La tendinopatía rotuliana

We arbitrarily assume that the C–D–F–G–A–(C) referential order is a fi ve-note scale characterized by a 2–3–2–2–3 intervallic structure. Any one of its fi ve constituent notes can serve as tonic, thus implying the presence of a complete family that consists of fi ve diff erent modal rotations.⁶

Tonal Pentatonic Rotations Rotation 1 C–D–F–G–A–(C) Rotation 2 D–F–G–A–C–(D) Rotation 3 F–G–A–C–D–(F) Rotation 4 G–A–C–D–F–(G) Rotation 5 A–C–D–F–G–(A)

Tonal Pentatonic Rotations Transposed to a Common Tonic Rotation 1 C–D–F–G–A–(C)

Rotation 2 C–Eb–F–G–Bb–(C) Rotation 3 C–D–E–G–A–(C) Rotation 4 C–D–F–G–Bb–(C) Rotation 5 C–Eb–F–Ab–Bb–(C)

In its fi rst mode or rotation, the scale forms the nucleus of the music of many ancient cultures, for example, China, Africa, Polynesia, and Scot-land. It also forms the core scalar collection of much of western and eastern European folk music. It has been used throughout the history of European art music, from Gregorian chant melodies to Mendelssohn’s Scotch Sym-phony to a host of works by diff erent 20th century composers. Debussy and Bartók, infl uenced by pentatonic-based folk music of Russia and Hungary, respectively, began to use it in their own works and eventually synthesized it into their personal musical language. They, like many of their contem-poraries, not only appreciated the distinctive sound provided by the scale but also understood the compositional possibilities aff orded by its unique intervallic structure.

Relative to the seven-note diatonic and non-diatonic modes, its “gapped”

fi ve-note structure renders the pentatonic scale a more fl exible construction.

While the sequence of whole and half steps of a diatonic mode may suggest a tonal center (tonic) as well as its modal color, the lack of semitones in the pentatonic scale make the identifi cation of a modal tonic ambiguous. Since there are no semitones that serve as tendency tones, any of the fi ve tones of the scale can be asserted.

While the pentatonic scale can be used as the referential pitch collec-tion of a work, in many 20th century composicollec-tions, it often serves as the nucleus of larger diatonic and non-diatonic modes. A single diatonic mode, for example, contains three diff erent rotations of the pentatonic scale. The transformation of a pentatonic nucleus into a seven-note mode requires the addition of only two notes that can be placed at diff erent intervallic diff er-ences within the minor third gaps and or at the end of the pentatonic scale.

Six of the seven diatonic modes can be generated by using three diff erent rotations of the pentatonic scale that exist within the “white note” diatonic pitch collection. The only diatonic mode that cannot be generated from any rotation of the pentatonic scale is the Locrian mode. This is due to the fi xed perfect fi fth above the initial note of any pentatonic rotation. The tritone replaces the fi fth in the corresponding degrees of the Locrian mode.

Completion of Diatonic Modes from a Pentatonic Nucleus

E B Ionian mode

The completion of a diatonic, non-diatonic, or hybrid mode from a penta-tonic nucleus is a compositional technique favored by many 20th century composers. It identical to that used for the completion of specifi c interval cycles or the chromatic continuum except that it takes place within a modal context. If a piece is based on defi nite diatonic or non-diatonic modes, the pentatonic scale can be viewed as an incomplete pitch collection thereof.

This principle is articulated in the opening section (mm. 1–12) of Kodaly’s Valsette. After a brief introduction (mm. 1–4), in which the left hand establishes the Bb tonality, the fi rst melodic fl ourish (mm. 4–7) out-lines a complete pentatonic rotation [D–F–G–Bb–C]. At the termination of this melodic statement (m. 8), the change of harmony in the accom-paniment supplies an Eb which begins to complete the diatonic scale

[Bb–C–D–Eb–F–G–( )]. Immediately preceding this (m. 6), a new melodic gesture supplies the missing A to complete the Bb Ionian mode [Bb–C–D–

Eb–F–G–A] (Figure 5.1).

In this tonal context, the occurrence would seem ordinary were it not for the fact that a second pentatonic collection [C–D–F–G–A] emerges from the larger diatonic mode in the second half of the eight-measure melody.

The extraction of the new pentatonic collection from the larger diatonic one reverses the process of diatonic completion used in the fi rst half of the melody. This demonstrates the primacy of the pentatonic collection. The entire completion and extraction process of the pentatonic collection may be graphically represented as follows:

Original Pentatonic mode: Bb—C—D — F—G Completed Diatonic mode: Bb—C—D—Eb—F—G—A Extracted Pentatonic mode: C—D — F—G—A

Hybrid modes, such as the Lydian/Mixolydian hybrid mode can also be constructed around a pentatonic nucleus.

F# Lydian mode

C–D–E– G–A Lydian/Mixolydian

Bb Hybrid mode

Mixolydian mode

The introduction (mm. 1–4) to Copland’s The Cat and the Mouse: Scherzo Humoristique starts with a single melodic statement that unfolds an ascend-ing pentatonic scale [A–B–D–E–F#]. The chord that follows [B–C#–F–A]

supplies a new note to the already-existing pentatonic collection but alters the pentatonic structure by lowering the F# a semitone. This alteration foreshadows the polymodal interplay that starts to occur later in the piece.

The original ascending pentatonic collection is immediately reinstated (m.

Figure 5.1 Kodaly, Valsette (mm. 6 –11). Copyright © Editio Musica Budapest.

Used by Permission.

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3) an octave higher and is followed by a rapidly descending arpeggio punc-tuated regularly by chords. The pitch content of this descent [D–E–G#–C]

supplies two new notes that complete the pentatonic collection to unfold a complete Lydian/Mixolydian hybrid mode [D–E–F#–G#–A–B–C] secured to a D modal tonic (Figure 5.2). This is confi rmed by the continued asser-tion of this tonic in the following measures (mm. 5–6).