Boulez's Structuralist Aesthetics of Music

165 Pages·2011·6.66 MB·English

BOULEZ'S STRUCTURALIST AESTHETICS OF MUSIC
ROULEZ'S STRUCTURHL I SI
RESTHETICS OF MUSIC
Bv
/
PETER M. S. TANNENBAUM
AThesis
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studtes
in Partial Fulfilment of the RequLreents
for the Degree
Master of Arts
McMaster Umverstty
October 19B8
MASTER OF ARTS (1988) McI\'lASTER UNIVERSITY
(Music Criticism) Hamilton. Ontario
TITLE: Boulez's Structuralist Aesthetics of Music
AUTHOR: Peter M.S. Tannenbaum. B.Mus. Theory (McGill Universltvl
M.A. Music Theorv (McGill University)
SUPERVISOR: Dr. Hugh Hartwell
NUMBER OF PAGES: vii. 157
11
Abstract
Pierre Roulez is an innovator in music not only because of his
experiments in composition, but also because of his aesthetics of music.
presented in a series of writings dating from the mid 1950s to the 19705.
His aesthetic system, inspired in part by the structuralist school of literary
criticism, is logically derived and wide in scope. However. its general
outlines have never been presented in an independent scholarly work. That
is the purpose of this thesis.
The presentation of Roulez's aesthetics, which makes un the body of
this thesis, is preceded by three introductory chapters which situate him
within the evolutionary process of music history. and examine his artistic
connection with the symbolist poet Stephane MaHarme. The next three
chapters progress from the organization of basic materials in Chaoter four
(Morphology), through higher levels of structure in Chapter Five (Svntaxl.
and Chapter Six (Form), Special attention is given to the concept of Alt."';] in
Chapter Seven. The problem of translating Roulez from French to EngHsh is
also dealt with, with a view to establishing a consistent vocabulary of terms
with which to describe his theories of music. In an attempt to flesh out
ROUlez's abstract theories, analyses of musical examples, either taken from
Roulez's writings or from his music, are given. in order to demonstrate his
aesthetics.
111
Preface
The idea for this thesis evolved from work done in a graduate semlnar
Music Analysis given by Dr. Hugh Hartwell. In that seminar. I exJmillCd
011
Roulez's article Aft..3fJ and applied its principles to his piece for chamber
ensemble ilia/. This study formed the basis of Chapter Seven of this thesis.
Athorough reading of his writings over the summer of 1987 proved to me
that Roulez developed a complete system of aesthetics in the late 19)Os. an
.aesthetics unique to music, but inspired by aspects of the structuralist school
of literary criticism.
Iwish first and foremost, to thank my thesis advisor Dr. Hugh
Hartwell, Chairman of the Department of Music at McMaster University.
especially for helping me keep some sense of perspective on a work that
might easily have been deflected onto a less productive path, or grown
beyond any reasonable proportions. I am thus grateful for Dr. Hartwelfs
advice and input. J also wish to thank those who suggested various sources
of information: 1'\11me Marie Bouchard. Dr. William Renwick. Dr. Paul Rapoport.
Dr. Jean Rea, and especially Dr. Jean-Jacques Nattiez of IlJnivcrsite de
rvlontreal who not only suggested important research sources, but personallY
made available to me a typed manuscript of an article by Pierre Doulez
which had previously been unpublished. This article is exoected 10 appear
in the next issue of The (Jl1ladi;l/l AfusicReview
iv
Table of Contents
Abstract__ __. .. .._..__ __ _.. iii
._n. ..__.._ __ _ _ _ _ _
Preface _ _.__.. .__.. __ _ __ _ i\--
'."m _.._ _
Table of Contents. ._ .._ _ __._ _ _ __ _ _ __.__.. ."\..
Tab1e of Figures_. _ .__ _.vii
._._m _. ._ _ ..•_._ __ ..._ _..__.. ..._ _.. _ __..
1 IntroducUon.. .. .._..__._ _.._..__.__._..__.. _ __ _..__._ __ _ _01
2 History__.._. . _.. __._._.._ _._._ _.._ 08
n ._ _•••_ _
Past ImperfecL . ._ __ _. _._._n _ _._ _ __ 10
Present Imperative._.. __ _ __. ._.. _ " 12
Future Indicative __._ __ _ __ _ . _.. 15
n _
3 Poetics . _ _.._ _ _.._._ _.__. .__ _ _ _.._ _. _18
MaHarme.. _ _.._ __.._..__ __ _ __ _ _ _ 21
u_ _
MaHarme and Serialism_ _ _ __.._ _ __.__. __ 27
Boulez and MaHarme__. .. . _ _ __ ____ _ .35
4 Morphology: The Series as HierarchY- ._ .. _ _.._. . ?Q
.J1_,
The Morphological Principles of the Serie:. _ _ _ t}
_.m
The Morphology of Duration, Dynamics. Timbre and Space _ _. 46
The Morphology of the 12"Note Pitch Series............ __ 54
The Concept of Musical Space__.. _. _.__ __.__ __.. _ 60
The Musical Space of Duration. Timbre. Amplitude and Space_ _ 64
v
5Syntax: Unified Versus Differentiated Structure __....._.._.__._.._. .__.._.... 68
Criteria of Definition and Se1ection.._._..__ _ _.. ._ _.._ __. ..7:>
Criteria of Combination and Arrangement.._ _. .80
6 Form: Formants: The Sum of Criteria . ._.._ _ ._._ ___._.88
7 Ah~a: Automatism versus Inadvertence._._ _.._ _. .. .._.._.__.._._._ _.97
Chance and Structure ..__. . __.__ ,_,,,,,,, .,,,..101
ANew Concept of Fo1'm ...._.._........_. 104
n•••_ ..._. ._. • ••__ _....._......
8 Conclusions 107
Appendix A -- Summary of Terms and Concepts_ __._.. .. 114
Appendix B-- Analytical Examples: Symmetric Series_. __ __ _.12.)
Manife5t Partial 5ym111et1'y__.. _._. __ ..__ __ __.._1 27
Partially Concealed Symmetry__ .._ _ _ .__ _ _.129
Examples of Syntactic Orgunizatio11__.__.__. ..__..__.__. .._. ._ _.._ 131
Syntactic Organization of Relative/Absolute Va1ues__. . . J 36
Appendix C-- Analysis of Works:The ThirdPi;11105(711;1//1..... ._. ._.__._._.__140
JJc/aL_.__._._.. .. . . ._._ _.._ __ ._ _ ____ __148
nibHography __. ... ._. . .._.__.._._.. . 1)4
vi
Table of Figures
Figure 1; Spectrum of Structural PossibHities__ __._. . .__ _.._.. __._.~_06
Figure 2: Generation of Duratiol1s_.._._:..._..__ __ _.. .. __ .48
Figure 3: Multiplication of Isomorphic Cells .. . .57
Figure 4: Defective Series ...__.__.. . .._. ._.. . 58
Figure 5: Criteria of Selection. . . . ._:......__.__._]6
Figure 6: Criteria of Selection for Internal and External Structures ..78
Figure 7: Criteria of Selection Applied to Relative and Absolute Values.._80
Figure 8: Criteria of Combination and Arrangement__....__.. ..._. ._._...._..83
Figure 9: Webern. Opus 2<t....
Figure 10; Webern Opus 28 126
, .. • ••_.__,~n__._~_. •__• ••__•__••_••,.._. •__•__.....
Figure 11: Berg, Lyric Suite_.. __. __ . ._._ .._.. ..126
Figure 12: Berg, Lyric Suite, AllegroOl1:ftelios<?.__ .. __ _..__ ._...128
Figure 13: Boulez, Third Piano Sonata, Tropt:.. __ __ _ _.__.130
Figure 14: ExampIes of Syntactic Organization __ _.__.. .. __ _ ._.__._.13)
Figure 15; Syntactic Organization of Relative Values ...__.--..-------137
Figure 16: The General Phrase of The ThirdPJ/11JO5i)j)/1/il ...__.. . .J42
n·oPe.__... ..._. ......._-....---_..
Figure 17: Formal Organizatic)11 of ~ ----_-----.-.-145
Figure 18: Layout of the "Blocks" and "Points" of C(ll1steJliltiolj-111koir_..147
Figure 19: Analysis of Choice Operations in £dil'--_.._...... ....._..... ..... ......._...151
vii
I Introduction
111 undertaking a study of Boulez's writings on musical organiziltion,
one is hard put to limit oneself to the topic at hand. For Boulez, formis nol
separate from content. This fact necessitates a discussion of all that content
implies: the totaHty of musical materials. This reflect~ the structuralist powt
of view that form is synonymous with conient--and Boulez does not hide the
inf.luence of structuralist thinking on his aesthetics of musk. Only through
understanding Boulez's structuralist aesthetics can one take a critical
approach t.o his compositions and to the works of others on whom his mliSle
and musical philosophy have had so much influence. Boulez demonstrat.es
his debt to structuraHst thinking by beginning his essay Form with the
following quotation from Claude Levi-Strauss:
Form and content areofthe samenatur-e and amenable to the same
anatysis. Contentderives its reatity from its structure. and what
is catted form is the "structuring" 01 local structures, whichar-e
thecontent.I
Structuralism views all human endeavor in terms of structures, It
examines the creation. description, function, and jnterreJation of st.ructures
Aunique quality of humankind is its ability to make structures, to dlVJde
objects into patterns, thereby creating order. The structuraUst philosophy
began with the eighteenth-century Italian phifosopher Giambultisto Vko,
or
an,d has continued to deveJop to this day) At the begin11lng this century,
lPiel'reBoulez, "Form." Orientat/olls, frans, Martin (oopr.r fCambl'll!ge, tvlass.; Harvard (fniver<:ity
Press, 1986), p. 90.
2This information on the historyofstrllcturalism is t.aken from TerenceHawkes' text.
StrllctllrillismandSemiotics (Berkeley; Universityof California.Press, J9771.
2
structuralism concerned itself mainly \"lith the analysis of language. It
expanded to other fields. anthropology and history in particular, In the
structuralist view of music which he developed in the 19503. Boulez brings
the familiar comparison of music and language to its logical conclusion.
In reading Boulez, one is struck by the integrit)" of his reflections on
music. Though he has had occasion to change his approach to composition,
most notably in his redefinition of serialism. it is stilt e'i:ident from his
\vritings that Boulez has maintained a unified sense of aesthetic purpose.
Even \vhen looking back and reviewing his "mistakes," he re\-eals the force of
logic which led him to and beyond them. Boulez's extraordinary capacity for
deductive reasoninghno doubt the result in part of his early training in
mathematics and the influence of Classical French rationalismnreduces the
universe of musical materials to a coherent scheme.
The usual method Boulez uses in discussing an issue is to state its
extremes, shO\v their latent fla\vs, and then define his position on the subject
somewhere in the intervening middle ground. That position b not always
dead center between the two conflicting poles. but may be located on one
side or the other. Whatever his final position. Boulez uses the forct;; of logic
to defend his choice. This methodology is described by Jean-Jacque;, Nattier:
Han"adefof (Jrientatiolls were 10llsk mewhat 1(Ol1sidf:'{('d In
he the fundamental characteristic o( l3otl1l:;(s thinking 1ShOHld C101.
have any hesitation in sayinl\, 'The hirHln pf'intlpleon whii:h it is
organized' It is this inst.inctive cast. 01 mind l.hat. gives I.hf:·"1:' (hit''>1
11l1it1ns their individual character. Evr:n amOf(' or less t<Jf)dom list
of pairs of 'palpahlecategof'ies,' withOll1. any regard for conlt.'xt. wilt
reveal the genernlllnes alongwhich Bou\e;(s mind Won;s"
The possible explanation ofthis persisl.ent 'hin:)ry' hahit 01
mind mny he found in the fact that it is Ihe quicke~t nnd most. tJi-