Petrushka chord
| Component intervals from root | |
|---|---|
| diminished seventh | |
| minor sixth | |
| diminished fifth | |
| minor third | |
| diminished third | |
| root | |
| Forte no. | |
| 6-30 |
The Petrushka chord is a recurring polytonic device used in Igor Stravinsky's ballet Petrushka and in later music. These two major triads, C major and F♯ major – a tritone apart – clash, "horribly with each other", when sounded together and create a dissonant chord.
The Petrushka chord is defined as two simultaneous major triads (0 4 7) separated by a tritone (0 6). In Petrushka Stravinsky used C major on top of F♯ major (the latter presented here in first inversion):
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The device uses tones that, together, make up a synthetic hexatonic scale (0 1 4 6 7 t). When enharmonically spelled C D♭ E G♭ G(♮) B♭, it is called the tritone scale. Alternatively, when spelled C D♭ E F♯ G B♭ it can be read as the auxiliary diminished scale. It may also be categorized as a lydian dominant♭9 omit 13 scale.
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