The first movement includes a piece in the key of F called “Prélude.” This piece is indicative of most preludes and has a festive and energetic feel. An early use of the octatonic scale is found in the Chopin Mazurka, Opus 50#3 (1841). Another great example is … True. Example 3: Diminished thirds in whole-tone passages. In this work an octatonic scale (D-F-… This results in a whole tone scale. Whole-tone harmony thus became a means of suspending or dissolving the perception of tonality in music of this period. The whole tone scale enters in measure 3 when the A drops another half step to Ab (Ab, C, Gb) with a D and E in the melody, giving us an Ab7#11b13 (or just Ab7alt). The first four measures are shown below. Debussy does not only use traditional church modes (e.g. Debussy's Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun" was later choreographed by the great - dancer Vaslav Nijinksy. Whole-tone scale, in music, a scalar arrangement of pitches, each separated from the next by a whole-tone step (or whole step), in contradistinction to the chromatic scale (consisting entirely of half steps, also called semitones) and the various diatonic scales, such as the major and minor scales (which are different arrangements of whole and half steps). Among microtonal structures, the most important, perhaps,…. Debussy uses the whole-tone scale a lot in his music, but he was not the first to do so. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Debussy and Ravel used this scale. Whole tone scale is used above all in Jazz music. What instrument plays the opening of Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun", heard in this excerpt? Sit at a piano and play all of the white and black keys consecutively to play consecutive half steps. The whole-tone scale (comprising six whole steps) was used prominently by French composer Claude Debussy and others, especially in France and England. Aeolian, Dorian etc.) Two mutually exclusive whole-tone scales are formed by choosing alternate notes of the chromatic scale (which has 12 notes per octave). Debussy's impact was far reaching. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pieces_which_use_the_whole_tone_scale See S > Scales for related entries Search • … This interesting piece from Debussy I think is one of the best examples of the whole tone scale in classical music. Even Brailoiu admits that 1889 was not the beginning of the composer’s apparent acquaintance with the scale (1959, 413). Microtonal scales, requiring intervals smaller than the conventional half step, also appeared sporadically in the 20th century. The pentatonic scale is a 5-note scale (penta = 5) that originates with folk music from Scotland, to Ireland, to China. An important result of this travel was the use of folk modes, pentatonic scales, and whole tone scales derived from native music in works by composers such as Bartók, Stravinsky, and Debussy. Debussy avoided the formal recapitulations and developments of the Pentatonic scale / Whole-tone scale / Octatonic Scale The first four bars of ‘Pagodes’ from Estampes are based on a B pentatonic (five-note) scale: B,C#, D#, F# and G# In the following two bars (5-6) Debussy keeps the pentatonic scale in the right hand but adds an A natural to the chord in the left hand. Debussy based Violes (Prelude # for Piano) on the whole tone scale. Impressionist composers such as Claude Debussy were quite fond of the scale and used it often in their compositions.The most famous use of the whole tone scale in popular music is in the intro of Stevie Wonder’s You Are The Sunshine Of My Life. This is a special type of mode that is frequently found in early twentieth century music. Exotic Eastern scales came into play, such as the whole-tone scale, which Debussy was fascinated by. I think of this as the 20th century’s take on Drake’s “YOLO.” [4:55] Triumphant Theme 2. A very well known example of a song that uses the whole tone scale is Stevie Wonder’s You Are The Sunshine Of My Life. In Western art music, the whole-tone scale is associated with the decline of functional harmony in the late 19th century. However, the composition was significantly revised in 1890 prior to publication. Russian composers such as Glinka in his opera Ruslan and Ludmila and Borodin in Prince Igor used the whole-tone scale. Subtitled ‘Trois esquisses symphonique’ (Three symphonic sketches), ‘La mer’ occupies an interesting position within the development of orchestral writing. Whole tone scales are quite rare in music but there are some examples that are worth checking out. The whole-tone scale has six notes separated from one another by a whole step. The first composers to begin experimenting with the chromatic alterations that imply whole-tone harmony within a generally tonal framework were Franz Liszt and Russian composers such as Mikhail Glinka, Modest Mussorgsky, and Aleksandr Borodin; these were followed in the early 20th century by the more attenuated tonal experiments of Anatoly Lyadov, Aleksandr Scriabin, and Vladimir Rebikov. The scale provides a nebulous, unsettled feeling with its lack of fa-mi or ti-do resolution. The motif consists of five notes that move down and up in a twisting motion before descending at the end. Debussy’s piano piece “Clair de Lune” illustrates the unique whole tone style of the French composer. You’ll hear it in the first 10 seconds of the intro with its distinctive sound. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Unless one uses double sharps or flats, it is difficult to avoid a diminished third when writing a whole tone passage. ... Impressionist composers explored the whole-tone scale. His compositions flowed without a strict sense of metre or rhythm, and are considered the pioneering works of the Impressionist genre of classical music, named in comparison with the visual arts movement. Home > Symmetric Scales > Whole-Tone Scale > B Whole-Tone Scale Richard Mueller (1986) has argued that Debussy’s prior knowledge of both the pentatonic and whole-tone scales prepared him to hear (and to remember) certain elements of those Javanese performances (160–61). Measure 4 resolves to an E major chord, with Ab now acting as a G#, Fb as E, and Cb as B. If Debussy wants to emulate trumpets and then recapitulate his whole-tone scale pattern forcefully on a piano, he just goes for it. Some authors have suggested that Debussy uses the whole-tone scale as an analogue of the 7 note pelog tuning. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Later composers to use it include Alban Berg in his Violin Concerto, and Béla Bartók in his String Quartet No. Whole-tone harmony, with its similarly structured chords and absence of semitones, lacks the harmonic contrasts and resolutions of the major-minor system and its different keys; with whole-tone harmony, the sense of key centre depends instead on repetition and melodic emphasis. a) Italy b) France c) Paris d) Germany 10) Which of the following is a characteristic of Debussy's music? To play whole steps, play every other key. 2) and “Cloches à travers les feuilles” (1907; Images, 2nd series, No. Because there are no semitones, all thirds are major, and thus all triads are augmented. Voiles, Claude Debussy José Rodríguez Alvira. My brand new premium course: https://pianotv.net/design Limited-time sale — 30% off only until June 6th, 2020! a) Consonance b) Atonal c) Whole - tone scale d) Dissonance 9) Where is Debussy's birthplace? The title translate to “moonlight” in French. In the third movement, the motif consists of a F, E-flat, F, E-flat and down to a D beginning in the fist and second measure. Johann Sebastian Bach chose the chorale to end his cantata O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 60, set for four parts. Finally, Debussy ends the suite with “Passepied” a fast-paced dance that helps end the suite on a high note. The other movements replicate these intervals on differing pitch levels. Claude Debussy who wrote Clair de Lune use the whole-tone scale, instead of traditional scale of Western music (Claude Achille Debussy, 2020). For instance, the second movement starts on a G. The first movement starts on F, but instead of moving down a whole step to E-flat, Debussy moves down a half step to E. The complete set of movements entails four distinct pieces. This results in a whole tone scale. Russian. • Form. "Bells Through the Leaves," another very clear example of Debussy's use of gamelan techniques, is also one of his most thoroughgoing uses of the whole tone scale. In music, tone are separated by equally spaced intervals called half steps. Voiles translates as sails or veils; the piece might be about either, or both. a) Italy b) Paris c) Austria d) Germany 8) What musical term is defined as the lack of harmony among musical notes? As we can see right from the opening, Debussy is using the whole-tone scale: Click to enlarge. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Whole Tone Scale – a scalar arrangement (scale) of pitches, each separated from the next by a whole-tone step (or whole step); and has six tones per octave, as … The first known time the whole tone scale was used in a composition was in 1662 by Johann Rudolf Ahle. Corrections? Since then it has been used often in classical music by composers such as Bach, Mozart, Berlioz, and Schubert. The second movement “Menuet” involves two themes that contrast between light and playful and dark and mysterious moods. However, the composition was significantly revised in 1890 prior to publication. This simple piece for piano was started in 1880 and published 15 years later in 1905. If the whole-tone scale itself is ambiguous, so is the title. In the mid-nineteenth century composers began to exploit the octatonic scale (a symmetrical scale that alternates half steps and whole-steps) as the basis of triadic progression. Debussy is considered a part of the Impressionist movement in music that was considered a subset of music within the Romantic Period. Debussy is considered a part of the Impressionist movement in music that was considered a subset of music within the Romantic Period. Updates? I suggest to use it just on the dominant 7th chord. Another process occurred concurrently with the assimilation of folk music sources. Click over a section for the analysis. Whole tone scales always look a bit odd because our notation is not designed for them. Measures 48 to 64 Whole tone scale. The composition is the third movement of a larger suite called the “Suite bergamasque.”. With elements from the first movement reappearing in the last, the work is unified, therefore suggesting the influence of the symphony. He is one of the most important exponents of the whole tone scale in classical music history. The following example faithfully reproduces a passage from that work. “Clair de Lune” comes in at the third movement and provides a lilting lyrical contrast to the second movement. Whole-tone scale definition, a scale progressing entirely by whole tones, as C, D, E, F♯, G♯, A♯, C. See more. Debussy’s Voiles, the second Prélude from Book I, moves between whole-tone and pentatonic harmonies. Professor of Music, Emeritus, Tufts University. 1), as well as Dukas’s opera Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (1907). Several examples of the whole-tone scale are found in Claude Debussy's work. Below is an example of a whole-tone scale: The whole-tone scale is one of the modes of limited transposition, because there is only transposition of this mode. Microtonal scales, requiring intervals smaller than the conventional half step, also appeared sporadically in the 20th century. The Prelude Voiles is in compound ternary form. Most likely, Debussy has changed his mind about the style of the piece and wanted to improve it based on his current ability. Describe Debussy Melody and Harmony - exotic scales/modes Prelude from Pour le piano (a aeolian, C whole tone, a aeolian) - pentatonic - Pagodes/Voiles (B section) - octatonic - Feuilles Mortes (tall diminished chords; Les sons et les parfums - Melodic octatonic use. 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