# Name this cadence



## Vile Consort

Various wikipedia and music theory pages list various types of cadence, but there's one that Bach uses that I haven't seen anywhere. I wondered if I might find a name for it here.

It occurs, for example, in the C minor Passacaglia BWV 582. There is a tonic pedal, whilst the penultimate chord is a diminished chord - B-D-F-A flat, leading to a C major final chord.

Something very similar happens in the C minor fugue from Book I. The A flat comes off early, yet its influence can still be felt, and the absence of a G -> C in the bass (well, anywhere at all, as there is no G in the penultimate chord) makes it sound quite different from a perfect cadence.

Does this cadence have a name?


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## mbhaub

If there's a special name for it I've never heard it. It's a glorious sound, isn't it? Essentially it functions like V7 - I. The dominant raised a half step. If you spell it as a G sharp it's almost a dominant 7th chord resolving to the tonic. It would be interesting to hear the chords played in a Bach-like tuning rather than equal temperament. That dischord, the A-flat, adds incredible tension to the chord, mandating resolution to the last chord. I think the effect would be lost on almost any other instrument other than organ with all of its rich overtones.


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## Kjetil Heggelund

G7(b9)/C with no root?


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## Vasks

It's just a leading tone fully diminished seventh over a pedal point tonic tone. The bass is the non-chord tone. So the cadence's name would be an imperfect authentic cadence.


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## EdwardBast

I've posted the last twelve measures of the piece and will refer to them as mm. 1-12.

I look at passages like this from a Schenkerian influenced perspective (even though I don't like orthodox Schenkerian analysis.)

From this perspective, the real final cadence is just a normal V-I cadence; the tonic is reached on the first beat of m. 7. The rest (the last 6 measures) is just elaboration of the final tonic harmony. Measure 11 is the most dissonant part of this elaboration, with all the notes of a vii°7 sounding over the tonic pedal. (Vask's description is good as a traditional harmonic analysis, but I would say that the C pedal is the only chord tone in the penultimate measure.)

Measures 1-4 elaborate the dominant and, in fact, they almost exactly parallel measures 7-10, which elaborate the tonic in the same way. The two passages are nearly the same thing transposed by a fifth. The chord on the fermata (m. 5) is a Neapolitan 6, soon followed by the final dominant on the last two beats of m. 6.

So the cadence is just standard tonal grammar extensively elaborated as one might expect at the end of a long and complex contrapuntal piece. No special name.


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## mikeh375

Don't forget the poor little tierce de Picardie.. ...he tried his best.


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## CrunchyFr0g

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> G7(b9)/C with no root?


Coming from a pop/rock background, that's how I'd interpret it too. An altered dominant chord with a tonic pedal, resolving to the tonic major.


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## EdwardBast

mikeh375 said:


> Don't forget the poor little *tierce de Picardie*.. ...he tried his best.


That I consider further support for the final structural cadence being six measures from the end - the Picardy third (E natural) appears there and is consistently used from there to the end.



CrunchyFr0g said:


> Coming from a pop/rock background, that's how I'd interpret it too. An altered dominant chord with a tonic pedal, resolving to the tonic major.


Except there is no G chord tone. It is only used as a neighbor. I think Vasks had it right on the local level: vii°7 over the tonic pedal.


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## Vasks

And Edward, you are quite right in saying the final six bars is an extension of the cadence (quite elaborate though). I was merely explaining what the OP described in words rather than looking at a score.


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## EdwardBast

Vasks said:


> And Edward, you are quite right in saying the final six bars is an extension of the cadence (quite elaborate though). I was merely explaining what the OP described in words rather than looking at a score.


Yep, I got that.  I never know whether or not to give the kind of answer I did.


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## mikeh375

EdwardBast said:


> Yep, I got that.  I never know whether or not to give the kind of answer I did.


You must always answer in full on mode Edward imo, I hope that expertise is always appreciated, especially when offered freely and willingly (thankyous are sometimes in short supply).

It's interesting to see the diversity of definitions here, none wrong of course, just indicative of different methods..I grew up with both chord symbols and the academic aspect.


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