motivic analysis

Method of analysing a piece of music according to its important constituent motives. The method identifies ways in which motives are transformed or developed, and links melodies which contain identical or similar motives. A motive which is linked to all the other motivic material of a piece may be called the fundamental motive. The method is equally applicable to tonal and non-tonal music, but limited by having little to say concerning harmonic features of a work. See: Arnold Schoenberg; Hans Keller; developing variation; musical idea.