Harmony in Time: Memory, Consciousness, and Expectation in Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata, Op. 53

Harmonic expectations in Western tonal music are formed throughout an individual's lifetime, created by the encounter of commonly recurring patterns of relationships of chords within music. The recognition and identification of these patterns, particularly when the anticipated patterns are denied, are expressed on a conscious level. Although identified and articulated from the conscious experience, a listener's attention may not be actively engaged in harmonic processing; moreover, the identification of deviations may arise from nonconscious processing of harmonic events. This paper identifies the processes in formulating and expressing harmonic expectation and its subsequent denial, as well as the nonconscious processing which influences this recognition. Additionally, this paper theorizes that expectations on a larger scale, beyond the chordal level, may be generated and fulfilled nonconsciously. This paper concludes with an analysis of Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata, identifying moments of conflict between small-scale denials of expectations within the fulfillment of large-scale processes.

Name thesis:degree_name

MM

Level thesis:degree_level

Immediate Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music Theory

Year dc:date.available

2010

Author dc:creator

• Powell, Andrew S.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jessica Wiskus
• Robert Shankovich
• Patrick Burke
• Carole Riley

• Beethoven
• consciousness
• Damasio
• harmonic expectation
• memory
• Waldstein

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1059

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dsc.duq.edu:etd-2075