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What on Earth are German, French, Italian and Neapolitan 6ths!?
The Music Professor
Overview
This video explores the origins and functions of augmented sixth chords (Italian, German, and French) and the Neapolitan sixth chord. It delves into their theoretical underpinnings, drawing from an 1812 treatise by William Crotch, and discusses how these chords, often originating from improvisational expressiveness, add color and harmonic richness to music. The explanation emphasizes their role in approaching cadences and enabling modulations, offering practical examples and analogies to make complex harmonic concepts more accessible.
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Chapters
- The video aims to demystify 'foreign-named' chords like Italian, German, and French sixths, which are often assumed knowledge.
- The approach will be more practical and speculative, focusing on contextualizing the chords' emergence rather than deep theoretical analysis or extensive repertoire examples.
- The historical context is introduced through William Crotch's 1812 treatise, which first documented these chords as 'chromatic discords' or dissonances outside standard harmony.
- Crotch described these chords as 'extreme sharp' and inversions of the triad of the subdominant, a perspective that differs from modern teaching.
Understanding the historical context and the initial theoretical descriptions helps appreciate how these complex chords evolved and were perceived.
William Crotch's description of Italian, German, and French sixths as 'extreme sharp' and inversions of the triad of F (the subdominant in C major).
- The Italian sixth is explained as a three-note chord, derived from the first inversion of the subdominant, with the sixth scale degree chromatically raised.
- This chord functions as a predominant chord, leading towards the dominant and then the tonic in a cadence.
- The chromatic alteration creates a more expressive and poignant approach to the cadence, potentially stemming from vocal improvisation seeking greater emotional depth.
- The Italian sixth can sound ambiguous, sometimes resembling a dominant seventh chord, which adds to its harmonic richness.
The Italian sixth demonstrates how chromaticism can enhance emotional expression and create smoother, more interesting harmonic transitions.
In C major, the Italian sixth is built on F (subdominant), with an A-flat (first inversion) and a raised C (the sixth scale degree, which becomes F-sharp in the context of the augmented sixth interval).
- The German sixth is a fuller version of the Italian sixth, typically including the fifth of the chord, resulting in four notes.
- Direct resolution to the dominant from a German sixth can create consecutive fifths, a forbidden practice in classical harmony.
- To avoid parallel fifths, the German sixth often resolves to the second inversion of the tonic chord, which then leads to the dominant.
- Composers like Schubert frequently used the German sixth, often employing it to facilitate modulations and create dramatic harmonic shifts, acting as a 'window' to new musical regions.
The German sixth highlights the interplay between theoretical rules (avoiding parallel fifths) and compositional solutions that expand harmonic possibilities and dramatic effect.
Schubert's C major Quintet, where a German sixth is used to transition from E major to F minor and back, showcasing its power in modulation and emotional intensity.
- The French sixth replaces the fifth of the German sixth with an augmented fourth, creating a distinct intervallic structure.
- This structure avoids the problem of consecutive fifths when moving towards the dominant, allowing for a more direct approach.
- The French sixth adds a unique 'spicy' or colorful quality to the harmony, contributing a distinct flavor.
- The famous 'Tristan chord' from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde is suggested to be a form of unresolved French sixth, demonstrating how composers push harmonic boundaries.
The French sixth illustrates how altering specific intervals within a chord type can change its function, resolution, and unique sonic character.
The 'Tristan chord' is presented as a potential example of a French sixth with an added suspension, highlighting its unresolved nature and significant impact on harmonic language.
- The Neapolitan sixth chord is not an augmented sixth chord but is often discussed alongside them due to its colorful function.
- It is typically built on the lowered second scale degree (flattened supertonic) and functions as a predominant chord.
- While historically rooted in embellishing the subdominant, it's often analyzed as a flattened supertonic, especially in its first inversion (the Neapolitan sixth).
- The Neapolitan sixth adds a distinct melancholic or dramatic color, often used for expressive effect, as seen in Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
The Neapolitan sixth demonstrates how chords built on different scale degrees can serve similar cadential functions while offering unique expressive qualities.
In the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, the F-sharp in the bass (functioning as the Neapolitan sixth in C-sharp minor) provides a striking, melancholic color before resolving.
- These 'foreign' chords, including the augmented sixths and Neapolitan, are not just theoretical constructs but are integral to the expressive fabric of music.
- They originated from improvisational practices and a desire for greater emotional depth and harmonic color.
- Composers use these chords as 'windows' to new harmonic regions, enriching the musical vocabulary and creating moments of mystery and revelation.
- The power of these chords lies in their ability to create tension and require resolution, fulfilling a fundamental human need for closure and meaning in art.
Viewing harmony as an expressive tool, rather than just a set of rules, reveals the deeper artistic purpose behind these complex chords and their enduring impact on music.
The analogy of Advent calendar windows or opening a window to a beautiful view, representing how these chords open up new, magical harmonic possibilities.
Key takeaways
- Augmented sixth chords (Italian, German, French) and the Neapolitan sixth chord are specialized harmonic devices used primarily to approach cadences with increased color and expressiveness.
- These chords often arise from the first inversion of the subdominant or related scale degrees, with chromatic alterations creating the characteristic augmented sixth interval or other unique sonorities.
- The Italian sixth is a three-note chord, the German sixth typically has four notes (including the fifth), and the French sixth features an augmented fourth.
- The Neapolitan sixth is built on the lowered supertonic and provides a distinct, often melancholic, color.
- Historical treatises like Crotch's provide insight into the early theoretical understanding of these chords as chromatic dissonances.
- Composers utilize these chords not only for their function in cadences but also as tools for modulation, dramatic effect, and expanding the harmonic language of music.
- The expressive potential of these chords often stems from their chromaticism and the tension they create, which demands resolution.
Key terms
Augmented Sixth ChordItalian SixthGerman SixthFrench SixthNeapolitan Sixth ChordCadenceSubdominantDominantTonicChromaticismModulationPredominant ChordParallel FifthsSecond Inversion
Test your understanding
- How does the structure of the Italian, German, and French sixth chords differ, and what is the primary harmonic function they share?
- Why did composers need to develop specific resolutions for the German sixth chord, and what are those common resolutions?
- What is the typical scale degree upon which the Neapolitan sixth chord is built, and how does it differ from the augmented sixth chords in its construction?
- How did the concept of 'chromatic discords' in early theoretical writings, like Crotch's, contribute to the understanding and use of these 'foreign' chords?
- In what ways do these chords, beyond their technical function, contribute to the emotional and expressive qualities of a musical piece?