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	The staccato scale lines (bars 1-3, 4-5) fit in well with the
pseudo-modal procedures established from the beginning of the opera.
However, there are no direct functional relationships among the chords
which accompany these scales.  Unless one considers the lowering of
the leading tone as non-functional chromaticism (and there is no
particular reason for doing so here), there are no pivot chords.  Thus,
because of the whole step motion down from the root, each of these major
chords after the first one is most easily heard as dominant in function.
Note the tritone relations between the third of each chord and its
following weak-beat quarter-note.  But since the harmony does not return
to the point from whence it came, the resulting third relations lose
significance as elements which can contribute to any particular basic
tonic.

	The sequential nature of the passage makes its "form" easy to
grasp in %2spite%1 of the constant moving on to new places which tends
to negate the functional relationships.  In the following analysis of the 
first five bars, a basic tonic on the highest level seems superfluous
and so is omitted.  Control tonics are listed at the end points of the
phrase units, since they stand out in special relief.  At bar 4 we 
return to a ↓_I_↓ in the middle ground because we begin again from
an already heard chord.
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Figure 112a
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	At bar 6 it might be ventured that the "dream" begins to
become a "reality" for Gregory.  Here the functions are much clearer.
But as Gregory's narration reaches the description of the mocking of
the crowd, "reality" once more disintegrates -- into a chord structure
with a whole-tone potential.  The chord for bars 10 and 11 may be taken
as C-E-G%4S%1, with D and F%4S%1 as appoggiaturas.  One function this
chord can have is Vs of the a minor chord which comes in bar 14.
This notion gets some support from the fact that there are no bass
notes between the low E in bar 12 and the A-E fifth of bar 14.  The
functional connection between the augmented chord and the previous
music is quite weak.  With the enharmonic alteration of all flatted
notes in bar 9 we have chords which, with a charitable outlook, could
be considered as tonicizing the dominant of ↓_a_↓.
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Figure 112b
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	On the other hand, it is more reasonable to take the F%4F%1 of
bar 9 as a chromatic passing note in an area which has strong
orientation toward ↓_b_↓%4F%1.  Then if we reverse our position on bar 10
and take E-G%4S%1 as neighboring notes to D-F%4S%1, the chord for 
that bar may be read enharmonically A%4F%1-C-E%4FF%1-G%4F%1, or the
altered dominant of ↓_D_↓%4F%1.  This is useful, since ↓_D_↓%4F%1 is
the control tonic which appeared at the end of Figure 112a.  The
elements of the possible ↓_a_↓ control tonic appear directly below
the analysis of the ↓_D_↓%4F%1 functions.  ↓_C_↓ becomes a new
and independent control tonic at the end of the excerpt.
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Figure 112c
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	The ambiguity of many of the progressions in this excerpt
makes possible the derivation of many other dubious functions.  It
should be clear that the primary basis of organization in this
passage is hardly any longer functional harmony.  In the first five bars
the %2pattern of third relations%1 seems ascendent.  The particular
temporary tonics and their relationship to any basic tonic are
important only in that they continually lead %2away%1 from the
possibility of a simple functional return to the point of departure.
In bars 6 to 15 the %2interval of the third%1 is handled in a
broader fashion.  The bass at first descends by thirds, the fourth
leap being reserved for the phrase ending.  The highest part spans
the third A%4F%1-C twice, the C persisting as a pedal point from
bar 8 through to its tonic role at the end.  However, the fact that
chords such as those of the excerpt %2usually%1 do have functional
significance (and Musorgsky's audience certainly assumed this
intuitively) contributes greatly to the effect of the passage.

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	In %2Parsifal%1, Wagner has extended the technique of functional
ambiguity which we have studied in connection with %2Tristan und Isolde%1.
In our coming example from the opening of the Third Act of %2Parsifal%1,
we are placed in almost continual doubt as to the specific role of each
note.  It is the rule rather than the exception that notes may be heard
as both chord and non-chord tones at once.  Especially noticeable are
the long suspensions whose relative consonance often forms
independent chords with distant functions.  The very slow tempo leaves us
lingering on these "non-chord" chords, so that it is quite possible to
lose entirely the sense of harmonic direction.  And when we come to
know the music well enough to maintain our harmonic orientation, we
realize that the specific functions are hardly important and that
ultimately our sense of direction is preserved rather by our
understanding of the particular means of handling the functional 
ambiguity.

	The first of the analyses given below (Figure 113a) is based on the
slowest possible harmonic rhythm that may be heard in this music.
The functions given are those of the chords at the various points of
resolution.  It is only by studying the whole example carefully that
we can feel sure about just where the points of resolution really 
fall.  We are reasonably safe in assuming that all of Wagner's
functional chords will be based on thirds.  In addition, we must
realize that our diatonic-based system of notation is outmoded for
music like this and that enharmonic equivalence must always be taken
into consideration.  Proceeding with these things in mind, we see that,
from the broad point of view, the essential harmony changes no more
quickly than the time of a half-note -- and sometimes even more slowly
than that.  In the second measure, the leap in the bass makes both
parts of the tritone stand out as chord notes, the preceding G%4F%1(=F%4S%1)
being an upward-resolving suspension.  The soprano's E-F-B%4F%1 work
the same way, the pattern of half-note harmony with quarter-note
overall movement thereby being well established.

	  In two spots, the
traditions regarding leaps away from non-chord tones are stretched
somewhat.  At bars 5 and 8 the diminished octave skip in the bass
almost leads one to hear both notes of the interval as chord tones.
Then the chord formed by the suspensions above the low half-notes
would seem to have functional significance (see second analysis, 
Figure 113b).  However, when the upper three notes resolve, it becomes
clear that, in the largest sense, the diminished octave was merely
a displaced chromatic scale movement and that the substitution of a
sharp on the first note in each case (E%4F%1=D%4S%1, F=E%4S%1) would
make this clear -- to the eye at least.  These spots are further 
complicated because they represent a change in the manner of dealing
with this pattern of a long note moving to a short note on the next
degree, followed by a leap.  But when studying the music in terms
of most of the detail (Figure 113b), it is seen that several 
interpretations of this pattern are possible.
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Example 113.  Wagner, Parsifal, Act III, bars 1 to 11
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Figures 113a, b, and c.  Wagner, Parsifal, Act III, bars 1 to 11
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	Figure 113c sets forth the main elements of a possible interpretation
which is perhaps obscured by the details in the other two analyses.
The analysis in Figure 113b does not really give a clear
picture of how this music is finally heard.  If all these 
contrapuntally-achieved chords were really taken as functional harmony,
the music would be very difficult to follow in the tonal sense.  However,
once the "Wagnerian method" is understood, the factors shown in
Figures 113a and 113b stand out in their proper relief.

	These examples from Musorgsky and Wagner have shown us two
methods by which functional ambiguity may be created.  Something
of both methods were found in each example, but with Musorgsky it
was mainly a case of rapidly juxtaposing triads which contained
incompatible chromaticism and supported no single tonic.  With
Wagner it was mainly a case of using chromatic  counterpoint in such a way as
to give little hint in the details about the specific structure of
many chords -- thereby keeping most of the functions in doubt.

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	Almost all of Debussy's music is truly tonal, but in his later