Ludus Tonalis
Encyclopedia
Ludus Tonalis subtitled Kontrapunktische, tonal, und Klaviertechnische Übungen (counterpoint, tonal and technical studies for the piano), is a piano work by Paul Hindemith
that was composed in 1942 during his stay in the United States.
The piece starts with a three-part Praeludium in C resembling Bach's toccatas, and ends with a Postludium which is an exact retrograde inversion
of the Praeludium. In between, there are twelve three-part fugue
s separated by eleven interludes, beginning in the tonality of the previous fugue and ending in the tonality of the next fugue (or in different tonality which is very close to that). The tonalities of the fugues follow the order of his Serie 1 and use the keynote C (see The Craft of Musical Composition). Ludus Tonalis was intended to be the twentieth-century equivalent to Bach's
Well-Tempered Clavier. Unlike Bach's piece, though, the non-fugal pieces in Ludus Tonalis frequently repeat the work's main theme, which makes listening to the work as a whole slightly less daunting to the novice.
Ludus Tonalis can be thought of as the most direct application of Hindemith's theory that the twelve tones of the equally tempered scale all relate to a single one of them (called a tonic or keynote). The affinity of each note with the keynote is directly related to its position on the harmonic scale. In this system, the major–minor duality is meaningless and the practice of modulation
is dropped.
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
that was composed in 1942 during his stay in the United States.
The piece starts with a three-part Praeludium in C resembling Bach's toccatas, and ends with a Postludium which is an exact retrograde inversion
Retrograde inversion
Retrograde inversion is a musical term that literally means "backwards and upside down": "The inverse of the series is sounded in reverse order." This is a technique used in music, specifically in twelve-tone technique, where the inversion and retrograde techniques are performed on the same tone...
of the Praeludium. In between, there are twelve three-part fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
s separated by eleven interludes, beginning in the tonality of the previous fugue and ending in the tonality of the next fugue (or in different tonality which is very close to that). The tonalities of the fugues follow the order of his Serie 1 and use the keynote C (see The Craft of Musical Composition). Ludus Tonalis was intended to be the twentieth-century equivalent to Bach's
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
Well-Tempered Clavier. Unlike Bach's piece, though, the non-fugal pieces in Ludus Tonalis frequently repeat the work's main theme, which makes listening to the work as a whole slightly less daunting to the novice.
Ludus Tonalis can be thought of as the most direct application of Hindemith's theory that the twelve tones of the equally tempered scale all relate to a single one of them (called a tonic or keynote). The affinity of each note with the keynote is directly related to its position on the harmonic scale. In this system, the major–minor duality is meaningless and the practice of modulation
Modulation (music)
In music, modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature. Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as well as add interest...
is dropped.