Continued Dynamic vs. Static Elements
In the previous post on Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps
we began by looking at the static and dynamic elements of the piece. This post continues where we left off in the first movement. In the piano, Messiaen used a series of seventeen rhythmic values and twenty-nine chords to produce a seemingly endless series of combinations, thus constituting a dynamic element (change). Yet, allowed to continue indefinitely, we would eventually end up where we began, perhaps causing us to reconsider this element as static.
From here we turn our attention to the cello of the first movement.
The timbre of the cello’s constant glissandi between harmonics throughout the first movement adds a unique color to the texture. The bracket in Example 2 below indicates the first statement of the isorhythm used by the cello throughout the first movement. This series of rhythmic values produces palindromes, also known as non-retrogradable rhythms, upon repetition.
This conclusion gives occasion to further define “dynamic” and “static” by qualifying what constitutes “significant” or “appreciable” change over time. Appreciable change is relative to the context in which it is found. While change over time is inherent to a process, neither the cello nor the piano ever depart from their respective processes over the entirety of the first movement. Thus, both processes demonstrate consistency in this respect rather than change, implying a static nature. That which constitutes appreciable change over time, therefore, depends greatly on the context and the level of analysis.
In the previous post on Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps
we began by looking at the static and dynamic elements of the piece. This post continues where we left off in the first movement. In the piano, Messiaen used a series of seventeen rhythmic values and twenty-nine chords to produce a seemingly endless series of combinations, thus constituting a dynamic element (change). Yet, allowed to continue indefinitely, we would eventually end up where we began, perhaps causing us to reconsider this element as static.From here we turn our attention to the cello of the first movement.
Palindromic Rhythms
The timbre of the cello’s constant glissandi between harmonics throughout the first movement adds a unique color to the texture. The bracket in Example 2 below indicates the first statement of the isorhythm used by the cello throughout the first movement. This series of rhythmic values produces palindromes, also known as non-retrogradable rhythms, upon repetition.
Example 2. Excerpt of the cello’s rhythmic values in perceived durations from the first movement. The bracket indicates the first statement of the pattern. Note the rhythmic palindrome formed by the addition of three rhythmic values from the first repetition and the rhythmic palindrome formed by the entire example.
While the cello process also creates combinations of rhythmic values and pitch material, the results of this process are far more limited than that of the piano and begin repeating at Rehearsal B+1. Therefore, because the cello process is more repetitious over the course of the first movement, it may be considered static relative to the process of the piano.
Defining "Dynamic"
This conclusion gives occasion to further define “dynamic” and “static” by qualifying what constitutes “significant” or “appreciable” change over time. Appreciable change is relative to the context in which it is found. While change over time is inherent to a process, neither the cello nor the piano ever depart from their respective processes over the entirety of the first movement. Thus, both processes demonstrate consistency in this respect rather than change, implying a static nature. That which constitutes appreciable change over time, therefore, depends greatly on the context and the level of analysis.
For the next post in this series, click here.
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