Allen Cadwallader & David Gagne - Analysis of Tonal Music - A Schenkerian Approach

Allen Cadwallader & David Gagne, Analysis of Tonal Music: A Schenkerian Approach. Oxford University Press, 1998. Reviewed by Marianne Wheeldon. For the last fifteen years, the standard text for the study of Schenkerian analysis has been Allen Forte and Steven E. Gilbert's Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis (W. W. Norton, 1982). The recent publication of Allen Cadwallader and David Gagne's Analysis of Tonal Music: A Schenkerian Approachnow provides a viable alternative for teachers and students. The newer book, of course, supersedes the older one in that its authors have been able to draw upon the intervening fifteen years of research. Throughout the text, these authors lead the students to Schenkerian research by citing relevant monographs and articles, and they close their study with a bibliography for suggested further readings. But in spite of the theoretical improvements, some pedagogical problems arise when using this text. While Cadwallader and Gagne's book is a welcome and much-needed addition, it does not entirely supplant Forte and Gilbert's text as the primary resource for teachers and students.