Principles of TONL
︎ TONL has rules, and follows them when needed.
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TONL’s purpose is to express ideas, programmes, and feelings in the most accurate way possible.
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TONL embraces traditionally tonal elements and serial elements in a carefully weighed dichotomy where neither takes precedence over the other.
Generalisations presented herein
︎ The more a row resembles a ‘tonal series,’ the freer we need to treat it. The more a row resembles an ‘atonal series,’ the less free we should treat it.
︎ When directly using the tone-row for composition, emphasise consonant intervals. Obviously dissonant intervals will be used, but their overabundance can easily make a passage tedious and clunky. The dissonant interval’s strength is lessened.