Relationship to Other Chapters

Chapter XV connects directly to Chapter XIII's discussion of added notes—the proliferation of added notes in modern harmony necessitates reconceptualizing traditional dissonance categories. The pedal group references rhythmic concepts from earlier chapters, particularly the equivalence of repetition and sustaining established in discussions of rhythmic ostinato. The passing group relates to melodic contour discussions in Chapter VIII and anticipates the sequential procedures in modal progressions. The embellishment group connects to bird song (Chapter IX) where elaborate melodic flourishes ornament simple structural frameworks. The upbeat-accent-termination complex integrates with rhythmic pedals from Chapter VI (as demonstrated in Example 311) and anticipates the modal harmonic progressions of Chapters XVI–XIX, where these articulatory gestures will operate within specific modal contexts. The polymodality of Example 302 previews the systematic treatment of polymodal techniques in Chapter XIX. Throughout, the chapter demonstrates Messiaen's principle that musical parameters operate synthetically—rhythm, harmony, and melody combine to create unified expressive gestures.