# Summing It Up: Composing Techniques In Music Of The 20th Century



## dreamtuned (Feb 1, 2018)

This is the first of the series of summing books that are not translated in English and are related mainly to composing techniques, harmony, counterpoint or anything in regard to the art of composing.

I've asked about the interess in such a series in this thread.

Ctirad Kohoutek's _"Composing Techniques in Music of the 20th Century"_ is really great book which I've studied from the Serbo-Croatian translation. The original is in Czech and so far I have only seen a Russian translation (besides the Serbo-Croatian) of it. In a matter of fact, the Serbo-Croatian translation is from the Russian one and it was translated by Dejan Despic, professor and composer from Belgrade. It contains great footnotes from Mr. Despic and also from the Russian translator K.N. Ivanov which makes this translation even more educative.

I plan to go chapter by chapter and give a sum of the content there with the examples and tables I find appropriate for the summing.

For this introduction I will only give the Content and will continue with the chapters in the following posts as my time allows.

*Content:*

*Chapter 1: On The Development Of The Musical Thinking And The Compositional Techniques.

Chapter 2: Extended Tonality And Modal Technique 

Chapter 3: Atonal-Serial and Serial Techniques. *

*Chapter 4:* *Punctualism*

*Chapter 5: Technical Music - Electronic, Concrete and Vinyl music

Chapter 6: Aleathoric and Sonorism.

Chapter 7: Cybernetics and Music

Chapter 8: The Phenomenon of the Creative and Performing Eccentricity 

Chapter 9: Conclusion. Perspectives.*


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## dreamtuned (Feb 1, 2018)

*Chapter 1: On The Development Of The Musical Thinking And The Compositional Techniques.*

The first chapter is mainly introduction and explanation of how the XXth century music became through the strict tonality of the classical through the extended tonality to the atonality and other modern techniques.

As an early example of _shaking_ the major-minor tonality centered music Kohoutek gives the preludium of Wagner's musical drama "Tristan and Iseult" (year 1859).






[From the translator Dejan Despic] In this example and further in the book the author implements a harmony ciphers that partially come from Hugo Reimann: in squares is written the tonality - with small latters the minor, with big letters the major. The chiphers in a brackets symbolize secondary chords - for example: (D7) D7 = secondary dominant for the dominant which goes into dominant seventh chord. A small circle above signifies that the chord is minor. S with / across signifies neapolitan sixth chord and this symbol comes from the realization of that chord as a changing chord (5 - 6b - 5) on the basis of the subdominant (the sign < symbolizes upper changing tone, and > changing tone going down).

Next, Kohoutek cites a book on Alban Berg [p.311] by H.F. Redlich in which he gives examples of free connections of two chords which date back to 1790, in particular, in Mozart's music which means that the weakening of the tonality goes way back then.

W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in Bb Major, KV 589, act III. [watch]





Instead of a general pause, here we can imagine introduction of the tonic of Db major, which changes the purpose in triad of diminished II degree (frygian) in c minor, which in Redlich's words - is loosening the free connection of the chord ab-c- (eb)-gb with the chord g-h-d. Here Despic gives a footnote that the understanding of this can be even more easier if instead of a mediator, we can acknowledge the enharmonic ambiguity of the dominant of Db major, which in c minor has meaning of ab-c-(eb)-fis and goes to its dominant.

Even more complex example we can find in the final of the same quartet. Here lacks a whole row of chords, which would modulate from Bb-major in a-minor. Here the Russian translator gives a footnote, that the appearance of a-minor can be understood as an enharmonic modulation (f-a-c-eb=f-a-c-d#). However, in the given context it is of importance the moment of the stop (one tonality is departed from in order for the next to be accentuated) on which Redlich puts his attention.

W.A. Mozart: String Quartet, KV 589, Act IV





This is a so called technique of ellipse (Elisiontechnik), which in later years would bring use of more free and complex chordic connections, and more strong modulations. In the harmony of Chopin, Liszt, Schuman and especially Wagner, Richard Strauss, Reger, chromatics is often more present then diatonics. In the compositions of Mussorgsky, Greeg, Chopin and other composers often there is no familiar voicing and resolutions of the voices in the chords. This is how eventually the 4ths became of usage as a chord building blocks instead of the 3rds:

F. Chopin: Ballad in F-major, op.38, measures 41-42 [watch]





The principle of chords made by the intervals of 4ths had yet another way of becoming: that through applying melodic patterns of 4ths. We can see this in Brahms' quartet for piano in A-major from 1856, then in Wagner, and later in stronger accent, at Janacek's. Later, instead of through secondary way, the chords of 4ths became intentional through constructivism. We can see such example in Liszts 'Mefisto-Waltz' (1863). The Russian translator here gives a footnote that Glinka used such construction even before Liszt, in act IV of the opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" (1842).

J. Brahms: Piano Quartet in A-major, op.26 watch





Because I am not allowed to attach anymore images in this message, I will continue in the following post.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 1, 2018)

F. Liszt: "Mephisto-Waltz" [watch]





In the history of the development of the thinking in 4ths and conscious appliance of such principles in the composition there can be acknowledged 3 steps:

1. In the impresionism, the main aim was _to picture a vividness_, developing a reachness of the _tone colorism in music_. Here the 4ths chords give imrpession of harmony-phonical layering which have a role of fulfilling basic harmonical or melodical tissue.

2. In the expressionism the aim was not colorism but _exploring new non ordinary chordic solutions_, which come from technique of non resolved chromatic suspensions in the epoch of the composers in the romanticism. There are a lot of such constructions. For example, in Schoenberg's Chanber Symphony nr. 2 (1906). Its main theme is upward going melodic row of 5 perfect fifths:

A. Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony, op.9 watch





At Scriabin's the 4ths harmony comes from alteration of the dominant chord. In his third creative period (beginning from opus nr. 58) he builds a harmony on the so called "_synthetic 4ths chord_", created from various types of fourths:






This chord is also called "_Prometheus Chord_" according to the Scriabin's poem "Prometheus" (op.60 from 1909/1910) in which this chord is applied.
This chord can be made from the harmonic series (from 8th to 14th). Teoretically, this chord is a synthesis of all 4 diatonic types of triads (major, minor, augmented, diminished).

3. In this step there is a combination of chords made by 4ths and 3rds.

S. Prokofiev: Mazurka op.12, nr.4 watch





I. Stravinsky: Serenade in A watch





Chapter 1 will be continued in the following posts.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 2, 2018)

Kohoutek continues the chapter dedicated to the development of the concept of extending and then leaving the tonality in the 20th century music. So far we examined this development from harmony standpoint, but he says, that not only the harmony needs to be examined, but other music means also, like for example, the melody (which in great deal was subordinated to the harmonical thinking).

The connection of certain tones in the classical melody (build from the scale, intervals from the tonality and arpeggiated chords) with one and only central, tonical chord or tone was more and more disrupted. The composers tended toward more different tones from the chromatic scale, which have been build without repetition and very free in regard to the tonality. Beautiful examples for this can even be found in the chromatical madrigal from the 16th century: Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa, Luca Marenzio, Cipriano de Rore and others. As _H.H. Stuckenschmidt (Stuckenschmidt Hans Heinz; 1901 /Strazbur/) _says in his book_ "Neue Musik (Suhrkamp Taschenbuch) (German Edition) ["New music in the period between the two wars "p.113]: _in the works of Marenzio, Cipriano de Rore, Monteverdi, in the short period there appear in order nine to eleven different tones. In one of Marenzio's madrigals there appear even all twelve tones of the chromatic scale without repetition. This kind of appearances, among other things, derive from pure linear thinking, which is today a casual practice of almost all the composers of modern music.

Theme made by all the twelve different tones, almost without repetition we can find in Liszt's "Faust" Symphony (1854), and later in Richard Straus' Symphonic Poem "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" (1896)"

F. Liszt: Faust Symphony. Act I watch





R. Strauss: "Thus Spoke Zaratustra" op.30 [watch]





In the works of Max Reger, especially in his  string quartet in f sharp minor, op.121, and in the  violin sonate op.122, some themes are build similar to these one. However, from a holistic melody standpoint, they are rather independent.

In the end, at the beginning of the 20th century, the superiority of the major and minor tonality is totally disrupted. This was especially expressed in two compositions: Schoenberg's Melodramatic Cycle: "Pierrot Lunaire" (1912) and the ballet "The Rite of Spring" by Stravinsky (1913).

The program paroles of that period were somewhat formulated as this: against the quasy romantic pathos, tender sentimentality and idealism of the petty bourgeoisie! In favor of the combath truth of the art, in favor of the realistic expression of the true feelings of the humans' new era! Expressed through new, unusual, even rough means of the dynamics of the fast tempo of life, with its inner ambiguities.

All this further development of the musical thinking was initiated and framed by the changes of the social and economic conditions: world wars, economic crisis, influence of the east cultures and jazz, enormous development of the natural and technical sciences, invention of the electronic lamp, record player, the vinyl, the new life impulse of the big cities, development of the traffic, sports, etc. The individualism was developed to its highest levels. There appeared different branches of expressionism in Scriabin and the Vienna composers like Schoenberg and Berg. Stravinski after the creation of his fundamental compositions like: Petruska, The Rite of Spring, The Wedding, turned into a neoclassicism. Hungarian composers like Bartok, Kodály and later Janacek turned in to inspiration through Folklore. Hindemith going along the footsteps of Reger turned into Neo-Baroque. The French "Les-Six" in particular Honegger and Milhaud, turned in to "simple music", nor constructivistic nor romantic. Messiaen, member of the second French school called "Young French" (Jeune France), through the strong influence of the mysticism, tried to make music that - according to his own words - would arouse similar feelings as the church stained glass. The Czech Haba as one of the first began to compose music on the basis of the tone spaces less then semitones (1/4,1/3 and 1/6 degrees). Then comes the neoromantic music filled with impressionism (in Czechoslovakia in composers like V. Novak and J. Suk), in Russia Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Myaskovsky, building the foundations of the soviet realistic music. Some composers experimented with futuristic means, for example, the American Edgard Varese or the Italian Luigi Russolo, who way back in 1914 composed "Four pieces for 19 instruments which made noises", who said that "it is way greater enjoyment to hear ideal combination of noises of the tram, motors, cars, then to listen "Eroica" or "The Pastoral" hundreds and hundreds of times endlessly." (Cyted from the Russolo's letter to Francesco Pratelli.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 2, 2018)

If we try to classify these music building blocks we can put them in the following categories:

1. Thematic music, where there is exposition of musical thought in certain center - theme.

2. Athematic music, where the musical thought is not concentrated in such a center.

From the compositional-technological standpoint, creative concepts and methods which characterize modern music art are separated as:

a) extended tonal and modal music;
b) atonal music - twelve tone and serial;
c) punctualistic music
d) technical music (electronic, concrete and vinyl);
e) aleatoric and sonorism;
f) extreme-experimental music.

There is, however, often a mixture of techniques especially in a bigger works of composition. For example, at Kazimerz Serocki's work "A piacere" (1963) dominates aleatoric music, but in the same time there is a technique of Klankfarbenmelodie and also some punctualism. Alan Berg's Violin Concerto (1935) belongs to the thematic music definitely. It is written according to a non-orthodox twelve-tone and free atonal music (atonal-serial) and still there are also tonal parts:

A. Berg: Concert for Violin and Orchestra, measures 11-14.





The bass is notated as it sounds.

The composition of John Cage "Fontana Mix" (1958) is in the most part extreme-experimentational. The task of the interpretator (mezzo-soprano) is to clap, stamp, different screamings and shouts.
Of course, the overall impression of the excentricity is made stronger with the usage of experimental electronic music in the same time, used as a background (which is reproduced through a speaker) and accentuated through aleatoric (electronic background is here autonomous, independent from the part of the soloist, and it can be combinated with whatever other piece from Cage for voice and instruments, or for instruments only).
All in all, the composition is athematic, with clear elements of punctualism, sonorism, etc.

Different compositional tendencies in modern music are not equal in quantity nor quality.
The thematic principle of the musical thinking is dominant, in which the scale basis and tonality (historically most clearly expressed through harmony-functional correlations of the chords of the scales toward the Tonic or the Tonic Triad) are treated more widely and are observed as an expression of a lawful, organized, centripetal music forces. In this regard, in the thematic works we can put any work in which there is a correlation or hierarchy of the building elements - whether in the rhythm, melody, harmony, architectonics or the timbres - correlation on the basis of contrasts.

In this way, a composition can be thematical:

- if contrast is build logically, with repetition of musical elements, in which there is a change in the rhythm, dynamics, instrumentation, timbre, and even if there is no thematic-melodic development;

- if certain atonal parts (even if they are written in strict twelve tone technique) are changing throughout the composition, with tonal parts, after which there is a feeling of contrast (movement and pause, dissonance and consonance, dominant and tonic);

- if the music thought, theme, motif, or certain strong relationship of chords are sounding without change, that is, always on certain same tone or same form, or in the same transposition, in same correlation (from which there is an impression of center), etc.

All this is only part of what can be a characteristics of a thematic principle.

Athematic can be only that music in which the relationship of the theme, melody, rhythm, harmony, architectonics, timbre is clearly disrupted, without contrast, movement, repetition (recapitulation). There is certain statics, there is no shape or form, and as a result clear monotony, boredom. It is dificult to count it as a theme one and only tone or twelve tone serial. But this doesn't mean that with those elements one can't create musical thought with other musical elements.

It is clear that today (and this was how it was earlier) one can't create music without foundational and thoughtful mastering of the strict laws of composition. Janacek, Prokofiev, Bartok, Honegger and others wanted to be free of any system, but even they didn't work through improvisation, without rational organization of their own creativity. Each one of them had their own, inner compositional rules (which where not always said loudly), but they didn't block their creative capabilities. Let us remember the art credo of Janacek: "_the real value of music is created by how deep each sound is ingrown in life, in blood, in the ambient_" [From the letter of Janacek to Max Brod].

Here ends the first chapter.


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## wbacer (Feb 3, 2018)

These are excellent, thank you for doing this.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 3, 2018)

*Chapter 2: Extended Tonality And Modal Technique*

BASIC PRINCIPLES

The extended tonality and the modal techniques became most widely used methods of composing in the first half of the 20th century with great rich capabilities for individual differentiation. Among the composers who used such techniques were one of the strongest individualities like: Richard Strauss, Debussy, Ravel, Russel, de Falla, Rachmaninoff, Foerster, Novak, Suk, Otakar Ostrcil, Paul Hindemith, Kodaly, Myakovsky, George Enescu, Szyamowski, Janacek, Prokofiev, Martinu, Hans Ek, Henri Dutilleux, Francis Poulenc, Shostakovich, Carl Orff, Martin, Honegger, Malavsky, Stravinsky, Bartok, Henze, Messiaen, Brith and others.

The technique of extended tonality is based on the principle of saving the tonality, but with adding whatever non diatonic tones and chords, and also non functional (in the familiar sense) connections. However, one must hear a tone center of that compositional structure or its parts. Along the whole composition, there can be a lot of such centers, in which case, if one dominates, that center becomes important as a main tonal center:

B.Bartok: "Bluebeard's Castle", Opera - measures 1.-19.





In this musical piece, as a tonal center highlighted is f-sharp, it is made by the elements of the pentatonic (e-f#-a-b-c#), in combination with the exposition of the melodic phrases in parallel thirds on the basis of the harmonic and melodic e-minor.

Extended tonality is in strong connection with the appearance of the tonal center, which are made on the basis of the traditional tonal-functional relationships, enriched with new structures and chords with mutual relationship, and refreshed systems of other tone series (modes, in wider sense of that word). Of course, with all that there are used new creative means in the field of rhythm, polyphony, architectonics, instrumentations and other. 

The modal technique can be closely related to the tonal, as their most important enrhichment component. Of course, this is not always mandatory. With conscious negation of the tonal center, with the modal technique, one can create atonal music, thematic and athematic (see the next example).

Modal principles of organization appear even in old Greek music, then in the epoch of the gregorian choral, in the musical folklore - especially in the east - and in the medieval polyphony, today it is applied in different and often new modes-series, which can be made not only in the tone pitch, but sometimes in the field of duration, pauses, dynamics, and other. If we can skeep a few chapters of this book, we can compare the mode and a serie. The difference is in that that a series is a complex elements which are equally organized in which the frequency and order of their appearance are not bound to some predetermined order.

In the work "Mode de valeurs et d'intensités" of O. Messiaen there are modal organization of the tone pitch, duration, degree of sound strength and ways of instrumental articulation, we can't speak of serial (polyserial) composition - even though this technique was greatest inspiration for the birth of such method composition. This work of Messiaen is written in the modal (polymodal) technique. 

Let us see the difference between modal and serial technique in the field of tone pitches:






a) Modal technique on the basis of mode - artifical build of tone series semitone-tone (1:2). Extended tonality with center in c.
b) Serial technique on the basis of series created from same 8 tones. Atonality. 

Will continue...


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## dreamtuned (Feb 3, 2018)

douggibson said:


> I too, first and foremost want to express my gratitude for such a long and detailed post. Thank you.
> 
> To avoid derailing the flow of this thread, I will avoid questioning the content, and only say that a number of the points made above would be challenged in a North American University. The general crux is the same and the use of the foundational use of the 4th for atonal music.
> 
> ...



Hi douggibson,

I have created separate thread for discussion on this book. If the moderators could move these replies we can discuss there.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 3, 2018)

douggibson said:


> I too, first and foremost want to express my gratitude for such a long and detailed post. Thank you.
> 
> To avoid derailing the flow of this thread, I will avoid questioning the content, and only say that a number of the points made above would be challenged in a North American University. The general crux is the same and the use of the foundational use of the 4th for atonal music.
> 
> ...



Thank you for your encouragement.

I suppose you speak about this book by Janacek: "Úplná nauka o harmonii" [Complete Science of Harmony].

It is a good book, but in my opinion, I have read better.
Harmonie-Lehre by the Czech author/teacher on the Prague conservatorium and composer Joseph Foerster is great book.
Traité de l'harmonie by C. Koechlin is a great harmony book.
There is a book in Serbo-Croatian called simply "Harmony" by the Croatian author, teacher and composer Natko Devcic which is in my opinion best book on traditional harmony. Best explanation of the chromatic and enharmonic modulations.

I am curious, which points from Kohoutek would be challenged in NAU?

edit: Foerster's book is written in German.
Here is a link with pdf for those who know German.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 3, 2018)

ENRICHMENT OF THE CHORDS

Janacek independently from Schoenberg (while giving advantage to the tonality, that is, from the standpoint of the extended tonality) realized that "each interval in the _splice_ can be freed or stopped, replaced, reinforced, that is, after any chord there can come any other chord". Under the term "splice" in Janacek's work it is meant the moment of mixture of the tone which is listened by the listener with the tone which he imagines that he still listens. When the new tone that we hear comes, the previous one, which in reality doesn't sound anymore, stays for a little while in our consciousness as a tone that we hear. Kohoutek here cites the "Complete Science on Harmony" by L. Janacek, chapter "On the connections of the chords" [p.52].

With the more often usage of complex chords, especially those which contain seconds, sevenths or tritones, there came pushing of the limits between apsolutistic comprehension of the acoustics of the consonants and dissonants. 
The 'peaceful' dissonances (minor seventh and major second) begin to be used as a consonants. Atonal composers overused the "emancipation of the dissonance". Even one of the composers opposite to the atonal Vienna school - Hindemith, consciously operates with the dissonances and consonances without taking notice to the previous usage of the same. For example, in his fugue in A from the work "Ludus Tonalis" (1942) fourths, fifths, seconds and sevents he treats in different places as nonperfect consonances, while thirds and sixths are applied as a not so noticable harmony and are only figuratively used. 
P. Hindemith: "Ludus tonalis", fugue in A - closing.





Hindemith wrote about the chord structures in his book "_Unterweisung im Tonsatz_" which represents one of the most important works of the extended tonality. Here he accentuates:

1. The principle of the building of the chords by thirds is no more satisfactory, because beforehand negates the usage of many chords which can't be explaned in that way.

2. The inversion of the chords looses its earlier importance. The chords, especially those with more voices can be realized only in their basic type.

3. Having in mind today's well-tuned system, and the loosening of the tonal-functional relationships, we can abandon the complicated notation of the chords, their multiple interpretation. Because of this, the chords should be notated in their realistic sounding, and to be most comforting for reading:

Simplified notation of the chords





4. A chord is any harmony which contains at least three tones (for example, c-e-g; c-f-Bb; c-c#-b, etc.). With the doubling in octave the chord is not changing, but only strengthens some of the already existing tones. 

So we now have:

a)Diatonic and nondiatonic chords made of thirds, from three to twelve voices:






b) Chords made by fourths (with usage of perfect fourth or fifth and tritone, and in lesser cases diminished fourth) and chords made by seconds (major or minor seconds or sevenths):






c) Chords with added tones (clustered chords). On any harmony we can add:
- any tone
- any interval
- any other chord
- several whatever tones, intervals or chords.

In wider voice notation these harmonies are already listened as a two or more chords. 






The added tones are most often seconds or sevenths, in which case the minor seconds and major sevenths are realized as leading tones. Messiaen often adds to his chords major sixth or augmented fourth. 

Will continue...


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## dreamtuned (Feb 4, 2018)

Added intervals can be build according to any tone of the chord.

d) Chords with intervalic models. They are build with vertical use of the part of the tone row, with some combinations of the intervals with systematic repetation, for example - 1:2 (semitone-tone), 1:3;1:5;1:8;4:3;4:5;3:6 etc.






e) Symetrical chords, in which as an axis of the symetry it is used some central tone, whether one which is in the chord or only imagined:






f) Special, characteristic chords:
- Scriabin's synthetic chord;
- chord of the dominant (I), chord of resonance or harmonic series chord (II), chord of fourths (tritone-fourth) chord (III), which is especially used by Messiaen;
- Bartok chords (IV).






The chord of the dominant contains all the tones of the major scale (in such voicing that can be apprehend as dominant seventh chord with second, fourths and sixth - D.D.). The chord of the resonance is made by all the different tones in basic structure of the harmonic series (from 1 to 16). The fourth chord (tritone-fourth) is made according to the system of equal change of tritone and interval of perfect fourth; that is in the same time chord from the intervalic model 6:5.

Bartok chords (IV) are part of the twelve-tone sound (Iv alpha), made by three diminished seventh chords which are clustered on the distance of major second. The notation of that chord are borrowed from Erne Lendvay [see the book of V.N. Holopova - "The problems of the musical science" especially the chapter "On the theory of Erne Lendvay]. The structure of the α-chord this hungarian theoretician builds:

- from an axle system, that is, from the possibilities in the circle of fifths to form three pairs corss made axles
Subdominant Tonic Dominant





and from the possibility for those tones to be made in the form of three diminished 4 voice chord, build one after another;

- from the law of golden ratio (that is, asymmetric division of some whole on two parts, in relationship of A:a-a:b - where A is a whole, a-bigger, a b - smaller part of that whole) and from here taken the sum progressions 1:2:3:5:8: minor second (number of semitones - 1), major second (2), minor third (3), perfect fourth (5), minor sixth (8), minor ninth (13), etc., which suit that progression.

g) Chords of artbitrary interval build.

h) Clusters, build of seconds; their result is complete fulfilment of the sound space in certain range.


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## JohnG (Feb 4, 2018)

Hey there -- congratulations on the scholarship, but honestly I don't know how well this kind of thinking really works for composing. I do like some of Hindemith and Messiean, but the music of many their following (those who tried to incorporate these kinds of ideas) for me is unutterably dull and tedious.

It is ironic to me that the effort to shake off the shackles of tonality and the cumulative creative burden of the works of Beethoven, Bach, Wagner, etc. led in many cases not to freedom, but to a different set of shackles. An entire new, towering superstructure of rules about how you are "supposed" to think about composing tangled decades of composers in knots with, for the most part, forgettable results.

I like analysis like this, but I almost always use it only _after_ I've written something; at that point, the purpose of such analysis is to extend what I already came up with, not to govern the music so much.

Also, I like to use Hanson pmnsdt analysis sometimes. I find it useful if I'm in non-tonal or complex harmonic-ville.


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## mikeh-375 (Feb 4, 2018)

_I like analysis like this, but I almost always use it only after I've written something; at that point, the purpose of such analysis is to extend what I already came up with, not to govern the music so much.
_
Yep John, that is what I always bang on about (ad nauseum in fact). Get the idea then use the technique to develop it into a cohesive whole. It does help to know the technique in the first place though. However I don't see technique as a shackle, I see it as a liberation and especially a search tool to help find the music implicated within the idea.
This is a great public service dreamtuned.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 4, 2018)

JohnG said:


> Hey there -- congratulations on the scholarship, but honestly I don't know how well this kind of thinking really works for composing. I do like some of Hindemith and Messiean, but the music of many their following (those who tried to incorporate these kinds of ideas) for me is unutterably dull and tedious.
> 
> It is ironic to me that the effort to shake off the shackles of tonality and the cumulative creative burden of the works of Beethoven, Bach, Wagner, etc. led in many cases not to freedom, but to a different set of shackles. An entire new, towering superstructure of rules about how you are "supposed" to think about composing tangled decades of composers in knots with, for the most part, forgettable results.
> 
> ...



Hi JohnG,

I think it is great to know the predecessors and their practice, to know the “rules” of their style and practice, to know what and how they did work, and then you are on your own, to do what you think is best with your composing style. Reading about their thoughts and work can give you ideas of how or from where you would start going on with your own path. All those great composers, from what I am familuar with, knew very well the music before them, and then thy expanded on that or leaved it completely.

I understand your point and I agree, one should not blindly follow someone or something.


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## Markus Kohlprath (Feb 4, 2018)

So after all the mess of the 20th century we finally arrived at this chord progression in the 21th : am-F-C-G which reaches billions of people and billions of dollar are made of it.... So why bother?
(This is meant with irony if anyone doubts)
But there is something weird about it isn’t it?
Btw thanks for the informative thread above.


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## mikeh-375 (Feb 4, 2018)

....in the same vein, why bother with all of that idiomatic crap for instruments and all that imaginative scoring nonsense when spiccato strings or a pad 'll do.

_The Spiccato Haunted Soundtrack World.. Ravel as a Candle in the Dark..._(Sagan - if he was a musician)


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## dreamtuned (Feb 4, 2018)

“_Keep writing and keep learning_” - Samuel Adler, author of “The Study of Orchestration”


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## dreamtuned (Feb 4, 2018)

douggibson said:


> One of my teachers. I still recall the time, fondly I must say, when he ripped up my piece in front of me.
> We laughed. A wonderful person, and when he gave a compliment it really felt earned. Plus he sent my work to
> performers he knew to promote, without me asking for anything like that. A legend.
> 
> I am telling you..... that guy is a heat seeking missile for any error in a score. It's a sixth sense.



That's great douggibson, I really envy you that you've learned from such a great composer.


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## Markus Kohlprath (Feb 4, 2018)

douggibson said:


> _"Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." _
> 
> (amnesty international)


Yes good point. I didn’t mean it so much as a curse or ranting. It is more astonishment how this is possible.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 5, 2018)

_Continuation of Chapter 2._
----
In the tonic systems of the micro-chromatics (dividing to 1/4 through 1/12 degrees), and especially in the technical music and the sonorism, that principe of clusters is often used to represent forest.

Attempt to systematize all these areas of chords was first made by Paul Hindemith in his already cited work above (Unterweisung im Tonsatz).

The whole basis of Hindemith's theory are the so called "series" or "rows" (from German "Reihe") I and II. Admiring Kepler's teachings on the mathematical order and unity of the whole cosmos, which is greatly written in his work "Harmony of the world" (Harmonices mundi", 1619), Hindemith came to the idea that the music from all the times is also one and unique organized whole, which is developed according to strict rules. This is why one can't neglect the natural laws of certain relationships of the tones, which is best represented by the natural tone row, that is, the row of the harmonic series inside the acoustic build of the sound (the correctness of such row was confirmed by experiments, such as those on the ancient monochord, and also on the contemporary trautonium). This is the harmonic series of C:





The upper numbers represent the frequency, and the numbers bellow - the order of the tone in the harmonic series).

The first six tones of these natural series, which are absolutely perfect, has most velocity, and so it is most important; Hindemith takes as a basis of his calculation and creation of series I. The tone C, with a frequency of 64 Hzs (that is, cycles per second), is the basic tone of the series I in the system of c. According to this Hindemith calculates the further tones of these series, on the principle of the acoustic cognation of the tones.

The third tone from the harmonic series (g) is taken as first underlying tone of the series; this choice can be explained with the thing that this is the first tone of the acoustical compatibility, that is, common harmonic for two different root tones (in this case C and G). The role of the underlying tone is in that it is taken as a second (or third, or fourth, etc.) harmonic of some other new series, and the calculation of one (or two, three, etc.) intervals, according to the standard harmonic series structure, comes to new basic tone, which is also put in the series I.

For example, if we take the second tone of the series I - G: that is the root tone of the series in which g is second harmonic (see the next example). If we take g as a third harmonic, its root tone is, of course C - from which one we started; if we take it as a fourth harmonic, than the root tone is G1), an octave lower then the previous one and also lower then the root tone which is not good; as a fifth harmonic g brings us to new probable tone for the series I - Eb1, but this one is in distant relationship with the root tone and also in lower octave.

Because in this way we exhausted the capabilities of the third harmonic (of the basic series of C) and we found only the second tone of the series I, we look at the 4th harmonic for underlying tone. As we see in the next example, we take the tone c1 as second or third tone of the new chromatic series. The first variant gives c but we already got that tone, and the third tone gives new tone pitch, that is F, and this is how we take this tone as third in the Hindemith's series I.

Analogue to this we take the fifth, sixth harmonic tones of the basic series C; they give the fourth (A), fifth (E) and the sixth tone (Eb) for the series I:






If we want to find a seventh tone for the series I, we need to get back to the third and fourth harmonics of the root tone (C) and operate with the higher tones of the series. The third harmonic (g) doesn't give results, because we again found the already used tones. The fourth harmonic (c1), taken as a fifth in some other series, gives basic tone Ab1, which must be changed in to a higher octave:






The first six tones we found in this way - G, F, A, E, Eb, and Ab - Hindemith calls "Sons" because they are born from the "Founder" - the tone C. From the "sons" in the similar way we find the next tones - "Grandchildren". Some of this can be find through other means; Hindemith seeks for a way which gives a tone with most appropriate frequency (in best relationship with the tones surrounding it and through the today widely used chromatic tuned system).
This is how the next 4 tones are added to the series I:






The last member of the series - "Great-grandchildren" Gb and F-sharp, must be found by beginning the quest from the "grandchild", best from D, Db or B. The frequency of this tone from 90 or 91,03 Hz is most acceptable.





-----
_Will continue..._


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## dreamtuned (Feb 6, 2018)

The sum of the tones calculated above give the series I which looks like this:





“Sons”. “Grandchildren”  “Great-grandchildren”


These series shows the level of relationship of certain tones with the root: “the founder”. Closest relationship in regards to the root has the fifth, and the best one - the tritone.

In this way the series give a picture of relationship between all the twelve tones from the standpoint of one single tone. Because of this Hindemith’s series are diametrically different from the dodecaphonic series. 

Hindemith’s series II (intervals) point to the intervals as foundation of the harmony. 
According to Hindemith the Harmonic importance is greater if some tone of the interval gains importance, especially the one bellow which is accentuated through different combinations. The combinational tones can be found:

- by substracting the ordinal number (according to the harmonic series) of the tone bellow from the ordinal number of the tone above (combinational tone of first order).

- by substracting the first of the resulted combinational tone with the ordinal number of the tone bellow (combinational tone of second order).

From this we have the result of perfect fifth being harmonically stronger interval then perfect fourth or minor sixth:





Combinational tone of first order
Combinational tone of second order

Root-tone of the interval is always that one which is more strengthened by the combinational tones. The combinational tone of the first order is stronger:





 “Osnovni ton” means basic tone.

Hindemith is treating the major and minor chords like a same harmonic creation. Because in the harmonic series there are several different thirds, Hindemith says that we have free choice of one or more different thirds which will color the triads in a major or minor way. This is why Hindemith makes the lower tone of the thirds a root-tone and at the sixths the upper tone is root.

The major second can be found in the harmonic series in several different sizes {(8:7=1,14), (9:8=1.12), (10:9=1.11), (14:13=1.17)} but in practice we often find the size 9:8. Even though the combinational tone of that major second point to the lower tone as a root one, hindemith takes the upper one. In sevenths as inversion of the seconds, root-tone is the one bellow. This exception can be explained by the fact that seventh as a tone comes earlier in the harmonic series (as a seventh tone) then the second and also because of the fact that our ears perceive the seventh as a characteristic part of the dominant seventh chord.

The tritone doesn’t have root-tone.
The tone that tends toward the next interval with least jumps (and sometimes stays on the same note) is substitute for the root-tone of the tritone.





Substitute for the basic tone of the tritone


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## dreamtuned (Feb 6, 2018)

Series II made by the basic tones in the intervals, shows gradual weakening of their harmonic strength (from left to right) and in the same time strengthening the degree of dissoanance of the melodic tension of the interval:

Hindemith's series II:
Harmonic strength:




Melodic strength:

In the next photo we have the table of classification of the chords in groups according to the properties and position of the chords:






We have the following principles:

a) The root-tone of the harmonically strongest interval is in the same time root-tone of the chord.

b) Intervals bigger then octave are treated in analysis of the chords as corresponding simple intervals (for example: major ninth as major second, etc.). From this follows that for harmonic classification of the chords there is no meaning whether the chord is in narrow or wide position.

c) From the doubled tones we take only one, and that one is the tone bellow.

d) If the strongest tone in the build of the chord is repeated more times, the root-tone of the chord is determined according to that interval which root-tone is bellow.

e) Chords containing at least one tritone are in group B (subgroups II, IV or VI). If the tritone is in the chord with strong intervals (perfect 5th, perfect 4th, major 3rd and minor 6th) it is subordinated to them. Those strong ingervals conceal the indeferency of the tritone and with that weakens its tendency toward resolution. However, chords with tritone lack stability, independency and definiteness. 
A chord which like the tritone does not have even one stronger interval then minor third and major sixth, is also lacking definiteness as the tritone itself. Such chords we have only four in the class B (VI) - the diminished triad with inversions and diminished seventh chord. In class A (V) there are also two indetermined chords - augmented triad and chord made by two perfect 4ths. 

f) Independent intervals (two voices), which in harmonic voicing are equal as the chords, are in the role of substitution for the chords - in the following groups: perfect fifths and thirds - in I1, perfect fourths and sixths - in I2, seconds in III2, sevenths in III1, tritone in VI.

g) In the chords with one or more tritones we can find leading tone (Führungston). That is that tone of the tritone which have the closes harmonic relationship - in context of row II - with the basic tone of that chord. If the tones of the tritone are in same intervalic relationship with the basic tone of the chord, role of leading will have the lowest tone. If the basic tone of the chord is in the same time one of the tones of the tritone, leading will be the other tone of the tritone. 





 Leading tone.

Hindemith's table of chordic groups has its own short comes which lie in the inconsistency of the creation of the series I and II. About this wrote Jaroslav Volek in his "Theoretical basics of the harmony from the viewpoint of scientifical philosophy". We can find imbalance especially in some parts in certain simplification of differentiation of the chords (for example, chord c-e-g-Bb is in group IIa, and chord c-e-g in group III1), then the statistical understanding of the harmonic strength and meaning of chords, etc. However, that table - because of its simplicity and capabilities for unviersal appliance, especially in the modern theory and practice of extended tonality - has enormous importance. [see also J. Holopov: “On the three foreign systems of harmony".]


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## mikeh-375 (Feb 6, 2018)

It's great to see all of this. It makes me personally feel a bit odd though because years ago, I lapped similar stuff to this up. Reading through now I think, oh yeah that's cool, but I can now find my own way and have no need for theoretical justification anymore. Of course, I still had to absorb this sort of stuff in order to forget it and get to the stage where it just subliminally guides me but there is no harm in some revision now and again - I mean, I am a text junkie after all.
This sort of stuff is the gateway to a more profound personal expression, well worth studying to open ears and minds.
@Doug,
Soo jealous, my Adler orchestration book is in tatters through constant use over the years. Funny, I've never heard his music so I'll google him and see what comes up.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 6, 2018)

NEW SCALES

The composers from the Russian "Mighty Handful" (The Five), and later the French impressionists with their creative endevours undermined the long domination of the major and minor scales. The national schools in music were finding rich food for their own achievments in the new discovered scales of the folklore/national music.

From these different scale structures implemented in practical composition, we can outline the following:

I - Pentatonic Scale.
1. without semitones - anhemitonic (for example, c-d-e-g-a), it is about a complex of five modes (for example: the first mode - c-d-e-g-a; second mode - d-e-g-a-c; third mode - e-g-a-c-d, etc.), which there can be transposed on different pitches;
2. with one or more semitones - hemitonic (for example, c-d-eb-g-a, c-db-eb-g-ab.).

II - Medieval diatonic scales.
1. Dorian (d-e-f-g-a-h-c)
2. Phrygian (e-f-g-a-h-c-d)
3. Lydian (f-g-a-h-c-d-e)
4. Mixolydian (g-a-h-c-d-e-f)
5. Aeolian (a-h-c-d-e-f-g-a) or natural minor.
6. Locrian (h-c-d-e-f-g-a-h)
7. Ionian (c-d-e-f-g-a-h) or natural major.
All these scales can be made in eleven transpositions.

III - Combinative and artificial constructed scales (and their transpositions):
1. spanish octatonic scale (c-db-eb-f-gb-ab-Bb)
2. gipsy major (c-db-e-f-g-ab-h) and minor (c-d-eb-f#-g-ab-h)
3. lydian-aeolian (c-d-e-f#-g-ab-Bb)
4. Phrygian-Ionian (c-db-eb-f-g-a-b)
5. acoustic, lydian-mixolydian scale (c-d-e-f#-g-a-Bb)
6. major-minor scale (c-d-e [eb]-f-g-a[ab]-b[Bb]
7. combination of equal (I) or non equal (II) tetrachord connected on common tone (a), or separated with semitone (b), that is, whole tone (c)
8. combination of intervalic models (III), for example - 1:2 (a), 1:3 (b), 1:4 (c), 1:5 etc.





9. Messiaen's scales (modes) with limited transposition:










Messiaen's modes bring a lot new to the harmony and melody. His system is far from the scales (modes) of the systems of India, China, ancient Greece, and also from the Gregorian modes. In those systems all scales could be transposed 12 times, even though in practice those transpositions were not used. Messiaen's scales are modern tuned system. They are 7 new scales, made by beforehand determined rules and different then the ordinary rules of the scale patterns we know of. They are made by intervalic models of equally organized groups; the last note of each group is first note of the next group.
The number of these mode transpositions is limited (it is worth of notice that Messiaen names his first mode as a first transposition already!.

The first mode which is the whole-tone scale has only two transpositions. Having in mind that this mode is widely present, Messians warns that one should use that mode in combination with some other modes.

The structure of Messiaen's second mode we can find even at Korsakov's, Scriabin, Ravel, Bartok, Stravinsky. This mode can be transposed three times. The third mode is made by three equal tone groups, and can be transposed four times. The rest of the modes can be transposed 6 times and in that way they loose their uniqueness, and thus they have less importance then the II and III mode.

10. Arbitrarily build, one-octave (I) and more-octaves scales (II):






To all these and other non included scales we can add the so called diatonically treated chromatics (for example - Hindemit's series I), then combination with interspace less then semitone (from 1/4 to 1/12 degrees).


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## Matt Riley (Feb 6, 2018)

Thread saved! Thanks!


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## mikeh-375 (Feb 6, 2018)

_"It's how much you learned and how much you are willing to put yourself into your work that makes all the difference"._

Absolutely. I don't mind telling you Doug that although I studied at the Royal Academy in London, I was basically on my own so to speak when it came to learning technique as the curriculum then (1980's), was hell bent on nurturing modernity even if the student didn't know what a 2nd inversion was.
On reflection these days, I don't feel as angry towards that teaching policy as I did back then because I realise that time in an alma mater is important for one to find a direction and be encouraged. I needed a different approach and so created my own course of technical study in the RAM library and am so glad I did. Been thumbing through texts ever since and filthing the bits I like...
BTW, The 4th symphony was the first thing I listened too and its' modernity took me completely by surprise. I did prefer the 2nd symphony on first hearings alone though. As I write I am listening to Concertino no3 and am being swept away by its lyricism and verve. It is depressing that so much good music lies in obscurity, hindered by a vast indifference from a world with just too much to listen to and too often, a lack of aesthetic adventure.

another BTW....
Have you seen this??


So Sorry OP, I wont de-rail the good work here anymore........


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## dreamtuned (Feb 7, 2018)

USAGE OF NEW TONAL, MODAL AND RHYTHMIC POSSIBILITIES

Hindemith differentiate two types of musical thinking - polyphony (linear) and homophone.
According to him, in the music practice most of the times it is applied "dominant organiziation of two voices" ("Übungsbuch für den Zweistimmigen"). The upper voice as a rule, is leading the melody, and the bass in relation to it is absolutely independent; they together create the harmonic framework of the act. The question is what kind of harmony is created between the uppermost and the lowermost voice. From the direction of I to II, III and IV group (according to the Hindemith's classification), chords gradually loose the harmonic strength and importance. If their static strength is little, more kynetic tension they create. Connection of chords belonging to distant groups (for example: I1-III2) will be charp, and connection of those in one group, but only with different indexes (for example, IIa-IIb1) - softer. With the application of different levels of sharpness or softness of the harmonic connections it is created sort of harmonic terrain (harmonisches Gefälle):






Here are some observations coming from Hindemith's experience:

1. Application of the chords of V and VI group means step in the "unknown/uncertainty". Their connection with the other chords of those groups can create favorable, but sometimes not so favorable impression. After the chords of I and II group they sound very good.

2. Diversity of the harmonic terrain is achieved in that way that the peaks of the "dominant two voice" can coincide or not with the peaks of the harmonic terrain. In that way, the two creators - melody or harmony - are mutually assisting, or contradictory:







3. The strongest are the connections of two such chords, which basic tones are being in relation of perfect fifth (fourth). Strength of one connection is directly proportional to the harmonic meaning of the interval between the basic tones of the chords - in the sense of row II. Minimal harmonic meaning manifests connection of two chords which basic tones are appart in tritone. Parallel connection of chords with basic tones appart in second is so much pronounced in melodic sense, that its harmonic strength is totally lost.

Abundance of semitones in the hromatic movement soothes the sharpness of the tritone:






4. In the chords of V and VI group choice of the nominal basic tone is free and in most of the times is made in most convenient harmonic relationship of that tone to the basic tone of the next chord.

5. In the cases of resolution of the chord with tritone we must look at its leading tone. The best is second (that is, melodically strong) step in the basic tone. If the leading tone is the same as the basic tone of the next chord (it doesn't move), the chordic connection will be less pronounced.

Scheme 1. Determining the tonal centre - tonic (according to Hindemith).





On the basis of the harmonic relationship of the basic tones, the chordic connections condition certain "tonal center - tonic". Hindemith's table - in the scheme above - shows the number of chords which can give the sense of tonal center, and means to determine it. This table needs some further explanation. In the melodic row which is made by the basic tones of several consecutive chords, the tonal center of their group is determined according to the interval which is strongest in harmonic sense:





If the basic tones of the chord create easily recognizable chordic figuration (this can be arpeggiated chords no more complex then a triad, taking in to account the non chordic tones which are accidentally here), the basic central tone is evident. Certain dificulties in determining the tonic can be met in less clearly expressed and in chordic sense less clear order of the basic tones (for example - c-f-e). Then you need to watch for the duration of certain tones (of the chords), and for placement in the measure, also to look for harmonic strength (according to belonging to certain group) of the harmonies which are connected. Chords of the Group I, for example, because they belong to the highest group, will always have the tendency to become tonal center. In the row of basic tones which are arpeggiated as chords of the Vth or VIth group, the tonic will be determined according to the emphasis, according to the most important placement in the measure and according to the harmonic properties of the harmony.

(Will continue...)


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## Jaap (Feb 7, 2018)

Being schooled here in the traditional way, I have not read it all over, but man, just wanted to post a big thank you for this great effort you are doing! A big cheer for you and for taking the time to post it!


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## sinkd (Feb 7, 2018)

Thanks very much for these posts. I wonder if there is any way to pull all of it together into a single web page for easy reference? A master thread (complete with no posting limitations) with anchor links in the table of contents? @Mike Greene ?


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## dreamtuned (Feb 7, 2018)

sinkd said:


> Thanks very much for these posts. I wonder if there is any way to pull all of it together into a single web page for easy reference? A master thread (complete with no posting limitations) with anchor links in the table of contents? @Mike Greene ?



That would be great and easier for me to go back and edit the posts for grammar and terminology as I translate.
Also, if possible, it would be great if I am allowed to post more then 5 images in one post.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 7, 2018)

I appologize for the lack of certain words and here and there of certain incomplete sentences. Please considere this thread as a draft which would probably need more then one reading which in meantime will be corrected. As the translation goes, I research for better English terminology for certain techniques and musical terms. (I should probably put this post in the initial one as a notice).


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## dreamtuned (Feb 10, 2018)

From the scheme 1. we can see that for convenient manifestation of tonal centre it is necessary, for example, presence of three chords from the class A. If one chord is supported from other two harmonies, that chord will give impression of tonic. In class B for that impression only two chords are enough. 

Special placement has the final chord. That chord takes the most of the attention of the listeners and therefore its harmonic importance is growing. If that chord has same properties as the previous chord, it always has the role of tonic:






In case of connection of two simple chords from group II (with tritones) without resolutions, the basic tone of the second (the last one) chord is taken not as a tonic, but as a dominant of the hidden tonic (which lies on perfect fifth lower). In the row of several chords with tritones from the group IV, the tonal centre is determined in the same way as in the chords from class A.






In the same way we can determine the tonal centre in the row of chords from group V and VI, after we determine their basic tones. However, prolonged stringing of such harmonies always gives impression of vagueness in tonal sense.

It is especialy easy to build and analyse tonal centres in cadences. In it the form is strong, to the form everything is submissed: the rhythm, the melody and the harmonic meaning of the chords.

Hindemith determines the strength of the cadence through the degree of affinity of the relationships in the row I. The strongest is the cadence in which the penultimate tone takes (from the standpoint of row I) the first place according to the degree of affinity with the central tone, and the third tone from the end - the second place (as in the next example - order f-g-c). The cadence which basic tones makes row of the strongest intervals: perfect fourth and perfect fifth (the second case - d-g-c) is exception of this rule. The harmonic strength of such row, which in this case comes from the row II, is so big that such cadence is among the strongest, no matter that the tone d is far away according to the affinity from the tone c (according to the order I - on the seventh place). When we fulfill all the voices in the cadence (which is the case also for the cadence of the type f-g-c) that strength underlines the secret tendency of the tritone to be resolved. Here are some forms of rows with the basic tones (from left to right) manifesting lower strength in cadence:






Each polyphony harmonic stance includes also the movement of the basic tones of the chord, the so called "gradual transition" (_Stufengang_). If we want to underline the clearcut tonality of such stance, in the gradual transition it is necessary to strengthen the central tone (tonic). We can do that through:

- supporting that tone with the help of the tones which are closest to the degree of the harmonic affinity (for example - its fifth, fourth, etc.);

- putting the central tone in the beginning and in the end of the row, and in some examples through its repetition.

Stance with clear manifestation of tonality (in C), exposed with the gradual transition (of the degrees). 





For Hindemith the gradual transition, the harmonic terrain and the dominant two-voice, is artistic mean for composition. If the harmonic terrain is made by chords of a different harmonic meaning which are mutually in sharp contrast, the gradual transition is peaceful, fluent (steps by thirds, resolution of the leading tones, etc.). In the peaceful harmonic terrain, made in the biggest part from chords of the same group, the gradual transition can be various, which makes the musical unity more lively. 

According to Hindemith, in the making of the normative gradual transition, we need to escape:

1. rows lacking the strongest harmonic intervals, because that makes the central tone weaker, so its role can be taken by some other tone;

2. movement in tritone, with the exception of those in which one of the tones which makes the tritone stands in relationship of fifth or fourth toward the lower or upper leading tone:






3. arpeggiating some traditional chirds (major, minor, chords with tritones), because their properties have strong influence on the harmonic development of the totality;

4. chromatic movement, that is, row of several gradual semitones.

5. accentuated melodic movement and use of rows of same intervalic steps in same direction.

The line of the leading tones is independent from the transition of the steps. In the places where we use chords from class A (without tritone, and without leading tones) that line is interrupted or goes to unison - in certain cases in octave relationship - with the basic tones. In totality, the line of the leading tones needs to be making logical melodic flow, based on the realtionship in the row I.


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## dreamtuned (Feb 11, 2018)

For effective modulation it is mandatory to have clear tonal section, which in the gradual transition it is best characterised with arpeggiated movements in thirds, fourths and fifths. Certain section which have different tonal centres can overlap, and this is why it is often difficult to differentiate two tonal sections:

 Modulation through gradual transition:




 Basic tones of the higher order.

The central tones of all the tonal sections together make "higher gradual transition". which gives a picture of the general harmonic and modulational plan of the composition.

For example, from Hindemith's melo-harmonical analysis we will choose the composition based on the ballad "Il m'est avis" by Guillaume de Machaut. Then analysis of a work (19-25 measure) from Schoenberg's piano piece op.33a, as a fragment of introduction for Hindemith's opera "Painter Matisse":


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## dreamtuned (Feb 11, 2018)




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## dreamtuned (Feb 25, 2018)

Here Kohoutek finishes his exploration and explanation of Hindemith's system of composing and Hindemith's theoretical foundations for that system. It is a rather system of its own, it is a system that it is good to know if you wanna analyse Hindemith's work, but probably not so useful for someone who wants to generate own style of composing (which is the aim of the 'musical-tonal' revolution of the composers of the 20th century). Since I've wrote/translate the posts above, I've read several articles on Hindemith's system, some in the journal "Musical Times", some in "Perspective of New Music", and my conclusion is that many of the terms I've tried to translate above were somewhat a verbatim translation of my own, and the usual translation of the Hindemith's work difer. This "usual translations" comes from the translation of his work "_The Craft of Musical Composition_". For example, I've translated Hindemith's term "_Degree-progression_" or "_Step-Progression_" with "_Gradual transition_". The term "_Harmonic Cells_" I've translated as "_Harmonic Terrain_".

There are several similar translations that do not mach and I hope I can find time to go through the text above and correct them (I need to correct the images also).

For further study on Hindemith, beside his books, I would recommend the article "_Hindemith's Voices_" appearing in the journal "_Musical Times_", available on Jstor. 
Also, the thesis for the Degree of Master in Music by Grace E. Knod: A COMPARISON OF THE HINDEMITH AND SCHENKER CONCEPTS .... 

In the next post I will continue the second chapter from the book on the extended tonality where Kohoutek explores Bartok's and Mesiaen's approaches of composing.


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