A one-paragraph historical narrative:
The major dominant-ninth chord ("V9" or just "dominant ninth") gradually became a significant stylistic element in European and European-influenced music over the course of the nineteenth century. Early on it appeared in dance-based and song genres—notably, Schubert’s—in connection with expressive treatments of scale degree ^6. On the musical stage it remained restricted to pastoral and dance-based numbers in Singspiele and vaudevilles. By the 1850s it had reached larger-scale comic and dramatic works, becoming especially associated with both climactic and pastoral moments in Wagnerian opera. Thereafter the dominant ninth was firmly established in the two major practices of drama and dance—exemplified by Wagner and Johann Strauss, jr., respectively. By 1890—and through the first half of the 20th century—it could be found in a majority of music, including some concert music, but especially operettas, musicals, salon or recital pieces, and commercial song repertoires. Before the end of the 19th century also, the major dominant-ninth chord had established itself as one of the characteristic sounds of contemporary or Impressionist concert music, in part because of its close relation to the whole-tone scale (four notes out of five). Although that style did persist into the 1930s, already by 1920 the major dominant-ninth sound was considered passé by younger concert composers and was often actively avoided. (text edited 2024-09-23; 2025-01-05; 2025-08-14; 2025-10-07)
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Find here an updated index of essays published on the Texas ScholarWorks platform, with abstracts and links: --> link. Essays on the dominant ninth are in §2, beginning on p. 10. Within this blog, of course, the search function can be used to locate specific names, titles, etc., and post titles can be browsed in the sidebar. -- 18 December 2024: I have published the fourth and last part in the most recent series: Dominant Ninth Harmonies in Music from 1900 to 1925, Part 4. Here is the link.
