Editor’s Message
[1] To new and returning readers, welcome to Music Theory Online 26.2! The current issue engages a wide range of repertoire, from Mozart’s String Quartet in C major (“Dissonance”), K. 465, and Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard and Noname’s “Self.” Topics include phrase in hip-hop songs (Adams), timbral variation in Ravel’s Boléro (Bhogal), dynamic range processing in electronic dance music (Brøvig-Hanssen, Sandvik, and Aareskjold-Drecker), music theory and race (Ewell), recapitulations in Schubert’s music (Guez), tonal hermeneutics in Broadway musicals (Hutchinson), dissonance in the music of Sofia Gubaidulina (Kahrs), climax building in verismo opera (Lee), portmantonality and double entendre in Babbitt’s late works (Mailman), multiplot musical narratives in Beethoven’s instrumental music (Ofcarcik), historical keyboard improvisation and schemata (Rabinovitch), and the Warner Brothers fanfare logo and emotional affect (Yorgason and Lyon). The variety of repertoire and breadth of research topics that span these twelve articles speak to the vitality and continued expansion of our discipline.
[2] In our previous editor’s message, David Neumeyer and I anticipated that Issue 26.2 would be delayed by three months, due to the upheaval of COVID-19. With the gentle encouragement and support from the journal’s staff and authors, the editorial team resumed production in early April, with the hopes of sharing with you sooner, work by fellow colleagues from both sides of the Atlantic. In stepping into the role of editor, it has been a joy to work with everyone who contributed to this issue and to witness the dedication to music scholarship during this uncertain and worrisome time. Such commitment helped emphasize the continued importance of music in our daily lives and the myriad ways in which it invites us to connect with one another, especially during times of need.
[3] We are thrilled to welcome Jonathan Guez and Trevor de Clercq to the editorial team. Jonathan will serve as a third associate editor, and Trevor, an interim associate editor while Brad Osborn is on paternity leave. We would also like to thank Bryn Hughes for his service as an associate editor; David Neumeyer for offering his time, help, and guidance on this issue after his appointment as interim editor came to an end; and Publications Committee Chair Jack Boss and SMT President Patricia Hall for their unfailing support on all MTO matters.
[4] Finally, we would like to express our deep gratitude to every colleague who served as a reviewer for MTO this past academic year. Thank you so much for lending your time, expertise, and mentorship to authors and editors. MTO is a much stronger journal because of you, and we greatly appreciate your service.
[5] MTO is especially well suited for the publication of articles that incorporate recordings, videos, and other media, but we also welcome text submissions in a variety of formats, including articles, commentaries, and conference reports. Please refer to our submission guidelines, which have been recently updated.
[6] While MTO continues to accept announcements for the Dissertation Index, job listings have been permanently relocated to the Society for Music Theory’s website.
[7] All MTO volumes dating back to our first issue in 1993 can be accessed from the contents page at http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/issues.html. Thank you, as always, for your support of Music Theory Online—a Journal of the Society for Music Theory.
All best wishes,