tonalist

American  

[tohn-l-ist] / ˈtoʊn l ɪst /

noun

1. a person who works with or uses tonality, especially one who uses traditional tonality rather than atonality in composing music.

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Etymology

Origin of tonalist

First recorded in 1900–05; tonal + -ist

Example Sentences

He complained that he could hardly give away the subtler tonalist paintings, which he regarded as his finest work, while the demand for flashy poppy paintings was high.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2020

Sometimes Redmond attempted a frank fusion of tonalist atmosphere and deep color.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2020

Primarily a tonalist, Lathrop created poetic and evocative paintings in muted shades, often of earth browns and blue-grays.

From Washington Times • Aug. 1, 2020

By the same token, Puts, the “Silent Night” composer, is very much a tonalist, writing music with a cinematic quality.

From Washington Post • Nov. 9, 2018

Turner, a colorist, reveled in color like a Bacchanal; Rousseau, a tonalist, felt it like a vestal; but both had the sense of color in the subtlest refinement.

From The Autobiography of a Journalist, Volume I by Stillman, William James