atonal

"City" is sometimes described as atonal, but perhaps "supertonal" might be a better term, it seems to exist in every key and every tempo at the same: great, towering, unresolved dissonances the size of the Chrysler building are constructed right in front of you and then tumble to the ground "watch out for flying glass!"

The Jazz Scene: Birthdays and Mermaids Will Friedwald 2012

His interest in atonal music drew him on to study composition at the Juilliard School of Music (M.S., 1962) in New York City and then to Paris to study under Nadia Boulanger.

Five People Born on January 31 | myFiveBest 2010

(Seriously, every Spanish-English dictionary I have says "atonal" is the same in both languages.

"His accordion's done wonders for his personality" Matthew Guerrieri 2006

(Seriously, every Spanish-English dictionary I have says "atonal" is the same in both languages.

Archive 2006-10-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2006

In the early twentieth century, however, composers led by [Arnold] Schoenberg began to rally against the traditional conventions of music to produce compositions which lack tonal centres, known as atonal music.

The Atonal President James Taranto 2010

In the early twentieth century, however, composers led by Schoenberg began to rally against the traditional conventions of music to produce compositions which lack tonal centres, known as atonal music.

Telegraph.co.uk: news, business, sport, the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Sunday Telegraph 2010

Guitarist Dimitri Coats, best known for the band Burning Brides, hammers out his riffs like a drummer and, in a live version, offers a pithy solo that recalls the atonal squirm of Black Flag founder Greg Ginn.

NPR Topics: News 2010

In the early twentieth century, however, composers led by Schoenberg began to rally against the traditional conventions of music to produce compositions which lack tonal centres, known as atonal music.

Telegraph.co.uk: news, business, sport, the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Sunday Telegraph 2010

In the early twentieth century, however, composers led by Schoenberg began to rally against the traditional conventions of music to produce compositions which lack tonal centres, known as atonal music.

Telegraph.co.uk: news, business, sport, the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Sunday Telegraph 2010

I thought for sure that "atonal" would first turn up in a discussion of Liszt's music, but "omnitonal" seems to be the phrase that his contemporaries — those who had the chance to hear pieces like the Bagatelle, at least — used.

Mod squad Matthew Guerrieri 2009