Musical memory and musical analysis: strategies for the memorization of selected tonal piano compositions
English: Memorization plays an integral part of musical perfromance practice, especially as it is generally expected of pianists to memorize works for public performance. Since music is a temporal phenomenon, it relies completely on our ability to store and relate information relating to music. Yet despite this prominence of musical memory, certain hiatuses remain within the existing literature on the topic. Although some authors emphasize the importance of musical analysis, a clear explication of its importance and role in the memorization process is lacking, and strategies for the development of effective memorization are not adequately outlined. The study therefore proposes that specific focus areas and principles of analysis, combined with the organization and logic of music, will complement and promote the functioning of the musical memory system. With regard to the analysis of tonal music and to analytical orientation, the study draws on the ideas of Heinrich Schenker, especially his notion of tonal music as a system of internal coherence which allows the analyst to understand its distinguishing features, transformation of ideas, and the logic of its motivic activity. This study thus investigates literature on memory, musical memory and musical analysis to find common ground for the development of analytical strategies for memorization. These strategies propose an interactive system of analytical acts and focuses based on the association or relation of material within a composition. The analytical strategies range from the classification of material to the uncovering of compositional design and logic through analytical interpretation. The application and functionality of these strategies are illustrated in four analytical case studies involving four selected tonal piano compositions from the 18th and 19th centuries. The strategies not only demonstrate the compatibility and cross-fertilisation of analytical and memory processes, but also enable performers to comprehend a composition in terms of its coherent structural content, its distinguishing tonal features, as well as its design and logic. In so doing, effective and reliable memorization is ensured.
Afrikaans: Memorisering vorm ‘n integrale deel van musikale uitvoeringspraktyke, veral omdat daar oor die algemeen van pianiste verwag word om werke vir publieke uitvoerings te memoriseer. Omdat musiek ‘n temporale verskynsel is, maak dit staat op die menslike geheue om musikale informasie te stoor en verwantskappe te identifiseer. Ten spyte van hierdie belangrikheid bestaan daar egter sekere leemtes in huidige literatuur. Hoewel sommige outeurs die belangrikheid van musikale analise beklemtoon, word daar onvoldoende aandag gegee aan beide die rol van analise in die memoriseringsproses asook die spesifisering van strategieë vir die ontwikkeling van effektiewe memoriseringstegnieke. ‘n Kombinasie van spesifieke fokusareas en prinsiepe van analise en die organisasie en logika van musiek word dus voorgestel om ten einde die funksionaliteit van musikale geheue beide te komplimenteer en te bevorder. Die analise van tonale musiek word veral gebaseer op die idees van Heinrich Schenker, veral dié van tonale musiek as ‘n sisteem van interne samehang wat die analis se begrip van die onderskeidende kenmerke, die transformasie van idees en die logika agter die motiwiese aktiwiteite van ‘n komposisie, verbeter. Die studie ondersoek dus literatuur rakende geheue en musikale analise om verwantskappe te identifiseer vir die ontwikkeling van analitiese strategieë vir meer effektiewe memorisering. Hierdie strategieë stel ‘n interaktiewe sisteem van analitiese handelinge voor, wat op die assosiasie of verwantskappe van materiaal in ‘n komposisie gebaseer is. Die sisteem sluit ook in: die klassifikasie van materiaal, asook die blootlegging van die komposisionele ontwerp en logika deur middel van analitiese interpretasie. Die voorgestelde strategieë word toegepas op tonale klavierkomposisies uit die 18de- en 19de eeu. Hierdie strategieë demonstreer nie bloot die versoenbaarheid en interproduktiwiteit van analitiese- en geheueprosesse nie, maar stel die uitvoerder ook in staat om ‘n komposisie te verstaan in terme van die samehang van die strukturele inhoud, die onderskeidende tonale kenmerke, asook die ontwerp en logika daarvan. Met behulp hiervan word effektiewe en betroubare memorisering verseker.