Schenkerian Analysis - Ursatz

The Ursatz (usually translated as "fundamental structure"; see also satz) is the basic form of the background in Schenkerian analysis. That is, it represents the most reduced contrapuntal version of a piece of music and shows its most skeletal form, the essential pillars of the tonal structure.

One of the tenets of Schenkerian theory is that this basic background counterpoint can only come in a few different versions. This is also the most common point of contention with Schenkerian theory, that there is a basic structure to which all tonal compositions conform. Supporters of Schenkerian theory have defended against these attacks on the idea of the Ursatz, among them Allen Forte's statement that "Schenker's major concept is not that of the Ursatz, as it is sometimes maintained, but that of structural levels, a far more inclusive idea." (Forte 1959, p. 9 ) It is important to realize that the Ursatz itself is not a description of the piece of music; rather the art of tonal composition is (according to Schenkerian theory) in the way in which the Ursatz is expressed and elaborated. Correspondingly, the art of understanding music, of analysing music, is in penetrating the musical surface and hearing through the foreground to the background—in other words, hearing how the foreground and the background are connected by a series of prolongations.