Diabolus in memoria: Observations Regarding the use of the Tritone in Debussy’s Endings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3986/dmd16.2.03Keywords:
tritone, musical reminiscence, Claude Debussy, memory processesAbstract
In the first decade of the twentieth century Debussy experimented with different uses of the tritone in harmony and melody. The endings of his instrumental compositions exhibit a tritonization of thematic material aimed at stimulating a comparison between past and present. In contrast to other French composers, Debussy prefers latent musical reminiscences to explicit connections, in order to slip under the listener’s conscious perception.
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