Enigmatic scale

The enigmatic leader or enigmatic scale ( = enigmatically, enigmatic ', aínigma of Greek αἴνιγμα the riddle ') is a nichtdiatonische (but heptatonic ) scale, which was developed by the Bolognese professor of music and composer Adolfo Crescentini ( 1854-1921 ).

The scale was published as harmonization task in the Milan newspaper Gazzetta musicale and then by Giuseppe Verdi in 1889, the first of its Quattro pezzis sacri, an Ave Maria for four solo voices (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) set to music.

It consists in the upward shape of the notes C, Db, E, F #, G #, Ais and H. In the downward shape of the F # is replaced by a F. It is characterized by the fact that three half steps are grouped together and thus the rest of the conductor a (up) or two (down) augmented seconds ( Hiatus ) arise and parallel developments are avoided in tetrachords.