Leonard Ratner


Leonard Gilbert Ratner, was an American musicologist, Professor of Musicology at Stanford University, He was a specialist in the style of the Classical period, and best known as a developer of the concept of Topic theory.

Biography

Ratner was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After studying the violin and viola, and studying composition with Frederick Jacobi, Arnold Schoenberg, Ernest Bloch, and Arthur Bliss, he received a Ph.D. in musicology in from the University of California at Berkeley under Manfred Bukofzer, the first such degree to be given by that university.

Career

In 1947, he joined the newly formed Department of Music at Stanford University, and continued there until his retirement in 1984 composing, teaching, and conducting research on music theory.
He composed a chamber opera, The Necklace, and several chamber works. He taught composition and theory to advanced students and coached chamber music; he also taught elementary music appreciation courses for undergraduates, Stanford alumni, and the general public. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for1962, and elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1998.
His research was devoted to emphasizing "sonata form's harmonic underpinnings as an antidote to the thematic perspective" and developing a theory of musical period and form.

Publications

Books