SOUND PATTERNS

A Structural Examination of Tonality, Vocabulary, Texture,

Sonorities, and Time Organization in Western Art Music

by PHILLIP MAGNUSON

MICROCOSMS
Chapter 41. Impressionism

IMPRESSIONISM: an appeal to the senses

41.1 BACKGROUND

IMPRESSIONISM is named for the movement in art history which favored the representation of the "idea" of
an object rather than the object itself; where light and color, rather than line and shape, define the images.
Musical Impressionism also has a strong connection to symbolist poetry (as seen in the works of Charles
Baudelaire and Stephane Mallarme). In the art, poetry, and music of Impressionism we find a common
thread: an evocation of meaning without direct reference to reality. Impressionism is the recollection of
memories where details give way to general impressions. This often results in a general cloudiness or
vagueness in presentation since clearly delineated objects or ideas would provide a strong connection to
reality.

In musical Impressionism, seen almost exclusively in the music of Claude Debussy, this means we find an
obscuration of tonality, harmony, and rhythm. Tonality is vague, often defined only by pedal points.
Counterpoint, the great defining feature of the Common Practice Period, is virtually non-existent; this is one
of the greatest revolutions of the 20th century, and truly creates a definitive break from the past.

Impressionism in music seemed to have been dead-ended; even Debussy appeared to be moving in a
different direction before his death in 1918. But the concepts developed in this style continue to influence
composers even today.

Read more information about Impressionism at Impressionist Influences in the Music of Claude Debussy on
the web.

41.2 COMPOSERS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPRESSIONISM

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Frederick Delius (1862-1934)
Charles Griffes (1884-1920)

41.3 MUSICAL ELEMENTS

Impressionism Tonality Vocabulary Texture Sonority Time

basically
x
maintains:

generally
x x
modifies:

completely
x x
changes:

 
A. Tonality

In the Common Practice Period: The essential organization is around a single pitch, the tonic, which
provides a home base to the ear. All other pitches work to establish the pre-eminence of tonic.
Furthermore, an organization of phrases (generally made up of 4, 8, or 16 measures) expand the
establishment of tonic; all phrases end with a cadence which confirms this sense of tonic.

In Impressionism:

1. Impressionistic music, like the Common Practice Period, is tonal. A single tonic is evident,
although it does not achieve importance through specific voice leading (for example, through a
leading tone). Instead, tonic is created in other ways, such as repetition or being the central pitch,
or even more simply, through the use of a pedal point.

2. Melodies are often irregular in phrase design, and frequently are motivic in nature. Look at
Debussy: Voiles [Music for Analysis #412, CD track #97] as an example.

3. Unlike the music of the Common Practice Period. Impressionistic cadences are less formulated
and can be constructed in many different ways. They might move in a root motion of 3rds (such
as III to I), or be plagal (IV to I), or even be authentic but without a leading tone (such as minor v to
I). They generally end on consonant structures, such as a simple tertian triad.

B. Vocabulary

In the Common Practice Period: The essential vocabulary is a diatonic pattern of seven stepwise pitches
called major and minor scales. Chromatic pitches, the remaining five, can be used, but only to enhance
the diatonic ones.

In Impressionism:

1. Melodies tend to be drawn from the traditional church modes, pentatonic scales, whole-tone
scales, or many other non-traditional scale forms. The common thread to all of these is a lack of
leading tones, which tends to weaken the expectation of tonic.

2. The process that determines the mode or scale pattern being used is called a PITCH
INVENTORY. To take an inventory, isolate the tonic (which can be as simple as locating an
 important pedal point). Taking that tonic, arrange all the other pitches after it as scale-like as
possible. Finally, analyze the intervallic structure to describe the scale or mode.

3. Chromaticism is often found, but rather than enhancing diatonic pitches it tends to be used in a
free, coloristic manner, and is called FREE CHROMATICISM. Free chromaticism might be
indicating a change of mode, as described in #1 of this section.

C. Texture

In the Common Practice Period: The essential texture is created with counterpoint, which is two or
more simultaneous individual and independent lines, each of which confirms the pre-eminence of tonic
and utilizes the vocabulary of a major or minor scale.

In Impressionism:

1. Counterpoint is virtually non-existent. When it is present, it is temporary, usually extremely simple,

and done sparingly, and frequently tends to be located at cadential points.
2. The typical musical texture is monolinear, meaning a single primary melodic line. This inherently
simple texture in Impressionism is typically expanded into musical space with the addition of
pedal points: as described in Chapter 29), a pedal is a sustained pitch juxtaposed to some
melodic or harmonic changes.
ostinati (singular "ostinato"): as described in Chapter 29), is a short melodic pattern that is
repeated three or more times in close succession.
planing: a collection of parallel harmonies (the anathema of the Common Practice Period!)
which might appear to be multi-linear but is in fact monolinear.

Planing can be done diatonically (within the key), or chromatically, to preserve consistent
sonorities (a good example of the free chromaticism mentioned above).

The unit of planing (the harmonic structure which keeps repeating) can be any harmonic
structure, such as tertian triads, tertian tetrads (as seen in the example above), or quartal
harmonies as explained in the next section, and must remain the same for an extended
period of time (such as most of a phrase).

None of these devices contributes an independent voice to the texture.

D. Sonorities

In the Common Practice Period: The essential sonority (chord) is consonant and is a group of three
notes (a triad) arranged in thirds (tertian). Dissonance is used, which could be a group of four notes
arranged in thirds (a tertian tetrad) or non-chordal embellishments (passing and neighboring tones,
suspensions, and pedals, among others). All dissonances are required to resolve.
 In Impressionism:

1. Harmonies take on different constructions. This can be done with tertian harmonies (stacked in
thirds) by adding more dissonances, such as 9-11-13th chords. One can also find triads that are
constructed in 3 different notes a 4th apart (QUARTAL triads) or 3 different notes a 5th apart
(QUINTAL triads).

Note that the pitch content beat-for-beat is identical for the two examples above; even though the
stacking of 4ths and 5ths are organized differently, it does not change the pitch content.

Quartal and quintal harmonies can also be made up of 4 notes (tetrads), 5 notes (pentads), and
more, and can be inverted (like tertian harmonies).

2. Harmonic dissonances will not resolve in traditional ways (as seen in the planing example above).

E. Time organization

In the Common Practice Period: The essential time organization is based on simple or compound
meters, with 2, 3, or 4 consistent beats per measure. The first beat is always the strongest, and the
others take on various degrees of strength.

In Impressionism:

1. Strong beats tend to be obscured with ties, syncopations, and hemiolas.

2. Compound meters, with frequent cross rhythms, are common. Please note the notation in the
example below: although the three triads in measures 2 and 4 are all equal in length, the middle
one is written as two eighth notes tied together. This shows where the second strong beat of the
original meter falls. If three quarter notes were used, a different meter would be indicated (i.e.,
3/4).
ASSIGNMENTS:

SUGGESTED LISTENING

Claude Debussy: Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun (1894) Listen to a performance

Claude Debussy: Nocturnes: Nuages (1899) Listen to a performance
Claude Debussy: Peleas et Melisande (1902) Listen to a performance
Claude Debussy: Preludes, Book I, II: Voiles Listen to a performance
Claude Debussy: Preludes, Book 1, VII: Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest Listen to a performance
Claude Debussy: Arabesque No. 1 Listen to a performance