4. Birdsong

Bartok’s Harmonic Axis

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6.

Concept of tonal organization observed in
Bartok’s music
based on key relationships (parallel, relative,
tritone)
Ex. key of C
F#maj

relative

tritone
Cmaj

F#min
tritone

parallel

Cmin

relative

relative

Amin

Ebmaj

parallel

parallel

Amaj

Ebmin

Characteristic Elements of Birdsong
1. Ordering of modes from bright to dark
2. Modulation of pedal point to tritone
3. Soli in Ab minor, new triad exploration
4. Aleatoric section behind flute and clarinet solos

“Bright to Dark Progression”
LYDIAN - IONIAN - MIXOLYDIAN - DORIAN - AEOLIAN - PHRYGIAN - LOCRIAN
(Maj - Maj - Maj - min - min - min - dim)
Cmaj - Gmaj - Dmaj - Amin - Emin - Bmin - F#dim (drop root a semitone - adjust to Fmaj)
Fmaj - Cmaj - Gmaj - Dmin - Amin - Emin - Bdim (adjust to Bbmaj)
Bbmaj - Fmaj - Cmaj - Gmin - Dmin - Amin - Edim (adjust to Ebmaj)
Ebmaj - Bbmaj - Fmaj - Cmin - Gmin - Dmin - Adim (adjust to Abmaj)
Abmaj - Ebmaj - Bbmaj - Fmin - Cmin - Gmin - Ddim (adjust to Dbmaj)
Dbmaj - Abmaj - Ebmaj- Bbmin - Fmin - Cmin - Gdim (adjust to F and modulate to F#, tritone away)

1st Open Improv Section