Neo-Riemannian Operations Cohn 1997 PDF

Yale University Department of Music
Neo-Riemannian Operations, Parsimonious Trichords, and Their "Tonnetz" Representations Author(s): Richard Cohn Reviewed work(s): Source: Journal of Music Theory, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Spring, 1997), pp. 1-66 Published by: Duke University Press on behalf of the Yale University Department of Music Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/843761 . Accessed: 18/03/2013 12:53
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NEO-RIEMANNIAN OPERATIONS, PARSIMONIOUS TRICHORDS, AND THEIR TONNETZREPRESENTATIONS
Richard Cohn
1. The Over-Determined Triad In work publishedin the 1980s, David Lewin proposedto model relations between triads'using operationsadaptedfrom the writings of the theorist Hugo Riemann.2Subsequent work along turn-of-the-century neo-Riemannianlines has focused on three operations that maximize pitch-class intersectionbetween pairs of distinct triads:P (for Parallel), which relates triads that share a common fifth; L (for Leading-tone exchange), which relates triadsthat sharea common minorthird;and R (for Relative),which relatestriadsthatsharea commonmajorthird.3 Figure 1 illustratesthe threeoperations,which I shall referto collectively as the PLR family, as they act on a C minortriad,mappingit to three different majortriads. (Throughoutthis paper,+ and - are used to denote majorand minor triads,respectively.)Singly applied, each PLR-family operationinvertsa triad(majorminor).Doubly applied,each PLRfamily operationmaps a triadto its identity;i.e., each is an involution. A striking feature of PLR-family operations is their parsimonious voice-leading.4To a degree, parsimonyis inherentto the PLR family, whose definingfeatureis double common-toneretention.Whatis not inherent is the incrementalmotion of the third voice, which proceeds by 1
L
CC-
P
C+ C-
R
Eb+
Ab+
of C-Minor Figure 1: The PLR-Family

A . . I
of {0, 1, 51 Figure2: The PLR-Family semitone in the case of P and L, and by whole tone in the case of R. This featureis not without significanceto the developmentof a musical culture where conjunctvoice-leading in general, and semitonalvoice-leading in particular,are enduring norms through an impressive range of chronological eras and musical styles.5 The parsimonyof PLR-family voice-leading is so engrainedin the procedural knowledgeof a musician trainedin the Europeanclassical traditionthatit hardlyseems to warrant notice, much less scrutiny.It is scrutinizedhere with the aim of demonstratingthat,from a certainpoint of view, the featureis fortuitous. In orderto cultivatethis pointof view, imaginea musicalculturewhere set-class 3-4 (015) was the privilegedharmonyto the extent thatthe triad prevailsin Europeanmusic c. 1500-1900. For any memberof set-class 3-4, therearethreeothermemberswith which it sharestwo commonpcs. Figure 2 leads the prime form of 3-4 to its three double-common-tone relatedpeers. Note the magnitudeof the moving voice: in two cases by minor third, in the thirdcase by tritone. Such a culture would be incapable of achieving the degree of voice-leading parsimonycharacteristic of triadicmusic, particularly as it developed in the nineteenthcentury.It can be easily verified, and will be demonstrated shortly,that replication of the exercise using any other mod-12 trichord-classyields similarly results.6 unparsimonious It may come as no surprisethat,amongtrichord-classes, consonanttriads arespecial. Theiruniqueacousticpropertiesarewell established,and indeed are fundamentalto standardapproachesto triadic music. The potential of consonant triads to engage in parsimoniousvoice-leading, however, is unrelated to those acoustic properties. This potential is, rather,a functionof theirgroup-theoretic propertiesas equally tempered entities modulo-12. To demonstratethis claim, the definitionof PLR-familyoperationsis now generalized, initially to the prime forms of set-classes defined by T,/T,Iequivalence, subsequentlyto all trichords.Although our primary 2
attentionwill be focused on trichordsin the usual chromaticsystem of twelve pitch-classes,the definitionis open to applicationto othersystems as well, for reasonsthat will emerge as the exposition unfolds. DEE (1). c is a positive integerrepresenting the cardinalityof a chromatic system. DEE (2). Q is a mod-c trichord{0, x, x + y} such that0 < x < y 5 c (x + y). The condition insuresthat Q is the prime form of its trichord-class. DEE (3) Iu is the inversion that maps pitch-classes v and u to each other.7 The threePLR-familyoperationscan now be definedon a prime-form trichord Q = {0, x, x + y} as follows: DEE (4a) P = I,+y I DEF. (4b) L = I I DEF. (4c) R = I
Figure 3a (p. 4) demonstratesthe mapping of abstractpitch-classes when P, L, and R act on the abstracttrichordal primeform Q. Figures3b and 3c realize Q as the two trichordsexplored in Figures 1 and 2. Each operation swaps two of the pitch-classes in Q. The remaining pc is mapped outside of Q, and this mapping is perceived as the "moving voice." We now define a set of variables,a, /, and 4, which express the values. magnitudeof those externalmappingsas mod-c transpositional x----y,hence: DEE (5a) 9 = y - x x + y-y, hence: DEE (5b)l = -2y - x + y, hence: 0--2x(5c) , = 2x + y DEE
Observethatp + / + = 0 0, since (y - x) + (-2y - x) + (2x + y) = (2x - 2x) + (2y - 2y) = 0. The values of , 1,and are now linked to the structure of trichordQ. ,z Chrisman(1971), and others since, we First, following Bacon (1917), define a step-intervalseries as follows: DEF (6). The step-interval series for a normal-order trichord{i,j,k} is the orderedset <j-i, k-j, i-k>, modulo c. Via Def. (2), Q = {0, x, x+ y } is in prime form, which presupposesnormal order.Thus the step-intervalseries of Q is <x, y, - (x + y)>. 3
P(Q)
sy
(Q)
L(Q)
(Q)
R(Q)
Ix
(Q)
x+y-> x --4y
x+y--y x --4 O
O---)x+y
0---x
x+y-x x +y x+v
0--2x
3: PLR-Family Figure Mappings (a) forQ = {0, x, x + y}

P(Q) = I o(Q) L(Q) = I (Q) R(Q) = I' (Q)
7 -- 0
3- 4 0--4 7
7- 8
3--4 0 0- 3
7 --43
3--47 0--4 10
3: PLR-Family Figure Mappings x = 3, y = 4, Q = {0, 3, 7} (b) forC-Minor;

P(Q) = I o (Q) 5--4 0 1---44 0--4 5 L(Q) = I (Q) 5--4 8 1--40 0--41
R(Q) = I; (Q)
5-- 1 1--~ 5 0-- 6
3: PLR-Family Figure Mappings (c) x = 1, y = 4, Q = {0, 1, 5) The following theoremstates thatp, 1,and z are each equivalentto the differencesbetween a distinctpairof step-intervals. THEOREM1. For a prime-formtrichordQ = {0, x, x + y } with stepintervals<x, y, - (x + y)>, 1.1) p is the difference between the first and second step interval, Proof:y - x = p via Def. (5a). y - x. 1.2) 1 is the difference between the second and third step interval, - (x+y) - y. Proof:- (x+y) - y = - 2y - x = / via Def. (5b). 1.3) is the difference between the third and first step interval, x - (-(x+y)). Proof:x - (- (x+y)) = 2x + y = ' via Def. (5c).
'
Theorem 1 facilitatescalculationof the values ofp., 1,and for any trichordal prime form in a chromatic system of any size. The results of
'
these calculationsfor the mod-12 trichordal primeformsaregiven in Figure 4 (p. 6). Conjunctintervalsare enclosed in boxes. The figuredemonstrates what was asserted above: that 037 is unique among trichordal prime forms (modulo 12) in its preservationof conjunctmelodic intervals when any of the three PLR-familyoperationsis executed.8 The generalizationfrom prime form to other class membersis easily carriedout. Calculatethe Tnor TnIof the trichordin relationto the prime form of its class, reassign 0 to the pitch-class that had been formerly assignedthe integern, andreassignthe integersin ascentor descentfrom the new pitch-class 0, depending on whether the trichordis Tnor TnIrelatedto the prime form. Then apply the operationsas in definition(4). If Tn-relatedto the prime form, the values of p, 1,and, are the same as when the operationacts on the primeform;if TnI-related, the values are inverted.(This follows from the involutionalnatureof PLR-familyoperations.) In either case, the magnitudesare invariant.Consequently,the noted above for trichordalprime form {037} genuniquecharacteristic eralizes to all membersof its set-class. To summarizeour findings so far: (1) Among mod-12 trichords,the consonanttriadalone is susceptibleto parsimoniousvoice-leadingunder the three PLR-familyoperations;(2) This circumstanceis a functionof the trichord'sstep-interval sizes, which are an aspect of its internalstructure;(3) the optimalvoice-leading propertiesof triadsthereforestandin incidentalrelationto their optimalacoustic properties. In a word:the triadis over-determined. The fortuitousrelation of the consonant triad's voice-leading parsimony to its acousticgenerabilityis as profoundto the developmentof the musicaltraditionas othersortsof over-determination thatwere European first brought to light at Princeton in the 1960s (Babbitt 1965, Gamer 1967, Boretz 1970): of the chromaticdivision of the octave into twelve parts, 12 being at once the smallest abundantinteger and the smallest n some powerof 2; of the proximityof integern such that3 approximates the perfect fifth's 2 geometric division of the octave (the source of its acoustic power) to its 7 arithmetic division of the octave (a fraction whose irreducibility, rarefor its divisor, is necessary for the deep-scale propertyof diatonic collections, a circumstancewhich in turn leads to the graded common-tone distributionof the set of diatonic collections undertransposition,and hence to the system of key signatures).Equally remarkableis the extent to which the triad's acoustic propertieshave masked recognition of its group-theoreticpotential.9Our sensibilities, born of incessantexposure to a musical traditionthat habituallyimplementsthe acousticpropertiesof triads,as well as to a music-theoretic tradition that habitually models this habitual implementation,have been trainedto resist by defaultany effort to regardthe triadas anythingother than acoustic in essence. Like the stock figure of the Cold War spy 5
prime form (0, x, x + y) 0, 1,2) {0,1,3} {0,1,4} {0,1,51
step-intervals <x, y, - (x + y)> <1,1,10> <1,2,9> <1,3,8> <1,4,7>
p y -x 0
1 -2y - x 9 7 5
r 2x + y 3 4 5 6
{0,1,6}
{0,2,4
<1,5,6>
<2,2,8>
4
0
W
6
7
6
{0,2,5}
{0,2,6} {0,2,7) {0,3,6)
<2,3,7>
<2,4,6> <2,5,5> <3,3,6> <3,4,5> <4,4,4>
W
E 3 0
7
8
0 3
9 9 1 0
{0,3,7.}
--F01
0 0
{0,4,8}
Figure4: Values of p, 1,and r for trichordalprimeforms
F ----
C-
Fs
Cs
Gs
Ds
5: TwoTonnetze Figure (a) fromEuler1926(1739)
thriller,the dazzling beauty of the triadhas blinded us to its substantial intellectualresources. 2.1. The Over-Determined Tonnetz The two-dimensional matrix known as the table of consonant (or or harmonicnetwork tonal) relations(Verwandtschaftsverhdltnistabelle) has music theorists with a useful (Tonnetz,Tongewebe) long presented graphic instrumentfor representingtriadic progressions.Although the matrix originated in response to the acoustic properties of triads, it respondsin equal measureto their group-theoretic properties.The overof determinationof the triad is thus encoded in the over-determination the Tonnetz. The Tonnetzwas initially conceived to reconcile the first two distinct sub-octave intervalsgeneratedfrom a resonating (non-complementary) Leonhard Euler (1926 [1739]) situated body.'" justly tunedversionsof the twelve pitch classes on a bounded4x3 matrixwhose axes are generated by acoustically pure fifths (3:2) and major thirds (5:4) (Figure 5a)." Arthurvon Oettingen(1866, 15) invertedEuler's matrixaboutthe horizontal axis, and projectedit onto an infiniteplane, as shown in Figure5b (p. 8). (The slashes representsyntonic comma adjustments,and result from Oettingen'ssensitivity to the just-intonationaldistinctionsmasked by notationalandletter-name equivalence.)This versionof the pitch-class tablewas appropriated becamewidely disseminated Riemann, by through his writings, and has been passed down by generationsof Germanharmonic theoristsleading all the way up to the presentday (see Imig 1970, Harrison1994). 7
2 1 0 -1 -2
c as fes
g es ces
d b ges eses
a f des bb
e c as fes
h g es ces
fis d b ges eses
cis a f des bb
gis e c as fes
dis h g es ces
ai
fi
deses asas
bbb feses ceses geses deses asas
ge
Figure 5: Two Tonnetze (b) from Oettingen 1866
The positionof majorandminortriadson the matrixwas firstobserved on by Euler(1926 [1773], 585), who notedthatthey could be represented his matrixby the conjunctionof two perpendicular line-segments. Oettingen,less concernedthanEuleraboutthe acousticallyresidualstatusof the minorthird,suggested adding a hypotenuseto close the structure to a righttriangle(1866, 17). This move bringsPLR-familyrelationsto the forefront,since triadsso relatedarerepresented by trianglesthatsharean edge, and are therebymaximally proximate.One might infer from this circumstancethatPLR-familyoperationswould be the vehicle of choice for navigatingtriadicprogressionson the Tonnetz, but this has not been the case historically.The developmentof Oettingen'stable as a "gameboard"for mapping progressions among triads was instead guided by convictions aboutthe acoustic, tonally centric statusof consonanttriads and their relations to each other. This resulted in the subordinationof PLR-familyrelationsto the Tonic/Subdominant/Dominant (TSD) "functional"framework Riemann in the a framework that 1890s, developedby has continued to dominate Northern Europeanharmonic theory ever since.12 The mapping of PLR-family operations independentlyof the TSD frameworkwas first proposedby Lewin (1987, 175-180) and has been developed by Brian Hyer (1989, 1995), whose work demonstratesthe heuristicvalue of chartingPLR-familyoperationson the Tonnetz without necessary recourse to assumptionsabout tonal centers, TSD-functional relations,or the acousticpropertiesof triads.The emphasison PLR-family operationsin the work of Lewin and Hyer is apparentlymotivated late-Romanticproempiricallyby the desire to model characteristically gressions in a mannerthatis faithfulto the musical qualitiesthatthey are perceivedto project.The focus on voice-leadingparsimonycultivatedin Section 1 above suggests a complementary deductive-rationalist motivation for liberatingthe triad, PLR-family operations,and their Tonnetz from theiracoustic origins. representation It is this motivationthat directsthe remainingprogramfor this paper. In the materialthatfollows immediately,a versionof the Tonnetz of Oettingen and Riemannis situatedwithina genus and species of two-dimensional matrices.The defining characteristic of the genus is that pairs of trichordsrepresentedby adjacent triangles are related by PLR-family operations, as broadly defined in Section I above (cf. Def. (4)). The of the species is thatpairsof trichordsrepresented definingcharacteristic by adjacent triangles feature parsimonious voice-leading. Section 2.4 refines the conception of the Oettingen/Riemannmatrix, and of the species that it represents,by acknowledgingthe toroidal geometry that underlies them when their contents and relations are interpretedin the contextof equal temperament. The focus on the Tonnetz Secthroughout tion 2 serves as a large structural upbeatto Section 3, the musicalcore of 9
-2x + 2y
-x + 2y
2y
x + 2y
2x + 2y
-2x + y
-x +y
y-
x + y-
2x + y
-2x
-x
0O
I/1/
x x-y
2x
-2x-y
-x-y
-y
2x-y
-2x - 2y
-x - 2y
-2y
Tx-2y (Q)2x - 2y x - 2y-2x 2y
6: TheAbstract Tonnetz Figure the paper,which uses PLR-familyoperationsto navigatethe Tonnetz, in its variousversionsat variousdegreesalong the abstraction/specification continuum. 2.2. The Generic Tonnetz Ourinvestigationof the Tonnetz of harmonictheoryinitially situatesit as a member of an infinite class of two-dimensional matrices whose generic form is presentedin Figure 6. The primaryaxes of Figure 6 are generatedby the generic intervals x and y, in the sense that each row incrementsfrom left to right by the value of x, and each column increments from bottom to top by the value of y. The figure should be interpretedas projectingits structure beyond its boundaries.The elements of Figure6 representreal numbersas they incrementto infinity,and should not be interpreted in the context of the closed modularsystems thatwere the focus of our previouswork.Figure6 is neithermore nor less thanthe Cartesiancoordinateplane of analytic geometry. In termsof Def. (2), the primaryaxes of Figure6 areinterpreted as the smallesttwo step-intervals of a primeform trichordQ = {0, x, x+y } with is the inverseof <x, y, -(x+y)>. The remainingstep-interval step-intervals the sum of the two smaller step-intervals,and hence generatesthe diag10
onal which runsfrom northeastto southwest,in the sense thateach such by x+y. diagonaldecrements,sloping southwestward, Figure6 representstrichordQ as a darklyborderedtriangleat its center.Eachvertexof the trianglerepresents a pitchor pitch-class,13 andeach edge a dyadic subset, of Q. Any geometrictranslationof this trianglethat is, any triangle whose hypotenuse subtendsnorthwestof the right of Q. (An example, angle-represents a pitch or pitch-classtransposition labeled Tx-2y(Q), the in isolated is providedby triangle the southeastcorner of Figure6.) Furthermore, any geometricinversionof the Q triangle abouta secondarydiagonal-that is, any trianglewhose hypotenusesubtends southeast of the right angle-represents a pitch or pitch-class inversionof Q. Figure 6 indicatesthree such invertedtriangles,all sharing an edge with the centraltriangle.These threetrianglesrepresentthe PLR-familyof Q (cf. Figure 3a). The uniqueedge that the centraltriangle shares with each of its adjacenttrianglesrepresentsthe unique dyad thattrichordQ shareswith each memberof its PLR-family. Figure 7 replicates the core of Figure 6 and adds three arrows,each labeled with one of the voice-leadingvariablesfromDef. (5). Eacharrow representsthe magnitudeof the moving voice when Q is subject to a PLR-familyoperation: *p labels x-y when P takes {0, x, x + y} to 0, y, x + y across their { } sharedhypotenuse; * / labels x + y - -y when L takes 10, x, x + y} to 10, x, - y} across their sharedhorizontaledge; *4 labels 0 --- 2x + y when R takes {0, x, x + y) to {2x + y, x, x + y) across their sharedverticaledge. When the same operations are enacted on other members of trichordclass Q, theirgeometricorientationon Figure 7 is invariant. In all cases, P-relatedtriadssharea hypotenuse,andp executes a pawn-capture along the main diagonal; L-relatedtriads share a horizontaledge, and I executes a knight's move, a displacementby two rows and one column; Rrelatedtriadssharea verticaledge, and4 executes a knight'smove, a displacementby two columns andone row.The magnitudesofp, 4, and4 are likewise invariant, althoughwhen the objectof the mappingis a triad TnIrelatedto the primeform,the directionof the arrowreverses,and the values of p, 1, and4 invert. The unboundedgrid inferablefrom Figure 6 is applicableto pitches and intervalsin a varietyof ways. If x and y are assigned to acoustically pure intervals(as in Euler, etc.), or to intervalsin pitch-space,then the structure implicitly projectsinto an infiniteplane. The realizationsof the Figure6 grid that will hold our focus are generatedby equally tempered intervalsin some modularsystem, where the modularcongruencerepre11
x+y
2x+y
2x
-y
x-y
2x-y
7: Tonnetz of Representation Figure on Q = (0, x, x + y} Operations PLR-Family both x and y axes sents octave equivalence. In such interpretations, become cyclic ratherthan linear, and the plane inferredfrom Figure 6 thereforeprojects into itself as a torus.14 These cyclic features will be studiedin some detail in Section 2.4 below. 2.3. The Parsimonious Tonnetz In Figure 7, PLR-family operationsare only associated with voiceleading parsimonyin the restrictedsense that each operationpreserves two common tones. The degree of parsimonyassociated with the third voice dependson the magnitudesof p, / and 4, which in turndependon the values of x and y, as yet unassigned.Furthermore, the interpretation of that magnitudeas representingan interval-classin a modularpitchclass system depends on the imposition of a congruence,i.e. a specific value for c. The firstsection of this paperestablishedthat, where c = 12, the three PLR-familyoperationsare parsimoniousonly when x = 3 and is the consonanttriad,in which case the y = 4, i.e when the trichord-class version of the Oettingeneric Tonnetzis realized as an equal-tempered of 5b. Since this is the case of historicaland Tonnetz gen/Riemann Figure analyticalinterest,it will soon be subjectto detailedscrutiny.First,howof intermediate abstracever, it will be instructiveto considera structure that"composesout"Figure6 in a particTonnetz tion; a "middleground" ularway, at the same time as it positions the propertiesof the Oettingen/ in a generalcontext. RiemannTonnetz What values of c, x, and y will lead to optimallyparsimoniousvoiceleading when PLR-familyoperationsare executed? Intuitively,the degree of parsimonyis optimal when the magnitudes(i.e. absolutevalues) of the voice-leading intervalsp, I and 4 are as small as possible, but greaterthanzero. (The last conditioninsuresthatvoice-leading"motion" 12
is perceptible as such; cf. note 6.) Ideal parsimony,then, would be achievedwhen a = + 1,/ = + 1, and4 = ? 1. But this combinationis impossible. As observedin Section 1,9 + / + 4 = 0, and so each variableis the inverseof the sum of the othertwo. Consequently, p, 1,and4 mustin this = -.Via case have identicaldirectionsas well as magnitudes,and so a = = Defs. (5b) and (5c), ifl/= 4 then - 2y - x = 2x + y, and so 3x = - 3y, hence x = - y, which implies that y - x is even. Thusp is even (via Def. (5a)), and so # + I1, contraryto what was stipulated. The next recourseis to incrementthe magnitudeof one of the voiceleading variables.In principle, any of the three variablescan be incremented, but Q is in prime form (cf. Def. 2) only if p = 1, 1 = 1, 4 = -2. These are exactly the values for the familiarcase of the consonanttriad modulo 12. Once we cease to assumea chromaticsystem of twelve pitchclasses, as we did in section 1, whatothercombinationslead to these values of p, 1,and4? This problemis easily solved using Theorem 1, which linked the voice-leading intervalsto step-interval differences.If the first step intervalis x, and = 1, then the second step intervalis x + 1, via Theorem 1.1. Further, since / = 1, thenthe thirdstep intervalis x + 2, via Theorem 1.2. The three step intervalsof a parsimonioustrichord,then, must form the ascendingconsecutive series <x, x + 1, x + 2>.15 The sum of these three step intervalsis 3x + 3, distributed as 3(x + 1). Since c, the numberof pitch-classesin the system, is the sum of the stepintervals,it follows thatparsimonioustrichordsare only availableif c is an integralmultipleof 3. In each such system, thereis a single step-interval series of the form <x, x + 1, x + 2> thatrepresentsa parsimonioustrichord-classwhose prime form is {0, x, 2x + 1}. The generic version of such a trichordwill be representedusing the variableQ': DEE (7). Q'= {0, x, 2x + 1}, modulo 3x + 3 for parsimonious trichords, Figure8 (p. 14) presentsa generic Tonnetz which will be referredto as the parsimonious Tonnetz for short. The axes of Figure 8 are generatedby x and x + 1, the smallest step-intervals in Q'. A modularcongruenceof 3x + 3 is imposed on the figure, so that the first term of each expression is representedas a non-negativevalue. The trichordal prime-formQ' = {0, x, 2x + 1} is portrayed along with its PLR family at the center of Figure 8 . The arrowsdepict the following: *p labels the motion x - x + 1 when P takes {0, x, 2x + 1) to {0, TI x + 1, 2x + 1} across their sharedhypotenuse; * labels the motion 2x + 1 - 2x + 2 when L takes {0, x, 2x + 1 / TI } to {0, x, 2x + 2} across their sharedhorizontaledge; 13
x+3
2x + 3
2x
3x
x+2
2x+2
3x+2
x- 1
2x- 1
2x+4
x+1
2x+1-
3x+1
x-2
x+3
2x + 3
2x
3x
x+2
2x+2
3x+2
x- 1
2x- 1
2x + 4
x+1
2x + 1
3x + 1
x- 2
x +3
2x + 3
2x
3x
8: TheParsimonious Tonnetz Figure *, labels the T2motion 0 -- 3x + 1 -2 when R takes {0, x, 2x + 1} to {3x + 1, x, 2x + 1})across their sharedverticaledge. Figure 8 is a powerful representationof parsimonious trichordal motion. No matterwhat value is assigned to x, any local trianglewith a a parsimonious trichord. Consouthwest/northeast hypotenuserepresents all trichords are a realization versely, parsimonious through representable of Figure 8. To investigatethe scope of this power,we now explore three 14
x+3
2x+3
2x
3x
x+2
2x+2
3x+2
x-1 I
2x- 1
2x+4
x+1
2x+1
3x+ 1
x-2
x+3
2x + 3
2x
3x
1 '
2
2x+4
x+2 2x+2 3x+2 x1 x+ 1 2x+ 1 3x+ 1
1 2xx-2
[6
x+3
2x+3
9]
03
0
[6
2x
9
3x
9: Three Realizations of theParsimonious Tonnetz. Figure (a)x = 3, y = 4, c = 12,Q'= {0, 3, 7} modulo 12 / Riemann Tonnetz) (Oettingen such realizations,for x = 3, 5, and 7 respectively.In each of the three matricesthatcompriseFigure 9, the abstractexpressionsof Figure 8 are retained along with their realizations so that derivationscan be easily traced. Tonnetz.It partially Figure 9a is a version of the Oettingen/Riemann rotatesFigure 5b, replacingpitch-class names with integers.The series of majorthirdsis retainedon the y axis, but the series of minorthirdsis displacedfromthe northwest/southeast diagonalof Figure5b to the x axis of Figure 9a, thereby shifting the series of perfect fifths from the x axis 15
x+3
2x+3
2x
3x
x+2
2x+2
3x+2
x-1
2x- 1
2x+4
x+ 1
2x+ 1
3x+ 1
x-2
14
x+3 2x+3
6
p
0 -%
11
rx
16
2x 3x
813
2 x+2
0
1 '
2x+2
5,1 5
3x++2 x-1 2x- 1
w
2x+4
W
1
12
x+ 1
1
2x+ 1
W
3x+ 1 x-2
x+3
2x+3
2x
3x
13
[5
1]
[5
of theParsimonious 9: Three Realizations Tonnetz. Figure = = = = modulo 18 x c (0, 5, 6, 18, Q' 1) (b) y 5,1
to the southwest/northeast version of the Tondiagonal. This particular netzactuallyantedatesOettingen:it was firstintroduced by CarlFriedrich in 1853, althoughin a boundedform(as in Fig. 5a), andusing Weitzmann The triangular staff-notated pitches ratherthanintegers.'6 complex at the the trichordal centerof Figure9a portrays primeform, {0, 3, 7 } = C minor, togetherwith its PLR family.The arrowsrepresentthe following: 16
*p labels the TIsemitonalmotion 3- 4 = Eb-- E when P takes {0, 3, 7} = C minor to 10, 4, 7} = C major across their shared hypotenuse; * labels the semitonalmotion 7 - 8 = G - Abwhen L takes {0, 1 TI 3, 7) = C minorto {0, 3, 8) = Ab majoracrosstheir sharedhorizontal edge; * 4 labels the Tl0o T-2whole-step motion 0 - 10 = C-- B b when R takes {0, 3, 7) = C minorto { 10, 3, 7) = Eb majoracrosstheirshared verticaledge. In Figure9b, the parsimonioustrichordis Q' = {0, 5, 11) in a modulo 18 ("third-tone") system, with step-intervals<5, 6, 7>. The triangular complex at the center of Figure 9b portrays10, 5, 11} togetherwith the threetrichordsthatcomprise its PLR family.The arrowsportraythe following: 6 when P takes 10, 5, 11) to 10, 6, 11) p* z labels the TImotion 5 --across their sharedhypotenuse; *l labels the T1motion 11-- 12 when L takes {0, 5, 11} to {0, 5, 12 across their sharedhorizontaledge; *,zlabels the T16 = T-2motion 0-- 16 when R takes {0, 5, 11) to { 16, 5, 11} across their sharedverticaledge. In Figure 9c (p. 18), the parsimonioustrichordis Q' = 10, 7, 15} in a modulo24 ("quarter-tone") <7, 8, 9>. The trisystem, with step-intervals angularcomplex at the center of Figure 9c portrays10, 7, 15 } together with the threetrichordsthatform its PLR family.The arrowsportraythe following: p* z labels the T1motion 7 -- 8 when P takes 10, 7, 15) to 10, 8, 15) across their sharedhypotenuse; *l labels the T, motion 15 - 16 when L takes {0, 7, 15} to {0, 7, 16) across their sharedhorizontaledge; * labels the T22= T-2motion 0 - 22 when R takes 10, 7, 15 to {22, } 7, 15) across their sharedverticaledge. 2.4. The Toroidal Tonnetz Before navigatingthe Tonnetze, we need to confronttheirlimitationas a representation of pitch-classrelationsin equaltemperament. In Figures 8 and 9, pitch-classesoccur in multiplelocations, obscuringtheirequivalence.Alternatively each pitch-classat a single location,as representing in Figure 5a, has the equally perniciousconsequenceof obscuringadja17
x+3
2x+3
2x
3x
x+2
2x+2
3x+2
x- 1
2x- 1
2x+4
x+ 1
2x+ 1
3x+ 1
x-2
Fx181
x+3
1
2x + 3
x8
0
-
15
x
22
2x
F5
3x
0 Fl
2
1 7
91
1
7
2x + 2 3x + 2
1
x-1 2x- 1
x+2
S
2x+4
16
x+ 1
236
2x+ 1 3x+ 1
[13
x-2
x+10
1 W+5]3
9: Three Realizations of theParsimonious Tonnetz. Figure 24 (c) x = 7, y = 8, c = 24, Q'= {0, 7, 15) modulo
cency relationships,causing axes to float off the edge of the two-dimensional surface only to reappearon the opposite edge. These obscurities resultartificiallyfromthe mismatchbetween the cyclical natureof pitchclass space andthe flat surfaceof the printedpage. A toruspresentsa geometric figure more appropriate to representingthe cyclic propertiesof equal-tempered pitch-class.Althoughthe torusis eschewed here because it is difficultto renderandinterpret on the two-dimensionalsurfaceof the page, its underlyingstatusneeds to be sufficientlyacknowledgedbefore the Tonnetz can be navigatedwith full comprehension. 18
At issue above all is the cyclic periodicitiesof the axes, which fluctuate accordingto the generatingintervalsand the cardinalityof the chromatic system. The axes relevantto Tonnetznavigationare the threethat are generatedby step-intervalsof the parsimonioustrichord.These include not only the primaryx and y axes, but also the -(x + y) axis that diagonal. Assigning an abbreviated generates the southwest/northeast will simplify our treatment of the axis-cycle variableto this step-interval it. generatedby DEE (8). z = c - (x + y). All three step-interval-generated axes are circularizedby equal temperament,and thus will be referredto as axis/cycles. Ourstudyof the periodicityof axis/cycles will be aidedby puttinginto the periodicityof step-interval play a variableq*, representing q modulo
C.
DEF. (9). q = gcd(c,q) ' where gcd(c,q), the greatestcommon divisor of c and q, is the largestintegerj such that -c and are positive integers. J J The asteriskis attachableto any variablethat representsa step-interval; hence x* is the periodicityof x modulo c, and so forth. Thereare two generalcases.17 If q and c are co-prime,then gcd(c,q) = 1, in which case q* = c. The q cycle then exhauststhe chromaticsystem, and all cycles along the q axis are identical;in effect, there is a single q axis-cycle. A familiar example is presentedby the z axis of Figure 9a (p. 15), where c = 12 and z = 5. gcd(12,5) = 1, and so z* = c = 12. (The 12-periodicitycannot be directly verified on the attenuatedrepresentation of the z-axis given in Figure 9a, but must be induced by extending the boundariesof the figure.)All z axes in Figure 9a thus have a periodicity of 12, andexhaustthe 12 pitch-classesvia the "circleof fifths."Thus there is only a single distinct z axis-cycle. In the second general case, gcd(c,q) > 1, in which case q* < c. The q axis does not exhaust the chromatic system, but instead runs through some propersubset of its pcs. The pcs modulo c are then partitioned into gcd(c,q) = ~ co-cycles (providedthat 1 is the greatestcommon divisor of the three step-intervals in Q, as is indeed truefor all cases relevant to this study).An example is presentedby the z axis of Figure9c, where c = 24 and z = 9. gcd(24,9) = 3, and so z* = c = 8: each z cycle gcd(c,z) includes eight of the 24 pcs in the chromaticsystem. (Again this claim mustbe inducedfromthe figure.The orderedcontentof the z axis begin19
ning at the southwestcornerof 9c is as follows: <10, 1, 16, 7, 22, 13, 4, 19, 10>.) There are gcd(24,9) = 3 distinct z axis-cycles, which partition the 24 pitch-classes. considernow the cyclic features Retreating by one level of abstraction, of Figure 8 (p. 14), where c = 3x + 3, and the three step intervals<x, y, z> are <x, x+1, x+2>. c = 3x + 3 = 3 (x+1) = 3y, and so y = . Since y evenly divides c, it follows that gcd(c,y) = y, and so y* =- = 3. This Y explains why there are exactly three distinctelementsin each column of the matricesin Figures8 and 9. The significantpointhere is thatthe triple is properto the underperiodicityassociatedwith the second step-interval of Figure 8, and thus the inclusionof an octave-trisecting lying structure interval,acousticallyequivalentto a temperedmajorthird,is common to of distinctcolumns,thereare all parsimonious trichords. As for the number gcd(c,y) = y. Thatis: thereis one y-axis co-cycle for each degreeof separationbetween the second and thirdpitch-classin the prime form of Q'. In contrast,the remainingstep-intervalsare divisors of c only under limited conditions. c is co-prime with x (the first step-interval)unless x is a multipleof one of c's divisors, 3 or x + 1. x cannotbe a multipleof x + 1; thus c and x are co-prime unless x is an integralmultiple of 3, i.e., thereis some positive integern such that 3n = x. If so, then c = 3(3n) + 3 = 9n + 3, in which case c is congruentto 3 modulo9. The smallestexamples of such systems are c = { 12 (N.B.), 21, 30}. Of the systems portrayedin Figure 9, only Figure 9a (p. 15), where c meets this condition,andconsequentlyit is only here thatthe x axis 12, = partitionsits pcs into co-cycles ratherthan exhaustingthem in a single cycle. In this case, x = 3, gcd(c,x) = 3, and x* 12 4. Each x axis thuscontainsfourdistinctpcs, andtherearex = 3 distinctx axes. (In standardterms,of course, what we have here is the partitionof the aggregate into threediminishedseventhchords.)By contrast,in Figures9b and 9c, neitherc = 18 nor c = 24 are congruentto 3 modulo 9. Consequently,c and x are co-prime, and so there is only a single x axis that exhauststhe system of 18 or 24 pcs. A similarsituationholds for the relationship of c to the thirdstep-interval. x + 2 cannotbe a multipleof x + 1, and so, in parallelwith the case of the x axis just described,c and x + 2 are co-prime unless x + 2 is an integralmultipleof 3, i.e., there is some positive integern such that 3n 2 = x. In such cases, c = 3(3n - 2) + 3 = 9n - 3. That is, c - 6 modulo 9. The smallest such systems are c = 16, 15, 24). Of the systems portrayed in Figure9, only Figure9c, where c = 24, meets this condition,and consequently it is only here that the z axis partitionsits pcs into co-cycles ratherthanexhaustingthem in a single cycle. By contrast,in Figures 9a and 9b, neitherc = 12 nor c = 18 are congruentto 6 modulo 9, and so c 20
and z are co-prime, and there is only a single z axis which exhauststhe system of 12 or 18 pcs. A practicaldemonstration of the featuresdiscussed in this section is provided in the pioneering microtonal treatise of Alois Hiba (1927), which systematicallyexplores the generativepowers of intervalsin both (c = 24) and third-tone(c = 18) systems (where "tone"is quarter-tone takenin the sense of "wholetone").In his discussion of the quarter-tone system, Hiba notes that the "neutralthird,"equivalent to 7/24 of an octave, generates all 24 pitch-classes. In contrast,Hiba writes that the interval"a quarter-tone higherthan a majorthird [i.e. 9/24 of an octave] leads only as far as an octachord [Achtklang].This octachordis composed of the symmetricpartitionof a majorsixth.... Two transpositions of the octachordupwardby a quarter-tone use the remaining16 tones of the quarter-tone-scale" (1927, 166). Hiba's threeoctachordsare equivalent to the three distinct z-axis co-cycles discussed above in association with Figure9c. In a subsequentchapter,Hiba approachesthe third-tone system from a similarperspective,observing that "the successive series of 5/3 steps forms a unified collection of 18 tones in the third-tonesysacross a spanof tem, and indeed in a morebroadlyexpandeddistribution five octaves. The successive series of 18 seven-thirdtones forms a collection spreadacross seven octaves"(202-203). H1iba's aggregate-completing Nacheinanderfolgenare equivalentto the x and z axes of Figure 9b. The perspectivecultivatedthroughout this section providesa systematic foundationfor Hdiba's observations. Figure 10 (p. 22) summarizesthe work of this section by providinga table for calculating the cyclic periodicities for the chromatic systems thatcan host parsimonioustrichords,as exemplifiedin the threematrices of Figure 9. The significantpoint to be carriedout of this exposition is thatthe y axis, generatedby the second step-interval, has a constantperiodicity, and the numberof y co-cycles varies with the size of the chromatic system. Conversely,the x and z axes, generatedby the first and thirdstep-intervals respectively,have a variableperiodicity,but the number of x and z co-cycles is constantto within the modulo-3 congruence of c. The relevanceof these findings, and particularly of the special status of the y axis, to progressionsbased on PLR-familyoperationswill become apparent in Section 3. 3.1. PLR-family Compounds We are now in a position to navigatethe toroidalTonnetz, in all its various manifestations,using PLR-family operations as our vehicle. The maximal common-tone retention inherent to these operations insures thatthe cruise will be smooth, particularly when the Tonnetz is parsimonious. Ourexplorationwill follow a systematicprogram,focusing on tri21
(a)
c mod-9 0
(b)
x axis periodicity (x*) c # co-cycles (c/x*) 1
(c)
y axis periodicity (y*) 3 # co-cycles (c/y*) c 3 c 3 c 3
c 3 c
Figure 10: Cyclic Periodicitiesof Step Intervalsof
chordalprogressions,or chains, generatedby the recursiveapplicationof a patternof PLR-familyoperations.'8 Where appropriate, chains will be viewed as segments of cycles. The basic cycle-classes formedby generated PLR-familychains are few in number,and their relation to PLRfamily operationsis roughly analogous to the role of the chain of fifths in diatonicprogressions:they constitutenormativeproto(Sechterkette) types againstwhich particular progressions,in all theirvarietyand complexity, may be gauged. The ultimategoal of this investigationis the pragmaticone of exploring parsimoniousvoice-leading among consonanttriadsin a 12-pc system. Consistentwith the frameworkestablishedin Section 2, this familiar phenomenon is situated as a particularmanifestation of a more general one: the behavior of parsimonioustrichordsin any pitch-class system thatis suitablysized to host them. Some readersmay be frustrated by this strategy,since it defers an encounterwith music in systems that we care about, instead inviting contemplationof hypotheticalmusical systems whose sounds we may have difficultyimagining.Nowadays,of course, the pragmaticfallout of such a study,in the form of "microtonal universes,"is readily available to composers, analysts, and listeners. Fromthis viewpoint,the researchpresentedin this paperreflectsthe deep influence of Gerald Balzano's classic study (Balzano 1980). Like Balzano, my motivationsarenot only compositional.They stem as well from an intuition,perhapsa credo, that insights into the propertiesand behavior of individualinstances are furnishedby studying the propertiesand behaviorsof generalphenomenawhich they represent.As inhabitants of a planetthat sustainslife, the value of exploringotherplanets, solar systems, or galaxies for their life-sustainingproperties,or lack thereof,potentially transcendsthe conceivable materialbenefits, extending to the self-knowledge that emerges from the differentiatingcontext furnished by the Other.19 We begin with some notations,definitions,and observationsinvoked the rest of the paper: throughout 3.1.1. Notation of Compound Operations. A compoundPLR-family operationis denoted as an orderedset of individualPLR-familyoperations, enclosed in angled brackets.The operationsapply in the order in which they appearin the set, from left to right.For example, in the compound operation<RPL>, R is applied, P is applied to the productof R, and L is appliedto the productof R-then-P. 3.1.2. T/I Equivalences of Compound Operations. All compound operationsare equivalentto either transpositionsor inversions,depending on the cardinalityof the orderedset. Compoundoperationsof odd cardinalityare inversions,those of even cardinalitytranspositions.This follows from the inversionalstatus of PLR-family operations,together 23
with the group structureof inversionand transposition(see, e.g., Rahn 1980, 52). 3.1.3. Generators. A PLR-family compound is generated if it can be partitionedinto two or more identical orderedsubsets. The ordered subset, singly iterated,constitutesthe generator of the compound.The andn counts compoundcan be expressedas Hn, whereH is the generator its iterationsin the compound.A generatorof cardinality #H is classified as #H-nary (hence binary, ternary, etc.). For example, the compound <PRPRPR>is binary-generated, since it can be partitionedas <<PR> <PR><PR>>,and expressedas <PR>3. of a generated 3.1.4. T/I Equivalences of Generators. The cardinality compoundHn is #H - n. If either#H or n are even , then Hn is a transposition. In orderfor Hn to be an inversion,#H and n must both be odd. This follows from the observationsmade in 3.1.2 togetherwith the multiplicativepropertiesof odd and even integers. 3.1.5. Cycles. H generatesa cycle if, operatingon some trichordQ, there is some integer q* > 0 such that Hq*(Q) = Q. The smallest such value q* is the operational periodicity of H. It will also be useful on occasion to count the trichordsthat result from an H-generatedcycle. That number,the trichordal periodicity of the cycle, is equivalentto #H - q*. 3.1.6. Tonnetz Representations of Cycles. Generatorsof odd cardinality are involutions:they retreatto their point of origin on the Tonnetz aftertwo iterations.This is restatedformallyas Theorem2 in the appenof even cardinality, dix, where a proof is offered. Generators by contrast, aredevolutions:they move perpetually away fromtheirpointof origin on the Tonnetz. Cycles are generatedonly when a modularcongruencegoverns the Tonnetz, in which case the generatorhas the same periodicityas the transpositional operationto which it is equivalent(cf. 3.1.4). These periodicitiescan be computedby firstexpressingthe PLR-familygeneratoras a transposition operationT,, and then determiningthe periodicity of n in relationto the size of the chromaticsystem. For this second step, we will rely on the work carriedout in Section 2.4 and summarizedin Figure 10. 3.2. Binary Generators Because the unarygenerators<L>, <P>, and <R> are involutions,the progressionsthatthey generateare insufficientlyvariedto serve as compelling musical resources.Thus our explorationbegins with binarygeneratorsthat pair distinctPLR-familyoperations.Thereare six such generators,which groupinto threeretrograde-related pairs: (1) <PR> and <RP>; (2) <LP> and <PL>; (3) <LR> and <RL>. 24
It has alreadybeen determined(cf. 3.1.2) thateach binaryoperationis value n associatedwith a biequivalentto some T,. Each transpositional naryoperationis equivalentto a non-zerodirectedintervalwithinthe trichordthat is the object of operation.To see why this is so, considerthat each individualPLR-familyoperationaltersone pitch-classin Q, and so each binary operationalters two pitch-classes in Q. It follows that the productof a binaryoperationsharesat least one commonpc with Q. The common-tonetheoremfor transposition (Rahn 1980, 108) dictatesthatif Qr~T,(Q) > 0, thenthereis some {q1,q2) E Qsuch thatq2- q1 = n. From this it follows that each binary PLR-family operationtransposesQ by some intervalinternalto it. The transpositional values associatedwith the six binary operations are exactly the three step-intervalsand their inverses, ?x, ?y, and ?(x + y). Figure 11 (p. 26) matchesdirectedintervalsto their associatedbinary operations.The six directed intervalsof Q are listed as transpositional values at (a). Their binary operationequivalentsare shown at (b). The values areimplementedon Q at (c). The binaryoperations transpositional are implementedat (d), where they are representedon the abstractTonnetzas arrowsleadingout of Q. EachoperationtransposesQ by one position along the axis representing the step-intervalwith which it is associated. (Forexample,the associationbetween Txand <RP> is confirmedby the matrix position of <RP>(Q), one step rightwardof Q along the x axis.) Consequently,the vertices of each resultanttriangle at (d) are exactly the pitch-classes resulting from the associated transpositionat (c). (For example, {x, 2x, 2x + y } appearsboth as the set of vertices of <RP>(Q) at (d) and as the resultof Tx(Q) at (c).) Note that inversely related step-intervalsare associated with retrograde-related operations.For example, the association of Tx with <RP> is complementedby an associationof Tx with <PR>. More generally: THEOREM 3. Foran orderedPLR-familyoperationset H andits retrograde Ret(H), if H = T,, then Ret(H) = T,.
tion aside, the six binaryPLR-familyoperationsproducesix distinct trichordswhen implementedon Q'. Figure 12 (p. 27) translatesFigure 11 into terms specific to parsimonious trichords. The transpositions at (a) aregiven in threeforms:as positive and negative generic step-intervals,as positive and negative step25
lone exception that, if x = 1 and c = 6, then x + 2 = - (x + 2). This excep-
A proof is given in the Appendix. we now examine Moving one step forwardinto the "middleground," these relations as they apply to the abstract parsimonious trichordal prime form Q' = {0, x, 2x + 1 , with directedintervals?x, ?(x + 1), and +(x + 2). In general,these intervalsrepresentsix distinctvalues, with the
(a) Tx T-x Ty T-y Tx+y
(b) <RP> <PR> <PL> <LP> <RL>

<Tx {O,x,x+ y} -<Tx <Tx >
(c) {x, 2x, 2x+ y} ){-x, 0, y) >{y,x+y,x+2y}

<T-y >
{O,x,x+y} {O,x,x+y}) {0,x,x+ y]
>{-y,x-Y,x)
>{x + y, 2x + y, 2x + 2y) {O,x, x + y} <Tx-+y*> {0, x, x + y

<T-xy)
T-x-y <LR>
{-x y, -y, 0
(d) -x + 2y 2y x + 2y 2x + 2y
<PL>(Q) -x + y y x+y
<RL>(Q) 2x + y
<PR>(Q) -x
0
.
'<RP>(Q) x
2x
-x- y
<LR>(Q) -y
<LP>(Q) x- y
2x- y
Figure 11: AbstractTranspositional Equivalences for BinaryGenerators
(a) Tx
(b) <RP> <Tx > x, 2x + )-{10,
(c) x, 2x, 3x + I)
T -x
T 2x+3
<PR>
{0, x, 2x + 1)
< T2x+3 > -
){2x + 3, 0, x + 1)
Ty
Tx+l
<PL>
{0, x, 2x+ 1)
<Tx+1 > +{x

<T2x+2 >
+ 1, 2x + 1, 3x + 2)
T-y
T-(x+l)
T2x+2
<LP>
{0, x, 2x+ 1)-
+{2x+2,3x+2,
x}
Tx+y
T-(x+2)
T2x+1
<RL>
{0, x,2x
<T2x+ I >
+l
) > <Tx+2 -
{2x + 1, 3x + , x - 1}) + 2, 2x + 2, 0)
T-x-y
Tx+2
<LR>
{0,x,2x+l
{x
(d) x+2 2x+2 3x+2 x- 1
<PL>(Q') x+ I x 2x + 1
<RL>(Q') 3x + I
2x+33
<PR>(Q') 0
<RP>(Q') 2x
x+2-
<LR>(Q')I
2x + 2-
<LP>(Q')
3x + 2
x- 1
Figure 12: BinaryGeneratorsand ParsimoniousTrichords
x+4
2x + 4
x+ 1
2x+ 1
x+ 3
2x + 3
0 <PLP
x +4
2x + 4
x+ 1
2x + 1-------
2x+5
2x + 5
x+4
<PR> 2 2
2x+4
<PR> x+2 x+2 22 1 <LR> I
<LL <LP>3x+2 <PR>2x+2 <L>R> 2x + 2 <PL>><R 3x + 2 <LPL> < P> 2x+1 -2x + I x+ I <LPL PL> <LP> 0 x
x+1
<
<LRL>
x+4
2x+4 <LRL RL> <LR> x+3
2x + 3
Figure 13: BinaryChains on the Parsimonio
intervalsof the generic parsimonioustrichordQ', and as positive values modulo 3x + 3. It is these lattervalues thatgeneratethe mappingsat (c). Figure 12(d) transfersthe label/arrownetwork from Figure 11(d) onto the parsimoniousTonnetz (cf. Figure8). As with Figure 11, a comparison of the trianglevertices at (d) with the results of the transpositional mappings at (c) confirmsthe associationsof binaryPLR-familyoperationto assertedat (a) and (b). pc-transposition 3.3. Binary Chains and Cycles Having explored the transpositionalbehavior of binary operations singly iterated,we now study the chains generatedthroughtheir recursive application.Figure 13 appliesthe six generators to Q'= {0, x, 2x+1 ), as represented on the parsimoniousTonnetz of Figures8 and 12. Pursuant to Theorem3, retrograde-related generatorsproceedinverselyout of Q'. combine to form a single Consequently,any generatorand its retrograde chain. For the sake of procedural economy, it will be useful to providea unified label for each chain: invokingalphabeticalprecedence,the three chains will be referredto as <LP>, <LR>, and <PR>. binary-generated Each of the three chains representedon Figure 13 threads a space boundedby two paralleland adjacentaxes. The <PR> chain, whose generatoris associatedwith the x interval,threadsa pair of x axes and thus proceeds horizontally;the <LP> chain, associated with the y interval, threadsa pairof y axes andthusproceedsvertically;andthe <LR> chain, associated with the x + y = z interval,threadsa pair of z axes and thus proceedsdiagonally.These affiliationsbetween binarychains, step interdirectionsare constantto all realizationsof the generic vals, and Tonnetz Tonnetz. In what sense arethe chains of Figure 13 cyclic? Withthe <LP> chain, the cyclicity is readilyapparent: both <PL>3,at the top of the figure,and <LP>3,at its bottom,are equivalentto Q', indicatingthatthe operational periodicityof the <LP> chain is 3. (Note thatthis periodicityis properto the parsimoniousTonnetz; were the chains tracedon the generic Tonnetz of Figures 6 and 11, no such cyclicity would be evident.)Withthe other two chains, no such equivalences are apparent,and so these chains are not cyclic in the abstract.Once a specific integer value is assigned to x, however,the <LR> and <PR> chains become cyclic. For example, if x = 3, then <PRPRPRP>(Q)= {3, x + 4, 2x + 4} at the figure's left edge is equivalentto <R>(Q) = {x, 2x + 1, 3x + 1) just rightof center:both trichords are equivalentto {3, 7, 10). This indicates that the <PR> chain has an operationalperiodicityof 4. This periodicitydoes not hold, however, if x is assigned a differentvalue. It is properto the Oettingen/Riemann Tonnetz, but not to the parsimoniousTonnetz of Figure 13, where, 29
Moduloc
<LP>
(a) (b) (c) (d) operational chain-class trichordal pitch-class periodicity cardinality periodicity cardinality
per co-cycle
3
- 9 modulo
<PR> c0, c0, <LR>
modulo9
c 3
c
3
3 1 1
3
2c
3
2c
3
c c c 3
2c 2c 2c 3
c c 2c 3
modulo 9
modulo 9
c-6
andCardinalities of Binary-Generated Figure14:Periodicities Cycles unlike <LP>, neither the <PR> nor the <LR> chain exhibits constant periodicity. Althoughvariable,the operational periodicitiesof <PR> and<LR> for specific values of x can nonethelessbe easily determined.To do so, we only need coast on the momentumof ourlaborfromSection 2.4. Because binary operationsare equivalentto step-intervaltranspositions,as discussed in Section 3.2, the two necessarilyhave identicalperiodicities.We have alreadyseen this for the case of the <LP> chain, whose operational periodicityof 3 derives from the triple periodicityof its associatedstepintervaly (cf. Figure 10(c), p. 22). The periodicitiesfor <PR> and <LR> likewise transferfrom that of their associated step-intervals,x and z, respectively.Figure 10(b) gives the value of x*, the periodicityof x modulo c, and these values apply directly to the periodicity of <PR>: if c - {0,6 } modulo 9, then the operationalperiodicityof <PR> is c; if c 3 modulo 9, the periodicity is -. Figure 10(d) gives the value of z*, the periodicityof z modulo c, and these values apply directlyto the periodicity of <LR>: if c = {0,3) modulo 9, then the periodicityof <PR> is c; if c modulo 9, the periodicityis C. These periodicitiesare summain column (a) of Figure 14. rized-6 30
Other significantfeatures of binary-generated cycles are directly inferrablefrom the foregoing. Cardinality of cycle-classes. When one of the chains on Figure 13 (p. 28) is transposed,axes and thus trichordsmay be exchanged,but the class membership of the chain (<LP>, <PR>, or <LR>) is preserved.It is thus important to makean ontologicaldistinctionbetween specific cycles and the classes that they represent.This distinctionleads us to ask how many distinct cycles belong to each class, i.e. what is the cardinalityof thatclass. To answerthis question,we begin by observingthateach cycle in two cycles. It engages two pitch-class axes, and each axis participates follows thatthe cardinality of each binary-generated cycle-class is equivalent to the quantityof distinctpitch-class axes of that generator'sstep-
interval as givenin Figure10 (p.22).Thisquantity associate, equals-,
where c measuresthe chromaticsystem as in Def. (1), and q* is the periodicity of the binary generatoras at Figure 14, column (a). This information is summarizedin Figure 14, column (b). Trichordal periodicity. The trichordalperiodicity of a generated cycle equals the productof operationalperiodicitytimes generatorcardinality (cf. 3.1.5). In the case of binarygenerators,trichordalperiodicity doubles operationalperiodicity.All <LP> cycles thus engage six trichords,but the trichordal periodicityis variablefor the <PR> and <LR> in Figure 14, column (c) for each cycles. This informationis summarized cycle-class. Pitch-class engagement. Considera binaryoperator H associatedwith where the of step-interval q, q* represents periodicity q and hence of H. * If q and c are co-prime,q* = c (cf. 2.4). Then both axes threadedby an H-generated chain includethe entirepc-aggregate.It follows that an H-generatedchain engages all c pitch-classes of the chromatic system. * If, however, q and c share a common divisor greaterthan 1, then q* < c, and the c pitch-classespartitioninto co-cycles (cf. 2.4). The two q axes threadedby an H-generatedchain thus have distinctpccontent. Since each of these axes has a periodicityof q*, it follows thatan H-generatedchain engages 2q* pitch-classes.Thusan <LP> cycle always engages a hexachord.(The prime form of this hexachord is {0, 1, x + 1, x + 2, 2x + 2, 2x + 3), with step-intervals <1, x, 1, x, 1, x>.) Dependingon the modulo 9 congruenceof c, the <LR> and <PR> cycles eitherengage the entirepitch-class system, or of that system. (In the latter case, the prime form of the set 3n + 1<<) for n := engaged by the cycle can be representedas {<<3n, 0 to with step intervals<1, 2 1, 2...>.) This informationis sum in Figure 14, column (d). marized 31
(a) Tx T3
(b) <RP> {0, 3, 7)-----}

<T3>
(c) {3, 6, 10)

<T3> C--<3
Eb -
T-x
T9
<PR>
{0, 3, 7 )-----{
<T9>
9, 0, 4
C-----
<T9>
A-
Ty
T4
<PL>
{0,3, 7} -
<T4>
{4, 7, 11
C-
<T4 >
E-
Thy
T8
<LP>
{0, 3, 7) -----{>8,11,
<T7>
<T8 >
3}
C ------8
<T8 >
Ab -
T x+y
T7
<RL>
{0, 3, 7 -----
{7, 10, 21
C-------
<T7 >
G-
T -x-y
T5
<LR>
{0, 3, 7)-
<T 5>
f{5, 8, 0)
<T 5> C- -----
F-
(d)
10
= A-Minor
<PR>(Q')
0O3
C-Minor <RP>(Q')
i = Eb-Minor
A6: 5
= F-Minor
<LR>(Q')
<LP>(Q') = Ab-Minor
11
Figure 15: BinaryGeneratorsand ConsonantTriadsmodulo 12
In general, the smaller the periodicity of the step intervalassociated with an operation,the more economical is the pitch-class design of the cycle generated from that operation.The significance of this circumstance for nineteenth-century harmonywill become clear in Section 3.4. 3.4 Binary Chains and Cycles in Modulo 12 In this section, the propertiesof parsimonioustrichordsestablished above are studiedas they apply to the object of historicaland analytical interest,the consonanttriadin a system of 12 pitch-classes.We begin by studyingthe six binaryoperations,singly iterated,as we did in association with Figure 12 (p. 27). Figure 15 providesa realizationof Figure 12, with x = 3. This assignmentimmediatelybrings the familiarobject and system into view. Q' = {0, x, 2x + 1} is realized as the consonanttriad {0, 3, 7} = C minor,the step intervals<x, x + 1, x+ 2> as <3, 4, 5>, and the chromaticsystem 3x + 3 as the 12-pc system. The parsimoniousTonversion of the one discoveredby Euler netz becomes an equal-tempered and Oettingen and propagatedby Riemann (cf. Figure 9a). The triads producedby the six binaryoperationsindicatedon Figure 15 constitute a complete inventoryof the minor triadsthat share a pitch-class with C minor. To explore the recursive properties of these operations, Figure 16 chains of Figure 13 onto the (p. 34) transfersthe three binary-generated chains are somewhatre-positioned, Tonnetz. (These Oettingen/Riemann in partfor visual clarity.)Each of these three classes of triadicprogression is familiarfrom music of the nineteenthcentury,and each has distinctiveproperties. The group structure of <LP> chains has been studiedby Hyer (1989, 1995), and some of their special qualities were exploredfrom different perspectivesin an earlierpaperof mine (Cohn 1996, where I refer to a chain of this type as a "maximallysmooth cycle") and in Lewin (1996, who classifies it as a "CohnCycle"). The particular <LP> chain threading the vertical axes of Figure 16 is the one that is traversedin a downwarddirectionin a passage from Brahms'sDouble Concertothatis modelled in Example 1 and that I have alreadystudiedin some detail (Cohn 1996, 13-15). The matrix representationillustrates several significant featuresof <LP> cycles identifiedin my earlierpaper: Set-class Non-Exhaustion. <LP> generatesa cyclic progressionof 6 triads,a sub-groupof the 24 triads. Limited pc engagement. Both engaged columns have a cyclic periodicity of 3, so thatan <LP> cycle engages only 6 pitch-classes.The pc-set unites two adjacentIC-4 cycles (representedby the two yaxis columns) into a hexatonicset belonging to Forte-class6-20.20 33
.........-------7 3Brahms
10
6 2
Ab+
5 8
11 7 3 A+ 11 ---7 --------10
11
1 9 5 1 ---------4 9----5 1 9
4 0 8
10 6 2 Bb1------Gb+ 9 5
4 0 Ab+ 8 4--------7 .10
7 3 11
0 8 4 -------7
S-Eb6-----9---------0
B+Schubert 2 11 10 6
F#-,A5 1 9 8 4 0
CE 3 11 7 3
0 --------" 3
Figure 16: BinaryChains on the Oettingen/ Riem
... I
'
tI
Example1: Brahms,Concertofor Violin andCello, Op. 102, FirstMovement,mm. 270-78

I oi
mI
Overture to Die Zauberharfe, Example2: Schubert, openingAndante Multiple distinct cycles. The numberof distinct<LP> cycles is equivalent to the numberof distinct y axes: four. In my earlierpaper,I referto these four cycles as hexatonic systems, in referenceto their limited pc-content. In the currentcontext they are more appropriately referredto as sub-systems. The particular <PR> cycle threadingthe horizontalaxes of Figure 16 is the one thatis traversed (in referenceto the spatiallayoutof right-ward Figure 16) in Example 2, which models the Andanteintroductionof the overtureto Schubert'sopera Die Zauberharfe(1820).21 The three features properto <PR> cycles are analogous to those identifiedabove for <LP> cycles, and this analogy is reflected in the paralleldescriptionof them below: Set-class Non-Exhaustion. <PR> generatesa cyclic progressionof 8 triads,a sub-groupof the 24 triads. Limited pc engagement. Both engaged rows have a cyclic periodicity of 4, so that a <PR> cycle engages 8 pitch-classes. The pc-set unitestwo adjacentIC-3 cycles (represented by the two x-axis rows) into an octatonic set belonging to Forte-class8-28. Multiple distinct cycles. The number of distinct <PR> cycles is equivalentto the numberof distinct x-axes: three.These cycles can be referred to as octatonic sub-systems (cf. Lerdahl1994, 132-33). Any <PR> cycle-segmentis a (properor improper)subsetof one of the three <PR> cycles. 35
The situationwith the <LR> cycle, which threadsthe diagonalaxes of Figure 16, is entirelydifferent.The threefeaturesnotedfor the <LP> and <PR> cycles have no analoguehere. Set-class Exhaustion. The compoundoperation<LR> generatesthe entire groupof 24 triads. PC-Aggregate Completion. Both engaged z-axis diagonals have a cyclic periodicityof c = 12, andan <LR> chainengages all 12 pitchclasses; One Single Cycle. There is a single <LR> cycle, of which any <LR> cycle-segment is a subset. The complete <LR> cycle is too long to sustaincompositionalinterest under normal conditions. This is broughtout by a thirty-four-measure passage which I have writtenabouton two earlieroccasions (Cohn 1991 and 1992) from the second movementof Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (mm. 143-76) . From a startingpoint at C-majorin the northeastcorner of Figure 16, the passage obsessively whirls through<RL>9,traversing eighteen triadsbefore haltingat the nineteenthlink, the A-majortriadin the southwestcorner.Even a squallof such velocity andforce cannotpropel itself aboutthe entirecycle. Nonetheless,the <LR>cycle has a morevenerablelegacy thanthe other binary-generated cycles. Singly iterated, <LR> transposes by perfect fifth, the transpositionalvalue that preservesmaximum pc-intersection between diatoniccollections (as well as the intervalthat sports acoustic privilege). The <LR>-cycle was initially recognized in thorough-bass methodsfrom the late seventeenthcenturyas a gauge of modulatorydistance (Lester1992,215). In 1827,JohannBernhard Logierrecommended thatyoung musicianslearnto play the entire cycle at the pianoforte,"as it forms the groundwork on which may be constructedan almost infinite numberof passages and variations." Logier's assessment of the cycle's is to the properties pertinent approachadoptedhere: We perceive,fromthe beginning to the end, not only a beautifulsymmethe whole, butalso a double unionof intertry andregularity pervading vals-two of them always remainingundisturbed.... the whole proin any of our former gressionforminga chain of harmonyunequalled exercises.22 As these passages suggest, the entire cycle is less a model of a surface structureto be traversedin a single gesture than a compositionalspace which, like a city, becomes entirelyknown throughan exertionof memory across a set of partial explorations.In a more recent formulation directly related to the approachdeveloped in this paper,Lewin (1987, 180) notes that the 24 triadsare generableby a single operation,MED, 36
c = 12 3 modulo-9 <LP> <PR>
(c) (d) (a) (b) operational chain-class trichordal pitch-class periodicity cardinality periodicity cardinality perco-cycle 3 4 12 4 3 1 6 8 24 6 8 12
<LR>
andCardinalities Periodicities Modulo12 Figure17:Binary-Generated which mapsa triadto its diatonicsubmediant. The powersof MED organize the 24 triads into a simply transitivegroup, a GeneralizedInterval System isomorphicwith the <LR> cycle. In this sense, the <LR> cycle can be seen as a source for all triadicprogressions.The <PR> and <LP> cycles emerge, among other routines, as patternedsub-groups of the <LR> cycle.23 Figure 17, modelled afterFigure 14, summarizesthe propertiesof the binary-generated cycles modulo 12. Surveying the three cycles as an ensemble, what is most strikingis the affinitybetween the <LP> (hexatonic) and <PR> (octatonic)cycles, whose periodicitesand cardinalities are nearly identical, and the anomalousstatusof the <LR> cycle by the same standard. These affiliationsare unexpectedin the general context providedby Section 3.3, which emphasizedthe affinitiesof the <PR> and <LR> cycles, on the basis of their variableperiodicities,and the anomalous statusof the <LP> cycle, on the basis of its uniquelyconstantperiodicity.The section thatnow follows will suggest thatthe strongaffinity betweenthe <LP> and<PR>cycles in modulo 12 is accidentalrather than inherent.In no otherchromaticsystem is the affinityso strong. 3.5. Hexatonic and Octatonic Analogues We begin by investigatingthe relativelysimple case of <LP> cycles in systems otherthan modulo 12. In each pitch-classsystem thathosts parsimonioustrichords,<LP> cycles have a constantoperational periodicity of 3, trichordal periodicityof 6, and pitch-classcardinalityof 6 (cf. Figure 14, p. 30). Thus <LP> cycles are inherentlyhexatonic.The variable 37
II
II06
I/
tones (Dritteltdne) - Third
G#
E
C-
.-
.--E-
.
C CC
C .
H1H
EGCk.
GGGOGOA
G , GO..
'
C ,
,E GF ,
C H
C E, SDG+, ,C, F+, A+, GO"C#", E B+ D, F , A
B+ E
G+A
B+
BD . DA
.'
.AAOF
A...A
F.. . . GB
,E.GOA
BH H1
Dl
D$ "
D
FO
r " ". Al# FO
G+ A$
G+kB+k B+k
Figure 18: The Hyper-Hexatonic-Analogue System fo
of the <LP> cycle-class, i.e. the numberof dispropertyis the cardinality tinct hexatonic sub-systems.The 2c parsimonioustrichordsin a system of c pitch-classespartitioninto c= cf <LP> co-cycles. This yields four 6 3 hexatonicsub-systemsfor c = 12, six sub-systemsfor c = 18, eight subsystems for c = 24, and so forth. In my earlier paper, which studied the relationshipamong the four hexatonic sub-systems in the mod-12 system, I observed (Cohn 1996, 23-25) thateach sub-systemsharespitch-classeswith two othersub-systo the remainingsub-system.On tems, and is pitch-classcomplementary this basis, the ensemble of sub-systemsis shapedinto a four-elementsystem at a higher level. I proposeda two-tier design, where both the sixelement sub-systems and the four-element"hyper-system" that embeds them are GeneralizedIntervalSystems (GIS) (Lewin 1987). Ourcurrent work suggests that the same two-tiered GIS design applies to <LP> cycles in all chromaticsystems where they occur. The individual subsystems, which I shall call hexatonic analogues, constituteGIS's whose elements are the six trichordsof an <LP> cycle, and thus whose size is constant to all chromatic systems. The higher-level hyper-hexatonic analogue system, organizedby pc-intersectionamong the sub-systems, constitutesa GIS whose size of - sub-systemsvarieswith the chromatic cardinality. Figure 18 demonstratesthe hyper-hexatonic-analogue system for c = 18, using Haiba'sDritteltonsystempitch-class designations, which are inventoriedat the top of the figure. (Haiba uses +for 1/6 sharp,$ for 1/3 sharp, # for 2/3 sharp, and # for 5/6 sharp.)The 18 pitch-classes are arrangedinto 6 T6-cyclesat the center of the figure.Each such cycle trisects the octave, and is thus acoustically equivalentto a temperedaugmentedtriadmodulo 12. The cycles are pairedinto six overlappingovals which portraythe six hexatonic-analogue pc sets. Each set is connected by an arrowto the hexatonicanaloguesub-systemof trichordsfor which it furnishesa pitch-class source. Each such sub-systemis an <LP> cycle modulo 18, and each is connecteddirectly,by shared"augmented triad," to two neighboringsystems. A uniquefeatureof this chromaticsystem is that the hexatonic sub-systems and the hyper-systemshare a cardinality of 6. This isomorphism,which arises from the equality of the variablec to the constant6 when c = 18, presents some interestingcompositional possibilities which I shall not explore in the currentcontext. The <PR> (octatonic)sub-systemsof modulo 12 generalizein a quite differentway. Whereasproper<LP> sub-systems appearin all suitably sized chromaticsystems, proper<PR> sub-systemsappearonly in those systems wherec = 3 modulo9. Even in these systems, the <PR> sub-systems generalizedifferentlythanthe <LP>. We have seen that<LP> subsystems have a constantsize but a variablequantity(cf. Figure 14). The 39
ECq
7CE
A
G EI,
G\
DE
CC
GG#AB
F C
A#
E4G
//[ F# A D4 D D q / G
/
q D# E
CI
- G-I GE
Co
Dq Fq
C4
D F
Di
G GF A# B4
F A
G# B
G#
Figure 19: The Hyper-Octatonic-Analogue System for c = 24

F
C#\ C
/
B
B
D Dj D
A.4
A
Fq AC \
DF
F4
AlAA
D, --D_
B/
D
Dq /
Ft
\F
Fjd
situationwith the <PR> sub-systems is converse. The quantityof subsystems is constant:the 2c parsimonioustrichordsof each system partition into three <PR> sub-systems.The size of each <PR> sub-systemis variable, engaging trichords.Consequently,generalized <PR> sub-~ in the same sense thatgeneralized<LP> subsystems arenot "octatonic" of 8 only in case c = 12. systems arehexatonic:they have a pc-cardinality The most salient propertyof the mod-12 octatonic that generalizes to moduloc is the step-interval pattern<1, 2, 1, 2...>. In this sense the term "l:2-analogue"(based on Lendvai 1971) would betteraccommodatethe basis of the analogy than "octatonicanalogue."I nonetheless retainthe lattertermin orderto stressthe positive aspectsof the meta-analogywith "hexatonicanalogue." Although, as we have seen, the <LR> cycle yields no proper subsystems modulo 12, it does yield propersub-systemsin chromaticsystems congruentto 6 modulo 9, such as c = 15, 24, and so forth. In these in the same way as the <PR> cases, the <LR> sub-systemsare structured sub-systems,in the sense thattherearethreesub-systems,each with a trichordal periodicity and pitch-class cardinalityof . Because of this similarstructuring, it makes sense to apply the termoctatonic analogue to the <LR> as well as the <PR> sub-systems. Figure 19 demonstratesthe hyper-octatonic-analogue system for c = 24, using Haiba'sVierteltonsystem pitch-class designations,inventoried in ascendingorderat the top of the figure.The 24 pitch-classesare partitioned into three T3-cyclesof cardinality8 at the center of the figure, which are pairedby the ovals into octatonic-analogue collections of cardinality 16. These collections furnish the pc content for the octatonicanalogue sub-systemsof triads,equivalentto the <LR>-cycles, modulo 24. c = 24, then, is an example of a system whose 2c parsimonioustrichords partitioninto both hexatonic- and octatonic-analoguesub-systems. The two sub-system classes are equivalent to two of the three binary-generated cycles, <LP> and (in this case) <LR>. The thirdbinarygeneratedcycle, <PR> in this case, generatesthe entire set-class of 48 trichords,andthusits role in the c = 24 system is analogous parsimonious to thatdescribedin Section 3.4 for the <LR>-cycle in the c = 12 system. Figure 20 (p. 42), which is cut from the same templateas Figures 14 and 17, summarizesthe periodicitiesfor a mod-24 quarter-tone system. The affinitybetween the <LP> and <PR> cycles of modulo 12 has been replacedby an affinitybetween <LP> and<LR>. Both featureattenuated periodicitiesand non-exhaustionof the trichordclass and the pitch-class aggregate.But the degree of affinityis greatly weakened,as the periodicities andcardinalitiesdiverge.This circumstanceunderlinesthe special natureof modulo 12 suggestedat the end of Section 3.4. In no otherchro41
c = 24
6 modulo-9
(d) (b) (c) (a) operational chain-class trichordal pitch-class periodicity cardinality periodicity cardinality perco-cycle 3 24 8 1 6 48 6 24
<LP> <PR>
<LR>
16
16
24 Periodicities andCardinalities Modulo 20: Binary-Generated Figure matic system does the variableoperationalperiodicityf so closely approximatethe constantperiodicity3. (Both c = 9 and c = 6 are deficient: c = 9 producesno octatonic-analoguesub-systemsbecause 9 is congruent to 0 modulo 9; althoughc = 6 producesoctatonic analogue sub-systems under<LR>, its two (!) hexatonic sub-systems are not pitch-class distinct.) I imagine the hexatonicand octatonicsub-systemsas objects in space, one fixed and one transient.As the transientobject momentarilypasses by the fixed one, theirrelationshipbecomes recorded,frozen in time like the objects in a photograph.An observer who knows the objects only that their associathroughthe recordingis in no position to understand tion is anythingotherthanpermanent andintrinsic.Ourstudyof this phenomenon in the context of generalizedchromaticsystems unfreezes the moment,allowing us to see the accidentalnatureof the relationship,and of the over-determined therebyenhancesour appreciation qualitiesof the integer 12. This concludes the inventoryof binary operationsand the trichordal progressionsthatthey generate.We now turnour attentionto ternary generators,which are of a differentnaturebecause they are inversionsrather thantranspositions. 3.6. Ternary Generators and LPR Loops We begin our study of ternarygeneratorsby demonstrating that, once certainrulesof reductionareinvoked,theirnumbersareconstrained. The reductionprocess is facilitatedby the concept of generator form. Gen42
erators that have identical order-positionequivalences will be said to share an abstractform. Forms are designatedby assigning the abstract tokens A, B, and C to the three distinct PLR-family operationsin the order that they appear in the generator.Accordingly <LPLR> and <RPRL>are both of the form <ABAC>. Because two successive iterationsof a single operation"undo"each other,ternarygeneratorsof the form <ABB> reduceto unarygenerators (<A(BB)> = <A>), and accordinglyhave no independentinterest.Neither do generatorsof the form <ABA>, since reiteration juxtaposes the two A's, triggeringa chain of involutionsthat unravelsthe entire structure: <ABA>2 = <AB(AA)BA> = <A(BB)A> = <AA> = To. Consequently,independentternarygeneratorsare limited to the form <ABC>. The six realizationsof this form correspondto the six orderingsof the unorderedset {L,P,R . These six orderingsare equivalentunder retrograde and rotation.We will view them as membersof a single class of ternarychain whose canonical label, invokingalphabeticprecedence,is <LPR>. To illustratethe involutionalnatureof ternarygenerators(cf. Theorem 2), Figure 21 (p. 44) models a cycle of six triadson the Oettingen/Riemann Tonnetz. Selecting F minor as a startingpoint, we move clockwise througha semi- cycle, engaging R, P, and L in thatorder,and stoppingat E major.Continuingclockwise fromthis point,the same threeoperations are engaged in the same fixed order,closing the cycle back to F minor. The compoundoperationrepresents<RPL>2.Regardlessof startingtriad or direction,the same set of triadsis traversed,demonstrating the equivalence of the six orderingsof {L, P, R}. I will refer to such structures genericallyas LPR loops. Two examplesof LPRloops fromnineteenth-century opera,bothusing the specific triadsincludedin Figure21, arepresentedin Examples3 and 4 (p. 45). Example3 models the succession of triadsin the cantabilesection of "Ahsi, ben mio," from Act III of Verdi'sII Trovatore. Beginning in F minor,the first quatraincloses by tonicizing its relative major.The aria'ssecondquatrain "mutates" to Abminor,prolongsFb majorthroughout its consequentphrase,repeatsthe text of the consequentphraseover a Db minor triad,and reaches a fermataover a V7 of Db. The final quatrain of the cantabile then prolongs Db major.The six consonanttriads traversean LPR loop, althoughthe loop does not close with a returnto the initial F minor. Example 4 is the Engelmotivfrom Wagner'sParsifal, in a transposition that occurs in Amfortas's Prayerfrom Act III. The passage begins and ends on Db major,and rotatesclockwise throughthe triadsof Figure 21, omittingAbminorand Db minor.As the analysis beneathExample4 indicates,the omissions are accountedfor by compoundoperationsthat "elide across"the omittedtriads.24 43
10
10
R 6 9 0 3
P 6
Ab+
F-A-
5
Db+
8
F6+
11
10
r 4
10
6
6 9
9
0
0
3
3
6
21:LPR-loop around Figure Ab/G# A significantfeatureof LPR loops is thattheirsix triadssharea single In Figure pitch-class, located at the center of the matrixrepresentation. 21, Ab/G#plays thatrole. The membersof a loop furnisha complete roster of the triadsthat include the sharedpitch-class.25 It follows that there are twelve distinctLPR loops (one per pc), thateach triadparticipates in threesuch loops, and thatthe threeinterlockingloops in which thattriad participatesfurnisha complete rosterof the triadswith which it shares one or more pitch-classes. Figure 22 (p. 46) illustratesfor the case of F minor.The figure is in the form of an interlockedset of "honeycombs." The circle at the centerof each loop encloses the pitch-classcommon to all the triadsin that loop. The entire structureof the twelve interlocked loops can be easily inferredby projectingoutwardfrom Figure 22.26 Because of theircommon-toneproperties,LPR loops furnishan ideal progressionfor consonantly supportinga single melodic pitch with diverse harmony while maximizing voice-leading parsimony.Such progressions, with their implication of inner action or turmoil beneath a 44
in ciel precederti... fraquegli... ...le vittime.., Ma pur,se... Ah! si ben mio... forte ... restifra le vittime... ...trafitto... ...avrbpiui ...pensierverrb...
iI
vI
4 I1
jetzt
in
g6tt
li-chem
Glanz
den Er
16 -
ser
(La. .L> O L
L
L
R
L <R
<PL> <RP>
Example4: Wagner,Parsifal,Act III:Engelmotiv surface,were well suitedto symbolizenineteenthplacidandharmonious century notions about the relationshipof the inner and outer worlds. Examples include the openings of Liszt's "I1Penseroso" (Annies de Pelerinage, DeuxikmeAnnie, composed 1839), and of the Monk's Chorus fromVerdi'sDon Carlos. All of the LPR-loop propertiesidentifiedhere for mod-12 consonant triads also hold, mutatis mutandis,for parsimonioustrichordsin other the cyclic design of Figure 21 systems, as can be seen by transferring onto the backgroundgrid first introducedin Figure 8 (p. 14). Furthermore, analogous propertieshold for any trichordin any system, minus the parsimoniousvoice-leading, as can be seen by transferring the same cyclic design on the background grid of Figure6 (p. 10).27This transferability results from the odd cardinality of ternary generators, which causes themto involute,in contrastto the devolutionary nature(cf. 3.1.6) of binarygenerators,andof the quaternary thatwe now study. generators 45
10
4
C+
10
A-
C-
10
10
6
6 9
9
0
3
36
22:Interlocking Figure LPR-Loops
3.7 Quaternary Generators Like ternarygenerators,quaternary generatorsreduceto a single form once operationsthat involute(eitherdirectly or across the boundariesof successive iterations) are eliminated and rotational equivalence is invoked. Forms with two sets of duplicate operations are eliminated either because the duplicates are juxtaposed and thus undo each other (<A(BB)A> = <AA> = Toand <(AA)(BB)> = To),or because the generator is itself binary-generated (<ABAB> = <AB>2). Thus, all independent quaternary generatorsinclude all three distinct operations,with a single operationrepresentedtwice. The two iterationsof the duplicate operationcan be neitheradjacent(as in <(AA)BC>) nor maximally separated(as in <ABCA>, whose reiteration causes <ABC(AA)BCA>), and 46
(a) L
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
T(2y+x)
(f)
Ti
<LPLR> <LP><LR> T T-(x+y)

<PLPR> <PL><PR>
TyT-x
Ty x
Tp Tr
<RLRP> <RL><RP> Tx+yTx
T2x+y
23:Transpositional of Quaternary Generators Figure Equivalences accordingly must be separatedby two order positions. All quaternary thatfit this descriptionareequivalentto <ABAC> via rotation. generators The six generatorsthatrealize <ABAC> groupinto threerotation-related pairs, as follows: and and and <RPRL>. <LRLP>; (1)<LPLR> (2)<PLPR> <PRPL>; (3)<RLRP> A significantpropertyof any quaternary generatoris thatthe transposition that it enacts is equivalentto the voice-leading intervalproduced by the moving voice when a single iterationof the duplicateoperationis executed. For example, an operationwith duplicateR, such as <RPRL>, is equivalentto T4. Thus a quaternary operation unfolds in the large the transpositional operation that its duplicate operation expresses in the small. Figure 23 demonstratesthis "exfoliation"property.The three operaas duplicatesby a quaternary tions, listed at (a), arerepresented operation at (b). These are each partitionedinto a pair of binaryoperationsat (c), and convertedto their associated T, values at (d) (cf. Figure 11, p. 26). The T,values at (d) are composed at (e) by summingsub-scripts,and the productis expressedin termsof a voice-leading intervalat (f), following the equivalencesestablishedat Def. (5) in Section 1.A comparisonof (f) with (a) demonstratesthe correspondenceof the transpositionalvalue with the duplicateoperation.Note thatreplacingan operationat (b) with its rotation(e.g. <LRLP> for <LPLR>) does not affect the result, since transposition operatorscommuteand thus <LP><LR>= <LR><LP>(cf. Kopp 1995, 272-73). Figure24a uses the the abstractTonnetz (cf. Figure6) to portraythe six as act on the operations they genericprime-formtrichordQ = quaternary 47
-x + 2y
x + 2y
2x +2y
3x + 2y
<PLPR>.
.-.
-*
<RLRP>
<PRPL> /
<RPRL>
-x+y ,
x +y
2x+y 4
3x + y
-x
2x
3x
-x- y
-y -
x- y
2x-y
3x-y
<LPLR>
<LRLP>
-x- 2y
2y
x- 2y
2x- 2y
3x- 2y
24a:Quaternary Generators on theAbstract Tonnetz Figure {0, x, x + y } with step-intervals<x, y, -(x+y)>. Each of the three paths leading out of Q implements the first operationof the quaternaryset, traversingone of the three edges. The paths then bifurcate, reuniting at the point that the operationis completed. For example, <PLPR> and <PRPL> both start along the northwest path out of Q, traversingthe hypotenuse to P(Q). <PLPR> turns right and proceeds counter-clockwise, while <PRPL>forks left and proceedsclockwise. Both operations terminateat T, (Q) = Ty-x(Q) at the northwestcornerof the figure. the same design onto the Oettingen/Riemann TonFigure24b transfers netz, whereP = 1, I = 1, and z = -2 . These voice-leading intervalsare echoed as transpositional values: *Tothe southof Q', the duplicateL operations<LPLR>and <LRLP> transposeQ' = C minorto T1(Q)= TI(Q)= C# minor; 48
11
Minor C#
1 4
BMinor
7 10
S/3/6
Minor 1 9
10
on theOettingen 24b:Quaternary Generators Tonnetz / Riemann Figure *Tothe northwestof Q', duplicateP operations<PLPR>and<PRPL> transposeQ' = C minorto Tp(Q) = TI(Q)= C# minor; * To the east of Q', duplicate R operations<RLRP> and <RPRL> transposeQ' = C minorto T,(Q') = T2(Q)= Bbminor. Figure25 (p. 50) presentsthe six operationsof Figure24b in a format that facilitates examination of individual voices. Rotationally related pairs occupy the same row. Pairsof generatorsare connected by arrows which indicate a particularly intimatevoice-leadingrelationship:paired to the generatorshave identicalC-voices, and each G-voice is T4-related voice of its One of this partner. surprisingaspect pair-wisepartition Eb of the generatorsis thatit is not identicalto the pair-wisepartitionon the basis of rotationalequivalence (i.e., sharedduplicate).What principles underliethese observationsis still an open question, as are the potential compositional and analytic applications.Readers may enjoy exploring 49
G <LPLR> Eb C TO G <PLPR> EL C G <RLRP> Eb C
Ab Eb C
Ab Eb cb
Ab Fb cb
AbL6 Fb Db '
G Eb 0+ C T4 TO G EL -C
G E C
G E B
G# E B
G#~* E C#
G Eb Bb
G D Bb
F D Bb
F DLb Bb
T4 <
G Eb ) C
Figure 25: Voice-leading Affinities among Quatern
the aural kinship between these paired progressions, and between the chromaticsequences thatthey generate.28 behaviorof quaternary operations Having exploredthe transpositional now we the iterated, singly study progressionsgeneratedby their recursive application.Complete quaternary-generated cycles of triads are so lengthy as to be of negligible musical value and are impracticalto represent in a compact graphic space. Consequently,I will focus here on cycle-segments, or chains, which presentone way to conceptualize the stepwise chromaticsequencesfavoredby nineteenth-century composers. Figure26 (p. 52) superimposesone chain of each rotation-classonto the generic Tonnetz. * <PLPR>, which representsa Tp sequence, proceeds from 5:00 to 11:00, moving along the main diagonal in the same directionas its hypotenuse-traversing duplicate,P; * <LPLR>,which presentsa T1sequence, proceedsfrom 1:00 to 7:00, in the same verticaldirectionas its duplicate,L; approximately * <RLRP>,which presentsa T, sequence,proceedsfrom 8:00 to 2:00, in the same horizontaldirectionas its duplicate,R. approximately It is characteristicof actual compositional settings that extended sequences are heardnot in termsof the continuousflow implied by Figure 26, but ratheras a series of terraces.Each terraceis individuallyunified, but the junction between them characteristically moves "acrossthe bara new iterationof the sequencedsegment at a metriline,"inaugurating cally markedposition. Potentiallyany of the four operationsin a quaternarygeneratorcan assume the transitional(or external)role, leaving the remainingthree operationsto assume the role of coherentlyarticulating each terracedregion. A significant feature of quaternarygeneratorsis that these terraced regions tend to be coherentin termsof the binaryand ternarychains discussed in Sections 3.4 and 3.6. Figure 27 (pp. 54-57) illustratesthis a representative chain from Figure 26, <PLPR>,onto point, transferring the surfaceof the Oettingen/Riemann in fourdifferentways. The Tonnetz four representationshave identical content, moving through the same series of triads,but their graphicinflections suggest four differentways of partitioning the chain into terraces.Each Tonnetz portraitis accompanied by a schematic notationalrealizationin orderto reinforce some of the observedqualities.
* Partition(a) (p. 54): <... (PLP) R (PLP) R (PLP)...>. Each set of
four triads joined by <PLP> constitutes a terrace unified by the <LP>-cycleor hexatonicconstituencyof its triads.R plays therole of between neighboringhexatonicregions. effecting the "modulation" 51
-2x + 3y -
-x + 3y
3y
x + 3y
2x + 3y
<LPLR> 3x + 3y
-2x +2y-
-x + 2y
2y
x + 2y ----2x
+ 2y-
3x + 2y
-2x +y
-x+y
---
x+y
2x + y
3x + y
-2x
-x
2x
3x
<RLRP> -2x - y -x- y -Y

x
-y-
2x - y
3x - y
<PLPR>
-2x - 2y
-x - 2y
-2y
x - 2y
2x - 2y
3x - 2y
,.
26:Quaternary on theAbstract Chains Tonnetz Figure The structure is graphicallyportrayedas a series of unified upward left-wardjog. (y-axis) motions, interrupted by a transitional *Partition (b) (p. 55): <... P (LPR)P (LPR)P (LP... >. Each set of four triadsjoined by <LPR>constitutesa terraceabstractly unifiedby the LPR-loopconstituencyof its triads.In concretemusical terms,this unity is insuredby the invariant pitch-class inherentto LPR-loops. The P operationexternalto <LPR> plays the role of "modulating" between adjacentLPR-loops.The modulationis markedby the dis52
placementof the invariant pitch-class that defines the region. (The voice bearingthis pc is highlightedin the notationalrealizationby registral placement.) The structureis graphically portrayedas a series of arcs veering northeastof the invariant pc, interrupted by a diagonaljog. Partition(c) (p. 56): <...P) L (PRP) L (PRP) L (P...>. Sets of four triadsjoined by <PRP> constitute terraces unified by the <PR>cycle or octatonic constituency of the triads. L plays the role of between adjacentoctatonic regions. The structureis "modulating" as a series of leftward(x-axis) motions, intergraphicallyportrayed a transitional ruptedby upward jog. *Partition (d) (p. 57): <... PL) P (RPL) P (RPL) P...> An alternative set of LPR-loop segments, with the pitch-classes unifying the regionsresidingin a differentvoice thanat partition(b). In this case, via <RPL>.The Tonnetz the loop is articulated portrayseach region as an arc veering southwestof the invariant pc, which again is highlighted in the sopranovoice of the notationalrealization. The generaldesign of Figure27 holds for the otherquaternary generone of the four partitions ators, but with a single degree of attenuation: a series of segmentsof the <LR> chain. Since the 24 triadsare articulates united into a single <LR> chain, the terraces do not define harmonic regions in any obvious way. The design of Figure 27 also transfersto other parsimonioustrichordsin microtonal systems. For example, the quaternary generator<LPLR>mod-24 leads to a coherentset of terraces for all four partitions,two of which articulateLPR-loopregions unified the othertwo of which are articulated by pitch-classinvariance, by hexatonic-analogue<LP> cycles articulatedby <LPL>, and octatonic-analogue <LR> cycles articulated by <LRL>. This concludes our explorationof generatedPLR-familychains in the abstract,and as they apply to consonanttriads in the familiarcase. Although there are a limited numberof independentgeneratorsfor even cardinalitieslargerthan four, my preliminaryinvestigationsuggests that their explorationyields diminishingreturnsboth theoreticallyand analytically. 4. Some Open Questions Although our tour of compound PLR-family operations has been densely packed, it has hardlyexhaustedthe terrain.I conclude by suggesting several questions and topics that may rewardfurtherinvestigation. My hope is that some of the investigatorsmight be "microtonal" composers attractedto set-class consistency and smooth voice-leading, and analysts seeking to interpretthe triadicallybased repertoryof late 53
10
/1
8 4
11
10
11
of a <PLPR>Chain Figure 27 (a)-(d): Four Portraits on the Oettingen/Riemann Tonnetz. Figure 27 (a)
10
11
10
9
gr
0
1r
3
"F
6
"rr
IF
5 I11i2.. . .
Figure 27 (b)
10
11
--7
10
11
Figure 27 (c)
11
t r"ti
Tr r T
r r r-F 'r
Figure27 (d)
Romanticism(andperhapsalso the fledgling microtonalrepertory of our own century).The following comments startdown some theoreticaland historicalpaths,but pass by points of analyticinterestas well. (1) Like the work presented here, Balzano (1980) adopts a grouptheoretic approachto pitch-relationsnormally discussed in an acoustic uses a versionof the Tonnetz to representthese relations,and framework, systems.The trigeneralizespropertiesof c = 12 to otherequal-tempered adic featuresthatBalzanogeneralizesdifferfrom those presentedherehis generalizedtriadshave step-intervals<x, x + 1, x2 - x - 1> in a chromatic system of size x2 + x-so that his generalizedtriads are not the parsimoniousones that have focused our attentionhere, nor do they inhabitthe same set of chromaticsystems. It seems worthwhileto explore the relationshipbetween Balzano's generalizationand mine, and what is gained and lost by each in relationto the other. (2) An alternativedefinitionof "parsimony" might open up the catetrichords.On the accountadoptedabove, a trichord gory of parsimonious is parsimoniousif its voice-leading is non-zerobut minimal underL, P, and R. One alternativeavenue that seems promisingis to classify a trichordas parsimoniousif its voice-leadingis non-zerobut minimalunder two of the three PLR-familyoperations.This would allow not only P = 9 = 1, 9, = -2 with step-intervals<x, x + 1, x + 2>, but 1, P= 0, 1 = 1, I = -1 with step-intervals = -1 with step<x, x, x + 1>, andp = 1,1 = 0, 9I also/ intervals<x, x + 1 , x + 1>. On this account,all chromaticsystems possess one parsimonious trichord-class.29 Unlike the parsimonious trichord-classes considered in this paper,the newly yielded trichordsare inversionallysymmetric,and maximally even in the sense of Clough & Douthett1991. The new groupincludes,amongothers,the set of diatonic (024) triadsin a mod-7 diatonic system, and the set of consonant(025) trichordsin a mod-8 octatonic system. Furthermore, invokinga distinction made by Lewin (1996), the formergroup are of the antithesistype, whereas this new group is of the generatortype. One advantageof this of parsimonyis thatit suggests a way to collapse expandedinterpretation Lewin's distinction,at least in the case of trichords. (3) The crooks in the arrowsof Figure 11 and relatedfigures suggest that compound operationsproceed in multiple stages through a set of intermediate terms,ratherthandirectlyto theirtargettriad.I includedthe crooks to facilitate the tracing of compound operations,but pedagogy should not be confused with ontology. The ontological problemis most generallyframedin termsof a path/goalduality . Given some triadicprogression <C+, Ab+>, whose most economical PLR-family analysis is or <PL>, is the progressionto be intuitedas a single motion C + -<P-L>Ab+, as a pairof GestaltsC + ---C - --A+ whose mediantermis elided out? Whatrelationholds between the two interpretations, and what is the status of C-? 58
Along the same lines, how can we choose between two equally economical analyses of a single progression,for example,f- LP> E + and does economy always overrideother "prefE +? Furthermore, f- <RPL> erence rules" in the assignmentof a PLR analysis to a triadicprogression? Again to groundthe questionby example:is <PL> always and only the appropriate under analysisfor <C+, Ab+>, or aretherecircumstances which some other descriptivelyaccurateanalysis would be considered for example, <LP>2, <RRPL>, <PRRL>, <PLRR>, more appropriate, or <RL>4? The problemis a generalone inherentto the interpretation of relationson a two-dimensionalmatrixsuch as a mapor a chessboard,and it shows up in nineteenth-century Tonnetzanalyses (cf. note 24 above) and in otherneo-Riemannian transformational accountsof triadicmotion (e.g. Lewin 1992, Hyer 1995, Mooney 1996). that a group-theo(4) The final topic is a historicalone. It is apparent retic orientationtoward musical materials and their relations did not arrivefully formedin the twentiethcentury,butratheremergedfrom elements that had been long present, if not fully articulatedor mobilized. Whatrole do the over-determined triadand the over-determined Tonnetz in this play emergence? The responsivenessof the Tonnetz,designed to model acoustic relamodel potentiallyfurnishesa lever for prying tions, to a group-theoretic the acousticfromthe group-theoretic apart aspectsof triadicprogressions, and for exploringthe cohabitationof a nascent and tacit group-theoretic harperspective with an explicitly acoustic one in nineteenth-century monic theory.To whatextentdid nineteenth-century theoristsunwittingly orientation beneaththe cover of an smuggle an implicitlygroup-theoretic whose acoustic nature apparatus essentially they never doubted for a moment? Clues can be found not only in the writings of Tonnetznavigators, but also in the way that common-tone preservationand incremental voice-leading is treatedby nineteenth-century theorists such as Reicha, Fetis, Marx, Hauptmann, Weitzmann,Helmholtz,Tchaikovsky, and This investigationmight give new meaning to the timeHostinsk,. worn adage that "the seeds of the tonal system's destructionwere sewn from within."What is suggested is that the sower is none otherthan the structure most emblematicof thatsystem, the triaditself. The association of the triadwith divinityandperfectionas initiallyconceivedby Lippius, and carrieddown throughSchenkerand beyond, suggests an allegorical which is best carriedout by scholarstrainedin theology and interpretation the historyof ideas.
59
APPENDIX The proofs for Theorems2 and 3 use the formulasfor compositionof transpositionand inversionprovidedin Rahn (1980, 52), translatedinto an ordered-setformatas follows: (Fl) <Ta,Tb>=
Ta+b;
(F3) <Ta,Tl> = Tb-aI;
(F2) <Tal,Tb> = Ta+bl; (F4) <TaI, TbJ>= Tb-a
To use these formulas,we will need to translateLewin's conventionfor labeling inversions(see Def. (3)) into the index numberconventionused by Rahn.The translation proceedsas follows: (F5) "= T+vI; (F6) TI = I.
THEOREM2. Proof that,if #H is odd, H2 = To. ... Hn>, where n is odd. (1) H = <H1,H2, H1is an inversion,by virtueof being a PLR-familyoperation.The cardinality of <H2,... Hn> is even, and hence <H2,... Hn> is a transposition (cf. Section 3.1.2). Thus
H=<b (2) T,>.

A second iterationof H likewise can be analyzedas an inversionfollowed and so by a transposition, (3) H2= Tp,
Althoughthe inversionaloperationsare identicalin PLR terms,the intercauses the second inversionto invertaroundan axis vening transposition T,-relatedto thatof the first inversion.Hence (4) c = a+p; d = b + p. The transpositional operationsare likewise identical in PLR terms, and thus necessarilytransposeby the same magnitude,but not necessarilyin the same direction.Since one inversionoperationintervenesbetween T, and T,, the trichordsubject to Tqis inversionallyrelated to the trichord subjectto T,, and so q = -p. Thus: 60
(5) H2 = T-ba+
<I, (6) I"= Ta+bl

(8) H2
= (9) Ib+P <Ta+b+p
T2p+a+bl
p>.
= Ta+b+pl (7) <Ta+bLTp>

+pT-p>
via F5 By translation F2
to (5) By substitution
via F5 By translation By substitutionto (8)
Fl
= Tp F4 (10) <Ta+b+pLT2p+a+bl> = T(2p+a+b)-(a+b+p)
(11) H2 = <Tp,Tp>
(12) H2 = T
QED
THEOREM3. Proofthat,if orderedset H = T,,and Ret(H)is the retrogradeof H, then Ret(H) = Tp. (1) If H = T,, then H can be partitionedinto H transpositions(cf. 3.1.2).
(2) And so H = <Ta,Tb,...
Tm,Tn>,where a + b +... m + n = p.
(3) Each transpositionTqof H is comprised of two inversionoperations; hence Tq= T,,I>. <T,qI, = (4) Thus H <<TaI,TTa>,<Tb'I,Tb,,I> T,I>> <Tm'I,Tm,,>,<Tn,I, ..... = It follows from that via F4. (5) (3) q q" q', = ... Tm"-m', < And so H (6) Ta,,-,a, Tb"-b', Tn"-n'>.
(7) Since (4) analyzes H to its atomic elements, it follows that

Ret(H) = << TnI,TnI>,<TmI,Tml>... <Tb,,, Tb>,<Ta"I, TnI>> = Via F4, Ret(H) <Tn',-n",Tm,_m,,,... (8) Tb'-b",Ta'-a"> (9) It follows from (5) that q' - q" = -q.
(10) Thus Ret(H) = <Tn,Tm,
... Tb,T-a>
(11) It follows from (2) that -n - m...-b - a = -p.

(12) Then Ret(H) = T,, via Fl
QED
61
NOTES
The workpresented here has benefitted fromsustained conversations andcorreJohnClough,JackDouthett, DavidLewin,and spondencewith DavidClampitt, MichaelSiciliano.Adrian Childsprovided a helpfulreading of the finaldraft. 1. Throughout this presentation, "triad" refersto the class of harmonies restrictively thatis morespecifically "harmonic denotedby theterms"consonant triad," triad," or "member of Forte-class 3-11." "Klang," 2. Lewin1982, 1987.The firststagesin the development of neo-Riemannian theory aretracedin Kopp1995,254-269. 3. Lewin 1992;Hyer 1989, 1995.The relationof thesetermsto those used by Riemanncan be causefor confusion.Riemann's is equivalent to the "Parallelklang" or minorin current Relativemajor relation, Englishusage;whatwe call a parallel Riemann termsa "Variant." 4. Theterm"parsimony" is usedin this contextin Hostinsk91879, 106. In Schoenthe sameprinciple to as the "lawof the shortest is referred berg'swritings, way." See Schoenberg 1983(1911), 39. Fora formulation of this "law"datingfromthe late seventeenth see Masson1967(1694),47. century, 5. See Dahlhaus 1990(1968), 73-74, 86-87, 241. Beginning with(atlatest)theeighteenth century,the normativestatus of common-toneretentionand stepwise motionis notonly statistical butcognitive: oneconceivesof themas occuring even whenthe actualleadingof the "voices" violatesthem,e.g. wheninstantiations of the commonor step-related arerealizedin different registers. pitch-classes 6. Thereis a single exception: the 3-12 [048] class. In a certainsense, the exercise does notapplyto thisclass,sincethosemembers of 3-12 thatsharecommontones are not distinctfromeach other.In a differentsense, we can view {C,E,G# } as holding two tones-it mattersnot which two-in common with its inversion around C (or around any other"even" pc), while the thirdvoice "progresses" by the interval of zerosemitones. Herethevoice-leading is parsimonious indeed. And no moneyis spentby the dead. 7. Definition(3) is fromLewin(1987, 51). Fora moreflexibledefinition of Q, see note 13 below. 8. Otheraspectsof Figure4 areintriguing andsuggestive,although not pertinent to the current the followingtriosof trichord-classes for theirstepproject.Compare interval differences: {012, 027, and036); {013, 016, and025 }. Notealsothemod3 congruence of the step-interval differencesof each trichord. For six of the trithe three step-interval chord-classes,includingthe five that are TnI-invariant, differences to 0, modulo3. arecongruent 9. Butsee Clough& Douthett1991andAgmon1991,bothof whichidentifyspecial 10. For a valuablerecenthistoryof the Tonnetz, see Mooney 1996. See also Vogel 1993 (1975). 11. Euler1926 (1739), 319, 349. The Tonnetz was already not laid implied,although out in Euler'sgeometrically compactform, in Rameau'sNouveauSystime de of 1726. See Popovic1992, 119, 127. musiquethdorique A more remarkable of Euler'smatrixis impliedby the pitch-class harbinger namesusedin ancientChinesemusic.A set of 65 bells fromthe Zeng stateof the in 1978, Yi, datingfrom433 B.C. butonly unearthed Marquis by archaeologists
properties of the triad as an object in modulo-7 diatonic space.
62
revealsa systemof twelvepitch-classes peroctave.Thenamesandtonalfunctions of pitches,whicharetransmitted on eachbell,indicate octave through inscriptions The twelve pitch-classesare namedby prefix-suffix combinations equivalence. a 4x3 Cartesian whichconstitute with Euler'smatrix. There product isomorphic
are four prefixes, gong = C, zhi = G, shang = D, and yu = A, which are identical to
fourof the pentatonic degreesyllablesstill in use in China.The threesuffixesare

0 = no transposition,jue = transpose upward by major third, and zeng = transpose
Euler'smatrix thirds. Thefollowingtable,whichtransposes upward by two major (fromFigure5a) upward by perfectfifth,andthenplacesZengsyllablesalongside the corresponding names,clarifiesthe isomorphism: European pitch-class C gong E gongjue G- gongzeng G B zhi D shang A F yu yuzeng
zhijue E6 zhizeng
F# shangjue
Bb shangzeng
C# yujue
Forinformation on the Zeng bells, see Falkenhausen 1993,especiallyChapter 8, andChin, 1994. in light of the recentdissertations 12.This claimrequires some elaboration of Kopp (1995) andMooney(1996). In the contextof Riemann's theoryof functions,the
PLR-family relations (where P = Riemann's Variantand R = Riemann's Parallel)
develmodifyone of the threefunctions.KopparguesthatRiemann's separately oped systemof musicalsyntax,which conceivesof triadicrelationsin termsof Schritteand Wechsel, is not subordinated to the functional butrather framework, co-exists with it in a relationship of mutualautonomy. The syntacticsystem assigns differentlabels to PLR-familyrelationsand conceives of them more thandoes the systemof functions. Riemann was not much dynamically Although concerned withTonnetz of thesyntactic representations operations, Mooneynonethelessarguesthatthe systemof Schritteand Wechsel is deeplyintertwined with thegeometry of theTable(see 236-268, esp. 266.)YetRiemann neverbestoweda in the contextof his syntacticsysprivileged positionto PLR-family operations the objectsin the tableas tonics, tem, partlybecausehe increasingly interpreted andso triangular ceasedto be relevant. representations becausewe havenot yet committed the matrixto a modu13. "Pitchor pitch-class" larcongruence. To makeFigure6 susceptible to a pitch-space Def. interpretation, (2) wouldneedto be mademoreflexibleas follows:"Qis a trichord {0, x, x + y} suchthat0 < x < y." 14. Tomy knowledge, theearliestrecognition of thetoroidal nature of anequallytemis Lubin1974.I thankJudith Schwartz for recognizperedversionof the Tonnetz of this workto my research. ing the relevance 15.JohnCloughand David Clampittwere the firstto enumerate triparsimonious chordson the basis of theirstep-interval Theirinsightswerecommuproperties. nicatedto me by Cloughin a letterdatedJune25, 1993. 16. Weitzmann versionof Figure9a, implicitlyprojecting 1853, 23. An unbounded into a torus,was presented in Balzano 1980, 72. The x andy axes of Balzano's matrix areswapped in relation to Figure9a; otherwise the structures areidentical. 17. Forbackground, see Morris1987,.132.
63
of the algebraandgroupstructure of buildson Hyer'sexplorations 18. This material in "Tonal Intuitions" and"Reimag(in)ing Rieneo-Riemannian transformations, mann." andgeo-politics.Its of personality, 19.Thisdictumis axiomatic for theorists culture, venerable rootsare suggestedby the followingancientallegory:"Thebearwent to see whathe couldsee. Theothersideof the mountain overthe mountain was all thathe couldsee." of studiesof 6-20; to thislist shouldbe addedthe more 20. Cohn1996cites a number in vandenToorn1995: 123-142. recenttreatment as the thismusicwasinitiallypublished 21. Although forDie Zauberharfe, composed underwhichtitle it is morefamiliar. "Rosamunde Overture," thesig22. Logier1976(1827),p. 38. I amgrateful to ScottBurnham forrecognizing nificanceof Logier'streatise to my research. for the sourcestatusof the 23. MichaelSicilianopresentsa compellingargument in preparation as a disserta<LR>cycle in unpublished workwhichis currently tion. 24. See Rothstein1991for an indication of the long reachof elisions in music-theoto invocation of elisionsin thecurrent reticwritings. Sourcesparticularly germane 1991(1853), 57, 160-161; Oettingen1866, 145-48; contextincludeHauptmann andHostinsky1879, 103-05. thatsharetriadicmembership with 25. Popovic1992refersto the set of pitch-classes some centralpc as its "neighborhood." The triadsof an LPR-loopare grouped in relation to thecentral notnecessarily arranged cyclically) together pc (although of acousticconsonances, who view triadsas assemblies rather thanas by theorists entities.See Helmholtz1954(1862, 1877),212 andHostinsky directlygenerated 1879,67. LPR loops correspond in 26. The interlocking with resultsof experiments reported 2. Krumhansl and and Kessler 1982 and Krumhansl 1990, Chapter Krumhansl Kessleraskedsubjectsto ratethe goodnessof fit betweena givenpitch-class and a givenkey on the basisof acousticinput,andusedthatdatato profilesimilarity in fourdimenrelations the profileis bestportrayed amongthe 24 keys.Although of that figure-a rectangleimplyinga sions, theirtwo-dimensional "flattening" torus-is a rotated versionof Figure22. 27. Similar structures areexplored formod-12 trichords in Bennighof1987andLewin 1996. 28. Itis of historical thattheP-duplicate interest inFigure 25 leadto CO minor, operations buttheL-duplicates leadto Dbminor. Thisenharmonic distinction reflects vestigially an acoustic one.RecallthatP-duplicate andL-duplicate leadto different operations locationsin Figure24. For manynineteenth-century theorists Tonnetz (andsome modemones as well, e.g. Vogel1993(1975))the notational andlocational distinctionswouldreflectan acoustic distinction of threesyntonic commas. 29. These were firstenumerated in the same document reby CloughandClampitt ferredto in note 15 above.
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Yale University Department of Music

NEO-RIEMANNIAN OPERATIONS, PARSIMONIOUS TRICHORDS, AND THEIR TONNETZREPRESENTATIONS

of C-Minor Figure 1: The PLR-Family

3: PLR-Family Figure Mappings (a) forQ = {0, x, x + y}

3: PLR-Family Figure Mappings x = 3, y = 4, Q = {0, 3, 7} (b) forC-Minor;

5-- 1 1--~ 5 0-- 6

prime form (0, x, x + y) 0, 1,2) {0,1,3} {0,1,4} {0,1,51

step-intervals <x, y, - (x + y)> <1,1,10> <1,2,9> <1,3,8> <1,4,7>

Figure4: Values of p, 1,and r for trichordalprimeforms

5: TwoTonnetze Figure (a) fromEuler1926(1739)

fis d b ges eses

bbb feses ceses geses deses asas

Figure 5: Two Tonnetze (b) from Oettingen 1866

Tx-2y (Q)2x - 2y x - 2y-2x 2y

x+2 2x+2 3x+2 x1 x+ 1 2x+ 1 3x+ 1

Figure 10: Cyclic Periodicitiesof Step Intervalsof

lone exception that, if x = 1 and c = 6, then x + 2 = - (x + 2). This excep-

(a) Tx T-x Ty T-y Tx+y

(b) <RP> <PR> <PL> <LP> <RL>

(c) {x, 2x, 2x+ y} ){-x, 0, y) >{y,x+y,x+2y}

{O,x,x+y} {O,x,x+y}) {0,x,x+ y]

>{x + y, 2x + y, 2x + 2y) {O,x, x + y} <Tx-+y*> {0, x, x + y

Figure 11: AbstractTranspositional Equivalences for BinaryGenerators

(b) <RP> <Tx > x, 2x + )-{10,

< T2x+3 > -

<Tx+1 > +{x

{0, x, 2x+ 1)-

(d) x+2 2x+2 3x+2 x- 1

Figure 12: BinaryGeneratorsand ParsimoniousTrichords

<PR> x+2 x+2 22 1 <LR> I

2x+4 <LRL RL> <LR> x+3

Figure 13: BinaryChains on the Parsimonio

interval as givenin Figure10 (p.22).Thisquantity associate, equals-,

(b) <RP> {0, 3, 7)-----}

(c) {3, 6, 10)

<T 5> C- -----

Figure 15: BinaryGeneratorsand ConsonantTriadsmodulo 12

4 0 Ab+ 8 4--------7 .10

Figure 16: BinaryChains on the Oettingen/ Riem

Example1: Brahms,Concertofor Violin andCello, Op. 102, FirstMovement,mm. 270-78

c = 12 3 modulo-9 <LP> <PR>

tones (Dritteltdne) - Third

C E, SDG+, ,C, F+, A+, GO"C#", E B+ D, F , A

r " ". Al# FO

Figure 18: The Hyper-Hexatonic-Analogue System fo

Figure 19: The Hyper-Octatonic-Analogue System for c = 24

22:Interlocking Figure LPR-Loops

<LPLR> <LP><LR> T T-(x+y)

<RLRP> <RL><RP> Tx+yTx

G <LPLR> Eb C TO G <PLPR> EL C G <RLRP> Eb C

Figure 25: Voice-leading Affinities among Quatern

* Partition(a) (p. 54): <... (PLP) R (PLP) R (PLP)...>. Each set of

<RLRP> -2x - y -x- y -Y

(F3) <Ta,Tl> = Tb-aI;

(F2) <Tal,Tb> = Ta+bl; (F4) <TaI, TbJ>= Tb-a

H=<b (2) T,>.

<I, (6) I"= Ta+bl

= Ta+b+pl (7) <Ta+bLTp>

= Tp F4 (10) <Ta+b+pLT2p+a+bl> = T(2p+a+b)-(a+b+p)

(7) Since (4) analyzes H to its atomic elements, it follows that

(11) It follows from (2) that -n - m...-b - a = -p.

fourof the pentatonic degreesyllablesstill in use in China.The threesuffixesare