often polemical views of history and aesthetics influenced many significant critics, including Theodor Adorno, Charles Rosen, and Carl Dahlhaus,of the 20th century. His thought also considerably influenced the pianists Rudolf Serkin, Artur Schnabel, Eduard Steuermann, and later Glenn Gould.
The Arnold Schönberg center in Vienna collects his archival legacy.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 17, 2012
I've studied a lot of harmony before starting this one. What makes this book one of my top 3 books of all time is the philosophical discussions of everything, dissonance, consonance, progressions..even the whole "harmonic system"..This book has changed the way I think of music forever.
July 28, 2016
Schoenberg presents a very thorough look at traditional harmony, and he is quite intentional in his approach-- his statements are justified by common sense, acoustics, and the successes of other masterful composers. Throughout, Schoenberg teaches the reader to be skeptical of "aesthetic laws" devised by theorists without reason. A careful read through Harmonielehre provides the following: 1. a rigorous look at harmony 2. a window into the mind of one of the 20th century's most influential composers 3. a snapshot of music-theoretical understanding at the turn of the century 4. an appreciation for an important text on music theory and aesthetics.
While the book is an impressive tour through harmony (from basic scales and triads through polychords, the octatonic scale, etc.), Schoenberg can be both exhaustive and exhausting. When he isn't providing the reader with a million examples of voice leading or modulation he takes up page after page with philosophical musing. There's even one passage (pg. 180) which requires a page-long footnote on Schoenberg's fascination with German etymology.
I appreciated the dual aspects of Schoenberg's musical thought-- his quirky understanding of harmony and his throughly Teutonic philosophy of music-- but I would have preferred that they be kept somewhat separate throughout the work. I understand why they must be presented side-by-side-- music theory has a history of dogmatism and quasi-political debate. Schoenberg couldn't have presented his view of harmony without some lengthy discussion and justification. As it is, Harmonielehre represents a dense and extended stream of consciousness.
This work really must be read over an extended period of time-- I found it quite difficult to read for long sittings-- and the reader should expect to skip over sections. Schoenberg supplies a plethora of opportunities for the student to practice, analyse, and contemplate; if all of these are taken, Harmonielehre truly becomes a year-long course in harmony. The student who truly wishes to learn harmony from this book should keep a piano close at hand. The student who wants to appreciate Schoenberg's text can do without.
While the book is an impressive tour through harmony (from basic scales and triads through polychords, the octatonic scale, etc.), Schoenberg can be both exhaustive and exhausting. When he isn't providing the reader with a million examples of voice leading or modulation he takes up page after page with philosophical musing. There's even one passage (pg. 180) which requires a page-long footnote on Schoenberg's fascination with German etymology.
I appreciated the dual aspects of Schoenberg's musical thought-- his quirky understanding of harmony and his throughly Teutonic philosophy of music-- but I would have preferred that they be kept somewhat separate throughout the work. I understand why they must be presented side-by-side-- music theory has a history of dogmatism and quasi-political debate. Schoenberg couldn't have presented his view of harmony without some lengthy discussion and justification. As it is, Harmonielehre represents a dense and extended stream of consciousness.
This work really must be read over an extended period of time-- I found it quite difficult to read for long sittings-- and the reader should expect to skip over sections. Schoenberg supplies a plethora of opportunities for the student to practice, analyse, and contemplate; if all of these are taken, Harmonielehre truly becomes a year-long course in harmony. The student who truly wishes to learn harmony from this book should keep a piano close at hand. The student who wants to appreciate Schoenberg's text can do without.
October 26, 2007
What started as an attempt to codify a lesson plan for his music students, turned into a lengthy analysis of all things harmonic, melodic, and arranging...in short...it got away from him...but in a good way :)
More accessible than most music theory or harmonic analysis books, it has the unique feature (because it was intended intially for students) of asking for examples of each principle to be completed by the reader.
An excellent theory and composition book that takes everything from harmonic chord progression all the way up to Schoenberg's own specfic musical aesthics.
Anyone with basic musical knowledge should find this book to be interesting and amazingly informative.
More accessible than most music theory or harmonic analysis books, it has the unique feature (because it was intended intially for students) of asking for examples of each principle to be completed by the reader.
An excellent theory and composition book that takes everything from harmonic chord progression all the way up to Schoenberg's own specfic musical aesthics.
Anyone with basic musical knowledge should find this book to be interesting and amazingly informative.
May 21, 2019
It's helpful and straightforward
Currently reading
November 16, 2007I swear to god I'm gonna read at least PART of this this time around.
May 7, 2021
It's a difficult read. Philosophical considerations and theory of harmony are meshed in a quite intricate manner.
October 12, 2015
Διαβάζοντας το Theory of Harmony του Arnold Schoenberg είχα διαρκώς την εντύπωση ότι δεν διάβαζα ένα βιβλίο μουσικής θεωρίας. Ένιωθα πως βρισκόμουν σε μια συζήτηση με έναν άνθρωπο που ενώ συμφωνούσαμε και οι δύο ότι συζητάμε για την τέχνη της μουσικής, οι ιδέες που μου επικοινωνούσε ξέφευγαν από τα όρια της μουσικής για να βρουν θέμα στην τέχνη, την μοντέρνα εποχή, την ζωή και την φύση του ανθρώπου. Είναι εμφανές από τις πρώτες σελίδες πως ο Arnold Schoenberg αγαπούσε πολύ την μουσική και την καλλιτεχνική φύση του ανθρώπου για να γράψει ένα βιβλίο που θα αντιμετωπίζει την μουσική ως μια τέχνη που μπορεί να διδαχθεί μέσα από κανόνες και παραδείγματα. Αντιθέτως, ακόμα και αν τα πρώτα κεφάλαια του βιβλίου καταπιάνονται με χιλιοειπωμένα θέματα της αρμονίας της μουσικής, αυτό γίνεται με μια φιλοσοφική διάθεση, αποφεύγοντας την παρουσίαση ενός συστήματος αλλά δίνοντας στην θεωρία της μουσικής την ακαδημαϊκή θέση που της αξίζει.
August 21, 2019
This is a fascinating book that I will be in the process of reading for quite some time. Schoenberg's theory of serial composition seems a bit out of left field without a full explanation of how he got there. In this book Schoenberg breaks down exactly how he arrived at his steadily more complex system of hearing and composing music. This book is like a collection of fundamentals and a master class rolled into one.
April 8, 2018
En el tratado de armonía el maestro Schönberg caracteriza las leyes lógicas de la composición hasta su época, haciendo uso de muchísimas demostraciones y ejemplos. El texto a su vez hace las veces de un tratado sobre la estética de la música y de la naturaleza del creador artístico. El libro es de difícil lectura y no considero que sea apto para niveles iniciales de armonía, aunque sí lo considero de lectura obligatoria.
December 27, 2024
My first traditional harmony book, unfortunately, but it's all they had at my local bookstore. Schoenberg is brilliant, but rambles on a bit much; this book could've been half as thick. He's thorough and covers a lot, and while he's not wrong, I think some concepts are explained better by others. For baroque and galant harmony, I'd look elsewhere. But if you love Schoenberg or if connecting "vagrant" augmented harmonies is your jam, then this could be perfect for you.
July 27, 2022
نظريات علم التوافق الصوتي (الهارموني ) من الكتب التاسيسية لعلم الهارموني الموسيقي هذا الكتاب ترجمة من الالمانية الى اللغة الانجليزية ،من كتابة المؤلف الموسيقي والرسام واستاذ الموسيقى والمنظر الفني وأحد اهم المؤلفين الموسيقيين النمساوي (ارنولد شوينبرغ).
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April 25, 2024Gave up a couple of chapters in. It's extremely obtuse. I suspect this is not so much the author's fault as the translators.
September 26, 2012
schoenberg's rantings and judgments could be seen as outdated and arrogant in many ways, but he always puts the craft first - in this sense, the work is a true musician's book for musicians.
i can't think of anyone not having something to learn from this (although schoenberg himself admits his half-academic findings not to be all his own), and it's his artistic way of applied thinking that makes it so compelling.
will be coming back to this one at least once down the line.
i can't think of anyone not having something to learn from this (although schoenberg himself admits his half-academic findings not to be all his own), and it's his artistic way of applied thinking that makes it so compelling.
will be coming back to this one at least once down the line.
December 30, 2009
Bíblia de Harmonia. Absurdamente pesado pra ler, mas é uma aula incrível.
Pior é depois de ler tudo isso continuar usando os mesmos 4 acorde. :D
Pior é depois de ler tudo isso continuar usando os mesmos 4 acorde. :D
July 13, 2011
Livro indispensável pra se entender a música contemporânea, seus antecedentes e suas possibilidades. Uma das melhores leituras que já fiz. Altamente recomendável!
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October 26, 2007RECOMMEND TO FRIENDS (+ TRACY)
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