Lecture: Music theory beyond dead white Germans: A simple introduction to Neo Riemannian analysis

2024 Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference Australia

16:20-16:45 Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music & Performance, Performance Theatre
Paper: Dr Edward Neeman, Music theory beyond dead white Germans: A simple introduction to Neo-Riemannian analysis

Music theory at the level of many high school pianists can be dry, difficult to understand, and often does not engage with music that really sparks enthusiasm. Traditional theory courses are grounded in the 18th century and relegate many of the spicy harmonies from the Romantic period and beyond to “advanced chromaticism,” a topic that can only be broached after many months or years of diligent study. In this lecture, Dr. Edward Neeman demonstrates how to
lay the foundations for chromatic harmony early, showing how basic Neo-Riemannian ideas explain many unusual “complex” progressions in ways that are accessible and thought-provoking. Building these analytical foundations is
an essential step for serious students, allowing them to learn music more rapidly and confidently. First steps include trying unusual chord progressions and exploring beyond I-IV-V7-I, and the lecture concludes with an analysis of Backstage Rag (a CMus-level piece on the AMEB syllabus) that shows how Elena Kats-Chernin breathes new life into old harmonic ideas—chromatic modulations that previously had piqued the interest of Schubert, Chopin and many others, all the way to today’s film composers.