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From: jeffw@tekecs.UUCP (Jeff Winslow)
Newsgroups: net.music,net.music.classical
Subject: Misconceptions regarding atonality
Message-ID: <3852@tekecs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 16-Jun-84 16:56:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekecs.3852
Posted: Sat Jun 16 16:56:43 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 05:27:51 EDT
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
Lines: 39

First off, Rich, I'm not sure why you think the passage leading into
the Finale of the Firebird is so radical. Parsifal has passages of more
ambiguous tonality than that (see the Prelude to act 3). I will say, 
though, that the total musical effect of the Stravinsky example has
a magic that the Wagner example can't match. One of life's smaller
frustrations is attending a performance of Firebird with a bunch of
dance fanatics who blithely (and loudly) applaud the Firebird dancer
after the Berceuse, brutally drowning said magical moment in white noise.

But to the point:

    Let's imagine a succession of works in which temporary tonal centers
change more quickly as one goes along the succession. Make the harmony
more complex (11ths, 13ths etc.) at the same time. Sooner or later you
will reach a piece where you (yes, even *you*, Rich) will say, "I can't
make any tonal sense out of this piece." Note - tonal sense, not musical
sense. That would (ideally) still be there.

    Now, that's not because the piece has no tonal information. It's just
become less important than the other musical cues which are present. These
works are referred to as atonal. That's just a way of saying the tonal
information present is not the compelling structure that it is in works
we call "tonal". It's not saying there's *no* tonality. Don't be fooled by
leading a-'s.
 
   Example: Schoenberg's (oh, him again) Book of the Hanging Gardens. 
Supposedly atonal, but you listen to the second song and tell me it's atonal
with a straight face. Good luck.

   Later on, when the 12-tone theory was invented, something different
did indeed occur, but the kind of "atonality" practiced by Schoenberg between
op. 12 and op. 26 was no break with tradition.

   Remember, historically, chromaticism did lead to "atonality". You can
theorize all you want, but those theories (unsterbliche oder nicht) are going
to have to account for that.

					that's enough now,
						Jeff Winslow