 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-04-17 14:37
Just listening to Borodin 'In The Steppes of Central Asia' on the radio (and a fantastic recording with the Kirov/Gergiev) - what kind of cadence is chord VII7 with the tonic pedal (so there's a luscious dischord), resolving to chord I?
The same cadence is used in late Classical and certainly relished in Romantic music, but is there a specific name for this cadence - or is it just a resolution of the diminished 7th?
Richard Strauss used it at the end of his Serenade (Op.7) as well - there's D°7/Eb resolving to Eb.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Tom A
Date: 2007-04-18 06:49
It's a form of diminished 7th resolving to tonic, and it takes the place of a dominant 7th. So it's a substitiute for a perfect cadence, though no name is given for it. My harmony textbook (when I could read it through the settling dust) gives an example from Bach's Prelude no 2 from book 1, so it started early.
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Author: buedsma
Date: 2007-04-18 07:00
isn't it just an extension of a plagal cadence ?
I - IVmin - I ( with IVmin substituted by the corresponding V7 : see bebop backdoor approach as a reference )
gr
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Author: Mags1957
Date: 2007-04-18 11:33
Chris,
I'm confused - is the VII7 chord diminished or major? If it's diminished, I agree with William - it functions as a dominant 7th substitute.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-04-18 12:25
The VII7 is a full diminished 7th in a minor key and half diminished in a major key. I can see it functions almost like a perfect cadence (but the 5th of chord I is replaced with a flattened 6th, or root of chord V has been sharpened), and almost like a plagal one as well. Though it's VII9e in a minor key as there's the tonic root (the 9th).
My brain hasn't hurt this much since I did A-level Music - back in 1991! Even though it may not have a name, it's a good device and has been well used to great effect. Has a more yearning, melancholic feel to it than a Perfect cadence, and more movement than a Plagal cadence as the claustrophobic feeling diminished 7th generally resolves outwards giving a sense of release.
But what I like about Borodin is that he keeps the tonic pedal going and changes the chords above it. Shame he hasn't written any wind 5tets - though there's a wind 5tet arrangement of the string 4tet No.2, and it's nearly £50!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2007-04-18 12:32)
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