LmusTCL – Licentiate in Music Theory Trinity College London

Please note – this page contains useful links but it is not a comprehensive list!

The following links will in most cases open up the book on Amazon.co.uk. The links are sponsored.

MyMusicTheory does not have any LmusTCL materials of its own.

Prerequisites: Grade 8 Music Theory or AmusTCL

Syllabus

Section A – Musical Skills

Candidates must answer Question 1 and Question 2

Question 1:

  • String Quartet (c. 20 bars continuing from a given opening in a Classical or early Romantic style)

Question 2: Choose from:

  • Analysis (five unseen extracts)
  • Theme and Variations (writing for piano, harmonise a given theme and then write two variations)
  • Orchestration (orchestrate a given piano extract for full orchestra, c. 20 bars)

Section B – Prescribed Works

Candidates select one genre from the list. Essay questions on analysis, historical and contextual topics, including on related works/composers.

2023-2024 Topics

  • Opera (set work: Purcell, Dido and Aeneas)
  • Keyboard music (set work: Liszt, Piano Sonata in B minor)

2025-2026 Topics

  • Lieder (set work: Strauss, Four Last Songs)
  • Chamber music (set work: Schubert, Piano Quintet in A major “The Trout”)

Suggested Reading/Viewing List

Music Study & Research

Herbert, T. Music in Words – A Guide to Researching and Writing about Music

New Grove Dictionary of Music – Online Access (If you are a member of your local library you may already have access to this database – check with your librarian)

Wingell, R.J.: Writing about Music

Elaine Gould: Behind Bars (essential bible of music notation!)

Music History 

Rosen, C.: The Classical Style – Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven

Rosen, C.: The Romantic Generation – Liszt, Bellini, Schubert, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Meyerbeer, Schumann, Berlioz

Russano Hanning, B.: Norton Concise History of Western Music

Early Musical Instruments: BBC Archive video of 1970s reconstructed Renaissance instruments.

String Quartets

Beethoven, L.: Complete String Quartets

The Cambridge Companion to the String Quartet

Haydn, J.: String Quartets Op. 42, 50 and 54

Mozart, W. A.: Complete String Quartets

Parker, M.: The String Quartet 1750-1797 – Four Types of Musical Conversation

Sutcliffe, W. Dean: Haydn String Quartets, Op.50

Stanford University: Defining the String Quartet Haydn (Free Video Course)

Curtis Institute of Music: The World of the String Quartet (Free Video Course)

Keyboard Music Genre & Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations (2017-2018 Syllabus)

Arnold, D. (ed.): The Beethoven Companion

Brendel, A.: Musical Thoughts and Afterthoughts

Kinderman, W. Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations (Studies in Musical Genesis, Structure & Interpretation)

Matthews, D.: Keyboard Music

Parakilas, J.: Piano Roles

Tovey, D.J. Beethoven

Musical Analysis and Harmony

Cook, N.: A Guide to Musical Analysis

Piston, W.: Counterpoint

Pratt, G.: The Dynamics of Harmony – Principles and Practice

Schoenberg, A.: Structural Functions of Harmony

Tovey, D.F.: Essays in Musical Analysis (Series)

Orchestration

Rimsky-Korsakov, N.: Principles of Orchestration

[VIDEO] Belkin, A.: What is Good Orchestration?