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Emerging Dances’ opening chord

The double bass, french horn, percussion and bassoon

Use this Explorer close-up to listen to what's going on in the opening chord of Emerging Dances.

In the opening chord there are five notes, although in this Explorer close-up the two notes played by the oboe and viola can be heard together on one track (the fourth). When they are played together as a chord, these five notes are dissonant (they clash). But if the notes are separated into pairs, particular relationships emerge between the notes.

Mute button image

Try clicking ‘Mute’ on the Viola and Piccolo and Oboe parts to listen to the two Violin parts alone. These notes played together make the interval (the distance between two notes) of a perfect fourth, they sound like they fit together (consonant).

'Focus on part' button image

If you click ‘Focus on part’ in the Piccolo and Oboe part, you can hear the same interval, but at a lower pitch.

Mute button image

Now try muting just the Violin 2, Piccolo and Oboe parts to listen to the Viola and Violin 1 together. These notes played together make the interval of a perfect fifth, they sound consonant.

Mute button image

Try muting the Violin 1 and Piccolo and Oboe parts to hear the Viola and Violin 2 together. These notes together make an interval called a whole tone and they sound less consonant than the fourth and fifth.

So the whole chord sounds dissonant because these particular intervals have been mixed together to make up one cluster chord.

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Emerging Dances opening chord

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