Haba
Haba
Haba
Chapter Three
im Vierteltonsystem
examining the music of Alois Hába. However, even though many scholars
few have written detailed studies of his writings or music. Two recent
1 Suzette Mary Battan, Alois Hába’s “Neue Harmonielehre des distonischen, chromatischen, Viertel-,
Drittel-, Sechsten, und Zwölftel-Tonsystems” (Ph.D diss., University of Rochester, 1980).
2 Christina Yik Man Tam, Between the Tones: The Theory and Microtonal Works of Alois Hába
in Hába’s Suite für vier Posaunen im Vierteltonsystem, op. 72. I supplement these
Suite für vier Posaunen is a set of five miniatures scored for trombone quartet
In most cases, the triads appear as surface harmonies, but there are also
C–minor triad for its entire ten measures. Tam writes that the Suite für vier
techniques associated with Hába, such as frequent use of cycles of int 2.5,
terms “tone centrality.”4 It seems likely, in fact, that Hába’s use of triads may
have had more to do with the practical realities of writing for brass than with
a stylistic deviation.
3 Tam, 7.
4 Tone centrality is discussed in Battan, 52-53 and Tam, 191-200.
84
1st position
Because the trombone’s slide allows the trombonist to adjust the length of
the instrument’s tubing, from the shortest possible length (called “first
ideal instrument for performing microtones. That is, one might expect that
the acoustic properties of brass instruments and partly because of how brass
Bu tenor trombone, the pitch F3 is normally played with the slide in first
pitch from F3 down to B2 (see Example 3.1).5 All brass players use such
5 On the trombone, one can adjust a pitch downward by as much as a tritone, although
the further one adjusts away from the “correct” pitch, the less resonant the tone becomes.
It is difficult to adjust a pitch upward because the required increase in air speed causes the
trombone to resonate at the next higher partial. Attempts to force the F3 to resonate at
anything higher than Fe3 normally cause the trombone to produce the pitch Bu3.
85
and stylistic features that are found elsewhere in Hába’s music. A prominent
interval throughout the Suite is int 2.5, an interval that, according to Tam,
iterations.6 In Chapter 1, I show that int 2.5 can function as a passing tone
that divides the perfect fourth into two equal parts (see Example 1.21).
Example 3.2 shows two enharmonically equivalent int 2.5 divisions of the
interval; one half of the divided perfect fourth will always be spelled as a
6 Tam, 56-58.
86
i
int 2.5 int 2.5 int 2.5 int 2.5
(second) (third) (third) (second)
one half comprising the twelve conventional pitches, and the other half, the
with passages of quarter-tone pitches. The brackets under the staff indicate
smooth the transition from one field to the other.7 Although, as I show, in his
Hába’s illustration of tone centrality. Here, the central tone, C, forms a bass
7Tam, 29-30. Example 3.2 reproduces Hába’s Figure 32, Chapter II, from his discussion
of quarter tones in Neue Harmonielehre, 151.
88
exhibiting tone centrality can be arbitrary, since they are not composed from
specific scale steps. Additionally, the pedal representing the central tone can
tone centrality does not itself suggest tonality, four of the five movements of
the Suite do begin and end with configurations that suggest that one or two
pitches serve a role similar to a traditional tonic; I call these pitches “tonic
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Trombone 3
Trombone 4
Example 3.5: Suite für vier Posaunen, Mvt. I, Maestoso, mm. 1-2
8 Battan, 53. Example 3.4 reproduces Hába’s Figure 36, Chapter I, Neue Hamonielehre, 43.
89
ic 2.5
chord: (Eb) Db (type?) Cr minor C major
i
Fi ≡ Ey
triad: major neutral minor “sub-minor”
I now examine each of the five movments of Hába’s Suite für vier Posaunen,
3.5 shows the opening two measures of the first movement with each
trombone part appearing on its own staff. Each part, then, represents an
individual voice, which I refer to as the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.9 The
harmony in these measures changes every two beats. The four resultant
9 The instrumentation of the trombone quartet is more flexible than for other standard
chamber ensembles, such as the string quartet. All four trombone parts can usually be
performed within the range of a standard tenor trombone, but it is common for the 4th
trombone part to be performed on a bass trombone. It is also possible to substitute an alto
trombone for the 1st trombone, and any of the parts may be replaced with baritone or
euphonium. When analysing music for trombone quartet, it can be helpful to think of the
ensemble as an SATB choir.
90
Example 3.7. Just as the third of the neutral triad is one quarter-tone lower
than the third of the major triad, the third of the sub-minor triad is one
m. 1 motive 2
motive
motive
soprano
tenor
bass
intervals: 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
The voice-leading of the reduction in Example 3.8 reveals that across the
first two measures, the soprano, tenor, and bass share a common motive
ascending line Eu–Ey–Et.10 The tenor and bass present the inversion of this
motive with two descending lines that proceed in parallel perfect fifths,
Du–Cr–Ct and Au–Gr–Gt. (The alto line simply doubles the soprano in m.1,
and the bass in m. 2.) The motive alternates conventional and quarter-tone
pitches. By pairing the motive with its inversion, Hába follows his own
(The parallel perfect fifths between bass and tenor show that Hába is not
1 2 3 4
first span second span
5 6 7 8
third span fourth span
10 The initial Eu of this motive is implied by the register transfer in the soprano in m. 1.
11 See Example 3.3 above.
92
generates the outer-voice framework for the full ten measures of the first
movement, shown in Example 3.9. The outer voices unfold four spans of
contrary motion, marked with thick black lines below the staves. The bass
m. 3 m. 5
1 (or \#) %/ $ %/ % I
$ %
motion, the first movement unfolds a background structure that, while not
Example 3.10. The first two measures state a unit that begins on the pitch
Eu, which is then repeated sequentially up a tone to Ft. The third component
of this sequential unit begins up yet another tone, to Gt, and is modified to
appearing over the bass C–F, apparently tonicizing $, and Fe–G appearing
on the sketch are not intended literally, but merely help to identify a
tact, the C–major sonority that ends the movement mimics a Tièrce de Picardie
a)
b)
ii i
c)
Ay ≡ Bib ?
Example 3.11: Mvt. II, Andante cantabile, mm. 1-4
94
triad, making Au the tonic analogue for this movement. Example 3.11a
shows the first four measures, reduced to a single bass staff. Example 3.11b
their enharmonic spellings do not always reflect their functions. The non-
chord tones By and Dy are easily interpreted as passing-tones, but the upper-
final pair of upper neighbours, the Cr can be respelled as Di, but because
upper neighbour to Au. (“Biu” may be the best way to indicate a B five-
quarters flat.)
12Although Hába’s notation allows for three-quarter flats (see Table 1.1), he does not use
any three-quarter flats in the Suite für vier Posaunen.
95
a)
b)
int 2.5 int 2.5
c)
The final three measures also prolong an Au–major triad (Example 3.12a),
quarter-tone sixth).13 In this chord, the Fr divides the perfect fourth Eu–Au
13The major triad with an added quarter-tone sixth has a jazz-like character, sounding
somewhere between a major triad with an added major-sixth and a major-minor seventh
chord with a “blue” seventh.
96
into two equal int 2.5s. This added-sixth chord appears in the third and fifth
5
with a pedal Ct, suggesting that the root and third of an Au–major triad
function as central tones. Since the second movement both begins and ends
builds upon the major third Au–C as its central tones, we can infer that the
Au–major triad, and not merely the pitch Au, is the tonic analogue in this
movement.
2.5
int 2.5 prominently. The passage from mm. 17-20 (Example 3.14) makes
extensive use of this interval, first with a series of six int 2.5 dyads in quarter-
Hába’s indifference to its spelling; the first two int 2.5s are spelled as seconds,
while the next four are spelled as thirds. The passage ends with a trichord
a) <2.5 2.0 0.5> <2.5 2.0 0.5>
b)
Bb: ∞ ¡ ¢ r™ r§ r£ r¶ w¢
Cr: ¡ ∞ ™ § £
a) b)
While both the first and second movements have a single, unambiguous
tonic analogue, the third movement has two potential tonic analogues int 2.5
apart, Bu and Cr. The first phrase of the melody, shown in Example 3.15,
Cr4 in m. 6. Example 3.16a shows all of the pitches of the melody for the
99
tetrachords, plus the pitch Er. Each tetrachord spans a perfect fourth, and
contains a pitch that divides it into two equal int 2.5s. The Er, which belongs
3.17a), creating a {Dr, Fw, Ar, Er} sonority that represents a major triad with
an added major ninth. The only other place that this sonority occurs is as the
final chord of the piece, a Cr–major triad with an added Dr major ninth
(Example 3.17b). The scale in Example 3.15a can be separated into two
cycles of ic 5.0: {F, Bu, Eu}, which is diatonic in Bu major, and {Cr, Gr, Dr,
choice for ¡ of the scale in Example 3.16a), and ends with a Cr–major triad,
11
Example 3.18: Mvt. III, Allegretto scherzando, mm. 11-16
100
15
Root: Fr Eb Cr Bb E F Gr F Gr F Dr
Type: maj. r6th maj. r6th min. maj. (r6th) maj. r6th maj. r6th 9th
For most of the third movement, the texture consists of a melodic line
which begins and ends with Cr–major triads, uses the tonic-analogue Cr as
its central tone. The harmony in mm. 15-26 establishes the major triad with
the added quarter-tone sixth (first seen in Example 3.12 above) as a chord in
its own right. (Example 3.19 shows the first five measures of this passage.)
Over the twelve-measure span from m. 15 to m. 26, Hába employs only four
types of chords: major triads, minor triads, major triads with an added
quarter-tone sixth (labelled “r6” on Example 3.19), and a major triad with an
added major ninth (labelled “9th”). This ninth chord, which appears as the
final chord of the movement with the tonic-analogue Cr as its root, arises in
two other locations as the result of non-chord tones: in m. 19, the upper-
101
neighbour Er adds a major ninth to the Dr–major triad (the last chord in
the only point at which Hába disrupts the parallel major triads in the
C major Cr major C major Fr maj. 7 F major Fr maj. 7 E minor
strict chorale style. For most of the chorale, the texture is homophonic (see
progressions.
a) b) c)
“%y !”
movement. In each case, the first and third chords are from the same field,
and their roots are separated by perfect fifth. The second chord is from the
opposite field from the chord on either side of it. The voice-leading
root, proceeds by fifth, while two upper voices proceed by step and the third
the rules of strict chorale style. The inserted Fr–major-seventh chord creates
103
and third chords. The insertion of the Fr–major seventh chord disrupts the
triad, creates parallel fifths between bass and tenor, and parallel octaves
between bass and soprano. The outer chords in Example 3.20c can be
local tonic Fr, while the seventh of the chord, By, resolves down by step to Ar.
The four conventional pitches that make up the middle sonority create
15 For further discussion of functional dominants in Hába’s music, see Tam, 201-207.
104
passing tones in the soprano, alto, and bass, and a complete neighbour
8 8
C: ! ! $ 3w 2 % %u/
$
= “!”
Example 3.22: Mvt. IV, Moderato cantabile, mm. 1-7,
outer-voice counterpoint
begins and ends with C–major triads, and the harmony in the first seven
key of C major. Example 3.22 shows the outer-voice framework of the first
thirteen chords in the fourth movement; here I assume that the quarter-tone
16 We could reinterpret the minor seventh G–F between bass and soprano as an
augmented sixth, G–Ee, resolving correctly to the octave Frs, although the resultant
augmented sixth chord is not one of the familiar French, German, or Italian types. It
would be interesting both to make a study of how quarter-tone augmented sixth chords
(or other chromatic chords) might elaborate simple functional progressions, and to
consider whether the passing lines in Example 3.20c (Er–Ee–F and By–Bu–Ar) intensify the
effect of the tendency tones of the dominant seventh chord.
105
although the motion from Dt to Dr between the ninth and tenth chords
creates parallel octaves between soprano and bass. (It may be that Hába
on its way to 2, and the final ! replaced with a common tonic substitute,
%r/$.
a)
b)
int 2.5 int 2.5 int 2.5 int 2.5
a)
b)
int 2.5 int 2.5 int 2.5 int 2.5 int 2.5 int 2.5
Example 3.24: Mvt. V, Allegro risoluto: a) melody, mm. 11-14 (start of A'
section); b) interval cycle derived from melody
The fifth movement has the most elaborately constructed form of any of
the movements in the Suite, a ternary form (A–B–A') in which the two outer
‘A’ sections are not thematically related, but rather use similar melodic and
harmonic materials that contrast with those of the middle ‘B’ section. The
each section. Example 3.23a shows the melody of the A-section, which lasts
for only four measures. Example 3.23b shows the pitches of this melody,
transposed into a single octave and arranged as a cycle of int 2.5. Example
3.24a shows the opening four measures of the melody of the A'-section,
which extends from m. 11 to the end of the movement. The interval cycle
derived from this melody (Example 3.24b), extends the int 2.5 cycle one step
further above and below the cycle shown in Example 3.23b. The melodies of
the two A-sections are not linked thematically; rather, they are both derived
107
from cycles of int 2.5 that share five common pitches, {Bu, Cr, Eu, Fr, Au}.
The Fu in m. 11 does not belong to this interval cycle, but provides the
a) b)
r6th maj. r6th maj. maj. r6th maj. r6th
c)
int 2.5 int 2.5 int 2.5
a)
int 2.5
b)
<4.0 3.0 1.0 4.0> <4.0 3.0 2.0 3.0> <4.0 3.0 0.5 4.5> <4.0 3.0 1.5 3.5>
A-section is either a major triad or the added quarter-tone sixth chord found
in previous movements. The lone exception is the aberrant {B, De, Fe, Au}
marks the end of the first section. The roots of the accompanimental triads
all belong to the cycle of int 2.5 in Example 3.25c. The accompaniment in
the A'-section likewise consists of parallel major triads and supports only
major triads and added quarter-tone sixth chords, with one exception. The
109
and Au–major (Example 3.26a). One possible explanation for this aberrant
less than any of the possible alternative passing chords. There are four
passing chords that could fill in the int 2.5 between By and Au (Example
3.26b). Ar–major is the triad that Hába chooses, and combined with the
soprano Fr, it forms a major triad with an added minor sixth, a chord-type
conventional and quarter-tone pitches, and the only such chord that Hába
X Y Z
<3.0 4.0 3.0> <3.0 4.0 2.0> <3.0 3.0 1.0>
m.5
6 7 8
min. (1) X Y Z min. Y Y Z min.
9 10 11
Y Z min. Y X Z Y min. X Z min. Y (2)
maj.
Z Z
<3.0 3.0 1.0> <3.0 3.0 1.0>
contrast to the major triads of the A-section. The melody of the B-section
does not appear to be derived from any interval cycle or scale. Instead, Hába
chooses melodic pitches that form specific chords when combined with the
Example 3.27. All three of these chords contain the minor triad as a subset.
Example 3.28 shows a harmonic reduction of the entire B-section that shows
that each chord is either a minor triad or one of the three four-note chords,
pattern of parallel minor triads, marking the end of the B-section. The
chords marked (1) and (2) frame the passage between two deviant four-note
chords that contain aberrant melodic pitches: (1) a B–minor triad supports a
melodic Be (an augmented octave above the root); and (2) an Fe–minor triad
about these chords is that if we swap these two melodic pitches, so that the
Ee appears with the B–minor triad, and the Be appears with the Fe–minor
triad, the resultant chords, shown in Example 3.29, both become type-Z
chords and thus fit the harmonic vocabulary of the B-section It is possible
112
that Hába switched the positions of the Be and the Ee to create harmonic
The multiple tonal references in Suite für vier Posaunen engage issues that
suggest specific analytic strategies that may apply to Hába’s other works.
tonality, and one section of her dissertation briefly examines Hába’s use of
tonal references.17 The Suite is not tonal as such, but four of its five
movements possess tonic analogues; in the second and third movements, the
tonic analogues form the pedal notes in passages exhibiting tone centrality.
17 Tam, 201-207.