Formal Functions in Perspective breaks new ground by offering careful consideration of how best to extend Caplin's ideas about eighteenth-century form [with nineteenth-century repertory]. The book maintains remarkable focus throughout. Every chapter offers its own in-depth readings of musical form, most with several examples. Henry Klumpenhouwer and Giorgio Sanguinetti offer...enlightening, analyses. Vande Moortele's contribution, on connections between Adorno and Caplin, ... Read morealso offers a welcome marriage of formal analysis and broader intellectual trends. One obvious strength of this chapter is the author's ability to synthesize a huge amount of material clearly and succinctly. Nathan John Martin's study of Mozart's arias, Steven Huebner's discussion of texture in Verdi, and especially Harald Krebs's study of sentence structures in Schumann's songs all reward careful reading. MUSIC & LETTERS [Eric Hogrefe] Formal Functions in Perspective goes beyond the traditional analysis to look at other types of formal structure and relationships in music. The essays deal with a wide variety of forms
the symphonic form, arias, sonata-form arias, the lieder, and chamber works
and the book includes wonderful examples and tables that clearly identify the form parts and transitions. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. CHOICE Show Less