Dissonance versus Atonality
Non-musicians sometimes confuse dissonance with atonality. As a tonal Romantic composer, I like to highlight the difference using an analogy with a novel or movie.
A piece of music without any dissonance (these are rare) is like a novel or movie that is devoid of conflict. You probably wouldn’t bother to read a Vince Flynn thriller where there were no bad guys for Mitch Rapp to overcome, and Star Wars just wouldn’t be the same without Darth Vader and the imperial stormtroopers.
An atonal piece, on the other hand, is like a novel or movie that may have conflicts, but you don’t really care who wins. As a reader or moviegoer, you have no more emotional investment in the outcome than you would in the conflict-free scenario.
As a tonal composer, I regard dissonance — appropriately presented and ultimately resolved — as a vital ingredient of interesting music. And no matter how adventurous my chromatic harmonies and dissonances may become, they need an underlying context of tonality, because that context is part of what creates the adventure.
I like the analogy – it’s helpful. Dissonance is conflict and tone is character, I guess. Conflict can be resolved but lack of character cannot.
While I do understand the point being made, and it’s valid, I think it’s unfair to dismiss atonal music in this way.
There are ways to make atonal music interesting, in such a way that they can grip the audience, or take them on an adventure – at the very least, the adventure part. One of the most interesting things about it is that it can be somewhat (or completely) self-referential. I find this fascinating.