Tonicalization

From Tonikalisierung ( English tonicisation ( BE ) or tonicization ( AE ), French tonicisation ) is pronounced in music theory , if other than the I. temporary stage a prevailing tone as tonic can be interpreted without abandoned this key as a parent reference system would.

The term was coined by Heinrich Schenker , according to which "every level [expresses] an irresistible urge to conquer the value of the tonic as the strongest level". Its definition is:

“If this urge for the level for the strongest value of the tonic within a diatony to which the level belongs is really allowed, then I designate the process as tonicization and the appearance itself as chromaticism. "

- Heinrich Schenker : Harmony . Stuttgart and Berlin 1906, p. 337.

Schenker distinguishes between direct and indirect tonicization .

The former is the case when a level is briefly given a tonic color using isolated tones (such as alternating or transitory notes ). This is shown by Schenker et al. a. at the following excerpt from the Italian Concerto (BWV 971, T. 30–34) by Johann Sebastian Bach :

$\ version "2.14.2" \ header {tagline = ## f} upper = \ relative c '{\ override Score.TimeSignature.stencil = ## f \ key f \ major \ time 2/4 \ tempo 4 = 72 < <{\ voiceOne f'4 s8 c d16 c d8 ~ d16 f \ tweak NoteHead.color #red \ tweak Stem.color #red \ tweak Accidental.color #red es dce! f8 ~ f16 edc bes a bes d g8 bes, bes \ prall (a) b8 \ rest s8} \ new Voice {\ voiceTwo <fac> 4 b8 \ rest} >>} lower = \ relative c '{\ clef bass \ key f \ major \ time 2/4 << {\ voiceOne \ autoBeamOff f ,, 8 \ clef treble \ autoBeamOn a '' -. [a-. a-.] bes [bes bes ^ \ markup {\ center-column {(as it were B flat major)}} bes] bes [bes aa] g [ggg] g (f) b8 \ rest f} \ new Voice {\ voiceTwo s8 f [ff] f [fff] f [fff] f [fee] ff, 16 g a8 f \ mark \ markup {etc}} >>} \ score {\ new PianoStaff << \ new Staff = "upper" \ upper \ new Staff = "lower" \ lower >> \ layout {\ override Staff.TimeSignature.transparent = ## t \ context {\ Score \ remove "Metronome_mark_engraver" \ remove "Mark_engraver" \ remove "Staff_collecting_engraver"} \ context {\ Staff \ consists "Mark_engraver" \ consists "Staff_collecting_engraver"}} \ midi {}}$

The es in the dominant key of F major , which is foreign to the ladder in the second bar of the example, is ladder-like in B major, so that one can speak of the immediate tonicization of the fourth degree of F major.

An indirect tonicization (much more common according to Schenker) is when the level for its tonicization does not use individual tones, but “uses one or more previous levels”. This is done by chromatically changing the previous stage (s) to a "harmony sequence according to the scheme V-I or VII-I", i.e. in the sense of functional theory through the use of intermediate dominants .

Franz Schubert : Symphony in B minor , 1st movement, mm. 44–53:

$\ version "2.14.2" \ header {tagline = ## f} upper = \ relative c '' {\ override Score.TimeSignature.stencil = ## f \ set Score.currentBarNumber = # 44 \ clef treble \ key d \ major \ time 3/4 \ tempo 4 = 120 << {r8 <bd> 4 -.- (<bd> -. <bd> 8 -.-) | r8 <c d> 4 -.- (<c d> -. <c d> 8 -.-) | r8 <c d> 4 -.- (<c d> -. <c d> 8 -.-) | r8 4 -.- ( -. 8 -.-) | r8 4 -.- ( -. 8 -.-) | r8 <d e> 4 -.- (<d e> -. <d e> 8 -.-) | r8 <d e> 4 -.- (<d e> -. <d e> 8 -.-) | r8 <c e> 4 -.- (<c e> -. <c e> 8 -.-) | r8 c4 -.- (<c d> -. <c d> 8 -.-) | 4} \\ {g4 (d4. g8) | f sharp8. (g16 a4. g8) | f sharp8. (g16 a8 d, e f sharp) | g4 (d2) | g4 (d4. g8) | \ tweak NoteHead.color #red \ tweak Stem.color #red \ tweak Accidental.color #red gis8. (a16 b4. a8) | g sharp8. (a16 b8 e, f sharp g sharp) | a4 (e4. g sharp8) | a4 (d, e8 f sharp) | g4} \\ {s2. s2. s2. s2. s2. s2. s2. s2. | r8 es' (d) s4. | s4} >>} lower = \ relative c {\ override Score.TimeSignature.stencil = ## f \ clef bass \ key d \ major \ time 3/4 \ tempo 4 = 120 {g'4 rrdrrdrrg, rrg 'rr \ tweak NoteHead.color #red \ tweak Stem.color #red \ tweak Accidental.color #red errerr \ tweak NoteHead.color #blue \ tweak Stem.color #blue \ tweak Accidental.color #blue arrd, rrg}}% \ addlyrics {\ once \ override LyricText.self-alignment-X = # 1 G major: _I V - I - \ once \ override% LyricText.self-alignment-X = # 1 A minor: _V - I \ once \ override LyricText.self-alignment-X = # 1 G major: _V I} \ paper {indent = 0} \ score {\ new PianoStaff << \ new Staff = "upper" \ upper \ new Staff = "lower" \ lower >> \ layout {\ context {\ Score \ remove "Metronome_mark_engraver"}} \ midi {}}$

II. Step of ruling key G major (blue) is tonikalisiert by above in T. 49 bass e the diatonic third, g for gis (marked red) is increased and these VI. Level serves as a local dominant .

In addition, there can also be a “miniature tonicalization” that does not take place at the level of levels, but only affects individual tones.

$\ version "2.14.2" \ header {tagline = ## f} upper = \ relative c '' {% \ set Score.currentBarNumber = # 44 \ clef treble \ key b \ minor \ time 4/4 \ tempo 4 = 85 << {\ partial 8 f sharp, 8 \ p | <b, b '> (<ais ais'>) (<ais ais'>) | (<cis cis'>) <d d '> (<ais ais'>) | g' (fis \ tweak NoteHead.color #red \ tweak Stem.color #red \ tweak Accidental.color #red eis) \ tweak NoteHead.color #blue \ tweak Stem.color #blue \ tweak Accidental. color #blue fis (\ tweak NoteHead.color #red \ tweak Stem.color #red \ tweak Accidental.color #red dis) \ tweak NoteHead.color #blue \ tweak Stem.color #blue e (cis) | db ais b g '(e) ais (b) | f sharp4. f sharp8 b, 4} \\ {\ partial 8 s8 | s1 s1 s1 <bd> 4 <ais cis> b} >>} lower = \ relative c {\ clef bass \ key b \ minor \ time 4/4 \ tempo 4 = 85 {\ partial 8 <fis fis,> 8 | b, (ais) b (ais) | b (cis) d (ais) | b <g g '> (<f sharp' f sharp,> <eis eis,>) <f sharp f sharp,> (<dis dis,>) <ee,> (<cis c sharp,>) | <dd,> <bb,> <ais ais,> <bb,> <g g '> (<e e'>) <ais ais '> () | <fis fis'> 4. <fis fis '> 8 <b, b'> 4}} \ paper {indent = 0} \ score {\ new PianoStaff << \ new Staff = "upper" \ upper \ new Staff = "lower" \ lower >> \ layout {\ context {\ Score \ remove "Metronome_mark_engraver"}} \ midi {}}$

In the above example, the instrumental prelude to the aria The people that walked in darkness from Georg Friedrich Handel's Messiah , the tone f sharp and e (marked in blue ) is briefly given a tonic color by the preceding tone ice or d flat (marked in red).

Sources and literature (chronological)

Heinrich Schenker: New musical theories and fantasies. Vol. 1: Harmony. J. G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachhaben, Stuttgart and Berlin 1906 ( online ).
Roger Sessions : Harmonic Practice . Harcourt & Brace, New York 1951, chap. 8th.
Elisabeth Egger: Theories of extended tonality and vague chords in the harmony teachings of Hugo Riemann, Heinrich Schenker and Arnold Schönberg . Graz 2008 ( online ).

Web links

Harmony on Schenker Documents Online

Individual evidence

↑ Schenker 1906, p. 337.
↑ See Schenker 1906, p. 343.
↑ Egger 2008, p. 13 f. Schenker rejects other connections (such as III – I) because they are ambiguous and therefore cannot clearly identify a level as a tonic (cf. Schenker 1906, p. 352; Egger 2008, p. 13, footnote 48).
↑ See Schenker 1906, p. 362f .; Schenker speaks of a "tonicization process [...] en miniature", which comes about in that "so-called secondary notes [...] for the role are, as it were, a seventh level, despite the fact that the tones they serve are themselves only continuous are. ”(Schenker 1906, p. 363; cf. also Egger 2008, p. 13.).

[1] Schenker 1906, p. 337.

[2] See Schenker 1906, p. 343.

[3] Egger 2008, p. 13 f. Schenker rejects other connections (such as III – I) because they are ambiguous and therefore cannot clearly identify a level as a tonic (cf. Schenker 1906, p. 352; Egger 2008, p. 13, footnote 48).

[4] See Schenker 1906, p. 362f .; Schenker speaks of a "tonicization process [...] en miniature", which comes about in that "so-called secondary notes [...] for the role are, as it were, a seventh level, despite the fact that the tones they serve are themselves only continuous are. ”(Schenker 1906, p. 363; cf. also Egger 2008, p. 13.).