2005 Patricia Carpenter Emerging Scholar Award: The Hemiolic Cycle and Metric Dissonance in the First Movement of Brahms's Cello Sonata in F Major, Op. 99

The Hemiolic Cycle It is impossible to discuss metric dissonance at length without addressing hemiola a topic that has been well-documented and studied by scholars.1 Example 1 shows a classic hemiola in f . When examining hemiolas, theorists often focus on a metrical strand that conflicts with the notated one, whether this strand is heard as a faster | or a slower f . This perspective tacitly undermines the relevance of the ongoing notated meter, which continues to exert its effect so that the new temporary metric strand can be understood as a dissonance. To better address our awareness of the hemiola as a metric disturbance, we must acknowledge the perceptual and conceptual presence of the notated meter, and the rhythmic effect of the new meter must be considered within the referential frame of the notated meter.