Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov · section 91 of 96

Polytonic Succession of Dominant Seventh Chords in the Relation of an Upper or Lower Third

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§ 90. 1) Example of the connection of triads with dominant seventh chords a minor or major third away:

Four connections on one treble staff, whole notes. 1) G major triad G–G–B–D to the dominant seventh of E♭ in 4/3 position, F–A♭–B♭–D (V, figured 4/3), D tied. 2 — Fig. 376 · See it in the reader

2) Example of the connection of dominant seventh chords with triads a minor or major third away:

Four connections on one treble staff, whole notes. 1) Dominant seventh of C, G–B–D–F (V, 7), to the B♭ major 6/4 chord F–B♭–D–F (6/4), F tied. 2) G–B–D–F (V, 7) — Fig. 377 · See it in the reader

NOTE. Example (1) is less good, because it looks as if it contained an incorrect suspension.

3) Example of the succession of dominant seventh chords a major or minor third apart:

Four successions of dominant seventh chords whose roots lie a third apart, each chord labelled V: 1) G–B–D–F (7) to B♭–D–F–A♭ as a 4/2 chord (2), with the commo — Fig. 378 · See it in the reader

4) Example of the succession of two dominant seventh chords a fourth and a fifth apart:

a) G–B–D–F (7, labelled V) to D–F♯–A–C as a 4/3 chord (labelled IV): the root rises a fifth. b) G–B–D–F (7, labelled VI) to C–E–G–B♭ as a 4/3 chord (labelled V) — Fig. 379 · See it in the reader

NOTE. — Succession (a) of the example above has a rather harsh effect because of the ascending motion of the seventh; succession (b), on the other hand, is fairly common. It derives from the modulating sequence, a modification of the one-key sequence; that is, each seventh chord of the one-key sequence is transformed into a dominant seventh chord in the modulating sequence.

ONE-KEY SEQUENCE (in C major): seventh chords on V, I, IV, VII, III, VI, alternately in root position (7) and as 4/3 chords — G–B–D–F, C–E–G–B over G, F–A–C–E, — Fig. 380 · See it in the reader

MODULATING SEQUENCE: every chord is a dominant seventh chord (V), the roots rising by fourths and the chords alternating between root position (7) and 4/3 posit — Fig. 381 · See it in the reader

Such a modulating sequence, through the enharmonic change of one of the dominant seventh chords, brings about the modulation back to the original key.

REMARK. — Modulating sequences can also be composed with half-diminished or diminished leading-note seventh chords, and with ninth chords alternating with seventh chords.