745872

Society for Music Theory
Chromatic Third-Relations and Tonal Structure in the Songs of Debussy Author(s): Avo Somer Source: Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 17, No. 2 (Autumn, 1995), pp. 215-241 Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Society for Music Theory Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/745872 . Accessed: 08/04/2013 12:18
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Third-Relations andTonalStructure Chromatic intheSongsofDebussy

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Hugo Riemann,"Tonalitat," Musik-Lexikon (1882) "chromatic ofa late-nineteenth-century Recentdiscussion distinct from its eva harmonic dialectrelatively tonality," a remarkable developolutionary represents predecessors, of musicalstyle.'Insteadof projecting mentin the analysis a number backintothenineteenth atonalstructures century, Franz the music of Richard of studiesargue that Wagner, is based on an Alexander and Scriabin Liszt, Hugo Wolf, of harmonic or than a rather suppression negation expansion These studies associatedwithclassicaltonality.2 procedures
Chromatic Bases ofNineteenth-Century M. Proctor, "Technical 'Gregory Lewis,"Into (Ph.D. diss.,Princeton 1978);Christopher University, Tonality" MusicTheory inNineteenth-Century theFoothills: NewDirections Analysis," 11 (1989): 15-23. Spectrum see RobertBailey, "An Analytical Studyof the 2Concerning Wagner, in Richard and Transfiguration and Drafts," Prelude Sketches Wagner: from and Isolde," NortonCritical "Tristan Score,ed. RobertBailey(New York: W. W. Norton,1985), 113-46; PatrickMcCreless,"ErnstKurthand the
focuson German-Austrian or Russiancomposers; by coninnovations in turn-of-the-century Frenchmusiccontrast, tinueto be explainedby the analytical of atotechniques Thisseemsnotaltogether at leastas far nality.3 satisfactory, as the musicof Claude Debussyis concerned. Despite pervasiveand often radicalchromaticism thatmaywelldemand a fresh evaluation of itstonalcoherence, Debussy'smusical understood of its allanguagecan be fully onlyin the light to tonalcentricity anditstransformations ofclassical legiance harmonic practices.4 Debussy'ssongsin particular-agenre
of the Chromatic Music of the Late Nineteenth Music Analysis Century," 5 (1983): 56-75. Concerning KielianLiszt,see Marianne Theory Spectrum "The Functional Differentiation of Harmonic and Transpositional Gilbert, Patterns in Liszt'sConsolation No. 4," Nineteenth-Century Music 14 (1990): M. Baker,"The Limits ofTonality in theLate MusicofFranz 48-59; James 34 (1990): 145-73. Concerning Liszt,"Journal Wolf,see of Music Theory DeborahJ. Stein,Hugo Wolf'sLiederand Extensions (Ann Arof Tonality bor: UMI Research see James M. Baker, Press,1985).Concerning Scriabin, TheMusicofAlexander Scriabin Press,1986), (New Haven: Yale University Music Theory 1-81, and "Scriabin's especially Implicit Tonality," Spectrum 2 (1980): 1-18. 3Richard S. Parks, The Music of Claude Debussy (New Haven: Yale and Prisms: Press,1989); EdwardR. Phillips, "Smoke,Mirrors, University Tonal Contradiction in Faurd,"MusicAnalysis 12 (1993): 3-24. 4Arnold Whittall at essentially arrived thesameconclusion inhis"Tonality andtheWhole-Tone Scale intheMusicofDebussy," MusicReview 36 (1975):
216
MusicTheory Spectrum at leasttheoretically, evenin tramaybe admitted, perhaps ditional Schenkerian but composers earlierin the thought6; nineteenth seem to deployit onlyrarely, withthe century notableexception of Wagnerand his circle. Each of thedifferent classesof chromatic third-relations, on the qualityof the triadsinvolved(major or depending of the root movement or minor),the direction (ascending and the intervallic the of root movement descending), quality createsa different coloristic or exthird), (major or minor in effects of a addition to the effect, pressive voice-leading earlier nineteenth-century passage.Echoing usage, particular third-relations in themostfrequently encountered chromatic a triads, major creating particularly Debussy'ssongs comprise evenin passagesofdescending rootmoluminous brilliance, are thestriking, somber colorsof chord tions.Less common successions whereone or bothtriadsare minor.7 ofchromatic An account of thehistorical thirdevolution in the nineteenth lies outsidethe scope of relations century it to say, albeitwitha certain thisstudy.Suffice degreeof thatsuchharmonic seem to relations certainly imprecision, have been in the air in Paris during the finaltwo or three and therein the decades of the nineteenth century-here or instrumental worksof Vincent d'Indyand Cesar Franck, in some of the earliersongsof Faure.8From the verybeinSchenker's "The DiatonicandtheChromatic 6Matthew Brown, Theory 30 (1986): 1-33. of Harmonic Journal Relations," of Music Theory thirdof chromatic to measurethe effect 7Hans Tischlerattempted of on the basis of the number thesesuccessions relations by categorizing betweenthe triadsin his PracticalHarmony formed chromatic half-steps Mediants: and Bacon, 1964),249-52; see also his"Chromatic (Boston:Allyn 2 (1958): 94-97. Journal A FacetofMusicalRomanticism," ofMusicTheory inF minor PianoQuintet 8Forexample, CesarFranck, (1878-79),I, mm. suchchromaticism 34-37 and 90-93. Faur6seemsto havebegunto employ op. 58, and extensively onlyin the 1890s,in his Cinq melodies'de Venise,' thefirst decade of Debussy'ssong La bonnechanson, op. 61-that is, after compositions.
that Debussy cultivatedintenselythough intermittently a fertile for an inquiry hiscareer-provide ground throughout of his harmonic idiom.Theirhighly intothegrowth expresthe crucialrole of forms sive, concentrated vividly portray within and third-relations chromaticism turn-of-the-century tonallogic.
ANALYTICAL MODEL AND CONTEXT
classical toIn comparison with earlier nineteenth-century a significant exnality, Debussy'smusicallanguagecontains In addition to and syntax. vocabulary pansionof harmonic harmonic the threetraditional dominant, functions-tonic, abound:succesthird-relations and subdominant-chromatic third whoserootslie a majoror minor sionsof triads apart, halfstep. Chromatic at leastone chromatic and thatcontain with chromatic third-relations appearnotonlyin association but also and submediant chords mediant encompassmajor forms or minortriads(or theirextended-tertian including seventhand ninthchords)built on any scale step, either and exotic, modesor scales,bothtraditional within diatonic and octatonicscales.5 Such a chord whole-tone or within the total chromatic pitchreservoir, vocabulary, exploiting
Music (New York: W. 261-71. See also RobertMorgan,Twentieth-Century W. Norton,1991),45-46 and 48. includes in 1913,Ren6 Lenormande in French first 5Ina study published third-relations otherthanchroof chromatic a number of musical examples of harconsiderations or submediants-and matic mediants quiteapartfrom of Faur6,Debussy,and Ravel. theworks or tonality-from monicfunction ninth" that"proceedeasilyby of the major and minor He admits"chords by "the up or down," a typeof motionfacilitated major or minorthird presenceof notescommonto the two chords."He also admitsthe "false third-related it withchromatic relation of the octave,"illustrating chords, write thebestauthors is moredelicate; "which it,butso skilfully nevertheless, A Study ithappyeffects" as to drawfrom of Twentieth(Ren6 Lenormande, Williams Antcliffe translated [London:Joseph byHerbert Harmony, Century Ltd., 1915],28-30, 41, 71-74).
Third-Relations and TonalStructure in theSongs of Debussy 217 Chromatic of his career,Debussyseemsto have feltquitefree ginning His earliest touse suchchromaticism. from around1880 songs ("Nuit d'etoiles,""Fleurdes bles," "Beau soir"), as well as theAriettes oublieescomposedin 1885-87and the Cinqpothirdemes de Baudelaire of 1887-89, displaychromatic and tonal immediate both relations involving larger regions harmonic adjacencieson the musicalsurface. modelsfor One ofthemostsignificant Debussy'sharmonic well have been the music of Richard may explorations with The "Liebestod," manyotherpassages along Wagner. und Isolde (composedin 1859,first fromTristan performed and in 1865), must have stirredDebussy's imagination new harmonic currents. Parsifal strong (composed prompted havecometo hisattention too lateto influence in 1882)must it contains intheearliest extraordinary songs;nevertheless, in the Prestancesof chromatic third-relations, beginning ludeto ActI (e.g., mm.20-30).9A feverish Wagnerism swept acrosstheliterary-poetic landscapeof Parisin the 1880s,inthe circleof writers and artists gatheredaround fluencing to the Debussy.10 According StephaneMallarme,including as earlyas hisPrixde Rome years(1885himself, composer to thepitchof forgetting thesim87), he "was a Wagnerian must haveshaped Suchenthusiasm plestrulesofcourtesy."" his even though Debussy'smusicaland literary imagination, viewofWagner otherwise havebeenconsiderably commight of repellence. plicatedby feelings
thispassageelegantly 9David Lewindiscusses in "Some Notes on AnaTheRingand Parsifal," Music16 (1992): lyzing Nineteenth-Century Wagner: 56-57. '?EdwardLockspeiser, Debussy,3rded. (New York: Collier,1951),46A Critical Movement: 61; Anna Balakian, The Symbolist Appraisal(New York: New York University Press,1977). 11Claude Debussy,"A Talk about the Prixde Rome and Saint-Saens," in Monsieur theDilettante Croche translated Hater, byB. N. LangdonDavies in ThreeClassicsin theAesthetics (1928), reprinted of Music (New York: Dover, 1962), 15.
Chromatic third-relations in Debussy'smusicallanguage often elaboratetraditional harmonic functions. Theyare alto a tonic,even ifonlyto "a kindof prewayssubordinate sentational established assertion tonality" through rhythmic or durational ifnot outright "brute-force (metric emphasis, textural or registral or reiteration"), through prominence, structure or ends of through phrase (at beginnings phrases).12 Debussy's songsalmostalwaysconveya palpable sense of tonal focus,howeverambiguous or tentative on occasion, freeto "yield"or to "fluctuate" use Arnold (to Schoenberg's intoremoteharmonic The structerms)-to drift regions.13 turalrole of thedominant is often undermined; significantly itsresolution to exercise itstonalitymaybe too distant fully A chromatic mediant or submediant conbuilding potential. the leadingtone (bvi or III) maysubstitute forthe taining or thedominant dominant; maybe supplanted by itsmodal to the tonicwithout the impetus of (minor)form, resolving the leadingtone. Occasionally the subdominant and its associatedharmonies alone serve as the principal harmonic vehiclesin motionstowardsthe tonal center-without the whatever.Or it may be contrasupportof any dominant puntal-structural neighborchords that delineate, at least the principal tonal goals.14 temporarily, Whether chromatic mediants or third-related progressions alone can establish a tonalcenter, without theaid of even a
"The Functional 12CharlesJ.Smith, ofChromatic Chords," Extravagance Music Theory 8 (1986): 129. See also Daniel Harrison's discussion Spectrum of"rhetorical oftonic"and "presentational in Harmonic techniques tonality" in Chromatic Function Music(Chicago:University of ChicagoPress,1994), 75-90. 13"Ifthekeyis to fluctuate, itwillhaveto be established somewhere. But not too firmly; it shouldbe loose enoughto yield" (ArnoldSchoenberg, translated of Theory of Harmony, by Roy E. Carter[Berkeley: University California Press,1978],384). see Felix Salzer,Structural chords, '4Concerning contrapuntal-structural Hearing(New York: Dover, 1962), 161-63.
218
MusicTheory Spectrum a coherent tonalstructure. In effect, Riemann claims thatthe elaboration ofa tonalfocus chromatic third-relations through is a viablepremise within "the compositional logic" of "the new theory of harmony" of his day. It is important to distinguish betweenchromatic thirdrelations formed more or less established by clearly keyareas in themiddleground or background thatgov(tonalregions ern sectionsor phrasesor stanzaswithin and song forms), thoseformed harmonies on the actual musical by adjacent surface orwithin theboundaries ofa single phrase.Chromatic third-relations tonal seem to create involving larger regions harmonic effects thatare somewhat ifthe milder, especially newtonalregion arrives a modthrough gradual, persuasive if not altotraditional ulation,or is defined by reasonably chromatic getherdiatonicmaterials.It is such large-scale in Schubert third-relations and Chopinthathave been the recent research, subjectof considerable leadingto proposed alternatives to Schenkerian Even in someof monotonality.17 the moreinnovative of songsof Hugo Wolf,in the context an apparent directional or progressive and despite tonality, extensions ofSchenkerian modoccasionally quitesignificant els of tonal structure, the different chromatic-third-related are forthemostpartdefined withconsiderable clarregions harmonic or underlying ity,oftenwithfamiliar procedures diatonicscale formations.18
musthere remainunanswered. In presentational tonality, the does not arise -a sense of tonal Debussy'ssongs question center or focusalways The absenceor weakening of persists. the dominant does not mean thattonality is rendered inoperative.Nor shouldchromatic third-relations be necessarily described as non-functional. Their coloristic and structural rolein Debussy'ssongsis indispensable. Theirelaboration or of the tonic is essential. Their is prolongation presence nearly in thelatersongs.Indeed,it might be ubiquitous, especially to as view them of harmonic functions in conveyers tempting at leastsome sense. However,thetraditional dominant and subdominant functions are clearly in meaning quitedifferent from chromaticthird-relations-a difference well worth preserving.15 of tonalityin his MusikHugo Riemann's definition in thisregard:"ToLexikon(1882) seemshighly suggestive is thespecialmeaning that chords their nality possessthrough to a primary thetonic."'6Riemann's tanchord, relationship briefmusicalexample,givenas the mottoat the talizingly in its head ofthisarticle, is particularly significant-although own context it seemsincomplete, even bizarre, foromitting the dominant.It provides an important late-nineteenthadmission thata tonicprecededor surrounded century only chords mediant or submediant maystillcreate by chromatic
in a definition 15Harrisondiscusses thethorny issuesinvolved ofharmonic in Harmonic in Chromatic function Function Music,36-60; also see David ofGeneralized TonalFunctions," Journal ofMusic Lewin,"A Formal Theory 26 (1982): 23-60. Theory istdie eigentiimliche welchedie Akkorde erhal16"Tonalitat Bedeutung, aufeinenHauptklang, tendurch ihreBezogenheit die Tonika" (Hugo RieInstitut, mann,Musik-Lexikon [Leipzig:Bibliographisches 1882],923-24). a characterization oftheillustrated Latereditions include succession ofchround wohlklingende maticmediant motions as a "zwarkiihne, aber kraftige to "die neuereHarmonielehre, welchenichts Folge," as wellas a reference derAkkorde fir die Logikdes anderesistals die Lehrevon derBedeutung Tonsatzes(vgl. Funktionen)." 11thed., ed. AlfredEinstein(Berlin: Max Hesse, 1929), vol. 2, 1854-55.
to Monotonality in Early Nineteenth17HaraldKrebs, "Alternatives 25 (1981): 1-16. Music,"Journal Century of Music Theory 18Deborah that"[f]or Steinconcludes themostpart,Wolf'suse of third as conservative," relations "within maybe characterized frequently remaining a governing tonic-dominant axis."Evenwhen Wolf "created harmonic motion with a barely established harmonic or"explored harmonic focus," ambiguity," or "created a complicated tonallanguage that theneedfor a double suggested tonalformal ... Wolf'smoreinnovative third relations never reached design the advancedlevel of manyotherlate-nineteenth-century pieces" (Stein, Hugo Wolf'sLieder,116).
Chromatic Third-Relations and TonalStructure intheSongs of Debussy 219 third-relations derive their fullest Althoughchromatic from their in role tonal forestructures, meaning only larger third-relations create the most remarkable coloristic ground effects in Debussy'ssongs.In earliermusicsuchchordsuccessionsare decidedly morerare,and one is inclined to view themas anomalouswithin thelanguageof classicaltonality, bestunderstood as clearly subordinate to adjacentstructural harmonies. For example,in certain to secondary approaches dominants (e.g.,I->V-of-ii) or secondary subdominants to focuson the res(e.g.,V->IV-of-IV),it seemspreferable olution of thesecondary between chord,noton therelation the secondary chord and the preceding When harmony.19 textbooks view chromatic present-day elementary harmony somewhat derisivelyperhaps, as "keythird-relations, or "vague" or "foreign," acdisturbing" theycircuitously knowledgethe innovativeexpansion of late-nineteenthintotonalregionsand colorstraditionally century harmony remotein classicalfunctional harmony.20 Thisarticle at first the surveys Debussy'ssongs,exploring of chromatic in threeharthird-relations conceptual origins monic familiar inthemusic oftheearlier nineteenth processes century: "double mixture,"21 a) mode mixture (mutation), including mediants andsubmediants, extended to applied b) chromatic or secondary mediants or secondary and submediants, to secondary dominants from thirdc) chromatic approaches relatedtriads. I arguethatit is best to understand all such Ultimately chordsuccessions, at least in Debussy'smorecomplexpassages, to be based on a broad conceptof chromatic arpegmogiationthatembracescyclicalor sequentialintervallic tionsor "transpositional Later of operations."22 parts this article and coloristic roleof chromatic analyzethestructural third-relations in some of the latersongsof Debussy.
CONCEPTUAL ORIGINS OF CHROMATIC THIRD-RELATIONS
19For Brahms's QuartetNo. 1, op. 51 no. example,in Johannes String Trio (un poco pii animato)features a step-wise de1, the third-movement seriesof root-position on A, G, and F, thelasttwoof scending majortriads which are preceded subdominant. Thiscreates, in mm. bya minor secondary 98 and 102,coincidental chromatic third-relations: and A-major-to-C-minor 6-minor. G-major-to-B references to chromatic third-relations abound in 20Mildly derogatory standard as inPaul O. HarderandGregA. Steinke, Harmonic texts, harmony Materials in TonalMusic,vol. 2, 6thed. (Boston: Allynand Bacon, 1990), are analyses thatdenyany 243, 247,250,255-56. More seriously misleading tonalsignificance to chromatic third-relations or claimthatthey are "essenin thattheydo notdependupon theharmonic axis for non-harmonic, tially orthat "do notcontain harmonic coherence," they connections," recognizable as in thediscussion ofexcerpts from Tristan undIsoldeand Parsifal Wagner's in AllenForte,TonalHarmony in Concept and Practice, 3rded. (New York: and Winston, Holt, Rinehart 1979), 516-17.
Mode mixture. The mostfamiliar rise to processgiving chromatic third-relations in theearliernineteenth is century mode mixture. In its mostcommonform, the mediantor submediant chordfrom the parallelminoris borrowed for use in themajorkey.In Debussy's"Harmonie du temporary soir" (1889) in Example 1, the B-majorfinalauthentic cadence in thepiano epiloguein mm.72-73 is precededby a colorful ofsuchborrowed, chromatic third-related hararray monies.(In Example 1 and elsewhere, a horizontal bracket indicates a chromatic a chromatic subFirst, third-relation.) mediant seventh-chord in mm. 65-66) (the G major-minor servesas a common-tone chordresolving augmented-sixth to the the conclusion of thepoemand tonic, directly signaling
21Edward Aldwelland Carl Schachter, and VoiceLeading,2nd Harmony ed. (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989), 503-9. "Technical 22Proctor, "Functional DifBases," 159-70; Kielian-Gilbert, 49. ferentiation,"
220
MusicTheory Spectrum
Example 1. "Harmonie du soir" (1889), mm. 63-73

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bVI [or Gr+6]
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IV
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Chromatic Third-Relations and TonalStructure inthe Songs of Debussy 221 thevoicepartin mm.66-67. A brief pianoepilogueincludes a chromatic mediant in m. (D major 68) as wellas a chromatic submediant in m. the latterentering intoa (Gp major 70), chromatic third-relation with thepre-cadential subdominant, in m. 72. (Observe also the the E-major seventh-chord common-tone of thechromatic submeapproachto thefirst diantsfroman otherwise unresolveddiminished seventhchordin mm. 63-65, a motionsymptomatic of Debussy's decidedpreference forsmooth This of voice-leading.) setting the poem's finalcouplet thereby dominant postponesany untilthe piano's finalcadence. harmony Double mixture is a processof harmonic mutation quite rarein theearlier nineteenth and consequently more century novelin Debussy.Usuallyit occursin majorkeys,implying notone but twoseparatestepsof mode mixture: borrowing themajormediant or submediant from theparallel minor key and changing themodeoftheborrowed chord.In Debussy's "Beau soir" (1882-83), a song centeredin E major, the G-minor triadin mm.4 and 8 might be explained as follows: themajortonicgiveswayto E minor, therelative rendering G majormorereadily G majoritself accessible;whereupon the bold chromatic gives way to its minorform-yielding mediant triad insists on becoming an (I-b iii-I). The G-minor in element the of the central itself integral vocabulary tonality whenit marks the arrival of an important caesurain m. 8.23 Mixture chords borrowed from theparallelmainvolving a into minor rare, signifijor key, traditionally extremely broadenDebussy'sharmonic cantly palette.24 Example2 anofthefinal tercet ofthesonnet "Le alyzestheF-minor setting
23A somewhat different analysisof thispassage, emphasizing multiple tonalmeanings, J.Smith, "TheFunctional appearsinCharles Extravagance," 130-32. 24Afamiliar to Act I ofWagner's example appearsinthePrelude Parsifal, mm. 29-30, wherean E-minor triad-iii of C major-is borrowed into C An analysis minor. ofthis inLewin,"On Analyzing passageappears Wagner," 56-57.
son du cor" from the Troismelodies de Verlaine A (1891).25 chromatic theD major-minor ninthsubmediant, prominent chord in mm.34-35, immediately subdomprecedesa minor theBb-minor triad(decorated withan added sixth) in inant, mm.36-37, en routeto an ambiguous final authentic-plagal cadence.26 The chromatic submediant thesecond supporting line of thefinal tercet in mm.34-35 follows itsown wholetone dominant of the magnificently expandedintoa setting line of the tercet in mm. 32-33. The notated Db in opening thewhole-tone functions as the tone to D. sonority leading The motionfromthe chromatic submediant minor(D major) to thesubdominant (Bb minor)givesthepassageits quintessentially Debussyancoloration.Moreover,it arises withinan unusually obscure harmonic contextwhere the tonalfocusis altogether not onlyduring the exambiguous dissonant non-tonic but tended,structurally opening indeed thesong.The F-minor tonicappearsonlyat the throughout veryend; however,the dominantC-major triad appears and clarifies prominently enoughat severalimportant points the cadentialdirections of the largertonalstructure: at the end of thetwoquatrains (mm. 13 and 21) as well as theend of the first tercet of the sonnet(m. 29). mediants(and submediants). DeSecondarychromatic of chromatic third-relations bussy's vocabulary encompasses not only chromatic mediantsand submediants but also chromatic mediants and submediants-major or secondary minortriadswhose rootslie a thirdaway from one of the
25InExample2 and mostsubsequent sketches are examples, analytical intended to showvoice leading,usingrelatively standard though simplified Schenkerian notation. A separate staff an inventory oftriads provides forming chromatic third-relations or arpeggiations; some examplesprovidethisinformation inbasssummaries roots.It goeswithout showing onlychord saying that theanalytical for full should be readinconjunction with sketches, effect, a scoreof the songs. "functional mixture" 26Concerning (e.g., the authentic-plagal cadence), see Harrison, Harmonic Function in Chromatic Music,60-72.
222
Example2. "Le son du cor" (1891),mm.32-39: analysis

32 33 34 36 38 39
in "L'ombre des arbres" from the Ariettesoubliees (1885),
within a tonality. A simple diatonic(majoror minor)triads of .. ." at the "De fleurs be found beginning examplemay The of the from his Proseslyriques beginning piano (1893). in mm. 1-2 clearlyannouncesthe tonic and introduction harmonies of C major; but an interpolated Bbdominant thetonicto thedominant needsto minor triadthatconnects chord(indicated be explainednot onlyas a linearneighbor by the B -B motionin the top voice and the C-B stepin the bass) but also as a secondary chromatic connection This is coupledwithdouble mixof the dominant. mediant ture:Bb minor-Gmajor. An instance of considerably greater appears complexity
analyzed in Example 3. The most novel-perhaps even
motioninvolvesthe tritone-related bewildering-harmonic G-majorsonority (m. 2) at theveryopeningof a songthat tonalcenter.This C#as its principal presumably expresses center is established at at thevery least end. clearly enough, But the opening four-measure vocal phrase(mm. 3-6) presentsa C#-Mixolydian coloration complicated by the incluin an otherwise sion of a chromatic-mediant seventh-chord familiar tonic(C#major)-> mediant (E major) arpeggiation: -> (modal) dominant De(G# minor).(Characteristically, evento thetonicchord,and a seventh bussyadds a seventh and a ninth to themediant.) The puzzling G-majorseventhchord (especiallyin m. 4) standsin a somewhatremote to the G#-minor modal dominant leading-tone relationship that forms the cadential of the sonority goal phrase(reached
Chromatic Third-Relations and TonalStructure intheSongs of Debussy 223 des arbres" (1885),mm.1-6: analysis Example3. "L'ombre
m.1 2
3 ) f(4t . .1
I
)
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0
t7 Oft ito $tit '
I.9:
jI
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_tl
li !
r
I
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- I [C
lI
l s1l III
(gt: #VII
in m. 6). But it also forms a secondary chromatic-mediant with the E-major ninth-chord relationship (mm. 4-5)-the twosmoothly connected E#/F-B.(The bythesharedtritone statement ofthefirst twomeasures ofthefirst separate phrase as a briefpiano introduction matters considercomplicates into special prominence the ambiguous ably by bringing tritone-relation betweenthe Ct-majorand G-majorsonorities.)27 Rather morecommon arechromatic third-relations linking thesubtonic triad( VII) withthetraditional dominant.28 A illustration in "Mandoline" simple appears Debussy's (composed in 1882 on a Paul Verlainetextalso used by Gabriel Faure nine yearslater), a song presumably centeredin C
27Aconsiderably different of thispassage,combining set theory analysis with tonalfunctions, appearsin AllenForte,"Debussyand theOctatonic," MusicAnalysis10 (1991): 138-39. 2MatthewBrownarrives at a similar conclusion in "Tonality and Form inDebussy'sPrdlude a "L'apres-midi d'unfaune,"MusicTheory 15 Spectrum (1993): 134.
theseinstances of secondary chromatic meSignificantly, diantor submediant relations occur within clearly phrases, betweenmembers of the chordvocabulary of the same tonot as coincidental chromatic third-relations formed nality, betweenrelatively areas. In separatekey Debussy's"C'est l'extase"(1887), forinstance, theimportant dominant heard at the beginning of thefinalstanza(mm. 37 and 39) is also But thelatter has been the preceded bya subtonic harmony. area of tonicization subjectof a brief (mm.28-35).30In this third-relation does not constitute a colcase, the chromatic oristic movewithin a single butis formed acrossthe tonality betweentworelatively distinct tonalregions, two boundary distinct and separatephrases. dominants. Approaching secondary Although secondary dominant harmonies are relatively in thesongsof infrequent strikDebussy,theyare nevertheless capable of introducing third-relations. In thefinal stanzaof "Clairde ingchromatic lune" from SeriesI of Fetesgalantes in Gt (1891), centered a dominant of thedominant minor, (spelledas a Bb triadin
29Asomewhat different viewofthis inEdwardM. Friedman, songappears "Texture and Ornament in theMusicof Claude Debussy"(Ph.D. diss.,Uniof Connecticut, versity 1987), 43-49. 30Wallace arrives at essentially thesameconclusion inhisperceptive Berry in MusicalStructure and Performance analysis (New Haven: Yale University Press,1989), 144-216.
43-46).29
withan open-ended G dominant. At majorbut concluding the end of thefourth and final of the quatrain-in a setting "la-la-la"(added to theVerlainetextpresumquasi-Spanish and not used by Faure)-a Bbably by Debussy himself, twostatemajortriadappearsprominently (m. 48) between ments ofthestructural triad(mm.46 and G-majordominant to thecolorful E major-minor 50). This is in close proximity seventh chord at thebeginning ofthephrase(mm.43 and44), itself third-relations involvpartof a complexof chromatic ingmajortriadson C and E as well as on Bb and G (mm.
224
MusicTheory Spectrum B major functions as the principal tonalcenterhere,even it is colored with though prominently an added sixth-the the beginning of the GO thatsignals thematically important mm. heard 32-33) song" (piano treble, "nightingale promeven at the final cadence ("le rossignol inently throughout, mm. 40-43). chantera," ThattheA#seventh-chord be interpreted as a secmight D about to mediant resolve to the # dominant, minor, ondary toniseemsplausibleon thebasis of a previously prominent cization of Dt at theend ofthefirst stanza(mm.8-10). But at the culmination moreimportantly, the At chordarrives linear motionsand withchromatic of a passage bristling climaxamply foretold third-relations (mm. 26-30), a fitting of thesong.A harmonies of themidsection bytheturbulent chromatic third-relation betweenthe borrowed large-scale chord(m. (m. 28) and theA#leading-tone D-majormediant a connecting subdominant of (downbeat 31) unfolds through is further decoratedwith m. 30); each of these harmonies third-related seventh-chords chromatic (D-B, Eb/D#-B, a step-wise Eb-C, C-E, E-C#, CO-A#)elaborating rising towards thedominant, linetraced roots, leading bythechord of theopening thematic D-E -E-(EK)-F#, and thereprise material. arise ofwhether Chromatic they arpeggiation. Regardless chromatic mediants modemixture, or from simple secondary or approachesto secondarydominants, or submediants, to in Debussyare best understood chromatic third-relations a of chromatic arisesimply arpeggiation-a through process chromaticism or elaborative prolongational straight-forward a majororminor sonorities creates a succession oftertian that traditional third apart. Such a processclearlyderivesfrom harinterval important filling spans outlining arpeggiations a tonicto a monicmotions-for example,the motionfrom ina sequenceofdescending realized supertonic pre-dominant a tonicto itsdominant thirds (I-iii-V) (I-vi-IV-ii); or from or its reverse(V-b III-i).
m. 26) is approachedfromthe subtonicF, major-minor a colorful chromatic thirdseventh-chord (m. 25), creating the of This relation signals beginning (Fttmajor-Bbmajor). from itsclimactic ofthevocalmelody a magicaldescent high distantmodal dominant F#,harmonized by the strangely below (the Dt set triadin m. 27), to thetenth (a D -minor inGt Dorian,mm.30-32). The subtonic tonic abovethefinal from itsfunction remains somewhat F#harmony mysterious; as is not a traditional clear, altogether except an perspective does not dominant unresolved (it proceed to a secondary be as chord mediant might expected).But it serves B-major and to the forceof the tonalfocussignificantly to dissipate thirdthe chromatic establish,as if quite purposefully, to create ofthedominant, thedominant with relation helping the vividcolorsof thispassage.31 domas an unresolved a harmony secondary Interpreting useful inantmaybe a temporarily intermediary stepin analavoidedresbut actually to an expected ysis.But appealing olutionof such a chord may seem a route too circuitous formostsensibleanalytical purposes,at least in the music it maybe bestto abandonthatexof Debussy.Ultimately, planationin favorof a generalizedprocess of chromatic the unre(as discussedbelow). Nevertheless, arpeggiation indicatesa certain solved secondary-dominant explanation residueof goal-directed harmonic-functional clinging feeling also In Debussy's"En sourdine," in question. to thesonority the from SeriesI oftheFetes approach (Example4), galantes ofthe at thebeginning material oftheopening to thereprise finalstanza (mm. 32-33) includesa climactic major-minor builton the(presumed) seventh-chord leadingtone,A, (m. third-related C#seventh-chord bya chromatic 31), preceded to a second-inversion a move (end ofm. 30) and followed by a dissonant seventh(end of m. 32) through dominant apthat can assume m. One of chord 32). (downbeat poggiatura
31-42. and Ornament," "Texture 31Seealso Friedman,
Chromatic Third-Relations and Tonal Structure intheSongs of Debussy 225 Example4. "En sourdine" (1891),mm.28-34: analysis
a)
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
in Debussy,usuallyannounced Chromatic arpeggiations in thelowest voice,are almost clearly byrootmotions always smooth voiceleading-holding realizedthrough traditionally of commontones,and a preference forstep motionin the even in the in case voices ofchord bass, (or inversions). upper Such voice leadingassumesa specialimportance in connecfor it tionwithchromatic creates linear arpeggiation, strong in passagesthatotherwise connections could have sounded more angular.The processof chromatic strikingly arpeggiationthus often functions as an underlying andto someextent hidden clothed incontrapuntal on principle, step-connections the musicalsurface. in Debussy inAlthoughsome chromatic arpeggiations volvemodemixture others achievetheir (or doublemixture), effect chromatic alterations of anyof by introducing simply
the tonescommon to successive triad& without reference to theparallelmode. An instance ofthefirst possibility maybe found in theopening stanzaof"La merestplusbelle,"which concludes with an ascending chromatic variant ofthediatonic pattern givenabove: IV-bVI-I in B major. Here a simple modemixture inserts thechromatic a G majorsubmediant, minorseventh-chord-in a familiar effect, augmented-sixth builton b6 but lackingits traditional, directresosonority lutionto S-into a straight-forward E-G-B arpeggiation, a broad motion to the end ofthe (mm.7-11), creating plagal stanza.(ThatE majoremerges as theultimate in tonic, a case of directional-progressive does not diminish theeftonality, fectof thechromatic A colorful examarpeggiation.) highly in "Dans le jardin" ple ofthesecondpossibility maybe found inE major,where a striking dominant (1891),a songcentered
226
MusicTheory Spectrum interval thepassagefrom "Dans le jarcycle.In thisregard, din" citedabove is highly exceptional. Moretypical ofDebussyare passagesinhis"Le jet d'eau" interval inchromatic result (1889),where cycles arpeggiations onlypartof theoctave.In thesecondstanza, encompassing in a songwithan unmistakable heard C-majorfocus(clearly in mm.9-10), an initial motion to thechromatic Eb mediant achieved mode is followed mixture, (m. 12), through simple traditional functional move,quitein accordwith bya further to the chromatic submediant here Ab, harmony, curiously as a Gt sonority to the "misspelled" (m. 15). The return dominant involves additional chromatic third-relations-and a shift from flats to sharps(B-majorand D-majorchords)thatpartly The chromaticism and variexplainthe spelling. able harmonic of the is constrained rhythm passage curiously a regular, within that symmetrical phrasestructure comprises twofour-measure The moves from first bIII segments. simply to b,VI(Eb-A,/G#in mm. 12-15), butthe secondinvolves theprominent chord(B major)followed leading-tone bysevV (mm. 16-18). The B seventh-chord the (m. 16) connects flatsubmediant to the dominant-of-the-dominant Ab/Gtt by wayof an ascending (Gt-B-D in mm.15-16). arpeggiation But the latter does not resolvedirectly to the dominant (D -> G), as ifpurposefully to makeroomforfurther chromatic third-relations or to frustrate traditional harmonic expectations.The secondphrasesegment returns to theleading-tone at the seventh-chord at thedominant (m. 17) before arriving end of the stanza(mm. 18-19). Root movements by major in keepingwith the diatonic and minorthirdsalternate, scale. C-major At theend of thefifth stanzaof thesame song(analyzed in Example5a), a descending forthe arpeggiation prepares return of thecentral tonic(C major) heardat thebeginning of textand musicclearlyinof the refrain (in a repetition troduced byDebussyand notintended byBaudelaire).Here
eral chromaticthird-related motion,
VTT
a descending of majorcomprises arpeggiation prolongation a minor third minor seventh-chords apart:V (B7) - III (GK7) --> I/bII (E#/F7)-> 6VII (D7) -> V (B7; mm. 42-46, etc.), achievedwithout mode mixture (thatis, excepting perhaps the II and bVII chords). chromatic have been well docLarge-scale arpeggiations in themusicofthenineteenth umented century, particularly havebeen in recent studies ofthemusicofLiszt,wherethey relations" or not onlyas "successive third described equal into thirds" also division of the octave but equal "symmetrical fromthe application of as "interval cycles"arising simply The of varof "transposition operations."32 presence cycles in twentieth-century music-in Bartok, for ious intervals familiar.33 In also Debussythesetranspositional example-is as cyclesof to be need acknowledged specifically patterns kind rebellion the a of thirds, against structural representing harand fourths characteristic of classicalfunctional fifths mony. It is also crucialto observe,at least in the songsof Decyclesonlyrarelycan be describedas bussy,thatinterval divisions of the octave."The chromatic arpeggiations "equal octavespan, and such covertheentire rarely cycles creating Thisseemthirds. bothmajorandminor contain they usually an important intothemusical minor insight ingly pointyields action in Debussy of the composer:harmonic personality in is rarely mechanically doggedlypersisting repetitive, a single,homogeneous octavewithin the entire partitioning
in Symmetrical 32Richard Bass, "Liszt's Un sospiro: An Experiment 32 (1992): 16-37; Journal Liszt Society Octave-Partitions," of theAmerican and Successive "TonicArpeggiation HowardCinnamon, Equal ThirdRelain the Music of FranzLiszt,"Music of Tonal Evolution tionsas Elements of "chains ofthirds" 8 (1986): 1-24. See also thediscussion Theory Spectrum in Stein,Hugo Wolf'sLieder,91-109. and "circular progressions" of TheMusicof Bela Bart6k(Berkeley: 33Elliott Antokoletz, University California Press,1984), 67-69, 271-311.
-> V/V -> VII ->
Chromatic Third-Relations and TonalStructure intheSongs of Debussy 227 Example5. "Le jet d'eau" (1889): analyses a) mm.44-52
45 46 48 50 52
b) mm.91-94
91 93 94
l (wtV) V
I
(II
I
II
I
I
I I
[ bvl ~-~
bVI
III
(wtV+)
? [Db:
bII]
l-l
thearpeggiation from a chromatic theAb submediant, begins inmm.48-49, and encompasses seventh-chord thechromatic mediant and a linking whole-tone dominant E-majorsonority in mm. 50-51 beforethe reappearanceof the tonicitself. is colors,each of thechords (Typicalof Debussy'sharmonic decorated with an addedseventh or ninth, the tonic including itself.) An additional instance of chromatic found arpeggiation, in thefinal, authentic cadence at the end of "Le amplified jet of note (mm.91-94, analyzedin Example d'eau," is worthy the end of a refrain 5b). The musicand texthererepresent thathas been heardtwiceearlier, wherethepenultimate cadentialsonority was given as a whole-tone dominant (the "odd" whole-tone collection inmm.32 and61). [1,3,5,7,9,11] At thefinal thisis replacedby a complex cadence,however,
chromatic successionof chordsencompassing the flatsubmediant and mediant triadson Ab/G# and Eb, harmonies, as well as a remarkable chromatic mediant of the secondary removed from thecentric C mediant, Gb, itsroota tritone to the tonicthrough chromatic (mm. 93-94) but reconciled arpeggiation.
INTEGRATION OF STRUCTURAL LEVELS
The highplateauof the development of chromaticism in arrives after the of the first Debussy'ssongs only completion draft of Pelleas et Melisande(1893-95), surelyas a conseof compositional resources quence of the radicalrethinking that must havebeenprecipitated ofa work bytheconception
228
MusicTheory Spectrum (1897),mm.1-4: analysis Example6. "La chevelure"

1 2 3
tonaldesignnow of suchmagnitude. Featuresof the larger or nested reflect the colorful musicalsurface:overlapping on different structural levels third-relations chromatic appear with foreground background-in simultaneously, integrating Series the Chansonsde Bilitis(1897-98), theFetesgalantes, the Trois de II (1904), and thefinal poemes Malsongcycle, harmonic larme (1913). Traditional especially procedures, to theperipheries or appearas withdraw dominant functions, forexample), self-conscious quotations(in "Placet futile," a chromatic room for remarkably languageof pliant making in thecontext and chromatic third-relations tertian sonorities even tentative tonalfocus. of an occasionally ambiguous, the secondof the Bilitis In "La chevelure," songs(1897; chain of chromatic a 6), thematically significant Example third-relations (Bb-Gb, G-Eb, etc. in mm.1-2) is setabove bass descending chromatic a unifying, by step in a passage materialsof that provides the essential coloristic-linear the piano introduction (mm. 1-2) and is laterprominently (in mm.20-21, also in mm.25-27). The song recapitulated of in Gb, but impliesa variability turns out to be centered ofthecentric The minor form thevery modefrom beginning. moveto bVI Gb triad (mm.1, 20, and26) and theprominent theparallelmifrom (thatis, the Ebb/Din m. 12 borrowed withGb major(mm.3-6, 24) and thePicardy nor) contrast of thepiano third at the end. But the introductory gestures turn an immediate means of also obscurethetonalcenter by thelatter anditsdominant, towards thesubmediant Eb minor inthereprise realized at first (m. 2) butfully weakly suggested first-inversion final stanza the Bb major-minor (the during seventh chordin mm. 22-23). at the of the Gb-minor The tonal significance harmony is thus veiled. the is of Gb clearly altogether song beginning is dominant but its own not supported by preceded a by mediant third-related chromatic chord)and a (theBb-major wholethe openingincomplete harmonic dissonant prefix, tone sonority El/F/Cl on the downbeatof m. 1. Simulta-
Lbi ?Ibbbbbb
13T Ib)
L Jr I *b I
-F
19
i6
I-
vi6
II -
Vi7
1-
mr IJI
MN,W I I
w_ I
V0
I
I-
in withthe commencement of the dreamnarrative neously theambiguous thetext (m. 3), as iftomakea cleanbreakwith and to beginanew from the truetonalcenter, introduction withits Gb reappears-butimmediately again is enmeshed in in mm. a chromatic submediant (Gb-EI 3-5) continuing third-relations. of chromatic interplay frame serves as a thematic The openingchromaticism the climactic central, arpeggiation (Example7) surrounding from thechromatic submediant launched D-majorharmony, wholethe latter by an extended, quasi-dominant prefaced collection tonesonority (the"even"whole-tone [0,2,4,6,8,10] in mm.9-11), hereresolvedto the D-majorchordthrough the risesfrom The arpeggiation common-tone plagalmotion. submediant (m. 12) in two successivestagesof chromatic D mathird-relations (shownin levela of Example7). First,
Chromatic Third-Relations and TonalStructure intheSongs of Debussy 229 tonaldesign (bass summary) Example7. "La chevelure":
1 a) 3 8 12 15 17 18 19 20 25 27
L]J
chromatic:~ chromatic frameframe
,1"
~~~~ Ist stage

fbr
I
I
2nd stage
I,
chromatic frame
Ib)
II
A1 B
I
bVI
L___------
J
A2
a descending cycleof fifths, jor proceedsto F majorthrough is linked D-G-C-F in mm.12-15; thenan A-minor sonority climax inmm.17-18. tothechromatic third-related Ct -minor tonal designof "La chevelure"thusinThe large-scale submediant volvesa relatively simplemoveto thechromatic theprincipal tonalcontrast in (D/EbI) thatrepresents region thesong,followed to thetonic.Significantly new bya return here is the reflection of chromatic third-relations simultain the as well as in the neously large-scale plan, I-bVI-I, details. Third-related harmonies mark the foreground beginof theternary form of themainsections nings (tonicand A1 in mm. 1-3ff.;chromatic submediant and B in mm. 12ff.; tonicand A2in mm.20-27; shownon levelb ofExample7). Chromatic dominatethe openingand closing arpeggiations as thematic well as the song's mid-section. passages Such coherencerecalls,at least in principle, the motivic of the classicalworksof the Schenkerian canon. The unity
third descending opening (Gb-Eb in m. 1; shownon levela of Example 7) is repeatedand rhythmically enlarged-and exrepeatedyet again in mm. 3-6 and thenintervallically the ascending panded to G1-E, b/D in mm. 3-12. In turn, and Eb-Gb/F#-Ain mm. 5-8, is replicated arpeggiation, in thirds from the important extended, magnificently rising chromatic Eb b/D-F-A-C#in mm. 12-15-18, enmediant, the entiremidsection of the song. veloping The third de Bilitis, "Le tombeau des songoftheChansons resembles the naiades," strongly one, at least in preceding terms ofitslarge-scale tonaldesign as wellas itstonalcenter It too dissonant Gb/F# (Example 8). opens, aftera mildly non-tonic in mm. with a 1-4, introductory gesture striking chromatic in mm.5-9 thatdisplays a symmetarpeggiation ricaldivision of theoctave,descending in majorthirds from thesubmediant to thetonic(D-BI -F#). The centric F#minorforms an important structural arrival point(m. 9: "Que
230
des naiades"(1897): tonaldesign Example8. "Le tombeau (bass summary)

1 a) 5 9 11 14 16 21 25 28 30 32
[V
I]
are you seeking?"),herereached,sigcherches-tu?"/"What harthe aid of any prefatory dominant without nificantly, first bythevery mony.Its role as tonalfocusis underscored meperfect-fifth appearancein the songof tonality-defining withconsonant minorand lodic motions(FI-Ct) together and subdominant major triads:tonic,mediant,dominant, (F#-A-CO-B in m. 9). The midsection of "Le tombeau"beginswitha move to the quasi-Neapolitan II in m. 11 and, beyondit, to the inm. 14 ("Les satyres reached tritone-related C-major region are dead"), thefurthest sontmorts"/"The satyrs pointin the From therethe returnto the centricFt tonal structure. a series (reachedin m. 25) is accomplished entirely through third-relations. The first ofthese,nearthemidofchromatic ambiguous:C-D#/Ebin mm. pointof the song, is highly in mm. 17-18 15-16, repeated (Example9). A melodicperin thebass of thepiano in in the voice and fectfifth Gt-C# the Dt/El m. 18 (not shownin Example 9), contradicting and in the obthe sonorities accompaniment, pentatonic C ofthetemporarily centric third inversion dissonant scurely
seventh-chord in m. 17 cloudtheidentity ofthe major-minor chordrootsand eventhechromatic Bethird-relation itself. the harmonic direction becomes yondthispoint,however, cascadesof chromatic on quiteclear. Angular arpeggiations in mm.20-22 decoratean underlying thesurface chromatic move from a contrapuntal-structural third-related neighbor in mm.21 chord(labeledCS), thesubtonic E-majorsonority in mm.23-24. The return and 22, to the supertonic G#/Ab ofthecentric Ft majoris marked byyetanother flamboyant chromatic in Example9); (m. 27, notincluded arpeggiation and even thefinal dominant soundsin conjunction withthe familiar of now a chromatic mediant subtonic, secondary by in the dominant mm. see 28-29; (bVII-V Example 8). DeIt is clearthatby thetimeof the Chansonsde Bilitis in succeeded unified coherent, bussy creating convincingly tonal structures dominants. largelywithout any structural a minordominant To be sure,in "La chevelure" harmony in m. 18; see Example 7) appears at the climactic (C#/Db conclusion of the midsection of the song; but its potential dominant function is notably weakened byitsminor precisely
Chromatic Third-Relations and TonalStructure in theSongs of Debussy 231 des naiades,"mm.17-25 Example9. "Le tombeau
Tresdoux
i
15 (17)
A 3U 1 I
o i-LJ
~
ou
.
16 (18)
19
20 Trisdim.
21 -
Mais restons i- ci,
est leur tomII,1.LI
22
23
25
I '7
X)Illt dI, .4' ;jjl..

L------J
^??..-? 1 i^^ ^r
i&
I
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cy r^^p --777=_2-^
,1 I CsI
CS
--I/
I'
'_I
-r F#1
I
at least for the moment, a Ct(modal) quality,creating, coloration. And itis also weakened Phrygian rhythmically by a significant to thetonalcenter Gb/F# delayof itsresolution in m. 20; onlytheresolution of thesubsequent leading-tone seventh-chord on Et/Fin mm. (thehalf-diminished sonority thereturn of theprincipal tonic.The dom19-20) confirms inantharmony near the end of the song, at the highly inconclusive closeofthevocallinein m. 25, is situated perhaps in closerproximity morestrategically, to thefinal tonic.But thatdominant too is weakened,mainly the reprise through of the harmonically in mm. ambiguous piano introduction 25-27. In "Le tombeaudes naiades" the traditional dominant in the final authentic cadence once, appears only (see ExOne could force this into a structural role 8). ample perhaps in a quasi-Schenkerian scheme,and even pick out of the texture an inner voice sounding a supertonic scale degreeto a hypothetical form fundamental line descending by stepto
the finaltonic. But such an interpretation here would be or at least not veryrevealing; the dominant inappropriate, arrives too late, and the remainder of the song has almost to do withany kindof dominant at all. nothing oftheTrois "Soupir"(1913),thefirst poemesde Mallarmc, an eloquent ofthecoloristic and structural provides summary ofchromatic third-relations inDebussy(Example significance tonalfocus,at first seems 10). The Ab octave,theprincipal to be symmetrically divided intomajorthirds, Abl-Fb -C-Ab is im(shownon level a of Example 10); but thisdivision of mediately complicated by the prominent interpolation the centric Ab in mm. 15-18 (shownon level b) and the subdominant Db in m. 23, the latterapparently creating a further, more distantchromatic third-relation withthe submediant Fb. previous The middleground structure on level c of Example 10 is moretelling herethan thebackground. The songis essentially thatsupport its governed by threechromatic arpeggiations
232
Example 10. "Soupir" (1913): tonal design

11 25
30
" ~'):~X~~~~~~~
- ---
- -- - - - - -
b)I I
Ic
4/7
9/10
11
15
20
23
25/27
29
30/31
I4 II id) Id
^
A
I II
I
^^^^.rk^J:'^
III bVI I
I?
bIII IV III
I
V I
_
II
L-Tr 1stphrase group
- -I
' LTr
2nd group
I
3rdgroup
divisioninto threephrase groups(mm. 7-17, 18-26, and are shownby the curvedbrackets 27-31). These divisions below Example 10, but theyare somewhat blurred by harmoniesthatoverlapthe divisional boundaries:the tonicin mm. 15-19 and themediant in mm.25-27. The first phrase the augmented tonic (Ab-C-E in mm. grouparpeggiates
thetonicbutreachesonlyas 4-11); thesecondbeginsfrom faras thechromatic Ab-[Cb ?]-C. The third mediant, group contains reactually onlya singlephrase,butitsunderlying turn from themediant to thetonic(C-Al in mm.25-31) is elaborated theinterpolation ofa subtonic chordthat through in a further dominant eventually joins witha first-inversion
intheSongs of Debussy 233 and TonalStructure Third-Relations Chromatic third-relation chromatic (Gb-Eb inmm.28-29). Foreground thetwotrimostnotably detailscomplicate matters, through The first 10. d of level on shown tone relations Example the structural the involves submediant, stunning E-major chordin mm. 10-11 thatis immediately precededby a Bb seventhchordat the centerof the first phrasegroup; the dissonant second involvesthe mildly C-majormediantinin a first-inversion with (subtonic)Gb ninth-chord teracting of the finalphrase. mm. 27-28 at the beginning but of the song is farfrom The surface monochromatic, the detailsis clarified ofitselaborative themeaning larger by details framebuiltof chromatic arpeggiations-foreground The harmonies. structural heard in the lightof important treble in the ostinato color of the E brilliant high shimmering, the preceding, from of the piano in mm. 13-17 is retained as an E/Fl-major chord(or retained structural submediant of mm. chordon thedownbeat thedominant-ninth Fb from dissonanceabove the 13 and 14) and heard as a poignant of the thelow registers centric Al-major triad.In contrast, to the voiceand thepianocreatea darkly Phrygian approach inmm.23-25, thelatter mediant C-major sonority important in mm. B and A#/Bb enriched bythepiquantsplitsevenths, is thetonally 25-26. Especially highly ambiguous conspicuous ofthesongin mm.20-22-a passagethatleads to theclimax here almostto the breaking stretches tonality bussybriefly in a sense of unity achieves by recapturing, point-and yet of thepreof themelodiccontour thevocal part,something E major (mm. 11moveto thesubmediant viousimportant is not Even the dominant absent;the crysaltogether 12). thesong with bell-like talline, sonority, which Eb-pentatonic dominant creates a in the end and returns shadowy opens, focuseven above the finalAl, tonic. thirdTonal centersheard in a contextof chromatic -as classical tonics different from soundremarkably relations in "La chevelure" (mm. 1-4 in Example6) or "Le tombeau
and suddenly deflected (cedez . .. ). Declimax diffidently
thirddes naiades" (mm. 22-25 in Example 9). Chromatic not onlycreatevividlocal colorsbut extendinto relations claimed therealmofunity harmonic moreremote by regions structural assume a a tonalstructure. role, significant They theform of a clearharmonic purposethatis realizedwithin or moda completesong. They bringinto closertemporal contact-someofthereintodirect ulatory proximity-even classified as "indirect" but that (or "indirect Schoenberg gions "indirect and or chord "distant," remote," creating close"), successions that,in termsof classical tonality, may seem Theyloosen the boundsof tonality, meaningless.34 emphaor indirectness, at least meanings, sizing ambiguity, multiple a traditional harmonic Fromthe pointof from perspective. ofcourse,suchqualities viewofDebussy'smusical language, seem not at all negative.
DISSONANT SIMULTANEITIES
In the"Colloque sentimental," thelastofthesongsofthe Fetesgalantes, SeriesII (1904), Debussytakesthe ultimate chromatic third-relations intohisharintegrating stepinfully moniclanguage-through thecontraction of heretofore successivechord-relations intobi-chordal simultaneities. Thisis an "ultimate step" in the sense thatit achieves,albeitonly an integration of horizontal and vertical facmomentarily, in a new vocabulary tors.It results of dissonant sonorities, evenwithin theconfines oftertian that reaches well harmony, the more common seventhand ninth-chords (and beyond or thirteenths of our harmony textbeyondthe elevenths the most of these bi-chords is one books). Perhaps important of two with seventh-chords roots a major-minor composed minorthird apart.
34Arnold Structural Functions ed. Leonard Schoenberg, of Harmony, Stein(New York: W. W. Norton,1954), 20-21, 57-75.
234
MusicTheory Spectrum recalled from "En sourdine" ofFetes ingale"motive galantes, SeriesI (mm. 21, 27), to Fb (the chromatic submediant of as an E-majorchord, carries Ab inm. 28). The latter, clearly no dominant butit servesas thepivotal moment in function; thecontinuing chromatic thatdefines thetonal arpeggiation descends, design.The secondarpeggiation quickly reaching theAt -Dorian ofthemelody region-Dorianatleastinterms inthepianotreble inmm.33-36ff. -and thesubdominant Db in mm. 40-42. The final oftext is setto a vocalmelody that circles couplet aroundthe ultimate tonalcenter, but never arA, actually rivesthere,as shownin Example12. The centric A is given clearlyonlyin the piano in mm. 54-55 and 58. But here the previously recalled"nightingale" a C motive, outlining the seventh-chord, reappears superposedupon principal tonalcenter nowexpressed as a major-minor seventhitself, chordbuilton A. (In thescore,C#in theA-majorchordis boththe C-major replacedby Db in mm.54-55. In effect, andA-major sonorities are given as arpeggiated, overlapping in thepiano right thefirst ninth-chords, hand,thesecondin the left.) The resultant newsonority be described as a ninthmight chord(together with itsseventh) with bothmajorand minor thirdsabove its root (C#/Dband C); or as an altogether novel sonority witha certainnon-tonal potential(0,3,4,7, to an octatonic collection 10,13);or, as a reference (0,1,3,4, But in the context of the present it is [6],7,[9],10).35 study, to observethatthedistinct tertian-tonal identities important ofitstwocomponents areclearly established: one component is a formof the principal, tonic,the otheris a concluding thematic cross-reference to "En sourdine."Betweenthem is a chromatic here givenin the form of an third-relation, bi-chord. arpeggiated
35For a survey of suchcollections in Debussy,see Forte,"Debussyand the Octatonic," 125-69.
The tonaldesign of "Colloque sentimental," shown in Exeven from dissonant reveals a rebi-chords, ample11, apart markableprofusion of chromatic most third-relations, sigon the middleground and foreground levels. The nificantly structure be understood to a progreslarger may encompass sivetonalmotion from theambiguous whole-tone (non-tonic) and a brief, tenuous an area focus, opening F-major through inAb (thepresumed centered butas yetunconfirmed leading tonalcenter, tone)inmm.18-39,to theprincipal, concluding A. The latter is heardwithunmistakable clarity onlyat the end of the but it in is even the very song; suggested beginning, although onlyin thevoicepart(in m. 5, and againin m. 15), harmonized withthe (presumed) F major,in a submediant, A-Aeolian context. vaguely The Ab, at first within the openingthequite neglected maticwhole-tone in mm. rises to prominence 1-3, passage in an impressive succession of structurally dissonant sonoritiesand tonalregions:including the Ab ninth chordin m. 19anditschromatic third-related theC ninth-chord associate, in mm. 21, 27, and 29, the modal shift to the colorful Abin mm. 33-35, and even Db and Gb, its Dorian sonorities subdominant and secondary subdominant in mm.40chords 43. The opening whole-tone is important because it gesture twodominant functions: thatpoints toward Bb/C/E F, yields thesubmediant of thecentral (achievedin mm.4-5 tonality and 15); and Gb/Ab/C thatforecasts the eventualmove to in turn,because it createsa Db. The latteris important, chromatic third-relation with thecentric A at the large-scale end (Db -A; compare mm.40 and 54, thelatter notincluded in Example 11). The middleground structure shown on levelb ofExample 11 revealstwo chromatic The first ascends, arpeggiations. the which the ensubmediant, connecting F-major supports tranceof the voice in mm. 5 and 15, to the first of the Ab in m. 19. Thischromatic extends sonorities even arpeggiation theC ninth-chords thatsupport the "nightfurther, through
intheSongs of Debussy 235 and TonalStructure Third-Relations Chromatic (1904),mm.1-47: tonaldesign Example11. "Colloquesentimental"
(1) a) 5
9 15
19
21
27
29
33(35)
38
40
44
(47)
I A
I bBs t--TI
-K
"L-wo-'
et.^
'
bi
tc
I~
5 ~~,6~ 4FZ~,~
~v
IV('~,Y~v~) letc.
b) HA"!
IVv (4/i)
ffi
t,Vif
b;
vi
7e
?"^ ^-J 1C^
^t^^l^^,^^_^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~;
In the Troispoemesde Mallarme, comDebussyfurther simultaneous chromatic third-relations. the issue of plicates In thebrief shownin Example13, passagein "Placetfutile" in chordsuccessions are heardsimultaneously twochromatic thetrebleand thebass of thepiano-a counterpoint of two ofchromatic streams triads, onlyoncedo theseconalthough in a bi-chord such as the one discussedabove. (An verge a Db, is heardon top once againspelledwith triad, A-major of the C major-minor seventh chordon the secondhalfof thata simpleF-pentatonic beat 2 in m. 20.) It is surprising is hereaccompanied vocal melody by a remarkably complex in the piano. The governing and dissonantchromaticism
third-related chromatic ofsuperpositioning The possibility of in mid-section the is alreadysuggested sonorities perhaps where the C mm. in music the song (the dialogue 19-21), are motive its and ninth-chord "nightingale" major-minor thirdheardabove an otherwise tone,thechromatic foreign relatedAb pedal. In laterworksof Debussy (forexample, and "Les feessontd'exquisesdanseuses," "Feuillesmortes" Book II, and "Soupir,"mm.9-10, shownin from Pr6ludes, But enjoyswidercurrency. Example 10), thesame bi-chord one of its one may witness in the "Colloque sentimental" thattelescopesinto a single earlyorigins-a verticalization heard separately. colorspreviously two harmonic gesture
236
mm.53-58 Example12. "Colloquesentimental,"

53 Pluslent
f J J I IJ
n
Et la nuit Pluslent
_
en allantse perdant jusqua'la fin -- 3--I
-L1
r^
J
roles.
I
J
-I
M ----
I
'
FIN
seule
en- ten- dit leurs pa-
en allantse perdant jusqu'a la fin
'~ b_<j 'Zl'
= ';-m
p-p
FIN
|q
~t pp
plus
rien
irC):
pp -*'b
^ r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
54
56
57
58
of a simpledecomotionconsists harmonic middleground tonal thetemporary ofthesubmediant Eb ninth-chord, ration ninth-chord theF major-minor with a neighbor-chord, focus, of the beat of m. 20. But the essentialflavor on the third
ofthestreams simultaneity passagedependson thedissonant triads. third-related of chromatic in "Eventail,"thelast of the Mallarmd Severalmoments more complex-indeed, altosongs,create a considerably
and TonalStructure intheSongs of Debussy 237 Chromatic Third-Relations (1913),mm.20-21 Example13. "Placetfutile"
20
A
A61 b
h
Se
I i R R RR
joi-gnent en trou-peaux d'a-gneaux
qui tant de ris fram-boi- ses
? J
\b r
<,'
"
L,-_
r^ r r T I
-t -h_
I\
I
a) I
A .
~----~-
\
I---'I
r -\_J
l I
IA
J-
Ib)
cp F-bh
U-
^ ,r
-.--
gether tenuous-tonal context. The prominenttritoneof the song, the relationbetweenthe openingsonorities and C seventh chords in mm. 1-2 and G1/F# major-minor in mm. causes the most 12-13, difficulty, especially repeated stanza.36 The variedrepeatofthis ofthefirst at thebeginning of the second stanza,however,as musicat the beginning a clue to itsharmonic meanin Example14, provides shown a certain When one first, admits, non-synchronous, staging. ofthetriads or seventh-chords thatmake geredpresentation in thelefthandof thepiano up thispassage-the sonorities seem to ahead of in the right-and,second, those get part thepossibility of relating tonesor chordsacrossintervening and apparently harmonies in an extended divergent suspension technique, one can interpret the passage as a superpooftwodistinct buteventually streams of sitioning converging chromatic In levelb ofthesketch third-relations. in Example withbrackets above the 14, the upper streamis indicated the lowerstream withbrackets below. These streams, staff, withthe centric in m. 12 (shownon one originating F#/Gb levelb of Example14 withstemsbelow),theother with the dissonant C inm. 13 (shown with thestemabove), eventually combine to form a reasonably in mm.20ff. return intelligible to Ft, theprincipal tonalfocusof thefirst partof the song. tonalcenter.Fromthe opening (But F$ is not the ultimate descendsin a directional tonal Ft, thetonalfocusgradually a F centered around in mm. design, passingthrough region E in mm. it And is in58ff. not 38-41ff., finally reaching E that the final minor creates a chrosignificant large-scale maticthird-relation withthe openingAb major of the first songof the Mallarmecycle.) In thelowerstream, thecentric is sucGb-major sonority ceeded by its chromatic the Bb seventh-chord in mediant,
a considerably 36For of "Eventail," different, analysis post-tonal employand altogether tonalfocus or harmonic see functions, ingsettheory bypassing RichardParks,The Music of Claude Debussy,196-99.
238
Music TheorySpectrum
Example 14. "Eventail" (1913), mm. 11-20

^ 11 I k K L Mouvt
13
Gar- der mon ai-
le
dans ta
main.
U-
ne
frai-
cheur
de
cre-
pus-
;'-
------
r P
rb
_ ,t j>
XJX
.,
rr^^f
I b) I A
___ __ l-_ ___ _EZItc _ -
~I
ICLL
,1--cX
II__s
Chromatic Third-Relations and TonalStructure intheSongs of Debussy 239

Example 14 [continued].
fr
-cu-
+-'1 br--^-^
le Te vient a
cha- que bat- te-
ment
Dont
| iI
le coup prisonnier
j
re-
#1
I ^
----
-p
l -[
^^
7i
4:
*1:<
-I '11
tI
|
______ ttj( ^, ^^
-----) L-------------1
~i
240
TEXT-MUSICRELATIONS
mm. 14-16 thatis absorbedintothe orbitof F major. The in turn,constitutes a linkin the chainof chromatic latter, in the arpeggiations upper streamthatdescendsfromthe C seventh-chord downward initially puzzling major-minor the in mm. 15-16 and the Ab chord through sonority F-major in m. 17, to the D major-minor seventh-chord in mm. 19ff. To find bi-chords chromatic third-related sonorcomprising stanzaof text,in parities,one mustwait untilthe fourth ticular,the C-major and Eb-major triadsheard simultaneously(one in the piano lefthand, the otherin the right in mm. 36 and 38, not included in Example 14) in a dominantrelationship to the subsequent, simultaneous similarly and in mm. and triads 37 39. Ab-major F-major third-relations into two simultaTelescopingchromatic a formichordalstreams clearly neouslyunfolding presents It seemsto demanda skillin dable challenge to thelistener. intwentieth-century to which ear training hearing polyphonic materials auralperception is a perseldomaspires. However, withchrosonal,living, Familiarity growing phenomenon.37 insimple or chromatic matic third-relations successions chord withtraining in the identification of arpeggiations, together of the new bi-chords, surelywill preparethe components fora graspof the moreseriouschallenges foundin analyst of thisstudy Debussy'sMallarme songs.And in thecontext it should be remembered that the simultaneous chordal here discussedrepresent harmonic streamsand bi-chords that are relatively uncommon-thefurthest features point in the role of chromatic third-relations in of development the songsof Debussy.
Ear TraininMichaelL. Friedman's admirable 37See themusical examples Materials(New Haven: Yale University Press, ing for Twentieth-Century thosein Appendix I, "Group4: Duets" and "Group5: For 1990),especially are considerably More thanTwo Voices," 155-83. Most of thesematerials in Debussy'ssongs;butFriedman does thananything found moredemanding "La chevelure." includethe opening chordsuccession from
Even if one were to judge chromatic third-relations to be harmonically ambiguous-"vague," "foreign,""keysomehow of tonalcohesion, destructive one disturbing"-or wouldstill haveto concedethatin thesongsofDebussysuch chord successions almost in a variety maybe found anywhere of different conditions. in of Theyappear settings the relaverseofVerlaine orthenarratives tively straight-forward lyric of Pierre Louys (Bilitis),and in the "difficult" poetryof Mallarme.38 in of the bold of Theyappear settings imagery Baudelaire ("Harmoniedu soir") as well as in simple,innocently joyful ("Dans le jardin");in moodseidescription thermildand melancholy ("L'ombredes arbres")or stark, and desperate("La merest plus belle"); moods vehement, eithertragic, or even morbid("Colloque sensentimental, ormoodsecstatically timental"), ("Clairede lune") rapturous or gallantly playful ("Mandoline").They appear in settings of clear and straightforward ("Le tombeaudes naiasyntax or tenuoussemantic contexts des") as well as in fragmented ("Soupir")or in obscurenarratives ("Eventail").Sometimes a poeticimageor thought; butthey they appearto highlight also frequently function as partofthenormal musical simply Oftentheyappear in settings of highly continuity. unique textualimagery, as it were in responseto the poetry;but manybold or unique poeticpassages are set in altogether moretraditional or cautiousmusicalways(Verlaine's"L'echelonnement des haies" and Debussy'sown "De soir"). It seemsthata simplecause-effect or one-to-one relationship between and harmonic vocorrespondence poetic imagery cannot be established. Chromatic in third-relations cabulary
and theArtof BeingDifficult 38Malcolm Bowie, Mallarme (Cambridge: de Press,1978); Daniel Boulay,L'obsurite Cambridge University esthetique R. Leger, 1960). Mallarme (Vitry-sur-Seine:
Chromatic Third-Relations and TonalStructure intheSongs of Debussy 241 to arisewithout thesongsofDebussyare likely anyapparent textualprovocation. One could well arguethatDebussy alwayschose poetry bold imagery, and apthatcontained striking phraseology, in colorfulmetaparently disparateelementsintertwined thirdphoric diction,and that for this reason chromatic forsettings of suchtexts. relations seem alwaysappropriate of MalAnd thisindeedmaybe true.The symbolist poetry one of the high larme,Verlaine,and Baudelairerepresents a dramatic tradition, pointsof the Frenchliterary leap into modernist and ambiguity. It would be quite incomplexity insettings oftexts ofsuchdistinction, to imagine conceivable, musical without its own Debussy's language complexities, ambiguities, multiplemeanings,disjunctions, unexpected without chromatic third-relations. From juxtapositions-and in his simpler, theirinclusion his efforts to youthful acceptanceofthechallenges oftheFetes andtheMallarme galantes third-relations mustbe acknowledged to be cycle,chromatic elements of harmonic And it is integral Debussy's language. thatinnovative harmonic languagethatis crucialin defining theremarkable and powerof hissongs-a language subtlety marked dissolution of the rigorous narrative by the relative of traditional in favorof fresh, new pitch progress syntax and colorfulchromatic elaborations of the configurations tonal structure. ABSTRACT Chromatic understood notmerely as chromatic methird-relations, diants butas a morecomprehensive of (and submediants) array chromatic constitute an essential element in Dearpeggiations, ofchromatic Such chromatic motions not bussy's language tonality. elaborate the musical but alsocreate only foreground may large-scale tonal that entire designs encompass song compositions, eventually evensupplanting thepresence ofstructural dominants. arise They insongs hiscareer, but areemployed Debussy composed throughout with andexpressive around andafter the increasing subtlety power turn ofthecentury, in "La chevelure," "Le tombeau desnaiades," and"Eventail." sentimental," "Colloque "Soupir,"

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Society for Music Theory

Third-Relations andTonalStructure Chromatic intheSongsofDebussy

Example 1. "Harmonie du soir" (1889), mm. 63-73

lenten ent arpege

Example2. "Le son du cor" (1891),mm.32-39: analysis

in "L'ombre des arbres" from the Ariettesoubliees (1885),

analyzed in Example 3. The most novel-perhaps even

-> V/V -> VII ->

MusicTheory Spectrum (1897),mm.1-4: analysis Example6. "La chevelure"

~~~~ Ist stage

des naiades"(1897): tonaldesign Example8. "Le tombeau (bass summary)

Mais restons i- ci,

est leur tomII,1.LI

X)Illt dI, .4' ;jjl..

Example 10. "Soupir" (1913): tonal design

?"^ ^-J 1C^

mm.53-58 Example12. "Colloquesentimental,"

en allantse perdant jusqua'la fin -- 3--I

en- ten- dit leurs pa-

en allantse perdant jusqu'a la fin

'~ b_<j 'Zl'

qui tant de ris fram-boi- ses

Example 14. "Eventail" (1913), mm. 11-20

Gar- der mon ai-

Chromatic Third-Relations and TonalStructure intheSongs of Debussy 239

cha- que bat- te-

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