Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 5

by David Doty

What is a Palindrome?

What is a palindrome, you ask? Something political, perhaps (i.e. Palin+drome) ? 

A palindrome is a favorite compositional device of Olivier Messiaen, of course! When we look closely at Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1941) we can find palindromes all over the place. For example, consider part of the second movement.

First, a little context. Messiaen composes the B section of the second movement beginning at Reh. D using simple triple meter and syncopation. In this section, the cello doubles the melody two octaves below the violin using Messiaen’s “Mode 7” for pitch material. The melody climaxes at Reh. F with a crescendo into its highest register. 

In Example 1 below, brackets indicate several instances of rhythmic palindromes formed by the melody of the B section at Reh. D. 

Example 1. Theme from Movement II in the violin at Reh. D. Brackets indicate rhythmic palindromes. 

So, what is a palindrome? A rhythmic palindrome is simply a series or pattern of rhythmic values that reads the same forwards or backwards. A melodic palindrome would be a series of pitches that likewise reads the same forwards or backwards. Messiaen adds complexity by nesting rhythmic palindromes in one another, or, in other words, by starting a new one before the preceding palindrome has finished. This, by the way, is a really (really? yes really) fun way to compose complex rhythms. But you don't have to take my word for it.   

To read the next post in this series, click here.