<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>Dear Colleagues,</span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span>again, I would like to add a voice from the past to this discussion. It is interesting that neither German, nor French theorists of the past ever used national chord names for the chords with the augmented sixth. My question is whether they were and still are not on the level, behind, backward,out of the context of contemporary tonal theory, or, au contraire, they have their own understanding of the issue. In addition, I have to say that neither Rimsky-Korsakov, nor Tchaikovsky, nor Scriabine, nor Rachmaninoff, ever applied these terms. The question is Why?</span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span>For all the great composers and musicians of the 19th century, the chords with the augmented sixth had very important meaning. They all
were the modifications of the simpler chords and, together with them, they belonged to the Subdominant function. I do not want to respond to the earlier arrogant remark about "vulgar Riemannism" here because I think that it is inarppropriate to associate anything vulgar with one of the most advanced German theorists of the most advanced period of German culture. </span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span>There is no such thing as French augmented sixth chord. This metaphor is misleading. It is the augmented Supertonic 3/4. There is no German augmented sixth chord either. It is either the doubly augmented Supertonic 4/3 or augmented Subdominant 6/5. By giving these chords special names you are only confusing your students and taking their attention away from structural significance of these chords. And, there is not such thing as Predominant. On the one hand, Tonic, and not only Subdominant, may
precede and prepare the Dominant. On the other, there is such independent and self-standing entity as Subdominant.</span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span>There is no such thing as French augmented sixth chord on lower scale step two. This is a chord from a different function: the Dominant. It can be called the Dominant 4/3 with lowered fifth, or simply, a tritone substitution of the Dominant seventh chord. The chord mentioned in this discussion is not Belgian. It is the half-diminished seventh, a part of the Dominant group, more precisely, a part of the double Dominant. This terminological precision translates into hearing abilities of the students. </span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span>The enthusiasm for innovation is commendable. The lack of enthusiasm for hearing the voice of theoretical tradition is not. In any case, the rationale for giving these strange and impertinent names must be reflected upon before
introducing them in the classroom.</span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span>Best wishes,</span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span>Ildar Khannanov</span></div><div><span>Peabody Conservatory</span></div><div><span><a href="mailto:solfeggio7@yahoo.com">solfeggio7@yahoo.com</a></span></div><div><br></div> <div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <div style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); height: 0px; line-height: 0; font-size: 0px;" class="hr" contentEditable="false" readonly="true"></div> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> "Salley, Keith" <ksalley@su.edu><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Stephen Jablonsky <jablonsky@optimum.net> <br><b><span style="font-weight:
bold;">Cc:</span></b> smt smt-talk <smt-talk@societymusictheory.org> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, November 22, 2011 6:33 PM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [Smt-talk] BELGIAN +6<br> </font> <br>
<div id="yiv1314474436">A quick (possible) correction, some excerpts, and a citation:<br>
<br>
1) According to
Marvin and Clendinning's discussion in the "Musician's Guide' textbook
(Norton), Calcott's treatise does discuss the three national favors of
augmented sixth chords, but does not attribute the geographical
designations to any localized practices. See p. 500 of the first
edition, or p. 551 of ed. 2, and you'll see that the names are hardly
the product of research. To quote the text <br>
<br>
"The chords were named according to Calcott's perception of the
national character of the Italians ('elegance'), French
('feebleness'??!),and Germans ('strength')." <br>
<br>
I must admit that I
haven't read Calcott's treatise. It may be that he does refer to
national styles at some point. So, please forgive me if I'm speaking out
of turn. <br>
<br>
2) Regarding the 'strange' augmented sixth chord that started this
thread: Scriabin uses such a chord in at least a few early works.<br>
<ul><li>It
occurs in his op. 1 (1885). Measures 52-53 produce an odd case, where a
sonority comprised of the tones Ab, C, E, and Gb functions like a
dominant seventh on Ab (though the augmented sixth between Gb and E
resolves properly). <br>
</li><li>See also m. 16 of op. 16 no. 1 (1895). Here, it really functions like an augmented sixth. <br></li><li>See
also mm. 30-32 of his op. 8 no. 10 (1894). There, you'll hear the
sonority 'inverted' with a diminished 3rd above the bass. The local key
is Ab, and the tones are (D, Ab, C, and Fb). </li><li>Finally, see op. 23 (1898), mvt. IV, mm. 32-33. Here, the sonority is also 'inverted' the same way as above.<br></li></ul>
When
the harmony functions as it 'should' (i.e., leading to V), I like to
think of it at the major-mode equivalent of the German (with 'mi'
instead of 'me'). <br>
<br>
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:<br>
<br>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;" class="yiv1314474436MsoNormal">Goldwire,
Bettsylynn Dunn. 1984. Harmonic Evolution in the Piano Poems of Alexander
Scriabin. D.M.A. thesis, The University of Texas at Austin.</div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;" class="yiv1314474436MsoNormal"><br></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;" class="yiv1314474436MsoNormal">Hope this is helpful.</div>
<br><br><div class="yiv1314474436gmail_quote">On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 7:58 PM, Stephen Jablonsky <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jablonsky@optimum.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:jablonsky@optimum.net">jablonsky@optimum.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid;" class="yiv1314474436gmail_quote">
<div style="word-wrap: break-word;">In
the music of such late Romantics as Cesar Franck we occasionally see a
half diminished chord, usually viių/V, that has its third lowered in the
first inversion or even root position. This is just like the German
augmented 6th chord but it is half-diminished, not diminished. I was
wondering if there is a nationality associated with this phenomenon. We
have the Italian, German, and French versions of augmented sixths chords
but I know of no name for this chord. I am, therefore, suggesting for
lack of better appellation that we call this chord the Belgian augmented
6th in honor of Franck. A nice example of such a chord is found in the
first movement of his Symphony in Dm (p. 17 in the Kalmus score).<div><br></div><div><br><div>
<span style="font: 18px/normal Garamond; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate;"><span style="font: 18px/normal Garamond; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate;"><span style="font: 18px/normal Garamond; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate;"><span style="font: 18px/normal Garamond; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate;"><span style="font: 14px/normal Helvetica; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse:
separate;"><span style="font: 14px/normal Helvetica; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate;"><div style="word-wrap: break-word;">
<div>Prof. Stephen Jablonsky, Ph.D.</div><div>Music Department Chair</div><div>The City College of New York</div><div>160 Convent Avenue S-72</div><div>New York NY 10031</div><div><a rel="nofollow">(212) 650-7663</a></div>
</div></span></span><br></span></span></span><br></span>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Keith Salley<br>Coordinator of Music Theory<br>the Shenandoah Conservatory<br>Shenandoah University<br>Winchester, VA<br><br><br><div class="yiv1314474436gmail_quote">On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 7:58 PM, Stephen Jablonsky <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jablonsky@optimum.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:jablonsky@optimum.net">jablonsky@optimum.net</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid;" class="yiv1314474436gmail_quote"><div style="word-wrap: break-word;">In the music of such late Romantics as Cesar Franck we occasionally see a half diminished chord, usually viių/V, that has its third lowered in the first inversion or even root position. This is just like the German augmented 6th chord but it is half-diminished, not diminished. I was wondering if there is a nationality associated with this phenomenon. We have the Italian, German, and French versions of augmented sixths chords but I know of no name for this chord. I am, therefore, suggesting for lack of better appellation that we call this chord the Belgian augmented 6th in honor of Franck. A nice example of such a chord is found in the first movement of his Symphony in Dm (p. 17 in the Kalmus score).<div>
<br></div><div><br><div>
<span style="font: 18px/normal Garamond; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate;"><span style="font: 18px/normal Garamond; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate;"><span style="font: 18px/normal Garamond; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate;"><span style="font: 18px/normal Garamond; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate;"><span style="font: 14px/normal Helvetica; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse:
separate;"><span style="font: 14px/normal Helvetica; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate;"><div style="word-wrap: break-word;">
<div>Prof. Stephen Jablonsky, Ph.D.</div><div>Music Department Chair</div><div>The City College of New York</div><div>160 Convent Avenue S-72</div><div>New York NY 10031</div><div><a rel="nofollow">(212) 650-7663</a></div>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Keith Salley<br>Coordinator of Music Theory<br>the Shenandoah Conservatory<br>Shenandoah University<br>Winchester, VA<br><br>
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