Product details
- ISBN 9781438496337
- Weight: 191g
- Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 01 Jan 2024
- Publisher: State University of New York Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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The classic work on Levy's theory of negative harmony.
Ernst Levy was a visionary Swiss pianist, composer, and teacher who developed an approach to music theory that has come to be known as "negative harmony." Levy's theories have had a wide influence, from young British performer/composer Jacob Collier to jazz musicians like Steve Coleman. His posthumous text, A Theory of Harmony, summarizes his innovative ideas. A Theory of Harmony is a highly original explanation of the harmonic language of the modern era, illuminating the approaches of diverse styles of music. By breaking through age-old conceptions, Levy was able to reorient the way we experience musical harmony.
British composer/music pedagogue Paul Wilkinson has written a new introduction that offers multiple points of entry to Levy's work to make this text more accessible for a new generation of students, performers, and theorists. He relates Levy's work to innovations in improvisation, jazz, twentieth-century classical music, and the theoretical writings of a wide range of musical mavericks, including Harry Partch, Hugo Riemann, and David Lewin. Wilkinson shows how A Theory of Harmony continues to inspire original musical expression across multiple musical genres.
Ernst Levy (1895–1981) was a Swiss music theorist, composer, and conductor.
