Homotonal
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''Homotonal'' (same-tonality) is a technical musical term pertaining to the tonal structure of multi-movement
compositions Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature * Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...
. It was introduced into
musicology Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...
by
Hans Keller Hans (Heinrich) Keller (11 March 19196 November 1985) was an Austrian-born British musician and writer, who made significant contributions to musicology and music criticism, as well as being a commentator on such disparate fields as psychoana ...
. According to Keller's definition and usage, a multi-movement composition is 'homotonal' if all of its
movements Movement may refer to: Common uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Motion, commonly referred to as movement Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
have the same tonic (keynote). 'Homotonality' is by no means uncommon in compositions of the
Baroque era The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including th ...
: many Baroque multi-movement works based on dance-forms manifest the same tonic—and even the same ''mode'' (major or minor) – throughout. Thus, for example,
J.S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...
's solo violin partita BWV 1004 is homotonal '' ll movements in D minor', as is his solo flute partita BWV 1013 '' ll movements in A minor'. Similarly,
Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...
's sonata for oboe and continuo RV53 (n.d.) is homotonal '' ll movements in C minor'. Homotonality is even encountered in some Baroque concertos: examples include Vivaldi's Cello Concertos RV401 (n.d.) '' ll movements in C minor' and RV416 (n.d.) '' ll movements in G minor', and
Jean-Marie Leclair Jean-Marie Leclair l'aîné (Jean-Marie Leclair the Elder) (10 May 1697 – 22 October 1764) was a French Baroque violinist and composer. He is considered to have founded the French violin school. His brothers, the lesser-known Jean-Marie ...
's Violin Concerto Op.7 No 1 (1737) '' ll movements in D minor'. With the
Classical era Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
, however, the situation changes. Outside of two-movement works (which, classically speaking, will maintain the same tonic for both movements and will thus be homotonal by definition), classical-era homotonality is relatively rare: a classical work in three movements will normally move to a different tonic for its middle movement, and a classical work in four movements will normally have at least one of its middle movements in a key other than the original tonic. The classical composer most closely associated with the homotonal principle is
Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
. Keller himself was keen to emphasise that different classical composers showed differing degrees of interest in homotonal structure: Keller's coinage and concept have not become standard among musicologists. Musicologist William Drabkin, for example, asked the question "doesn't 'homotonality' sound a trifle queer?" William Drabkin, review of Hans Keller, ''The Great Haydn Quartets: Their Interpretation'', Musical Times, Vol. 127, No. 1726 (Nov., 1986), pp. 624–625 The term 'homotonality' (referring to ''the manifest retention of a tonic'') should not be confused with ' monotonality' (the theoretical position according to which a tonal structure has only one 'real' tonic, and all
modulation In electronics and telecommunications, modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a periodic waveform, called the ''carrier signal'', with a separate signal called the ''modulation signal'' that typically contains informatio ...
is superficial or illusory).


Examples

Examples of 'homotonal' works (in more than two movements) from the classical era and afterwards are:


1750s

:*The Toy Symphony '' ll movements in G major' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 37 (c. 1758) '' ll movements in C major or C minor'


1760s

:*Haydn's Symphony No. 4 (1757–60) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 19 (1757–61) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 17 (1760–61) '' ll movements in F major or F minor' :*Haydn's
Piano Trio A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music. The term can also refer to a group of m ...
Hob. XV/1 (1761) '' ll movements in G minor' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 25 (1761–63) '' ll movements in C major' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 12 (1763) '' ll movements in E major or E minor' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 33 (1763–65) '' ll movements in C major or C minor' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 21 (1764) '' ll movements in A major' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 22 'The Philosopher' (1764) '' ll movements in E-flat major' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 34 (1765) '' ll movements in D minor or D major' :*
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
's Symphony K. 16a 'Odense' (perhaps spurious, 1765?) '' ll movements in A minor or A major' :*Mozart's
Sonata in C major for keyboard four-hands, K. 19d The Sonata in C major, K. 19d, is a work for piano four-hands once thought to be composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1765 when he was nine years old in England. Composed in the traditional sonata form, it is one of the very few works thought t ...
(perhaps spurious, 1765?) '' ll movements in C major' :*Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV/37 (1766) '' ll movements in F major' :*Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV/38 (1766) ''
ll movements in B-flat major Ll/ll is a digraph that occurs in several languages English In English, often represents the same sound as single : . The doubling is used to indicate that the preceding vowel is (historically) short, or that the "l" sound is to be extended ...
' :*Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV/C1 (1766) '' ll movements in C major' :*Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XIV/6 (1767) '' ll movements in G major or G minor' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 49 'La Passione' (1768) '' ll movements in F minor' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 59 'Fire' (c. 1768) '' ll movements in A major or A minor'


1770s

:*Mozart's string quartet K.80 (1770) '' ll movements in G major' :*Haydn's String Quartet Op.17 No. 1 (1771) '' ll movements in E major or E minor' :*Haydn's String Quartet Op.17 No. 5 (1771) '' ll movements in G major or G minor' :*Mozart's Symphony K. 96 "No. 46" (1771) '' ll movements in C major or C minor' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 52 (1771–72) '' ll movements in C minor or C major' :*Haydn's string quartet Op.20 No. 2 (1772) '' ll movements in C major or C minor' :*Haydn's String Quartet Op.20 No. 3 (1772) '' ll movements in G major or G minor' :*Haydn's String Quartet Op.20 No. 4 (1772) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Haydn's String Quartet Op.20 No. 5 (1772) '' ll movements in F minor or F major' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 44 'Trauer' (1772) '' ll movements in E minor or E major' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 46 (1772) '' ll movements in B major or B minor' :*Mozart's string quartet K.157 (1772) '' ll movements in C major or C minor' :*Haydn's Piano Sonata Hob.XVI:23 (1773) '' ll movements in F major or F minor' :*Mozart's string quartet K.168 (1773) '' ll movements in F major or F minor' :*Mozart's string quartet K.173 (1773) '' ll movements in D minor or D major' :*Mozart's Piano Sonata K.280 (1774) '' ll movements in F major or F minor' :*Mozart's Symphony K. 208+102 "No. 52" (1775) '' ll movements in C major' :*Haydn's Piano Sonata Hob.XVI:27 (1776) '' ll movements G major' :*Mozart's 'Serenata Notturna' K.239 (1776) ''
ll movements in D major Ll/ll is a Digraph (orthography), digraph that occurs in several languages English In English language, English, often represents the same sound as single : . The doubling is used to indicate that the preceding vowel is (historically) short, o ...
' :*Mozart's Notturno for 4 Orchestras K.286 (1777) ''
ll movements in D major Ll/ll is a Digraph (orthography), digraph that occurs in several languages English In English language, English, often represents the same sound as single : . The doubling is used to indicate that the preceding vowel is (historically) short, o ...
' :*Mozart's Piano Sonata K.331 (1778) '' ll movements in A major or A minor' :*Mozart's
Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon and Orchestra Sinfonia (; plural ''sinfonie'') is the Italian word for symphony, from the Latin ''symphonia'', in turn derived from Ancient Greek συμφωνία ''symphōnia'' (agreement or concord of sound), from the prefix σύν (together) and ϕωνή (sou ...
K.297b (perhaps spurious, 1778?) '' ll movements in E-flat major' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 70 (1779) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*
Michael Haydn Johann Michael Haydn (; 14 September 173710 August 1806) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period, the younger brother of Joseph Haydn. Life Michael Haydn was born in 1737 in the Austrian village of Rohrau, near the Hungarian border. ...
's Symphony No. 23 (c. 1779) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Mozart's Symphony No. 32 (1779) '' ll movements in G major'


1780s

:*Haydn's Symphony No. 63 'La Roxelane' (1779–81) '' ll movements in C major or C minor' :*Haydn's Piano Sonata Hob.XVI:37 (1780) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Haydn's Symphony No. 62 (1780–81) ''
ll movements in D major Ll/ll is a Digraph (orthography), digraph that occurs in several languages English In English language, English, often represents the same sound as single : . The doubling is used to indicate that the preceding vowel is (historically) short, o ...
' :*Haydn's String Quartet Op.33 No.5 (1781) '' ll movements in G major or G minor' :*Haydn's String Quartet Op.33 No.6 (1781) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Mozart's Serenade for winds K.375 (1781) '' ll movements in E-flat major' :*Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV:5 (1785) '' ll movements in G major' :*Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV:7 (1785) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV:10 (1785) '' ll movements in F major' :* Hoffmeister's Viola Concerto No. 1 (1786) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Haydn's String Quartet Op.50 No.6 (1787) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Haydn's String Quartet Op.54 No.2 (1788) '' ll movements in C major or C minor' :*Haydn's String Quartet Op.55 No.2 (1788) '' ll movements in F minor or F major' :*Mozart's Violin Sonata K.547 (1788) '' ll movements in F major'


1790s

:*Haydn's String Quartet Op.64 No.2 (1790) '' ll movements in B minor or B major' :*Haydn's Piano Trio no. 37 in A major, Hob. XV:18 (1793) '' ll movements in A major or A minor' :*
Dussek Jan Ladislav Dussek (baptized Jan Václav Dusík, Černušák, p. 271 with surname also written as Duschek or Düssek; 12 February 176020 March 1812) was a Czech classical composer and pianist. He was an important representative of Czech music ...
's Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 22 (1793) ''
ll movements in B-flat major Ll/ll is a digraph that occurs in several languages English In English, often represents the same sound as single : . The doubling is used to indicate that the preceding vowel is (historically) short, or that the "l" sound is to be extended ...
' :*Haydn's Piano Trio no. 38 in D major, Hob. XV:24 (1795) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Haydn's Piano Trio no. 40 in F-sharp minor, Hob. XV:26 (1795) '' ll movements in F-sharp minor or F-sharp major' :*
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
's Piano sonata Op.2 No.1 (1795) '' ll movements in F minor or F major' (dedicated to Haydn) :*Haydn's Piano Trio No. 44, Hob. XV:28 (1797) '' ll movements in E major or E minor' :*Haydn's String quartet Op.76 No.2 (1797) '' ll movements in D minor or D major' :*Beethoven's Piano sonata Op.10 No.2 (1796–98) '' ll movements in F major or F minor' :*Beethoven's Piano sonata Op.10 No.3 (1796–98) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 2, Op.12 No.2 (1797–8) '' ll movements in A major or A minor' :*Haydn's String Duo, Hob. VI:Anh. 1 (1798) ''
ll movements in B-flat major Ll/ll is a digraph that occurs in several languages English In English, often represents the same sound as single : . The doubling is used to indicate that the preceding vowel is (historically) short, or that the "l" sound is to be extended ...
' :*Haydn's String Duo, Hob. VI:Anh. 2 (1798) '' ll movements in E-flat major' :*Beethoven's String Trio No. 4 (1798) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Beethoven's Piano sonata Op.14 No.1 (1798–99) '' ll movements in E major or E minor' :*Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 4 Op. 23 (1800) '' ll movements in A minor or A major'


After 1800

:*Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op.26 (1800–01) '' ll movements in A-flat major or a-flat minor' :*Beethoven's String Quartet Op.18 No.4 (1801) '' ll movements in c minor or C major' :*Beethoven's Piano Sonata ''Quasi una fantasia'' Op.27 No.2 ('Moonlight Sonata') (1801) '' ll movements in c-sharp minor or D-flat major' :*Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op.28 (1801) '' ll movements in D major or d minor' :*
Clementi Clementi may refer to: People * Aldo Clementi (1925–2011), Italian composer * Cecil Clementi (1875–1947), British colonial administrator and Governor of Hong Kong * Cecilia Clementi, Italian-American scientist * David Clementi (born 1949), B ...
's Piano Sonata Op.40 No.2 (1801–02) '' ll movements in b minor' :*Clementi's Piano Sonata Op.40 No.3 (1802) '' ll movements in D major or d minor' :*Beethoven's String Quartet Op.59 No.2 (1806) '' ll movements in e minor or E major, although the finale deceptively begins in C major' :*Beethoven's
Piano Trio A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music. The term can also refer to a group of m ...
Op.70 No.1 ('Ghost') (1808) '' ll movements in D major or d minor' :*Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op.79 (1809) '' ll movements in G major or g minor' :*
Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...
's String Quartet D.87 (1813) '' ll movements in E-flat major' :* Paganini's Violin Concerto in E minor (ca. 1815) '' ll movements in E minor / major' :*Schubert's Piano Sonata No.7 in D (D.567/568) (1st version, 1817) '' ll movements in D-flat major or c-sharp minor' :*Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 109 (1820) '' ll movements in E major or e minor' :*Clementi's Piano Sonata Op. 50 No.3 'Didone Abbandonata' (1821) '' ll movements in g minor' :*
Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
's Viola Sonata in c minor MWV Q 14 (1824) '' ll movements in c minor' :* Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 11 (1830) '' ll movements in e minor or E major' :*
Friedrich Kalkbrenner Friedrich Wilhelm Michael Kalkbrenner (2–8 November 1785 – 10 June 1849), also known as ''Frédéric Kalkbrenner'', was a pianist, composer, piano teacher and piano manufacturer. German by birth, Kalkbrenner studied at the Conservatoire de ...
's Piano Concerto No. 4 in A-flat major, Op. 147 (1835) '' ll movements in A-flat major or a-flat minor' :*
Alkan Alkan may refer to: Places Iran * Alkan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad * Alkan, Qom Turkey * Alkan, Gülşehir, in Gülşehir, Gülşehir district Given name * Alkan Chaglar (born 1981), Turkish Cypriot journalist and columnist Surname * Ahmet Alk ...
's Piano Trio No. 1 in g minor, Op. 30 (published 1841) '' ll movements in g minor or G major' :*Mendelssohn's Organ Sonata Op.65 No.2 (1844) '' ll movements in c minor or C major' :*Mendelssohn's Organ Sonata Op. 65 No.6 (1845) '' ll movements in D major or d minor' :*
Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
's Symphony No. 2 Op. 61 (1845–46) '' ll movements in C major or c minor' :*
Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...
' Piano Trio No. 1 Op. 8 (1853-4; rev. 1889) '' ll movements in B major or b minor' :* Smetana's Piano Trio Op. 15 (1854–5) '' ll movements in g minor' :*Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 Op.15 (1854–9) '' ll movements in d minor or D major' :*Brahms'
Horn Trio Horn trio can mean a work written for three horns or horns as well as one for horn and two other instruments. In the latter category, an important genre is the trio for horn, violin and piano. Although there are a few earlier examples, the traditi ...
Op. 40 (1865) '' ll movements in E-flat major or e-flat minor' :*Brahms' String Quartet No. 2 Op. 51 No. 2 (1873) '' ll movements in A minor or a major' :* Grieg's
Holberg Suite The ''Holberg Suite'', Op. 40, more properly ''From Holberg's Time'' (Norwegian: ''Fra Holbergs tid''), subtitled "Suite in olden style" ( no, Suite i gammel stil, links=no, italics=no), is a suite of five movements based on eighteenth-century ...
Op. 40 (1884) '' ll movements in G major or g minor' :*Brahms' Piano Trio No. 3 Op. 101 (1886) '' ll movements in c minor or C major' :* Christian Sinding's Suite im alten Stil Op. 10 (1888) '' ll movements in a minor' :* Dvořák's Sonatina for Violin and Piano Op. 100 (1893) '' ll movements in G major or g minor' :*Brahms'
Clarinet Sonata A clarinet sonata is piece of music in sonata form for clarinet, often with piano accompaniment. The Clarinet Sonatas by Brahms are of special significance in the development of the clarinet repertoire. Several important transcriptions are also p ...
Op. 120 No. 2 (1894) '' ll movements in E-flat major or e-flat minor' :*
Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (; russian: Александр Николаевич Скрябин ; – ) was a Russian composer and virtuoso pianist. Before 1903, Scriabin was greatly influenced by the music of Frédéric Chopin and composed ...
's
Piano Concerto A piano concerto is a type of concerto, a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for a piano player, which is typically accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuoso showpiec ...
Op. 20 (1896) '' ll movements in f-sharp minor or F-sharp major' :*
Zemlinsky Alexander Zemlinsky or Alexander von Zemlinsky (14 October 1871 – 15 March 1942) was an Austrian composer, conducting, conductor, and teacher. Biography Early life Zemlinsky was born in Vienna to a highly diverse family. Zemlinsky's grandfath ...
's String Quartet No. 1, Op. 4 (1896) '' ll movements in A major or a minor' :*Roffredo Caetani's Piano Quintet Op. 4 (1897) '' ll movements in f-sharp minor' :*
Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conse ...
's
Jack in the Box Jack in the Box is an American fast-food restaurant chain founded February 21, 1951, by Robert O. Peterson (1916–1994) in San Diego, California, where it is headquartered. The chain has over 2,200 locations, primarily serving the West Coas ...
(1899) '' ll movements in C major'


After 1900

:* Arne Oldberg's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor (1909) '' ll movements in B-flat minor or B-flat major' :*
Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...
's Sonata for flute, viola and harp (1915) '' ll movements in F major or F minor' :*Debussy's
Violin Sonata A violin sonata is a musical composition for violin, often accompanied by a keyboard instrument and in earlier periods with a bass instrument doubling the keyboard bass line. The violin sonata developed from a simple baroque form with no fixed fo ...
(1916–17) '' ll movements in G minor or G major' :*Britten's ''
Sinfonia da Requiem ''Sinfonia da Requiem'', Op. 20, for orchestra is a symphony written by Benjamin Britten in 1940 at the age of 26. It was one of several works commissioned from different composers by the Japanese government to mark Emperor Jimmu's 2600th annive ...
'', Op. 20 (1940) '' ll movements in D major or D minor' :*Britten's String Quartet No. 2, Op. 36 (1945) '' ll movements in C major or C minor' :*
Miriam Hyde Miriam Beatrice Hyde (15 January 191311 January 2005) was an Australian composer, classical pianist, music educator, and poet. She composed over 150 works for piano, 50 songs, other instrumental and orchestral works and performed as a concert ...
's Trio for Flute, Clarinet and Piano (1948) '' ll movements in G major or G minor' :*Miriam Hyde's Clarinet Sonata (1949) '' ll movements in F minor or F major' :*
Mikhail Goldstein Mikhail Emmanuilovich Goldstein (russian: Михаил Эммануилович Гольдштейн, also transcribed as Michael Emmanuilowitsch Goldstein, he, מיכאל גולדשטיין; pen name: Mykhailo Mykhailovsky; 7 September 1989), was ...
's Symphony in G minor, attributed to
Mykola Ovsianiko-Kulikovsky Mykola Ovsianiko-Kulikovsky (Russian: Николай Овсянико-Куликовский, 1768–1846) was the purported author of a famous musical hoax Symphony No. 21 (Ovsianiko-Kulikovsky), perpetrated by composer and violinist Mikhail G ...
as his "Symphony No. 21" (1948) '' ll movements in G minor or G major' :*
Nikolay Myaskovsky Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky or Miaskovsky or Miaskowsky (russian: Никола́й Я́ковлевич Мяско́вский; pl, Mikołaj Miąskowski, syn Jakóbowy; 20 April 18818 August 1950), was a Russian and USSR, Soviet composer. He ...
's String Quartet No. 13, Op. 86 (1949) '' ll movements in A minor or A major'


After 2000

:* Christopher Norton's Clarinet Sonata (2012) '' ll movements in C major'


References

{{Music theory lists Musical analysis Musical keys