Topoi and musical narrative

XXth century music analysis today seems to tend towards analytical methods taken from outside of traditional structural analysis. One of these methods is narrative analysis developed by L. Kerman, L. Kramer, B. Almen. According to Almen musical narrative should be analyzed through topoi – musical constructions with stable meaning expressed by rhythmic, melodic, texture and tempo elements. The article shows the possibilities of applying narrative analysis procedures to Shostakovitch`s Prelude in A major op.34. We discovered such topoi as “learned style”, “nocturne”, “march” and defined the aim of Prelude`s narrative as reaching “cognitive dissonance”. The analysis of the Prelude reveals the central kernel of Shostakovich phenomenon: “to add to the music the element of ambiguity, inner contradiction, emotional and psychological discomfort” (L. Hakobian)

Ambiguity · Art · Counterpoint · Epistemology · Linguistics · Literature · Melody · Musical · Musical analysis · Musical form · Narrative · Topos theory · Diverse Musicological Studies · Music Technology and Sound Studies · Musicology and Musical Analysis · Philosophy · Psychology