The Intégrales of Edgard Varèse Space, Mass, Element, and Form

Author(s): John Strawn

Source: Perspectives of New Music, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Autumn - Winter, 1978), pp. 138-160
Published by: Perspectives of New Music
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/832662
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 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE
SPACE, MASS, ELEMENT, AND FORM

JOHN STRAWN

Introduction
After a protracted and undeserved hiatus, the music of Edgard
Varese has in the past few years experienced a sort of "comeback"
in the literature. Several biographies have already appeared [13, 17,
26, 27];* reprints of Varese's own theoretical lectures and writings
[1, 4, 5, 6, 19, 23, 24] as well as analyses by others [7, 29, 30, 31]
are surfacing more and more frequently in publications devoted to
music. But the literature to date has only occasionally [2, 11, 28]
touched upon certain aspects of the music of Edgard Varese which
will be treated in detail here.
Composed in 1924 and premiered in 1925 [26, pp. 216-25 passim],
Integrales lends itself to a thorough analysis. Not only was it written
during Varese's most creative period; a number of Varese's own
statements about this work have also appeared in print. Integrales
thus provides an excellent test case for examining the relationship
between Varese's theoretical statements and his compositional prac-
tice. The aspects of Integrales discussed here, as well as other impor-
tant elements [14, 20] play a role in the rest of Varese's works which,
however, can only be mentioned in passing.

The Concept of Space

Let us begin by examining Varese's own statements about Inte-

grales. Varese was the author of the program notes for the premiere
* References can be found at the end of this article.
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 139

[26, pp. 227-28]. But another, lengthier passage from a lecture held
in 1939 at the University of New Mexico (Santa Fe) is more inform-
ative, and all the more significant, as Varese quoted the same pas-
sage again in his lecture at Princeton twenty years later:'
Integrales was conceived for a spatial projection. I constructed the
work to employ certain acoustical means which did not yet exist,
but which I knew could be realized and would be used sooner or
later... Whereas in our musical system we divide up quantities
whose values are fixed, in the realization I wanted, the values would
have been continually changing in relation to a constant. In other
words, it would have been like a series of variations, the changes
resulting from slight alterations of a function's form or from the
transposition of one function to another. In order to make myself
better understood-for the eye is quicker and more disciplined than
the ear-let us transfer this conception into the visual sphere and
consider the changing projection of a geometrical figure onto a plane
surface, with both geometrical figure and plane surface moving in
space, but each at its own changing and varying speeds of lateral
movement and rotation. The form of the projection at any given
instant is determined by the relative orientation of the figure and
the surface at that instant. But by allowing both figure and surface
to have their own movements, one is able to represent with that pro-
jection an apparently unpredictable image of a high degree of com-
plexity; moreover, these qualities can be increased subsequently by
permitting the form of the geometrical figure to vary as well as its
speeds... [17, p. 83]
A short, inconspicuous footnote in the score of Integrales is crucial
for the interpretation of this idea of "spatial projection". In m. 203,
a "solo" in the oboe is "accompanied" by four other instruments (see
Ex. 1). A footnote in the same measure specifies: "Clarinettes, Cor,
Trptte, Trbne.-tres homogenes et equilibres-legerement au 2me
plan". It would seem here that the four instruments listed are to form
a single "plane" in juxtaposition to a second "plane" in the oboe
alone.
This idea of "plane", along with such terms as "surface" or "mass",
appears to play a crucial role in Varese's music. As Varese generalized
1 The lecture given by Va-rse at Princeton in 1959 has apparently not yet been
published in its entirety. Excerpts appear in [4, 19, 24]. A typewritten manuscript
[25] exists, but in many places it does not match the printed versions cited; cf.
note 2. Quotations from [24] translated by the present author.
140 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC

206
203 a tembn 204 _ __ n-... I

Ob.l J5
a".l r._
A,- ^rA _
j ^

_%. - 5-
^3^.-#w;it. M.rp n-g .

Ex. 1 Integrales, mm. 199-206

? 1926 by Colfranc Music Publishing Corp., New York. By courtesy.

in his Princeton lecture, "My music is based on the motion of un-

related sound masses..." [25, p. 3]. In discussing Deserts, Varese
wrote: "The musical language given to the instrumental ensemble
may be said to be evolved in opposing planes and volumes..." [17,
p. 184]. This idea of three-dimensional masses of sound can be traced
back to an early experience in Varese's life:
As a child, I was tremendously impressed by the qualities and char-
acter of the granite I found in Burgundy, where I often visited my
grandfather.... And I used to watch the old stone cutters, mar-
velling at the precision with which they worked. They didn't use
cement, and every stone had to fit and balance with every other.
[18, p. 36]
But it would seem that Varese chose to ignore the example of the
stonemasons' precision when he was selecting words to describe his
music. The writings and lectures of Varese contain several different
terms which seem to have been used as synonymous labels for the same
concept: "sound mass" or simply "mass", "plane", "zone", "volume",
and "block". For the sake of clarity, "sound mass" and "mass" will be
used throughout the rest of this paper.
Continuing our examination of Varese's statements, it would seem
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 141

that traditional instruments stood in Varese's way as he was trying to

realize his ideas. In a letter to Leon Theremin, Varese wrote:
I no longer wish to compose for the old instruments played by men,
and I am handicapped by a lack of adequate electrical instruments
for which I conceive my music. [22, p. 44]
Varese was not merely interested in generating certain sound masses
which until then existed only in his imagination; he also wanted to
process these masses in his compositions, and to submit them to a
certain spatial development:

Personally, for my conceptions, I need an entirely new medium of

expression: a sound-producing machine.... And here are the ad-
vantages I anticipate from such a machine:... a sense of sound-
projection in space by means of the emission of sound in any part
or in as many parts of the hall as may be required by the score...
[6, pp. 191-92]
This idea of space, by the way, has nothing to do with the more
philosophical argument about "space in music"; Varese was thinking
of the auditory impression of a number of sound masses, each moving
in space. Varese's own observations also provided the inspiration for
the idea of sound in motion, comparatively rare as a compositional
element in pre-Varesian music:
I began listening to sounds around me from all directions, and imag-
ined how such sounds, and in just such a complexity, could be
transmuted into music. It excited and stimulated me to think about
the possibility of such a metamorphosis,and I began to imagine the
invention of new devices that would make spatial music possible.
[1, p. 195]
Not until Poeme ?lectronique did Varese have at his disposal the
equipment necessary to achieve such spatial motion:
The music [on tape] was distributed by 425 loudspeakers; there were
twenty amplifier combinations.... The loudspeakerswere mounted
in groups and in what is called "sound routes" to achieve various
effects such as that of the music running around the pavilion, as
well as coming from different directions .. .etc. For the first time I
heard my music literally projected into space. [19, p. 207]

Although these sound masses were to be heard simultaneously, Varese

also wanted the listener to be able to perceive each mass as a separate
142 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC

entity. Such a demarcation would have been a further advantage of

the "sound-producing machine":
Moreover, such an acoustical arrangement would permit the de-
limitation of what I call "zones of intensities." These zones would
be differentiated by various timbres or colors and different loud-
nesses.... The role of color or timbre would be completely changed
from being incidental, anecdotal, sensual, or picturesque; it would
become an agent of delineation, like the different colors on a map
separating different areas, and an integral part of form. These zones
would be felt as isolated, and the hitherto unobtainable non-blend-
ing (or at least the sensation of non-blending) would become pos-
sible. [19, p. 197]

During a radio interview years later, Varese made a comment which

can leave no doubt that these ideas are to be applied to Integrales:2
I hope in the near future to have at my disposal, equipment which
will allow for spatial relief. I would be interested, if only for the
sake of proving my point, in realizing Integrales as they were orig-
inally conceived.
We have thus reached a first stage in interpreting the footnote cited
above: Varese wanted to compose these measures so that the listener
would have the impression that the sound mass constructed in and of
the four instruments listed, was separated, but still located "not too
far away", from the mass outlined by the oboe.
Varese was more than aware of the problems inherent in such an
undertaking:
Not until the air between the listener's ear and the instrument has
been disturbed does music occur.... In order to anticipate the re-
sult, a composer must understand the mechanics of the instruments
and must know just as much as possible about acoustics. [6, p. 188]
The question thus arises: if the position of a musical instrument rela-
tive to the listener is not changed, how can the composer or performer
create the auditory impression that the sound produced by the instru-
ment is moving in space? Normally, we rely on experience when
localizing sounds from sources which are familiar [3, pp. 37, 155],
and the visual component plays a decisive role for localizing sound
sources which are visible. As for unfamiliar or invisible sound sources,
2 Translated from
[24, p. 67]; not in [25]. I have not been able to find this pas-
sage in [5].
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 143

research to date has not been able to precisely define the relationship
between the distance from the sound source to the hearer, and the
auditory estimate of that distance.3 However, it is currently assumed
that three factors play a role in estimating the distance for an un-
known source of sound: loudness, timbre, and reverberation. 1) The
sound pressure level of a signal arriving at the ear decreases with
increasing distance of the sound source from the hearer, and thus the
perceived loudness of the signal decreases as well. [3, pp. 96, 99] In
everyday experiences, loudness of the sound source and distance of
the associated auditory image are directly related. 2) For compara-
tively large distances, it is assumed that a change in timbre is brought
about by the non-linear transmission characteristics of the atmosphere,
which is also a factor in estimating the distance of a source of sound
(but see [3, pp. 233 ff.]). It is also interesting to note at this juncture
that the timbre of an instrument is related to dynamics: if an instru-
ment is played loudly, a brighter, richer sound is produced. [16, p.
256] 3) In closed rooms, reverberation apparently plays an important
role. The more reverberant, the more diffuse a signal which reaches
the ear, the greater the distance perceived. [3, p. 223]
The extraordinary orchestration and the carefully notated, compli-
cated dynamic markings in Integrales would strongly suggest that
Varese thought of a loud, brilliant, present sound (sound source) as
creating a sound mass (auditory image) located in the vicinity of the
listener. A soft, dull sound, on the other hand, is to be heard and
understood as being "far away". Diminuendi, crescendi, and other
transformations would represent intermediate steps between these two
extremes.
Vermeulen's research and the so-called Frannsen Effect have fur-
thermore cast some light on the ability of the ear to perceive different
sound sources as a single entity. [3, pp. 223 ff.] These discoveries
strongly suggest that a passage, such as in m. 19 (see Ex. 2), where
the A# in the oboe is continued by the trumpet, is to be understood
as an attempt to synthesize a new sound. The entrance of the oboe
is undoubtedly masked by the sixteenth note in the trumpet, which
is carefully notated with an accent. Even if the oboe entrance were

3 German-language publications conveniently distinguish between the Schall-

ereignis, or the physical process outside of the listener, and the Horereignis, which
includes the idea of the listener's "ear", a distinction which forms the basis for
the following argument. Cf. [15, pp. iv-vi].
144 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC

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Tpt. I
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;1:ir
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Ex. 2 Intdgrales, mm. 1-25

? 1926 by Colfranc Music Publishing Corp., New York. By courtesy.
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 145

audible in performance, this passage is a striking example of Varese's

desire to overcome the "handicaps" of traditional instruments, creat-
ing a single sound mass outlined by two instruments.

Masses

Let us then return to the two sound masses mentioned in Varese's

footnote cited above (Ex. 1). This passage has been composed so
that several factors make it possible to differentiate between the two
masses: 1) Except for a single Fk, all of the pitches played by the
oboe are above those of the accompanying chord. 2) The dynamic
markings for the instruments playing the chord are completely differ-
ent from those for the oboe. 3) An extended series of pitches is pre-
sented by the oboe, while the pitch content of the chord in the other
instruments remains constant. 4) The mass in and of the chord is
orchestrated such that it can sound "tres homogenes", which further
separates it from the more penetrating quality of the mass outlined
by the oboe. 5) The chords in mm. 199-205 might be divided into
two major groupings, whereas the oboe, although it enters later (m.
200), plays a longer series of notes without major breaks.
There are three other footnotes in Varese's works which would
lend support to such an analysis. In m. 43 of the second movement
of Octandre, the footnote reads: "en-dehors-au meme plan que le
Trombone jusqu'a 5", where "5" refers to m. 50. Here, a mass con-
sisting of the horn, trombone, and double bass is separated from two
other masses: one in the clarinet, oboe, and bassoon; the other in the
trumpet.
Two more footnotes are to be found in m. 178 of Integrales:
"Clarinettes = Sonorite creuse (legerement dominantes)" and "Cor.,
Trptte. en ut, 3me Trombone, tres equilibres-presque au 2me plan
Ptes.Fls., Hb.-Trptte. en re a l'arriere plan". As in the passage al-
ready examined, the masses are again separated by the use of differ-
ent pitch ranges, dynamic markings, etc. It should also be pointed out
that in these footnotes from Integrales and Octandre, a single instru-
ment is specifically labelled "mass" or "plane". Finally, the desire
to create a spatial impression has been spelled out here in so many
words: the mass of the trumpet is supposed to sound as though it
were farther away from the listener than the other masses.
146 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC

Varese's statement-cited above in an abbreviated form-can now

be understood in its entirety:

My music is based on the movement of unrelated sound masses

which I always conceived as moving simultaneously at different
speeds. [25, p. 3]
Speed is not to be understood here as the tempo with which a num-
ber of notes is played, or the number of notes per second. Rather,
this concept provides a basis for a deeper understanding of the rhyth-
mic relationships among the four masses in mm. 174-182 just dis-
cussed: a given number, density, and length of appearances charac-
terize each individual mass. This would certainly not rule out a simul-
taneous entrance of two or more masses. On the contrary, it would
appear in many passages that two or more masses enter together for
a short time due to their nearly identical, so to speak, periods-anal-
ogous to a similar process in the music of such people as Steve Reich.
It would be appropriate at this juncture to divide Integrales into
its constituent sound masses. In general, it will be assumed here that
Varese had a single sound mass in mind whenever a given group of
instruments appears together consistently in a characteristic manner.4
For the sake of simplicity, such a listing is reproduced here as Table I.
(See pp. 147-150.)
The two passages cited above (m. 178 and m. 203) have been
incorporated into this table as Masses 65-70 and 95-96, respectively.
The percussion in mm. 173-176 has been divided into two Masses,
65 and 67, based upon the auditory impression that the Chinese blocks
sound closer, more vivid than the diffuse sounds of the chains, sleigh-
bells, and drums. Masses 6, 18-22, 31-34, and 57-58 can clearly be
separated in an analogous fashion, and require no further comment.
Mass 1, like Masses 66 and 96, is outlined by a "solo" line, pre-
sented in succession by four different instruments (cf. Ex. 2). The
impression of motion "toward" and "away from" the listener is
especially apparent in those passages in which other masses do not
predominate (mm. 1-4, 12-13, 19-22). Mass 2, distilled from soft
percussion sounds, is perhaps the "most distant" mass. As with Masses
65-70, discussed above, a characteristic selection of pitch range, dy-
namics, orchestration, etc., is used to separate Masses 3 and 4. To
continue Varese's visual analogy, the image of two pulsating entities
4 A more rigorous algorithm based on an apparently analogous model and used
to analyze Density 21.5 is discussed in [21].
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 147

TABLE 1 The "Masses"in Integrales

Mass Measure Instruments
No.
1 1-25 clarinet I
10-11 trumpet II
12-13, 19 oboe
18-21 trumpet I
2 4-23 gong, tam-tam, triangle, crash cymbal,
cymbals (except m. 8)
16-20 suspended cymbal
16-17 bass drum
3 5-25 piccolo I, II, clarinet II
4 5-23 trombone I, II, III
5 6-23 tenor drum, snare drum, castanets, sleighbells,
chains, tambourine, twigs
8 cymbals
9-15, 18-20 bass drum
10-14, 22 suspended cymbal
6 15-19 Chinese blocks
7 25 clarinet I (from the last eighth note in m. 25)
trumpet I, II
26-29 tutti
8 29-31 percussion
9 32-54 horn, trombone II, III
32-52 snare drum, tenor drum, cymbals, Chinese
blocks, chains, tam-tam, bass drum
44-45 piccolo I, oboe, clarinet II
10 36-52 woodwinds (except m. 44-45), trumpet I, II,
trombone I, suspended cymbal (missing in m.
38-typographical error?), gong, crash cymbal
11 53-62 clarinet I, II, trumpet I, percussion
12 54-70 trumpet II
13 62-70 trumpet I
14 62-70 trombone II
15 63-66 oboe, clarinet II
63-70 horn
16 63-70 trombone I
17 67-70 trombone III
18 71-771 piccolo I, II
19 72-75 percussion
20 72-77j clarinet I, II
21 74-76 horn, trumpet I, II
148 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC

TABLE I (cont.)
Mass Measure Instruments
No.
22 76-771 trombone I, II
23 771-78 woodwinds
24 771-78 brass
25 79-93 percussion
26 80-93 clarinet I, II
27 80-92 horn, trumpet I, II
28 82-90 trombone I, II, III
29 93-100 horn, trumpet I, II
30 93-100 trombone I, II, III
percussion (bass drum starting in m. 90, crash
cymbal in m. 92)
31 101-105 oboe
32 101-105 piccolo I, II
33 102-105 trombone II, III
34 102-104 percussion (except for the tam-tam in m. 103)
35 103-104 tam-tam
105-119 trumpet I, II, trombone I, percussion
36 106-117 woodwinds, horn, trombone II
37 117-121 trombone II, III
38 119-120 woodwinds
39 120-121 horn, trombone I
40 121 oboe, clarinet I, II
41 121-126 horn
42 121-126 trumpet II
43 121-126 trombone I
44 121-126 trombone II
45 121-126 trombone III
46 124-126 trumpet I
47 126 woodwinds
48 127-130 clarinet II, horn, tenor drum
49 131-134 clarinet I, II, trumpet II
50 131-134 trombone I, II, III, cymbals,bass drum
51 134-135 horn, trumpet I, snare drum, suspended cymbal
52 134-143 trombone I, II, III
141-143 bass drum
53 135-143 woodwinds
138 castanets
141-143 cymbals
54 140 string drum, sleighbells, tam-tam
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 149

TABLE I (cont.)
Mass Measure Instruments
No.

(54) 141-143 suspended cymbal, snare drum, tenor drum,

gong
55 144-154 horn, trumpet I, II
56 151-154 tutti
57 155-161 percussion except Chinese blocks
58 158-160 Chinese blocks
59 161-172 oboe
60 168-172 piccolo I, clarinet I, II
61 168-172 trumpet II
62 171-173 horn
63 172-173 trombone I, II, III
64 173 tam-tam, bass drum
65 173-175 sleighbells
174-176 snare drum, tenor drum, chains
66 174-181 trumpet I
67 175-176 Chinese blocks
68 175-181 piccolo I, II, oboe
69 178-182 clarinet I, II
70 178-181 horn, trumpet II, trombone III
71 183 percussion
72 184-186 piccolo I, oboe
73 185-186 clarinet II
74 185-186 horn, trumpet I, II
75 185-186 trombone I
76 186 Chinese blocks
77 187-190 trombone I, II, III, string drum, tam-tam, bass
drum
188 horn
78 189-190 piccolo I, II, clarinet I, II, horn, trumpet I, II,
suspended cymbal, snare drum, tenor drum,
gong, crash cymbal
79 190-198 oboe
80 194 trumpet I, II
81 194 trombone I, II, III
82 194-198 clarinet I
83 195-197 castanets
84 195-197 trombone II, III, bass drum
85 195-198 horn
86 195-197 snare drum
150 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC

TABLE I (cont.)
Mass Measure Instruments
No.
87 195-197 Chinese blocks
88 195-197 sleighbells, chains
89 195-197 tenor drum
90 196-198 tambourine
91 196-198 suspended cymbal
92 196-198 piccolo II, clarinet II, trumpet II
93 196-198 piccolo I
94 196-198 trombone I
95 198 clarinet II
199-205 clarinet I, horn, trumpet I, trombone I
96 200-206 oboe
97 206-212 trumpet I, II, trombone I, string drum
98 212 piccolo I, II, clarinet I, II, suspended cymbal,
triangle
99 212-213 castanets
213 percussion
100 214-218 horn, trombone III
101 214-215 trumpet I, II, trombone I
102 215-217 woodwinds
103 217 percussion
104 218 oboe, clarinet I, II
105 218-2231 horn
106 218-223k trumpet II
107 218-2231 trombone I
108 218-2231 trombone II, III
109 221-2231 trumpet I
110 223J-224 tutti

comes to mind, entities which repeatedly penetrate into and then dis-
appear from the listener's field of hearing. The pulse of Mass 5 orig-
inates "far away" in m. 6, springs into the immediate vicinity of the
listener in m. 13, and starts fading away in m. 18 (cf. Ex. 2).
The following have been analyzed in a similar manner: Masses
9-10; 18-28; 31-34; 35-36 as well as 55 and 97; 37-40; 52-54;
59-64; 71-76; 79-94, where it should be noted that the percussion
instruments can hardly be grouped into a single unit in light of the
fact that their entrances are timed independently of each other;
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 151

99-103; and, recalling Mass 10: 47; 77-78; 98; 37-40; 102; and
104.
The singular entrance of piccolo I, oboe, and clarinet I in mm.
44-45 is especially noteworthy (Ex. 3). This is undoubtedly a further

asl y ;
J.""

Ex. 3 Intlgrales, mm. 44-45

attempt on the part of Varese to "synthesize" a new sound with con-

ventional instruments. As is well known, Varese had studied Helm-
in the oboeIntgr, 4-45, thusmm.
holtz. ThEx. becomes the sixth harmonic of
[17, p. 18] Helmholtz wrote that two sounds would sound as
one
attempt ino the when
"especially part ofall the
Varss sounds which
"synthe
trombone; are mixed
Bsize" have
a clarinew
soundfrequencies
th
con-
which are whole-number of one and the same
which are whole-number multiples of one and the same frequency".5
frequency"
The C# in the oboe, mm. 44-45, thus becomes the sixth harmonic of
the F# in the contrabass trombone; the Bb in the Bb clarinet and the
A-B in the piccolo I represent the seventh and fourteenth harmonics of
the C in the bass trombone; the effect of the mixture ranks in the pedal
division of a well-built pipe organ comes to mind. Varese also took
account of the fact that the seventh and fourteenth harmonics do not
correspond exactly with a minor seventh (in this case, C-Bb), by color-
ing the Bb in the clarinet with the change from A to B in the piccolo.
Mass 7 is set apart from Masses 1-6 and Mass 8 through the use
of new instrumental groupings (cf. Mass 56). Masses 29-30 and
48-51 have been delineated due to the occurrence of a "melody" and
a "pulse", both of which have already been encountered in other
masses as well.
Only three groups of masses have not been touched upon thus
far in this discussion. Masses 11 and 12 offer a third example of an
attempt to generate a new sound, three of the pitches played by
the trumpet II being echoed by-as though lightly etched upon-the
other three instruments. Since there is no significant caesura in the
trumpet II part, mm. 54-69, it is treated as representing a single mass.
The other instruments in mm. 62 ff. have all been assigned to single
masses (Nos. 13-17), because they remain independent of each other
(see, for example, the extreme care with which the rhythms in m. 65
and m. 68 are notated, or the dynamic markings in m. 69). Masses

5 Translated from [9, p. 49]

by the author; cf. [10, p. 30].
152 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC

41-47 have been separated in an analogous fashion. Masses 105-109,

on the other hand, involve more than a mere "transposition" of
Masses 41-47 "a minor third higher"; thus, the writing for the trom-
bones (cf. mm. 123-126 with mm. 220-223) necessitates a different
division into masses.

Elements

A closer examination of the construction of each individual mass

lends support to this dissection of Integrales into its constituent masses.
Varese was fond of quoting Brahms as having said that composition
was "the organization of disparate elements" (e.g., [6, p. 188]). At
the risk of taking Varese too literally, we can apply the convenient
label "element" to the constituents of a relatively small repertoire of
motifs and procedures into which each of the masses in Table I can
be dissected. Each element is listed here with a one-word caption title,
a brief description, and representative examples of its use in solo
(melodic and percussion) and ensemble situations:
1. Appoggiatura: the work begins with a quasi-appoggiatura figura-
tion (m. 1, clarinet I), which occurs again and again throughout the
piece (further examples: m. 36, trombone I; m. 13, snare drum;
m. 63, oboe, clarinet I, horn).
2. Prolongation: a given note or chord is assigned a duration which
is relatively long in comparison with the durations of the events im-
mediately surrounding it, as in mm. 1-3, clarinet I (cf. also m. 161,
oboe; m. 4, gong, tam-tam; mm. 145-147, horn, trumpet I-II). Dy-
namics (mm. 32-33, trombone II-III), timbre (mm. 127-128, clari-
net II and horn), and/or orchestration (m. 19, oboe and trumpet I)
are often modified in the course of the sustained event.
3. Reiteration: a note or chord is repeated several times, as in the
clarinet I, m. 4 (cf. mm. 164-166, oboe; mm. 175-176, Chinese
blocks; mm. 74-75, horn, trumpet I-II).
4. Alternation: repeated alternation between two pitches, chords, etc.,
as in the clarinet line, mm. 7-9, which fluctuates between Ab and Bb
(cf. mm. 106 ff., woodwinds, horn, trombone II; mm. 120-121, horn,
trombone I); or alternation between three such "states", e.g., in the
horn, mm. 195-198, or in the Chinese blocks, mm. 15-19.
5. Tutti: involves nearly all of the instruments in the ensemble. First
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 153

occurrence in mm. 25-28; but cf. also mm. 36, 38, etc., as well as
mm. 194-198.
6. Pulse: a more or less regular beat is established, such as was already
discussed in Mass 5 of m. 6; but cf. also mm. 93 ff.
7. Pitch curves: the sirens described in Helmholtz were an important
inspiration for Varese in the development of his concept of spatial
music. [26, p. 42] "Later I made some modest experiments of my
own, and I found that I could obtain beautiful parabolic and hyper-
bolic curves of sound, which seemed to me equivalent to the parabolas
and hyperbolas in the visual domain." [17, p. 18] Such instruments
were actually used in other works by Varese. But successions of pitches
which follow the outlines suggested by parabolic and hyperbolic curves
seem to have captured Varese's interest even when played by tradi-
tional instruments (mm. 62-69, trombone II; m. 168, piccolo I; m.
120, trombone II-III).
8. Selection of pitch content (vertical): as far as I know, no com-
prehensive study has been published to date on the question of har-
mony in Varese's music.6 Varese himself repeatedly emphasized that
his music was not based on any "fixed set of intervals such as a scale
or a series" [19, p. 206]. Not surprisingly, it seems impossible to de-
rive the choice of pitches in the individual masses in Integrales from
such a framework. Still, Varese seems to have applied a few basic
rules of thumb: octaves, for example, are usually avoided. On the
other hand, "strong dissonances", such as major and minor seconds,
augmented fourths, major and minor sevenths, and their octaves occur
quite frequently, both in the selection of pitches for a single mass and
in the distribution of pitches of masses presented simultaneously. An
extreme case is the use of eleven different pitches for the eleven
pitched instruments as in m. 28.
9. Selection of pitch content (horizontal): since a system of "har-
mony" is apparently not present in Integrales, it is accordingly diffi-
cult to derive the selection of successive pitches from such a system.
Rather, the distribution of pitches for the first presentation of a given
series of notes seems to have been worked out in conjunction with
the principles outlined in 8. above. One further principle apparently
plays a role in the expansion of the pitch content through time: once
a given pitch content has been presented, the stated note or interval

6 In
[12], a computer study is made of the chords in the first 38 (!) measures
of Integrales; but the conclusion reached there on p. 146 is hardly justified.
154 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC

is expanded by neighbor-note motion, usually chromatically, some-

times combined with octave jumps (cf. Mass 1; mm. 191-193, oboe;
mm. 117-121, trombone II-III).
The separation of the masses is thus achieved not only through the
selection of a characteristic range, orchestration, etc., for each mass,
as was discussed above; a characteristic selection from this repertoire
of elements is assigned to each mass as well. Mass 1, for example, is
constructed from the "appoggiatura", the "prolongation", and the
"alternation"; the "alternation" between two pitches is gradually ex-
panded in chromatic steps in accordance with the principle discussed
under "pitch selection (horizontal)" (but see also [14, p. 442]). Fur-
thermore, the regular "pulse" occurs in one passage (mm. 14-16).
The "prolongation" plays a major role in Masses 3 and 4 (the two
instrumental blocks) as well as in Mass 2 (in some of the percussion
instruments). Mass 5, the regular "pulse" in the other percussion
mass, is molded almost exclusively from this one element.
Even such a "traditional"-sounding passage as mm. 93 ff. (also
discussed in some detail in [14, p. 443]) can be broken into groups
of constituent elements, which adds support to the division of this
passage into two masses as discussed above. Mass 30 is quite obviously
marked by the "pulse", and is set in juxtaposition to a mass formed
from the following elements (presented in the following order): "pro-
longation", "reiteration" (occasionally synchronous with the "pulse"
in the other mass), and expansion of the "pitch content (horizontal)"
combined with "alternation" above and below the initial pitch, D.

Form as Process

Having thus dissected Integrales in accordance with the ideas sug-

gested by Varese's writings, the question now arises: can the "masses"
and "elements" in Integrales be treated in terms of a unifying concept
of "form"? As might be expected, Varese had ideas of his own about
musical form:
Rhythm is too often confused with metrics.... In my own works,
for instance, rhythm derives from the simultaneous interplay of
unrelated elements that intervene at calculated, but not regular,
time-lapses.... Form is a result-the result of a process. Each of
my works discovers its own form. [19, pp. 202-203]
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 155

Varese found support for this idea in an analogy to the process of

crystallization. He was fond of quoting the mineralogist, Nathaniel
Arbiter:
The crystal is characterized by both a definite external form and a
definite internal structure. The internal structure is based on the
unit of crystal which is the smallest grouping of the atoms that has
the order and composition of the substance. The extension of the
unit into space forms the whole crystal. But in spite of the relatively
limited variety of internal structures, the external forms of crystals
are limitless. Crystal form itself is a resultant rather than a primary
attribute. Crystal form is the consequence of the interaction of
attractive and repulsive forces and the ordered packing of the atom.
[19, p. 203]
From the totality of the available musical material, Varese has se-
lected a repertoire of elements, the "atoms" in the above quotation.
These elements are arranged into masses, at first conceived quite in-
dependently of each other. Reproductions of Varese's manuscripts
would seem to suggest that he prepared various score fragments before
fitting them together into the final score, not unlike solving a jigsaw
puzzle.7
As for the manner in which the masses "intervene at calculated,
but not regular, time-lapses", a few of the masses listed in Table I
can be related to another in terms of e.g., "thematic" shape, as shown
in Table II. This would represent nothing more than the framework
of a "crystal"-but such a "crystal" would not represent a static,
stable structure. Varese, continuing his discussion of the formation of
crystals, speaks of form as a process, based on
an idea, the basis of an internal structure, expanded and split into
different shapes or groups of sound constantly changing in shape,
direction, and speed, attracted and repulsed by various forces. The
form of the work is the consequence of this interaction. [19, p. 203]
Each sound mass (here "groups of sound") is thus modified every
time it penetrates into the listener's field of hearing, by a process in
which various elements are added or removed, this being the manner
in which elements contribute to the process of form. Some justifica-
tion is also provided for bringing various kinds of elements together:
a principle, e.g., that of the chromatic expansion of pitch content, is

7 Cf.
[1, pp. 192, 194]. The footnote on p. 192 is especially important.
156 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC

TABLE II Superficial relationshipsamong the masseslisted in TABLE I.

1-9-17-61-66-77-82
2-57
(2-3-4)-(9-10) -(18-19-20-21-22)-(25-26-27-28)-(31-32-33-34-35-36) -
(52-53-54) - (66-68-69-70) -(84-92)
5-25-30-(48-50) -54-64-71
6-58-67-76-87
7-(9-10)-(13-14-15-16-17)-(23-24)-(41-42-43-44-45-46-47)-56-(77-
78)-110
9-77-84
10 (high woodwinds) -38-40-47-78-98-102-104
10-16-63-(74-75)-(84-94)
12-60-73-85
28-56-70-81
(29-30)-(49-50-51)
(37-38-40-41-42-43-44-45-46-47)-( 100-102-104-105-106-107-108-109-
110)-59-96

applied in much the same way as a quasi-thematic entity such as

the "pulse" or the "appoggiatura". Especially clear examples of this
process of addition and subtraction are to be found in Mass 1, Masses
12-17, or Mass 59. Furthermore, each mass is subjected to a unique
set of modifications-the general case of the speed discussed only in
rhythmic terms on p. 146 above. For example, in mm. 185 ff., the
clarinet II (Mass 73) is at first dominated by the "appoggiatura",
followed by the "alternation" between three pitches (m. 186). Mean-
while the "reiteration" occurs in Mass 72 (oboe, piccolo I), followed
by the "alternation", but only between two pitches. Finally, the
"appoggiatura" and the "reiteration" are prominent throughout the
simultaneous presentation of Mass 75.
An analysis of this kind permits a deeper understanding of Varese's
use and meaning of the term "projection", cited in the lengthy quo-
tation at the beginning of this article. For Varese, "projection" means
not only that the sounds produced by stationary instruments should
create the auditory impression of being projected into the space where
the performance occurs; these masses are also projected upon and
through each other during the process:

When new instruments will allow me to write music as I conceive

it, the movement of sound-masses, of shifting planes, will be clearly
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 157

perceived in my work, taking the place of the linear counterpoint.

When these sound-masses collide, the phenomena of penetration or
repulsion will seem to occur. Certain transmutations taking place
on certain planes will seem to be projected onto other planes, mov-
ing at different speeds and at different angles. [19, p. 197]

Thus, the distribution of certain elements among the various masses

is modified in the course of time as a result of this interpenetration.
For example, the element of "reiteration" in the oboe, m. 184, is
taken over by the mass in clarinet II, m. 185, and "passed on" to
trombone I (Mass 75) in mm. 185-186. At the same time, the ele-
ment of "prolongation" leaves the oboe (mm. 184-185) for Mass 74
in the horn and trumpets. This process of addition and subtraction
of various elements, as opposed to traditional thematic or harmonic
development, accounts for the modifications in the successive occur-
rences of some of the masses, as summarized in Table II. Each time
a mass is presented, the distribution of elements is rearranged, which
would, of course, include the pitch content of the mass. Thus, Masses
102, 104, and 105-110 are not only to be heard and understood as
a mere transposition of Masses 38, 40, and 41-47, respectively; rather,
the distribution of the elements has been modified in such a manner,
especially in the trombones after m. 220, that the trombones must
now be assigned to three different masses instead of the former two.
One is reminded of Varese's analogy of sound masses and granite
blocks, blocks which are chosen and positioned to fit and balance
without cement. This analogy can be applied almost literally to
Varese's process of composition, i.e., the fitting together of various
sound masses: the masses are bonded together via the exchange of
elements. This also provides a viable explanation for avoiding octaves:
the pitch content of one mass is, so to speak, fitted into and comple-
mented by the pitch content of the others without duplicating pitches.
Obviously, the various elements are distributed among the masses
which are heard simultaneously or successively in such a manner that
the very exchange of elements is made possible.
But the masses are not bound to each other in an immobile stasis,
since the motion of the masses in space also participates in the formal
process by allowing for a dynamic exchange of elements. For example,
the "solo" mass in the oboe has moved "near" the listener in m. 12,
as opposed to the more "distant" Mass 5 dominated by the "pulse"
(cf. Ex. 2). In m. 13, this Mass 5 suddenly comes closer while the
158 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC

mass in the oboe moves away and returns (p ffff). At the end
of m. 13, while both masses are "close" to the listener, the "solo"
mass takes over the "pulse" (m. 14, now in clarinet I), and the mass
in the percussion disappears (m. 14: chains, sleighbells, suspended
cymbals, snare drum). Gradually, the mass in the clarinet moves
away from the listener (mm. 14-16); in m. 18, new elements are
added to it (trumpet I), and the pulse is separated and returned
(m. 17) to the mass in the percussion (but see also [14, p. 443]).
An important question remains to be answered: can Integrales be
divided into two or three "major formal sections" separated by "ca-
dences" (e.g., in mm. 28, 78, and/or 153), as has been attempted
[8, 31]? One objection to such a procedure is the fact that the meas-
ures which are thus arbitrarily tied together show no internal unity
which would intrinsically separate them from the other "sections".
Similarly, it is impossible to derive a 2-, 3-, or 4-part form by exam-
ining the relationships shown in Table II (see also [14, p. 445]). But
the strongest objection derives from the fact that such an undertaking
ignores the idiosyncrasies of the formal process in Varese's music.
Varese was not interested in subjugating every musical entity in In-
tegrales to two or three groupings which would determine the "form".
Indeed, he warned against such thinking on more than one occasion
[19, p. 206]. To use Varese's words, we are confronted here with a
"series of variations" since, in a larger sense, every mass is related to
every other mass. The central feature in Varese's compositions is not
the manner in and the extent to which the composer repeats and
develops the "themes", "harmonies", or "motifs" chosen by him.
Varese does not introduce here, modify there; he constantly varies.

Conclusion

Integrales was created from a defined repertoire of organized sound

masses, each of which is to be heard as a three-dimensional entity
moving through space, appearing, disappearing, and re-appearing in
the course of performance. The "framework" of this composition, the
non-rigid "crystal form", is given by the number and frequency of
such recurrences. The masses, in turn, are constructed from a fixed
number of elements, which are exchanged between simultaneously
and/or successively appearing masses.
 THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 159

Acknowledgments:
This article is based on a paper submitted at the Oberlin Conservatory
of Music, Oberlin, Ohio, in 1973, in partial fulfillment of the require-
ments for the Bachelor of Music degree. I should like to thank Prof.
Robert Drummond at Oberlin for his many helpful suggestions and
comments. A modified version of this article first appeared (in German)
in Melos/Neue Zeitschriftfur Musik, 1:446-456, 1975.

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