Homotonal


Homotonal is a technical musical term that describes the tonal structure of multi-movement compositions. It was introduced into musicology by Hans Keller. According to Keller's definition and usage, a multi-movement composition is 'homotonal' if all of its movements have the same tonic.
'Homotonality' is common in compositions of the Baroque era: many Baroque multi-movement works based on dance-forms manifest the same tonic—and even the same mode – throughout. Thus, for example, J.S. Bach's solo violin partita BWV 1004 is homotonal ', as is his solo flute partita BWV 1013 '. Similarly, Vivaldi's sonata for oboe and continuo RV53 is homotonal '. Homotonality is even encountered in some Baroque concertos: examples include Vivaldi's Cello Concertos RV401 ' and RV416 ', as well as the second concerto of his most famous work The Four Seasons ', and Jean-Marie Leclair's Violin Concerto Op.7 No 1 .
With the Classical era, however, the situation changes. Outside of two-movement works, classical-era homotonality is relatively rare: a classical work in three movements will normally move to a different tonic for its middle movement, and a classical work in four movements will normally have at least one of its middle movements in a key other than the original tonic.
The classical composer most closely associated with the homotonal principle is Joseph Haydn.
Keller himself was keen to emphasise that different classical composers showed differing degrees of interest in homotonal structure:
Keller's coinage and concept have not become standard among musicologists. Musicologist William Drabkin, for example, asked the question "doesn't 'homotonality' sound a trifle queer?"
The term 'homotonality' should not be confused with 'monotonality'.

Examples

Examples of 'homotonal' works from the classical era and afterwards are:

1750s

  • The Toy Symphony
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 37 ''''

    1760s

  • Haydn's Symphony No. 4 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 19 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 17 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV/1 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 25 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 12 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 33 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 21 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 22 'The Philosopher' '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 34 '
  • The Symphony, K. Anh. C 11.18 'Odense' '
  • Mozart's Sonata in C major for keyboard four-hands, K. 19d '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV/37 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV/38 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV/C1 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XIV/6 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 49 'La Passione'
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 59 'Fire' ''''

    1770s

  • Mozart's string quartet K. 80 '
  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.17 No. 1 '
  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.17 No. 5 '
  • Mozart's Symphony K. 96 "No. 46" '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 52 '
  • Haydn's string quartet Op.20 No. 2 '
  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.20 No. 3 '
  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.20 No. 4 '
  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.20 No. 5 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 44 'Trauer' '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 46 '
  • Mozart's string quartet K. 157 '
  • Haydn's Piano Sonata Hob.XVI:23 '
  • Mozart's string quartet K. 168 '
  • Mozart's string quartet K. 173 '
  • Mozart's Piano Sonata K.280 '
  • Mozart's Symphony K. 208+102 "No. 52" '
  • Haydn's Piano Sonata Hob.XVI:27 '
  • Mozart's 'Serenata Notturna' K. 239 '
  • Mozart's Notturno for 4 Orchestras K. 286 '
  • Mozart's Piano Sonata K. 331 '
  • The Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon and Orchestra K. 297b/Anh.C 14.01 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 70 '
  • Michael Haydn's Symphony No. 23 '
  • Mozart's Symphony No. 32 ''''

    1780s

  • Haydn's Symphony No. 63 'La Roxelane' '
  • Haydn's Piano Sonata Hob.XVI:37 '
  • Haydn's Symphony No. 62 '
  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.33 No.5 '
  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.33 No.6 '
  • Mozart's Serenade for winds K.375 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV:5 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV:7 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio Hob. XV:10 '
  • Hoffmeister's Viola Concerto No. 1 '
  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.50 No.6 '
  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.54 No.2 '
  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.55 No.2
  • Mozart's Violin Sonata K.547 ''''

    1790s

  • Haydn's String Quartet Op.64 No.2 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio no. 37 in A major, Hob. XV:18 '
  • Dussek's Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 22 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio no. 38 in D major, Hob. XV:24 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio no. 40 in F-sharp minor, Hob. XV:26 '
  • Beethoven's Piano sonata Op.2 No.1 '
  • Haydn's Piano Trio No. 44, Hob. XV:28 '
  • Haydn's String quartet Op.76 No.2 '
  • Beethoven's Piano sonata Op.10 No.2 '
  • Beethoven's Piano sonata Op.10 No.3 '
  • Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 2, Op.12 No.2 '
  • Haydn's String Duo, Hob. VI:Anh. 1 '
  • Haydn's String Duo, Hob. VI:Anh. 2 '
  • Beethoven's String Trio No. 4 '
  • Beethoven's Piano sonata Op.14 No.1
  • Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 4 Op. 23 ''''

    After 1800

  • Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op.26 '
  • Beethoven's String Quartet Op.18 No.4 '
  • Beethoven's Piano Sonata Quasi una fantasia Op.27 No.2 '
  • Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op.28 '
  • Clementi's Piano Sonata Op.40 No.2 '
  • Clementi's Piano Sonata Op.40 No.3 '
  • Beethoven's String Quartet Op.59 No.2 '
  • Beethoven's Piano Trio Op.70 No.1 '
  • Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op.79 '
  • Schubert's String Quartet D.87 '
  • Paganini's Violin Concerto in E minor '
  • Schubert's Piano Sonata No.7 in D '
  • Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 109 '
  • Clementi's Piano Sonata Op. 50 No.3 'Didone Abbandonata' '
  • Mendelssohn's Viola Sonata in c minor MWV Q 14 '
  • Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 11 '
  • Friedrich Kalkbrenner's Piano Concerto No. 4 in A-flat major, Op. 147 '
  • Alkan's Piano Trio No. 1 in g minor, Op. 30 '
  • Mendelssohn's Organ Sonata Op.65 No.2 '
  • Mendelssohn's Organ Sonata Op. 65 No.6 '
  • Schumann's Symphony No. 2 Op. 61 '
  • Brahms' Piano Trio No. 1 Op. 8 '
  • Smetana's Piano Trio Op. 15 '
  • Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 Op.15 '
  • Brahms' Horn Trio Op. 40 '
  • Brahms' String Quartet No. 2 Op. 51 No. 2 '
  • Dvořák's String Quartet No. 5 Op. 9 '
  • Grieg's Holberg Suite Op. 40 '
  • Brahms' Piano Trio No. 3 Op. 101 '
  • Christian Sinding's Suite im alten Stil Op. 10 '
  • Dvořák's Sonatina for Violin and Piano Op. 100 '
  • Brahms' Clarinet Sonata Op. 120 No. 2 '
  • Scriabin's Piano Concerto Op. 20 '
  • Zemlinsky's String Quartet No. 1, Op. 4 '
  • Roffredo Caetani's Piano Quintet Op. 4
  • Satie's Jack in the Box ''''

    After 1900

  • Arne Oldberg's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor '
  • Debussy's Cello Sonata '
  • Debussy's Sonata for flute, viola and harp '
  • Debussy's Violin Sonata '
  • Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20 '
  • Britten's String Quartet No. 2, Op. 36 '
  • Miriam Hyde's Trio for Flute, Clarinet and Piano '
  • Miriam Hyde's Clarinet Sonata '
  • Mikhail Goldstein's Symphony in G minor, attributed to Mykola Ovsianiko-Kulikovsky as his "Symphony No. 21"
  • Nikolay Myaskovsky's String Quartet No. 13, Op. 86 ''''

    After 2000

  • Christopher Norton's Clarinet Sonata ''''