Schoenbergs Other Miracle Set: The Ingenious Construction of the Op.

24 Movement 5 Set

2016 Thomas Scott McGill

Abstract

This short paper will demonstrate how derived sets created from trichordal combinations and some
common transformational techniques when applied to Schoenbergs Op. 24 Movement 5 Tanzscene
set creates all six all-combinatorial hexachords and two symmetrical hexachords related by the
retrograde inversion function that also form the complete aggregate at interval class (ic) 6 or a
tritone interval.

Exordium

Arnold Schoenberg had termed the all-combinatorial set (014589) a Miracle Set1 due to the
unique compositional possibilities it provided. He made extensive use of this set throughout his
compositional output including some of his pre-serial works2 and his final published work Op. 50C3.

There is another set of Schoenbergs that also seems to have exceptional structural qualities. This is
the set he employed in his Op. 24 Mvmt. 5 Tanzscene. In this paper I will show how all of Babbitts
all-combinatiorial hexachords4 and two other RI related symmetrical hexachords can be formed
through the conjoining of trichords within each hexachord and from cross-partitioning techniques
first proposed by Donald Martino5 and further refined by theorists such as Brian Alegant6. The
resulting derived sets created from these accepted serial techniques yield these special hexachordal
sets.

1 C Cross, Political and Religious Ideas in the Works of Arnold Schoenberg (Charlotte M Cross and Russell A Berman eds, Garl
and Publishing 1999) 296 <https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5hlNEWQdCNYC&pg=PA296&lpg=PA296&dq=schoenberg
+miracle+set&source=bl&ots=TvJrYVxQfX&sig=2ZFGZVrvI8wuUu5OFFdBhohICVQ&hl=en&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwidw6
P4_4zQAhWVHsAKHYTIAJwQ6AEIJTAC#v=onepage&q=schoenberg%20miracle%20set&f=false> accessed 3 November 2016
.

2 Thomas Scott McGill, Arnold Schnberg, Dennis Sandole, and John Coltrane: Arnold Schoenberg and Jazz Pedagogy, Arno
ld Schoenberg Symposium (Arnold Schoenberg Center 2014) <https://www.academia.edu/8749387/Arnold_Schoenberg_D
ennis_Sandole_and_John_Coltrane-Arnold_Schoenberg_and_Jazz_Pedagogy> accessed 3 November 2016.

3Thomas Couvillon Jr., TEXT AND STRUCTURE IN SCHOENBERGS OP. 50, AND AN ORIGINAL COMPOSITION, SYMPHONY
#1 (PhD, Louisiana State University 2002) 66-67 <http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-1106102-
114007/unrestricted/Couvillon_dis.pdf> accessed 3 November 2016.

4Stephen Dembski, Joseph N. Straus, Milton Babbitt: Words about Music (Univ of Wisconsin Pr, Chicago, Illinois, USA 1987)
48-53.

5 Donald Martino, The Source Set and Its Aggregate Formations (1961) 5 Journal of Music Theory 224.

6 Brian Alegant, Cross-Partitions as Harmony and Voice Leading in Twelve-Tone Music (2001) 23 Music Theory Spectrum 1
<https://www.scribd.com/document/212057913/Brian-Alegant-Cross-Partitions-as-Harmony-and-Voice-Leading-in-Twelve
-Tone-Music> accessed 3 November 2016.

1
 Process

The Hexachordal Collection in normal order derived from the Op. 24 Mvmt. 5 Original Form is:

A Bb C D# E F# F G Ab B C# D7

This row is its own retrograde inversion8. The set is made up of two symmetrical hexachords.

Hexachord 1: A Bb C D# E F# (013679) Hexachord 2: F G Ab B C# D (023689)

When creating derived sets from combining one trichord from each hexachord, my initial
observations were:

The first trichord in Hexachord 1 coupled with the fifth trichord in Hexachord 2
A Bb C C# D F (013458) and the remaining tones arranged in the same manner D# E F# G Ab
B (013458). These are symmetrical hexachords that complete the aggregate at ic6.

The second trichord in Hexachord 1 coupled with the sixth trichord in Hexachord 2 Bb C D# D
F G and the remaining tones arranged in the same manner E F# A Ab B C#. These are the all
combinatorial hexachord (024579). These hexachords complete the aggregate at ic6.

The third trichord in Hexachord 1 coupled with the first trichord in Hexachord 2 C D# E F G
Ab (034578) and the remaining tones arranged in the same manner F# A Bb B C# D (034578).
These are symmetrical hexachords that complete the aggregate at ic6.

The first trichord in Hexachord 2 coupled with the first trichord in Hexachord 1 F G Ab A Bb
C, and the remaining tones arranged in the same manner B C# D D# E F#. These are the all
combinatorial hexachord (023457). These hexachords complete the aggregate at ic6.

The second trichord in Hexachord 2 coupled with the third trichord in Hexachord G Ab B C
D# E and the remaining tones arranged in the same manner C# D F F# A Bb. These are the all
combinatorial hexachord (014589). These hexachords complete the aggregate at 1c6.

The third trichord in Hexachord 2 coupled with the third trichord in Hexachord Ab B C# D# E
F# and the remaining tones arranged in the same manner D F G A Bb C. These are a rotated
form of the all combinatorial hexachord (024579). These hexachords complete at ic6.

7David J Hunter and Paul T von Hippel, How Rare Is Symmetry in Musical 12-Tone Rows? (2003) 110 The American
Mathematical Monthly 124 <http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3647771> accessed 3 November 2016.

8David J Hunter and Paul T von Hippel, How Rare Is Symmetry in Musical 12-Tone Rows? (2003) 110 The American
Mathematical Monthly 126 <http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3647771> accessed 3 November 2016.

2
To complete the process, I have listed all the trichordal combinations using the abbreviation TC to
stand for Trichord. The combined pitch classes for each tetrachord are followed by their normal
order arrangement and finally the pitch class set they create when combined written in parentheses.

Hexachord 1 to Hexachord 2

TC1 to TC1A Bb C F G Ab/F G Ab A Bb C (023457)

TC1 to TC2 A Bb C G Ab B/G Ab A Bb B C (012345)
TC1 to TC3A Bb C Ab B C#/Ab A Bb B C C# (012345)
TC1 to TC4A Bb C B C# D/A Bb B C C# D (012345)
TC1 to TC5A Bb C C# D F/A Bb C C# D F (013458)
TC1 to TC6A Bb C D F G/F G A Bb C D (024579)
TC2 to TC1Bb C D# F G Ab/D# F G Ab Bb C (024579)
TC2 to TC2Bb C D# G Ab B/G Ab Bb B C D# (013458)
TC2 to TC3Bb C D# Ab B C#/Ab Bb B C C# D# (023457)
TC2 to TC4Bb C D# B C# D/Bb B C C# D D# (012345)
TC2 to TC5Bb C D# C# D F/Bb C C# D D# F (023457)
TC2 to TC6Bb C D# D F G/Bb C D D# F G (024579)
TC3 to TC1C D# E F G Ab/C D# E F G Ab (034578)
TC3 to TC2C D# E G Ab B/G Ab B C D# E (014589)
TC3 to TC3C D# E Ab B C#/Ab B C C# D# E (034578)
TC3 to TC4C D# E B C# D/B C C# D D# E (012345)
TC3 to TC5C D# E C# D F/C C# D D# E F (012345)
TC3 to TC6C D# E D F G/C D D# E F G (023457)

Hexachord 2 to Hexachord 1

TC1 to TC1F G Ab A Bb C/F G Ab A Bb C (023457)

TC1 to TC2F G Ab Bb C D#/D# F G Ab Bb C (024579)
TC1 to TC3F G Ab C D# E/C D# E F G Ab (034578)
TC1 to TC4F G Ab D# E F#/D# E F F# G Ab (012345)
TC1 to TC5F G Ab E F# A/E F F# G Ab A (012345)
TC1 to TC6F G Ab F# A Bb/F F# G Ab A Bb (012345)
TC2 to TC 1G Ab B A Bb C/G Ab A Bb B C (012345)
TC2 to TC2G Ab B Bb C D#/G Ab Bb B C D# (013458)
TC2 to TC3G Ab B C D# E/G Ab B C D# E (014589)
TC2 to TC4G Ab B D# E F#/D# E F# G Ab B (013458)
TC2 to TC5G Ab B E F# A/E F# G Ab A B (023457)
TC2 to TC6G Ab B F# A Bb/F# G Ab A Bb B (012345)
TC3 to TC1Ab B C# A Bb C/Ab A Bb B C C# (012345)
TC3 to TC2Ab B C# Bb C D#/Ab Bb B C C# D# (023457)
TC3 to TC3Ab B C# C D# E/Ab B C C# D# E (034578)
TC3 to TC4Ab B C# D# E F#/B C# D# E F# Ab (024579)
TC3 to TC5Ab B C# E F# A/E F# Ab A B C# (024579)
TC3 to TC6Ab B C# F# A Bb/F# Ab A Bb B C# (023457)

3
A list of the instances of each hexachord reveals the following results.

Instances of (012345): 6 in Hexachord 1+6 in Hexachord 2=12 times total

Instances of (023457): 4 in Hexachord 1+4 in Hexachord 2 =8 times total
Instances of (024579): 3 in Hexachord 1+3 in Hexachord 2=6 times total
Instances of (034578): 2 in Hexachord 1+2 in Hexachord 2=4 times total
Instances of (013458): 2 in Hexachord 1+2 in Hexachord 2=4 times total
Instances of (014589): 1 in Hexachord 1+1 in Hexachord 2 =2 times total

Through the coupling of trichords made up of consecutive pitches, Schoenbergs Tanzscene source
set generates four out of six all-combinatorial hexachords exempting (012678) and (02468t). It also
generates two special symmetrical hexachords related by retrograde inversion, (013458) and
(034578) that complete the aggregate at ic6 sharing this same structural relationship as the original
set. The chromatic hexachords (012345) appear between the second and third trichords, and first
and fourth trichords within the original respectively. Additionally, the sets hexachords are subsets of
discrete octatonic sets.

To form the remaining two all-combinatorial hexachords (012678) and (02468t) from Schoenbergs
set, I applied cross partitioning slot machine9 technique to both hexachords by aligning both
beginning the second one on B instead of F in a 2X6 format. This process produces the following all-
combinatorial hexachords when partitioning each into trichords:

Ex. 1

A Bb C D# E F#
B C# D F G Ab

A B Bb (012) + C# C D (012) = (012345)

D# F E (012) + G F# Ab (012) = (012345)

Ex. 2

A Bb C D# E F#
B C# D F G Ab

A B C# (024) Bb C D (024) = (012345)

D# F G (024) + E F# Ab (024) = (012345)

9
Donald Martino (1961) in Brian Alegant, Cross-Partitions as Harmony and Voice Leading in Twelve-Tone Music (2001) 23
Music Theory Spectrum 1 <https://www.scribd.com/document/212057913/Brian-Alegant-Cross-Partitions-as-Harmony-
and-Voice-Leading-in-Twelve-Tone-Music> accessed 3 November 2016.

4
Combining alternate trichords from the above cross partitioning creates the missing two all-
combinatorial hexachords (012678) and (02468t) which both complete the total aggregate at ic6.

Ex. 1a

A B Bb (012) + D# F E (012) = (012678)

C# C D (012) + G F# Ab (012) = (012678)

Ex. 2a

A B C# (024) + D# F G (024) = (02468t)

Bb C D (024) + E F# Ab (024) = (02468t)

Conclusion

The compositional and analytical ramifications of these findings could be significant as one could
theoretically reference the complete all-combinatorial pitch vocabulary from Schoenbergs
ingeniously constructed Op. 24 Mvmt. 5 set. The additional two RI related symmetrical hexachords
(034578) and (013458) which were generated from the above processes are also of significance,
especially (013458) which is prominently featured in Schoenbergs Op. 23 Mvmt. 4, the entire final
measure being but one example. An analysis of the piece itself undertaken from the perspective of
this papers observations would be a logical next step to see if any of my conclusions correspond in
any way with Schoenbergs compositional intent.

Thomas Scott McGill

7 November, 2016
Hove, United Kingdom