PART II. AN ANNOTATED ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF NEUE HARMONTELEHRE'TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE Due to its broad scope as well as its special subject matter, Alois Héba's Neue Harmonielehre des diatonischen, chromatischen, Viertel-, Drittel-, Sechstel- und 2w81ftei-Tonsystems, written in 1927, Yepresents an important contribution to music theory. It remains, even today, the only treatise that has attempted to deal in depth with the equal-tempered quarter-tone and sixth-tone systems. Other compo- sers and theorists have written detailed studies concerning microtonal, systems without an equal-tempered basis, for example, Julian Carrillo's Sonido trece (1948) and other theoretical works, Adriaan Fokker's Neue Musik mit 31 Ténen (1966), Harry Partch's Genesis of a Music (1949), and Joseph yYasser's Theory of Svolving Tonality (1932), but Héba's work remains the sole example of a composer-theorist who has tried to codify the principles of the twenty-four-tone and the thirty-six-tone systems. Whether or not Héba ‘succeeded in formulating valid, convincing theories concerning the quarter-tone and the sixth-tone systems is perhaps not the most important issue, The fact remains that in the 1920s, he chose a path of investigation that, at that time, appeared to him to be extremely fruitful and pointed to the music of the future. As historian William Austin states, "It was surely plausible to imag- ine that the true fulfillment of the famous tendencies towards in- creasing chromaticism and dissonance would be neither twelve-tone technique nor organized sound, but rather a breakthrough to some new a2 scale of pitches with more than twelve degrees in an octave. that their Although the hope of many microtonal musicians such as Héba~ Work would be acknowledged and their music widely playea-—was never realized, the importance of their vision cannot be denied. But, as Mosco Carner comments, "That his path has proved a cul-de-sac is per~ haps the tragedy of Alois Haba. The text of Neue Harmonielehre poses a challenge to the trans- lator for a number of reasons. éba writes in a colorful, flowery style; hovever, his sentence structure does not always follow standara grammatical rules, and there are incorrect verb tenses and punctuation marks. Also, Héba uses an excessive anount of foreign words and phrases and invents words. In addition, many nanes cited in the trea~ tise are misspelled, titles are cited inaccurately, and the numbering of the musical examples is frequently inconsistent. ° It is necessary to point out some of the terminology frequently tetrad," "pen- used in the translation. The terms "dyad," "triad," tad," "sextad," and "septad" are utilized to indicate two-note to seven note (pitch class) sonorities, regardless of the intervals utilized in then. ‘The terms “secundal," "tertian," “quartal,” "quintal," “sextal,” and "septal," are used to indicate the type of interval that comprises a paxticular sonority. (A sextal sextad, for example, is a six-note ‘william Austin, Music in the Twentieth Century: From Debussy to Stravinsky (New York: W. W. Norton @ Company, Inc., 1966), p. 361. 2yosco Carner, review of Mein Weg zur Viertel- und Sechstelton musik by Alois Haba, in Music and Letters 53 (October 1972):436. Fane problem of Haba's periodic lack of historical accuracy and his misinterpretation of factual data has been discussed in the second chapter of Part I of this dissertation on pages 43-44.3 sonority built of sixths,) Chords with more than seven notes are labeled "-note chord;" Arabic numerals are used in this expression in order to avoid the double hyphenation of names of some chords that occur in the microtonal systems. The expression "-step" also uses Arabic nunerals. Some microtonal intervals are written as fractions for the sake of readability; therefore, a “twenty-seven-sixth tone," for example, is given as a "27/6 tone." Finally, the terms “whole tone" and “half tone" have been utilized in the translation instead of the more common expressions “whole step" and "half step)" this has been done in order to conform to the other expressions utilized in regard to the division of the whole tone into smaller parts, for exan- ple, quarter tone and third tone. ‘The punctuation markings used in the translation follow the original treatise as closely as possible. [Italics are used in the translation for the sections of text in which Héba uses larger type, for the names of musical pitches (e.g., c - e -g) and for foreign expressions; both italics and underlining are used in the translation for sections of the text that Héba himself italicizes. Parentheses that appear in the original text have been omitted if they impair the readability of the text and if the information contained in them is important to the sentence; however, they are retained if they set off parenthetical thoughts. Brackets have been used by the translator for added words, but not to show added articles, conjunctions, punctu- ation, and other types of alteration of the original Gexman text es- sential for the idiomatic translation of sentences into English. The main source of the dates, names, titles, and other factual information used in the translation is Baker's Biographical4 Dictionary of Musicians, sixth edition (1978). The sources used for problematic information not foun@ in Baker's Biographical Dictionary were Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart: Allgemeine Enzylopdie der twelfth edition (1959) and its Musik; Riemann Lexikon: Personenteil Supplement (1972); The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1975 edition; and Ji¥{ vyslou#il's Alois Haba: ¥ivot a dflo (Alois Héba: Life and Work].* Incorrect factual information has been corrected within the text of the translation and the original, inac- curate information given in a footnote. Full names of individuals referred to by Haba are included only the first time the individual is mentioned; later citations give only the last name of the individ- vat, unless the full name is again stated by Hdba. In the translation, footnotes appear in two places on the page. First, Haba's footnotes, which appeared in the original text at the bottom of the page (each indicated by the designation "1)") are in- cluded with an asterisk, and are set up as block quotations. Second, footnotes by the translator are placed at the bottom of the page and arranged consecutively beginning with each chapter, using Arabic nu merals. These footnotes by the translator serve several purposes: they point out incongruities with known facts or practices and clarify certain terminology that Haba utilizes in the work; they also give additional factual information regarding Héba's work and the work of other composers and theories mentioned in the treatise and point out cross-references that occur in the book. 434¥¢ vyslou¥il, Alois Héba: Zivot a dflo [Alois Haba; Life and Work] (Prague: Panton, 1974). SS5 Two indexes compiled by the translator have been added at the end of the translation, The first one, a General Index, incluies the names of individuals and their works mentioned by Haba, as well as general subjects that arise during the course of the treatise. The second index, an Index of Terms, lists most of the important and often unusual terminology that is utilized in the work. In Neue Harmonielehre, Haba makes use of the standard octave designations shown below: ‘The musical examples (numbered consecutively by Haba beginning with each chapter) and the figures (unnumbered) are reproduced in this translation from the original text by permission of the publisher Fr. Kistner & C. F, W. Siegel & Co. of Cologne, West Germany. Short ver~ tical lines have been added by the translator to some of the musical examples to help set off the captions of the individual sections. The following abbreviations have been used on occasion in the musical examples because of the scarcity of space to insert the entire English equivalent of the German captions: A, aug: augmented asymmetr: asymmetricalch: chord chrom: chromatic constr: construction contin: continuation 4, dim: diminished deg: degree div: division dom: dominant func: function Anv(s): inversion(s) invt: inverted M, maj: major m, min: minor mid: middle neut: neutral, oct (s): octave (s) pos: position pt(s): parts sc: scale step sus: suspension symmetr: symmetrical t: tone tetr: tetrachord transp: transposed transpos: transpositionThe standard abbreviations "e.g.," "etc. ," "ex.," Hz," "i.e. "No." as well as the so-called "pop" symbols (a capital letter stand- ing for a major triad and a capital letter plus a lower case “n” standing for a minor triad) have also been utilized in the musical examples. The abbreviations "Ist," "1.," and ", are used in various places by Haba to designate the ordinal number "first; this holds true for abbreviations of larger numbers. In order to save space, periods have not been used at the ends of these abbreviations. Haba's Neue Harmonielehre proves itself to be interesting and thought-provoking reading not only for the theorist but for the com- poser and musicologist as well.NEW THEORY OF HARMONY of the Diatonic, the Chromatic, the Quarter-tone, the Third-tone, the Sixth-tone, and the Twelfth-tone Systems by Alois Haba ‘Translated from Czech [into German] by the author. Revised by Dr. Erich Steinhard Fr. Kistner & C. F. W. Siegel Leipzig 1927 Sole property of Fr. Kistner & C. F. W. Siegel & Co., Cologne, West Germany. Copyright reserved.FOREWORD. CHAPTER TI. CHAPTER II. TABLE OF CONTENTS The Czech theorists skuherskf, Stecker, Novak, and Janédek . 6... ee ee eee ‘The theoretical foundation of music and of musicological research ... +--+. +++ MELODIC AND HARMONIC FOUNDATIONS OF THE DIATONIC AND CHROMATIC TONAL SYSTEMS .... . ‘The "old" and the “new in the development Cito) go obo coe ols olmooibdd Schinberg and Greek theory ...- +--+. ++ Quartal harmony and the Greek tetrachord . . . Tonality, atonality, and polytonality ... . Rameau's theory and seven-tone theory ... + Constructions of the tonal septad - ~~. - Tonality and tone centrality -..--+.-- The tertian harmonic system and its melodic Catt) go poem ou oo cd o6 Greek scales, the Slovakian folksong, and Czech art msic 72. e ee ee ee ‘The expansion of the tonic effect ...... The chromatic tonal system ..-.----.- Whole-tone scales and six-tone music ...- . Sextads of the whole-tone scale and their melodic origin»... ee eee eee ee Eight-note to twelve-note chords of the chromatic tonal system ..--..---- ‘The most important laws of harmonic logic. . New theoretical conception of the chromatic tonal system... +. .- ++. ‘The formation of tetrachordal, symmetrical, and asymmetrical scales ..-.- +--+ ‘The creation of chordal connections ....- ‘The psychological foundation of consonance and dissonance .- +--+ +--+ eee MELODIC AND HARMONIC FOUNDATIONS OF THE QUARTER-TONE SYSTM 2 ee ee ee ee General comments about the quarter-tone system, its theoretical foundations, and its new intervals are ee ee ee eee =x 13 14 22 30 33 42 78 a4 98 101 109 ne 139 142 169 182 186 196 196 209CHAPTER III. New possibilities for polyphony and for polyphony of harmonic groups .. - ee ee ee ee Outline of the creative process .-----.- Constructions of chords... +--+ +++ eee The principle of construction of triads and ("7-9 Sploig Giglio aid bldlo Glo oOo Constructions of scales... ee eee eee MELODIC AND HARMONIC FOUNDATIONS OF THE THIRD TONE, THE SIXTH-TONE, AND THE TWELFTH-TONE Ge) | dino ool ©O pou lng oOo o co Basic scales of the third-tone, the sixth-tone, and the twelfth-tone systems ..-. +--+ Constructions of chords... 2... ee eee Dyads, triads, and tetrads, and scales in the third-tone system 2... 2. ee eee The sixth-tone system and its triads and tetrads Constructions of chords in the sixth-tone system and its scales... +e eee eee The twelfth-tone system -. +... 22+ +e 230 232 235 249 268 284 284 287 295 312 322 345FOREWORD Usually, an overture is written only after the opera has been completed. It is also more suitable to think of a preface to a theoretical work as a conclusion rather than as a beginning. The author can still @iscuss different issues that he has not mentioned during the treatise. In fact, in the foreword, he can actas his own critic. This is really the intention of my preface. I have written this theoretical treatise about the half-tone, the quarter-tone, the third-tone, the sixth-tone, and the twelfth-tone systems from indulging in the pleasure of combining tones. After all, if a creative "urge" exists, it is a simple matter: one must get rid of his thoughts by expressing then or writing them down. They burden and cause a feverish condition of the brain if they cannot be put into concrete form. Creative work is; above all, a hygenic function of the brain. Afterwards, peace of mind is gained somewhat and other thoughts and plans can ripen in the imagination. The laws of intellectual productivity are apparently, in prin- ciple, the same as those of animal-like sexual lust and productivity. The seeds of thought also yearn to take on form. In every art form, the proper creation is a surplus of intellectual potency. After theoretically establishing how I think of tonal material and conceive the arrangement of tones, it is still possible for me toestablish several important connections with the theoretical views of those theorists who have had a decisive influence on me. As an eighteen-year-old youth I read a theoretical treatise by ‘the Czech theorist and composer Karel Stecker.* He established the ‘Karel Stecker was born on 22 January 1861 in Zosmanos, Bohemia and died on 15 October 1918? in Prague. Studied law, philosophy, and music in Prague. Student of Frantigek Skuhersk} (1882), professor of music history and counterpoint at the Prague Conserva- tory (1889), and lecturer of musicology at Czech univer- sities. He wrote Allgemeine Musikgeschichte (1892- 1903), Die Lehre von der Orgel-Improvisation, Kritische Beitriige zu einigen Streitfragen der Nusikwissenschaft, Die musikalischen Formen (1905)? and theoretical and historical articles for the musical newspapers Dalibor and Hudebni revue. Musical works include Organ Sonata, Missa Solemis for soloists, choir, and organ, Te De for six voices and organ, Andante and Scherzo for string instruments, motets, Lieder, piano pieces, etc. following axiom: every tetrad can be connected directly with every other tetrad and with every triad of every key~-without a preparatory modula- tion. My first composition teacher, Vitezslav Novak,* was a student of line Czechs were a tribe of people who inhabited the region of Bohemia. Later, the inhabitants of both the regions of Bohemia and Moravia were called Czechs. Czechoslovakia was the name given the new country formed in 1918 when the Czechs and the Slovaks were united. Czech is also the name of the language spoken by most Bohemians and Noravians. It was formerly called “Bohemian. According to Baker's Biographical Dictionary, 1978 ed., S.v. “Karel Stecker," the correct date is 13 March 1918. 3tbid. Allgemeine Musikgeschichte was published in two volumes in 1894 and 1903 in Prague in Czech, Die Lehre von der Orgel-Improvi- sation was published in 1903, and Die musikalischen Formen was published in 1905 in Prague in Czech. According to Baker's, another text entitled Die nichtthematische Improvisation was also published in 1903 in Prague in Czech.avitézslav Novgk, born on 5 December 1670 in Kamenitz, Bohemia.4 ‘student of Josef Jirdnek (student of Bedrich Smetana), Stecker, and Dvorak. Since 1909, a teacher of composition at the Master School of the Prague Conservatory.° His musical works (operas, or- chestral works, piano works, Lieder, chanber music, and choral music) have appeared in Universal-Edition (vienna), Simrock (Berlin), Urbanek (Prague), and Uméleck4 Beseda (Prague). Stecker. He was no doubt aware of Stecker's axiom and expanded it in the following way: not only every triad and tetrad, but every pentad or sextad, can be connected directly with every pentad and sextad and with every triad and tetrad of every key--without a preparatory modulation. A short time ago I learned from the conductor Vaclav Talich® another axiom that the Czech theorist and composer PrantiSek Skuhersk§* (teacher *PrantiSek Skuherskf, born on 31 July 1630 in opotno, Bohemia and died on 19 August 1892 in Budweis. Director of the organ school (1966) and lecturer of music at the University of Prague (1879). wrote four operas, masses, and theoretical works including Musika~ Lische Formenlehre (1879, in German), Kompositionslehre (1881), Die Orgel und ihre struktur (1682), Theoretisch- peaktische Orgelschule (1882), and Harmoniclehre auf Wissenschaftlicher Grundlage (1885, in German).7 4Novak died on 18 July 1949. Saccording to Baker's Biographical Dictionary, 1978 ed., s.v- itézslav Novak," Novak was a teacher at the Prague Conservatory from 1909 to 1920 and then a professor of composition at the Master School of the Czech State Conservatory from 1918 to 1939. Suaba uses the name Wenzel, the German equivalent of Vaclav. Jaccording to Baker's Biographical Dictionary, 1979 ed., s.v. rantiSek SkuherskY," Skuhersk7 published several fundamental texts in Prague on music theory in Czech including 0 form4ch hudebnich (1873), Nauka 9 hudebni komposici (4 vols., 1880-84), and Nauka o harmonii (1885). Tt can not be clearly established whether all or any of the German titles that Haba lists are merely translations of these texts. It is possible that any or all are translations. Recording to Riemann, Musikalische Formenlehre was publishedof Karel Stecker) had set up: every triad is possible on every scale degree of every key. Stecker's principle is an expansion of Skuherskf's principie, and Novak's principle is an expansion of Stecker's principle. My axiom states: every tone can be connected (be brought into relationship) with every other tone of every tonal system. Every chord of two or more tones can be connected (be brought into relationship) with every chord of two or more tones of every tonal system. This axiom is a logical extension of the axioms of skuhersk/, Stecker, and Novak. Now, I Would like to establish the impact of the axioms of Skuherskf, Stecker, and Novak. According to Jean-Philippe Rameau's axiom, every scale degree of the major and the minor scales, in the strict tonal sense of the major and the minor keys, has a specific, unique triad: Ex. 1. ped qv. Vv. Vi VIL i, 1m The major triad is stably connected with the first, fourth, and fifth scale degrees; the minor triad can be used on only the second, third, and fifth scale degrees, and the diminished triad on only the seventh scale degree. This is the harmonic arrangement in the strict tonal sense. in Prague by Mikul43 Knapp in 1879 in German and Harmonielehre was published in German. viiWhat practical consequences does Skuherskf's axiom have? This can be clarified by a concrete example: Bx. 2. [*] os T 1% pal el tf 0. 1. vi. vin. [*] Every accidental applies to only one tone. Every triad can be constructed on every scale degree of the major scale, his example shows the disintegration of Rameau's theory of scale degrees, the disintegration of the narrow concept of the key in the diatonic sense, and the establishment of the key in the sense of the chromatic tonal system.” Moreover, Skuherskf's axiom represents the fundamental concept of tone centrality rather than tonality. Several triads--not just a single triad--can be constructed on every tone. Skuherskf's axiom is the first creative theoretical thought since Rameau's axiom. All other theorists after Rameau have textbooks, but no theories of harmony, Stecker's axiom has the following practical consequences: 8yaba makes use of the designation “chromatic tonal system" in the sense of a system that utilizes chromatic tones (half tones), rather than in the sense of a traditional tonal system that has a tonal hier~ archy. In the treatise, the word "tonal" is frequently utilized in the sense of "tone." viiiEx. 3. + +b. + and not: tot Stecker shortens the distance from the dominant of F-sharp major to the dominant of B-flat major (see + in Example 3, a. and + in Example 3, b.). Ex. 4. a. and b. In Stecker's sense ¢. Or, according to Stecker, not suspensions or passing tones, but four separate tetrads. 7th sc deg, Om 2nd, sc, deg, Dm SS Sth sc deg|F# Ist sc deg,Cim The clear-cut theoretical foundation and explanation of Richard Wagner's harmony lies in Skuherskj!s and stecker's axioms. Ex. 5. Richard Wagner, Tristan und Isolde ["Prelude," mm.2-3.] It is noteworthy that while the theorist Stecker already grasped Wagner's art with his axiom some twenty-five years ago, the theorist Ernst Kurth-~ twenty years after Stecker--had neither found nor clearly formulated a precise theoretical law concerning Wagner's music in his book RomantischeHarwonik und ihre Krise in Wagners Trista How many misunderstandings might musicelogy of the last quarter- century have been spared if Skuherskf's and Stecker's ideas written in Czech had found their way abroad at the right time and in a more acces- sible language? According to the general level of furopean music theory at this time, however, I feel that these ideas still do not come too late. In fact, they have become of immediate interest only now, vitezslav Novak's theoretical axiom applies to most of the music 10 that has arisen in the last quarter century. we! want to show in a practical example what Novak believed as a theorist. Ex. 6. Novak said that a pentad can be divided into » triad and a dyad, and these two groups logically can move to a new chord in contrary, in parallel, or in similar motion. He divided a sextad into two triadic Groups and taught his students to move the individual groups losically (see Example 6). Svhis treatise was published in Berlin in 1923. The name of the publisher was unable to be determined. (A reprint edition was published in Hildesheim by G. Olms in 1968.) Haba incorrectly lists the title of the book as Die romantische Harmonix 10,5 Haba explains later in the text, when he uses the plural first person pronoun, "we," he is referring to himself.Novak had found no term for this group-like movement within sextads. Today, the phenomenon that was suggested theoretically and also partially realized in Novak's works is called polyharmony. It is found in Richard Strauss' opera Electra,!1 in the two operas by Arnold Schén- berg, ?? and also in Franz Schreker's operas. Later on, the French moderns (Darius Milhaud and others) also used polyharmony. Leod JandZek's theoretical views should also be mentioned in connection with Novak's theoretical views.* Already in 1878, Janacek *Leo% JandZek, born,gn 3 July 1854 in Huckwald, Moravia, lives in Brno.!? Founder of the Organ School (now the Conservatory) in Brno. Teacher of a Master Class in composition. Musical works include operas, orchestral works, chanber music, piano works, Lieder, and choral music (published by Universal-Edition) . ‘Theoretical works include Vollstindige Harnonielehre (written in Czech). Uelectra, Op. 58, written in 1909, was performed for the first time on 25 January 1909 in’ Dresden. 12presumably, Haba is referring to Schinberg's only two stage works written by the time of the publication of this treatise in 1927: Exwartung, Op. 17 (1909), a monodrama was performed for the first time on 6 dune 1924 in Prague, and Die gliickliche Hand, Op. 18 (1909-13), a drama with music was performed for the first time on 4 October 1924 in Vienna. 13yanaéek died on 12 August 1928. according to Riemann Musik Lexikon: Personenteil A-K, 1959 ed., and Riemann Musik Lexikon-Ergiinzungband: Personenteil A-K, 1972 ed., s.v. "Leos JanaGek” and Bohunir Stedron, Leos Janacek: Letters and Remi- niscences, trans. Geraldine Thomsen (Prague: Artia, 1965), the original title of Volistandige Harmonielehre was Oplnd nauka 0 harmonii (Brno: F. Piga, 1912). (The second edition appeared in 1920.) At the time of the completion of this dissertation (1980), a copy of this JanaGek treatise is not available in any United States Library. xiwas engaged in the study of the publication Die Lehre von den Tonemp- findungen als physiologische Grundlage flr die Theorie der Musik by Hermann (Ludwig Ferainand) Helmholtz. As Jana%ek said in the foreword to his Vollsttindige Harmonielehre, he had, at that time, already found Helmholtz2's explanation of the relationship of tones on the basis of overtones to be unsatisfactory, especially with regard to the succession of chords. Jan4dek admits that the connection of successive chords and a feeling of their continuity could be explained on the basis of the relationship of the tones (through the overtones}, but only if every tone of every instrument contained all its overtones and if all chords immediately followed one another. Why is it, however, that even those chords that are separated by rests, that are only remembered, or that just occur to us, do not lack continuity? Jan&Gek poses this question and asserts that Helmholtz's conception of the relationship of tones does not especially suffice as an explanation for the continuity and logic of creative musical ideas. In Jan&dek's opinion, the composer's musical thoughts are not as bril- Liant and lively as their actual realization; nevertheless, they con~ tain a certain tranquility and are logically bound to one another. A composer does not have to hurry to the piano in order to make sure of what has occurred to him. He possesses a secure awareness about the effects of his musical thoughts. The listener also senses the continu- ity and the charm of the melody. Jan&éek draws the following conclusions from these considera- tions: the continuity of imaginary musical occurrences lies in the central creative impulse that lives--and dies--in the succession of tones. The relationships of tones growing out of this central impulseovercome and fill the intervals of time (rests) and unify the musical conception of the chords. If the overtones were the most important reason for the connection of chords, the smallest rest would destroy this connection. On the other hand, one knows from experience that it is precisely the rests that complement the abundance of tonal life. Even if the short reverberation of tones is not taken into consideration, associative relationships occur.* +1 agree with JanASek's statements and believe that musical thinking is subject to the same associative laws as every type of thinking. Also, the assimilation of musical ideas forms the basis for the association of sensorial perception and memory. ‘ime is unimportant for the effect of creative propulsion. A work of art arises in stages, often only after several years, and it still has continuity and logic. Indeed, it is even pos- sible after centuries to establish a continuity and a logic between older musical thought and new musical ideas. Variations on old themes, arrangements of chorales and fugues, etc., prove this. Therefore, e.g., the same process applies to other philosophical thoughts. ‘Time does not ever intellectual connections. The terms, “old music," new music," and "nodern music," etc., have only his- torical value. At most, one tries to indicate the succession of thoughts that arise. Similarly, every composer can say that the day before yesterday these three sides occurred to me, yesterday these two sides, and today these four sides. The connection between the creative deeds of individual creators occurs by an associative process within a larger scope. One event necessitates the other event. [In the article "Die Beziehungen zwischen der alten und modernen Musik" that appeared] in the Neue Musik-Zeitung 45, no. 8.(1924) [:200-205], I had already written something simila: “The young, most creatively gifted musicians have stri- ven at all times to grasp the sense of the older devel- opment and have consciously chosen the widest paths of development from the broadest knowledge from the past. Tt does not matter from whom these ideas come." Schinberg writes in his Harmonielehre, "If nearness teaches dissimilarity, then distance teaches community. If the present shows the divergence of personalities, a small distance shows the similarity of the mediums of art; a large distance suspends both perceptions and shows the personalities as indeed different, but it also shows what really binds them." Dr. Lotte Kallenbach-Greller states her viewpointin the following manner, "I represent the standpoint that the continuum of culture is formed by the versa~ tility and diversity of the endeavors by the individ- uals. See the foreword of her treatise Grundriss einer Musikphilosophie: nebst kritischer Darstellung des. Buches von Paul Bekker, “Von den Naturreichen des Klanges" (Berlin: Breitkopf & Hartel, 1925). All the statements mentioned say in different man- ners of speech, in one and the same way, that the con~ cetion between different thoughts is based on their association. I emphasize that time is no hindrance for the connection of thoughts, and in thig sense emphasize the general truth and validity of Jandéek's views. Jan&cek mentions in the preface to the second edition of his Vollstandige lehre that he had already written down these basic ideas in farmoni 1881. In 1914, he found physiological-psychological proof for his views in the works of Wilhelm Wundt (Grundztige der physiologischen Psychologie, Leipzig: Engelmann, 1912). vanaéek constructs his theory of harmony (the theory of chordal connections) on psychological foundations. He believes that the sense of connection between chords (and between the individual tones of a melody) is rooted in the interlacing of the reverberation of the first chord with the ringing of the second chord and in the loosening of this interlacing. He differentiates between the ringing and the reverbera~ tion of a tone. The tones are connected as long as they can be compared in a listener's memory. ‘This type of remembrance is also sufficient for making comparisons and it forms 2 means of connection. Jan&dek illus~ trates the interlacing in the following manner: fx. 7.] 1a 12. ke No. 1. denotes the reverberation of a tone that has sounded, No. 2. is the new tone that is already ringing.The interlacing of tones is undoubtedly short, however, it produces an effect. The loosening between the two tones occurs when the reverbera~ tion of a certain tone fades away (Ex. 7, 1.}; the ringing of the sound- ing tone dominates (Ex. 7, 2.). The reverberation of a tone or of a chord lasts almost three- tenths of a second. After a tenth of a second the volume of sound drops to one-tenth its original intensity. According to Janaéek, the interlacing of the two types of ring- ing mentioned above is the binding agent between tones and chords. Jan&éek considers tetrads, pentads, sextads, and septads as variations of the triad. He says: The impression of a triad can be "solidified" by the addition of the seventh, ninth, eleventh, or thirteenth. lex. 8.) Later, Jan&Gek states: a triad can be "solidifie " by the use of all intervals and their combinations, and all harmonies can be "solidi- fied" by the use of all harmonies. lex. 9.) . b rats) eRe JandSek's two basic laws clearly and precisely express the eadessence of modern harmony. In his Harmonielehre, Schinberg points out the nonsense of the designation “non-harmonic" tones. In the appendix of his Harmonielehre, he shows several novel chords, however, without a clear theoretical law. Tt is unfortunate that Schnberg knew nothing of Jandcek's theoretical laws that had been formulated earlier! These laws encompass the essence of harmonic freedom (poly- harmony, polyphony of harmonies, polytonality, atonality). vana&ek's two basic laws can be applied to my entire theory of harmony of the new total system with its expanded practical conse- quences. Thus, the theorists Skuhersk§, Stecker, Novék, and gand%ek belong to that group of creative theorists who, beginning with Rameau, produce a variety of new original theoretical ideas that reappear, in my Harmonielehre, as a synthesis and expansion in regard to practical musical creativity. Schénberg has expanded the concept of polyharmony through the employment of groups of 6-note to 12-note chords. I came up with the construction of a 12-note chord when I was still an autodidact. In 1913, when still a teacher at an elementary school in a Slovakian village, I wrote a symphonic work that I ended with a 12-note quintal chora:’® +Sine composition to which Haba is referring is the symphonic picture mldaf [Youth] for large orchestra, According to Jiri vyslou- Ell in hie biography, Alois Haba: Zivot a @f1o (Alois Haba: Life and Work] (Prague: Panton, 1974), pp. 30-44 passim (hereafter cited as vyslouZil, Alois dba), the work was written during the period 1913- 1914 and was completed on 10 February 1914. This early work was not given an opus number. xviCex. 10.3 I did not join the composition class of vitézslav Novak in Prague until a year later. At that time T still knew nothing of Schinberg. ‘The fact that later on I had no difficulty understanding Schénberg's music should be evident from the above remark. As far as I know, Novak wanted to write a harmony book at that time, but he did not do so. I also feel obliged to pass on the theore- tical ideas that I learned from hin. Schreker also wanted to write a harmony book (even in 1920), but as his student, I never heard him voice a single theoretical opinion. In 1923, I learned from Prof. Georg Schiinemann that Schreker experimented with triadic and tetradic harmonies trying to discover which of them could best be mixed (in the polyharmonic sense). Because my Harmonie- ehre deals with polyharmony as well as the possibilities of polyphony of harmonies, I am mentioning Schreker's theoretical experiments, even though they were not worked out in writing. I was intimidated by the strict harmonic and contrapuntal training according to the principles of Rameau and Johann Joseph Fux that I received from Richard Stthr in Vienna before joining Schreker's composition class. My study with Schreker loosened me again and that is to his credit. I possessed ten- dencies towards the modern sound much earlier, however, and I had got- xviiten modern harmonic training from Novak. That is the whole secret why I developed into a radical after half a year with Schreker. My two older brothers, Josef and Vincenz, did me a great service, for if they had not practiced intoning "false" tones with me during my childhood, my quarter-tone and sixth-tone music would not have cone about, and without a clear idea of microtonal pitches I also would not have been able to create the theory of the new tonal system. I have repeatedly proven in public lectures (in Prague, Frankfurt, Dresden, Leipzig, and other cities) that I can sing quarter tones, third tones, sixth tones, and twelfth tones. While I was writing the theory of the thixd-tone, the sixth-tone, and the twelfth-tone systems, no instrument that could produce the pitches of these tonal systems was available to ne. I wrote the first sixth-tone quartet in 1923.17 1 formulated the theoretical foundations of my third-tone and sixth-tone systems before the composition of the string quartet. I spoke about the sixth-tone system with Ferruccio Benvenuto Busoni a year before his death. He said that he wanted to compose some- thing in this system, but that he wanted to wait until a sixth-tone harmoniun was built so that he could hear what sixth tones sounded like. A few years ago he brought back from America reeds tuned in sixth tones in order to build a harmonium. Unfortunately, Busoni died before the sixth-tone harmonium was built in Berlin. Prof. Schtinemann wrote to me recently that the Hochschule flr Musik [in Berlin] now owns a sixth-tone harmonium that was built by the firm of schiednayer in Berlin in 1925. \uipa is referring to microtonal pitches, which are "false" when compared to half tones. string Quartet No. 5, Op. 15, written in 1923.‘The firm of August Forster (L8bau in Saxony [and] Georgewsalde, Czechoslovakia) designed and built a quarter-tone piano according to my specifications in 1924, ‘he first quarter-tone concert grand piano is owned by the Prague Conservatory. The school of quarter- tone composition was founded under my direction at this conservatory in 1923.28 I gathered from Busoni's remarks that he possessed no conception of sixth tones or of the combination of tones in the sixth-tone system. That is why he could not create sixth-tone music. Busoni's remarks also confirm my contention that it is impossible to create a work of art if the artist does not possess a clear conception of the tonal material with which he wants to work. If he has unsatisfactory concepts of the tones, he must make use of an instrument that contains the scale degrees of the tonal system under consideration. If he does not possess such an instrument, the artist is left with only a creative yearning. And so it was with Busoni. 2? I took a lively interest in Busoni's ideas that concern the building of new scales (see his Entwurf einer neuen Asthetik der Tonkunst) .7° 18phis date is somewhat misleading. When Haba was hired to teach at the Prague Conservatory in 1923, he taught a course entitled, "Musical scientific seminar for experimental acoustics, oriental music, and musical analysis," basically a theory course. Although the follow ing year Haba changed the course to "Freely accessible courses in quarter-tone music," it was only in 1934 that a true school, a Depart- ment of Composition of Quarter-tone and Sixth-tone Music headed by him, was established at the Prague Conservatory. See Vyslouzil, alois Haba, pp. 155-156. +°pusoni did write an article concerning the third-tone system entitled, "Dritteltonmusik," Melos 3 (June 1922): 198-99, Eng. trans. 199-200, Fr. trans. 200. 20,4, Haba incorrectly referred to this treatise as Entwurf einer neuen Musik-Asthetik. xix1 am indebted to Prof. Frantizek spilka who, in his instruction lat the Prague Conservatory, encouraged his students to form new scales. He said that every composer is able to set up several scales and to compose with the tonal material of the new scales. As will be seen, in my treatise, Prof. Spilka's stimulus has produced results. What arises first, the theory or the music? First, a yearning exists. The creative musician forms the theoretical foundations and afterwards creates the work of art. Those musicians who have no goals of their own learn the existing theoretical foundations before they are able to create a work of art. The view--first practice and then theory-- is not correct with regard to the arising of a work of art. Furthermore, it must not be forgotten that a musically gifted individual learns the laws of music through imitation analogous to the way that a child first learns a language through imitation. He accepts the laws mechanically and uncon- sciously by listening to music. ‘The compositional attempts of the auto~ idact and the epigone confirm this. In most cases, the most gifted composers possess some theoretical view (with regard to form, the rela~ tionships of tones, and other factors). They usually create the conse- quences of their view, ite., the works of art, and conceal the theories or attach no importance to formulating them. ‘The degree of theoretical consciousness also varies, and often a clear understanding of them emerges only later--after the work is completed. Schinberg, for example, could not always comprehend immediately or in advance what he had real- ized in musical form. Schreker and Richard strauss also did not always approach their work with full consciousness and theoretical certainty. Doing this causes doubts about the correctness of one's work. Unsympa- thetic criticism from the outside world often adds to the inner chaos xand the insecurity of the creative man. However, it forces the creative man to prove and to justify himself. The creative musician is not always able to communicate all his ideas to his students, expecially those ideas that he himself wants to form someday. He is not always capable of deciding which ideas he would like to work on himself. He is usually anxious to pass on his theories in a worked-out rather than improvised form. Those ideas that are in their developing stages need time to ripen, and the con~ sequence of this is silence. Can musicology extract the maximum of a composer's theoretical views from his musical works? In my case, hardly. If I had not writ- ten this Harmonielehre, no one would believe that a conscious and clear ordering forms the basis of my music. Moreover, it is almost impos~ sible to extract scientifically an orderly system from the free choice of tonal material that is found in my musical works. ‘The difficulty lies in the fact that the musical works do not represent the maximum employment of my theory, but only a partial employment of the theoret- ical possibilities. Why does the creative musician theorize? He does so in order to more fully understand himself and other musical creators more fully. ‘That is the ethical reason for it. As far as the method of theoretical formation of tonal systems is concerned, I state that I deviate from those working methods that are scientific and impersonal and that appear to be objective and are meant to be subjective. In this book, I stand behind the general foundations of my theories with my personal conviction. When I use the word, "we," during the text, I mean myself above all. Some reflections are meant as self-analysis and completely lack the intention of being generalizations. I consider my booklet, Von der Psychologie der musikalischen aodGesetzmissigkeit der Tonbewegung und Grundlagen eines neuen Musikstils (published by Universal-gdition), to be a supplement to this Harmonielehre.*) rn this treatise, I formulated the theory of vibrations as the broadest basis of musical formulation. I wrote the treatise in 1923, a year after my harmony book on the quarter-tone system written in czech.”? Im the preface to the 1922 harmony book on the quarter-tone system I stressed that I would write a theoretical work of greater scope in the near future. Now, I have done so. Certainly, Z could conceal the miserable beginnings of my musical development and instead emphasize my present qualities. I am partially indebted to my teacher vitézslav Novak for not having done this. As a teacher, he never boasted of his artistic qualities in front of his students. On the contrary, if he saw that we felt desperate and discouraged, he would tell us how many times he had struggled arduously. Schreker also did the same thing. I am sincerely thankful to my teach- ers for possessing so much modesty. They did not kill their students through their own greatness; they encouraged them through human sincer~ ity. I have followed the example of my teachers. I have felt obligated to show that artistic development requires much effort and love of work. 2lyhis 56-page booklet was translated from Czech into German by Josef L8wenbach. It was originally published in Prague in 1925 under the title 0 psychologii tvoten’, pohybovt Zakonitosti tonové a zékladech nového hudebniho slohu. ?2uaba is referring to his 40-page book, Haxmonické zaklady Etvrtténové soustavy [Harmgnic Foundations of the Quarter-Tone System] (Prague: Hudebni Matice Unélecké besedy, 1922). ‘An examination of this treatise reveals that some of its material is included in Haba's article “Die harmonische Grundlage des Vierteltonsystems," Melos (June 1922):201-5, 212-13.I could also conceal Stecker's and Novak's theoretical ideas and enter them into my account. It has been the custom among composers up to now to take over an idea whenever possible. Recklessness and unscru- pulousness has been the typical behavior of young composers. Usually, they even have the courage to degrade those creators whose ideas they have used and from whom they have learned either directly or through their works. The idolizing of the master often changes into contempt. Under- standing fails to appear. I have attempted otherwise, striving to show a genuine picture of my development. The reader should know how much the energy of others directly or indirectly contributes to the development of the creative man. The active, creatively gifted artist is an intellectual capitalist. He differs from the material capitalist in the sense that he presents the maximumof his energies and those of others who contributed to his development to his fellowmen in the works of art. He is a Communist in the best sense of the word. He usually pays materially for his Commu- nism. He is exposed socially and is, on the financial average, much worse off than every maniial laborer. Today's copyright laws cannot be labeled as "ideal." Unproductive people misuse the intellectual ener- gies of the creative msician. Even musicologists, the "interpreters" of works of art, are better off than he is. Anton Bruckner, e.g., could not get a teaching position at a university for a long time. Today, those people who write books about him are materially in more favorable positions than he was. I have nothing to say about the practicing artists, concert agencies, and publishers. There are also honorable exceptions in thesecategories who, at large risk, promote the recognition of artistic values. Creative musicians do not always possess "formal" academic train- ing. ‘Their scholarly, scientific accomplishments are often criticized only for that reason. Ironically, someone who writes adissertation concerning a composer's musical and theoretical works and has the required number of semesters at a university can become a doctor of musicology. Prof. Arnold Schering spoke at the Congress of Musicology (Leipzig, 1925) about the relation of the creative musician to the musicologist.?? I agree with his statements, but the representatives of musicology will also have to correct their viewpoint about the composer. How do the ideas mentioned in this theoretical treatise stand in relation to present-day creations? At the moment, they are “out of fashion" so-to-speak. Several European composers are again composing in C major, even without modulation. What do I want at this time with twelfth tones? Most contemporary composers are occupied with a “revival” 24 of the old art.** would it not be better to propagate the old art as it is: in its original form--and to create a new art? Has it harmed Richard Strauss, by any chance, that he admires Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's art? Even so, he created Electra and Salome! He has not tried 23schering's statements from the Congress are contained in the article entitled, "Musikwissenschaft und Kunst der Gegenwart," included in the Deutsche Musikgesellschaft, Bericht ber den I. musikwissenschaf! lichen Kongress der deutschen Musikgesellschaft, Leipzig, 4-8 June, 1925 (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel, 1926), pp. 9-20. Haba delivered a lecture at the same Congress entitled, “Welche Aufgaben bietet die Vierteltonmusik der Musikwissenschaft?," that is contained in the same publication on pages 304-11. 24ygba is referring to the neo-classical movement taking place at that time. xxivto "revive" Mozart! I have chosen a different path than my contemporaries, not the revival of an old style, but the expansion of the conception of the elementary foundations on which even the old art is built. In this sense, I believe that the theoretical ideas that are presented here will accomplish their function by stimulating young composers. Alois Haba xxv