The Hexatonic and the Double Tonic: Wolf's Christmas Rose

This article analyzes Hugo Wolf's Auf eine Christblume I and II in relation to Robert Bailey's concept of the “double-tonic complex.” These songs project an intricate pairing of D and F# tonalities that often result in various hexatonic relationships. My interpretation associates the D/F# complex with the central poetic subject: the Christmas rose. The article introduces Wolf's setting, reevaluates Bailey's idea, and offers an in-depth hermeneutic analysis of the two songs.