submediant

[ suhb-mee-dee-uhnt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Music.

the sixth tone of a diatonic scale, being midway between the subdominant and the upper tonic.

submediant

/ sʌbˈmiːdɪənt /

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First recorded in 1800–10; sub- + mediant

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In the opening Allegro the second subject occurs, by way of exception, in the major key of the submediant.

The second (in B flat) is in the submediant, the last in the tonic major.

The second subject is propounded by the oboes (in the rather unusual related key of the submediant).

To be sure, Beethoven did invent the change to a lowered submediant in a succeeding movement.

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