Chopin's Harmony on CD-ROM
By John Carton of the Peabody Institute
of the Johns Hopkins University
A tool for teaching theory to music students, pianists, and advanced
music enthusiasts. Based on analysis of Chopin's use of harmony,
introduces a simplified music vocabulary and demonstrates theoretical
concepts as used by Frederic Chopin in his music. Includes text with
scores and audio selections of over 100 musical examples. Requires an
MPCII compatible computer, CD-ROM drive and audio card with Microsoft
WindowsTM 3.1. Uses the Windows Help software for text display.
Available immediately.
PRICE: $95 plus $5 shipping.
DETAILS
Chopin's Harmony was developed over a 20-year period as teaching notes
for a music theory course at the Peabody Institute. The course
presents a tidy numerical vocabulary and then analyzes music theory
concepts through their use by Frederic Chopin.
In developing the CD-ROM edition, Preston-Whitelaw worked from the
author's original text. We added scanned images of scores and audio
piano passages for each example.
The piano passages were performed by Xak Bjergen, a doctoral candidate
at the Peabody. The passages were digitally recorded for high-sound
quality.
The scores and the text can be viewed on-screen or printed. Tools for
audio playback allow users to replay specific passages or entire
examples.
Chopin's Harmony uses the Microsoft Windows Help program ("winhelp"),
which is included with each copy of Microsoft Windows installed. We
are contemplating a Macintosh version in the future.
The installation process allows the user to balance software
performance against hard disk use by choosing which components are
installed on the hard disk. Users must have a 386 or greater PC
running Microsoft Windows 3.1 or greater, an MPCII compatible CD-ROM
player and audio card correctly installed and configured, and
appropriate speakers or headphones. A printer is optional.
For more information or to place an order please call, write,
fax or e-mail us at:
Preston-Whitelaw, Ltd.
20250 Century Blvd
Germantown, MD 20878
301/353-1422 x236
301/540-5522 (fax)
pwl@pwl.com
Welcome to the world of *Music's Panchromatic Harmonic Spectrum* by Gurney Kennedy. This supplementary music text, designed to aid the student in music theory and keyboard harmony, is newly desktop-published for the music theory community. Based on the original concepts of Dr. Howard Hanson. Edited by Dr. William Schirmer, Jacksonville University, and Dr. Ruth Watanabe, both Eastman alumni. Please visit the MPHS site at http://jax.gulfnet.com/user_pages/geoffrey/mphs/mphs.htm for more information and detail about the book's content and how to get a complementary copy. (E-mail geoffrey@jax.gulfnet.com)
MacGAMUT 3.0 ear-training software, including new Harmonic Dictation component, scheduled for release this summer! The latest version of Ann K. Blombach's popular MacGAMUT ear-training software for Macintosh computers, MacGAMUT 3.0, will ship in time for the start of classes this fall. In addition to the familiar Intervals, Scales, and Chords and Melodic Dictation components, this new version introduces Harmonic Dictation, which provides intensive, unlimited drill and practice in identifying and notating sequences of chorale-style 4-voice chords. As with Melodic Dictation, the chord progressions in Harmonic Dictation are selected and transposed from an extensive on-disk library of examples, ensuring that students drill on exercises that are characteristic of actual musical practice rather than the often unmusical chord sequences generated by a computer. Beginning with simple chord pairs, Harmonic Dictation gradually introduces longer and more difficult progressions, including secondary dominants and augmented sixth chords in progressions as long as 10 chords in the higher levels. In addition to having students label the chords by selecting appropriate harmonic analysis symbols from an on-screen array, you may require your students to notate any number of voices you choose. As with the other MacGAMUT components, the computer provides instantaneous grading and helpful diagnostic feedback as soon as a student completes each exercise, and students may learn from their mistakes by comparing correct and incorrect responses both visually and aurally. While the software is fully MIDI-compatible, MacGAMUT 3.0 exploits the remarkable potential of Macintosh's "QuickTime" sound to produce true MIDI sound through the computer's speakers and head-phone jack without need for a separate MIDI instrument. An optional Instructor Disk gives you the flexibility to change many of the operational parameters of the software to customize MacGAMUT 3.0 to your course, your students, and the way you teach. MacGAMUT 3.0 User Disks (complete with all three components: Intervals, Scales, and Chords, Melodic Dictation, and Harmonic Dictation) retail for only $35 each, making it possible for students to buy their own individual User Disks from the campus bookstore, as if they were textbooks. Alternatively, departments may purchase MacGAMUT 3.0 for computer lab use. For institutional orders of 5 or more User Disks, we offer a 20% discount, a free Instructor Disk, and free shipping. That means you can equip a 5-station computer lab with MacGAMUT software for only $140! Finally, if you want to recommend MacGAMUT 3.0 as an option for your students, they can order directly from MacGAMUT Music Software International at the retail price of $35 per User Disk plus $2 shipping (U.S. and Canada; $3.50 to other countries). Call or write to request more information and a free Demo Disk of MacGAMUT 3.0, so you can try the software yourself and see how your students will benefit from MacGAMUT ear-training software. MacGAMUT Music Software International 98 Brevoort Road Columbus, OH 43214-3824 Phone: 1-800-305-8731 (U.S. and Canada) Fax: 614-263-9359 e-mail: blombach.1@osu.edu
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