Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 9

Overview of the fifth movement

The fifth movement is the first of two movements written in the key of E.  Reflecting the concept of eternity in its title, the duration of “Louange à l’Èternité de Jésus” is one of the longest movements in Quatuor resulting in part from a unchanging and very slow tempo. Irregular phrase durations also characterize the movement. This irregularity results from Messiaen’s un-balancing of phrases with the addition or subtraction of a sixteenth note that create rhythmically asymmetrical measures. The fifth movement is therefore dynamic in terms of phrase duration as well as melodic contour and gradual contrasts of expression.  

The Melody of the fifth movement

Messiaen places the cello melody, characterized by lyricism and gradual contrasts of expression, in a high tessitura that never strays below B3.  As with the third and fourth movements, the melody of the fifth movement uses Messiaen’s Mode 2 for pitch content.

The Accompaniment

The piano accompaniment of the fifth movement initially appears to be rather simple:  Three-voice chords, which gain a fourth voice after Reh. D, sustain harmonies by repeating the chords in sixteenth notes.  The accompaniment is dynamic, however, in that it contains a harmonic progression that ascends into a higher register before returning to the register in which it began. 

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 8

Messiaen, Confusing Our Perception of Time

In “Intermède,” the fourth movement of Quatuor Pour La Fin Du Temps, Messiaen uses a conventional simple duple meter, barlines, and dynamic elements (things that change, not expression) to confuse the listener’s perception of time. The playful, clear rhythmic pulse disguises Messiaen’s technique, making the whole movement sound rather... conventional... or perhaps straight forward, yet it is not.  

How Does He Do It? Stretching!

Messiaen achieves confusion of our accurate perception of time, despite using a clear rhythmic pulse throughout much of the movement, by progressively stretching musical phrases. The phrases of the A section, extending from Reh. A (“rehearsal marker A”) to Reh. B, begin with brief gestures one beat in duration that consist of two sixteenth notes followed by an eighth note (♬ + ♪). In the second measure, Messiaen extends phrase duration to fill the whole measure with six sixteenth notes preceding the eighth note marking the end of the phrase, which creates a moment of relative repose. Messiaen stretches this phrase to cover the next two measures, followed by an even greater phrase-stretch spanning four measures and coming to rest on the quarter note in the measure preceding Reh. B. 

Quantifying Phrases by Beats

The stretched phrases may be quantified by the number of beats involved, resulting in the series: 1, 1, 2, 4, and 8.  Thus, the dynamic nature of phrase durations eliminates the possibility of perceptible hypermeter (another cool, big word that should be added to the Jargon glossary), which depends on the regularity of hypermetric beat duration. (Note: Hypermeter is so much fun). Messiaen also momentarily suspends time at Reh. C with a quotation of birdsong in the clarinet lacking a clear rhythmic pulse, that spans two measures, shown in the example below.

Example: Birdsong in clarinet at Reh. C of Movement IV first used in Movement II at Reh A+1

Bridging Connections to Other Movements

Helping to connect this movement to other movements of Quatuor includes the use of Messiaen's "Mode 2" in the melody, quotations of birdsong, and the foreshadowing of the melody in Movement VI at Reh. F of Movement IV.  

For the next post in this series, click here.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 6

Using Isorhythm to Treat Time

            We discover Messiaen’s unique treatment of time in the homophonic section of the second movement of Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1941).  The isorhythmic piano accompaniment consists of a repeating series of eight descending chords in sixteenth notes at pianississimo (PPP). Initially four voices comprise these chords.

The repetitious and consistent nature of this isorhythmic accompaniment could be labeled “static” because it creates a clear rhythmic pulse through its rhythmic regularity.  See (link: previous post) for a discussion of static versus dynamic elements.

Cycle, Interrupted

Messiaen uses interruptions of this cycle, however, to confuse the listener’s perception of time (see example below).  Each initiation of the eight descending chords in sixteenth notes functions as a kind of hypermetric beat (!) that creates, in the context of triple simple meter, a sense of hemiola.  By interrupting the cycle at irregular intervals with new harmonic material, thus delaying the next repetition of the eight primary descending chords, Messiaen distorts the regularity of hypermetric beat duration and thereby destroys the perception of a clear hypermeter (which we use, whether consciously or subconsciously, to mark the passing of time). Can you perceive it? Give it a listen and tell me what you think! (Buy an MP3 of the second movement here!)

Maintaining a Clear Rhythmic Pulse

Messiaen maintains unity and a clear rhythmic pulse in the piano, however, by continuing the sixteenth note isorhythm in descending progressions of chords with as many as eight voices (glad I don’t have to play that!).  The B section concludes with the cessation of descending motion and the beginning of sustaining harmonies through the repetition of chords in sixteenth notes. This conclusion foreshadows the piano accompaniment of the fifth movement. 

Excerpt of the eight descending chords in sixteenth notes, indicated by the brackets, which primarily comprise the piano accompaniment beginning at Reh. D of the second movement.  This excerpt is taken from the piano in Movement VII at Reh. C+4, which borrows extensively from the second movement.

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

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 4

by David Doty

Dynamic Or Static? 

In this post we return to Olivier Messiaen’s Quator pour le fin du Temps (1941) and consider some of the dynamic and static elements of the second movement.

The Second Movement

The second movement, “Vocalise, pour l’Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps,” consists of a ternary (three part) formal structure comprised of A, B, and A-prime sections.  The contrast of styles between the A and B sections suggests that the formal structure in this movement acts as a dynamic element (by providing appreciable change over time relative to the first movement’s single section through-composed formal structure). The fragmentary A and A-prime sections of the second movement, functioning as introduction and coda, share a number of similarities including the use of sudden tempo changes and great contrasts of expression. 

A Note on the Formal Structure

Neither the duration of the A nor A-prime section is very long relative to the middle B section, although the introduction contains more measures and material than the coda.  The A section spans from Reh. A to Reh. D, while Reh. D to Reh. H (rehearsal markers in the score) to the comprise the B section, and the coda or A-prime section follows at Reh. H to the conclusion of the movement.    

Proof of Dynamism

Among the similarities of the A and A-prime sections are segments with inverted melodic contours.  Corresponding melodic identities in the A and A-prime sections are identified by comparing rhythm, contour, and instrumentation.  The variety of melodic identities in these sections suggests that they should be considered dynamic in nature.  This is evidenced at Reh. C of the A section in which the violin and cello ascend in unison sixteenth notes for two measures before a sudden tempo change brings sustained trills in the violin, clarinet, and cello with staggered entrances.  This scalar ascent mirrors two measures of descending sixteenth notes in the violin and cello at Reh. H of the A-prime section that also precedes sustained trills with staggered entrances.  In both the A and A-prime sections, these trills are joined by thirty-second notes in the piano.  The ascending thirty-second notes layered over the trills of the A section are mirrored by descending thirty-second notes in the piano at Reh. H+4 of the A-prime section. 

A Concluding Thought

The final two measures of the A and A-prime sections likewise contain similar gestures in the piano: four descending chords at fortississimo (wow, so loud!) in the A section are echoed by four ascending chords at fortississimo in the A-prime section. What could be called a “tag” or “button,” such as those commonly found at the end of marches, follows each of these.  In the context of this movement, the button consists of a forceful piano chord coinciding with a thirty-second note triplet in the clarinet. Considering the B section solely as a structural unit for the time being, enclosed by the A and A-prime sections that are unified by corresponding gestures of inverted contours, these sections create a structural and melodic palindrome similar to the non-retrogradable rhythms that Messiaen scatters throughout Quatuor.   

For the next post in this series, click here.

Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium

We were exhausted.

But did we get a break? Or a nap? Of course not. We had come to sing.

This particular concert came during our second week of jet-lag as my college choir and I toured eastern Europe. We sang in a Roman Catholic cathedral in Moscow. I do not now remember our entire program, but I will never forget the magic we felt that night singing Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium. 

Listen to the recording (not my college choir) and follow the score below:

Though his choral work sounds somewhat medieval (Latin text, a cappella) Lauridsen is actually a contemporary composer living and teaching at the University of Southern California (at time of writing). You can read more about Lauridsen and his music on his website by clicking here or visiting the Links page of this blog.

O Magnum Mysterium reflects on the incarnation of Christ the Lord, celebrated at Christmas. The text (in English) reads: “O great mystery and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the new-born Lord lying in a manager. Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Allelujah!”[1]

Lauridsen’s setting of the text takes on a four part structure with sections A, A-prime (1:46) B (3:13), and A-double prime (4:05-end).

Besides the text, the piece features a few distinctive elements including close harmonies, suspensions and their resolutions, and polyphony. (To learn about polyphony, homophony, et al, click here). 

Close harmonies, specifically seconds, appear all over the place, even in first measure of the tenors (T). Particular chord voicings also create Lauridsen’s unique sound in this piece.

Listen again to “Beata Virgo” (beginning around 3:13) for a stellar example of tension, created by dissonance, resolving to consonance. In “Virgo” Lauridsen moves from the chord G(add 2), the sub-dominant, to tonicize F-sharp minor (the mediant) via a G-sharp in the altos (3:23). Beautiful!

Lauridsen’s work shows us that in setting text to music, we do not have to use text exactly as written. What do I mean? Lauridsen’s piece might have been brief had he set the original text with its original structure. But instead, Lauridsen edits the text and repeats phrases (e.g. “O magnum mysterium”) and even single words (e.g. sacramentum).

Ever since that concert in Moscow, Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium has continued to be one of my favorite choral works. It is a composition of lyrical melody, gorgeous harmonies and... great mystery.

What are your favorite choral works? Share something about them and/or your thought’s on Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium with a comment below.

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[1]  Click here to go to the article “O Magnum Mysterium," Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Magnum_Mysterium. 

How to Compose Music: What is a Hook Anyway?

by David Doty

In previous posts I’ve used the term “hook” without defining it. You may be wondering, what is a hook anyway? OK, I’ll tell you.

Have you ever gone fishing?

A hook is a melodic device, or at least that’s how I typically think of it, usually a short musical phrase that catches the ear (Ouch! Well, not really). It helps make the song or piece “catchy” or memorable and helps gives the piece or song its distinctive character.

As a rule, or general guideline of composition if you prefer, a hook should be used at least twice in a piece or song to be effective. Used only once leaves the listener wondering “What was that? And why was it included?”

But perhaps the best way to explain a hook is with an example.

According to Wikipedia, Plain White T’s 2010 hit song Rhythm of Love has sold over a million copies. Perhaps this has something to do with its hook. This soft, folksy song opens with a whimsical hook that is excellent for our purposes of demonstration. The hook, noted on staff paper, looks something like this:

Underlying the song is a triplet sixteenth division of the beat, hence the brackets over the staff with “3” in the middle (the first two sixteenth notes of the triplet are contained in the eighth note rest). This example contains the first three instances of the hook used in the song's introduction, each all of four notes with a subtle change in the third instance.

It’s really best to listen to music and not only read about it if you want to learn more.

You can download Plain White T’s Rhythm of Love here.

Or give it a listen on YouTube here.  

String Loops Old and New

by David Doty

In a previous post we looked at Coldplay’s 2008 hit, Viva La Vida. The opening riff/loop of the strings both characterizes the song and provides momentum throughout. (Can you imagine what the song would sound like without it?)  If you haven’t heard the song, give it a listen on YouTube by clicking here, or download the MP3 here.

The rhythmic pattern of this loop/riff could be represented by the following series of rhythmic values:

And yet, the concept of using such a riff or loop in the strings is not new. Take the following series of rhythmic values (with articulations) for example. Can you guess which piece relies heavily upon this rhythmic pattern? Here’s a clue: the piece, or rather the movement in which this rhythmic pattern is taken, is featured in a recently released motion picture:

Dost thou protest, “Why, that could be anything!”? I’ll admit, the rhythmic pattern: long, short, short, long, long, is pretty generic.

The motion picture? The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. The piece?

[This space is intentionally left blank]

Answer:

Symphony #7 in A, Op. 92 – 2 Allegretto by Ludwig Von Beethoven.  If you’re not familiar with this movement, you can download the MP3 here.

This movement has been used as background music in other motion pictures, such as Mr. Holland’s Opus. Can you think of any others? Feel free to leave a comment.

Viva La Vida by Coldplay (2008)

by David Doty

Coldplay‘s pop hit, Viva La Vida (2008), may have reason to be considered almost (ok, somewhat?) classical. I’ll spare you the recording and chart performance details (you can read about them on Wikipedia here). I am far more interested in what’s going on musically.

  
Somewhat Classical

What makes this pop song at least somewhat classical? For me it’s the refreshing use of strings  (strings? Yes, strings!), a synth patch that sounds like a hammered dulcimer, combined with the use of timpani, a bell, bass drum, and suspended cymbal in place of a typical drum/trap set.

The song is in common (4/4) meter throughout and begins with eight measures of introduction featuring the song-characterizing riff-loop of the strings. This riff-loop is pretty consistent throughout. The chord progression IV, V, I, vi is also used throughout as well as the bass drum pulse on every beat beginning with the entrance of lyrics in the first verse. The combination of the strings’ rhythmic activity and the bass drum’s consistent pulse provide momentum and propel the song forward.

Tension and Resolution

The song builds to the first chorus when all of the tension created by the strings, drum, and melody (generally higher frequencies, except drum) is finally released with the entrance of the bass guitar filling out the texture. This moment is suitably accompanied by a crescendo created by the timpani and suspended cymbal.

Word Painting

The chorus, containing the lyrics “I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing,” is nicely augmented by a bell struck on the off-beats (beats 2 and 4). This gives the chorus a brighter color (timbre) with the additional high frequencies.

Poignancy

A number of elements contribute to the poignancy of this song. The melody of the vocalist and the countermelody of the strings create and resolve many suspensions, thereby adding to the richness of the harmonic context. The particular chord progression used extensively throughout may add to the sense of poignancy. Additionally, the lively tempo (137 BPM according to someone on Wikipedia-Oh where is my metronome when I need one?) and upbeat feel of the rhythmic content contrasts sharply with the dismal lyrics of the song’s protagonist.

Final Thoughts

The constant rhythmic pulse of the bass drum in this song is nearly a sure-fire way to make listeners happy. The psychology behind this phenomena, however, is beyond the scope of this post. Yet this pulse is only one of the many elements that I appreciate about this song. I welcome the use of classical instruments. The repetition of the same four chords is not unusual but nevertheless an enjoyable progression. And the lyrics are interesting…

…But I will refrain from speculating on their meaning in this post.

To watch the official Coldplay Viva la Vida MV on YouTube, click here.

To buy the Coldplay Viva La Vida album or MP3 download, click here.

The Basics of Music Theory... for Free!

by David Doty

I like free stuff, don’t you?

If you want to learn basic music theory, there’s a blog you should check out. It’s called Learning and Loving Music Theory by Robert (Bob) Reno. The blog offers basic instruction on Western Tonal music theory and most of its resources are free.

On the right side of the webpage beneath the search box is a box that reads, “Everything you need to know about music theory is here.” This is, of course, a link to the Reno‘s PDF music theory textbook. Downloading the textbook will set you back about $40 (at the time of writing). Since I’m not familiar with the book, I can’t say much more about it, but in a way the whole blog is geared toward selling the book. (For other music theory books, click here).

The Lessons Tab

The Lessons tab takes you to posts on the elements of music, notation, major and minor scales, key signatures, intervals, rhythm and meter, and harmony. Clicking the tab “Lessons” will take you to a page listing these options, or you can select the category from a drop down menu.

The Notes Tab

The Notes page shows that Reno writes well. I especially appreciate his thoughts in this section, which he describes as “a collection of articles on various topics related to music theory but aren’t necessarily a part of a normal music theory curriculum.”

The Resources Tab

Under the Resource tab you’ll find the previously mentioned music theory textbook PDF for sale/download and some free PDFs of chord progressions.

Other Considerations

Most of the website was pretty straightforward and easy to navigate. I got a little frustrated with one of the drop down menus that kept disappearing before I could click on it, and I didn’t like advertisements appearing in the middle of posts. Overall, though, the blog had a nice appearance and was well planned. 

Final Thoughts

Reno’s Learning and Loving Music Theory blog offers a good entry point for learning Western tonal music theory. It would take someone up to and perhaps into the first year of music theory training in university, at least in the United States. It could be useful also to the college freshman needing to do quick review before a music theory entrance or placement exam. To see the blog for yourself, click here. 

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 3

Distorting Time With Birdsong

In this post we will continue looking at the first movement of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1941). Now that we’ve looked at some of the dynamic and static elements of the first movement, in this post we’ll look at examples of birdsong motives that Messiaen uses to distort our perception of time. So not only is the piece about the end of time in the sense of Christian eschatology (Messiaen was a Roman Catholic), but the compositional techniques used also bring about the end time in the sense  of our ability to perceive the passage of time.

Frustration Is the Goal

First, the syncopation created by the polyrhythm of the first movement hinders our ability to perceive the passage of time. The variety of rhythmic values in the cello and piano help frustrate our ability to perceive a clear rhythmic pulse that is necessary for accurately perceiving the passage of time.  Musicologist Clara Huston Bell suggests that Messiaen fully intended “to abolish the equal and divisive durational time of traditional [Western] music” and thereby suspend or bring about the end of perceptible time in music.[i]

The Nature and Use of Birdsong

The use of birdsong motives in the first movement also interferes with the listener’s perception of time through the syncopation created by their juxtaposition against concurrent rhythms.  These motives are used extensively in the first movement and recur in subsequent movements with less prominence.  Their inclusion in the first movement, especially in the clarinet, help maintain the interest of the listener who becomes bored by the relatively static processes of the piano and cello. (This is not to say, of course, that all audiences would be bored by a static texture. Take the avid fans of minimalists, for example). The birdsong examples do not represent constant change, however, as they are frequently repeated.  Similarities among birdsong examples include the interval of the tritone, an interval that Messiaen uses extensively in his music.[ii]  

Introducing the Avian Violin

The violin birdsong of the first movement is written primarily in Messiaen’s Mode 3.[iii]  While many of the birdsong examples are repeated verbatim, the violin and clarinet also feature variation in birdsong and the inclusion of non-birdsong transition material, thus producing change over time and qualifying the violin and clarinet as dynamic elements of the first movement.

For the next post in this series, click here.

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[i] Carla Huston Bell, Olivier Messiaen (Boston: Twayne, 1984): 70.

[ii] Ibid., 27.

[iii] Ibid., 73.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 2

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.

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.

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, Part 1

Dynamic Instrumentation

In a previous post we looked at the difference between dynamic and static elements in music.  Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1941), written in eight movements, is dynamic in terms of instrumentation. The first, sixth, and seventh movements are written for the full quartet consisting of violin, clarinet in B-flat, cello, and piano. In contrast, the second movement begins and ends with sections written for the full quartet while containing a middle section written for violin and cello with piano accompaniment. The third movement of Quatuor is written for unaccompanied clarinet while the fifth movement is a cello solo with piano accompaniment and the eighth movement is a violin solo with piano accompaniment. Thus, instrumentation is a dynamic element in that it experiences some variation over the course of Quatuor.

The First Movement - Panisorhythm

An analysis of each movement illuminates the variety of elements within Quatuor that compose a dynamic yet unified whole. The first movement, “Liturgie de cristal,” begins in simple-triple meter. Musicologists have labeled the presence of isorhythm in multiple instruments of this polyphonic movement as “panisorhythm.”1 One example of isorhythm may be found in the piano, a repeating pattern of seventeen rhythmic values shown here: 2

Series of seventeen repeating rhythmic values in the piano part of Movement I

 

To this series of repeating rhythmic values, Messiaen applies a repeating series of twenty-nine chords.

In a similar manner, the cello of the first movement combines isorhythm with a repeating series of five ordered pitches in a high register, taken from a whole-tone scale.3 This process generates new amalgamations (cool big word) of harmonies and rhythmic values over time and therefore constitutes a dynamic element. However, the unchanging, mechanistic nature of this process may be perceived by the listener as a static element. If permitted to continue indefinitely, this process would eventually return to the initial combination of chords and rhythmic values and thus cease to create new material. Therefore, with the cessation of continuing change given sufficient time, this process could be considered a static element. or Mode 1 of Messiaen’s modes of limited transposition.4

CLICK HERE for the next post in the Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time series.

Endnotes

1 Carla Huston Bell, Olivier Messiaen (Boston: Twayne, 1984): 13.
2 Olivier Messiaen, “Prèface,” Quartuor pour la fin du Temps (Paris: Duran, 1942): IV.

3 Allen Forte, “Messiaen’s Chords,” Olivier Messiaen: Music, Art and Literature, Christopher Dingle and Nigel Simeone, eds. (Burlington: Ashgate, 2007): 99.
4 Clara Huston Bell, Olivier Messiaen, 75.

Timeless Music

by David Doty
What does a timeless piece of music sound like? “Trick question,” you say, “You’re using a mixed metaphor!” and indeed I am. “Timeless” could refer to that which is valued and esteemed by critics over time, or it could be used to describe something without or lacking time (although we might not use the word this way often).

A timeless piece of music, one which lacks the element of time or duration, doesn’t sound like anything at all. Music is temporal of course, that is, limited by time. A piece or a song has a beginning and an end. Furthermore, [audible] music is made of sound (sound organized by humans according to John Cage) which is really air waves vibrating at particular frequencies, things that are timed. With no time there is no repetition or frequency and no sound and consequently no music!

Thus, all music is rooted in time, but not all music, and in fact much of music, does not help the listener to perceive the passage of time. How the listener’s perception of time is manipulated in Olivier Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1941) is the subject of a forth-coming series of blog posts.