Harmony

Question 1

There are few root-position and first inversion triads of the sort Mozart used. Debussy’s chords are often chromatic and dissonance is used freely. He was fond of parallel dissonances. Analyse the chord pattern in the strings at bar 24 4th quaver onwards which demonstrates this.

Answer 1

F#7-Bm7-Am7 note cellos move in 7ths.

Question 2

The final cadence 105-106 also demonstrates Debessy’s style with the addition of 13ths and 9ths used freely. Give a chordal analysis from 105 to 106. What is interesting about the leading note?

Answer 2

V13 V9 V9 I it appears very late in the dominant chord. This creates a haze of sound heightened by the lazy duplets and groups of 4 which disguise the beat.

Question 3

Harmonic rhythm is slow and cadences are rare. Dissonances are unprepared and unresolved

Answer 3

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