The way I understand the twelve tone scale is...
well, take a piano. between the middle C and the C an octave up, there are
twelve tones. now, a major scale is built out of those tones, using seven
of the tones. building off of the major scale (and into other octaves), you
create chords that 'work' together and now you have a major 'key'...
everything is harmonically sound...
NOW, what Schoenberg was trying to do (correct me if i am wrong here), is
treat each of those original 12 tones (from C to C) equally, without bias
towards traditional harmonic assumptions. it is a mathamatical system that
ensures that all notes are given equal weight through out a piece (though
everyone cheats a little).
The outcome is confusing, confounding, sublime pieces that are not easy to
hum along to. While I very very much enjoy Schoenberg's music, people tend
to hate him for his malicious destruction of all that was "good" in
classical music previous to his tirade.
His disciple, Anton Webern, I believe took his theories a step further, and
with(imo) more listenable results.
nat.
np: please smile my noise bleed
quoted 17 lines From: "d_jak" <d_jak@netzero.net>
>From: "d_jak" <d_jak@netzero.net>
>To: "idm" <idm@hyperreal.org>
>Subject: [idm] [OT] 12 tone?
>Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 19:52:11 -0400
>
>pardon the ot post, but i know one of you all will be able to help:
>
>my knowledge of "classical" music is not what i'd like it to be and i've
>been trying to change that lately. so, recently, i was reading an article
>about schoenberg and there was much discussion of his invention of the
>twelve tone system. unfortunately, i didn't get a real clear picture of
>exactly what the twelve tone system is and how it compares to a traditional
>western scale structure. can someone give me an explanation?
>
>thanks.
>
>-d
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