The Musical Realism of Leoš Janáček : From Speech Melodies to a Theory of Composition
type: CreativeWork
description: The present study discusses the Czech composer Leoš Janáček (1854 1928) as a music theorist. The general aim of the study is to examine the composer's aesthetics and compositional style in the light of his theoretical writings. These writings consist of versatile articles and autographs (including also drafts for lectures) on the theory of music (harmony, rhythm, theory of composition), folk music, acoustics, psychology, linguistics, and the so-called speech melodies. The study also considers the connection between the composer's musical theories and his compositional development. For this purpose an overview of the problems of style and identity is made in the first part of the dissertation, which discusses the transformation and metamorphoses of style in the different developmental phases of the composer. The second part of the dissertation introduces the sources that influenced Janáček's theoretical thought, involving both music theory and aesthetics and philosophy of the late 19th century, especially in the Czech Lands. Janáček's writings have been interpreted especially in the context of the intellectual climate in the Czech Lands of the late nineteenth century. Understanding Janáček's highly individual theoretical terminology requires an analysis of its most influental sources, to which the philosophical psychology and aesthetic formalism of Johann Friedrich Herbart and subsequently, Czech Josef Durdík, belong. This tradition was continued by the experimental research of Hermann von Helmholtz and Wilhelm Wundt in psychology. Janáček's views on harmony and rhythm were largely based on this scientific research, from which he also gained new impetus for his theory of speech melodies. The focus of Part III is on the direct analysis, explanation and interpretation of the composer's individual theoretical writings of different musical realms, such as his theory of speech melodies, his theory of harmony and rhythm, and his theory of so-called complicating composition…
abstract: The present study discusses the Czech composer Leoš Janáček (1854 1928) as a music theorist. The general aim of the study is to examine the composer's aesthetics and compositional style in the light of his theoretical writings. These writings consist of versatile articles and autographs (including also drafts for lectures) on the theory of music (harmony, rhythm, theory of composition), folk music, acoustics, psychology, linguistics, and the so-called speech melodies. The study also considers the connection between the composer's musical theories and his compositional development. For this purpose an overview of the problems of style and identity is made in the first part of the dissertation, which discusses the transformation and metamorphoses of style in the different developmental phases of the composer. The second part of the dissertation introduces the sources that influenced Janáček's theoretical thought, involving both music theory and aesthetics and philosophy of the late 19th century, especially in the Czech Lands. Janáček's writings have been interpreted especially in the context of the intellectual climate in the Czech Lands of the late nineteenth century. Understanding Janáček's highly individual theoretical terminology requires an analysis of its most influental sources, to which the philosophical psychology and aesthetic formalism of Johann Friedrich Herbart and subsequently, Czech Josef Durdík, belong. This tradition was continued by the experimental research of Hermann von Helmholtz and Wilhelm Wundt in psychology. Janáček's views on harmony and rhythm were largely based on this scientific research, from which he also gained new impetus for his theory of speech melodies. The focus of Part III is on the direct analysis, explanation and interpretation of the composer's individual theoretical writings of different musical realms, such as his theory of speech melodies, his theory of harmony and rhythm, and his theory of so-called complicating composition…
author: Vainiomäki, Tiina
language: eng
keywords: musiikkitiede
date published: 2012-09-08
date modified: 2026-07-27T19:55:58Z
provider: University of Helsinki
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Helsingin yliopisto

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/10138/36087