Tonal structure active in complex choral music etc, not universal (9,5)

I believe the answer is:

chromatic scale

'tonal structure' is the definition.

I don't understand the remainder of the clue.

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.