Joseph N. Straus. The Art of Post-Tonal Analysis: Thirty-Three Graphic Music Analyses (review)

Abstract

Joseph Straus’s The Art of Post-Tonal Analysis is the apotheosis of his decades-long work in post-tonal theory, and serves as an apt analytical companion to his seminal textbook, Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory (4th ed. 2016). Straus displays his mastery of post-tonal analytical artistry throughout. The monograph consists of thirty-three graphic music analyses intuitively laid out, with a pioneering use of colour for further clarity, and complete with a slick video version of each analysis on the companion website. The aim of each analysis is to uncover the structure and form of the music, with an emphasis on pitch organisation, whilst remaining largely free from overarching contextual or theoretical arguments. […]