A Study On David Lewin’s"Transformation Network Theory"

David Lewin (1933-2003), an American music theorist, founded "transformation network theory" in1980s, which had influenced profoundly in the music analysis research.The key issues are:1. On the basis of adequately understanding relative literatures, to demonstrate the theoretical background and framework of Lewin’s "Transformation Networks" theory.2. Comparing to author and other scholars’analytical practices, to show the view and method of the theory in analytical manipulation and the effectiveness which the theory can obtain.3. Comparing with tonality theories and other mainstream atonality theories, to expose the characteristic of the theory and the status and significance in the western music theory history.4. This dissertation has five chapters. The first chapter is "Music Analysis Theory of Lewin’s", showing Lewin’s research achievements, which are the background of the transformation theory. The second chapter is demonstration on the framework of "Transformation Network" theory, based on Lewin’s Generalized Music Interval and Transformation. The third chapter focuses on some analysis examples using "Transformation Network" theory and shows the gist of the theory, comparing to other scholars’analytical views and research and joining author’s practice, to show the view and method of the theory in analytical manipulation and the effectiveness which the theory can obtain. The fourth chapter compares "Transformation Network" theory and tonality theories, demonstrating the conception of tonality theories and searching the relation between "Transformation Network" theory and tonality theories, involving the thoughts and researches of Neo-Riemannian Theory which has the influence of Lewin’s "Transformation Network". The fifth chapter compares with the two other mainstream atonality theories, Pitch-Class Set Theory and Symmetry Theory, and discusses the characteristic and value of "Transformation Network" theory in the atonality theories’ context.