Musical analysis is the systematic study of musical structure in compositions or performances, aiming to answer "How does it work?" This scholarly approach emerged around the 1750s, though its roots as an auxiliary tool extend back to the Middle Ages. The field encompasses diverse methodologies, from Donald Tovey's accessible prose analyses to Heinrich Schenker's influential Schenkerian analysis, which describes tonal works as elaborations of simpler contrapuntal sequences.
Other notable figures include Hans Keller, who devised a Functional Analysis often without prose, and Rudolph Réti, known for tracing the development of small melodic motifs. Despite criticisms from composers like Edgard Varèse, who argued it could "mutilate the spirit of a work," analysis strives to provide insights into listening without imposing unhearable interpretations. Techniques often involve "discretization," breaking down music into smaller, manageable parts, and using metaphor to clarify complex structures.