polytonal

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pol·y·to·nal·i·ty

(pŏl′ē-tō-năl′ĭ-tē)
n.
Simultaneous use of two or more tonalities in a musical composition.
pol′y·to′nal (-tō′nəl) adj.
pol′y·to′nal·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj. 1. polytonal - using more than one key or tonality simultaneously; "exciting rhythms and polytonal harmonies"
tonal - having tonality; i.e. tones and chords organized in relation to one tone such as a keynote or tonic
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
polytonal

polytonal

[ˌpɒlɪˈtəʊnəl] adj (Mus) → politonale
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
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References in periodicals archive ?
1 in C minor, "The Bells of Zion ice", B 9, convinced that back in 1865 Dvorak was not thinking polytonally. In Serebrier's opinion, the majority of conductors--if not omitting the passages entirely--have only blindly adhered to the evident mistakes committed by the copyists, and if Dvorak had not sent the score to the competition and had had the opportunity to listen to it, or at least see it, he would have corrected the "apparent error" himself.
Antonin Dvorak: Complete Symphonies, Legends, Slavonic Dances
With its polytonally staggered imitative levels and quasi--Latin American rhythms, the music at times sounds like strangely latter-day Milhaud.
European journal, 1993

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