Scholars have long debated the form of Schoenberg’s Phantasy for Violin and Piano accompaniment, Op. 47, his last instrumental work. The numerous accounts (by Rufer, Lewin, Lester, Hasty, Hyde, and others) have variously proposed a pseudo-sonata, a three-part, and a four-part form. This dissertation suggests that the piece is best thought of as a multi-layered four-part form, in which the thematic pattern ABB1A1 is found at every structural level, from the phrase up to the entire work. An intriguing compositional sketch found on the Schoenberg Center’s website inspired the exploration of a four-part form with elements of symmetry. Linear graphs and rectangular outlines of the form of the Phantasy illustrate Schoenberg’s concept of symmetry within the four-part design on every level.
My analysis suggests that Schoenberg creates the Phantasy with the principal hexachord [F, G, A, Bb, B, C#] sc 6-21 (023468) as the Grundgestalt and combines it with its combinatorially related inversion to construct the prime row, P10, with a micro “abba” design. Schoenberg composes four-part patterns on every level culminating in an overall ABB1A1 formal design with elements of symmetry that create unity. The micro and macro ABB1A1’s mirror each other to create a paradigm of the twelve-tone system. This dissertation explores Schoenberg’s Phantasy as his fantasy four-part symmetrical ABB1A1 design within a heroic form (albeit relatively short). This ABB1A1 design represents a formal paradigm of the structures inherent in his twelve-tone system from the Grundgestalt through the overall form. Furthermore, this paper offers a rebuttal to Boulez’s “Schoenberg is Dead” proclamation.
","abstract_html":"<p>Scholars have long debated the form of Schoenberg’s <em>Phantasy for Violin and Piano accompaniment</em>, Op. 47, his last instrumental work. The numerous accounts (by Rufer, Lewin, Lester, Hasty, Hyde, and others) have variously proposed a pseudo-sonata, a three-part, and a four-part form. This dissertation suggests that the piece is best thought of as a multi-layered four-part form, in which the thematic pattern ABB<sup>1</sup>A<sup>1</sup> is found at every structural level, from the phrase up to the entire work. An intriguing compositional sketch found on the Schoenberg Center’s website inspired the exploration of a four-part form with elements of symmetry. Linear graphs and rectangular outlines of the form of the<em> Phantasy</em> illustrate Schoenberg’s concept of symmetry within the four-part design on every level.</p> <p>My analysis suggests that Schoenberg creates the <em>Ph</em><em>antasy</em> with the principal hexachord [F, G, A, Bb, B, C#] sc 6-21 (023468) as the <em>Grundgestalt</em> and combines it with its combinatorially related inversion to construct the prime row, P<sub>10</sub>, with a micro “abba” design. Schoenberg composes four-part patterns on every level culminating in an overall ABB<sup>1</sup>A<sup>1 </sup>formal design with elements of symmetry that create unity. The micro and macro ABB<sup>1</sup>A<sup>1</sup>’s mirror each other to create a paradigm of the twelve-tone system. This dissertation explores Schoenberg’s <em>Phantasy </em>as his fantasy four-part symmetrical ABB<sup>1</sup>A<sup>1</sup> design within a heroic form (albeit relatively short). This ABB<sup>1</sup>A<sup>1</sup> design represents a formal paradigm of the structures inherent in his twelve-tone system from the <em>Grundgestalt</em> through the overall form. Furthermore, this paper offers a rebuttal to Boulez’s “Schoenberg is Dead” proclamation.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Tipton, Lisa A."],"institution":"The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York","degree_name":"Doctor of Musical Arts","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":"Music","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Joseph Straus"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Philip Lambert","Norman Carey","Sylvia Kahan"],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-06-02T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-06-02T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:00:26Z","subjects":["Arts and Humanities","Music","Schoenberg","Phantasy","Op. 47","Form"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2131","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Joseph Straus"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Philip Lambert","Norman Carey","Sylvia Kahan"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Tipton, Lisa A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-04-26T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Music"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Musical Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Arts and Humanities","Music","Schoenberg","Phantasy","Op. 47","Form"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2131"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Scholars have long debated the form of Schoenberg’s Phantasy for Violin and Piano accompaniment, Op. 47, his last instrumental work. The numerous accounts (by Rufer, Lewin, Lester, Hasty, Hyde, and others) have variously proposed a pseudo-sonata, a three-part, and a four-part form. This dissertation suggests that the piece is best thought of as a multi-layered four-part form, in which the thematic pattern ABB1A1 is found at every structural level, from the phrase up to the entire work. An intriguing compositional sketch found on the Schoenberg Center’s website inspired the exploration of a four-part form with elements of symmetry. Linear graphs and rectangular outlines of the form of the Phantasy illustrate Schoenberg’s concept of symmetry within the four-part design on every level.
My analysis suggests that Schoenberg creates the Phantasy with the principal hexachord [F, G, A, Bb, B, C#] sc 6-21 (023468) as the Grundgestalt and combines it with its combinatorially related inversion to construct the prime row, P10, with a micro “abba” design. Schoenberg composes four-part patterns on every level culminating in an overall ABB1A1 formal design with elements of symmetry that create unity. The micro and macro ABB1A1’s mirror each other to create a paradigm of the twelve-tone system. This dissertation explores Schoenberg’s Phantasy as his fantasy four-part symmetrical ABB1A1 design within a heroic form (albeit relatively short). This ABB1A1 design represents a formal paradigm of the structures inherent in his twelve-tone system from the Grundgestalt through the overall form. Furthermore, this paper offers a rebuttal to Boulez’s “Schoenberg is Dead” proclamation.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Schoenberg's \"Phantasy\" Form"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Joseph Straus"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Philip Lambert","Norman Carey","Sylvia Kahan"],"dc:creator":["Tipton, Lisa A."],"dc:date.available":["2017-04-26T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Scholars have long debated the form of Schoenberg’s Phantasy for Violin and Piano accompaniment, Op. 47, his last instrumental work. The numerous accounts (by Rufer, Lewin, Lester, Hasty, Hyde, and others) have variously proposed a pseudo-sonata, a three-part, and a four-part form. This dissertation suggests that the piece is best thought of as a multi-layered four-part form, in which the thematic pattern ABB1A1 is found at every structural level, from the phrase up to the entire work. An intriguing compositional sketch found on the Schoenberg Center’s website inspired the exploration of a four-part form with elements of symmetry. Linear graphs and rectangular outlines of the form of the Phantasy illustrate Schoenberg’s concept of symmetry within the four-part design on every level.
My analysis suggests that Schoenberg creates the Phantasy with the principal hexachord [F, G, A, Bb, B, C#] sc 6-21 (023468) as the Grundgestalt and combines it with its combinatorially related inversion to construct the prime row, P10, with a micro “abba” design. Schoenberg composes four-part patterns on every level culminating in an overall ABB1A1 formal design with elements of symmetry that create unity. The micro and macro ABB1A1’s mirror each other to create a paradigm of the twelve-tone system. This dissertation explores Schoenberg’s Phantasy as his fantasy four-part symmetrical ABB1A1 design within a heroic form (albeit relatively short). This ABB1A1 design represents a formal paradigm of the structures inherent in his twelve-tone system from the Grundgestalt through the overall form. Furthermore, this paper offers a rebuttal to Boulez’s “Schoenberg is Dead” proclamation.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2131"],"dc:subject":["Arts and Humanities","Music","Schoenberg","Phantasy","Op. 47","Form"],"dc:title":["Schoenberg's \"Phantasy\" Form"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Music"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Musical Arts"],"thesis:institution_name":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:00:26Z"}