Duplicated Subdivisions in Babbitt’sIt Takes Twelve to Tango

It Takes Twelve to Tango(1984) has a subdivision series that unfolds in two dimensions: globally in the first beat of the 2/4 meter, and locally in the second beat. Though the eight subdivision series expressed in the second beat mostly proceed at the rate of one subdivision per measure, occasionally a subdivision will be repeated in two consecutive measures. Attempts to interpret these duplicated subdivisions reveal intersections between the subdivision series and a wide variety of other aspects of the piece, including the pitch-class array, hypermeter, and registral gestures. These non-systematic explanations lead to a meditation on the meaning and power of the systematic aspects of Babbitt’s music.