Untitled Page
Bringing Light and Order
to Chaos: Jean-Philippe Rameau's Traité de
l'harmonie
The late
eighteenth-century music theorist Jean-Benjamin de la Borde
remarked that before the time of Jean-Philippe Rameau (c.
1683-1764), composers created according to their own caprices
because no systematic rules of harmony existed. He further
compared Rameau's accomplishments to those of Newton,
for he was the first theorist to formulate principles of harmonic
composition. These precepts changed the course of theory and
composition, and its influence was felt through the early twentieth
century. Thus for my project I desire to study
Rameau's first treatise, Traité de
l'harmonie Reduite à ses Principes naturels
(1722). The foundations of most of his harmonic principles
can be found in this important treatise. I will summarize the
main precepts, examine their relationships to each other, and
evaluate their implications for the art of composition. Since
some detail or nuance is invariably lost in translation, I plan to
study the original French version and the English translation
concurrently. (I would be happy to discuss my experience with
the French language with the committee at a later date, if they
desire).
In order to understand this
important treatise fully, I will first examine the culture in which
Rameau lived to determine how it is reflected in his writing.
The ideals of the Enlightenment, for example, are prevalent in his
works. In the preface of Traité, he
declares: ìMusic is a science which should have
definite rules; these rules should be drawn from an evident
principle; and this principle cannot be known to us without the aid
of mathematics.î This statement shows his
commitment to scientific approach, which was prized by the
scientists, mathematicians, and philosophes of his day.
Rameau also refers to empirical methods and natural law throughout
the treatise; these concepts were products of the Enlightenment as
well.
Within the context of the culture,
I will examine the musical background. First, I will review
the High Baroque style. Second, I will examine the principles
of previous sixteenth and seventeenth century theorists to
determine the nature and extent of their influence on
Rameau's concepts. I will briefly investigate the
three treatises quoted most often in Traité:
Gioseffo Zarlino's Istitutione harmoniche (1558)
and Demonstrationi harmoniche (1571), and René
Descartes' Compendium Musicae (1618).
Once the cultural and musical
background is defined, I will inspect the treatise itself.
The first book, ìOn the Relationship Between Harmonic
Ratios and Proportions,î is a demonstration of his
mathematical formulas used to derive consonant intervals, chords,
and their inversions from a fundamental note. The second
volume, entitled ìOn the Nature and Properties of
Chords; And on Everything Which May Be Used to Make Music
Perfect,î contains the core of Rameau's
principles. These principles include harmonic progressions,
cadences, treatment of dissonances, modes, keys, meter, text
setting, and the quality of intervals. The third book,
entitled ìPrinciples of Compositionî,
explains the art of composition employing these principles (i.e.,
how to modulate, prepare dissonances, etc.) Since the fourth
book is a practical manual on the art of accompanying, I will not
study it.
Finally, I will examine several of
Rameau's compositions to elucidate my understanding of
the principles contained in Traité. Specifically
this will include examining harmonic progressions, dissonance
treatment, and text setting.
As I have never attempted a
research project of this scope, it is difficult to project an exact
schedule for the ten-week summer and fall semester period.
After discussing the matter thoroughly with my advisor, I have
constructed a general timetable which we believe to be
attainable. First, I plan to spend two weeks examining the
cultural and musical background. This will include the study
of all secondary literature found in my bibliography. (As I
have already made a thorough survey of the available literature, I
do not anticipate adding many new sources to this list). The
three treatises quoted most often in Traité that I
mentioned previously do not need to be studied directly, the
secondary literature adequately summarizes their precepts, and some
offer speculations on their impact on later generations of
theorists. Also, my advisor is extremely familiar with the
two treatises of Zarlino, which will greatly aid me in my
study. After this two-week period, I plan to begin studying
the treatise itself. I will spend six to seven weeks focusing
on the treatise, and with the remaining one or two weeks I will
study a small number of Rameau's compositions. If
I feel that I need more time to examine either the cultural
background or the treatise itself, I will postpone my analyzation
of the compositions until the fall semester and continue studying
the treatise until I am satisfied with the depth of my
understanding. Conversely, if I find that I am well ahead of
schedule in the summer, I will spend the fall semester examining
the works of later theorists who built on Rameau's
treatises to clarify the extent of his influence on later
generations. (If my work progresses according to schedule, I
will still have time to pursue this issue during the fall
semester).
The role of my advisor, with whom I
am well-acquainted, is significant and multifaceted. First,
he will act as mentor, offering guidance for how to organize my
research and final paper. Second, he will act as a colleague,
challenging and encouraging my ideas. This atmosphere of
friendly discussion will help me to clarify and rationally defend
the opinions that I form. Third, he will act as a valuable
source of information. His understanding of the process of
researching theory and analysis within the cultural context will
aid me, as will his specific knowledge of the sixteenth-century
theorists that inspired Rameau. While my advisor is not
currently researching Rameau, his major area of interest is
examining theorists in the manner that I propose. These
similar interests stem from our beliefs about the need to integrate
the fields of music history, theory, and cultural studies into one
discipline. Generally, scholars specialize in either theory
or history, although the fields are quite interrelated.
My interest in integrating these
two fields is the reasons that I became part of the
Dean's Scholar program. My curriculum is a
combination of core courses required of music theory majors, and
music history and research course. I desire to obtain a
Degree with Distinction so that I will have not only knowledge in
these two fields, but practical experience in integrating
them. Participation in the Arts and Humanities Scholars
program will enable me to study this challenging subject in much
greater depth than would be possible during the course of the busy
academic year. I am highly interested in my topic, and eager
to begin the research process.
Bibliography
Anderson, Gene. Musical Terminology in
Jean-Philippe Rameau's Traité de
l'harmonie: A Study and Glossary Based on an
Index. Doctoral dissertation: University of Iowa,
1981.
Benn, Paul. Rameau's Musical Theories
and the Age of Reason. Doctoral dissertation: University
of California at Berkeley, 1966.
Bukhofzer, Manfred. Music in the Baroque
Era. New York: Norton, 1947.
Christensen, Thomas. ìMusic Theory as
Scientific Propaganda: The Case of
d'Alambert's Elemens de
Musique.î Journal of the History of Ideas, 50
(1989): 409-427.
Girdlestone, Cuthbert. Jean-Philippe
Rameau. London: Cassel and Co., Ltd.,
1957.
Green, Burdette. The Harmonic Series from Marsenne
to Rameau: An Historical Study Of Circumstances Leading to
Its Recognition and Application to Music. Doctoral
dissertation: Ohio State, 1969.
Krehbiel, James. Harmonic Principles of Jean
Philippe Rameau and His Contemporaries. Doctoral
dissertation: Indiana University, 1964.
Parkinson, Claire. Breakthroughs: A
Chronology of Great Achievements in Science and Mathematics,
1200-1930. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1985.
Pedersen, Olaf, and Mogens Pihl. Early Physics and
Astronomy: A Historical Introduction. London:
Unwin Bros., Ltd., 1974.
Rameau, Jean-Philippe. ìTraité de
l'harmonie Reduite à ses Principes
naturels.î Vol. 1, Complete Theoretical Writings of
Jean-Philippe Rameau. Edited By Erwin R. Jacobi.
Rome: American Institute of Musicology, 1967.
_________. Treatise on Harmony. Trans.,
with introduction and notes, by Phillip Gossett. New
York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1971.
Shirlaw, Matthew. The Theory of Harmony.
New York: Da Capo Press, 1969.
Verba, E. Cynthia. ìRameau's
Views on Modulation and Their Background in French
Theory.î Journal of the American Musicological
Society, 26 (1973): 69-91.
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