Atonality

Atonal music or atonality commonly referred to a music that is based on the chromatic scale, their harmony and melody is not fixed to a tonal center or a tonic - in contrast to ( major-minor ) tonality or modality. The term was initially Three Piano Pieces op.11 (1909 ) applied a polemical intent of the conservative music critics on the compositions of the Viennese School, notably Arnold Schoenberg, and was originally more a slogan than a music theory term. Both Schoenberg and Alban Berg rejected this term because they mean " no sounds " understood him ( instead of " without key "). ( and others in the radio dialog What is atonal? 1930 ).

In retrospect, the paradigm shift tonality / atonality around the turn of the century less of a 'revolution', but rather one that Evolution ' is whose boundaries are increasingly blurred by the addition of " Free" ( tonality / atonality ) in the ( music ) scientific terminology. Although, hard to find chromatic passages already in works of the 16th century, especially in the " mannerist " Italian madrigal, which were taken up again in the late Romantic period, we can speak only from the early 20th century by atonality. The early atonality of the first half of the twentieth century can be divided into a phase of so-called " free atonality " and about from 1925 " zwölftonigen " in a phase of later members also " serial atonality ".

The abandonment of tonality is - apart from a few counter-movements - one of the few constants of new music and unifying element of different styles of modernity, such as aleatoric, microtonality or micropolyphony. This atonality has on the one hand the increasing complexity ( from the perspective of its proponents ) or for increasing arbitrariness of contemporary music and the associated, breaking with the audience ' contributed ( from the perspective of their opponents ), on the other hand, prohibits a due to their many manifestations aesthetic sweeping statement (be it positive or negative).

Historical Development

The striped atonality had already Franz Liszt ( in his late piano pieces ) and Alexander Scriabin. The overgrowing use of chromaticism during the late Romantic composers such as Max Reger or had atonal trend. The use of bitonality or polytonality, the use of two or more keys simultaneously, resulted in the border area of atonality. The first phase, which consists in the abandonment of traditional harmony, is also called " free atonality ". Schoenberg tried a principle of order within the atonal music to create and developed the method of " composition with twelve related only to each tones " (later apostrophized as twelve-tone ), which he of 1923 ( in some of the Five Piano Pieces op.23 and in most sets Suite for Piano op.25 ) first apply an end. But this Zwölftonprinzip guaranteed not initially necessarily atonality, but only a substantially uniform distribution of the twelve tempered semitones within the compositional record. Depending on the number of vertical structure and organization of the sounds, it is quite possible to compose pieces in serial technique, which are perceived as tonal. Twelve-tone technique was further developed after the Second World War to serialism and dominated the avant-garde classical music during the 1950s in Europe. Other important pioneer of atonal music were next to Alban Berg and Anton von Webern (which are subsumed together with Schoenberg under the so-called Vienna school ) Ernst Krenek, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók and many others.

Aesthetic debate

In his 1949 published Philosophy of Modern Music, Theodor W. Adorno argues atonal compositional method for Schoenberg and sets them in opposition to the considered as a relapse into an outdated technique of composition neoclassical style by Igor Stravinsky. The move to atonality in 1910 by Schoenberg means the liberation of music from the constraints of tonality and thus the unhindered development of musical expression qua free atonality with the full life of the engine sounds for Adorno. However, he turns in the same font decidedly against the (later developed by Schoenberg ) twelve-tone technique, because he saw the danger of a mechanically running composing here. This also fits the comment of the old Schoenberg, as you told him that his method of composition, have spread throughout the world: " Yes, but they also make music? ".

Like any artistic revolution ( which often is from a later perspective rather than evolution, as evolution ) and the means of atonality of conservative spirits were attacked violently. The conductor Ernest Ansermet for example, has the basics of music in human consciousness from 1961 of atonal music its right to exist at all discussed in his book, because in it a meaningful musical idiom was to be closed and by the loss of a meaningful tonality a sound aesthetic judgment by the listener does not is possible. The generation of a mental reverberation in the handset mistaken by atonal music meaningfulness just before. (Carl Dahlhaus criticized in his article Ansermets polemic against Schoenberg ( Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, 1966) Ansermets assumptions as unscientific. )

Most objections are based on two basic assumptions:

• Tonality is a language ( or at least the basis of a language) and its disclosure would benefit the futility of joining of words ( = tones) without grammar the same.

• Tonality in founding principles of nature - especially the vibration ratios of the harmonic series, which led to the interval orders circle of fifths - and leaving this basis would inevitably leave the works are ' unnatural '.

In contrast, it has been argued that

• Although tonality obey rules, but by no means have language character. In particular, over illustrative effects (eg surging sixteenth chains = water bubbling ) or literary introduced Tonsymbole ( sharp keys = Crucifixion ) addition, let not create meaning doctrine.

• The Central European systems of music from thousands of years of practice resulting products are human and could only be attributed to limited scientific laws. Thus, in the system of the tempered tunings - which must be provided as soon as next Quint / Quart also third and sixth are recognized as consonances - in principle except the octave intervals no ' pure ' voted.

Beyond atonality of New Music

In the field of popular music is referred to atonality, like the Berlin Atonal Festival, which took place in the years 1982-1986, 1990 and 1999 ( revival attempt ) has been clarified.

By 1960, atonal structures were achieved in free jazz. Decisive here are mainly free improvisations (sometimes collectively ) and a very free form design. At the same time basic rhythmic patterns are often maintained. The Jazz Research has shown that the improvising musicians often based on modal scales, including tonal influences are integrated into the game ( Jost 1975). Also typical is the use of leading tones or basic motifs. Similarities with and differences from the post-serial music analyzed Kumpf (1976).