The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory (Oxford Handbooks)

Topics are musical signs that rely on associations with different genres, styles, and types of music making. The concept of topics was introduced by Leonard Ratner in the 1980s to account for cross-references between eighteenth-century styles and genres. While music theorists and critics were busy classifying styles and genres, defining their affects and proper contexts for their usage, composers started crossing the boundaries between them and using stylistic conventions as means of communication with the audience. Such topical mixtures received negative evaluations from North-German critics but became the hallmark of South-German music, which engulfed the Viennese classicism. Topic theory allows music scholars to gain access to meaning and expression of this music. The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory consolidates this field of research by clarifying its basic concepts and exploring its historical foundations. The volume grounds the concept of topics in eighteenth-century music theory, aesthetics, and criticism. Documenting historical reality of individual topics on the basis of eighteenth-century sources, it relates topical analysis to other methods of music analysis conducted from the perspectives of composers, performers, and listeners. With a focus on eighteenth-century musical repertoire, The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory lays the foundation under further investigation of topics in music of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. 'the Oxford Handbook Of Topic Theory' Grounds The Concept Of Topics In Eighteenth-century Music Theory, Aesthetics, And Criticism; Documents Historical Reality Of Individual Topics On The Basis Of Eighteenth-century Sources, Traces The Origins Of Topical Mixtures To Transformations Of Eighteenth-century Musical Life, And Relates Topical Analysis To Other Kinds Of Music Analysis Conducted From The Perspectives Of Composers, Performers, And Listeners. It Lays The Foundation Under Further Investigation Of Musical Topics In The Nineteenth, Twentieth, And Twenty-first Centuries. Origins And Distinctions. Topics And Opera Buffa / Mary Hunter ; Symphonies And The Public Display Of Topics / Elaine Sisman ; Topics In Chamber Music / Dean Sutcliffe -- Contexts, Histories, Sources. Music And Dance In The Ancien Régime / Lawrence Zbikowski ; Ballroom Dances Of The Late Eighteenth Century / Eric Mckee ; Hunt, Military, And Pastoral Topics / Andrew Haringer ; Turkish And Hungarian-gypsy Styles / Catherine Mayes ; The Singing Style / Sarah Day-o'connell ; Fantasia And Sensibility / Matthew Head ; Ombra And Tempesta / Clive Mcclelland ; Learned Style And Learned Styles / Keith Chapin ; The Brilliant Style / Roman Ivanovitch -- Analysing Topics. Topics And Meter / Danuta Mirka ; Topics And Harmonic Schemata : A Case From Beethoven / Vasili Byros ; Topics And Formal Functions : The Case Of The Lament / William Caplin ; Topics And Tonal Processes / Joel Galand ; Topics And Form In Mozart's String Quintet In E Flat Major, K. 614/i / Kofi Agawu ; Topical Figurae : The Double Articulation Of Topics / Stephen Rumph ; The Troping Of Topics In Mozart's Instrumental Works / Robert Hatten -- Performing Topics. Performing Topics In Mozart's Chamber Music With Piano / John Irving ; Recognizing Musical Topics Vs. Executing Rhetorical Figures / Tom Beghin ; Eloquent Performance : The Pronuntiatio Of Topics / Sheila Guymer -- Listening To Topics. Amateur Topical Competencies / Melanie Lowe ; Expectation, Musical Topics, And The Problem Of Affective Differentiation / Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis ; Listening To Topics In The Nineteenth Century / Julian Horton. Edited By Danuta Mirka. Series From Jacket. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Front Matter The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory Acknowledgments List of Contributors Note on Sources and Musical Examples About the Companion Website Introduction Danuta Mirka Section I Origins and Distinctions Topics and Opera Buffa Mary Hunter Symphonies and the Public Display of Topics Elaine Sisman Topics in Chamber Music W. Dean Sutcliffe Section II Contexts, Histories, Sources Music and Dance in the Ancien Régime Lawrence M. Zbikowski Ballroom Dances of the Late Eighteenth Century Eric Mckee Hunt, Military, and Pastoral Topics Andrew Haringer Turkish and Hungarian-Gypsy Styles Catherine Mayes The Singing Style Sarah Day-O’connell Fantasia and Sensibility Matthew Head Ombra and Tempesta Clive McClelland Learned Style and Learned Styles Keith Chapin The Brilliant Style Roman Ivanovitch Section III Analyzing Topics Topics and Meter Danuta Mirka Topics and Harmonic Schemata: A Case from Beethoven Vasili Byros Topics and Formal Functions: The Case of the Lament William E. Caplin Topics and Tonal Processes Joel Galand Topics and Form in Mozart’s String Quintet in e Flat Major, k. 614/i Kofi Agawu Topical Figurae: The Double Articulation of Topics Stephen Rumph The Troping of Topics in Mozart’s Instrumental Works Robert S. Hatten Section IV Performing Topics Performing Topics in Mozart’s Chamber Music with Piano John Irving Recognizing Musical Topics Versus Executing Rhetorical Figures Tom Beghin Eloquent Performance: The Pronuntiatio of Topics Sheila Guymer Section V Listening to Topics Amateur Topical Competencies Melanie Lowe Expectation, Musical Topics, and the Problem of Affective Differentiation Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis Listening to Topics in the Nineteenth Century Julian Horton End Matter General Index Index of Musical Compositions The concept of musical topics describes the aural cross-references between styles and genres. The Oxford Handbook of Topic Theory grounds this concept in eighteenth-century music theory, aesthetics, and criticism, while also documenting historical reality of individual topics, and relating topical analysis to other methods of analyzing eighteenth-century musical repertoire.