10701 / 18210 · Workshop 88 — Harmonic Memory: How Earlier Chords Change the Meaning of Later Chords, How Repetition Rewrites Function, and How to Make a Listener Hear Long-Range Relationships← prev⊞ allnext →
88.65Retrospective harmony
The final event can change how earlier events are understood.
This is one of today's deepest ideas.
Example:
C/A-minor ambiguous opening.
Final A minor:
ear retrospectively hears earlier material as minor-centered.
Final C major:
same earlier material now sounds major-centered.