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DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2249.2009.00274.

jonathan goldman
Charting MMORIALE: Paradigmatic Analysis and Harmonic
Schemata in Boulezs ... EXPLOSANTE-FIXE ...
musa_274

25..61

Analytical Rationale
In this article, Pierre Boulezs Mmoriale (... explosante-fixe ... originel) (1985)
will be analysed using various kinds of charts and tables.1 This work is an
outgrowth of a project called Score Charting, Segmented Listening (Mise en
tableau, coute segmente) undertaken by the Analysis of Musical Practices
(APM) team at the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique
(IRCAM) in which I have participated since September 2005. The approach I
adopt therefore emphasises the path leading from the score (as well as the
recording) to the various charts in which different aspects of the score are
represented.The APM team, directed by Nicolas Donin, is developing a software
tool capable of producing multimedia charts, and in particular audible paradigmatic analyses of musical pieces. In a way, of course, this project is an attempt
to adhere to Nicolas Ruwets injunction to furnish explicit criteria for segmentation, grouping and any other analytical decisions which give rise to the process
of interpretation.2 What will become apparent from the analysis provided here
is the use, in this piece as well as in others by Boulez from the 1980s onwards,
of polar notes that is, structural nuclei around which other pitches cluster like
moons around a planet as the axial points of musical form. In Mmoriale, the
opposition between groups of appoggiaturas and long polar notes is decisive for
the articulation of form. This in turn is related to one of the possible meanings
of the title ... explosante-fixe ....
It might seem unpromising to study works from Boulezs later period by
compiling charts and tables.The chart is thought to be the precompositional tool
of choice for works from the purely serial phase of the composers stylistic
development, especially those from the brief period of the so-called generalised
series, the emblematic work of which is Structures pour deux pianos (1952). Later
works by Boulez, as commentators such as Jean-Jacques Nattiez (1993) and
Clestin Delige (2004) have argued, reveal a new realm of stylistic freedom, and
of corresponding unanalysability. It is generally thought that even if, in his later
works, Boulez remains faithful to serial principles, the rigour and seeming
automatism of, for example, Structures 1a gives way to compositional freedom,
on the one hand, and to accommodations made in favour of particular listening
strategies to what could be called an aesthetic prediction incorporated into
the poietic process on the other. This amounts to a kind of compositional
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dramaturgy which repudiates the integral serialist premise of the communicability of pure structure.
Of course, works from Boulezs later years are as highly structured as ever.The
system, as the composer explained in a lecture presentation during the course
of the 1980s,3 represents the link between the initial idea and its realisation in the
form of the work. The role of the system is one not of immutable law, but rather
of a crutch ... for the imagination, a system of fairly rigid rules within which the
limits of freedom are clearly laid out:
This amounts to considering the system as an aid ... without which it would not
be possible to truly conceive of an imaginary world: I choose, therefore I am; I
only invented the system in order to supply myself with a certain type of material;
I must then eliminate or modify it as a function of what I judge to be good,
beautiful, necessary.4

Finding matrices which might provide the framework for the famously free
ornamentation that abounds in the later works is a step towards understanding
the two distinct steps of Boulezs compositional technique: first, invention of the
system; and second, its realisation, giving concrete expression to the composers
penchant for permutations that is, variations which are nonetheless strictly
controlled: numerically controlled.5
Another reason for applying semiotically inspired paradigmatic analysis to
Boulezs later works is that the composer has in recent times become a champion
of thematic writing: a great many pages of the Collge de France lectures,
collected in Leons de musique (Boulez 2005) are devoted to the notion of theme.
Above all, Boulez believes that thematic writing should furnish the components
of music with an identifiable contour, nuance, timbre and phrasing, thus providing each formal entity with a characteristic physiognomy. Musical form arises
from the dialectical play of surprise and recognition as these themes reappear in
varied guises. Boulezs own segmentation of the material is what invites the
paradigmatic approach, which reassembles like elements with like and enables
the study of a themes evolution.
After a short general overview of Mmoriale, a paradigmatic analysis of its solo
flute part will be presented. It will be followed by a close examination of the
different harmonic fields which serve to articulate the works form. Then, as a
function of the segmentation derived from this analysis, these articulations will
be charted in order to show how a piece which possesses an apparently free and
improvisatory character in fact hides a highly rigorous underlying structure, not
unlike the models previously explored in the context of total serialism.
Overview of Mmoriale
Mmoriale (... explosante-fixe ... originel) began as a piece for solo flute, this
component having been completed in its entirety before Boulez chose to add a
number of other instrumental parts (for two horns, three violins, two violas and
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cello). As a fully composed solo piece subsequently expanded into a work for
ensemble, it consciously follows the example of Luciano Berio, who developed a
number of his Sequenze into the Chemins for soloist and ensemble while leaving
the original solo parts more or less intact.6 Mmoriales texture, then, is that of a
single instrument provided with a supporting ensemble whose role is to prolong,
extend, harmonise, sustain and reiterate ideas introduced in the solo part. The
horns and strings nonetheless conform more closely to a kind of unplugged live
electronic resource than a traditional mode of accompaniment.7 To this end the
pitches of the accompaniment all derive from the flute part in obvious, audibly
clear ways: indeed it is as if the flute is understood to be distributing its pitch
materials among the other instruments who in turn respond by punctuating its
more complete thematic statements. It is therefore a reasonable assumption to
make that the complete form of the piece is essentially laid out in the flute part.
The subtitle ... explosante-fixe ... originel refers to the works origins in a
two-page tribute to Stravinsky published in Tempo magazine in 1972 (Ex. 1)
which took the shape of a work for unspecified instruments entitled ... explosantefixe. ...8 As may be seen in Ex. 2, a musical idea marked originel appears in the
centre of the page surrounded by the suggestive mode of graphic presentation.
Boulez has explained on many occasions that the cartouche-encased E Es in
German pitch nomenclature was meant as a tribute to Stravinsky (that is, S
for Stravinsky). As will be shown below, this seven-note series, or more precisely
the single pitch class E followed by a six-note series, lies at the heart of
Mmoriale.
Paradigmatic Analysis of Thematic Content in Mmoriale
What is also audibly transparent concerning Mmoriale is that it is constructed in
a kind of puzzle form. This term was itself coined by Boulez to describe works
that consist of contrasting passages placed end to end without transitions, in a
musical equivalent of the cinematic jump-cut. The term puzzle could be appropriately applied, for example, to describe Stravinskys Symphonies forWind Instruments.9 Stravinskys piece was indeed a conscious model for ... explosante-fixe ... ,
the forerunner of Mmoriale, as Boulez acknowledged in an interview with
Rossana Dalmonte:
Because I was working at the same time on ... explosante-fixe ... and Rituel, the two
works have parallels. The first idea was taken from Stravinskys Symphonies for
Wind Instruments, in which there is a clarinet call in the high register, and then
those chords a long one followed by a short one always the same.When I heard
that piece by Stravinsky, I said to myself: hes always doing that, he keeps
repeating exactly the same thing, couldnt one vary that? For example, harmonically, or by adding a decay.10

The thematic character of Mmoriale had previously been addressed by the


composer in the course of a public lecture delivered in 1991. In particular, he
drew attention to the salient features of each of the four principal components.11
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jonathan goldman

Ex. 1 ... explosante-fixe ...

Ex. 2 Originel idea from ... explosante-fixe ...


ORIGINEL (dbut ou fin)

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Despite their varied modes of presentation, all four remain readily identifiable,
both aurally and visually. Labelled alphabetically in order of appearance in the
score, element A, marked rapide, stable, is a legato phrase with soft dynamics
(Ex. 3). The faster second theme, B, is marked modr, modul. In addition to
a more moderate dynamic level, the marcato semiquavers which characterise this
element are grouped in decreasing order (4321, as indicated in Ex. 4).
Element C, marked lent, souple and characterised by a homophonic accompaniment, embraces a number of longer rhythmic values in groups of between two
and seven notes. Played trilled with a flutter-tongued tremolo, these groupings
always arrive on a unison E, the central pitch class of the piece. This pattern in
turn confers a kind of cadential role on this theme, and indeed its function is
different from that of the other three elements, as will be further explored below.
The final instance of this figure, shown in Ex. 5, is significant in that it utilises all
seven notes of the originel series (see again Ex. 2). Finally element D (Ex. 6)
comprises a combination of quavers and semiquavers followed by a longer note.
It is marked rapide, irrgulier, vacillant and has the fastest overall tempo.
Paradigmatic Analysis of the Solo Flute Part of Mmoriale
The chart reproduced in Ex. 7, taken from screen shots of the multimedia tool
described at the beginning of this article, presents a paradigmatic analysis of the
solo flute part using a segmentation derived from the division of the music into
the four designated thematic units.12
Ex. 3 Element A (rapide, stable)
Rapide, stable

= 120

Ex. 4 Element B (modr, modul)


. . Modr, Modul

= 90

rall. . . . . . .

= 60 (

= 120)

Ex. 5 Element C (lent, souple)


29 Lent, souple

= 60

en ralentissant beaucoup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

morendo

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Ex. 6 Element D (rapide, irrgulier, vacillant)


Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant
4

= 120/132

ralentir . . .jusqua

Ex. 7 Paradigmatic analysis of Mmoriale using score charting tool


Rapide, stable

= 120

Modr. Modul

ralentir jusqu

= 90 (

Rapide, stable

= 90
rall.

= 120) rall.

= 60 (

= 120)

= 60

= 120

cder

5 Modr, Modul

Rapide, stable

= 90

Rall.

= 60

= 120

Rapide, stable
11
5

= 120

cder

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Ex. 7 Continued

Lent, souple
3

= 60

Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant

suspendu

= 120/132
5

rallentir

long

Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant

Lent ( = 60)
6

= 120/132

suspendu

long

9 Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant


ten .

Lent, souple
10

= 60

en rallentissant

cder
ten .

= 120/132

suspendu

long
Rapide

= 120/132 irrgulier, vacillant

12

The Element C Passages: Progression from Clean to Blurry


Before interpreting the results of the paradigmatic analysis, some further observations regarding element C are worthy of consideration due to its unique formal
status. Altogether this quasi-cadential formula occurs six times, once at the very
end of the piece, while each of the other three elements (A, B and D) appears
twelve times. The process within which element C is embedded is in fact
connected to the acoustic sense of the word analysis, that is, the decomposition
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Ex. 7 Continued

13

Modr, Modul
accel.

= 90

rall.

. = 120

rall.

= 60

. = 90

accel.

Modr
tempo
Modul
accel.120
= 90 120
accel.
16
= 90

= 90 ralentir jusqu
ten .

tempo

= 60

sub.
Rapide, stable

= 120

17

Modr
Modul
accel.
. = 90
19

rit.
. = 120

tempo
. = 90

. = 120

of a complex sound into its component parts. Boulezs increasing interest in the
science of acoustics and its application to music may of course be traced to his
earliest proposals for the founding of IRCAM dating from the early 1970s.
Indeed it was around this time that the electroacoustic transformation of sound
began to leave a mark on his instrumental writing, albeit sometimes in a rather
metaphorical form, in the presence of adapted electroacoustic techniques such as
frequency shifting, phaser effects, filters, delays, harmonisers, resonators, and so
on.
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Ex. 7 Continued
3

3
3

14

Lent

= 60
suspendu

15

rallentir jusqu

Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant

= 120/132

long

18 Lent

= 56 en ralentissant

suspendu

long
souple

During his 1991 lecture, the composer explained that the accompanying
instruments in Mmoriale had been chosen so as to create a continuum between
what might be termed a straight sonority (by which was meant a clean, focused,
non-vibrato sound) and a more fuzzy one (involving blurring or muffling effects
such as vibrato, tremolo, muting or flutter-tonguing). As Mmoriale progresses,
the overall sound envelope consequently follows a trajectory from clean to blurry
or blurry to clean, depending on which motivic cells are being considered. The
horns, according to this schema, remain at one extreme of the clean sound, while
the flute, which for much of the piece plays using trills or flutter-tonguing
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34
Ex. 7 Continued

( = 90)

Rapide, stable
20

rall.

tempo

= 90

rall.

= 90

. = 90

= 120

cder

26

Rapide, stable

= 120

cder

Modr
Modul
28

. = 120
rall.

. = 90

. = 90 accel. . = 120 rall.

accel.

. = 120 rall.

= 60

= 60
ten .

technique, occupies the other. Due to the variety of playing styles available to it,
the string group fluctuates between these two outer limits, approaching the
timbre of the horns when adopting a naturale and non-vibrato playing style, and
the timbre of the flutter-tongued flute when playing either tremolo sul tasto or
trilled sul ponticello. Given this acoustic framework, music analysis and sonic
analysis may thus be felt to intersect in this work. With specific reference to
element C, the strings begin in a more normal register prior to accommodating
an expanding range of tremolos, trills, sul ponticello and sul tasto techniques. The
progressive effect may be gauged with reference to Exs. 810 as shown below.
Thus in the third occurrence reproduced in Ex. 8 (C3), only one instrument,
the first viola, is blurred. Ex. 9 by comparison summarises the string
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Ex. 7 Continued

Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant

= 120/132

25

Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant

= 120/132

Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant

= 120/132
3

27

21

cder

3
3

Lent, souple = 60
en ralentissant beaucoup

29

morendo

accompaniment of each of the six occurrences, while the table shown in Ex. 10
makes clear the near-linear progression.
Global Observations Arising from the Paradigmatic Analysis
A cursory examination of the three thematic elements A, B and D reveals that each
theme comprises a certain number of small note values or appoggiaturas followed
by a longer note. This leads to the formulation of two potential hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1: These longer notes function as polar notes in other words, the
trajectory of the piece is based on the sequential progression from long note to
long note.

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cder

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Ex. 8 Third occurrence of element C


Lent, souple

= 60 en ralentissant . . . . . . . . . .
Suspendu

10
Fl. solo

long

Hns

long

non vibrato
pos. nat.

long

non vibrato
pos. nat.

long

non vibrato
pos. nat.

long

(sul tasto)

long

non vibrato
pos. nat.

long

3 Vns

2 Vlas

non vibrato
Vlc.

long

Hypothesis 2: There is a particular significance attaching to the playing style of


these longer notes according to whether they are articulated naturale, tremolo, or as
a trill.

Ex. 11 illustrates these hypotheses with instances drawn from elements A, B and
D in each of the three possible playing styles. The first hypothesis implies that
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Ex. 9 Continuum from clean to blurry sound in Mmoriale

All strings non vibrato


pos. nat.

All strings non vibrato


pos. nat.

Lent ( = 56), calme

Lent ( = 56), calme en ralentissan t

Lent ( = 56), calme

Lent ( = 56), calme


long
3

long

long

10

* Viola 1 sul tasto trem.

Lent ( = 56), calme

en ralentissan t
suspendu
long

14

en ralentissan t
suspendu
long

18

* Violin 2 sul pont. trill


* Violin 3 sul tasto trem.
* Viola 1 sul pont. trill
* Viola 2 sul tasto trem.

* Violin 2 sul tasto trem.


* Viola 2 sul pont. trill

Lent ( = 56), calme en ralentissant beaucoup


29

morendo
* Violin 1 sul tasto trem.
* Violin 2 sul pont. trill
* Violin 3 sul pont. trill
* Viola 1 sul tasto trem.
* Viola 2 sul pont. trill
* Cello sul tasto trem.

Ex. 10 Passage from clean to blurry sound in element C


number of
6
veiled
instruments 5
4
3
2
1
occurrence: C1

C2

C3

C4

C5

C6

each of the thematic units A, B and D has a binary structure: an initial group of
shorter notes followed by one long note value (played either naturale, tremolo or
trilled). It is important to observe, however, that this assumption is not exclusively an empirical judgement arising from observation of the neutral level of the
score, but rather a stylistic criterion based on acquaintance with Boulezs other
compositions, especially those from the same period as Mmoriale. Typically, in
the case of works dating from the 1970s, phrases begin with a short note or
appoggiatura, have a long sustained or trilled component in the centre and are
brought to a conclusion via a few shorter note values. More importantly,
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Ex. 11 Appogiatura + polar notes (explosante + fixe)


Rapide, stable
3

Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant


4

Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant


rall.

= 120

= 120/132
accel.

= 120/132
5

ralentir

however, the long note at the end of each unit clearly carries a greater structural
weight than what precedes it, and so may be considered a polar note into whose
aura (to borrow Boulezs term) the remaining elements are drawn.13 While it
conforms in part to this model, element C is actually more clearly articulated by
the chordal sequence which precedes its recurrent unison E.
Commenting on the role of extended trills in relation to this characteristic
phrase pattern, Clestin Delige has remarked that among other procedures for
abandoning a polar tone, one notes that Boulez often embellishes the tone with
a few brief decay-like tones; the opposite situation, that a trilled or otherwise
sustained tone is simply followed by a rest, is actually quite rare.14 One might
extend Deliges observation by asserting that the same statement is equally true
of the means by which such trills are approached. This type of melodic profile
mirrors, on a macroscopic level, the tripartite impulse-resonance-decay structure
of any sound and thus constitutes another example of acoustic metaphor in
Boulezs music. The three paradigms relating to elements A, B and D could thus
be subsumed under a higher-level bipartite paradigm akin to the first two of these
three structural components. In this sense, shorter notes followed by long polar
notes could be likened to the impulse and resonance stages of a sound.
Francesco Buscemi has taken this reasoning one step further by interpreting
Mmoriale as having a bipartite form consisting of impulse (impulso) followed by
resonance (risonanza).This reading has the merit of elevating the appoggiatura
long note contour to a higher level of structure in fact to a kind of paradigm of
paradigms for the entire work. In Buscemis view, it is necessary to take as valid
the hypothesis that the slow sections, that is, those demarcated by element C,
delimit the form, since the first five occurrences are practically equidistant,
whereas the last one (which coincides with the end of the piece) appears much
later. A preliminary division would therefore be: 018 (impulse): 1929 (reso 2009 The Author.
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nance).15 Of course this produces a rather summary segmentation, but also


carries the distinct advantage of highlighting the explosante-fixe contour on
several structural levels.
Analysis of the Pitch Content of the Polar Notes
With respect to the process of paradigmatic analysis, it is appropriate at this point
to make a more precise examination of pitch organisation using the same
segmentation but replacing the complete musical units with the name of their
corresponding pitch centres. Ex. 12, which applies the two hypotheses advanced
above, presents a series of syntagmatic symbols (A1, A2, B1, B2, and so on) in
order to distinguish each individual long note along with its specific playing style.
Ex. 12 Paradigmatic analysis with syntagmatic symbols showing pitches of polar
notes and associated playing style
Element A
A1=C nat.

Element B
B1=E trem.

Element C

Element D

C1=E trem./trill

D1=A trill
D2=D nat.

B2=E trem.
A2=D nat.
A3=B nat.
B3=A trill

C2=E trem./trill

D3=D nat.
A4=E trem.
A5=F trem.

D4=B nat.
C3=E trem./trill

A6=G trill

D5=E trem.
D6=D trem.
B4=A nat.
B5=C nat.
B6=C nat.
C4=E trem./trill

D7=A nat.
D8=F nat.
D9=A nat.

B7=E trill
A7=B trem.
A8=B trem.

C5=E trem./trill
B8=C trem.
B9=D trem.

A9=F nat.
A10=C nat.
D10=B trill

A11=A nat.

D11=A trem.
A12=C trill

D12=A trem.
B10=F nat.
B11=G nat.
B12=E nat.

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C6=E trem./trill

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(Discussion of the element C paradigm will be deferred for the time being.) As
shown in Ex. 13, a total of 36 long notes may be assembled; considering these as
six hexachords and labelling them S1, S2, ... , S6 then produces the result shown
in Ex. 14. Although these six series have little in common with each other in
terms of transpositional, inversional or retrograde equivalences, their mutual
derivation can be confirmed by returning to the originel epigram whose pitches
are G, D, A, B and E, preceded by the encased E (see again Ex. 2).Transposing
this series onto each of its elements yields the outcome shown in Ex. 15.
Each series is identified by a label (S(E), S(G), and so on) in which the pitch
classes in parentheses indicate their respective first notes. For each line, the six
notes which follow the parenthetical note correspond to the pitch content of one
of the Sn series defined by the polar notes of Mmoriale as shown in Ex. 14; the
precise correspondence is specified in the column on the far right.16 As can be
seen, each line of this transpositional matrix represents one of the six hexachords
which make up the polar notes of Mmoriale (modulo their order within each
series). Since the registers are fixed, they can be represented as six harmonies,
Ex. 13 Pitches of the 36 polar notes of Mmoriale
C

E E

G E
C

D B

D A C

D F

A D E

C A

C A

F A E

B A C

E F B
B B
F

G E

Ex. 14 Six hexachords derived from the polar notes of Mmoriale


S1:

S2:

S3:

S4:

S5:

S6:

Ex. 15 Correlation between the originel matrix and the six hexachords derived from
Mmoriales polar notes
S(E )

[E ] [G] [D] [A ] [B ] [A] [E] S

S(G)

[G]

S5

S(D)

[D]

S6

S(A ) [A ] C

S3

S(B ) [B ] D

S2

S(A)

[A]

S1

S(E)

[E]

S4

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each associated with the note that generated it in the manner of an operator
(Ex. 16). Shading these harmonic fields on the paradigmatic analysis yields the
chart shown in Ex. 17, which shows the distribution of these notes across the six
hexachords. Once shaded in this way, the paradigmatic analysis reveals a very
simple structure: each harmonic zone contains six polar notes, of which one note
is trilled, two are played as tremolos and three are naturale, resulting in a pattern
of 1 + 2 + 3.
Ex. 16 The six harmonic fields of Mmoriale

S 1 = S(A)

S 2 = S(B )

S 3 = S(A )

S 4 = S(E)

S 5 = S(G)

S 6 = S(D)

Ex. 17 Paradigmatic analysis with shaded harmonic fields


Element A
A1=C nat.

Element B
B1=E trem.

Element C

Element D

C1=E trem./trill

D1=A trill
D2=D nat.

B2=E trem.
A2=D nat.
A3=B nat.
B3=A trill

C2=E trem./trill

D3=D nat.
A4=E trem.
A5=F trem.

D4=B nat.
C3=E trem./trill

A6=G trill

D5=E trem.
D6=D trem.
B4=A nat.
B5=C nat.
B6=C nat.
C4=E trem./trill

D7=A nat.
D8=F nat.
D9=A nat.

B7=E trill
A7=B trem.
A8=B trem.

C5=E trem./trill
B8=C trem.
B9=D trem.

A9=F nat.
A10=C nat.
D10=B trill

A11=A nat.

D11=A trem.
A12=C trill

D12=A trem.
B10=F nat.
B11=G nat.
B12=E nat.

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C6=E trem./trill

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Ex. 18 Pitches of element C in relation to shaded harmonic fields


S(A)=S1

C1

S(B )=S2

C2

S(A )=S3

C3

S(E)=S4

C4

S(G)=S5

G B

C5

S(D)=S6

D G E

C6

This schema makes use of six transpositions of S(E); but what of S(E) itself,
that is, the originel series? In fact it is reserved for the cadential C sections, with
the relevant six notes presented here in order as Ex. 18. Each of these rows is a
subset of S (E), the originel series, and each successive row presents one more
note in the series; the final one contains all seven of the notes that constitute
element C in its complete form. Moreover, the first six polar notes encountered
in Mmoriale belong to S1, which was defined as the series transposed onto A, in
other words S(A). C1 contains the notes A and E, that is, the first note of C1 is
the pitch class which generates the six notes used throughout that section.
Extending this principle, it can be assumed that for all series S1 to S6, if the first
note of the C section is any note x, then the six polar notes in the same section
will equate to pitches drawn from S(x). A kind of centre-absence game seems to
be at work here:17 for instance, the six notes of the series engendered by A are
introduced, but only then does A appear as the first note of the cadential element
C.18
The series S1 to S6, then, map out the trajectory of the piece from one polar
note to the next, creating six harmonic fields through which the flute travels from
beginning to end. The shaded regions of Ex. 17 show the extent to which the
paradigmatic segmentation agrees with the serial segmentation. As previously
noted, each harmonic field contains three statements of one thematic element,
two of another, and one of a third, as well as a single occurrence of element C.
As is shown in Ex. 19, the question of which thematic element is represented
three times, which twice and which only once in any given harmonic field is a
function of the mode of articulation accorded to each polar note. Representing
these modes in shades of grey on the initial transpositional matrix of the six
harmonic fields (from naturale as the lightest shade through to the trill as the
darkest) yields the result shown here. Besides one exchange of values in S5, for
each seven-note series Boulez always uses positions 1, 3 and 6 for naturale notes,
4 and 5 for tremolo notes and 2 for trills. This can be mapped another way in
order to bring out which of the three themes, A, B or D, is assigned to either the
three naturales, the two tremolos or the single trill for each of the six harmonic
fields (Ex. 20). Overall this pattern corresponds to two cyclic permutations to
the left (anticlockwise), followed by three cyclic permutations to the right (clockwise) as illustrated in Ex. 21.
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Ex. 19 Playing style as a function of position in the series


1

nat.

trill

nat.

trem.

trem.

6
nat.

[E ]

S5

S6

S3

S2

S1

S4

Ex. 20 Correlation between playing style, harmonic field and thematic unit
3nat. 2trem.

1trill

trem.\trill

+C

S1

+C

S2

+C

S3

+C

S4

+C

S5

+C

S6

Ex. 21 Cyclic permutation of thematic elements


Anticlockwise rotation:
Clockwise rotation:

(BDA)

ABD
DAB

DAB
ABD

BDA
BDA

Analysis of Durations
Until this point, no attempt has been made to interpret the durational values
of the polar notes. Represented in semiquavers and arranged on the paradigmatic chart shown in Ex. 22, adjacent polar notes with the same playing style
in fact appear to be of largely similar duration indeed to within the length of
a single semiquaver. Adjustment of these values produces the schema shown in
Ex. 23 (the number of exceptions is indicated with the abbreviation exc.).
Expressing these durations in quaver values while at the same time representing the symmetry between the two parts of the piece through shading yields
the outcome illustrated in Ex. 24, a pattern whose contours in turn reveal a
nearly arithmetic progression as indicated in Ex. 25 (only the value of four is
repeated).
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Ex. 22 Durations of polar notes expressed in semiquavers

S1=S(A)

Element A
A1=C nat. 12

Element B
B1=E trem. 6
B2=E trem. 6

A2=D nat. 9
A3=B nat. 11
S2 =S(B )

B3=A trill 8

Element C

Element D

C1=E trem./trill
C2=E trem./trill

D1=A trill 16
D2=D nat. 10
D3=D nat. 8

A4=E trem. 13
A5=F trem. 14

D4=B nat. 8

S3=S(A )

C3=E trem/trill
A6=G trill 18

D5=E trem. 12
D6=D trem. 12
B4=A nat. 4
B5=C nat. 4
B6=C nat. 4

S4=S(E)

C4=E trem./trill

D7=A nat. 8
D8=F nat. 8
D9=A nat. 8

B7=E trill 8
A7=B trem. 13
A8=B trem. 14

C5=E trem./trill

S5=S(G)

B8=C trem. 6
B9=D trem. 6
A9=F nat. 10
A10=C nat. 10
A11=A nat. 10

D10=B trill 17
D11=A trem. 12
D12=A trem. 12

S6=S(D)
A12=C trill 17
B10=F nat. 5
B11=G nat. 4
B12=E nat. 4

C6=E trem./trill

Ex. 23 Durations of polar notes expressed in semiquavers and grouped by playing


style
A

10 nat. (3 exx.)

6 (trem.)

16 (trill)

14 (trem.) (1 ex.)

8 (trill)

8 (nat.) (1 ex.)

18 (trill)

4 (nat.)

12 (trem.)

14 (trem.) (1 ex.)

8 (trill)

8 (nat.)

10 (nat.)

6 (trem.)

16 (trill) (1 ex.)

18 (trill) (1 ex.)

4 (nat.) (1 ex.)

12 (trem.)

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Ex. 24 Durations of polar notes expressed in quavers


A

5 nat.

3 (trem.)

8 (trill)

7 (trem.) (1 ex.)

4 (trill)

4 (nat.) (1 ex.)

9 (trill)

2 (nat.)

6 (trem.)

7 (trem.) (1 ex.)

4 (trill)

4 (nat.)

5 (nat.)

3 (trem.)

8 (trill) (1 ex.)

9 (trill) (1 ex.)

2 (nat.) (1 ex.)

6 (trem.)

Ex. 25 Schema for polar-note durations

Nat.

Trem.

Trill

Notes on the Accompaniment: Unplugged Electronics and


Geometrical Serialism
Since the form of Mmoriale is essentially dictated by the solo flute part, the role
of the accompaniment was not deemed significant for the initial phase of paradigmatic analysis. In a broader respect, however, the accompanimental dimension offers an object lesson in Boulezs notion of deduction: the solo flute line,
composed in advance, gives rise quite methodically to the eight subordinate
lines. As such, Mmoriale qualifies as a didactic work,19 a term likewise coined
by Boulez in the 1970s to describe certain very specific pieces by the Webern of
the series.20 Although the derivation of the ensemble parts from one solo line
reflects a conscious indebtedness to Berios Chemins projects, it also represents
an expression of Boulezs declared belief that each note [in a work] has a
responsibility towards every other one.21 Not surprisingly, the accompanimental
stratum of Mmoriale fulfils this dictum by drawing on the reservoir of pitches
initially announced by the flute; moreover the rigidly fixed registration of the
piece adds to its being perceived as fairly limited in terms of harmonic material.22
In addition, the accompaniment serves, as previously noted, to prolong, harmonise and enhance the flute line in the metaphorical sense of an unplugged
electronic resource, aspects of which will be examined below.
Unplugged Electronics I: Resonator
At rehearsal number 4, the first of each pair of semiquavers in the flute part is
notated using light resonance marks. The upper strings then act as four separate
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46

resonators: each time the flute plays one of the marked notes, a member of the
string group sustains the sound with the shimmering timbre of a sul tasto tremolo
(in Ex. 26 the resonating notes are encircled and annotated with connecting lines
joining them to the flute part). This effect is directly reminiscent of the piano
cadenza that opens Boulezs clat (1965), where the resonance is supplied by the
sostenuto pedal and six silently depressed keys, the strings of which resonate each
time the pianist strikes a chord containing one of the attendant pitches. Another,
more subtle version of this resonator effect involves clarification of the harmony
through accentuation of the polar notes. For instance, at rehearsal number 20,
the flute plays three polar notes, F, C and A (encircled in Ex. 27). Of the
supporting instrumental strands, it is the third violin line which most closely
resembles the flute part. Although the correspondence is incomplete, occasionally being reduced to a mirror image, the three polar notes, each marked piano,
are nonetheless plainly evident. The role of the other instruments thus seems to
be either to accentuate these structural pitches through doublings by the horns
on the second and third staves or with laissez vibrer cello pizzicati, or to obscure
the non-polar notes through trilled doublings (the various connections are
Ex. 26 Resonator accompaniment, rehearsal number 4
Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant
4

= 120132
5

Fl.

Hns

sul tasto
Vn 1

sul tasto
Vn 2
sul tasto
Vn 3
sul tasto
Vla 1

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Ex. 27 Resonator accompaniment, rehearsal number 20


Rapide, stable

= 120

20

Cder

Fl.

Hns

arco
Vn 1

arco
Vn 2

arco
Vn 3

Vla 1

Vla 2

pizz.

1. V.

1. V.
1. V.

Vlc.

depicted using either light or dark lines in Ex. 27). The composer may therefore
be understood to be employing timbral distinctions as a means of dividing the
overall registral space through the separate treatment of polar and non-polar
notes.
Unplugged Electronics II: Delay and Retrograde Echo
As well as exploiting the possibilities of timbral resonance, Boulez also employs
delay and echo effects in his ensemble writing. The particular acoustic impression illustrated in Ex. 28 could be likened to a retrograde echo in the sense that
if an echos repetitions may be perceived to become progressively more partial,
then the repetitions of a retrograde echo are made successively more complete.
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Ex. 28 Reverse echo, rehearsal number 9


Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant
9

= 120/132

3
3

ten .

Fl.

Hns

tremol o

sul tasto
Vn 1

sul tasto

Vn 2

sul tasto
Vn 3

sul tasto
Vla 1

sul tasto
Vla 2

Vlc.

The first viola reconstitutes only four notes of the nine-note flute phrase; it is
followed by the second violin, which echoes six of the notes, and then the first
violin, which repeats all nine notes: the outcome is a kind of reverse echo
impression reminiscent of certain tape-loop effects.
Geometric Orchestration
Just as the rigid structure of the six harmonic fields and the corresponding
durational schema together hark back to the experiments of integral serialism, so
the accompaniment also uses techniques explored most intensively in this same
creative context. For Boulez in the 1960s, orchestration could be approached as
a kind of Cartesian geometry. Three specific types of distribution could be
envisaged: symmetrical, asymmetrical, combined symmetrical-asymmetrical,23
involving the translation into musical notation of forms plotted on a grid. Ex. 29
shows one example of a geometric form drawn from Mmoriale. The string
accompaniment here represents an inverted triangle whose apex is in the second
viola. Comparing the flute part with the first violin part, it becomes apparent that
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Ex. 29 Geometric approach to orchestration, rehearsal number 21


Rapide, irrgulier, vacillant
21

= 120/132
3

the latter takes two notes from every triplet figure of the former (with the
exception of the added E in the second bar) and reconfigures them to produce
the five groups of four semiquavers seen in Ex. 30. Labelling these five four-note
groups a1, a2, a3, a4 and a5 yields the result shown in Ex. 31. Each successive row
is formed through a process of retrogradation from which the middle element is
omitted. A further axis of symmetry may also be discerned in this formation
whereby the rows of the pyramid are superimposed in such a way that the
one-element row contains the same element as the one-element column, the
two-element row contains the same elements as the two-element column, and so
on. In this respect, as in so many others, Mmoriale wears its deductions on its
sleeve.
The Rhythmic Canon
According to the composer, the passage from rehearsal number 22 to rehearsal
number 24 remains independent of the rest of the piece. Divorced thematically
from the music which precedes it, this short section lasting no more than a few
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Ex. 30 Rehearsal number 21, excerpt


Vn 1

Vn 2

Vn 3

Vla 1

Vla 2

Vlc.

Ex. 31 Schema for accompaniment, rehearsal number 21


a1

a2

a3

a4

a5

a5

a4

a2

a1

a1

a2

a5

a5

a1

a1

(retrograde with middle element omitted)


(retrograde with middle element omitted)
(retrograde with middle element omitted)
(retrograde with middle element omitted)

seconds outlines a closed ABA ternary form. It also depends in part on a


rhythmic canon that involves five of the nine instruments; this grouping thus
provides a kind of barely audible polyphonic accompaniment to the flute part
that is not only played at a constant pianissimo, but also with a pitch-obscuring sul
tasto tremolo. Seeking to explore a seemingly secondary detail of this kind
without necessarily attempting to integrate it into the surrounding framework is
in fact a highly Boulezian strategy. Indeed for the composer himself,
analysis is not necessarily that global approach, that total and absolute capturing
of the whole at which it often aims. Analysis can be short, searing and intuitive. It
need not deal with the work as a whole in order to be conclusive. It can immediately latch on to an apparently secondary detail; it can sometimes be the result
of a surprising, inspired encounter.24

Boulez first encountered the technique of rhythmic canon in his studies with
Messiaen at the Paris Conservatory in the 1940s as well as from his examination
of late works by Webern, such as the Second Cantata, Op. 31.25 Its deployment
in this context is perhaps best interpreted as a kind of second nature whereby the
composer sought to draw on techniques so ingrained in his mind that they
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Ex. 32 First rhythmic canon, rehearsal number 22


Lent
22

= 108/120. Libre, continu.

Fl.

.
Hns

poc o

sul tasto
poco

cres

cen

do

sim.

Vn 1

sempre
sim.
sul tasto

Vn 2
poco sempre
poco

sul tasto

Vn 3
sempre

. poco

sim.

sul tasto

Vla 1
sempre

poco

sim.
sul tasto

Vla 2
sempre
Prs de la touche . . . aller vers pos. nat.
pizz.
.

Vlc.

Ex. 33 Durations in first rhythmic canon, rehearsal number 22


I. violin 1

10

14

II. violin 2

10

14

III. violin 3

14

10

IV. viola 1

10

14

V. viola 2

10

14

emerged almost spontaneously. Ex. 32 reproduces the A section of this closing


passage with the rhythmic canon highlighted. The flute, played with constant
flutter-tonguing, emphasises the central pitch class of the piece, E, which is in
turn reinforced by the cellos E pedal. Describing the duration of each attack in
terms of the semiquaver as smallest common denominator yields the result
shown in Ex. 33. By dividing one value (8) in row III into two smaller durations
3 and 5 and realigning these values, the result shown in Ex. 34 may be
obtained. The durational series of the last line, that is the second viola part,
contains nine instances of eight durations: 3456781014. Since there are
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Ex. 34 Adjusted durations in first rhythmic canon, rehearsal number 22


I:

II:

III:

14

IV:

10

V:

10

14

10

14

10

14

10

14

Ex. 35 Durations in first rhythmic canon


total
I:

10

14

64

II:

10

14

63

III:

14

10

62

IV:

10

14

61

V:

10

14

60

Ex. 36 Durations in first rhythmic canon reconfigured


I:

a2

a6

a7

a3

a5

a8

a1

a4

a5

II:

a1

a5

a6

a2

a4

a7

a8

a3

a4

III:

a8

a4

a5

a1

a3

a6

a7

a2

a3

IV:

a7

a3

a4

a8

a2

a5

a6

a1

a2

V:

a6

a2

a3

a7

a1

a4

a5

a8

a1

more occurrences than there are different durations, one of them is of necessity
repeated (in this case 3).These eight durations may then be labelled as a1, a2, ... ,
a8 (in other words, a1 = 3, a2 = 4, ... , a8 = 14). Row IV, immediately above the
last line, is produced by replacing each duration with the next successive duration (that is, an becomes an+1), where it is understood that the last duration
(a8 = 14) wraps around to become the first duration (a1 = 3). Continuing in the
same way, row III (the third violin part) is produced by replacing each duration
an by its successor an+1, again modulo 8, and so on for each row in turn.
In Ex. 35, the value in the column on the far right of the table corresponds to
the total duration of that line as expressed in semiquavers; in terms of the
formula ans, this produces the outcome shown in Ex. 36. Ex. 37 in turn indicates
what the resultant rhythmic fugue looks like with just pitches and durations taken
into account. Employing this mode of transcription (note that the rests at the
beginning are virtual), it may be observed that the last notes of each line have
durations of 7, 6, 5, 4 and 3 semiquavers (see again Ex. 35). Also, while entrances
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Ex. 37 First rhythmic canon showing pitches and durations


7
Vn 1

64

Vn 2

63

5
Vn 3

62

4
Vla 1

61
3

Vla 2

60

of the canon are staggered by the rhythmic interval of a semiquaver, its termination is reached simultaneously. The first violin line which inaugurates this
process occupies a full eight bars of 2/4, or 64 semiquavers. Each of the succeeding lines consequently occupies a semiquaver less 63, 62, 61 and 60
respectively.
It is plausible to suppose that the canonic procedure was introduced at this
point simply to satisfy a localised formal requirement in respect of structural
closure. Indeed, polyphonic details aside, had there been only eight occurrences
of eight durations, then each line would have the same duration, since it would
simply be a cyclic permutation of the original model. As it stands, however, the
second rhythmic canon which forms the A section at rehearsal number 24
involves voices both beginning and ending together, an effect achieved by constructing an imitative framework which uses the same eight durations as its
predecessor (a1, a2, a2, a3, ... , a8), yet with only eight elements per durational
series on this occasion rather than nine. As a consequence the total durations of
each new series derived from the operation (an becomes an+1) are identical.
Ex. 38 shows the second rhythmic canon in its entirety while the values for the
five durational series are presented in Ex. 39. Since there are eight elements and
eight different durations, the transformations retain the total duration of 57
semiquavers per row.
In sum these two polyphonic processes make use of a single compositional
matrix such that the concept of a rhythmic canon is realised through the inclusion of an added value which disrupts the symmetry of the whole (more specifically a ninth value taken from a reservoir of eighth durations that causes the four
transformations to have non-identical total durations). The basic model thus
calls to mind Messiaens principle of added rhythmic value in effect,
presenting variations of Messiaens rhythms with additional values inserted into
them.
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Ex. 38 Second rhythmic canon, rehearsal number 24


24

Libre, continu.
= 108/120

Fl.

.
1
Hns

.
2
di - mi - nu - en - do
sul pont .
. arco
1
sim.
sempre

poco
sul pont .
. arco
Vns 2
poco

sim.

sempre

sul pont .
. arco
3
poco

sempre

sim.

sul pont .
. arco
1
poco
Vlas

sempre

sul pont .
arco
.
2
poco

sempre

sim.

progressivement vers le chevalet . . . . .

.
Vlc.

sempre

Charting Mmoriale
The various illustrations presented here represent an attempt to give concrete
expression to the composers own concept of analysis. For Boulez, the musical
work is the result of deductions effected on an initial gesture transcribed via
notation or criture, which could be defined as a kind of graphic-symbolic
reasoning. Music analysis, in turn, is the pursuit, no doubt ultimately vain, of
the labyrinth which joins the idea to its realisation.26 Elsewhere, Boulez has
described this analytical stance as essential to the composers work: Since the
work at once exceeds and sometimes even negates the initial Idea, the path from
this initial Idea to the realised work is difficult, if not impossible to decipher.
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Ex. 38 Continued
6

cres. . . . cen. . . . do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


.

.
.

.
.
.

trs prs du chevalet


.

Ex. 39 Durations in second rhythmic canon


total
I:

3=a2

8=a6

6=a4

7=a5

10=a7

4=a2

II:

14=a8

7=a5

5=a3

6=a4

8=a6

III:

10=a7

6=a4

4=a2

5=a3

7=a5

IV:

8=a6

5=a3

3=a1

4=a2

V:

7=a5

4=a2

14=a8

3=a1

Music Analysis, 27/ii-iii (2008)

14=a8

5=a3

57

3=a1

10=a7

4=a2

57

14=a8

8=a6

3=a1

57

6=a4

10=a7

7=a5

14=a8

57

5=a3

8=a6

6=a4

10=a7

57

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jonathan goldman

But to work back [through analysis] from the realised work to the concept which
we have of the [initial] Idea, this is what guides us along our own path.27
For Boulez, the initial gesture needs to be housed within some kind of system,
essentially a precompositional matrix of some kind, in order to allow it to emerge
as a realised work. But the system is never to be adhered to uncritically; things
always intervene which lead to minor points of deviation. These Boulez calls
accidents,28 and they constitute the unanalysable quotient of the realised work,
or what Andr Breton more evocatively called an unbreakable kernel of night
that lies at its heart.29
The principle of paradigmatic analysis as applied here serves to differentiate
particular aspects of the compositional material. More directly, it defines which
elements can be grouped together thematically, but also, at a more detailed level,
makes clear the fundamental distinction between the long polar notes, whose
pitches form the harmonic underpinnings of the piece, and the short appoggiaturas, which do not. Rendering explicit the system that is, the six hexachordal
harmonic fields and the arithmetic relationships between durations highlights
the actual criture at work here in all its proliferational splendour: the flexibility
of the phraseology, the ornamental flourishes and the differentiation of the
figures. It allows us effectively to glimpse the creative networks which led Boulez
down the path from system to realisation; and this path, when travelled in the
opposite direction, in turn actualises the composers own analytical ideal. In the
end, chart making, by revealing compositional systems, can aid us in distinguishing figure from fond, to use terms from painting separating the foreground
figures, the criture, from the background system. And as a declared strategy, this
approach is itself grounded thoroughly and unapologetically in the spirit of
serialist logic.30
NOTES
All musical extracts of Mmoriale (... explosante-fixe ... originel) for flute and
eight instruments used here are reproduced with the kind permission of Universal Edition. Copyright 1985 by Universal Edition A.G., Wien/UE 18657.
1. Parts of this paper were presented in collaboration with Nicolas Donin at the
Society for Music Analysiss Autumn Study Day which took place at Royal
Holloway, University of London on 5 November 2005. Other parts were presented
at the Dublin International Conference on Music Analysis held at University
College Dublin in June 2005.
2. See Ruwet (1972), p. 106.
3. The System and the Idea (Le systme et lide [1986]); published in Boulez
(2005), pp. 339420.
4. Cela revient considrer le systme comme une aide ... sans lui, ne serait pas
arrive concevoir rellement un monde rv: je choisis, donc je suis; je nai invent
le systme que pour me fournir un certain type de matriau, moi dliminer ou de
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gauchir ensuite, en fonction de ce que je juge bon, beau, ncessaire (Boulez 2005,
p. 407). All quotations from Boulez appear in the authors own translation.
5. The original remark reads: Ce qui mintresse ici, ce sont les permutations, les
variations, mais strictement contrles, numriquement contrles (Boulez 2004,
p. 407).
6. Boulez acknowledged the influence of Berios Chemins in the course of a lecture
delivered at McGill University, Montreal on 23 May 1991. My article relies on a
cassette recording of this presentation held by the Pierre Boulez Archive at the
Universit de Montral.
7. Although applied here in an informal sense, the term might be considered analogous to that favoured by Helmut Lachenmann, musique concrte instrumentale.
See, for example, Lachenmann (1996), pp. 21112.
8. This image is reproduced from the CD booklet of Boulez Conducts Boulez (DGG
445 833-2).
9. For more on the concept of puzzle form, see Boulez (2005), p. 502.
10. Comme jai travaill en mme temps ... explosante-fixe ... et Rituel, les deux
uvres sont parallles. Lide premire, je lai prise des Symphonies dinstruments
vent de Stravinsky, o il y a au dbut lappel de la clarinette dans laigu, puis ces
accords qui sont un long et un bref, mais toujours le mme. Quand jai entendu
cette pice de Stravinsky, je me suis dit: il fait toujours a, il repte exactement la
mme chose, est-ce-quon ne pourrait pas varier a? Par exemple en amenant
laccord, en lui donnant une dsinence (Boulez 2004, p. 399). This quotation is
taken from the unedited French transcript of this interview, obtained from JeanJacques Nattiez, rather than the published Italian version.
11. See again n. 6. In his 1991 lecture, Boulez explained that the section between
rehearsal numbers 22 and 24 inclusive was constructed using a different system
from the rest of the piece. Consequently, it is not included in the paradigmatic
analysis, although its rhythmic structure will be examined in the later stages of this
article.
12. The tool was designed collaboratively by Nicolas Donin, Thomas Bottini, Samuel
Goldszmidt and the present author (see also Donin 2004). An intended future
revision will allow superimposed cells to be more precisely aligned. Cf.
apm.ircam.fr/tableau.
13. For more on the concept of aura, see Boulez (2005), p. 401.
14. Parmi dautres procds dabandon dun son porteur de polarit, on remarque
frquemment que Boulez lorne de quelques valeurs brves dsinentielles; il est
plutt rare quun son soutenu et trill soit purement et simplement suivi dun
silence (Delige 1988, p. 65).
15. [S]i nota come tra queste le prime cinque siano praticamente equidistanti, mentre
lultima (la quale coincide pure con lultima sezione del pezzo) appare assai dopo.
Una prima divisione pu quindi essere: 018 (impulso) 1929 (risonzanza)
(Buscemi 2003, p. 4). My translation.
16. Boulez is partial to seven-note series. Over and above the existence of other pieces
based on the number 7 (for example, Anthmes (1992) for solo violin), another

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jonathan goldman
interesting piece of evidence demonstrates Boulezs fondness for this number: in
1972, on the occasion of Pierre Souvtchinskys 80th birthday, Boulez sent
Souvtchinsky a little composition called Sept interjections pour pierre souvtchinsky
de pierre boulez and dated Paris, le 19 octobre, 1972. The piece, clearly derived
from material from Rituel and/or ... explosante-fixe ... , bears the following inscription: Cher Pierre / De Londres New York, et de New York Londres / ma pense
noublie pas lami de toujours. La circonstance exceptionnelle me la fait souligner
/ ces interjections sont sept, chiffre, en principe, magique! Cette magie, je la dsire
propice pour vous / Cher Pierre (from the Dossier Souvtchinsky consulted at the
Bibliothque nationale de France; I wish to thank Peter OHagan for pointing me
towards this document).

17. The term refers to a lecture Boulez gave at Donaueschingen in 1979 entitled
Posie-centre et absence-musique; published in Boulez (1995), pp. 46784.
18. The compositional rationale expressed by S(x) is reminiscent of ideas expressed in
Boulez (1964) in which the composer cites the logician Louis Rougier as stating
that the structure of the world is knowable in terms of relations and functions, not
substances and accidents. Boulez subsequently entreats his fellow composers to
adopt this approach in their work: Let us not start from the substances and
accidents of music, but rather let us consider it in terms of relations and functions ([Ne] partons point des substances et des accidents de la musique, mais
pensons-la en termes de relations, de fonctions (Boulez 1964, p. 31).
19. uvre didactique; see Boulez (2005), p. 723.
20. Le Webern de la srie; see Boulez (2005), p. 73.
21. La responsabilit de tout lment par rapport un autre dans un systme cohrent
(Boulez 2005, p. 89).
22. For graphs of the fixed registers in Mmoriale, see Labussire and Chouvel (1997),
p. 56.
23. The original observation reads: Trois types de rpartitions son possibles:
symtrique, assymtrique, combin symtrique-asymtrique (Boulez 1964, p. 59).
24. [L]analyse nest pas forcment cette approche globale, cette saisie totale et absolue
quelle se donne souvent comme but. Lanalyse peut tre courte, fulgurante, intuitive. Elle na pas besoin de porter sur lensemble dune uvre pour tre dterminante. Elle peut saccrocher immdiatement un dtail apparemment secondaire;
elle est parfois le fait dune rencontre inspire, surprenante (Boulez 2005, p. 75).
25. See Bailey (1991), pp. 11946, for a description of canonic writing in Weberns
Second Cantata, and Galaise (1991) for a reconstruction of Boulezs analysis of it
for his students at the Basel Academy of Music, where the composer lectured from
1960 to 1962. Additional remarks on Weberns Op. 31 may be found in one of the
composers earliest essays dating from 1948 entitled Propositions; see Boulez
(1995), pp. 25362; Eng. transl., Proposals, in Boulez (1991), pp. 4754.
26. Cest pourquoi lanalyse est la poursuite vaine, sans doute, dans labsolu du
labyrinthe qui joint lide la ralisation (Boulez 2005, p. 74).
27. Luvre tant la fois dpassement de lIde premire et mme sa ngation, le
cheminement vers cette ralisation depuis lide premire est difficile, sinon impos 2009 The Author.
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Charting MMORIALE

59

sible dchiffrer. Mais remonter de la ralisation lide que lon se fait de lIde,
voil ce qui va nous indiquer les moyens de notre propre chemin. Nous apprendrons
ainsi la dduction et nous apprendrons assumer les responsabilits quimpose la
dduction (Boulez 2005, p. 105).
28. For more on the concept of accidents, see Boulez (2005), p. 74.
29. Un infracassable noyau de nuit; quoted in Boulez (1995), p. 552.
30. The painterly distinction between figure and fond plays an important role in Boulezs
aesthetic judgements. In a letter sent to Karlheinz Stockhausen dated 15 July 1966
and now archived at the Universit de Montral, Boulez criticises the formers
Punkte, which he was considering conducting at a concert in Helsinki: It seems to
me that what you have [in your piece] are backgrounds [fonds] worked out in a
highly refined manner, but at times we would like to have some figures encrusted
on top of those backgrounds, in order to give them meaning.

REFERENCES
Bailey, Kathryn, 1991: The Twelve-Note Music of AntonWebern: Old Forms in a New
Language (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Boulez, Pierre, 1964: Penser la musique aujourdhui (Mainz and Paris: Schott and
ditions Gonthier/Denol). English version published as Boulez on Music
Today, trans. Susan Bradshaw and Richard Rodney Bennett (London: Faber,
1971).
______, 1948: Propositions, Polyphonie, No. 2, pp. 6572; revised in Boulez,
Relevs dapprenti (Paris: ditions du Seuil, 1966), pp. 6574; reprinted in
Boulez (1995, pp. 25362). English version published as Proposals, in
Stocktakings from an Apprenticeship, ed. Paule Thvenin, trans. Stephen Walsh
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), pp. 4754.
______, 1995: Points de repre. I. Imaginer, ed. Jean-Jacques Nattiez and Sophie
Galaise (Paris: Christian Bourgois diteur).
______, 2004: Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna. Intervista di Rossana
Dalmonte, in Rossana Dalmonte and Marco Russo (eds.), Bruno Maderna.
Studi e testimonianze. Atti del Convegno Bruno Maderna e le origini della Neue
Musik (Lucca: LIM), pp. 391405.
______, 2005: Leons de musique, ed. Jean-Jacques Nattiez (Paris: Christian
Bourgois diteur).
Buscemi, Francesco, 2003: Mmoriale (... explosante-fixe ... originel), http://
www.qubit.it/~buscemi/analisi/Boulez_Memoriale.pdf.
Delige, Clestin, 1988: Moment de Pierre Boulez, sur lintroduction orchestrale de Rpons, in Rpons Boulez (Paris: Actes-Sud Papiers), pp. 4569.
______, 2004: Cinquante ans de modernit musicale: de Darmstadt lIRCAM.
Contribution historiographique une musicologie critique (Lige: Mardaga).
Donin, Nicolas, 2004: Towards Organised Listening: Some Aspects of the
Signed Listening Project, Ircam, Organised Sound, 9/i, pp. 99108.
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jonathan goldman

Galaise, Sophie, 1991: Les Analyses duvres dAnton Webern par Pierre
Boulez. Essai de reconstitution (masters thesis, Universit de Montreal).
Goldman, Jonathan, 2006: Exploding/Fixed: Form as Opposition in the Writings and Later Works of Pierre Boulez (PhD diss., Universit de Montral).
Labussire, Annie and Chouvel, Jean-Marc, 1997: Pierre Boulez: Mmoriale
(... explosante-fixe ... originel), Musurgia, 4/i, pp. 4266.
Lachenmann, Helmut, 1996: Musik als existentielle Erfahrung: Schriften 1966
1995, ed. Josef Husler (Wiesbaden-Frankfurt: Breitkopf & Hrtel-Insel).
Nattiez, Jean-Jacques, 1993: Boulez lge postmoderne: Le temps de Rpons,
in Le combat de Chronos et dOrphe (Paris: Christian Bourgois diteur),
pp. 159216. English version published as Boulez in the Post-modern Era:
the Time of Rpons, in The Battle of Chronos and Orpheus: Essays in Applied
Musical Semiology, trans. Jonathan Dunsby (New York and Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2004), pp. 23387.
Ruwet, Nicolas, 1972: Mthodes danalyse en musicologie, in Musique, pouvoir,
posie (Paris: Seuil), pp. 10034.
ABSTRACT
Pierre Boulezs 1985 composition Mmoriale (... explosante-fixe ... originel), for
flute and eight other instruments, is in many ways typical of the composers later
style, for instance encompassing highly thematic writing, an accompanimental
texture which might be likened to unplugged electronics, segmentation into
clear harmonic fields and transparent formal articulation. Following a paradigmatic analysis of the flute part (which derives from the application of a software
tool developed in part by the author at IRCAM), this article addresses the salient
features of the work through a series of explanatory charts. A fundamental
distinction drawn between polar notes and appoggiatura embellishment subsequently exposes a relatively uncomplicated harmonic structure based on six
transpositions of a basic six-note cell. Additional examination of durational
structure in turn reveals an underlying compositional system firmly rooted in the
serial tradition.

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