Messiaen's Rhythmical Organisation and Classical Indian Theory of Rhythm (I).pdf

Messiaen's Rhythmical Organisation and Classical Indian Theory of Rhythm (I) Author(s): Mirjana Šimundža Source: International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Jun., 1987), pp. 117-144 Published by: Croatian Musicological Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/836909 . Accessed: 14/05/2013 19:14 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

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M. SIMUND2A,

MESSIAEN'S

RHYTHMICAL

...

IRASM 18 (1987) 1, 117-144

117

MESSIAEN'S RHYTHMICAL ORGANISATION AND CLASSICAL INDIAN THEORY OF RHYTHM (I) UDC: 781.62(911) MESSIAEN Original Scientific Paper Izvorni znanstveni dlanak Received: May 4, 1987 Prispjelo: 4. svibnja 1987. Accepted: May 8, 1987 Prihvadeno: 8. svibnja 1987.

MIRJANA SIMUNDZA Radio Zagreb, Third Programme, Dezmanova 6, YU 41000 ZAGREB

Abstract Olivier Messiaen is the first Westo investigate Indian tern composer rhythmic patterns or tdlas, and to use in his works. After them consciously studying 120 desttdlas which the 13thIndian theorist Sarigadeva -century in the discussion Samgitapresented ratndkara, Messiaen discovered and developed the general rhythmic princip-

in his own les, applied afterwards works. In earlier stage of using Indian tdlas (Quatuor pour la fin du Temps) is presented the simple organisation of three desitdlas (rdgavardhana, candrawhile in the Turaigakald, laksmia), lila symphonic he introduced new methods in the organisation of the same tdlas and superpositioned rhythms.

Olivier Messiaen is the first Western composer to investigate Indian rhythmic patterns or talas and to use them consciously in his work. In Claude Samuel he says that he is a rhythmicist and conversation.with adds that he considers rhythm to be the primary element of music. In his opinion, rhythm exists prior to melody and harmony.1 Messiaen does not hide his inclination towards this particular musical element which induced .him as a student at the conservatory to investigate the 120 desItalas the 13th-century Indian theorist Srnigadeva presented in the discussion Samgitaratndkara.2 Messiaen'S rhythmic system developed slower and with more difficulty than his modal system. Fascinated by discovering note values in : Cf. O. Messiaen in C. SAMUEL, Entretiens avec Olivier Messiaen, Paris, 1967, p. 65. 2 See H Neues Handbuch der.MusikOESCH, -Der indische Kulturbereich?, vol. 8, ed. C. DAHLHAUS, Laaber, 1984, pp. 245-251; wissenschaft, Cf. SAR.GA1978. DEVA, Samgitaratndkara, Delhi-Varanasi-Patna,

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118

M. SIMUNDZA,

MESSIAEN'S

RHYTHMICAL

. ., IRASM 18 (1987); 1, 117-144

Indian rhythmics, Greek metrics, and Gregorian chords (which had a greater influence on his melodies), he requires that >exactement les valeurs marquees>musiqueamesureeCouleursde la Cite celeste< in 1963 did he render their meanings more precise and added his own analytical comments. Messiaen says of this beginning: >J'ai tres longuement etudie les cent-vingt degi-talas qui sont rassembles un peu en desordre par arngadeva, si longuement que j'ai fini par decouvrir les differentes regles rythmiques qui en decoulent...Turafgalilao, each new composition brings many new talas and different forms of their rhythmic organisation, therefore each piece should be analysed separately. I have chosen .>Oiseaux exotiques< in which the rhythmic procedures are very rich and complex. One of the main reasons for the choice of this piece is the fact that in it Messiaen used not only desitalas, but also suladitalas from the South Indian system. 1.2. Analysis

of the Rhythmical

Organisation

1.2.1. Quatuor pour la fin du Temps (1941) -Le langage musical de l'oeuvre est essentiellement immateriel, spirituel, catholique. Des modes, r6alisant meelodiquement et harmoniquement une sorte d'ubiquite tonale, y rapprochent l'auditeur de l'Pternit6 dns l'espace ou infini. Des rythmes sp&ciaux, hors de toute mesure, y contribuent puiAsamment a eloigner le temporel (tout ceci restant essai et ibalbutiement, si l'on songe a la grandeur &crasante du sujet!).l16 NMusicien, j'ai travaille le rythme. Le rythme est, par essence, changement et divison. Etudier la changement et la division, c'est dtudier le Temps. Le temps mesur6, relatif, physiologique, psychologique - se divise de mille manieres, dont la plus immediate pour nous est une perpktuelle conversion de l'avenir en passe. Dans l'6ternit6, ces choses n'existeront plus. Que de probl&mes! Ces problkmes, je les ai poses dans mon -Quatuor pour la fin du Tempsi. Mais, a vrai dire, ils ont orient& toutes mes recherches sonores et rythmiques depuds une cinquantaine d'annees . . .7

1. movement.

Liturgie de cristal All four instruments appear in the first movement of the quartet. The violin and clarinet parts characterise the stylised bird song, the so called ?genre oiseau.((18 The other two parts contain rhytmic pedals. In the cello part there is a rhythmically-melodic pedal, and in the piano part a rhythmically-harmonical pedal. The rhythmically-melodic pedal consists of 15 note values and 5 tonal pitches:

ir',,rji[' fuL?i :i: r

t,

16 H. HALBREICH, op. 311. 17 Hommage d Olivier cit., p. Messiaen, Paris, 1978, p. 31. s1 Term from 0. MESSIAEN, op. cit., p. 27.

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M. SIMUNDZA,

130

MESSIAEN'S

RHYTHMICAL...,

IRASM 18 (1987), 1, 117-144

Messiaen's use of symbols can be symbolically interpreted due to the great importance he gives them. Number 5 has a great importance as it is the sum of the first even number (2) and the first uneven number (3). It represents the union of the heavenly (3) and the terrestial principles (2), that is the female (2) and the male (3) number in India. It is the number of the centre, order and balance, the symbol of man, the manifestation of the universe and the principle of life.19 Number 5 repeats itself three times in the rhythmically-melodic pedal, and number 3 is the fundamental number in all cultures which expresses the intellectual, spiritual and godly order in the cosmos and in man.20 Fifteen note values represent two non-retrograde rhythms. The first is simple and consists of three values:

J

J. J

A

B A

The second non-retrograde rhythm was created by diminishing or dissolving the central value of the first one and contains twelve note values (number twelve symbolises the twelvepart character of time and space):

J.

L_

A

J.n

t

A

B

The rhythmic pedal of the piano contains 17 note values and join with the cycle of 29 chords. The numbers 17 and 29 are primary numbers. Seventeen values make three desitalas (by adding them one after the other). These are in the sequence: ragavardhana (1 11/2 1 6), candrakala (4 4 4 6 6 6 2) and lak?misa (1 11/2 2 4). They appear most often in Messiaen's opus, and he uses them by grouping them into a sequence with which he creates one large false tala:

4

4 23

2, ,2

ragavardhana

2 2 3 3 3 1,

candraka[l

,2 3 4 8

LaksmTsa

The tala ragavardhana is twice augmented and is in a nonretrograde form with a dissected greatest value. The candrakala is achieved by a double 19 Cf. J. CHEVALIER and A. GHEERBRANT, nary of symnbols), Zagreb, 11983, p. 497-500. 20 Cf. ibid., p. 709-712.

ed., Rjednik

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simbola

(A dictio-

M. SIMUND2A,

MESSIAEN'S

RHYTHMICAL

...,

131

IRASM 18 (1987), 1, 117-144

proportional diminution, and the lakqml?a by a double proportional augmentation. Both rhythmic pedals repeat themselves like an ostinato from the beginning to the end of the movement. 1.2.2. TuraigalTla-Symphonie (1948) -Lila signifie littkralement le jeu, mais le jeu dans le sens de l'action divine sur le cosmos, le jeu de la creation, le jeu de la destruction, de la reconstruction, le jeu de la vie et de la mort. Lila est aussi l'Amour. Turafiga: c'est le temps qui court. comme le cheval au galop, c'est le temps qui s'ecoule, comme le sable du sablier Tulaiiga: c'est le mouvement et le rythme. Turangalila veut donc dire tout a la fois: chant d'amour, hymne a la joie, temps, mouvement, rythme, vie et mort. Turafigalila-Symphonie est un chant d'amour. Turangalila-Symphonie est un hymne a la joie.. C'est encore un vaste contrepoint de rythmes.^2

1. movement. Introduction The first movement consists of 22 numbers (the numbers are the composer's denotations in the score) and is divided into four sections:

1.

[1] -1

E

2. [1 3. 4.

(p. 1-14) p. 15) .(p.i6-32)

-[ J-p

-

(p. 33-34)

Modre, unpeu vif (J=100) 2 Lent (ad libitum) Moder` .(J=132) Presque lent {1=80)

The first and the third section are rythmically the richest. In the first section many of the rhythmic patterns can be schematically superpositioned, as shown in Table 3. If we take a quaver value as the axis of symmetry it is apparent that it diminisches progressively in a 1:1 2:2: 3: : 5: 6 (J3: :

:

increasesprogressively in a 1: 2: 3: 45: 6 (

scale. It

j

:J

J.:

J J J:.)

21 Hommage a Olivier Messiaen, Paris, 1978, p. 51. The Symphony has a Sanskrit title, the composite word -turaigalila*. -Turafiga- stands for wthe ono who goes fast-. that is the horse, thought, mind. It comes from the adjective ?tura(fast, willing, ready, derived from the root TUR, 6, 4, 3, to be in a. hurry, to progress, to run) and the verb root GAM, 1, to go. The derivation of the word lilais ambiguous. -Lila- (as a noun of female gender) is a game, entertainment, fun, a children's game, an acitivity with ease.

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132

M. SIMUNDZA,

MESSIAEN'S

without the proportion of 1:1 j

RHYTHMICAL

...,

IRASM 18 (1987), 1, 117-144

(1: J3) At the bottom of the chromatic

row of duration there are three large values which do not have their corresponding equivalents on the opposite side. Table 3 -

Scheme of Rhythmic Patterns 12

12

5

rmrrrn

m~i~

3

2 1;

11 3~~~~~

nones

2

3

-

~~

r~

r 6

r

10

10~~~~~~~~~~~~~~r. 10

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10~

M. SIMUNDZA,

MESSIAEN'S

RHYTHMICAL...,

IRASM 18 (1987), 1, 117-144

133

The third section is one of Messiaen's most complex rhythmic organisations. It consists of three structures. The most complex of these structures is made up of four rhythmic pedals of which two are rhythmically-harmonical and the other two are only rhythmic. The First Structure 1. The first rhythmically-harmonical pedal appears in woodwind instruments. The chords are played by six instruments: 2 oboes, an English horn, 2 clarinets in B flat and a bass clarinet in B flat.' Fourteen chords join with four durations:

2

3

J+

2

3

4+

4

This rhythmic model tala lakmisga is increased to twice its basic value (1 1'/, 2 4 to 2 3 4 8). Half of the last duration is audible and half inaudible, that is instead of a note there is a pause. 2. The second rhythmically-harmonical pedal is performed by four string instrument parts: second violins divided and violas divided. Thirteen chords join with six durations:

J J J 4 4

4

_T_

2 3

-2

The rhythmic pedal is based on the tala ragavardhana in an inversed form (12 2 3 2) which is also twice augmented its basic value (1 11/2 1 6), B A A B and subsequently part B is disassembled (2 2 2 4 4 4). The pedal runs in a continuous repetition of the time cycle tala ragavardhana without pauses. The remaining two, purely rhythmic pedals, are performed by percussion. 3. The third rhythmic pedal is performed by the Chinese cymbal (cymbale chinoise). It consists of 21 note values. The chromatic row of duration is achieved by gradually decreasing the values from 17 to 7, and subsequently gradually increasing them from 7 to 17 (the unit is a semiquaver):

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.

M. SIMUND2A,

134

MESSIAEN'S

IRASM

RHYTHMICAL...,

18 (1987), 1, 117-144

cymbale chinoise

BIt^IIJ 17I ,,

,i

IJ

J

,,

.-

I FT

{^r

I1

I

j

This is obviously a non-retrograde rhythm whose middle value has 7 durations: I

J

J1.d

J 17 J

10

J E r)JJi

12

14

15

J

J-

11

J

16 J

11

J

9

J

13

12

J

0i 8

7

JJI

13

J

1JJ

J.Jd

14

JJ

15

8

9

10

8

9

10

J J JJ 16

ri

I

17

It may be that one of these numbers was chosen by chance, but their symbolic interconnection indicates that Messiaen purposefully used precisely these three numbers in creating one rhythm. Number 21 is a symbol of perfection, maturity (many nations have chosen the 21st year of life as the age of adulthood) and God's wisdom, wisdom has 21 attributes.

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-

M. SIMUNDZA,

MESSIAEN'S

135

IRASM 18 (1987), 1, 117-144

RHYTHMICAL...,

The number 21 is made by trebling number 7 whose complex symbolism (some sevens are symbols of other sevens) is present in almost all cultures and religions. Number 17 (like number 72 which is connected to it) has a great symbolic importance, as it is the result of adding the numbers 9 and 8, through which it is connected to number 7 (8 = 1 + 7, 9 = 7 +2).22 Messiaen has his own interpretation of numbers, for example he says of 7 and 8 that >>Septest le nombre parfait, la creation de six jours sanctifiee par le sabbat divin; le sept de ce repos se prolonge dans l'eternite et devient le huit de la lumiere ind6fectible, de 'inalterable paix.>personnageattaquant/ /an attacking character) which is removed from the second structure. The duration of the gamelan sounding second structure gets smaller and smaller and, towards the end, is brought down to virtually one bar (that would be a >>personnageattaque>personnageimmobile