Cer Chapter 30 Chromatic Modulation Enharmonic Modulation with Augmented-Sixth Chords How a composer spells a chord has implications for how we expect it to resolve. For example, when played without its chord of resolution, the German aug- mented. ixth chord sounds exactly like a dominant seventh chord. This ambign- ity between functions is especially valuable in modulations, because the Mm? sonority ean be resolved two or more ways depending on how it is spelled. It may be approached with one spelling, yet resolve as though spelled another way, and that “deceptive” resolution will suddenly introduce a new key area. The effect is like an aural sleight of hand. Look back at Example 30.3. Another way to hear the modulation from C major to E major in this passage is to think of the harmony in measure 22 through the lens of the old key (C major). If you weren't looking at the spelling of the chord. but only listening to the passage, you might expect the chord to resolve as Vi/IV in C, as though spelled C-E-(G)-B» (a dominant seventh chord). But Beethoven's spelling, C-E-Aé (an augmented-sixth chord), and the chord’s toward the new tonal area of E major. Look now at the passage in Example 30.8a, an excerpt from the first move~ ment of Mozart's String Quartet in D Minor. The key in measure 42 is E} major, the Neapolitan of D minor. This passage is heavily colored by mixture chords, ution move including the minor subdominant and tonic, as shown in the reduction in part, (b). We would expect the V7/V in E5 major (m. 45) to resolve to a Bs dominant harmony, yet it resolves instead to a eadential §=f in A minor. EXAMPLE 30.8: Mozart, String Quartet in D Minor, first movement (a) Mm. 42 Violin Violin 2| -46 QD “2 4s, vayv wo vii wv isChroma Modsation 4 tp 6 Eb: [WIT a: | Gre (b) Reduction of mm. 42-46 Q “2 a “ 46 46 1 viv ive V4/IV ww is a: vi 3 (c) Resolutions of mm, 44b-45 Q expected resolution of V7 respelled resolution as A® 45 46 45 46 = Eb 6 vi v Eb: 6 WIN) Gre v$—=5 Although this resolution sounds a bit surprising, it makes sense in retrospect. Part (c) shows the chords from measures 44b and 45 with the resolution we expect, then the measure 45 chord respelled to indicate its augmented-sixth funetion—with Dé instead of Eb. The resolution to a cadential § rather than directly to V (E major, V of A minor) is customary with any German AS chord. The modulation to A minor is confirmed when the passage continues in that key through measure 53.Chapter 80 Chremati Moisi ‘This type of modulation is called an enharmonic modulation. Because the harmonies resolve in ways that require reinterpretation (whether the resolutions are respelled or not), such progressions can also be called modulation through enharmonic reinterpretation. ZN KEY CONCEPT Use enharmonic reinterpretation with German aug- mented-sixth chords and dominant sevenths to modulate to a new key a half step higher or lower than the original. + Ifan augmented sixth is reinterpreted as a dominant seventh, the resulting modulation is a half step up (Example 30.9a). + Ifa dominant seventh is reinterpreted as an augmented sixth, the resulting modulation is a half step down (part b). ExaMpte 30,9: Enharmonic modulation with V7 and Gré (a) Enharmonic modulation up by half step Q expected resolution af AS ‘espelled resolution as V7 a i ie Gr vi 4 a i ive [Ge Iwo (b) Enharmonic modulation down by half step @ expected resolution of V7 respelled resolution as A®Chroma Modsation Try it #4 Write the requested V7 or Gré chord in each progression, and resolve it normally. Then respell the chord as requested in the given key, and resolve it normally. Use half and whole notes. Avoid parallel fifths in resolving the Gr6. A. @ siven resolution 2) respelled resolution a w ce: Gro @ given resolution 2) respelled resolution f: Gr6 fe: vr ‘As in the Mozart example, it is possible to use a secondary dominant reinter- preted as an augmented sixth to modulate to other distant keys—here, a tritone apart, Es major and A minor—instead of a half step. When you write enharmonic modulations, pay careful attention to accidentals in the new key, since the half-step tonal relation requires several chromatic alterations to establish the new tonic. Play these examples to hear how the harmonic “deception” sets up the new tonic, Enharmonic Modulation with Diminished Seventh Chords ‘The fully diminished seventh chord is an even more flexible means of enharmonic ‘modulation, It may potentially resolve in four different ways (to either a major or minor “temporary tonic”), depending on how it is spelled, since the spelling determines both the root and resolution of the chord. A B diminished seventh, for example, if spelled with B as the root (Example 30.10A, part 1), can resolve toChapter 30 Chromatic Modulation either C major or € minor; if spelled with D as the root (A, part 2), it resolves to either Eb major or Es minor, and so on. In addition, in music of the Romantic era you may see a voice-leading shift from one diminished seventh chord up or down a half step to a second diminished seventh chord before the chord resolves to a new key. EXAMPLE 30.40: Fully diminished seventh chords and their possible resolutions A.OnB Q @ 2) @) wo ©. onc? @ a ¢ (3) (a) ae ‘The diminished seventh chord can also serve as a secondary leading-tone chord to modulate to any major or minor key. For an example of such an enhar- monic modulation, look at Example 30.11a, a passage from Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata, with a reduction underneath (b). In measure 134, an F#-A-C-E> dimin- ished seventh chord resolves to G-Bb-D after a voice exchange involving C and Eb in the highest and lowest parts, filled in with passing-tone Ds. The motive is repeated in measure 135, but the F#-A-C-E} is respelled D#-F#-A-C on the third beat, and now resolves to a cadential § in the key of E minor—the chromatic sub- mediant of G minor (the key of mm. 133-194). Play through part (b) several times to hear the effect of the different resolutions of the diminished seventh chord. EXAMPLE 30.14: Beethoven, Pathétique Sonata, first movementChroma Modsation decres FE-A-C-Eb = DEFEAC (b) Reduction of mm. 134-136a Q & we vive) (AN KEY CONCEPT Anenharmonic pivot chord ean be spelled as it functions in the first key or as it functions in the second key. It may also appear twice, spelled once each way (Example 30.11). Sometimes modulations involve a combination of techniques. Listen to the modulation in measures 49-50 of the second movement. The passage shown in Example 30.12 is the transition back from E major (F> major) to Ab major. The chord in measure 47, an E major triad, is followed by a fully diminished seventh chord (D-F-Ab-C>) in measures 48-49. EXAMPLE 30-12: Beethoven, Pathétique Sonata, second movement, mm. 47-31 Q a as B: vit7fil ifspelled Be Ab: vii?7/V (D-F-Ab-C5) w IChapter 80 Chremati Moisi ‘The chord in measures 48-49 might be heard as vii°7/ii in the old key of E major (F-A}-C}-D, enharmonieally respelled from E#-G#-B-D) or as viie$/V in the now key of Ab (D-F-A}-C}). The chord that begins measure 50 is a half-diminished, seventh chord (Bb-D}-F,-As). It is approached from the D-F-A5-Cb chord by holding the common tone, Ab, and moving the other voices by half step: D to D> Ch to Bb, and F to F>, This Bb half-diminished chord typically functions as vii?7 in C> major or minor. Enharmonically, it may be respelled A#-C#-E-Gé, or vii#7 in B major or minor. Here, it does not resolve in either of those ways; instead, the Bb and D} are held as a common dyad, and Fs and Ab both move down a half step, forming an E5-G-B}-D} chord (V7 of As major). As should be clear, the Romantic era brought many ways to modulate, espe- cially between distant keys. When you come across a modulation in music you are analyzing or performing, listen carefully to the passage, then examine the evidence with the techniques you have learned. With patience, you should be able to solve the puzzle. Try it #2. Resolve each given diminished seventh chord in (1) to i or I. Then invert the chord and respell it enharmonically in (2)-(4) so that each note of the original chord is the root. Resolve cach chord to its tonic (i or 1). In the blanks, write the key of the tonic to which each respelled chord resolves. A. (given resolution (2) respelled resolution (3) respelled resolution. viio7 i a: viier i vier 1 (4)respelled resolution B. (1) given resolution (2) respelled__ resolution vill? I 2 vile? 1 __: viier 1 (8) respelled resolution (4) respelled resolution vile? i _: viier i