Dissonance - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Dissonance, in music, is the soul's disquiet – a clash of sounds straining for resolution, an unstable harmony that begs to resolve into consonance. More than just a jarring sound, dissonance is musical tension, a vital force driving melodies forward. But is it merely unpleasantness, or something more profound?
The concept of dissonance stretches back to antiquity. In the writings of Pythagoras (c. 570-495 BCE), intervals like the tritone were deemed imperfect and disturbing, banished from the realm of pure consonances favored by the ancient Greeks. These ideas were later elaborated by theorists like Aristoxenus. Imagine a world attuned only to perfect harmonies; Pythagoras's aversion unveils a deeper philosophical quest for cosmic order reflected in music, a quest that continues to influence our understanding of sonic aesthetics.
Through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, dissonance was carefully controlled, a spice sparingly used to enhance the sweetness of consonance. Johannes Tinctoris, writing in his Diffinitorium Musicae (1473), codified rules for its proper usage. Yet, the late Renaissance witnessed a gradual loosening of these strictures, culminating in the chromatic explorations of composers like Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613), whose intensely expressive madrigals pushed the boundaries of harmonic language, fueled by personal tragedy and artistic daring – suggesting that perhaps extreme emotional states demand extreme sonic expression. The evolution continued through the Romantic era and into the 20th century, with figures like Arnold Schoenberg liberating dissonance entirely, creating atonal works where the traditional pull towards consonance vanishes.
Dissonance remains a cornerstone of musical expression, endlessly redefined across genres and eras. It reflects the human condition – the struggle between stability and change, pleasure and pain, expectation and surprise. But what happens when dissonance is no longer resolved? Does it lose its power, or does it become the new normal, inviting us to redefine our very perception of musical beauty?