Temporality in the first movement of Trio No.1 for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1954) by Leon Kirchner in light of Jonathan Kramer’s approach to temporal study

Abstract

This study aims to take a step toward a precise understanding of the first movement of Leon Kirchner’s (1919-2009) Piano Trio No. 1, especially in the arrangement of the pitch centers and the specific function of every section, by applying Jonathan Kramer’s (1942-2004) temporal study in his book Time of Music (1988). Chapter 1 introduces the reason for this study, the methodology, the goal of this study, and the structure of this thesis. Chapter 2 briefly reviews Kirchner’s compositional style, based on existing studies. Chapter 3 discusses the essential content of Kramer’s theory and the terms that appear in the rest of the paper. Chapter 4 consists of a detailed analysis of three discrete elements and a comprehensive analysis of the temporal structure of the first movement of Piano Trio No.1 by Kirchner. Chapter 5 provides a performance analysis of this piece, guided by the results of the previous chapters. Chapter 6 concludes with the values and limitations of the application of temporal analysis. Practically, understanding the temporal structure of this idiosyncratic piece is essential for the performers in managing tempo, pacing climax(es), differentiating, and interpreting the characters of each subsection, and, thereby, cooperating with fellow performers.