What do yo think of schenkerian analysis?

[Sophia]

To be honest,I haven't studied any of Schenker's completed analyses, not even the most famous one, the analysis of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. But one of my teachers is pretty much into schenkerian analysis and I would just like to know what you think of it. It seems to me that, while applying schenkerian analysis even in crearly linear structured works of B, still you can make serious mistakes, because you must see the long structure, sometimes at the cost of small-phrase structure and details in general. I mean, you just take out what doesn't sit well with the curve/line that you have found and you ignore small phrases, motifs, rhythm, dramatic and rhetoric effects, etc, etc, ect. Damn, I wish I could speak english better!

[Rod]

What is Schenkerian analysis?!



------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[urtextmeister]

What I remember about Schenkerian analysis was that even the most complex piece of classical repertoire could be reduced to the same three notes--mi, re, do.

I hated it at the time. Now I feel like going back and taking another look. There must be more to it.

I'm hoping a true Schenkerian will step forward and tell us why it is wonderful...

[Gurn Blanston]

Well, I think it is interesting but limited in value only to tonal music. It seems most effective when applied to the classical style, less so with some of the bigger works of the romantic and totally useless for anything after Brahms! Here is a quick link to a site that has complete explanations and examples. If you can make head or tails of this, let us know.
http://www.schenkerguide.com/



------------------
Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by urtextmeister:
What I remember about Schenkerian analysis was that even the most complex piece of classical repertoire could be reduced to the same three notes--mi, re, do.

I hated it at the time. Now I feel like going back and taking another look. There must be more to it.

I'm hoping a true Schenkerian will step forward and tell us why it is wonderful...

I've always been bothered by that reduction. There are works by Bruckner (some of his large choral works) and Brahms (1st Symphony) in mind that lean more towards a plagal cadence rather than the I - V - I. But perhaps I err in my own stubborness to defy the Schenker ways.