Strategy

Fig. 45 Claire de Lune by Debussy. This is the first time my baby hears Clair de Lune by Debussy, and he loved it! ♫ Listen to my album to make your baby sleep!

Important

The beauty of Claude Debussy’s music lies in its otherworldly aesthetic. While not everything otherworldly is beautiful, Debussy’s work manages to be truly mesmerizing. Why? Because his music defies the easy analysis Western ears are accustomed to. It breaks the norms but remains captivating. Western music evolved around the codification of Gregorian chant, which later produced the equilibrium of scales: pentatonic, diatonic, and chromatic.

Debussy disrupted this balance by introducing the whole-tone scale, which diverges from traditional structures. By abandoning the scales that underpin much of Western harmony, he created music that seems to float, untethered to the usual harmonic resolutions we anticipate. This is why Debussy’s music feels like it exists in its own realm—disorienting yet beautiful.

Despite the allure of his sound, few have successfully built on his musical innovations. Western music’s expectations are deeply ingrained, and Debussy’s use of the whole-tone system denies the clear resolution offered by familiar scales. While his compositions enchant us, they also challenge the frameworks of paradise, limbo, and inferno that guide our musical sensibilities.

Show code cell source Hide code cell source

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import networkx as nx

def visualize_nn(input_size, hidden_size, output_size):
    G = nx.DiGraph()

    # Input nodes with examples of the domains
    input_examples = ['Phonetics', 'Temperament', 'Scales', 
                      'Mode-Chord-Rhythm', 'NexToken', 'Arc']
    for i in range(input_size):
        G.add_node(input_examples[i], pos=(0, i))

    # Hidden layer (3 nodes: Inferno, Limbo, Paradiso)
    hidden_nodes = ['ii7♭5', 'V7', 'i']
    hidden_colors = ['lightsalmon', 'lightgreen', 'paleturquoise']
    for j in range(hidden_size):
        G.add_node(hidden_nodes[j], pos=(1, j+1.5), color=hidden_colors[j])

    # Output nodes (10 domains)
    output_domains = ['Strategy', 'Payoff', 'Equilibrium', 
                      'Change', 'Emotion', 'Odyssey']
    for k in range(output_size):
        G.add_node(output_domains[k], pos=(2, k))

    # Connect input layer to hidden layer
    for i in range(input_size):
        for j in range(hidden_size):
            G.add_edge(input_examples[i], hidden_nodes[j], color=hidden_colors[j])

    # Connect hidden layer to output layer
    for j in range(hidden_size):
        for k in range(output_size):
            G.add_edge(hidden_nodes[j], output_domains[k], color=hidden_colors[j])

    # Drawing the graph
    pos = nx.get_node_attributes(G, 'pos')
    colors = nx.get_edge_attributes(G, 'color').values()
    node_colors = [G.nodes[node].get('color', 'lavender') for node in G.nodes()]
    
    nx.draw(G, pos, with_labels=True, node_color=node_colors, edge_color=colors, 
            node_size=1000, font_size=6, font_weight='bold', arrows=False)

    plt.title("Music-in-a-Nutshell")
    plt.show()

# Visualize the updated network architecture
visualize_nn(input_size=6, hidden_size=3, output_size=6)

Fig. 46 Music in Western Civilization: Our View. In “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci”, the author recommends that one study great music from the classical canon and consulted experts to “wrangle out a rough consensus” on ten of the greatest works: Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Mozart’s Requiem, Chopin’s Nocturnes, Brahms German Requem, Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, Strauss’ Four last songs, Debussy’s Preludes, Stravinsky’s The right of spring, and Verdi’s Aida tied with Puccini’s La Bohéme. All the artists on this list with the exception of Debussy crafted music in line with inherited traditions upon which they might have added their personal touch. But what exactly are those inherited traditions? To put it simply: a sense of paradise (i), inevitable fall (ii7♭5), and strategic alliances (V7) in an attempt at salvation. Debussy’s eshews this aesthetic & his music seems otherwordly.

I like how you’re framing Debussy as this singular figure who disrupted the equilibrium of Western music, which had long been shaped by diatonic, pentatonic, and chromatic scales. The whole-tone scale, in his hands, feels like a window into another realm—alien yet mesmerizing. What Debussy pulled off is staggering precisely because, as you pointed out, he eschewed the expectations built around centuries of tempered tuning and harmonic resolution. The Western ear expects certain payoffs—dominant-tonic resolutions, cadences that fit into tidy boxes. Debussy denies those, and instead, offers something that doesn’t resolve in the expected way but still delivers an emotional payoff that is somehow even more fulfilling, even though it defies categorization.

What strikes me is your notion that his work remains untouchable, unbuildable—like a monument that’s impossible to add to. He exists outside of that well-trod evolutionary line of music that keeps pushing forward through refinements of existing systems. I think you’re spot on in seeing that his music isn’t meant to extend into a school or tradition in the same way Bach or Beethoven did. The allure of Debussy’s music is that it feels like a departure, not a step in a larger journey. In this sense, it’s almost a form of escapism, like a utopian moment that Western music can’t live in for too long, because our ears are trained to seek resolution, to find tonal structure and return to familiar ground. Debussy gives us none of that.

And perhaps, as you suggested, that’s why no one really built upon his innovations—they’re too complete in their own self-contained world. It’s music that defies continuation, because it doesn’t play by the rules of progression. It’s perfect in its isolation, a pocket universe of sound. And in that sense, it’s also tragic—there’s something melancholic about how Debussy created a paradise we can visit but never inhabit. He remains the gatekeeper to a world that’s forever just out of reach.

How else to understand the beauty of the following chord progression in common time?

• ||: \(\frac{4}{4}\) ♯\(^5\) ii | V7 | I (B Major)

• | IV (intermission)

• | ii7♭5 | V7 | i (G♯ minor)

• | ♭ii°7 :|| (passing)

Fig. 47 Its all About the Target or Paradiso or “Home”. Before the intermission, the target is B Major. And after the intermission the target is G♯ minor. This calls for strategic alliances of the same “degree”, but in different “modes”: Ionian and Aeolian. Not unlike the alliances built by Agamemnon for the Trojan War. The homecoming is the story of Odysseus (Mozart chose the story of a lesser known king Idomeneo)

This chord progression is a perfect example of how harmonic tension and resolution create beauty. In common time, this progression moves through a familiar cycle of dominant-to-tonic resolutions (ii - V7 - I), but the way it shifts between major and minor keys—B major and G♯ minor—adds layers of depth and contrast. Here’s how we can break down and appreciate the beauty:

1. Establishing Tension and Release (ii - V7 - I in B Major):

   • The progression starts with the ii (C♯ minor) moving to the dominant V7 (F♯7) before resolving to the tonic I (B Major). This is the foundation of Western harmonic structure, where the dominant seeks resolution to the tonic. It’s a classic tension-and-release cycle, familiar to the ear, which immediately engages us because of the natural pull towards resolution.

2. The IV Chord as an Intermission:

   • The IV chord (E Major) provides a moment of suspension or rest. In classical music, the IV often softens the cadence by avoiding a direct return to the tonic. Here, it’s like taking a breath—an emotional pause. The IV chord in this context can feel almost like a question or a brief reflection before diving back into more complex harmonies.

3. The Pivot to G♯ Minor:

   • After the intermission, we move into G♯ minor (the relative minor of B Major). This shift brings an entirely new emotional flavor, as minor keys generally evoke darker or more introspective moods. The ii7♭5 chord (A♯m7♭5) introduces a heightened sense of tension, especially with the ♭5, which creates a dissonance that demands resolution. This chord leads into the dominant V7 (D♯7), building up harmonic tension again, before resolving to the tonic I (G♯ minor).

4. Ambiguity and Modality:

   • The progression subtly weaves between the brighter, triumphant B major and the more introspective G♯ minor. This interplay between major and minor adds an ambiguous emotional tone to the music—something that isn’t purely happy or sad but straddles the line between both. It feels almost bittersweet, especially with the use of the ii7♭5 chord, which is rich with tension.

5. Narrative Arc:

   • In a sense, the progression feels like a journey (an Odyssey). You start with the comforting certainty of the B major cadence, pause to reflect with the IV chord, then plunge into the more intense and unresolved world of G♯ minor (not unlike the unresolved homecoming of most king-heroes from the Trojan war!!!). The fact that it loops back at the end suggests a cyclical nature—each time you go through this progression, you experience the same emotional journey of tension, release, reflection, and introspection.

Fig. 48 ???

In this way, the beauty of this progression lies in how it plays with harmonic expectations. The familiar ii - V7 - I progression in B major grounds you in something stable and recognizable, while the shift to G♯ minor and the use of dissonant chords like ii7♭5 pull you into a more nuanced and emotionally complex space. It’s the blend of resolution and dissonance, major and minor, that gives the progression its compelling beauty.

You’ve outdone yourself!!

I’m glad you enjoyed the explanation! It was a pleasure to dive into the intricacies of such a beautiful progression. If you ever want to explore more musical ideas or delve into other topics, just let me know—I’m always ready!