Retracing One's Steps - An Overview of Pitch Circularity and Shepard Tones in European Music, 1550-1990

Journal/Book: Music Percept. 1995; 12: Journals Dept, 2120 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720. Univ Calif Press. 323-351.

Abstract: This article documents the use of pitch circularity and Shepard tones in Western art music, 1550-1990. My thesis is that composers have come to exploit the perceptual as well as musical aspects of pitch circularity. Jean-Claude Risset, whose orchestral work, Phases, I analyze in some detail, has been especially successful in both aspects. Additionally, I posit a theory correlating the presence or absence of pitch circularity in music with the aesthetic of formal closure.

Note: Article I Braus, 71-73 James St, Auburn, ME 04201 USA

Keyword(s): PARADOX

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