# Tonal Allusions in 12-tone Music



## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Schoenberg used rows with tonal implications.

Here's an old post of mine from the "Schoenberg's Op. 26 Wind Quintet" thread in Amazon Classical:

[The row is (first hexad) Eb-G-A-B-C#-C, which gives an augmented/whole-tone scale feel, with a "resolution" to C at the end, then (second hexad) Bb-D-E-F#-G#-F, which is very similar in its augmented/whole-tone scale structure, which only makes sense: there are only two whole-tone scales in the chromatic collection, each a chromatic half-step away from the other. 
I've heard Debussy use the two whole-tone scales in this manner, moving down a half-step to gain entry to the new key area. This is why Schoenberg used a "C" in the first hexad, and the "F" in the second; these are "gateways" into the chromatically adjacent scale area. Chromatic half-step relations like these can also be seen as "V-I" relations, when used as dual-identity "tri-tone substitutions" as explained following.
Another characteristic of whole-tone scales is their use (as in Thelonious Monk's idiosyncratic whole-tone run) as an altered dominant, or V chord. There is a tritone present, which creates a b7/3-3/b7 ambiguity, exploited by jazz players as "tri-tone substitution". The tritone (if viewed as b7-3 rather than I-b5) creates a constant harmonic movement, which is what chromatic jazzers, as well as German expressionists, are after.
So Schoenberg had several ideas in mind of the tonal implications when he chose this row.]


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