[Smt-talk] Russian/Belgian +6

[Michael Luxner]

I've taught this chord (A-flat/C/E/F#) for years as a "Russian" sixth, because it figures prominently in the section on augmented sixths in Rimsky-Korsakov's harmony manual (standard English edition, Schirmer 1930).
 
Rimsky presents this chord as a major-key version of what we would call the German sixth.  I.e., he identifies the standard +6 chords in minor keys as the familiar trio of Italian/French/German (though he does not use the geographic descriptors); but in major keys, replaces the German with the version that has an augmented fifth above the bass (the diatonic 3rd scale step in a major key).
 
My use of the term "Russian sixth" has always been whimsical, but it's nice to know that there's some scholarly justification!
 
Michael Luxner
Millikin University 
 
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On Nov 22, 2011, at 6:33 PM, Salley, Keith wrote:

I believe you'll find references to this harmony as a 'Russian
augmented sixth' in Bettsylyn Dunn Goldwire's (DMA)  nearly
impossible-to-find dissertation.  If I'm not mistaken, Rimsky-
Korsakov used it before Scriabin did (but don't tell you-know-who).
Here's the citation:
Goldwire, Bettsylynn Dunn. 1984. Harmonic Evolution in the Piano
Poems of Alexander Scriabin. D.M.A. thesis, The University of Texas
at Austin.



 
 


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