MUS4615H Analysis & Performance Practices of Twentieth-Century Music Fall

2017

Naoko Tsujita

Claude Debussy (1962-1918) is one of the most important impressionist figures

in the late 19th century. His music goes beyond the limitations of traditional Western
harmony at the time and is an example of having tonal ambiguity. Arnold Schoenberg is
also one the most important composers in both the late 19th century and the 20th century.
He is well known as an atonal composer and as the pioneer of twelve-tone music. His
music is considered as having nonfunctional pitch centricity. The analysis of Prélude to
“The Afternoon of a Faun”, Prélude for piano: Book 1, no.2 (“... Voiles”) by Debussy
and Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op.16, No.3 , Six Little Piano Pieces, Op.19, II by
Schoenberg show us similarities and differences in their harmonic structures that
represent non-functional harmony in the late 19th century and the early 20th century.
There present several ways to create non-functional harmonies within music.

The western classical music tradition in the end of the 19th century, was
primarily based on tonality. Debussy follows this tradition by ending his pieces with a
chord that is within functional tonal harmony. For example, he ends in E major in
“The Afternoon of a Faun” and C major in “Voiles”. However, we also see the transition
to the 20th century’s non-functional harmony in his music. What key is this piece of
music in? This is the primary question when listening and analyzing these pieces by
Debussy and Schoenberg. In “The Afternoon of a Faun”, the main flute melody that is
shown in the very beginning of the piece starts on C#, sustains on G and goes back to C#.
The scales played between C# to G and G to C# are different when ascending versus
descending. The ascending part has a chromatic scale without C but the ascending part
goes G-A-B-C-C#. The C note in the ascending part can be heard as a leading tone that
makes us consider the key of the main melody as C#. Debussy not only makes the
melody mysterious but also blurs the home key by changing the harmonics underneath of
the main melody every time it appears through this piece. He brilliantly constructs them
at measures 11, 21, 26, 94 and 100 with the harmony of D major seventh to G seventh, E
thirteenth to C, E seventh to G# diminished seventh, E to C seventh, C# seventh to A#
seventh respectively. The melody line starts in the major seventh degree at measure 11
and sixth degree at measure 21, 26 and 94. This seventh and sixth degree relationship
display a jazz influence and improvisatory elements by avoiding settling in one exact
key which can give excitement to attract the listeners. At measure 100, the first note of
the melody starts with the first degree in C# which is relative to the home key, E major.
Debussy finishes the main melody with A# half diminished chord at measure 4, which is
not typical harmony to end a phrase. This chord creates a tension due to its dissonant
sound and is released with Bb seventh chord at measure 5. This pattern occurs in measure
7 and 8 with an exactly the same notes. By repeating the pattern twice, he clears the
statement and engages with the audience. In this section, as the function of the seventh
chord, our ears want to hear F as the I chord or tonic chord. Although, the Bb seventh
chord has a minor third, the D major seventh chord which maintains the unsettled
feeling and mysteriousness. At the measure 79 and 86, the main melody appears in a
different note. The key at measure 79 is in E with a bass note G#, which can be seen as
toanl. Also, the main melody starts with the first scale degree, which gives a moment of
release. This section follows a strong western classical tradition which is the circle of
fifths chord progression; G#-C#-F#. This chord progression appears at measure 86 where
has another key change in Eb.

“…Voiles” by Debussy shows two different unique ideas to blur the key and catches the
listeners’ attention. He uses a whole tone scale for the main melodic idea. The motif in
this piece starts with a major third interval and ascends without breaking the intervals.
The main melody goes down along with the scale from G# to C and jump up to an octave
for finishing the phrase with a thirty second note of C and a quarter note of Bb.
Eventually, the main motive ends at measure 5 with C and E. This descending pattern
won’t resolve to a key due to the equal division of the degree of the each note.
Unexpectedly, Debussy provides Bb as a bass note, which is the 7th degree of C. The
bass note continues through the entire piece except the last three bars. This continuous
bass line was not so obvious in the “The Afternoon of a Faun”, however, there are
several sections when Debussy placed a bass note E as if he is telling that E is the home
key of this piece. At the measure 42 to 46, suddenly the A minor pentatonic scale appears
two times as Ab-Bb-Ab-Gb-Eb, and Db-Eb-Eb. The two lines indicate the home key in
that section could be Eb, but it cannot be curtain due to the continuous Bb in the bass.
This piece can be considered as a rounded binary form, but the last A section is a
combination of A and B.

Schoenberg’s “Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op.16, No.3” represent a new concept
of within music. The first chord that sounds like out of tune is called Farben chord, which
is consist of C, G#, B, E, and A which constructed a quartal structure. This chord can also
be explained with a combination of a minor and major chord which are A minor and E
major in this case. Farben means colors in German, and Schoenberg changes the notes
slightly and shifting chords toward to different harmonies, which is similar to a colour
change by adding a color little by little or watching a repetitive ocean wave. Overall,
Ferban chords appears four times which are the beginning, measure 15, measure 27 and
the ending. The each Farben chord are in relationship of a whole step, and everytime a
Farben chord appears, it will be a whole step up from the previous Farben chord.
Although, the ending is the same Farben chord as if the journey ends and the piece came
back home. Schoenberg applies a golden ratio and sets a climax at the measure 27 with
mp which is the loudest dynamics in this piece. Also, the Farben chord in this measure is
whole tone above from a Farben chord at measure 15, and it is the highest pitch Farben
chord in this piece. Surprisingly, the first Farben chord and the Farben chord at the
golden ratio are the same in terms of sonority. The notes show the both chords are A and
E. The similarity of this piece and “The Afternoon of a Faun” is to have a two possible
keys to be identified. As it is discussed already, Farben chord consist of a minor and
major key. “The Afternoon of a Faun” obscures the key by showing the two possibilities
of C# minor or E major chord.

The last piece in this analysis is “Six Little Piano Pieces, Op.19, II”. This piece
starts with a minor third which is with G and B. This harmony plays the rhythm and take
a rule as a bass. It is compositionally similar to “Voiles”with its continuous Bb bass note
and use of the interval of a major third. Shoenberg uses a major third as seen in tonal
harmony and creates tension by using a minor third to catch attention. As previous pieces
contained two harmonies in one chord, there are also chords that consist of two
harmonies in this piece. The clattered notes at measure 6, they have two chords which are
B# diminished and B diminished chord. They do not resonate beautifully due to the
relationship between the two chords being a semitone. The last chord is interesting
because they are Eb augmented and Bb augmented chord and resonate better than the two
diminished chords because of the distance of fourth degrees in their harmony. It is
fascinating to see how Schoenberg shows a contrast in the each elements. The minor and
major third has a function of creating a tension and release. The two clattered chords
which are constructed by diminished and augmented chords also give us the feeling of
tension and release, showing its complexity.

References

Debussy, Claude. “The Afternoon of a Faun”. Trans. by Leonard Borwick. Paris: E.

Fromont, 1912.
http://ks.petruccimusiclibrary.org/files/imglnks/usimg/c/c3/IMSLP07757-'une_Faune_(tr
ans._Borwick_-_piano).pdf

Debussy, Claude. “Prélude for piano: Book 1, no.2 (“... Voiles”)” Paris: Durand et Cie.,
1910.

Schoenberg, Arnold. “Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16, No.3 (“Farben”)” Arr. by Anton
Webern. Leipzig: C.F. Peters, 1949.
http://ks.petruccimusiclibrary.org/files/imglnks/usimg/9/9f/IMSLP00241-Schoenberg_-
_Op._16_Five_Orchestral_Pieces_(arr_piano_Webern).pdf

Schoenberg, Arnold. “Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19 (“II. Langsam”)” Vienna: Universal
Edition, 1913.

Wikipedia, s.v. “Vailes”. Last modified August 29, 2017.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voilest