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Analytical Remarks on Harmony in

Salome Opera by Richard Strauss
LOREDANA IAŢEŞEN
The Department of Musicology
The University of Arts “George Enescu”
Str. Horia 7-9, Iaşi, cod 700126
ROMANIA
[email protected]

Abstract: Musical discourse’s development in Salome opera has a particular harmonic mobility. Even though
he was permanently committed to the notion of tonality, Richard Strauss sometimes used the polytonality and
even the atonal dodecaphony for expressive purposes and within limited areas.

Key-Words: Salome, Jokanaan, tonality, harmony, diatonism, chromatism, enharmony, expressionism

In Salome opera, Richard Strauss performs a second, which create shock, rupture,
musical equivalence of the topic in the spirit of a surprise effects;
descriptive programmatism, by the gradual pursuance e. other series which exceed the tonal system
of the action, provoking at the same time temporal contain mixtures (seventh chords), harmonic
gaps to the past – with evocation role, to the future – structures from the tones.
with anticipative role. f. structures – atypical overlapping (achordic
In this case, one of the procedures of modeling pedal, layers).
the musical language, programmatically speaking, is
represented by the inward experiences and feelings’ 1. The remote harmonic relationships frame
description by means of the harmonic methods. both in the romantic and in the classic tonal
The musical performance combines three category.
systems of sonorous organization: the classic The small ascending second modulation
diatonic tonality, the post-romantic enlarged (minor do # ~ minor re, scene I, part 4), is an
chromatic tonality and the free dodecaphony. example of remote harmonic relationship from the
These systems are used for expressive purposes, post-romantic tonal. The two moments mentioned,
having a symbolic function. having as piles the tonalities minor sharp do and
Whereas the consonant diatonic harmony always minor re are orchestral, save that the former
singularizes Jokanaan, the chromatic harmony will anticipates Narraboth’s discourse, being at the same
compose most of the scenes and relationships time a segment of Salome’s ambiguity motive and
between characters, personalizing mainly Salome the latter informs of soldiers’ quarrel (scene I, part 4
with her entire aspiration, anxiety and desire. – 2 m.).
In the whole paper, from a harmonic point of
view, we can establish: Fig. no. 1
1. remote harmonic relationships, consisting of
the general total plan, at sections’ level, from which
results the form;
2. direct relationships, consisting of:
a. diatonic harmony, where authentic and
plagal relationships are cumulated;
b. chromatic harmony, consisting of
modulations, continuous chromatic
evolutions;
c. enharmonic modulations;
d. remote, surprising modulations, performed
all of a sudden at tierce, tritone, small

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The relationship between the beginning and the The remote harmonic relationships are based on
end of the two soldiers’ dialogue, respectively minor both the diatonic harmony, but mainly on the remote
re (He is a saint) – Lab Major V² (when I give him modulations, on tierce, tritone, small second.
to eat he thinks me), suggests their attitude towards 2. Within the direct relationships, the authentic
the prophet, the uplift that they feel when they are and plagal ones form the diatonic harmony.
talking about him, achieved by the modulation at
reduced quinte from a minor tonality to a major one In scene I, we can notice the authentic
(scene I, part 5-3 m. / part 16-4 m.). relationship between minor fa V ~ minor fa I, the
melody belonging to the page who pronounces the
Fig. no. 2 lines: Pale as a dead woman (scene I, part 3-1 m. /3
+ 1 m.).

Fig. no. 5

The 2nd section of the Vth scene presents the first

call of the tetrarch, highlighted in harmonic plan by
the modulation between the tonalities Major Mi –
Major Fa, which are in relation of small ascending
second (scene IV, part 172 + 4 m. /part 176 + 2 m.).

Fig. no. 3
We meet an authentic relationship in the
harmony which accompanies Jokanaan’s voice
(Major flat Mi V 7 ~ Major flat Mi I) (scene II, part
31-6 m.).

Fig. no. 6

In the Vth scene, on the lines which correspond to

the melodic line of the character Salome (You were
so beautiful, Jokanaan), we meet in the harmonic
plan a tonal path from minor flat si ~ Major Do #
(scene IV, part 329 / part 333).

Fig. no. 4
Another category of direct relationships between
the chords with coloristic illustrative effects is that
of chromatic harmony, comprising modulations,
continuous chromatic evolutions.
An important role in the chromatic evolution is
that of the use of melodic notes.
For instance, moon’s strangeness is suggested by
ambiguous harmonies, both as total membership and
from the point of view of chords’ structure, because
of the presence of the melodic notes which are
tardily solved (scene I, part 1+2 m.).

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Fig. no. 7 Herod’s vision and the surprise produced when

hearing the desire of the ignorant princess, who
thought that she deserves everything: What do you
want to have, Salome? (Major Sol) – The head of
Jokanaan (Major Mi) (scene IV, part 254 + 4 m., p.
152, sist. 3-4)

Fig. no. 10
An instable area from the harmonic and tonal
point of view, with continuous chromatic
evolutions, belongs to scene no. 4. In the first beats,
there is unison overlapping of the chromatic totality,
tensed sonorous moment, amplified by means of a
pedal and by tierce chromatic mixtures (scene IV,
part 164 + 6 m.).
We notice that the tierce harmonic relationships
Fig. no. 8 are used for a descriptive, illustrative purpose for
certain nature features of some characters.
Moreover, we must remark the deliberately
performed difference in using the direct
harmonic relationships. Therefore, whereas in the
case of tierce modulations we can notice a certain
specific in using them for descriptive purposes, the
second ones reveal characters’ feelings, their
mystery, their psychology, indirectly expressed.
3. In Salome opera, Richard Strauss also makes
use of chains which exceed the tonal system. We
remark the mixtures (seventh chords) and the
harmonic structures from the tones, met in most of
the sections and subsections from the part.
In scene I, we can notice the enharmonic The atonal areas are present, but the harmony at
modulation, which creates in fact an authentic tonality limit prevails, comprising the hexatone, the
relationship between the tonalities Major flat Mi: I alert dynamic of the chromatic changes marking the
and Major Do#: V (enharmonically treated flat Mi: points of maximum intensity in the paper: Herod’s
IV). The melodic line belongs to Narraboth, which incestuous desires, Herodiada’s violence, Salome’s
admires the moon: It is very beautiful tonight. For delirium moments.
this particular reason the second chord is treated At the beginning of scene no V, the composer
enharmonically: Do# V ~ flat Mi IV, suggesting in a introduces in the harmonic plan a descendant scale
metaphoric manner, by the presence of the moon, by tones - re - do – flat si – flat la – flat sol –
Salome’s ambiguity (scene I, part 8 + 5 m.). natural mi (flat fa) – re – which show Herod’s
stormy desire for Salome (scene IV, part 155-2 m.).
Fig. no. 9
Fig. no. 11

The relationship between harmony and text in A particular harmonic moment which reflects the
scene no V can be interpreted at the level of some lack of self-control of Herodiada develops in
harmonically distinct moments, to which suggestive parallelisms of tierces, quintes, tetrachords (tritones
lines are associated. Which is surprising is the or reduced tetrachords). The words which
harmonic relationship at descendent tierce (Major accompany Herodiada’s melody are: This prophet is
Sol ~ Major Mi), the composer accentuating the a drunk man, I cannot stand his voice (scene IV,
contradiction between Salomee’s unreal image in part 222 + 4 m.).

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Fig. no. 12 The pedal also suggests Jokanaan’s beauty in

Salome’s vision (Oh! Jokanaan, you were so
beautiful!) (scene IV, part 333 - 4 m..).

Fig. no. 15

In Salome opera we meet structures – atypical

overlapping (pedals, achordic layers).
The variable harmony of the sound mib with
elliptical tierce chords evolves towards an intensive
chromatic area, where the chromatic total is layered
on harmonic and figural pedal structures (scene III, Musical discourse’s development in Salome
part 45 + 5 m.) opera has a prominent harmonic mobility. However,
Richard Strauss was permanently committed to the
Fig. no. 13 notion of tonality, using the polytonality and even
the From the elaborated harmonic analysis, a
romantic music, whose procedural evolution
surprises us from balanced moments to persistent
culminations, veritable expressionist cries.

Hebrews’ discussion on religion is marked by an

References:
ascendant reduced pentachordia (re - mi - fa - sol –
[1] Antokoletz, Elliot - Twentieth Century Music,
sol #), which overlaps a chord in minor re (scene IV,
Pretince Hall Englewood
189 + 3 m.).
Cliffs, New Jersey, 1992
[2] Boulay, Jean Michel - Monotonality and
Fig. no. 14
Chromatic Dualism in Richard Strauss’s Salome,
diss.University of British Columbia, 1992
[3] Murphy, Erin - Tonality and Form in Salome,
Cambridge, 1989

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