Originally posted by Peter:
Ok Chaszz - Well the full power of the Tonic-Dominant relationship only really became possible with the establishment of equal temperament in the 18th century. This enforced the strength of sharp keys over flat keys - for example going from C major to G major is stronger than going from C to F. Before equal temperament composers were just as likely to use the plagal Cadence (IV-I) relationship as the perfect (V-I). With the High Baroque of Bach and Handel yes they go to the dominant key but they never really establish it as a form of contrast to the tonic - i.e in a simple piece in binary form the first section would modulate to the dominant in the last few bars. The second section would just as quickly modulate back to the tonic. With the Classical era the Tonic-Dominant relationship is fundamental as a means of contrast - therefore in the exposition the dominant is established well before the end of that section with new material generally being introduced in the contrasting key. Now i have talked before about Beethoven's 'substitute' dominants - his use of the mediant (III) or submediant (VI) which serve the same function of dominants because they move towards the sharp direction rather than the subdominant flat direction. This is not to say Beethoven doesn't use the subdominant key, but it is not established as the main contrasting tonality. With the first generation of Romantic composers, there music frequently employs the subdominant as the main secondary tonality, thus weakening the tension - particularly when they write in the freer forms such as ballades and are not trying to produce a text-book sonata form movement. Chopin's Ab Ballade for example never goes to the dominant Eb. So this is not about modulating through different keys, it is about the establishment of a contrasting tonality.
Ok Chaszz - Well the full power of the Tonic-Dominant relationship only really became possible with the establishment of equal temperament in the 18th century. This enforced the strength of sharp keys over flat keys - for example going from C major to G major is stronger than going from C to F. Before equal temperament composers were just as likely to use the plagal Cadence (IV-I) relationship as the perfect (V-I). With the High Baroque of Bach and Handel yes they go to the dominant key but they never really establish it as a form of contrast to the tonic - i.e in a simple piece in binary form the first section would modulate to the dominant in the last few bars. The second section would just as quickly modulate back to the tonic. With the Classical era the Tonic-Dominant relationship is fundamental as a means of contrast - therefore in the exposition the dominant is established well before the end of that section with new material generally being introduced in the contrasting key. Now i have talked before about Beethoven's 'substitute' dominants - his use of the mediant (III) or submediant (VI) which serve the same function of dominants because they move towards the sharp direction rather than the subdominant flat direction. This is not to say Beethoven doesn't use the subdominant key, but it is not established as the main contrasting tonality. With the first generation of Romantic composers, there music frequently employs the subdominant as the main secondary tonality, thus weakening the tension - particularly when they write in the freer forms such as ballades and are not trying to produce a text-book sonata form movement. Chopin's Ab Ballade for example never goes to the dominant Eb. So this is not about modulating through different keys, it is about the establishment of a contrasting tonality.
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