Fluctuating and suspended meter in selected passages from Arnold Schoenberg’s Das Buch der hangenden Garten, Opus 15
Thomas William Evdokimoff · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · 2009
This thesis explores Arnold Schoenberg's use of meter in Das Buck der hangenden Garten, Opus 15. The thesis works from the premise that Schoenberg treats meter in a manner analogous to that usually associated with pitch material: meter is motivic in nature, and can be subjected to developmental techniques. The concepts of fluctuating meter and suspended meter are developed, and used to describe the music; these concepts are derived from an analogy with Schoenberg's own terms schwebende Tonalitat and aufgehobene Tonalitat (fluctuating and suspended tonality). Selected excerpts from the song cycle are analyzed. The analyses focus on issues of meter, although some pitch analysis is used to complement the discussion.