Friday, November 16, 2007
Turangalila 4th movement
Here's a place to leave your analyses of the 4th movement. After this one only five more to go! If you haven't yet done this, please have all the first four movements done before class resumes after Thanksgiving break. We'll look at these, and look over your pieces in progress as well.
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Overall form is: A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-Codetta
E => a mashup of A/B/C/D parts, where material from the C section dominates aurally. We could call it C’.
F=> a development of the B section. We could call it B’
G=> A super mega mashup of previous material, including material from outside this movement.
We could call it:
A-B-C-D-C’-B’-G-H-I-Codetta
I think this is a love song now.
Section A: Start-[2]
Very playful chromatic theme with bassoon and piccolo (love the combination). It starts out with 3 statements of (0 1 2) trichord and then expands to include all pitches except A, F, and F#. Wood block keeps repeating same rhythm. Pitch sequence in the melody is stated once, repeated once in the same order but with a different rhythm; then the pitches are stated in different order.
At [1], the texture thickens and becomes polyrhythmic with 1:2:3:4 for a shimmering sound.
This is the flirtatious part of the love song.
Section B: [2]-[5]
This section has the form b-b’-b’’
[2] statement of b
[3] At b’, some parts are ½ step higher, and the piano plays an inverted form of b. b’ expands on b.
[4] Starts out like b, another step higher, then entire ensemble ascends.
There is an example of a non-retrogradable rhythm in the percussion in [2]-[3].
This is the fickle part of the love song.
Section C: [5]-[6]
This section has the form c-d-c-d-c-d’-d’-c
[5] Introduces two new themes (c and d). They repeat, but each repetition starts on a different beat. (c-d-c-d-c)
[6] The d theme is modulated/reharmonized to d’. (d’-d’-c)
The c theme is the romantic part of the love song (very beautiful, love this theme).
The d theme is some sort of threat or conflict (sounds a bit like Star Trek).
Section D: [7]
This is a string interlude.
This is the “dealing with external life events” part of the love song.
Section E: [8]-[11]
c-d’’-c’-d’’-c’’-d’-d’-c
This section sounds like a development on the C section. It is a mashup of themes we’ve heard sofar in this section, with the themes from C aurally prominent.
[8]: c-d’’-c’.
The first statement of c is similar to [5].
The d’’ statement gives the melody to the winds as before, but the texture has thickened. The piano has B section character to it, and the strings have D section material.
In the c’ statement, the strings take the theme, and the piccolo, bassoon, celesta, and timbos have A section material.
[9]: d’’’-c’’
In the d’’’ statement, the winds have the melody. The piano has B section material, and the strings have D section material.
[10]: d’-d’-c
The d’ statements sound like [6]. The winds, brass, and onde have the melody here, and the strings have D section material.
The c section gives the melody to the strings and onde. The celesta and vibraphone have A section material.
This is the “all this stuff is part of the relationship” part of the love song.
Section F: [11]-[14]
This is a development of the B section (sounds like [2]).
Section G: [14]-[15]
A mashup of themes. Also, it brings back the statue theme.
[14]: Starts out similar to [1]. Then, the rest of the winds play the d theme, and the strings have section D string interlude material from [7].
[15]: The texture changes, the the lower brass brings back the statue theme from the 1st movement.
This relationship is going nuts. It’s harder to hear a dominant theme now.
Section H: [16]
Piano cadenza.
This is a statement or affirmation of love in the face of all things – things that nourish it and things that challenge it.
Section I: [17]
This is a statement of the flower theme (3 times), the statue theme, and a piano transition.
Section H: A statement of the beautiful c theme from Section C at [5].
I think this is the most beautiful part of the movement.
So, after all of that, there is still romantic love.
Some techniques that looked interesting (we've already seen most of these):
1) Rhythmic repetition that falls "out of sync" on top of the main melody or motive,
2) Masterful block structure, with components introduced, then combined in different ways across the instrumentation at the highest levels.
3) Block structure at the lowest levels, with motives repeated, permuted, and assembled in different ways.
4) Use of a "signature" sound like the onde to double and emphasize other parts, and to divide. This would work well electronically, also.
5)Lack of transitions between wildly different sections, at contrasting dynamic levels.
6) Polyrhythmic "shimmer".
7) Wide octave doubling between bassoon and piccolo, interesting timbre.
Movement Four:
[Introduction]: The movement begins with a playful flute and bassoon duet. It places great emphasis on staccato vs. legato articulations, creating a sort of teasing, lighthearted feel.
[1]: The flute/bassoon duet continues, while the piano adds thirty-second notes to create an even more steady sense of beat. The rhythmic motives stated in the piano gradually get faster and more complex as it moves into section 2.
[2-3]: What I decided to name the “holiday theme” is passed around by the woodwinds. There are also piano chord interjections, but there is minimal brass involvement in this section.
[4]: The melodic phrases from sections 2 and 3 form the basis for this section, however, they are varied upon and dramatized to serve as a transition into section 5 (especially huge build-up in the last two measures).
[5]: Here is the first statement of the love theme (played by the full orchestra)!
[6]: The beginning of section 6 acts as a small “interlude”-type thing. It seems to hang around the “V chord” (even though there technically is not a “V” in atonal music) and kind of reminds me of “Something Good” from “The Sound of Music.” After this short part, it then returns to the love theme six measures before section 7.
[7]: Since this section sounds very shifty and sly, I decided to call this idea the “sneaking theme.” It is played by the strings, and uses a lot of half-stepwise-motion.
[8-10]: The love theme returns in section 8; when it is repeated again, the celesta, flute, and trumpet add interjections to help keep a steady beat, while the piano part is gradually becoming more complicated, which slightly draws the listener’s focus off of the original love theme.
[11-13]: This part is similar to section 4; the “holiday theme” is played by the woodwinds with piano accompaniment. Messiaen varies upon this theme until two measures before section 14, at which time he creates a steady sixteenth note build up in nearly every possible voice.
[14-15]: Section 14 is very similar to section 1, except that more voices are added as the section progresses. This continues into section 15, when Messiaen overlaps it with the love theme, creating an even larger build-up ending with a grand pause before section 16.
[16]: Piano solo!
[17]: This part is an almost exact imitation of Turangalila’s first movement.
[18]: The texture lightens significantly as the love theme slowly fades and diminishes into a peaceful, beautiful ending.
Section A - Woodwinds open this movement, and they give me the feeling that it is laborious. The piano sneaks in with a really nice counterpoint to the woodwinds, which keep trudging on. A bass also enters.
Section B - A sense of urgency picks up in this section, there are more notes and they are faster. This change is somewhat sudden and I think that this is effective.
Section C - Section B slows and slows like molasses, I get the idea of climbing a mountain and running out of steam towards the top. The feeling of it going somewhere is so strong, and it gets stronger until the Ondes Martenot bursts into this love theme. The effect is quite admirable to me.
Section D - This section answers the love theme with the woodwinds and is softer and tranquil.
Section C - The Ondes bursts back in with the love theme. It's interesting how it goes from piano to forte suddenly.
Section D - repeat.
Section C - repeats section C.
Section D' - D comes back only it is altered a little.
Section C - repeat.
Section E - This sounds similar to D but it is different enough that I call it a section of its own. It is longer than the D and C sections which are short and go back and forth a lot. E has more strings and is quite soft and gives me a mysterious feeling.
Section C - The Ondes once again comes seemingly out of nowhere again, at least it is unexpected for me.
Section D'' - D comes back and the piano joins it this time.
Section C - The piano continues what it was doing as if nothing has happened while the Ondes bursts in again. It's quite an interesting effect because it feels as though D and C have melded together this time.
Section D'' - D comes back and the piano continues to do it's own thing.
Section C - Again the piano continues while the love theme is presented again.
Section D'' - repeat.
Section C - Again.
Section B - Be returns here, and it sounds very similar to the first presentation of B.
Section A - The laborious woodwind theme comes back here. Some of the B material is melded with it as well, and at times it sounds dominantly B, but the parts are simultaneous so it could be perceived either way.
Suddenly I here the statue theme once again and I get a little confused. It's really cool how he is using all this material all at once, however to place a formal function on it seems hard to me. I'll call this a little transition into the upcoming piano solo.
Section F - Another piano solo in the entire symphony appears here in F. It then goes into a woodwind solo, and instruments are slowly added until.
Section G - The STATUE THEME IN ALL ITS GLORY )I love it) just comes bursting onto the stage as if it just couldn't sit still and let new material have a chance. I absolutely love it how easily I remembered this theme from the first movement and how enjoyable it was this time around.
Section C' - C comes back with the love theme, only softer and more tranquil sounding. Before, it was a little more forceful. It ends in a rising piano riff which actually sounds pretty consonant and somewhat tonal for Messiaen, which surprised me a little. I liked it though!
Very interesting analyses! I do have a couple of questions, which we can discuss in class today - first, would you say this music is tonal or atonal? What's the difference, anyway? Secondly, what is the purpose of all the repetition in this piece (and music in general?)
4th Movement Analysis
Overall Form
A B C B’ AC’ D CODA
The master of masher is back again, combining elements and bringing back themes in new and exciting ways! Here we go!
Beginning through [1] : A
At the beginning of the movement, we have a continuation of ideas from the previous movment. The vibraphone is continuing its gesture from Mov. III, with its [012] cluster from before. The flute and Bassoon (possibly with their orchestration imported from Movement II, Rehearsal [9]…? ) have a bouncy little line which emphasizes displacing octaves. The notes themselves begin with the [012] cluster, which could be derived from the Flower Theme’s unfolding notes. The Woodblock from Movement III, Rehearsal [6] through [8] enters.
At [1], the material is repeated, down to the measure, in these voices, but added on to this framework is some more meat and substance, found in the piano and contrabass lines. The piano works with a 4:3 idea and develops into a more rhythmically complex line. The bass part, with its falling line, has similar gestures as those seen in Movement III. However, something neat here is that it falls the total distance of a tritone – on the way down, the values of the note are two semiquavers, while on the way up, it is three semiquavers in length.
[2] through [4] : B
This section has an overall structure (seen at [2]) that is repeated once (at [3]) and is then broken down (at [4]) into a tremendous rallentando that leads perfectly into the next section.
The structure- there is a short three-bar descent in the upper woodwinds, accentuated by piano interjections, and string and trombone utterances. An upper woodwind wandering line that emphasizes the tritone follows this. A descending piano and celesta line contrasts nicely. When the flute and upper woodwind line has finished its statement, it is broken down. This structure remains the same at [3].
But at [4] we have a restatement of the first part of the structure, but the second part, with the wandering line, is never achieved. Instead, Messiaen continues to break up the first part into smaller and smaller pieces, driven by the more complex piano line. This line steers the entire ensemble into a huge rallentando, which wrestles the upward motion to an almost complete stop. The magnificent aspect about this is the way this motion is controlled… instead of coming to that complete stop, we very effectively reach the wonderful love theme at [5].
[5] through [10] : C
It is difficult to analyze this large chunk of music, because there are many small elements that combine together to create it; however, I think all these elements are mostly singular to this area of the movement, so I will label this entire part section C.
There are underlying structural pieces, as before. These different elements are stated and developed and then added upon themselves.
[5]- Statement of the love theme (there are 2 elements to make this theme!) It is similar to the love theme from the first Song of Love (Mov. II), but is different because there are added voices, and the line is actually melodically different. However, they are similar in that the entire beautiful line, powered still by the Ondes, falls back upon its underlying pedal tone, as if returning home or being secure in someone’s arms. This soaring line is the first part of the theme, the a. The b part of this comes afterwards, in the tender line of the woodwinds and trumpet in A. These two parts, a and b, return throughout [5].
At [6] we see a development of the b idea, and then the return of the a idea.
At [7] we have a c idea. Although melodically similar to the b idea, it is new, and placed in the strings. It is developed through repetition and adding woodwind voices to it.
At [8] we have the a idea, followed by b idea, as before. However, added on during the b idea is a meandering piano line, and the c idea in the strings. More elements begin to compound, as the a idea is stated again, this time in the strings, while the Ondes and flute and bassoon bring the opening idea of the movement (introductory idea) back in!
[9] The idea of compounding different elements continues, as the string line has similarities to the c idea, but I will call it idea d, while the woodwinds now have the b idea. The a idea returns afterward in the stings while the woodwinds have the introductory idea once more.
[10] Woodwinds have idea b, the tender idea, while strings take on idea d. Piano continues to meander, but in an important way. After the statements of ideas in other voices are complete, the woodwinds cut out, and the celesta and metal voices enter with the introductory idea, while the strings now take on the a idea. The upper woodwinds join in on the metal choir, doing the introductory idea.
Whew! Finally at 11, the sonic palette is cleansed, with the return of a singular idea.
[11] through [13] : B’
The structure is very similar, if not the same, to that of the first statement of the B idea. One factor that is almost amusing is that the buildup and rallentando prepares you for the return to the soaring love theme, but it doesn’t happen! Instead we reach introductory material. Hahaha!
[14] through [15] : AC’ {A and C spliced together}
[14] - Here we have the introductory material from A, complete with woodblock. The woodwinds and strings enter after 2 statements of A idea… the woodwinds hold the b section of C, while the strings explore the d idea of C. This continues on through [15], the piano part ever complex and drawing ideas from its C section material. The basses enter with their line from A Compounding layers are merged together throughout, and it is on the verge of falling apart! That is, until the Statue Theme enters! This leads us to the piano cadenza at [16].
[16] through [17] : D
While some of the material here is based on material seen in this movement, such as the piano cadenza, some pulls back from other movements, and are different ideas, so I will label this D. It is almost a short recap of the introductory movement.
[16] This piano cadenza is very complex. When I listen to it, I hear elements of material from its just-heard part, but also, I think there are elements of the introductory movement, and also a statue theme-like idea.
[17]- Here we have the statement of the Flower theme. Not completely random, however! I think he has been using these clusters of pitches and falling idea throughout this movement. After this, there is the powerful statue theme in its totality, complete with glissing strings and Ondes, and an itsy-bitsy cadenza similar to that in the first movement of the piece.
[18] : CODA
We now have a wonderful coda, with a peaceful statement of the love theme. It falls back to its home, pedaled in the strings, in such a wonderful way, after the battle that we have just been through. The orchestration here is quite awesome.
In regards to the question of tonality, I think that Messiaen is creating a new type of tonality. I think there is a difference in his style of atonality, basically. His purpose in tracking away from a strict or even semi-strict tonal system is to create sonorities and expressions that are not possible in that system. Rather than going against the former system just to go against it, as I think many of his contemporaries did, I believe he is working with a new language, trying to express emotions as the tonal system usually achieves so well, but in his own very unique way. I think he succeeds very well.
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