Polyfunctionality |

from the Greek polu – a lot and lat. funstio – execution, implementation, activity

A combination of different (usually two) functions in one consonance (most often a functional contradiction between bass or lower voices and upper harmony voices). Occurs at organ points (P.I. Tchaikovsky, “Eugene Onegin”, Lensky’s arioso from the 1st picture, the beginning of the coda, dominants to fis and E on the organizing point of the tonic E-dur), sustained sounds in middle and upper voices ( L. Beethoven, 32nd sonata for piano, part I, introduction, bars 12 and 14), complex pedal figurations (N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, The Golden Cockerel, 3rd act, number 249, bars 7-8, in the words: “And try to marry”), in some combinations with non-chord sounds (especially delays; e.g. the consonance fad-cis-egb in the finale of Beethoven’s 9th symphony) and linear stratifications (e.g., chord – cambiata III of a low degree in the final cadence of the II part of the 6th sonata by S. S. Prokofiev; with voices or layers moving towards each other), in the cadence quarter-sextakcord (TD; in musical literature, its double designation is found: T64 and D64) , sometimes in special constructive (Beethoven, a combination of T and D before the reprise of the I part of the 3rd symphony) and expressive (or pictorial) purposes:

L. Beethoven. 3rd symphony, movement I.

The polyfunctional contradiction D (for stringed instruments) and T (for the horn; like a higher-order lift) serves as the ultimate intensification of the desire for the expected tonic of the reprise and makes it express. The discharge effect of the huge tonal voltage developed is exceptionally strong.

However, the interpretation of modern dissonant harmony from the position of P. is often erroneous, tk. “breaking down” the new harmony into small parts, accessible to the previous methods of analysis, destroys the real subject of analysis, replacing it with others (see Polytonality, Polychord). So, the chord ce-fis-h, on which the 4th variation of the second part of the 3rd piano is built. Prokofiev’s concerto cannot be explained as a polyfunctional combination of T (eh) and S (ce-fis) in the key of e-moll; it is independent. a consonance that performs only one function – the central element (tonics) of a given harmonic. systems. So is a chord like cegad or ceghd, if it is used (eg in jazz music) as an independent chord. tonic consonance (C-dur), monofunctional, not polyfunctional.

References: Tyulin Yu. N., Textbook of harmony, part 2, M., 1959; his own, Modern Harmony and Its Historical Origin, in: Questions of Contemporary Music, L., 1963, in: Theoretical Problems of Music of the 1th Century, vol. 1967, M., 4; Zolochevsky V. N., Modulation and polytonality, in collection: Ukrainian Musical Studies, vol. 1969, Kipv, 4; Rivano N., Reader in harmony, part 1973, M., XNUMX.

Yu. Ya. Kholopov