Birdsong in the Music of Olivier Messiaen A thesis submitted to

P
Birdsongin the Music of Olivier Messiaen
A thesissubmittedto MiddlesexUniversity
in partial fulfilment of the requirementsfor the degreeof
Doctor of Philosophy
David Kraft
School of Art, Design and Performing Arts
Nfiddlesex University
December2000
Abstract
7be intentionof this investigationis to formulatea chronologicalsurveyof Messiaen'streatmentof
birdsong,taking into accountthe speciesinvolvedandthe composer'sevolvingmethodsof motivic
intrinsic
incorporation
instrumentation,
characteristicsand structure.The
of
manipulation,
in
developing
is
in
to
turn,
taken
this
survey
selected
works
appropriatetabular
study
approach
formswith regardto Messiaen'suseof 'style oiseau',identifiedbird vocalisationsandeventhe
frequentappearances
of musicthat includesfamiliar characteristicsof bird style,althoughnot so
labelledin the score.Dueto the repetitivenatureof so manymotivic fragmentsin birdsong,it has
becomenecessary
to developnewterminologyandincorporatederivationsfrom other research
findings.7be 'motivic classification'tables,for instance,presentthe essentialmotivic featuresin
birdsong.
complex
somevery
The studybeginsby establishingthe importanceof the uniquemusicalproceduresdevelopedby
Messiaen:theseinvolve,for example,questionsof form, melodyand rhythm.7he problemof
'authenticity' - that is, the degreeof accuracywith which Messiaenchoosesto treat birdsong- is
in
birdsong
Messiaen's
A
selectedmajor works
use
of
of
then examined. chronologicalsurvey
follows, demonstrating
an evolutionfrom the ge-eralterm 'oiseau'to the preciseattributionof
birds.
to
particular
material
particular
harmonies(or
in later periods,the composerexploresnew instrumentationandaccompanying
,
idiosyncrasies
timbres
the
to
and
other
chordalcomplexities) create,as closelyaspossible, unique
larger
introduce
begins
Messiaen
birds'
to
time,
the
a
much
varietyof
same
vocalisations;at
of
birdsong
7be
birdsong
from
his
into
the
are
of
representations
world.
music,using
all over
species
least
in
the
'authentic',
than
and
perhaps,
with
works
colourful,
previous
or
at
more
more
much
is
Catalogue,
landscape
in
(for
greaterverisimilitude created.
portrayalof
example)
accompanying
The inclusionof so manyexotic speciesin the scoresof, for instance,SeptHarkar and
Chronochromieis a resultof Messiaen'smeticulousornithologicalinvestigationsandpainstaking
by
be
importantly,
increasingly
bird
More
to
the
tends
replaced other
monophonic
style
notations.
texturessuchastwo-voicehomophony,hornorhythin,hybrid forms andpolyphony.
The mostpertinentworks of this final periodare evaluated,clearlydisplayingthe manyfeaturesof
drawn
Conclusions
in
birdsong
their
the
the
are
call,
and
part
pieces.
and
structureof
each
features
distinguishing
by
the
the
of each
technical
the
means which
composerrealises
concerning
birdsong.Thethesisis sustainedby a closestudyof threeelementsgoverningMessiaen'streatment
between
(rbythm.,
birdsong;
the
close
relationship
melodyandstructure),especiallyconsidering
of
them.
Therehasnot previouslybeena systematicattemptto analyseMessiaen'spiecesin this way. This
birdsong,
Messiaen's
of
employment
researchprovidesa coherentstructuraloverviewof
displayingrecurringpatternsfound in the useof rhythm,melodyand structure.Further,the recent
d'Ornithologie'
Couleur
de
de
'Trait6
Rythme,
to
Messiaen's
the
research
enables
et
of
publication
begenuinelyup-to-date,usingthe composer'spersonalcommentson, andanalysesof, birdsongs
found frequentlyin his music.
ii
Acknowled2ements
I shouldlike to thank AlphonseLeduc in generalandHilary Thomsonat UnitedMusic
PublishersLtd in particularfor permissionto quote extractsandmusicalexamplesfrom
like
I
to thank ProfessorMichael Bridger, my tutor for the
copyrightmaterial. shouldalso
four years,andMichaelFrith, my secondsupervisor.Specialthanksmustgo to my parents
for their continuedsupportandfinancialhelp:they havegenerouslypaid for fees,books
and scores.Finally,my thanksto PerryKeenlysideandPeterHill for additionaladvice.
iii
Foreword
In a critical studyof this kind wherea musicaldevelopmentis surveyedover a substantial
it
is
inevitable
(1928-1987),
that certainworks aregiven more attentionthan
period
is
level
important
innovations
higher
the
are
cited,
corresponding
section
given
a
others:as
in
innovations
both
"motivic
the
these
shown
are
and
classification'tablesand
of analysis,
in the musicalexamples.Nevertheless,in order to follow the thesisin detail, it will be
have
I
hand.
have
Throughout
the
thesis
to
to
employeda numberof
scores
usefW
For
directions
[p6,
in
b4l
in
bold
to
the
to
reader.
example,
s2,
order
give
specific
symbols
indicates
further,
bar
four,
IH/7
in
two,
a
musical
example
at
signifiespagesix, system
ChapterIII, numberseven.
iv
Contents
ChapterI
ChapterII
ChapterIII
ChapterIV
ChapterV
ChapterVI
ChapterVII
ChapterVIII
ChapterIX
Background
Issuesin MessiaenResearch
MusicalLanguageof Messiaen
The Notation of Birdsong
Characteristicsof 'Le StyleOiseau'in Works 1933-1948
The ExperimentalPeriod 1949-1951
R6veildesOiseauxandOiseauxExotiques
Catalogued'Oiseaux
Use of Birdsongin SelectedWorks 1960-1987
Conclusion
MusicalExamples
Bibliography
Dissertations
Discography
1-14
15-44
45-59
60-72
73-127
128-168
169-219
220-263
264-336
337-356
357-457
458-463
464
465466
V
Gloi-tarv
Key: DK- original terms
0: ornithological terms
NI: Nfessinen'sterms
This
involves
(1%1):
tcchnique
the repetitionof a
asymmitrique
agrandissement
down,
transposed
cell:
or
notesare
up
while othersremainthe same.
melodic
alternator (DK): Two notesinterchangeone after the other in a patternof equal
Commonintervalsare the tritone or augmentedoctave.
durations,often serniquavers.
bird call: A short, declarnatorysequenceof pitches.
birdsong:A sectionof musicwhichhasbeenidentifiedby thecomposer
with a
it
is
birdsong
bird.
be
features,
but
A
can shortwith repetitive
specific
morecommonly
thana call.
melodicandmoreelaborate
block for7n: This term is usedby a few musicologists.It refersto an episodic
compositionalstylewhich is contraryto a more 'developmental'form. Most of the
Catalogue
dDiseaur
in
juxtaposemanypassages,
of
pieces
usuallyrepresentations
bird vocalisationsanddepictionsof habitats.The phrase'block form' is extendedto
device
instrumental
the
where
groupswithin the ftmework of an
encompass
orchestralwork - typicallystrings,pianoandtunedpercussion,woodwind and
xylophone-trio- play in their respectivegroups.
is
least
high-pitched
A
(0):
usually
an
at
shortýoften staccato,
soundwhich
chirp
octaveabovesurroundingpitches.
durations
in
A
(M):
series
of
which eachnote progressively
chromatic rhythm
diminishesor augmentsby one primaryunit (see'Regardde I'Onction Terrible' from
Vhigl Regardssur I'Difwit Jesus). is
invented
An
chord
which
often usedto simulatethe timbre of
chordal-complexes:
birdsong.
form
describing
by
Messiaen
Tenn
(M):
the
of a piece
employed
circadian time-scale
beinga microcosmo& andrelatingto, the 24 hour daily cycle.
development,
behaviour,
Scientist
to
attempting elucidate
ethologist:
of animal
function andevolutionof animals.
harmonic litany (51): A melodic cell of two or more notes repeated with several
different harmonisations.
vi
hors tempo (NI): This techniqueis almostaleatoricin effect, althoughthe birdsongs
birdsongs,
Certain
playedby specificinstruments,are heralded
are notatedprecisely.
by a signfrom the conductorand,therefore,play in their 'own time' independentof
the rest of the orchestra.This effect is found in 'The Sermonto the Birds' from Saini
Franýois d Assise(1975-83)andin the polyphonictutti sectionsof Un 111railel des
Oiseaux.(1986).
inferior resonance/lowerresonance(M): This techniqueis frequentlyusedby
Messiaenandis producedwhen a chordis playedloudly in the bassof a pianoand set
Catalogue
dDiseaux,
fiandamental
In
the
chords
phrasesof
other
or
notes.
against
birdsongare often accentuatedby the coloursproducedby superioror inferior
See
"superior
also
resonance'.
resonances.
interruption call (DK): In earlyworks, thereare manyshort exclamatoryfiguresthat
interrupt anothertexture: I refer to theseappearances
as 'interruption calls', although
they arevery often not labelled'style oiseau'.Frequently,the complexityof the chord
'interruption
ity.
it
These
'interruption
in
short
an
call' may give
alarmingquz!
used an
birdsong.
throughout
appear
calls'
form of permutation:by additionor
interversion system(M): A systematised
(e.
increase
durational
decrease
by
g. the
value
one
values
or
rhythmic
subtraction,
Chronochronfie
in
is
in
This
the
of
system
used
case
retrogradeorder or,
serniquaver).
(for example),durationsmay be subdividedinto sets,providingrhythmicpatternsfor
the structure.
(0):
An
apparatusthat providesan objectiveregistrationof
mona
melograph
frequencyandpressurelevel in musicalsounds.Thereis a markedimprovementover
is
included,
filter
has
faster
'variable"
the
the sonagram: analyser a
response,and a
isolatingthe fundamentalmelodicline in the birdsong.
A
(DK):
tabularmethodologywhich showsunderlying
classirication
motivic
is
birdsong.
in
'motivic
The
classification'
phrase
characteristics somevery complex
from
develops
for
hand
'motivic
The
a table
this
classification'
codification.
my short
larks
in
la
Each
Messe
de
PentecOte.
investigate
to
the
rhythrnand
of
chorus
used
pitch characteristicis given a letter: x, y andz... representpitch predominance,while a,
b andc... areusedto demonstrateotherfeatures.Metrical forms andplainsong
in
findings
in
These
are set out
terminologyarealsoused conjunctionwith thesecodes.
bar-by-baror phrase-by-phrase
accountof a
a tablewhich givesa comprehensive
birdsong.
This
term
islands:
Indicates
that
certain
pitches.
around
a
passage
revolves
motivic
(1985).
Griffiths
by
Paul
wasoriginallyused
describe
have
Ornithologists
the quality
to
attempted
onomatopoeicrepresentation:
includes
Messiaen
In
bird
the
real or
sameway,
of
vocalisationswithmnemonics.
inventedwords that most closelyresemblethe sonoritiesof a particularbird
in
is
instance,
Oiseaux,
for
des
in
Riveil
thrush
the
portrayed
song
vocalisation:
i-di-di,
by
'6-di-di,
tioto, tioto,
the
onomatopoeia,
musicalnotationandaccompanied
tioto, tou-hitte'.
vii
personnagesrythrniques (INI):Formedby threerhythmiccontinuums.In the first
group the durationsincrease,in the secondthey decrease,while in the third, the
durationsremainthe same.As Johnsonadvises,this deviceis a rhythmiccounterpartto
the 'agrandissement
asym6trique'systemwherethe pitchesshift progressivelyup and
down while one remainsconstant.
prosody (INI):Metrical forms areusedin musicalanalysisin order to describestressor
in
found
birdsong.
list
be
in the
A
these
terms
and
un-stress rhythmicpatterns
can
of
MusicalExamples,Table11/1.
derived
birdsong,
Due
(M):
terms
to
the
phraseology
plainchant
repetitivenatureof
from Gregorianchantare appositewhendescribingsimilar melodicshapes.A list of
thesetermscanbe found in the MusicalExamples,Table11/2.
referencepoints/anchor points: In a musicallanguagethat is rarely diatonic,
referencepointsprovidethe listeneror analyrtwith a senseof coherence.They are
feature
that
regularlyin,a birdsongpassage,and are ofien returnedto at the end
pitches
of a phrase.
renversementstransposis (M): Translatedas '[chords ofl transposedinversions. A
in
transposing
chordal-complexes,
series
usually a cadentialcontext.In 'Le Traquet
Stapazin'(Catalogued'Oiseaur, 1958)the inventedchord on C# is transposed
des
C#
Bb,
in
La
Fauvelle
Jardins
third:
a
up
n-dnor
progressively
while
-E-G(1970) sequences
areuninterrupted- the bassnotesremainthe sameandthe voice
leadingof the other partsmovesstep-by-step(a tone or a semitoneaway).
resonancecontractie (AT):Translatedas '[chords ofl contractedresonance.Just as,
is
Messiaen,
F#
to
according
an
perceivedin the perfectchord (seeMusicalExample
111/1a-d), so too are harmonicimplicationsperceivedin a more complexchord of
Messiaen'sown invention.In a 'superior' or inferior" resonanceeffect,chordsare
but
here,
however,
is
resonance
widely-spaced;
achievedwithin a restrictedarea.
Chordsof 'contractedresonance'aregenerallytwo compactchordal-complexes
that
in
hands.
'overlapping
together
a
quasi-cadence,
usually
played
with
merge
is
be
This
can
which
read
a group of pitchesor rhythms
rhythmic/pitch palindrome:
the sameforwardsasbackwards.Generallya non-retrogradablerhythmis a rhythmic
palindrome,which often includesan addednotevalue (that cannotbe dividedequally)
is
its
For
example,a cretic rhythm palindromic.
at centre.
in
differences
indicates,
in
form,
(0):
An
the
that
relative
graphic
apparatus
sonagram
b
soundpressurein a bird vocalisationor, indeed,in any musicalsound.
style oiseau:This phraseis reservedfor bird stylephrasesor cellswhich are not
be
This
that
to
attributed a particularspecies.
phrasecanalso usedto refer to passages
havebird-Ekequalities,evenif they havenot beencreditedas suchby the composer.
superior resonance/upperresonance(M): Formedwhen a loud note or chord on the
is
piano playedaboveother musicalmaterial.Seealso 'inferior resonance'.
viii
Was: Compositerhythinicpatterns.Thereare 120 'degi-tilas' in the IndianRhythmic
Systemrecordedby Sharrigadeva.
Their characteristicametricalityreplaceswestern
notion of 'beat' with the shortestnote value.
texture classirication: Adaptedfrom the dissertationof Philipsand Sun,a
classificationof textureshasbeencompiled.I haveextendedthe codification,originally
intendedfor the analysisof the pianocycleCataloguedDiseaux, to encompass
the
largerrangeof texturesin orchestralworks. The texturesare asfollows:
(1) monophony(2) homophonyin coequalemphasis(3) homophonywith onevoice or
(4)
homorhythm
dominant
in
(5)
homorhythm
coequal
emphasis
with onevoice or
part
part dominant(6) hybridtexture and(7) polyphony.
is
from
(0):
'Birdsong'
distinct
'bird
This
term encompasses
calls'.
often
vocalisation
both forms.
Chapter-1: Back2round
background
is to placeMessiaen
historicallyand
Thepurposein tracingthecomposer's
life
important
his
for
his
birdsong.
The
to.
of
attraction
periods
suggestpossiblereasons
in
influential
by
discussed,
to
composers;
works written other
with passingreferences
are
his
influential
is
The
the
to
own
considered.
extent
music
proved
which
addition,
diverse
involving
integration
as
of
elements
an
such
philosophical
outlook,
composer's
is
beauty,
freedom,
love
theology,
and
alsosurveyed.
nature,
Olivier Messiaenis generallyregardedas one of the mostimportantcomposersof the
for
focus
been
have
His
a
twentiethcentury.
compositions,philosophyandpersonality
derives
influence
his
the
not only
world
on
musical
manyarticlesandmonographs,yet
ftornhisoeuvrebut alsofroma lifetime'swork asa pedagogue.
Messiaenwas born on 10 December1903at Avignon. His father,Pierre,taughtEnglish
indeed,
Shakespeare:
known
for
his
is
best
the
the
translation
and
of
analysis
of
works
and
imagination
in
forefront
Messiaen's
the
these
at only
of
playswere
mysteryandmagicof
Sauvage,
Cicile
Ifis
was a poetess:shewas of paramount
age.
mother,
of
years
eight
importanceto the youngboy's artistic andemotionaldevelopment.The prophetic"L'Ame
first
book
'As
World
her
last
Soul',
[The
Burgeoning
the
Bourgeon'
the
chapterof
en
Turns'], written by Messiaen'smotherbeforehe was born, no doubt had a profound effect
describes
book,
Te
Vallon',
Messiaen's
the
second
characterandphilosophy,while
on
2
life
birds
being
introduced
Already
Messiaen
that
to
of
was
aspects
and
particularly
nature.
asa grownman.Indeed,hismothersaid,
wouldlaterbecomeobsessions
'.. all the Orient is singingherewithin me "
'
its
bluebirds.,
its
butterflies.
with
with
Messiaenlived with his motherandgrandmotherin Grenobleduring the First World War.
The mountainsof Dauphinyare closeto this city: they too influencedthe youngman's
him
inspiration
led
The
to write
that
samemountainrangeprovideda sourceof
outlook.
'Montagnes'(the third movementof the songcycleHarawi) and the later La Fauvelledes
Jardins. Messiaenhassaid(seeRobert SherlawJohnson,p9) that his motherbroughthim
fairy
in
Messiaen
here
Grenoble
in
It
tales.
that
was
an
atmosphere
ripe
with
poetry
and
up
Giovanni',
Mozart's
'Don
discoveredvariousgreatclassicalmasterpieces,
them
amongst
Wagner's'WalUre' andBerlioz's 'The Damnationof Faust'. Messiaenalsoreceivedas
gifts pianopiecesby RavelandDebussy.Betweenthe agesof sevenandnine,Messiaen
inquisitive
taught himselfto play the piano.Theseimpressionable
and
an
yearsproduced
first
his
composition,'The Lady of Shalott'.
and
culturedyoungman-
Messiaenmovedto Nantesafter the First World War. During this brief stayMessiaenso
him
in
finest
that
they
the
the
town
offered
musicians
rapidly gainedthe respectof someof
free lessons.The most notableof thesemusicians,Jehande Gibon,taughtMessiaen
harmony.Messiaenhadalreadybeenintroducedto impressionisticmusicwith Debussy's
'Pell6as
de
Gibon
however,
Jehan
'EstampeS"2
the
ten
of
et
gave
year old a score
;
M61isande',andit wasthis operawhich openedup a completelynew soundworld to the
youngcomposer.
The influenceof Debussy'sharmony,soundcomplexesin orchestrationandrhytý is to
someextentprevalentin Messiaen'sPreludesof 1929.The subtitlesof the piecesare quite
similarto thoseof Debussy- 'Les SonsImpalpablesdu R6ve', for example.On the other
hand,we rarelyfind sonataform andternaryphrasesin Debussy,yet thereis much
in
According
Reverdý
Messiaen's
to
these
to
classical
constructions
preludes.
reference
betweenMessiaen's'Chant d'extacedansun PaysageTriste'
thereis a strongresemblance
(Prehides)andDebussy"spreludeto 'Pell6aset Mdlisande. Messiaen'smodesof limited
transpositionwere alreadyquite sophisticatedandwere entirelydistinctfrom the
tonal/modallanguagesof Debussy.At this stage,Messiaenhadyet to achievea degreeof
inspiration
freedom
Bartok
Debussy.
Both
Debussy
took
to
comparable
and
rhythmic
from folksongandEasternmusic,addingelementsderivedfrom themto their own
by
language
harmonic
Messiaen
Debussy"s
andmodal
extended
compositionalstyles.
for
lEndu
Gregorian
Oriental
the
and
many
and
modes,while also exploring
searching
Greekrhythms.It is this rhythmicfreedomwhich Messiaenwas, aboveall, to discoverin
birdsong:thesesongswould provideinnumerable,innovativesourcesof motivic material
for compositions.
his
he
Conservatoire
Paris
In 1919,Messiaen
studiesuntil
the
continued
where
entered
1930,talcingpianolessonswith GeorgesFalkenberg.Later, Messiaenstudiedharmony
lessons
(for
Gallon
Jean
ten
on musicaltheory.and
yjears)
private
and
received
with
counterpoint-ArithNodl Gallon.He undertookorganclasseswith Marcel Dupr6,history of
musicwith MauriceEmmanuel,
percussion
with JosephBaggersandcomposition
with
PaulDukas.It wasMarcelDupr6whointroducedMessiaen
to plainchant,
organ
registrationandimprovisation,aswell asgiving specialattentionto Greekmetres.The
for source
discoveryof the 120Indiandeg!-Idlasrhythmsprovedto beinvaluable
in
LAscension).
described
(especially
These
early
even
works
after
are
material,
rhythms
in his treatise'Sarrigita-ratnikara'.
by the thirteenthcenturyHindu theorist,Sharngadeva,
The mostimportantfeatureof manyof theserhythmsis their inherentametricality:
Messiaenderivedthe principleof 'addednotevalues' from both the IEndu rhythmsand
the rhythmsof Stravinsky.Messiaenwould adda sixteenthnote, lengthena note or adda
sixteenthnote asa rest. This becamea notablecharacteristicof Messiaen'slanguage:the
is
dueto the
is
by
both
(which
the
the
timelessness
of
music achieved
absenceof a pulse
[ex
the
tempi
the
value
and
=etricality)
some
of
pieces
note
rhythmic
and
of
added
slow
]U11.4
Messiaenalreadyhad a predilectionfor the rhytlunscreatedby the use of prime-
numbers;after subdividingcertaincellsinto sixteenthnotes,durationsof 5,7,11,13,17are
found.
often
At the ageof twenty-two, in 1931, Messiaenwasappointedorganistat the churchof La
SainteTrinit6 in Paris,a post which he held for the rest of his life. He wasthe youngest
titular organistin Franceat the time. For manyyears,Messiaenplayedthreemassesas
later
during
funerals
Sunday,
the
week,
a
schedule
andweddingsand
well asvespersevery
little
Messiaen
Sunday.
It
that
to
two
wrote
very
music
mayseemodd
masseson
reduced
for liturgical use,but all of the organworks are on religioussubjects,evenif they are
essentiallymeditativein nature,andare relevantfor specificdatesin the Christian
hadgreataffectionfor theCavailk-Collorganof La Tfinit6.The
Messiaen
calendar.
rangeof colours(includingsomeelectronicstops)is fully utilisedin theseven
extensive
large-scaleorgancycleshe composedin his career.The organcyclesof the 1930'swere
L'4scension(1934),La NalivitJ (1935) andLes Corps Glorieux (1939). Messiaen's
highly-tunedtimbral complexities,chromaticharmoniesandimprovisationsbecamea
sourceof inspirationfor organistsandcomposers;however,Catholicsand church-goers
first
by
language.
Many
the
shocked
at
musical
were
who objected,anxiousto givethe
he
label,
likened
it
dance
jazz.
Messiaen,
This
to
as
was
angered
a
or
music e-en
music
vehementlyopposednot only to jazz but alsoto 'Les Six' andtheir disciples.
In 1936, Messiaenbecamethe leaderof Ta JeuneFrance'with composersJolivet,
BaudrierandDaniel-Usur.Thebasicbeliefsof thisselectgroupinvolveda reactionboth
for
the
the
the
time
to
composers
solely
of
who sometimesappeared write music
against
purposeof beingdifficult andsomewhatmechanical,andthosewho seemedto trivialise
the form. At this time, the maindirectionof compositionswas following a courseaway
in
from romanticandimpressionisticassociations
and seekingrefuge eighteenthcentury
dancemusic,andjazz. Messiaen'sgroup,on the other hand,valuedmusicthat not only
hada humanelementbut would touch peopleon a spirituallevel, while remaining
few
The
their
concerts
and
a
aims,
group publisheda manifestowl-dchoutlined
cerebral.
broke
large
following.
brought
Ta
Jeune
France'
up at the
a
which
werearranged
different
followed
War
Two,
World
the
very
after which
composers
outbreakof
directions.However,theseyearswerevery importantfor Messiaen:he marriedthe
6
violinist, ClareDelbos,in 1936,andthey hada son, Pascal,in 1937.The two songcycles
PoemespourMi(1936),andCliamsdeTerreeldeCiel(1938) wereinspiredby these
in
life.
Messiaen's
personal As thecomposer's
majorevents
rhythmic,melodicand
harmoniclanguageevolves,bird style,althoughnot alwaysindicated,also appearsmore
frequently.The texts of the cyclesareboth religiousand surreal:.the words are honestin
sentimentandtypical of his own intrinsicmanner,to the extentthat one might imagine
Messiaenhimselfadvisinganyonewho wishedto understandhis musicbetter to beginby
is
in
Messiaen's
love
dramatic
them.
the
of
sopranovoice shownclearly these
reading
songs,which were originallyintendedfor the vocally flexibleandmusicallysensitive
MarcelleBunlet.The musicof thesetwo cyclesincludesvery long extendedphrases,using
the extremesof a soprano'svocal range.Messiaenshowsthat he hasawide knowledgeof
the voice: he revealsan understandingof the problemsof diction, registerandbreathing.
but therehaverecentlybeen
FewsingershavetackledPojmespourMi, for instance,
someenlighteningversions,notablyby lane Manning,GabrielleDumaine,Felicity Palmer
andPhylfisBryn-Julson.
Messiaenjoined the anny whenwar broke out. He worked in a hospitaluntil 1940before
beingtakenprisonerafter Francefell to the Germans.He spenttwo yearsin StalagVIII at
66rlitz in Silesiawhere,in extremelycold andunpleasantconditions,Messiaencomposed
the Quatuorpour la Fin A Tempsfor clarinet,violin, cello andpiano.The work was
himself
Messiaen
in
January
IS
194
1.
POW
the
playedthe piano,
on
camp
performed
La
NativiN
instruments.
fellow
Messiaen
the
three
regards
prisonersplayed other
while
in
Quartet,
freedom.
In
initiating
Quartet
therhythmic
the
the
as
newstages rhythmic
and
7
is
based
system
on the addednote value,prime numbers,Hindu andnonretrogradable
thanthoseof previousworks.It is here
aremoredissonant
rhythms,whiletheharmonies
birdsongs
that specified
areintroducedfor thefirst time.
After his repatriationin 1942,MessiaenwasappointedProfessorof Harmonyat the Paris
Conservatoire.Over the next forty-five years,Messiaenwasto includeamonghis
distinguished
pupils
a
number
of
composition
composers.In 1943he taught composition
house
the
of a friend, Guy Delapierre.11isfirst pupils includedthe*pianists,
privatelyat
Yvette GrimaudandYvonneLoriod, andthe composer,PierreBoulez. Messiaenlater
becameProfessorof Aesthetics,AnalysisandRhythmat the Conservatoire,but it was not
he
1966
that
was officially appointedProfessorof Composition.Stockhausen,
until
Xenakis,Jolas,GoehrandBenjaminare amongstthe long list of composerswhom
Messiaentaught.The immensepower andopennessthat he possessed
reflectedon his
pupils: he was interestedin finding an individualvoice for eachcomposer.Messiaenwas
the antithesisof dogmatic,andrefusedto imposehis musicaltechniqueson any one
composer,preferringto makesuggestionsand askfor somethingoriginal.
'Throw awaythe book I havetaughtyou to readandadda new, wholly unexpected
page!'
Messiaenwas very impressedwith the talentsof the pianistYvonneLoriod, later to be his
incentive
him
Her
Messiaen's
to write major
the
to
sensitivity
compositionsgave
wife.
works for solo pianoanda substantialduet. In fact, the musicof the next six yearswas
for
Regwz&
Vingi
for
The
the
almostexclusivelywritten
piano.
sur
pieces pianowere
I'Difam Jisu.v (1944) and Psiotu de IAmeti (1943).Messiaenalso wrote piecesthat
includedthepiano(practicallyasa soloinstrument)
in theorchestra,for example,Trois
PetilesLittirgiesdelaPriseiiceDit,itie (1943)andthe TurangalilaSymplimy(19461948)a few yearslater. The pianobecamea very prominentfeatureof Messiaen'smusic
at this time: the full rangeof the instrumentwasexploredwith experimentalharmonies
has
been
being
the
virtuosity
and,although piano
criticisedas not
a
andremarkable
it is usedregularly,andto greateffect,to
suitablesubstitutefor birdsongrepresentation,
this end.The pianocontinuedto play an integralr6le in the composer'smusicthroughout
his career.Beforewriting the TurangafflaSymphony,his regardfor Wagner(specifically
the opera,'Tristan und Isoldes'),humanlove andthe love of God were expressedin the
song-cycleHarawi (1945),wherethe relationshipbetweenlove and deathis also
explored.
Messiaenasa composerof high repute,althoughthe first
Theseworks established
Pelites
Liturgies
de
Trois
la
Divine
Prisence
of
on I April 1945caused
performance
somethingof a musicalscandal.The critics of the time were either outragedat the music
for beingtasteless,or delightedwith his creativityandnew ideas.The avant-garde
detestedthe nineteenthcenturyharmoniesthat were complementedby a twentiethcentury
instrumentation,tonality/modalityandrhythm,while the traditionalistsdislikedboth the
did
Catholics
instrumentationandthe dissonances,
the
not take to the supposedly
and
Another
treatment
concepts.
problemarose:the critics could not even
of
sacred
vulgar
labelthe piece,asit wasneitheran oratorio nor a cantata.The text, written by Messiaen
himself,is both surrealisticand Christian.Messiaenusesa variety of instrumentsin the
including
In
he
had
the
three
ondes
work,
martenotwhich
usedon
previousoccasions. a
Messiaen
transfersthe Churchandits liturgyto theconcerthall:'I intendedto
sense,
a liturgicalact,thatis to say,to bringa kindof office,a kind of organised
act
accomplish
into
hall.
'
[O.
Messiaen
the
concert
of praise,
with ClaudeSamuel,1986,p22].
On the otherhand,the performancewas a successwith the public
KoussevitskycommissionedMessiaen'sTurangafflaSymphonyandmadeit possiblefor
him to teachcompositionin EuropeandAmerica.This major symphony(of ten
in
four)
in
first
Boston
1949
than
the
traditional
under
rather
was
performed
movements
the directionof LeonardBemstein.The Turmigall1aS)mphonyis onepart of Messiaen's
TristanandIsoldetriptych, the other piecesbeingthe Cinq Rechantsandthe songcycle,
Harawi. The symphonyincludesa wide variety of dynamics,colourationandmelodies,but
in
importance
birdsongis not of paramount
it differsfromlaterorchestralworksbecause
the compositionalform, althoughit doesappear(for example)in 'Jardindu Sommeil
d'amour', whereit occursmonophonicallyandis labelledsimply 'oiseau' ratherthan
bird,
in
later
to
a
as
nmned
works [ex 1/2].
attributed
Messiaendecidedto explorevery differenttechniquesof musicallanguagein the period
1949-1952.He hadfor sometime taughtthe theoriesof serialismandthe dodecaphonic
Schoenberg's
his
School,
langua,
Second
Viennese
tone
to
though
the
aversion
even
c,,
of
e
did
Schoenberg
Messiaen
that
not apply serial
recognised
rows waswell-known:
techniquesto the other elementsof composition.Mode de Valeurset d7ntensif& (1949)
but
Messiaen's
the
the
not
only
pitches,
alsothe
experiment
organising
with
was
resultof
10
durations,intensities
towards
a short-livedmovement
andthetimbres,whichstimulated
'
byModede ýaleursel
'integral'or 'total' serialism.Thepiecesthatwereinfluenced
MichelFano'sSonata
Sonatafor two pianos(1950_51)7,
d'Intemilis wereGoeyvaert's
for two pianos(1951), Stockhausen's'Kreuzspiel' (1951), Boulez's 'StructuresI a'
(1951-52)and,muchlater, BarbaraKolb's 'Apello' for piano(1976). In fact, Mode de
Valeursel dItifewiles (1949) is not a serialcomposition,althoughmusicologistssuchas
David Drew seemto categoriseit as 'durchgeordnetemusik'. Onceagain,the pieceis
basedon modes;however,thistimeit is built up fromthirty-sixnotesdividedinto three
if
brief
integral
Though
this
to
revolutionary,
twelve-notegroups.
serialismowed mueh
further
for
it
did
himself
little
this
Messiaen
with
much
and
continue
not
cared
work,
technique.
birdsong.
harmonic
After thisperiod,Messiaen's
was
mainsourceof
andmelodicmaterial
Messiaenwas a skilledornithologistandbecameableto namethe songsof birds ashe
heardthem.Messiaenbeganto transcribethe songsof birds by hand:he slowedthem
down andreducedtheir pitch, makingit possiblefor westerninstrumentsto play them.He
knowledge
in
daybreak
the
to
the
of
to
the
gain
evening
at
or
woods
go
would
differentiationof soundqualitybetweentheseperiodsin time. La Messede la Pentec6te
(1950),for organ,indicatesthe return of Messiaen'sbelovedbirds. This work not only
includes
11indu
it
but
improvisation
and
the
also
organ,
on
showsthe effectof yearsof
Greekrhythmsandthe techniqueof 'interversions'which hadpreviouslybeenintroduced
in oneof the Quatrebudes de Rythme(1949-1956).The fourth movement,
'Communion',includesa wide variety of birdsong.A year later in Livre d'Orgue (1951),
II
The
Messiaencombinesthe 'Sharngadeva'rhythms,%kith
techniques
on
pitch.
quasi-serial
fourthmovement,
'Chantd'Oiseaux,andthelastmovement,
'Soixante-Quatre
Durdes',
both makeextensiveuseof birdsong.NMI desOiseaux(1953) andOiseauxExotiques
(1956) deriveexclusivelyfrom birdsongandcalls.By the time of writing Chronochronfie
(1960), Messiaenhad alreadycollectedbirdsongfrom all over Europe,Japan,India,
China,Malaysia,the Middle East,partsof Afficas,North AmericaandMexico. In
Chronochromiea strict interversionsystemis applied(seeJohnsonp159); however,the
freedom
to
the
this
ratherthan
sophisticatedstructureseems give
piecean effect of
use of
half
Messiaen's
deliberate
These
the
of
career
second
of
construction.
andother -works
of
in
later
in
detail
the thesis.
are surveyed greater
tp8de',
is reminiscentof the total useof birdsongappliedin NMI
The sixth movement,
desOiseauxand consistsof a counterpointof eighteenstrings,mimickingthe songsof
like
but,
birdsong
birds.
did
Messiaen
the
a
not wish to createthe exactsoundof
eighteen
had
he
inflection
intended
he
to
that
timbre
to
which
and
createa very similar
painter,
heardin the field.
In 1962,MessiaenandYvonneLoriod were married.Messiaenbeganto write works that
Celeste
Citj
(piano
de
la
Couleurs
Amongst
these
are:
works
were on a granderscale.
C
La
Trwisfiguralion
(orchestra),
Mortuorum
Remirrectionem
Et
Ekspecto
and orchestra),
de notre SeigneurJ&us-Chrisf (choir, soloistsandorchestra),Des Cmiyonsmxboiles
(orchestraandpercussion)andthe operaSaint FrangoisdAssise.
12
Messiaen
at anearlyagehada considerable
passionfor thetheatreandgraduallythis
developedinto a love of opera.In manyof his analysisclassesat the Conservatoire,a
dAuise
deal
devoted
Saint
His
Franqois
(1975time
to
of
was
good
opera.
own opera
85) is a grandwork that celebratesthe Saintandhis love of nature(especiallythat of
birds), people,heavenand angels.The sixth scene'Le Priche aux Oiseaux'('The Sennon
birdsong
is
by
St.
Francis
transformed
theangels'music
to theBirds')is saturated
as
with
the languageof the birds and speaksto them. Messiaen
andconsequentlyunderstands
describesthis sixth sceneas 'organisedchaos'.Not only doesthe conductorhavethe
complextask of beatingbarsof unequallength,but he is alsofree to bring in certain
instrumentsin his own time ('hors tempo): in the words of St. Francis:'Everythingof
beautymustleadto freedom,the freedomof glory.'
The next two yearsMessiaenspentwriting the Livre du Saint Sacrement(1984),the
eighteenmovementsof which makeit his largestwork for organ. Smallerworks followed,
notablyUn Vitrail et desOiseaux(1986) for pianoandensemble.Written in 1992,
Messiaen'sfinal work, Eclairs mir Vau-dela.. (for orchestra)haselevenmovements.
Therearevariousopinionsasto the successof the last work's compositionalstyle.It has
had
he
beenarguedthatMessiaen's
hadreached
that
to return
techniques
a stand-stilland
to thearchaicvocabulary
of theearlierworks,whereasothersstatethathe hadlostthe
impact
of thosecompositions,althoughsomesectionsare very moving.
emotional
13
Messiaen'smusichashad an immenseeffecton twentiethcenturymusicians.Historians
him:thisis anextremelyproblematic
haveendeavoured
taskasthemany
to categorise
is
language.
his
to
conglomeration
seem
create
a
a
unique
of
which
music
constituents
The considerationof Messiaen'srelationshipto his contemporarieshasperhapsbeen
discussedenough.PeterFlill points out:
' Strangeasit may seem,we needfor the momentto abandonthe long view, to
its
details
to
the
to
the
of
glass,
explore
closer
shimmering
colours
stained
step
afresh,andfeel againhow extraordinarythey are' [PeterHill, Messiaen
Companion,1995,plO].
14
Notesto ChapterI
'Taken fromClaudeSamuel,OlivierMessiaert
MusicandColor:Conversations
with the
Composer(Portland,Oregon,Amadeus,
1986),p15.
2Althoughmanymusicologists
in relationto
wouldquestiontheterm'impressionist'
for Messiaen
heembodied
Debussy,
certainfeaturesof the 'impressionist'
style.
3MicheleReverdy,L'OeuvrepourPianod'OlivierMessiaen.
(Paris,AlphonseLeduc,
1978).
demonLangageMusical.(Paris,Leduc,1944)pl, ex. I4For examples,
seeTechnique
10.
5TheworksHarawi,the TuratigalilaSymphojiy
Chiq
form
Rechants
a triptych
and
inspiredby themythof TristanandIsolde.
' For moreinformationon thesubjectof 'Modedevaleurset d'intensites'andthe
influenceon Boulez,Stockhausen
et al, seeToop,Richard:'Messiaen/Goeyvaerts,
Boulez,' in Perspectives
Fano/Stockhausen,
of NewMusict13,No.I (1974)pp141-169.
7But at thetimeof writingthis Sonata,Goeyvaerts
hadleft Messiaen's
classes
a year
beforeandhadnot heardModede Valeurset d7nivisitesdirectly.
' AlthoughAfficanbirdsongmostlyappears
in La
in laterworks,especially
deNotreSeig7zezir
Transfiguration
Jimis-ChristandDesCwzyons
auxboiles.
15
Chanter 11: Issues in Nlessiaen Research
In orderto builduponpastanalyticaldiscoveries,
findings
themostnotableresearch
to thesubjectof birdsongon a theoreticalrather
shouldbecited,establishing
contributions
than empiricalbasis.
has
been
for
is
Messia.
topic
the
there
a
en
popular
musicologistsover
years:
much
literatureexaminingthe maintechniquesof his style.Most scholarsdiscussthe early,
later
Hindu
limited
the
transposition,
years,
rhythms,
and
modes
of
middle
Christian/Catholicsymbolism,colour andthe 'experimentalperiod' (includingpiecessuch
Ile
books
de
Valeurs
d7ntensWs
de
few
Mode
Feu
II).
Yet
el
and
give
only
a
as
birdsong
Messiaen
Companion'l,
'The
to
them
attention
an
amongst
systematic
Johnsoný
by
Sherlaw
interviewwith ClaudeSamuel2,.
Robert
the
and
and views expressed
Paul Griffithsý.The first task in this researchproject was to extractthe importantviews of
Messiaenhimselfon the subjectof birdsong.The next informationneededwas the
to the subject.Therehasbeenlittle researchinto the
musicologists'analyticalresponses
developmentof birdsongin his music,but the literature foundgivesa basison which to
work. The issuesI proposeto dealwith maybe categorisedasfbHows:
1 The Composer'sPersonalInsights
2 Trevor Hold and Authenticity
3 Previous Research.
Eachcategoryis, in addition,subdivided.
16
I The Comnoser'sPersonalTnsiehts
de
'Technique
(1944)
Mon
Langage
Musical'
by 0. Messing
a)
Messiaenin this book outlinesthe techniquesthat he had developedand invented.In the
birdsong,
his
views on the subjectseemto be at an early,undevelopedstage.
chapteron
He hasalreadyrealizedat this point that birds makeextremelyinterestingrhythmicpedals.
He alsosaysthat their melodiccontours,especiallythat of the blackbird,'surpassthe
humanimaginationin fantasy'.Messiaendeemsit 'ridiculous' to copy
the soundsof natureexactly,asthe birds useuntemperedintervalssmallerthanthe
lark
blackbird,
individual
has
begun
The
the
to
and
composer
speakof
speciessemitone.
devices
birdsong
The
to
compositional
used
notate
are
sparrows.
labelledas 'transcription', 'transformation'and 'interpretation'.He citesfour omamenW
blackbird.
he
by
improvisations
the
that
theme
the
of
saysaresuggested
variationsof a
The free natureof birdsongappealedto Messiaenas he also incorporatedinto his
Greek
in
freedom
11indu
the
the
and
andchangesof pulse
pieces rhythmic
birdsong
Ms
up to
rhythmsandthe useof addednotevalues,e.g. the sen-ýquaver. useof
du
Seigneur,
NativitJ
La
had
been
limited
book
LAscension,
to
the time of writing this
Quatuorpour la Fin du Temps,Visionsde IAmen andanywork doneon the Vfngt
Regardssur I'Enfant-Jisus so far, but it mustbe remembered
that eventhe otherworks
first
in
For
'style
the
movement
example,
oiseau'.
up to this period containedelementsof
17
of TroisPelilesLiturgies de la PresenceDivine thereis muchheterophoniccounterpoint
in theaccompaniment
thatsuggests
theinteractionof birdsong.
b),&JmutR6BIer--Interviewswith the Composers
Almut RoBlerhascollecteda great dealof interestingmaterialin her book: like the
invaluable
discussions
Samuel,
Claude
these
sourceof
providean
conversationsvAth
knowledgeaboutthe compositionalprocessesandthe generalphilosophyof the working
follows:
discussionL
Two
these
are
as
examplesof
musician.
i) PublicDiscussionwith Olivier Messiaenduringthe first DiisseldorfMessiaen
Festival in Honour of his 60'hBirthday (L)ecember7.196D
Messiaenadmittedhavingto go back hometo listento the tape-recordingthat his wife
hadmadein order to transcribethe rest of the birdsongthat he hadbeenworking on that
day. Thereare,accordingto Messiaen,manydifficultiesto overcomewhen transcribing
birdsongin silu:
'To beginwith: onehasto knowwhatit is oneis
hearing,andonecanonlyknowthatwhenthefirst
kind
is
this
accompanied
undertaken
expeditionof
'
by a professional
omithologist6.
18
He lists the two initial difficulties that onewould comeacross:
I therecognitionof theindividualsingerandthespecies
to whichit belongs
2 musicaldictationandthespeedof thebird'svoice
Other informationgiven hereincludesMessiaen'suseof the Wagnerian'leitmotif' in
RgveildesOiseaux,andthe reductionof long silencesto a few seconds(whendepictinga
whole day of birdsong).He clearly showsa comparisonbetweenthe recognitionof the
characteristicsof differentpeoplewith ornithology.That is to say,everyonehasa
is
individual
hair,
the
that
characteristic
colour
one's
eyes,a particularway
of
particular
of spealdngor wallýing.Onewould recognisea personby anynumberof theseintrinsic
is
it
deterrnine
Messiaen
this
to
the
that
says
same
one
qualities.
perceptionwhich enables
bird
from
its
vocalisation.
speciesof
'For an omithologistit's muchthe same.
It's like it is with leitmotives:he recognises
its
by
bird
style,its themes,its melodic
each
'
turns of phrase,its specificrhythms7.
Messiaenstatesthat the real work beginswhenthe songsareto be incorporatedinto the
piece.For example,a songthrush'ssongwRIbe written from a conglomerationof
differcnt manuscriptsaccumulatedby Messiacn,
over the years.Thesemanuscriptsareput
togetherandsomephrasesare chosento form the songof the songthrushthat typifiesits
maincharacteristics.
The reproductionof timbreis a further difficulty. No musicalinstrumentcanhopeto
in
birdsong:
tone-colours
the
number
of
reproduce extraordinary
19
' Oneneedscombinations
of instruments,
andstill
morecombinations
or complexes
of pitches...Each
is
furnished
the
noteof
melody
with a chordwhich
is intendedto reproduce
'
thetimbreof thatnoteg.
Messiaenexplainsthat he alsousesthe leitmotif principleto makesurethat the listener
bird
songor call. For example,he typically usesthe sameinstrumentsto
recogniseseach
bird
a
certain
sound,andthe compositionaldevicesmayalsobe the sameon each
portray
occasion.The goldenoriole mayalwaysbe written in octaves,or surroundedby certain
soundcomplexes;or the samemusicalphrasemay simplybe repeated.
Messiaenalsoaddresses
musicalform with regardto the useof birdsong.Thereare two
basicsystems,accordingto the composer:
I Deceitful
2 Truthful
The first usesthe bird soundsas raw material- the birdsongis alteredso muchthat the
Oiseaur
is
Messiaen
He
'musique
tlýs
to
relates
classes
concrete'.
original unidentifiable.
Exotiquesasa piecethat fulfils this criterion, ashe hastakenbirds from India, China,
North AmericaandMalaysiaandput themtogether,althoughthey could not possiblyhave
is
in
Messiaen,
The
the
to
sungwith eachother
real world.
secondmethod,according
better,more original andperhaps'more indicativeof the future'. He callsit the 'truthful
idea
it
have
describes
As
that
the
to
asone
conforms reality. we
notedearlier,
method' and
in
is
freedom
integral
Messiaen's
St.
John's
of
an
part
philosophy:perhapsa sayingof
of
his Gospelsumsup this belief - 'the truth will makeyou free' - andperhaps,too, this
20
freedomis apparentin this 'truthful method'.This approachmaybe found in Riveil de.5
Oiseazix.
To accompanythe birdsong,Messiaenintegratesthe soundsof the naturalenvironment.
fragrances,coloursand
IEs synaesthetic
approachenableshim to suggestthe landscapes,
the passageof time.
' To do any pieceof work is alwaysa manifestation
of one's self,but to experiencethe truth is to grow
aboveandbeyondoneselfandto rediscoverone's
real selfwhich is abovethe ordinaryself. '
ii)AddressDeliveredat the Conferringof the PraemiumErasnýanumin
Amsterdam(June25-1971).
Messiaensaysthat apartfrom the criesand caUsof the birds,there are threetypesof song:
I The songindicatingpossession(territorial)
2 The enticingsong(matingsong)
3 The breakof day song(dawn chorus)
21
Messiaen
citesthreebasictypesof caflsalso:
I The matingcall
2 The feedingcall
3 The cry of alarm
Similarly,in the Conferenceof Notre Dame(1977),Messiaensaysthat eachof his sacred
belongs
to one of threetypes:
pieces
I Liturgical music
2 Religiousmusic
3 Sound-colour and Dazzlement
Almut R6BIeralsogivesusefulinformationabouthow to perform Messiaen.Like many
who havetalked aboutthis topic, sheadvisesa playerwhen confrontedwith the complex
be
learnt
durations
learnt;
they
should
until they are
rhythmsto subdividethe
oncethey are
fluent andperhapslessstrict andmathematical:
' the birds - which in Messiaen'swords populate
..
the mathematicallyrigid rhythmicstructureswhich
for
in
demand
their
a
crab-like
way
rights
progress
the feelingof their creator.Often enoughin typical
bird-calls- suchasthe tappingof the woodpecker- he
demandsa broadeningof the countingunit for the
benefitof the bird's characterisationlo.
'
22
"
Claud
Samuel,
Conversations
with
c)
ClaudeSamuel'sconversationswith the composergive us invaluableprimary sources
his
Messiaen
the
techniques.
composer's
comments
on
compositional
pointsout
revealing
that eachnote of the birdsong(in later works) is accompaniedby an inventedchord:
' Eachnote is providedwith a chord,not a
traditionalchord but a complexof sounds
destinedto give the timbre of that note12
.I
Messiaentalks abouthis problemswhentranscribingbirdsonginto his compositions.
Whenhe wantedto re-createthe intrinsicquality of a certainbird sound,he neededthe
it.
to
accompany
exactchordal-complexes
The composergivessomeinsightful remarksinto his experiencesof eachbird andits song,
from a musician'spoint of view. For instance,whenlisteningto the willow warblerhe
it,
that
notices
4...singsan accelerando[Ekethe finch] on a
instead
having
finch's
but
the
of
roUednote,
victoriouscodetta,it hasonethat diesaway,
slow andsad...it doesn'tlearnjust one codetta,
inventsnew codettas..131
but ceaselessly
23
This descriptionof the willow warbleris far morerevealingto a musicianthanthe
bird's
in
far
bird
descriptions
dictionary.
Messiaen
of each
voicegiven any
evengoesso as
to claimthat,
'Only a composer could manageto understand
it and capture it on paper; in fact, most
ornithologi -.ts refrain from describing it and
merely say'Txtraordinary song, impossible
14%v
describe
to
Messiaenlater talks aboutthe birds in somedetail.He mentionsthe trips that he hasmade
in order to collect certaintypesof birdsongandhe talks aboutthe intrinsic characteristics
of certainfamousbirds. Whenhe mentionsthe finch it is almostlike a musicalguideto the
he
birds
In
this
to
mentionsthe
same
section
asopposed an ornithologist'sview.
songsof
blackbird,the songthrushandthe nightingalein asmuchdetail.
Many peoplehaveoften wonderedwhy Messiaendid not usegramophonerecordingsto
help him capturebirdsong.He pointsout that suchrecordingsare incompletesincethey
give only a portion of the song,
Just as a photographconveysthe snapshotof a singleindividual's.'
0
24
However,is not a pieceof musicthat is written down with its exactpitchesand notations
like a photograph?
Messiaen's
transcriptions
areintendedasaninterpretation
of whatthe
bird sings,just asa paintingcapturesthe essenceratherthan the surfaceof its subject:it is
morethana merelymechanicalreproduction.It is possiblethat Messiaen'sinherentdislike
of machineryandfuturismlies behindthe statementquotedabove.
Messiaenalsogivesthe readeran aestheticrationaleof the CataloguedDiseaux by
birds
he
depict
bird,
its
habitat,
that are
the
that
tried
to
other
a
and
particular
explaining
form
it.
be
before,
likely
The
to
this
to
needed
singing
after
with or
modifications
most
in
here
the 'Conversations'.Thesemodificationsare essentialto
touched
upon
work are
birdsong:
by
is
done
timbral
this
the
quality
of
each
accompanyingeachnote
exact
create
individual
its
different
bird's
timbre.
thus
the
soundcomplex,
songwith a
enhancing
of
includetheslowingdown(sometimes
by four or five times)of the
Othermodifications
songsandthe useof gracenoteson the pianoto createa portamentoeffect.
This sourcehelpsus to understandthe compositionalprocessesinvolvedin producingthe
kind of exactitudethat Messiaenrequired.
d) 'Trait6 de Rghme. de Couleuret d'Ornithologie' (1999) by 0. Messiaen16
This secondtreatise,a vast project,took Messiaenfrom 1949to the endof his life to
Loriod,
Yvonne
in
According
to
write: the sevenvolumesare the courseof publication.
25
Messiaen'sfaithful assistantandinterpreter,eachone is over threehundredpagesin
indeed".Volume5, part 1, is of paramount
lengthandsomeareverysubstantial
importanceto the researchasit is devotedto the composer'suseof Europeanbirdsong.
However,the other volumesare also significant,especially(for example)the analysesthey
d'Orgue
la
Livre
de
Chronochromie
(volume
Meise
3),
(volume
3)
and
containof
Petdýcdte(volume4).
Volume 5, part 1, dividesa selectionof the most commonbirds of Europeinto fourteen
in
is
birdsongs
devoted
For
the
to
there
section
example,
a
environments.
contrastina
0
is
bird
'marine
'the
Each
'the
town'.
to
to
coasts',and another
oceans'and
woods, one
dealtwith separately,its habitat,appearance
andthe songitself beingdescribed.
The birds' songsthemselvesare presentedin two distinctways.First, Messiaen'soriginal
indications
instrumentation
in
is
the
or
quoted,
without
of
wild
son,,
g
transcriptionof a
included.
Secondly,
lines,
bar
these
though
various
are
original
notations
not
always
even
from
is
Messiaen"s
deal
A
birdsong
taken
compositions.
great
of variety
are
extractsof
illustratedin the treatmentof birdsong,wherebirds suchas the nightingaleor blackbird
instruments
of
and contrastingmethodsof
are concerned,as so manycombinations
Musical"
'Technique
de
Langage
The
treatise,
earlier
mon
representationare employed.
(1944), only toucheson early'style oiseau',whereashereMessiaensurveyshis own
his
his
focusing
throughout
they
of
career,
use
particular
upon
evolved
techniquesas
a
him
identify
in
birdsongs
Messiaen's
to
Analyses
the
allow
own compositions
of
species.
features
individual
of
songs.
and
rhythmic
the mainmelodic
26
in order to indicate
Occasionally,the composerincludesonomatopoeicrepresentations
in
bird's
timbre
of
and
nuances
phrasing
a
vocalisation.Although Messiaen
particular
his
in
it
is
for
this
tool
the performer
compositions
way,
nevertheless
a useful
rarely marks
in
RJveil
to
the
thrush
certain
phrasesof
song
and nightingale
whenattempting portray
de.v Oiseaux.For example,a featureof the nightingale'ssong,comprisingrepeatedlow
in
is
described
by
flourish,
then
a
grace
concludingwith a
note, and
pitcheseachpreceded
the treatiseas 'tio, tio, tio, tiotiolaborix'.
Becausebirdsongis by naturerepetitive,Messiaenis compelledto introducenew
is
distinguished
between
discriminate
Just
to
terminology
motivic characteristics. asverse
from proseby its useof rhythmicpatterning,so, in the sameway, thereare manypatterns
in birdsongcreatedby stressor accent.Alain Louvier citesthe well-known saying'au
le
in
'Avant-Propos'
dtait
Rythme'
to the treatise:certainly,the
the
commencement
knowledgeof GreekandHindu rhythmsand of addednote
composer,with his-advanced
Ids
by
here
Messiaen
is
to
analysesof rhythmic
appliesprosody
values, obsessed metre.
investigations".
from
Dupr6's,
cells,adapted
'Iarnbic feet'19representtwO-notecefls,the first notebeingunaccentedandthe second
in
known
is
(U
English
'cretic'
(U
as
an
cell
rhythm a palindromic
accented -), while,a
-),
'amphimacer'.Both featuresare found regularlythroughoutMessiaen'streatmentof
birdsong,andare of usewhenanalysingparticularlyrepetitivesongsand calls.In the blue
iambic
followed
is
'dochmiac'
Messiaen
the
thrush's
cites
cell
rhythmwhich an
song,
rock
27
by a cretic cell (U -/-U
features,
the
while
skylark,
amongst
other
many
employsa
-),
leaps(a ninthanda seventh),
ccretic'rhythrnin two descending
andmanycompound
intervalsusingrepeatediambiccells.Messiaenemploysmanyof thesetermsthroughout
this secondtreatise:Table WI is a compilationof thosecited in TraW.
Plainchantphraseologyis also adapted,describingshort melodicshapesof birdsong. For
from
derive
'porrectus
flexus'
'climacus
'torculus
resupinus',
all
and
resupinus'
example,
tenns originallyappliedto plainsong,just as adaptationsof chantingappearin Les Corps
Glorieur. In addition,Messiaencombinesthesetermswhenreferringto morecomplex
This
Latin
the
of
above,
and
other melodicshapeswith
names.
shapesusingcombinations
canbe seenat Table 11/2.
development
his
being
It is interesting
tracing
the
treatise
that
than
of
an
argument,
rather
0
'bird style', it is in fact an encyclopaediccoflectionof illustrativeportraits on the common
birds of Europe,presentingtheir uniquesongsand cas. This importantinformation
for
individual
the
the
understanding
of
musicalcharacteristics
providesan essentialguide
in
in
both
Messiaen'sworks.
the
and
wild
of eachspecies'songs,
2 Trevor Hold and Authenticitv.
In lis article,'Messiaen'sBirds' (1971)", Trevor Hold enlightenedmanymusicologists
introduced
from
footnotes,
his
The
too,
ornithological and
papers and articles
views.
with
biologicaljournalsunknownto manymusicologists.He challengedthe musicologistswho
28
he
bird,
Olivier
Messiaen's
the
skill at notating actualsoundof each
and
over-estimated
inauthenticity
imitations,
Messiaen's
TrevorHold,a
the
of
some
of
out
pointed
had
in
in
journals
but
had
only
written
articles musical
alsopublished an
musicologist, not
journal
'Ibis'. He relatedMessiaen'stranscriptionsto thoseof
ornithological
ornithologists.In addition,he criticisedthe rathernaivecommentsmadeby musiccritics
it
Messiaen's
At
this
the
subjectof authenticityandcriticisedsomeof
point
claims.
on
shouldbe pointedout that althoughat onestageMessiaenclaimedthat the soundswere
he
his
his
life,
through
the
to
true
often
changed
of
oeuvreand
mind
course
extremely
thereforeit is difficult to classwhat he hassaidat any onemomentasthe definitivetruth.
Early in his birdsongwriting career,Messiaensaidthat his songswere authentic,yet later
be saysthe opposite.
The Trevor Hold articledrew attentionto the manyarticleson bird vocalisationsin
The
'Ibis',
'Auk',
'Biophon'
'Wildlife
Sound'.
joumals
such
as
and
omithological
just
be
birdsong
to
to
the
asthe
on
seemed
naYve
ornithologists,
papers
musicians'
Griffiths
Paul
bird
to
the
vocalisationsappearednaive
musicians.
ornithologists'paperson
claims:
'He [Messiaen]is far more conscientiousan
ornithologistthan anyearliermusician,andfar
moremusicalan observerthanany other
ornithologiSt21
.I
29
Trevor Hold talks aboutgeneraltranscriptionprinciplesin his article 'The Notation of
22 He conflatesviews from the two sidesof
Birdsong:A ReviewandRecommendation
.
the academicliteratureon the subject,producinga comprehensive
overviewof the many
typesof notationalprocessesdiscoveredup to 1970.
In ornithologicalliteraturethereis muchon the transcriptionof birdsong.First, it is
interestingthat Trevor Hold wrote the article 'The Notation of Birdsong' Pis, 112,1970]
a yearbeforethe previouspaper,'Messiaen'sBirds'. The later article,concernedwith the
generalnotationof birdsong,was submittedto the ornithologicaljournal 'Ibis'. Thereare
threesectionson transcriptiontechniques:
I Syllabicnotation
2 Staff notation
3 Otherforms of subjectivenotation
Hold follows the stringentdescriptionsof thesewith somespeculationson the 'Sound
0
Spectrograph'.The descriptionsof the staff notations,however,beginwith extractsby
Oswald von Wolkenstein (1377-1445), Kircher (1650), through to Matthews (1904) and
the highly sophisticatednotationsof Sz6ke(1969). Hold thendiscussesthe attemptsmade
to evolvea new notationfor birdsong,citing Stadlerand Schmitt(1914) asthe pioneersof
theseprocesses,or at leastthe first to attemptto makea convincingcasefor their
discoveries.
30
M. E.W. North's article, 'TranscribingBirdsong"3(Ibis, 1950)is importantin that it lists
in
field
birdsong
the
andbacksup Messiaen's
theproblemsof notating
pointsof view
in
birdsong.
The
the
timbres
technical
of
unique
are
suggestions
made
aboutrepresenting
but
is
for
is
the
there
that
averagemusician,
someadvicegiven
somecasessimpleeven
for
North
is
the
that
more
proficient.
similar
useful
employs
a
vowel
system
and
relevant
4.
1,17ý
from
(193
8
The
'Handbook'
the
the
vowel-scale
showsa gradation
to that of
highest-sounding
to the lowest-soundingvowels,and displaysan indicationof the
North
the
transcribed.
timbres
of
sounds
suggestsevokingthe quality of each
comparative
descriptive
include,
for
These
by
techniques.
would
sound usingratherrudimentary
hands
is
into
This
blowing
to
the
timbre
the
tawny
create
cupped
owl.
a
of
example,
in
describing
Messiaen
that
muchof his music.North givesa
often used
technique
form
he
lists
field
to
twelve
transcription,
the
an
accurate
and
needed
methods
of
summary
include:
imitating
by
birdsong
in
Examples
bear
the
to
whistling or singing,
mind.
points
describing
He
the
the
sound
quality.
and
octave
givesuseful adviceon
estimating
in
field,
from
including
bird
be
distance
the
the
the
the
that
of
might encountered
problems
hearer.Distance,he says,affectsthe quality of the timbre, and someof the notesmay
becomeinaudibleto the humanear.
Thesearticlesarevery important,not only to the ornithologistwishing to write down the
Messiaen's
for
but
birds,
the
to
the
of
musician
wishing
authenticity
research
also
sonasof
in
his
final
the
music.
results
transcriptionsand
31
3 Previous Research
Sherlaw
Johnson.
Robert
a)
Johnsonhasdonea great dealof groundwork on bird style,techniquesandgroup-forms.
He'4asalsocompiledan appendixwhich lists eachspeciesof bird andthe works in which
they appear.In his book, 'Messiaen23(1975/89),he writes abouttwo earlypieces,Rived
desOiseaux(1953)andOiseaurExoliques(1956),while anotherchapteris devotedto
Catalogued'Oiseaux(1956-58).A smallsectionof approximatelytwo pagesdealswith
the developmentof birdsongin his music.The ideassuggestedherebecamethe basisin
taxonomyof the way Messiaen'streatment
the presentresearchfor a more comprehensive
birds
developed.
Johnson
listed
birdsong
(as
that
the
transcriptions
all
also
an
appendix)
of
hadbeenusedin thepieces,and indicatedwhich pieceseachone appearedin. This
informationhasbeenan extremelyhelpfultool for researchandgroundwork. However,
he omits (quitenaturally)the birdsongthat hasnot beenspecifiedby Messiaenin the
du
birds
in
first
la
Fin
Quatuor
For
the
the
the
example,
used
pour
movementof
score.
Tempsare,quite obviously,the nightingaleandthe blackbird,but asthey arenot written
into the scoreandmight theoreticallybe anotherbird entirely,they are not includedin this
tablefor reference.
Johnsongivesthe readeroutlinesof theformal structuresemployedby the composerin
Rdveil desOiseauxandOiseaurExotiques.In NMI des Oiseauxhe seesthe form as
binary:typically,he seesa relativelysimpleform in what is otherwisea complexwork.
32
The orchestralpassages
that precedethesesectionsalso havean identicalstructure,
findings
form,
diagrams
in
These
Johnson.
to
are
represented
graphical
vAth
according
layout
He
the
the
of
overview
of
usesgraphicalmeansto show
a
strict
piece.
which give
how Hindu andGreekrhythmsandtheir assignedinstrumentsare deployedin Oi.veaux
Exotiques.Thesegraphsdemonstrateinstantlythe processesof the composer.
In the chapterentitledCatalogued'OiseauxJohnsoncreatesa classificationschemeof
below.
four groupsof bird vocalisations,assummarised
I Brief andlongervariedcallsby birds which otherwisedo not
sing;homophonicanddissonant
2 Short repetitivesong-patternswith slight variations
3 Varied songpatterns,declamatoryandoften tonal
4 Rapid 'chattering' songs,continuousor brokenup by rests
He thengoeson to list eachbird that appearsin the CataloguedDiseaux and assigns
themto their group.
The
He alsoclassifiesthe non-birdsongmaterialusedin Caialogued'oiseaUX26.
Mows:
into
five
drawn
be
this
groups
as
may
summationof
Rhythm:a) Greekor Sharngadeva
I Mode:twelve-tone.
b) permutation
series
c) free
2 Modeof pitches,durationsandintensities
3 Modesof limitedtransposition
4 Turangalila
motives
(otherthantheonesin groupsI andIII)
5 Colour-chords
33
Johnsonalsodisplaysa seriesof diagrams
applyinghis'group' structuretheoriesto the
CataloguedDiseaux. He includesinformationon texture,tonality, timbre,frequency,
diagram
bird
its
intensity
that
the
to
a
second
and relationshipof each
group, and
rhythms,
its
bird,
in
formal
and
the
animal
structureof eachpiece correspondence
with each
shows
habitat.
natural
Messiaen'slove of naturein generalis exhaustivelydiscussedby Johnson.Aspectsof
he
Like
Debussy,
in
bird
feature
someof the
pieces.
nature,suchas waves,cliffs andsea,
had a specialregardfor the sea:Debussywrote Ta Mer', while Messiaen(for example)
in
Merle
Bleu'
Te
lapping
its
blue
the
of water
sea, wavesand general
representedthe
(Catalogued'Oiseaux).In CataloguedDiseaux, for instance,Messiaencreatesa portrait
depict
find
he
in
the
bird.
to
to
soundsand
means
attempts
musical
piece:
each
single
of a
in
(sunrise,
the
to
the
the
suggest
sunset
and
sound
of
sea),
order
nature
of
colours
like
bird.
Johnson
that
others,
also
proposes,
surrounding
each
envirorunent
particular
Messiaen'sdisillusionedor evenmisanthropictemperamentmay accountfor his
for
preference natureto the soundsof carsandthe city.
' it is in a spirit of no confidencein myself,or
I meanin the humanrace,that I havetaken
bird-songsasmodeF.'
is
he
birds:
in
he
hours
it
is
in
the
Messiaensays
perhaps
the
of gloom that seeksrefuge
like the psaMst who declares,
34
'in the shadowof your wings will I take refuge/
until thesetroublesare past.' [Psalm57, v.2].
for
information
Johnson'smonographis an authoritativeandcomprehensive
the
sourceof
studyof all of Messiaen'smusic.His studiesin birdsongare particularlypertinent:the
be
Companion',
'Messiaen
Ifill,
Peter
for
to
this
the
the
subject
asked
chapteron
editor of
lim.
by
written
b) NormanDemuth.
28(1
Early
Birds
v
in
his
'Messiaen's
960) discussesthe earlytranscriptions
Demuth,
article
des
Oiseaux
Rgveil
(1953).
He
birdsong
to
talks aboutthe episodicnatureof
up
of
Messiaen'sform as opposedto the symphonicstyleof manypast composers.Demuth
have
birds
breath,
Messiaen
that
to
that
take
even
writes
a
and
quite
naturally,
pointsout,
in 'block-form' almostexclusively.The useof separatebirdsongsconsecutively,as
opposedto the superimpositionof oneupon another,createsan effect of separationrather
include
do
birdsong,Messiaenwas writing materialthat
In
that
than continuity. works
not
has
in
Turwigaffla
Sjmphony.
Boulez
in
Pierre
the
was very episodic nature,especially
in
form'
Messiaen's
'block
is
it
French
trait
to
that
that
musicwas
write
and
a
mentioned
birds,
lucky
It
Messiaen
discovered
keeping
in
the
this29.
that
as
of
songs
seems
with
only
in
for
inherent
his
technical
to
style, use
they createda nucleusof musicalresourcesakin
works after the period of 1941.
35
Musicalnotationhaddevelopeddramaticallysincethe beginningof the twentiethcentury:
the needto signify complexrhythms,atonalityandconstantchangesof metrebecame
Messiaenwas thus ableto hearandrepresentbirdsongwith twentieth
commonplace.
birdsong
'ears',
techniques
the
to
available
vocalisationswith
using
newly
create
century
inevitable
It
that the composer'sown musical
was
and
subtlety.
greaterprecision
birdsong:
'subjective'
notations
of
compositionalprocedures
produced
preferences
Messiaen's
in
For
the
throughout
transcribing
process.
example,
a
part
played
necessarily
instances
there
wherephrasesexpandor contract,giving the musican
aremany
career
improvisatoryquality.The 'motivic island' cfFect,asPaul Griffiths callsit, is producedby
the expansionor contractionof phrasesandinterweavingof motivic cells.It wasthe
birdsong.
innovative
Messiaen
that
the
tools
to
gave
simulate
evolvingmusicalclimate
Trevor Hold hasdrawnattentionto the prominentpart playedby the pianoin Messiaen's
imposes
limitations
fact
this
that
the
to
on the use of glissandi,which are sucha
music,and
Symphony
Turangaffla
has
Certainly,
Demuth
likened
birdsong.
feature
to
the
a
of
strong
GrandPianoConcerto,derivedfrom the concertanteprinciple.PerhapsMessiaenwas
by
his
by
Skriabin,
influenced
andthe
only
sensitivityto synaesthesia
not
greatly
importancethey both attachedto tone andcolour relationships,but alsoby his useof the
bird
du
Feu).
Demuth
(Le
Po6me
in
'Prom6th6e
that
music
suggests
also
piano
(incorporatedmerelyas fragmentsby Wagner,Beethoven,Rousselandothers)was
in
birdsong
by
Messiaen,
many
exclusively
who eventuallyused
effectivelyoriginated
pieces.
36
It is not correctfor NormanDemuthto saythat, 'Messiaenhasnow completedwhat is
kind
bird
" Of course,at the time that this article
a
collection
of
every
of
music3o.
virtually
he
had
collectedmanydifferentkinds of birdsong,but he found manymore
waswritten
from all over the world after this date.He also concludesthe paperwith the comment,
'I do not envisage,however,anythingnovel in
the way of harmonyarisingfrom it, sinceits
31
natureandtextureare too mobile .i
Messiaenhimselfcomplainedthat one of his pupils, GeorgeBenjamin,wrote the piece'At
First Light' with little useof harmony.Benjaminhadto explainthat the piecewas
saturatedwith harmony,but that the harmonywas 'lost insidethe form, insidethe
be
It
texture
the
of
music'.
clarified that perhapsDemuthviews
and
must
argument
harmonyin a moretraditionalway thanthe older Messiaenandthe young George
32.
Benjamin Certainly the birdsong was later accompaniedby quite exploratory harmonies.
c)Paul Griffiths
Paul Griffiths.,in 'Olivier Messiaenandthe Music of Time933spokeof the difficulty in
,
finkincyvariousbirdsongstogetherin a work. The most significantpoint is that theremust
be a consistencyin the treatmentof variation;however,thereis an ever increasingsubtlety
intrinsic
bird.
that
the
timbral
transcriptions
accentuate
colouration
of
and
quality
each
of
37
He mentionsthat the differentinterpretationsof the chaffinch'ssong,for instance,may
different
bird
be
different
two
to
the
time
attempt
show
chaffinches
of
an
same
at
a
either
day - or it maysimplymark the stagesin Messiaen'stranscriptionsof the idealway to
have
developed
his
birdsong.
Messiaen
to
techniqueafter eachpiece.
seems
a
such
notate
In the earlyworks, 'style oiseau"was infusedpredominantlywith the useof the ubiquitous
.
fairly
frequent:
fourth,
limited
The
transposition.
tritone,
trills
the
are
of
and
mode
second
being
in
birdsongs,
the
trills
comment
on
many
a
significant
motive
manyornithologists
in
fourths
later
in
Trills,
territorial/mating
tritones
calls.
a quite
appear
and
also
andalso
*
Griffiths,
however,
birdsong.
Paul
of
some
of
use
of
shows
examples
musical
sophisticated
the birds in RdveildesOiseauxbeingportrayedmusicallyusingthe intervalsof the fourth
little
The
fifth,
tritone
the
particularly.
owl, robin, whitethroat andthe song
plus a
and
Griffiths
dominant
feature
These
thrushare examples.
motivic cellsare a
of earlymaterial.
by
is
influenced
the
that
transcriptions
proportion
of
early
a
substantial
postulates
intervallic
Griffiths
Paul
Moreover,
these
relationships.
composer'spreoccupationwith
Oiseaux
Exotiques
Catalogue
d'Oiseaux
des
Oiseaur,
NMI
that
aUsuitedthe
and
says
Griffiths
Like
Johnson,
Paul
the
style.
also
musical
composer's
presentstateof
does
in
but
he
Riveil
des
F-roliques,
Oise=
Oiseaux
formal
demonstrates
and
structure
a
it, without diagrammaticalmeans.
Jannequin,
Paul Griffiths displaysmusicalexamplesof the nightingale'ssong,starting
with
0
CouperinandBeethoven,and concludingwith StravinskyandMessiaen.He finds that,
in
individuals,
Messiaen
for
the
the
song
of
amongst
nightingale
evenallowing variation
38
hasfar moresophisticationthan his precedingrivals lex 11/3].Notice, however,that both
BeethovenandMessiaenincludefalling secondsas a prominentfeature;six serniquavers
but
Messiaen,
Beethoven
the
and
same
with
up a sernitoneandwith the additionof
with
in
development
Griffiths
traces
the complexityand sophisticationof the
a
gracenotes.
des
IDifant
Nved
Vingi
Jýsus,
from
Regards
sur
chaffinch'ssong,showingexamples
oiseaux, Catalogued'OiseauxandfinallyMiditatiom swr le MystJre de la SainteTrinjtJ.
Theseexamplesareusefulstartingpointsfor the understandingof the developmentof
Messiaen'stechniquesin portrayingbirdsong.
d) David Morris
David Morris's 'A ComparativeBibliography'lists almostall of the bookson Messiaen,
information
dissertations,
recordingsandother
articles,the composer'sown publications,
in a systematicformat.In addition,Morris's articleanalysing'AbIme desOiseaux',from
du
The
la
Fin
Temps,
Quatuorpour
reveal
uses
a
serrýotic
segmentations
approach.
the
intervallic
find
in
the
to
the
of
recurringpatterns
music,enabling reader
manysymmetries
de
is
from
'Technique
Further,
the
taken
mon
poietic evidence
andrhythmiccefls.
LangageMusical', in order to form - asfar aspossible- hierarchiesin a 'neutral' analysis.
For example,he dividesthe movementinto separateparts.Part I is givena pitch count
four
into
Morris
this
mode
arranges eight-note
whereonly eightpitch classesareused.
Using
G/Db
F/B.
E/Bb,
Ab/D,
to
forrning
evidence
tritone:
poietic
and
a
pairs,each
lists
'Technique',
he
first
findings,
three
Messiaen's
his
treatise,
and
cites
support research
39
intervallicpreoccupationsof the composer.The first is the tritone, found throughout
Messiaen's
music.Thesecondis a descending
majorsixth,andthethird is a 'chromatic
formula' which involvesthe rearrangement
of threesemitones.Morris alsopoints out two
predominantmelodicshapes:versionsof the Boris Godunovthemeand 'distortions' of a
from
'Solveig's
Song'
Grieg's
'Peer
Gynt'.
of
segment
Morris statesthat althoughthe mainbirdsongworks datefrom the 1950'sandthe more
later
in
these
compositions,manyrhythmicandmelodic
sophisticatedportrayalsappear
featuresof 'style oiseau"appearin earlierpieces,includingthe 'AblimedesOiseaux'.
Later, the specificnamesof the speciesareincludedin the score;however,Morris cites
de
Crystal'
in
linking
bars
from
Titurgie
and
certainmotiviccharacteristicsa chart,
(movements
I andIH fromtheQ-Uarlel)
'AbIme,desOiseaux"
to thespecifiedbirdsongin
deduces
d'Oiseaux
(1956-58).
Monis
Catalogue
that,
the
'severalbirds are presentin "AbIme", but... at
this point in Messiaen'soutput [ 1940-1] they
areunspecifiedor the transcriptionsinsufficiently
'-14
accuratefor identificationpurposes.
Similarpoietic evidenceis givento Messiaen'sfrequentemploymentof 11indurhythms,
(especiay
diminution,
transmutations
ceUs
augmentation
of
rhythmic
various
progressiveaugmentation)- andthe useof addednote values.
40
This researchis particularlyimportant:asthe title suggests,it is an investigationof various
serniotichierarchies.Segmentations
are employedin order to produce,with referenceto
the 'Technique',a 'neutral' analysis,while revealingmanymotivic patterns.
de
e)Tenneguy Qu6netain
Tenneguyde Qudnetainin his article 'Poet of Nature'" advisesus that Messiaenis
When
by
Debussy.
talking aboutMessiaen'scompositional
the
started
continuing work
languagehe saysthat,
'.. [it is] essentiallya languageof modality; in other
free
it.
use not only of the classic
makes
words,
but
also of the
modes - ma or and minor ecclesiasticalmodes of the middle ages, of exotic
modes and indeed, of modes of the composer's
is
In
Messiaen
invention.
this,
continuing
all
own
the work of DebuSSY'-36.
Tenneguyde Qu6netainalsonoticesthat in Messiaen'smusiceachbird hasits own mode.
It becameessentialin pursuingthe currentresearchto find basicsimilaritiesin the songof
eachbird ratherthanto analyseeachsongwith pitch-settheory.De Qudnetainalsopoints
from
Stravinsky
idiom
had
begun:
Debussy
the
the
that
revolt
and
classical
with
out
'with Debussy,the revolt is gentle:he frees
the beatcompletelyfrom time to time...
continuallyvariesthe tempi andmultiplies
the pauses.Stravinsky'srevolt is aggressive:
he shiftsthe stressesashe wishesinsteadof
leavingthemat the sameplacein eachba?"
41
deQuenetain,
begana revolutionthatwasmore
Messiaen,
accordingto Tenneguy
by the
methodical:as followersmight say,he beganto capturethe rhythmicconsciousness
systematicreconnoitringof the rhythmicpossibilities'not only of the musicalworld, but in
the.universeitsele'. ' Moreover,Messiaenseesa rhythmicsymmetryof 'rhythmic canons'
and 'non-reversiblerhythms'reflectedin nature.
39
fir
'An thevAngsof butterflies,in theveinsof leaves,in thebranches
of a tree .9
f)David Dre
David Drew's 'ProvisionalStudies40are essentialreadingfor all musicologistswho have
in
interest
anyaspectsof the musicof Messiaen.
an
This is a good basisfor an immediateunderstandingof the basicprinciplesof Messiaen's
however,
in
1954/5andcan only talk aboutworks
the
of
articles
was
group
written
music;
inevitably
dated.
He
the
that
to
as
a
opinions
pointsout that
period,
and
result
seem
up
fall
Messiaen,
the
to
that
and
rise
thereare certainprinciplesof structure
governing
appeal
highly
birdsong,
line
both
the
chromatic
a
of a complex
of which admit
of pitch, and
freedom.
and
rhythmic
stylisation
'The style oisema, like the stylehindoue,satisfies
Messiaen'sdesirefor the orn=ental, andat the same
time allowshim to avoid anyharmonicimplications,
if he so wishee'.'
42
He also statesthat Messiaen'slanguageis suchthat counterpointcannotfunctionin the
Diviiie
in
Trois
Pefiles
la
Priseme
Liturgies
de
Messiaen
the
traditionalway, although
la
important
did
in
Meive
de
he
Pentecdle.
This
birdsong
with counterpoint,as
combined
for
is
by
David
Drew
the generalunderstandingof
useful
more
group of articles
Messiaen"scompositionaltechniquesthan,specifically,his useof birdsong.
It is importantfirst to surveythe issuesrelatedto birdsongandincorporatethesefindings
into a critical taxonomy.It was found that little researchhadbeenpublishedon the subject
birdsong.
in
his
developed
Phrases
how
Messiaen
of
earlycompositionsare
use
of
its
bird
'oiseau',
labelled
the
and
analysisof eachcommon
and so
simply
normally
developmentin transcriptionwill be presentedafter the earlyresearch.A further taskwill
be to look at Messiaen'smethodologyin his useof birdsong,andthe earlypieces
incorporatingthe transpositionandtransmutationtechniques.
43
Notesto Chapter11
(London, Faber,1995).
PeterHill (editor), Messigen-Companion,
2 ClaudeSamuel,Olivier Messiaen:Music and-Color:Conversationswith ClaudeSamuell,
trans.By E. ThomasGlasow, (Portland,Oregon,AmadeusPress,1986).
3Robert SherlawJohnson,Y-ýnajije-n,
(Lond6n,Dent, 1976,revised1989)pp116-158.
" PaulGriffiths, Olivier Messiaenandthe Music of Time.. (London/Boston,Faberand
Faber,1985)pp166-189.
5Almut Mler, Contributionsto the SpiritualWorld of Olivier Messiaen,(Duisburg,
Gillesund Francke,1986).
' Almut R68ler, op. cit., p31.
7 Ibid., p31.
8 Ibid., p32.
9 Ibid., p35.
10Ibid., p 149.
ClaudeSamuel,op. cit., pp85-97.
12ClaudeSamuel,op. cit., p94-95.
" ClaudeSamuel,op. cit., p87.
14ClaudeSamuel,op. cit., p89.
" ClaudeSamuel,op. cit., p89.
16Olivier Messiaen,Trait6 de Rýjhme.de Couleur.et d'Ornýithologie.
1vol-5-pt.
Chantsd'Oiseauxd'Europe, (1999).
17SeePeterHill's Conversationwith YvonneLoriod in the MessiaenCompanjo op. cit.,
,
p285.
" MarcelDupr&,'Traitd d'Improvisation',takenfrom vol.2 of CoursComplet
d'Improvisationd'Orizue (Paris,Leduc, 1926).
"' Note that a 'trochee' rhytlun is the opposite(- U).
2' Trevor Hold, 'Messiaen'sBirds' from Music andLetters, Vol.52, no. ii, (April 1971),
pp113-122.
" PaulGriffiths, op. cit., p 168.
22TrevorHold, 'The Notation of Bird Sona:a ReviewandRecommendation
'-Tb)Lis
112,
(1970) pp151-172.
' M. E. W. North, 'TranscribingBird Song' from Ibis, 92, (1950) pp99-114.
24cHandbook.' Witherbyet aL The Handbookof British Birds. (London, 1938).
25Johnson,op. cit. pp116-127andpp128-158 (Catalogued'Oiseaux).
26Johnson,op. cit., p136-137.
27Messiaenin Antoine Gol6a'sbook, RecontresavecOlivier Messiaen,(Paris,Julliard,
1960).
28NormanDemuth,'Messiaen'sEarly Birds' from MusicalTimes,ci, (1960), pp627-9.
290ther clearexamplesof thýisform canbe seenin Stravinsky's'Symphoniesof Wind
Instruments'andin Debussy's'Jeux'.
30Demuth,op. cit., p627.
" Demuth,op. cit., p629.
32MessiaenCompanio op. cit. p271.
44
PaulGriffiths, op. cit., pp166-189.
David Morris, 'A SemioticInvestigationof Messiaen's"Abime desOiseaux"',Musical
Analysis,vol 8, (1989),p 142.
" Tanneguyde Qu6netain,'Messiaen:Poet of Nature' from Music andMusicians,xi/9,
(May 1963)pp 8-12.
" Quinetain,op. cit., p 11.However,it is importantto n,ote that ecclesiasticalmodesare
le
Midilations
de
la
Myslýre
Sainte
TrinW
(1969).
the
organ
work,
mir
until
used
not
Qu6netain,op. cit., p 11.
Qu6netain,op. cit., pl 1.
Qu6netain,op. cit. p 11.
David Drew, 'Messiaen-A ProvisionalStudy', The Scor 10,13and 14 (1954-5).
4' David Drew, 'ProvisionalStudyI', The Scor no. 10, (1954),p.44.
,
45
Chapter TIT: Nf usical Lan2uas!e or Messinen
The characterof Messiaen'smusicwas clearlyinfluencedby his personalinclinations.
Messiaen,beingdeeplyreligious,chosemanysubjectswhich hadtheir roots in ChristianCatholic
love
Roman
FEs
in
his
is
theology.
specifically,
of
sophisticated
nature
reflected
depiction
in
birdsong,
the
that surroundedthese
and
musicof the landscapes
useof
songsters.The religioussideof the composerwas susceptibleto plainsong,sacredtexts,
intensecolours(especiallythosefound in stained-glass
windows) andthe soundof the
be
in
isolation:
form
his
However,
these
to
they
cannot
aspects
considered
merge
organ.
characteristicstyle.Messiaenwas highly receptiveto manystylesof classicalmusic.His
from
Greek
I-findu
Stravinsky
taken
and
classical
andDebussy,the
music,
rhythmswere
harmoniesfrom Debussy,Mussorgsky,Dupr6, Stravinsky,WagnerandRavel.Justashis
from
cosmopolitansourcesof inspiration,so his useof
compositionalstyleevolved
birdsong,too, camefrom visits to manycountriesaroundthe world.
With the traditionaltrainingthat Messiaenreceivedat the Conservatoire,he discovered
formulae
formed
his
the
composition,
conglomeration
of
uniquestyle.
of
which
special
Messiaenpreferreda compositionalform that wasa reactionto the nineteenthcentury
in
keeping
language
Debussy'
trend
tradition
the
and
more
with
of
musical
symphonic
-a
had
from
is
form
harmonic
French
The
that
evolved
strong
system
a
ancestry.
of musical
is
in
'dynamic'
formal
Flis
there
no
referenceto a
and
structure.
static
nature,
rather
46
'pedal-group',for instance,is a modemform of ostinato,andhis 'omamental-group'
refersto a cadenza.
In 1944Messiaenpublishedthe treatisein two partsentitled'Techniquede mon Langage
Musical22This pair of technicalbooks illustratesthe musicalsourcesfrom which
.
Messiaenhadtakenhis influences,and explainsthe techniquesthat he hadusedin someof
his earliercompositions.The entirechapterfocuseson this source.The follovAngheadings
fundamental
brief
Messiaen
the
theories
outline
of
of
at thistime,whilereferringto
a
show
their inherentconnectionwith a later, more maturecompositionalstyle,especiallywith
birdsong.
to
regard
Harmonv
Messiaenbeginsto addressthis enormoustopic with a chapterin the 'Techniquede mon
LangageMusical', entitled'Harmony,Debussy,AddedNotes'. The title obviously
indicatesthe importancewhich is givento Debussy.It is importantto rememberthat
Messiaengenerallyusedharmonyfor decorationrather than for functionalreasons:a
dominantchord,for example,would be incorporatedinto a piece,but a chromaticnote
be
for
Modal
harmonies,
be
too,
this
to
combined
often
might
chord variety.
might added
'added
is
Messiaen
One
the
the
that
the
of
notion
of
principles
advises
with chromaticism.
In
include
'added
introduces
Messiaen
that
these
chords
notes'. the examples
note', and
,
he quotes,he is candidaboutthe sourcesof his musicallanguage.He seemscompelledto
justify his musicby clearlyshowinga 'natural' progressionfrom pastcomposers- just as
47
Schoenberg'satonalityand serialismwere shownto be a developmentfrom the harmonic
fluctuationof Wagner'sstyle.Debussy'suseof non-resolvingappoggiaturasandpassing
is
do
to includethesenotes
notes- which not resolve- sufficientjustificationfor Messiaen
in a chordin theirownright.Not onlydo theaddednotesfforeign') havethesame
but they are alsonotesthat are presentin
sonorityasthe aforementionedappoggiaturas,
the 'perfectchord' lex IH/1]. The chord of the addedsixth is the first of which he speaks:
'
feature
is
this chord a common
of the composer'searlyworks, yet morejustification is
for
is
The
techniques.
other
overtone
series
needed
usedto validatea modalandharmonic
language.Messiaenstates,
'In the resonanceof a low C, a very acuteear
hearsanF sharp[the eleventhharinonic]...
Thereforewe arejustified in treatingthis F sharp
in
asan addednote the perfectchord,already
providedwith an addedsixO. "
The added60',9" and I I" are alsoincludedin this formula.Messiaenshowsthat the
gnormalresolution' from the F# (the augmentedfourth) shouldbe a C. This chord andits
is
feature
an
unmistakably
melodic
resolution
characteristic
of the early
ubiquitous
in
be
found
In
the
traditional
a
music
resolution
of
chromatic
notes
would
compositions.
downwardsmotion - to its neighbournote.Messiaenfeelsthat he needsto justify this too,
from
the 'Boris Godunov'themeby Mussorgsky.I-Esargumentthat
showingan example
is
dissonant
the
the appropriateresolutionfor the F# is the C is rather strange,
not
note
as
0
it
does
but
has
fourth,
However,
the
chord
no senseof movement.
only an augmented
being
dissonant
C
dorainant
The
9hchord.
the
the
the
root
of
or addednotes
vAth
resolve,
48
appearwithout preparationor a traditionalresolution,andwithout a particularexpressive
for
interest.
harmonic
the
specifically
colouration
and
are
used
notes
accent:
Messiaen's
useof invented,contrivedandspecialchordsis notable.Thechordon the
don-ýinant
canbe displayedin severalways:a chord which containsall the notesof the
inverted
dominant
bass
(with
the
a
and
as
note
an
positionof the other six
scale
major
inversion
the
with
of
array
notes),a supposedresolution, addednotesas appoggiaturas,an
left
in
hand
(the
in
the
windoweffect),a
stained-glass
chordalcomplexes closeposition
be
the
the
chordwhich can ornamented
appoggiaturasasaddednotes,and
chordwith
be
in
dominant
The
thenonnalway,or
the
can
chord
of
resolved
notes.
with added
dissonance
form
[ex
IWIJ.
to
a complex
are added
appoggiaturas
is citedwithall thepossiblenotesthat canbe heardby what
The'chordof resonance'
Messiaendescribesas 'an extremelyfine ear'[ex III/11. Messiaenalsodisplaysan interest
in a chordthat is built up from perfectandaugmentedfourths ratherthan superposed
limited
fifth
fourths
from
in
Messiaen's
the
the
of
mode
usesall
notes
thirds.
chord
bass
fourths
note: often,
given
transposition,alternatingperfectandaugmented
abovea
interval
involves
formula
have
the
of the tritone
the
a melodic
which
the chordsand mode
[ei IR/2].
is subdividedinto two categories.The first, 'superior', involvesgenerallya
Resonance
The
fundamental
is
second,
chord/note.
quiet chord/notewhich playedabovea more
'inferior', is predominantlybuilt up from loud chordswhich includesofter coloursabove.
49
More regularly,this resonanceis achievedby a chord or note playedloudly in the bass
Messiaen
includedactual
amongstothermusicalmaterial.In earlycompositions,
transcriptionsof birdsonginto his compositions,andmanytimbral complexitiesthat are
in
found
birdsongareused.In laterworks,Messiacn
hismusicwith
saturated
commonly
both high andlow registerresonances,
andaccompaniedthesesonoritieswith colourful
birds.ong. The 'resonancechords, asonewould expectfrom Wsgeneralharmonic
device
for
timbral
than
are
used
as
a
rather
purelystructuralpurposes.The
approach,
Catalogued'Oiseauxincorporatesmany'inferior' and 'superior' resonanceeffects;in
left
held
birdsong
define
begin.
These
textures
are
chords
often
while
new
effects
addition,
the later 'hybrid' texturewherean 'inferior' or 'superior' resonanceprecedesor follows a
birdsong.
phraseof
Often, chordsarearrangedin closeposition,andsomeincludedissonantaddednotes.The
'stained-glasswindow' effectis perhapscreatedby the colour that the chord has
in
The
(out
the
total
twelve
of
certain
absence
pitches
of
sernitones
an
of
produced.
intense
from
Messiaen
these
the
often
produces
colours.
an
extract
quotes
octave)
Quatuorpour la Fin du Tempslex IH/3] describingthe progressionas a cascadeof blueHe
in
dissonant
colourchords.
also,
quite
would
regularly
combine
early
works,
orange
I'Enfant-Jdsus'
diatonic
is
in
de
An
found
Te
Baiser
this
example
of
ones.
chordswith
from VingiRegardssur I'Enfwit-Jemis.
Messiaencontinuesto developnew approachesto harmonythroughouthis career.A
continuumof inventedcolour-chordsis found in the pianopart as earlyasthe first
so
increasingly
(1944)
later,
becomes
the
the
as
composer
of
quartet
movement
-
birdsong,
invented
timbre
to many
the
chordsareattached
with recreating
of
preoccupied
theiruniquetimbralqualitiesin the%ild.Inventedchords,harmonic
pitches,simulating
inflectionsandcolour becomesynonymous:
'Messiaen
translates
coloursinto harmonies,
for thosewho haveearsto see'$.
The Modes of Limited Transposition
Messiaen'smodesdividethe octaveinto betweentwo and six points of symmetry.The
for
Messiaen's
harmonic
form
early
melodic
and
compositional
a
nucleus
modes
be
limit
The
that
the
transpositions
made
can
of
of
symmetry
number
points
constructions.
based
The
the
chromatic
scale.
points of symmetryare
on
equal-tempered
and are
being
into
the
the
tones
andsernitones, only exception
samerelationshipof
subdivided
Messiaen
divisions.
into
divides
(the
I
the
six equal
octave
whole-tonescale)which
mode
it
is
incorporated
Debussy,
this
as
only when concealedamongst
mode:
with
uses
rarely
Consequently
[ex
IH/4].
He
the
this
textures.
combines
mode
with
others
also
other
identity of mode I is changedquite dramatically.The pedalpart in 'Les Eaux de la Grice'
from Messiaen'sLes CorpsGlorieur involvesthe continualuseof the whole tone scale.
The harmonythat mode I implieslacksa certaintensionthat the composerrequires:the
tritone is the only featurethat hasanyinherentimportance,
51
Mode 2 is usedmoreregularlyin Messiaen'scompositions.Certainharmonies,melodies
formulas
is
The
this
associated
are
often
vvith
of threenotes
mode.
unit
andcadential
intervallic
fonnula
involves
(associated
The
the
succession
sernitone/tone. cadential
which
for
first
'Boris
Godunov')
has
the
the
of
clearly
significance
scene
a
marked
vvith
he
in
incorporating
this
the samemelodic
used
as
often,
early
works,
mode
composer
intervallicrelationships[ex HI/51. Messiaen'sinterestin mode2 is dueto its harmonic
implications.The modeitself doesnot refer to a particulartonality; however,it caneasily
be usedin relationto onetonal centre,andmoveinto anotherwithout an alarming
in
in
The
Messiaen
'exist
an atmosphereof
general,
as
points
out,
modes
modulation.
liberty
being
to
the
tonalities
either
at
composer
at
once,
without
polytonality
several
feeling
'
leave
fluid.
The
to
the
tonal
to
tonality,
modescreate
or
give predominance one
(andallow)a varietyof chromaticchordsthatarerelatedto a tonalcentre.Thus,
Messiaenis ableto juxtaposechordsthat haveno diatonicrelationshipwith eachother,
is
formal
is
that
the
structure
produced
a
which coherentwithout the useof
result
with
traditionalharmonicimplications.
Modes4,5 pd 6 areusedlessfrequentlythanthe othersasthey do not haveso many
Messiaen
citeseachof thesemodes,pointing out their
possibilities.
chromatic
in someof his earlyworks. They are truncatedin form asall
distinguishablecharacteristics
is
in
3
7.
Mode
transposition
a modeof strictly
their
of mode
notesarepresent some
of
limited transposition,like modesI and2.
52
Messiaenjuxtaposescomplexdissonances
with consonanttonal harmonies:in the
conjuresup thecolourassociations
mind,thiscombination
composer's
whichwerevery
importantto him. For Messiaen,Mode 2 suggestsshadesof purple,blue andviolet, whilst
mode3 displaysreddishorange,greenwith spotsof gold, andmilky-whitewith iris
like
Colour
important
in
Couleurs
Messiaen's
opal.
remains
an
aspect
of
music:
reflections
de la CW Oldie the coloursare namedin the score,in relationto specificchordal
'
complexes.
Occasionally,in the later 'birdsong' works, modesof firrited transpositionare employedin
depict
bird's
Te
de
(Catalogue
in
In
Merle
Roche'
to
the
plumage.
chords order
dDiseaza), the principalbird's songis 'bright orangelike its plumage'7.The term 'mode'
features
is laterextended
to encompass
generically
manyother
of Messiaen's
compositions:
'[Messiaen"swork] is essentiallya languageof modality;
...
in otherwords, it makesfree usenot only of the classic
modes- major and minor - but alsoof the ecclesiastical
modesof the middleages,of exotic modesandindeed,of modesof the
composer'sown invention!'.
It maybe saidthat eachbird's songhasits own 'mode'.
Melody
Messiaen'smelodicstyleis closelyrelatedto his useof harmony.The melodicshapesof
folksong,
in
be
from
derived
to
the
early
works,
seem
composers,
phrases,
past
manyof
53
Indianjatis and- later - birdsong.As we haveseenin the Boris Godunovtheme,the
is
descending
fourth
becoming
F#
C,
(tritone)
the
the
a
vvith
augmented
of
resolution
feature.
in
his 'perfect chord', andthe use
The
6"
the
composer'suseof
major
prominent
in
lines
by
interval
Mozart
this
many
melodic
promptsthe composerto employthis
of
intervalregularly.Onceagain,the openingof Mussorgsky's'Boris Godunov' is cited,
is
by
from
interval
first
the
a
transposed,but nonetheless
augmented
copied,apart
which
(which
he
Messiaen
lei
111/61.
three-note
alsomentions
chromaticcells
semitone
descending
2'J,
Bartok)
two
that
a
or
consecutive
span
a
major
pitches,
associatedwith
followed
by
inversion
the
tone
of this second
an
ascending
sernitc-ne
as
well
as
whole
figure. This systemis really a form of imitation:the three-notecellsare subjectedto
by
is
interesting
but
It
that
to
note
swapped
around.
variousmanipulations are essentially
is
in
this
the
changing pulseor metre, effect produced manyworkswithoutstrictly
but
techniques,
these
to
only usingan ostinatopassagewith a changeof pulse.
adhering
Stravinskyprovidesseveralexamplesof this technique,two of which aregiven here: [ex
111/7a, b). AlthoughMessiaenemploysthe melodicprinciplesof previouscomposers,not
in
but
his
by
he
does
the
transform
the
completely
natureof
melodies using own style,
only
the sameway he is alsoableto changedramaticallythe natureof the melodicpatternsof
birdsongsaftertranscribingthem.
The Indianjatis areusedas a basisfor melodicmaterialby Messiaen.Many of the rules
influenced
Raga
the
traditions
clearly
style
someof the composer'smelodic
of
and
feature,
Messiaen
the
the
and
at
end
of
a
phrase
a
conunon
notes
are
structures: repeated
des
in
'Amen
VAnge
like
'Technique'),
Parfurns'
(exI
idea
in
13
this
aux
pieces
uses
54
Anges, des Saints, du Chant des Oiseaux' (ex 146, ex 142 in 'Technique'), Troi.v Petites
LiturgiesdelaPr6semeDiviize(movlandex168in 'Technique').Of course,theadded
is
feature
too,
takenfrom this source.
a
primary
note value,
The principlesof manyplainchantphrasesare takenandusedby,Messiaenin diverseways.
The contoursof plainsongphrasesoften foreshadowthe oneswritten by Messiaen.Most
plainsongphrasesendon the 'final' (the I' note of the fnode):ex170in the 'Techniquede
is
idea
Musical'
from
Langage
SalveRegina[ex HI/8].
this
taken
an
exarnple
of
mon
Someof the phrasesthat Messiaenusesfollow contourssimilarto thoseof plainchant,but
he transformsthemby his melodicstyle.Evenif the melodieswere difficult to understand,
at the time of composition,the chromaticandaddednoteswere often resolvedto a note
is usedbothin
thatwasdiatonic,maldngit morecoherentto thelisteners'ear.Plainchant
forms
Miditationssur
la
Saime
IeMywre
de
throughout
the
modified
and
original
TrilliM (1969).Interestingly,plainchanttenninologyservesasa fonn of analysis,usedby
the composerandduringthis thesis:the basicshapeof manymelodiccellsin birdsongcan
be categorisedby plainchanttem-dnology.
Rhvthm
Messiaensaidto ClaudeSamuelthat he is an omithologistanda rhythmician.The
in
disciplines
work conjunctionwith eachother, however,theseseemto
aforementioned
be the mostimportanttraits of the composer
55
'I feelthatrhythmis theprimordialandperhaps
,
it
likely
I
think
of
music;
most
essential
part
existedbeforemelodyandharmony,andin fact
for thiselement.I
I havea secretpreference
I
all themorebecause
cherishthispreference
feelit distinguished
'
myentryinto contemporary
music?.
David Drew pointsout that the moreattenuatedthe hold on tonality becomes,the more
needthereis for a force to propelthe musicforward: this needis indeedsatisfiedby the
useof rhythm.
Messiaen'sinterestin rhythmdatesback to his daysat the Conservatoire.It washerethat
the'youngcomposerdiscoveredthe Greekrhythmsandthe 120 deei-tilas (Hindu),
by thethirteenthcenturytheorist,Sharngadeva.
Messiaen
described
mentionsthese
influencesalongwith thoseof Stravinsky.The commonfactor betweenthe rhythmsof
StravinskyandIndianrhythmis that they are ametrical.Ametricalityis a particularfocal
(five,
Messiaen
for
Messiaen's
the
seven,
cites
of
prime
numbers
rhythms.
rhythms
point
by
beat
in
)
the
therefore
thirteen
replaced
notionsof measureand
are
etc. which
eleven,
the shortvalues(the semiquaverpredominantly).The Simhavikriditarhythm showsthe
in
bars
diminution
The
as
an
example
shown
techniqueof rhythmic
andaugmentation.
'Techniquede monLangageMusical' includetwo values-A andB. A augmentstwice
being
B
diminishes
the
the
the
twice,
a nonretrogradable
value
while
stays same, result
and
in
due
be
lex
In/9].
this
course
will
explained
rhytý -
56
Theaddednoteis a shortvalue(normallythesemiquaver)
thatcanbeaddedto any
is
it
be
dot.
The
the
the
additionof a
addednote
useof
rhythm,whether a note,rest,or
la
from
Quatuorpour
in
de
la
Fin
du
Tanse
Fureur'
Temps,
the
wherethe
veryprevalent
into
In
duration
in
to
subdivided
addup prime numberswhen
semiquavers.
cells
Messiaen'sfirst treatise(1944), a tableof possibleexamplesof augmentationand
diminutionis shownlex III/101.
The nonretrogradable
rhythm is one of the mostimportantrhythmicdevicesusedby
is identicalto the originalfonn and
Messiaen:
thetermis inexactasthe retrograde
thereforeconstitutesa palindrome.The nonretrogradable
rhythmscontaininternal
internal
just
his
transpositionsthat preventmultiple
contain
as
modes
retrogradations,
de
Tanse
from
Messiaen
the
the
second
of
citesan example
part
transpositionsof
whole.
la Fureur' - eachbar is a nonretrogradable
rhythm,anda fairly commonfeatureof each
bar is the centralvaluewhosedurationis that of five semiquavers(whetherit be a quaver
durations,
or a group of
quaver,semiquaver,quaver,respectively).
tied to a senuquaver
Messiaenpointsout the paraUelbetweenhis modesandtheserhythms:the modesare
(transposition)
direction
in
the
are
andthe nonretrogradablerhytbxns,
vertical
realized
direction
(retrogradation).
horizontal
in
the
realized
The superpositionof rhythmsof unequallengthforms the basisof earlypolyrhythrnin the
Instead,
loses
its
in
barline
The
the
Messiaen.
the
therefore
meter.
r6le
outlining
of
music
barlinehelpsthe performerandthe analystunderstandwherethe phrases/rhythmic
cells
57
beginandend.If two irregulargroupsof rhythmare superimposed
the endresultis that
durations
have
barlines
tied
acrossthem.
most
In the first songof the cyclePoýmespozirMl, Messiaenmakesuseof a rhythmiccanon.
The samerhythmicvaluesareusedin the sameorder in eachhand(in block chords),but a
included
Messiaen
Moreover,
Added
note
values
are
also
as
a
variation.
crotchetapart.
in
technique
the
conjunctionwith nonretrogradable
canon
rhythms,rhythraicpedals,
used
dot.
itself
is
The
the
the
of
addition
rhythmic
pedal
repeats
a rhythmwhich
andwith
for
it
be
in,
the
time-signature
or the
compromise
may
and
without
or
regard
consistently
ideas
it.
be
This
to
that
the
surround
seems
one
of
rhythmic
may
earliest
other material
birdsong:
birds
is
that
to
of
many
are representedwith contrasting
that comparable
both
birds
de
In
Cristal',
Titurgie
the
that
the
them.
to
other
surround
patterns
rhythmic
in
'comme
The
the
to
the
are
required
play
pedal
violin
un
oiseau'.
rhythmic
clarinetand
by
harmonic
illusion
both
the
the
pedal
of
motion
use
of
and
a
rhythmic
pianogives
(twenty-ninechord complexesin order, andseventeenseparatedurationalvaluesin order),
is
The
heterophony.
static.
effect
one
essentially
of
explicit
wlile remaining
Not only do the rhythmicvaluesandthe smallmotivesof rhythmiccellslend themselvesto
but
do
birdsong;
the melodies.
so
the musicof
'Certainprinciplesof structure- govemingrise
fall,
accentandrepetition- appealparticularly
and
to Messiaen,andthe "line' of a complexbird-song
is suchthat it admitsof a highly chromaticstylization.
Bird-songis often microtonal,andMessiaentransforms
it freely,sometimeseveninvolvingit in an impliedharmonylo'
58
desirefor theomamental,
The'styleoiseau',asDavidDrewhassaid,satisfiesMessiaen's
him
it
harmonic
implications
it
if
he
deems
to
time
the
avoid
any
allows
same
at
and
hada certaininfatuationfor a numberof influences
he
Messiaen
inessential.
which either
disregard6d
in
his
include
It
to
style
almost
or
completely.
was a combinationof
chose
his
love
his
individual
influences,,
together
the
of
ornamental
with
these
and, of course,
his
increasing
interest
led
in
birdsong.
to
which
musi.cal character,
59
Notesfor ChapterIII
For moreinformationon this subjectseeHsu, Madeleine,Olivier Messiaen-the MusicalMediator: A Studyof the Influenceof Liszt. Debussy.andBartok. (London, Fairleigh
DickinsonUniversityPress,AssociatedUniversityPresses,1996).
2 Olivier MessiaenTechniquede mon Lan-Rage
Musical, (Paris,Leduc,-1944).
3 It is interestingto be awareof the fact that althoughMessiaenwas severelyopposedto
the membersof 'Les Six', their supportersandjazz music,the addedsixth chord is a
in
both
feature
theseopposingstylesof composition
common
Techniquede mon LangageMusical', op. cit., p47 (text version).
A Note on Messiaen'sDevelopment',Musical
Paul Griffiths, Toemes andHaYkaY:
Times (September1971), pp851-852.
' For a usefulsourceanda wider understandingof Messiaen'suse of colour, seeBernard,
Correspondence
betweenColor and Sound
JonathanW, 'Messiaen'sSynaesthesia:
Structurein His Music,' Music Perceptionvol. 4, (1986), pp41-68.
Seeprefaceto the score.
Tanneguyde Quenetain,'Messiaen:Poet of Nature', Music andMusicians (xi/9, May
1963),p 11.
" ClaudeSamuel,Olivier Messiaen:Music andColor Conversationswith ClaudeSamueL
(Portland,Oregon,AmadeusPress,1986),p67.
" David Drew, Wessiaen ProvisionalStudyI', The Score.10, (1954), p44.
-A
60
Chanter TV: The Notation of Birdsong.
Today,tape-recordersareusedas a matterof course.Messiaenneverreliedupon tapebirds:
it
his
Yvonne
Loriod,
the
transcribe
to
who
of
was
sounds
only
wife,
recorders
home.
finish
Messiaen
his
that
transcribing
tape-recorder
at
so
could
occasionallyuseda
The notationof birdsongis very importantto the analysisof the birdsongand eachbird's
intrinsic soundquality.Messiaenhassaidthat in somepieceshe hasaimedat depictingthe
he
himself
Later
that
of course
corrects
and
says
as
possible.
authentically
as
sound
actual
in
forming
be
has
the endproduct.
to
preference
of
personal
musical
an element
there
Trevor Hold realisesthis, ashe recooses that manyof the earlytranscriptionsusemode
became
Authenticity
limited
Messiaen's
transpositions!
subordinateto timbral
of
fteedom.
representationandrhythmic
Thereare severalfactorsthat makeit impossibleto recreatethe exactsoundof birdsong.
had
is
inadequate
hearing
for
Mqssiaen,
Even
is
first
this
task.
a
that
who
The
man's
point
birds
bird"s
Of
to
time.
course
song at a
particularly good ear, was able write only one
has
been
bird
is
fast;
to
or
the
a
second
notated,
already
on
phrase
one
once
sing extremely
for
high
Passerine
Birds
the
species,
pitch:
songs of most
sing at a very
subsequentphrase.
highest
is
(vibrations
Hz
4000
the
per second),which around
example,averagearound
2.
black-poll
in
Brand's
highest
fact,
A.
R.
In
the
the
researches,
pitch of
note of the piano
(E8
Hz
Frequencies
10,225
been
has
tone).
other
of
at
plus
a
quarter
estimated
warbler
is
human
in
laboratory.
Hz
being
That
17,000
the
been
the
ear
so,
birds have
cited up to
In
high-pitched
intervals
distinguish
addition,
very
are
sung.
when
sounds
to
unable
ofien
61
individualnotesin birdsongfrequentlyincorporateshifis (or bends)in pitch. Messiaen
later
the
time
construct
the
a
and
one
song
at
next
of
a
part
polyphonyat
would notate
date.He would haveto rely on memoryto createa complexityof soundwhich resembled
field.
in
heard
Dart (1954) hassurnmarised
had
he
the
the evolutionof musical
that which
from
through
notation
neumicandproportionaltranscriptionto
early
alphabetic
notation,
form
OTesent-day
of grapWcnotation.Referenceto a bird dictionarygivesa basic
the
(non-musical)outlineof the soundsthat birds produce,their callsand songs.To a
facile;
however,
important
basic
they
to
the
these
rather
seem
would
are
musician
bird.
it
is
impossible
By
the
of
each
vocal
effect
using
staff
alone
notation
understandingof
havea clearunderstandingof the sound/timbralquality. I suggestthat Trevor Hold in 'The
3
hasa relevantideain notatingbirdsong:he would combinequite
Birdsong
Notation of
lists
He
three
and
onomatopoeic
main
suggestive
with
representation.
notation
pointillistic
typesof birdsongnotation:
(1) musicalstaff notation.
(2) onomatopoeic/syllabic
notation
(3) a contrivedform of grapMcnotation
Nowadays,we havequite complicatedmethodsthat creategraphicrepresentations
with
Melograph
Spectrograph
Mona. I proposeto concentrate
Sound
the
the
and
the useof
Messiaen
thesis
the
notation,
as
musical
very rarely complementedstaff
on
throughout
he
More
talk
timbral.
would
andabout
about
complexities,
usually,
words.
with
notation
lower
he
techniques
to
to
the
which
slow
speed
and
used
the rhythmicandcompositional
instrument.
bringing
the
the
within
range
thus
notes
of
each
the pitch,
62
OlMusical StaffNotation.
Pastcomposersoccasionallyusedbirdsongtranscriptionsin their compositions.Jannequin
in
Messiaen
In
birdsong
the
section
piece
as
a
cadential
of
music.
many
pieces
often
used
incorporatedbirdsonginto piano cadenzas,asin The Turatigalila Symphoity,Oiseaux
F-rotiquesandevenin SeptHalkar Messiaenwas fortunatein adoptingbirdsong,asit
for
his
formal
basis
for
became
the
structure
of a
a source motivic elaborationand
often
in
de
discussed
'Technique
Langage
Musical4'
Many
the
techniques
are
mon
of
pieces.
issue.
became
difficult
birds.
The
in
the
timbre
the
sensitive
and
most
musicof
present
Birdsongwas not only usedas an ornamentaldevice,asit had so often beenbefore,but
in
his
incorporated
the
the
the
music.
structure
all
were
phrasing, soundsand
the shapeof
CharlesHartshorneshastalked aboutthe 'monotonythreshold',which in birdsongis
its
discovers
andanalyses useof pitchedandunpitchedsounds,
passedover whenone
diminuendo
the
units,
use
of
andcrescendo,
repetitionof melodicphrasesandrhythmic
in
balance
between
Birds
sing
many
sound
silence.
a
and
ritardandoandaccelerandoand
differenttempi.By usinga discreteformal structureMessiaenwas unableto createthese
down
fast
he
birds
them
He
that
and
always
sing
extremely
would
slow
effects. realized
become
doing
by
Quite
this
the
the
sound
song
would
of
often
considerably.
by
instruments,
ligh
for
birdsong
The
too
and
yet
was normally
western
unrecognisable.
four
became
down
the
three
song
or
sometimes
octaves
putting the songs
birdsong
down
Slowing
the
enabledMessiaento measurethe
indistinguishable.
high
between
he
The
the
the
and
various
songs
using.
was
speed
and
of
pitch
relationship
looldng
Messiaen
become
to
at
at an early stagewas
possible play.
low noteswould all
63
birds
for
the
were
a
very
good
source
motivesusingthis
and
rhythmicametricality,
Of
freedom.
Hindu
the
added
values
course,
note
and
rhythmswere never
rhythmic
but
birds,
by
Messiaen
follow
the
to
their naturalrhythmic
wanted
consciouslyused
is
heard
dawn
Birds
the
of
as an
sing
as
part
an
never
ensemble:
chorus
not
complexity.
but as a continuouscacophonyof individualsongsters.A classic
homogenousensemble,
birds
individual
Chronochromie,
is
the
sixth movementof
whereeighteen
exampleof this
du
Temps
la
Fitt
in
first
Quatuor
Even
the
the
of
movement
pour
singsimultaneously.
Messiaenwas alreadywriting musicwhich useda continuousheterophoniceffect.The end
in
Riveil
des
Oiseaux
Norman
Demuth
like
be
dawn
a
what
piece
might
chorus
resultof a
-1
'impressionisticverism'.
The problemof the notationof birdsongis that howeverrhythmically free it maybe, its
be
Mler
A.
to
the
very strict.
rhythmicvaluesneed
tempomarkingsand
advises
Messiaen
that
to
to
the
then
to
on
say
subdivide
goes
values;
she
play
start
who
musicians
is
it
has
learnt
Once
this,
to
to
the
it would soundurimusical continue subdivide.
performer
importantthat s/hethen playsthe musicasif s/hewere improvising.In just the sameway,
instincts.
birds
the
to
their
birds
other
own
or
responding
arenaturally
the
has
instruments
for
is
difficult
Messiaen
the
the
task
The problemof choosing right
a
one.
for
instance,
difficulty.
When
is
the
the
the
glissandi
using
timbre
piano,
major
that
said
is
impossible.
birdsong
become
The
in
this
to
around
only
way
that are so common much
Of
has
Trevor
Hold
a
out,
piano
course,
as
pointed
appoggiaturas.
and
notes
grace
use
64
be
intervals
to
true
on
one
crescendo
note,
produce
a
glissando
able
or
play
will never
smallerthanthe semitoncý.
In a bird dictionary,for example,onomatopoeicdescriptionsof birdsongare not
for
They
the
complete
understanding
enough
of
are
content.
musical
comprehensive
intendedasa simplereferenceguideandnot for detailedanalyticalscrutiny.These
descriptionscannotbe reliable:like poetry,one caninterpretthem in manyways - they are
is
difficult
doing
Timbre
but
to
particularly
one
way
of
classifications.
notate,
subjective
this is to usea syHabicrepresentationof the bird's voice.
It is necessary
to slow birdsongdown if the westernmusicianis to understandsomeof its
forms andmusicalsyntax This processrevealsseveralthings.First, somewestern
instrumentscanplay the notesto a fair degreeof accuracy,albeitwith inaccuratetimbre,
high-pitched
fall
Second,
the unique
the
the
sounds
the
some
of
of
i&rithin
range.
and notes
by a musicianin this slowed-downversion.One
form of the songcanbe comprehended
bird.
individuality
by
that
the
the
some
of
of
phrasesand motivesproduced
canrecogmse
The blackbird,for instance,singsin a virtually strophicforin. Thereis a seriesof phrases
but
length,
is
different
After
the
time.
each
phrase
each
same
slightly
that are practically
is
it
but
down
to
transcribe
the
possible
not
only
alsoto analyse
process
song,
the slowing
it just asonewould anymusicthat is built up from phrasesandmotivic repetition.
The skylarkoften singsa phrasethat soundsto the humanearlike a high-pitchedtrill.
Oncesloweddown sixteentimes(asDavid I-Iindleyhasdone),the songof originally fifty
65
lasts
for
in
like
longer
is
The
that
thirteen
trill
music
minuteS7
a
no
sounds
seconds written
.
is
that
trill, but other notesare perceivable.The songresemblesa through-composed
work
both complexandvery differentfrom the strophicform of the blackbird:it seemsto
includea seriesof motivic manipulationsandvariedrepetitions.
(2) SyllabicNotation.ýor The Notation of BirdsongUsing,Syllables.
Therearetwo basicforms of syllabicnotation.The first usesonomatopoeicmnemonicsto
describethe 'jizz's of birdsong,andthe secondemploysstaff notation.Onomatopoeiais
is
for
literature.
in
English
There
found
to
the
much
reference
nightingale:
early
often
instance,in Elizabethanwork, the 'jug-jug-tereu' phrasewas often employedwhen
in
in
bird
Lyle,
Barnfield
Garstang
In
this
and
others. a non-literarycontext,
representing
'Songsof The Birds'9 (1922) mainlyusesonomatopoeicrenderingsof birdsongsand
book
'Birdsonglo'
(1925)
is
his
Morris's
Stanley
useful
still a
resource: glossary
phonetics.
deciphering
in
delineations
found
birdsong:
following
the
the
when
various
accents
offers
(a) Unmarkedvowelsretaintheir short sound(bad,bed,bid, bot, but)
(b) Long vowelsare markedwith a `-' (mate,mete,mine,mote, mute)
(c) An acuteaccentover a syllabledenotes accentuationc6ck-coo)
(d) i) A dippingslur denotesan upwardinflection
H) A rising slur denotesa downwardinflection
0
in
bird
is
disadvantage
that
The major
varies
onomatopoeic
and
syllabic
each
of
notation
0
from
from
in
to
country
another,
and
onetime of the year
one
also
varies
pitch
timbre and
66
to another.Anotherproblemwith Morris's andGarstang'snotationsis that rhythmsand
discussed.
We
description
far
from
it
is
cannot
entirely
rely
never
on
verbal
are
speeds
indicated
bird
by
his
Messiaen
the
timbres
of
each
orchestration,choiceof
accurate.
instrument(s),harmoniccolourationand Italian termsof articulation,ratherthanby adding
Gladys
Page-Wood
to
or
syllabic
annotations
each
note.
was quite radical
onomatopoeic
(seeT. Hold 'The Notation of Birdsong"') in her cfforts to notatebirdsong:shetried to
imaginea humanscalethat was in fact brokeninto rnicr6tones.The five-line stavewas
divisions
illustrated
into
by
other
and
speeds
several
were
commasat the
extended
distanceof everysecond.Sheshowedtimbreby meansof colour, a methodused
for
The
by
Messiaen
the
same
purpose.
coloursaddedto someof the scores
particularly
lend
interpretation
inevitably
to
the
a
and
mystique
subjective
of the music- aswe can
are
12
However,
Wilson
(1982)
(1986)
by
&
Jonathan
W.
Bernard
Lyle
in
the
and
articles
see
.
first
in
(many
is
birdsong
the
to
timbre
this
attempts
one
of
categorise
method
although
have
be
this
topic),
the
to
theory
avoided
would
need
and
ethologStS13
ornithologists
deal
be
in
the
to
and
a
great
of
care
choosing
would
required
work,
systematic
more
instance,
For
is
for
for
there
sonority.
each
no
clear
reason
usinggrey and
correct colours
brownsto signiý soundssimilarto that of a soprano,or, indeed,a shadeof greento
be
be
It
therefore,
that
the
the
said,
might
use
of
colour
can
ciffichaff
represent
interestina,but it canneverbe reliable.
0
14
in
Sz6ke
Peter
1969
The ornithomusicologist
madesomevery sophisticated
by
Kodaly
birdsong,
the
and
various
notational
symbols
used
adapting
of
transcriptions
folk-songs.To obtainthe notationhe hasmechanicallyslowed
Bartok in their Huncyarian
0
67
down the songs,sometimesby a ratio of 1:10 or evenby 1:25. This processis called
&soundmicroscopy'.However,Sz6kestill madeno attemptto representtimbre.It is
interestingto note that Messiaen,usingonly a pencilandmanuscriptpaper,could slow
down the songsonly after he hadnotatedthqmin the field. He was ableto slow thern
down by doublingor tripling the rhythmicvalues,but his changesof tempofor different
birds seemoftento havebeenbasedon guesswork.Perhapsat sourcehe attemptedto
ideas
his
but
inevitably
had
he
both
bird
the
of
own
vocalised,
added
write exactlywhat
intrinsic
limitations
hearing
human
As
based
the
and
memory.
of
on
andmadeerrors
Trevor Hold advises,
'Behindthe whole questionfiesthis importantfactor:
15'
hearing.
inadequacy
the
of man's
It is alsoimportantto rememberthat eachbirdsongoften falls into a numberof rhythmic
from
different
the
audible:
other
songs
which
are
simultaneously
that
entirely
are
patterns
difficult
but
it
is
differentiate
from
is
it
hard
to
also
one song
another,
asa result,not only
full
form
the
can
represent
of notationwhich
rangeof rhythmic
to choosea single
comp exity.
(3) ContrivedFonnsof GraphicNotation.
indeterminate
is
birds
that westernnotationalmethods
pitch
The problemof
singingwith
havedifficulty in relayingthe information.Stadlerand Schmittin 1914realizedthis, and
discoveredthat perhapsthe answerlay in the additionof certainsymbols(seeT. Hold's
following
indeterminate
Birdsong')
the
to
Notation
sounds:
represent
'The
of
68
(a) Theroller,theshake
(b) For toneswith a strongchatteringof nonmusicalsounds
(c) Soundsthat arenon-musical
[ex IVAJ
None of thesemethodsfully solvesthe problemof timbre yet, as PierreBoulez says,
&on its own timbre is nothing,like a soundon its own is nothing"'.
thetimbreof a particularbirdsong,phoneticimpressions
In orderto suggest
wereoften
in
field,
the
though
this
even
precisepitch was not normally
useful
especially
was
usedby
represented this method.
17
Aý k Saunders usedhorizontalaxesto representa period of time andvertical axesto
fine
line
The
the
thickness
to
of
was equivalent a serriitone.
representrelativepitch: each
indicatedthe dynamics,andtimbre was shownby descriptive,subjectivetermssuchas
is
interesting
It
Trevor
Hold
flute-Eke
that
values
etc.
'buzzing,warbling,
sonorities'
highly Saunders'theoriesof notation:he recommendsthesesubjective,introspective
himself
by
Messiaen
those
to
used
suggestions,similar
is
bird
describes
the uniquequality of each
sound
Ultimately,the notationthat most clearly
basic
bird's
The
As
be
phraseschangeregularly.
to preferred. mentionedearlier,each
by
bird
be
that
to
of
means
of
also
customised
need
that
characteristic
so
are
phrases
in
bird's
to
that
tables
understand
particularphraseology.
order
49motivic
classification'
69
The methodsalreadydescribed('syllabic", 'staff' and 'speciallyinventedgraphnotations')
being
This
'subjective'.
be
be
the
so,
as
sound
classedas
spectograph
classified
may
may
'objective".
SonagEams,
Sonagramsprovideinformation,in graphicfrom, about the relativedifferencesin sound
in
Unfortunately,
information
between
the
the
a
strophe.
pitches
on stress,accent
pressure
have
been
is
is
lost
'pruned'
that
the
to
the
say,
when
excess
once
results
andrhythm
-
informationhasbeenexcluded.
This visualrepresentationhasits restrictions.The Sonagramdisplaysthe song
cobjectively',displayingits frequencies.Later (cl 970), the 'MelographMona' wasused.
originally namedbecauseof its ability to analysemonophonicbirdsong,it givesan
'objective' andeasilyinterpretedgraphicdisplayof the mainpropertiesof the
frequencies
levels
This
both
[see
IV/218].
the
the
and
pressure
vocalisations,showing
fle)dbledevicealsocoversa largerangeof pitches.Frequencyalterations,attack and
lines.
from
The
important
development
the
two
as
most
written
continually
are
silences
fundamental
'variable'
filter
isolates
'octave'
is
the
the
the
or
which
use of
sonagram
Catalogue
in
d'Oiseaux
Messiaen
line'9.
Indeed,
the
writes many phraseswhere
melodic
is
dominant.
part
onevoice or
70
Nowadays,a computeris ableto do the samething. With the help of a soundtechnician,I
havebeenableto recordthe songof a blackbirdfrom a CD, eradicatingthe unwanted,
blurredpatternsof backgroundnoise.In order to makesenseof thesegraphs,it is
importantto interpretthe songand makesuitablechangesfrom a musicaland objective
be
familiar
frequency
do
To
this,
transcriber
the
should
chartsof
with
view.
point of
birdsongmadeon a computerprogramme;onecan then makethe necessarydecisionsto
be ableto interpretthe originalnotationthat the Sonagramhasproduced.For instance,if
into
for
a
midi-interface
asks
an exact
on
a
computer
and
piano
onerecordsan electronic
is
be
tied
that
time
slightly
out
crotchet
of
as
a
may
written
each
crotchet
notation,
musical
be
helpful
durations
Quantization
tool,
the
would
need
not
a
as
exact
onto a serniquaver.
length
however,
be
down:
be
the
time-signatures
the
of each
should
ornitted
and
to written
bar shouldbe chosenaccordingto the specificphrasingand accentsof the song.Likewise,
have
be
by
this
these
up
would
not
picked
system:
effects
would
glissandiandmicrotones
be
harmonics
included
if
Overtones
be
they serveda significantpart
might
and
to added.
if
have
be
done
birds'
to
timbral
notation
might
stave
while
on
a
second
expression,
of the
by
The
motives
or
exclamations.
overlapped
use of the
was
phrase
a particular
birds.
further
in
interface
transcribing
the
of
a
advance
songs
represents
computer/midi
However,it is importantto note that 'objective' analysisof this kind revealsthe sound
hears.
As
Br6mond
the
is
that
sound
one
points out,
not
and
that actuallyproduced
'it has beenshownthat frequenciesthemselves
...
are often not the most essentialpropertiesof a
form
length
lapses
but
the
and
of, or
vocalisation
between,its phraseor notei2o'.
4
71
Perhapsit is morerevealingto cite the principalfeaturesof birdsongsratherthanuse
involve
Messiaen's
It
to
against
go
principles
suchmechanical
complexgraphs. would
devicesin order to producemore 'authentic' transcriptions,but it is interestingthat
in
high
'aide
use
similar
subjective
order to understand
of
repute
memoires'
ornithologists
has
decided
birdsongs.
Trevor
Hold
'jizz'
to usea combinationof
the
of particular
field;
in
Messiaen
in
the
the
same
way,
usesstaff notation,onomatopoeia,
techniques
dynamics
to capturethe characterof
and
responses
subjective
specificarticulation,
birdsongs.
72
Notesto ChapterIV
SeeTrevor Hold's article, 'Messiaen'sBirds', Music and Letters, Vol. 52, no. ii, (April
1971),ppl]3-122.
2For moreinformationon the songsof Passerine
birds seeA. R. Brand's article,
in PasserineBird Song,' Auk, 55 (1938) pp263-268.
'Vibration Frequencies
' Trevor Hold, 'The Notation of Birdsong:A ReviewandRecommendation',lhjý, 112,
(1970),pp151-172.
Olivier Messiaen,Techniquede mon LangageMusical,(Paris,Leduc, 1944).
Born to Sing,(London/Bloomington,IndianaUniversityPress,
CharlesHartshorne,,
1973).
6 Trevor Hold, 'Messiaen'sBirds', op. cit., p 116.
7 SeeDavid Hindley'sarticle 'The Music of Birdsong',.Wildlife Soundvol.6, np.4 (1990),
pp25-33.
' This odd term, 'jizz', is usedby Trevor Hold throughouthis article 'The Notation of
Birdsong', op. cit., when describingthe 'essentialshape'of a particularbird vocalisation.
" Walter Garstang,The Songsof the Birds (London,JohnLane - the BodleyHeadLtd.,
1922).
StanleyMorris, Birdsong:A Manualfor FieldNaturalists.(London, Witherby, 1925).
'The Notation of Birdsong', op. cit., p160.
12For more informationon the relationshipbetweenmusicand colour, seeWilson Lyle,
W.
(1982);
Jonathan
'
Review.
43
Musical
Introduction,
An
Music:
'Colour and
and
Correspondence
BetweenColour and SoundStructure
Bernard,'Messiaen'sSynaesthesia:
in his Music', Music Perception4, (1986).
13An ethologiststudiesanimalbehaviour,especiallyin the wad.
14p. Sz6ke,W. Gunn&A Filip's article, 'The MusicalMicrocosm of the Hermit
in
(1969),
Trevor
11
Academiae
Scientarurn
Hungaricae
Musicologia
Studia
cited
Thrush',
Hold, 'The Notation of Birdsong:A ReviewandRecommendation',IhiiL vol. 112(1970),
pp151-172.
15Trevor Hold, 'The Notation of Birdsong:A ReviewandRecommendation',Ibis (1970)
P151.
16Takenfrom PierreBoulez,'Timbre andComposition- Timbre andLanguage',
(Harwood
2
Acaden-&Publishers,1987),p166.
ContemporgyMusic Revi
vol.
11k A. SaundersBird Song,(New York StateMus. Handbook7,1929); andGuideto
Bird Songs(New York, Doubleday& Co., new Ed. 1951).
" This diagramis takenfrom 1.ITjorth's article, 'A Commenton the GraphicDisplaysof
Bird SoundsandAnalyseswith a New Device,the MelographMona", Journalo
TheoreticalBiology vol. 26 (1970), pp6-7.
19For moreinformationon the 'MelographMona', seeIngemarHjorth's article, op. cit.,
PPI-10.
20J.C. Brimond's chapterin the book, AcousticBehaviourof Animals,(New York,
Company,19633),
pp709-750.
ElsevierPublishing
0
73
Chapter V: Characteristics of 'Le Style Oiseaul in Works 1932 - 1948.
For the purposesof this research,use of the term 4le style oiseau' is limited to instancesof
birdsongstylein earlyworks, whereeachappearance
of this techniqueis not affixedwith
frequently
bird.
Messiaen
did
label
'style
oiseau',
not
passages
the nameof a particular
is
display
birdsong
The
that
many
episodes
characteristics.
contention
althoughmy
incorporated
in
is
in
birdsong
the
early
material
works
written a single-line
majority of
in
in
Many
described
(monophonic)
the
techniques
octaves.
of
and
annotated
or
texture
Messiaen'streatise,'Techniquede mon LangageMusical', are frequentlyusedin early
for
in
'style
found
The
but
sectionsutilising
oiseau'.
addednote values,
are also
works,
bird
freedom.
Free
immediately
the
give
style
a
sense
of
rhythmic
example,almost
birdsong
is
by
incorporated
the
the
on
many
occasions:
expanded
are
multiplications
(of
The
fragments
to
sizes)
various
a
cell.
useof prime numbers
motivic
additionof small
is also prominentin rhythmicgroupingsof 'style oiseau'phrases,aswell asin nonbirdsongmaterial.
The first appearance
of 'le style oiseau'mustbe creditedto L Ascetision(1932-3), where
Messiaendoes not categorisethe passagesas such; the melodic lines include trills and
VA
both
features
birdsong
fez
fragments,
of
are
co.
which
mmon
of
repetitionsof small
in
flute
II,
Movement
In
b3l.
the
L'Ascension p6, s2,
cor anglais,oboe,
andclarinets- the
interwoven
the
that
other,
and
this
with
each
phrases
are
play
piece
of
version
orchestral
by
birdsong.
The
freedom
trill
the
cor
anglais
the
played
sug
ests
movement
of
rhythmic
.19
developsas a result of the sametwo notes being repeatedwith a dotted rhythm. This
74
in
into
been
has
that
pieces
%ith
used romantic/classical
quavers
graduallyaccelerate
effect
however,
dotted
finally
trill;
of
a
use
and
rhythmscreatesan energeticeffect,
semýiquavers
bird
Many
found
birdsong.
be
in
later
trills
to
more
examples
of
can
also
works,
more akin
for exampleRived desOiseauxlei V/2 - Reveil desOiseauxp7, s2, b I].
PojmesPourMj (1936), a work that musicologistshavenot previouslydiscussedin terms
for
in
displays
it
his
love
freedom.
A
birdsong,
the
composer's
affection
of
rhythmic
of
brief episode in the fourth song of the cycle, Vtpouvante',
features a Lisztian,
&chattering'soundin the pianopart lex V/3 - PoýmesPour Mi, Book 1, p,13, s5, bl], and
includes
is
Godunov
'Ta
Voix'
Boris
that
the
to
to
a
motive
very
similar
the postlude
begins
(like
2,
V/4
Book
lex
the
trill)
with a slower rhythm and
p6] which
tbeme,
increasesto sextuplets.A high-pitchedgroup of pitchesin 'Les Deux Guerriers' sounds
bird
like
Mt,
Book
high
2,
[ex
V/S
Poames
Pour
the
the
to
a
sparrow
chirp
of
similar
Corps
Glorieux,
Les
in
includes
Messiaen
high-pitched
Even
b3].
the
work,
grace
p9, s2,,
feature
Les
birdsong
[exV/6
a
common
again
of
yet
many
are
phrases.
notes, which
CorpsGlorieux - Book 3- p8, A, b1l. Thereis also the point that sloweddown birdsong
in
be
to
speededup plainsong,especiallywhen there are repeated
nature
similar
often
may
'anchor' notes.
be
du
Seigneur
(193
brief
5),
'style
Nativitj
In the organwork,
appearances
of
oiseau'can
found. In the secondmovement,'Les Bergers' lexV/7 - Book 1- p5, s5, b1l, the organ
help
depict
Great
Positive
Bourdon
Salicional
8'
the
the
the
on
and an
on
specificationsof
both the sonority and the melodic effect of birdsong, even though Messiaenmay have
75
done this unintentionally.Robert SherlawJohnsoncites this movement,as it employs
birdsongsonorities;but the mainthemeof the movementis meantto representa shepherd
last
is
The
'Dieu
Nous',
his
Parmi
third
theme
the
main
of
movement,
pipe'.
playing
describedby Messiaenin 'Techniquede Mon LangageMusical' as being 'a Magnificat,
in
bird
V/S
lex
'Dieu
Parmi
Nous'
bl-21.
This
(Book
4)
A,
style'
praise
p2,
alleluiatic
is
by
Charles
indeed,
his
'alleluiatic'
Tournemire
(1870-1939):
used
curious adjective
in
to
approach
organ registration- especially relation to
spiritual natureand experimental
his monumentalVOrgue Mystique' (1932) - show a clear influence on Messiaen's
philosopHcalandmusicalworld.
ouatuor Pour La Fin du Temps (1941)
Perhapsit was the composer'ssituation of confinement,and the fact he had no idea for
how long he was to be imprisoned,that led to the title of this Quartet. Certainly, the
due
be
instruments
The
to
the
title
that
time.
musicians
available
was
at
can
choice of
interpretedas 'Quartet for the End of Metre'; as Roger Nichols says of this work, 'bar
2
to
lines are often no more than aids ensembleand a meansof reducingaccidentals. The
in
ftom
'The
St.
derived
Revelation
John the
fact
in
is
the
a
passage
apocalyptic
of
title
Divine', chapter ten, versesfive and six: the Angel lifts his right hand heavenwards,
it
for
The
four
instruments
be
time
there
easier
that
more
use
of
makes
shall no
vowing
.3
Messiaen
incorporate
to
extensive
use
of
structures.
also
an
polyrhythmic
the composer
includesquite sophisticateduse of rhythmic pedals,11indurhythms, added note values,
birdsong.
diminution,
non-retrogradable
and
rhythms
augmentationand
76
The phrase'commeun oiseau' is usedfor the first time in the Quartet.Both the clarinet
'Liturgie
de
first
Cristal',
bird-like
in
the
the
movement,
play
phrases:the names
and violin
in
but,
improvisations
in
the
they
the
the
to
of
preface,
are attributed
score
are not given
between
in
four
The
blackbird
the
the
and
nightingale
and
morning.
repetitive
the
-three
high-pitched semiquavers(all on the same note) are similar in nature to the more
in
Nveil
des
Oiseaux
[Quatuor
bi
the
nightingale
s2,
of
pl,
sophisticatedrendition
Riveil des Oiseaux pl, s2 b1l. The motives of the violin part (nightingale)are limited,
fbHows:
into
four
be
as
categories,
andcan put
followed by eight/tendemiserniquavers.
I three serniquavers,
2 'scandicus'
3 repetitivehigh-pitchedtritones (derniserniquavers)
4 extendedversionof 2
lex V/9]
The beautyof the nightingale'ssongis not found in its rhythmic or melodicinvention,but
its
in
later
be
its
immense
tone
and,
as
can
seen
power,
portrayals,
rather as a result of
in
de
fact,
dynamic.
In
'Trait6
tempo,
to
articulation
change
and
easily
ability rapidly and
4,
Messiaendividesthe nightingale'ssonginto eight
d'Ornithologie
Rhyme,de Couleur,et
high-pitched
described
(3)
The
tritones
two
repetitive
as
are
motives.
principal
disconnectednotes, creating a 'drumming" effect: as mentionedearlier, this ubiquitous
(1) are
featuremay be betterreferredto as an 'alternator'. The repeateddemiserniquavers
by
described
'macline-gun'
'rapid
labelled
trillings
bere
as a
effect
on one note', often
as
later
in
frequent
(2)
Similarly,
three-note
the
cell
analyses
of
rhythmic
ornithologists.
'quartet'
be
the
or
rhythm
scandicus.
as
classified
may
works
77
The clarinetpart (blackbird)is slightly more complex.The first phrasecan be regardedas
full
in
the
this
to
the
of
rhythmic
and
gamut
melodic
phrases
of
given
clarinet
a microcosm
is
first
developed
into
longer
The
three
this
are
syncopated
notes
a
phrase.
movement.
The trill, too, can be prolongedinto four crotchet beats in length [see p4, sI, b1l. The
final two staccatosemiquaversare also extendedto three jp3, s2, bl], while the triplet
by
followed
[pl,
the
two
characteristic
use
of
staccato
semiquavers
are
often
serniquavers,
four
included
in
However,
bl].
the clarinetpart:
that
there
characteristics
other
are
are
s2,
I four quavers [pl, sl, b3l
2 grace notes jp5, sl, b2l
3 paired grace notes (deux en deux') IpS, sI, b2l
4 two 'climacus' cells, chromatic ascending flourish [p6, sI,
b2l
Not only doesthe characteristicsoundof eachinstrumenthelp the listenerto identify the
differentiation
between
is
but
birdsongs,
the phrasesto make a
there
also
sufficient
two
distinction.
clear
The third movementof the Quartet is entitled 'AbIme des Oiseaux. Messiaengives the
bird
to
s/heshouldattemptto min-de: the clarinetpart seems
which
clue
as
perfomer no
features
'style
be
several
of
of
oiseau', and the movement
to
an amalgamation
incorporatesmany birdsongcharacteristicswhich expressMessiaen'srhythmic, melodic
begins
first
Boris
Godunov
The
the
of
section
a
version
with
and ornamentalpreferences.
R.
bar
The
G
A
'neighbour
back
C
A,
Bb,
to
Fg,
the
as
next
adds
notes
and
and
themefirst
is
F9.
The
Messiaen's
to
the
typical
of
rhythm
a
example
notes' and againresolves
R
is
in
The
taken
the
regular
up
an
octave
and
resolved
values.
note
use of added
Messiaenicway (as in the perfect chord) to the C Natural. Te style oiseau' beginsat the
78
'PresqueVif section.Featuresof birdsong similar to those in the first movementalso
here:
appear
(with threepreceding
I two high-pitchedstaccatosernýiquavers
derniserniquavers)
IpI5, s5, b1l
2 trills (usuallyprecededby a gracenote) lp IS, s8, b4l
(the first four slurredandrising, othersstaccato)
3 serniquavers,
jp15, s4, b3l
flourish IpI5, s7, b2]
4 ascending/descending
5 trill (slowingdown) jp16, s5, b2l
[ex V/101
Primarily,the third movementdescribesthe 'abyssof Time, its sadnessand its weariness'.
In completecontrastto this, the birdsongdisplaystimelessness,the desirefor light, the
in
difference
dramatic
The
heaven's
the
tempo
this
changes
and
give
mark
riches.
and
stars
birdsongevenmore senseof rhythmic freedom.It is important to note that the trills and
by
high
(Mowed
two
three
the
pitched staccatosemiquavers)
semiquavers
the motive of
'style
in
Messiaen's
found
they
oiseau'.
scores,evenwhen
are not credited as
are often
Containedwithin the birdsongare durationswhich are adjustedby addingand subtracting
in
Sim9arly,
few
the
next
of
non-retrogradable
occurrences
rhythms.
a
and
a semiquaver,
'Interm6de',
to:
there
are
many
references
movement,
I trills (precededby a grace note) [p19, s5, b2l
2 three serniquavers, followed by two high-pitched staccato
[pI8,
b3]
s4,
semiquavers
3 ascendingflourish [pI8, s3, b5]
du
la
Fin
Temps',
IAnge
dArc-en-ciel,
Annonce
'Fouillis
pour
qui
Movement seven,
by
five
high-pitched
five
'chirping'
brief
notes
sounds,
created
includesa
suggestionof
described
be
they
as
may
written
as
grace
notes,
although
notes:
grace
preceding
with
79
iambic cells lex V/11 - p49, s2, b2-31. In conclusion,the blackbird's theme of the first
labelled
'style
is
these
appearances
are
oiseau'
whether
or
not
prevalent
movementfashion.
in
the
episodic
an
throughout
work
0
Visions de I'Amen (1943)
The duet for two pianos,Visionsde IAmen, marks the beginningof a new period in the
is
importance.
One
in
the
take
to
a
of
piano
role
of
paramount
which
composer'soutput,
Messiaen'sfirst pupils at the Conservatoirewas the pianistYvonne Loriod (who became
his secondwife), whose exceptionaltechniqueand virtuosic capabilitiesinfluencedthe
for
The
demanding,
two
to
pianos.
original
and
exploratory
work
composer write sucha
duet is on a grandscale,exploiting entirelyseparateroles for eachpart. The first, written
for and played by Yvonne Loriod, is both rhythmically and harmonically complex,
displayinga decorativenatureand featuringthe distinctive timbres of bells and birdsongs
lower
(labelledor otherwise).The second,originallyplayedby Messiaen,is predon-dnantly
in registerandholdsthe principalthemes,rich harmoniesanda sympatheticseductiveness.
The two parts complementeachother- as Messiaensays, 'I have entrustedto the first
involves
difficulties,
the
that
charm
chord-clusters,
speed,
everything
the
rhythmic
piano
have
I
the
the
thematic
to
the
elements,
second
melody,
piano
main
entrusted
andsonority.
in
'
The
they
demands
recur
themes
and
power.
are
cyclic
nature:
that
emotion
everything
unity.
overall
giving
occasions,
many
on
80
Rhythmicpedalsappearon numerousoccasionsthroughout the work. Many appearances
introduced:
first
is
Sharrigadeva,
the
the
to
tila-like
are
attributed
rhythms
tila
or
of
by
is
Messiaen,
double
is
the
third
rhythm
and
rhythmic
a
second a non-retrogradable
justify
The
bird
Greek
based
use
of
asymmetric
and
style
may
rhythms
rhythms.
on
pedal
it
is
'celebration
freedom',
Nichols'
the
that
Roger
work a
although
of personal
comment
fteedom.
be
may only a rhythmic
in
is
Messiaen
de
I
Amen
techniques
that
Visions
uses
anotherexampleof a piecewhere
later works would be more specificallyassociatedwith namedbirdsongor 'style oiseau'.
As an analyst,one must first excludepassagesthat simply use added note values, and
intrinsic
both
high-pitched:
to
these
that
are
although
qualities
the
are
passages
second,
in
Messiaen's
birdsong,they are alsoregularlyused all of
music.
de
IAmen
interrupts
Visions
in
the main
the
composer
where
There are many occasions
birdsong.
be
bird-like
that
they
as
cannot
classified
so
short
phrases
calls,
texture with
Suchexamplescanbe found in the secondmovement,asfollows:
ei V/12 a- p8, sl, b2
ex V/12 b- p8, s2, b3
itself
intervals
in
'call'
this
movement,and manifests
The same
motive appearsat several
in
(2)
(1)
in
identical
forms:
close successionusing
chords,and
in two separate
notably,
V/14
&
different
V/13
[ex
ex
chordal
very
complexities
employing
serniquavers,
straight
b2].
&
bi-2
s2,
pl9,
p9, s3,
81
in
be
likened
to
the
The rhythmandgroupingof the sen-ýquavers
the
can
woodlark
songof
Riveil des Oiseaux- if we ignore the fact that harmonyis used in exampleV/14. The
in
'Moins
Vif'
derniserniquavers
dectaplet
the
section of this secondmovement
ostinato
includegracenotes,repetitiveB naturalsand cretic cells in a sectionthat lastsfor thirtyfour bars,concludingwith the 'Au Movement'which beginswith three call motivesIp 15,
b2l.
&
b2
bl;
s3,
p159
slq
p159
sl,
in
den-ýisemlquaver
high-pitched
Even the
passage the 'Tres Lent, avecAmour' sectionof
be
birdsong
jp371.
feasibly
four
to
conscious
or
a
unconscious
reference
may
movement
in
line
is
top
to
the
decorative
this
that
sinýlar
of
whitethroat
The
nature of
Chronochromie- althoughit would be impossiblefor evena bird to sing, as there are no
The
breathing,
for
with
markings.
whitethroatsingsmanyother passages,
only phrase
rests
however,
in
lines;
line
W16
the
melodic
shows
and
melodic
the use of varied rhythms
Hgh-pitched
demisemiquavers
that
are
and may seem to resemble
twelve continuous
birdsong[ei V/15 & ex V/16].
birdsong
intended
by
from
be
derived
is
the
to
fifth
composer
The
movement specifically
in
des
du
Saints,
Chant
des
Oiseaux'.
Most
des
Anges,
this
is
'Amen
notable
its title
0
is
this
there
that
and
are
effect,
several
employ
notes:
passages
the
grace
of
use
movement
V/17.
in
is
oneexample shown ex
82
The high-pitched,climacusgrace notes (in both the piano parts) that occur immediately
first
the
exampleabove,glisten one after the other: the effect may be said to sound
after
like a conversationbetweenseveralbirds [p5l, s3, bl-3]. It can be arguedthat the earlier
falling
(like
is
but
later
in
this
clusters
chromatic
a
call)
used
movement,
motive employing
double dotted quaver.The first time (in the
in this casewith the rhythm: denýiisenýiiquaver,
'comme
he
includes
Messiaen
the
the words
uses
expression
un
oiseau,
entire work)
4clair,libre et gaiMight, free and cheerful'. The sevenmotivic featuresof this birdsong
5
in
are:
movement
section
(with gracenotes)[p56, s3, b4]
I four demiserniquavers
2 syncopation(with gracenotes)jp56,.s2, bl-21
3 extendedtrills [p57, s3, bl]
4 repeatednotes(semiquavers)JpS7,s3, b2]
fp56, s3, b3l
5 alternatorwith four precedingdemisemiquavers
6 staccatotriplets with four precedingclimacuscells Jp57,sl, b4]
7 the previous'call' themeIpS8,s3l
The previousiambic call themetakes on a life of its own, as it marks the climax of this
final
'resonance'
b3l
These
[p64,
the
to
the
conclude
and
s2,
movement.
virtuosic
section
birdsong
Quatuor
la
Fin
in
than
those
the
no
are
more
advanced
of
pour
representations
du Temps:their useis for symbolicreasonsratherthanfor an effect of preciseimitation.
Vin2t Regards sur I'Enfant-Jisus
(1944)
This epic work consistsof twenty piecesfor solo piano and lasts for approximatelytwo
hours. The completework is coherent to the listener for many reasons.Messiaen's
83
distinctive use of harmony,modality, chromaticism,non-retrogradablerhythms and the
sagrandissement
asymdtrique'technique (for example)which may seemdislocatingto the
by intermittent diatonic passages:in fact sevenof
listenerat the time, is counterbalanced
in
F#
have
The
tonal
the
centre
major.
cyclic
principles
are
manifested
the movements
Some
display
beautiful,
'Icitmotifs'.
the
of
slow
movements
a
reflective
themes and
faster
sectionsthat exhibit the exuberantvirtuosity of the
tenderness,contrastedwith
Inspiration
full
timbre,
the
colouration
and
of
range.
primarily springs
gamut
pianist, and
from the composer'sadmirationfor YvonneLoriod and religioustexts. The word 'regard'
literally canbe translatedas 'look' or 'gaze': the latter is more appositein this case,as it
involveswondermentaswell asinward contemplation,andbecausesomeof the piecesare
de
horse
Christ
(Regard
including
by
tapestry
inspired visual art,
on a
a
representing
de
la
in
Communion
Vierge')
kneeling
(Premi6re
Virgin
Terrible'),
the
I'Onction
prayer
de
I'Enfant-ksus').
The
St.
Lisieux
('Le
Baiser
Thdr6se
God
of
embracing
andthe child of
St.
John
Cross,
Columba
Marmion
by
Dom
influenced
is
theologians:
the
of
work also
(author of 'Christ and his Mysteries"),Maurice Toesca(Tes Douze Regards), and the
four Gospelwriters.
immediately
Messiaen's
preceding compositions, a striking
In comparison with birdsong,
instead
decorative
in
found
is
the
of
of
which
a merely
use
transformation
There
that
soloistic
r6le.
are a great numberof passages
of
a
functiontakeson muchmore
bird;
but
'comme
the
therefore,
exact
oiseau'
also
un
named
with
as
arenot only specified
bird-like
influences
the
that are not
be
to
all
sonorities
and
consider
it would unreasonable
his
in
does
limit
Messiaen
by
such
a
substantial
not
work.
the
composer
categorised
84
birds
into
that
to
the score,amongst
several
other
phrases
are
of
written
symbolisation
la
foudre',
des
'comme
le
Jardin'.
'comme
cloches',
are:
which
The first useof birdsongappearsin the third movement,'Regardde la Vierge". The high'chirp"
introduce
b4l
later
'interruption
[p14,
to
seems
calls'
s2,
or
pitchedexclamation
[seep14, S3,bl-21. There are, however,many other occurrencesof a very similar sound
labelled
birdsong.
include:
Such
the
are
not
as
which
examples
qualitythroughout piece
p15, s3, W
p74, s2, b2
p160, sl, b2
du
is
birdsong
found
in
fifth
labelled
'Regard
the
The secondappearanceof
movement,
Fils sur le Fils' [pl9, s4l. Messiaenon this occasionspecifiesthat the soundof the right
handshouldbe Tke the songof a bird. For that reason,one may be permittedto interpret
decorative
left
hand
the
line
simply
not
especially
as
only
and
as soloistic,
the
lasts
is
'song'
for
The
bars
block
twelve
tempo
chords.
at a swift
and
with
accompanies
it
includes
than
representations,
as
previous
meticulously marked
much more realistic
breaths(rests).The notion of freedomseemsto be explorednot only by the ametricuse of
demiserniquaver/quaver
by
the
triplet
the
but
use
the
and
cells:
with
notes
grace
also
rests,
is
For
interpretation
the
specific
analytical
purposes,
both
necessary.
some
systems,
of
is
from
by
built
'grace
The
be
the
term
song
up
note'.
comprehended
rhythmsabovewill
features
follows:
birdsong
The
the
as
of
are
severalexactmotivic repetitions.
85
I gracenotes
2 triplets, sextupletsand quintuplets
3 gracenotesusing the intervals major second,major seventhand
minor ninth
4 contrastfrom loco to up an octave
5 singlehigh-pitchednote
6 derniserniquaver-semýiquaver
rhythmiccell (iambic)
7 scandicus
8 'climacus resupinus'
lex V/181
The next occurrenceof birdsongis againfound in this movement,and it includesthe same
into
frenzy
However,
ideas.
this
the
on
occasion,
use
of
sextuplets
evolves
a
of the
motivic
bl)
[see
both
the
the samevaluesand
s3,
p23,
with
repetition
of
samerhythmicpattern
birdsong
This
is
higher
the
the
section.
to
of
end
principle
again,
used
at
a
mark
notes
[see
the
p24, s3-end].
pitch, closing movement
Movement eight, 'Regard des Hauteurs', begins with the inscription - 'Gloire dans les
les hauteursdescendentsur la cr6checommeun chant d'alouette...', which can
hauteurs...
be translatedas, 'Praisein the heights...the heightsdescendon the crib like a songof the
lark...'. After a short introductionwherea repetition of sextupletdemiserniquaver
chordal
in
depicts
is
Played
a
short
sounded,
excerpt
a single nightingale.
complexes vigorously
dissimilar
it
it
is
hard
brief
is
it
to
that
to
any
nightingale
so
as
and
so
recognise
octaves,
However,
G
interpreted
be
b2-3].
the
[see
repeated
sharps
as a
can
s4,
p49,
such
birdsong:
'trillings'
in
feature
this
the medium treble
rapid
on
one
of
note
common
in
hear
listens
If
the
to
sonc,
nightingale's
a
wild,
one
may
often
repeated
register. one
00
86
faster
is
(sometimes
like
The
the
than
example
a machinemuch
cited
effect usually
notes.
if
however,
the
that
the
on
assumption
one
works
nightingalesings many phrases
gun);
fast,
his
down
for
Messiaen
that
the
slows
and
own
phrases
that are extraordinarily
bars
[see
two
the
then
second
credible
are
a
symbolic
rendition
perhaps
purposes,
from
by
An
b4l.
this
the
transcribed
a
version
of
song,
of
nightingale's
example
p49,s4,
be
in
V/19.
the
Flindley
speed,
can
seen
David
of
cz
a
quarter
at
Messiaen'slarks (the symbol for the heights)are depictedby a two-part invention.The
like
high
has
flute(even
)
is
the
hand's
sonorit3r,
and
a
piccolo.
tessitura
particularly
right
left handis lower and in comparisonsoundsEkea clarinet.Messiaencontrastsa staccato
is
larks
hand)
(left
legato
to
the
two
texture
hand)
singing
overall
of
effect
(right
a
with
is
than
to
The
a
symbolic
technique
reality
a
much
closer
appro)dmation
other.
each
do
bird's
larks
display
the
the
they
the
the
virtuosity
as
as
much
of
songs
stylization:
V/201.
[ex
pianist's
hand's
follows:
lark
features
important
the
the
right
representation
of
as
of
are
The most
[p49,
(ULTU-)
b3l
IV'
'paeon
s5,
a)
b) E natural/Bb - dirninishing the interval (in serniquavers)IpSO,sl, bl]
[p5O,
bl]
grace
notes
with
s2,
c) repetitive chirp
d) repetitive B flats lp5O,s4,bl and extended p5l, s3qb1l
[p52,
bl
&
b3]
s3,
s3,
p5O,
semitones
e) varied u§e of
0 trills [p50, s4qbl-21
instance
first
Bb
A
in
two
and
natural.
the
uses
notes,
namely
The paeonic cell a)
includes
for
A
Bb
bar,
the
third
in
and
as the
substitutesan natural
Messiaen, the next
from
There
Eb.
this
that
cell
fourth
several
melodic
variants
emerge
are
an
note
cell's
87
between
The
Bb
the
sernitone
relationship
and the A natural pavesthe way for the
alone.
instances
incorporate
There
that
are
many
repetitive Bb: we find them in the
e) phrase.
first a) cell, andthe Bb is repeatedalternatelyin phraseb); in addition,d) consistsentirely
is
flats.
it
Therefore,
B
reasonableto concludethat the Bb is a 'reference
of repeated
in
hand.
key
In
the
the right hand, in fact, if grace notes are not
right
note,
or
point',
includedin this statistic,therearethirty-oneB flats out of eightynotesin total on page52.
The repetitive 'chirp' subject c) developsin its second appearance,including not nine
but
first
(as
thirteen- notice that, in both passages,
the
occasion)
on
the rninor third
chirps
for
final
(which
the
two
sen-ýiquavers
changes
use ascendingsemitoneswith
repetition
gracenotesalsoa senfitoneaway).
The left hand's treatment of the lark incorporatesentirely different motives. The main
featuresof the left handmaybe categorisedas follows:
a) three grace notes followed by a quaver D natural [p50,sl, b2 &
p5O,s4,b3]
b) repeatedsemiquaverE naturals,followed by a fifth leap lp5O,s2,b3 and
b3j
notes
p52,
s1,
with grace
c) trills [p50,s5,b3l
d) Ab -D-G passage,openingwith ionic minor (UU-) jp52,s3,bI-6j
e) seýnitonemovementwith gracenotes jp51,s2,bI]
0 syncopatedAb and descendingmovementfp52,s2,b3 & p5O,s3,b2j
The cell a) is a minor feature,occurringtwice andnot developing.The earlyappearanceof
but
be
is
d)
simpler,
nevertheless
can
expanded:as soon as some
rhythmically
the passage
is
disturbed.
is
detected,
b)
first
five
The
the
pulse
motive
appears
as
coherence
rhythmic
into
is
the
expanded
also
elaborateversionwith addeduse of grace
eventually
and
notes
88
in
dawn
in
birds
Just
the
the
to
as
chorus,
sing
an
start
may
notes, as shown above.
develop
fashion
manyof the original motivic and rhythmiccells.
andquite quickly
episodic
After the 'Vif' sectionwhich consistsof twelve sextupletdenýsemiquavercolour-chords
(the groups being an exact replica of each other), there are two bars with the tempo
does
bars
birdsong,
Messiaen
Although
'Moddrd'.
the
they
two
to
credit
not
marking
include severalfeatures,alreadycited, that are intrinsic to 'le style oiseau. The next
Messiaen
les
'Trds
Vif
Te
has
tous
tempo
the
writes,
oiseaux'/
merle
et
marking
section
.
'The blackbirdandall the birds'. The title is somewhatvague;however,it may be possible
birdsong
interpret
this
style, with a certain affiliation to the sounds specifically
as
to
factors
There
blackbird.
that
this
section a rather
the
are
several
make
with
associated
depiction
lark.
There
in
the
the
to
the
of
sounds
of
earlier
relation
approximaterendition
if
but
if
birds'
'all
the
then
they
breath
are
singing
would
overlap,
perhaps
marksare no
be
dynamics,
full
there
contrasting
many
use
of
a
the
should
rangeof pitch,
case
this were
factors
is
None
the
time.
these
are
sounded
at
same
of
notes
where
and manyoccasions
it
is
in
is
The
in
entirely
octaves.
written
overall
effect
present this section;moreover,
'moretriumphalthan natural.
'reference'
Messiaen
'blackbird
gives
many
points: thereare a
phrases
section',
During the
few
in
A
group
seven
of six or
semiquavers.
substantialnumber of repeatednotes a
V/21.
device
at
ex
are shown
examplesof this
89
On manyoccasionsthe two repeatednotesare at the beginningof eachsemiquavergroup.
Theserecurrentsemiquavergroupsdominatethe 'blackbird section', and the ordy variety
is provided by the 'exclamations' in between them. These 'exclamations' take the
following forms:
(spondee)
I two slurredserniquavers
2 onehigh-pitchedserniquaver
3 two high-pitchedsemiquaversandprecedinggracenotes
4 one serniquayer(lower range)
The final 'Un Peu Vif section can be likened to a faster version (with semiquavers
but
interruptions
'blackbird
the
section',
with
of
no
as listed above(1-4).
underneath)
The
Styleoiseausonoritiesprovidealmostall the musicalideasfor the wholemovement.
is
'Vif'
final
the
to
confined
the
material
section
and
perhaps
exclamatory
non-birdsong
'inferior resonance' at p54, s5, b2-3.
Movement ten, 'Regard de I'Esprit de,Joie', introduces (in its second bar) a violent
,interruptioncall' [ex V/22a - p58, sl, b2l. Messiaendoesnot indicate 'Styleoiseau'here;
but exactrepetitionsof this motive recur throughout the movement.The third emergence
jp58,
b2],
last
is
before
the
'Bien
ModdW
s3,
and
the
this
repeated
appearance
motive
of
different
notes which neverthelesscreate an equivalenttimbral effect; this
uses
section
in
The
is
[ex
V/22b
times
A,
b1l.
exact
repetition
eight
repeated
climacuscell
- p63,
'PresqueVif' sectionmakesfull use of the interruPtioncall, in this casewith an altered
in
(although
in
harmonic
this
the
section
music
as
a
whole
and yet
addition,
colouration;
'style
labelled
employs
repeated
oiseau)
semiquavers,very similar to a motive
not
again
91
first
have
birdsong
thirteen,
to
at
may
glance
seem
element,
no
movement
However,
'Moddrd,
Peu
Vif,
the
un
otherwise.
whichoccursaftera short
or
unintentional
is
bells,
introduces
in
hand
depicting
the
the
that
introduction
soundsof
a phrase
right
intended to emulatethe xylophone. The phrase is shown in ex V125. This phrase is
in
is
the
also
movement,
version
points
and
a
at
various
manipulated
repeatedexactly
involving
in
later
the
the
the
a
towards
reorganisation
as
end,
of
original
pitches,
employed
[p96,
b2l.
The
the
s3,
yellowharnmer
eight repeatedserniquaversare
representationof
in
j
hand
[p9l,
bIj
left
in
this
transposed
the
occasion
ma
or
seconds,
on
s49
and
alsoused
down a tone includingthree semiquaversbeforethem. [p92, sl, b1l Repeatednotesare a
Chronochromie,
for
instance,
in
Messiaen's
the
feature
the
of
use
xylophone:
of
common
demisemiquavers
by
IF
that repeatthe samenote. In thiis
'Strophe is saturated sextuplet
depictin(S.,a fragment of the nightingale's song. Perhaps Messiaen
is
Messiaen
example,
'Nodl'lex V/26 - Chronochromie, p90, b2l.
hadthesetimbresin mindwhen writing
0
features
des
its
Anges',
bird
in
'Regard
'MEme
fourteenth
specified
style
The
movement,
juxtaposed
'style
The
oiseau'
passages
are
with a rhythmiccanon.
Mouvement'section.
feature
intrinsic
displays
an
of Messiaen'smusicalstyle,often
This sectionperfectly
(which
bird-like
form:
textures
the
'block
the
canon
alternate
with
rhythmic
referredto as
freedom.
durational
The
form),
in
chordsof the
creating
an
effect
of
is used a reduced
for
birdsong
[pl03,
&
form
begin
the
to
s5,
an
accompaniment
s3
p103,
canon
rhythmic
follow
bar
flourishes
themselves
a
regular
consistsof two
The
also
pattern:
each
bl-31.
A
The
beginning
first
the
flourishes,
the
second
an
aB
on
natural.
on
natural,
descendinc,
0
92
Theleft handcontinuesto usethesemotivesuntil the
first andthelastnoteshaveaccents.
interludethat precedestwo barsof stridentchordsof resonanceandthe
demisemiquaver
final 'Bien mod6rd' section.
features
full,
hand
typical
The right
of 'style oiseau'.Being much
part makes useof many
left
hand;
it
Messiaen
the
complements
as
so
where
uses
often
rhythmically,
complex
more
Numerous
is
it
the
to
there
performer.
assist
motivic aspectsare
a time signature,
four
(with
(1)
hand:
in
the
the
the
staccato
serniquavers;
additionalquaver)
right
employed
form
in
[
b3l,
their
times
original
p103,
s2,
and
many
employing
two
occasions
on
appear
bl-2;
b2-3];
(2)
b2;
b2;
Jp1049
derivation
the
s5,
p104,
s4,
s2,
s2,
p105,
p106,
a close
followed
double-iamb
by
'spondee'
(-)
jp][03,
b1l.
is
feature
the
s3,
a
of note
second
diminished
(seven
bars
later)
time,
to
the
the
quaversare
Whenthis cell appears next
.
followed
by
C
E
both
the
two
naturals,
occasions,
are
an
accented
yet on
serniquavers;
higher
be
If
to
term
A
this
(3)
a
pitch.
one
precedes
may
permitted
often
note
grace
sharp.
divided
into
be
follows:
its
then
several
'chirp'
may
categories,
as
use
cell,
the
including
(often
iambic
aG
natural
grace
a
phrase
note);
a) ending
jp103, s3, b3l
b) in the middleof a phrasei) repeated;iambic [p104, s4, b3l
ii) threegracenotes[p103, s3, b2l
iii) two gracenotes[as before]
iv) highergracenote;iambic JpI04, s3, bIj
[ex V/27]
its
is
lower
than
attachedquaver,andproducesthe effect of
the gracenote
Predon-ýinantly,
divergent
bird
Messiaen
balances
'twitoo'
the
and
style
sonority.
than
a
rather
a chirp'
On
(disregarding
two
by
the
the
a
occasions
grace
notes)
rhythms.
varying
rhythmiccanon
is
frantic
in
bar
[p104,
b3four
the
from
comparison
s4,
next
yet,
built
is
quavers;
bar
up
93
41,(4) Thesefaster(frantic) phrasestake the form of sextuplets,quintuplets,triplets and
divided
is
birds
that
the
rhythms
of
one
of
using
urgency
and
effect
rushing
septuplets:
human
have
to
to
the
seem
sing
reactions
may
very
quicker
rapidly
ear.
are smallerand
JpI05, s3, b3l The left handaddsto this stateof urgency(seethe aboveextract):its
for
it
becomes
difficult
flourishes
therefore,
the
effect
and,
an
ostinato
create
continuous
final
(5)
The
than
to
more
given
note
any
another.
motive
performernot emphasise
below:
Three
derniserniquavers.
four
examples
shown
are
consistsof
I p103, s5, bl
2 p104, s2, bl
3 p104, s2, W
ExamplesI and3 includea whole tone descentftom Bb to Ab, andexample2 is a
in
between
it
feature:
that
times
two
alternate
oneanotherseveral
one
notes
uses
common
ceH.
de
I'Enfant-j6susl,
des
Baiser
Te
'Regard
fifteenth
the
and
sixteenth,
Both the
movement,
is
'style
des
Mages',
des
Bergers
there
contain
elements
of
oiseau',although
et
Proh6tes,
first
longest
The
(the
in
the
two
the
the
this
of
of
slow
score.
movements)
of
mention
no
includesmanyhigh-pitchedtrills [pI10, A, b1l, repetitionsof anapaesticcells jp114, sI,
high-pitched
'stabs',
clusters
and
short
scmiquavcr
bl-21, gracenoteswith accompanying
0
"style
[V/28a,
The
b].
as
with
oiseau'
movement
a
preoccupation
suggest
may
which
all of
harmonic
tension
involves
resolution,
screaming
chordal
and
even
and
complexes
a whole
into
long
flourishes
in
hand.
The
lead
the
figurations
that
middle,
right
Chopinesque
depicted
by
however,
in
birds
Jardin';
Te
is
the
this
are
garden
'Mod6r6', section entitled
94
The
IpI
131.
includes
the
two
second
of
serniquavers
movements
repeated
gracenotesto
be playedlike an oboe,perhapsreminiscentof the We of the unaccompanied
cor anglais
"Tristan
Isolde'
Act
III
[p
beginning
123,
bII%
of
und
the
of
s2,
while the penultimate
at
bar is rhythmicallycomplexandagainsuggestsbird style IpI27, s5, b2l. The triplet
feature
distinctive
is
Messiaen's
later
birdsong:
just
of
a
cell
use
of
one
senýquaver
Sept
HaYkar
in
[see
be
Halika-i
b2]
The
in
seen
p99,
can
grace
notes
parallelonly
example
ringt
[exV/29
Regard
LEnfant
Jim
'style
the
effect.
to
oiseau'
sur
i.
add
pl; 7, s5q
b2l.
The seventeenth
movement,'Regarddu Silence,' hasa numberof bird style events,
by
first
The
found
be
the
they
as
credited
such
composer.
not
are
appearance
can
although
in the form of an interruptioncall [p][29, A, b4l: it involvesa chordalcomplexandgrace
feature
Not
does
it
itself
in
This
the
'Bien
movement.
the
saturates
only
manifest
notes.
Mod6r6' sectionasa serniquaver/quaver
rhythmiccell (iambic) [pI29, s5, b3l, but it also
hand
before
in
Jp133,
in
bl
the
A,
21
part,
right
major
the
seconds
reo--ularl
and
occurs 0y
[pl35,
the
INIoddrd,PresqueVif, andbeforehigh-pitched
repetitions
of
same
note
s2,
0
b2l. The 'Mod&6, PresqueVif sectionusesmanyserniquaverflourishesthat, first,
b1l,
A,
fp130,
involves
descend
that
and,
second,
use
ostinato
an
crossed
gradually
hands,both of which 'vibrate delicatelylike spiders'webs". The mainbird stylefeatureis
however,
b2l;
[p132,
C
the codausesthe polymodalityof the
s2,
the repetitive sharps
between
in
the two hands.One caninterpretthe
chords
alternating
introduction, altissimi,
Eke
light;
the
in
the
overall
effect
sounds
yet
rather
terms
chatteringof a
of
passage
93
down
into
it
breaking
towards
the
the
end
of
slows
movement,
as
chaffinch,especially
colourful gracenotes.
Two aspectsof the eighteenthmovement,'Regardde IOnction Terrible,' are of notable
importancein relationto birdsong.The first is found in the-gTace
noteswhich produce
fp141, s4t b1l: rapid, ascendingnotesclash
interestingharmonicsin a quasi-glissando
in
One
find
in
but
descent,
in
the
caneven
sameeffect,
with one another parallelmotion.
'Le Loriot'from the CataloguedDiseaux I'Le Loriot, (Catalogue)p2, s2, b1l, when
feature
is
feature
The
depicting
is
the
of
second
Messiaen
robin.
a certaincharacteristic
in
have
keys
in
found the composer'srepetitiveuseof white piano
chords,which
a
describing
by
the
used
when
song
often
ornithologists
phrase
velocity
-a
machine-gun-like
MI.
A,
V/30
fex
p144,
of the nightingale
PEglise
d'Amour',
de
begins
figure
in
'sheaf
'Regard
final
with
a
The
epicmovement,
interrupt
flourishes
The
the
three
rhythms
which
opening
are
cretic
contrarymotion.
first
de
'Theme
('Theme
in
Dieu'
God')
the
the
appearance
of
of
graduallyextendeduntil
interruption
followed
by
low,
This
call,
with
an
a
concludes
B major.
announcement
drumbling'percussiveeffect in the lower regionsof the piano's registerwhich amplifiesthe
The Wif sectionthat follows
high-pitches,
a
colourful
creating
resonance.
aforementioned
in
hand
the
the
right
are
is a lengthytranspositionalpassage: melodicpermutations
is
in
bass.
Although
the
the
somewhat
passage
expansion
juxtaposedwith an asymmetric
is
involving
the
by
a
pedal,
menacing
a
effect
produced,
also
of
use
the
extensive
clouded
0
leaps
the
the
permutations
are
raised
an
and
melodic
octave
bird-like quality,especiallyas
96
in
b2l.
The
God'
A,
[see
'Theme
the
tempo
second
appearance
of
of
p159,
are at a rapid
Db majoris interruptedby a very brief 'Bien ModiW sectionwhich includesa flourish,
followed by gracenotesandalternatingmajor seconds,and finally an interruptioncall.
Later (pl6l), the 'Tr6s Mod6r6' sectionbeginswith stridentchords(like bells),the
'Th6med'Accords' ('Theme of Chords) andchordsin 'transposedinversions'.Call-like
bar,
in
When
the
emphasising
power
of
each
chordal
complex.
each
exclamationsappear
form,
in
its
in
it
is
in
F#
God'
'Theme
complete
a stylethat
written
occurs
major,
of
the
describes
tam-tams,bells
Messiaen
alsotellsus thatcymbals,
as'brassfanfare'.Messiaen
birdsong
in
here.
Messiaen
Before
included
the
the
birdsong
the
credits
score,
are
and
'Theme
God'.
When
break
the
the
composer
appearance
of
of
each
up
exclamations
it
is
be
'interruption
that
can',
non-diatonic
may categorisedas an
eventuallycreditsa cell
in
left
bars
'style
b3l,
JpI73,
by
the
three
complex
of
oiseau's
s2,
which
andpreceded
handbeginswith a repetitionof the triplet cell [ex V131a].The triplet is then alteredto a
transposed
two
the
three
the
are
up
a
sernitone
notes
on
occasions,
and
where
sextuplet,
hand
for
The
first
the
these
chromatic
scale.
ascending
right
an
of
with
concludes
phrase
becomes
frantic
it
(in
itself.
the
bars
phrase
more
as
plays octaves)
alsorepeats
three
is
interruption
flats
towards
the
E
the
exclamation,
which
call.
accelerates
and
repeated
9
high
C sharpsare
The
diatonic
the
are
repeated
one
after
other.
Later, the
exclamations
deepen
'chirp',
like.
their
the
timbre.
the
other
quality
of
and
notes
a
sound
prominentand
break
'Theme
God'
[ex
interruption
diatonic
the
calls
up
of
chords
repeated
In addition,
V/31b - p173, s4, bl-21.
97
The grandcodaon the 'Themeof God' displaysthe triumph of love andtearsofjoy: as
Messiaenmight say,all our passionembracesthe invisible.The pcnuitimatebar, afler a
includes
its
(as
interruption
F#
sixth,
added
an
resonance)
with
an
call, until
chord
striking
in
distance
brings
bass
the
flourish
that
thework to a close.
rumble
notes
of
a
in
be
that
therefore,
a comparativelyearly work manyof the general
clear
should,
Trills
interruption
bird
frequent,
but
later
style
are
present.
and
are
calls
of
characteristics
(especially
the reorganisationof short motivic cells),
phrases
of
many
the repetitivenature
be
blocks
for
building
high
the
of
many
passages
rhythm
and
may
seen
as
pitches,
the
laterbirdsongrepresentations.
Messiaen's
Harawi (1945)
is
for
demanding
and
piano
subtitled,'Chant d"Amour et de Nfort, and
This
work- soprano
'Tristan'
being
TurangaftlaMessiaen's
triptych
first
the
two
the
other
is the
of
part
Cinq
Rechants
(1949).
is
derived
The
from the title,
(1946-48)
the
subtitle
and
s)anphonie
from
dialect
for
Peruvian
love
the
'Quechua"
is
the
a
song
which
word
ends
with
a
which
by
Messiaen
himself
The
death.
surreal
nature,
written
a
and possibly,
lovers'
poemsare of
d'Harcourt
in
forefront
B6clard
by
the
who
notably
was
of the
influenced similarwriters,
time.
the
at
mind
composer's
but
the
arrangesthe movementssymmetrically,vAth
Messiaenstructures piececyclically,
Ville
Ta
Dormait,
Toi',
an
qui
as
the
movement,
which
acts
opening
of
the exception
98
introduction. The piano takes on an immenser6le, and together with the soprano it
in
As
'Trois
Petites
Liturgies
de
la
the
Pr6sence
the
of
surreal.
adventure
an
undertakes
Divine', many devout Catholics may feel uneasy %ith Messiaen's exploration or the
intense
love:
human
dramatically
displays
the
music's
spirituality
of
momentsof
passion
hypnoticsensuality.
'BonjourToi, ColombeVcrte', revealsthe imageof the mythical
Thesecondmovement,
'limpid
'parted
'interlocking
dove
the
pearl',
represents
clouds',
which
stars', and
green
in the openingmovesin chords in the left hand,and
birdsong.The piano accompaniment
dernisenýiquavers
in
hand
lead
the
triplet
right
onto ten 'tweeting' highthe rapid arpeggio
The
'comme
b
is
first
1-21.
in
[p4,
'Un
Peu
F
the
un
oiseau'
sI,
sign
shown
pitched sharps
Vif' section.Above a sustainedEb major broken chord, the song beginswith two
followed
by the first main feature [p5q s2, b1l. (1) This
4chattering"groups of grace notes,
feature,in wl-&h serniquavers
predominate,beginswith aD natural and endswith an F:
B
The
B's
high
four
F
are
naturals.
repetitive
the
semiquavers
are
reminiscent
of
the other
This
is
in
beginning
the
the
movement.
of
cell
manipulated
various guises,as
sharpsat
f0flows:
a) usingmoreBs andFs lei V/321
b) in transpositionlei V/331
(2) The secondmotive consistsof two serniquavers(A natural and B natural) and two
ionic
D4)
Ips,
&
G4
b2
(an
constituting
an
a
minor
and
rhythm,
s2,
p5,
quavers accented
first
birdsong
first
duration
is
diminished,
At
the
the
section,
bl].
the
quaver
A,
closeof
is
G9/D
Gff/D9
The
iamb.
to
altered
cell
natural, and after a flourish, this
leaving an
99
10
C
1
The
begins
(3)
two
third
naturals
p6,
sIqbI].
sounding
again,
motive
rhythm appears
C.
E
Each
down
demisemiquavers,
these
two
and
of
two
notes
moves
two
up
or
with
loud
high-pitched
A
With
first
finishes
the
the
a
natural.
with
exception
of
and
sernitones
demisemiquavers
in
first
begins
this
or
of
semiquavers
section
with a
motive, eachgroup
descendingmajor/minorthird, threeexamplesof which are shown at pS, s3, U.
(4) The fourth featureis an accentedhigh-pitchedquaver,which breaksup the semiquavcr
have
flourishes:
[p5,
b1l.
the
derniserniquaver
quaver
may
a
preceding
note
s4,
grace
or
(5) The next featurebeginseachgroup of serniquavers
with the notes E natural,C sharp,
in
the examplesbelow at pS, s3, b2.
this
shown
C natural:two examplesof
are
is
in
highest
3:
the
to
the
structure
very
similar
motive
The middle group of
sen-ýiquavers
begins
(in
is
the
third
this
third);
(a
D)
twice,
and
group
with
a
case
a
major
repeated
note
D
lower
(the
A
to
C#
the
the
first
a
sernitone
natural,
up
and
note
natural)
moves
the
G9.
Each
by
the
down
to
tone
of
groups
usually
a
moves
step, an exampleof
a
moves
begins
bl
I"
A,
D
below
[p5,
The
is
third.
group],
and
and
ends
with
a
which shown
down
Eb,
Bb
but
Ab
Each
E
the
to
to
an
to
moves
an
and
up
an
octave.
naturalmoves an
in
is
into
the
technique
be
close
of
pitches
proximity:
very similar
can condensed a group
asymdtrique'process.
to the lagrandissenlent
The
begins
1.
begins
birdsong
motive
second
with
phrase
with a more
section
The second
interval
Jp7,
than
third.
flourish
greater
uses
no
a
major
s2,
nevertheless
which
complex
in
D
B
D
the
texture,
the
top
out
D#/E#/G#/Bb/
stand
and
natural acts as a
and
The
bl]
100
begins
Eb.
I
high
to
the
this
time
of
return
motive
which
note
on
a
prolongedneighbour
The characteristicthird that beginseachgroup is alteredto an ascendingminor third - on
begins
C
Eb.
the
with
notes
natural
and
a
group
severaloccasions
lp7, s3, bl - third group (with three repeated C naturals)l
lp7, s4, bl - third group]
[p8, s2, bl)
[ex V/33]
(6) The trill is introducedfor the first time on a Hgh-pitchedE natural Jp7, s4, b1l: it acts
broken
bird
Eb
high
that
the
the
major
chord
underpins
all
of
sections.
over
resonance
as a
bird
flourish
final
the
sectionstartson a middle C and rapidly ascendsvvith
The
second
of
Ngh-pitched
'call'.
finishing
a
with
a crescendo,
follows:
textures,
ModdW
three
'Tr6s
as
employs
The
section
I birdsongin the right hand,block chordsin the left
2 the openingostinatoflourishes[eg. p4, s2, bl]
3 colourful two-part descendingtriplet serniquavers
first:
Birdsong
is
the
the
other.
after
appears
one
phrase exactlythe
Thesetexturesappears
four
flourish
hen-ddemisemiquavers,
followed
by
both
begins
It
a
of
with
sameeachtime.
five
C
The
'Un
legato
ends
and
with
repeated
next
naturals.
serniquavers,
staccatoand
long):
four
bars
birdsong
(only
brief
is
the
two
consists
of
Smcenotesand
Vir
peu
section
flourish
C
that
the
completes
an
exact
repetition
of
substantial
and
naturals,
two repeated
birdsong
section.
the second
101
The birdsong in this movementis made comprehensibleby Messiaen'scompositional
technique.The repetitionof notes,similar patterns,imitation, hybrid forms and the varied
legato)
(staccato
its
and
are
to
essential
comprehension.The whole
use of articulation
descending
two-part.
triplet semiquaversand two diatonic
colourful
movementendsvAth
in
Eb
major chords.
versions
The onomatope,Tounclou Tchil', the title of the fourth movement,representsthe sounds
dancers'
Indian
After
is
by
Peruvian
the
title
ankle-bells.
the soprano
the
pronounced
of
left
hand
piano accompanimentdepicting primitive drums, a 'Vif'
times,
a
with
twenty
introduction
between
bridge
'Niod6r6'.
The
'Vijr
the
the
and
a
as
acts
section
section
'NfoddW
like
homs
the
the
acts
as
a
refrain
and
staccato
chords
glass
andthe
represents
After
introduction
dance-like.
in
these
left
the
sections
are
repeated,
the
returns
voice
hand, as a recapitulation,this time with a right hand part intentionally representing
birdsong.
Nfessiaencreatesa balancein texture: the prin-dtivedrums, in the left band, are staccato
in
legato.
introduction,
is
As
in
beginning
birdsong,
is
the
the
the
right,
the
pianissimo
and
increased
dynamics
in
'cry'
intensity
are
gradually
the right
until
a
sforzando
and
and the
hand. Messiaenuses the phrase, 'comme un oiseau: the phrasing is realistic, as the
breathe
bird
time
to
The
the
the
with
single
meticulously
marked
gives
tests.
composer
describin,
birdsong
be
before
that
'phrase'
(,,,,
a
when
period
of
used
sounds
will
a rest;
word
102
however,thereare call-like instancesthat are too short to be labelledas such,cspcciallyif
in
be
down
human
is
to
birdsong
to
the
order
comprehensible
slowed
ear and within
the
V/341.
[ex
the
pianoforte
the rangeof
Many phrasesendwith a high 'chirping' sonority: thesechirps arc all staccato,and in the
duration
long,
for
is
it
bird
the
to
short
the
very
makes
plausible
a
phrase
when
only event
[p28,
bl-21.
first
birdsong
A,
In
before
breath
the
the
the
phrase
phraseof
next
snatcha
lp26,
has
bl-2],
A,
high
three
grace
preceding
notes
and on other
chirp
section, the
[p27,
four
b2l
[p27,
bIj
include
A,
s2,
notes,
or
all.
one,
grace
none
at
they
occasions
have
bar
fourth
this
some
phrases
a preoccupation
with a rhythmic
section,
Fromthe
of
[p27,
bl],
bar
three
of
three
of
quintuplets
sl,
another
groups
groups
includes
one
cell:
[pVt s2, b1l. The latter examplebeginswith two repeatednotesin the
denusemiquavers
bar
derniserniquavers.
there is an i=bic rhythm,
an
earHer
-In
first two sets of
C
F's
toward
the
the
two
sharps,
and
repeated
end
of
movement,
using
serniquaver/quaver
0
demiserniquaver
between
[p28,
bl-21.
focal
two
rapid
passages
s4,
become a
point
listener
intervaUic
be
the
they
to
might
a specific note,
Messiaengives referencepoints
birdsong
form
but
the
the
to
they
with
a
provide
of
coherence
relationshipor rhythm;
28,
three
a
On
there
a
rapid
phrase
concludes
with
occasions
where
are
page
musician.
from
inversion)
in
from
C
B
(one
the
to
interval:
two
other
natural,
and
are
majorseventh
here
is
included
The
feature
two
Another
the
use
of
similar
repetition.
E
Eb to natural.
in
is
the
below,
the
the
samenotes
sameorder-,only
rhythm slightly
use
interspersions
'motivic
in
This
is
[p28,
bi-21.
the
A
second
version
sI,
absent
.
the
natural
as
adJusted
103
island"' effect is often usedby Messiaen,and also by Stravinskyin the 'Pite of Spring'
VRite', p1j. The end of this birdsongsection concludesvAth a sextupletflourish and a
high-pitchedsforzando'chirp'. The glass-like'Vif' follows, and the song closeswith the
Toundou TcH' ostinatoin the voice, down a tone and accompaniedby three growling
bassnote clashes[V/351.
The eighth movement,'Syllabes', makesno specific use of birdsong. There are several
interruptionsin the texturewithinthe tempomarking'Moddre,un PeuVif. Theyarenot
interruption calls, but colourful chord clusters in semiquavers,beginning with pairs of
four
three
them,
then
groups
occasional
scattering
of
and
amongst
and
semiquavers
.
frequent
[p56,
Messiaen's
to
use
of
stained-glass
window
sonorities
soundingvery similar
Eke
bird
B
Tia'
The
the
b2l.
sound
naturals
style,
especially
with
words
and
repetitive
s4,
'Tchil' that are soundedon many occasions:Uke the movement'Doundou TchU', the
The
final
'Modire,
faster
Peu
Vif
is
becomes
more
excited.
and
un
more
andmore
effect
in
fact,
'Pia',
legendary
The
the
the
of
suggest
alarm
cries
of
repetitions
manic
energetic.
Peruvianapes;however,the words are sung so fast that each "Pia" blends into the next,
hear
Ustener
"pee-pee'
is
the
the
that
that
may
very
weU
sonority
so
often
the
result
with
if
intended
by
birdsong,
this
the
effect
was
not
composer.
even
with
associated
in
VEscalier
is
du
Redit,
Gestes
bird
the
ninth
movement,
present
style
Once again,
first
bar
features
The
three sets of tribachic triplet
intentional
or otherwise.
Soleil'.
104
being
three-note
the same.They are an important tool for the
cell
each
serniquavers,
is
Bb
the
minim, and the piano strikesa chordal complex,using the
on
a
voice
composer:
is
duration,
the
therefore
only
rhythmic
motion
provided by this motive lei V/36 same
is
bar
The
from
b1l.
final
the
exactly
same,
next
apart
the
slo
chord which seemsto
p70,
flunction as a resolution. The accompanimentin bar four includes three sets of the
is
(iambic);
each
set
rhythm
exactly the same,and the voice singsthe
semiquaver/quaver
jp70,
A4
b2l.
is
E
The
in
the
same
rhythm
using
s3,
and
effect
not
very
similar
notes
it
bird-call;
interruption
This
three
to
motivically,
yet,
produces
a
calls.
addednote
nature
An
is
flourish
the
first
throughout
movement.
ascending
utilised
the
concludes
cell
value
five
in
length.
The
bars
bars
five
same
are repeatedexactly, the only differcnce
subjectof
being the words. After the flourish is soundedfor the secondtime, an 'exclamationcall'
in
Jp72,
high
Ab
b2].
The
the
voice
part
sl,,
a
major secondgrace note clash
precedes
in
When
the
timbre
complex,
chordal
the
of
to
altissimo.
the tribachic serniquavers
adds
fifteen
in
itself
times:
this
and
occur
they
ostinato
pattern
are
presents
regularly
return,
'A
Tempo'
the
A
the
Ab
until
pitches,
same
the
which
uses
exactly
notes
natural,
using
feature
This
MI.
W&
Jp75,
C#
s4,
p78,
also completesthe movement,addingto
s3,
and
final
Eb.
the
sustained
singer's
the exuberanceof
is
(movement
d'Etoile'
ten)
Oiseau
possiblythe most gentle and pensivesong of
'Amour
F#
key
key
love.
The
birdsong,
Messiaen
the
the
major,
the
of
chooses
mystical
the cycle.
for
be
first to markedas such sometime, actsas an interludeafter eachbrief phraseby the
birdsong
the
the
movement,
without
throughout
exception,
excerpts are
singer, and
105
F#
first
long
lex
V/371.12
The
major
chord
with
an
added
sustained
sixth
a
over
sounded
Jp84,
the
birdsong
same
are
sI. b2]: the phraseendswith a gracenote
exactly
phrases
two
C natural and a minor third descentto an A natural. The 'style oiseau' phrasesin the
(occurring
longer,
this
one
times),
exactly
seven
are
either
a
whole
or
a
as
more
movement
be
labelled
The
The
1.
'style
third
will
common
phrase
most
phrase
elaboratesong.
derniserniquavers
I's
C#,
begins
B#
two
a
phrase
on
with
and
only the
oiseau' passage
by
is
displaced
Two
F's
E
twice.
an
octave,
and
sounded
are
repeated
next natural
followed by two anapaesticcells, and the phraseconcludeswith the inversionof the final
feJs
immense
Straight
in
1.
one
away
an
space:not only as a result of
two notes phrase
longer
durations
faster
but
the
th
tempo,
wi
which
after
also
appear
rhythmic
such a slow
birdsong
1,
the
After
of
phrase
a
three
more
elaborate
extends
appearances
more
cells.
bl].
The
beginning
faster
Jp85,
between
the
the
s4,
durations
groups
gracenotes at
of this
but
is
full
it
freedom,
the
crotchetand dotted crotchetthat give the
bar addto the senseof
high
is
its
full
Even
the
the
to
register
a
range
Of
such
at
piano
explored
phrasespace.
G
The
is
in
E2
from
I
to
triplet
sharp4.
semiquaver
pattern phrase
potential, ranging
P-toiles,
les
'Tous
Oiseaux
des
The
words,
displayedhere on two occasions.
prompt the
intervals,
includes
triplet
the
third
ubiquitous
semiquavers
and
minor
short phrasewhich
hemidemisemiquavers
jp86,
b2l.
bird
The
s2,
septuplet
next
style
of
but with the addition
high
'chirps,
B
three
two
includes
simple
quavers
and
on
naturals
with
sextuplets,
phrase
begins
first
The
the
three
phrase
with
penultimate
notes
of
phrase
notes.
grace
preceding
includes
four
It
durations.
triplet
the
serniquaver/quaver
also
rhythm and
1, usingthe same
is
This
in
two
the only one
straight
crotchets.
phrase
addition,
and
derriiserniquavers,
interval,
A
C
(inverted
[p87,
third
to
or
s2,
does
a
minor
not)
with
conclude
not
which
106
b1l. The song draws to a close with an F9 major chord with an added sixth, in a low
by
1.
followed
phrase
register,
ttoiles',
les
is a striking contrastto 'Amour Oiseau
The eleventhmovement,'Katchikatchi
d'ttoile'.
This untamed dance-like movement features many excerpts similar to an
be
complex
construedas
grace notes which may
interruption call, and repeatedchordal
interlude
before
idea
Eke
the
again,
used
as
chirping
an
motivic
next
continuous
sounding
&
bl].
The
'Ahi'
b2
[p88,
line
s3,
on
p89,
unpitched
scream,
occurs
the
s2,
poem
of
or
by
interruption-Eke
final
The
the
an
call.
cry
ends
accompanied
each
three occasions,
movement
death
in
its
finality.
lovers
le
The
Noir,
'Dans
last
represents
eternal
are at
The
movement,
is tragic, recallingthe beginning
love.
The
human
from
the
far
but
end
of
movement
rest,
dead.
'Toi',
lovers
Messiaen
the
the
word
as
are
now
mentioning
of the work without
instruction
bouche
ferm6e'.
'i
displays
for
the
final
the
with
singer
which
note
writes the
lovers
at
peace.
and
motionless
the
of
one
Sharngadeva
rhythms and many other characteristic
Nlessiaencombinesrhythmic canons,
birdsong.
in
The
takes
of
a
soloistic
r8le
even
use
piano
on
techniqueswith a sophisticated
107
bird
depiction
to 'style oiseau',
style: althoughthe piececredits numerouspassages
of
the
included
has
also
manycharacteristicsof birdsongor calls.
the composer elsewhere
The Turangalila Symphony (194648)
Foundation,
by theKoussevitsky
Commissioned
the TurangalflaS)-mpliony
wasto occupy
from
17"
July
1946 to 29h November 1948. This large-scale
for
two
Messiaen
years,
lasts
The
ten
and
approximately
movements
seventy-five
minutes.
work consists of
divided
follows:
the
as
are
workmovementsof
I
Introduction
Mod&6, un Pcu Vif
II
IH
IV
v
Chant d'Amour I
Chant d'Amour 2
Mod&6, Lourd
Pr sque Lent, REveur
Bien Niodere
Joie du SangdesEtoiles
Jardindu Sommefld'Amour
Vif Passionn6,avecJoie
Tr&sNfod6r&,Tr6s Tendre
VI
VI[I Turangalila 2
Un Peu Vif,
VIH D6veloppementde I'Amour
3
IX Turanszah^la
Final
X
Bien Nlod6r6
Mod&6, PresqueVif, avecune GrandeJoie
Xloder6
_Bien
Bien Mod6r6
Cyclic themesare incorporatedthroughoutthe symphony,and in addition eachmovement
its
four
There
themes
separate
using
own,
and
of
are
motives.
has a unique character
in
the
a
on
numerous
occasions
symphony
and
play
reappear
themes
which
cyclic
have
by
The
themes
titles
the
are
given
cyclic
and
composer,
r6le.
symbolic
significant
The
first,
'th6me-statue'
('statue
by
theme'),
musicologists.
been
numerous
adopted
since
fortissimo.
dense
For
Messiaen,
the
trombones,
this
on
played
in
is
thirds and mainly
108
brutality
Mexican
The
indicates
the
of
ancient
monuments.
secondcyclic theme,
motive
Ith6me-fleur'(Tower theme') - is given to the clarinetsin two parts, with a pianissimo
dynamic.The two parts are opposites:they are widely separatedand then move together
13
'
'like
two eyesreflectingeachother... Messiaenthinks of a 'delicate
in contrarymotion,
"
fuchsia,
florid
This
theme
gladiolus,
an
a
red
excessively
convolvulus'.
pliant
a
orchid,
but
is
in
the
the
theme
also
antithesis
notes,
opposing
of
previous
character.
not only uses
The third cyclic theme ('th6me d'amour/the 'love theme') is the most important,
This
theme
the
the
to
surges
with
composer.
passion,
symbolising
spiritual and
according
fourth
Isolde.
The
Tristan
'th6me
d'accords'
('chord
theme,
and
cyclic
of
union
emotional
four
in
in
that
the
cluster
chords
occur
at
various
of
points
work
theme'), consists
fragmented
or elaboratedversions.
truncated,
original,
is
its
full
to
used
the
Although
potential, few elementsof traditional
cyclic principle
in
found
introduction
be
The
has
form
the
the
two
work.
can
parts
and
states
symphonic
is
in
(introduction
The
2.
I
two
second
movement
sections
and
themes
and coda):
cyclic
design,
in
hybrid
is
the
first
which
a
rondo/variation
of
episodesare variants of the
a
the
development
is
the
the
of
opening
the
a
motive
and
secondphraseof
second
and
refrain;
be
interpreted
The
the
could
also
as
one
of
variation,
movement
while
ninth
the refrain.
be
like
'Final'
fifth
the
also
seen
may
as
scherzos,
and
a sonata
fourth and
movements
is
for
'development
the
the
the
According
to
eighth
movement
composer,
section'
form.
the whole symphony.
109
The symphony,in addition,hasseveral'love themes. Thereare four 'love themes'in their
du
'Chant
d'Amour
'Jardin
(movement
in
1'
found
forms
the
two),
basic
movements:
'Diveloppement
de
I'Amour'
(movement
(movementeight), and
d'Amour'
six),
Sommeil
15
in
Given
is
(movement
that
ten).
'Final'
each
constructed
movement predominantlY
the
discrete sections(with the exception of the eighth), it is the love and cyclic themes,
free
that
multiplications
give the musiccoherenceand propel the
and
technicalprocedures
'love
The
theme'
the
tempi
the
two
second
of
of
contrasting
main
time.
in
music
feminine,
from
derived
'statue
described
the
masculine
and
and
are
as
movementare
have
love
is
doomed
lovewithin
fact,
them:
the
In
the
elements
of
movements
all
theme'.
it,
'irresistible,
Messiaen
transcending
everything,
puts
as
and,
to self-destruction
itselý
love
is
by
Tristan
the
a
such
as
symbolised
philtre
of
outside
suppressingeverything
16
Yseult'.
and
from
Sanskrit.
'Turanga'
denotes
taken
word
movementand
-Turangalla' is a compound
'play,
is
in
literally
described
divine
'Lila'
terms
the
depicting
time.
means
and
of
rhythm,
has
in
its
Messiaen
The
also
several
word
polarities
meaning:
the
universe.
action upon
love.
in Harawi,
lifeldeath.
As
The
destruction,
word
also
may
mean
and
cites creation/
inextricably
interconnected.
Other
death,
life
all
are
and
and
love is confined within
follows:
list,
be
the
to
as
added
can
opposites
rhythrii/ametricality
time/timelessness
tonality/modality
tonality/atonality
joy/despair
human/superhuman
In fact, Messiaendescribesthe whole symphonyas a love song and a hymn to joy. it is
also a vast pool of rhythmiccounterpointsandgroupsthat are manipulatedby a full range
of compositionaltechniques.
The immenseorchestraneededto perform this symphonyconsistsof triple woodwind,
four homs, four trumpets, one comet, three trombones,one tuba, sixteen first violins,
fourteen
double
basses,
twelve
ten
violas,
cellos,
seconds,
piano, ondesmartcnot
sixteen
The
large
section.
percussionýection consistsof a glockenspiel,
percussion
and a very
together
which,
with the piano and the metal percussion,form a
vibraphone
and
celesta
smallGamelanorchestra.
The solo piano almost acts as a solo instrument,possiblyinfluencedby the r6le that the
'Prom6th6e
(Le
Poirne
in
du
Skriabin's
Fcu).
There
long
takes
arc
cadenzasthat
piano
in
but
is
movement,
the
a
climax
a
above
all
the most essentialtool
piano
often precede
Rarely,
birdsong.
depicting
the
the
sonorities
of
woodwind and the violins producea
when
'le
instruments
that
oiseau;
to
style
of
certainly,
these
on
no
occasion
akin
are
sonority
creditedas such.
described
illustrated
in
de
full
technical
'Technique
procedures
The
and
of
mon
gamut
in
found
is
Messiaen
this
Musical'
symphony.
Lwga.(Ye
uses non-retrogradablerhythms,
diminution,
superimposed
rhythmic structures and a sophisticated
and
augmentation
by
the
rhythmic
series
superimposingWas rhythms. The most
chromatic
deploymentof
in
incorporatcd
Messiaen's
is
in
bird
to
appear
this symphony,
output
style
yet
authentic
More namesof specific birds are included in the score: many of the namedbirds are
in
birdsong
The
has
become
decorative
differentiated
character.
musical
not
only
sharply
but alsorcalistic.
The first movement,'Introduction', consistingof two parts linked by a piano cadenza,
introduces the first two cyclic themes. Messiaenmakes full use of special orchestral
in
by
demiserniquavers
is
followed
first
the
The
strings
sextuplet
ascending
created
effects.
from
the
timc
same
at
playing
a
glissando
by trills, the ondesmartenot
a G# to aD natural,
is
'statue
the
theme'
to follow jp4j. The secondis found in
in altissimo:on eachoccasion
introduces
indeterminate
flourishes,
the
immediately
where
section
piano
succeeding
the
in
flute
have
the
contrary
motion,
while
and clarinets
playing semiquavers
17
do
figure
in
the solo violin andviola who alsoplay
the
as
of a pyramid ,
demisemiquavers
G
C
The
is
hannonics
the
string
and
string
respectively.
overall
on
cffect s*UM*Iar
glissandi
tjoijey
in
Des
CmiyoYls
the
wind machine
aux
of
the
sonorities
to
lp6]. The 'flower
before
The
four
the
introduced
is
piano
cadenza.
moments
second
part uses
theme'
Hindu
harmonic
The
interrupts
rhythmic
on
cells.
ostinato
rhythmic pedalssuperimposed
be
heard
fast
the
and
inight
as
a
occasions
ostinato
cell
of
several
texture
on
the
is
based
'statue
The
b3l.
Ip
19,
the
theme'.
conclusion
on
song
nightingale's
d'Amour
'Chant
I'
The second movement,
begins with tWa rhythms that are
form
The
is
'coupict-rcfrain'.
the
by
of
augmentation.
movement
a
of
superimposed means
first
is
by
into
the
the
divided
trumpetsand
is
two
sections:
contrasting
played
The refrain
112
is strong, passionateand quick; the secondis played by the ondesmartenot and is slow,
first
Messiaen
In
the
verse,
contraststhe sombretimbre of the low oboe,
quiet.
gentle and
light
ftom
(in
the
clarinets
with
percussive
effects
and
violins
anglais
pizzicato) and
cor
bells.
Messiaen
links
from
the
the
and
also
piano
rapid sectionswith a warm and
attacks
denselyorchestratedF# major chord lp88-891.
begins
(the
F
third
movement)
with a coriversationbetweenthe first clarinct
'Turangalila
is,
it,
Messiaen
'punctuated
by
bell,
as
the
puts
which
martenot,
vibraphoneand
and ondes
double basspizzicatos'. Thi's sectionis very reminiscentof the opening of Stravinsky's
it
Spring',
is the openingof the movement,
'Rite
[see
Spring'
not
only
p1j,
as
of
'Rite of
dialogue
between
its
because
two parts, its use of two grace notes,
continuous
but also
of
fragmented
The second theme on the low
long
the
of
small
first
repetition
cells.
and
note
a
is
the
a
passage
unison
on
with
celesta, glockenspiel and the right
combined
trombones
is
by
The
flute
theme
in
third
the
played
oboe
the
part.
and
piano
hand of
a rhythmic canon
first
the
Messiaen
then
combines
and second themes on the brass, and
in retrograde.
first
he
to
the
and second movements of the symphony with
refers
immediately after,
A fourth theme, made up of three rhythmic characters played on the
'allusions'.
various
is
introduced
fully
drum,
bass
developed
from
and
the
and
to
middle
wood-block
maracas,
drum
bass
The
decrescendo,
the
gradually
crescendos,
the
maracas
movement.
he
t. end of
The
movement
constant.
ends
with
texture
remains
a
sparse
the
wood-block
very
while
bells,
doub
I
bass (Pizzicato) and
its
the
martenot,
ondes
clarinet,
e
to
opening:
sirlUlar
identical
but
this occasion the maracas,
sonorities,
using
on
present,
again
are
vibraphone
.P
Although
does
include
the
music
added.
not
are
a
style
oiseau
wood-block
and
piano
113
bells
the
the
sonorities
of
piano,
combined
celeste,
element,
and vibraphone (p92)
foreshadowthe xylophone-tnoand Gamelantimbresof later works, while the use of
Chinese
is
indication
the
cymbals
and
maracas,
especially
an
early
percussion,
of Balinese
inspiration.
According to Messiaen,the fourth movement(Thant d'Amour 2') can be divided into
follows:
as
nine sections,
I scherzofor piccolo andbassoonin unison,
block
the
theme
on
wood
with a rhythmic
2 bridge
3a reffain andthe first trio on the woodwind
4a secondtrio on solo strings
5a superimpositionof the two trios (woodwind and strings)with birdson-g
6 bridge
7 reprise and superpositionof the scherzos,two trios and the 'statue therne$
is
heard
the
movement
simultaneously
everyelementof
8 pianocadenza
9 coda. The 'flower theme' is played on the clarinets,the 'statue theme' on the
is
the
refrain
playedon the ondesmartenotandthree solo violins
while
trombones,
is
importance.
The piano anticipatesthe
this
fifth
of
notable
movement
The
sectionof
birdsong passagewith occasionalcharacteristicexcerpts,specificallyan interruption call
[pi2i],
fluttering
[p1301
JP1201.
The
trill
and
rapid
phrases
extended
an
composer
0
Eke
bird
[p1321:
the
this
forte
song
sound
of
a
the
should
solo
piano
indicatesthat
remains
0
final
begins
the
the
exception
of
the
with
phrase
which
section,
piano and
throughout
On
V/38].
[ex
fortissimo
the whole, the piano is triumphant: important
to
a
crescendos
love
the
'Tr6s
theme
Njodird,
and
passionate
the
scherzo
the
opening
of
as
such
themes
instruments.
If it were
and
strongly
simultaneously
on
other
Amour'
appear
section
avec
114
is
birdsong
fact
in
for
the
that
generally
the
written
octaves,the piano would not be
not
heard at all; at other times, one-partwriting is reservedfor tender momentswhen the
fp136,
b3],
both
is
quiet
and
while the groupsof rapid, %videly-spaced
sparse
texture
notes
do not in any caseallow for playingin octaves[p136, W& p134, b2l.
demisemiquavers,
bars
four
first
three
groups
of
of
consist
The
each separatedfrom the
first
is
dotted
longer
D
the
by
is
a
note:
quaver
the
natural
a
single
and
second
aG
other
G#
is
length.
The
in
does
it
feature
in
a
reference
point:
not
only
twice
the
crochet
a
sharp,
in
the secondand alternatelywith aD natural in the third, but it
times
three
first group,
fact,
In
G#
features
the
two
the
groups.
throughout
second
regularly
this
separates
also
in
first
bars
is
[p132,
b3-6].
Each
D
these
also
ubiquitous
the
natural
group of
section,and
by
broken
is
[p133,
b6l
[p133,
b3l
in
a
up
rest,
the
section
a
single
entire
note
or an
notes
When
b4l.
[p134,
the solo strings announcethe passionatetheme, the
interruption call
freer:
introduced,
is
and
quintuplets
septuplets
are
together
rhythmically
with a
piano
figure
Jp1331.
At
9,
line
the
notes
piano
grace
plays
and
a
single
cell
consisting
syncopated
G# is heardeleventimes,anda top G natural breaksup
demiserniquavers:
the
of sextuplet
(G
forms
three
final
a
cell
of
note
sharp/C
sharp/G
part
the
natural)
on
and
texture
the
Two
double
in
bar.
bar
first
figure
the
9
note
cells
beat
alternate
týe
second
of
of
quaver
G
finally,
leading
interruption
three
G
a
single
onto
and,
grace
note
(E/D# and sharp/D)
demisemiquavers
idea
(using
first
followed
by a singlelonger
The
b241.
eight
jp134,
calls
followed
bar,
by
interruption
in
two
the
next
is
calls
and
a
short
repeated
note)
W]
[pM,
serniquaver/quaver/semiquaver,
cell
which
was
rhythmic
palindromic
[p133,
bl-2].
The
by
third
the
syncopation
group of eight semiquavers
introduced earlier
115
in the first four barsis a tritone alternator,a regularfeatureof Messiaen'suseof birdsong.
The composerincorporatesthis samedevicein the secondbar of figure 10 jp136, b341,
F#
C
This
device
the
and
notes
this
using
natural.
occasion
may now clearly be
on
describedas the alternator.Many examplesof this can be found in the violin part in the
first movementof the much earlierQualuorpour la Fin A Temp.
v ['Technique' plo, s3,
b2l. The final phraseof the birdsongsectionis built up with a triplet, three sextuplets,a
final
interruption
E
call
and
a
single
note
sforzando
grace
a
natural: the G# and
septuplet,
D natural are againreferencepoints,andthe composeralsomakesfull use of the sernitone
is
in
The
[p1391.
V/39.
this
of
part
section
piano
shown
ex
relationship
labelled
figure
16,
"style
although
not
at
oiseau', incorporatesmany
The piano cadenza
'Mod&6,
Libitum'
These
the
at
ad
occur
sectionsJp160,SS,bl-21, after
interruption calls.
flourishes
(like
in
dectaplet
a
glissando),
the
and
secondgroup of 'Tris
the ascending
dark-textured
bars,
chords.
alternatingwith
Moderd'
ttoiles',
is
des
long
Sang
dance
du
jubilation,
five,
'Joie
a
of
Movement
perhapsthe first
(1933).
LAscension
from
Apart
from
'Alleluia'
episodic
to
the
references
the
since
is
based
'statue
the
the
on
a
variant
therne,,especially
movement
of
entire
'flower theme',
After
interval
third.
a triple exposition-vAth-variation,there is an
a
of
in its use of the
development
of
consisting
a
rhythmic
section,
canon
made
up
of
six rhythmic
extended
increases,
first
three
decreases
the
The
rhythmic
characters
the
of
second
rcharacters'.
and
durations
forming
these
the
of
are
reversed,
six rhythmic
the third remainsconstant:
'statue
the
thirds
A
the
ensues,
presenting
theme'
cadenza
of
piano
a
solo
at
characters.
116
The
'statue
the
concludes
movement
tempo.
%ith
theme' played%ýithextremelylong
rapid
durations on the brass.Althouoghthere is no intended'Style oiseau' in this movement,the
have
interruption
an
affinity
the
exclamations
vAth
some
of
conversational
calls cited on
many earlieroccasions.
examplesinclude:
fp1881
fp201, fig 24]
[p214, b5-8]
[p231, bl-31
The 'love theme' is employedthroughout the sixth movement, 'Jardin du Sommeil
d'Amour', andis playedby the string sectionandthe ondesmartenot.This cyclic phraseis
for
first
is
the
example,
after
continuously;
phrase
completed,a repetition
expandedupon
than
the
fourth
major
sixth
on
a
rather
This cell,
concludes
expected
and
perfect
overlaps
by
followed
long
is
dinuiruished
tied
a
to a quaver/crotchet
note,
crotchet
a
of
consisting
fourth bar of figure 1. The two templeblocks displaya double progression
in
the
rhythm
(figure
4),
flute,
the
rhythms
chromatic
while
Gamelan
motion
clarinet
contrary
and
of
harmony
block
to
the
of the strings,punctuatingthe long sustainedchords
instrumentsadd
has
invention
The
two-part
light
the
texture.
celeste
a
with
use of augmentationof
a
with
t,wo rhythmiccells.
I birdsong material is played on the piano. Based on the nightingale,black-bird
The
and
from
is
it
The
the
themes.
is
heard
separate
main
entirely
piano
warbler,
very
garden
free
long-sustained
high
its
the
rhythms
which
off-set
and
notes
the
chords
with
of
clearly
birdsong
first
begins
The
phrase,
and
many
others,
with
successive
section.
string
117
bl].
These
V/40
[ex
slow repeatednotes give the movementa calm
p239,
serniquavers
-
flowing
lovers
timelessness
contentment,
and
and
a
serenity
the
as
and
sleep,while the
intended
depiction
light,
instruments
to
the
add
of
shadow,
the new plantsandthe
other
flowers in this specialgarden.Not only are there repeatednotesin serniquavcrs,
but
'reference
the
struck,
are
especially
at
notes'
endsof. phrases,giving a senseof
certain
be
found
One
in
Messiaen's
can
example
coherence.
useof modesix: the
rnodal/melodic
C
F
B
'reference,
the
sharps
the
naturals,
and
naturals,
are
and
notes
points are
repeated
These
'reference'
D
naturals.
quaver
points are often precededby triplet
the two staccato
denýserniquavers.After sevenbars of reper.ed notes (on the samepitch), scatteredgrace
interval
(always
C
the
'alternator'
tritone
F
with
phrase
to
natural
an
sharp)" and
notes,
distinctive
birdsong
b2l,
[p239,
This
is
a
interruption
phrase
of
call
appears.
phrase
an
throughout
it
the
be
labelled
occasions
several
on
movement:
exactly
may
the
repeated
divided
into
four
be
(i)
first
The
four
This
can
parts.
song
rserenesong'.
notesmakeup an
by
followed
(H)
immediately
four
a
group
of
sextuplets,
cell,
, alternator'
rising staccato
'chirps'
(iv)
[p240,
b2l. This &serene
(iii),
two
note
does
grace
s2,
and
song'
serniquavers
bar
in
[ex
V/411.
the
the
point
same
at
occur
always
not
derived
from
&serene
birdsong
the
also
are
song. The secondbar of
Other segmentsof
(ii)
'serene
but
the
features
of
the'second
cell
song,
as a quintuplet: on this
figure I
C
begins
the
the
Eb
(the
second
note
and
concludes
on
with
natural
the
cell
and
occasion
in
'chirps,
(iii))
two
tritone
last
and
grace
augmentation
note
the
of
using
first two notes
Frequently,
b1l.
there
[p241,
(iii)
are
repetitious
sl,
serniquavers
the
on
same
of
two notes
note,
however,
is
introduced
'serene
in the fourth
the
song';
a
new
cell
'alternators' and
118
bar of figure 1. This featureusesthe notes,G, D, G#, F# and C#. In a later instance,the
is
identically
V/42a
rig
3,
b3l
lex
down
this
motive
the
of
repeated,
with
pitches
rhythm
it
different
bars
two
appears
earlier
with
pitchesusing a retrogradeversion
an octave,and
durations,
finally
first
two
first
three
additional
with
an
serniquavers,
and
the
the
three
of
in
forms
bar
fig.
3):
3
(of
this
aggregate
a non-retrogradablerhythm lex V/42 b,
durations
fragments
is
between
In
bl-21.
these
two
A
another
ubiquitous
s2,
motive.
very
p243,
cin
bar
'of
introduced
is
the.
in
Written
the
second
movement.
shape
similar
descending
intervals
first
the
are
small
notes
derniserniquavers,
and the others are set very
high-pitched
"chirp'.
The
is
a
with
overafl
effect
a group of rapid
wide apart, concluding
V/42c
first
[ex
b2l,
On
A,
Ab
Eb
begin
the
the
occasion
p239,
the
and
notes.
scattered
high-pitched
D
quaver
a
natural;on the secondoccasionthe
with
fragment, and conclude
but
followed
by
four
den-ýisemiquavcrs
they
are
employed,
are
three
notes
which
same
high-pitched
D
F9 quaverinstead(p243,
high-pitched
and
end
with
a
naturals
two
contain
frequently
is
throughout the movement, but it is altered,
This
used
b2l.
shape
s2,
On
dramatically.
in
few
important
this
each
occasion
motive,
expanded
a
and
transposed
left
hand
in
Two
be
the
part.
put
and
examples
can
emphasis,
seenon page
notes aregiven
in
hand
the
the
notes
are
right
of
part and the phraseconcludes
244, where the majority
Immediately
'chirp'
[see
high-pitched
p2441.
the
preceding
second
comparatively
a
with
(describedabove)is a fragmentof musicthat usesthe samenotesas the cell in
appearance
is
incorporated
(the
in
bar
1)
but
time
natural
repeated
aB
note
this
at the
bar two,
high-pitched
D
the
after
added
are
natural.
beginning,andgracenotes
119
At figure 4, Messiaenusesfeaturesftom the 'serene song': entirely different notes are
in
but
in
first
The
transposition.
shape
not
exact
similar
a
phrasejp2451 begins
written
'serene
'alternator';
in
the
the
second
part
of
song'
ensues
an
a manipulatedform,
with
followed by two high-pitched'chirps'. Thenext bar repeatsthe last five notes:there is a
'alternator'
by
followed
two
the
the
This
then
of
notes
and
a
continuation.
rest
same
short
248,
is
introduced
in
new
again
on
page
where
pitches
utilised
are
almost exact
pattern
245
The
final
the
in
example
on
page
previous
two
of
the
notes
are
transposition
same:
C.,
is
in
found
instances
in the movement. '
two
many
notes
fact, the repetitionof
for
frantic
bars
becomes
two
birdsong
and
excited
at the successive'Mentir Peu i
The
bars
Although
lp252,
bl-21.
Tempo'
'A
the speedis rather slow, there are no
peu' and
its
followed
to
these
by
state
of
urgency:
add
grace
notes
notes
are
grace
and
groups
rests,
finally sextuplets(also demiserniquavers).
Apart
from
demiserniquavers,
and
the major
of
bars
built
from
the
two
B,
A,
D,
G
the
notes,
are
grace
up
second
notes
and
second/minor
final high Ab or Bb. Thesegroups of notes begin at several
between
the
an alternation
frantic
A
bars.
261:
two
second
section
the
occurs
on
page
once again
places within
finish
bars
B,
A,
D,
G,
Ab
two
the
in
the
open
and
with
cell as cited
octaves,
written
in
between
to
At
recurrent
serniquavers,
them.
attached
notes
the
grace
with
above,
'serene
Tempo',
'A
is
the
the
second
part
of
song"
played, starting
immediatelyensuing
C
(D
(the
first
the
and
ending
on
natural)
natural
the
third
note
note
the
of
second
with
is
first
twice,
the
'serene
repeated
with
the
and
phrase
of
the
song),
song'
part of
The
bar,
its
the
repetition.
next
second
with
use of rising staccato
immediatelypreceding
is very sin-dlarin natureto the third and fourth parts of the 'serenesong' (see
serniquavers,
120
below). The movementconcludeswith five repeatedB naturalsand the derniserniquaver
introduced
in
bar.
the
that
second
was originally
motive
The characteristicsof the birdsongin the pianopart of this movementmaybe simplifiedas
follows:
I repeatedpitches(in serniquavers)
2 'alternator' (tritonesusedin isolation)
3 'serenesong' (andfragmentsfrom it transposedor not)
i) alternatorconsistingof four notes
ii) sextuplets
ifi) four rising staccatoserniquavers
iv) two gracenote 'chirps'
4 G, D, G sharp,F sharp,C
(with rhythmsin original,retrogradeandnon-retrogradableorders)
(transposedandconsiderablyextended)
5 scatteredderniserniquavers
i) short extracts,a triplet anda finishinghigh-pitchednote"
ii) extendedandelaboratedphrase
6 frantic two bars
full
"free
the
in
technique
makes
use
of
this
of
movement
multiplications',where
Messiaen
in
isolation
is
from
to
put
repeated,
or
added
fragment
phrase
a
another
segment,giving
a
An
be
found
improvisatory
in
this
blackbird's
quality.
example
of
can
the
birdsong
an
the
Livre
d'Orgue.
fourth
in
of
the
movement
cadenza
'Turangalila
begins
2',
The
first
with
a
movement,
piano
cadenza.
seventh
The episodic
descending
in
four
the
martenot
chromatically
ondes
groups
with
of
section ensues
(in
tuba
in
trombones
a
and
close
Position)
chromatically
three
ascending
and
crotchets,
describes
full
Messiaen
the
ondes
phrase
martenot
as
gentle,
of
three.
pity
and
of
goups
121
depths;
bass
down
the
the
towards
muddy
of the trombones and the tuba is
going
like
'monstrous
dinosaurs'.
The rhythms that use the
slow
advance
a
as
surnmarised
4chordstheme' are terrifying, and symbolisea pendulumknife relentlesslyapproachinga
'The
Edgar
Allan
Poe's
Pit
in
Pendulum'.
the
story
and
as
prisoner,
includes
birdsong
Messiaen
several
In the piano cadenza,
characteristics.As in previous
is
the
&styleois.eau' episodes, music mainly in octaves [ex V/431. This section contains
high-pitched grace notes, repetitive machine-gun-likesemiquavers(on the same pitch),
interruption
b2l
[p264,
[specifically
and
s2,
calls
groups
staccato
when closing
ostinato
'Bien
Similarly,
NfoddW
the
figure
first
6
I
p264].
see
sections
at
cadenza
and
the
in
interruption
in
high-pitched
the
calls
piano
and
the
even
celestaand
several
contain
At
Mod6r6
[see
-,
Peu
Vif
(figure
the
3),
both
p265].
un
the
instruments
woodwind
flute
the
has
the
serniquavers
repetitive
on
the.
play
piano
same
pitch,
and
very
clarinet
'chirps' with precedinggracenotes,andthe piano, on its own, has
high-pitched
occasional
flourishes
interruption
'alternator'
and
passages,
calls [seep2701.The movement
frequent
interruption
the
call
on
piano
and
a single sforzandoquaver
exclamatory
an
with
closes
in
does
At
the
the composer classify these
movement
point
no
frorn the maracas.
fragmentsas 'style oiseau'.
has
been
ten
which,
up
until
now,
movements
without substantial
in a symphonyof
for
development
Messiaen
for
the
sees
need
a
section
the
expansion,
entire
and
evolution
de
I"Amourl,
is
dedicated
'D6veloppement
to
this
task:
Movement
the
title
eight,
of
work.
According
both
has
to
symbolic
the
and
significance.
a
musical
composer,
the movement
122
have
drunk
Isolde
love
Tristan
like
and
a
potion that unitesthem for ever. All the
couples
in
but
it
is
'love
the
the
is
themes
movement,
used
are
theme'
which
the main
cyclic
is
The
'love
development.
theme'
in
three
full glory, like
employed
on
of
occasions
subject
'Lent"
The
explosionsrepresentthe climactic momentsof the whole
ecstatic
explosions.
by
Isolde.
Tristan-Isolde.
Tristan
transcended
The
ABABAB
are
and
pattem
symphony:
'love
intermittent
three-chord
theme'
episodes
and
ostinato toccatas are contained
and
introduction
coda.
and
an
within
in
bird
be
found
in the colourful use of
this
style
movement
can
The only conceivable
intemption calls jp298; p311, W& p316, b2l and the fast 'chattering', perhaps,in the
(figure
Vif
'Presque
49).
Messiaen
does
label
the
at
cadenza
these
not
piano
short
lp339-3401.
such
passagesas
Turangahla3 (movementnine) setsout a numberof choruseson a theme announcedby
a
chromatic
and
martenot,
rhythmic mode of seventeendurations
ondes
and
the clarinet
These
irregular
in
block-,
the
order.
rhythms
appear
on
an
wood
tam-tam,
arranged
Provengal
Thirteen
tabor.
Was,
and
solo
maracas
strings
underpin
cymbal,
each
suspended
is governedby the rhythin. On the first statementof the
harmony
being
the
that
the result
in
has
instance
duration
the
serniquaver,
preceding
a
and
second
two
tMa, each
On the third occasion,eachdurationhasa trill of five serniquaversin length:
serniquavers.
trills
The
the
finish,
occur,
closing
movement.
continuous
and
movementends
the tilas
been
have
completed.
the
variations
suddenlywhen
123
At figure6, the pianobeginswith four barsof continuousmusic.The first andthird bars
fifth
birdsong
to
the
pattern
similar
characteristicof the 'Jardin du
use an extremely
ascategorised
Sornmeild'Amour' movement,
above.The secondandfourth barsdisplay
thus formingtwo tritone 'alternator'seriesjp3481.
four groupsof triplet serniquavers,
thescattered
serniquavers
The fifth barof figure6 continues
with manycommonnotes.2'
bars
in length,while the remainingfifty-two
bars
four
two
two
of
ostinatos
are
The next
bars are slightlyaltered,with occasionalalternatorsand two winding descendingand
in
between
The
birdsong
them
be
found
in
other
scales
sonorities
chromatic
can
ascending
jp362]
the
(with
the
and
staccato
celesta
serniquaver
of
exclamations
notes
the grace
(at
figure
flute
12)
lp362].
in
the
piccoloand
rests)
focuses
'Final'
on two main subjects.The first subjectis a fanfare
triumphant
The epic and
horns,
instruments
the
by
trumpets
while
other
the
and
the
of
orchestraemphasize
played
is
'love
is,
Robert
The
the
theme'
Sherlaw
subject
Johnson
and
second
as
sonorities.
these
"
into
the
'transformed
the
scherzo
rhythm
of
movement'.
out,
points
The various
bars
3116
the
impelling
give
of
semiquavers
movement
the
a
considerable
of
groupings
force. The first subject returns as a recapitulation: the three groups of instruments
intensify
brass
the
brass,
other,
each
giving
a ceremoniousand intense
strings)
(woodwind,
in
'love
theme'
the sixth movement makes a dramatic
the
The
of
version
power.
in the coda. The movementbeing well-establishedin its original key of F#
appearance
concludes.
the
symphony
major,
124
Looking at the symphonyas a whole, it is the piano that has the 4style oiseau' music, as
birdsong
that
suggest
may
characteristics,even though Messiaenhas not
well as passages
labelledthem as such.The gamelanand strings,on occasions,add to the various birdsong
difficult
instruments.
to
Many
that
with
produce
western
so
are
musicologists
sonorities
Messiaen
in
interested
the
the
why
chose
reasons
piano as the main, and almost only
are
for
The
'le
depict
oiseau'.
piano,
style
example,cannot glissandolike 4 violin or
tool, to
it
in
instruments;
both
familiar
tones:
can
play
nor
quarter
attributes of
some other
for
foremost
The
reason
usingthe piano is its range:the piano also hasa
birdsong or calls.
brilliance
its
Nevertheless,
the
top
at
crisp
of
a
range*.
and
the composer
percussiveeffect
in
that
'like
this
bird':
states
work
phrases
should
the
sound
occasion
song
of
a
on every
but
decorative
is
representative,at this stage of the composer's
the bird style not only
development.The only attemptat renderingparticular species,however,may be found in
du
d'Amour',
Sommeil
'Jardin
blackbird
the
where
nightingale,
movement,
the sixth
and
less
imitated,
Messiaen
later
than
albeit
accurately
are
to achieve.
was
warbler
garden
in
lack
him
hesitate
this
task
Messiaen's
confidence
of
made
to namethe species
Perhaps
just
blackbird
left
in
the
the
birds
the
as
nightingale
and
score,
were
the
out
of
the
score
of
du
Temps,
Fin
in
la
Quatuor
the preface.The credited
and
only
mentioned
pour
in the
is
it
it
is
in
to achievea tentativesound,if the
is
when
not,
octaves:
usually
birdsono,
0
intervals
because
it
impossible
it,
the
for
widely-spaced
make
or
allows
octave
orchestra
incorporatesthis monophonicand explicitly linear techniqueto
Messiaen
playing.
through
motives/cells
are
small
put
as
many
effect
compositional
comprehensive
The
birds
to
do
applied
non-birdsong
also
material.
are
obviously
which
of
all
processes,
125
but
forms
imitation,
themselves,
techniques
these
many
of
manipulation and
not use
be
detected
in
birdsong.
The
Tra
may
cells
motivic
of
11 11
gal 11,
aSnpho
XI
it i e
extensions
for
(written
five
later),
the
and
naturalistic
exploratory
work
the
way
some
years
paves
birds
Oiseaux,
thirty-eight
des
named
are used,and where the piano is again
where
Riveil
importance.
In
this
devotes
itself
the
instrument
work
entire
of
paramount
orchestra
to
the
Turmigall1a
S)-mphonie
birdsong,
to
the
depiction
as
opposed
of
where the pianoplays
the
bird
'style
the
and
most
of
uncredited
the
oiseau"
style,
while
credited
the
rest of the
all
harmonic
textures,
themes.
cyclic
and
principal
voluptuous
plays
orchestra
126
Notesto ChapterV
MessiaenCompanion,ed. PeterHill, (Faber,1995),p250.
2 Roger Nichols,Messiaen,(London, Oxford UniversityPress,1975,revised19S6).
3 Both the JerusalemBible andthe King JamesAuthorisedversionusethe word time,,
but the original Greekversion(written towardsthe end of the first centuryA. D.) might be
better translated'delay'.
" Olivier Messiaen,'Trait6 de Rhyme,de Couleur,et d'Ornithologie', (Paris,Leduc,
1999), pp423427.
' In this instance,Messiaenwrites the phrase'commeun oiseau':no particularbirdsong
or
intended.
is
call
" This techniqueis usedin a passagewith manyrepetitions, involving the transposition
of
down
a sernitone,while othersstaythe same.
somegroupsof notesup or
7 Taken from the record sleevenotesin Malcolm Troup's Tealisationof Vi?zgtRegardsSur
1,Enfalli Jisus, Altarus RecordsLtd, 1986.The noteswere written by Messiaenhimself
by
the
pianist.
translated
and
' Perhapsone cancategorisethe diatonicarpeggiogracenotesasthe cymbals,and the
Tam-Tarnbottom
See
the
173,
the
four,
bar
the
of
piano
page
at
system
two in
crashes
the score.
9 This is a regularoccurrencein Messiaen'soeuvre:an interruptioncall is definedandthen
in
bar.
one
again
and
again
later repeated
10The samenotesof the syncopatedrhythmarerepeatedstraightafter, in simple
serniquavers.
11This term is employedby Paul Griffiths in his book, Olivier Messiaen ndthejýfusjcof
1985),
Faber,
(London,
p147.
Ti-n-me,
12it is interestingthat all the birdsongin this songis in altissimo.
13See CD notes from Myung-Whun Chungs recording with the Orchestre de I'Opera
Messiaen's
431781-2.
Stereo
own words, translated by Paul Griffiths, pI0.
Bastille,
14Ibid, p10-
11SeePaul Griffiths, OP.Cit-, p 134.
16CD notes,op. cit, P10.
17The descriptionof the figure of a 'Sheaf that is found in HaraW is referredto by
However,
the contoursof this flourish of rapid notesfeature
Messiaenon one occasion.
It
Messiaen.
is like a circumflex.An
in
to
that
seems
this
the
of
me
music
shape
regularly
be
described
han-nonic
that
cannot
a
notes
as
melodic,
of
or chromatic
ascendinggroup
descending
like
is
accent,
wl-ffle
a
acute
an
one
resemblesa graveaccent.
mode
or
scale
for
be
&accent'
this
purpose
would
confusing,andthereforethe best
The use of the word
flourish,
flourish,
descending
flourish.
be:
ascending
pyramid
terms might
is All the -alternator'phrasesin this movementusethe tritone interval,a very frequent
Messiaen's
in
melodicwriting.
of
interval much
19This is a 'reference'note on most occasions.
20As in the fifth birdsongcharacteristicin the sixth movement,'Jardindu Sommeil
in
that
the
texture, andthereare manynotes
stand
out
notes
there
several
are
d'AmOur",
down
that
transposed
The
other
notes
are
and
up
or
a
semitone.
regularly
that are used
127
follow
bars
this
texture
same
use
with a very similartechniqueto that of the
which
sixty
dagrandissement
asym6trique'system.
(London, Dent, 1976,revised1989)ppl 16-158.
21Robert SherlawJohnson,Me-LssiLaen,
128
Chavter VI: The Experimental Period 1949 19ýsj
-
The years1949-1951mark an experimentalperiod in which Mcssiaenexploresnew
'Interversion'
the
with
the
which,
exception
procedures
of
compositional
system',he does
later
The
in
direct
this
time
to
compositions
of
works.
are
a
result of the
not return
Someof his more illustriouspupilshad goneto seeRend
following circumstances.
follower
Schoenbergian
himself
the
of
a
Leibowitz,
principlesof composition,in an
dodecaphony.
Messiaen
had
discover
introduced
to
his
to
extensions
already
attempt
Second
Viennese
by
School:
it
the
to
works
was at theseclassesthat,
pupils various
his disappointmentthat the aforementioned
GoI62,
the
stressed
to
composer
according
intensity,
had
timbre,
of
new
ways
representing
embodied
not
articulationand
composers
highly
in
their
organisedserialcompositions.Accordingto Boulez, in an articlea
duration
it
later,
was the more cerebralthird memberof the SecondVienneseSchool,
few years
v3
'threshold
for
the
the
Webern,
the future, as he organisedthe
and
was
path
who
Anton
highly
in
Richard
Toop
four
a
methodical
of
music
manner.
elements
statesthat the
other
integral
between
1948-1953,4
and
serialism
music
occurs
-risevof electro-acoustical
Wghfightingthe significantadvancestaldngplaceat this time.
Tanglewood
Darmstadt,
he
began
teaching
at
and
to
Messiaen
three
was
write
WhHe
short
0
Rythmiques
Neumes
Mode
de
CwWyodjavd,
Valeurs
dInteilsilis.
for
and
el
piano:
pieces
his
influenced
to
final
that
pupils
write suchcomplexand sophisticated
piece
the
It was
by
Stockhausen
(195
'Kreuzspiel'
1),
'Structure
I
as
a' and
such
integral pieces,
both Fano"s(1951) and Goeyvaerts'(1951-2)
(1951-2)
Boulez
X'by
and
-polyphonie
129
Sonatasfor two pianos.Mode de Valcurset dInlensikv is the first westerncomposition
dynamic,
duration
introduce
to
procedures
pitch,
numerical
to
and timbre. The piecesIle
de Feu I andII, NeumesRythmiquesandMode de Valeursel d7ntemit& collectively
budes
de Rythme(1949-50).The final three piecesof this period,Afessede la
forrn the
Pentec6le(1950),Livre d'Orgue (1951) andespeciallyLeMerle)VOir(1951), are of most
importanceto this study:the formertwo makesignificantuseof identified birdsong,while
5
dedicated
is
blackbird.
to
the
latter
Le Merle
songsandcalls of the
an entirepiece
the
des
Oiseaux'and'Soixante-Quatre
'Chant
Durees'(fourthand
the
Arbirandperhaps
Livre
d'Orgut)
from
the
the
anticipate
predominantsignificanceof
movements
seventh
birdsong materialin the works to come.
(1950)
Pentecke
In
de
Messe
Z.ý
-
in
five
is
la
Pentecile
fbUows:
de
Messe
written
movements
as
The
I
la"frAp
I
2 Offertoire
3
4 Co nunion
5-C!"?+;,.
(Les Lanauesde Feu)
(Les ChosesVisibleset Invisibles)
(Le Don de Sagesse)
es Oiseauxet les Sources)
(Le Vent de LEsprit)
into
integrated
be
low
the
Mass
to
service,
the
specifically
of
intended
is
TWswork
described
has
his
the
Messiaen
composition
a
as
r6sum6
of
all
collected
Pentecost.
in
La
Sainte
improvised
Trinitd
the
He
the
services
at
all
church
of
on
improvisations6.
130
Sunday,with the exceptionof the eleveno'clock, where a pieceof classicalor romantic
be
A
improvisation
the
conglomeration
of
played.
all
would
styles
of
that
repertoire
Messiaenhadan especialregardfor was deployedin this work. Suchdeviceswould
include: inventedandmedievalplainsong,serialtechniques,irrational values,original
Hindu
Greek
Turangalila
rhythms,
religious
symbolism,
and
motivesand
registrations,
birdsong.
it
birdsong
has
be
first
element:
no
would
The
wise to start by looking at the
movement
begins
Shamgadeva
'Offertoire'
in
three
'personnages
with
rhythms
movement.
next
first (trifiya) remainsconstant,the second(caturthaka)augmentsby
The
rythrniques'.
(nihpnkarila)
diminishes
the
third
by
demisemiquavers
and
each
repetition,
at
one
three
is
legato
'Mod6rd'
The
that
ensues
a unisonsection,perhapsreminiscent
den-dserrýiquaver.
first
Glorieux,
Corps,
des
the
Les
the
Corps
movement
of
'Subtilite
organ
cycle
of
features
decade
It
previously.
short semiquaverphrasesthat are
Glorieux written over a
in nature.The 'PresqueVir incorporatesthe 'dur6eschromatiques,
discrete
extremely
hand
the
treated
The
and
pedal
are
as
separate
entities,and serialised
right/left
technique.
by
(top
for
hand
duration
The
stave)
augments
a
sixteenth
duration.
each
right
by
until the
itself.
5,
The
left
hand
the
begins
has
the
repeats
where
pattern
unit
duration
reached
with
5,4,1,2,3,
follows
the
duration
5
pattern:
and
other
permutations
and
he
unit
t
in
is
The
texturesarebroken up by two
The
an
ostinato.
organised
part
pedal
supervene.
bass.
follows
'Mod6rd"
The
in
C
the
the
using
exact
naturals
pitches
and
crotchet
simple
left
handpart is added
the
title,
that
from
same
except
with
a
section
the
previous
rhythms
131
frequent
its
listener
for
grace
the
of
use
notes,
prepares
with
the bird style at the
which,
'Un PeuLent'.
The pedalpart in the 'Un PeuLent' section(p I I) is an augmentedversionof the unison
in
'Mod6r6' melody,only transpositionand slightly modified. The right handpart is
divided into two separategroups.The first group, with its detachedand spiky texture,
bird
droplets
[ex
VU11.
the
Both
have
and
second,
of
water,
style
groups
represents
droplets
forte
independent
the
bird
of
water
sonorities:
are
all
staccato
the
and
entirely
is
the
the
is
there
near
end
only
of
section
and
piano,
one sofitarystaccato
always
style
(givenspecificallyto eachgroup) accentuatesthis
Moreover,
the
registration
phrase.
below:
differentiation,asshown
K. gambeet voix c6leste
Pos: Mae 4, piccolo 1,3ce
(water drops),forte
G: bourdon8
(bird), piano
Ped: flCite4 seule
'comme
Messiaen
the
relinquishes
phrase,
that
un oiseau'usedin previous
It is significant
in
'oiseau':
labels
focus
is
interest
this
phrase
the
each
section,
real
of
pieces,andplainly
droplet
is
birdsong
from
in
this
representation
found
water
and
the
the
be
a
change
to
r6le
in
Messiaen's
Nevertheless,
birdsong
does
Messiaen
earlier
bird
works.
or
as
style
of
be
bird,
bird
these
The
to
excerpts
must
referred
as
style.
particular
any
not specify
in
follows:
into
divided
be
sections
order
seven
as
birdsong can
132
I two 'alternators'
legato,+E natural
2 exact repetition of I
3 first half of I
4 repeated notes
legato +E natural
leszato+E natural
a) staccato and mostly in threes and twos b)
divided into three parts, the first two are
identical
with the characteristic high note IchiTto
finish
5 irrational value flourish
At natural
6 13flat
ý A
1ralI
na
entati! :::::::::::::::::::
6
Of
tioLnof
he
'alternator'
tthe
two
usin
the
usIn
u0
ne ý
Imo, n(
tes of
t lh'altcrnator
notes
otes
01ýý
tlus! LE
1
lus an E naturýý
tu ralI
atura
[see pll-12 - VI/11
The 'Un PeuLent' returnsat the endof the movement.In this instance,the sectionis in
bars
final
following
format:
The
take
the
hand
nine
andonepart.
one
I Moder6- first bar of the original section(page4 in the score)
2 two barsof repeatedlow Cs (as originally found on page5 of the score)
3 two 'alternators'as I above
4 onerepeatedlow C natural
5 first andthird partsof the repeatednote motive as4 above
6 two clarinetandnazardchordalcomplexes
7 final semibrevechordalcomplex
[seep131
(Les
Oiseaux
Les
Sources)'
involves
'Communion
et
fourth
a specificuse
movement,
The
it
begins
in this
in
As
the
with
an
movements,
epigraph
other
or
quotation,
birdsong.
all
of
case:
'Sourcesd'eau,b6nissezle Seigneur;oiseaudu ciel, binissezle Seigneur'.
133
The epigraphaboveis Messiaen'sversionof part of the 'Song of Creation' so often read
in churchafter the communionhastakenplace.The bird style in this movementis either
'oiseau',
indication
'rossignol'
two
(nightingale)
or
on
separate
occasions
the
and
given
6chantde merle"(blackbird).
fourth
bars
this
three
movementare labelled'oiseau. The listenermay
of
The opening
immediatelyfind a new senseof rhythmicfreedom[ex VI12aj. The barsare all at a
long durations,while shorternotesare usedin the
first
two
the
consist
of
tempo:
moderate
indeterminate
final
7:
8
henýidemisemiquaver
the
bar
the
marking
on
specific
last
with
flourish. Unfortunately,the gracenotesandthe disregardof any senseof beatare the only
like
bird
bars
that
style.It certainlydoesnot soundlike birdsong,
sound
featuresof these
does
include
the
be
'chant'
composer
the
the
not
why
reason
word
at the
which may
bird-calls
The
birdsongs.
than
The two slow
are
sounds
the
rather
section.
begmng of
in
distantly
faster
bird
flourish
the
displaysthe
the
woods,
the
singing
and
bars represent
its
[see
fluttering
The
tree
startled
on
wings,
a
of
p171.
calls of two other
agitation and
Groups
tempo
two
markings.
of chordalcomplexesappearrather
birds occupythe next
bars
'Lent'
in natureto the
first
two
are
exact
repetitions
and
very
similar
the
statically:
labelled
the
A
not
as
such,
mark
this
although
which,
end
of
the
sectiom
cuckoo
cansof
bars
five
is
for
the
the
as
nightingale's
next
song
three
written
with
emerges
contrast
V1/2a]:
[ex
separateregistrations
134
Pos: Me 4, piccolo 1,3)ce
G: bourdon 8
R: tlQte 4, cymbale
The characteristicsof the nightingale'ssongare as follows lex VI/2b):
I repeatedquavers(B naturalor F natural)
2 interruptioncall (gracenote(s)and high 'chirp')
(C#)
3 repeatedserniquavers
4 staccato'alternator' (tritone)
5 torculusresupinus
Theorderforthese
tennsis: 1,2,3,1,2,5,2,122,4.
innovative
is
here
birdsong
than in Messiaen'spreviousworks:
no
more
style
The useof
is
in
his
different
exploration
timbraleffects,whichis achieved
of
change
the onlynotable
The
in
this sectionis very reminiscentof the
the
nightingale
registrations.
by modifying
'Jardin
du
Sommeil
d'Amour'
(Turangaffla
in
Stpnphonýy).
the
of
The
part
piano
birdsong
in
Turwigaffla
S)7nphony,
the
are
used
'alternator'
the
quavers/semiquavers
and
repeated
its
interval
C-F
the
is
common
tritone
of
most
fact,
use
of
In
replica
exact
an
sharp.
series
found
in
first
the
of
nightingale's
the
sono,
representation
the
violin
N4essiaen's
part
of
01)
la
Pour
Fin
du
Quatuor
Temps,
includes
the
also
tritone 'alternators'
first movementof
dcn-ýisemiquavers.
repeated
of
use
regular
and
(moderately,
freely)
Librement'
full
irrational
'Mod&6,
makes
use
of
The ensuing
rhythms
W
is
indication
hand,
tempo
The
of
contradictory:
on
the performeris
one
VI/31.
above
je]L
(s)he
is
hand,
the
to observethe specific
free,
be
other
required
on
and
to
asked
durations!
However,
Messiaen
be
the
may
that
the
suggesting
rhythmic
of
comple)dties
135
French
'libre
the
to
Pair'
customary
(Tree asa bird').
refer
saying,
should
comme
organist
in the left handby staccatopitches(mostly
The song,on this occasion,is accompanied
drops
in
that
the secondmovementthe drops of
of
water,
represent
whereas
serniquavers)
birdsong
important
The
bird
features
in the right
the
separated.
were
most
and
style
water
hand maybe characterised
asfollows:
I four ascendinghernidernisemiquaver
thirds and a high chirp,
2 two low pitch sustainednotes(I" occasion:C#)
3 threeinten-nittentdottedquavers(occasionallywith gracenotes)(3:2)
4 two irrationalflourishes
5 two intermittentdotted quavers(3:2)
6 long D natural(with gracenotes)
7 three syncopatedquavers (21b-G natural -E natural)
8 exact repetition of I
nd
9 prolonged/augmented
versionof 2 (2 occasionC natural)
-[seep181
blackbird
in
bars.
the
He marksthe changeby
the
the
of
song
ensuing
Messiaenspecifies
its
flute
the
These
4'
own,
on
and
use
texture.
a
of
staccato
stop
a
phrasesand
the use of
from
Turangalila
the
incorporate
aforementioned
a
principle
movement:many
calls also
'reference
These
'reference
point.
G
a
the
with
end
points'
are
notes
of
notes
groups
first
in
B
C#.
the
is
is
it
important
times
phrase,
natural
six
and
sounded
at
sharp,which
in
its
function
'phrase'
integral
define
to
the
relation
word
as
to
an
part of
this point
is
broken
into
A
'Phrase'
blackbird's
is
defined
up
cadenza
separate
phrases.
the
birdsong:.
is
'call'
is
that
continuously
until
a
rest
marked,
appear
and
a
a short
as a group of notes
However,
Messiaen's
birdsong
of
side
rests.
either
that
use
appears
of
rhythmic cell
in
in
be
terms
of
calls
and
phrases:
some
cases
other
analysed
always
cannot
insight
into
timbre
rhythm
and
may
provide
more
the
melody,
as
such
characteristics
136
The
the
song.
of
meticulouslynotatedrestscreatea realisticeffect,
motives
structure and
breaths
birdsong.
Using
texture
the
spasmodic
and
of
the above
they
signify
as
form
found:
be
Mowing
the
can
tern-ýnology,
Blackbird Sectionof 'CommunionL(righthandpart).
pBRASE/CALL
MOTIVES
threeG#s,two
sernitone
'alternators'
syncopatedphrase
3
4* call
FINAL
'REFERENCE
POINT"
G9
endsAith a
scandicuscell
G#
four serniquavers
99
6
pitch palindrome',
(porrectusshape)
staccato
and
semiquavers,
gracenotes
long phrase
7* call
8
9
10
two sen-ýquavers
flourish
extended
syncopatedrhythm
syncopatedrhythm
wC
12
two semiquavers
four serrýiquaver
group, sounded
threetimes
- -----13
INFORMATION
using G-C# interval
includesG-C#
interval
C#
usingan
indetem-Linate
flourish
gracenote on 2nd
indeterminate
+ gracenotes
the last threenotes
of 9
gracenote on I'
the third group is
altered,beginsand
endson the ref
point G sharp
B natural
C-A-C + G-C#
repetition
long C natural iambic
Eb
+
call
1
1
derived
from
iambic
G-C#,
- 15* call
7& 11
than
birdsong
is
a
phrase.
rather
a
call
that
cell
a
* Denotes
16ý
B natural
C#
G#
B natural
G#
C#
1 C.#
137
be
followssimplified
can
as
The structureof the whole movement
de
Messe
la-PentecOte.
Movement
4
'Communion'
Structure:
Song
of
Bird
Ecq5
E
"rI
cvr-riON
6r6
[ 6
rE
Lent
Un Peu Vif
Kjo--d&6,Librement
E
LENGTH
3 bars
5 bars
5 bars
bars
6
IY2
a)
b) 7 1/2bars
---------Lent
5 bars
Vif
Peu
n
I bar
12 bars
Mif
Un Peu VIf
Tr&s Lent
2 bars
3 bars
TEXTURE
oiseau
chord clustersandcuckoo
single-line:nightinstale
oiseauand drops of water,
blackbird and drops of
water
chordalcomplexesand
cuckoo
(as the previousLent)
I' bar of earliernightingale
texture
chordal/modalchordsand
addednote values+ solo
linelo( not labelled)
earliernightingaletexture
modal chordalcomplexes,
dim 7ths,+ ascending
dropletsusing the highest
piccolo I stop, 32' on the
pedal
in
to
the
are
nature
calls
similar
chordal
complexes
the
cuckoo-type
As mentionedearlier,
final
'Call'
The
blackbird
in
bl-21.
[see
the
the
before
of
them
s3,
bars
p17,
two andthree
C
G
to
the
top
correspond
exactly
which
sharp,
note
and
natural
the
hand
notes
uses
right
&reference'
B
two
the
other
the
employ
notes
calls
cuckoo
and
chord,
cluster
of each
natural
G
and sharp.
138
The bird stylein this movementis innovativewith its frequentuseor irrational values.The
is
by
blackbird
droplets
the
the
accompanied
of water (althoughthe second
sectionwhere
birdsong)
between
the
is
suggests
possibility
of
a
counterpoint
not
two separatebirds,
part
In fact, this sectionis the first movetowardsa two-part.birdsonglike that of a 'Tris Vir
(Le
Loriot')
Catalogue
dDiscaux.
in
the
movement
of
second
section
The fifth movement,'Sortie (Le Vent de I'Esprit), containsa long passageof birdsong
larks.
Wif
This
be
divided
into
of
section
can
a
chorus
three
which represents
is
birdsong,
first
The
the
the
while
secondand third partsusethe
parts.
simultaneous
'interversionsSurdur6eschromatiques'technique.The secondpart, written in chordsin
duration
begins
that
to
in
twenty-three
adds
up
bass
a
with
semiquavers
total; the
clef,
the
by
diminished
is
it
this
serniquaver,
one
and
process
continues
until
reachesa
next chord
(in
the
of
continuous
use
semiquavers
where
chords)concludesthe
single serniquaver,
in
first
duration
the
lasts
four
the
Thý
opposite
mannerthird
acts
part
section.
in length(a crotchet),andgraduallyaugmentsto a durationworth twentyserniquavers
five serniquavers.
in
included
In
Messiaen's
larks
this
movement.
are
entire output, a
vocalisationsof
lark
has
the
different
typeý
are
represented,
and
of
composer
madea clear
numberof
include
Types
lark,
between
the
them.
used
calandra
short-toedlark,
differentiation
skylark,
lark
(African),
hoopoe
Japanese
lark
lark,
(African),
horned
shore
skylark,
wood
from
lark
North
USA.
types
the
Messiaen
USA)
two
is less
of
meadow
(North
and
lark
in
indication
the scoresimplystatesThoeur des
instance:
the
in
this
specific
139
larks'.
However,
larks
because
the
of
are
chosen
they fly muchhigher
alouettes'/'Chorus
birds,
immense
freedom.
they
The senseof frcedomis
and
so
symbolise
an
other
than most
by
the
the
complexity
of
chromaticrhythmsthat negateany senseof
precise
enhanced
bird
has
the
human
ideas.
these
no
conception
although
of
or
regularity,
rnetre
in
following
be
larks'
the
'chorus
analysed
may
The
manner.The characteristicswill
of
first be.defined,andthenthe form of the sectionoutlined [ex VIU41.
MainCharacteristics.
D#
four
threequavers
repetitive serniquavers,
a)
b) four semiquavers,
two 'cretic' sets(addednote values)
Ab
(in
Bb
fours)
twos
note,
serniquaver
grace
or
c) cell:
d) anapaesticcell: two demisemiquavers
anda semiquaver
(C4
C
two
or
natural)
crotchets
e)
0 'alternator'E/F#, Ab/E natural,Bb/Ab (derivedftom c)
dramatically
'alternator'
changedby 'agrandissement
g)
asymitrique'
h) four repeateddottedquavers
i) repeatedEb serniquavers
bar-by-bar,
be
Eachbirdsong
asopposedto phrase-by-phrase.
examined
The structurewill
is
bar,
durations
the
(and
cell)
written
mere
within
a
a
while
occasion
chromatic
on
phrase
'interruption
The
ties
is
included
be
many
are
used.
as
separate,
call'
to
entirely
not
seem
in
[see
the
two
appear
section
whole
only
p23-26).
since
characteristic
as a
140
Labelled Characteristic
a
as
b
Bar
I
2
3
4
c (& d)
5
6
e
all
8
9
10
e
a
b
I
a
13
ý. F#)
f
14
9
15
9
-
is
19
&
f
(Bb
and
reference notes
Ab)12
- 20
- 21
)&h
f (Bb
d
---
------22
73
extra M*o slurred quavers
long passageof 'alternators'
with grace notes, d
D# repetition
E and Ab
C natural
a +291)
16
17
extratwo slurredquavers
usingmajor 7"' and minor 901in
a 'cretic' rh%ihm
plus Mo groupsof threenotes,
I' usesthe major 71
'Rererence' Points/Notts
DOtepctition
DN reNtition
outer parts:E-Eb-D&
nh-Mb
CN
&d
E)
f
(Ab
and
cs
7
Variation/Qualities
extra two slurred quavers
long passage- extended version
of b
new 'reference note' for a.
opposite direction for final two
quavers
two quaver and three quavers
'alternator', two GN quavers,
repeated Rs, two G# quavers,
'interruption call'
-agrandissanent.. "' D-Bb
'alternators. broken up by I" a
quaver & 2d two quavers
version of 14, broken up by I' a
d
dotted quavers
&2
quaver
'interruption call' (iamb)
four preceding grace notm
many "reference notes' and
subsidiary notes
continuation of 17 (paeon IV)
extended phrase
i) using reference point (E)
& subsidiary notes
ii) two grace note 'diirps'
iii) Bb-Ab 'alternator'
iv) two quavers (E)
i) Bb-Ab 'altemator'
ii) four repeated E's as dotted
cruavers
three groups of d and a spondee
on E naturals
i) 'reference note' (Bb)
ii) 2 Climactis CCUS
iii) two seniiquavers E and Eb
twenty Eb semiquavers
A natural repetition
A natural repetition
F# in 'alternator' and repeated
cells
E natuz-al
E natural
E natural
E natural
E natural
E natural
Bb
Eb
L--ý
[p23-261
incorporates
birdsong,
irrational
Messiaen
simultaneously
first
which
in
the
is
TIiis work
values
found
in
his
Divergent
variations
are
use
and
startling
'interversion'
system.
andthe
141
depicting
birdsong.
More
when
even
regularly,the composerusesthe
of registrations,
in
its
bird
to
the
timbre.
an
attempt
create
unique
of
name
actual
Ongue
Pikes
(1951)
Sept
d'Orgue
pour
Livre
-
Messiaen'sstrict organisationalproceduresreachtheir apogeein Livre d'Orgue, the
immediately
this
acts
to
period
which
as
a
the
conclusion
of
work
preceding
secondorgan
interversions
la Pentecdte.Sharngadeva
de
Messe
rhythms,
and
various
audacious
piece,
betweei,
display
them,
intensities
timbre,
synthesis
a
and
note-lengths
techniques
and
serial
are
has
The
below
seven
movements,
work
as
shown
as
pitch.
as important
Livre dDr Zte Movements
I-
H
Hi
IV
v
vi
vH
Reprisespar Interversion
Pike en Trio
Les Mains de I'Ablme
Chants des Oiseaux
Pi6ce en Trio
Les Yeux dans les Roues
Soixante-QuatreDur6es
in
Messiaen's
for
the
last
only
sections
are
output
first
movements
organwhich
The
and
The
theological.
the
or
secondand sixth movementsare also
spiritual
forgo any elementof
in
incorporate
the
the
same
pitch-series,
they
sameway that the third
as
together,
finked
is
fourth
fantasy
the
the
nucleus
movement
of
entire
do,
the
work
fifth
of
while
-a
and
in
Hindu
first
become
the
three
rhythms
The
movement,
uses
which
composer
birdsongy.
142
4rhythmicpersonages'.This monodicwriting is repeatedbut in the form of a 'closcd
fan'Nventail ferm6': the first note is followed by the,last, the secondwith the penultimate,
been
has
Similarly,
the overall structureof the movementsis
reached.
the
centre
note
until
IV
(centre
III-V,
II-VI,
I-VII,
The
movement).
utilisation of retrograde and
a palindrome:
is
forms
to
the
work as a whole.
essential
palindromic
The day is dividedinto two in the fourth movement,'ChantsdesOiseauxl.Nlessiaen
includesa characteristicepigraphat the beginningof the piece:
'Apr6s-rrAdidesoiseaux:merlenoir, rouge-gorge,grive musicienne
la
'
vient
nuit...
quand
rossignol
et
(, Afternoonof the birds: blackbird,robin, songthrushdarkness
falls...
')
the
nightingale
when
and
has
become
indisputably
in
this
birdsong
the centreof attentiorLNo longer
movement
The
fact,
In
textures.
amongst
other
embedded
the
in
sonorities
all
these
passages
this
are
birdsong
display
in
isolation,
by
uncontaminated
monophonically
western
movement
far aspossible.
as
techniques
compositional
between
birdsong
black-bird,
to
act
as
conversations
the
seem
of
Two passages
nightingale
is
first
blackbird,
The
the
principally
a
vocalisation
of
thrush.
two
with
short
song
and
"
by
The secondusesthe songof
the
thrush.
intedections
and
nightingale
song
episodic
it
flamboyant
the
as
sings
alternate
voice,
the
main
passages
thrush
as
with
the song
from
The
blackbird
the
call
a
short
and
nightingale.
three
the
other
of
sections
rnelodies
blackbird,
in
the
robin
and
nightingale
turn
each
birdsong
exhibit
cadenzas:
several
of
are
143
the intrinsic virtuosic elementsof their vocal repertoire.Five separatepans maybe
distinguishedin the birdsong:
blackbird,nightingale,
I Conversations:
songthrush,blackbird
2 Blackbird'scadenza
3 Conversations:
songthrush,nightingale,
songthrush,blackbird,
blackbird,
thrush,
blackbird
songthrush,nightingale,
song
4 Robin'scadenza
5 Nightingale's
cadenza
is
by
first
in
bird
the
separated
a very brief "Un PeuLent' bar on the pedal
Each
passage
(violoncelle8) which containsthe ubiquitousgracenote so often associatedwith short
'interruption
as
an
call'. As Messiaendoesnot labelthis as
categorised
interjections,often
is
low
in comparisonto the conversational
kind
the
register
very
and
birdsongof any
describe
be
it
to
However,
in
later
them
unwise
as
may
such.
works,
vocalisations,
birdsongs
in
low
because
he
has
a
register
transposedall the
numerous
N4essiaen
notates
high-pitched
that
the
down
so
octaves
very
several
soundsareboth audibleand
birdsong
The
instrument.
desired
is
this
overall
the
effect
of
to
method
on
representthe
playable
In
it
is
in
to
this
each
other.
case,
moreprobablethat these
birdsongsexactly relation
listener
the
the
of
giving
a chanceto differentiatebetweeneach
interjectionsserve purpose
its
has
is
fact,
further
In
tempo
this
own
song
each
marking:
a
that
element
song.
species'
besides
from
the
birdsongs
another,
one
articulation,comparativedynamics
the
divides
birdsong,
in
Moreover,
has
its
the
each
whole
movement
own
styles.
specific
motivic
and
first
in
the
section:
appear
three
of
which
registration,
144
blackbird
PresqueVif (et
Fantaisiste)14
nightingale
Tr6sMod6rd,Tendre
song thrush
robin
Bien Mod6r6,Auto
Vif
Pos: Me 4-,nazard2 213.
tierce 13/5
R.- Me 4, octavin2,
bourdon 16
G: plein jeu, clairon 4
G: Me 4 seule
[see p13 and top of p141
is
in
lengthY
blackbird's
bar.
It canbe dividedinto rive
first
the
written
songs
one
The
of
five derniserniquavers
built
is
first
high
that
The
A
of
up
end
on
a
accented
natural,
parts.
it
high
the
that
B
same
vein,
except
concludes
in
third
written
is
with
the
a
natural.
and
high
fourth
with
conclude
a
accentedpitch, but they are not marked
parts
The secondand
fifth
The
is
F#
'interruption
cell
staccato
sign.
two
a
an
and
only
calls,
with an accent,
have
frequently
Ornithologists
dactylic
cell.
mentionedthat the blackbird
forrrýinga
high-pitched
'chuckled'
declamatory
Ilese
a
very
with
concludes
sonority.
two
regularlY
E naturals(with precedinggracenotes)typify this uniquequality, as they are
higherthanthe precedingpitches:the naza d2 2/3andthe tierce 13/5
comparatively
bar
be
described
'call'. Only the two notes
The
can
only
this.
nightingale's
as
a
exaggerate
demiserniquaver
forming
74
thirteen
'alternator'
"o,
a
B
major
staccato
used,
are
and
is
far
The
sound
than
more
calm
overall
and
tiotio'.
that
reserved
tiotio,
of the
tiotio,
in
itself
(f-pp).
dramatic
is
The
dynamic
in
be
contrast
a
to
the
nightingale
seems
blackbird:
its
fortissimo
The
thrush
It
an
exciting
entrance
makes
with
distance.
song
marking.
the
'call'
it
is
described
than
be
both
rather
song,
as
as
a
made
two
of
up
motives,
also
should
of
bar
few
first
the
The
'interruption
and
entire
only
makes
calls',
use
of
a
notes.
which are
flat-F#
G-A
an
accompanying
with
grace
the
note,
and
the
second
notes
uses
Inotive
145
involves an 'alternator' (B flat-A natural)where eachSeiniquaverin the group of two
forming
iambic
The
thus
three
note,
a
grace
as
cells.
acts
secondof the blackbird's
notes
bars
in
four
is
length.
Each
bar
displays
of
unequal
written
an entirely
appearances
different characteristicandstyle.The rangeof the blackbird's songis conveyedby using a
in
bass
first
The
bars
the
two
Eb
clef
natural
aC
are exactrepetitions.More
and
top
importantly though,the most commonfeatureof the four barsis the useof 'double' notes.
The firstbar beginswith an anapaesticcell - two B naturalsand an F natural.The third bar
'chuckled
before
flats
A
ending'.The endingsof the third and fourth bars
another
hastwo
in
include
both
(although
fourth
three
bar
they
notes
common
the
usesoctave
are similar:
high-pitch
derniserniquaver
the
and
use
a
rapid
displacement),
endon
patternwith widely.
blackbird's
fourth
The
the
in
intervals.
'conversations'
of
phrase
second
the
song
spaced
A
(G
'reference
double
The
first
natural)
which
four
and
act
as
notes
points'.
uses
also
interval:
first
the
two
the
augmented
down
same
transposed
notes
are
use
also
a
notes
leap
from
huge
bottom
C
in
bass
The
a
a
the
with
natural
ends
fifth.
song
clefto a highflat.
B
pitched
described
be
[exVI/5]
birdsong
may
as
a
section
blackbird's
of
cadenza
which uses
The
islands'.
Paul
Griffiths
'continuous
motivic
originaUy
the
coined
of
expression
the principle
15
frequently
that
islands'
short
phrases
of
music
summarising
when
usemanyof
dmotivic
This
this
theory,
the
epitornises
with
section
additional
useof
pitches.
the same
intervalfic
incorporate
the
The
of
same
many
relationships.
which
cadenza
transpositions
be
into
the
into
since
music
cannot
parts;
segmented
divided
several
be
phrases
as
may
'chirps'.
However,
it
is
isolated
importance
single-note
to
of
paramount
many
so
are
there
146
definehow a 'part' is separated.In this case,a 'part' is a sectionOf musicbeforea rest.
Whethera rest representsa periodof time when the bird takesa breath,pauses,or not, it
is the simplestway to visualiseandanalysethe birdsong.If this sectionwere to be sung,
lengthen
the time after a staccatonote at the endof a slur; however,
the performerwould
durations
be
be
is
the
the
organ,
on
to
should
played
observedas accuratelyas
as this
into
Taking
does
thi
consideration,
staccato
the
a
s
note
at
end
of
a
slur
not
possible.
(pause),
in
instances,
a
comma
although
the
a
part,
of
which
end
appears
several
constitute
from
feature
the reststhat dividesonepart ftorn the ntxt. The
apart
is the only other
into
be
broken
length:
thirty-two
between
up
therefore
parts
of
varying
music
can
section
built
it
is
birdsong
The
be
up
of
one
note
or
many
more.
whether
cannot
restsor pauses,
in
however,
bars
two
it
into
the
there
only
are
whole
as
section;
brokenup
maybe
by thetwo barlines.The'motivicislands"effiect
delineate
two
separations
to
reasonable
if
'alternator'
few
in
the
to
only
be
a
notes
are
used
a
similar
section
of music:the
very
can
be
four
included.
three
is
Examples
repeated
and
may
or
that
a
pitch
notes
difference
of
in
Part
be
I
the
A
flat,
the
D
of
parts.
most
seen
uses
notes
can
technique
naturaland
this
have
interval
flat-D
A
the
tritone
beginning
the
end
and
natural.Out of the
G: boththe
C#,
is
Ab
G
the
before
twice,
the
the
sounded
unexpected
natural
once,
and
notes
eight
These
in
five
3;
the
pitches
same
times.
are
only
notes
used
D
part
onceagain
the natural
Part
7
G
a
staccato
serniquaver.
the
with
two
concludes
uses
notes
pitches
of
the group
'alternator',
C4
is
is
before
to
the
an
only
repeated
similar
the
C#:
once
the
effect
and
For
for
immediate
the
time.
the
this
is
second
purpose
of
the
study,
sounded
note
other
is
be
labelled
Ab
G
that
they
Y.
D,
There
so
regular
will
motive
and
are
the
notes
of
use
Y
is
the
third
be
the
of
are
used
and
notes
missing:
two
of
examples
can
where
occasions
147
found in parts 5 and28. Many of the partsconcludewith a high-pitchedstaccato'chirp':
because
higher
texture
in
the
they
of
out
not
only
are
stand
notes
these
pitch, but also
becausethey are all staccato.Thesehigher-pitchedsoundsVAththeir precedingnourishes
'chuckled
by
the
ending'
characteristic
so
to
often
referred
ornithologists.
resemble
may
in
last
of
notes,
severalinstances,form a tritone. In addition,if a
two
of
a
group
The
notes
final 'referencepoint' is introduced,nearbyparts or groupsof pitchesoften concludewith
D
is
For
14;
the
single
natural
example,
presented
at
pitch.
part
parts 15-16,18.
the same
fact,
In
this
the D naturalis the most
conclude
with
pitch.
also
others
20 and many
discrete
'reference'
the
natureof the birdsonggivesthe final pitch
point:
frequentlyused
in
The
however,
impetus.
scattered
at
the
notes
are
various
points
grace
section;
more
birdsong
drawing
the
than
enriching
rather
sparingly,
attentionto
they are used
length,
in
birdsonga senseof coherenceand
The
the
which
gives
vary
parts
themselves.
for
it
this, the musicwould stop andstart without developingthe true
if
not
were
freedom:
flexibil.
ity.
blackbird's
creative
the
of
nature
durations.
Part
displays
include
15
features
of
repetitions
two groups of three
Rhythmic
be
divided
into
24
identical
two
can
part
groups(two
while
demisemiquavers,
in
These
repeated
scandicus
a
semiquaver
melodic
shape).
a
and
groups
demisemiquavers
"reference
finish
three-note
by
a
pattern
and
note,
while
the
grace
broken
a
note'
up
are
part.
148
The following tablesimplifiesthe useof rhythmic andmelodicstructuresin the blackbird's
digits
The
the
that
number
signify
of
notes
are groupedtogether,the singlenotes
cadenza.
in
included
The
they
being
Y
is
their
are
a
part
own
unless
right.
symbol
usedwhen
not
describingthe notesG, Ab andD natural.For exaxnple,in part no. 1, the Y in the
'Pitches' columnindicatesthat only the notesG, Ab or D naturalare uscd; '2x, 4x' in the
'Groupings..' columnshowsthat thereare two groupswhich both use notesdrawn from
in
C#'
'low
D;
the 'Final ReferenceNote' columnis self-explanatory
G, Ab and while
[pl4-151.
Groupings/ Characteristics in Order
Pitches
part
2
x
x+ C#, C
3-ý
4-
A
B,
C#.
x+
x+ CW,B
--
E
x(n-dssingG)+Eb.
x+ C#
G and C#
B)
Eb
(and
C#,
x+
x+ Eb, C#
7
8
9
x
-A natural_
11 notesof Chromaticscale
10
II
12
i
F21
II
I
'Reference Note'
low C#
low D
D
Ab
3 (climacus,resupinus).2+ cretic cell
D
3x (paeon M, 4
6 (like an altemator)
9.5. x. 5
3x (paeon.IV), 5x, 4, Sx (altemator at
end)
G
co
Ab
C#
7x
Ab
A
Eb
single note
C#
D natural
Eb. E, D
Eb. E. D
UF
Lpnatural (Eb gracenote)
x+B natural
9
notesof
(total
of
x
chromaticscale
I.3
14
5
15
16
17
is
19
20
2-ý 4x
3,4 (paeon IV), 2
(ends urith scandicus)
3x (paeon IV). 4-- 3-- 4.6x
3 (torculus resupinus). S. 4
Final
extendedphrase6,7,3 (climacus
resupinus),6
referencenote:D natural
singlenote
sinde note
2 tribachic cells + crctic cell
2+ cretic cell
single note
single note
5
extendedphrase5x (incl. Climacus
resupinus),7, iamb, 3x (climacus
resupim)
singlenote
co
D
D
D
C#
D
D
D
Eb
149
22
23
24
x+B natural
x+ Eb. C. F# and C#
x (total of sevennotesof
chromaticscale)
25
26
27
28
29
x+B and C#
x+B and C#
C nawral
x (missing G)
D and C#
30
- 31
32
'
x+ Eb, D, Ab
5.4+1
3 (torculus resupinusy
(climacusresupinus).5+1
2x (scandicus), 2 (porrcctus).
2x (Scandicus), 2 (porrcctus).
3x (climacus resupinus)
4
4
single note
iambic interruption call
iambic interruption call
extended phrase: 3 (climacus rcsupinus).
3 (climacus rcsupinus), 5x, 3 (climacus
resupinus). 4
C natural
C
F#,
Bb,
x+E,
sinrje note+ gracenote
2,3x (climacusresupinus),
4 (incl. torculusresu2inus).6
D
C#
D
Ab
G
C
Ab
C#
D
C#
(p16)
involves
soundsof the songthrush,nightingale
The secondconversationalpassage
follows:
is
The
blackbird.
as
order
and
blackbird
thrush
black-bird
thrush
song
song
nightingale
song,thrush- songthrushblackbird.
nightingaleintrinsically
The
first
is four barsin
are
repetitive.
thrush's
vocalisations,
excerpt
The sono,
0
both
is
bar
the
same,
melodicallyandrhythmically,and the tritone is
exactly
length. each
The
first
bar
The
begins
two
interval.
uses
excerpt
motives.
final
second
with the
the
in
bars
the
three-note
anapaestic
cell,
F
while
remaining
a
use the rhythm
tritone sharp/C
different
The
third
first
pitches.
only
with
appearance
usesa short
vocalisation,
the
of
is
final
involves
twice,
the
repeated
while
two motives,the
which
call
dramaticanapaestic
G/A
'alternator'
'touhitte'.
'iambic'
The
is
has
brief
an
nightingale
two
which
secondof
first is a shortandrapid pianissimo'alternator' call, the secondis a group of
The
extracts.
fade
into the distance.The blackbird's
F#
that
demiseýniquavers
an
gradually
on
successive
ISO
be
described
they
as
songs
or
phrases
as
can
are slightly morevaried. Its first
vocalisations
first
The
two
three
motives.
usea smallcell and are repeatedexactly(two
uses
appearance
but
like
IV
two
the
third
anapaestic
cells),
sounds
the characteristic
and
cells
paeon
is
The
phrase
second
reminiscentof its own cadenza:the useof
4chuckledending'.
followed
by
higher-pitched
demisemiquavers
'rcrcrence
which
are
staccato
of
groups
The
blackbird's
Eb/D
this
in
the
make
note
clear.
grace
third
the
song
and
notes'
lively
is
immediately
than
the
and
vibrant
more
antecedentphrases.
conversations much
is
flourishes
taken
and
Eb/D
repeated,
up
more
cell
note
The
are usedwith higher
grace
far
includes
before.
Huge
leaps
Messiaen
than
found:
a
wider
range
the
are
and
pitches,
had
been
bird
if
The
is
the
is
is
startled.
phrase
there
as
continuous
scattered
only
Inusic
[see
p16-17j.
one rest
is
built
dernisemiquavers,
is
continuous
and
also
up
of
very occasional
The robin's cadenza
interruptions
[ex
VU6].
These
high-pitched
semiquaver
note
three
single
and
grace notes
break
the textureandact aspauses:the notesusedare F
up
again
once
serniquavers
is
in
Variety
found
flat,
in
E
Messiaen's
that
order.
also
E
and
use
natural
of
natural,
have
There
that
two
If
groupings
successive
many
are
pitches.
the
section
notes.
repeated
durations
following
(a
together),
be
then
the
grouped
into
of
number
can
divided
sets
is
found:
set 3: A natural 6 times
set 5: F# twice
set 8: Ab twice
151
set 9: E naturaltwice
set 10: E naturaltwice, D naturaltwice
set 11: Eb four times
set 15: A naturalthreetimes
set 18: Bb twice
set 21: A natural twice
Moreover, the A naturalgracenote andthe G appearlater in set 12, but as two regular
dernisemiquavers,immediatelyfollowed by a shorttritone 'alternator' in set 13. The same
incorporated
in
is
6
12
19:
in
two
sets
and
set
notesremainconstant,while
seen
principle
[see
p171.
change
the other pitches
begins
with exactlythe samemajor 7"' 'alternator' as its first
The nightingale'scadenza
in this movement[ex VI/71. This is straightawayfollowed by the minor 9Ih
vocalisation
F
displayed
in
as
sharps,
the nightingale'ssecond
previously
repeated
interval andrapid
Other
this
of
movement.
conversation
successive
the
repeated
second
of
call
into
incorporated
different
this
section
on
are
pitches(sets 17 and14),
derniserniquavers
but
(sets
5
10).
F
The
tempo
much
slower
at
a
the
sharp,
and
slurred
on
minor
again
and
developed
is
into
3
Vh
beginning
is
15:
a
of
set
compound
the
major
this
leap
at
set
at
9'
'alternators',
here
displaced.
in
the
The
following
only
of
octavely
most
interval
used
the
ftom
The
divided;
deduced
the
be
nightingale's
cadenza.
sets
are
the
general
may
table
however,
degree
to;
sets
are
adhered
and
phrases
a
of
subjectivity
separating
of
principles
is inevitable.
152
TheNightingale's
-Cadenza
-
Features
'alternator'
major7"
Set
I
4
_6 7
8
9
10
II
12
13
14
15
16
_ 17
19
19
20
21
22
23
24_
_
pp
single F#
2
3
Dynamics
mp
(minor 9h) repeatedRs
_three iambs(major7h)
mf
>PEE
Mr
slow versionof 3 (fewernotes)
CA
Tencated (as 3)
'interruption callt
tritone 'alternator'
five Wgh-pitched'chirps'
sloweddownversionof 3 (on C natural)
major Th 'alternator' (as 1)
spondee"
Mf>P22
mf
DO
pp
f>ppp
pp
- Mf
f
P
f
-anapaest
Th
C
B-C
+
repeated naturals major
two spondaiccells
6alternator'(as 1)
flats
(as
3)
A
repeated
C# + threeBbs
E natural 'chirp'
threerepeatedRs
2 anapaesticcells + porrectus
repeatedA naturals
torculusresupinus
F#
(as_
3)
+
repeated
spondee,
pp
inn
(pp)
(P2)
mf/pp
f>
pp
fsee p181
'Soixante-Quatre
Dur6es',
Messiaen
final
movement,
takessixty-fourchromatic
the
into
them
groupsof four, forming the effect of a 'closed fan'. This
durationsand arranges
by
is simultaneouslycounterbalanced a retrogradeorder which is like the openingof a fan.
bars:
displays
the
following
opening
The
61,62,63,64,4,3,2,
Manuals)
line,
(top
Fan
Closed
6,3
2,3
0,3
1,3
5,34,3.3
29,3
(Pedal)
fan
...
Open
Is
L.
153
or combinedwith the rhythmic series:the vocalisations
Even the birdsongis superimposed
birds,
tit,
blackcap
the
spotted
great
included,
great
woodpecker
and
three
new
are
of
for
the
the whole movement;therefore,the most
same
The -tempomarkingremains
is
to
the
certain
aspects
to
of
referring
of
section
provide pagenumbers.
method
practical
interversion
in
the
33-37
aforementioned
of
the top line and the
systems
consist
pages
it becomesimmediatelyapparentthat the middle line hasa distinct
however,
pedal;
it
'style
includeswitbin
oiseau'characteristics.Although much of the writing
freedom, and
it
includes
lower
than
expect,
nevertheless
would
one
repetitiveserniquavers
pitch
is at a
'alternator',
flourishes,
between
an
grace
notes
and
contrasts
pitch,
staccato
on the same
it
is
discrete
in
time
the
same
at
nature
and
lcgato,
yet
rhythmically
and
clearly
and
interversions.
On
34,
from
line
the
the
concurrent
page
takesover the
middle
distinguished
fine:
becomes
from
'freer'
for
this
few
top
bars.
the
In fact,
fan'
part
a
series
sclosed
there
two
'fan'
are
predominantly
to
the
the
parts
adhering
movement
throughout
is
distinct.
messiaen's
introduction
the
part
wholly
remaining
wIdle
series,
of
interversion
is
helpful
in
discriminating
bird
between
extremely
for
vocalisation
the
each
brackets
calls.
and
songs
var-ious
in
Messiaen's
first
its
38
lei
VI/8a].
This
music
appearance
on
page
t1t
makes
The great
identical
be
three
as
anapaestic
characterised
calls:
each
the
may
cell
uses
excerpt
succinct
tritone
flat,
demiserniquavers
the
two
followed
D
and
rhythm
consists
of
interval natural-A
brief
its
The
woodpecker
also
makes
spotted
a
appearance
great
with
by a semiquaver.
154
lex
VI/8b].
U
The
three
semýiquavers
tritone calls of the greattit are soon
repetitive
slow
heard again,which prefacea short-livedtritone 'alternator' comprisingstaccatotriplets,
VU8c]
lex
labelled
the
nightingale
and
bird
texture
stylechangesat page41. Shortly after four high-pitchcd
of
The single-line
&chirps'with precedinggracenotes,the songthrushcontinueswith two 'interruption calls'
has
line
label
bird
'oiseaux
divers"Narious
that
the
birds.
style
The
subsequent
a
with
the
torculus
Although
is
Messiaendoesnot
second
a
and
resupinus.
a
porrectus
first call
in
is
he
line,
it
is
birds
this
important
middle
representing
nevertheless
an
specify which
birdsong.
Two
birdsongs,
his
in
heard
of
or
use
possibly
more,
are
development
at once:
VI/9].
individual
[ex
The
'various
birds'
is
bird
the
continue
entirely
until
named
eachpart
has
blackbird
The
one
concise
has
call
which
somewhat
concluded.
overshadowsthe
style
is
it
7h
'alternator'
for
final
birds'
F
a
major
moment:
split
a
with
a
sharp,
cvarious
blackcap
is
The
brief
also
the
swift
and
sextuplet.
a
excerpt
vvithin
consistsof
contained
first
The
D.
E
four
A,
is
G
and
group
of
notes
sharp,
practicallyorganisedinto
four notes:
retrograde
four.
The
begins
for
the
nightingale
second
with the characteristiclong
order
9"
is
falls
to
like
a
pitch
minor
which
a
repeated
a
which
machine-gun,
note,
only
seamless
in
interpretations.
is
The
it
than
previous
slower
much
repeated
notes
are
occasion
this
on
demisemiquavers
found
in
the
than
fourth
usual
the
rather
written assemiquavers
'Chantd'Oiseaux'.Thenightingale's
vocalisations
conclude
with
a
sextuplet
rnovernent,
durations(interversionseries)drawthepieceto
flourish,
the
chromatic
as
derniserrýiquaver
[see
p40431.
its close
133
As canbe clearlyseen,this work incorporatescounterpointsbetweentwo birds'
is
bird
juxtaposed
that
occasionally
style
and
a
with an intervcrsionsystem.
vocalisations,
in
foreground
birdsongs
mainly
placed
for
The
are
calls
and
than
rather
used
simply
-the
introduces
Messiaen
decorativepurposes.
new birds' namesinto his stylistic repertoire,
'oiseaux
divers.
term,
an
Messiaen's
ambiguous
uses
occasion
one
on
only
and
blackbird
be
the
in
his
the
of
sounds
may
with
reflected
concentrationon
preoccupation
Noir,
Le
Merle
is
dedicated
in
the
work,
which
to the unique
next
this species
bird.
this
vocalisationsof
Le
for
final
flute
'concours' at the Paris
to
the
write
a
piece
commissioned
Messiaenwas
first
is
Messiaen's
This
the
1952.
of
works that most musicologists
Conservatoireof
based
birdsong.
It
be
being
on
may
to
plausible
exclusively
suggestthat
as
regard
the uniquesoundsof the naturalworld - specifically,
Messiaenwas heresubstituting-,
into
for
musiqueconcr6teandelectronicmusicwith which he
the explorations
birdsong This
heralds
been
work
a substantialepochwherebirds
experimenting.
had previously
in
important
the
for
cases,
many
single
most
and,
concern
nucleus
chief
becomeof
musical
felt
dominated
by
Messiaen
devices,
that
Perhaps
a
world
mechanical
science
inspiration.
and
intellectual
to
discipline,
too
music
as
a
clinical
regard
and
eager
only
rather
war, was
been
decision
have
Messiaen's
It
a
conscious
on
may
to
part
emotion.
move
of
one
than
andrelatedcompositionaltheories,andwrite a pieceof
from
concr&te
musique
away
156
based
on phrasesandother characteristicvocalisationsof the ubiquitous
solely
music
blackbird, a bird that Messiaenhadusedto an increasingdegreein recentworks. Le Merle
Noir hasbeenkept in the 'ExperimentalPeriod' first becauseit was written in the same
it
includes
d'Orgue,
Livre
still
and
second,
as
elementsof a quasi-tone-row,on
year as
in
the
twelve
the octave.Moreover,
of
eleven
possible
sernitones
employing
occasions
from
dramatic
is
this solo pieceto the chorusof thirty-eight birds in the
shift
there a
following work, Riveil desOiseaux(1953), which is to be discussedin the follo%%ing
is
Merle
Noir
Le
his
Nevertheless,
the
apogee
and
synthesis
of
early approachto
chapter.
if
blackbird,
he
loquacious
the
the
even
sounds
createdweremoreinspired
the soundsof
by memorythanactualtranscriptions.
into
divided
be
The movementcan
subsections:the tablebelow hasbeenadaptedfrom
basic
form
The
Nichols'
Roger
of the pieceaccordingto Roger Nichols
originalanalysis.
is 'bar form' (A - A' - B); however,it may alsobe describedasA- A' - Coda Form. The
forrn of the pieceis shownbelow:
SUBDPASION
I
2
3
4
5
1
1
2
3
4
5
1
A
F-7
TEXTURE
BAR NOS.
I
rumbling' piano (sustained)
blackbird's cadenza
pianolflute conversation
octaves
chromaticchords& silent bar
'rumbling'piano,
trills (staccatoon flute)
Irumbling'piano
blackbird's cadenza
piano/fluteconcurrentcanonicconversation
octaves(eachpart 1 quaverapart)
colour chords& silent bar
eight semiquavcrs(higher than I and not sustained)
trills (staccatoon flute)
'Vif" section
1-2
3-8
9-26
27-28
29-35
36
37-43
4445
46-53
54-71
72-74
75-82
93
94-90
91-125
A
A'
CODA
157
N. B. Sectionsmarkedin bold are idiomaticrenditionsorthe blackbird's song.
Generallythe A" sectionis an extendedversionof A. Roger Nichols describedthe
'combined
conversation
as
a
song";however,the regularityof the rhythms,
piano/flute
bar,
one
value
added
note
per
makesthe overall soundvery unlike birdsongor
using only
Nichols
does
Roger
kind.
it
is
birdsong,
but the merefact that he uses
that
specify
not
any
implies
idiomatic
'song'
The
this.
only
the word
representationof birdsongseemsto
'Un
in
Peu
Vif,
the
two
cadenzas
marked
avecFantaisie'(2), the two sectionsof
appear
by
the flute as the piano playscontinuous
serniquavers
are
staccato
played
where
music
in
final
Wif
(7).
(6),
In thesesections,birdsongis only found in the
the
section
and
trills
flute part, althoughthe pianoatmosphereenrichesthe sonorityof the flute's tone,
diversity
has
the
that
wide
of
register
with
INIessiaen used.
especially
The first cadenza,from bars3-8. maybe analysedin a slightly different way lei VVIO]. In
birdsongs,
the entire sectionhasbeendividedinto
representations
of
structural
previous
however,
if
bars;
birdsong
has
been
the
and
calls
transposeddown severaloctaves
phrases,
frequent
is
the
therefore
slower,
significantly
useof quaverrestsmay symbolise
and
breaths
Moreover,
if
the
than
or
end
of
a
pfirase.
rather
a phraseof the blackbird
pauses
high-pitched
"chuckle',
concludes
with
a
thenthemusicalnotationthat
occasions
most
on
the
For
this
signify
may
effect
end
of
the sakeof clarity, eachof the
a
phrase.
creates
blackbird'scadenzas
mustbedividedinto bars,but thisfirst songin addition%illbe
in relationto the'chuckledending',asshownbelow.
described
138
(1) 'Chuckled' endingstructure
(2) 1' phrase:3-6 flatterzunge
(3) 2'd phrase: 6 flatterzunge-8 flatterzunge
bc
final
five
into
the
chromatic
sen-dquavcrs
cannot
Taking this principle
consideration,
in
blackbird
distance
blackbird's
these
the
resemble
a
Nvith
notes
perhaps
song:
this
of
part
is
inaudible
in
life.
'chuckled
On
that
dynarnic,
the other
ending'
real
its ppp,
andpossibly
have
blackbird's
cometo a conclusion.
necessarily
may
not
hand, the
phrase
first
flutter-tongue
by
the
two
effects,
on aC sharp2
The 'chuckled' endingsare signified
by
flute
harshness,
flat2.
This
E
the
effect
creates
a
special
produced
and secondlyon an
Nichols
Roger
in
As
high
in
the
the
mentions
aforementioned
register.
article,
a
especially
Gg arethe mainpitchesused.The 'motivic islands' effect canbe
flat,
D
E
A,
and
notes
form,
dividing
in
tied
together,
table
each
of
group
notes
a
and
relatingall
again
once
seen
The
four
flat,
D
be
A,
E
G9
labelled
Y.
these
notes.
notes
to
and
will
the pitches
BAR
3
4
5
ý6_
7
8
[see
GROUPS
3x (scandicus),7x + C# & B, D and
neighbour note alternator
iamb,
5x
Sx,
D,
+C
sinizienote
OTHER FEATURES
includes final B
includes final B
4x, x, flutter-tongue, 7x + 'chirp'
5x, iamb (minor 9' 'call'), 5 (staccato),
2 longer durations
5x, 4, iamb, 8x + C# & C, iamb, 3,
flutter-tongue, five chromatic
derniserniquavers
repeated F natural
repeated F natural
159
The iambic cell occurson four occasions:it becomesa featurebecauseon the penultimate
in
immediately
F
it
the
this
version
preceding
rhythmic
appearance usesa tied natural,and
2'
become
Features
the
of
coherent
with
use
the
generally
note.
same
uses
augmentation
found
be
An
in
this
of
can
small cells that appear the sameorderwhile expanding. example
in
first
in
D
the sameorder,
Eb
A,
the
bar:
first
again
set areutilised
the
in the
and used
in
is
F
bar
four
fortissimo
G
high
The
and
natural
natural
very
but with additionalpitches.
bar.
be
in
As
G
the
clearly seen,the methodsof
can
sixth
diminishedto a single natural
in
frequent
the
traits
diminution
movement.
very
are
and
expansion
in
bars
37
41
to
that
also circle arounda
occur
The twenty-eightcontinuousserniquavers
bar
four
bars
first
The
the
].
1
VI/I
an
ostinato:
each
uses
[ex
are
practically
few pitches
between
interchanges
Bb
from
the
third
a
and
a
note
which
apart
pitches,
and
samerhythm
The
first
bar
2nd
final
transposed
alternately.
a
up major
two notesare
B natural, andthe
first
The
beat,
the
the
two
of
series.
out
notes
missing
begins on the third serniquaver
bar
the
other
slur,
are
with
a
while
notes
always
marked
are
each
third
of
notes
secondand
below:
displayed
bars
four
the
are
The
of
pitches
staccato.
bar 37
bar 38
bar 39
bar 40
Bb
A
F#
Gg
D
A
B
A
GN
A#
D
A
Bb
A
Fhl
Gil
(i)
D
A1
B1
A1
Gig
1 Aß
1(ii)
160
The fifth bar (41) employsthe four notesof Ix' (D, A, Eb and GO),followed by an F
D
bird
long
The
Eb
sustained
natural.
style qualitiesare enhancedby the trills
anda
sharp,
but it canonly be realizedif one imaginesthe phrases
in the piano accompaniment,
higher
least
faster.
therefore
three
times
and
octaves
several
at
recreated
[see P31
in
(b46-53)
blackbird
the A' sectionis conceivedin a similar fashionto its
The
cadenza
from
Apart
VI/121.
lex
'motivic
islands'
the
continuous
the
use
of
earlier counterpart
follows:
features
as
the
are
special
effect,
iamb
in
(also
retrograde:trochee)
a)
b) flutter-tongue
c) scandicus
d) 'altemator'
(cretic)
'rhythmic
palindrome'
e)
f) high-pitched'chirps" (usiWly repeatediambs)
be
in
A'
blackbird's
(the
the same way as before, as
46-53
can
structured
cadenza)
Bars
in
instance,
letters
However,
initially
following
this
in
table.
six
other
are
the
shown
0
birdsong
features
the
the
of
which are not relatedto the 'motivic
included,signifying
designated
in
letters
first
The
the
to theseother motivic
alphabet
are
islands'effect.
for
letters
later
the
are reserved Messiaen'spreoccupationwith certain
features,while
from eachother in the table:
Generally,
two
the
groups
symbols
are
separated
of
pitches.
is,
however,
in
found
The
the
also
subsequent
the
pitches
music.
music
same
the useof
161
is
(a-f)
large
in
list
is
the
always
a
above
group of slurreddernisemiquavers
that not
in
In
figure
Y
the
be
table,
the
to
a
set.
next
notes
nine
again
up
can
uscdto
sometimes
describethe notesD, A, G# andE flat, andthe groups of pitcheswhich containthree.
'y.
These
labelled
three-note
repetitionsonly occur on two
are
repetitions
note-cell
is altered.An additionalcell maybe labelled
instance
first
in
the
third
the
note
occasions:
The
it
includes
describcd
the
three
pitches
repeated
within
4z'
group.
approach
when
.
'motivic
The
black-bird's
be
in
the
A'
to
classification.
as
cadenza
referred
will
abovewill
however,
bar
bars;
into
in
left
hand
divided
be
the
the
numbers
columnreferto
onceagain
The
follows:
in
the
pitch
characteristics
as
a
whole.
are
as
piece
their position
x: D, A, G9, E flat
y: includesrepeatedthree-notecells
z: threerepeatedpitches
[see pp341
is
blackbird's
A"
in
the
the table below.
cadenza
shown
of
The overall structure
Bar No.
Groupings/Features
46
2x, a, b (torculus,trochee+ fluttertongue)
-------- 47
9x, d, c (flourish, alternator,scandicus)
---------48
8+I quaver(z), Sy,6, e+I quaver(3 flourishes+ syncopatedcell)
-------- 49
a, 9y, z+I quaver,c, e
(iamb,flourish,paeonIV, 2 scandicuscells(2*din a cretic rhythm)
162
50
f, f, f, a (gracenotes,iamb)
51
9. c, f, f, f, f (flourish, scandicus,gracenotes)
52
a, f, a, f (4 iambic cells)
53
8,8$ b, descendingchromaticscale,2
(2 flourishes,fluttertongue,extendedclimacus,and spondee)
[see VI/121
The use of dynamicsin bar 52 demonstratesan echoof similar motives.The dynamicsof
intensity
be
'alternator'.
This
bar
seen
as
an
version
can
of
an
which
mf-ff-mf-ff,
are
this
in
be
form
ABAB subset
can alsoseen the previoussection(bars3741), whereeach
bar
usesthe samepitches.
altemate
in
in the flute,
the pianoandstaccatosen-ýquavers
trills
The secondsection,which uses
identical
is
It
90.
bars
84
between
to
the
exactly
Previousversionexceptthat
and
occurs
dynamics
4ý
is
durations
the
transposed
articulation,
up
a
perfect
and
section
the whole
remainingthe same.
be
last
is
'Vif
the
final
can
realistically
componentwhich
regardedas
The
section
is
last
five
bars
the
The
continuous
until
birdsong.
wherethe
pianoaccompaniment
discrete
The
texture.
to
a
pianotakeson a strict
interlocking andoverlappinggive way
from
The
flute
bars
91
121.
to
thirty
the
part consistsentirelyof
twelve-noterow over
The
and
sextuplet
serniquavers.
quavers
entire
syncopated
song
sen-ýquavers,
staccato
G
high
G
Bars
A
91-96
natural
and
sharp.
the
a
natural,
notes
only use
oscillatesaround
includes
D
The
first
97
the
commonly
most
employed
next
pitch,
sharp.
threenotes,while
its
form.
in
displays
in
(bar
9
1)
As
'Vif
the
motive
original
bar of the
previous
section
163
instances,the most frequentlyusedpitchesthat appearin closeproximity are collectively
labelled Y. The motive Y, in its original state,comprisesnine serniquavers:the first four
final
in
The
the
first
order,
the
same
with
a
ninth
note
at
are
repeated
end.
and last
notes
bars
Although
91-94
Y
in
its
have
form,
note.
grace
use
only
an
attached
original
notes
is
begins
the
as
monotonous
middle
version
sound
not
on the secondcrotchet
the overall
beat of the bar, thusmakingit possibleto fit threeversionsof Y into four barswithout
is
Bar
95
first
four
The
in
'x'
third
the
extended.
uses
version
notes
of
overlapping.
fourth
is
it
followed
by
the
the third, second
with
starts
note,
and
as
order2',
retrograde
last
'x,
first:
the
two
bar
the
with
this
concludes
notes
of
phrase
original
small
while
and
96 is an exactrepetitionof 95 [seep6j. Messiaenemploysthe 'open fan' efrect in the
The rearrangementof intervalscanbe
birdsong aswell asin his 'interversion"SYstems.
G
A
in
bar
97,
is
D#
the
natural
and
natural
swapped
are
around
where
and
a
shown
included.Bar 98 introducesa new motive, 'y, which beginswith scmiquavers,syncopated
descending
a
sextupletflourislL Motive 'z' consistsof the notesA
C sharpsand endswith
intermittent
'double'
G
they
with
grace
notes:
predominantly
natural,
usean
and
natural
instances
few
in
but
form,
they use 'double notes'. Thesealternatorsare
a
'altemator'
heavily disguisedby the frequentgracenotesthat are appliedrather arbitrarily. in T, the
however,
is
from
Y
by
D#
the
Gg
the
phrase
separated
added;
are
numerous
and
notes
thatdifferentiate
'double'gracenotes.Thesegracenotesarethemainauralconstituents
flute
in
'Vif
'motivic
The
the
'x'.
the
from
of
classification'
part
sectionis as follows:
'z'
164
G#
(see
bar
G
91)
A
natural,
x: natural,
Us
descending
flourish
syncopated
sextuplet
y: serniquavers
A
G
'double'
notes
with
many
naturals
grace
and
naturals
z:
it is importantto note that althoughthe sectioncanbe subdividedwith the help of the
A
G,
bars
91-121
the
and
notes
and
uses
motive
evolvearound
above classification,each
'reference'
D#,
G#
C#.
The
C#
in
the
the
notes
and
of
occurs
addition
these notes,with
Ggs
D#s
the
and
while
regularlyspringout of the
cy' as repeatedsyncopatedpitches,
its
blackbird's
help
'reference'
the
to
These
song
uniquecharacter,and
give
notes
texture.
birdsong
in
for
termsof set theory. As
that
tWs
is
cannot
one
analyse
reason
it precisely
for
features
the
the
classes
cannot
account
of
pitch
Johnsonexplains22, use
of birdsong.
by
'anchor
described
'points'
Johnson
'reference
are
or
as
points', which
These
notes'
have a pivotal functionfor the variouscompositionalprocessesthat promotetheir
development.Moreover,the inversionsandcompoundsetsof certainintervalscannotbe
below
The
the
table
coherence
a
sense
of
audible
gives
and
to
other.
each
related
flute
[see
framework
the
part
pp6-81.
of
structural
Bars
91-94
95-96
97
98-100
101
102
103
104
Features
X. X. x
retrograde version of four note cell in Y
ice)
(t%-,
x+D#
v
z
double-iamb.fragmentof z
four unidentifiedsen-tiquavus
doublenote z+ gracenotesand trochee
165
105
106
z
z. doublenote z+ G#
107
108
109-113
z. + D# and G#
porrectus. z fragment
use of notes G, D#, C#. G# iýith and z
fragments
'high-chirp'. x
114
115-116
117-121
122-123
124-125
. X. X.
extendedversionof v +! ý%mcopation
rests
-I
flourish
in
but
(as
+
y.
ascending)
sextuplet
t wo high-pitched'chirps'
The wide rangegivento the flute part also enablesit to displaya significantcontrastin its
described
be
'chuckled
final
The
as
a
may
ending', especiallyvdth
phrase
timbral effects.
'un-pitched'
harsh
The
birdsong
in the
ff
dynamic
and
even
a
quality.
produces
which
the
'Vif sectionis mademoreidiomaticwith its repetitivelanguage;however,with the piano
it
is
hard
decipher
in
to
the
this
the
pitches,
and
style
rhythms
comparisonto
overlapping
its counterpartsin the two earliercadenzas.
Messiaen's
it
abandonmentof electronicmuýicand many
However surprising may seem,
deeply
11is
inevitable.
and
forms of serialismwas
aesthetic
religiousphilosophieswere
interconnected.
inextricably
Where
both
Messiaenmight
life
his
integralto
andmusic:
instead
he favoursglissandiand the
indeterminate
rhythms,
haveusedmicrotonesand
its
fundamental
the
with
sernitone
as
augmentation:
unit, the
processof proportionate
durationsandpitchesof the bird's originalvocalisationsaretransposed,makingthe music
in
desired
instrument.As Messiaenhas
the
the
rangeof
,to scale',aurallyperceptibleand
proudly pointedout:
166
'I chosethe birds - others,the synthesiser'23
In the following work, NMI desOiseaux(1953), Messiaenrediscoversthe ability of the
highly
to
the
also
produce
a
sophisticated,contemporary,forward
piano
orchestraand
looking and exploratorymusic.Birdsongis to be usedfor its own sake,rather than for
decorativepurposes;but it wasLe Merle Noir that was the first pieceto be entirely
dedicatedto bird style.
167
Notes to ChapterVI
The 'interversion'systemis a form of permutation:by addition or subtraction,rhythmic
decrease.
increase
Examples
be
found
in
this
or
'Regard
of
method
gradually
can
values
des Proh&tes,desBergers,et desMages' and in 'Regardde I'Onction Terrible' from the
Ving Regardsmir I'Dfiant-J67is (1944). This systemcan be usedin retrogradeorder or
durations
into
dividing
the
total
subsets.The 'intervcrsion' system,using
of
by
group
Re
is
de
Fett
I
11
throughout
the
experimental
present
work,
rhythms,
and
chromatic
in
de
Mode
Maleurs
the
twelve
of
the
note
permutations
series
systematic
et
where
d'Intensilis are extendedto the durationsin what Johnsoncalls a 'wedge' shape.This
d'Orgue,
in
Livre
but
is
on this occasionit is describedas a
&wedge'shape alsoemployed
fan'.
'open
permutationof an
2 Antoine Gol6a,Renc6ntresavecOlivier Messiaen,(Paris,Julliard, 1960).
3 SeePierreBoulez'sarticle, 'The Threshold'.takenfrom Die Reihe.Vol. 11(1955), p40.
Boulez," Perspectivesof Ne
Fano/Stockhausen,
" Richard Toop, 'Messiaen/Goeyvaerts,
13,No. I (1974)pp141-169.
_Music,
5 There is anotherrninor piece,Timbres-Duries(1952).
1 For more informationaboutthe improvisatoryquality ofMesse de la Penfecdlesee
Color:
Conversations
Music
Claude
Samuel,
Messiaen:
Olivier
Samuel,
!
and
Claude
_%vith
Oregon,
Press,
(Portland,
Amadeus
1986),
Glasow,
Thomas
E.
p2s.
trans.
beingusedinsteadof the gracenotes.
7 Derivative of 2, derniserniquavers
0
8Moreover, Messiaenincludesthe markings"pocorubato', 'rall. ', and 'A Tempo'.
9 The pitchesusedsignifythe sameforwardsandbackwards,just as a 'rhythmic
durations
is
in
the
a
of
group
used
samemanner.
palindrome'
10The sixth chordsandresolutionsarevery reminiscentof the love themesin the
Turangaffla Symphony.
" This bar of musicincorporatesthe 'agrandissement
asymdtrique'systemto the pitches,
be
'alternator'
to
the
unrecognisable.
thereby causing
12The 'alternator' Bb-Ab is derivedfrom c, the Ab-Bb gracenotes.
13The nightingale'ssongis particularlybeautifuland drawn-outin the early evening,but it
during
the
afternoon.
vocalises
still
14On two occasionsthe '.. et fantaisiste'is omittedfrom the tempomarking.
1:5Paul Griffiths, Olivier Messiaenandthe Music of Time, (London/Boston,Faber, 1985),
p147.
16The Y that appearsin the characteristics
colurnndenotesa phraseor group of notes
this
three
the
of
motive.
notes
use
that only
17This simplescandicusmotive producesa 'swooping' effect.
11The informationhereis only relevantfor the first pageof musicin 'SoixanteQuatre
from
interversion
system
moves
the
one staveto anotherlater in this movement.
Dur6es':
I" Each intervalfrom the Y ceUis augmentedby a semitone,while the whole group of
is
transposed.
notes
20When the iambicrhythmdoesnot usethe samepitch, major 7h and minor 9h intervals
are employed.
168
11 Motive Y is built up of two four-note cells, followed by a final note: this bar can be
being
first
four-note
'inside-out',
the
the
retrograde
or
of
as
cell.
classified
See Messiaen Cg=anion, ed. Peter Hill, (London, Faber, 1995), p260.
This quotation is taken from Almut R6131er's
compilation of various discussions on
topical issues in Messiaenresearch,Contributions to the-Spiritual World of Olivier
Messiaen, (Duisburg, Gilles und Francke, 1986).
169
Chavter VH: Riveil des oiseaux and Oiseamy Exotiques
In this chapter,the comparisonof thesetwo works is strongly emphasisedfor many
in
Messiaen's
First,
the
two
transition
a
notable
works
reveal
output, specifically
reasons.
birdsong:
importance
to
to
the
the sheervariety of species,andtheir
given
with regard
disclose
interpretations,
a more consistentand complextreatmentof
rnelodic andrhythmic
length,comparedto, for
bird vocalisation.Secondly,both piecesare of manageable
dDiseaux,
Catalogue
books.
the
which
comprises
seven
epic
substantial
example,
Thirdly, thesetwo works are comparablefor manycompositionalreasons,and for the fact
information
in
The
time.
the
this chaptershouldbe read
same
they
about
that
were written
before,
As
bar
figure
hand.
included
full
to
and
numbers
are
score
asguidelines.
a
with
to definea numberof different categoriesof texture
At this point, however,it is necessary
but
have
the
throughout
composer's
oeuvre,
are more frequentfrom
appeared
that may
Phi1ips
(1977)
identified
his
dissertation,
has
In
kinds
six
onward.
this point
of texture with
Catalogue
in
d'Oiseaux.
is
depicted
Shu-NVen
Sun
birdsong
the
further
adds
a
type
which
be
dis
divisions
Messiaen's
lise.
These
may
used
when
cussing
most
of
this
musicwith
to
has
(1975)
listed
Johnson
Similarly,
birdsong.
more detailedclassificationsin four separate
ideas
be
birdsong;
these
may
applied
of
when
analysing
composite
groUPS3
.A
is chiefly an adaptationof Philips' codification.
following
the
categorisation
nevertheless,
des
Reveil
Oise=
both
from
Examplesof textures
andOiseauxF-roliquesare specified
form
Philips'
'
to
these
of
system
here,extendinga modified
orchestralworks.
170
The first type is the 'single-linetexture' (monophonic).This is found in eventhe very
des
in
Oiseaux
R&M
falls
from
Apart
that
the
octave
writing
ubiquitous
early works.
in
its
found
be
'un
'un
vif'
and
peu
preceding
peu
true
may
example
within this category,a
lent' bars beforethe final pianocadenzalex VII/I - R6, eil des Oiseaux p58, s4, bl-31,
it
is
for
is
since
very rare that
This texture most appropriate piano solosand cadenzas,
it
likely
be
is
its
line,
to
instrument
superimposed
own:
more
on
one
plays
solo
another
instrument.
least
juxtaposed
other
one
with, at
upon, or
There
in
homophony'
two
are
emphasiscd
equally.
voices
is
'two-voiced
which
Type two
depiction
The
F-roliques.
Oiseaux
in
device
the
of
olive.
this
frequent
of
examples
are
homophonic
in
both
demonstrates
two-voiced
for
effect,
a
which
backed thrush, example,
[ex
VJIU2
Oiscalix
synchronously
hands
left
serniquavers
triplet
staccato
play
and
r-ight
is
Of
the
bl].
W&
orchestra
employed,more parts
when
course,
F_xotiquesp25,
p26,
homophony.
in
be
rnay used
is
homophony,
but
two-voiced
type,
third
the
also
which
differentiation
creates
Dynamic
where
There
in
Nveil
des
dominant.
true
is
this
no
examples
are
of
only onevoice or part
be
found
in
following
Exotiques
the
Oiseaux
though
may
examples
many
Oiseauxor
In VAlouette Calandrelle'(eighthpiece),the representation
dDiseaux.
Catalogve
work,
instances
lark'
'short-toed
contains
numerous
this
bird
type
texture
the
of
of
title
the
of
b3l.
Calandrelle'
sl,
p7.,
IL"Alouette
[ex VIEW-
171
The fourth type ariseswhenchordsare usedand all the voices are givcn cqual wcight,
This type is named'chordal' or 'homorhythmic'. An illustration of this can be seenin
Oiseaux Exotiques,wherethe composerdepictsthe sonoritiesof the Indian shama.The
is
in
block
isolation,
in
taken
written
chordsclearly exemplifyingthis type of
part,
piano
Himalyan
Messiaen
the
white-crestedlaughingthrush and the
texture.
alsorepresents
but
lex
VII/4a,
b, c- Oiscawc
this
texture,
orchestral
using
ensembles
sharpawith
Exotiques p40, p3l, p161.'Harmonicostinato' and 'harmoniclitany' are usedto grcat
(see
glossary).
effect
The fifth group is exactlythe sameasthe previoustype, exceptthat one voice or part is
Once
differentiation.
dynamic
importance
again,thereare no suchexamples
through
given
it
is
dealt
in
found
this
be
chapter
not until the ensuing
two
the
within
works
to
Catalogue d'Oiseaux (1958) that the use of dynamic differentiation in birdsong is
in
be
Te
Courlis
Cendrd'
(tMrteenth
An
tlýs
seen
can
piece),,where
employed. exampleof
left
hand's
[ex
V11/5
to
the
ILe
single
note
prominence
give
chords
the redshank's.
be
found
in
Ca'llgYOdjajYl
TMs
b1l.
technique
CendrP
(1949).
can
also
Courlis
P9, sl,
birdsong.
depict
intended
it
is
here
to
not
although
forms
in
the
is
hybrid
above
of
texture which any
may manifestthemselvesin
Type six a
juxtapositionwith a chord of resonance,commonlyusedto depictnon-birdsongmaterial.
dDiscalor,
Catalogue
however,
in
frequently
is
the Americanwood thrush
the
This
used
is depictedby resonanceeffectsin the first pianocadenzaOf OiscauxEx0liques.Hcre, a
172
insistent
by
(chordaYhomorhythmic:
followed
is
chords
six
all voices
resonance set up and
Oiseaux
Evotiques
VW6
in
[ex
this
p5, s4l.
example
equal)
-
The final type is 'two-voice polyphony',in which two birdsongsappearsimultaneously.A
fantastically complexandvariedsampleof this type is found in the counterpointof, or
in
fourth
bobolink
Meaux
between,
the
piano
cadenza
and
of
catbird
conversation
Exotiques (p62). Of course,orchestralworks allow for a greaternumberof partsto be
included in a complextutti of polyphonicbirdsong.
These textures,alongwith manymore exotic melodic/rhythmiccharacteristics,occur
from
Messiaen
this work onwards.However, at the
frequently throughoutthe musicof
(albeit
in
Oiseaux,
des
texture
Reved
mostly
octaves),
only a single-line
time of
homorhythmicandmany-voicedPolyphonictexturesare employed.The additional
in
included
fisted
here
be
to
terminology
analytical
establish
to
order
are
used
categories
intended
Although
be
later
these
types
to
were
originally
to
pieces.
appliedto
with respect
Catalogue
dDiseaux,
form
is
in
to
a
modified
otherwise
analytical research relation
definition
by
be
there
where
works'
must
orchestral
so many
analysing
useful when
for
textures.
multi-voiced
opportunities
more
Here is the Estof textures/notationsoriginally categorisedby Philips andaddedto by Sun:
173
Single-voicetexture(monophony)
0
(2) Homophonictexture:coequalemphasis
(3) Homophonictexture:one voice dominant
(4) Homorhythmic/chordaltexture: coequalin partsor voices
(5) Homorhythmic/chordaltexture: onevoice or part dominant
(6) Hybrid texture:juxtapositionof 1-5 or 7 with a chord of resonance
7
(7) Polyphoniceffect:counterpoint/conversation
Rived desOiseaux
After a brief explorationof numerousexperimentalforms involNingnew rh)rthmicand
des
Oiseaux,
NMI
for
Messiaen
wrote
a
work
piano solo and
modal procedures,
is
lasts
dedicated
The
twenty
to the
approNimately
minutes,
piece,which
orchestra.
identification
knowledge
Delarnain,
invaluable
Jacques
of
whose
was
of
use
ornithologist,
him
in
Yvonne
Loriod,
the reworking of the pianoparts;
to
who assisted
to the composer;
blackbirds,
birds
thrushes,
orioles,
robins,
warblers
the
the
nightingales,
and
to
all
of
and
is
forests.
This
French
piece perhapsa reactionagainstthe manycomplexmusical
the
forms that he hadusedin the past few years.RogerNichols suggeststhat in this work
'
for
itself
interference'.
Certainly,
with a minimumof compositional
'birdsong speak[s]
by
Messiaen
birdsong.
Messiacn
describesit
is
to
the
piece
make
exclusive
use
of
only
this
both
left
the
(apart
the
'truthful
melodies
and
since
rhythms
are
untouched
work',
as a
from the transpositionprocesses);however,the choicesof instrumentation,ordcr and
174
intervention.
Revell
des
the
together
reveal
compositional
transposition
proportional
Oiseaux (7heAwakeningof the Birds) describes,in twenty minutes,a cycle from midnight
Ta
Mer'
Debussy's
first
Similarly,
also representsthe passing
the
of
movement
till noon.
follows:
divides
Messiaen
the
as
piece
of time.
Midnight
Four o'clock in the Morning
Dawn Chorus
Morning Songs
Noon
lead
andorchestralensemble
Thereis anoverridingarchform.Alternatingpianocadenzas
from
is
Robcrt
following
in
The
table
dawn
adaptation
tutti.
an
chorus
up to thegrand
Oiscaux,
des
Rived
basic
interpretation
using
structureof
SherlawJohnson's
of the
than
timings9:
rather
points
rehearsal
i1
16-17
Cadenza:Robin
28-29
Cadenza:Black-cap
7-16
Earlv Morning
6-7
Cadenza:Whitethroat
29-34
I-Ite Morning
34-35
Cadenza:Blick-bird
3-6
Early Morning
3542
Late Morning
Oý2
Cadenza:Nightingales
42-End
Cadenza
Fading
175
There are two profoundsilencesin the work: the first occursafter the dawn chorus,while
before
immediately
the secondappears
noon. The importancethat the composerattributes
to birdsongis nowheremoreapparentthan in the list printed at the headof the score,
in
birds
birds
The
in
the
the
thirty-eight
music.
used
are
catalogued
all
gives
ordcr
which
different
in
five
languages.
listed
their
names
of appearance,and
At this point, Messiaenhasbecomemuchmore methodicalin the score.Most phrascsare
labelledwith the species'name,althoughoc.-asionallyMessiaenlabelsa phrasesimply,
'thrush', without statingwhetherit is a 'song thrush' or a 'rnistle thrush'. Certainphrases
for
the
sound:
suggested
example,on
are also providedwith onomatopoeicexamplesof
in
hand
(played
first
the
the
the
second
right
nightingale
score,
the
piano part) has
pageof
is
'tikotikotiko'.
These
70'alternator
fortissimo,
which
also
subtitled
major
examPlesgive
a
idea
bird
in
instrumentalists
the
the
the
this
case
pianist
an
way
of
vocalises.
the
-
At the time of writing, Messiaensaidthat he wasvery proud of the accuracyof eachbird's
He
transposed
that
the
song
was
Proportionally,
every
claimed
end result
vocalisation.
being,thateachinstrument
a closeapproximation
chosenshouldrepresent
of a certain
birdsong,while remainingsafelywithin its range.Furthermore,the characteristic
in
is
in
birdsong
interval
the
expanded
order to conform with
structureof
vrild
microtonal
frequent
impression
the
the
while
tempered
often
gives
system,
of
grace
notes
use
the
of
less
intervals
is
focused
Since
than
this
a
sernitone.
so
closely
on the
work
and
glissandi
depictionof a Frenchforest andits birdsong,it achievesgreaterrealism,in certain
176
but
Exotiques;
Oiseaux
later
the
to
suit a
with
all
compronýses
than
the
made
respects,
interpretative
is
inevitably
duration,
than purely realistic.
the
more
piece
twenty minute
Respighi's 'The Pinesof Rome'usesan actualrecordingof a nightingale'ssong:this was
in
had
Messiaen
that
mind.
the
of
realism
sort
not
in
The
birds.
the
are
cadenzas
written
of
piano's
majority
The piano representsmany
birdsong
instances
i.
being
than
more
one
s
where
octaves, with the exceptionof certain
is
but
is
latter
superimposed
song
the
In
one
monophonic,
upon
still
song
this
case,
played.
is
distinct
has
and
often
characteristics,
one
and
rhythrnic
melodic
another: eachsong
Sherlaw
Robert
Johnson
There
two
which
examples
the
are
played more softly than other.
inflection
harmonic
in
birdsong
this
being
added
with
the only usesof
( 1995) citesas
harmonised
homorhythmic
harsh
is
first
chords
and
climacus
crackling
cells
the
the
piece:
its
is
delicate
high.
b141
the
[p58,
the
serin,
with
second
and
s3,
of the carrion crow
bl].
It
be
homorhythmic)
(also
sl,
could
that
p57,
argued
complexes
chordal
pitched
In
before
be
the
the
to
this
same
part
of
ffirther
work,
to
pair.
added
examples
there are
(A,
D,
Ab,
Db)
in
the
chord
same
the
groupsof
final
repeats
pianocadenza, starling
the
homorhythmic
the
cries
of
nuthatchrepeatanother
the
similarly
twos,
and
threesand
the
Bb),
A,
addition
of
separate
F,
chordal
with
(C,
and
rhythms
varied
using
chord
blue
in
In
tit
the
jp57,
also
the
are
represented
and
s5l. addition, greenfinch
complexes
hand
left
in
having
fourths
former
the
the
part,
giving
piano
the
open
chord clusters,
[pS6,
'pi-pe-rr6-re'
b3-4].
Furthermore,
the
s2,
exclamationsof
impressionof a glissando
in
bl-21
dawn
ionic
(UU-),
fpl2,
the
preceding
an
s2,
minor metre
the songthrush
177
by
in
lightly
the
trumpet
cor
anglais,
clarinet
octaves
and
played
are
and
chorus,
lex
VII/7a,
b,
by
d,
the
strings
on
chords
elaborate
c,
el.
accompanied
Rgved des Oiseauxopenswith a piano cadeaza,in altissimo,representingthe songof the
is
follows:
form
basic
The
this
cadenza
of
as
nightingale.
I I' nightingale'ssong(octaves)
2 Counterpoint:2nd& Yd nightingales(short phrases)
(two-voicedhomorhythmic)
3 1' nightingale'ssong(octaves)
frequently.
G#
The
R
in
features
first
the
occur
grace
note
and
In the
appear
several
part,
formula
fine,
iambic
but
four
the
third
this
this
recurs
on
on
occasionthe
of
a group
A
Ab
is
D,
A
The
is
the
the
and
are
anchor
points:
natural
notes
usefulto the
tritone used.
interval
it
tritone
the
andproducesan atonal effectwith the
composer,as splitsup
following Ab. The referencepoint F# appearsfrequentlyin the first passagein the
that, by this stageof Messiaen'scareer,are
gmachine-gun'repetitivedemiserniquavers
definitely associatedwith his depictionof the nightingale.Amongstintermittent'machine(Ab-G),
D-Ab-A
(often
flourish
7th
the
motive
as
a
short
alternators
gun' effectsaremajor
length
The
is
of
each
notes.
phrase
slightly varied.
to end a phrase)andnumerousgrace
begins
(figwe
1)
with the secondnightingale.The secondand
The counterpointsection
in
both
have
they
the
of
a
conversation:
each
other
with
manner
overlap
third nightingales
178
long and short breaks(rests),giving the counterpointa varied fluidity. The third
its
by
dotted
from
beats
is
the
that slo%v
use
of
semiquavcr
second
nightingale separated
F
frequently
Bb.
Both
havegrace
down
the
the
and
natural
the music
parts
andaccentuate
G
'tikotikotiko'
Ab
The
the
natural
with
and
sonority.
an
on
sccond
alternators
and
notes
first,
is
in
dramatic
the
there
the
as
when
suddenly
vein
same
a
continues
unison passage
from
birds:
little
(solo
figure
At
3,
the
separate
there
owl
passages
short
are
violin)
pause.
70'
based
(piano)
has
tritone,
the
the
and
major
three
on
wryneck
cells
scandicus
a
sings
harmonic ostinatopatternfinishingwith two staccatochordsin the bass,and the little
from
Cetti's
by
followed
(Eb
the
short
phrase
a
warbler
clarinct).
reappears,
owl's motive
high
in
that
(piccolo)
twos. The
pitches
grouped
are
Next, the woodlark
playsextremely
found
later
in
in
is
the
the
that
to
chiffchaff
piece
of
and
sinilar
woodlark's sonority very
Te Loriot' from Catalogued'Oiseaux. I'Le Loriot' p8l. The ensuingfew barsintroduce
blackbirds
4,
three
(played
first
blackbird
the
where
celeste),
until
sing,
on
the
Birdsong
is
by
trills.
tam-tams
continuous
playing
and
gradually
accompanied strings
introducedto the polyphonictexture:eachsonghasentirelyuniquequalities.Often the
the
the
chiffchaff
and
use
exactly
that
woodlark
samerhythmsand
represent
calls
short
in
VII/8
is
bl-3.
the
The
as
shown
xylophone,
ex
on
played
p4,
chiffchaff
sI,
pitches.
Thewoodlarkis verysirnilar,andgivestheeffectof anansweringcallto thechiffchaff
Meanwhile,the little owl continuesits scandicuscells(derniserniquaver-derniscrniquaver.
its
has
highest
The
the
middle
note
as
motive
slurred
each
point.
robin's sons
scmiquaver):
(playedon the piano)consistsof an Eb andthreeA naturals,two B's, a flourish, a C#-G
'anchor'
flourish.
A
Ilie
grace
notes
and
a
point,
concluding
chordal
natural
alternator,
179
rhythmic
motive of the songthrushis striking andwell-defined: the three anapaesticcells
(6-di-di)
are followed by the 'tioto, tioto, tioto tou-hitte' figUration f previous ex V1117c].
At figure 5, the threeblackbirdsseemto be competingwith one another,while the second
violins, violas and cellos,cymbalsandtam-tamsaccompanywith atmosphericpianissimo
is
This
trio
the
reminiscentof the heterophonic
trills, representing nightjar.
polyphonic
de
la
Conversation
Intirieure'
from
in
'Antienne
Trois
the
of
section
second
counterpoint
Petites Liturgies de La PrisenceDivine. It is not madequite clearwhy thesesongsare
bustling
leaves
Perhaps
by
the
the
trills
clusters
represent
or even
strings.
on
accompanied
birds in the distance,althoughthe most plausiblereasonfor this scoringis to counter.
balance the high-pitchedsonoritieswith a warmer,lower texture. It is, however,rather
difficult to believethat Messiaenis attemptingto depict a singlenightjar with these
chordal trills.
The whitethroat's song,at figure 6, is playedin octavesby the piano.Each phrasebegins
high
Bb
'anchor'
Bb.
This
the
standsout of the texture
point
strong
extremely
with
Every
Bb's.
begin
(a
the
phrase
phrases
certain
vAth
repeated
song:
numberof
throughout
first
few
indeed,
least
begins
between
the
one suchnote;
phrases
with at
rests)
notes
include threeBb's, while the later barsincorporategroupsof two. Within phrases,most
is
Bb.
The
9h
(or
begin
a very common
a
minor
octave)
augmented
writh
subsetsalso
feature: the intervalbetweenthe A naturalandBb is frequent;but, on manyoccasions,tlis
interval is interruptedby an E naturalwhich forms the motive Bb-E-A [seep6, s2, b4j.
The songmaybe brokenup into ninephrasesasfoflows lei VII/91:
ISO
Phrase
1
2
No. of opening Bb's
3
3
Pitches and Characteristics
G, C, F4
Bb, E,
_A,
Bb, E, A, G, C, F#, A, Bb
3
4
Bb, E, A, Eb (double-iamb)
4-
II
51
6
7
1
2
2
9
9-
2
I2
Bb, B, A(.x2),Eb, F#, F
Bb, B, A(x2),E, C#, B, A+ interruption call
Bb, A, F# GA Bb E Eb (2 semiquavers+-3 dactyls)
Bb, A, Bb, A, interruption caUusing an addedvalue
(2 anapaests,gracenotes+ cretic)
Bb, A, Bb (A, G, Eb)
Bb, long phrase- includingthe samenotes+ Db +
interruption call
As is immediatelynoticeable,the first two phrasesare almostidentical, the second
finishing with a final A andBb. Many of the phrasesare closelyrelated:this gives the
derived
from
improvisatory
coherence
retaining
a
while
certain reference
quality,
music an
is
(Bb)
The
by
Bb.
taken
the
the
note
or
anchor
pivotal
point
over
notes, most notably
by
first
7,
figure
The
the
to
raised
and
chaffinch
aB
natural.
at
chaffinch
second
'syncopated'durationsof the first chaffinchare alsoplayedat II by the first clarinct,
in
longer
the
pitches
are
repeated
played
rhythmswhich give
representing nightingale:
however,
if
busy
faster
durations
tocture;
the
to
at
any
point
an
otherwise
of a
stability
durations
help
longer
From
figures
to
the
the
7-9, the
vary
pulse.
monotonous,
are
passage
Messiaen
introduce
by
texture.
this
sparse
creates
a
effect
representing
two chaffinches
before
The
is
in
bird
succeeds.
another
song
short
snippets
effect
of a short
call
one
(in
distance),
between
the
two
cuckoo
chaffinches,
a
great spotted
conversation
be
These
familiar
Messiaen
listcncr
to
the
short
calls
a
nightingale.
will
and
woodpecker
0
for
is
but
tritone
alternator,
example,
one of Messiacn'snightingalemotifs
the ubiquitous
lead-up
beginning
The
Dawn
Chorusrnaybe
to
the
the
in an extensive
of
vocabulary.
follows:
simplifiedas
181
Figure
9
10
II
12
13
14
15
Information
blackbird
counterpoint
whitethroatand
(extensive
song).
robin
nightingale,
robin - extensivecontinuoussongwith celesteeffects
(and
fl
timbral effects)
cl
and
nightingaleimýitativemelodiouswarbler sings
five-parthomorhythraiccall of hoopoe,counterpointrobin (3/4-voiccd
polyphonic),two dunnocks,and severalsparrows
'pi-pe-rre-re'
thrush
song
authoritativechordal ID
The introductionto the Dawn Chorusis strikingly confident,using the high anchorpoints
E natural andthe lower F natural.The robin redbreastis representedin octavesby the
intermittent
is
bar
lines:
There
the
serniquaver
music mostlycontinuous,with
areno
piano.
is
by
The
The
the
this
created
partly
repeated
pitchcs.
song
authority
of
immense
rests.
fast tempo givesonethe impressionthat thereis no hesitationand, therefore,the robin is
in
is,
he
Circadian
he
this
the
timenew
period
singing,
as
presenting,
proud of what is
fbHows,
dividing
from
be
The
each
cadenza
as
phrase
may
categorised
one
robin's
scale.
VIIU10[ex
to
p14].
another
rest
Phrase Groups
4,116
1
3
2
4,1113,6
Ifi, 1,1
2ý31,1,5,
4
3jlt5,1,3,1,1,8
374v6t4vlt5,,
5
6
_
7
_
9ý
9
2,2,3
6,1,2,2,4,4,3,1
5,,3?1j3j.1,4,
)1,4,1,5,1,5,1,2
4,2
51.4,5,2?
Characteristics
E anchor,maj
_7'
porrectus
E andF anchors+ alternator
E anchor,aug octave+ interruptioncall
E
anapaest,cfimacus anchor,alternator,
dotted senýquavers,
machine-guneffect
double-i=b,, tribach
double-iamb
Ws and G#'s, repeatedE andD's
Ionizergroups
182
One can quite easilyseethat manyof the longer groups are divided by a solitary staccato
semiquaver:thesetake the placeof, or add variety to, the manyinterruption calls and
had
been
break
the
predominant
musical
to
material
serving
which
previously
notes
grace
up continuousnote values.
The blackbird,representedby the first violin, joins the texture at figure 17. The violin
is
This
to
the
particularlyexpressiveand creativecomparedto
world.
sound
gives contrast
first
displayed
figure
4:
blackbirds"
the
on the celeste,and the
three
was
the
songsat
blackbird
has
Although
the
third
the
two
slurredand
pianostaves.
secondandthird on
different
figure
is
in
Perhaps
17,
its
style.
at
a
quite
counterpart,
staccatomotives,
Messiaenis introducinga greaterfluidity as opposedto the more tentative,uneasysongs
before;
however,
first,
At
tentative
the
sound
as
as
phrases
cach
and calls of midnight.
between
loudly
is
the
excl=atory and the softly
phrase meticulouslymarked,alternating
is
different
2)
(phrase
from
The
the
of
violin
very
that of the
staccato
sound
exploratory.
in
found
incidentally,
be
Phrase
the violin part of the first
three,
almost
exactly
can
piano.
Quatuor
its
du
Pour
la
Fbi
Temps
Phrase
4
the
scandicus
motive.
of
with
movement
displaysa glissandoeffect,which possiblymimicsthe chatteringat the endof many
blackbirds'songsin thewild.
At 18, anotherblackbirdand robin now appearcreatinga quartet,with the pianistplaying
Occasionally,
derniserniquavers.
in
added
grace
note
or
emerge
values
notes
continuous
the robin's song,but the anchorpointsE, R and G# and the tritone relationsMpshold it
183
together. The pianois extremelyimportant:it imposesa unity on the music at this point,
both rhythmically- dueto the simplecontinuoussemiquavers- and in terms of pitch, with
In
its many reference/anchor
points. addition,the song of the golden oriole (after fig 20)
horns
it
like
(four
times
the
the
on
and
cellos:
theme
several
strings
recurs
a
cyclic
as
acts
dense
harmonic
its
distinctively
The
four
&
to
sound.
add
calls of
violas)
second violins
.
(seconds
the
trumpet,
and
thrush,
strings
violas)
and
wood%ind,
the song
playedon
also
0
Chorus
Dawn
This
the
the
throughout
section
and
whole
piece.
regularly
occur
demisemiquavercanapaestic'rhythm is normallysemiquaver-semiquaver-quaver
or
but
hoopoe,
in
the
derniserniquaver-semiquaver,
the
without the additionalgrace
cry
of
as
it
is
The
the
201.
figure
[see
14
the
same
rhythm:
exactly
of
uses
oriole
song
and
notes
dense,
harmonic
this
but
the
trumpet
accents
rhythm with
second
rather
while
and
quiet
hear
down
Bb
listener
interval
[p191Intermittently,
E
to
the
the
tritone
might
the
is
bird
in
the
the
the
great
of
of
a
spotted
effect
semiquavers
woodpecker,
sextuplet
distanceamongstlouder, higherandmore obtrusivebirds singingat peaktime. In fact,
lost
in
if
here
birds'
the
texture:
are
yet, one or two were
sounds
overall polyphonic
many
be
bird
Moreover,
is
hcard
the
changed
quite
would
every
sound
considerably.
missing
brought
higher
the
throughout
piece
times
as
certain
are
pitches
phrases
or
out of
several
intervals.
Messiaen
he
has
the
texture
stage
where
marksall
at regular
not yet reached
the
(equivalent
that
out,
to the Hauptstinune/'chiefvoice' and
stand
should
the phrases
in
Nebenstimme/'under
markings
voice'
a serialcomposition),but manyimportant
forte.
momentsare marked
184
The fourth bar of figure 20 displaysthe songof the chiffchafr. The first bar consistsor BbA-Bb and Ab, if the gracenotesare excluded.The use of grace notesand high-pitched
depiction
in
Catalogue
identical
is
the
to
the
composer's
of
chiffchaff
semitones almost
dlOiseazix. In this version,however,restsare included.MessiaenaccuratelYportraysthe
densely-scored
More
decidedly
chords,producing cascadesof
song.
restricted
chiffichafrs
den
(hom
in
2)
found
the
the
section,
while
gol
oriole
string
plays
numerous
are
colour,
0
is
held
The
by
flexus
together
the
polyphony
occasional
shapes.
melodic
porrectus
dense
horns
the
the
and
chords.
and
strings
on
rhythms
anapaestic
labelled
birds
figure
fifth
21:
fourth
the
bars
are
all of
already
of
and
The busiest
are the
forte
is
interesting
It
higher
is
that
there
of
markings.
proportion
time,
a
this
and
singing at
invented
in
(divisi)
but
incorporate
the
chords
strings
with a
to
complex
Messiaenchooses
is
At the
The
dynamic.
than
subtle
and
obtrusive.
strikingly
rich
rather
effect
pianissimo
(14)
(1
figure
22,
bar
the
play
second
violins
and
violas
complex
third
the
of
-4)
of
end
is
follows:
bottom,
G#,
A#,
B#,
From
the
VH/111.
the
[ex
chord
as
chordal complexes
form
"gfissandos'
to
G.
This
E,
then
D,
a chordalcomplexalmost
Bb,
chord
D#;, F#, Mow
divisi
that
The
2.
consist
of
separate
partsthat
complexchords
built from mode
forming
down)
that
the
(up
complement
chordal
sonorities
exciting
or
rnove step-by-step
features
instruments.
harmony
here
The
the
many
other
linear horizontalmovementof all
includes
intervals
instance,
for
A-D
bar
22),
(fourth
first
the
The
fourths.
of
chord
perfect
(5-8)
B-E
Bb-Eb.
(5-8),
the
violas
play
and
the
Ab-Db
second
violins
while
on
played
and
distinctive
'quartal'
the
by
although
sound
chords,
This is followed a sequenceof shnilarly
between
fourths
intervals
by
is
two
the
pairs
of
reduced
partly
of
chords
such
of
quality
185
being tritones [see4" bar of rig 221.Hannoniesbuilt on fourths are also found in the calls
is
based
(p
four
19),
chord
where
each
the
oriole
golden
on
setsof perfect fourths I ex
of
NrIl/12a, b]. The characteristicsonority of the violin and viola parts is createdby blocks of
in
thus:
two
groups,
arranged
sound
.
nd
2'd violins 1-4
2 violins 5-8
violas 5-8
violas 1-4
four
in
below.
however,
first
staves
as
set
out
shown
The
are
vioas,
II violins 1& 2
robin
demisemiquavers,
occasionaladdednote values
11 violins 3&4
blackbird
complexand varied song
11 violins 5&6
chaffinch
syncopatedB's, long B trills, flourish
I' vioHns7&8
chiffchaff
semiquaver+ semiquaverrest, serritones
[4'h bar of rig 221
Chinese
blocks
high-pitched
and
snares
The
give the overall sounda
celeste,xylophone,
has
high
listener
The
that
the
such
a
metallic
resonance
celeste
often feels
tingling quality.
beyond
The
flute
far
piccolo
reach.
and
contributeto this combined
that the pitchesare
dawn
Each
to
instrument
the
the
overall
collage
quality
of
chorus.
silvery
a
adding
effect,
birdsongs
become
fhantic,
in
the
the
some
of
vein:
more
same
while otherstake
continues
0
in
fourth
bar
For
23,
(5-8)
the
the
example,
less
of
second
role.
violins
and
prominent
a
into
two
(5-8)
split
each
groups
playinggracenoteswith semiquams
predominate,
violas
186
JP291.
found
just
is
before
its
dawn
the
chorus
completion(p4 1). At this
The secondclimaxof
basses
2"d
double
the
around
revolving
aD
semiquavers
natural,
the
play
point,
fourths,
based
2d
(5-8)
the
violins/violas
on
perfect
play modal
chords
play
violins/violas
first
in
the
their
while
violins
are
all
playing
specific
syncopation,
complexes
chordal
has
At
[see
break
time,
the
the
same
woodblock
relentless
p4l].
a
rnotivesurithout
instruments
bassoons
the
triplet
the
chords,
while
all
other
are
and
sextuplet semiquavers
ff.
playing
introducing
in
texture,
Messiaen
the
the morning
figure
28,
a
pause
creates
Suddenly at
in
than
The
the
its
two
much
shorter
a
cadenza
previous
plays
piano
songs.
- which
and
is
less
The
is
than
blackcap
previouscadenzas:there are
song
regimented
portrayed.
the
is
increased
by
flourish
the
tempo
moments
where
and
a
markings
rnany rallentando
first
dove
When
thrush
turtle
the
jp42,
the
song
and
appear,
three
whitethroat,
s3].
ending
latter's
harsh
flutter.
imitate
the
three-part
the
song
with
a
sounds
of
flutes creatively
bars
before
be
found
in
figure
30
this
the
two
A
of
can
version
tongue effect. gentler
by
Messiaen
is
has
dove
trills.
three-part
obviously
turtle
represented
where the second
has
bird's
be
by
to
this
song/call
created
particular
of
more
the
sonority
found that
guttural
blur
The
that
the
actual
pitches.
polyphonic
time,
effects
and
with
a
at
note
one
than
The
are
effects
muchmore noticeable
aforementioned
sparse.
this
is
point
at
texture
liveliness
The
the
of
Messiaen's
whitethroat's songat
of
orchestration.
choice
becauseof
interval
leaps,
by
the
the
the
is
the
sound
celeste,
of
particular
phrases
time
produced
this
187
dance-like
high
the
many
and
grace notes that are includedat certain
pitches,
ending on
Cetti's
lark
little
32,
At
thrush,
the
warbler,
wood
and
owl join in as beforc,
moments.
beginning
features
the
the
as
at
samemotivic
of the work (midnight to 2 am). Two
using
blackbirds andtwo robinsaddto the texture,until yet anotherbreak at 34 for the
blackbird's cadenza.The blackbird'scadenzamay be broken up into twenty-two phrases
jp51j.
Each
in
be
the
example
musical
attached
phrase
may categorisedas
as shown
follows [ex VW131: -
10
Phrase Characteristics
No.
G,
2
C#'s
high-pitched
repeated
1
quasi-altemator,
4-notegroup, singleC# andhiSh-pitchedanchor G
2
I
high
E,
A),
Ab,
(Ab,
D,
U,
5-note
single
3
porrectus'
group
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
-To
21
22
(as
scandicus triplet), porrectus
4-note group (same pitches as3), single G, porrectus flexus
7-note group: double Ab's, grace note, triplet, 6-note group, single C#
3-note group, triplet, single G, repeated Ab's, triplet, porrectus flexus
2 dotted quavers (Spondee)
high
G
D-C#,,
and staccato Ab, ending with 2G anchors
alternator
2-gro p, cretic, short flourish ending with_2 re2eated G anchors
G
flexus,
3repeated
anchors with grace note
porrectus
7-note set (note of 3), 5, single C9, alternator, 2 tribachic cells, climar-us
flourish
.
s,
resu
Bb-Ab set, grace notes E anchor
2 repeated G's
3-note flourish, single Ab
5 single quavers
2 flourishes ending with anchor G
dactyl
3-note ascendingset, preceding grace notes,high G
4-note ascendingflourish, porrectus, grace notes + trochee
5-noteset, singleAb, 3 G's (+l Ab)
flourish,singleBb andflourish,singleC#
,
188
The whole of this cadenzais basedaroundthe notesAb, D, E, Ab and A naturalwith the
demisen-ýiquavers
C#.
The
G
groups
of
many
revolvearoundthe
anchor points naturaland
is
improvisatory
by
the
thesepitches
quality
produced
five aforementionednotesC#
G
break
The
the
and
points
natural
anchor
rapid
groups
using a
regularly.
so
occurring
including
a
rest
usually
or
a
staccato
two
marking
signifýing
pitches,
a
repeated
or
quaver
included
in
demiserniquaver
In
these
the
in
points
are
reference
the
break
song. addition,
blackbird
in the
flourishes
the
the
The
chattering
ubiquitous
signify
ending
of
may
groups.
is
is
found
in
limited
chosen,
Although
pitches
variety
of
articulation,
number
a
vAld.
is
It
that
length
climacus
resupinus
and
porrectus
also
noticeable
of
phrase.
and
rhythm
birdsong
to
used
conclude
phrases.
flexus melodicshapesarepredominantly
followed
blackbird,
by
together,
35,
figure
chaffinch
and
magpiejoin
shortly
the
wren,
At
later,
blackbirds
two
further
As
garden
warblers
and
and,
a
willow
warbler.
two
a robin,
listener
this
the
drops
reacquaints
exchange
bird
the
enters:
with
many
another
of
out,
one
in the dawnchorus.The superimpositionof variousbirdsongssuddenly
found
sonorities
birds
between
into
species:
several
many
sing
a
small
section
of
convetsation
a
changes
This
lasts
before
its
has
to
in
species.
another
pattern
giving
way
say
each
which
music,
discrete
figure
In
42.
this
final
section,
several
occurrences
at
of
cadenza
the
piano
until
follows:
in
harmony.
They
are
as
birdsong arerepresented
189
( I) green woodpeckerjp56, s1, b21
(2) green finch jp56, s2, b3l
(3) blue tit [p56, s2, b4l
(4) $erin jp57, sl, b1l
(5) nuthatch [p57, s5, bl]
(6) starling [p58, sI, b2l
12
(7) carrion crow [p58, s3, b141
(8) great spottedwoodpecker[p58, s3, b5l
All of the harmonyin the abovemusicis written in block chords(homorhythmic).For
instance, the greenwoodpecker'sharshlaughis createdby four simpledemisemiquavers
finch
displays
The
the closestequivalentto a gUssando
green
the
augmentedoctave.
using
The
this
slurred
marking
creates
a
piano.
on
specialcolourful soundcffect
possible
effect
hand
left
fourths
in
tone
in
the
and
and
sernitone
clusters
the right. The latter
perfect
using
blue
by
is
tit,
the
the
only
continuous
staccatoserniquavcrsproduce
employed
also
effect
Rhythmically,
the
features
the
serin
uses
quality.
many
of
whimsical
same
aimost
an
as are
found in the pianocadenzas.Groupsof demisen-ýiquavers
are played,brokenup by single
built
Chordal
lengths.
intervals:
complexes
alternate
with
chords
on
wider
these
note
between
the
tritone,
the Bb andE natural.The
intervalsare centredon
specifically
(A,
D,
Ab,
in
Bb)
however,
bursts
only
one
chord
sings
short
of twos andthrees.
starling,
190
-Noon is representedby the final pianocadenza.First, the redstart appearsVvithan F
in
F#
this
the
of
notes,
note
and
every
group
often breakingup the line. At figure
inatural
43, there is an extensiveduetbetweenblackbird and roýin using motives from the
introduction of the dawnchorus,but herein counterpoint.A first and secondchaffinch
bring
blackbird
A
to
the
a
close.
great spottedwoodpecker'ssextupletis
piece
a
vvith
]heard,,followed by a solitarycuckooin the distance.
It is interestingthat the pianocadenzasall work accordingto the sameprinciples.
Continuous semiquaveror denfisen-ýiquavers
are often brokenup by flourishes,conunon
(usually
If
is
the
staccato
a
attack),
with
grace
notes
or
rests.
points
piano
not
reference
in
between
birds
typically,
then,
begins.In this
a
simple
two
counterpoint
octaves
playing
limitations
the
of the pianoare evident,althoughthe glissandoeffectscan be
work,
its
In
by
in
the
slurs.
and
cadenzas,
clusters
chord
piano
acts
part as a structural
simulated
for
listener
in
does
the
points
a
piece
reference
which
providing
not rely on
agent,
form.
These
tonality
pianocadenzasalso changethe mood and create
or
traditional
in
Circadian
before
the
time-scale.The overriding arch form may
new periods
interludes
has
become
this
help
to
piece,
especially
as
one
comprehend
audience
an
so
also
Messiaen's
birds.
being
Harmonies
to
to
the
represent
used
piano
are
accustomed
has,
by
in
Nfessiaens
timbres,
this
counterpoint
to
while
specific
create
stage
employed
development,becomethe norm in bird ensembles.
191
listener
feature
kind
the
is
to
the
A,
enables
which
grasp
some
of
piece
of
structure
nother
-,
in
birdsong
fact
the
that
parts
of
various
work using very similar rhythmic
appears
ltlie
Moreover, particular birdsongsare often
the
same
pitches.
around
and
evolving
jpatterns
identify
is
listener
A
instrumentation.
to
the sonoritiesof a birdsongby
able
specific
_given
by
its
instrument(s)
designated
as
motivic characteristics.Sectionsare also
asmuch
its
jjnified:
birdsongs
For
calls
are
or
sometimes
associated.
of
example,the
certaingroups
followed
is
immediately
by
figure
4,
bars
before
a wood lark and blackbird.
little owl, ten
in
'un
32,
birds
the
section
together
peu
vif'
of
with the addition in
-fhese same
are put
does
duplicate
but
Messiaen
1p,
461.
instance
not
exactly,
the
short
nightingale
of
-this
intervals.
it
is
Yet
'r6le
de
birds'
in
the
at
regular
the
songs
rnotivic cells areused
diamentation'/'diamond-studdedrole' of the piano cadenzathat makessenseof the whole
for
decoration.
is
longer
focuses
form".
Birdsong
this
used
no
piece
only on
-work's arch
imagined
by
Messiaen.
forest
French
as
this
particular
the songsof
OiseauxF.rotiques -*
for
by
Pierre
Boulez
Tornaine
Musical'
the
Exotiques
oiseaur
commissioned
series
was
The
between
Marigny.
October
Th6itre
5'h
composed
Petit
piece
was
the
at
of concerts
d
,,,
1955 andJanuary2)
1956,andfirst performedon March IOh 19S6.Yvonne Loriod
playedthe piano.
but
it
demonstrates
for
is
E-koliques
and
orchestra,
piano
Oiseaux
a numberof
also a piece
instrumentation
is
less
in
The
its
from
than
the
of
choice
varied
predecessor.
changes
192
earlier
in
but
the
there
orchestra,
strings
work:
manyunpitchedpercussion
areno
ixistrurnents are included.It is theselatter instrumentsthat evoke more innovative
birdsong.
Perhaps
the
trying
to avoid any suggestionof the
composer
was
of
onorities
!;
interpretation
birdsong,
in
this
tradition
of
where the only non-birdsong
syrnphonic
.
found
is
Greek
in
Ilindu
On
hand,
the
the
the
of
use
and
score
rhythms.
other
the
rnaterial
due
be
fact
'exotic'
birds,
to
the
that
for
the
timbres
these
may
solely
of
strings
of
absence
r, lessiaen, do not lend themselvesto stringedinstruments.The instrumentschosenare as
follows:
flute,
(in
I
Eb),
I
I
2
I
(in
Bb),
bass
I
oboe,
clarinet
piccolo,
clarinets
clarinet
,woodwind:
(in Bb), I bassoon
(in
horns
(in
F),
I
2
trumpet
brass:
pitched percussion:glockenspiel,xylophone
piano solo
blocks,
block,
drum,
3
3
temple
wood
side
percussion:
gongs,tam-tam
Unpitched
in the prefaceto the score,Messiaenprovidesa plan showingthe position of the
instrumentsfor a concertperformance[ex VII/141. This plan is divided into separate
The
blocks.
block.
Uke,
dividing
compositional
processes
are
often
equally
the
orchestral
far
left
To
into
the
the
the
these
of
conductor
are
groups.
unpitchedpercussion,
njusic
the
the
pianoandxylophoneare either sideof the
woodwind;
are
ahead
straight
front.
The
Bb
the
the
also
at
clarinets
with
clarinet,piano andxylophoneare
conductor,
193
intended
front
important
to
they
the
the
are
play
as
most
also positionedat
r6les in the
longer
Messiaen
has
describesthe
The
two
three
and
cadenzas
short
ones:
piano
piece.
in
Rived
des
Oi.
The
like
the
of
piano
use
vealixwas
a pianoconcerto.
piece as
here
in
has
harmonies
the
octaves,
whereas
piano
and
many
predorninantlý monophonic
built from complexinventedchords;there are also resonanceeffects,many supcrimposcd
in
Bb
The
lines
the
a
chief
clarinets
play
part
centraltutti,
counterpoints.
and
solo
is
instrument.
The
America
also
used
as
a
solo
xylophone
robin.
representingthe
However, in the preface,Messiaenstatesthat eachand every instrumentshouldbe
is
displays
itself
the
there
of
soloistic
role
each
part,
as
only one
audible: the orchestration
This
Bb
two
the
select
clarinets.
the
instrument to a part, with
exceptionof
instrumentationlooks like a smallchamberorchestraon the podium. The positioningof
balancing
for
is
the
instruments
of all the complexsonorities.In
conductor's
essential
the
Messiaen
the
timbres
that
and
colourations;
of
aU
to
order createan approximation
intends, the composerhelpsthe interpreterwith numerousmarkingsin the score.The
difference
but,
to
the
(for
tremendous
sound
quality,
the
a
make
more
piano)
pedal parts
dynamic
birdsong
the
and
meticulous
marldngshelp the
importantly, the characterof each
balance.
Furthermore,
footnotes
the
many
conductor to createthe correctacoustic
Each
has
be
new
to
phrase
anattached
emphasised.
describetheelements
thatneed
is
the
dynamic,while the articulationof
notes alwaysspecified.In addition,the tempo
free
birdsong
frequent
that
especially
the
seems
and
unregimcntcd.
so
are
changes
MessiaendescribesOisemixErotiques as a work that containsonly birdsong.In fact,
in
be
described
thisway.in the
Rived desOiseauxis theonlywork of Messiaen
whichcan
194
later work, the composerlinks non-pitchedpercussionwith woodvAnd,xylophone,brass,
based
Hindu
the
constituting
a
strophic
percussion
support
piano,
and
on
glockenspiel
feet.
The
(strophic
Greek
form)
is
unpitched
percussion
metric
and
rhythms, verses
fact, the music is generallycreatedby
birdsong.
In
from
independently
the
realised
juxtaposing blocksof materialsand occasionallysuperimposingthem on one another.The
fonn is effectivedueto the balanceof similaritiesand contrasts.
has
from
here
fruition.
the
to
around
world
come
research
Messiaen's own ornithological
'unrealistic'
labelled
immediately
be
as so many compositionalprocesses
The work may
birdsong;
homogenisation
to
the
in
been
nevertheless,
to
prominence
have
used order give
diverse
from
birdsongs
countries
creates
such
an
evocative
andvaried
exotic
many
so
of
collage.
here,
incorporated
birdsongs
the majority of which are taken from
forty-eight
There are
India,
Malaysia,
from
South
America,
China
America,
are
andthe
North
while others
in
fists
the prefaceto the score,putting eachone in its
them
Messiaen
all
Islands.
Canary
Nlessiaen
listener
had
have
the
birds
on
The
that
most
effect
as
a
are
origin.
of
country
importantly,
a short
listed with informationabouttheir colouration,sizeand, most
calls.
or
their
songs
of
characterisation
five
Circadian
tuttis
the
with
piano
solos
time-scale
form
six
The
of the piececomprises
is redundanthereasMessiaenis not attemptingto representa time period. However,the
follows:
into
defined
divided
be
three
sectionsas
piecemay
195
Introduction
Sequence (PianoCadenzasandInstrumentalInterludes-2 long Tuttis)
Coda
A more detailedbreakdownof the form is given below:
SECTION
FIGURES
PAGES
(I) Introduction
1-2
pl-p3
(2) 1' PianoCadenza
3
p4-p5
(3) P Tutti
4
p6-pS
(4) 2d Piano Cadenza
5
ps-P9
(5) 2"Tutfi
6
p9-p12
(6) 3dPiano Cadenza
7
p13
(7) Central Tutd
8-23
p14-p6l
(8) 4uPiano Cadenza
24
p62-p65
(9) Final Tutli
25-30
p66-pS3
(10) Final PianoCadenza
31
p84
(11) Coda
32-end
p85-pS6
Although the maintutti is very complexandincorporatesmanydifferentbirdsongs,the
des
Oiseaux,
Rived
in
help
fewer
listener
they
the
to locatea
as
songs:
use
other sections,
in
fonnal
the pieceas a whole - seebelow:
structure
senseof
196
i[ntroduction: commonmynah,Mmalayanwhite crestedlaughing thrush (ppl-3)
I" Cadenza: commonmynah,red-billedmesia,American wood thrush,veery (pp4-5)
I' Tutti: leafbird,Baltimoreoriole, red-billedmesia,Califomian thrasher(Pp6-8)
nd Piano Cadenza:cardinal(pp8-9)
-IF Tutti: leafbird,Baltimore
oriole, red-billedmesia,Californian thrasher(pp9-12)
3'dPiano Cadenza:cardinal(p13)
Central Tutti: (ppl4-61)
(i) opening- prairie chicken
(ii) main section- manybirdsongs& rhythmicstrophes
(iii) a) introduction- commonmynahtimbres
b) asbeginningof centraltutti
4'hPiano Cadenza:bobolinkýcatbird (pp62-65)
Final Tutti: rhythmicstrophes,manybirdsongs(pp66-83)
Final Cadenza:wood thrush,cardinal(p84)
Coda: commonmynah,Ifirnalayanwhite crestedlaughingthrush (pp85-86)
It is importantto note that severalof the sectionsare very closely related.Not only do the
first
(such
the
andsecondtuttis) use the samebirdsongsas one
as
smaller sections
instrumentation,
but
they alsoemploysimilar
rhythmic and melodicmotives,to
another,
bird's
the
songs.
representeachof
There is a strikingly consistentuseof GreekandI-findurhythms,playedon the following
in
both
final
instruments,
the
the
central
and
tuttis:
unpitchedpercussion
SideDrum
WoodBlock
Gongs
Tam-Tam
TempleBlocks
197
from
Messiaen
takes
theKarnaticsystemof Indianmusic.In fact, all of the
also
rhythms
fornis,
Hindu
in
the
that
the
their
exception
with
onesaresubjectedto
are
original
rhythms
The exotic rhythms(GreekandHindu)in thispiecearelistedbelow:
dirninution.
OnLu2by-thim-g
system:
(1)Ded-Tilas from the Shamgadeva
Candrakala,
Gajahampa
Caccad,
Dherýd,
Gajalila,
Lakskrrýqa,
prlhgankalna,
(2)KamaticTheory.
Matsya-Tishra,
Atatila-Cundh
Triputa-NEshra,
Matsya-Sankima,
CgeA3jWLbms-
(1) ComposedFeetor Metre: Dactylo-tpitrite
(2) Linesof ComposedMetre: Iamb6l6giac
Phal6cien,
Glyconique,Aristophanien,
(3) LogoaedicLines:Ascl6piad,Saphique,
Ph6r6cratien
is
four
by
(figures
10-22)
framework
Tutti's
Main
provided
rhythmicstrophes.Each
The
in
Greek
I-Endu
format:
in
is
identical
thirteen
the
the
and
rhythms
appear
same
strophe
in
Rythmique'
following
I,
II,
III
IV
'Strophe
four
the
and
times.
are
order
order
198
(Logoaedic)
I Ascl6piade
(Logoaedic)
2 Saphique
Nihgankallia
(Tfilas)
(Logoaedic)
4 Glyconique
3 Adorýque
6 Gajarila
7 Lakskmica(Talas)
Metre)
(Line of Composed
Iamb6legiaque
(Logoaedic)
AristoPhanien
(Kamatic)
10Matsya-Sankima
(TWas)
II Caccan^
14
Groups
I Is
of serrýquavers
12Candrakali(Tilas)
13Dactylo-tptitrite (ComposedFeetor Metre)
diminution)
to gradual/chromatic
(Notethat the Indian rhyflunsaresubjected
instrumentslistedabove.The
Theserhythmsare all playedon theunpitchedpercussion
its
form,
four
the
tutti
series
central
provides
with
rhythmic
successive
of
appearance
birdsongs
throughout.
occur
randoHy
wMe
0
A few of the GreekandHindu rhythmsfoundin the centraltutti recurin the final tutti;
The mostcommon
however,other rhythmsaremostlyemployedin this later ensemble.
hereis thewoodblock,
in thecentraltutti wasgiven
instrument
whereas
eachinstrument
199
equal
weight. In the first section,the woodblock plays the rhythms Dhen)Ci,Gajahampa,
while
returning to Dhenkiin a continuousfashion.The rhythms chosenappearas follows:
(I)
temple blocks: quavernotemotive
drum
trills, gongs
side
Vhenld, Gajahampa,Dhenk!
C31yconiqueandsidedrumtrills
(2) Temple blocks: 3 quavermotive
drum
trills, gongs
side
1Dhenld,Phal6cien,Triputa-Mshra
J)henki, Ph6r6cratien,Matsya-Tishra,Atatila-Cundh
Dhenld (wood block andgongs)+ trills
-trills +3 quavermotive
Both groupsbegin-,vith the templeblock's 'three-quavermotive' and are succeededor
drum.
These
Messiaen's
by
insistent
to
the
trills
patterns
add
side
on
more
preceded
Birdsong,
however,
is
forefront
the
always
motivic
repetition.
of
at
employment
of the
generalensemble.
200
-rhe introduction of the work maybe divided simply,thus:
in
homs
In
glissando
molto cresc. woodwind(2) short interruption call - two derniserniquavers(2cl, b cl, cls, bsn)
(3) piano & glockenspiel grace notes (homorhythmic)
(4) repetition of I
in
by
(descending
seinitone) clannets& bassoon(homorhYthrnic)
(5) syncopatedpitches
(6) piccolos, flute andoboes
(woodwind
brass)
interruption
+
call
and
(7) chordal repeatedpitches
(8) powerful semiquaversof 11imalayanwhite crested laughing thrush, ending with
[see
&p3l
(homorhythmic)
pl
repeated pitches
The first pianocadenzaappearsat figure 3. The commonmynahis represented.
immediately, the listeneris awarethat thereis a greatabundanceof rpetition., more than
for
instance,
however,
first
The
comprises
alternator,
this is
an
in earlier works.
phrase,
The
but
times.
two
complexes
repeated
several
chordal
seven
not two notesrepeated,
Other
in
for
the
this
ending.
cluster
chord
exact
repetitions
gravelling
way
make
chords
(bar
6),
(7
the
triplet
the
chords
and
cluster
grace
notes
and
chords
preceding
are
cadenza
The
bars
flourishes
(bar
12)
four
thirty-one
this
8),
and
others.
many
of
the
sequential
follows
VIEUIS
be
[ex
&
51:
therefore,
simplified
as
pp4
cadenzacan,
201
bar
characteristics
i
mynah: 'chordal alternator', 'low-gravelling' ending
2
2 interruption calls + ascending,homophonic flourish
3
ascendingflourish to high B+ major 7' alte-mator
4
two-part homorhythmic climacus (quasi-glissando15), 4 chords and 'lowgravelling' ending
5
flourish, ascendingflourish, major 7h alternator (homophonic)
6
Cresc. (pp-ff), 8 C-E-B chords with accompanying grace notes"'
7&8
triplet + chord
17
2 spreadchords flourish
"
10
2 harmonised 'quartet calls"" (scandicus)
I
quasi-glissando,grace notes
12
4 sequentialanapaesticcalls (two-voiced homophonic)
ri _3
two-part homophonic flourish: all in major 2'
14
low bass chords
15
two-part homophonic flourish (white/black pitches), 3 widely-spread chords
16
low bassnotes
17
widely-spread chords
18 & 19
triplet + chord (as 7& 8)
20
iamb,
2
iarnbs
3
scandicus
cells,
mesia:
red-billed
21
descendingflourish
22 &23
mynah: triplet + chord (see 7& 8)
202
24*
American wood thrush: 2-part chords & resonanceeffects (hybrid)
(the final flourish is a harmonised porrectus flexus)
25*
final
but
24
repeated chords (B, E, G#, D#, G, A) (hybrid)
with
as
26*
as 25 but 6 repeated chords (hybrid)
27*
like 25 (hybrid)
28*
final
(hybrid)
but
8
24
chords
as
29*
bars
as
previous
samerhythms
30
(5
5
triplet
tribachic cells)
chordal
clusters
of
groups
veery:
31
4 descending chords (left handa scmitone
aboveor below2n6noteof right hand)
[ex VII/151
It seemsthat eachbar of the commonmynah'ssonghasan entirelydistinct quality. Only
bars 7-8, andthe useof the alternator,appearseveraltimesduringthe cadenza.The
Americanwood thrush,however,usesthe samechordalcomplexesandrhythmsin eachof
its exclamatorybars:this is clearlyshownin the abovetableby the asterisk.The second
introduces
American
threerepeated
in
thrush's
song,
bar, the
wood
chordsthatendthe
18
The
bars
26
this
the
extend
with
more
of
same
chord.
and
veery'ssong
phrase,while
triplet demisemiquavers
(fromNorth America)is madeup of repeated
andchords,ordy
five
its
first
is
bar.
last
It
is
left
in
the
that,
the
groups
the
of
of
notable
not
only
changing
from
lower
in
the
away
hand'spitcha sernitone
part the righthand,but also,in eachof the
in
left
hand
below
two
the
the
two
or
notes
the
one
a
senýtone
are
of
groups,
preceding
To
flexusý
in
in
the
principal
the
employ
melodic
shapes,
such
as
porrcctus
right.
notes
innovation.
important
an
harmoniesrepresents
203
The heterophonicfirst tutti (figure 4) usesthe following instruments:
piccolo
flute
oboe
2 clarinets(in Bb)
glockenspiel
xylophone
high-pitched
twittering calls of the lessergreenleafbird from
the
The piccolo represents
19
imalaysia;the 'Chinesewood-block sonorities' of the red-billedmesia(China)are played
lower
Californian
in
is
the
at
and
pitch;
thrasher
altissimo
the
glockenspiel
playedon
on
joyful
Baltimore
by
the
oriole's
songs
are
represented
a
the xylophone;while
flute,
comprising
one
one oboeand two clarinetsin Bb.
hornorhythmicwoodwind quartet
in
block
the
again
woodwind
of this section;only, in
The scandicusmelodicshapeappears
is
harmony
throughout.
instance,
used
this
is
leafbird
lesser
listener
The
hastwo
the
feature
the
green
repeated
pitches.
The main
of
the
several
scandicus
pitches
and
repeated
many
melodiccells of the
reference:
of
points
In fact, the Baltimoreoriole (p6) only hasthe
(Baltimore
block
oriole).
woodwind
following characteristics:iambs[bl], quavernoteswith semiquavers[b2l, slurred
flourish
Both
the
this
semiquaver
quintuplet
a
the
and
at
end
of
section.
cells
scandicusýo
204
Californian
(xylophone)
(glockenspiel)
between
the
thrasher
and
mesia
alternate
red-billed
The
l6ve
loco
pitch.
xylophonealso employsthe scandicusshapewith
at
and
phrasesat
[see
in
its
the
the
while
glockenspiel
p7j,
uses
grace
notes
slurs
everyoneof
and without
bass
bar
bassoon
At
the
this
the
section,
clarinet
and
of
sixth
are addedto the
phrases.
instruments
These
two
only appearwhen the clarinetsare playing,SiNing a
rich
quartet.
depth to the sonority.
The secondpianocadenzais rathershort and extremelyrepetitive.Here, the cardinal(of
Accordingto Messiaen'sprefaze,its call is very shrill, rapid and
Virginia) is represented.
'liquid'. In the musicalscore,the composerasksfor a 'tres vif tempo marking(one
is
However,
100):
1%lessiam
the
to
the
the
song
clear
certainly
speed
of
pianist.
=
crotchet
includesthe expression'conuneun cr6pitementde gouttesd'eau'/'Iike a splutteringof
imagery
is
for
Water
droplet
drops':
the
this
somewhat
vague
pianist.
subjective
water
Celeste
Le
Banquet
(1928).
heard
Perhaps
be
the referenceto
early
as
as
sonoritiescan
&Hquid[ity]'and 'water' is especiallyrelevantto the ascendingslurreddemiserniquavcr
figure
5.
With
durations
bar
fourth
in
tempo
these
so
quick
a
marking,
slurred
the
of
runs
(in two-part chords)mergeinto eachother. Messiaenalso statesthat eachstrophe(or
fragment
harmonic
different
five,
idea)
that
twice,
occurs
melodic
or
a
contains
musical
21
The
times
two
with
accompanying
cadenza
opens
quavers
with
repeated
sevenor nine
.
for
first
'two-part
E
the
setting
an
up
group's
major chord
gracenotes,while clearly
in
in
The
[VEU161.
two parts,
this
strophes,
cadenza,
are
categorised
chordal*alternator'
thus:
203
No. in
Features
Strophe
Part I
E majorchords(+ A# and C gracenotes)
2+ triplet
5
nd
(using
from
2
bi)
E
+
cell
major
major
alternator:
2
two-part rising flourish (major iiýirdsand augmentingto a fourth)
7
two-part rising chordalflourishes- tritones in lower part
2
two-part (atonal)
7
two-part, fourths andfifths in lower part, secondsandthirds in upper
PgZI 2
bar
1
as
2+ triplet
9
b
I)
(extended
bar
2
of
version
as
2
cquartal'chords
5
descendingflourishes,first two notesrepeated(invertedminor thirds)
five
(extended
climacus)
groupsof
5
descendingflourishes(as last bar)
(extended
five
climacus)
of
groups
5
descendingflourishes
(extended
five
climacus)
of
groups
206
The secondtutti (at figure 6) takesthe sameform asthe heterophonicfirst tutti of figure
4. However,this is extendedevenfurther, althoughall the samefeaturesappearhere.The
Baltimore oriole (playedby the flute, oboe andclarinetsin Bb) gives the effect of greater
introduced:
it
is
before,
than
rests
are
as
only later that the more insistent
more
timidity
The
follows,
the
very
shrill'call
regularity.
of
recur
with
cardinal
rhythms
using
scandicus
(3d
Piano
Cadenza)
This
before.
section
also openswith two
the samemotivesas
loud
gracenotes- anda suddencrescendo
chordswith preceding
accented
repetitionsThe
in
follows:
dinýnuendo
the
chordal
alternator.
groups
of
strophes
ensuing
are
as
and
527272925235
Apart from the oneexception(at the endof the abovelist), eachstrophe,in prime
identical
[pl3].
by
is
followed
*
two
calls
numbers,
(page
figure
8
14 of the score).As alreadymentioned,the
begins
Tutti
Central
at
The
instruments
divided
into
the
are
percussion
strophesand put
unpitched
rhythmsplayedon
i nto four sections,wherethe rhythmsareplayedin the sameorder. This centralmovement
in
four
thus:
divided
be
sections,
analysed
and
may
207
Central Tutti
Figure
Section
8-10
introduction of maintutti - prairie chicken
10-13
.
StropheRythmique1
13-16
StropheRythmiqueII
16-3 before19
StropheRythmiqueIII
3 before 19-22
StropheRythmiqueIV
22-24
Codaof maintutti - prairie chicken
The introductionto the mamtutti openswith a crescendotrill from the tam-tam.The
in
is
In
the
Messiaen
the
woodwind.
represented
preface,
chicken
prairie
mentionsthree
first
is
its
bird's
The
'gurgling
features
this
calls.
sounds',which apparentlyhave.
of
main
horns'.
This
is
hunting
'distant
sonority
representedat figure 8 with the
qualitiesof
descendingtriplets and solemnpitchesin the low register.Secondly,the composer
is
has
'shrill
by
it
descent
lowest
that
which
succeeded
to
the
a
call'
a
rapid
mentions
part
found
is
9.
After
This
its
atfigure
characteristic
a gracenote andrclatively
of register.
long accentedhigh-pitchedquaver,a rapid descendingflourish from the woodwind leads
finally,
flourish
from
the
a
single
and,
piano
on
oneclarinet (in Bb),
chords
to staccato
bassclarinetandbassoon[ex VIEU171.
208
At 10, the 'stropherythmiqueF begins.Throughoutthis main tutti section,Greekand
Indian rhythmsrun almostcontinuouslyfrom endto end, creatinga rhythmic cantus
firmus. Ascl6piadebeginson the sidedrum. The only other instrument,at this time, which
is not depictingthe white crestedlaughingthrush,is the xylophone,representingthe
figurations22
high
B
it
The
with
natural
scandicus
reference
uses
notes.
oriole:
orchard
Himalayanwhite crestedlaughingthrushhasa very commandinganapaesticchordal
in
its
first
Each
four
bars
is
VII/4
in
[see
note
the
pl6l.
accented:
ex
previous
refrain
its
having
'implacable
bursts
describes
Messiaen
song
as
of
the
score,
prefaceto
drarnatic
harmonic
'
The
like
concludes
a
with
song
alternator
a mountaingiant.
sound...
horns
bassoon,
Eb
harmonic
two
trumpet,
the
and
clarinet,
producing
oboe,
a
employing
is
dense
harmonic
The
The
extremely
effect
and
rhythmically
static.
overall
alternator.
is
laughing
it
is
for
thrush
also
the
rather
grand:
this
crested
perhaps
white
texture of
idea,
instrument
Messiaen
to
the
this
work
end
with
and
that
chooses
with
every
reason
playing synchronously.
dulcet
The
B
A#'s
is
II
sporadic.
repeated
naturals,
and
and
Figure
sparse
rather
of
still
first
by
intervals
tritone
the
complemented
are
and
piccolo,
the cowbird, playedon
(from
bulbul
India),
by
from
Eb's
the
and,
subsequently,
red-whiskered
syncopated
barred
depicting
the
the
triples
triplets
owl
and
porrectus
continuous
scandicus
periodic
homophony,
In
devoted
bars
thrush.
two-voiccd
the
to
the
olive-backed
olivc.
two
the
of
indicated
in
the
the
pianoplayseachnote with
staccato
backedthrush's songrises pitch:
by
for
in
first
the
the
triplet
created
effects
are
called
pedalling
resonance
yet
articulation,
in eachset. Gradually,moreandmorespeciesare introducedinto the music.Designated
209
instruments remaindevotedto particularbirdsongsuntil a new bird appearsin the score,
indigo
bunting,
be
An
hermit
they
rose-breasted
thrush
grosbeak,
re-allocated.
may
where
before
Indian
figure
12.
the
shama
are
presented
reappears
sparrow
at
and white-crowned
The new figure markingstressesthe importanceof the shama:its significanceis
horns
loud
in
it
by
the
trumpet
two
to
the
and
which,
enough
emphasised giving
just
behind
in
Bb - in
both
the
solo
and
xylophone
clarinets
situated
themselves,are also
heard
last
homs
dense,
fore.
The
'giant'
the
to
the
were
representing
other words, well
laughing
The
describes
thrush.
11imalayan
the
composer
crested
the
white
of
sonorities
Indian shamathus:
figuration
rhythrnicaUy percussive
twitch of the tail
varied warblings
4 descentto low register
5 repetitionof disjunctpitches
fanfare
sparkfing
7 brassytone
8 clear and gay
Someof the qualitiesoutlinedaboveare speculativeand personalto Messiaen;howcvcr, it
is possibleto locateprobableexamplesin the musicalscore.The sharna'sfirst phrases
in
first
bom
[see
VII/4b
rigure
B
141.
The
Bb
the
previous
ex
the
natural
and
centreon
but
down
hom
transposed
the
classes
pitch
a tritone, while the
plays same
second
210
in
four-voiced
F#
is
C
to
tritone
an
a
a
short call. On page21 or
trumpet's natural raised
bassoon
join
horns
in
bass
first
the
trumpet
the
and
and
the
clarinet
the score,
shama's
follow
in
displaying
Vivacious
triplet
cells
staccato
a
the
crescendo,
ascending
phrases.
figuration'
[see
I
b
This
1-3).
'rhythrnicaHy
above
p25,
percussive
phrasemay
shama's
be regardedasthe 'sparkling.fanfare' (6 above),whereasthe bird's 'brassytone' is creatcd
The
instrumentation.
by
generallystrong,confidentquality of the
simply the choiceof
description
'clear
justifies
The
frequently
the
the
composer's
of
music
as
and
Say'.
shama
intermittently
incorporated
bird's
throughout
this
are
maintutti
this
song
of
motives
is,
'twitch
is
'descent
it
the
to
the
tail'
However,
the
of
as
what
clear
or
where
not
section.
found23.
The
be
'disjunct
be
found
low
its
pitches'
may
on page38, where
to
register' may
demisenýquavers
C
[see
natural
continuous
also
repeats
p38, bl-31. The
the xylophone
hermit thrushis reintroducedin this section,with its two-voiced homophoniccall
in
[p24,
b2l.
In
three-note
a
repeated
rhythmic
cell
pattern
addition, the
a
comprising
but
flourishes
the
an
appearance
with
short
make
calls
swift
rising
shrill
cardinal'srapid,
on the piano.
At thistimein Messiaen's
career,thechatteringandalmostunpitchedsonoritiesof the
figure
14,
by
In
American
this
the
trills.
at
case,
shown
sons
sparrowarerepresented
The
in
C
B
depicted
is
the
the
same
way.
repeated
and
naturals
of
summer
sparrow
flourishes
from
follow
the cardinal,this
shrill,
short
and
rising
amongstextremely
tanager
time playedon the xylophone.
211
At figure 15,the northernmockingbirdforcefully takes over the texture, playedby the
instruments
homs
trumpet,
normallyassociatedwith the white crested
and
obtrusive
laughing thrushor shama.Its song,too, is joyful, staccato,but more delicate.For some
has
become
insistent,
in
the
more
and
the
part,
more
virtuosic
piano
cardinal,
time now,
figuration
(four
before
involves
15)
immediately
the
seven
preceding
and,playful:
Continuous
triplet
staccatosemiquavcrsare
pattern.
the
melodic/rhythmic
of
repetitions
(wild
42
turkey
turkey)
the
in
found
common
on
page
the
of
of the
representation
also
bass
bassoom
is
the
the
clarinet
generally
Each
plays
above
triplet the same,and
score.
heard
(fig
19):
busy
becomes
alternators
and
repeated
groupings
mor.
are
The music
more
in two parts,while the hornsplay loudly and synchronouslywith the trumpet.
The sharnais representedin a completelydifferentway on the piano. At figure 20 (bar4),
in
interpretation
Messiaen's
birdsong.
technique
line
new
relatively
of
a
shows
the rapid
jump
In
'Le
Loriod'
(Cataloglie
the
texture.
hands
out
of
notes
Both
certain
yet
areused,
dDiseaux), Messiaenexpandson this principle,dividing certainpitches,whetherthey be
hand,
designated
therebyrequiringthe pianistto play with
lower,
higher or
to a
four
by
four
however,
instance,
IpS3,
In
hands.
signified
this
phrases
are
slurs
overlapping
lower
G,
C,
G
(C#,
A),
is
hand
left
the
The
W].
the
notes
and
%vhile
assigned
b2; p54,
in
higher
in
the
this
same
order
on
each
occasion:
repetition,
pitches,
the
other,
right plays
fluidity.
first
The
broadly
creates
slurs,
an
effect
of
the
arching
phrase
conjunctionwith
final
B
the
to
fifth
the
natural,yet the second
continuing
system,
beginson the
of
note
C#,
the
that
two
the
begins
the
starts
other
pitch
phrases.
with
phrase
212
At figure 21, the powerful chordalrefrain of the I-fimalayanwhite crestedlaughingthrush
(on
by
the
sparrow
xylophone),olive-backedthrush
a
white-crowned
succeeded
returns,
(on the clarinet)and,finally, a more deterniinedsecondreftain from the laughingthrush.
break
in
tutti,
the musicoccursat figure 22. The second
After a prolongedpolyphonic
a
is
followed
by
introduction
tutti
this
to
quoted:
shrill
calls
main
are
the
a rapid
part of
descentin the woodwind,in an exactreplica.The far off 'hunting hom' effect of the
by
descents.
is
The
'gurgling
two
short
succeeded
calls
and
shortly
chicken
sounds'
prairie
figure
drawing
23,
figure
8
this main tutti to a
emerge
at
now
section
the
earlier
of
These
two recapitulationsclearlydefinethe section(from
close.
tentative, sparsely-scored
figures 22-24) asthe codato the maintutti.
'miaow'
from
the catbird anda WghlYcomplex
The fourth pianocadenza.
a
openswith
bobolink.
bobolink
between
The
in
catbird
and
employs
conversation counterpoint
in
features,
'brilliant' melodic
revealinga masterlypolyphonicvirtuosity its interplayvvith
in
is
IVII/181:
form
The
two
thus
this
sections,
cadenza
of
the catbird.
213
Section I
Section 2
'miaow'
catbird's
catbird's 'miaow'
counterpoint
counterpoint
'miaow'
catbird's
(continues)
counterpoint
(short
solo)
catbird
catbird (short solo)
bobolink (short solo)
bobolink (short solo)
At the beginningof the counterpointrepresentingcatbird andbobolink, eachbirdsongis
fifth
bar
demonstrates
however,
from
the
different
the overlapping
the
already
other;
very
by
the
gracenotesandslurswhich map onto anothervoice
two
exemplified
the
songs,
of
is
frequent
There
'crossed
hands'
interlocking
also
use
of
groups.
the
and
rhythmic
and
7"
(D
bobolink
The
the
alternator
plays
minor
natural-Cnatural)
overlappingof pitches.
inverted
interval
(B
7h
The
major
an
natural-C
natural).
with
alternator
andan ensuing
but
its
B naturalalso
incorporated
is
this
throughout
passage,
latter alternator not only
intermittent
lp62,
b1l,
two
the
as
groups
s5,
endof
pitches
occursas a referencepoint at
[p62, A, b4l, in white-keychords[p62, s5, b2l andasthe top note of the catbird's
is
bobolink
is
busy,
When
the
241.
the
Ifigure
catbird
often given slower,
very
'miaow'
b2)
jp63,
b1l.
The
[see
consistsof
s5,
fTantic
catbird's
short
solo
less
p63, s3,
rhythms
bass
fortissimo
having
bars,
two
chordal
identical
one
chordalcomplexesand
each
two
in parallel,the pitches
flourish. The bobolink,on the other hand,usesdemiserniquavers
nd
fd
because
3
2
the
of
many
close
major
and
minor
intervals
another
one
clashingwith
214
betweenthe two. The two-part alternatorin the middle is particularlycolourrul.The
bobolink's solo at the endof the cadenzaemploysthe sameprinciple asin its earlier
in
is
higher,
drawn
Nevertheless,
the
more
out, and concludeswith a scale
music
versions.
in
hand,
black
hand
left
the
the
right
reminiscentof a stained-glass
notes
the
which, with
24
higher
in
The
the
the
cries
of
catbird
also
use
preceding
pitches
colouration.
window's
first.
has
been
The
bar
being
the
of
cadenza
an
exact
repetition
chords,the second
high
fortissimo
for
time:
the
perpetual
grace
notes,
stabsand
working up to a climax some
drawn out alternatorsprecedetheseexcitingsolos.
The final tutti begins at figure 25 on page 66. Simple quaver rhythms are written in
harmony, using the full resources of this orchestra. The piccolo has an ascending run,
in
B
black
trill,
the
top
two parts, plays a
to
natural
a
while
xylophone,
notes,
using mostly
dectapletglissandoin the shapeof a 'closing fan' Jp66].At this time, the rhythmic
first
by
in
figures
the
three
the
the
same
are
represented,
quavers
shama
as
of
percussive
fortissimo
After
by
three
sen-dquavers.
accented
a short and s%%ift
other parts,andsecondly
bars
first
bar
bar
in
3,
interlude
two
the
the
repeat
ensuing
almost
monophonicmartellato
identically.With the exceptionof the piccolo andthe xylophoneruns,the tonal centrc is E
E
G#
13
first
the
the
The
natural,
only
notes
and
of
units
employs
each
of
chord
major.
(a
G9,
B
D9
E,
with
the
The
chord
of
and
major
consists
notes
an
chord
second
natural.
bass
in
C,
A#
B,
F,
E,
F#
the
the
clarinets
with an
added7h), andthe third uses pitches
'E
[see
bar
be
the
to
This
bassoon.
motive
major'
referred as
p671.
characteristic will
and
From figure 26, the Indian shamais representedin the piccolo, flute, all clarinetparts and
in
include
features
The
the
pitches,
upper
woodwind
grace
many
repeated
piano.
solo
215
in
(see
first
The
however,
Bb).
cells
clarinet
piano
solo,
notes andrepetitionsof melodic
beginswith two '6clatant' chords:the,first is relatedto E major, while the secondincludes
E
in
the
the
third
chord
aforementioned
of
major motive.
many of the pitchesemployed
interval.
flourish,
heavily
based
by
followed
is
the
tritone
two-part
on
a
This striking chord
follow:
here,
is
two-part
flourish
two-part
chord
each
no more
Another
alternator
anda
homs:
by
is
The
interval.
the
two
texture of the
represented
shama
third
than a n-dnor
bassoon
frantic,
the
becomes
especiallywhen, subsequently,
moreandmore
ensemble.
in
by
drawn-out
followed
the
turn
alternators
of
wren
triplets,
winding
continuous
plays
bars'
before
'E
At
72,
Greek
two
there
FEndu
are
major
from Carolina,
rhythms. page
and
figure
the
lark,
to
a
shama
appear
homed
ensemble
and
at
vireo - newcomers
red-eyed.
a
including
birds,
introducing
is
the staccatoscmiquavcrs
Messiaen
[p73].
more
new
28
stiff
finch
high
trills
the
the
and
rapid
endings
of
purple
and
short,
the
vireo,
warbling
of
latter
horns
from
the
the
two
the
vireo
competing
with
yellow-throated
colourful phrases
in
iambic
block
The
Luzuli
'quartet
the
chords.
cells
of
the
rhythm'
andtrumpetplaying
birdsong
blue-headed
leaps
interval
the
the
other
are
only
new
vireo
bunting andthe
of
final
T
bars
before
introduced
be
the
which concludethis section.At
major'
featuresto
30,
figure
before
bar
the texturecomprisesmanyalternatorsandquick runs
fourth
the
divide,
E
30
Figure
bass
textural
as
bassoon
a
major
provides
from the
clarinet.
and
from
final
flourishes
block
by
the
two
followed
and
two
shama
chords,
motivesare
falls
interval
leaps,
distant
A
bars.
to
the
E
piano
solo,
using
virtuosic
major
subsequent
final
bar
last
E
the
to
its
piano cadenza.
givesway
depthsof range,asa
major
216
The final pianocadenza,at figure 3 1, depictsthe wood thrushand cardinal.In fact, this
first
first
is
The
the
composite
of
or
and
second
a
microcosm
piano
cadenzas.
short section
first
bars
American
bars
the
three
the
of
of
three
exact
replica
wood thrush's
an
are
'hybrid' callsin the first pianocadenzaý5
using a harmonicversionof a porrectusflexus
bl-31.
E
JpS,
Sifffflarly,
'liquid'
the
major
s4,
around
strophesof the
centring
shapeand
found
in
is
identical
the
this
to
those
second
piano
cadenza,
only
version
cardinalare
determines
'5'
The
the numberof repetitionsof strophesand
transposed. primenumber
the restsat the end.
The codaat figure 32 (page85) beginswith the strangecall of the Indian mynah,already
found at the openingof this work, thoughhereit is followed straightaway by the
but
staticandunrelentingstaccatoserniquaverchordsof the white crested
powerful
laughingthrush.In this last instance,the samechord - usingall 12 pitch classes- is
[ex
VEU19
The
is
dcnse
the
times
close
thirty-one
p84].
overall
effcct
until
a
sounded
immense
bird's
the
this
power
of
songand, moreover,the
climacticsoundemphasising
found
in
birdsongaroundthe world. This static
be
that
infinite timbral possibilities
can
densityof soundpre-figuresthe gigantismof later works suchasEt Ekspecto
Mortuorum.
Resurrectionem
217
OiseauxExotiquesrepresents,
' the first systematicattempton the part of Messiaento capturethe timbre of birdsong
insteadof, asin RdveildesOiseaux,contentinghimselfwith outline alone.' [Malcolm
Troup in the 'MessiaenCompanion',1995,p409].
The composer'sdevelopingmodusoperandi (in relationto birdsong)hasrcachcdits
birds
included
have
been
in bird style.
timbres
these
and
exotic
unique
apogeenow
Certainly,manybirdsongshavean almostthree-dimensional
quality, whHethe piece,
is
lavishly
in
the
tutti,
written superimpositions.
saturatedwith numerous
main
especially
With the wide variety of timbral complexity,it is inevitablethat the marriagebetween
'timbres' and 'couleurs'wasformed.In-thesetwo works, explorationsof this higWy
synaestheticandsubjectiveapproachare first developed.The Tolour of
Time'/Chronochromie(1960)marksthe next stageof the composer'sorchestra]output.
The conceptof harmony,too, is broadened:the birdsongin the upper pitchesof chordsis
heightenedand enhanced,often forming complexcolourationswhich contain'all the
including
the
red, that colour especiallyassociatedwith hot countriesrainbow,
colours,of
the colour of the Americanbird known asthe "cardinal"'. [Prefaceto the score,pagex].
helpto produceluminoussoundqualities,
Additionally,combinations
of instrumentation
brass
the
andpercussion
combinein anensemble,
notablyin the
especially
when wind,
balances
in
Messiaen
tutti.
grandeur
main
with a greatmanysubtleties thisexotic
masterpiece.
218
Notes to ChapterV11
JohnPhilips,'The Modal Languageof Olivier Messiaen;Practicesof"Technique de mon
LangageMusical" asreflectedin CataloguedDiseaur'. D.M. A. dissertation,Peabody
Conservatoryof Music, 1977.
2 Shu-WenSun,'Birdsong andPitch-ClassSetsin Messiaen'sVAlouette Calandrelle",
dissertation,Oregon,(1995).
' Robert SherlawJohnson,Messiaen,(London, Dent, 1976& revisedin 1989),pp134135.
4 As texturesdependvery muchupon their notation,Philips refersto theseas 'notationsi.
' Someof theseeffectsare so frequentin R&eil des Oiseauxand OiseauxEvotiquesthat
the terminologyis not alwaysapplied.For example,the two-voice polyphoniceffect is
increasedto eight,nine,ten etc. differentpartsand,therefore,shouldrefer to the whole
dawn chorusin RgveildesOise=..
6 The 'chord of resonance'representsnon-birdsongmaterial.
" In R&eil desOiseaux,the dawnchorusis, in effect, continuouslypolyphonic,involving
here
frequently
birdsongs;
the
polyphony
usesmore than two voices.
simultaneous
many
" Takenfrom the programmenotesto Riveil desOiseaux,conductedby Pierre Boulez
DG 453 478-2,1997.
Op. cit. (Johnson),p122.
" As melodicandrhythmicmotivesin Messiaen'sbirdsongbecomemore varied
and
frequent,it is increasinglyimportantto employ'motivic classification'tablesinsteadof
birdsong.
the
that
characteristicsof
show all
ones
11Semiquaver-semiquaver-quaver
motive, not a scandicusshape.
12This bird is representedharmonicallyto someextent,althoughthe bass-register
clusters
createa somewhatgravellyguttural soundratherthan a timbral complexity.
13ClaudeSamuel,Olivier Messiaen:Music andColor-Conversati n
trans.ThomasGlasow,(Portland,Oregon,AmadeusPress,1986).
" Thesegroupsof five serniquavers
are includedin this list asthey appearin the four
decli-tilas
In
in
five
the
the
the
same
position.
system,
exactly
strophes
rhythmic
quaver
unit is known as 'gauri'.
15As alreadymentioned,the piano cancreatea 'quasi-glissando'effect with a two-part
descendingflourish of rapid durations:the pitchesoften employblack notesin one hand
in
The
the
colourationandthe simultaneousrun of pitchesproducethis
other.
andwhite
specialsonority.
1'6Like the nightingale's`macfiýine-gun'
in
but
harmonicostinato.
effect,
0
17Chordsin an extremelyopenposition: eachpart is at leasta perfectfourth away from
the next.
18The serniquaver-serniquaver-quaver
(or diminishedversion)motive found in the violin
is,
du
by
Quatuor
Fin
Temps
first
Pour
La
the
the
now, a regular
of
movement
part of
featurein its classicscandicusshape.
'9 SeePrefaceto the score.
20Demisemiquaver-den-ýsenýquaver-serniquaver
motive (anapaesticrhythm) appem
throughoutthis sectionin the woodwind block.
21Notice that 5,7 and9 are prime numbers.
219
22Its melodic
Oualuor
first
is
in
found
the
the
of
movement
shape oppositeto the original
pour La Fin du Temps.
23Perhaps
(at figure 17 and on the piano)
the very differentinterpretationof the shama.
could representthis 'twitch' with its A andB naturals(seep40, bI).
" Another exampleof this effect canbe found in the last two barsof the first songin the
'Action
PojmespourMi,
de
Qrices'.
entitled
cycle
25
Bars24-26 of the cadenza.