2

Piano is a nice tool, but it kind of imprints a certain harmonic language to it’s users. So while rare I find it harmonically really interesting to look at composers who did not play piano, as then approach to music may be very different. Recently I have been thinking about this particular melodic line here:

Example of single melodic line

Now, this melody is a bit strange. It is very chromatic and actually modulates from F♯ minor over C major to E minor, from where it is imitated by other voices to a counterpoint. For more harmonic context we can look at the third repeat (with then both counterpoints and two whole steps lower):

Melodic line with 2 counterpoints

I tried to reduce this to the harmonic structure (if you an say so, since this was clearly composed in a contrapunctual manner):

Piano staff reduction of harmonies

and it is ... well, weird (the small notes are suggestions by me). Some parts are totally clear and all, but some parts are ... well, cheeky.

My harmonic interpretation so far would be:

  • m1: Tonic is d minor, pretty normal I and then IV7 going into a sixte ajoutée
  • m2:
    • 1: Here it get’s strange. My interpretation currently is that we interpret the previous IV (g minor) as Eb/D♯ secondary dominant, resolving to G♯ minor as new tonic
    • 2: We change to a G♯ diminished 7, which we interpret as ♯II chords of F major
    • 3: F major with ♯5. New tonic F major
    • 4: F major
  • m3:
    • 1: Diminished 7 on ♯IV which serves as secondary dominant on VII (E)
    • 2: Resolves/Shifts to Diminished 7 on ♯V as secondary dominant on III (A)
    • 3: Resolves to VI (d-minor)
  • m4,5: Simply shifts to Ab major as new tonic?
  • m6: V, interpreted as III in new tonic of C-minor, V7
  • m7: I, VV7
  • m8: II7, V, I♯6, V7
  • m9: I♯, I, V
  • m10: I, I♯3 7

This is more or less my current reasoning, although I am not exactly happy with it. Well, starting from measure 5 everything is quite clear, but m2-m4 is really strange to me. My interpretation ... well ... works, but it involves some quite bold modulations. Of course, as I said there is limited sense to analyzing the harmony of such contrapunctal music, but still I want to ask you all what you’d make out of this.

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

I have a few thoughts. I'm not sure any of them are the kinds of answers you're looking for, but (as you correctly said) "there is limited sense to analyzing the harmony" of something like this. As such, I think answers can be correspondingly varied.

1. Linear harmony

In a sense all harmony is linear, but this term (and others like it, like "semi-tonal voice leading") is often used for later nineteenth-century writing where the voice leading leads the composition and the resulting harmonies don't always match functional progressions. Chopin's E-minor prelude is commonly cited as an example of this, where you have just about every chord quality, root, and inversion following any other. Although the piece is clearly in E minor (and with a clear HC right in the middle of it; the whole piece is ultimately just a single parallel period), the details don't always make much sense in E minor. The same is true here.

2. Passus duriusculus

The descending chromatic line in the soprano is pretty load bearing; this moment in the work is literally describing someone's death, and this musical gesture has centuries worth of overt connections to grief, sadness, lamentation, etc. Any analysis of this excerpt must address this, it seems to me.

3. The Drama

Lastly we have to address the role of the text, the inherent drama it creates, and how Berlioz connected it with the music. How interesting that most times we hear "horreur" it's with a radiant major chord!

Ultimately I think the most accurate reading will integrate all three (and perhaps more) of these aspects; to me the best explanation for this excerpt is one that addresses the passus duriusculus, the linear harmony that it creates, and the way the music connects (ironically or otherwise) with the text being sung.

Improve this answer

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.