The Messe De La Pentecote of Olivier Messiaen
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The Messe de la Pentecôte of Olivier Messiaen A document submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS in the Keyboard Studies Division of the College-Conservatory of Music 2013 by Shi-Ae Park B.M., Presbyterian College & Theological Seminary, 2001 M.M., Korea National University of Arts, 2003 A.C., Southern Methodist University, 2006 Committee Members: Roberta Gary, D.M.A. (Chair) John Deaver, D.M.A. Matthew Peattie, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992) composed his Messe de la Pentecôte for organ in 1950, after a decade of exploring new ideas, including complicated rhythmic manipulations, bird calls, and others, that would be central to his later style. Much has been made about Messiaen’s remark that this piece was the result of twenty years of improvising. While there is much material in the five movements of the mass that seems to be improvisatory in nature, there is also much based on rhythmic calculations drawn from Greek meters, Hindu rhythms, and Messiaen’s own personnages rhythmiques and interversions, which are serializations of durations. This document explores the interaction of these two compositional procedures and their effect on each movement, especially in terms of form. It also considers how Messiaen uses these compositional procedures as well as organ registration to reflect and comment upon the scriptural texts included in the score. i Copyright © 2013 by Shi-Ae Park All rights reserved ii S.D.G. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Roberta Gary, Dr. John Deaver, and Dr. Matthew Peattie, for their constant encouragement and help. I especially thank Dr. Gary, my advisor, for her constant support and patience. Without her love and care through my DMA program, I might have not reached this step. Dr. Deaver challenged and showed me a vision as a church musician not only in his class but also with his life. Dr. Peattie has supported and advised me for my cognate study of sacred music. I am very thankful for the experience in his inspiring chant class. I also would like to thank Ellis Anderson, my proof-reader. Without his help, this long procedure of academic writing in foreign language could have been more difficult. I am very grateful to my parents for their prayers and supports. This accomplishment could not have been possible without Jung Jin, my husband, and his love and help. iv CONTENTS ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………………………...i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………….………………………………………………………iv CONTENTS …………………………………………………………………………………..v INDEX OF TABLES……………. ………………………………………………………….vii CHAPTERS Chapter 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………….1 A. Brief history of the composition of the Messe de la Pentecôte B. Context of the mass within Messiaen’s organ repertoire C. Messiaen’s comment on improvisation and scholarly remarks pertaining to it Chapter 2. The interaction of rhythmic manipulations and improvisatory material…………..3 A. Categories of rhythmic manipulations……………….……………………………..4 1. Greek meters………………………………………………………………..6 2. Hindu rhythms……………………………………………………………..13 3. Messiaen’s own rhythmic ideas …………………………………………..21 B. Categories of improvisatory material……………………………………………..28 1. Melody…………………………………………………………………….30 Plainchant Like-plainchant 2. Harmony………………………………...………………………………....35 Modal Non-modal 3. Birdsong……...………………...………………………………………….38 C. The forms derived from the interaction of these compositional elements……….41 1. Entrée 2. Offertoire 3. Consécration 4. Communion 5. Sortie Chapter 3. An Examination of programmatic elements……………………………………...44 1. Entrée – The tongues of fire……………………………………………….45 “Tongues like as of fire sat upon each of them” (Acts of the Apostles 2:3) 2. Offertoire – Things visible and invisible…………………………………..46 “Things visible and invisible” (Nicene Creed) 3. Consécration – The gift of wisdom………………………………………..49 “The Spirit shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (The Gospel according to St. John 14:26) 4. Communion – The birds and the waters………………………………….50 “O all ye waters that be above heaven, bless ye the Lord: O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord.” (Prayer of Azariah 1:38, 58) 5. Sortie – The wind of the spirit……………………………………………..51 “A rushing mighty wind filled all the house” (Acts of the Apostles 2:2) v Chapter 4. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..52 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………….……………………….…55 vi INDEX OF TABLES Table 1: Greek meters in twenty-three feet…………………...….…….…………………….. 8 Table 2: The first movement in Greek meters ……………….….………...………..………..10 Table 3: Messiaen’s modes of limited transpositions…...………..……..………………….. 36 Table 4: Formal structure ………………………………………..…………………………. 42 vii Chapter 1. Introduction A. Brief history of the composition of the Messe de la Pentecôte Olivier Messiaen composed his Messe de la Pentecôte for organ in 1950. There is an eleven-year gap between Messe de la Pentecôte and his previous organ composition, Les corps glorieux (Glorious bodies) in 1939. Before this hiatus, Messiaen was an active composer of organ music, having written many works including Le banquet Céleste (1928), Diptyque (1930), Apparition de l’Église Éternelle (1932), L’Ascension (1933), La Nativité du Seigneur (1935) and Les corps glorieux (1939). During the war and post-war decade of the 1940’s, Messiaen’s music had developed significantly. During this time, he began to incorporate some complicated aspects into his composition, including harmony and rhythm. Most of the works of this period explore the expressive qualities of the piano, whether for solo or in ensemble, such as “Visions de l’Amen” (1943, two pianos), and “Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant Jèsus” (1944, solo piano). Two major works are especially important from this time, the Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps (Quartet for the end of time, 1941) and the Turangalîla- Symphonie (1948). The quartet was composed while he was in a German prison camp, and it was the first work to incorporate bird songs, which became a common feature in his music afterwards. The symphony is another beginning point for using the rhythmic aspect as a dominant element. The Messe de la Pentecôte is the first organ piece to employ these trends. B. Context of the mass within Messiaen’s organ repertoire The Messe de la Pentecôte was composed during 1950, and finished on 21 January 1951. The composer gave the first performance of at least two movements at La Trinité on 13 1 May 1951, during one of the masses for Pentecost Sunday. In the May issue of La Trinité’s parish magazine, he introduced his new pieces to the parishioners: For midday Mass, reserved for modern music, I have composed two pieces especially: an offertoire and a sortie. The offertoire comments on the words ‘Les choses visibles et invisibles’ (‘All things visible and invisible’) which we recite each Sunday in the Creed, and which are applied perfectly to the kingdom of the Holy Spirit, an inner kingdom of invisible grace. The somber colours of the registration, the construction with ‘rhythmic characters’, the alternation of the 16-foot bassoon which growls in the extreme bass, with the piccolo and tierce making the sounds of distant bells in an extremely high register, depict the working of grace. The sortie, entitled ‘Le vent de l’Esprit’ [‘The wind of the Spirit’], uses a text from the Acts of the Apostles: ‘A powerful wind from heaven filled the entire house’ (taken from the Epistle of the day). A fortissimo, at first very violent, rises up in rapid swirls, like a chorus of larks as a symbol of joy.1 The Messe de la Pentecôte is designed to correspond with the length and liturgical functions of the low mass, and consists of five movements: Entrée, Offertoire, Consécration, Communion and Sortie. This five-movement structure shows the influence of L’Orgue Mystique by Charles Tournemire (1870–1939), which is a cycle for one liturgical year of 51 suites. Unlike the French Organ Mass of the 16th century, which follows the structure of the Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei), each setting of L’Orgue Mystique contains five movements designed to accompany the main actions of the Mass: the entry of the priest, the offertory, the consecration, the communion, and the withdrawal.2 C. Messiaen’s comment on improvisation and scholarly remarks pertaining to it Messiaen said that this Mass was based on twenty years of improvising at his church, La Trinité. At the same time, it is also his first organ work to engage in the compositional procedures he was developing in the 1940s. It includes Hindu rhythms, Greek meters, and his 1 Olivier Messiaen: ‘Orgue’, La Trinité: Journal paroissial, May 1951, 3. 2 Paul Griffiths, Olivier Messiaen and the Music of Time (Ithaca and New York: Cornell University Press, 1985), 156. 2 own rhythmic manipulations, as well as bird calls and plain chant. Further, judging by the piece itself as well as the numerous sketches outlining the calculations of these rhythmic devices, it is clear that the piece is not based on twenty years of improvisation alone. Other scholars have noticed this as well: Peter Hill and Nigel Simeone write that these sketches help “to explain why Messe de la Pentecôte—which Messiaen maintained was based on twenty years of improvising—contains passages of highly calculated rhythm which seems anything but improvisatory.”3 This piece is the result of an intricate interaction of these “passages of highly calculated rhythms” and improvisatory music. The purpose of this study is to examine and explain this interaction and show its effect on the form of each movement. The illustrations and examples, which will be explained, are largely based on Messiaen’s own Traité de rythme, de couleur, et d’ornithologie.4 Chapter 2. The Interaction of Rhythmic Manipulations and Improvisatory Material Although Messiaen maintained that the Messe de la Pentecôte was the result of twenty years of improvisation, and while improvisatory music counts for a large portion of the material of this work, thought-out compositional planning and manipulation contributes at least an equal share.