Yale University Department of Music

The Expansion of the Subdominant in the Late Nineteenth Century

Author(s): Deborah Stein
Source: Journal of Music Theory, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Autumn, 1983), pp. 153-180
Published by: Duke University Press on behalf of the Yale University Department of Music
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/843513
Accessed: 15/11/2009 23:29

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless
you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you
may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use.

Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at
http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=duke.

Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed
page of such transmission.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Duke University Press and Yale University Department of Music are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize,
preserve and extend access to Journal of Music Theory.

http://www.jstor.org
 THE EXPANSION OF THE SUBDOMINANT

IN THE LATENINETEENTH CENTURY

DeborahStein

During the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the subdom-

inant functioned as a subsidiaryharmony within the powerful tonic-
dominantaxis. For the most part, the subdominantfunctioned either as
preparationfor the dominant or as a neighboringharmony that pro-
longed the tonic chord (Ex. 1). In both cases, the subdominantem-
bellished-as a neighboringchord-the structurallyimportantdominant
or tonic harmonies. In the later nineteenth century, the subdominant
came to acquirenew functions and to assumemore autonomousstruc-
tural roles, and concurrentlywith the change in status and function of
the subdominantcame a reassessmentof the dominantand even of the
tonic functions. In this way, the developmentof the subdominantfunc-
tion was part of a largernineteenth-centuryprocess of experimenting
with and expandingupon aspects of the tonal system.
This paper traces the late nineteenth-centurydevelopment of what
had been a limited common-practicesubdominant function. I use as
musical examples the Lieder of Hugo Wolf, and while Schenker'stheo-
retical approachforms the analytical point of departure,I suggestnew
analyticalmodels when his theories are no longer applicable.
The choice of Wolfs Lieder for musicalexamplesis somewhatprob-
lematic, for his innovative exploration of a new harmonic language

153
involvingthe subdominantis at best tentative;he uses plagalharmonies
in new ways, but does so conservativelyand in a relativelysmallnumber
of songs. In most cases, he uses the subdominantto enrich existing har-
monic relationsratherthan to establishnew harmonicprinciples.Never-
theless, I have decided to use his songs in this study for two reasons:
first, the extraordinarywedding to text and music in Wolfs Lieder
demonstratesthe powerof the expandedsubdominantfunction to depict
textual ideas, and second, the miniaturescaleof Wolf s harmonicdesigns
makeseasierthe analysisof large-scaledesignand small-scaledetail.
Theoristshave long debated the function of the subdominant,a fact
that testifies both to its uncertainperception and its potential versatil-
ity. In orderto revealthe historicalcontext out of which the expansion
of the subdominantfunction emerged,I need to give a brief overviewof
relevanttheoreticaldiscussions.
A broad view of the subdominantwas offered by theoriststhrough-
out the eighteenthand early nineteenth centuries.In 1726, Rameaube-
stowed upon the fourth scale-step the name "sous dominant," for he
consideredthe subdominantto be equal to the dominant (he called V
the "dominant-tonic"),the two "dominants"servingasharmonicpillars
a fifth above and below the tonic.1 Although Rameauconceded that
the so-called "irregular"plagal cadence was subsidiaryto the authentic
dominant cadence and although he was never able to offer adequate
acoustical proof of the origin of the subdominant-a requirementthat
he deemed essential-he neverthelessmaintainedthat the subdominant
was a harmonicfact and that the system of harmonywas a symmetrical
one, with IV and V framingI (see Ex. 22).
The theoretical status of the subdominantwas also discussedin the
writings of eighteenth-centurytheorists such as Sorge (Vorgemachder
musikalischenKomposition, 1745), Marpurg(Handbuchbei dem Gen-
eralbasse,1755-58), Daube (Generalbassin drey Accorden, 1756), and
Kirnberger(Die Kunst des reinen Satzes, 1771-79). In the writings of
such nineteenth-centurytheoristsas Hauptmannand Riemann,the sub-
dominant continued to be one of the three main chords of the tonal
system, even though both theoristsmodified Rameaus'sideas about the
source of the subdominantby invoking more contemporarytheories.
Hauptmann(Die Natur der Harmonikund der Metrik, 1853) relatedthe
subdominant,dominant, and tonic through the Hegeliandialectic. The
triad "comes into opposition or contradictionwith itself' by virtue of
being in a "fifth duality" with its dominants:I is IV of V and V of IV;
through this opposition the tonic triad reemergesas a unity or syn-
thesis.3 Riemann (Die Natur der Harmonik, 1882; VereinfachteHar-
monielehre, 1893) offered a basis for the subdominant through an
analog to the overtone series which he called the undertoneseries,and
which, he claimed,had acousticalvalidity.

154
 Example 1. Common-practiceFunctionsof IV

Example2. Rameau'sConcept of HarmonicFunction

Example3. "SchlafendesJesuskind":HarmonicSubstitution

The PlagalDomain

[common practice] [new practice]

I I
PlagalAmbiguity Dominant Replacement

Plagal Transformation
Substitution of Tonic Function

Figure 1
155
 The continuous insistence on an equivalenceof status between the
subdominant and dominant reflects the speculative nature of some
eighteenth- and nineteenth-century theoretical discourse. In musical
practice, meanwhile, the subdominantnever functioned in a manner
that was correlativeto the dominant;this discrepancybetween theory
and practice was finally noted and dramatizedin Schenker'stheories
and analytical system where, in contrast to the speculationsof his pre-
decessors,Schenkerdemonstratedthat in most common-practicetonal
music the subdominant maintained a subsidiary status to the more
structurallyimportant dominant. Schenker'sdivergencefrom the tradi-
tional view of the subdominantis persuasive;he shows that almost two
centuries of theoretical speculationabout the function of the subdom-
inant were misguidedand that the subdominantfulfilled a much more
limited function than earliertheoristshad suggested.
While Schenker's analytical system accurately depicts the limited
function of the subdominantin music of the common-practiceperiod,
the relevance of his system for illustrating later nineteenth-century
musicis limitedby his own criticalbiases and by the inherentlimitations
of his analyticalsystem.4 Thuswhile Schenker'sanalyticalmethodology
is used for much of the analysisin this study, his system at times is less
helpful in demonstratingsome of the more progressiveharmonicinno-
vations.
It is thus againstthe backdrop of Schenker'sconceptualizationof a
limited subdominantfunction that I begin the presentstudy of the ex-
panded subdominant function. In the ensuing discussion, the term
"plagal domain" signifies not only the subdominantharmony itself,
but also a complex network of harmonic relations which involve the
subdominantand which transcendtraditionalsubdominantfunctions in
common-practicetonality. As Figure 1 shows, the plagal domain en-
compassestwo differenttypes of harmonicprocedures,one that remains
within and anotherthat extends beyond common-practicetonality. The
exploration of certain types of ambiguitywithin the common-practice
tonal system is called plagal ambiguity; the innovative use of plagal
harmonies to function as substitutions for the tonic-dominantaxis is
called dominantreplacement.The definitionsthat follow serveto intro-
duce the concepts of plagal ambiguity and dominant replacement,and
the analysesthat are includeddemonstratehow the proceduresoccur in
Wolfs music. In a generalsense, plagal ambiguityexemplifies a subtle
expansion of normativesyntax in which at least some common-practice
functions are retained, while dominant replacementrepresentsa truly
radicaldeparturefrom common-practicetonal syntax.
The term plagalambiguityunderscoresthe fact that there are special
ambiguitiesinherent in the plagal domain which have no corollaryin
the tonic-dominant relationship. There are two basic types of plagal

156
ambiguity: (1) harmonic substitution amongst plagal elements and
(2) transformationof tonic function.
Harmonic substitution occurs within the plagal domain because of
the unusual number and variety of chords that can assume a subdom-
inant function. Where no chord could adequately substitute for the
common-practicedominantin its variouscadentialfunctions, II, bII, VI,
and bVI can all assume many of the variousfunctions of IV. s The pos-
sibility of harmonic substitution-stemming from the common-practice
use of II for IV as dominantpreparation-leadsus to a broaderdefinition
of harmonic terms where II, IV, and VI are not necessarily separate
harmoniesbut function as interchangeablepartsof one harmonicfunc-
tion. What results is an enlargementof the subdominantfunction to in-
clude such things as the deceptive cadence and in which the subdom-
inant-extended by the concepts of the plagaldomain-becomes a more
persuasivetonal element.The ultimate consequenceof this subdominant
enlargementis the emergenceof the subdominantas a tonal force that
can compete with and eventuallycan replacethe dominantas a primary
polarity to the tonic.
Two brief exampleswill demonstratethe interchangeabilityof II, IV,
and VI in assuming subdominant functions. First, the M6rike song
"SchlafendesJesuskind" [6 October 1888] illustratesthe use of plagal
substitution within a deceptive cadence:in mm. 6 and 28, IV functions
clearlyas if it were the customaryVI (see Ex. 3).
A second example, taken from the Italienisches Liederbuch song
"Gesegnet sei das Griln" [13 April 1896], shows a more complex use
of the expandedplagaldomainwithin the deceptivecadence (Ex. 4). In
the opening progression,I-V7/VI-IV-V7-VI, the deceptive cadence is
extended by an interpolation of IV-V (m. 2), where in m. 2 IV substi-
tutes for VI in resolvingthe V7 /VI of m. 1. The use of IV for VI recurs
in mm. 3-4 (Vs/VI-IV6) and becomes intensified in mm. 5-6 where
IV6 literallyreplacesVI twice in a deceptive cadence.
As a second resource, the plagal domain offers harmonicambiguity
which will be called transformationof tonic function. In this process,a
I-to-IV progressioncan be transformedinto a V-to-I progression,a
transformationmade possible by the potential function of the tonic as
a dominant to IV. The ambiguity that resultsfrom this transformation
is especially powerful since it not only createsharmonicambiguitybut
also reversesthe nature of harmonicmotion from an openingto a clos-
ing progression.This will have importantstructuralimplicationswhere,
for instance, closure comes more quickly than originallyanticipatedor
where tonal shifts occur unexpectedly.6
An example of the transformationof tonic function occursin mm. 6-
10 of the song "Wirhaben beide lange Zeit geschwiegen"from the Ital-
ienisches Liederbuch [16 December 1891]. In a generalsense, this song

157
 8ehr ssig . J -*.

V 0- -I* *?Fu *& L r. - II

rAm wwo *ad mAo so w|w o Jo !

I It;:,d

3.

s.]eW^T .h-Ji 6.
P 11.1?* Xo4
^d--# t-A1'
w0I
. ^..F
c *?c 4. F
)LJ2J
Fiil.Ilcap
U.
ry-"b
(4w.
-u-wm:h de ...
(
i4L* t-n1r r
bS tI : -
:

10 10)

A: I Wm 1t T7 g3

Example4. "Gesegnetsei das Grin": HarmonicSubstitution

158
exemplifies a compositional process common to Wolf wherein musical
ambiguityis createdand then resolvedover the course of a song and the
transformationof tonic function may be considered a component of
that larger process. The first five measuresof this song depict textual
confusion and tension, and harmonic focus occurs only on beat 3 of
m. 4, where the Ab dominant seventh chord stronglysuggestsa resolu-
tion to Db in m. 6 (Ex. 5). A new section in Db beginsin m. 6 with a
simpleharmonicprogressionI-IV6-II6-V7-I set abovea doublepedal on
Ab and Db. While the harmonic progressionand the Db pedal both
clearly establish the tonality of Db, the Ab pedal maintainsa level of
harmonicambiguity,as the Db sonority is cast into a dissonant4 posi-
tion. The replacementof the double Ab-Db pedal by a singleDb pedal
in mm. 8-9 signalsthe beginningof the process of transformation;the
function of Db changes from a tonic in m. 8 to a V/IV in m. 9 which
resolvesto IV in m. 10.
The functional transformationof Db from I to V/IV can be under-
stood on two levels. On a foregroundlevel, mm. 6-7 contain simple
I-IV-II-V-I progressionsin Db and m. 8 presentsa I-V/IV progression
in Db. In m. 9, the simple secondarydominantV/IV becomes part of a
largercontext where IV is really a cadential 6 (with added 9th) which
progressesto V7-1 in the new key of Gb major.The progressionI to IV
througha secondarydominanthas been transformedinto a modulation,
as the tonic becomes reinterpretedas V/IV. On a middlegroundlevel,
mm. 6-10 can be understood as a large scale V-I progressionin Gb.
Whathad appearedto be I/Db was really V/Gb. In this context, the use
of the 4 position in mm. 6-8 may be understood as an attempt to de-
stabilize Db as a "tonic" so as to preparefor its reinterpretationas a
dominant. It is an ingeniousploy, for while the 6 position rendersDb a
dissonance,it also implies a resolution to Db-thus maintainingthe am-
biguity of Db's function-since a cadential6 would presumablyresolve
to an authentic cadencein Db.
As expected, the overridingeffect of the process is not only a shift
in tonal focus from Db to Gb, but also a change in the nature of the
harmonicmotion in mm. 6-10. The harmonicmotion in mm. 6-8 had
appearedto be that of an opening gesture, I-IV, but the shift in func-
tion of Db from I to V/IV transformsthe gesture into a closing V-I
progressionin Gb. The text of "Wirhaben beide" supports the use of
the transformationprocess. The text of mm. 6-10 states: "Die Engel,
die herab von Himmel fliegen,/Sie brachten nach dem Krieg den
Frieden wieder." The music depicts the flight of angelsto earth,bring-
ing peace and resolvingwar; the use of the 6 position representsin part
the flight from heaven and the conflict between Db and Gb as two
potential tonics representsthe "war"that is resolvedby the peace-giving
transformationof Db. The interrelationof Db and Gb is furtheren-

159
 A . Etwu beegter
6. k I 1 h- ) .'.-- rIr p1
. .. v HLmuel rue. -
Die In l, dle bor. -.. e, pbrachte
r - . e
M.l ap-d ew* .
eoi o.rd , bVI aq f.tf.Se

sc& bm ri g-d- a Fritobj vie. de. Die .lgel .t e sidndher.b. ge .

,WarmdrjfdU-- &.pfe If Am . ee,. dcrb?fr ~ ?e,ei* e A.sm.ew,d,pA,

8. t0.f 9. .

8V
. - - .--9. SO-,--- 10.

S {b b - _- 6 - i9FL_ 5 t

34 3

h: X I1 7
3haben
bede":
Tansfomaton
of Tonc Functon

Example5. "Wirhabenbeide": Transformationof Tonic Function

160
hanced by the text, where phrase 3 (mm. 10-14) is a variantof phrase
2 (mm. 6-10). The textual repetition is reflected in the music as the
section in Gb is a variantof the music in D b, the piano part of mm. 10-
12 being a literal transpositionof the piano part of mm. 6-8.
In summary,the transformationof tonic function createsa form of
dissonanceunparalleledin the dominant region. The power of the sub-
dominant to destabilizethe tonic is as remarkableas the ability of the
dominant to reinforce the tonic. And the transformationof tonic func-
tion occurs not just to the subdominantand tonic harmoniesbut to the
actualharmonicprogressionitself.
The originof dominantreplacementmay be understoodin two ways.
First, the development of the tonal system reached a plateau wherein
the tonic-dominantaxis was so commonplace that it could be replaced
by new, equivalent structures.Further, a stasis had occurredin the use
of the tonic-dominantaxis and alternativecadence patterns and struc-
tural designshad to replacethe powerfulbut now too predictabletonic-
dominantrelationship.Second, the predictabilityof the tonic-dominant
axis was accompaniedby an increased exploitation of the functional
ambiguitythat arose between the V7 and the augmentedsixth chords,
wherein a chord soundinglike a V7 harmony could'resolvenot just to
one clear tonic but also as an augmented-sixthchord resolvingto one of
two different chords (V and I) within two different tonalities.7 Dom-
inant replacement thus can be considereda logical step in the gradual
evolution of the tonal system through the diversifiedtonal expansion
and experimentationthat occurredduringthe late nineteenth century.
As is the case in any form of harmonicsubstitution,the substitutionof
the subdominantfor the dominant is predicatedupon the retention of
the traditionalfunction of the dominantharmony;the successof dom-
inant replacement, therefore, depends upon the ability of the plagal
domain to provide a plagal analog for the function of the dominant,
that is, to replace the tonic-dominantaxis with what could be called a
plagalaxis.
Before examining the nature of dominant replacement, it will be
helpful to review the common-practicefunction of the dominant and
to establish a common-practicenorm for the dominant function. Such
a common-practicenorm for V is offered by Schenkerin his model of
the Ursatzandin his concept of structurallevels. Accordingto Schenker,
whose theory obtains for most of the music of the common-practice
period, the dominantfunctions on three levels. On the foregroundlevel,
the dominant divides music into discrete sections through the use of
half and authentic cadences;also throughthese cadences,the dominant
establishes itself or the tonic as a local harmonic goal. On a middle-
groundlevel, the dominantoffers itself as a polarity to the tonic. In the
large-scale I-V-I progression represented by Schenker's Ursatz, the

161
dominant functions as a harmonic goal, as a basic harmonicpolarity
within the confines of the openingand closing tonics, and as a harmon-
ic supportfor 2 in the Urlinie.Finally, on the deepest-or background-
level, the dominantitself becomes subsumedby the tonic. The dominant
ceases to be an independentharmony and becomes instead a Teller or
"divider"within the arpeggiationof the tonic chord.8 The function of
the dominant, then, is understoodbasically in terms of its capacity to
define the tonic: the dominant affirms the tonic on a local and large-
scale level by cadencing to the tonic or by posing itself in harmonic
opposition to the tonic; the dominant also defines the tonic-on the
deepest and most abstractlevel-by participatingin a horizontalization
of the tonic triad through the Bassbrechung.And lastly, the dominant
providesa crucial counterpoint to the primarymelodic motion, the Ur-
linie descent 2-1.
The technique of dominant replacementreflects the differentlevels
of function of the dominant. On the foregroundlevel, the replacement
of the dominant occurs mostly in the substitution of a plagal for the
authentic cadence. In the music of the eighteenthand early nineteenth
centuries, the plagal cadence rarely had replaced the function of its
authentic counterpart,but insteadhad acted as a cadentialafterthought
or harmonic postlude that offered a special cadential effect. In these
cases, the use of the cadential subdominantcould be consideredan ex-
tension of the tonic ratherthan a replacementof the dominant.9
Though the plagal cadence was not initially used as a dominant re-
placement, its use as a tonic prolongationor extension might be consid-
ered a first step toward a later dominant replacement. While tonic
prolongation through the plagal cadence neither replaced nor contra-
dicted the tonic-dominantaxis, it did asserta new role for the subdom-
inant and thereby enlarged its function. A song from Wolf s Morike
collection will help illustratesome of the problemsarisingin dominant
replacement through the plagal cadence. In Example 6, Wolfs song
"GesangWeylas"[9 October1888] opens with the progressionI-V-IV-
I. This reversalof common-practicesyntax suggeststhat the authentic
cadence is either replacedby the plagal cadence or is at least extended
by the subdominant.10Severalquestions arise: Is the V of m. 3 a func-
tional dominant or does it assumea role analogousto that of dominant
preparationwhich is normally associatedwith the subdominant,the V
becoming a contrapuntalharmonyleadingto the cadentialIV-I of mm.
4-5? If V is structural,then what is the function of IV in m. 4? A
Schenkerianresponseto these questions might be similarto the sketch
of Example 7. Here the tonic-dominantaxis is preserved,with the V
remaininga structuralgoal. The IV of m. 4 is heard as a neighboring
harmony to the tonic that expands the cadentialV-I motion by pro-
longingthe tonic. Example8 reversesthis "Schenkerian"interpretation,

162
 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

El: I 7 I I

Example6. "GesangWeylas":DominantReplacementon the Fore-

groundLevel

S T (N) 1

Example7. "GesangWeylas":SchenkerianReading

t N a I I vY W I

Example8. "GesangWeylas":Non-SchenkerianInterpretation

163
makingIV a dominantreplacementand V either a subdominantreplace-
ment or a separate cadential function altogether. In Example 8a, V
becomes a contrapuntalembellishment(N) to the cadential IV; in Ex-
ample8b, V is a half cadence that yields to a plagalratherthan authentic
cadence.
The readingsin Example 8a and Example 8b suggest severaladdi-
tional questions:If IV does replaceV, is the plagalcadencean adequate
replacementfor the authenticcadenceor does IV offer a differenttype of
cadence?If the plagalcadenceis not analogous,is this differentcadence
less a replacementand more an alternativeto the authentic cadence?
And finally, if the plagal cadence is not simply a replacementbut is a
different sort of cadence, is this alternativeto the authentic cadence
less powerful?II
Some of the answersto the questionsjust raisedare subjective.Wolf s
own interpretationof the structurehe created in "GesangWeylas"(re-
produced in the appendix) might be gleaned from the song's final
phrase, mm. 14-17. In Example 9 this last phraseis illustrated;Wolf
reversesthe syntax once again, placing IV and V in their more tradi-
tional roles. What this suggestsis that in an openinggesture(mm. 1-5),
a plagal cadence replacesthe authentic because a strongcadence is not
necessary-or maybe not even desirable-or because a plagal cadence
offers both the decrease in tension necessary for closure of a phrase
while at the same time the cadence allows for the possibility of tonal
diffuseness or ambiguity as the piece will continue. (In the measures
that follow the plagal cadence of mm. 4-5, Wolf does create tonal am-
biguity, for example in mm. 6-7, with such non-Eb sonorities as G
major, D major, and A minor.) The resumptionof normalsyntax at the
end of the song can be understood in the same terms: the close of a
piece requiresa strongercadence and a more decisivetonal focus.
The basic problem in replacing the dominant on the foregroundis
that the plagalcadence is weaker than the authentic;the subdominant
does not define the tonic as forcibly or preciselyas the dominant.The
voice-leadingproblems that create a weak plagal cadence are demon-
strated in Example 10. Example 10a shows the most powerful voice-
leading possibilitiesfor the authentic cadence, using only root position
triadsand no seventhchords.Example 10a(l), 8-7-8, shows the strong
leading-tone resolution to 8 being supported by the V-I progression;
Example 10a(2), 3-2-1, shows Schenker's Urlinie descent with dom-
inant support and Example 10a(3), which combines the first and
second, shows the full effect of combiningall the voice-leadingpossibil-
ities into one melodic and harmonicevent. In all three cases, 1 is ap-
proached by step in a conclusive, tonic-defining melodic gesture. In
comparison,the voice-leadingpossibilitiesfor a plagalcadence are shown
in Example Ob; rather than focusing upon i, the melodic gestures
embellish either 3 or 5 of the tonic triad, a factor which alone sup-
164
 14 45.1617 16. i7.

I v r

Example9. "GesangWeylas":TraditionalHarmonicSyntax, Last

Phrase

A A 1%
3 2 1
A A AA A A A A
a 7 8 3 2 1 8 7 8
..-a

A ~~~~A
A A A4 A
tL A
b 4 3 5 6 5 3 4 3
A I 1 1

(1) 10 (2) 5 (3) 05

I F I I

Example 10. Voice Leadingin Plagaland Authentic Cadences

165
ports the notion of a weaker,less definitivecadence. Further,when the
plagal half-step melodic gestures, 3-4-3 and 5-b-5, are comparedto
the authentic half-step7-8, the plagalvoice leadingis less conclusive,as
the melodic line could still descend further,from 3 or 5 to 1. This ulti-
mate conclusionwould entail a passagethrough2, which, of course, can
only be supportedby a root position V. 12Finally,in Example1Oc,the use
of seventh chords and harmonic inversion incorporatesa mixture of
plagaland authentic voice-leadingpossibilities. Severalnew issues arise.
First, both the V7 and the IIS allow for greater melodic dissonance,
where 4 is a dissonant 7th in the 4-3 and i is a dissonant 7th in
the i-i The dissonanceof the 4 in the V7 chord reinforcesthe resolu-
IIs-I.
tion of V to I, not so much by the melodic resolution 4-3 as by the
tritone-enhancedresolution of 7-8. In an even more dramatic way,
where 4 is a dissonant 7th in the 4-3, V7-I, and i is a dissonant7th in
the 2-1, IIs-I. The dissonanceof the 4 in the V7 chord reinforcesthe
resolution of V to I, not so much by the melodic resolution4-3 as by
the tritone-enhancedresolution of 7-8. In an even more dramaticway,
the dissonant 7th of the II (the 7th is 1) reinforcesan authentic, not
plagal resolution. (See [3] of Ex. lOc.) The resolution of the 7th of
IIs (tenor voice, C to B) necessitates the progressionto the dominant
for harmonicsupport,a use of the V that was elided in Example 10c(2).
Example 10c(2) is a crucial step toward dominantreplacement,for the
only instanceof plagalsupportfor 2-1 occurs with harmonic substitu-
tion, where II6 substitutesfor IV and where harmonicelision occurs, as
an impliedprogressionof II to V is omitted.
A summaryof the comparisonof voice leadingin plagaland authentic
cadences may be as follows: the plagal cadence is weaker because it
does not confirm 1 in a strong,unequivocalstepwisemotion; the plagal
stepwise motions 4-3 or (b)6-5 remaininconclusive(will a 2-1 motion
follow?) in comparisonto the authentichalf step 7-8; the use of plagal
4-3 in a V7-I cadence is not in itself a powerfulcadentialgesture,but
ratherreinforcesthe more definitive 7-8 motion with which it resolves;
and finally, the only feasible 2-1 in a plagalcadenceinvolvesan elision
of an authentic cadence (II6-I for II6-V7-I), and the use of elision by
definition rendersthat plagalcadenceweakerand less conclusive.
It is clear, then, that a replacement of the cadential dominant is
problematic and that the successful substitution of a plagal for an
authentic cadence can only be accomplishedwith the use of some sort
of compensation for the inherent weakness of the plagal cadence. The
necessity for such compensationwithin dominant replacementwill be
an ongoingconcern throughoutthe rest of this paper.
The problem of a weak plagal cadence exists in the guise of a weak
plagal axis on the middleground level when a I-IV-I tonal design
166
replacesthe common-practiceI-V-I structure.In this case, the relative
weakness of the plagal axis threatensto obviate a clear sense of tonal
direction and, as well, underminesthe formation of a self-contained,
coherent tonal structure. As stated earlier, the tonic-dominantaxis is
the basis of most common-practiceformaldesignson the middleground
partly because the relationshipof the dominantto the tonic ultimately
can be understood as a singularexpression of the Bassbrechungon the
background level.13 This interpenetration of structurallevels cannot
occur in an analogousplagalaxis, for no tonal sonority is obtained on a
backgroundlevel.
The lack of a cohesive backgroundin the plagal axis is a critical
problem. As stated above, another extended-tonal technique must
accompany the creation of a middlegroundplagal structure and this
technique will be called the process of compensation. This compensa-
tion process may take a variety of forms; its function is to establish
unequivocally a tonal focus in the absence of a middlegroundtonic-
dominant axis. In the analysis that follows, the lack of a middleground
tonic-dominant axis will be compensated for by several repetitive
devices and, as well, by authentic cadences that articulateon the fore-
groundlevel the middlegroundtonal design.
An example of a Wolf song that has dominant replacementon the
middleground will demonstrate the many issues involved in such a
special use of the subdominant. The Italienisches Liederbuch song
"Sterb'ich, so hillt in Blumenmeine Glieder," [13 April 1896] is a re-
markable mixture of the subtle and the obvious. While the com-
pensatory process of affirmingthe tonality is persistent and thorough,
the middlegroundmotion to the subdominantinstead of the dominant
is almost elusive. As Example 11 shows, Wolf's compensationinvolves
two devices of repetition: a 2-bar piano ostinato and a bass pedal. The
ostinato is continuous; it is basically unchangedexcept for a registral
shift in mm. 6ff. and a transpositionin mm. 10-13. Two factors pre-
serve the vitality of the ostinato. First, the vocal line functions as a
constantly changingset of variationsabove the repeatedostinato phrase.
Second, the ostinato itself contains harmonic ambiguity-ambiguity
enhancedby the vocal line-which continuously challengesthe listener.
As line A of Example 12 suggests, a change of harmony every beat re-
sults in the harmonic progressionIV-VII-I-VI-II-V-I. Meanwhile,a
different interpretation of the harmonic progression is also possible
(line B), where the sets of descendingthirds coalesce and form larger
harmonic units which are grouped into a more complicated rhythm:
Jl J J J J . This second readingcan be understood as VII7-I-
VI-V7-I. The aural confusion of the ostinato is due only in part to
rhythmic factors; of more consequence is Wolfs use of incomplete
triads which confound the listener by making the progressionso im-
plicit that the earmust continue to seek clarificationin subsequentrepe-
167
 Sterb' ich so hUill in
Wrap me in t/ow - - ery

81u - men mei- ne Gtie der;

vw.en my ed
wn doth come

Example 11. "Sterb'ich": Repetition Devices

_~J" /'

A: v 1 zr X v

B: m7 L T' 7 I

Example 12. "Sterb' ich": The Ostinato

168
titions. In Ex. 13, the vocal line is addedto the ostinato;instead of clar-
ifying the harmonicprogression,the vocal line increasesthe ambiguity
by alteringthe ostinato: IV becomes II6 and II becomes VII6.
The ostinato is truly ingeniousin that it maintainsa delicatebalance
of repetition and change while at the same time it co-exists with the
other cohesive element, the Ab pedal. The bass pedal is remarkablein
itself, since it also persists-in this case with no changewhatsoever-for
the song's entirety. While the bass pedal can be thought of as part of
the compensatory process, its constant reaffirmationof a single pitch
can also be considereda restrictingelement. A shift to the dominantis
simply not possible with a recurrenttonic pedal-changing the pedal,
say to Eb, would change the nature of the song-and any digression
from the key of Ab seems all but impossible.Indeed, the subdominant
is the only harmonicregionthe pedal will accommodate;and while it is
impossible to know whetherWolf plannedthe bass pedal or the middle-
ground subdominantfirst, it is worth noting that the compensatoryuse
of pedal in this piece is directly connected to the use of the subdomi-
nant: dominant replacementand the accompanyingcompensationpro-
cesses mergeinto a singularforce.
Example 14 demonstratesthe harmonic shift from Ab to Db. The
pedal now assumesanother role; in m. 9, I/Ab become V/Db and the
tonic Ab pedal becomes a dominant Ab pedal. While the middle-
groundsubdominantstructureis examinedmore fully below, it is worth
noting here that in a potently simple way the motion to the middle-
ground subdominantis achieved by one of the special features of the
plagal domain: the transformationof tonic function where I becomes
V of IV.
In mm. 13-14, a shift back to the key of Ab is made (Ex. 15). In the
first half of m. 13, VII7 of Ab suggestsa departurefrom Db with the
crucial change of Gb to G . When Wolf reintroducesthe Gb in the
second half of m. 13, transformingDb into V/IV once again,he creates
an elegant pun with a middlegroundreturn to I through a foreground
IV! The resolution of the secondary dominant in m. 14 (V/IV to IV)
has the double effect of resolvingthe secondarydominantand of creat-
ing a smooth transitionback to the originalostinato, which begins on
IV of Ab. The returnto Ab as tonic is not assureduntil the second beat
of m. 14, where G4 occurs as part of V/Ab. This returnto Ab is rein-
forced in the vocal line of m. 14, where for the first and only time Wolf
places an Eb in the vocal part above the ostinato third G-Bb; at this
point in the ostinato the voice previouslyhad sung Gl or Db and had
thus made the G-Bb harmony some form of the less powerful VII
chord.
Several details in this middlegroundshift to the subdominant are
worth noting. First, Wolf preparesfor the shift to Db in m. 8, where he
introduces V/IV on beat 3 as part of a chromatic descent in the voice.
169
 A .. 1 k -.- - a

17-I ~is 1 I MI lzff r

Example 13. "Sterb'ich": The Ostinatoand Vocal Line

IU/2 V%vWm 79'a J

Example 14. "Sterb'ich": MiddlegroundShift to Db (IV)

A '3.1 14

3M7 V7/M IY V

Examnple15. "Sterb'ich": MiddlegroundShift back to Ab (I)

170
This is an elegant example of a local detail foreshadowinga middle-
ground event.14 Second, Wolf exploits certain aspects of texture,
rhythm, and chromatic density in creating the subtle shift in tonality.
In m. 9, the vocal line has a 2-beat rest, the longest rest of the song.
This silence in the voice signalsa changein formaldesignas it prepares
for the change in tonal focus of m. 10. At the same time, the vocal line
creates a transition from the Ab to the Db region in mm. 9-10, as the
vocal Bb in m. 9 has two diverse functions on the respectivefore- and
middlegroundlevels. On a foregroundlevel, the vocal Bb of m. 9 is re-
solved in the piano part in m. 9 (markedby an arrowin Example 14),
while on the middleground,the Bb remainsunresolvedand is restated
immediatelyby the voice in m. 10 (markedby a dotted line). Thus, de-
spite its foreground resolution, the vocal Bh functions as a dissonant
pivot between the regionsof A b and Db.
The piano part of m. 9 also uses silence to preparefor the tonal shift
to Db as the right-handpiano part rests for almost an entire beat. This
emphasizesthe Ab sonority of m. 9 and preparesthe ear for the trans-
formation of function where Ab changes from I to V/IV. Yet another
emphasison the Ab sonority occurs in the left-hand piano part as the
pedal maintainsits eighth-notemotion on beat 4 in a tell-talebreakwith
its ostinato rhythmic pattern. Wolf thus preparesthe listener for the
shift to Db by reducingthe texture and most of its rhythmic motion
and by emphasizingin variousways the pivotal Ab sonority.
The reduction of texture and overall complexity that occurred in
mm. 9-10 is reversedin m. 13, with the returnto Ab. As alreadystated
the chromatic shifts between Gl and Gb have the effect of causing
both tonal ambiguity and a generaltension that are only resolvedwith
resumption of the ostinato back in the original key of Ab in m. 14.
Shifts between Fk and Fb and between BI and Bb also contributeto
an increase of chromatic density. Finally, shifts in registerin m. 13 in-
tensify the climax of activity that precedes the return to Ab. (This in-
crease in registerand rhythmic activity in the right-handpiano part is
anticipated in m. 12 with the addition of a melodic fragmenton the
second and fourth beats and this fragmentis reintroducedin mm. 16-
18 and becomes a rhythmic and melodic force that brings the song to
its conclusion.)
The overall effect of the shift to the subdominantis complex. The
vocal line achieves its climax within the region of Db (m. 12) where it
sings Eb on the word gem. The melodic climax is intensified by being
set within a context of harmonic transformation;that is, the climax is
emphasizedby its dissonant context. As Example 13 indicated earlier,
there are two basic gesturesof the vocal line, Bb to Ab and F to Eb.
These neighbor-notemotions are reiterated throughout the first nine
measures;Ab and Eb are always consonant pitches and Bb and F are

171
always dissonant.With the shift to Db, the functions of Ab and Eb are
transformed.While Ab remains consonant (i/Ab--5/Db), it is a less
stable pitch, and Eb becomes 2/Db and is no longerpart of the tonic at
all. With the Bb resolutionto Ab in m. 10, the Ab is consonantbut the
melodic motion is less decisive (2-1--6-5). And when Ab is reiterated
in m. 11, it is again a resolution pitch, but one whose function is un-
clear: the piano shifts beneath the Ab of m. 11, moves from I/Db to
V/Db and the melodic Ab changes from a tonic pitch to a dominant
pitch. The normally consonant Eb of mm. 1-9 becomes a poignantdis-
sonance in m. 12, as it is now part of V9/Db and the Ab of m. 13 be-
comes transformedwith the harmonicshift of I/Ab to V/Db. This last
ambiguityis powerful because the vocal line is ending a phraseof text
(along with the section in Db) and the resolutionof Bb to Ab would be
anticipatedas a consonance. This is the only time Wolf ends a full line
of text on the tonic pitch (m. 5 ends on Eb, m. 9 on Bb, and, later,
m. 17 ends on Eb) and he only does so because the tonal ambiguity
renders the Ab dissonant. In melodic terms, then, the recurrentpitch
motions are reinterpretedin Db as either ambiguous or simply dis-
sonant. The climax of the song in m. 12 occurswithin a generalclimax
of melodic and harmonicambiguityand tension, all of which are due to
the use of the subdominant.
The text of "Sterb'ich" (below) offers its own rationalefor a tonal
shift in mm. 10ff. The complete text may be dividedinto two sections;
couplets 1 and 2 are set in m. 1-9 and couplets 3 and 4 are set in mm.
10-17. In couplets 1 and 2, the singergives instructionsto his beloved
about his death. Then, in couplet 3, the singerbecomes more reflective
than instructive;the burial place is determinedand the singerreflects
upon the feelings of dying for love. The fourth couplet is a variantof
the third and the challengeto Wolf was that of repeatinga couplet of
text without merely repeatingthe musicalsetting-a challengethat was
all the more difficult in a song that alreadyused an extensive amountof
musical repetition. Wolfs solution is ingenious. By placing the third
couplet in Db he allowed for the fourth couplet to be a repetition of
the third within the transition back to Ab. The textual variation of
couplets 3 and 4 becomes a vehicle for tonal shift; the connection be-
tween the two repetitive couplets is establishedin the resolutionof the
middlegroundDb to Ab. While depicting a poem of simplicity and
repetition, Wolf has deftly exploited the ambiguitiesinherent in the
plagal domain and has generated a remarkablemiddlegroundprogres-
sion to the subdominant.
Sterb'ich, so hiillt in Blumenmeine Glieder;
Ich wunschenicht, dass ihr ein Grabmir grabt.
Genuberjenen Mauemlegt mich nieder,

172
 Wo ihr so manchmalmich gesehenhabt.
Dort legt mich hin in Regen oder Wind;
Gem sterb'ich, ist's um dich, geliebtesKind.
Dort legt mich hin in Sonnenscheinund Regen;
Ich sterbelieblich, sterb'ich deinetwegen.
If I die, cover my limbs with flowers;
I do not wish that you should dig me a grave.
Lay me beside that wall
where you have so often seen me.
There let me be laid in rainor wind;
I die gladly if it is for you, beloved child.
Therelet me be laid in sunshineand rain;
I die happy if I die for you.
The use of the subdominant as a middlegroundharmonic goal has
proven to be a most complicated phenomenon. In fact, the sketch in
Example 16 shows how the I-IV-I middlegroundstructure might be
understood as a series of embedded neighbor-notemotions ratherthan
as a large-scaleharmonic progression.In order to evaluate this struc-
ture, questions raisedearliermust be readdressed:Is the middleground
plagal axis analogousto the tonic-dominantaxis? Is this extended-tonal
plagal structure comparable to the Schenkerian Urstaz? The answer
must be provisional:the plagalaxis can replacethe tonic-dominantaxis
on a middlegroundlevel, but only if it is accompaniedby adequate
compensation that clearly mitigates the ambiguity inherent in the
plagaldomain. Forinstance, in Example 17a, when the large-scaleplagal
structure of "Sterb'ich" is sketched, a basic tonal ambiguity prevails;
the progressionitself is actually more convincingin the key of Db than
in Ab because Ab is more readilyheardas V/Db than as I/Ab, since Ab
has no dominant.
It is clear from the foregoing that the transformationof tonic func-
tion within the plagal domain must be counterbalancedin order for
middlegrounddominant replacement to be successful. The compensa-
tory processesof this song have alreadybeen described.The tonic pedal
by itself is not sufficient compensation,for it could be understoodtoo
easily as a dominant pedal in Db. That leaves the piano ostinato as the
real compensationof this song and what makes it effective compensa-
tion is its use of foreground tonic-dominantaxes. The tonality of the
ostinato is always clearly understood-despite the inherent ambiguity
describedearlier-by the continuous closurethroughauthentic cadences.
The authentic cadence in m. 17 creates closure-of the section and of
the song-in Ab, not Db and that authentic cadence is a foreground,
not a middlegroundevent. Here Schenker'sconcept of structurallevels
becomes vital even as his Ursatzbecomes inapplicable.Thereis no need,

173
 N N

l I k._--T

o)
Y *1
g
I

Example 16. "Sterb'ich": Neighbor-noteMotion on the Middleground

.f .
I -
WM7
t h-r"-- y- jj
lw - --
1
, -op-

(07 (01.
f.J-
I
AO; I n V7A/ W I
DI: 7 I 77 I v

At: I ' tV7/lt I v I

Example 17. "Sterb'ich": MiddlegroundPlagalStructure

174
for instance, to posit a parentheticalmiddlegroundV in this song (see
Example 17b) for the structure works without a middlegrounddom-
inant. Two issues are operative. First, the tonal definition of the tonic
and subdominantin this piece is achievednot by the interrelationship
of the two harmoniesbut ratherby authenticcadentialmotions within
the separatetonal regions. Second, the basis for structuralcoherencein
a plagal middlegroundis altogether different from that of Schenker's
Ursatz: the nature of the tonic-dominantaxis (as shown in the Ursatz)
is the opposition of the tonic and dominant and the resolution of that
opposition throughthe power of the authentic cadence. In contrast,the
nature of the plagal axis is the posing of a less forceful and more am-
biguoustonal opposition which requiresa unique resolution.In the case
of this song, the plagal axis is resolved not by a large-scalecadential
motion but through local compensatoryauthenticcadencesthat clarify
the otherwise ambiguous tonal relationships.The tonal opposition in
the plagal axis is different from that of its tonic-dominantcounterpart;
the dissonancearisingfrom the ambiguity of the plagaldomaincreates
a different sense of progressionand resolution.The plagalaxis, then, is
not wholly analogousto the tonic-dominantaxis. By itself it creates a
weaker tonal structure whose tonal definition is inherently unclear.
While the necessity for compensationunderscoresthe problematicna-
ture of the plagal axis, that need also suggeststhat composersin the
later nineteenth century were willing to create more complex musical
structuresin their efforts to investigateand manipulatemore compli-
cated tonal relationshipssuch as those of the plagaldomain.

175
 APPENDIX
A. "GesangWeylas"[9 October, 1888]
Langsam und flerlich.
,," ' fp J
tt
ld,
rr p LaUadl
JZ . .?.i JOrpe-Jo ,J% Seed!!
- .2 .ed~. W! 4 C

*-r 4 j p .O7aPi Led

r ' rLre

A
4.
V-~
~'~F'~---- .
r
Ki
? M.. i, be
#;r,-t,~ p

tbw -: f - -? |il {If4 - |

7.

-. *i f d. . - - - ,. e e
i-_ ,jbw met

I iiri rIi 'r |t

9.
@rrs o-
* et tu-
*a r. .
1 .
iI . W *-
AJ prE
e W
o-r W
*- * t.t_ *'
II.- f - - -

'Tpn pq
Ir r _ _ -'
?F -c* o**, .
l. ..
11.

lylf t,i a y
1 wr
'F
-? ?c?
1,
ii V * I- g^ . '

a
9 ?^ 5 L

!* ji
I I I I 3t I_ _ -

176
 .

'__'
13.
t, P~6 -.I n
I v-r4r tt .
I -
V M-.m
VW
tI
lt _ -. c,
t,
at
.-fk
w.-

idui~~~~~~~p

16.

B. "Sterb' ich, so hiillt in Blumen meine Glieder"

Italienishes Liderbuch [13 April, 1896]
Sehr ruhig und durchweggedmpft vorzutragen.i.=,t.

Sterb' Icb, so built In

u - t
.. ..ow.

)gWbiC fj:
6rbb ~CTG-C IhTT

3.
4^ 1 rp^-_, s81$ J P JJ ; LjLjL
Blu. men_ el Gl ir; in. ch w nlcht,us s ihr *ln
wn
A achS
my Bd dotk om- or l - AWf< o"

1, ~j_._ ?o~. ' -

j ' t- 44__, - 0 5^ l -,

5.

177
7.
 NOTES

1. Jean PhilippeRameau,Nouveausystemede musiquetheorique(Paris:J. B. C.

Ballard,1726; reprinted., New York: BroudeBrothers,1965), p. 38.
2. MatthewShirlaw,The Theoryof Harmony;an Inquiryinto the NaturalPrin-
ciples of Harmony, with an Examinationof the Chief Systems of Harmony
from Rameau to the Present Day, 2d ed. (Dekalb, Ill.: Dr. BirchardCoar,
1955; reprinted., New York: Da CapoPress,1969), p. 140.
3. MoritzHauptmann,Die Natur der Harmonikund der Metrik[1853], 2d ed.,
(Berlin:Breitkopfund Hartel,1873); trans.,W. E. Heathcoteas TheNatureof
Harmonyand Meter(London:SwanSonnenschein& Co., 1888), pp. 8-14.
4. Of course, Schenker'spersonalreluctanceto apply his analyticalsystem to
late nineteenth-centurymusic has not deterredmanyof his followers.Among
the many applicationsof Schenker'stheoriesto late nineteenth-centurymusic,
the most notableare Felix Salzer'sStructuralHearing(New York: DoverPub-
lications,Inc., 1952), Adele Katz'sChallengeto MusicalTradition(New York:
AlfredA. Knopf, 1945), andWilliamMitchell'sanalysis,"TheTristanPrelude:
Techniquesand Structure,"MusicForumI (New York:ColumbiaUniversity
Press,1967), pp. 162-203.
5. While theorists such as Riemannclaim that III can substitutefor V, there is
little musicalevidencethat such substitutionoccurs at structuralor cadential
points. In the case of the plagaldomain,however,the theoreticalpossibility
of substitutionis borneout in musicalpractice.
6. This links up with severalcommon-practiceproceduresthat foreshadowedthe
later expansion of plagal ambiguitybeing examined here. One is the well-
known use of the tonic as V/IV within an elaboratedfinal cadence.Anotheris
the use of a IV to I progressionin either a reprisesection or in the develop-
ment or recapitulationsection of the sonataform that balancesan earlierI to
V progressionin the exposition.Examplesaboundin Bach(for example,from
volume I alone of the WTC,Preludes #3 in C$, #5 in D, #9 in E and #11 in
F) and in Haydn and Mozart (for example, occurrencesin Haydn are the
Rondo Finale from the Piano Trio in Ab (H.XV:14), the Menuettofrom the
Quartetin C, op. 74/1 and the false reprisein the Quartetin D, op. 20/4; in-
stancesin Mozartinclude the opening movementof his PianoSonatasK. 451
and K. 545, finalesfrom the QuintetsK. 515 and K. 516 and the Rondo from
the Sonata in C, K. 309.) Many late worksof Beethovenalso exploit the sub-
dominant as a balancingforce against the dominant harmony;see, for ex-
ample, op. 110 (where, in the first movementthe secondpartof theme 1 oc-
curs on the subdominant,not the tonic) and the DiabelliVariations,op. 120
(where V/IV is embeddedwithin the theme itself and wherethe ambiguitybe-
tween the tonic and subdominantis a recurringfeatureof manyvariations).
7. The tonal ambiguityinherentin the resolutionpatternsof V7 and augmented
sixth chords, especiallywith respect to music of the late nineteenthcentury,
has long been describedby Robert Bailey;his conceptualizationof this phe-
nomenon will soon appearin his Norton CriticalScoreof the TristanPrelude
and 'Transfiguration."
8. HeinrichSchenker,Der Freie Satz, (Vienna:UniversalEdition, 1935); trans.,
ErnstOsteras Free Composition(New York: LongmanInc., 1979), paragraph

179
 89, p. 37: "divider ... serves as a reminder that the bass, like the fundamental
line, aims at only one arpeggiation, the quintal division of the triad."
9. Frequent examples of the plagal cadence as a tonic extension or prolongation
occur in the music of such composers as Brahms and Chopin; Brahms' Sym-
phony No. 1 (first and fourth movements) and Chopin's Etude op. 25, no. 8
and Nocturne op. 27, no. 1 are a few such examples. Many examples of plagal
extension of the tonic after a middleground authentic cadence may be found
in Wolf's songs. In the Morike collection alone, five songs use this technique in
a clear and dramatic fashion: "Der Genesene an die Hoffnung," "Er ist's,"
"Gebet," "An den Schlaf," and "Neue Liebe."
10. This exact progression occurs in the opening-and closing-of Mendelssohn's
Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream; the only difference is that Mendels-
sohn uses a minor subdominant as part of a general exploitation of modal
mixture. Many of the points about Wolfs song are also relevant to Mendels-
sohn's Overture.
11. The "weakness" of the plagal cadence has long been noted by theorists. Rie-
mann called the plagal cadence weak and cold (See William C. Mickelsen,
Hugo Riemann's Theory of Harmony and History of Music, Bk. III [Lincoln:
University of Nebraska Press, 1977, p. 28]) and Schoenberg stated: "Plagal
cadences ... are only a means of stylistic expression and are structurally of no
importance." (See Arnold Schoenberg, Structural Functions of Harmony
[New York: W. W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1954], p. 14.)
12. The fact that i can be posited as a tonic pedal above a I-IV-I progression does
not mitigate the lack of melodic motion toward i such as 7-8 or 2-1.
13. It is indeed part of Schenker's genius that he was able to discern different
levels of structure and, at the same time, coordinate these levels into one
comprehensive system.
14. The fact that the ostinato begins on the subdominant of Ab indicates that the
subdominant is used on both the foreground and middleground levels-a most
Schenkerian feature!

180