The word "newt" has several meanings. This is a rare animal, and the ancient Greek God, and a musical interval. In the Middle Ages, this consonance was strictly prohibited. He was called the "music of the devil." However, time passed, the rhythm of life has changed.
In the works of Russian composers one can observe their widespread use. The combination of melodic and harmonic newts sounds unusual and expressive.
The meaning of the word "triton". What is newts in music
Triton in nature is an amphibian from the amphibian family. This is one of the rare animals on planet Earth that has the unique ability to regenerate lost limbs and tail.
According to ancient Greek mythology, Triton is a god. In the old days, he was portrayed as a man with a dolphin tail and horse features.
Triton is also called the satellite of the eighth planet from the sun.
What are newts in music? These are intervals that are equal to three tones or six semitones. It can be an enlarged quart and a reduced fifth.
General information
UV.4 is an interval that spans four steps and contains three tones. In the diatonic scale, it acts as an exception, since all quarts have two and a half tones and are pure. Along with chromatic intervals, SW 4 is also an exception. All of them are equal to diatonic, and the increased quart is equal to the reduced fifth.
Mind 5 is an interval that spans five steps and contains three tones. This appeal is uv. 4. Therefore, all of the above applies to this interval.
Newts in music are dissonant in sound. They are part of D7. They are built in natural and harmonic frets. There are not only enlarged and reduced. They also bear the names of subdominant and dominant, when built on the corresponding steps.
Tritons - a diabolical combination of two musical sounds
Not everyone knows that in the Middle Ages, under the strict prohibition was the use of two sounds that contain three tones. The Catholic Church believed that tritons in music is by no means an acceptable phenomenon. One who uses them in his compositions has been subjected to devilish influence or worships him. This interval was not allowed to be used in either simultaneous or sequential sound. If someone violated the laws established by the church regarding this consonance, then he could fall into the basements of the Inquisition. At best, an instructive and explanatory conversation was conducted with him. There is an opinion that not only the sound of this interval "cut" the ears of the opponents. Triton consists of six halftones, and the number itself caused fear and resentment.
The use of newts by Russian composers
Newts in music are extremely interesting intervals. They were widely used by Russian composers. So, for example, Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov uses them in the "Pskovityanka" in front of the veche scene. This gives a wake-up call to the alarm. His popular opera The Night Before Christmas also uses this interval. The whole intonation system of the Line is penetrated by a newt. Thanks to this, his image becomes very bright and characteristic. Alexander Porfirievich Borodin widely uses newts in the music of the opera Prince Igor. It is also noteworthy that they are used in different figurative contexts. It is enough to consider them on the example of scenes with the participation of Konchak. When this character proceeds to battle memories, the composer uses second triton shifts in the dotted marching movement. An enlarged quart and a reduced quint accompany Konchak's recitative, which creates a subtle commentary on his words. It is as if they reveal the inherent intonation subtext.
Combinations of melodic and harmonic newts
Boris Asafiev subtly noted the interesting role of the newt. He points out that in Russian music the interval determines the ratio of tonal connections and harmonic sequences. Information about this can be found in the study of Glinka by the Soviet author. He considers in this regard the "March of Black Sea" and a number of other examples from the opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila". The harmony of the triton ratio can be found in the culmination of Rachmaninoff’s superior elegia.
Repeated non-chord on la is combined with the same chord in E flat . Thanks to this, the finale of the first part is striking with an emotional explosion. The latent correlation of the fundamental tones in the triton intervals is observed in the introduction to the fourth act of the opera The Tsar’s Bride by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. The initial chords, together with the solidon and downward chromatic scales, create a feeling of "bad foreboding". The close connections of triton relations in harmony and chromatisms in melody (melodic-harmonic relief with an artistic image) can be found in Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Snow Maiden”.
Enlarged Quart and Reduced Quint in the Works of Modern Composers
Tritons in the music of creators of the 20-21 centuries are a fairly common phenomenon. In V. Lutoslavsky's Funeral Music, which was written for a string orchestra, their unsurpassed sound “attracts” the listener's attention and produces a stunning effect. A strong feeling of concentrated and mournful tension is created due to the interaction of harmonic and melodic newts. It is these intervals that give the music the composition an unusual sound and are very impressive. Based on the foregoing, it should be noted that newts are extremely interesting intervals. Their expressive properties are closely related to the problem of intrusiveness and chromatism.
Tone, halftone in music.
The octave includes the seven main steps of the scale. Below is the piano keyboard.
From the sound “from” to “h” there will be exactly seven white keys, this is to, re, mi, fa, salt, la, si . This sequence is called the natural order. Between the sounds "ef" and "hc" the smallest distance is obtained. That's what a halftone is. If you also count the black keys, you get twelve sounds (notes). This is a temperamental musical system. In it, anywhere in the scale will be a semitone. The whole tone consists of two halftones. For example, the notes are "fis" and "gis". If you look at the keyboard, it will become clear that there will always be one key between them. In this case, the sound is "g".
Diatonic and chromatic tones and midtones
Halftone, like the tone in music, is built in a natural and temperament. A diatonic semitone is obtained between the nearest steps of the scale: "ef", "hc". Or formed between the main and derivative steps. So, for example: "c-des", "es-fes", "e-dis", etc. Chromatic is obtained by connecting the main stage and lowering it or, conversely, increasing it. So, for example: "a-as", "f-fis". It happens that it is formed between the increase (decrease) of the main stage and its double increase (decrease). For example: "f-fisis", "b-bes".
The diatonic tone (whole) is obtained by connecting the two main steps located in the neighborhood.
These are: "cd", "de", "fg", "ga", "ah". It is also formed between the main step and the derivative: "e-fis". It can also be obtained between two derivatives: "des-es". Chromatic tone is obtained from the connection of the main stage and its double decrease or increase, as well as between two derivatives of the same stage.
Thus, in music there are tones and midtones, without which no construction takes place. They are diatonic and chromatic and are formed in a natural and temperamental system. Extremely interesting intervals widely used by Russian and foreign composers are newts. Solfeggio is a discipline where they are studied, built and sung.