Stylistic aspects of Sibelius’s harmony: the example of the half-diminished chord and its links with modal harmony

Abstract

The half-diminished seventh chord belongs to the most commonly utilized
elements of Sibelius’s harmonic vocabulary. It can be found anywhere already in
Sibelius’s early works. The chord is used both as a stylistic marker and a tool for
analysis, while it gives a better comprehension of the composer’s handling of
tonality. The purpose of this paper is to show how the half-diminished seventh
chord is used within Sibelius’s harmony, as well as its interaction between modality
and tonality. The modal color evidences how Sibelius is indebted to the Romantic
composers. However, once the distance between Sibelius and his major influences
(Wagner, Grieg, Mussorgsky) is reevaluated, the half-diminished seventh chord
sonority turns out to be a powerful element of his style.