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8/16/2019 Harbinson-Boulez Third Sonata
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Performer Indeterminacy and Boulez's Third SonataAuthor(s): William G. HarbinsonSource: Tempo, New Series, No. 169, 50th Anniversary 1939-1989 (Jun., 1989), pp. 16-20Published by: Cambridge University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/945318Accessed: 17/03/2009 15:26
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8/16/2019 Harbinson-Boulez Third Sonata
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William
G.
Harbinson
Performer
Indeterminacy
nd
Boulez's Third
Sonata
Why
compose
works
destined o be renewedat
each
performance?
ecause
development
hat s fixed
n
a
final
way
hasstruck
me
asno
longer
oinciding xactly
with the current tate of musical hought,with the
very
evolutionof musical
echnique,
which t mustbe
recognized
s
turning
more
and more toward the
search
for a
relative
universe,
toward
a
permanent
discovery comparable
o a
'permanent
evolution'1
With these
words,
Pierre
Boulez
opened
the
article entitled
'Sonate,
que
me
veux-tu?'
in
1963.
Referring
to his
Third Piano
Sonata
-
portions
of
which first
appeared
in
I955
-
Boulez
presented
his
arguments supporting
composi-
tions that contain
'open'
or
'mobile' forms.
'Fluidity
of form must
integrate
fluidity
of
vocabulary',2
Boulez stated.
The
fluidity
or
'freedom' of
the
musical
vocabulary
that was
available
to a
mid-2oth
century
composer
is
undeniable. Refined
systems
of
pitch
organization
(from
Schoenberg
to Webern to Stockhausen and
beyond)
freed
the
individual tone
from
binding,
conventional
relationships.
With
the
advent
of
integral
serialism
in
the
early
I950s,
register, dynamics,
articulation,
and
eventually
form fell under the
control of the
series;
yet
the
aural result
of
integral
serialism was a fluid and
kaleidoscopic
effect that
as
easily
might
have
been
derived
by
chance. In search
of
large-scale
musical forms
that
were
structurally
(and
philosophically)
accordant to
the smaller
components
of their
Boulez's Third Sonata
is
equally
worthy
of
study,
and the
present essay
focusses
on
its
'Formant
2',
the movement entitled
Trope.
Although
the aesthetic,
philosophical,
and
theoretical
arguments
for or
against
the
very
existence
of
mobile
form are
significant
and
at
times
enlightening,
those concerns are not
primary
here. The musical
relationships
(i.e.
thematic,
intervallic,
rhythmic,
and
formal
relationships)
that
support
the section entitled
'Parenthese'
from
Boulez's
Trope
are
of
particular
nterest.
So is the manner in which
these structural
relationships might
be effected
by performer
indeterminacy.
In relation to the restrictions of
integral
serialism,
composers incorporated
various
degrees
of
unpredictability
within their
works.
This
generally
was
accomplished
in one of
two
ways:
composing
(or
deriving)
the
composition
through
indeterminate
means
(e.g.
the
throwing
of
dice),
or
allowing
the
performer
certain
choices
within
defined
limits which
allowed
him
to alter
and
ultimately shape
the form
of
the
composition.
The former is known as
composer
indeterminacy';
the latter as
'performer
ndeterminacy'. Having
written
one
of
the most automated
compositions
in
the
history
of music
(Structures
a,
1952),
Boulez
altered
his
course,
employing
a freer serial
technique
as well as
performer
ndeterminacy
n
the
Third Piano
Sonata.
Ex.1 Formants
Antiphonie
Trope
_
Constellation
(Constellation-Miroir)
Strophe
Sequence
I
compositions,
composers experimented
with a
variety
of
procedures
that
led
to less
predictable
forms. Stockhausen's
KlavierstuckXI
(I956),
in
which the
performer
chooses
the order of
19
composed
sections,
is
probably
one
of
the more
famous
experiments
in
mobile
form.
However,
Pierre
Boulez,
'Sonate,
que
me
veux-tu?'
Perspectives
of
New
Music,
I
(Spring,
I963),
p.32-344.
2
Ibid.,
P.33.
The sonata
is a
five-movement
'work-in-
progress'.
To
date,
only
the
Trope
and
Constellation
ovements
(or
formants,
as Boulez
prefers)
have
been
released.
The
mobility
of
form
that
permeates
every
structural
evel of the
sonata
is
apparent
nitially
in
the
organization
of
the
formants. The
five formants must be
performed
in one of
eight
available
arrange-
ments
(Example
I).
The
Constellation
ormant
I
8/16/2019 Harbinson-Boulez Third Sonata
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Performerndeterminacy
nd
Boulez's Third
Sonata
17
(or
its
retrograde,
Constellation-Miroir)
must
remain at the
centre
of the
sonata. The
first and
second formants
(Antiphonie/Trope)
may
be the
initial or terminal pairof the sonata;the same is
true of
the
Strophe/Sequencepair.
However,
Trope
and
Strophe
must
remain
equidistant
from
the
central formant.
(For
example,
if
Trope
is
performed
as
the initial
formant,
i.e.
prior
to
Antiphonie,
then
Strophe
must be the
concluding
movement.)
Thus,
there are
eight
possible
orderings
of
the five
movements. Because of
the
length
of
each
formant,
one
might
consider
the Third Piano Sonata to be a
cycle
of related
works. Within each
formant,
there are
structural
divisions that areequivalent to movements.
Trope,
or 'Formant
2',
is
circular
in
form
(Example
2).
One
may
begin
with
any
of its
Ex.2
Trope
Structure
Texte
Commentaire Parenthese
Glose
Comm/entaire
five
movements,
but 'Commentaire' is to be
played
once
only.
Thus,
there are
eight
possible
arrangements
of
the four
distinct movements.
The
practical
aspect
of
ordering
the
movements
for
performance
is
aided
by
the
spiral-bound
score. The movements are similar in musical
content
(as
suggested
by
the
similar
titles:
Parenthese,
Commentaire, Glose,
and
Texte).
The movements contain
graduated
degrees
of
register,
density,
and
predominant dynamic
level; thus, a 'gentle curve'3 of variedarcresults
from
any
of the
eight possible orderings.
The
'Parenthese'
movement
receives
particular
attention
in this
study
(Example
3,
on
p.
8).
'Parenthese' contains
optional
passages
that
arepartitionedfrom the mandatory passagesby
parentheses.
The
parenthetical
material
may
be
performed
or
omitted,
much
as a medieval
'trope'
may
or
may
not have been
performed
during
a
particular
performance. Beyond
the
use
of
parentheses,
the
mandatory
and
optional
passages
are
separated
by
tempo
(Lent,
=40
versus
Libre),
density,
fermati,
and
typography
(i.e.
the
parenthetical
passages
are
reduced).
A
brief
examination of the row from which
the Third
Piano Sonata is constructed assists
in
the comprehension of the style and structure of
the
composition.
The
series
(Example
4)
is
divided
into
four
segments
(labelledA,B,C,D).
The intervallic content of
A is
similar to that
of
BD;
i.e. BD is a
reordered
transposition
(minor
third
below)
of
A.
Yet,
the
segment
BD
is
interrupted
-
or shall we
say 'troped'?
-
by
the
segment
C,
which is
symmetrical
within itself
(a
minor third
with its
inversion).
Boulez calls
the more
apparent symmetry
with C 'manifest
symmetry'
and the
less obvious
relationship
of
A=BD 'concealedsymmetry'. (Thosewho wish
to examine
further these
concepts
may
refer
to
Boulez's
text
Boulez
on Music
Today).
As
the
formants
of
the sonata
may
be reorderedaround
Constellation,
and
as
the movements
of
Trope
may
be reordered
circularly,
the row
may
be
presented
in
four
orderings:
ABCD, BCDA,
CDAB,
DABC. Boulez
exploits
this
segment-
ation and
reordering
as well as
the invariance
(i.e.,
equality
in
structure)
that
exists
between
different
forms of
the
row.
Disregarding
the
parenthetical sections, the row presentations
within the movement are
fairly
simplistic.
Ex.4 Pitch
Series
A
B
C
D
?..
0
0
0
IIr
The choice of the title
Trope
s not
capricious;
the
expansion
of a
'text'
by
the addition of
musically
related
developments
forms
the
foundation
of the
formant. Boulez stated:
The
tropes
have three
possibilities:
hey
are
rhyth-
mically
ntegrated
with thetext itself
['Texte']; hey
fit into
general given
durations
upon
which
they
comment
['Glose']
in
these wo
cases,
hey
are o be
played);
hey
alternate
with
these
general
durations
and are inscribed
in
parentheses
with different
typography
'Commentaire',Parenthese']they
may
be
played
or
omitted).4
3
Ibid.,
p.39.
4
Ibid.,
p.38.
'Parenthese' akes
the
BCDA
arrangement
of
the row as its
original
form.
The
row
segments
are
assigned
motivic identities
(Example
3):
a
single
note
(B),
two
pairs
of
minor
thirds
(C),
a
three-note
segment
(D),
and
the final four-note
segment (A; beginning the second mandatory
passage).
Boulez
exploits
the invariance
that
exists between the final
segment
of
O
(A)
and
the initialfour
pitches
of
the
retrograde
nversion
beginning
on E
(RI6):
O(9-I2)=RI6
(i-4).
RI6
contains the
segment
order
ADCB;
the motivic
presentation
reveals this
order
in
the
second and
third
mandatory
passages.
The final
pitch
ofRI6
serves also as the first
pitch
of the
original
form
beginning
on
D
(06).
The
grouping
BCDA
8/16/2019 Harbinson-Boulez Third Sonata
4/6
18
Performer
ndeterminacy
nd
Boulez's
Third
Sonata
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8/16/2019 Harbinson-Boulez Third Sonata
5/6
Performerndeterminacy
nd
Boulez's Third
Sonata
19
occurs
during
the
06
form
of
the
row. The
final
four
pitches
of
06
are
equivalent
to
the initial
four
pitches
of the
retrograde
inversion
(RI;
second system, end). The movement is brought
to a
close
with the ADCB statement
of RI.
Example
5
contains
an illustration of the row
structure
and motivic
structure of'Parenthese'
(disregarding
the
optional passages).
The
illustration
reveals a
simple
but
significant
organizational
feature
of
'Parenthese':
palin-
dromic structure.
The second half
of
this
movement
is a
retrograde
inversion
of the first
half;
further,
each
half
is
palindromic
(by
retrograde
inversion)
within itself.
In
relation
to pitch structure, this discovery has minimal
audible
significance.
However,
in relation
to
motivic
structure
(which
is based on
aurally
perceptible
relationships
of
rhythm,
contour,
dynamic,
etc.),
the
recognition
and
interpre-
tation
of the
palindromic
structure
s
imperative
for
the successful
performance
of this
movement.
Ex.5 Row
Structure/Motivic
Structure
AO,
.
a
RI6
contains a concealed
symmetry.
The
performer
has
no
choice but to
play
the
mandatorypassages
in their
palindromically
structured
order;
thus,
the foundation of the movement is 'fixed' from
performance
to
performance.
However,
this
symmetry
is
interrupted
(or 'concealed')
by
the
parentheticaldevelopments.
The
performer
must choose to include or
omit the various
optional
passages.
This decision
should
be made from one of two
interpretations
of
the
relationship
that exists between the
mandatory
and
optional
materials: one either
regards
the
optional passages
as
isolated
developments
that
interrupt,
yet
comment
on,
the sequential discourse of the mandatory
passages
(as
in the
process of'troping'),
or one
regards
the
optional
passages
as
forming
a
complete
and continuous
entity
that exists
parallel
to
the fixed
progression
of the
movement.
If
the
performer
chooses the
former,
the
elimination
or
inclusion of isolated dev-
06
6
RI
"IJI
It I
I
I
_
I
I
IL
I
I I
I
I
I
B C D A D C B C
D
A D C B
I
I
11 d
I
I
The
optional passages
of
'Parenthese' are
structured more
freely.
In
general,
the
paren-
thetical
passages
contain
developments
of the
motives
exposed
in
the
mandatory passages
that
immediately precede
or
follow
them.
For
example,
the first
optional
passage
contains
developments
of
the C
segment
(at accelerando)
and
the
D
segment
(at
subitement ssez
large).
Appropriately, the sonority of the first
parenthetical passage
lacks
pitches
G
,C
,
D
t
,
and D:
pitches equivalent
to
those
of
the
A
motive that
yet
is
to be
presented. Examining
the
optional
passages
as
a continuous
entity,
one can
identify
a
second
palindromic
structure
within 'Parenthese'. The
brackets and numbers
above the
parenthetical passages
(Example
3)
locate motivic
groups
from
the
first
half of the
movement
(before
the
double
line,
second
staff)
that are
equivalent
(by
retrograde
inversion)
to
the identically numbered motivic groups from
the second
half of
the work. No
continuous
12-tone
presentations
of
the row or its
various
transpositions
and
inversions
occur within the
parenthetical passages,
supporting
the
develop-
mental
nature
of this
material.
Armed
with
the
above
observations,
the
performer
will be
prepared
to
make those
decisions
that will
decide
the
form of the
movement.
Like
the row
itself,
'Parenthese'
elopments
has little effect on the
substance
of
the work. In this
case,
one
may
choose to
emphasize through performance
the
similarities
of
the
optional
and
mandatory passages (e.g.,
motivic
structure that illustrates the
segment-
ation
of
the
row
-
including
contour,
rhythmic
shape,
and
articulation).
On the other
hand,
if
the
performer
decides that the 'Libre'
passages
comprise a continuous entity, the elimination
of
optional passages
must be considered
more
carefully.
An
arbitrary
elimination
may
result
in
the destruction
of
the
palindromic symmetry
of the
developmentalpassages
and,
thus,
weaken
their formal
identity
and
cohesiveness. This
would
contradict
the
interpretation
of
these
passages
as
comprising
a continuous
whole.
Decisions
concerning
elimination
or inclusion
of
the
parentheticalpassages
should result in
the
retention of
the
palindromic
structure. In
addition, one may choose to convey this
interpretation by
emphasizing
the
contrast
between the
optional
and
mandatory
passages
(e.g.,
tempo regularity
versus fluctuation
and
changes
in
density).
In
a recent article entitled
'Boulez's Third Piano
Sonata:
Surface and
Sensibility',
Robert
Black wrote:
The task
here
[for
the
performer]
s to
subvert
he
natural
perception
of
a
temporally
equential
pro-
I
I ?
I
?
4 I
?
8/16/2019 Harbinson-Boulez Third Sonata
6/6
20
Performer
ndeterminacy
ndBoulez's
Third
Sonata
gression
of
discourse
it is not cohesion
of this sort
which is invited
by
the work's
eruptivepolysemy.5
Yet, the underlying symmetry and motivic
unity
inherent
in 'Parenthese' belies
such an
interpretation
of this
movement.
With
the
principal
decision made
as to the
relationship
of the
optional
and
mandatory
materials,
the
performer
may
construct
an
interpretation
that
conveys
his choice. Con-
sidering
the
post-Webern
characteristics
of
'Parenthese',
the
performer
may anticipate
the
use of
basic,
simple
intervallic structures
in lieu
of
thematic
or
melodic structures.
The
pianist
is
challenged to convey through performance the
unmistakable
motivic
indentity assigned
to the
four row
segments.
There
is
less
emphasis
on
serial
pitch
ordering
and more
emphasis
on the
aurally
demonstrable
elements
of
texture,
5
Robert
Black,
'Boulez's Third Piano Sonata:
Surface
and
Sensibility',
Perspectives
f
New
Music,
XX
(Fall-Winter,
98
I;
Spring-Summer,
1982),
p.
86.
tempo,
dynamics,
and
register.
These essential
elements,
which enable
the audience to
follow
the
progression
of the
complex
work
through
any of its mobile shapes, form the foundation of
an
intelligent
and
meaningful
interpretation
of
the
movement.
The
performer
who
accepts
the freedom
to
'shape'
Boulez's
Third Piano
Sonata
(or
a
similarly
'mobile'
work)
must be
able to
justify
his
choices.
Boulez
emphatically
dismissed
'chance'
as a viable
compositional technique
in
the article
'Alea'
in
I964.6
What
a
performer
meets
in
the Third Piano
Sonata
is
'choice',
not
'chance':
the
former demands
informed
and
carefullyconsidered decisions (within controlled
boundaries)
and
allows the
performer
o become
more
involved
in
the creative
musical
process.
6
Pierre
Boulez,
'Alea',
Perspectives
f
New
Music,
III
(Fall-
Winter,
1964),
p.42-53.
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