97: Ludwig Holtmeier

Nikhil Hogan Show

My guest today is the great Professor Ludwig Holtmeier, who is a music theorist, musicologist, pianist and the president of the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg!

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0:23 What’s your musical background? 3:37 Did you have a typical classical training or did you ever improvise as a young musician? 4:18 Do you have perfect or absolute pitch? 4:29 Did you learn music theory and counterpoint as a young musician? 4:59 Moving to Freiburg 7:37 When did you discover partimento? 10:10 How did you break away from Riemannian theory? 12:36 How did you find these older methods? 13:24 Were a lot of treatises lost during WWII? 14:02 What was inside that library of note? 14:45 Continuing the story of how he discovered Fenaroli 15:50 Was it the Fenaroli Regole? 16:10 What date was that manuscript of Fenaroli? 17:12 Why did no one want to teach music theory at the piano at the University of Freiburg? 18:10 How did you fill in the gaps of information in Fenaroli’s regole? 20:57 Is Rameau one of the most misunderstood music theorists? 22:46 What are people getting wrong about Rameau? 27:01 How do you integrate partimento theory with the modern curriculum? 28:08 Is it based around Fenaroli or other teachers as well? 28:43 Do most students come to you not knowing anything about partimento? 29:21 What are some of the best exercises you use? 31:50 Are there theories that you exclude at the University? 33:31 How do you balance partimento with other theories in analysis? 34:42 How would you analyze the music of Wagner? 37:08 What do you mean by arabic numerals? 37:52 What is your perspective on Riemann? 43:22 How about Heinrich Schenker? 45:18 What’s the best way to learn counterpoint? 47:41 Should Harmony be separated from counterpoint? Should they be 2 separate subjects? 48:50 Do you have a preference for Fixed Do, Moveable Do or Hexachordal Solfeggio? 50:16 On Music Schema 53:46 What is the importance of David Heinichen in music theory in the 18th century? 54:46 Did he codify the methods of the Italians? 55:34 Did Bach use Heinichen’s treatise? 57:08 The intriguing unity of the methods of the 18th century 1:00:25 Can partimento and 18th century pedagogy help us understand newer composers like Rachmaninoff, Debussy and Ravel? 1:01:40 What is your advice for parents who will start music lessons for their children? 1:02:49 How can people find you and your work? 1:03:45 Wrapping Up