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I don't write things that are wildly abstractly atonal.
Andre Previn

Meaning of "atonal" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF ATONAL

atonal  [eɪˈtəʊnəl] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF ATONAL

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Atonal is an adjective.
The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

WHAT DOES ATONAL MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Atonality

Atonality in its broadest sense is music that lacks a tonal center, or key. Atonality, in this sense, usually describes compositions written from about 1908 to the present day where a hierarchy of pitches focusing on a single, central tone is not used, and the notes of the chromatic scale function independently of one another. More narrowly, the term atonality describes music that does not conform to the system of tonal hierarchies that characterized classical European music between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. "The repertory of atonal music is characterized by the occurrence of pitches in novel combinations, as well as by the occurrence of familiar pitch combinations in unfamiliar environments". More narrowly still, the term is sometimes used to describe music that is neither tonal nor serial, especially the pre-twelve-tone music of the Second Viennese School, principally Alban Berg, Arnold Schoenberg, and Anton Webern. However, "s a categorical label, 'atonal' generally means only that the piece is in the Western tradition and is not 'tonal'", although there are longer periods, e.g.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH ATONAL


azonal
eɪˈzəʊnəl
baritonal
ˌbærɪˈtəʊnəl
bitonal
ˌbaɪˈtəʊnəl
bizonal
ˌbaɪˈzəʊnəl
clonal
ˈkləʊnəl
ecotonal
iːkəˈtəʊnəl
hormonal
hɔːˈməʊnəl
interzonal
ˌɪntəˈzəʊnəl
microtonal
ˌmaɪkrəʊˈtəʊnəl
monoclonal
ˌmɒnəʊˈkləʊnəl
neurohormonal
ˌnjʊərəʊˌhɔːˈməʊnəl
neuronal
njʊəˈrəʊnəl
nonhormonal
ˌnɒnhɔːˈməʊnəl
nontonal
ˌnɒnˈtəʊnəl
patronal
pəˈtrəʊnəl
polyclonal
ˌpɒlɪˈkləʊnəl
polytonal
ˌpɒlɪˈtəʊnəl
semitonal
ˈsemɪˌtəʊnəl
tonal
ˈtəʊnəl
zonal
ˈzəʊnəl

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE ATONAL

atomistically
atomization
atomize
atomizer
atomy
Aton
atonable
atonalism
atonalist
atonality
atonally
atone
atoneable
atonement
atoner
atonia
atonic
atonicity
atoningly
atony

WORDS THAT END LIKE ATONAL

additional
cantonal
constitutional
conventional
educational
emotional
exceptional
functional
institutional
international
national
operational
optional
personal
professional
promotional
regional
seasonal
the National
traditional

Synonyms and antonyms of atonal in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «atonal» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF ATONAL

Find out the translation of atonal to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of atonal from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «atonal» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

无调性
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

atonal
570 millions of speakers

English

atonal
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

atonal
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

اهن
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

атональная
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

atonal
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

কোনো নির্দিষ্ট স্কেলের নির্দেশ ছাড়াই রচিত
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

atonal
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Atonal
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

atonal
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

無調の
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

무조
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Atonal
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

atonal
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

atonal
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

Atonal
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

atonal
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

atonale
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

atonal
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

атональна
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

atonal
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

ατονική
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

atonaal
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

atonal
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

atonal
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of atonal

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «ATONAL»

The term «atonal» is normally little used and occupies the 114.873 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Little used
46
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «atonal» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of atonal
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «atonal».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «ATONAL» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «atonal» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «atonal» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about atonal

EXAMPLES

QUOTES WITH «ATONAL»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word atonal.
1
Andre Previn
I don't write things that are wildly abstractly atonal.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «ATONAL»

Discover the use of atonal in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to atonal and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Analyzing Atonal Music: Pitch-class Set Theory and Its Contexts
An engaging study -- the first ever -- of the principles used by noted scholars to unravel the masterpieces of Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and other modernists.
Michiel Schuijer, 2008
2
The Structure of Atonal Music
Describes and cites examples of pitch-class sets and relations in atonal music.
Allen Forte, 1973
3
The Atonal Music of Arnold Schoenberg, 1908-1923
In this book, Bryan Simms combines a historical study with a close analytical reading of the music to give us a new and richer understanding of Schoenberg's seminal work during this period.
Bryan R. Simms Professor of Music University of Southern California, 2000
4
The Atonal Music of Arnold Schoenberg, 1908-1923
Between 1908 and 1923, Schoenberg developed a compositional strategy that moved beyond the accepted concepts and practices of Western tonality. This study synthesizes and advances the state of knowledge about this body of work.
Bryan R. Simms, 2000
5
Basic Atonal Counterpoint
Basic Atonal Counterpoint is a guided course in atonal contrapuntal composition using pitch groups known as "sets.
Stanley A. Funicelli, 2009
6
The Atonal Music of Anton Webern
In this book an eminent music theorist presents the first systematic and in-depth study of the early atonal works, from the George Lieder, opus 3, through the Latin Canons, opus 16.
Allen Forte, 2014
7
Mathematics and Computation in Music: Second International ...
Sequential Association Rules in Atonal Music Aline Honingh, TillmanWeyde, and Darrell Conklin⋆ Music Informatics research group Department of Computing City University London Abstract. This paper describes a preliminary study on the  ...
Elaine Chew, Adrian Childs, Ching-Hua Chuan, 2009
8
Evolution of the Vertebrate Auditory System
Therefore, the question becomes: Do the same criteria apply to Atonal and the specification of mechanoreceptors? At this point, the answer is no, for several reasons. First, an atonal homolog has been identified in C. elegans, lin-32, but this ...
Geoffrey A. Manley, Arthur N. Popper, Richard R. Fay, 2004
9
Serial Composition and Atonality: An Introduction to the ...
The composer working within the diatonic tonal system may take for granted the existence of specific properties of that system: a seven-tone scale, triadic harmonic structure, a key center, and so forth. The atonal composer, however, can take ...
George Perle, 1991
10
The Listening Composer
But it is precisely these connections that we are told we must abjure if we are ever to make anything of atonal and twelve-tone music. According to John Rahn's useful textbook, Basic Atonal Theory, the " 'tonal filters' " which enable us to ...
George Perle, 1990

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «ATONAL»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term atonal is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Beginner's Guide: No Wave
With The Contortions, it became nervous approximations of dance songs, covered over with atonal sax bleating. With Mars, it became primal ... «Treble, Jul 15»
2
Six best albums for walking
Philadelphia pianist McCoy Tyner had been to the atonal fringes of jazz as a member of John Coltrane's band in the early Sixties, but cutting ... «Telegraph.co.uk, Jul 15»
3
Carlton Melton
It's far removed by the album's title track which is a pensive brooding squall of passive aggressive, all mixed up with atonal strands of noise and ... «Soundblab, Jul 15»
4
An American classic is rescued by Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra
... Diamond's later music was shoved to the side by atonal and modernist postwar fashion. The openly gay, Jewish composer believed himself ... «Chicago Tribune, Jul 15»
5
Letters to the editor: July 5
When he strikes those repulsive keys, his ancient piano is so out of tune that the atonal dissonance it produces causes instant migraines to ... «Journal and Courier, Jul 15»
6
Grateful Dead, Trey Anastasio Let It Grow at Fare Thee Well …
As the band members returned to the stage, Anastasio added some spacy filigrees and then the whole group settled into the atonal “New ... «Billboard, Jul 15»
7
My Grateful Dead romance: My favorite polyphonic jam, one more …
... third part of the song just descends into complete anarchy: weird warping crescendoes, cymbal crashes; atonal static from Mars, lizard music. «Salon, Jul 15»
8
The Melvins still seeing how long it all can work
At the time, the Melvins, his over-the-top metal band, were defiantly nonmelodic and enjoyed kicking off albums with seven minutes of atonal ... «Chicago Tribune, Jul 15»
9
Heather Watson sees off Daniela Hantuchova but Serena Williams …
In the end the Czech's most notable contribution to the match was probably her pleasingly low-key shot-grunt, a slightly haunting atonal ... «The Guardian, Jul 15»
10
Voodoo, a Harlem Renaissance opera, revived in New York
These attempts faltered in the post-World War II atmosphere in the classical music arena, dominated by a rigidly atonal avant-garde. «World Socialist Web Site, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Atonal [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/atonal>. May 2024 ».
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