Chromaticism

Summary

Dominique Pagani starts from the Greek etymology, chrôma: in painting, the word refers to gradations of colour; in music, to the smallest intervals, such as those between two neighbouring notes on the piano1. He sees chromaticism as a subversive force present in every work, because it creates indecision about the tonality2. In Mozart, chromatic variation produces a dissonance whose resolution is delayed, and according to him this is where Mozartian voluptuousness comes from3. With Tristan und Isolde, Wagner pushes chromaticism to the extreme. Tonality is then threatened with disintegration4, and this legacy inspires the avant-gardes and prepares atonality56. Yet he qualifies this point: in the Tristan chord, the tonality remains uncertain for only a few bars, because the appoggiaturas end up resolving and Wagner "spreads a safety net"7. He mainly takes up this theme in connection with Nietzsche's critique of Wagner.

1. 1Tipsy Beethoven!6 Jul 2022 · 10:09
2. 2#14 Mozart once more7 Feb 2021 · 26:43
3. 3#14 Mozart once more7 Feb 2021 · 56:42
4. 4#12 Nietzsche (right up) against Wagner28 Jan 2021 · 8:51
5. 5Bartók: the unheard-of sound13 Jul 2022 · 4:21
6. 6Nietzsche: no pity for Wagner27 Jul 2022 · 1:30
7. 7#12 Nietzsche (right up) against Wagner28 Jan 2021 · 13:50

Summary produced automatically from 7 of the passages below, to be reviewed; the numbers link to the moment in the session.