polytonality
English era
Definition
The simultaneous use of two or more distinct key areas. Ginastera described Piano Sonata No. 1 as employing polytonality alongside twelve-tone technique — a personal synthesis that gives the work harmonic tension and an Argentine character that twelve-tone writing alone could not provide.
Interpretive Guidance
In polytonal textures, allow the ear to perceive the competing tonal centres as distinct layers rather than averaging them into undifferentiated dissonance. Voicing, touch weight, and pedalling all contribute to how clearly each tonal stream registers.