Bill Pirkle:

>This is a very interesting subject so I'm would like to offer it as a
>thread..  Is all music either program or not? Is there music that is both?
>What is the difference in terms or melody, harmony, rhythm, tempo, form &
>structure, etc.  Which came first?
>
>If I wanted to write program music, what would I NOT do.  If I wanted
>to write non-program music, what would I NOT do.? What music is so close
>that informed music listeners argue over which category it belongs in.
>And finally, which music falls in neither category? Anyone?

"Program music" is a term applied mainly to some romantic symphonic
works which have a literary "underpinning" or a descriptive intention.
Many baroque instrumental works have it too, but terms are always a little
arbitraries.  Program music has no distinctive features in melody, harmony
and tempo, but there are, however, some interesting aspects related to form
and thematic links.  PM can take the shape of a symphony (i.e:  Berlioz's
"Symphonie Fantastique", Mahler's 2nd.  etc.) or of a single composition
without breaks between movements (symphonic poems, as Liszt's or Richard
Strauss' or Thchaikowsky's "overtures").  Being musical form very close
to literary narrative (both are based in time), the composer may use
traditional schemes as sonate form (the opposition and struggle between two
different themes) or create a form "ad-hoc" which imitates the structure of
the literary narrative.  How can you imitate a narrative structure in music
is a good question (members of the list:  arouse, for you must justify
me!), and depends on the case, but I think that it is the "quid" of program
music.  However, in many occasions, if you don't know that the literary
reference exists, you don't know that you are listening a programmatic
work.  All this depends on the composer's intentions:  if he adds a title
to his new symphony, and he says that the first theme represents his
girlfriend or his dog...maybe you will not know this until you read the
CD's booklet or the composer's biography.

Pablo Massa
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