Abstract

"The first two chapters of Part One serve as preparation for the understanding of humor in music. Chapter III, then, approaches the topic directly, examining the various forms in which humor can exist: referential humor, that is, humor elicited through non-musical connotations and absolute humor - that which is portrayed through the musical material itself. In both cases, elements of surprise, exaggeration, incongruity and the like are present in order for the humor to be effective. Through the use of examples from vocal and instrumental literature, humor in music is shown in all its forms - from subtle wit to slaptick. Since the focus of this study in the instrumental music of the Classical style, a more detailed look into the eighteenth-century aesthetic view of humor in art rounds off Chapter III and prepares for the analyses in Part Two," [p. 176-177].