Through-composed music

Musicologist James Webster defines through-composed music in the following manner: Many examples of this form can be found in Schubert's lieder, in which the words of a poem are set to music, and each line is different. In his lied "Erlkönig", in which the setting proceeds to a different musical arrangement for each new stanza and whenever the piece comes to each character, the character portrays its own voice register and tonality. Another example within instrumental music is Haydn's 'Farewell Symphony'. ==Opera and musicals==

The term "through-composed" is also applied to opera and musical theater to indicate a work that consists of an uninterrupted stream of music from beginning to end, as in the operas of Wagner. This stands in contrast to the practice, as for example occurs in Mozart's Italian- and German-language operas, of having a collection of songs interrupted by recitative or spoken dialogue. Examples of the modern trend towards through-composed works in musical theater include the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Claude-Michel Schönberg. In musical theater, works with clear delineations between songs yet no spoken dialogue – such as Les Misérables or Hamilton – are usually instead referred to by the term "through-sung". ==In popular music==

While through-composed form is very uncommon in popular music, several notable examples do exist: • "2 + 2 = 5" by Radiohead shifts through four main sections, none of which repeat. Starting with the first part (in ), each section gets progressively louder until the climax of the song's final portion. • Trey Anastasio, guitarist and vocalist of the band Phish, has written many compositions that utilize through-composed structure. Examples include "You Enjoy Myself" (the band's signature song), "Guyute", "Divided Sky", "Reba", and "Foam". • "In Dreams" by Roy Orbison features seven distinct sections, none of which repeat. • "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" by The Beatles. • "Rudy" by Supertramp from the album "Crime of the Century". • "Halo of Flies" by Alice Cooper. • "Down in a Hole" by Alice in Chains • "Pretty in Possible" by Caroline Polachek features four main sections, none of which repeat. ==References==