Phonism |

Phonism (from the Greek ponn – sound) – the color (or character) of the sound of the chord itself, regardless of its tonal-functional meaning (correlative to F. concept – functionality). For example, the f-as-c chord in C-dur has two sides – functional (it is tonal unstable, and the sound of the lowered VI degree of the mode has a dynamic value of sharpening tonal gravity) and phonic (this is a chord of minor color, calmly consonant sound, moreover, the sound of the minor third focuses in itself the coloristic properties of gloom, shading, a certain “inertia” of consonance). F. can also be characteristic of the combination of chord sounds with non-chord sounds. If the functionality is determined by the role of a given consonance in relation to the tonal center, then F. is determined by the structure of the consonance, its intervals, location, sound composition, doubling of tones, register, sound duration, chord order, instrumentation, etc. factors. For example, “the change of a major triad by a minor one of the same name … creates a bright phonic contrast” in the complete absence of functional contrast (Yu. N. Tyulin, 1976, 0.10; see turnover IV-IV > with the words “their sweet aroma fogs my consciousness” in the romance S. V. Rachmaninov “At my window”).

Fonic. the properties of harmony were autonomized starting from Ch. arr. since the era of romanticism (for example, the use of the sonority of a small seventh chord in various meanings in the introduction to the opera Tristan and Isolde). In music con. 19 – beg. 20th century Ph., gradually freed from its connection with its correlate, turns into two typical for the harmony of the 20th century. phenomena: 1) an increase in the constructive significance of a certain consonance (for example, already HA Rimsky-Korsakov in the last scene of “The Snow Maiden” deliberately used only major triads and dominant second chords in order to give the choir “Light and Power God Yarila” a particularly bright and sunny color) up to the construction of a whole work based on a single chord (symphonic poem “Prometheus” by Scriabin); 2) into the sonorous principle of harmony (timbre harmony), for example. No 38 (Midnight) from Prokofiev’s Cinderella. The term “F.” introduced by Tyulin.

References: Tyulin Yu. N., Teaching about harmony, L., 1937, M., 1966; his own, Teaching about musical texture and melodic figuration, (book 1), Musical texture, M., 1976; Mazel L. A., Problems of classical harmony, M., 1972; Bershadskaya T. S., Lectures on harmony, L., 1978.

Yu. N. Kholopov