C4DM Seminar: Mark Gotham - Chromatic chords in theory and practice
QMUL, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
Centre for Digital Music Seminar Series
Seminar by:
Mark Gotham
Date/time: 27th of November, 13:00-14:00
Location: G2, Mile End Campus
Title: Chromatic chords in theory and practice
Abstract: “Chromatic harmony” is fundamental to our understanding of (extended) tonal music in the Western classical tradition (c.1700–1900) and we routinely teach certain aspects of it in core curricula on this subject. We do this in a globalised and data-driven age, and yet 1) there are significant gaps between how different national “schools” identify the “important” subjects, label them, and populate the curriculum, 2) some common terms lack robust definition, and 3) there is little accountable evidence for how relatively common these chords are in practice.
This talk reports on a long-term project addressing each of those three issues. First is a comparison of the terms typically taught in English- and German-speaking classrooms as an example of diverge (despite a substantially shared history). Second, is the proposal of tiered definitions for terms. Rather than attempting to force a single “definitive” version, this instead provides a framework for the choices needed for any clear definition. Notable examples include the many criteria needed for any robust definition of “modal mixture”.
Third is a survey of the usage of these chromatic chords with a computational corpus study of human harmonic analysis across 2,000 analyses of 1,500 works (https://github.com/MarkGotham/When-in-Rome). This provides some indication of how significant each chord is to the repertoire at hand, and some insight for reviewing how they are weighted in our curricula. That data also enables pro-active benefits for open educational resources, notably the “Harmony Anthology” for the Open Music Theory textbook that enables free, interactive exploration of these chords and their contexts (https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/chapter/anthology-harmony/).
Bio: Mark Gotham specialises in computational methods for music theory, analysis, and composition. He holds the rare distinction of having been appointed to permanent faculty positions in both STEM (now in computer science @ Durham) and in the humanities (previously Prof. of Music Theory @ TU Dortmund). Mark holds a PhD from Cambridge, MMus from the RNCM, and a BA from Oxford (where he graduated at the top of his cohort).
Beyond his core research, Mark’s work spans commercial contracts, musical composition, and more. Notable commercial contracts have included the “Beethoven X” project for Deutsche Telekom. Composition highlights include broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and national Chinese television, and the debut CD of Mark’s compositions (‘Utrumne est Ornatum’, REGCD485) attracting 5-star critical reviews.
Earlier in his career, Mark was a highly active as a performer (singer, multi-instrumentalist, and conductor). Highlights included conducting principal players of the London Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra in contemporary music projects.