Syncopation as Motive in Schoenberg's Op. 19, Nos 2, 3 and 4
Author(s): Charles D. Morrison
Source: Music Analysis, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Mar., 1992), pp. 75-93
Published by: Wiley
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CHARLES D. MORRISON
SYNCOPATION AS MOTIVE IN SCHOENBERG'S
OP. 19, NOS 2, 3 AND 4
The emancipation
ofdissonance...inmusicofthelatenineteenth
and
centuries
was accompaniedbya freeing
ofregularbeat
earlytwentieth
and an unsettling
of stablemetricorganization
in musicof the same
period.1
In late-nineteenthand early-twentieth-century
music,conventions
of rhythmic
wereincreasingly
organization
disregarded.
Perhapsthe
mostradicalinnovation
in rhythm
ofthistimewas thesuspensionor
avoidanceofa clearbeat,without
whichmetercannotexist.2
outright
While these quotationsfromBryanSimms' Music of theTwentieth
Century
may be entirelyrelevantto the music of, say, Stravinskyand Bart6k,they
are perhaps less reflectiveof the music of Schoenberg. Apropos of this,
JonathanDunsby and Arnold Whittallpoint out that he (Schoenberg)
'never intentionallyabandoned periodic metre. He noted in the unpublished Gedanke writings his need to write against an implied
periodicity'.3 The second, thirdand fourthpieces of Schoenberg's Sechs
KleineKlavierstiicke,
Op. 19, illustratethis,for each manifestsa palpable
sense of pulse and metre.These qualities combine to establisha frameof
referenceagainst which rhythmicirregularities,
which rely preciselyon
such a referential
basis, can be perceived.
Superimposedon the rhythmic-metric
gridof each of thesethreepieces,
forexample,is a conventionalsyncopation- a 'metricdissonance',whose
resolutionconsistsof motionto a metricallystrongbeat which,in turn,is
followedby silence or, at the veryleast, does not at the same time initiate
another similarly dissonant pattern. Although syncopations remain
unresolvedin manytwentieth-century
works,theynonethelessevoke associationswithearliermusic and, in some instances,can be heard to function
in a more conventionalcapacity,whereresolutionannounces an important
point in the phrasestructure.And, whileit is hard to imaginea foreground
syncopationcontrollingforwardmotion throughoutan entirepiece, or a
formal section of even moderate scope, the repetitionof unresolved
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75
CHARLES
D. MORRISON
dissonant patternsin the short pieces discussed here means that syncopation affectsprogressionand recession,cadentialopenness and closure,
and overallformaldesign.'
Throughconsistencyofuse withineach ofthesethreepieces, and across
all three,the syncopatedpatternsare elevated in status to the rank of
motive - a unit 'which contains one or more featuresof intervaland
rhythm'"and which 'generallyappears in a characteristicand impressive
manner at the beginning of a piece'.6 And for Schoenberg, motivic
and, ultimately,
organizationwas the key to coherence,comprehensibility
perceptibility:
is based on perception.Perceptionis based on the
Understanding
of
capacityto preservean impression....In music the repetitions
certainsmallerparts(motives,
shapes,phrases)providethepossibility,
most of all, to recognizethese small partsas belongingtogether.
is basedon cognition
andrecognition.7
Perception
Apropos of the particularmotivicapparatusemployedin the pieces under
discussion,and as alluded to above, Schoenberg'sconcept of motivewas
not restricted
to the realmofmelody:
is notjustanyarbitrary
[inthesenseofthemusicalartwork]
Rhythm
of
accented
and
unaccented
itis required
beats
sequence
perse, rather
thatthissequencebehavelikea motive.That meansthatit formsa
permanentshape which,althoughit can be varied,even entirely
reformed
and dissolved,
is,however,
repeatedagainand againlikethe
motive(whether
variedorunvaried,
developedorliquidated,
etc.).8
As the motiveof tonesis repeatedunvariedor slightly
variedin
And as the motivedevelopsin higher
forms,so is rhythm.
primitive
so a rhythm
forms,
oughtto developtoo,evenifit werenotboundto
tonesbutonlyto sounds.9
As AlexanderGoehr has observed,'he [Schoenberg]determinesthat the
principalelementof a composed rhythmis a feelingof Unruhe(imbalance)
which generatesa Hohepunktin the music in order to reestablishRuhe
(balance)'.'o The syncopationmay be considered one such composed
and systematically
introducesimbalancein search
rhythmwhicheffectively
of restorationofbalance.
its delayedresolution,then,are the focus
Syncopation,and particularly
of the followinganalyses;this,however,is not to suggestthatthe rhythmicmetric domain is the only one in which cadential openness and closure
occur, or that each piece is merely one long gesture. On the contrary,these
pieces are subdivided into phrases whose endings are marked by closural
factors other than resolved syncopations. However, in this study such
'cadences' are deemed to be less final than those accompanied by resolved
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11:1, 1992
SYNCOPATION
AS MOTIVE
IN SCHOENBERG
syncopations,and it is precisely this persistentlack of coordination
between the combined domains of rhythmand metre (within which
syncopationoccurs) and othermusical parametersthataccounts formuch
of the large-scaledynamismof thesepieces. Comprehensiveunderstanding
of such music surely relies on acute awareness of the often complex
interactionsbetween the many domains in which closure may occur - or
may be denied, as the case may be. In the absence of traditionalcadential
structures,according to which phrase endings could be identifiedand
hierarchised,other factors must be acknowledged as determinantsof
intermediateclosure, playing against the continuous rhythmic-metric
dissonanceoftheunresolvedsyncopations.
Factors defining intermediateclosure include descending stepwise
motion, anticipation,appoggiatura,diminuendo,rhythmicrelaxation and
- forthe most part,factorswithconventionalassociations.But
ritardando
these factors,with the possible exception of the ritardando,
occur within
phrases as well and, thus, taken singly are substantiallyweaker as
determinants
of closure (than is, forexample,the perfectcadence, without
considerationof other parameters). Their closural effectis, however,
when heard in combination:forexample, a descendingstep
strengthened
and a ritardando.Althoughsilence, too, is
accompanied by a diminuendo
often employed within a phrase, it frequentlyfunctionson its own to
separate phrase endings and subsequent beginnings,regardlessof the
degree of closural preparationleading into the silence. Concerning the
latter,it must be understood that silence neithershapes a cadence nor
creates closure (though it may enhance both) - it merelyends what has
gone on beforeit."
In additionto the 'surface'indicatorsof closureand phrase endingcited
above, processessuch as patternrecurrenceand completion,and harmonic
departureand return,are potential delimitersof phrase boundaries. A
restatementof a particularmelodic gesture,forexample, may be used to
announce a phrasebeginningand, at the same time,evoke expectationsof
patterncompletionwhich,when satisfied(perhaps afterseveral thwarted
attempts),effecta sense of closure. Harmonic departureand returnmay
functionsimilarly.For instance,once a particularharmoniccollectionis
established as primary- either through an abstract musical construct
externalto thepiece, or throughcontextualmodes of expressioninternalto
the piece - its ultimate, and perhaps eventual, restatementafter a
digressionmay signala degreeof closurein thatparticulardomain. Where
a particularmelodic patternor harmonic structureis accompanied by a
dissonantrhythmic
pattern- and thisis the case in the second and third
closure in one domain need not always coincide with
pieces of Op. 19
closure in another. As noted above, the delay of synchronizedclosure
and/orresolutionin the various parametersin such examples is a vital
featureof the music.
The fourthpiece of Op. 19, however,is more straightforward
in terms
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77
CHARLES
D. MORRISON
of syncopation,as the dissonantrhythmic
patternsare, forthe most part,
articulatedby 'through-composed'melodic gestures,withonly occasional
harmonicpunctuation.In this piece, syncopationalone - withoutspecial
considerationof the specificpitchmaterialthat articulatesthe syncopated
patterns- controlspacing, cadential openness and closure, and formal
design. Accordingly,these syncopatedpatternsmay be grantedmotivic
statussolelyon thebasis oftheirrhythmic-metric
properties.
As ( on Ex. 1 indicates,the double-dottedpatternsin the firsttwo
bars of thepiece clearlyestablisha crotchetpulse. The melodic component
of b.2 is less active than that of b.1, creatinga slightrecessive effect.
However, considerationof the fortedyad in the right hand creates a
composite rhythmwhich continues the double-dotted pattern of the
melodic elementin b. 1. The slurson the firsthalfof beats one and two in
b.3 continuethe underlyingcrotchetpulse, while registershiftsin thatbar
generate the firstsyncopation.The firsttwo and last two semiquavers
occur in one registerand forma step descentiftakenas contiguousevents.
The four middle semiquavers are in another registerand articulatean
embellishedstep ascent fromE to F ( 2). Thus, the rhythmicpattern
generatedby these registershiftsis syncopatedat the crotchetlevel, as
thereis substantialemphasison the second quaver ofthe bar (3).1
The lower registerfrom b.3 returns at the beginning of b.4, the
continuedstepwiseascent culminatingin a sustainedA#,whichbegins on
the second quaver of the bar. This weak-beat arrivalon A?, followinga
break in the articulativepatternfromthe previous bar, punctuates the
second syncopatedpattern( 4), again at the crotchetlevel. Moreover,A?
servesas a point of melodic convergenceforthe descendingpatternfrom
b.3 and the ascending pattern in the lower registerof b.3 and the
beginningof b.4 (5)). The lefthand announcesits firstentry,in b.4, with
a syncopation.However, unlike the righthand's crotchetsyncopationin
thatbar, the one in the lefthand is at the minimlevel,withemphasison
the second crotchetof the bar (6). (Asterisksin parenthesesin the pulselines of the rightand left hands indicate that the syncopatedimpulses
occur in time slots where thereis no articulatedpulse.) The emphasized
second quaver in the righthand and emphasizedsecond crotchetin the left
are subsequentlysustainedunder a fermata.This cessationof activity,and
the momentary'suspension' of pulse achieved by the fermata,signal the
end of the firstphrase,even though,apart fromthe aforementioned
linear
convergenceon A in b.4, there is littleto suggestthe imminenceof a
phrase endingpriorto that rhythmiccessation.Thus, the initialphrase is
open-ended, in large part because of unresolved syncopationsat two
levels, this bi-level syncopationhaving importantconserhythmic-metric
quences forthe remainderof thepiece.
The two quaverspick-upto b.6 and the entranceof the lefthand at the
beginningof thatbar punctuatethe downbeat and restorethe metreafter
the temporalrelaxationcreatedby the fermataat the end of the preceding
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MUSIC
ANALYSIS
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11:1, 1992
SYNCOPATION
Ex. 1
0
bs
AS MOTIVE
IN SCHOENBERG
0
0
0
p
rhythm:
I
R.H.
ii
LEGEND
=
=
r
anacrusis
motion to
syncopated
impulse
6
J
of
resolution
rhythm:
K
L .
syncopationL.H.
of
resolution
is
= syncopation
denied
(*pulse:
pulse:
r
1I____________________
phrase (Ex. 2). The rhythmic
continuityand texturalconsistencyof bs 6and
the
at
rests
the
end
of
b.9
and beginningof b. 10, are factorswhich
9,
an
of
that
support
interpretation
segment as the second phrase. This
continues
to
passage
present syncopationsat both the rhythmic-metric
levels introducedin the firstphrase. As Ex. 2 indicates,the upper voice
and lefthand in b.6 provide a strongaccent on the second quaver ( )
againstthe clear crotchetpulse in the innervoice of the righthand (2). In
b.7, emphasis is not on the second quaver but, rather,on the second
comes on A - thehighestpitchin
crotchet,wherethepeak ofthe crescendo
the bar, marked tenuto( ). The syncopated(second) crotchetis heard
againsta minimpulse (recallingthe lefthand at the end ofthe firstphrase).
And this pulse-ratecontinuesin b.8, where D on the second crotchetis
approachedand sustainedlikethe finalA? ofthe firstphrase (@). " Finally,
b.9 returnsto an emphasized second quaver ( 5); there are only two
quavers in the bar, the second one emphasized by the silence which
follows(@).1
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79
CHARLES
D. MORRISON
The patterncreatedby the changingpulse-rateand accompanyinglevel
of syncopationin bs 6-9 is itselfsyncopatedat an even higher,albeitmore
abstract,level of structure,whichhas a pulse-rateof a semibreve.That is,
the shiftto a minimpulse in the middle two bars of the four-barphrase
moves the bar-levelemphasisto the second bar of the phrase ( 7), in spite
of the factthatthe initialimpulsein thatbar is suppressedby virtueof the
tie fromb.6. In thissense, the end of the second phraseis also open-ended
because of unresolvedsyncopationsat two levels,but here at the crotchet
and semibrevelevels (8).
Ex. 2
bs
0
pp.
?
0
owsyncopation:
crotchet
3
4)
syncopation:
8
(
minim
pulse:
syncopation:
I
semibreve
o
0
pulse:
The rhythmicvitalityand increasingdynamics of b.10 give the impression of a large upbeat into b.11, whose beginningis definedby the
longernote value (T on Ex. 3). Bars 11 and 12 are especiallyintense,not
onlybecause of theirdynamiclevel and sforzandoindicationsbut because
of theirbi-level syncopatedstructure.While bs 6-9 presentthe crotchet
and minimlevels of syncopationsuccessively,bs 11 and 12 do so simultaneously.As summarizedat ( on Ex. 3, syncopationat the crotchetlevel
is expressedthroughthe durationallyemphasizedsecond quaver, whichin
b.11 is reinforcedthroughdynamiclevel (as the peak of the crescendo)
and
the accent, and in b.12 throughsubstantialregistershift.The chords on
-80
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11:1,
1992
SYNCOPATION
IN
AS MOTIVE
SCHOENBERG
the second beat of bs 11 and 12 functionin two ways: on the one hand
they articulatethe crotchetpulse against which the syncopatedquavers
occur; on the otherhand, because comparable harmonicpunctuationon
the firstbeat of bs 11 and 12 is absent and because of the intenseaccentuationon those second-beatharmonies,theyrepresentsyncopationat the
minim level (J ). In this way bs 11 and 12 summarize,throughsimultaneous articulation,the bi-level syncopated structureof the piece just
prior to the downbeat of b.13, the latter resolving both levels of
syncopationwiththe loudestpitchofthepiece (K)).1"
Ex. 3
h
rr
>3
syncopation:
crotchet
pulse:
crotchet
syncopation:
I
.
I
(I
I
.
I
I)
d
--
v..
In Op. 19, No. 4, syncopationis indeed a fundamentalvehicle for
sustained tension and forwardmomentum,but it is articulatedby everharmonicpunctuationat
changingmelodic gestureswithonlyintermittent
phrase endings. The syncopatedpatternsin Op. 19, No.3, by contrast,
manifesta more clearlydefinedand systematically
manipulatedmelodic
configuration,
renderingthe piece's motivicstructuremore complex. This
particularmelodic configuration,
however,does not emergeuntilb.2. The
firstbar ofthepiece is complextexturally,
witha different
rhythmic
pattern
in each offourvoices (Ex. 4).
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ANALYSIS
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81
CHARLES
D.
MORRISON
Two syncopatedpatternscan be inferredfromthisopeningbar, though
neitheris repeatedand manipulatedconsistently
enough to be judged as a
primarymotive. Both assume an underlyingminim pulse, which is
establishedin this firstbar more clearlythan anywhereelse in the piece
to the second minimof the bar, that is
throughthe upper-voicecrescendo
also the highestpitchin the bar (1 on Ex. 4). One patternoccurs in the
isolated and texturally
distinct
lefthand ((2), and, althoughit is registrally
fromthe righthand, its melodic contour is only vaguely related to the
melodic design of the primarymotive soon to emerge. Even this initial,
secondarysyncopatedpattern,however,is leftunresolvedbecause of the
tie into b.2. The other syncopation,at the same rhythmic-metric
level,
requiresconsiderationof a compositeof lines fromthe rightand lefthands
(3); as will be shown,thereis compellingevidence againstintegrationof
thistypein the firstfourbars ofthe piece.
A palpable sense of texturalclarification
occurs in b.2, revealinga fully
articulatedsyncopationin the uppermostmelodic componentof the right
hand (4), this particularmelodic contouracting as a paradigmforsubsequent statements.It is here,too, thattexturalseparationof the rightand
left hands is readily identifiableand vitallysignificantin analysis and
performance,as thereis a real possibilityof confusingthe octave F in the
lefthand of b.3 withan across-the-barresolutionof the syncopationfrom
Ex. 4
pj f2 bl
I u
THISP
(~)
THIS:
82
(i V)
(
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1992
SYNCOPATION
AS MOTIVE
IN SCHOENBERG
the melodyof the righthand in b.2 (see 6). Schoenbergintroducesa red
herringat thispoint:the risingline in the lefthand, withits accompanying
and
crescendo,
convenientlypeaks on the downbeat of b.3, both registrally
dynamically,and thisarrivalis further
emphasizedby the tenutomarkand
by the preceding,mobile quavers on the fourthbeat of b.2. The octave F
indeed appears to be an ideal candidate forthe point of resolutionof the
syncopatedpatternof b.2, particularlyas the finalpitch class (pc) of that
could be construed
patternis also F, whichin thisrhythmic
configuration
as an anticipationofthe octaveF 'note-of-resolution'
in b.3.
These factorssupportingsuch an interpretation
of resolutionneed to be
playedupon, as theyintroducea vitalstructuralambiguityat thisjuncture.
However,independenceofthe rightand lefthands mustbe preservedhere.
In the firstplace, the gesturein octavesin the lefthand beginningin b. 1 is
not completeat the beginningof b.3 but, rather,extendsto the thirdbeat
of thatbar (K(?). Furthermore,
the highlydifferentiated
dynamiclevels and
fluctuations
are clearlyintendedto subvertintegration
staggereddynamic
of the rightand lefthands and underminea perceivedresolutionof the
dissonantmetricpattern:the syncopationin b.2 ends at the softestpointin
a decrescendo;
abruptpunctuationof its resolutionat the peak of a crescendo
would be entirelyunmusical. And finally,the deliberatelyplaced crotchet
restin the righthand on the downbeatof b.3 confirmsthe open-endedness
of the syncopatedpatternin the previousbar ($)).
The restat the beginningofb.3 displacesthe syncopatedpatternin that
bar. In fact,thisrhythmic
shiftrobs the patternofits syncopatedquality,as
emphasisis placed on the strong,thirdbeat of the bar (t). The patternis
completed (but not 'resolved',because the patternis now not dissonant)
on the downbeatof b.4. Althoughthe generalcontourof thisrhythmically
displaced statementof the motive approximatesthe original (b.2), the
descendingsemitonewhichconcludes the motivein b.2 is here replacedby
a descendingwhole tone fromG to F. The righthand of b.4 is indeed an
arrival point with convincingclosural properties:the downbeat articulation, the more 'conventional' descending whole-tone approach, the
and the sustaineddurationcontributeto the sense of
precedingdecrescendo
cadence here. But thatarrivaldoes not resolvethe syncopatedpatternfrom
b.2, as eliminationof the syncopationin b.3 merely avoids the issue
withoutresolvingit; a returnofthe dissonantmetricpatternmustoccur for
resolutionto take place. In the lightof this,the way in whichthe lefthand
of b.4 articulatesthe end ofthe firsthalfofthe piece is significant.
The rhythmofthe left-handportionof b.4 mimicsthe initial,secondary
syncopatedpatternin the lefthand of the firstbar (?). The pitchcontent,
however,introducesan elementof ambiguity.On the one hand the BE on
the second quaver of beat three anticipatesBb on the final crotchetand
thus infusesthe final Bb with a sense of cadential stability,the conventionalityof this patternbeing reinforcedby the descending whole-tone
approach fromC (which is consistentwiththe righthand's arrivalon F).
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83
CHARLES
D.
MORRISON
On the otherhand, syncopationat the minimlevel remains;its resolution
would require an articulateddownbeat in b.5 - somethingconspicuously
missing from both hands. Schoenberg has carefullyplaced additional
elementsof ambiguityat thiscadence to enhance further
the need forconofthe syncopation,and resolutionofthe latter.
tinuation,reintroduction
The second half of the piece, beginningin b.5, is very differentin
texturaldesign fromthe firsthalf (Ex. 5). For example, bs 5-6 feature
more integration
betweenthe rightand lefthands, achievedin partthrough
abandonment of the left-handoctaves in favour of an intervalliccontraction (from a seventh to a sixth to a tritone) and in part through
consistencyin dynamicmarkingsin both hands. Bar 5 is also void of any
referenceto the motivicsyncopation,as emphasis (throughanacrusisand
tenutomark)is on the thirdbeat, thus,again on a pulse beat (0 in Ex. 5).
The syncopatedpatternreturnsin the righthand ofthe nextbar,wherethe
rhythmfromthe motivein b.2 is preservedand the melodic contouris at
least more consistentwiththe statementin b.2 thanwiththe unsyncopated
variation in bs 3-4. In fact, one melodic detail which is particularly
conspicuous because of its reappearanceis the descendingsemitonefrom
the syncopatedminimto the weak finalnote of the pattern.But, as with
the motivein b.2, the syncopatedpatternin b.6 is leftunresolved,in this
case by the unarticulateddownbeatofb.7 (2)9).
The emphasized returnto E? in b.7, on the same syncopatedsecond
crotchetas in b.6 (()), and the hurriedeffectcreatedby the semiquavers
leadingto thatE?, givethe distinctimpressionof a desperate'second try'at
resolvingthe syncopation.As noted at *, this effectis enhanced by the
diminishingdurationsof pc contentin b.7 - E? forthreequavers,E fortwo
and D? for one - creatingan acceleration which finds some degree of
release withthe articulateddownbeat of b.8. In termsof melodic design,
however,that downbeat is problematicas a resolutionof the syncopation
in b.7. Previoussyncopationsin the piece have involveda semitonedescent
fromthe durationallyemphasized second beat to the weak finalbeat, this
patternbeing marked for consciousness by its returnin b.6, afterthe
whole-tone digression in b.4. Through the introductionof the upper
neighbour-noteE in b.7, a semitone descent fromE to Do does occur
(notated Ft-E? at ($)), but it does not originatewith the second (syncopated) beat of the bar, as withthe patternsin bs 2 and 6. In fact,the
second beat of b.7 and the finalweak beat of the patternin thatbar are the
same note, one simplyan enharmonically
spelledversionofthe other(Kj).
Moreover, the downbeat of b.8 simplyrepeats the Er, creatinga static,
unresolvedeffect(9). Resolution of the persistent,syncopated(that is,
E1
to D is effectively
second-beat)
averted,both withinb.7 and across the
bar to b.8.
The Eb of b.8 initiatesone finaland resolvedversionof the syncopated
here withoutquaver subdivisionof the firstbeat but with
pattern(j),
cooperationin the lefthand.'6 As K demonstrates,the Eb, 'suspended'
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SYNCOPATION
AS MOTIVE
IN SCHOENBERG
Ex. 5
r
Minim
pulse:
r
r
r r r F
r
pppj
(3[h 2 1
i
I
s.S
r
-
6
:V
+6
Bb:
fromb.7, reappears as the lowest pitch in the penultimatesonorityand
may be heard to resolve in pc termsto D in the last verticalcollection
(b.9), which simultaneouslyresolvesthe syncopation.In fact,by the time
E? does resolve to D, the progressionmightbe renderedin quasi-tonal
termsbecause of the harmonieswithinwhichthe two pcs occur. Reference
can be interpreted
1) on Ex. 5 revealsthatthe penultimatesimultaneity
as an altereddominantand the finalchordas an alteredtonic,bothin Bb.
In this piece, as in Op. 19, No. 4, syncopationcontrolselementsof
pacing and cadential quality. Unlike the rhythmof No. 4, however,the
syncopated rhythmicmotive in the third piece has a specific melodic
designwhich,at structuralpoints,eithercontradictsor supportsresolution
of the rhythmicelements of the syncopatedmotive. In Op. 19, No. 2,
articulatesthe rhythmic
analysednext,a particularharmonicconfiguration
structureof the motivic,syncopatedpatternand interactswithrhythmto
createstructuralopen-endednessand closure.
The harmonic structureof Op. 19, No. 2 has received considerable
coverage in the theoreticalliterature,most analyses ascribing superior
statusto the reiteratedG-B dyad.17In one of his two analysesof thispiece,
forexample, Fred Lerdahl regardsthe G-B dyad as 'central',a 'pervasive
sonority'." Allen Forte has referredto this dyad as an 'interval of
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85
CHARLES
D. MORRISON
And Deborah Stein,usingForte's assessmentas a starting
reference'.Y9
pointforher analysisof voice leadingin the piece,saysof thereiterated
G-B dyadthat
is an obviousmeansofasserting
andsustaining
structural
Repetition
determinants
.... It is hardtobelievea listener
at somepointwillnot
wantto (orwillsimply
defer
as a major3rd,very
to)heartheostinato
a tonalentity.20
possibly
In thepresentanalysis,too,theG-B dyadis considered
to be theprimary
harmonicelement,in thatit mustbe presentforfullcadentialclosure.It
willbe arguedthattheharmonicstratum,
whichcontainstheG-B third,
mustbe differentiated
fromthe melodicstratum,
forthemost
consisting
relatedto notes of the referential
part of pcs which are semitonally
element.The simpliciCy
of the G-B dyad,and the harmonicstratumin
whichit occurs,allow attentionto be shiftedto the special rhythmic
patternthatdyad projectsonto the metricgrid.2'Althoughr/i
may
to playthethirds'extremely
short'suggests
the
suggest
J. ,theinstruction
I
importanceof the restsin the middleof the pattern.Consequently,
the
as
an
Gradual
interpret pattern
impliedsyncopation( ?
).
ofthesyncopated
in
completion
patterninvolvessix successivestatements
theharmonic
in thefirst
stratum
sixbars,analysedin Ex. 6.22
As notedat 1),thetwoquaversthatbeginthepiecegivetheimpression
ofan anacrusis,
thenextbeatas metrically
reinforcing
strong.Syncopation
this
is
at the crotchetlevel, thoughin this first,
throughout
piece
versionofthepattern,
thesecondquaverofthethirdbeat (that
incomplete
is, the syncopated
beat) is 'accented',paradoxically,
throughthe silence
whichoccupiesthatparticular
The
time-span. impliedsyncopated
pattern
is indicatedat 2. The syncopated
effect
is strengthened
bythesilenceon
the firsthalfof the nextbeat, and the articulation
on the final,weakest
is clearlydeniedbecause
quaverofthebar. Resolutionofthesyncopation
oftherestwhichfollowson thedownbeatofb.2 ( ().
The samecircumstances
holdin bs 2-3,wheretheaccentedportionof
thesyncopation
is expressedthrough
silence(@) and theresolution
ofthe
is deniedthrough
silence(( ). This particular
syncopation
version,however,illustrates
whyit is crucialto separatethe harmonicand melodic
stratain thispiece,at leastforconsideration
ofrhythmic
The
development.
D#on the downbeatof b.3 is partof themelodicstratum(46), whichis
withtheongoingreferential
unfolding
simultaneously
element,expressed
in the syncopatedharmonicstratum(7 ); considerationof the articulated
downbeatin the (essentially
melodic)righthand as a resolutionof the
syncopatedpatternin the harmonicstratumof the previousbar underminesthe carefully
craftedstructural
differentiation
whichcharacterizes
thesebars ( ). An eventin one stratumshouldnot be heard (or perin theother,unlessa deliberate
formed!)to resolvea rhythmic
irregularity
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ANALYSIS
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SYNCOPATION
AS MOTIVE
IN SCHOENBERG
and unequivocal fusionof melodic and harmonicstrataoccurs (as happens
laterin thepiece).
Bars 3-4 presentthe thirdstatementof the dissonantpattern,which
remains incomplete,like its predecessors. Two details are noteworthy.
First,the melodic, elaborativecomponentin bs 2-3 is much more regular
in rhythmic
designthan the harmonicstratum;in fact,as indicatedat 9,
the melodic component articulatesthe crotchetpulse against which the
syncopationsin the harmonic stratumare heard. The second detail is
inconsequentialwithrespectto the syncopationof b.3, thoughit turnsout
to have a significant
impacton the statementin b.4 and on a more global
rhythmicprocess which culminatesin b.5. It concernsthe finalquaver of
b.3, which,unlikecorrespondingarticulationsin previousbars, is here tied
to the downbeat of the next bar. Resolution of the syncopatedpatternis
still denied, as the downbeat of b.4 is suspended fromthe previousbar,
and thusdoes not receiveseparatearticulation(1().
As noted above, the suspensioninto b.4 has a much greatereffecton
thatbar's syncopationthanon the syncopationof b.3. The patternin b.4 is
more fullyarticulated,withthe firstoccurrenceof an impulseon the second
But the short-long-short
disquaver ( (1).
patternis itselfrhythmically
placed, spanningbeats 2 to 3 ratherthanbeats 3 to 4 (12), whichcauses
a syncopationat the minim level ( 13). Emphasis on the syncopated
second crotchetis a resultof motionto the C-Ekthird- the firstdeparture
withinthe harmonicstratum.This syncopationat the minimlevel is in a
sense resolved by the verticalityon the downbeat of b.5 (
), the
common C-Er third in the harmonic stratumproviding continuityin
patterninitiationand resolution(15). But the syncopationat the fundamentalcrotchetlevel remainsunresolvedbecause of the reston the fourth
beat of the bar, which is a direct result of the rhythmicshift( 1).
Accordingly,the downbeat of b.5 resolves syncopationat one rhythmicmetriclevel,but not the other.
Bar 5 revealstwo importantdevelopments:first,the syncopatedpattern
is now fullyarticulatedin the lefthand, thoughthe crotchetrest on the
third beat underminesresolution (1
). And second, the patternhas
shiftedback anothercrotchetto begin on the firstbeat ratherthan the
third,a shiftthat began with the crotchetdisplacementof the patternin
the previousbar ((1)
and which concludes a largerrecessiveprocess in
advance of the ensuingcadence. As noted at 19, this shiftingcoincides
witha decreasinganacrusiscomponent,fromtwo quaversin the firstthree
statements(bs 1-3) to one quaver in b.4 (the firstpoint of patternshift)
and finallyto no anacrusis at all in the fullyarticulatedand fullyshifted
statementin b.5.23 As a result of this shiftin b.5, the originaltwo-note
anacrusis returns,as the quavers at the end of that bar functionas an
upbeat to b.6, in whichthe syncopatedpatternis once again completeand,
for the firsttime, resolved (2).
It is as if complete articulationof the
shiftto the beginningof the bar had to take place
patternand its rhythmic
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87
CHARLES
D. MORRISON
Ex. 6
bs
crotchet
pulse:pulse
L
Langsam(texturally
- registrally
K-laf=-==L
5
3
aa
a
L)
I~2
~-
10
1
4
'
syncopation:
minim
pulse:
t
(texturally- registrally
displaced harmoniccomponent)
6
melodic
elaborative
stratum
Seferential
harmonic
referential
stratum
NOT[)P
)
beforeresolutionis allowed.
There is, however,more to thisjuncturein thepiece thanfirstmeetsthe
ear, for it is preciselyat this 'cadence' in b.6 that Schoenbergprovides
closure in one domain of the motivic structurewhile denyingit in the
other. Although the syncopated pattern is resolved for the firsttime,
providingclosure in the domain of rhythm,it is not accompanied by the
referentialG-B dyad. Melodic and harmonic strata are fused in this
particularversion of the syncopated pattern: the harmonic stratumis
representedby the thirds Ar-C, A-C#,C-E, and B-D which, in their
registrally
specificlinearsuccession,outlinea decisivemelodic contourthat
encircles the cadential B-D dyad. The dynamic 'swell' into, and subsequent durationalemphasis of, the latterfurtherreinforceits cadential
status.However,the B-D thirdis a harmonicsubstituteforthe referential
88
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11:1, 1992
AS MOTIVE
SYNCOPATION
I
I I
I
I
IN SCHOENBERG
I I
I
I
I I
I
etwvas
gedehnt
i
ii
I,
Is
" F
')
1
P
h,,
.
i
11
(ti)9,19
(I) P
a
I
3
ii
1
3
G-B dyad, conspicuouslyabsent fromthis cadence. In addition, B-D is
accompaniedby F#,B (=C) and D#(=E?) - pcs thatare semitonallyrelated
to both the G-B and B-D thirds.Thus, while some factorsstrengthen
closure here, the fusing of a substituteharmonic element (B-D) and
elaborativeelementspreventsultimatecadentialclarityand finality.
As the syncopationhas now been resolved, what is required is a
restatementof that patternwith its resolution,includingthe referential
G-B dyad. Example 7 revealsthatthe rhythmic
of bs 7 and 8
irregularities
an
at
reorientation
after
the
represent
attempt
'long-drawn-out' or
somewhatlengthenedpatternat the beginningof b.6 (etwasgedehnt)and
the suspensionof rhythmic
activityin the sustainedchordfromb.6 to b.7.
the
end
of
the
b.8,
By
paired quavers occupy the anacrusisslot that they
held only one other time in the piece - at the pick-up to the fully
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1992
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89
CHARLES
D. MORRISON
articulated and resolved syncopated pattern in b.6. By association, a
statementof the syncopatedpatternis expectedin b.9; whatin factoccurs
is a versionwithouta downbeat,but withthe all-important
off-beatson the
second and fourthquavers of the pattern,with the essential strong-beat
resolution that concludes the piece ( 1in Ex. 7) and with G-B, the
referential
dyad.
Ex. 7
0
bs.O
Li
1o
0
poco tit.
(P) 1/
In Op. 19, Nos 2, 3 and 4, the reiterationof unresolvedsyncopated
to pacing, cadential functionand formal
patternscontributessignificantly
In
No.
alone
controlsthese aspects,whilein No. 3,
4,
design.
syncopation
a specificmelodic configuration
interactswithrhythmicpropertiesof the
for
syncopation.And in No. 2, the dissonantmetricpattern'sresponsibility
cadential openness and closure is shared with a particularharmonic
element. In the second and thirdpieces of Op. 19, initialclosure in one
domain does not coincide with closure in the other; simultaneous
resolution in both rhythmicand harmonic or rhythmicand melodic
contentdefinestotal closure onlyat the finalcadence of each of these two
pieces. There are, to be sure, many ways in which to hear these pieces;
many elementsmay be latched on to as threadsof continuitythroughthe
oftendifficult
musical languageof the music. The strikingthinghere is the
similarityin deploymentof the traditionalsyncopation for sustaining
metric dissonance in search of resolution, for generating motivic
relationshipsand for effectingcadential punctuationin these pieces of
character.
vastlydifferent
NOTES
1. BryanR. Simms,Musicof theTwentieth
Century:
Styleand Structure
(New
York:Schirmer,
1986),p.92.
90
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SYNCOPATION
AS MOTIVE
IN SCHOENBERG
2. Ibid., p.95.
3. JonathanDunsby and ArnoldWhittall,Music Analysisin Theoryand Practice
(New Haven: Yale UniversityPress, 1988), p.166.
4. GrosvenorCooper and Leonard B. Meyer suggestthat 'Althoughthe role of
syncopation is sometimes primarilythat of characterizinga theme or a
passage, more often it performsa crucial functionin shaping the whole
Structure
patternof musical progress.'See The Rhythmic
ofMusic (Chicago:
of
University
Chicago Press, 1960), p.102. Indeed, in these pieces,
Schoenberg capitalizes on syncopation'spotential for generatingrhythmic
interestthroughsustained metricdissonance, independentlyof consonance
and dissonancein otherdomains.
5. ArnoldSchoenberg,ModelsforBeginners
in Composition
(New York: Schirmer,
1943), p.15.
6. Arnold Schoenberg,Fundamentalsof Musical Composition(London: Faber,
1970), p.8.
7. Arnold Schoenberg, quoted in Alexander Goehr, 'Schoenberg's Gedanke
Vol. 2, No. 1 (1977-8),
Manuscript',JournaloftheArnoldSchoenberg
Institute,
p.24 (translationby Olga Termini).
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid., p.25.
10. 'Schoenberg'sGedankeManuscript',p. 17.
11. Althoughthe concept of closure is dealt with to varyingdegrees in many
theoreticalworks,two recentbooks cover the subject in considerabledetail:
Robert O. Hopkins, Closure and Mahler's Music: The Role of Secondary
Parameters(Philadelphia: Universityof Pennsylvania Press, 1990), and
Leonard B. Meyer,Styleand Music: Theory,
Historyand Ideology(Philadelphia:
Universityof PennsylvaniaPress, 1989).
12. Rhythmic-metric
levels in this article are designated on the basis of the
underlyingpulse against which a particularsyncopationis measured. Thus,
syncopationat the crotchetlevel (also called a crotchetsyncopation)has an
underlyingcrotchetpulse, the syncopationoccurringon the second quaver;
syncopationat the minimlevel (or a minimsyncopation)has an underlying
minimpulse, the syncopationoccurringon the second crotchet;and so on.
13. In Schoenberg'sfirstdraftof thispiece, the slurfromb.6 extendsonlyto this
D. And although the slur in the final draft extends into the next bar,
indicatingbs 6-9 as a completegesture,the initialindicationpointsto the D
as an arrivalof some import.All first-draft
referencesare based on the manuheld
at
the
Archives
of
the
Arnold
scripts
Schoenberg Institute in Los
Angeles.
14. Cooper and Meyer note that "'syncopation" refersto a tone which enters
wherethereis no pulse on the primarymetriclevel (the level on whichbeats
are countedand felt)and wherethe followingbeat on the primarymetriclevel
is eitherabsent (a rest) or suppressed (tied)'. See The Rhythmic
Structure
of
Music, p.100. In this case the pulse-rateat the primarymetriclevel is the
crotchet,which,followingthe syncopatedsecond quaver,is absent.
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91
CHARLES
D. MORRISON
15. The closuraleffectof thisfinalcadence is enhancedby specificsemitonepitch
connections:F-F#-Gin bs 11-12 (all stemmeddown in the firstdraftof the
piece and all stemmedup in the second draft),followedby BL-Bin bs 12-13;
as (j in Ex. 3 indicates,the initial(registrally
specific)pitcheswhichinitiate
thesetwo briefstepwiseconnections,F and B%,are punctuatedat the opening
of the rapid anacrusisin b. 10. The motionfromBb to B simulatesa conventionalleading-note-to-tonic
enhancedby the largeleap
resolution,particularly
whichapproachesBb.In addition,the 'open' cadence in bs 4-5 featuresarrival
on AN,representingarrivalon the leading-noteat an imperfectcadence, the
resolutionof thatleading-noteoccurringin the 'perfectcadence' at the end of
thepiece.
16. In his firstdraftof this piece, Schoenbergextendsthe slur fromb.7, firstto
include Eb on the downbeatof b.8, thento embracethe G on the second beat
of thatbar. The finalsluroriginateswiththisG and extendsto the downbeat
of b.9. In the end, however,b.7 is slurredas one gesture,excludingthe Eb of
b.8 and therebysuggestingthatit does not in factresolverhythmiceventsin
b.7. Moreover,the Eb of b.8 initiatesone final slurwhichgoes overthe bar to
include the last chord of the piece, thus framingthis last syncopationand
its resolution.This last syncopationis, of course, underminedin
reinforcing
the firstdraftby the sluroriginating
on the second-beatG.
17. An exceptionis Roy Travis, 'Directed Motion in Schoenbergand Webern',
Perspectives
of New Music, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Spring-Summer1966), pp.85-9.
Travis interprets
the piece as a prolongationof the dominantof C, the latter
in
the
final
bar ofthe piece.
arriving
18. Fred Lerdahl, 'Atonal ProlongationalStructure',Contemporary
Music Review
Vol. 4 (1989), p.79.
19. Allen Forte, 'Context and Continuityin an Atonal Work: A Set-Theoretic
Approach',Perspectives
ofNew Music,Vol. 1, No. 2 (Spring 1963), p.73.
20. Deborah Stein, 'Schoenberg's Opus 19, No. 2: Voice-Leading and Overall
Structurein an Atonal Work', In TheoryOnly,Vol. 2, No. 7 (October 1976),
p.30.
21. In his commentaryon Stein's analysis of this piece, Charles Smith invites
functionoftheharmonicstratumin thispiece,
speculationabout therhythmic
line of thought.He suggeststhat 'it
althoughhis analysisdevelops a different
seems interestingto tryto develop a sense in which the G-B "ostinato" is
heard not just as an ostinatobut as havinga particularrhythmof occurrence
which, along and in combinationwith various otherrhythmsof events,has
some musical point otherthan mere "repetition"or "recurrence"of a "focal
point"'. See 'Notes on "Voice-Leadingin Schoenberg"', In TheoryOnly,Vol.
2, No. 10 (January1977), p.25. For another interpretationof rhythmic
patterningin this piece, see Dunsby and Whittall,Music Analysisin Theory
and Practice,p. 166.
22. A comparableprocess of gradual clarification
has been observedby Jonathan
D. Kramerwithrespectto Schoenberg'sOp. 19, No. 1, in whichfunctional
tonality, stepwise motion and metre are gradually clarified during the
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1992
SYNCOPATION
AS MOTIVE
IN SCHOENBERG
unfoldingof the piece. See The TimeofMusic (New York: Schirmer,1988),
p.181.
of the anacrusisinto the displaced patternin b.4 is to
23. Anotherinterpretation
regardthe tied note fromb.3 as part of an enlargedanacrusis.That is, in the
process of underminingresolutionof the patternin b.3, the tied note into b.4
pushes forwardand groupswiththe articulatedsecond quaver note of thatbar
to createa more extensiveanacrusis,and one thatis itselfsyncopated.
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93