How did Hugo Riemann and Heinrich Schenker influence the study of musical criticism?

Hugo Riemann and Heinrich Schenker were pivotal figures in the 20th-century shift toward the "age of analysis" in musical criticism, moving the field away from the descriptive, poetic language common in the Romantic era.1

• Hugo Riemann: A German musicologist, Riemann provided foundational work for modern music theory. His extensive scholarship and intellectual rigor helped establish a climate of rationalism in musicology, encouraging critics to focus on objective elements such as structure and tonality rather than subjective impressions.21
• Heinrich Schenker: An Austrian theorist, Schenker developed influential insights into the structural hierarchies of 18th- and 19th-century music. His work, which posited that great compositions evolve from a single, fundamental idea, provided critics with new analytical tools to evaluate musical coherence and organization.3

Together, these thinkers were part of a group of musician-thinkers who questioned the basis of musical aesthetics. By emphasizing scientific and structural inquiry, they helped critics move beyond mere description to a more rigorous search for the criteria used to evaluate music.1