Abstract

Musical tension is a frequently discussed aesthetic issue. Proceeding from Susanne K. Langer and Leonard B. Meyer’s theories, this thesis utilizes related concepts of time and tension in David Lewin and Kurt Koffka’s theories to indicate the researching path that regarding musical tension as a dynamic process. In Langer’s theory, “tension” is a crucial concept connecting musical form and emotion. Through the investigation of her two concepts—tension and the image of time, this thesis clarifies the correlation between tension and timing structure. In this thesis, David Lewin’s phenomenological perspective and Kurt Koffka’s Gestalt psychology provide new horizons to reconsider the musical tension. The tensional relationships between musical events turn into the “unfolding duration- interval vectors” and exhibit consecutive multi-hierarchical structures. The author introduces the unfolding duration- interval vector into Koffka’s force field. Accordingly, the method of “dynamic tensional system” is proposed to analyze music. The examples of Brahms’ Violin Sonata No.2 mov.1 and Bartok’s String Quartet No.4 mov.5 not only demonstrate diverse tensional relationships among different rhythmic patterns and other musical elements but also illustrate how the dynamic tensional structure varies through the passage of time.

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