Intervallic relationships

Definition

Intervallic relationships refer to the distances between two pitches, which can define the quality and function of notes in music. These relationships are crucial for understanding harmony, melody, and the overall structure of compositions, particularly in genres that explore complex emotional expressions. In the context of atonality and expressionism, intervallic relationships become a vital tool for composers to convey dissonance and tension, as traditional tonal frameworks are often abandoned.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. In atonal music, composers often use intervallic relationships to create unique soundscapes without adhering to traditional harmonic rules.
2. Intervallic relationships in expressionism can evoke strong emotional responses by exploiting unconventional distances between notes.
3. The use of small intervals (like seconds and thirds) often contrasts with larger intervals (like sixths and sevenths) to create varying textures and emotional impact.
4. Intervallic relationships are essential in developing motifs and themes, allowing composers to manipulate listener expectations through unexpected progressions.
5. Composers like Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg utilized intervallic relationships to challenge conventional tonal structures and deepen the expressiveness of their music.

Review Questions

• How do intervallic relationships contribute to the emotional depth of expressionist music?
  • Intervallic relationships play a significant role in expressing complex emotions within expressionist music. By manipulating the distance between pitches, composers can create dissonance and tension that reflect inner turmoil or psychological conflict. For instance, using minor seconds or tritones can evoke feelings of unease or anxiety, while larger intervals might provide contrast or resolution. This intentional use of intervals helps convey the heightened emotional states characteristic of expressionism.
• Discuss how intervallic relationships function within atonality and how this differs from traditional tonal music.
  • In atonality, intervallic relationships are free from the constraints of traditional tonal hierarchies. Unlike tonal music, where specific intervals create clear functional roles (like leading tones resolving to tonic), atonal music treats all pitches equally. This means that composers can employ any interval without expectation of resolution or tonal grounding, allowing for greater creative expression. This approach results in unique harmonic textures and emphasizes the emotional content of the music rather than adherence to conventional structures.
• Evaluate the significance of intervallic relationships in shaping the compositional techniques used by 20th-century avant-garde composers.
  • Intervallic relationships were pivotal for 20th-century avant-garde composers who sought to break free from established musical norms. Composers like Schoenberg and Webern employed these relationships not just as a structural element but as a means to redefine musical expression itself. By focusing on intervals rather than traditional chords or scales, they created works that reflected modernity's complexities and uncertainties. This shift led to innovative techniques such as the twelve-tone system, which reimagined how music could be composed and perceived, emphasizing individual pitch's importance within an overall sonic landscape.

Related terms

Dissonance:

A combination of tones that creates a sense of instability or tension, often used to express conflict in music.

Atonality:

A musical system that avoids establishing a key center or tonal hierarchy, allowing for freedom in pitch relationships.

Twelve-tone technique: A method developed by Arnold Schoenberg that organizes the twelve pitches of the chromatic scale into a series or row, treating all notes with equal importance.