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... vers, when practising. Messiaen also used poly rhythmic structures and rhythmic pedals and they form the basis to the cello and piano parts in movement 1 of the Quatuor, Liturgie de Crystal. The separation of pitches and rhythms is a noteworthy feature of the music and was to form an important idea in the development of some styles of twentieth-century composition. If a rhythmic pattern does not reoccur with the same pitch pattern as before, the piece technically becomes difficult to play. In movement 1 the separation of pitch and rhythm appears like so: Cello: repeated 15 note melody consisting of 5 pitches repeated three times.
These pitch repetitions are obscured by the fact that each time a different rhythm appears on the 5 notes. Piano: cycle of 29 chords over a rhythmic sequence of 17 note-values. The moment of resolution of the pianos rhythmic and harmonic pedals is never heard because of his use of prime numbers. The definition of a rhythmic pedal is an independent rhythm which constantly repeats itself, without paying any heed to the rhythms which surround it (Technique de mon language musical). In movement 1 of the Quatuor, the two independent rhythmic pedals are combined with two independent birdsong's (clarinet and violin) creating a movement which is extremely challenging to play as an ensemble as a whole. Messiaen's preface to this movement gives us a picture of the eternal truths of heaven (endless repetition in cello and piano) versus the natural world (symbolized by birdsong).
Due to the separation of the sound worlds, when playing the piece it is difficult for the performers to know if all the members of the ensemble are in the same place. It is a challenge to know when to ignore and when to rely upon the other parts and remain in that frame of mind. Neither pedals are related to the birdsong in the other parts, and non of the rhythms in any of the parts correspond to the time signature (this movement is one of the only movements with a traditional time signature) which gives no rhythmic guidance and the pulse is a challenge to grasp. A closer look at Able des oiseaux, and the technical difficulties it presents The technique of combining two different sound worlds and also the incorporation of birdsong, can be related to movement 3 of the Quatuor, Able des oiseaux. Here the two separate ideas of the abyss of time, its sadness and its weariness and birdsong, the opposite of time; they are our desire for light, for the stars and for the things of heaven Messiaen, taken from a translation of the preface, need to be portrayed by only the clarinet. It is quite challenging for the clarinettist in to switch between these two different sound worlds so often and difficult to always be in the right frame of mind at the right time.
For example, the sadness and weariness that Messiaen suggests, can be seen in the music from the Lent section at the beginning to the end of held F sharp at which point the characteristic of the music immediately transforms into the idea of birdsong, see Quote 8. I know from playing this movement alone that a great deal of concentration is needed to be able to switch between styles rapidly in this manner, and this is not the only point in the Quatuor to do this. Messiaen liked rhythms that were not artificial, as I have already mentioned and this is a reason why he liked birdsong so much. Messiaen believed that the birds are probably the greatest musicians to inhabit our planet, birdsong being the natural element of this work as a whole. He could include added values into these sections, and the challenge presented to the performer here is to play the rhythm strictly as Messiaen has written it, yet still make it sound natural and free. Although Messiaen had little choice in his use of instruments, he orchestrates well and the clarinet is the ideal instrument for playing something with as great a range and with such flexibility as birdsong.
The shrill sound that can be achieved on the clarinet is a lot similar to the sound of actual birdsong. However, the versatility of the clarinet is exploited at great lengths, and the full range of the clarinet is explored in short spaces of time, see Quote 9 and also Quote 10, a different section in the piece which also incorporates every register of the clarinet in just one breath. It is particularly difficult in such cases for a clarinettist to adjust his ambruchure (mouth shape) so quickly so that each note, from the chamuleau register to the highest register, is of the same quality. This also requires a great deal of breath support, a particular challenge after playing such a slow passage with extremely long phrases. Quote 9 also demonstrates Messiaen's use of the chord on the dominant, another idea developed by Messiaen and explained in his Technique de mon language musical, which he often associated with birdsong. The Quatuor was the first of his works to incorporate birdsong in this way.
Many followed, most significantly Oiseaux erotique (1956), Catalogue d Oiseaux (1958) and Chronochromie (1960). In each case the chord of the dominant, is associated with a certain bird. The chord is swift moving and spread, as Quote 9 shows. Each time it occurs in the score a challenge is presented to any instrumentalist (linked to colour chords), as the succession of notes will not fall naturally beneath the fingers of a classically trained performer, as, for example, a rip upwards of a major or chromatic scale (or a diatonic chord) would.
Other technical challenges due to range of dynamics, pitch and articulation related to timbre and compositional circumstances I have already mentioned extremes of register and amount of breath support required by the clarinettist in movement 3 of the Quatuor. Also note that the control needed when performing the extremes of register at pp, see Example 10, is phenomenal. This challenge of control is present throughout the whole of the Quartet for the End of Time in every part. I will conclude this essay by presenting to you and commenting on specific areas which demonstrate this.
These final examples are important as they can be linked to issues concerning compositional circumstances i. e. Messiaen used such extremes to create different timbres and also to how Messiaen used compositional techniques to portray the theological aspects behind the music (i. e. reasons for presenting such challenging music to performers), Quote 11: demonstrates the need to control the sound when there is a sudden change in articulation. Quote 12: demonstrates the need to be in control of the instrument when faced with an unusual and challenging technique col legal is to use the wooden side of the bow on the cello strings which is particularly difficult for control of intonation.
Quote 13: demonstrates the need to be in control of intonation within the ensemble. This is the case in all sections of the Quatuor scored for two or more parts in octaves. Bibliography &# 61623; ed. Hill, Peter, The Messiaen Companion chapter entitled The End of Time: a Biblical Theme in Messiaen's Quatuor, (London: Faber and Faber 1995) &# 61623; Johnson, Robert Sherlaw, Messiaen, chapters entitled Birdsong, Christianity and Symbolism and The Works of the War Years: Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps (1940 - 41),
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Research essay sample on Frame Of Mind End Of Time
