Finding Tonality in Schoenbergs Op.

19/2

By Timothy Van Cleave Dr. Ewell Analytical Techniques Spring 2006

2 Scholars such as Joseph Straus and Olli Vaisala have debated using tonal techniques to analyze post-tonal music in their articles The Problem of Prolongation in Post Tonal Music and Concepts of Harmony and Prolongation in Schoenbergs Op. 19/2.1 I agree with Vaisalas argument that Op. 19/2 can be analyzed in a quasiSchenkerian way, but also find Strauss conclusion that using such techniques can lead to a dead end. Sechs Kleine Klavierstucke Op. 19/2 (1911), comes from Schoenbergs early compositions using atonal components, but does not completely remove tonal implications. In this paper I will use both tonal and atonal ideas to create an analysis of Op. 19/2. The repetition of a repeated ostinato, its relationship with the melody, and descending motion of a fifth combine to create the illusion of tonality within this work. According to Straus, Schoenbergs music only suggests certain elements of tonality and this type of analysis merely flattens out the musical details. 2 In some ways this is acceptable, but in others it is difficult to fully negate the tonality that this work implies. Using a quasi-tonal approach proves that post-tonal music suggests ideas that evoke and allude to conventions of the past. By attempting to analyze Op. 19/2 in both a tonal an atonal manner the piece must be handled carefully to allow the beauty of the music to emerge from beneath the many layers of compositional structure. To begin this discussion example 1 presents the entire piece, because it is only nine measures long. These contrasting articles inspired my own analysis of Schoenbergs Op. 19/2. Joseph Straus, The Problem of Prolongation in Post Tonal Music, Journal of Music Theory, vol. 31, no. 1 (Spring 1987): 1-21. Olli Vaisala Concepts of Harmony and Prolongation in Schoenbergs Op. 19/2, Music Theory Spectrum, vol. 21, no. 2 (Autumn 1999): 230-259. 2 Straus, 19.
1

3 Example 1: Sech Kleine Klavierstucke Op. 19/2 (1911)

Straus views the G-B ostinato as the fulcrum for the entire musical structure, but suggests that a traditional harmonic analysis results in an analytical dead end.3 Straus furthers this idea by stating: Joseph Straus, Remaking the Past: Musical Modernism and the Influence of the Tonal Tradition (London: Harvard University Press, 1990),178-180.
3

4 If we take the musical context as our point of departure, and view the tonal allusions from the point of view of post-tonal structure, we will be able to hear a richer fabric of relationships. I strongly disagree with this idea because in music, regardless of its compositional procedures, certain aural phenomena are created and should be considered. Example 1 shows Strauss analysis of Op. 19/2 set forth in Remaking the Past. Example 2: Strauss analysis of Op. 19/2

Strauss analysis serves as a starting point for my exploration of the tonal tendencies in Op. 19/2. The overlapping of certain set classes helps to identify certain points of structural significance. However, I will use these points as references while developing my own interpretation and analysis of this piece. The opening two measures sets the mood and quasi-tonal atmosphere for the entire piece. G and B, the only pitch classes used in the first seven beats of the piece,

5 combine with a rhythmic pattern to create an ostinato that recurs throughout. In example 3 I show the motion of the ostinato and how traditional harmonies might be applied

Example 3: a quasi-Schenkerian graph of Op. 19/2 (mm. 1-9)

The first implied chord, G major, the most prominent sound of the piece, has two small interjections of different pitch classes in mm.1-5. This motion is shown, in example 2, by slurring the first occurrence of the G and B dyad to the C and E flat. The line, which connects the from G and B to F and A, in example 3, illuminates the octave leap down to the descending motion to that implies a dominant (V) to tonic (I) relationship in the closing moments of the piece. Ultimately by removing the melodic content, a pattern, that reinforces the G-B dyad, emerges. It is difficult to prove how the melodic content and the repeated pattern relate within the context of tonal harmony. The pitches contained in the melodic phrase beginning on beat four of measure 2 and ending in measure 4 do not operate in a conventional nature. By taking an inventory of the pitches contained in this phrase, vertical pitch collections can be created to show the very distant relationship between the ostinato and melody seen in example 4.

Example 4: The implied harmonies of m.4 and m.6

The two chords that derived from this phrase are B7#9 and A-flat major over a G pedal. Example 4A shows that if the duration of pitches is augmented, and the pitches are arranged vertically, the tonal relationships become more apparent. When the same process is used in measure 6 the result produces a similar relationship. These two examples corroborate with the idea to prove that some type of prolongation exists over an implied G major chord. However, the second example lacks the presence of the pitch class G, thus making a relationship between the melody and ostinato difficult to perceive. The descending motion that is present in the final measures presents the strongest platform when arguing for an implied tonality in Op. 19/2. At the end of example 2 the

8 half step motion of dyad D flat and F to C and E evokes the resolution of a tritone substitution. If the D flat and F are combined with the G and B dyad the resulting vertical pitch collection is an inversion of a G dominant-seventh chord with a flatted fifth. Because of the voicing of this chord the structural clarity is compromised when applying tonal procedures. The final collection of notes, which Straus calls set 8-19, which contains many altered notes, further skews the dominant-tonic relationship proposed by Vaisala. Ultimately, using a quasi-Schenkerian analysis to helps to express deeper level of understanding the tonal aspects of Schoenbergs music. When such ideas are applied to this piece areas of tonal implication are highlighted. The ostinato, present throughout this work, strongly influences the argument for prolongation in a quasi-tonal way. Next, the relationship between the ostinato and melodic phrases in mm. 2-3, and m. 6, when vertically stacked and rhythmically augmented, forms a mirror image that relates the two phrases. Finally, the motion of a descending fifth further allows me to expound upon an implied dominant-tonic relationship. Post-tonal music often implies certain quasi-tonal phenomena and it is perfectly acceptable to use such ideas when preparing a performance.

Works Cited Straus, Joseph. The Problem of Prolongation in Post-Tonal Music. Journal of Music Theory vol. 31, no.1, (Spring 1987): 1-21. . Remaking the Past: Musical Modernism and the Influence of the Tonal Tradition. London: Harvard University Press, 1990. Vaisala, Olli. Concepts of Harmony and Prolongation in Schoenbergs Op. 19/2. Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 21, No. 2. (Autumn, 1999), 230-259.