sho Nenpotian sith ff EXAMPLE 26.2: Mozart, Piano Sonata in D Major, third movement, mm. 127b-181a Q thes, bebe 90 1 SS P vivjiv IV ae i ieee ‘escending J sequence In measures 129-130, a descending § sequence passes from the subdominant, to the leading-tone harmony. In the midst of this sequence is a nondiatonic chord that, if stacked in thirds, is an Eb major chord: bIT in first inversion. This triad, which includes both bé and 53, is called a Neapolitan sixth chord (511°). It typi- cally appears at a cadence as a chromatic alteration of a predominant harmony, or (as here) as a colorful variant within a descending § sequence. The Neapolitan Sixth For an example of the Neapolitan sixth as a cadential predominant, listen to the serene first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Follow Example 26.3 as you listen, watching for accidentals that signal chromaticism. EXAMPLE 26.3: Beethoven, Moonlight Sonata, first movement @) Mm. 1-5a Q pe aT a a a a a | ee ee seripre pp €sencisordinoChapter 26 ‘The Nepottan Sixth and Augmented-Sisth Chords (b) Mm. 1-5a in block chords chi if vi Ne we i (passing) Part (b) provides a block-chord reduction of the figuration and an analysis. At the cadence (m. 4), Beethoven raises} to 7 (B to B#) to function as the leading tone. Preceding this chromatic alteration in measure 3 is an unexpected accidental: Di, the lowered supertonic. This pitch supports a major-quality triad (Di-F#-A), which appears in first inversion—the same type of chromatic predominant chord identified in Example 26.2 as a Neapolitan sixth chord. The ‘Neapolitan takes the place of the diatonic iv chord (F#-A-C#), which differs by only one pitch (F#-A-D§). In analysis, this chromatic harmony is often simply labeled NOin place of a Roman numeral, although IIS is also correct. (Another possible name for these chords is Phrygian IT, after the distinctive half-step motion 63 to i of that mode.) As with other mixture chords, use a flat to designate the lowered, second scale degree, even in sharp keys (as in the Beethoven example), where the actual accidental is a natural sign. Voice-Leading and Resolution The progression in Example 26.3b clearly follows the basic phrase model, ‘T-PD-D-T, with the Neapolitan chord filling a predominant function and moving directly to V. Follow the alto voice of the reduction to see how +2 moves. directly to the leading tone in measures 3-4, spanning the interval of a diminished third (Di-B#). Although augmented or diminished melodic intervals are generally avoided in common-practice voice-leading, composers will permit the diminished third in the context of a NS resolution (see Example 26.4). Some composers, smooth the motion from 52 to 7 by inserting a passing tone to soften the effect: 5-4-7 (part b). The passing tone may or may not be harmonized; if harmonized, the typical choice is a cadential § chord parts c and e) or viir7/V (parts d and e).‘The Neapolitan Sixth EXAMPLE 26.4: Resolutions of the Neapolitan sixth Q (a) Directly to V(b) With i passing. (c) Harmonized (4) Harmonized —_(c) Combination with 43 tone passing tone passingtone of (e) and (4) r F BR oONe oy Neo Ne vE=$ No viz VES SUMMARY ‘The Né typically appears at a cadence in minor keys, or in major-key passages with mixture chords. It resolves ¢ directly to V, + toV through a cadential §, or + toV through a vii?7/V (with or without a cadential §). ‘The other possible context for Né is in a chromatic § sequence. Now listen to the dramatic excerpt from Mozart's Dies irae shown in Example 26.5, or sing through the passage with your class. The text, taken from the Requiem Mass (Mass for the Dead), depicts a wrathful Judgment Day when, according to Christian texts, sinners will be punished and the world destroyed. ‘Mozart represents the day of wrath with agitated string arpeggiation, full chorus, minor key, diminished seventh sonorities, and colorful Neapolitan harmonies— with 52 prominently voiced in the soprano line (mm. 37 and 39). In this passage, Mozart prolongs the predominant area in measures 37-39 by 1s of parallel § chords that extend from one Neapolitan chord to the next. the first Neapolitan (m. 37) does not move directly to V, there is no diminished third (although there is an expressive augmented second in the soprano). In resolving the second Neapolitan (m. 39), Mozart harmonizes the passing tone i with a vii°7/V before the cadential V4=§. This succession of harmonies, b119-vii°7/V-V$-f, is one of the most familiar progressions associated with the Neapolitan’s resolution.Chapter 26 ‘The Neapolitan Sixth and Augmented-Sixth Chords EXAMPLE 26.5: Mozart, Dies irae, mm. 34-40a Q ow 36 Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Orchestral reduetion ve is suis vingsho Nenpotian sith ff os a9 40 ive TiI6 As, vi (parallel { chords) He) ‘Translation: When the judge comes to adjudicate all things strictly! Writing Neapolitans: Spelling and Voicing As mentioned earlier, another way to think of the Neapolitan harmony is as an altered iv chord. Example 26.6 shows the D minor context for a iv chord: the lowest two voices in these chords (4-6, or G-B») are identical; the Neapolitan’s 52 (ES) displaces i. This not only changes the quality of the chord to major, it also adds an element of surprise to the harmony, since the Es lies outside the diatonic scale. EXAMPLE 26.6: Comparison of iv and Nb @) (a) or ()Chapter 26 ‘The Nepottan Sixth and Augmented-Sisth Chords (NX KEY CONCEPT @ find |, spell a major triad from this root, then place it in first inversion; or spell Neapolitan sixth chords, either ¢. spell iv, then raise its fifth a minor second, changing 1 to 53. In major keys, remember to begin with the minor iv, from mixture. For example, to spell a N® in C minor, you could identify 33 as Ds, spell a major triad (D>-F-A}), and then arrange it in first inversion: F-A}-D}. Alternatively, you could spell iv (F-Ab-C), then raise the fifth a minor second: F-A¥-D3, Try it #1 ‘Spell N6 chords (4-b6-53) in the following keys. Provide the minor or major key signature, then write the chord with appropriate accidentals. & & ¢ } Fé minor G minor A major 4 & & & Eminor F major B minor 7 KEY CONCEPT When writing the Né chord, placed or 4 in the highest voice. Don't place +4 there if the N® moves through a tonie chord before pro gressing to V: the resolution of 6-5 above b2-i invariably leads to parallel fifths. Look back at the Beethoven and Mozart examples to see how these composers handle the issues of progression, doubling, and resolution. Example 26.3: «In measure 3, the Neapolitan is preceded by a VI (a tonic expansion), + The third (bass) of the Neapolitan chord (4) is doubled. « 13 moves down to 7 in the dominant harmony. ‘Example 26.5: + Inmeasure 39, the Neapolitan is preceded by a string of f chords.sho Nenpotian sith ff + +6 is doubled in the choral parts (in inner voices). ¢ +9 moves down, through a harmonized passing tone, to7 in the dominant harmony. From these examples, we can add the following to the list of guidelines. KEY CONCEPT When writing No chords: 1. Precede the Neapolitan with any harmony that would normally precede a predominant-function harmony. This may include another predominant harmony, a tonic harmony, tonic substitute, or tonic expansion; another possibility is a string of parallel § chords. 2. Double 4, the bass note, when the chord appears in its characteristic first inversion. If necessary, you may use another doubling; but if} is doubled, it moves to #2 in an inner voice only, not in the soprano. Mozart's treatment of the Neapolitan in Example 26.5 differs somewhat from these guidelines, however. Look first at the final Neapolitan chord of this exam- ple (mm. 39-40). The chord is preceded by a descending string of § chords, but here the fifth (44, Bb) is doubled in the choral parts. The'3 (Es) resolves normally, down through a harmonized passing tone j to 7 in the dominant harmony, but because of the doubled 46, Mozart must resolve one of them irregularly in order to avoid parallel octaves. His ch a perfect fifth. The first Neapolitan of this passage (m. 37) shows another unconventional doubling, with }3 in the soprano and tenor. This results in unusual voiee-leading, in the soprano, which moves upward by an augmented second (Eb to Fé). Perhaps ‘Mozart decided on these unusual doublings because he felt that the A2 in measure 387 and the tenor leap to a high F4 in measure 39 would contribute to the text's overall sense of despair and frenzy. In your own writing, conform to the guidelines for doubling and voice-leading unless you have a good reason for doing otherwise. ce is to have the b6 in the tenor leap upward by Intonation and Performance When performing the Mozart Requiem excerpt and, by extension, other passages with Neapolitan sixth chords, keep the following performance issues in mind. Since +5 lies outside the diatonie major and minor scales, and since the Neapolitan relies ‘on its major quality for its identity, correct tuning should be a primary concern. Ifyou sing the soprano line of Example 26.5 with solfege syllables, you will need to inflect three of them: ti for 7, ra for »2 (re lowered a half step), and mi for 3.EE) Chapter 26 ‘The Neapolitan Sixth and Augmented-Sixth Chords Try it #2 Write the correct solfége syllables or scale-degree numbers for the soprano line of Example 26.5 in the blanks provided for each measure below. mt | mas [m3 [maz [mas | mag | mao tifa 7 4 ‘The soprano’s diminished fifth (¢i-fa) in measure 34 can be somewhat diffi- cult to tune, but probably more challenging is the augmented second in measure 37, ra-mi. It is sometimes helpful to exaggerate the altered b3 (ra) very low, and think 3 (mi) very high. In tuning Né when it resolves to V, think also of the even- ‘tual goal of +2 (ra), beyond the passing i (do) to7 (t#). You may even wish to employ a darker tone color for the lowered pitches and brighter for the raised pitches. Such exaggerations hold true especially in ensemble singing and playing, where ine is crucial in tuning the chord qualities. SUMMARY ‘+ The Neapolitan harmony appears most often in minor keys. ¢ Build it on{9, with a major quality, and place it (usually) in first inversion (116). ‘+ When writing the Neapolitan in major keys, be sure to include $6 (from mixture) to make the chord major. + Place N6 in a predominant role and resolve it to V, with both its tendency tones resolving down: $6 to 5, and 52 (usually through passing tone i) to 7. ‘Do not resolve b2 to #3, since this voice-leading conflicts with the tendency of 2 to move downward. Ifyou harmonize the passing tone i when resolving N®, choose vii’7/V or V$-3. Tonicizing the Neapolitan The Neapolitan harmony can be tonicized, either by its own secondary dominant, or by an extended progression in the sII key area; the secondary dominant is dia- tonic in minor keys (V1) or available by mixture in major keys (SVD. Listen to the passage from Schubert’ “Erlkénig” given in Example 26.7, and follow the Roman numeral analysis beneath the score.sho Nenpotian sith ff EXxaMpre 26.7: Schubert, “Erlkénig,’ mm, 115-1232 Q us 16. uy be dich, — mich AAA tr reizt — dei-ne schd = ne Ge = stalt, du vient SI vied (over IT pedal) mm 122 3, viet ve ‘Translation (sung by the Elf King): “I love you, [ am tempted by your beautiful form; and if you are not willing, I will use fore” Measures 117-119 tonicize bII, with this harmonic area prolonged by the sec- “ondary vii’. As is typical when the Neapolitan is tonicized, it appears in root posi- tion, Consider how the harmonies in this passage correspond with the meaning, of the text. The Elf King is a sinister creature who tries to entice a young boy to his death, while the boy and his father ride on horseback through a dark forest.Chapter 26 ‘The Nepottan Sixth and Augmented-Sisth Chords ‘Schubert's tonicization of the Neapolitan coincides with the otherworldly char- acter and falsely affectionate words of the Elf King, while the return to tonic sig- nals a return to the reality of the situation: if the boy will not go willingly, the Elf King will take him by force. (AN KEY CONCEPT When you tonicize}Il: 1. Think temporarily in the }II key area in order to remember the correct acei- dentals ($11 is usually in root position when tonicized, and !3 may be doubled). . Double-check that secondary dominant or secondary leading-tone chords have the correct quality (V7 or vii?7). 3. Follow the regular guidelines for part-writing and dissonance resolution. Augmented-Sixth Chords Listen again to Variation VII from Mozart’s Piano Sonata in D Major, and pay special attention to the cadence in measures 122-123 (Example 26.8). EXAMPLE 26.8: Mozart, Piano Sonata in D Major, third movement, mm, 122-1234 viyiv Ive With the predominant IVS chord on the third beat of measure 3, we expect motion from IVS to V—a typical half cadence. At the last moment, though, Mozart raises 4.to #4 (G to Gd), resolving in the next measure to 5 (A). This chromatic alteration (44-5) should be familiar from your study of the V7/V and vii°7/V chords. Mozart also lowers 6 to bé (B4 to B5)—a familiar operation from modal mixture—which then moves down by half step to 5. ‘These chromatic alterations are what define the predominant family of chords called augmented-sixth chords, so called because the interval from 56 to #4 is