mollifiointi

Mollifiointi is a term that can refer to several distinct concepts, primarily in the fields of chemistry and music. In chemistry, mollifiointi relates to the process of softening or making a substance more pliable, often through the addition of specific agents or by altering its physical state. This can be relevant in the manufacturing of plastics, rubbers, or certain types of foods where flexibility or texture modification is desired. The exact agents and methods employed in mollifiointi depend heavily on the material being treated and the intended application.

In a musical context, mollifiointi, or "mollification," describes the process of transforming a melodic or harmonic passage from a major key to a minor key. This is typically achieved by altering certain notes within the melody or chord progression to create a more somber, melancholic, or introspective mood. Composers use mollifiointi to evoke specific emotions or to add variety and contrast within a piece of music. The technical execution involves identifying the specific intervals or scale degrees that define major and minor tonalities and systematically changing them. The term is less common in everyday musical discourse and may appear more in theoretical analyses.