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Serial Composition and Atonality: An Introduction to the Music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, Sixth edition, Revised
 
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Serial Composition and Atonality: An Introduction to the Music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, Sixth edition, Revised [Hardcover]

George Perle (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 67.50 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
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Review

"More than an exceptionally instructive technical handbook . . . [Serial Composition and Atonality] lays the foundation of a complete and systematic exposition of the constructional foundations on which the new music rests." -- Musical Events

"The best description in any language of twelve-tone techniques as developed by their originators." -- Notes

Book Description

Widely recognized as the definitive work in its field ever since its original publication in 1962, Serial Composition and Atonality remains an unsurpassed introduction to the technical features of what is probably the most revolutionary body of work since the beginnings of polyphony. In the analysis of specific compositions there is first and last of all a concern with the musical surface--an attempt to trace connections and distinctions there before offering any deeper-level constructions, and to offer none where their effects are not obvious on more immediate levels of musical experience. In this sixth edition of the book, George Perle employs the new and more consistent terminology for the identification of transpositional levels of twelve-tone sets that he first proposed in Twelve-Tone Tonality (1977).
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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4 star:
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4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4.0 out of 5 stars A survey of pantonal music, May 26 2001
By 
Michael G. Mcneill "mike@mgm9.com" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Serial Composition and Atonality: An Introduction to the Music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, Sixth edition, Revised (Hardcover)
Perle's book is considered a classic in the theory world, and well so. It gives a thorough analysis of representative works of not only Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, but also of Stravinsky, Bartok, and Babbitt. I was able to learn from it many of the tools of serial music and their application in specific pieces. The world of serial composition is actually much broader than I had hitherto realized.

As a composer, I found this book helpful, but I would recommend Charles Wuorinen's SIMPLE COMPOSITION in addition.

My main problem with this book is Perle's consistent use of the word "atonal." This furthers the myth that there is such thing as "atonal music." First of all, serialist work is more accurately "pantonal;" it encompasses all tonalities, and implies all tonalities. Furthermore, it is a misleading term, as there is no music that uses no tones (all sounds have some frequency, and therefore some tone).

This edition is an improvement over an older one. The older edition, which I read, contained a section in the chapter on simultaneity which I thought was absolutely ridiculous. This edition omits the section.

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5.0 out of 5 stars penetrating and accessible, Jan 9 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Serial Composition and Atonality: An Introduction to the Music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, Sixth edition, Revised (Hardcover)
As far as I can tell, George Perle's books are the only ones that really come to grips with atonality. Others are either 1) simplistic glosses, 2) pieces of propaganda, or 3) attempts to impress or intimidate the reader (so as to entrench their authors in academia). Having heard one of George Perle's piano sonatas on the radio the other day and once a string quartet of his in concert, I can testify that he is himself a first-rate composer, and isn't it better to read the works of one who has an artistic stake in his subject?

For a contrasting point of view, however, I refer you to--with certain reservations--"Milton Babbitt: Words About Music", edited by Stephen Dembski.

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5.0 out of 5 stars penetrating and accessible, Jan 5 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Serial Composition and Atonality: An Introduction to the Music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, Sixth edition, Revised (Hardcover)
As far as I can tell, George Perle's books are the only ones that really come to grips with atonality. Others are either 1) simplistic glosses, 2) pieces of propaganda, or 3) attempts to impress or intimidate the reader (so as to entrench their authors in academia). Having heard one of George Perle's piano sonatas on the radio the other day and once a string quartet of his in concert, I can testify that he is himself a first-rate composer, and isn't it better to read the works of one who has an artistic stake in his subject?

However, for a contrasting point of view, I also recommend--with reservations--"Milton Babbitt: Words about Music", edited by Stephen Dembski. Like George Perle, Milton Babbitt is a prominent serialist composer. As it happens, I'm not a particular fan of his music, and I think his analyses tend miss the substance of the music he analyzes, but he is an influential, articulate, and intelligent exponent worth hearing out.

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