gavel's Late Music and the Problem of "Polytonality" PETER KAMINSKY Ravel's music of the 1920's comprises some of his finest and most progressive works, including the Sonata for Violin and Piano, the Chansons madecasses, and the opera L'Enfant et les sortileges. Many Ravel scholars have consistently designated significant segments of these and other late works as polytonal. While these works feature dissonant superimposition, this paper proposes that the pas- sages in question may generally be construed as representing one of two types: monotonal, wherein the bass assimilates the upper-voice dissonances; or a dual organization, which features a primary and secondary pitch priority (in place of the term "polytonality"). The conceptualization draws on contemporary and historical accounts of polytonality (including those of Milhaud and Ravel); the analyses focus on compositional and structural factors and contexts that prevent or potentially en- able dual organization to take place. AVEL'S MUSIC of the 1920's includes some of his finest title: theorists remain fiercely divided regarding the nature, and most progressive works, including the Chansons analytical salience and the very plausibility of polytonality. 2 madecasses, the Sonata for Violin and Piano, and the Carl Dahlhaus, while not directly addressing the issue of opera L'Enfant et les sortikges. In contrast to his earlier com- polytonality, articulates something of its elusiveness in writ- positions, these pieces and other late works have consistently ing about more global theoretical matters: "When we seek been designated by many prominent Ravel scholars as poly- . to come to grips with the problems of musical practice, tonal. 1 Herein lies the crux of the problem alluded to in my the terms we use are of little significance provided that their shortcomings do not unduly inhibit an understanding of the ob- See for instance Orenstein 1975, Nichols 1977, Marnat 1995, Larner ject in hand—especially when it is by no means clear what that 1996 and Jankelevitch 1959. In the scholarly literature, some writers object actually is" [my emphasis] . 3 refer to "bitonality," others prefer the broader "polytonality." On the one Implicated here is the central problem of terminology hand, in his seminal 1923 article "Polytonality et Atonality," Milhaud creates models for two and three simultaneous pitch centers and in- and its influence on conceptualization. Indeed, the term cludes musical examples of up to five centers. On the other hand, sub- "polytonality" is consistently employed to designate a broad sequent scholars including theorists, musicologists and cognition re- range of compositional phenomena, including polychords, searchers have mostly addressed two-key contexts using either term. the superimposition of different scales or scale fragments, With respect to Ravel's commentary on Milhaud's music and his own the superimposition of different transpositions of the same compositional practice, clearly his interest in the technique is limited to two centers as well. Accordingly, consistent with its usage by Ravel, Milhaud, Casella and other contemporary composers and theorists, for 2 The recent "Colloquy" in this journal between van den Toorn and this paper I shall refer to "polytonality" rather than "bitonality." Tymoczko 2003 over octatonicism and the analysis of Stravinsky's Nevertheless, all pieces analyzed here entail no more than two pitch music only reaffirms the intensity of the debate. centers. 3 Dahlhaus 1987, 62. 237 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/mts/article-abstract/26/2/237/1120106 by guest on 01 April 2018 238 MUSIC THEORY SPECTRUM 26 (2004) scale type, and the mere presence of simultaneous different nitions and distinctions, based on the use of superimposed key signatures. Certainly, Ravel's late music features all of harmonies and drawing on existing cognitive studies. Part these phenomena. But, to instantiate Dahlhaus's statement, two engages more complex and larger-scale examples, focus- the inconsistent use of the term polytonality has inhibited ing on conditions involved in either supporting or discourag- an understanding of the music purporting to exemplify it, es- ing a listener's apprehension of unitary versus dual tonal or- pecially when it is by no means clear what constitutes a ganization. I conclude with an analysis of the "Blues" proper definition of the term, and what conditions give rise movement from Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Piano. to its existence. Besides the term itself, perhaps the most oft-cited prob- I. TOWARDS AN ANALYTICAL APPROACH lems with the notion of polytonality concern its perception and its analytical relevance. Thus James Baker writes: As a prominent member of the post-war group of French composers known as "Les Six," Darius Milhaud was recog- . The validity of the theory of polytonality as an explanation for musical structure as it is perceived by the listener has long been disputed nized early on as the avatar of polytonality, in his music as . although it does seem to reflect the way certain composers put their well as his writings. His article in La Revue Musicale, "Poly- music together. Composers from entirely different musical backgrounds tonalite et Atonalite," provides a basic taxonomy for identify- —Paul Hindemith and Milton Babbitt, to name two—have held that it ing textures based on superimposition of chords (polytonal- is impossible to perceive more than one harmonic root at a time, that is, ity) and melodies (polymodality). 5 The former is more to hear in two or more keys at once, regardless of the composer's germane to the topic at hand. method or intent. The theory of polytonality is impoverished, since it Example 1 reproduces his chart of two-chord superimpo- dispenses with the hierarchy of tonal relations so essential to tonality and to much music employing techniques of extended tonality as well.' sitions, which provides the basis for his discussion of numer- ous examples from his own and other composers' works (in- Several published studies argue that a listener is capable cluding the second movement of Ravel's recently composed of attending to two simultaneous pitch centers; this research Sonata for Violin and Cello). 6 Because these superimpositions will help refine the notion of what polytonality is, and how it for Milhaud may represent chords or keys, only major and might be construed. The issue of analytical salience is more minor triads are included. Each superimposition has a bass intractable. I propose that the term polytonality has been and a treble component. In Example 1(a), Milhaud's Roman used for Ravel's music to designate a set of relatively consis- numerals indicate the number of semitones between the tent structural contexts that are not readily modeled by tonal roots of the lower and upper chords; 1(b) shows the four or extended tonal techniques, and which thereby demand a available modal possibilities: different sort of analytical strategy. Part one of this essay examines issues relating to poly- Treble M m m M tonality, focusing on those most relevant to Ravel's late music. Bass M m M m Several historical treatments provide a point of departure for the discussion, particularly Milhaud's article "Polytonalite et 5 Milhaud 1923. In this paper, I shall not engage the extensive literature Atonalite," and Ravel's analysis of an excerpt from his own on polymodality and polymodal chromaticism, much of which is asso- Valses nobles et sentimentales. Here, I propose some basic defi- ciated with the music of Bartok. 6 Ibid., 32-3. My Examples 1(a) and (b) correspond to Milhaud's Ex- amples 2 and 3. His Example 4 presents possibilities for inverting the 4 Baker 1993, 35. bass and/or treble chords from the previously displayed superimpositions. Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/mts/article-abstract/26/2/237/1120106 by guest on 01 April 2018 RAVEL'S LATE MUSIC AND THE PROBLEM OF "POLYTONALITY" 239 I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI 1, 6 II 0 0 6 1, 0 &V & V &V CV CD Co CO 0 CO 0 0 0 CO CO CO Ft- (a) A B D #11 9. &V 0 0 CO 0 43, (b) EXAMPLE r. Milhaud's chart of two-chord superimpositions. Several commentators have dismissed Milhaud's ap- cases be incorporated into a single scale (e.g., the octatonic proach to polytonality as having little or no analytical value. ? or hexatonic), thereby obviating the need to conceptualize Three basic reasons are offered: first, it is merely a taxonomy two keys in the first place. and does not adequately consider musical context; second, by Certainly regarding the first point, Milhaud does not assuming equal key-defining weight for the treble and bass generally consider context (especially by current theoretical components of the superimposition, it does not consider the standards). It does not necessarily follow, however, that what strong (some would argue the unavoidable) tendency of the such a taxonomy tries to get at—intervallic distance between bass to assimilate the dissonating treble "key" as chord exten- purported pitch centers as a significant compositional feature sions of an essentially consonant sonority; third, regardless of (and one which may influence the nature and extent of bass the extent of bass assimilation, the two keys might in some assimilation)—is thereby invalidated. With respect to the third point, recent work by Tymoczko suggests that, for a 7 Mawer 1997, 18-19, writes ". the prefix 'poly' is of dubious perceptual passage involving superimposition, theorists may opt for ei- and theoretical value: the concept of the simultaneous existence of several different tonal or modal lines seems invalid since one tends to ther a unitary collection approach or a "dual-strand" approach; perceive a resultant accumulation of all pitch material heard at any he sensibly advocates both flexibility and assessment of particular moment, strongly influenced by the bass progression." relevant parameters in making the choice, especially in light Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/mts/article-abstract/26/2/237/1120106 by guest on 01 April 2018 240 MUSIC THEORY SPECTRUM 26 (2004) of the diversity of scales and variegated possibilities for the possibility of dual priority on the other are not mutually superimposition.