Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Klangfläche (sound-plane) technique is rarely discussed, but often heard. From Beethoven to Schoenberg, it is ever present in musical depictions of nature. This chapter explores Klangfläche through two of its most well-known examples: Richard Wagner’s “The Forest Murmurs” from Siegfried and the introduction to Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. Klangflächen are emergent phenomena made up of at least two musical planes: the textural background in teleological stasis, and the foreground plane(s) containing motion or progression. This chapter shows that Klangfläche sections of music may contain form and advance larger forms, develop internally, and engage with the overall development of the musical work, as well as resolve the tensions they create. Distinct timbral and orchestrational choices often drive processes internal to the Klangfläche and in its relation to larger musical form.</jats:p>