Analyzing Fugue: A Schenkerian Approach (HARMONOLOGIA)

The analytical techniques that Heinrich Schenker developed have become increasingly dominant in the analysis of tonal music, and have provided a rich and powerful means of understanding the complexities of great masterworks of the Western tradition. Schenker's method is based on two cardinal concepts-a hierarchy of tones grouped into structural levels, and a recognition of the importance of strict voice-leading at all structural levels. In Analyzing Fugue: A Schenkerian Approach, author William Renwick utilizes Schenkerian techniques to explore the relationship between imitative counterpoint and voice-leading in fugue. He shows that the art of fugal composition as practiced by masters such as Bach and Handel involves a remarkable degree of systematic structural patterning that is not evident on the surface of the music.