Polytonal (Adjective)
Meaning
Using more than one key or tonality simultaneously; "exciting rhythms and polytonal harmonies".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The composer's innovative use of polytonal chord progressions added a layer of complexity to the already dynamic piece.
- Polytonal elements can be heard in the works of many early 20th-century avant-garde composers who sought to break away from traditional musical structures.
- The jazz pianist's mastery of polytonal improvisation allowed him to seamlessly transition between conflicting keys and tonalities.
- Exciting rhythms and polytonal harmonies characterized the experimental music of this influential composer.
- The polytonal passages that opened the symphony immediately signaled a departure from the traditional Romantic-era norms.