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Joseph Straus
A significantbody of twentieth-centurymusic (by Stravinsky (both melodic and harmonic)and governingthe tonal motion at
and others) is organized aroundfunctionaltone-centersbut is all levels of structure.Throughrepetition,this normativeunit
not tonal in the traditionalsense. The search for a comprehen- becomes so engrainedin the listener's consciousness that the
sive and self-containedtheory of this music is one of the most sounding of part of the patterncreates an expectation for the
important tasks facing students and teachers of twentieth- completionof the pattern.In otherwords, when a normativeunit
centurymusic. We need a theorywhich can accountnot only for of n elementshas been established,the appearanceof any subset
surfacestylistic featuresof this music but for its deep structural of that unit containingn-1 elements will create an expectation
organizationas well. To be successful, such a theory would for the single missing element. Further,this principle is also
have to providea systematicand coherentview of pitch organi- valid for structurallyrelatedtones even if they are widely sepa-
zationat all levels of structure.Specifically, the theorywe seek rated in time.
mustaddresstwo principalquestions:First, whatis the natureof The basic pattern for a certain composition might be the
the tone-centersin this music, the fundamentalsonoritiesoper- tetrachordformed by the first four notes of the majorscale or
ating at the backgroundlevel of structure?Second, what is the their inversion, a tetrachordlike ABC#Dor ABbCD.l Various
means of progressionbetweenthese backgroundharmonies?In forms of this tetrachord-transposedor inverted-may appear
other words, our theorymust considerboth harmonyand voice frequentlyas definablemelodic andharmonicunits. As a result,
leading. the soundingof threenotes which might, with the additionof a
This paper describes a prevalentfeatureof voice leading in single note, createthattetrachord-type,will arousean expecta-
Stravinsky's music, one which I call "pattern-completion."
Accordingto this principle,a certainunorderedcollection or set 'This is tetrachord4-11 in Forte's nomenclature.(The Structureof Atonal
of notes (generally a tetrachord)is established as a structural Music, New Haven:Yale UniversityPress, 1973). In this paper,this tetrachord
norm for the composition, pervadingthe surface of the music will be referredto as TetrachordA.
tion for the missing note. Furthermore,the arrivalof the missing Example 1. Symphoniesof WindInstruments,5 mm. afterRehearsal1
note will bringwith it a sense of cadenceor of structuralarrival. (R1)
In the case of ourexample, the appearanceof the notes F, E, and
D would create the expectation of the arrivalof C since the C EbF G Ab = TetrachordA
alone is capable of completing an expected form of the norma-
tive unit. . J. I J LlI
By systematicuse of a single normativepatternat all levels of '[6 L J. .
I
structure,Stravinskyis able to achieve a high degreeof musical
coherence. By exploiting the need for completionof this single
unit, he is able to create directionality,cadential arrival, and, ).
bLL I t, -
ultimately, tonal centricity as well. Pattern-completionthus
consists of two fundamentalaspects: 1) establishmentof a single r r I r
T
r
collection-type or patternas the normativestructuralunit for a G Ab Bb C = TetrachordA
composition and 2) exploitationof the listener's desire for the
completion of that unit. ? Copyright1926 by EditionRusse de Musique. Copyrightassignedto Boosey
& Hawkes, Inc. Used by permission.
InSymphonies of Wind Instruments, pattern-completion is the
key to understandingthe musical organizationfrom melodic
motives to backgroundstructure.Like so many of Stravinsky's
compositions, Symphonies of Wind Instruments is highly sec-
tionalin its constructionwith distinctiveandcontrastingmusical of the same tetrachord(FPGAB)occurs on the downbeatof the
materialsstrikinglyjuxtaposed.Let us considerjust one distinc- second measure.
tive bit of musical material,the two-measuresegment shown in Althoughthe above examples consideronly a single motive,
Example 1. This motive occurs first at the startof the piece and the piece as a whole is similarly permeated with forms of
recurs, transformed,several other times. TetrachordA. Throughpervasive, explicit use, this tetrachord
As the example shows, the melody (set forthby the firstoboe) becomes the normativestructuralunit for the piece. This gives
consists of the notes Eb,F, G, andA. These fournotes comprise Stravinskythe power, throughpattern-completion,to directthe
a form of the tetrachordwhich I designatedabove as Tetrachord tonalmotiontowardspecific pitches, to createcadences, to form
A. At the melodic highpointof the phrase,the chordconsists of links between sections, and, ultimately, to unify the piece as a
the notes G, Ab, B1, and C, another version of the same tet- whole.
rachord,equivalent to the first by inversion. Let us see first of all how Stravinskyuses pattern-completion
Subsequentharmonizationsof the same melody make even to link the distinctsections of the piece. Frequently,throughout
more consistent vertical use of this tetrachord,as Example 2 one entire section of music, a prominentinstrumentalline will
shows. In Example2b, the melody in the firsttrombone(GABC use only threenotes of a tetrachord.The fourthnote, completing
= TetrachordA) is accompanieda sixth below by a parallelform the pattern,arrivesat the beginning of the subsequentsection.
of TetrachordA (BCDE) in the second trombone.A thirdform The music leadingto Rehearsal8 (R8) providesan illustrationof
D E Ft G = TetrachordA Db Eb F Gb - TetrachordA
A
? Copyright1926 by EditionRusse de Musique. Copyrightassignedto Boosey
& Hawkes, Inc. Used by permission.
EH!I I! -
Trps.,
pesante
_ GABC=
Tbns. ._ CD E
F G A B = TetrachordA
this procedure. This passage is one of the few substantially ever, are substantiallyaltered.Withone briefexception, each of
revised by Stravinskyin preparingthe generally-known 1947 the accompanyingflute parts in this passage now consists of
versionof this piece. In the original 1920 version, the accompa- only three notes. In each partthe three notes form a trichordal
nying partsbetween R6 and R8 consist of generally chromatic subset of TetrachordA and, in each part, the trichordis com-
parallelmotion in the second and thirdflutes at the distanceof a pleted as the subsequentsection begins. In addition,the melody
major seventh. The chromaticmotion ceases at the end of the at the end of the passage uses four notes--GI, Al, Bb, and
passagewhen the second flute statestwo formsof TetrachordA, C--yet anotherform of TetrachordA. A clear sense of arrival
the second of which culminateson F as the subsequentsection and connection is created by these pattern-completions.
begins (Example 3). In the same way, pattern-completionbringsaboutthe princi-
Pattern-completionis even more prominently used in the pal musical climax of the piece at Rehearsal54. At Rehearsal
1947 edition. In the revised version of this passage (the last 51, the lowest sounding parts (bassoons 2 and 3 and tuba)
measures of which are shown in Example 4), the melody re- alternateBbandAK.Aftera briefinterruption,these partsresume
mains unchanged. The texture of the accompanimentis also at Rehearsal52 with DI addedin bassoons 2 and3. The trichord
unchanged,with the second and thirdflutes moving in parallel AK-Bb-DIis thus establishedandrapidlyrepeatedin these lowest
majorsevenths. The actual notes of the accompaniment,how- parts. The tension built up by repetitions of this trichordis
Example3. OnemeasurebeforeR8
(
a^jtj^-^, +r '"Q*? RT^
,
Lj SJ
e) -r %I, I I I
C D E F = TetrachordA
110 MusicTheorySpectrum
Example 4
L
i4 _ , +s, ea 4) ,- ,
.l
Z o in =
Fl. fCLmf
DLoELn
-- I . I -i I I_ , I * J I- JI -
IDb a= )
EbEt
_- e _-
-:---- lift -- a;
released at Rehearsal 54, the climactic moment, when C is large-scale tonal coherence. For that purpose, let us turn again to
introduced in the lowest parts, completing Tetrachord A. A the motive we discussed earlier, shown as Example 1. Briefly,
schematic reduction of these events is contained in Example 5. the successive transpositions of this motive as the piece pro-
Tetrachord A not only motivates the climax, but defines it as gresses create a sense of directed motion from F down to C, a
well. At Rehearsal 54, the lower brass intruments state three motion which spans the entire composition. Example 6 shows
parallel forms of this tetrachord. The lowest of these, and the the principal notes of the major occurrences of this motive in the
most prominent, is the CDEF tetrachord stated by the tuba, third piece.
trombone, fourth horn, and first and second bassoons. This is In its first occurrence at five after Rehearsal 1, the motive is
accompanied by EFPGOAin the first and second trombones and unambiguously centered on F: both the soprano and bass voices
by CODOE#FP in the second and third trumpets. The completion of begin and end on F. At one after Rehearsal 27, both outer
Tetrachord A motivates the climax; saturation of the musical voices, particularly the bass, are centered on E. The motive is
surface with Tetrachord A defines the climax, as Example 5 stated again at Rehearsal 28, concluding this time with a bass
shows. descent to D. Subsequent statements of this motive also focus on
So far we have considered only surface presentations of E or D. Successive transpositions of this single motive thus
Tetrachord A, as a melody or a chord or a line used to link establish a large-scale bass descent from F through E to D.
sections. Now let us see how pattern-completion can bring about Since Tetrachord A is the normative unit for this piece, these
Example 8. Les Noces: Measures 1-4, R9, and last three mm.
MM. . 80.
Soprano B D E = Trichord A
Solo.
Ko -a - - b MO - R KO...
Tres - - se, tres- - se, ma
........r
: .............. H
C'
..............
.........
\'w~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)-:
PIANO.
a 2m. { (I I
^A
a
75 I 7--- --8 ' -t
sff sempre
= 120. -- - - -
C# E F# = A
hR -itp- n p -Prn^V V -
S. HeyraHb, He KJi4b_ Jie - 6e-nym - Ka, He KJHb {,BLOO
- jt
d
IItiJ sr r _ b)
ACD=
c4,i - a - - TO - Ba...
GAC =
Bleu corn- me__ mes yeux.
s..4e-T-b.LJ EGA=
fI
C)J - .I
j) r-H
- _
- cy, no - e - cy, Py - cy Ko- cy ,e - cy Hac - TiMmI rpe6neMb,pac- ie - cy.
peig-ne - ra
tresse on pei On la peig-ne - ra bien a - vec le peig-ne fin.
"
. I Tre ) ) U-_)
J)h J) ) ho b -t-
Example 11. Agon serial. From m. 542 on, the twelve-note units begin to dissolve
into smaller fragments, particularlyforms of TetrachordC. In
this context, four distinct musical lines lead to the chord in m.
The Row: C A Ab Cb Bb Di D F E E GbG
553, the arrivalof which is motivatedby pattern-completion,as
Example 14 shows.
Measure 520 523 526 529 531 534 536 539 541
Beginning in m. 549, the first trumpetstates the first eleven
Row Form pitches of RI7. The ninth, tenth, and eleventh pitches of this
Po RIo Io I0 R1o Po R1o RI7 17,RIo row-formare Gs, B, and Bb.The arrivalof G in the chordat m.
553 thus provides the twelfth and concluding element of a
row-formand completes a form of TetrachordC. Beginning in
the same place (m. 549), the second trumpetstates overlapping
forms of TetrachordC. The last three notes of this line (Bb, A,
Example12 and FO)also lead to G. The same mechanism is used in the
trombonesand stringsto lead to A and C which, along with G,
appearin the chord at m. 553. In m. 561, the recapitulationof
C A A \ C/ B \ D/ F \ E/ E G G the openingmusic of the balletbegins with a pentachordconsist-
ing of the chorddiscussed above (CEGA) with an F in the bass.
Like the notes of the CEGAchord,this F is presentedas boththe
last element in a row statement(Io)andthe completionof a form
of TetrachordC.
The entranceof the chord CEGA at m. 553 and the subse-
quententranceof the opening music of the ballet at m. 561 are
of registercertainforms of TetrachordC which arenot contigu- the most striking and dramatic musical events of the entire
ous elements in the row (Example 13).5 concluding quarterof Agon. The injection of these unexpected
At m. 553, a transitionto the diatonicopening materialof the elements into a contrasting musical context has a powerful
ballet begins with a statement(subsequentlyreiteratednumer- impact. As in Symphoniesof WindInstrumentsand countless
ous times) of the tetrachordCEGA (4-26). This chord, which is otherpieces by Stravinsky,the source of the dramastems from
of centralimportancein the diatonicopening music, has played the sharp,violentjuxtapositionof contrastingelements. InSym-
virtually no role in the serial and proto-serial music which phonies of WindInstruments,the disparatesections are linked
immediatelyprecedes it. How has the strikingintroductionof by pattern-completion,with the completingnote arrivingas the
this chord been prepared?In mm. 520-42, the music is strictly new section begins. The same is true of these two crucial
moments in Agon. The music of the recapitulationis different
from the music which precedes it, yet the two are powerfully
5Theuse of non-contiguouselementsof the row to formpitch-classsets which
are subsets of the row in the music of Schoenberg is a principaldiscovery of linked by pattern-completion.
MarthaMaclean Hyde in "The Roots of Form in Schoenberg's Sketches," The traditionalcritical view of Stravinskyduring the early
Journal of Music Theory, 24 (1980), 1-36. part of this century was that his music was antitheticalto the
Example 13
?
A .4pcn-tPmnn 1 -
Viole .jp
I c'- - r
marc. ,p
620 pizz. 521 522 523 524
Violoncelli
I ma"rc.< t.t.j .r
--
Contrabassi
.piu.
I
6
Example 14
serialismof Schoenbergandhis followers. Criticswho held that The implicationsof organizinga large movement on such a
view were naturally shocked when, later in his career, tonal polarityare too numerousto discuss here. What concerns
Stravinskyadopted serial proceduresin his own music. More us immediatelyis the question of large-scale voice leading. In
recently, revisionist accountshave tried to show that the serial otherwords, given thatthereis a fundamentalpolaritybetweenC
music of Stravinskyactually behaves much like his pre-serial and E in this piece, how is that polaritygiven expressionin the
music.6The theoryof pattern-completionattemptsto show that music? How is it composed-out?Ratherthan showing the nu-
the opposite is also true-that the pre-serialmusic of Stravinsky merousand prominentsurfacepresentationsof TetrachordA, I
actuallymakes use of organizationalprincipleswhich are not at will simply assertthat it is the basic patternfor this movement.
all far removed from the principles of serial composition. If Using thatpattern,Stravinskyexpresses the polarityof C and E
Stravinsky, throughout his career, was preoccupied by the by means of pattern-completion.
quasiserialmanipulationof certain normativepatternsand de- The first partof the exposition is orientedtowardpitch-class
termined pitch selection and structureon the basis of those C. The music of the first theme is shown as Example 15. The
manipulations,then his adoptionof twelve-tone serialismneed tonal orientationof this passage is not entirely unambiguous.
no longer be viewed as a dramatic stylistic change. On the The accompanimentconsists of only two notes, E and G. The
contrary,Stravinsky'sserial compositions, like his earliermu- melody assures that this passage is oriented somewhat more
sic, are seen to express certaincommon organizationalproce- toward C than toward E. Nevertheless, a certain tension be-
dures referredto here as pattern-completion. tween C and E remains here as it does throughoutthe entire
introductionand first theme area.
Let us turnnow to the Symphonyin C, concentratingon the
A traditionalsonata-allegroexposition juxtaposes two con-
exposition of the first movement. This movement is clearly
modeled on a traditionalsonata-allegroform. It is in threelarge trastingtonal areas. Symphonyin C does so as well, although
herethe choice of a secondaryareais dictatedby the logic of the
sections: an exposition which contains two contrasting
C-E polaritycomposed-outby pattern-completion.The second
subsections,a development,anda recapitulationwith coda. The
area centers on the F majortriad. The music is virtually static
essence of the major-keysonata-allegroform, however, lies not
around this triad until near the end of the exposition. The
in its proportionsor thematic manipulations, but in its tonal
principaltonal motion of the exposition is thus from C to F, an
relations, specifically in the polarityof tonic anddominant.But intervalwhich has powerfulharmonicand voice-leading impli-
since this tonic-dominantpolarity,andtraditionaltonalrelations
cations.
in general, are mere vestiges in Stravinsky'smusic, a new tonal
There is one significantharmonicarea which intervenesbe-
logic gives new meaningto the old forms. InSymphonyin C, the tween the C and the F, an area orientedtoward pitch-class D.
tonal logic springsfrom a tension between a triadon C and one
The D is particularlyprominent in the transitional passage
on E. These two triads compete for priority throughoutthe
leading to the F-centeredsecond theme. From m. 74 to m. 93,
piece; in fact, this entire movement may be seen as an expres- the music is dominatedby a figure derived from the opening
sion of the polarity of the triad on C and the triad on E.
motive andfeaturinga pedalon D. Partof this figureis shown in
Example 16.
6See, for example, MartinBoykan, "Neoclassicism and Late Stravinsky," This passage might appearto be a prolongationof the domi-
Perspectives of New Music, 1 (1963), 155-69. nant of G major or minor and it does occur at a place in the
118 MusicTheorySpectrum
Ob I -
Viol:I
.S ^ t |
^ .
.,f
-. .' .I .- Li L j
.V
... ,l . .I .
Viole . ?
Cb ..'
{-. rv - - -' - - : F
Vcl __ _ 4. _ _ . __$ ____ My y ,. _Z.
Cb
~ lp~-~
~ '~ - ~ ~ ' ~
[17
'V,ioI I I i i fff-f
f
do 1' Xd
i-s
un} di>-P -
the opening chorus as well. The trills which embellish the rence, Bb is in the bass. The motive comes back toward the
opening chordsof the piece, for example, are not merely deco- middle of the piece transposedso thatBOratherthanBbis in the
rative. Rather, they create four different forms of the basic bass. The dyad Bb-BW formed by these bass notes is an incom-
patternwhich would not be presentin their absence. The basic plete statementof the basic pattern.Eitherof two notes, D or G,
patternis embeddedin each of the chords. In Example 20, the could serve to completethe basic patternsince bothB-Bb-Dand
top line of the lower system shows the notes of each chordon a B-Bb-Gareexamplesof it. In fact, bothof these implicationsare
single staff. The lower line shows the embeddedsubsetformsof realized in Oedipus. The G is the tonal center upon which the
the basic pattern. TrichordB is, in fact, the only three-note piece ends. At the end of the piece, the Fate Motif comes back,
subset common to all of these chords. this time with G as the bass note. The transpositionsof the Fate
As a final small-scale instance of TrichordB in the opening Motif thus outline a form of the basic pattern. Or, to put it
chorus, considerthe music at threebefore Rehearsal21, shown anotherway, this patternformsthe structuralbackgroundof the
in Example21. Here, the chorusimploresOedipusfor the final piece, as shown in Example 23.
time to rid Thebes of the plague. They call three times for his But the D which, like the G, was implied by the first two
aid, andeach time, the melody consists of threenotes, E, F, and occurrencesof the Fate Motif also arrives. The D arrivesat a
D1,which constitutea formof the basicpattern.The influenceof momentof tremendousdramaticand structuralimportance,the
the basic patternis thus felt in every dimension of the opening momentof revelationwhen Oedipusrealizeswho he is and what
chorus: melodically (see Example 21); harmonically, in the he has done. This passage (shown in Example 24) seems to
opening chords (see Example 20); and at the level of structural hover at first between B and D, then finally, at the end of the
motion (see Example 19). passage, descends decisively to D. In this way, the dyad Bb-B
As in Symphoniesof WindInstrumentsandAgon, the basic thus points aheadboth to the conclusion of the entireopera(on
patternin Oedipus Rex is used to connect disparatemusical G) and to the climactic dramaticmoment (on D). Example 25
sections. The transitionfromOedipus'solo, "Sphynga Solvi," summarizesthese large-scale motions.
to the chorus which follows at Rehearsal 61 (after a brief Furthermore,it is not too far-fetchedto suggest that these
interruptionby the Speaker)is broughtabout in the following large-scale structuralarrivals have a dramatic as well as a
way. A structuralC in the bass at three measures before Re- musical significance. The statementof Bb and B initiates an
hearsal 56 initiates a long bass descent arrivingon E1 at Re- inexorable motion first toward D and then toward G. These
hearsal58. The Ebis sustaineduntilthe end of Oedipus'ariaand arrivalssymbolize both the irresistiblefate that has Oedipus in
throughthe brief choral utteranceand spoken monologue just its graspandthe knowledgewhich comes with his acceptanceof
after it. At Rehearsal61, the chorusbegins on B, completinga that fate. The most significant structuralmotions of this im-
form of the basic pattern, as Example 22 shows. mense work can thus be encompassed and understood in a
The patternis also used to directthe tonalmotionof the entire simple and direct way, namely the establishmentand comple-
operathroughpattern-completion.Considerthe principaloccur- tion of a single basic pattern.
rences of the so-called Fate Motif-the repeated minor
thirds-which occurs first at Rehearsal 2.7 In its first occur- Documents, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978, p. 264) the music at one
measureafter Rehearsal2 where the motive first appearswas the first musical
7Accordingto RobertCraftand Vera Stravinsky(Stravinskyin Pictures and notationStravinskymade when he began work on Oedipus Rex.
Example 20
The OpeningMusic
^ I . f
I.
Kae - - - dit nos pe -
l?
-ibbti I
8---
'Z
b bbb, 4A WV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
t;O
E F Dbt = Trichord B
!N ~'r-' r i-t-r' rr
rva -rva
nos, se nos!
se vsse
a8 I. nos, s ae 1.
liWbUbba~
~ ~j.e; . ,. ..
Example 22 Example 23
Example 24
,.~
Flr-lrJ (exit)
(Ed.
r ~r--r
- 1
) H&
PP
Example 25
The analyses undertakenin this paper suggest that pattern- traditionalsense-it might form partof thatnew theoryfor this
completion is a consistentorganizingprinciplein Stravinsky's music which we all seek.
music. Whetherthe piece is "impressionistic"(Symphoniesof
WindInstruments), "neo-classical" (Symphonyin C), "Rus-
sian" (Les Noces), or "proto-serial" (Agon), the same princi-
ples apply:pervasiveuse of a normativepatternandexploitation
of the desirefor completestatementsof thatpattern.Irrespective
of the apparentstyle of the piece, pattern-completionshapesthe
voice leading. This sub-surfacesimilarityis achievedin partby
Stravinsky'srestrictinghimself to a small repertoireof sets to
use as basic pattern. Furthermore,the sets he does use are
protean in characterin that they can be used in a variety of
harmoniccontexts. TetrachordC (4-3), for example, is a subset
of both the octatoniccollection (frequentlyused by Stravinsky)
and of one of the tone-rows in Agon. TetrachordA (4-11) is a
subset of both the majorscale and of variousfolk-like melodies
used by Stravinsky.The deploymentof this small repertoireof
proteansets in a consistent way is a majorunifying threadin a
compositionaloeuvre disparatein so many other ways.
Perhapseven moreimportant,pattern-completiondepicts the
close relationbetween the musical foregroundand background
in Stravinsky'smusic. The ostinati and repeatedmelodic frag-
ments so characteristicof Stravinskycan now be relatedin an
organicway to the structureof the music. Thatis, patternswhich
are stated as chords or ostinati or recurringmelodic fragments
are then seen to be composed-out over large spans. In some
cases, as we have seen, the composing-outof the basic pattern
can span an entire composition.
Pattern-completionis whatappearsto be a consistentlyuseful
tool for describingboth small- and large-scale voice leading. It
is perhapsStravinsky'smost significanttechniquefor forming
cadences, directingtonal motion, and articulatingstructure.If
pattern-completionproves to be of use in analyzing an even
broader spectrum of twentieth-centurymusic-that which is
organizedaroundfunctionaltone centers but is not tonal in the