Fans of the film "
The Matrix" (music by
Don Davis) can probably readily conjur up "
The Matrix Chord" or "
The Matrix Motif" in their inner ear quite easily. It is heard in the title track of each of the movies, and the motive is prevelant throughout the scores. I for one like this motive quite a bit, and the reason I'm discussing it here is probably quite obvious, given the title of this topic.
If you cannot recall the motive or have never heard it, click the play button (the arrow) on the embedded video to hear it, I'm referring to the alternating chords heard in the brass right at the beginning.
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1. The chords
For arguments sake and for simplicity of comparison, let us assume that the home key is B-flat minor. The first (lower) chord then is simply B-flat minor, voiced Bb-Db-F ... The second (higher one) is G-flat major, voiced Gb-Bb-Db.
2. The technique
As you can see, the two chords share 2 common tones, so if played simultaneously on a piano, voiced Bb-Db-F-Gb, it just sounds like an "ordinary" minor 6th, heard often in Jazz.
But when alternated as block triads in root position, and given to different instruments in the orchestra (this example has horns vs. trumpets, later examples in the score use other instruments as well), it produces quite a dissonance, as we hear not just an "ordinary" minor 6th but a true clash of B-flat minor and G-flat major, a brief polytonal moment, if you will.
3. Sibelius' Luonnotar
This effect can be found in Luonnotar. During the
Tranquillo assai, after letter B in the score, as the soprano begins her very chromatic line to the words
Voi poloinen päiviäni!, the vocal line is underpinned by alternating Bb-F in the cellos and basses, answered by Gb-Db in the violas. The harps participate later as well. Sibelius has added some other dissonant notes as a point of colour, but the clash of the 2 main chords described above remains clearly audible.
The piece also ends this way, the effect being sustained over a very long closing passage from the
Tranquillo assai at letter J basically until the very end of the piece.
The keys used here are:
- G# minor vs. E major...
- then F# minor vs. D major...
- then E minor vs. C major...
- then back to F# minor vs. D major...
(G#-F#-E-F# ... S-Motif, anyone?)
Although we are treated to a radiant F# major in the last 4 bars, notice that the violas and harp still smack us with a dissonant D-A (albeit
ppp + diminuendo) 3 bars from the end.
4. Conclusion
In no way am I trying to infer that Don Davis copied Sibelius. The alternation of 2 chords, especially in such vastly different contexts, is fair game for anybody. But in thinking about this, I have stumbled upon an interesting idea: I cannot think of a single work written
before Luonnotar that uses this effect. I have not studied Mahler's symphonies very deeply, and I wouldn't be surprised to find this idea in one of them, or in a song of his. I would be much obliged if someone could point out such an example to me. Until then, I hope we have found "an original".
