polytonality

polytonality
—polytonalist /pol'ee tohn"l ist/, n.
/pol'ee toh nal"i tee/, n. Music.
the use of more than one key at the same time.
Also, polytonalism /pol'ee tohn"l iz'euhm/.
[1920-25; POLY- + TONALITY]

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▪ music
      in music, the simultaneous occurrence of two or more different tonalities or keys (the interrelated sets of notes and chords used in a composition). If only two keys are employed, the term bitonality is sometimes used.

      Polytonality first appeared in music of the early 20th century. Stravinsky's Petrushka (1911) employs “black keys against white” (in terms of the piano keyboard), combining C major and F♯ major. Sergey Prokofiev's Sarcasms for piano juxtaposes the keys of F♯ minor in the right hand and B♭ minor in the left, while Darius Milhaud's Saudades do Brasil combines a melody in C with an accompaniment in A♭ major. Such combinations of tonalities may be reviewed as 20th-century extensions of diatonic harmonic practices, following logically from post-Wagnerian chromaticism.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • polytonality — [päl΄i tō nal′ə tē] n. [ POLY + TONALITY] Music the simultaneous use of two or more keys polytonal adj. polytonally adv …   English World dictionary

  • Polytonality — The musical use of more than one key simultaneously is polytonality. Bitonality is the use of only two different keys at the same time.A well known, controversial example is the fanfare at the beginning of the second tableau of Igor Stravinsky s… …   Wikipedia

  • polytonality — noun Date: 1923 the simultaneous use of two or more musical keys • polytonal adjective • polytonally adverb …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • polytonality — noun The use of multiple keys in the same composition, especially by multiple instruments at the same time …   Wiktionary

  • polytonality — pÉ‘lɪtəʊ nælÉ™tɪ / pÉ’l n. use of several musical keys simultaneously (Music) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • polytonality — noun the simultaneous use of two or more keys in a musical composition. Derivatives polytonal adjective …   English new terms dictionary

  • polytonality — poly·tonality …   English syllables

  • polytonality — pol•y•to•nal•i•ty [[t]ˌpɒl i toʊˈnæl ɪ ti[/t]] also pol•y•ton•al•ism [[t] ˈtoʊn lˌɪz əm[/t]] n. mad the simultaneous use of two or more musical tonalities • Etymology: 1920–25 pol y•ton′al•ist, n …   From formal English to slang

  • polytonality — /ˌpɒlitoʊˈnæləti/ (say .poleetoh naluhtee) noun Music the use of more than one key at the same time …  

  • polytonality — n. Mus. the simultaneous use of two or more keys in a composition. Derivatives: polytonal adj …   Useful english dictionary

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