Foundations of Modern Harmony

Karel Janecek's Foundations of Modern Harmony, translated into English for the first time, presents a theory of chord quality in atonal context. First published in 1965, it stands out among music theoretical publications with its balanced approach that combines systematics and empirical studies.
Karel Janec̆ek's Foundations of Modern Harmony, translated into English for the first time, presents a theory of chord quality in atonal context. First published in 1965, it stands out among music theoretical publications with its balanced approach that combines systematics and empirical studies. Janec̆ek's systematics could be described as set theory, where simultaneities and their features are explored instead of abstract pitch-class sets. The plenitude of possible chords in chromatic tonal space is classified in this work, long before that of Forte, using the concept of "orientation scheme," an equivalent to prime form.

Systematic thoughts are checked from the point of view of compositional practice and cognitive processes. Chapters discussing different perceptions of dissonance depending on the voicing, or retention of heard sound in mind, explain many generally recognized rules for orchestration. The system characterizing chord qualities is complemented by a system of triadic combinations, illustrated by works of both Czech (Martinů, Krejc̆í, Novák) and Western composers (Roussel, Hindemith, Honneger). After building solid building blocks, Janec̆ek develops his five-member dualist functional system that can be traced via Otakar S̆ín to Hugo Riemann. The top of the theory arch provides notions of harmonic coherence in atonal contexts, an exciting complement to those by Schoenberg and Hindemith.

Contributor: Anne Hall (Translated by), Jana Skarecky (Translated by)

Translator: Anne Hall, Jana Skarecky

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.