Possible Implementation of Heinrich Christoph Koch’s Analytical Terminology in Contemporary Analytical Practice

Abstract

This paper aims to interpret two capital works of Heinrich Christoph Koch, the most important theorist of the eighteenth century: Musical Lexicon (Musikalisches Lexikon) and Introductory Essay on Composition (Versuch einer Anleitung zur Composition) in three volumes, from the viewpoint of his analytical terminology. For better understanding of the piece, and bearing in mind that his Introductory Essay is a textbook, and therefore has a pedagogical nature, his view on the composer’s relation with his work is discussed, and with it, creating a piece based on three parameters: conception, realization and elaboration, as well as the concepts of feeling, genius, fervour, impression and taste. Koch’s relationship to the work from the viewpoint of the analysis of musical form and its dissection is considered. Some concepts, which have always been used in the analysis of form, whose meaning is understood by default, are explained: character, genre, style. This paper arises from the necessity of re-examining Koch’s analytical terminology and to introduce it into today’s analytical practice, especially for the better understanding of music of the baroque and classical periods and its more logical explication. Special emphasis has been given to sonata form, which is necessary to be seen in a different way, in accordance with the stylistic period in which it was created. Koch’s music theory is completely neglected in the textbook literature and therefore the contribution of this scientific work is twofold: the analysis of Koch’s postulates as well as an attempt to implement them in todays’ practice.