Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov · section 1 of 96

Preface to the First Edition

Most treatises on harmony contain detailed analyses of the various chords and their resolution, the use (hardly necessary nowadays) of a different clef for each part, and notes on figured bass; one also finds the care their authors take to explain every harmonic fact — for example, the reasons that forbid consecutive fifths, and so on. But in truth they offer little or almost no teaching on how to harmonize a melody or how to choose chords well.

In general, while these treatises present the various dissonant chords as means of modulation, they omit the true principle of modulation: the relationship of keys and the chords they share.

It very often happens that a pupil who has mastered every rule in these treatises still does not know how to set about harmonizing a melody, composing a prelude of a few bars, or modulating to any given key; his modulations are harsh and abrupt, and his progressions — even those of consonant chords — are flat and incoherent.

Though I am convinced that my manual is not without its imperfections, I believe I have succeeded in setting out, clearly and fairly completely, the methods of harmonizing a melody and of modulating, starting from the simplest means and proceeding gradually to the most complex. For this work I owe a debt of gratitude to the friendly collaboration of Anatoly Konstantinovich Liadov, to whom I dedicate the book.

My aim can be summed up in a few lines.

1. To set down the principles of our science in few words.

2. To fit the book to the harmony course of the St Petersburg Conservatory and the other Russian schools.

3. To show the pupil how to continue his studies, as far as possible, without the constant help of a teacher.

My harmonic models and exercises are sufficient in number, but the pupil should also compose his own on the pattern of my examples.

For the realizations in this manual I use four parts. For rests, staggered entries of the parts, imitation, the use of motives and the various accompaniment figures, I refer the pupil to the study of counterpoint and of free composition in all its forms.

On finishing the harmony course and taking up counterpoint, the pupil should be able:

1) To harmonize a chorale in block chords in the strict style (example, p. 50).

2) To harmonize a chorale with strict melodic decoration in the three lower parts, leaving the melody unchanged (example, p. 68).

3) To harmonize a chorale freely, with dissonant chords and chords from several keys (example, p. 81).

4) To harmonize a melody that contains free melodic decoration (examples, pp. 70, 71 and 80).

5) To compose an exercise that modulates gradually in block chords (examples, pp. 52 and 53).

6) To compose a modulating prelude, in ternary form where possible, giving melodic sense to the parts and above all to the top part (example, p. 83).

7) To write a few harmonic variations on a given theme (example, p. 84).

In addition, the pupil should be able to play any gradual or sudden modulation at the piano, to improvise a prelude in any key, preferably in four parts, and finally to play various sequences and harmonic progressions.

A pupil who is studying composition in particular, if not overburdened with other musical studies, can learn our harmony course within one school year.

To take up the study of harmony one must know elementary theory, have a good musical ear, sight-sing fluently, recognize intervals without hesitation, and play the piano. If harmony is studied only to round out a general musical education, however, the course can be considerably shortened.

All the exercises are at the end of the volume; their numbers are given in turn after each theoretical explanation.

N. Rimsky-Korsakov. St Petersburg, 1886.