Correspondence Between Color and Sound Structure in His Music Author

Messiaen's Synaesthesia: The Correspondence between Color and Sound Structure in His Music
Author(s): Jonathan W. Bernard

Source: Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Fall, 1986), pp. 41-68
Published by: University of California Press
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Music Perception ©1986 BY THE REGENTSOF THE
Fall1986, Vol.4, No. 1,41-68 UNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIA
Messiaen'sSynaesthesia:
betweenColorand Sound
The Correspondence
Structurein His Music
JONATHAN W. BERNARD
Yale University
Olivier Messiaen's published descriptions of his works and the color

labels that appear in certain of his scores show that he is affected by
colored-hearing synaesthesia. Because Messiaen's color responses, like
those of other synaesthetes, exhibit a high degree of internal consistency,
the analyst may tabulate the available correlations between sound and
color and use them to explore the various factors, objectively considered,
that govern Messiaen's color associations. The importance of absolute
pitch and of the modes of limited transposition is studied, as are the
conditions under which vertical spacing and pitch-class-set identity may
assume primary significance in color delineation. The conclusions
reached offer a key to more general matters of structure in Messiaen's
music. Examples are drawn from several of Messiaen's works, dating
from 1929 to 1974.
Introduction
In Olivier Messiaen's The Technique of My Musical Language (1944,

Vol. 1, p. 5 1) there occurs a passing referenceto "the gentle cascade of blue-
orange chords" in the piano part of the second movement of his Quatuor
pour la fin du temps (1941). This, apparently, was Messiaen's first public
acknowledgment of the role that color plays in his compositional process;
its importance to that process, however, was not widely known until some
years later. In a conversation that took place in the mid-1960s, Messiaen
stated:
I am ... affectedby a kindof synopsia,foundmorein my mindthanin
my body,whichallowsme, whenI hearmusic,andequallywhenI read
it, to see inwardly,in the mind'seye, colorswhichmovewith the music,
and I sensethesecolors in an extremelyvividmanner.. . . For me cer-
tain complexesof soundandcertainsonoritiesarelinkedto complexes
Requests for reprints may be sent to Jonathan W. Bernard, Department of Music, P.O.
Box 4030 Yale Station, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520.
41
42 W.Bernard
Jonathan
of color, and I use them in full knowledgeof this. (Samuel,1976, pp.

16-17)1
By this time, Messiaenhad writtenthe SeptHaikai(1962) and Couleurs
de la cité céleste (1963), scoresin which precisecorrespondencesbetween
colorsandsonorities(in all caseschords)areindicated.Othersources,such
asJohnson(1975), Samuel(1976), andMessiaen(1979), show thatsimilar
correspondences - some equallyprecise,othersof a moregeneralnature-
exist in many of his works, including(besidesthose mentioned)the Huit
Préludes(1929), the Vingt Regardssur l'Enfant-Jésus (1944), the Cata-
logue d'oiseaux (1958), Chronochromie(1960), and Des canyons aux
étoiles (1974), amongothers.
"Synaesthesia"is a generalterm, embracingall sorts of sensorycross-
oversin whichstimuliappliedto one of the fivesensesproduceresponsesin
anothersenseor sensesas well. Those so strangelyaffected- apparentlya
verysmallminorityof the generalpopulation- areknownas synaesthetes.
The phenomenonof color hearing,a specificvarietyof synaesthesia,has
beenrecognizedat least sincethe eighteenthcenturyand has beenthe sub-
ject of scientificinvestigation- occasionallyquite intenseinvestigation-
since the latter half of the nineteenthcentury.Even so, very little is yet
knownaboutit, butperhapsthisis not surprising,sinceone findingthathas
emergedfromall the researchdone on color hearingis that it is a distinctly
individualizedphenomenon,with no very specificcorrelationbetweenits
manifestationin one synaestheteandthatin another.And,it would appear,
the more particularizedand definitethe reportedresponsesof an individ-
ual, the greaterthe disparitywith those of others.This is certainlytrue of
synaestheteswho happen to be accomplishedcomposersof music. The
color associationsof Scriabinand of Rimsky-Korsakovwith the various
keys of tonal music, for instance,are well documented.From the nearly
completedivergenceof the two schemes,we can only concludethatthe one
or two pointsof agreementarenothingmorethancoincidences.2
Marks (1978) has noted that the amountof activityin colored-hearing
research,as measuredby the numberof publicationsit has generated,has
actuallydecreasedsubstantiallyover the past few decades.This has hap-
pened,one may gather,largelybecauseresearchershave becomediscour-
1. By "a kind of synopsia" Messiaen means colored-hearing synaesthesia. Synopsia,

known to Messiaen from his acquaintance with the painter Blanc-Gatti, who was afflicted
with it, is a disorder which causes confusion as to the actual stimulus provoking sensory
response. Thus, for example, Messiaen can tell the difference between color sensations pro-
voked by visible wavelengths of light and color sensations arising from aural stimuli,
whereas a victim of synopsia often cannot.
2. See Peacock (1985) for a comparative table (p. 494) and for an interesting discussion
of Scriabin's synaesthetic responses. A slightly different table appears in The New Oxford
Companion to Music, s.v. "Color and Music," p. 426.
Messiaen's Synaesthesia 43
agedby the persistentfailureof the accumulateddata to lead to any signi-

ficantlyuniversalconclusions.Marks himselfis not discouraged,but his
criteriafor correlationbetweenindividualsareextremelygeneral,havingto
do mainly with relative brightnessand loudness and not with specific,
definitecolors. Furthermore,as Marks'sown researchhas shown, many
non-synaesthetesexhibit the same kind of responses,measuredon these
verybroadkindsof scales,as do synaesthetes.In short,the attemptsof psy-
chologistsandothersto investigatecolorhearingas a functionof the nature
of the humanmindin generalmay not have muchto tell us if we are more
interestedin the output,as it were, of particularsynaestheticindividuals.
But why should we be interestedin Messiaen'ssynaestheticresponses?
Afterall, it is hardlylikelythatanyoneelsewill everbe ableto see the colors
thatMessiaendoes, evenif thatpersonwerehimselfor herselfsynaesthetic.
Whatcan this private,interiorlight show possiblyhaveto do with the way
thatMessiaen'slistenershearhis music?Oneof Messiaen'sbiographershas
concludedthat "the whole question of color association,of course, is a
highlypersonalaffair"(Johnson,1975, p. 167). Indeed,short of a major
breakthroughin synaestheticresearch,it would be impossibleto discover
the reasonsfor the identificationof particularsonoritiesas "blue"or "rus-
set,"andso forth.Butto say this does not denythepossibilitythatwe could
still discoverwhat the colors mean, for the musicalphenomenato which
theyaretiedare accessibleto us. One encouragingfact evenat the outsetof
this investigationis that Messiaen'scolor responsesare not whimsicalor
arbitrarilyin flux. Quite the contrary:they are firmlyfixed.3It is also en-
couragingthat his responsesare induced,as he says, "equally"when he
readsmusic,for this suggeststhat the relevantsonic characteristicsarenot
dependentuponthe particularattributesof individualperformances,so no-
toriouslydifficultto predictandquantify.If Messiaen'scolor responsesare
consistent,then we should be able, without seeing the colors directly,to
identifythe similaritiesbetweenthe sonoritieswhich for Messiaencorres-
pond to the same color or color complex- and furthermore,of course,to
pinpointthe featuresof these sonoritiesthat differentiatethem fromthose
correspondingto other colors. An objectivebasis for such similarityand
contrastwould certainlybe consonantwith what is alreadyknownof Mes-
siaen'scompositionalmethodsand theoreticalpredilections.Those famil-
iar with the Techniquewill recallthe precisionand detailwith which the
authorandcomposerhas enumeratedthe variousfeaturesof his music.Re-
gardlessof whetherthe simpleidentificationof thesefeaturesin a particular
work would constitutea trulypenetratinganalysis,theirexistencestands,
3. "Any given synaesthetic individual typically finds the visual expressions of music to be
regular, consistent, and reliable." (Marks, 1978, p. 92).
44 Jonathan W. Bernard
at theveryleast,as an indicationthatMessiaenworkswith readilyclassifia-

ble categoriesof sounds.
Whendealingwith Messiaen'scolor namesfor soundsit is necessaryto
keep in mind that no externallogic has operatedto constructthe system.
Messiaenhas not learnedthese color correspondences,and he has not in-
ventedthemas if to coverall the colorshe desiresto evoke in as efficienta
manneras possible.His synaesthesia,likethe trueformof the phenomenon
in anyaffectedindividual,is involuntary,thepairingsof colorswith sounds
out of his control.What Messiaenhas managedto do, however,is to find
the particularsound combinationsthat will give rise to an extremelywide
andvariegatedrangeof color responses,an accomplishmentwhichaffords
him the abilityto paint, as it were, in soundwhat is visible.It is difficultto
know for surewhetherthis reverseaspectof Messiaen'ssynaesthesia - that
is, visible transmutedinto audibleratherthan the other way around- is
alsoinvoluntaryor simplya well-oiledhabit,butthe factis thathe cando it,
with significantimpactuponhis creativeoutput.4Describingthe fifthpiece
of his Sept Haikai, for example,Messiaenmentions"all the mingledcol-
ors" of a particularJapaneselandscape:"the greenof the Japanesepines,
the white and gold of the Shintotemple,the blue of the sea, and the red of
the Torii [a kind of porch] . . . That'swhat I wanted to translatealmost
literallyinto my music"(Samuel,1976, p. 93).
Messiaen'scolor labels- sometimesappliedto individualchords,some-
times to groups of sonorities- are of three basic types. The first type is
monochromatic:simply"green"or "red,"for example.The secondtypeis
also of uniformhue, but morecomplexthanthe first:two colorsaremixed
as one mightfindthem blurringinto one anotherat the edgesof the bands
of a rainbow.Thesearegivenhyphenatednames,suchas "blue-orange"or
"grey-rose."The thirdtype includescombinationsof varyingcomplexity,
rangingfrom simplepairsof colors ("greyand gold")or triplets("orange,
gold, andmilkywhite"),whichconceivablyareproducedin turnby succes-
sive chords;to parallelor verticalbandsof threecolorssimultaneously,of
apparentlymore or less equal strength;to effects involving a dominant
color flecked,striped,studded,or hemmedwith one or moreothers.Some
of theselastvarietiesarequiteelaborate:for instance,"transparentsulphur
yellowwith mauvereflectionsandlittlepatchesof Prussianblueandbrown
purplish-blue."
The existingevidenceof correspondencebetweencolors and sounds (in
almostall cases chords)comesto us in threeforms:(1) referencesmadein
interviews,notablythoseof Samuel(1976) andGoléa(1960); (2) prefatory
notesto publishedscores,andothernotesby Messiaenabouthis works;(3)
4. As Marks (1978, p. 92) has pointed out, "Synaesthesia usually operates in one direc-
tion, not both."
Messiaen*s Synaesthesia 45
labels affixedto specificsonoritiesin the scoresthemselves.In aggregate,

thisis a considerableamountof information,butin turnit is dwarfedby the
vast stretchesof Messiaen'smusicfor which thereis no color datawhatso-
ever.ForMessiaen,this greaterpartof his musicis probablynot devoidof
color but is simplynot composedwith color in mindas the principaldeter-
minant of structure.The relativelysmall portion of his work for which
coloris principalis still sizeablebutof manageableproportionsfor detailed
study.
Themostconsistentandreliableaccessto colorcorrespondencesin Mes-
siaen is provided by his well-known modes of limited transposition,so
calledbecauseof their symmetricalproperties,which producea complete
replicationof contentif the mode is transposedbeyonda certainlevel. As
Messiaen has himself attested, the modes of limited transpositionwere
amongthe firstelementsof his harmoniclanguageto develop;by 1930, his
twenty-secondyear,he had alreadybeen usinghis modal systemfor some
time and had becomequiteexperiencedwith it "fromimprovisingaccord-
ing to the modes in organ class" (Goléa, 1960, p. 29).5 In the Technique,
Messiaenfirstrevealshis preoccupationwith these modes and detailsthe
content of each. He defines seven modes in all, the first of which- the
whole-tonescale- he discardsfor his purposes.Color is not discussedin
the Technique,exceptin passing,but on the basisof laterremarks,includ-
ing analyticalnotes to earlierworks, it would appearthat of the six modes
that Messiaendoes use, only four (Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 6) have color associa-
tions. Table 1 presentsthese four modes in pitch-classnumbernotation,
Table 1
The ColorModes
Mode 2 Mode 3
0134679 10 0234678 10 11
124578 10 11 1345789 11 0
235679 11 0 245689 10 01
3 5 6 7 9 10 11 1 2
Mode 4 Mode 6
0125678 11 024568 10 11
12367890 135679 11 0
234789 10 1 24678 10 01
34589 10 11 2 35789 11 12
4569 10 11 03 4689 10 023
5 6 7 10 11 0 1 4 5 7 9 10 11 1 3 4
5. ". . . mon système modal, dont j'avais acquis un pratique extrêmement rapide en im-
provisant selon mes modes à la classe d'orgue."
togetherwith all of their availabletranspositions.Mode 2, set 8-28 in

Forte'snumbering,is the same as the octatonicscale;Mode 3 (set 9-12) is
the complementof the augmentedtriad.
We can learn something about the common characterof the "color
modes,"as I will referto themhenceforth,and somethingabout the basis
for theirdistinctionfromone another,by consideringwhy Modes 5 and 7
have no color associations.Mode 5 (0,1,5,6,7,11), set 6-7, is a subset of
both Mode 4 and Mode 6, and thus is apparentlyredundant.6Mode 7
(0,1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,11), on the otherhand, is a 10-noteset (10-6) and a su-
persetof all of Messiaen'sothermodes exceptMode 3. We note herethat
Messiaenoften refersto total chromaticism - ironicallyenough,consider-
-
ing the etymologyof the word as greyor grey-black.PossiblyMode 7 has
too manynotesto evokevividcolors;or perhapsit has an effectakinto that
of Messiaen'svitrail,or stained-glasswindow chords,in which all hues of
the rainbowarepresentat once, in sharpdelineationfromone another.At
anyrate,none of the colormodesis a subsetor supersetof anyof its fellows.
Methodology
From what has been said concerning the pc-set identities of the color modes, and the fact
that their distinctive qualities stem in part from the lack of inclusion relations among them, it
should be clear that pc sets in general are of some utility in assessing the modal identities of
sonorities, particularly in cases where the complete contents of a mode are not present or
where other ambiguities intrude. The models of chord progression for each mode in the
Technique, for example, could be studied and the sets found therein designated as "typical"
sonorities of a particular mode. However, there are certain inherent limits upon both the
scope and the precision of the information provided by pc-set identity. The first problem is
that the color modes have numerous subsets in common. Set 4-Z29, for example, turns up as
a typical sonority in both Mode 2 and Mode 4 and is actually a constituent of all four color
modes; 5-34 is typical of both Mode 3 and Mode 6; and so on. The second problem is that,
for Messiaen, color identities are tied, not only to the different modes, but also to different
transpositions of the same mode. Since pc-set identities do not change upon transposition,
they cannot automatically tell us everything we need to know about what the color affinities
of given sonorities might be.
Although I have not yet succeeded in tracking down all instances of modally based
coloration in Messiaen's music (that is, all instances verified by Messiaen himself), most of
them occur quite straightforwardly in their respective contexts and present, initially at least,
no analytic problems. In Table 2 is arranged the information thus gathered, according to
mode and transposition, with location in Messiaen's work identified in each case. (The
number in parentheses is the transposition; "2(3)," for example, means Mode 2, third
transposition.) Although in general we can speak of a dominant color or related colors
within a particular mode, note, first, that secondary colors are often quite diverse (although
they tend to be well coordinated within individual transpositions) and, second, that there are
some transpositions in which the dominant color of the mode is overthrown entirely. In
Mode 2, for instance, violet and blue violet prevail, but 2(3) is green; and although orange
and gold are characteristic of Mode 3, 3(3) nevertheless is usually blue or blue and green.
6. Messiaen actually calls Mode 5 a "truncated Mode 4" {Technique, Vol. 1, p. 62) but
makes no mention of its relationship to Mode 6.
Table 2
Modally Based Coloration in Messiaen's Compositions
Mode Composition, Movement Color(s)
2(1) Préludes, V Violet-purple

Vingt Regards, V Blue-violet
Catalogue, VII Rose and mauve
Catalogue, VII Red and violet
Couleurs (R75) Blue-violet
2(2) Préludes, I Violet
Vingt Regards, V Blue-violet
Vingt Regards, XIII Gold and brown
Vingt Regards, XVII Gold and brown
Vingt Regards, XVII Rose and mauve
2(3) Canyons, IV Green
3(1) Vingt Regards, XIII Orange, gold, milky white
Catalogue, VII Orange
Couleurs (after R75) Orange, gold, milky white
Canyons, VII Orange and gold
Canyons, VII Orange, gold, milky white
3(2) Préludes, I Orange
Vingt Regards, XIII Grey and mauve
Canyons, IV Grey and gold
Canyons, XII Grey and gold
3(3) Préludes, V Blue-orange
Préludes, VIII Blue-orange
Vingt Regards, XVII Blue and green
Catalogue, IX Blue-green
Canyons, VIII Blue
Canyons, XII Blue and green
3(4) Préludes, VIII Green-orange
Vingt Regards, XIII Orange, red, with a bit of blue
Canyons, VII Orange striped with red
4(3) Canyons, IV Yellow and violet
4(4) Vingt Regards, V Deep violet; white with violet design; purple violet
Vingt Regards, XVII Violet veined with white
4(5) Catalogue, VII Mauve
Catalogue, VII Violet; deep violet
Couleurs (R76) Violet
Canyons, IV Violet
4(6) Vingt Regards, VÌI Carmine red reflections; purplish blue; grey-mauve;
grey-rose
Canyons, VII Carmine red; purplish blue; mauve; grey-rose
6(1) Catalogue, VII Golden
6(2) Canyons, IV Brown, russet, orange, violet
Canyons, VII Brown, russet, orange, violet
6(3) Vingt Regards, V Transparent sulphur yellow with mauve reflections and
little patches of Prussian blue and brown purplish-blue
6(4) Vingt Regards, VII Vertical bands: yellow, violet, black
The importance of absolute pitch level in determining color is well demonstrated by the
eighth and last of Messiaen's early Préludes (Figure 1). According to Messiaen, the second
theme of this prelude is "blue-orange in its first presentation, green-orange in its second
presentation" (Messiaen, 1979, p. 22). The side-by-side comparison afforded by Figure 1
shows the exact parallel between the incipits of the two passages, an exactitude which
persists throughout the two renditions of the theme. In effect, these two passages are in
different keys: the first in a kind of A, the second a kind of D. The term "key" is used rather
loosely here, of course; it signifies not much more than a tonic note, a central triad built upon
that note (which also supplies a diatonic dominant), and the availability of the major sixth
above the tonic. The fact that key identity makes more than occasional appearances in
Messiaen's music in conjunction with the modes, even in music much later than the
Préludes, suggests that the value of absolute pitch in defining color resembles its role in
defining key. Indeed, two of the most important, and frequently recurring,keys in Messiaen
are linked to specific modal transpositions and have, through them, specific color identities:
A major to 3(3) and FJ major to 2(1). When governed by Mode 3(3), for instance, A major is
blue or blue and green, as in the eighth movement of Des canyons aux étoiles or the
seventeenth of the Vingt Regards.
It must be emphasized, however, that for Messiaen keys themselves do not have fixed
color associations. Messiaen is perhaps overstating the case when he says: "There are tonal
passages in my works but they are precisely blended with these modes which color them and
finally they have little importance" (Samuel, 1976, p. 23). But it is clear, at least, from which
direction control over sonority is exerted. Earlier in the same interview, Messiaen asserts
that "One really can't talk of an exact relationship between a key and a color: that would be
a rather naïve way of expressing oneself because . . . colors are complex and are linked to
equally complex chords and sounds" (Samuel, 1976, p. 19). For this reason, Messiaen has
also spoken of his modes as being "at once in the atmosphere of several tonalities, without
"
poly tonality for they leave him "free to give predominance to one of the tonalities or to
leave the tonal impression unsettled" (Messiaen, 1944, Vol. 1, p. 58, emphasis in original).
Particularly in the early works, then, but also occasionally in the later ones, whole
movements are composed in such a way as to sound more or less "tonal"- that is, in a key,
Fig. 1. Huit Préludes, Vili: (a) mm. 33-34. (b) mm. 149-150.
or at least around a key- while the actual pitch usage is mainly in the service of a particular
transposition of one of the modes, or one such transposition slightly inflected by another
modal transposition (perhaps one explicitly present elsewhere in the texture).
The first of the Préludes provides an excellent sample of this technique (see Figure 2).
Messiaen has described this work as "orange, veined with violet" (Messiaen, 1979, p. 22).
Orange as the principal color, then, would seem to be allied with E major; however, it is a
rather odd sort of E major, with the recurrent F-natural and the series of chords in
thirty-seconds on the upper staff. Ignoring the latter for the moment, we proceed to consider
which of the modal transpositions might conceivably encompass the key of E major. Taking
the tonic triad as a sine qua non, we find five candidates: 2(2), 3(1), 3(2), 4(4), and 6(1).
Mode 3(1) can be eliminated immediately, for it does not provide access to the F-natural; in
turn, none of the others except 2(2) and 3(2) can supply the added (major) sixth, an essential
element in all of Messiaen's tonally oriented writing and of obvious importance in m. 4.
These two remaining modal transpositions are the predominant organizational forces in this
Prelude. The orange color, however, must be ascribed to 3(2) alone, for 2(2) is unable to
provide the A and D-sharp that subsequently (beyond the compass of Figure 2) become
important. This conclusion squares with Messiaen's designation of orange as the dominant
color in Mode 3 in general. But 2(2) has, nevertheless, a crucial role to play: the chords in
thirty-seconds are the "violet veins," for they are built entirely from the contents of Mode
2(2). Furthermore, the intermittent presence of this modal transposition in this form
influences the rest of the texture, occasionally supplying notes that are foreign to Mode 3(2),
such as the A-sharp in m. 2 and the D-natural in m. 3. This can occur all the more readily
because, as noted above, 2(2) neatly interlocks with 3(2) at the E-major triad and also holds
in common with 3(2) the added sixth C-sharp and the lowered second F-natural. (Figure2b
shows this interlock.)
One might gather from the foregoing that keys do have, in Messiaen's mind's ear and eye,
at least the power to influence the color qualities of the modes in the direction of their
general character, away from the specific attributes of particular transpositions. (We see
from Table 2 that Mode 3(2) elsewhere is often "grey and gold.") There is other evidence
attesting to this power of key, among which we note in particular the fifth of the Vingt
Regards, where Mode 2 is used in all three of its transpositions, "especially 2(1)," says
Messiaen, "of which the dominant color is blue-violet." Next he notes "all these violets and
blues" circulating in the generally luminous atmosphere of F-sharp major (which absorbs
the colors somewhat). This description (of the blues and violets circulating) evidently applies
to the music in all three transpositions (Messiaen, 1979, p. 43). Another example,
documented by the same source: The middle section of Prelude 2, with a signature of six
sharps and a clear orientation to F-sharp major, is described as "silvery, set with diamonds."
Here no single transposition of Mode 2 predominates; it would seem that this relatively
equal treatment of the three transpositions neutralizes the blue and violet tendencies of 2(1 ),
since Messiaen does not mention them (Messiaen, 1979, p. 22).
Registrai distribution, or spacing, of the sonorities is also an important factor in drawing
distinctions between colors. Where the modes are firmly in control, matters of spacing are
usually entirely secondary; nonetheless, for many of the individual modal transpositions
there are typical arrangements of vertically adjacent intervals and standard patterns of
overall distribution of such intervals- arrangements and patterns that also serve to
differentiate presentations of one color or complex of colors from those of another color or
complex. The consistencies thereby established are of considerable value in analyzing other
passages whose modal characters are either ambiguous or non-existent (some of which will
be discussed later). Among the many examples of spacing consistency that could be cited are
the two excerpts reproduced in Figure 3, from two works written 30 years apart. Below each
excerpt is displayed the vertically adjacent interval content, expressed in numbers of
semitones. The mode in both cases is 3(1); the color quality is also the same ("orange, gold,
and milky white").
Finally, we should touch upon the matter of chord connection, or voice leading. By and
large this is entirely ancillary to color definition; much more important are the qualities of
the individual chords. Messiaen, after all, regards his modes as harmonic, not melodic,
constructs (Samuel, 1976, p. 23). In passages where they are employed, often the voice
leading between chords in series simply corresponds to the scalar order of the mode. See
Figure 4, which is in Mode 3(3). Contour is also worth mentioning here, for the ascending
motion of the series of chords may well be intended to depict the rising flight of the
kingfisher.As for the "blue-green" label, notice that the first and last chords are arranged to
emphasize the A-major triad (top three notes).
Fig. 2. Huit Préludes, I, mm. 1 -5.
Fig. 3. (a) Vingt Regards, XIII, mm. 49-51 (score, p. 94). (b) Des canyons aux étoiles, VII,
rehearsal 42 (score, p. 227).
Fig. 4. Catalogue d'oiseaux, IX, m. 10.
Analysis
The previousexampleswere chosento illustratetypesof approachesto
the material;we turn now to specificanalyticalproblemsthroughwhich
our methodologycan be furtherdeveloped.
We havealreadynotedthatpassagesin the sameindividualmodaltrans-
positiontend to bearsimilaror identicalcolor labels.Sometimesthe corre-
spondenceis exact,the colorlabelsthe same;often,however,the particular
shadesinvolvedare slightlyor even substantiallydifferent.In such cases,
how can the differentiationbe measured?Take a look at Figure5, which
juxtaposestwo setsof excerptsfromNo. 7 of the Catalogued'oiseaux:"La
rousserolleeffarvatte"(reedwarbler).Mode 2(1) is employedin both: in
the firstinstance(Figure5a) to depictthe sunrise(colors:rose andmauve);
in the second,at greaterlength(Figure5b) to depictthe sunset(colors:red
andviolet).7Inthis case,withinthe limitsof modaltranspositionalidentity,
pitch-classsets are a usefulindex of differentiation.Notice that 4-Z29 (re-
peatedmanytimes),5-25 (also repeated),and 4-26 are foundin both pas-
sages,butthatotherwisethe set contentis divergent.However,the setsthat
are held in common account for a disproportionatenumberof the total
sonoritiesin both passages- especially4-Z29 and 5-25, which are also es-
peciallytypicalsonoritiesin thismodeaccordingto the modelsof the Tech-
nique (see Messiaen, 1944, examples317-324). One spacingof 4-Z29 is
usedin both locationsfarmorefrequentlythanany other:9,2,6,6 (in semi-
tones,readingfrombottomto top); and one of the two spacingsof 5-25 in
the sunrisepassage,7,3,6,5, is repeatedfourtimesin the sunset.In sum,the
clearandnumerouspointsof analogybetweenthe two passagesarea plau-
sibleportrayalof the analogy(notidentity)betweensunriseand sunsetand
must be consideredpart of Messiaen'sefforthereto conveya senseof the
passingof time, as one partof the day givesway to anotherandthe song of
the reedwarbler- the mainsubjectof this piece- changesaccordingly.
The inverseproblem- measuringthe degreeof correspondencebetween
sonoritiesin differentmodes altogetherbut bearingcolor labelsthat over-
lap in someway- comesup in the samework.As the sunriseadvances,rose
and mauvegive way to simplemauve,and the mode changesfrom2(1) to
4(5). Figure6a shows one of the mauveprogressions(theotherssimplyre-
peat thesesets and spacingsat variousotherpitchlevels).Grantedthat the
differencehere is probablythe main point, still we wonderwhy mauve(a
7. The arrangementof this figure requiresa word of explanation. Both sunrise and sunset
are intermittent events in the texture of this piece; thus the excerpts in Figure 5 are not, for
the most part, contiguous. Furthermore, the beginning of the sunrise excerpts shows that
another color, orange, is also present; but it is portrayed in a different mode. The only
chords relevant to the purposes of this figure are those presented completely on the lower
two staves.
I
oo
CO
R
I
T- (
d
Oh
c
D
i
3
I"
1
§
ob
Fig. 6. Catalogue d'oiseaux, VII: (a) score, p. 13; (b) score, p. 39.
kind of moderateviolet) is characteristicof both groupsof chords.Again,

set identitiesprovidea partialanswer,for two of the threedifferentchords
in 4(5)- different,thatis, fromthepointof view of spacing- areboth5-28,
a set which is a componentof the earlier2(1) material.Perhapseven more
significant,however,is the verticalorderof pitchesin these 5-28's: four-
note "slices,"as shown,yield4-27 and4-Z29- the latterof whichis famil-
iaras a crucialcomponentof the sunriseof roseandmauve.Now, set 4-Z29
also figuresheavilyin the sunsetof redandviolet, so it is not too surprising
to find anotherpassagein 4(5), marked"violet,"occurringas the sunset
progresses.(Figure6b presentsone of the violet progressions;all the other
violetsets and spacingsarethe sameas these.)The chordsarealso the same
as those of the earlier4(5) progressionbut arein reverseorderandarebuilt
on successivelylower pitches,reversingthe schemeof the earlierprogres-
sion. Quitepossiblythe comparisonshowsthatthe deepershadeof violetin
the sunset at this stage is the product of the descendingmotion of the
chords.However,most of Messiaen'scoloredpassagesarenot so explicitly
pictorialin intentas arethese.
Model qualities become more difficult to interpretwhen not all the
pitchesof a chordor passagebelongto the sametranspositionof a mode.In
most of the illustrationsin Messiaen (1944) drawn from the composer's
own works, the modal transpositionsare employedin their purestform,

but in Chapter17 he specificallyadmits the possibilitythat modes may
"borrow from themselvesin their differenttranspositions"(Messiaen,
1944, Vol. 1, p. 62). Furtherinvestigation,and correlationof the available
data,revealsthat this sort of borrowingneednot disruptcolor identityany
morethanit interfereswith the reigningmodaltransposition.Foran exam-
ple, we turn to the twelfth and last movementof Des canyonsaux étoiles
(Figure7). This movementbeginswith a chorale-liketexturein the brass
andwoodwindsthat, accordingto Messiaen'snoteson the work,is written
in Mode 3(2) (colors:greyand gold) andMode 3(3) (blueandgreen).
Measures 1-4 are straightforward,consisting as they do entirely of
pitchesin 3(2). Measures5-7 areall in 3(3) exceptfor the E-flatin the sec-
ond chord(m. 6); this mustbe considereda pitchborrowedfrom3(2). (The
borrowednotes aregivenin parenthesesaboveeachchord.)Whenthe cho-
raletexturereturnswith new materialin mm.47-48 and5 1-52, thetrans-
position in use changesfrom one chordto the next, with G in m. 47 (first
chord) borrowedfrom 3(2) and B-flatin the next chord borrowedfrom
3(3); thenmm.51-52 areall 3(3), butwith E-flatin the firstchord,G andB
in the second from 3(2). As the movementcontinues,borrowingbecomes
the ruleratherthanthe exceptionin both transpositions.In contrast,mate-
rialfroman earliermovementin the samework,also greyandgold, adheres
muchmore closely to the pure form of 3(2). Figure8 offers a side-by-side
comparisonof the chordalcontentsof 3(2) in the fourthandtwelfthmove-
mentsof Des canyonsaux étoiles} Herewe have the opportunityto study
the effectsof borrowingupon set correspondences. Asidefrom6-15, which
appears several times in the same spacingin both passages,and 7-20, no
sets areliterallyheld in common.However,the fact thatwe arecomparing
an orchestralpassage (twelfthmovement)with one for solo piano (fourth
Fig. 7. Des canyons aux étoiles, XII, mm. 1-7, 47-48, 51-52.
8. This example, it should be noted, is of summary nature; thus the contents neither of 8a
nor of 8b are, for the most part, contiguous.
Messiaen*s Synaesthesia 57
Fig. 8. Chords in Mode 3(2): (a) Des canyons aux étoiles, IV; (b) Des canyons aux étoiles,
XII.
movement)suggeststhat an adjustmentto allow for a differencein norma-

tive size of the chords(thatis, the cardinalityof the sets involved)mightbe
appropriate.Table3 displaysthe relevantsubsetsof the largersets in both
movements.Thewealthof interrelationships servesas a convincingdemon-
strationthat the essentialqualitiesof 3(2) haveremainedintact,despitethe
intrusionof a few foreignpitchesin the twelfthmovement.
Evengreaterchallengesare posed by passagesfor which Messiaenhas
suppliedlists of colorsand color combinationswithoutspecifyingtheirex-
act locationsin the music.In such situations,the known color associations
of the variousmodal transpositionscan be of greatutilityin determining
whichcolorsgo with which chords- but if the modalidentitiesthemselves
turnout to be somewhatobscure,thenon whatgroundscan analyticaldeci-
sionsbe made?A casein pointis the middlesectionof the secondmovement
of Quatuorpour la fin du temps.Messiaen'sbriefcharacterizationof the
colorof this musicas "blue-orange"has turnedout to be insufficientlypre-
cise, in light of a subsequentstatementin which he has mentioned,besides
blue-orange,blueand mauve,gold andgreen,andviolet-red,with an over-
ridingqualityof steely grey (Messiaen,1979, p. 40). The piano part, en-
tirelychordal,dividesreadilyinto fiveprogressions,some of which are re-
peated.Byfarthe most frequentlyrecurringarethe firsttwo progressionsto
appear;thesearelabeled(a) and (b) in Figure9.
SS JonathanW. Bernard
Table 3
CanyonsIV and XII: SelectedSubsetsof Chordsin Mode 3(2)
6-14: 5-21,5-z37
6-15: 5-21,5-26
6-21: 5-26,5-28
6-31: 5-21,5-26
6-z43: 5-28
6-z44: 5-21, 5-22, 5-z37
7-zl2: 5-28
7-20: 5-21, 5-22, 5-z37
6-z44
7-24: 5-26, 5-28, 5-34, 5-z37
8-4: 5-21, 5-22, 5-26, 5-z37
6-14,6-15
8-z29: 5-21, 5-22, 5-26, 5-28, 5-34, 5-z37
6-15, 6-21, 6-z43,6-z44
7-20, 7-24
Of the two, (b) is less difficultto deal with: of the eightchords,the first
fourarein Mode 3, with successivepairsin the secondand thirdtransposi-
tions; the secondfour arein Mode 2(2). By referringto the tableof known
color correspondences(Table2), we can sort out the colors evoked here
withoutmuchdifficulty.The Mode 3(2) chordsaregreyand gold, the grey
a part of that overridingcolor mentionedby Messiaen;the chordsin 3(3)
areblue-orange.Whyblue-orange,though,insteadof, say, blueandgreen?
Wherea choice presentsitself in Table 2, other considerationsmay come
into play, suchas specificresemblancesto otherpieces.The cascadingosti-
nato of chordsin Prelude5, similarto the presentpassagein registraiand
contouralterms, providesthe correspondencein this case. As for Mode
2(2), here it evokes blue and mauve,extremelyclose to the blue-violetof
2(2) in the fifth of the VingtRegards.Here it mightbe objectedthat other
colorsareplausiblefor 2(2)- plainviolet, for instance,or gold and brown.
Butblueandmauveis the correctchoicehere,not only becauseit is on Mes-
siaen'slist but also becauseof the subsidiaryfeatureof spacing.Thevertical
orderof intervalsin the 2(2) chordsof the Quatuor, again readingfrom
bottom to top, is 5,4,2,1,5,4,2, then 4,5,1,2,4,5,1. These spacingscorres-
pond quite closely to those of some of the repeatedsonoritiesin the fifth
movementof VingtRegards,a piecewhichMessiaenhas describedas being
characterizedby various shades of blue and violet: 2,4,5,1; 5,4,2,1;
4,5,1,2.
Progression(a) is more problematic.Again there are eight different
chordsin succession,but no temporallyadjacentpair belongsto the same
modaltransposition- and becauseeachchordhas but fournotes,takenin-
dividuallythey are quite ambiguous.How is it possibleto choose?Here,
spacingconsiderationsarea greathelp.Notice firstthatthe verticallyadja-
cent intervals,given below the music, quite clearlydividethe progression
Fig. 9. Quatuor pour la fin du temps, II, mm. 21-22.
into two groups of four chords. Further,by comparingthese patternsto

otherscharacteristicof progressionswith known modalidentities,we dis-
coverthatstringsof 4s aretypicalonly of Mode 3 progressions,stringsof 5s
mainlyof Mode 4 progressions.Thisleadsus straightforwardly to the con-
clusionthat the firsttwo chordsarein Mode 3(3) (againblue-orange)with
pitchB borrowedfrom3(2), the modaltranspositionto whichthe next two
chordsbelong and in which F-sharpis borrowedfrom 3(3). By the same
token, the second part of the progressionconsists of a pair of chords in
Mode 4(3) (F-sharpborrowed)followedby anotherpairwhichcould be in
either4(5) or 4(6). Herevariousshadesof violetpredominate,althoughthe
only known color identityfor 4(3) is violet and yellow, which in this con-
text is somewhatpuzzling.Thereis no definitivebasis for selectingeither
4(5) or 4(6) for the last pairof chords,but we shouldnoticethat 4(6), bor-
rowing pitch A from 4(3), offers closer affinitiesto the "violet-red"spe-
cified by Messiaen for this passage. It also suppliesmixtureswith grey,
whichas a generalfeatureof this musicseemsat leastpartlythe productof
the rapid(althoughnot regular)cyclingof the 12-notechromatic.This oc-
curs, for instance,in the last four chordsof (a) and againin the firstfour
chords of (b). Conceivablyat least some of the modal choices may have
beenmadeto reinforcethis effectof envelopinggreyness.
We havenow accountedfor all the colorslistedby Messiaenfor thispas-
sage, except green. We would thereforeexpect this color to arise later,
probablyin combinationwith gold, as a part of the third, fourth,and/or
fifthprogression,which arenot analyzedhere.
Even in the Quatuor excerpt,where there are notable obstaclesto the
applicationof the modesof limitedtransposition,theyremainan appropri-
ate analyticaltool. The Quatuoris still an earlywork, and the modes are
without doubt the linchpinof Messiaen'sharmonicpracticeup until the
time of the Technique.Afterthat, Messiaencontinuesto use his modesex-
tensively,at least until the 1970s, but as time passesthey are less and less
exclusivelyin control.Coloris still a principalpreoccupation,butit is often
expressedthroughdifferentmeans.
In three works of the early 1960s, Chronochromie,Sept Haikai, and
Couleursde la cité céleste,it is clearthat the normsof modalusage,devel-
oped at Messiaen'shandsover the previous35 yearsor so, still exertsome
influence- occasionallya great deal of influence- over the formationof
color chords;but whereasin earliermusicpc-setidentityand spacingwere
largelysubsidiaryto modal identity,here they often take on independent
meaning,to the point wherethe closestmodalapproximation(if thereis no
perfect correspondencewith a single modal transposition)may even be
overruledby pc-set or spacingconsiderations.The fifthmovementof Sept
Haikai and numerouspassagesthroughoutCouleursde la cité céleste,in
whichsinglechordsandprogressionsof varyinglengthsareactuallylabeled
with color names in the printed score, provide a testing ground for the
strengthof modalinfluencein Messiaen'slatermusic.
In a few passagesin Couleurs,mode is firmlyin control.At R75, for in-
stance, "blue violet" is conveyedin Mode 2(1); the two measuresbefore
R76, in 3(1), are"orange,gold, andmilkywhite";thenthe sevenmeasures
followingR76 are writtencompletelyin 4(5) and are marked"violet."In
contrast,the fivechordsin the fourmeasuresbeforeR14, labeled"red,or-
ange,and gold," cannotbe so neatlycategorized(Figure10). Only the last
chordin this progressionfits a modalidentity,and it is 4(3), for whichyel-
low and violet is the only certaincolor association.Eachof the remaining
fouris an approximationof some transpositionof Mode 3; the firstcould
be called 3(4) with a borrowedC. Table 2 revealsthat 3(4) is most often
associatedwith orangeand red,which agreeswith the givencolor labelfor
this passage- as does the fact that in generalMode 3 is dominatedby
shadesof orangeand gold. However,certainotherdatamustalso be taken
into account,for whichwe turnto the fifthmovementof SeptHaikai.
In Figure11 are shown the ostinatochordsof this movementwith their
color labels.The orangechord,set 8-5, is the same as the firstchordin the
excerptfrom Couleursquoted in Figure10, at t = 4; thus it should have
the same modal affinityas the 8-5 in Couleurs,yet herein SeptHaikaithe
Fig. 10. Couleurs de la cité céleste, before rehearsal 14: "red, orange, and gold."
Fig. 11. Sept Haikai, V: ostinato chords.
chordhas no redcomponent.Redis instead8-14, againt = 4 with respect

to the 8-14 in Figure10. Both groupsof pitches,consideredfrom a modal
pointof view, comeclosestto the contentsof 3 (1), butthisis a modaltrans-
positionknownto us for its shadesof orangeandgold, not red.Red,in fact,
is not a color muchin evidence- and not at all in evidenceby itself- in the
schemeof mode-associatedcolorstabulatedearlier;it is quitelikely,in fact,
that Messiaenhas steppedoutsidethe modal systemspecificallyto obtain
this color. The set 8-14 recursat R74 in Couleursas the last chordfor the
wind instrumentsin a serieslabeled"red,touchedwith blue" (Figure12).
Returningto Figure11, we findthatthe chordlabeled"greyandgold"is set
8-4, which also occursin the "red,orange,andgold"passageof Figure10.
Conceivably,there is somethingcontextual at work here, so that what
evokesgreyandgold in one placeevokessimplegold in the other.However,
neitherof these colors is compatiblewith the identityof 8-4, the second
wind chordin Figure12, as a redchord.
With pc-set identitynow somewhatin doubt as a reliableindicatorof
color identity,we turn once again to spacingand discoverthat all four of
these 8-4's are arrangedto form differentverticalordersof intervals.(For
the sakeof convenientcomparisonthesespacingsareplacedside by side in
Figure13.) In the absenceof any kind of real modal context, spacingdoes
becomea primaryagent of color differentiationfor Messiaen.Its impor-
Fig. 12. Couleurs de la cité céleste, rehearsal 74: "red, touched with blue."
Fig. 13. Spacings of set 8-4.
tancein this case is evidentfromanotherwork in which greyand gold are

known to be combined:the last movementof Canyons,citedearlier.In m.
128 (firsttwo chords)the samespacingas thatof the greyandgold chordin
SeptHaikai,5,3,2,1,7,3,4, appearsas partof the textureunderthe control
of Mode 3 (2). (Thesetwo chordsappearas the firsttwo 8-4's in Figure8b.)
The aforementionedchord in Sept Haikai, not being in a modal context,
need not belong to this modal transposition,and in fact it does not. The
spacingis evidentlywhat gives it its color. Anotherexact spacingcorre-
spondencelinks the 8-14 in "redtouchedwith blue" (Figure12) and the
8-14 in SeptHaikai(Figure11): in bothcasesthe orderof adjacentintervals
frombottomto top is 5,2,2,4,1,6,2. Does the spacingof the (putatively)red
chordin "orange,red, and gold" also correspondto this order?Initiallyit
would seemnot; but the spacingsareactuallyquitecloselyrelatedby a cri-
terionto be calledsuperimposition(seeFigure14a).
Herethe interval9 at the bottomof spacing(x) groupsthe adjacentinter-
vals5,2,2 at the bottomof spacing(y); theninterval4 correspondsto 4, and
1 correspondsto 1; then adjacentintervals3,2,1 in spacing (x) group to
formthe summinginterval6 in spacing(y);then, finally,interval2 corres-
pondsto 2 at the top of both spacings.Forthis sort of relationshipto be at
all meaningful,suchsuperimpositionsshouldaccountfor all intervalsin at
least one of the spacingsand shouldnot resortto overlappingor doubling
up of intervals.Forinstance,the attemptat superimpositionshown in Fig-
ure 14b does not reveala convincingcorrespondence.
Othercolorassociationsin Couleursbringinto playat variouspointsthe
complementarychordsin the piano. The readerwill notice that the piano
chordin Figure11, labeled"blue,"is the literal,12-notecomplementof the
red chord.Likewise,in Figure12, it is clearthat despitethe lack of an ex-
plicitcolor label, the "bluetouch"is suppliedby the piano chordstruckat
the very end of the passage,for this chordis the literalcomplementof the
redchordalreadydiscussed.TheprominentA-majortriadembeddedin the
Fig. 14. Superimposition.
blue tetrachordsuggeststhat the color of this chordderivesdirectlyfrom

the modalidentity3(3) (seealso Griffiths,1985, pp. 203-205). Messiaen's
color choices have apparentlylong been influencedby a desireto present
colors that complementone another,but the procedureof literal,12-note
complementationrepresentedby the red 8-14 and the blue 4-14 is some-
thing new to his work in the early 1960s. Likethe blue here, other colors
presentedin pairsalso owe theircolorqualitiesto modalassociations;these
are usuallytraceable,however,not throughpitch contentbut throughin-
tervallicspacing.Considerthe passageafter R13 labeled"emeraldgreen
andamethystviolet"(Figure15). Inthe firstcomplementarypairof chords,
the brassandclarinetspresentspacing2,2,2,7,8,6,4, whichstronglyresem-
bles one in particularof the blue and greenchordsof Mode 3(3) in Can-
yons. (Belowthe figure,at (a), is shown the superimposition,by which the
chordfrom Canyonsis absorbed,as a kindof subset,into the largersonor-
ity from Couleurs.)The piano, for its part,presents9,6,11; this can be en-
tirelysuperimposedupon a typical4(5) violetsonorityfromanothermove-
ment of Canyons,as shown at (b). It can also be partiallysuperimposed
uponone of the repeated4(5) violetchordsfromthe sunsetpassagein Cata-
logue d'oiseaux,No. 7. Finally,at (c), note that the secondlargechordin
Example15, 2,2,4,5,5,5,4, has affinitiesboth.to 4(4) (deepviolet): 2,4,5
and to 2(3) (green):4,5; 5,4. Note that in its wide expanseand repeated
intervalsit subsumesboth of theseintervalorders.
Fig. 15. Couleurs de la cité céleste, after rehearsal 13: "emerald green, amethyst violet."
Armed with spacing criteria, we are now prepared to deal with

Chronochromie, a large work for orchestra in which certain sections, nota-
bly the two "Strophes," feature colored chordal strata. These strata are
most obviously differentiated rhythmically, but each in turn is quite elabo-
rately variegated as it proceeds. From Messiaen's description it is clear that
the constantly changing colors are vital to perception of the differences be-
tween the various durations:
One note-valuewill be linked to a red sonority fleckedwith blue-
anotherwill be linkedto a milky-whitesonorouscomplexembellished
with orangeand hemmedwith gold- anotherwill use green,orange,
and violet in parallelbands- anotherwill be pale greywith greenand
- anotherwill be franklyviolet or franklyred.Juxta-
violet reflections
posed superimposed,all [note-values]will be made prominentby
or
colorations,.... (Samuel,1976, p. 91)
But which colors go with which chords? Messiaen does not say. Since it is
not at all clear, either, from the phrasing of Messiaen's statement that he
has given a complete list of colors, it would be reasonable to expect a less
than perfect correlation with what we have already found out about color
sonorities. Nevertheless, the results are generally gratifying. Figures 16
through 18 examine each of the three strata of Strophe 1 in turn, beginning
in Figure 16 with the eight first violins. The seven different spacings are dis-
played with other chords of known color identity whose spacings either
match exactly or can be related by superimposition.
A few comments are in order. Chord (a) is set 8-6, but the match by su-
perimposition is with an 8-16 (from a passage in Sept Haikai not previously
discussed). Chords (b) and (c) are each linked with two chords from Sept
Haikai - one of which, the red chord 5,2,2,4,1,6,2, also appears in
Fig. 16. Chronochromie, Strophe I, violins I. Sources: (a) Sept Haikai, V: red, lilac, purple
violet; (b) Sept Haikai, V: (1) red, (2) red, lilac, purple violet; (c) same as (b); (d) Sept Haikai,
V: grey and gold; (d)' same as (d); (e) Couleurs, R74: red touched with blue; (f) Sept Haikai,
V: orange.
Couleurs,as noted earlier.The correspondenceof both (b) and (c) with

4,3,2,4,1,6,2 by superimpositionclearlyindicatesthat this chordis red as
well. Note that its sourceis in a passagemarked"red,lilac, andpurplevio-
let." Chords(d) and (d)' arethe samein spacingexceptfor the orderof the
two top intervals;thusthe exactmatchfor (d)becomesa matchby superim-
positionfor (d)'. Neithergreyand gold, (d) and (d)', nor orange,(f), is on
the officiallist of colors, but theiridentitieshereareprobablylegitimate.
In Figure17, the sevensecondviolinspresentbut fourdifferentspacings,
threeof which areduplicatedexactlyin the samepassagefromSeptHaikai
referredto earlier;thus this stratumis dominatedby shadesof redandvio-
let. The fourth spacing, however, clearlyowes its origins to Mode 3(4),
whichsuppliesits characteristicred-huedorangehere.As for the violasand
cellos (Figure18), theirtwo differentspacingscorrespond,interestingly,to
the Z-relatedheptachords7-Z12 and 7-Z36; the two correspondingcolors
stemfromdifferenttranspositionsof the samemode, as shown.
In sum, of the six colors or color combinationsmentionedby Messiaen,
four have been accountedfor. Identifyingthe locationsof the "green,or-
Fig. 17. Chronochromie, Strophe I, violins II. Sources: (a), (b), (c) Sept Haikai, V: red, lilac,
purple violet; (d) Canyons, VII: orange striped with red.
Fig. 18. Chronochromie, Strophe I, violas and cellos. Sources: (a) Canyons, XII: grey and
gold; Vingt Regards, XIII: orange, gold, milky white.
ange,andviolet in parallelbands"andthe "palegreywith greenandviolet

reflections"is a far moredifficulttask, for at this point we have no certain
matchesof sonoritieswith these particularcolor combinations.Undoubt-
edly,however,thesecolorsarepresentsomewherein the textureof Chron-
ochromie- perhaps in Strophe2, not examinedhere- and by working
with the color chordsthat are known it shouldbe possibleto deducetheir
identities.
Conclusion
We may summarizethe hierarchyof criteriafor color identityin Mes-
siaen'smusicas follows. Modal quality,specificallymode-transpositional
quality,always takes precedencein any context, howeverlocal, in which
modes are consistentlyportrayedand maintained.Especiallyin the early
music,we may expect tonal or key-orientedidentityto mergewith modal
identityin manysituations,resultingin variousdegreesof divergencefrom
the literal contents of the modal collection. Subsetssometimesstand in
place of the completemodal collection,but if they are to be identifiedin
analysisas pitch-classsets they mustremaintied to specificpitchcontents.
Chordsformedwithin modal transpositionshave characteristicspacings,
just as modes in generalhave characteristicsubsets;both play important
analyticalrolesat pointswherethe modalqualityis temporarilyambiguous
or in suspension(butnot contextuallyabsent).Wheremodalqualityis not
presentat all, spacingconsiderationscome to the fore and specificpitch
level is relegatedto only intermittentsignificance.Pc-setidentityis often a
helpfulindicatorof wherespacingmatchesandsuperimpositionsarelikely
to occur;but becausespacingis primary,in its color affinitiesit frequently
overridesset identity.As we have seen, two differentspacingsof the same
set may correspondto two differentcolors; or, conversely,two different
sets may, by virtue of superimposition,correspondto the same color or
color complex. Underthese new conditions,spacingoffers access to the
"characteristicchords"of the variousmodaltranspositionsand continues
to drawupon them as sourcesof informationabout specificcolors evoked
by specificsounds.
The work describedin this articleleaves a good many questionsunan-
swered.Someof theseareowing to the natureof the datainitiallygathered,
which althoughundoubtedlyaccurateas far as they go are not always as
revealingas one would like. PerhapsMessiaenhimselfcould be persuaded
to divulgemoredetailsconcerningthe colorson his paletteandthe ways in
whichhe has appliedthem. Otherquestionswill requirefurtheranalytical
refinementsto be dealtwith satisfactorily.Overall,however,the outlookis
promising- not only for the solutionto the remainingenigmasof colorcor-
respondence,but also for furtheranalyticalapplications.Eventually,it may
evenbe possible- althoughthe completionof sucha taskis obviouslyfarin

the future- to generalizewhat is learnedfrom the color correspondences
into a theoryof harmonicstructurefor his music,baseduponcharacteristic
intervalcontentand order.9
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The New Oxford Companion to Music (2 vols.). Oxford and New York: Oxford University
Press, 1983.
9. This paper, in slightly different form, was delivered at the Eighth Annual Meeting of
the Society for Music Theory, Vancouver, November 1985.

Correspondence Between Color and Sound Structure in His Music Author

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Messiaen's Synaesthesia: The Correspondence between Color and Sound Structure in His Music

Author(s): Jonathan W. Bernard

Olivier Messiaen's published descriptions of his works and the color

In Olivier Messiaen's The Technique of My Musical Language (1944,

of color, and I use them in full knowledgeof this. (Samuel,1976, pp.

1. By "a kind of synopsia" Messiaen means colored-hearing synaesthesia. Synopsia,

agedby the persistentfailureof the accumulateddata to lead to any signi-

at theveryleast,as an indicationthatMessiaenworkswith readilyclassifia-

labels affixedto specificsonoritiesin the scoresthemselves.In aggregate,

togetherwith all of their availabletranspositions.Mode 2, set 8-28 in

2(1) Préludes, V Violet-purple

Fig. 2. Huit Préludes, I, mm. 1 -5.

Fig. 4. Catalogue d'oiseaux, IX, m. 10.

kind of moderateviolet) is characteristicof both groupsof chords.Again,

own works, the modal transpositionsare employedin their purestform,

movement)suggeststhat an adjustmentto allow for a differencein norma-

Fig. 9. Quatuor pour la fin du temps, II, mm. 21-22.

into two groups of four chords. Further,by comparingthese patternsto

Fig. 11. Sept Haikai, V: ostinato chords.

chordhas no redcomponent.Redis instead8-14, againt = 4 with respect

Fig. 13. Spacings of set 8-4.

tancein this case is evidentfromanotherwork in which greyand gold are

Fig. 14. Superimposition.

blue tetrachordsuggeststhat the color of this chordderivesdirectlyfrom

Armed with spacing criteria, we are now prepared to deal with

Couleurs,as noted earlier.The correspondenceof both (b) and (c) with

ange,andviolet in parallelbands"andthe "palegreywith greenandviolet

evenbe possible- althoughthe completionof sucha taskis obviouslyfarin

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