Messiaen Chords PDF [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

Cello melodic/harmonic pedal (color) - sounding pitches * length of 5 notes

&

œ

œ

#œ

œ

0 4 2 A subset of WT(0,2) [mode 1]

œ.

&˙

bœ

6

˙

10

˙

œ œ œ. J J

œ œ œ œ œ. J J J J

œ œ ˙ J J

Rhythmic pedal (talea) *15 values appears 7 times (with the beginning of an 8th time) * The color above appears 3 times for each repetition of the talea (3C=1T) or nearly 22 times in the movement.

ISORYTHMIC DESIGN OF CELLO/PIANO PARTS IN "LITURGIE DE CRYSTAL"

rhythmic pedal (talea) 0f 17 values: * (deçi-tâlas from the Sangitaratnakara) * Occurs nearly 10 times throughout the mvmnt.

㠜

œ

œ

œ œ. J J

œ œ œ œ œ. J J J J J

First 6 values -- retrograde of râgavardhana

œ. J

œ. J

Next 7 values -- candrakalâ

Melodic/Harmonic pedal (color) of 29 harmonies * Occurs nearly 6 times throughout the movement.

œ œ œ. RJ J

œ

˙

Final four values -- laksmîça

œœ b b œœ b œœ b bb œœœ b œœœ b b b œœœ b œœ œ œ # œœ b œœ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ b œ œ œ b œ œœ # œœ b œœ œ b œ œœ # œœ # œœœ œœ b œ œ # œ b œ œœ b œœ &b œœ b œœ b œœ b œœœ # œœœ œœœ # œœ œœ # œ œ b œ œ b œ b œ non-modal. The 2nd chord is a chord on the dominant that uses all of the pitches of the Bb major scale. Messiaen retains an F (the dominant) in the bass as a pedal tone, coloring the chord with different harmonies to create what he called a "stained glass window" effect.

œ œ b œ b œ œ œ œœ œœ b œ ?b œœœ b œœœ b b œœœ b b œœœ bœœœ bœœœ œœ œœ b œœ

b œ œœ b œ b œ bœ bœ b œ œœ b œœ # œœ b bb œœœ œœœ b œ b œ # œœœœ b ##œœœœ œœœ b # œœœ œœ # œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ

*** notes are natural unless preceded by a sharp or flat **** Note the use of prime numbers in the construction of the rhythmic pedals (talea) and the medlodic/harmonic pedals (color) -- 17, 29, 5... It would take over 230 minutes for these to sync up again once initiated.

œœ b œœ

œœ œ œ bœ #œ

2 7 modes of limited transposition

&

mode 1 (whole-tone scale)

œ

2

œ

2

œ

2

#œ

#œ

#œ

2

mode 2 (octatonic scale)

2

œ bœ bœ nœ #œ

(2)

1

mode 4

mode 5

& œ bœ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ 3

1

1

1

3

1 (1)

& œ #œ 1

1

œ

œ

œ 2

1

2

1

2

1 (2)

œ

4

œ

œ

1

1

4

1

œ

#œ

(1)

1

1

1

œ

#œ

#œ 2

1

2 1 1

2

mode 6

œ

#œ

#œ

œ #œ #œ œ œ œ bœ nœ #œ 1

1

2

1 (1)

4 possible transpositions 31, 32, 33, 34

6 possible transpositions 51, 52, 53, 55, 55, 56

6 possible transpositions 41, 42, 43, 45, 45, 46 mode 7

1

œ

3 possible transpositions: OCT(0,1) -- OCT(1,2) -- OCT(0,2)

2 possible transpositions: WT(0,2) and WT(1,3)

1

2

mode 3

œ bœ

(1)

6 possible transpositions 71, 72, 73, 75, 75, 76

to figure out the number of possible transpositions: * subtract pitch class value of first pitch of the second repetition of the recurring figure from the first pitch of the first occurance of the recurring figure. * The difference is equal to the number of possible transpositions.

œ

2

œ

2

œ

œ

œ #œ #œ #œ 1

1

2

6 possible transpositions 61, 62, 63, 65, 65, 66

2

1

(1)

Special Chords in Messiaen's Music

# # œœ & nœ & n # œœ # n œœ

# # œœ

Chord on the dominant with appoggiatura (as in 1st 2 chords of the piano in QFTEOT)

# # n n œœœœ bœ n n n œœœ

3

nœ n # œœ n bn œœœ

Chord of resonance Chord in Fourths * Messiaen believed this chord * This is the "triad" in Messiaen's to be a colorful representative music. of the harmonic series. * Contains all of the pitches of the 3rd mode. * Opening gesture of piano in the second movement of QFTEOF is a version of this chord.

# # # ## œœœœœ

n bn œœœ b œ

# # # œœœœ

respelled/revoiced:

Chords with added 6ths * Stole these from Debussy and Ravel * Boulez called these: "whorehouse chords" * This chord from #1 of the Vingt Régards.

Chords with added rasied fourths * This chord taken from # 11 of Vingt Régards. * Messiaen believed that the tritone above the root of a chord had a strong "leading-tone" like function. * This chord is derived from the 2nd mode.