athematicism
music
Quick Summary
In music, "athematic" describes a style that is not based on the repetition or elaboration of themes. This is distinct from verbs in linguistics, where athematic verbs lack a thematic vowel. The concept of themes in music refers to recurring melodic or rhythmic ideas that form the basis of a composition. Composers often develop and transform these themes throughout a piece to create unity and structure. Athematic music, therefore, would explore different compositional approaches that do not rely on this thematic development.123
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