Hi Dr. Chong and AAI 333 classmates!
While searching for a piece of 20th/21st Century work to listen to, I chanced upon Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time. The circumstances in which this piece was composed caught my attention, and TA-DA!, I have my choice of work for this assignment. So I took a listen to this piece of work on YouTube (this is the link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-r59Iyx6-0&feature=related) and was not exactly appalled with what I heard because this IS contemporary music, with all its elements. I was actually expecting something even more... sophisticated and complex, and this is probably also because this is a piece regarding the End of Time. But anyway, I find the clarinettist's (in this video recording) tone and skills excellent!! Hehe.
What caught my attention
I know there are many 20th Century works that are composed in captivity. However, I just felt so excited that Messiaen was actually a Prisioner of War (Pow) himself! It is already difficult to imagine a musician going through all the war-time torture and hardship, much less as a PoW! Anyway, Messiaen was captured and taken prisoner in 1940, when France fell into the hands of Germany. While he was in the PoW camp, there were 3 other musicians (other than Messiaen himself who played the piano) and they played the clarinet, violin and cello respectively. And that was how he came up with the instrumentation - through what was available. So interesting right?! Anyway, for this assignment I'll only be looking at the first movement "Liturgie de Cristal", which means "Liturgy of Crystal" when translated into English.
What I heard
This piece started with the clarinet's entry. The clarinet seems to be the main part in this first movement since it is more prominent than the rest of the instruments. However, I wouldn't say that it carries a melody, because there is no melody or melodic phrases here that can be easily sung to. In fact, the musical line that the clarinet carries sounds very angular and disjunct. It even sounds random...! This is the thing about music from this period. (Warning: Griping ahead.) I find that I always cannot relate to them, because they sound so 'meaningless', like I really wouldn't know what to expect next. So unpredictable! However, being already halfway through the module, after learning about some of the different compositional tools that these composers use, I guess we are slowly starting to appreciate where they are coming from.
Anyway, it's actually my first time seeing and hearing the cello being used in such a way - bowing shrill and long notes in a higher-than-usual register. Also, it hit me that the violin part in this piece only provides a rhythmic element, which is repeated throughout.
Speaking of rhythm! I feel that on the whole, this piece sounds like one of an irregular meter. It's again unlike classical works with mostly regular meters where we could tap our feet to. Like its melody, the rhythmic part is very unpredictable too!
But I guess it's not a completely-cannot-understand-anything kind of thing here. I do hear relationships like imitations and repetitions, and also some king of a theme, and so on. However, I do feel that the instruments seem to be totally unrelated to one another. Each part is like in their own little world playing different things. The piano part contains chords throughout the piece, and in my opinion, if it is suppose to provide some sort of harmonic structure, are there even harmonies to start with, when every part is playing seemingly different things?
I don't know, all the different aspects make this piece very mystifying, probably depicting the End of Time slowly creeping in...? :D Anyhow, I shall attempt to provide you all with more information on what this piece really is about after doing some research! In my next blog post! (:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Hi Dorcas,
A very appropriate title for your post, I must admit! I kinda liked the quotation from Revelation (the book in the Bible) before the quartet started playing too - never quite seen it put so succinctly.
I was quite interested by what you mentioned regarding the background of this work. It was composed from a PoW camp, using the only instrumentation which he had available. In this period of emancipation and freedom of expression, moving towards a post-modern world, perhaps it is through imposed restrictions that one finds true freedom to express. Just like how Beethoven had to struggle with deafness, yet produced some of his finest works; just like how John Cage wrestled with absolute silence in a soundproof room (I think..) in order to truly understand what silence could be, could Messiaen's incarceration as a PoW have given him liberation in his approach to composition, to spirituality, and to life?
Hehhh, HIII Ainsley!
Messiaen actually quoted a few verses from Revelation Chapter 10 in the preface of his score for this piece. Interestingly, he only quoted a selected few, namely verses 1, part of 2, 5, part of 6, and 7.
Heh. I was just reading a book on Lutoslawski and I realised he was a PoW too! But for only 8 days, after which he escaped during a moving camp. So lucky. But I guess Messiaen was also lucky enough - to be able to compose while in prison, and to perform and be appreciated.
Hmmm.. Yup I guess Messiaen's incarceration contributed to his idea of composing this piece, toying with the concept of the End of Time, and if you read my 2nd entry on this music, the rest of the prisoners could identify with it too! Apparently, this music struck something inside of them too.
On the other hand, I guess his techniques of composition were already rather developed, having won numerous awards in compositions, organ playing, etc, before he was captured.
Wow, a piece inspired by Revelations. haha. I must say of all books revelations is probably one of the hardest book to understand (to me that is) let alone use it as a form of inspiration. But anyway, I didn't really feel any real climax in the piece and yes it did feel a little random, not quite the pretty harmonies we're used to hearing. =) Ainsley has a point though about there being limited instruments that were avaliable considering the circumstance.
Hi Dorcas,
I enjoyed reading your very honest response to the music. You've made some good observations as a listener even though you don't yet fully understanding what is going on. A good start here!
I was struck when you said you didn't find any melody in this piece. I actually find the clarinet melody very charming. Perhaps it's because I have heard this piece many things before - both in recordings and live.
The bible quotation seem to have caught some interest here. Some of you may like to explore Messiaen's religious intentions (musical symbolism etc) in many of his works.
Anyway, I have scheduled to discuss this movement towards the end of this semester. In case you don't know, the score is actually available in Burkhart.
Post a Comment