The application of GTTM on 20th century modal music: Research based on the analysis of Yannis Constantinidis's “44 Greek miniatures for piano”

Abstract

This paper examines the adaptation and expansion of Lerdahl’ s & Jackendoff s Generative Theory of Tonal Music so that it may be applied on the analysis of 20th century modal music. Based on the premise that a considerable part of the theory's rules are universal — meaning that the principles of music perception and cognition are the same for all experienced listeners regardless of the musical idiom in which they are experienced — the application of GTTM to musical idioms other than the Western classical one requires formulation of idiom-specific well-formedness and preference rules, and description of the special tonal hierarchy. These tasks may be accomplished through the analytical study of a considerable quantity of music representing a certain idiom, and the description of its features in relation to the four parts of the GTTM methodology. The chosen analytical object — 44 Greek miniatures for piano — is representative of the musical idiom deriving from the amalgamation of Greek modal music and 20th century harmonization techniques, distinctive of the musical style of Greek composer Yannis Constantinidis. An inductive methodological process was used for the individual and comparative analysis of all 44 pieces. This paper includes three complete GTTM sample analyses from the 44 piano pieces, a summary of the stylistic characteristics of the analyzed music, and the formulation of the special well-formedness and preference rules, introduced as either new rules to the theory or adaptations of the existing ones.