polytonality

[pol-ee-toh-nal-i-tee]

pol·y·to·nal·i·ty

[pol-ee-toh-nal-i-tee]
noun Music.
the use of more than one key at the same time.
Also, pol·y·ton·al·ism [pol-ee-tohn-l-iz-uhm] .


Origin:
1920–25; poly- + tonality

pol·y·ton·al·ist [pol-ee-tohn-l-ist] , noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To polytonality

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Polytonality is always a great word to know.
So is eighth rest. Does it mean:
passage at the end of a composition used to bring it to a satisfactory close
rest equal in time value to an eighth note
Collins
World English Dictionary
polytonality or polytonalism (ˌpɒlɪtəʊˈnælɪtɪ)
 
n
music the simultaneous use of more than two different keys or tonalities
 
polytonalism or polytonalism
 
n
 
poly'tonal or polytonalism
 
adj
 
poly'tonally or polytonalism
 
adv
 
poly'tonalist or polytonalism
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

polytonality

in music, the simultaneous occurrence of two or more different tonalities or keys (the interrelated sets of notes and chords used in a composition). If only two keys are employed, the term bitonality is sometimes used.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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