Monday, November 17, 2025

Strube, Maryott, Andersen

Gustave Strube, The Theory and Use of Chords: A Text-Book of Harmony (Boston: Ditson, 1928)

Like Lehmann (see previous post), Strube's story is typically American for the later 19th and early 20th century, but in the opposite direction. He was born in Germany in 1867, studied in the Leipzig Conservatory with Reinicke and Jadassohn, was professor of violin in the Mannheim Conservatory, but then moved to Boston in 1891 to join the Boston Symphony; in 1913 he went to Baltimore to lead the music theory department at the Peabody Conservatory and two years later was also appointed conductor of the newly founded Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. (Information from Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 4th edition [1940], p. 1069.)

The dominant ninth chord appears relatively early--chapter 10 of 32--and is safely isolated from elevenths and thirteenths (chapter 31). Strube treats the chord as an independent harmony, but many of his examples have internal resolutions or show the ninth in an appoggiatura construction--see the first example below. The book has no repertoire examples and all of his own are in SATB. Like many others, he rejects the fourth inversion and comments that, if inversions are encountered, the first and third are more likely than the second.


His explanation for an ascending figure is unusual--see the second example above. By "elliptical progression" he means a leap to a chord tone (A4-C5 in this instance) where a step (here inclusion of B4) was expected. In other words, this is a leap, not a rising line.

Strube does say that "any chord may be extended to [the ninth], or farther to
chords of the eleventh and thirteenth. These added tones [are] readily explained as suspensions, elliptical progressions, or vicarious tones" (173). He never explains this last, charming term, but he does assert pragmatically that "the addition of tones, such as the seventh, ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth does not . . . change the function of a chord."


---------
Harold B. Maryott, The Essentials of Harmony (Chicago: Gamble Hinged Music, 1923).

I have a physical copy of the book obtained from a local non-profit's book sale. Maryott is identified on the title page as "Teacher of harmony . . . and public school music methods in Chicago Musical College." I am not certain which he was known for, as he is described as a "well-known specialist in public school music" in the Music Supervisor's Journal but is only listed as a member of the theory and composition department in the College's faculty listings (1928). 

Ninth chords appear in chapter 8 (of 18), after seventh chords. Text is minimal; the whole chapter with exercises is only 2.5 pages. Here are a couple quotes. He acknowledges a ninth chord other than V9: "The ninth chord is used most frequently on the dominant, sometimes on the super-tonic." In this note the "usually": "After singing the ninth of the chord, the voice usually descends one degree." On preparation: "The tone that is to become the ninth of the chord is very frequently held  over from the same voice in the previous chord." His example is Schumann's "Träumerei" (79). Of the inversions, the third is "used frequently."


---------
Arthur Olaf Andersen, The First Forty Lessons in Harmony (Boston: C. C. Birchard, 1923).

Andersen was born in Rhode Island in 1880, studied in Boston, Paris, Berlin, and Rome, was at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago when this book was published, and later became a dean in the University of Arizona. (Information from Wikipedia: link.)

After a compact review of fundamentals and introduction of triads, Andersen begins a very thorough inventory of triads and seventh chords in major and minor. The last lesson (n40 of 40) is on the dominant ninth; it is 5 pages long with exercises.


His explanation for the chord is unusual: "We recognize [the dominant ninth chord] as a . . . combination of the V and II triads. It is, therefore, both dominant and subdominant in character, richly so, and consequently is one of the most beautiful and romantic chords in music. Its dominant quality is most apparent, perhaps, when it progresses to chords of tonic quality; its subdominant richness, when it substitutes for this formation when preceding the chords of V character" (120-121). His positive view continues with omission of notes: "Since the chord contains so many tones of value, it will not lose greatly of its strength if [even the seventh or third] is omitted, especially if the fifth happens to be the melody-tone" (121).

Another point of interest is in the section on irregular progressions, where the V9 "may move to the V, V[superscript I], III', VI, VI, and VI +3. The 9th of the chord should tie over into next formation or move down to the next degree" (124).

------------------

One-paragraph historical narrative: link.  ----  Updated index to this blog and essays on Texas ScholarWorks. Here is the link.   ----  List of all my essays on Texas ScholarWorks: link, then click on Filters/Author.