Approaches to Wolf: Schenker, transformation, function

Like the works of many late nineteenth-century composers, Hugo Wolf's music inhabits an ambiguous realm of mixed diatonic and chromatic tonality--not quite common practice, yet still resonating with its ideas of harmonic function and voice-leading. This music has posed a significant problem for the field of music theory, theoretically as well as pedagogically. To be more precise, it is not the music itself that is problematic, but the analytic tools used to address it. This dissertation examines the uses of Schenkerian theory, several types of function theory, and transformation graphs and networks, using selected songs of Hugo Wolf as analytical fodder for its theoretical development. These different analytic methods all yield different types of information. Sometimes this information is the same, and described in different terms; sometimes information gained from one source may contribute additional depth or texture to an analytic insight gained through another; sometimes this information is readily accessible only through a given analytic technique. The relationships among these results can give us insight into both the theories themselves as well as the music.;Chapter 1 presents an introduction and an overview of the theories used. Chapter 2 presents the methodological issues raised by the intersections of these different theories, as seen through the lens of an analysis of Wolfs Wir haben beide lange Zeit geschwiegen. Chapters 3 and 4 examine the effect this analysis has on Schenkerian theory, both in relation to "problem" pieces and in general, ultimately leading to a reconsideration of the nature of the Ursatz. Chapter 5 examines the analytic fallout for function theory, as well as examines several other instances of diatonic and chromatic cycles in Wolf songs. Chapter 6 includes a conclusion, and discusses the pedagogical implications and directions for future research.