"Die Teufelsmühle": Continental Reception of Vogler's Chromatic Rule of the Octave

Douglas Donley, University of North Texas

By the end of the 18th century, two main systems of harmony dominated theory and composition in Europe: Rameau's fundamental bass and the older thoroughbass practice, which, among other things, emphasized the "rule of the octave" and partimenti. Abbé Georg Joseph Vogler (1749-1814) inherited a number of concepts from both of these traditions and carefully mixes them according to his own theoretical logic. Using Vogler's Chromatic Rule of the Octave as a case study, this paper explains how Vogler's theory is different from the more prevalent systems of his era, and shows why other musicians in Europe preferred either fundamental bass or thoroughbass over Vogler's great compromise.