Doctoral Colloquium (Music): Ellen Bakulina

The Doctoral Colloquium is open to all.

Doctoral Colloquium: Ellen Bakulina

Abstract: 

Although music theory in Soviet Russia, like many other disciplines, had long been separated from Western and other intellectual cultures, there is nonetheless shared intellectual ground between Russian and Western theories of form, in particular when it comes to influences coming from 19th-century German writings. In my paper, I focus on one article (1982) by the Russian theorist Ekaterina Ruchievskaya and explore commonalities and differences between her and William Caplin's approaches to form. More broadly, this comparison helps understand—or at least begin to understand—methodological relationships between various Russian teachings of form and the Western New Formenlehre. The specifics of my presentation deal with Ruchievskaya's approach to structural hierarchy, as well as her focus on issues of expression in the analysis of large-scale forms. I end by analyzing the slow movement from Beethoven's sonata Pathetique using Ruchievskaya's method (while also potentially problematizing this method). 

Prof. Ellen Bakulina:

Ellen Bakulina is a music theorist specializing in tonal music and theories. Originally from Russia, she holds her BMus and MA from McGill and her PhD from the City University of New York. Ellen's numerous publications and conference presentations have explored theories that originate from Russia, as well as form, tonality, and meter in tonal music, with a focus on Rachmaninoff, Russian church music, and Mozart. She is particularly fond of synthesizing Western and Russian approaches when analyzing music. Ellen is very happy to be back at McGill and in Canada after a 12-year sojourn in the United States.