Brahms, Twilight and the Decay of Leading‐Note Energy. (12th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cubero, Diego
• Is Part Of: Music analysis. Volume 39:Number 2(2020)
• Page Start: 214
• Page End: 239
• Publication Date: 2020-11-12
• Subjects: Musical analysis -- Periodicals; 781
• DOI: 10.1111/musa.12155
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0262-5245

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Leading notes possess a powerful drive: once they take hold of the music, their upward resolution is all but certain. In Brahms's works, however, their force tends to dwindle, and many end up yielding chromatically downward. Leading notes typically deflate in order from high to low along the sequence of sharps, resulting in a broad process of tonal de‐intensification. Through close voice‐leading analyses of two accompanied part songs ('Abendlied', Op. 92 No. 3, and 'Der Abend', Op. 64 No. 2) and two piano pieces (the E major Intermezzo, Op. 116 No. 4, and the B minor Capriccio, Op. 76 No. 2), I argue that the decay in leading‐note energy is in part what gives Brahms's music its weary, twilight tone. In so doing, I seek to bridge a gap between our understanding of the voice leading of Brahms's music and one of the prevailing aspects of the composer's reception.