Carousel (music theory)

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In music theory, carousel describes a sequence in the bass of which an ascending tetrachord is shifted a third down:

\ new PianoStaff << <<% because of figured bass \ new Staff << \ set Score.tempoHideNote = ## t \ tempo 4 = 160 \ override Staff.TimeSignature.transparent = ## t << \ new Voice = "first" \ relative c '' {\ voiceOne s2 e d1 cbag \ bar ""} \ new Voice = "second" \ relative c '{\ voiceTwo s2 c' ~ cb ~ ba ~ ag ~ gf ~ fe} >> >> \ new Staff << \ override Staff.TimeSignature.transparent = ## t \ clef "bass" \ relative c {sefgac, defa, bc} >> >> \ new FiguredBass {\ figuremode {<_> 2 <6> <6 5 > <_> <9> <6> <6 5> <_> <9> <6> <6 5> <_>}} >>% because of figured bass

This sentence model is based on a chain of syncope dissonances ( seventh - sixth or second - third), which is counterpointed by the lower voice. This leads to the sequence of figured bass signatures shown in the sheet music example. The model became popular in the late 17th century. Some examples can be found in Arcangelo Corelli's trio sonatas .

The term "carousel" comes from the Freiburg music theorist Ludwig Holtmeier and can be found mainly in recent publications by teachers at the Freiburg University of Music and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis . In publications from this group of people he is referred to as "naturalized in current research".

Ulrich Kaiser , on the other hand, calls the model "parallelism sequence model with 3-8-6-5 additional voice", thereby emphasizing the structural relationship with parallelism .

The two middle tones of the tetrachords in the bass can be represented as the 6th and 7th step of a major or minor scale (always alternating) by means of the sign. Holtmeier emphasizes that only this "modulating form" works with a fourth voice, while the "diatonic carousel" (the first example on this page) is "three-part in its nature":

\ new PianoStaff << <<% because of figured bass \ new Staff << \ set Score.tempoHideNote = ## t \ tempo 4 = 160 \ override Staff.TimeSignature.transparent = ## t << \ new Voice = "first" \ relative c '' {\ voiceOne s2 e d1 <ce,> bes <ac,> g \ bar ""} \ new Voice = "second" \ relative c '{\ voiceTwo s2 <c' g> ~ <ca> < be,> ~ <b> <a> ~ <af> <gc,> ~ <g> <f> ~ <fd> <ea,>} >> >> \ new Staff << \ override Staff.TimeSignature.transparent = ## t \ clef "bass" \ relative c {se ^ "A minor" f sharp g sharp ac, ^ "F major" defa, ^ "D minor" b c sharp} >> >> \ new FiguredBass {\ figuremode {<_> 2 <6> <6 5> <6 5> <9> <6> <6 5> <6 5> <9> <6> <6 5> <6 5>}} >>% because of figured bass

Other variants

Johannes Menke also describes this sequence as a variant of the carousel:

\ new PianoStaff << <<% because of figured bass \ new Staff << \ set Score.tempoHideNote = ## t \ tempo 4 = 160 \ override Staff.TimeSignature.transparent = ## t << \ new Voice = "first" \ relative c '' {\ voiceOne s2 e ~ ed ~ dc ~ c bes ~ bes a ~ ag \ bar ""} \ new Voice = "second" \ relative c '{\ voiceTwo s2 gis' abe, efgc, cis de} >> >> \ new Staff << \ override Staff.TimeSignature.transparent = ## t \ clef "bass" \ relative c {se fis ^ \ markup {\ italic "6." } g sharp a ^ \ markup {\ italic "1." } c, d ^ \ markup {\ italic "6." } ef ^ \ markup {\ italic "1." } a, b ^ \ markup {\ italic "6." } cis} >> >> \ new FiguredBass {\ figuremode {<_> 2 <_ +> <7> <6 5> <4> <_> <7> <6 5> <4> <_ +> < 7> <6 5>}} >>% because of figured bass

Holtmeier points out that this is a "syncopated excerpt from the octave rule ". Syncope dissonances are heard above the 6th and 1st scale notes instead of the sixth or third, which the octave rule conveys there as normality.

literature

  • Ludwig Holtmeier, Johannes Menke, Felix Diergarten: Solfeggi, Bassi e Fughe. Georg Friedrich Handel's exercises in sentence theory. Wilhelmshaven: Florian Noetzel Verlag 2013, ISBN 978-3-7959-0906-2 .
  • Ulrich Kaiser: ear training. Sentence theory, improvisation, hearing analysis. Bärenreiter, Kassel 1998, vol. 1 ( basic course ) ISBN 3-7618-1159-4 , vol. 2 ( advanced course ) ISBN 3-7618-1160-8 .
  • Johannes Menke: Counterpoint II: The music of the baroque . Laaber, Laaber-Verlag 2017, ISBN 978-3-89007-826-7 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Holtmeier / Menke / Diergarten 2013, p. 52; Menke 2017, p. 132.
  2. ^ Kaiser 1998 vol. 2, p. 342ff .; see also musikanalyse.net .
  3. ↑ Holtmeier / Menke / Diergarten 2013, p. 163.
  4. ↑ Menke 2017, p. 132.
  5. ↑ Holtmeier / Menke / Diergarten 2013, p. 209.