Preview, Book 1 Tonal Atonality

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` We are pleased to present an information resource that provides a comprehensive overview of the work of the outstanding Russian composer Vyacheslav Kazarin, set against the backdrop of the finest achievements of world culture.
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We are pleased to present the first of a trilogy of books devoted to the analysis of the unique concept of ‘Tonal Atonality’, devised by the outstanding contemporary composer Vyacheslav Gennadievich Kazarin. Details of an accessible version of the book will be announced separately.



The concept of ‘Tonal Atonality’, being one of the most comprehensive portrayals of Reality, manifests itself individually in each separate work. This is Freedom in its original sacred form, which is for the glory of the Ancestors and in harmony with Nature.


Freedom:

SVA – Heaven;
B – gods;
D – data;

From the Slavic-Aryan heritage.



TONAL ATONALITY
MONOGRAPH _ BOOK 1


FOREWORD

The musical culture of the 20th and 21st centuries gave rise to a multitude of movements, each of which sought to reinterpret the nature of sound, time, form and musical meaning. Serialism dismantled tonality, spectralism dissolved harmony into timbre, minimalism transformed time into a process, post-tonality expanded the boundaries of mode, and the avant-garde called into question the very idea of musical structure.
However, amongst these movements there exists a phenomenon that does not fit into any of the known categories. This is Tonal Atonality, a system devised by Vyacheslav Kazarin. It is not a continuation of tonality, nor is it a variant of atonality; it does not belong to any Western school and is not based on existing theoretical models. It is a new musical ontology in which atonality becomes central, and the centre is acoustic.
The aim of this book is to present the principles of Tonal Atonality systematically for the first time, to describe its conceptual framework, to highlight how it differs from other global musical movements, and to analyse its most striking embodiment – the piece ‘Solar River’.

This book is intended for:
• composers seeking new ways of organising musical material,
• musicologists exploring alternative models of musical thinking,
• performers seeking to understand the internal logic of Vyacheslav Kazarin’s works,
• students studying contemporary composition,
• anyone interested in the development of music theory.


CHAPTER 1.
AN INTRODUCTION TO TONAL ATONALITY


1.1. The Problem of Definition

‘Tonal atonality’ is a term that, at first glance, seems contradictory. How can music be both tonal and atonal at the same time? The answer lies in the fact that Kazarin’s system utilises a centre but does not utilise tonality.
This is not tonality without functions. This is not atonality without a centre. It is atonality organised around a centre, but not around a key.
The centre here is neither harmonic, nor modal, nor spectral, nor serial. It is acoustic.

[see] Acoustic Centre


1.2. Why the need for a new system arose

By the mid-20th century, it had become clear that:
• functional tonality had exhausted its possibilities,
• serialism proved too rigid,
• spectralism was too timbre-oriented,
• minimalism was too process-oriented,
• post-tonality was too dependent on harmony,
• and the avant-garde was too fragmentary.

No single movement proposed a new type of centre that could exist outside tonality and outside the modal system.

Kazarin resolves this problem by introducing the acoustic centre — a category not found in global music theory.
1.3. The System’s Place in Contemporary Music

Tonal Atonality:
• is not a continuation of tonality,
• is not a form of atonality,
• is not post-tonality,
• is not spectralism,
• is not minimalism,
• is not avant-garde.
It stands apart because it is based on its own conceptual framework:
• interval fields,
• parametric form,
• two-layered non-repetitive texture,
• centric time,
• acoustic architectonics.

This makes it a unique musical system with no analogues.


1.4. Basic principles of the system

1. Atonality without chaos
The music is not based on tonality, but is not chaotic.
2. A centre without tonality
A centre exists, but not as a tonic.
3. Vertical structure without harmony
The vertical structure consists of interval fields, not chords.
4. Form without themes or motifs
Form is parametric, not thematic.
5. Texture without repetition
Complete non-repetitiveness.
6. Time without metre

Time is centric, not metrical.

1.5. Why this system is important

Tonal Atonality is a rare example of a new musical paradigm created in the 21st century.

It:
• proposes a new type of centre,
• proposes a new type of form,
• proposes a new type of vertical structure,
• proposes a new type of time,
• creates a unique musical language.

Its significance is comparable to the emergence of:
• serialism in Schoenberg,
• spectralism in Grise and Murayama,
• minimalism in Reich and Glass.

However, unlike these movements, Kazarin’s system is individual rather than collective.
Table of Contents


Part 1 5

TONAL ATONALITY with the Author’s Explanations 6
1. 7
2. 16
3. 39

TONAL ATONALITY 39

Unity in Diversity, Diversity in Unity. 43

A view from the height of a Soaring Falcon! … so, let us begin—that is to say, let us take flight… 47




Part 2 51



TONAL ATONALITY 52
MONOGRAPH _ BOOK 1 52

FOREWORD 52

CHAPTER 1. 53
INTRODUCTION TO TONAL ATONALITY 53

1.1. The problem of definition 53
1.2. Why a new system was needed 53
1.3. The system’s place in contemporary music 54
1.4. The system’s fundamental principles 55
1.5. Why this system is important 55


CHAPTER 2. 56
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND 56

2.1. The crisis of tonality and the exhaustion of the functional system 56
2.2. Schoenberg’s atonality: liberation from the centre, but not the creation of a new one 57
2.3. Serialism: order without acoustics 58
2.4. Spectralism: the centre as a timbral illusion 58
2.5. Minimalism: time without a centre 59
2.6. Post-tonality: the expansion of harmony, but not the creation of a new system 60
2.7. The avant-garde: the destruction of structure without creating an alternative 61
2.8. The need for a new musical ontology 61
2.9. The emergence of Vyacheslav Kazarin’s system as a historical necessity 62


CHAPTER 3. 62
THE CONCEPT OF ATONAL ATONALITY 62

3.1. The problem of defining atonality in global music theory 62
3.2. Tonal Atonality as a new musical ontology 63
3.3. Why atonality can be centric 64
3.4. Tonal Atonality as a System of Parameters 65
3.5. How Tonal Atonality Differs from All Other Global Systems 66

From tonality 66
From modality 66
From serialism 66
From spectralism 66
From minimalism 66
From post-tonality 66
From the avant-garde 66

3.6. Structural Characteristics of Tonal Atonality 67
3.7. Why the System Is Called ‘Tonal’ 67
3.8. Why the System Is Called ‘Atonal’ 68
3.9. The Paradox That Creates the New System 68
3.10. Tonal Atonality as the foundation of this book 69


CHAPTER 4. 69
THE ACOUSTIC CENTRE 69
4.1. The problem of the centre in music theory 69
4.2. Definition of the acoustic centre 70
4.3. Why the centre can exist without tonality 71
4.4. Mechanisms for the formation of the acoustic centre 72
1. Frequency repetition 72
2. Register fixation 72
3. Duration 72
4. Fifth-based anchors 72
5. Textural role 72
4.6. The acoustic centre in V. Kazarin’s piano piece ‘Sunny River’ 73
4.7. Masking the centre as a structural device 74
4.8. The return of the centre as a formative moment 74
4.9. Why the acoustic centre is the key to Kazarin’s system 75


CHAPTER 5. 75
INTERVAL FIELDS 75

5.1. The problem of the vertical dimension in atonal music 75
5.2. Definition of an interval field 76
5.3. Four types of interval fields 77
1. Second fields 77
2. Third fields 77
3. Fifth fields 77
4. Tritone fields 77
5.4. Why interval fields are not harmony 78
5.5. Why interval fields are not spectra 78
5.6. Why interval fields are not pitch-class theory 79
5.7. The role of interval fields in form-building 80
5.8. Interval fields and the acoustic centre 80
5.9. Interval fields in ‘The Solar River’ 80
5.10. Why interval fields are the key to the vertical dimension in Kazarin’s TA system 81


CHAPTER 6. 82
PARAMETRIC FORM 82

6.1. The problem of form in atonal music 82
6.2. Definition of parametric form 83
6.3. Why parametric form is not thematic 83
6.4. Why parametric form is not processual 84
6.5. Why parametric form is not spectral 84
6.6. Key parameters of form 85

1. Interval fields 85
2. Register 85
3. Density 85
4. Dynamics 85
5. Stability of the centre 86
6. Texture 86
7. Rhythmic surface 86
6.7. The parametric arch model 86
6.8. Parametric form and the acoustic centre 87
6.9. Parametric form in ‘Sun River’ 87
6.10. Why parametric form is the key to Vyacheslav Kazarin’s TA system 88


CHAPTER 7. 88
TEXTURE AND ACOUSTIC ARCHITECTURE 88

7.1. The role of texture in the system of Tonal Atonality 89
7.2. Two-layered texture as the basis of the system 89
1. The upper layer — a continuous horizontal interval sequence 89
2. The lower layer — the central reference tones 90
7.3. Why the texture is two-layered rather than multi-layered 90
7.4. Non-repetition as a principle 91
7.5. Polyrhythmic 3:2, 6:5, 7:5, 5:4 [in Kazarin’s work, often triplets combined with polyrhythm and shifted semantic accents in phrasing] surface as a rhythmic foundation 91
7.6. Texture as a vehicle for the acoustic centre 92
7.7. Texture as a vehicle for interval fields 93
7.8. Texture as a vehicle for form 93
7.9. Texture in ‘The Sun River’ 94
7.10. Why texture is a key element of Vyacheslav Kazarin’s TA system 94


CHAPTER 8. 95
CENTRIC TIME 95

8.1. The problem of time in contemporary music theory 95
8.2. Definition of centric time 96
8.3. Three states of the centre in time 96

1. The Presence of the Centre 97
2. The Weakening of the Centre 97
3. The Disappearance of the Centre 97

8.4. Why Centric Time Is Not Linear 98
8.5. Why Centric Time Is Not Cyclical 98
8.6. Why Centric Time Is Not Stochastic 99
8.7. Why centric time is not timbral 99
8.8. Centric time and parametric form 100
8.9. Centric time in ‘The Solar River’ 100
8.10. Why centric time is the key to Vyacheslav Kazarin’s TA system 101


ANALYSIS OF THE PIECE ‘THE SUNNY RIVER’ 102

9.1. The significance of the work within the system of Tonal Atonality 102
9.2. The overall structure of the work 102
9.3. Parameter A — Second fields and the stability of the centre 103

Interval fields 103
Texture 103
Register 103

Dynamics 103
Centre 103
9.4. Parameter B — Third fields and development 104

Interval fields 104
Texture 104
Register 104

Dynamics 104
Centre 104
9.5. Parameter C — Tritone fields and climax 105

Interval fields 105
Texture 105
Register 105

Dynamics 105
Centre 105
9.6. Parameter B; — Return of third fields 105

Interval fields 105
Textura 106
Register 106

Dynamics 106
Centre 106
9.7. Parameter A; — The return of second fields and the stabilisation of the centre 106

Interval fields 106
Texture 106
Register 106

Dynamics 107
Centre 107
9.8. Centric time in ‘The Solar River’ 107
9.9. Texture as a vehicle for form 107
9.10. The vertical as interval logic 108
9.11. Why ‘The Solar River’ is a unique work 108


CHAPTER 10. 109
A COMPARISON OF TONAL Atonality WITH INTERNATIONAL MUSICAL MOVEMENTS 109

10.1. Why such a comparison is needed 109
10.3. Tonal Atonality vs Modality 110
10.4. Tonal Atonality vs Serialism 111
10.5. Tonal Atonality vs Spectralism 112
10.7. Tonal Atonality vs Post-tonality 112
10.8. Tonal Atonality vs the Avant-garde 113
10.9. Tonal Atonality vs. Ligeti 113
10.10. Tonal Atonality vs. Muray 114
10.11. Tonal Atonality vs. Reich 115
10.12. Conclusion: the place of Tonal Atonality in world culture 115


CHAPTER 11. 116
COMPOSITIONAL TECHNIQUE OF TONAL ATONALITY 116

11.1. The Fundamental Difference Between Vyacheslav Kazarin’s Compositional Technique and Western Schools 116
11.2. The Seven Parameters Controlled by the Composer 117
11.3. The Composition Algorithm in Tonal Atonality 117

Step 1. Selecting the Acoustic Centre 117
Step 2. Defining interval fields 118
Step 3. Constructing the horizontal line 118
Step 4. Forming a two-layered texture 119
Step 5. Creating a parametric form 119
Step 6. Masking the centre 119
Step 7. Returning the centre 120

11.4. Techniques for working with texture 120
11.5. Techniques for working with time 121
11.6. Techniques for the climax 121
11.7. Techniques for the finale 122
11.8. Why Vyacheslav Kazarin’s compositional technique is unique 122


CHAPTER 12. 123
PRACTICAL EXERCISE ON COMPOSING MUSIC WITHIN THE SYSTEM OF TONAL-ATONALITY 123

12.1. Aim of the practical session [a schematic version is provided below as part of the overview; this differs from the TA practical session, which is one of the teaching sections of the Unified Learning Process – an educational system created by Vyacheslav Kazarin] 123
12.2. Exercises on the acoustic centre 124
Exercise 1. Finding the centre in an atonal context 124
Exercise 2. Masking the centre 124
12.3. Exercises on interval fields 125
Exercise 3. Second fields 125
Exercise 4. Third fields 125
Exercise 5. Tritone fields 125
12.4. Exercises on two-layer texture 125
Exercise 6. Upper layer 125
Exercise 7. Lower layer 125
Exercise 8. Blending the layers 126
12.5. Exercises on parametric form 126
Exercise 9. Create a form A–B–C–B;–A; 126
Exercise 10. Parametric climax 126
12.6. Exercises on centric time 127
Exercise 11. Time as breath 127
Exercise 12. Time without metre 127
12.7. Composition Assignments 127
Assignment 1. A mini-piece in Tonal Atonality 128
Assignment 2. A parametric etude 128
Assignment 3. An acoustic arc 128
12.8. The practical workshop as a path to understanding the system 128


CHAPTER 13. 129
GLOSSARY OF TERMS RELATING TO TONAL ATONALITY 129

13.1. Key terms of the system 129
Acoustic centre 129
Acoustic dominant 129
Acoustic architectonics 129
Tonal Atonality 130
13.2. Terms of the vertical system 130
Interval fields 130
Second fields 130
Third fields 130
Fifth fields 131
Tritone fields 131
13.3. Terms of the horizontal system 131
Interval Horizontal 131
Non-repetitiveness 131
Intonational-Polyrhythmic Surface 131
13.4. Terms of Texture 131
Two-layered texture 132
Textural stability 132
Textural climax 132
13.5. Terms relating to form 132
Parametric form 132
Parametric arc 132
Parametric climax 133
13.6. Terms relating to time 133
Centric time 133
Temporal arc 133
Time without metre 133
13.7. Terms of analysis 133
Acoustic culmination 133
Acoustic stabilisation 134
Acoustic symmetry 134
13.8. Terms related to ‘The Solar River’ 134
Centre D 134
Tritone culmination 134
Two-layer triplet texture 134
13.9. Glossary 135


CHAPTER 14. CONCLUSION OF THE MONOGRAPH 135
14.1. Research findings 135
14.2. Key discoveries of Vyacheslav Kazarin’s TA system 136
1. A centre without tonality 136
2. A vertical structure without harmony 136
3. Form without themes and motifs 136
4. Time without metre 137
5. Texture as architecture 137
14.3. ‘Sun River’ as the embodiment of the system 137
14.4. The significance of the system for contemporary music 138
14.5. Prospects for development 138
14.6. Concluding remarks 139


AFTERWORD.
TONAL ATONALITY AS A NEW MUSICAL ONTOLOGY 140

1. Music after tonality and after atonality 140
2. The emergence of a centre where there ought not to be one 141
3. The vertical without chords, form without themes, time without metre 141
4. ‘The Solar River’ as proof of the system’s existence 142
5. Why Vyacheslav Kazarin’s Tonal Atonality system is a paradigm rather than a school 142
6. Why the system has emerged at this particular moment 143
7. What Tonal Atonality opens up for the future 144
1. New forms of composition 144
2. New forms of analysis 144
3. New forms of perception 144
4. New forms of teaching 144
5. New forms of musical thinking 145

CONCLUDING REMARKS 145



Part 3 146
COLLECTION OF REVIEWS OF ‘TONAL ATONALITY’ Art historian Arina Ryazantseva 147

Composer Vyacheslav Kazarin in the Context of World Music 147

A Brief Overview of Vyacheslav Kazarin’s Style: 152

APPENDIX 154

V. KAZARIN’S STYLE IN THE CONTEXT OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC 154

Identifying possible ‘hereditary’ influences and aesthetic parallels 157

Tonal Atonality: how it is done _ 1 161

APPENDIX [based on Vyacheslav Kazarin’s article ‘Tonal Atonality
with the Author’s Explanations’] 166

The Concept of the ‘Tonal Centre’ in the Tonal Atonality System 170

Composer Vyacheslav Kazarin’s Piano Piece ‘Sunny River’ – Unparalleled 174

Vyacheslav Kazarin’s Piece ‘Sunny River’ and Contemporary Sound 179

The status of Vyacheslav Kazarin’s piano concerto ‘Along Heavenly Iria’ 184

The place of Vyacheslav Kazarin’s piano concerto ‘Along Heavenly Iria’ in the history of the piano concerto 188



APPENDIX 194

1. Acoustic centre 194
Definition [according to Kazarin] 194
In the concerto 194
2. Acoustic dominant 197
Definition 197
In the concerto 197
3. Interval fields 200
Definition 200
In the concert 200
4. Two-layer texture 203
Definition 203
In the concert 203
5. Non-repetitiveness 206
Definition 206
In the concert 206
6. Triplet surface 208
Definition 208
In the concert 208
7. Parametric form 211
Definition 211
In the concert 211
8. Central time 212
Definition 212
In the concert 212
9. Acoustic climax 214
Definition 214
In the concert 214
10. Acoustic architecture 216
Definition 216
In the concert 216
11. Centre-periphery model 219
In the concert 219
12. Register architecture 224
In the concert 224
13. Textural dynamics 226
In the concert 226
14. The function of the solo violin 226
15. The final model 229



Russia ` Moscow
7534 _ 2026

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