Tonal & Atonal

[atonal@planet.eon.net]

> Gregory Torres wrote:
> 
> > Dear List,
> >
> > I have posted this question on the Piano-L list as well.
> > I would like to hear (in your own words) the definition of these two
> > terms:
> >
> > Tonal & Atonal.
> >
> > I have heard and read various definitions but would like the input from
> > this list.
> > Thank you.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > Greg Torres

	Can't pass this one up 8-)

	According to my dusty Donald J Grout "A History of Western Music" 
3rd. ed. 

Tonality: 1: The quality by virtue of which a musical composition, or 
a part of a composition, is organized harmonically around a constant 
central tone 2:  the central tone or key of a composition.

Atonality: The absence of tonality (natch)

Seems to me, any piece of music with a harmonic structure that shapes 
and defines the piece is tonal. Modal music would fall into this 
category, as would monophonic music (ie: Gregorian Chant), despite 
the fact it lacks a harmonic structure, it centers around a tonality. 


Atonality is a little more difficult to grasp. Sserialism and tone 
row systems would, arguably, be some sort of central structure to a 
piece of music. Tonal or not? Both Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez 
overlap tonal music with definite noise and indeterminacity (random 
events). Bringing us round to John Cage, master of atonality: a piece 
of music where the performer sits at the piano, opens the fallboard, 
waits a pre-determined amount of time,  closes it and leaves. Tonal? 
nein.

So it seems that atonal music is almost a reaction to the structured 
tonality of much of Western Music, what ain't tonal, is atonal.   

Rob (who named his tuning company to be first in the phonebook) 
Kiddell, RPT

Atonal Piano Service
atonal@planet.eon.net