Diatonicism: the Experience of Interpretation
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Abstract
In 20th century Russian musicology there appeared an essential
discrepancy in the interpretation of the term “diatonicism.” The
traditional interpretation (the sevennote
scale, admitting perfect
ifth-relationships) is countered with a new approach: diatonicism
consists of modes consisting of “independent” steps; this is what
determines the random number of steps, the use of augmented
and diminished intervals. This dissolves the correlation of the
categories of “diatonicism vs. chromaticism” that makes it
possible to consider as diatonic any examples of folk music, as
well as innovations of composers (for instance, “Shostakovich’s
modes”). This presumes the historical development and
“renewal” of diatonicism, as the result of which it appears as a
constant, supratemporal
principle of modal existence. Such an
interpretation of diatonicism is presumed to be methodologically
ineficient.
In contrast to this the author of the article proposes to
examine diatonicism and chromaticism as evolutional stages of
modal formation in the period of monody, one being successive
to the other. Diatonicism presents the irst pitch formation, which
formed during the transition [from a pre-scalar] to a scalar form
of intonating, which is conceived [presenting a process] as
“the mastery of pitch space.” The formation of scales presents
bringing in the human element – that of structure and aesthetics
– to space by means of bringing in the rhythmic element to it.
The coordination of perfect ifths as an instrument of structuring
manifests itself here as an indispensible and suficient foundation
for the sense of harmony and mode. This deines the means for
diatonic thinking, which includes the cognition of the whole
tone as comprising a standard interval between the steps, a lack
of any expression subordination of tones (the presence of the
leading tone) and the feeling of inclination. Such characteristic
features make it possible to consider anhemitonics not an earlier
and more primitive form of scalar structure, but a sort of “strict
style” in diatonicism, formed through the action of mechanisms
of resistance. The ethos of diatonic monodies presents an
expression of a communal, suprapersonal
consciousness.
Keywords: diatonicism as a stage of evolution, genesis of
diatonicism, coordination on ifths, anhemitonicism, leading
tone, modal inclination
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