Le 30 juin 2017
de 15h00 à 15h30
Le Patio (université de Strasbourg)
22 rue René Descartes, 67000 Strasbourg
amphithéâtre 5
Séance précomposée - New Approaches for Analyzing the Music of Olivier Messiaen
Pré-acte / Acte
Auteur : Christopher Murray
Recent studies of Messiaen’s composition techniques show that he borrowed and reworked existing musical material far more extensively than was previously believed, thereby changing our understanding of his works’ content and conception. Examining Messiaen’s relationship with the past from a different angle, others have sought to understand his attachment to earlier formal models and the pedagogical traditions of the Paris Conservatory. The present contribution bridges these approaches by studying a newly available early sketchbook (BnF Vma MS 1492) in which Messiaen can be observed using learned techniques of thematic development, textural variation, and formal modeling in conjunction with his borrowing technique. Because variation forms on “thèmes donnés” were a cornerstone of composition instruction at the Paris Conservatory in the 1920s, particular attention will be given to Messiaen’s variation sketches. Focusing on the developmental procedures of these forms and their interaction with Messiaen’s borrowing technique effectively illustrates the emergence of the composer’s voice, highlights the role of his Conservatory education in his development as a composer, and confirms earlier conclusions concerning his habits of musical borrowing. Furthermore, examples of his evolving treatment of variation forms––from his student exercises such as the Variations écossaises of 1928, to his early works like the Thème et variations of 1932, to his mature voice of the 1940s and beyond––offer a framework for evaluating his attachment to the teachings of figures such as Dukas and Dupré.
