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LORA, Doris Liechty, 1939- THE PERCEPTION OF THE MOTIVE IN THE BACH CHORALE PRELUDES. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1971 Music University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan (c> Copyright by Doris Liechty Lora 1971 THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED THE PERCEPTION OP THE MOTIVE IN THE BACH CHORALE PRELUDES DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Doris Liechty Lora, B.S., M.A. « « * # • The Ohio State University 1971 Approved by ll/o ff-f i c r Q * - * - Adviser Department of Music PLEASE NOTE: Some pages have small and Indistinct print. Filmed as received. UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish fco thank my organ teacher and friend, Professor Wilbur Held and also Professor Wave Shaffer for serving on the reading committee; special thanks also go to Professor Henry Cady, a member of the read ing committee, whose critical suggestions were most valuable and contributed to greater clarity of organi zation and expression. It is to my adviser, Professor William Poland, however, that I extend particular appre ciation. It was his creative ideas which first influ enced me to think critically about musical analysis and its relationship to musical behavior and consequently to psychology and numerous other disciplines. It was his unique combination of scholarly expertise, musical sen sitivity, and skillful communication of ideas, which helped to generate many of the ideas In this study. So to this distinguished teacher and friend, I am most grateful. Any errors or weaknesses in logic In this study, however, are entirely my responsibility. Finally, my warmest thanks go to my husband, Ron, whose love, encouragement, and support, and more practically, his time with the children which delayed for a time his own research and writing, enabled me to complete this study. ii VITA September 2, 1939 • • Born - Berne, Indiana 1961 . B, M. Ed., Bluffton College, Bluffton, Ohio I9 6 I-I963 .......... Organist, First Baptist Church, Lima, Ohio Graduate Assistant, School of Music The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Organist, King Ave. Methodist Church 1 9 6 3 ............. M. A. The Ohio State University ; Columbus, Ohio 1 ' 1 9 6 3 -1 9 6 6 ........... Instructor, Assistant Professor, Bluffton College, Bluffton, Ohio 1 Organist, First Mennonite Church Bluffton, Ohio 1 9 6 6 -1 9 6 7 .......... Organist, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Columbus, Ohio 1968 .............. Organist, Pilgrim Congregational Church, Toledo, Ohio RECENT ORGAN RECITALS November 17, 1968 . .St. Marks Lutheran Church, Toledo, Ohio May 2, 1971 . » . Associated Mennonite Seminaries Chapel Elkhart, Indiana May 16, 1971 .... Grace Mennonite Church, Pandora, Ohio iii FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Music Theory Studies in Psychology of Music and Contemporary Theories of Music. Professor William Poland Studies in Organ and Organ Literature. Professor Wilbur Held ^..Studies in History of Theory. Professor Norman Phelps Studies in Music History. Professor Richard Hoppin . I iv 4 TABLE OP CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................ 11 VITA .................. Ill LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ............ vill INTRODUCTION .................................. 1 CHAPTER I. SCIENTIFIC METHODS, OP SOLVING MUSICAL PROBLEMS ............................ 6 Psycho-musicological Issuea The Process of Theory Formulation Questions of Value in Scientific Inquiry The Empiricist Philosopher A Perceptual Theory of Meaning and Value in the Motivic Structure of the Bach Chorale Preludes ^ II. THE PROBLEM OF MUSICAL ANALYSIS AND THE THEORIST'S T A S K .................... 18 The Expanding Task of the Music Theorist Limits of Speculative Discourse Philosophical Inquiry and Empirical Investigation Psychologically-oriented Studies- by Musicians A Synthesis of Method Summary III. PSYCHOLOGY AS A TOOL FOR STUDYING MUSICAL BEHAVIOR ............................ ill Transition from Speculation to Empiricism Auditory Perception v Vi CHAPTER Page Pattern Perception Gestalt Ideas Information Theory Summary IV. THE MUSICAL MOTIVE AS A PERCEPTUAL UNIT - I 63 Body of Music Used Definition of Motive The Suitability of Bach Chorale Preludes for Motivic Analysis The Motive as Primary Material Questions for Pattern Perception Analysis Structure as a Percept Empirical Investigations of Melody Melodic Organization of the Motive Rhythmic Studies Rhythmic Organization of the Motive Harmonic Considerations Summary V. THE MUSICAL MOTIVE AS A PERCEPTUAL UNIT - II -135- Interpretation of Factual Data Motivic Organization at the Elemental Level Interrelationships of the Elements as a Cue to Pattern Organization Perception of Groups Perceptual Effects of Accent Musical Motion as Related to Tension and Release In Life Forces Factors Contributing to Unity-Varlety Balance Summary VI. SOME APPLICATIONS OF INFORMATION THEORY CONCEPTS TO MOTIVIC ORGANIZATION ........ 183 Abstract of InformationJTheory Concepts Meyer's Application of Information Theory Measurement with Bits and Chunks Exploratory Applications of Information Theory to Music Predictability and Unpredictability Periodicity and Redundancy Recoding Elements of a Rich Stimulus Summary vii CHAPTER Page VII. THEORIES, HYPOTHESES,AND CONCLUSIONS .......... 218 Chapter Summaries and Hypotheses A General Theory of Meaning and Value Hypotheses and Conclusions APPENDIX .............................................2?5 REFERENCES ................................... 240 A SUPPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY . ..................... 252 LIST OP MUSICAL EXAMPLES Bach Chorale Preludes Example Page 1. Mlt Fried1 und Freud* lch fahr* d a h l n ... 65 2. Christ lag in Todesbanden................. 65 3. Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan k a m ... 66 4. 0 Lamm Gottes (verse 3 ) ............... 67 5 . Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten . 69 6. Aus tiefer Not schrei lch zu d i r ..... 71 7. Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes-Sohn... 73 8. Mit Fried' und Freud' lch fahr' dahln .... 84 9> Christ lag in Todesbanden . .............. 85 10. Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich .... 86 11. Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes-Sohn.... 101 12. 0 Lamm Gottes (verse 2) . • 102 13. Kyrie, Gott heiliger G e l s t ............ 103 14. In dir 1st Freude ...................... 104 15. Nun kornm' der Heiden Hellana ........ 104 16. Nun komm, der Heiden Helland (Leipzig Chorale) ............. 105 17. Durch Adam's Fall 1st ganz verderbt .... 106 18. In dir 1st F r e u d e ............ 106 viii Ix Example Page 19. Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordanka m ............109 20. Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes-Sohn .... 117 21. Wir Christenleut' . ............. 117 22. Christ, du Lamm Gottes .................. 117 23. Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten .... 119 2 k , Nun danket alle Gott ............ 121 25. Komm, Heiliger Geist ...................... 12k 26. JesU, meine Freude ........................ 127 2 7 . Wir Christenleut' .......................... 1*40 28. Allein Gott in der Hoh sei Eh r ................ Ik 2 29• Alle Menschen mussen sterben .............. 148 30. 0 Lamm Gottes (verse 2 ) ..................... 1449 31. 0 Lamm Gottes (verse 3 ) ..................... 1*49 32. Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten .... 163 33- Nun komm* der Heiden Helland ................ 177 3*4. Wir Christenleut' .......................... 19*4 35. Herr Christ, der ein'ge Gottes-Sohn .... 196 3 6 . Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend' .... 198 37. Der Tag, der 1st so freudenreich .......... 201 3 8 . Wir glauben all an elnen Gott ....... 206 39* Christ 1st erstanden ............ 208 440. Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend' .... 212 1 * 1 9 j t 1 INTRODUCTION Purpose The purpose of this study is to try to discover more precisely why music has meaning and value by studying human perceptual responses to pattern as reported by psychological • «. ' t studies and then applying these findings wherever possible to patterns which emerge from analysis of motivic structures’ in the Bach chorale preludes for organ. In these composi tions we find a body of music which makes frequent and com prehensive use of the motive as a structural device, hence the selection of this group of compositions for study. To give coherence to this study, I will formulate a theory as to how or why motivic perception can give meaning and value to this body of music. This initial theory, which will be stated at the end of Chapter I, will be applied only to the i , Bach chorale preludes. On the basis of the data from this study, a more general theory, applicable to other bogles of music, will be formulated. 9 . \ r \ Type of Analysis As much analysis arid scrutiny1 as Bach's musical 2 style has been subjected to, surprisingly little has been done In the area of pattern analysis. Identification of motives In music has been done (Alden, 1956), but nothing to my knowledge has been done with motivic analysis of music from a psychological perspective. Milton Babbitt has aptly noted that "the problem of analysis, of course, is that of significance, not identification" (Porte, 1967» P* 38). In this study, my primary concern Is significance, so there is no attempt to Identify, label, and categorize each melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic event in these preludes, nor even to i examine each one. This departure, from the more conventional kind of analytic study Is due mainly to a difference In final goal. The purpose is. not to have a tabulated, annotated record of what the chorale preludes consist of. It is rather to