Recursion may have an important place in cognitive processes. Recursive theoretical models may also seduce the theorist to false abstractions and pseudo-explanations. This is observed in some versions of musical and linguistic formalism, which share a common rationalist-idealist background; paradigmatically, in Chomsky’s controversial M…[Read more]

Lerdahl and Jackendoff’s Generative Theory of Tonal Music (1983) is an attempt to transform music theory into a theory of musical understanding by adopting the formal method and psychological premises of Generative Grammar, along with some Schenkerian elements. It has failed to fulfil its promise mainly because, like Schenker theory, it is…[Read more]

Journal of the Royal Musical Association 140.2 (2015): 417-443 (published by the UK musicology society). Robert Casteels (b. 1958, Belgium), Singapore citizen, migrated in 1995, L’(autre) fille aux cheveux de Bali (2002).

Music Analysis 38.3 (2019): 316-357 (published by the UK Society for Music Analysis)

As Anne Sauvagnargues suggests, in Gilles Deleuze thought “every[-thing] is defined as an assemblage of movements and affective vibrations.” Interestingly, Sauvagnargues’ proposition aligns neatly with Tim Ingold’s idea of correspondence, where things perdure, “carry on together, and answer to one another,” and where the additive ‘and…and.…[Read more]

This paper considers Rudolf Reti’s The Thematic Process in Music in the context of Arnold Schoenberg theoretical writing.

Review of a collection of essays by Carl Dahlhaus, translated by Derrick Puffett and Alfred Clayton and entitled Schoenberg and the New Music.

Review of the Lippman and Rahn books, both devoted to music aeathetics.

Review of Forte’s book devoted to the analysis of Tin Pan Alley popular music.

Review of three books devoted to progressive rock snd its history.

Reviews Freeman/s book with special attention paid to the development of music school curricula.

Review of Borthwick’s book, which approaches music theory from a point of view informed by philosophy.

The expression P3,0 refers to one class of parsimonious voice-leading transformations between seventh chords introduced in a 1998 article by Jack Douthett and Peter Steinbach as Pm,n (Journal of Music Theory 42 (2): 241–63). In addition to tones that may be held in common, the subscripts indicate the number of voices that move by half step (m) o…[Read more]

This article provides a detailed examination of Hauer’s late 12-tone compositions, identifying the practices and procedures employed across a body of more than 100 pieces.

This article explores the influence of sources outside the institutional framework of organized religion (“occult” sources) on Schoenberg’s aesthetic thinking and writing, especially with regard to the musical idea..

This article examines the spiritual dimension of early twelve-tone theoretical writing, with a focus on the writing and music of Arnold Schoenberg and Josef Matthias Hauer.

This article explores the influence of mysticism in early 20th-century Vienna on the palindromic designs that can found n Berg’s music.

This article explores the sources of what Dahlhaus calls Schoenberg’s “aesthetic theology” in the philosophical, literary, and mystical writings of late 19th- and early 20th-century Europe.

This chapter examines Schoenberg’s theoretical ideas on musical structure with particular emphasis on his Variations for Orchestra, op 31.