Developing variation
Encyclopedia
In music composition
, developing variation is a formal
technique in which the concepts of development
and variation
are united in that variations are produced through the development of existing material.
Though the term was coined by Arnold Schoenberg
, inventor of the twelve-tone technique
, he felt it was one of the most important compositional principles since around 1750:
Schoenberg distinguished this from the "unravelling" procedures of contrapuntal
tonal
music but developing variation may be related to other textures and to Schoenberg's own freely atonal
pieces which employ a "method of atonal developing variation each chord
, line, and harmony results from the subtle alteration and recombination of musical ideas
from earlier in the piece" and Schoenberg describes its importance to his developmental of serialism.
Haimo applies the concept to vertical (pitch
) as well as horizontal (rhythm
and permutation
) transformations in twelve-tone music on the premise of "the 'unity of musical space'" after suggesting that Schoenberg reconciled serial organization and developing variation in the twelve tone technique.
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
, developing variation is a formal
Musical form
The term musical form refers to the overall structure or plan of a piece of music, and it describes the layout of a composition as divided into sections...
technique in which the concepts of development
Musical development
In European classical music, musical development is a process by which a musical idea is communicated in the course of a composition. It refers to the transformation and restatement of initial material, and is often contrasted with musical variation, which is a slightly different means to the same...
and variation
Variation (music)
In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve harmony, melody, counterpoint, rhythm, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these.-Variation form:...
are united in that variations are produced through the development of existing material.
Though the term was coined by Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
, inventor of the twelve-tone technique
Twelve-tone technique
Twelve-tone technique is a method of musical composition devised by Arnold Schoenberg...
, he felt it was one of the most important compositional principles since around 1750:
Schoenberg distinguished this from the "unravelling" procedures of contrapuntal
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
tonal
Tonality
Tonality is a system of music in which specific hierarchical pitch relationships are based on a key "center", or tonic. The term tonalité originated with Alexandre-Étienne Choron and was borrowed by François-Joseph Fétis in 1840...
music but developing variation may be related to other textures and to Schoenberg's own freely atonal
Atonality
Atonality in its broadest sense describes music that lacks a tonal center, or key. Atonality in this sense usually describes compositions written from about 1908 to the present day where a hierarchy of pitches focusing on a single, central tone is not used, and the notes of the chromatic scale...
pieces which employ a "method of atonal developing variation each chord
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
, line, and harmony results from the subtle alteration and recombination of musical ideas
Musical idea
In music, an idea is conception or realization of an idea such as a theme or texture. A complete but not independent musical idea is a section.The term Idée fixe, or fixed idea, refers to Leitmotif.-External Links:...
from earlier in the piece" and Schoenberg describes its importance to his developmental of serialism.
Haimo applies the concept to vertical (pitch
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
) as well as horizontal (rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
and permutation
Permutation (music)
In music, a permutation of a set is any ordering of the elements of that set. Different permutations may be related by transformation, through the application of zero or more of certain operations, such as transposition, inversion, retrogradation, circular permutation , or multiplicative operations...
) transformations in twelve-tone music on the premise of "the 'unity of musical space'" after suggesting that Schoenberg reconciled serial organization and developing variation in the twelve tone technique.
Further reading
- Frisch, Walter (1984). Brahms and the Principle of Developing Variation, p.1-34. Berkeley. Cited in Haimo as developing from Schoenberg's work.
- Schoenberg, Arnold. Style and Idea, p.397. Cited by Haimo (1990).
- Schoenberg, Arnold. Composition with Twelve Tones (2), p.248. Cited by Haimo (1990).