[Music: LYDIAN]
[Music: MIXOLYDIAN]
[Music: AEOLIAN]
[Music: IONIAN]
The Dorian mode, at the outset, is identical with our modern
minor scale; its peculiarity lies in thesemitonebetween the 6th
and 7th degrees and thewholetone between the 7th and 8th. An
excellent example of a modern adaptation of this mode may be
found in Guilmant’s March for organ (see Supplement, Example
No. 7). The mysterious opening measures of Debussy’s opera
Pelléas et Mélisandealso owe their atmosphere to this mode,
e.g.
[Music]
The Phrygian mode is one of the most individual to our mod-
ern ears with its first step asemitoneand with thewholetone
between the 7th and 8th degrees. Under the influence of har-
monic development there was worked out a cadence, known as
Phrygian, which is often found in modern music,e.g.
[Music]
The opening measures of the slow movement of Brahms’sFourth
Symphonyare an excellent example of a melody in the Phrygian
mode,e.g.
[Music]
The contrast between these measures, with their archaic flavor,
and the sudden change in measure four to the modern tonality
of E major, is very striking. Bach’s well-known choral,O Sacred
Head now woundedalso begins in the Phrygian mode,e.g.
[Music]
For a beautiful modern example of this Phrygian mode see the
introduction to F.S. Converse’sDramatic Poem Job, for voices
and orchestra.
The Lydian mode is identical with our major scale except for the
semitone between the 4th and 5th degrees. That this change,
however, gives a very characteristic effect may be seen in the
passage by Beethoven from his String-Quartet op. 132—Song
of Thanksgivingin the Lydian mode (see Supplement Ex. No.