Klangfarbenmelodie

Klangfarbenmelodie (German for sound-color-melody) is a musical technique that involves breaking up a musical line or melody out from one instrument to between several instruments. It adds greater color and texture to a melodic line, instead of just one timbre in playing the line.

The term was coined by Arnold Schoenberg in his text on harmony, Harmonielehre (1911). He and Anton Webern are particularly noted for their use of the technique.

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