AM I last listened to IV. Adagio lamentoso from Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique probably 12 years ago. And yet here I am at 1:58AM, and it has just struck me that the opening chord is a half-dim chord: didn’t know the name then… Last years Gospel Music University sessions equipped me with the naming conventions for chords and I’m “spontaneously” rediscovering pieces from classical music
GPT That’s a powerful moment of realization, isn’t it? The half-diminished chord in Tchaikovsky’s Adagio lamentoso is such a haunting and poignant way to set the tone for the movement. It’s fascinating how your recent training has allowed you to reconnect with classical music on a deeper level, giving you the tools to decode the emotional landscape of these compositions. Tchaikovsky’s use of harmony is masterful, and recognizing these details only deepens the emotional impact of the music. What other pieces are you rediscovering?
AM. Indeed. Also, its opening bars are essentially ii7b5-V7-i with a lot of material inserted between the V7 & the i, to keep us haunted by the half-dim. Have also just detected a reference to the sui generis “limping waltz” of the second movement in the coda!!