fF CHAPTER IIT HARMONY AND TONALITY: Mypes of Sonorities mnroughout the sonata, the basic harmony ts that of tertian structures ranging from triads to thirteenth chords. ‘In analyzing 803 chords in the entire work, only 336 are triads; the rest are seventh, ninth, eleventh, oF thirteenth chords, The triads make up 29.38 per cent of the total har- monic’ structure of all three movements. in arriving at the figure of 803 chords, the author enalyzed just one chord until it changed to @ aifferent sonority, even if the chdrd lasted for three measures. Looking at just the ‘first movement, the major-minor seventh chord constitutes 31.84 per cent of 380 chords, where the major $riad with added sixth makes up only 1.05 per cent and the major triad 11.58 per cent. From these figures one can easily make the deduption that Creston uses seventh and ninth chords mich as Bech uses triads, since over 70 por cent of the total number of chords analyzed are of greater com- plexity than triads. prom Table IV on page 39, we may readily see that the ninth chords are more prevalent then either the diminished seventh or the half-diminished seventh.39 *eT@e4 STUZ UT PepntouT zou sr0M 4ue0 aed ouo zapuN spzcUdy 00°00T ast. - - - ----- ee ee ee ~~ - - - ~8paouo aougo TIv 2-48 98°T Ht tere ne'T 2 wu T's ene st°s ze°9 petal JOUTH 16°) 88" gerk €s*ot 6 wun S0*6T 98°6T Ge ee°9t 2 Wa 16 "ez 4S" SE 96° Le eSTtt peraa, sof eH egrLe ah Se sg*6t nets 2 wy Bprcud €og JO Y Ut TeqoL | quoeweaow pag ‘queweAoW pug quaweacw 481 | ed&L paoud Ispzoyo Lgz Jo % Ispaoug 9€T Jo #SHIGIUONOS dO SadAL AI wiava spzoud ogt Jo %4o me most frequently used seventh chord is the major-minor seventh chord, Example 23 shows a typical appearance in block formation. Ex. 23. P. 14, lst mvt., m. 114, ‘me seventh chord is also used quite frequently in ar- pegeiated form. Such a treatment is given the major-minor seventh chord in Example 24, Ex, 24, P. 27, 3rd mvt., m. 125. the major-minor-major ninth 1s found much more frequently jor-major-major ninth even though the major-najor Example 25 illus- than the ma, seventh chord is found quite frequently. trates two of the major-minor-major ninth chords used succes-aa sively. P. 11, lst mvt., mm., 90-91. Ex, 25. when taking into consideration sonority (Example 26) which, contains the necessary ne plays, the notes which the saxopho six tones for a mystic chord. Mystic Chardmother chord which ogeurs only once in the entire sonata is ao minor triad with a major sixth and minor ninth, Example 27 illustrates this chord. Ex. 27. P. 11, 1st mvt., m. 89 ‘The majority of the various sonorities ( 926 ) were found to be in root position. Those that were not in root position were mainly triads in second inversion. They were particularly prominent in parts of the second movement. Table Iv illustrates this principle. In arriving at a decision as to what to call an A-C-E-G sonority with the A in the bass, the author felt that it should be called an A minor-minor seventh chord rather than a major triad with added sixth in view of the greater use of chords found in root position. However, the same tones con- structed above C would be called a C major triad with added sixth. Quite often Creston seemed to leave out the fifth in themajor-minor seventh chord especially in planing. This 1s shown in Example 28. ay Ex. 28, P. 6, Ist mvt., m. 45. Harmonic Rhythm : he harmonic rhythm varies from chords changing on every eighth note to chords lasting for as many as four full meas- ures. For the most part, the chords seem to change on the strong beats. me harmonic rhythm of the first movement is quite rapid. This can be seen in Example 29. t Ex, 29, P. 13, 1st mvt., m, 107.44 Even. though the harmonic rhythm is rapid, the changing of various chords on strong beats is fairly consistent. We see this in Example 30. Ex. 30. P. 12, 1st mvt., mm. 96-97. There are several occasions where Creston utilizes rhythmic drive with harmonic changes in an asymmetrical rhythm as illustrated in Example 31. Ex. 31. B. 13, Ist mvt., m. 110. ‘he second and third movements are characterized by a much slower harmonic rhythm than the first movement. We see this in the opening of the second movement (Example 32) withthe A major triad being used for a duration of five beats in a slow tempo. Ex, 32. P. 15, 2nd mvt., m. 1. However, at the close of the second movement (Example 33), there are instances 9f a succession of chords over @ sustained A major harmony resulting in the only poly-harmony in the composition (see Example 33). ‘The third movement has many spots of one sustaining arpeggiated harmony for as many as four measures, Example 34 illustrates this idea. * mhere 1s one section! in the third movement in which the harmonic rhythm moves, quite rapidly as shown in Example 35. This passage lasts for eighteen measures. At times one can almost get the impression of @ polke rhythm because of the accompaniment pattern although har- mony changes on every beat. Example 36 illustrates this.46 P. 20, 2nd mvt., mm, 45-47. Ex. 33.47 La ty RATA 1-96. 3rd mvt., mm. 95 F. 26. Ex, 34. P. 27, 3rd mvt.» mm 210-113. Ex. 35.4B Ex. 36. P. 31, 3rd mvt., mm. 206-207. ‘Tonality mrroughout the sonata 1t 1s impossible to assign 3 tra- aitional harmonic funetion to every chord, or for that matter, to determine the tonality at all times. However, 1 is pos- sible to deduce the overall key of each movement and several of the subordinate keys. mhe first movenent centers around an E tonality, but — rr rr —r—h—h— sh hr = tra- aitional funetion in thé key of B, A clear example of this ts found in the main theme which, when it first appears, is parmenized with a Db major-minor-major ninth chord and a ¢ me jor-minor-minor ninth chord in the opening measure.49 when the'main theme reappears the beginning is har- monized with an E major-major seventh chord followed by @ “| a a 4 é é fi 2 2 E 5 | | 2 2 § 3 5 Ss a go 5 aa ga iN | ; : BG LaT| o €™ . i a adExample 39 illustrates a blurring of the tonal spectrum. Ex. 39. P. 6, lst mvt., mm, 41-42, eMamd — Praned. OMIA Mn teted During most of the first movement there is a continued blurring or changing of tonality. At a few places one has the feeling of tonal clarity and then Creston quickly changes the harmonic material. Example 40 illustrates an interesting spot at the end of an eight-measure piano interlude in Db.After a slight ritardando, the saxophone enters and the } tonality suddenly shifts to E major. } Ex. 40. Pp. 8-9, 1st mvt., mm, 64-65, te E major chord which is:used at this particular point coming at the beginning of a new section tends to emphasize the feeling of an E tonality, especially with the saxophone beginning on a sustained chord tone, This is fur- ther bolstered by the use of E major scale. Example 41 illustrates a place in which an E major-| | | | | This also helps to establish an E tonality. P, 12, 1st mvt., mm. 99-101. | N l major seventh chord is the basis of the harmonic structure for nine beats. Ex. 41.53 : qe major-major seventh chord 1s used quite frequently in this particular type of role as this chord containing no tritone has a tendency to sound more like a chord of rest than the major-minor seventh chord. the second movement is based on an A tonality with much Jess blurring than in the first movement. ‘The movement be- gins and ends on an A major ehord, whereas, the first move- ment only ended on its tonic harmony of E. Example 42 shows the opening measure in A major. Ex. 42. P. 15, 2nd mvt., m a. ‘The length of time spent on the A major chord tends to emphasize an A tonality especially when the saxophone enters eight measures later with the same melody against the same harmonic background, Also, the fact that at the end of the statement of the theme by the piano there 4s a cadence with the concluding chord an A major triad in root position, with rr = line approach of the seventh scale degree as though 4n a suspension figure54 with an anticipation resolving'to the eighth scale degree at the cadence, This very same pattern is used again at the end of the last variation with a little extension of three meas- ures played while an A major chord continues to sound (mm. 45- 47). If one examines the succession of roots in the first four measures of the second movement, he will find that all of them are in the diatonic scale of A major. The main tonality of the third movement is D. major with a section in Db and another in'F¥. There are many places of definite functional root movement, Example 43 illustrates a typical spot. Ex, 43, P. 24, 3rd mvt., mm, 61-64, dz leo55 i me D tonality 1s emphasized in the opening with four meas- ures being spent ona D major-major seventh chord. ‘The melody in the saxophone also belongs in D. Ex. 44. P. 21, 3rd mvt., mm, 1-4, Furthermore, the cadence coming at the end of the theme is an authentic one in the key of D major. Examining the notes which the saxophone plays it is found that it remains for the first 22 measures in an eight-note scale which corresponds f° the scale of D major plus gf. Even the harmony is quite conven= tional except for measure six and measure twenty, which seemto create a nice contrast to/'the conventional melody and harmony. : The main tonalities of the three movements, being E, A, and D, respectively, are closely related to each other. Unlike the first movement, the second and third movements contain a predominance of the tonic keys. However, examin- ing the internal key relationships, it is soon discernible that adherance to traditional key schemes cannot be found. 56