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321SIMHA AROM & POLO VALLEJOTOWARDS A THEORY OF THE CHORD SYNTAXOF GEORGIAN POLYPHONYThe originality and complexity of Georgian polyphony inspired us to study itfrom a systematic standpoint, i.e. in order to understand the principles which underliethis music per se, i.e. without focusing on other aspects such as its history,regional variants or genres.One of the particularities of Georgian choral music is that, unlike most modalmusic, which is generally monophonic, it is polyphonic.The corpus of pieces that we examined, which was empirically constituted, includespublished scores and recorded sound documents, as well as recordings andtranscriptions which we made ourselves. It contains about 250 pieces of religiousand secular music from various regions of Georgia.Thus far we have scrutinized all of them and analyzed about 80 songs in depth.This allowed us to elaborate two provisional typologies: one involves cadences, whilethe other is for songs with drones and homorhythmic songs.The aim of this paper is to report on our “work in progress.” Everything proposedhereafter applies only the pieces analyzed and in no way claims to have overallvalidity.Introduction1. Georgian polyphony is essentially modal.2. It is chiefly three-part polyphony.3. Most of the pieces we analyzed are based on only one mode. Sometimeshowever, because of accidental alterations, there are temporary “modulations” toneighbouring modes, while other pieces that are “harmonically” more complex presentmore than one mode.4. We consider the finalis to be the determinant reference note towards which allthe voices converge. When the piece ends on the vertical interval of a 5 th , we willtake the lowest note as the reference for the identification of the mode.5. A mode is defined as a succession of discrete notes separated by intervals of amajor or minor 2nd that can extend beyond the octave, from high to low, or viceversa.6. In Georgian three-voice polyphony the two upper voices proceed for the mostpart by conjunct movement. Disjunct movement is produced only in the followingcases:a. Change of position of one of the voices within a chord,

Towards a Theory of the Chord Syntax ofGeorgian Polyphony323Songs with DroneOf the 250 pieces analyzed, only 11 were songs with drone:* The pitches in parentheses refer to escape notes of short duration.1. Here it should be understood that by songs with drones we mean those piecesthat are based in their entirety upon this procedure.2. These pieces are unmeasured, that is, they do not proceed with a regularmetric scheme.3. The drone is the base over which one or two melodic voices unfold.4. All the examined pieces with drones are from the Kartli-Kakheti region.5. The classification of the above chart is based on the gradation of movement ofthe drone part, from simpler to more complex.6. With the exception of the last three examples (No. 9, 10, 11), the number ofpitches in the drone part is very limited.7. In most cases the melodies are constructed in the G Mode. The pieces withdrones are characterized by the vertical interval of a minor 7 th , which gives themtheir characteristic colour.8. With the exception of pieces No. 9, 10 and 11, the movement of the dronevoice, whether ascending or descending, is reduced to two types of intervals: majorand minor 3 rds , and major and minor 2 nds .9. The interval of the major 2 nd is the most frequent. Up to four consecutiveascending intervals of a major 2 nd can be found, almost forming a wholetone scale:piece No. 9: G – A – B – Db – (Eb).

324 Simha Arom, Polo Vallejo10. In the drone voice the interval of an ascending minor 3 rd has the character ofan escape note and is invariably followed by a descending minor 2 nd . This escapenote precedes a “modulation” in the upper voice.11. All accidental alterations in the upper voices announce a change in the dronepart. In the G Mode, immediately after the appearance of the lowered 3 rd (Bb insteadof B natural), the drone voice descends a whole tone. Vertically, the result is a neutralthird (between major and minor) (ex.4).12. When the drone voice ascends a whole tone, the movement is always precededby a lowered third (Ab instead of A natural) in the upper voice. Verticallytherefore, the result is an octave or a 5 th (ex.5).13. The interval of a neutral 3rd, which precedes the change of the drone pitch,always fluctuates between natural and flat. There is a stressing of this 3rd, whichseems to announce this change.Homorhythmic SongsThe following are the homorhythmic songs analyzed based on only one mode:.1. Two types of homorhythmic songs can be distinguished: strict and ornamented.The former are characterized by all their parts having an identical rhythmic articulation(Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 of the A mode, No. 1, 5, 6 of the G mode and Nos. 1, 2,3, 4, 5 of the E mode). The latter, ornamented, show a homorhythmic tendency andalso include brief ornamentations such as passing tones, suspensions, anticipations,appoggiaturas and embellishments between chords (No. 7, 8 of the A mode; Nos. 2,3, 4, 8, 9 of the G mode and No. 6 of the E mode).2. The connection between voices is made by parallel, oblique and contrary motion.Between the 1st and 2nd voices we find mainly parallel and oblique motion.Between these and the lowest voice the most frequent is contrary motion.3. The chords of the homorhythmic songs present two types of aggregates: onemore “transparent”, whereas the other, more “dense”, is often associated with li-

Towards a Theory of the Chord Syntax ofGeorgian Polyphony325turgical texts. The degree of density increases with regard to the nature of the chordsand the ornamentation.Modes and Constitutive Chords1. Of the pieces we examined, most of the homorhythmic ones are in the GMode, to a lesser degree in the A mode and least of all in the E mode. The othermodes (D, C, F) only appear when “modulations” occur within the pieces.2. There are various reasons for the fact that the most frequently usedmodes are those of A, G and E:a. In relation to the cadences, when the VII degree resolves to the 1 degree, thedistance between them must always be a whole tone. Five of the modes meet thisrequirement (A, G, E, D, B). The C and F modes can be discarded because thedistance between their VII and I degrees is a half tone.b. In relation to the vertical organization, the types of intervals which constitutethe triadic chord built on the first degree must correspond to major or minor triads.For this reason, the B mode is excluded, as the triad built on its Ist degree is adiminished chord (B-D-F = tritone).c. The only mode which meets the requirements in the same manner as the A, Gand E modes is the D mode. The reason it is excluded from these chord processesseems to be due to the importance of the VI degree in the first three (see below) andwhich, in the case of D corresponds to B, whose triadic chord (B-D-F) is diminished.Chord SyntaxRelationship between the different degrees1. The chord progressions of the homorhythmic pieces are determined by:a. The movement of the lowest voice,b. The chords generated above it,c. The relationship established between the chords.2. In each of the modes there are various chord syntax possibilities. Certaindegrees present a large number and a greater variety of chords than others, and theyare related to a greater number of degrees.3. In the A mode, there are five degrees which are the most important in thechord syntax: I-IV-V-VI-VII. The II degree (a diminished chord B-D-F) is not use.4. The IIIrd degree never participates in the chord syntax. (The reason for this isstill unclear to us.)5. In the G mode the most important degrees are I-II-IV-V-VI-VII.6. In the E mode the most important degrees are I-VI-VII. The II degree is onlypresent in one piece (Khertlis, No. 3 of the E mode).7. In general, the most frequently used degrees in the chord syntax in the G, Aand E modes are I, VI and VII.

326 Simha Arom, Polo Vallejo8. The chord syntax of each mode shows a particular way of organizing thefrequency of – and hierarchy between – its degrees, as is shown by the followingchart:9. Relationships between degrees and modes in which an absolute reciprocityexists:10. Relationships between degrees and modes in which an absolute reciprocity isnever found in the syntax:11. The remainder of the relationships between certain modes and degrees onlyoccur unidirectionally, not reciprocally:

Towards a Theory of the Chord Syntax ofGeorgian Polyphony327Chord Syntax in the Different ModesA ModeThe above chart and the following scheme show the possible unidirectional relationshipsbetween the different degrees of the homorhythmic pieces in the A mode:Successions which are never found in the pieces in the A mode:E Mode

328 Simha Arom, Polo VallejoSuccessions which appear between the different degrees in the pieces in the Emode:Successions that never appear in the pieces in the E mode:G ModeSuccessions which appear between the different degrees in the pieces in the GMode:Successions that never appear in the pieces in the G Mode:

Towards a Theory of the Chord Syntax ofGeorgian Polyphony329Chord Syntax Analysis of a Specific Example, Alilo (Imereti), religious piecein the G Mode (ex.6).A. Succession of degrees in Alilo:IV – II – I – II – I – VII – I – VII – I – II – I – VII – I – VII – IB. Chord types on each degree and general chord syntax of Alilo 1 :C. Chord progressions on the same degree in Alilo:

330 Simha Arom, Polo VallejoD. Chord progressions between different degrees in Alilo:E. Successions that never appear in Alilo:F. Experimental Elaboration:Our experimental elaboration pursued two aims: 1) To create a synthetic modelof Alilo; 2) To verify that different pieces in the same mode have similar chordprogressions.In the first case we elaborated a synthetic version of the piece respecting itssuccession of degrees while eliminating the reciprocity of the repeated sequences(as in II-I-II-I / VII-I-VII-I), and maintaining only one of them (II-I / VII-I).All the repeated degree pairs in the original version of Alilo:IV_II_I_II_I_VII_I_VII_I_II_I_VII_I_VII_I, have been reduced in thefollowing manner: IV_II_I_VII_I_II_I_VII_I.In the synthetic version of Alilo we arbitrarily chose different progressions accordingto the possibilities that each chord permits.Below, we can observe the correspondence between the original syntax of Aliloand that of the synthetic version (ex.7):F.1. Original chord syntax of Alilo:

Towards a Theory of the Chord Syntax ofGeorgian Polyphony331F.2. Chord syntax of the synthetic version:G. “Freely” created piece in the G Mode according to one of the numerouspossibilities of the chord syntax (ex.8):During our presentation at the IV International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony,both pieces (the synthetic version of Alilo and the “freely” created piece inthe G mode) were performed by members of the Basiani Ensemble and were receivedvery positively by the majority of our Georgian colleagues. A few of them,however, mentioned the “rigidness” of these pieces due to the fact that they weresung from a written score. So we asked the Basiani singers to once again performone of the pieces, but this time adding improvisations. The new result elicited generalsatisfaction.The second experiment was to verify that the various pieces in a given modealways offer the same possibilities for chord progressions. To this end, we “composed”ex nihilo two homorhythmic pieces, the first in the A mode (ex.9) and thesecond in the E mode (ex.10), following the norms pertaining to the chord progressionsof those modes.The first of these experiments showed that the reduction of a piece to its essentialelements allows for deduction of its model. It also shows that the framework ofa piece allows for a great many different realizations, without loss of its identity.The second, realized on the basis of the analysis of the chord syntax in the G, A,and E Modes respectively, confirms that pieces in the same mode follow specificchord progressions.* * *The title of this paper – “Towards the Theory of the Chord Syntax of GeorgianPolyphony” – reflects the aim we pursued in our recent research: the study of aunique polyphonic legacy with the purpose of deciphering its chord system anddefining the principles on which it is based. The above presentation should obviouslybe considered a provisional stage in a long-term, on-going project that proposes aperspective which differs from the investigations undertaken by our Georgian colleagues.

332Simha Arom, Polo VallejoOur limited access to the written sources concerning this subject – all of them inGeorgian or Russian – has obliged us to resort to listening and transcribing soundmaterial recorded on CDs and the analysis of scores, and also to “field work” withrecordings we made with the Basiani, Mzetamze and Madrikali Ensembles. Ourdiscussions with our Georgian colleagues Rusudan Tsurtsumia, Nato Zumbadze,Anzor Erkomaishvili and Joseph Jordania led to a turning point in our approach andmethods and to modifications of certain aspects of our work.In this research we have used conventional analytical tools such as chord notation,but have also employed a method based on the separation of parameters (modes,intervals, chords) and on the functioning of the various musical processes (cadences,plurivocal procedures and chord syntax). Starting with the reduction of a givenpiece, and in order to validate the legitimacy of our method, we composed a differentversion of Alilo and two new pieces in the A mode and E mode so as to confirmour hypothesis concerning the chord syntax.The validation of the results by our colleagues who attended our presentation atthe IVth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony showed us the consistencyof the method and encouraged us to continue exploring a type of musicalexpression which we consider unique in its genre.Notes1The figures to the right of each degree indicate the intervallic distance which existsbetween these and the notes of the chord: 2M = Major 2nd / 3m = minor 3rd / 3M = Major3rd / 4 = 4th / 5 = 5th / 6m = minor 6th / 6M = Major 6th / 7m = minor 7th / 7M = Major 7th/ 8 = octave / 9M = Major 9th.– e.g. in the G mode, IV 5/3M means a Major 3rd and a 5thabove the fourth degree, in other words... the third - C-E-G..

simha aromi, polo valeho. danarTiSimha Arom, Polo Vallejo. APPENDIX333magaliTi 1. kadansis pirveli tipi (tipi A)Example 1. The first type of cadence (Type A)magaliTi 2. kadansis meore tipi (tipi B)Example 2. The second type of cadence (Type B)magaliTi 3. kadansis mesame tipi (tipi C)Example 3. The third type of cadence (Type C)magaliTi 4. SemTxveviTi alteracia maRal xmebSi mianiSnebs cvlilebasburdonul banSi. Sedegad viRebT neitralur tercias (didsa da patarasSoris)Example 4. The accidental alterations in the upper voices announce a change in thedrone part. The result is a neutral third (between major and minor)

334simha aromi, polo valeho. danarTiSimha Arom, Polo Vallejo. APPENDIXmagaliTi 5. burdonuli banis mTeli toniT maRla asvlas win uswrebsdadablebuli tercia zeda xmaSi (Ab A bekaris nacvlad). Sedegad vertikalSiviRebT oqtavas an kvintasExample 5. . When the drone voice ascends a whole tone, the movement is alwayspreceded by a lowered third (Ab instead of A natural) in the upper voice. The resultis an octave or a 5 thmagaliTi 6. `alilo~ (imereTi). religiuri, G kiloSiExample 6. Alilo (Imereti), religious piece in the G Mode From Georgian Polyphonies,Tbilisi, 2005 / ISBN 99940-776-0-0 Editors: N. Zumbadze, N. Kalandaze, T. Zhvania,D. Shugliashvili, p.185

simha aromi, polo valeho. danarTiSimha Arom, Polo Vallejo. APPENDIX335magaliTi 7. `alilos~ sinTezuri versia (C tipis kadansi)Example 7. Score of the synthetic version of Alilo (C type cadence)magaliTi 8. G kiloSi `Tavisuflad~ Seqmnili nimuSi (B tipis kadansi)Example 8. Score of the “freely” created piece in the G Mode (B type cadence)magaliTi 9. A kiloSi `Tavisuflad~ Seqmnili nimuSi (B tipis kadansi)Example 9. Score of the “freely” created piece in the A Mode (B type cadence)magaliTi 10. E kiloSi `Tavisuflad~ Seqmnili nimuSi (A tipis kadansi).Example 10. Score of the “freely” created piece in the E Mode (A type cadence).