Transcript Lecture 3 part 1

Lecture 3 part 1
1. To outline the development of `Modernist’
generation of 50/60s composers – Boulez, Cage,
Stockhausen up to the 70s.
 2. Discussion of their careers from 70s onwards
and how they fared in the last decades of the 20th
century with the death of modernism.
 3. Emergence of Gaicinto Scelsi and his
compositional approach.

Messiaen to Boulez
1. Mode de Valeurs et d’Intensities for piano of
1949 had shown a possible way forward for a new
post generation of students at the Paris
Conservatoire that include both Boulez and
Stockhausen.
 His application of the serial principle of Webern in
particular to rhythm pointed towards hyperserialism.
 Messiaen did not apply the serial principle to
attacks as rigidly. The result was that each note
had its own pitch within a given register, its own
rhythm, its own dynamic and type of attack.

Boulez

Boulez the first to approach true Hyper-Serialism
in his Second Piano Sonata 1948 and Structures.
 The result is uncompromising – athematic and
ametric. Small rhythmic figures and combined
and developed continually.
 Produces a pointilliste surface. But is this
composition? Is the organisation of sound
elements recognisable? Is it really performable?
 From this extreme position composed moved
away from true hyper-serialism.
Le Marteau sans Maitre

The Hammer without a Master, published 1954.
Instrumentation connects with Schoenberg’s Pierrot
Lunaire (1912), Debussy’s Sonata for flute, viola and harp
(1915) but Boulez also uses lots of percussion. Principle
of keeping timbres distinct.
 The nine short movements are organised around the sung
(contralto) movements (3, 5, 6 and 9), which use short
poems by Rene Clar as preludes and commentaries on the
poems. The instrumentation is similarly organised and
normally only a maximum of 4 instruments play at once.
The thematic material is similarly thought out for balance
across the movements.
 The resulting texture is much more varied, and melodic
material more sustained.
Cage in the 50s and 60s
Early student experiences with Schoenberg – and
interest in Eastern philosophy and Gamelan music.
 Early works for percussion ensembles, voice, and
development of the prepared piano leading to
Sonata and Interludes 1946-8. 16 short sonatas
with four interludes.
 Sounds and timbre developed by improvising at
keyboard to create permanent emotions like in
Indian music (`shell collections’). The layout of
the pieces are very structured with repeated
sections aiming at symmetry and balance.

1951 the turning point

From 1951 onwards (Music of Changes) Cage
moved towards chance processes so that the
sounds would be an end in themselves instead of
using sounds to project feelings and ideas of the
composer.
 The sounds no longer to communicate anything
but themselves. Should not be cluttered up with
meanings of the composer or listener.
Cage again
Re-definition of what the composer was for – now
to set up processes to allow sound to emerge – a a
humble catalyst – will-lessness developed out of
studies in Zen Buddhism.
 New roles for performer and for notation.
 Irony that total freedom and total serialism were
contemporaries – were at the opposite extremes –
yet in some cases sounded remarkably similar!
 But some cross-over in that Boulez started to
include some chance elements into his works.

Stockhausen

Most clearly associated in the 1950s with
advent of electronic music.
 Musique concrete of Pierre Schaeffer
 Studio fur Elektronische Musik,
Westdeuscher Rundfunk, Cologne.
 Early work in electronic studios showed
what was possible and opened up a new
field of composition without performers.
Individuality – work as
research





Each work tends to explore a new technique of
composition – each work is autonomous and bears little
relationship to the preceding or following composition.
Kontra-Punkte; Klavierstucke I-IV; Studien I and II;
Klavierstucke V-X; Zeitmasse; Gesang der Junglinge:
Klavierstuck Xi; Gruppen; Zyklus: Refrain; Kontakte;
Carre
Individuality of each work is pronounced.
Interest in Timbre and sound in space and in electronic
music and traditional sounds, live electronics.
60s works include – Hymnen; Telemusik and Stimmung.
Boulez post 1970

Plethera of activities – conducting, IRCAM,
consultant, recording projects. Composition
on the back burner – concept of `work in
progress’ and works being withdrawn and
reshaped. Fragmentation of career as a
composer.
Cage
Died in 199? A figure of huge acclaim – though
few of his works regularly performed (save the
early and mid career works like Sonatas and
Interludes).
 Connection with other arts – particularly dance of
huge importance – his ideas on creativity taken up
across the arts.
 Continued to write and publicise his ideas on
music and creativity up to his death.
 Since his death some attempts to revive larger
scale works .

Stockhausen

Some regard him as near mad. Has stated that he
thinks he come from another planet!
 Continues to composer and maintains an ensemble
– but to most he is a burnt out ghost of his former
self.
 No longer commands huge respect and
international interest for his projects – though he
still does them. E.g. Hellicoper piece.