Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
by Joseph Salem
0 This essay is derived from the authors dissertation, Boulez revised: Compositional
process as aesthetic critique in the composers formative works (Yale University, New
Haven, CT, 2014/15).
1 The phrase and timeline are borrowed from Peter OHagan, Pierre Boulez and the
Project of LOrestie, Tempo, 61 (2007), no. 241, pp. 3452. See also Martin Zenck,
Pierre Boulez Orestie (19551995): Das unverffentlichte Manuskript der szenischen
Musik zu Jean-Louis Barraults Inszenierung der Trilogie im Thtre Marigny, Archiv
fr Musikwissenschaft, 60 (2003), no. 4, pp. 30332.
2 This information is distilled from OHagan (see note 1), p. 45.
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U b b b bw
#n U
#n #n w #n w
b bw
w w
& n
n nn nw
n nnw
n n uw n n
n nn n nn nnw
u J w w
U
n n
# # U
? # # nb bw # n b bw
u nw n n nn nn w
w
n n bb
n## n
bbb
n bn n n
& nn n#
n n n b
#n nn #
# n
B: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Example 1
3 This sketch also directly connects the organizational and pitch material of the Finale
with Improvisation III, Bulles de temps, as a numerical pattern in the bottom margin
of the sketch is used to expand both works.
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25
? nb b b bb n n b n n
n n n b J n
j n b n
nbb b b n n# b#
3
3 3
? # n n n j n # n n b # #nn b b n n n n n # #
3
n b n n n n n
3 3 3 3
n # # #j n # n n n
?
n n b n b n n b # # # J n #
3
n n n n n b b n n n n # n n n n n n # b b # n n b
? bSalem
J J
Exp.
3 3 3 3 3 3
Example 2
? # # # n n n n n
n n n n n n b n
A
? n # # # n n n
n n n n n b
? # n n n # n n n n
n
J n n n n # #
n n
n
n n
n n b b n
J
? n n n n n n # n n n n n # n n #
n n n n n # n
b b n n
B
? b b n n n b b n b n n b n
n b n b b
n n n n n
n n b
n
? n n b n n n b
b b b b b n
n n n # n n n
# n n # n
n n
Example 3
the first is transcribed from an incomplete particella that makes space for
harmonizations but remains entirely blank in this regard, while the second
resembles a small bit of marginalia at the base of a fair copy choral part for
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4 The sketch in question shares its staff paper with ink fair copies for the second choir
parts from Les Eumnides. This may serve to indicate the breakneck speed of Boulezs
work, where fair copies of earlier numbers of the last act were being produced before
the final number was even drafted.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ n n n b
4 b b n # # # n # n
7 b n 3 b
Fl, Htb & 8
n b 4 n
# n n n n n nn nn #n
# 4 n n
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ n
n # n
7 # 44 n n n n 3
Cl, Trp & 8
b b n 4 n n
b n n b w b b b
n n # #
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7
&8 4
4 # n 43
n n
Hp
{? 87 n b bn bn b n 44 bw 3
4
7 4 3
Cloches &8 n 4 nw 4
#
# # n n n
7 4 # n n n 3
Glock
{ &8 4 4
[voices]
? 87 n b #n nn # n 44 bw bw 3
4
Example 4
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~~~~~ ~~~~~ n , U
>
b b b
j
44 # 43 n# nn#
n #
u
4 3 U
4 4
nw n n
n ,
bn U
44 3
4 n# n#
4 3 U
4 4
bringing the work to an end while evoking the ringing conclusion to Les
Noces.5
All of these devices signal an important shift for Boulez, where borrowed
material (primary the blocs sonores) altered the design of his vocal sketches
and provided for the expansion of the refrains in the Finale. Of course,
the innovations were likely the result of circumstantial pressures: a neces-
sary invention by the composer to meet the rehearsal demands of Barraults
schedule. That they eventually led to the repetitive harmonic cycles of
works like Drive and the recurring, trilling refrains of Mmoriale (explo-
sante-fixe Originel) illustrates their lasting relevance as a musical, rather
than merely practical, tool for the composer.
5 I thank Robert Piencikowski for highlighting the aural resonances of Les Noces in
Boulezs works.
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