A The Intertextual Compass and the Nine Main Intertextual Typologies

Abstract

The research aimed to develop an original proposal for classifying and systematizing intertextuality in the field of music. For this purpose, the Intertextual Compass was created — a bidimensional perspective in the form of a chart through which each case of intertextuality can be located. The two dimensions of the chart correspond to the aspects of presence and intentionality: the first relates to the degree of recognizability of the thematic material from the intertext; the second, to the degree of preservation of the context in which that material was originally inserted. The relationship between presence and intentionality therefore corresponds to the relationship between what is being presented and the way in which it is presented. Through the Intertextual Compass, an unprecedented compilation and unification of intertextual typologies was achieved, mapped within the bidimensional framework of the chart. The nine main typologies are: citation, parody, pastiche, systemic modeling, profile modeling, rewriting, paraphrase, homage, and variation. In each case, original miniature compositions were created based on the same intertext — the opening theme of the first movement of Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 2 No. 1 in F minor — chosen for its familiarity and frequent use in theoretical studies. The purpose was to demonstrate, in a didactic way, how a single intertext can be transformed in entirely different manners according to each intertextual typology. This work emphasizes the importance of developing studies that make composers aware of and guide them in the use of intertextuality, since it is always present in creative processes and can become a powerful generator of compositional tools — an alternative to the recurrent “blank page syndrome.” The Intertextual Compass has proven to be an original and effective proposal for systematizing the use of intertextuality, showing that every work is born from something previous and that influence can be transformed into an inexhaustible source of creative resources.