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Summary:

Abstract: When talking about tonal music, we sometimes tend to take for granted the idea that the tonic should always be clearly established either at the beginning or the end. However, there are composers who sometimes deviate from the normal path by creating different types of riddles or tonal enigmas in their works. Some of these riddles can be solved later on as the piece progresses; yet others may need to bexplained with the help of some external references. This thesis examines three such examples, each of which poses its unique enigma. The second movement of Bruckner's Symphony No. 1 presents a dualism between Ab and F (paralleled by their dominants Eb and C); Brahms's Alto Rhapsody involves an enormous auxiliary cadence spanning 2/3 of the piece and a seemingly plagal cadence which turns out to be authentic with the V suppressed; and eventually, Grieg's setting of Dereinst, dereinst, Gedanke mein provides a paradoxical ending which may be understood as incorporating the composer's attitude towards the text.

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Literature review
• Anton Bruckner's Symphony no. 1, 2nd movement
• Brahms's Alto rhapsody op. 53
• Edvard Grieg's Dereinst, Gedanke mein, op. 48, no. 2
• Conclusion
• Appendix A: Full score of Bruckner's Symphony no. 1, 2nd movement
• Appendix B: Full score of Brahms's Alto rhapsody, op. 53
• Appendix C: Full score of Edvard Grieg's Dereinst, Gedanke mein, op. 48, no. 2.

Author/Creator:

Yun, Xiao , author

Contributors:

Jackson, Timothy L. , major professor

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Main Work:

Tonal Enigmas: A Study of Problematic Openings and Endings [by Yun, X.]

Related Series:

NT thesis, Music (Complete); [volume] 2018

Subjects:

Tonality

Cadences (Music)

Musical analysis

Music theory

Genres:

Academic theses

Dissertation Notes:

M.A. ― University of North Texas, 2018.

General Notes:

Discipline: Music Theory.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 108-109).
Description based on: Online resource; title from PDF title page (UNT Digital Library, viewed April 14, 2020).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (vii, 109 pages) : music.

Digital Characteristics:

text file

Call Numbers:

Electronic Thesis

OCLC Numbers:

1269308956