The Analysis and Cognition of Melodic Complexity

Download or read book The Analysis and Cognition of Melodic Complexity written by Eugene Narmour and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1992-11 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this work, Eugene Narmour extends the unique theories of musical perception presented in The Analysis and Cognition of Basic Melodic Structures. The two books together constitute the first comprehensive theory of melody founded on psychological research. Narmour's earlier study dealt with cognitive relations between melodic tones at their most basic level. After summarizing the formalized methodology of the theory described in that work, Narmour develops an elaborate and original symbology to show how sixteen archetypes can combine to form some 200 complex structures that, in turn, can chain together in a theoretically infinite number of ways. He then explains and speculates on the cognitive operations by which listeners assimilate and ultimately encode these complex melodic structures. More than 250 musical examples from different historical periods and non-Western cultures demonstrate the panstylistic scope of Narmour's model. Of particular importance to music theorists and music historians is Narmour's argument that melodic analysis and formal analysis, though often treated separately, are in fact indissolubly linked. The Analysis and Cognition of Melodic Complexity will also appeal to ethnomusicologists, psychologists, and cognitive scientists.