3-19 1Va. 2 33 A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE HARMONIC EQUIPMENT AND FORMAL FEATURES IN THE STRING QUARTETS BY CLAUDE DEBUSSY AND MAURICE RAVEL THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the North Texas State Collese in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF MUSIC by 211824 Robert E. Jenkins, B. Mus. Fort Worth, Texas August, 1952 29.3.24 TABLE OF CONTENTS I Page LIST OF TAILES ... .*. .# iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . .. vi Chapter I. INTRODUCTION: OBJECTIVES AND PROCEDURE . 1 II. THE INFLUENCE OF PREDECESSORS AND CONTEMPORARIES ON THE WORKS OF DEBUSSY AND RAVEL . .. 4 The Rise of Impressionism in France Influence of Predecessors and Contemporaries on Debussy Influence of Predecessors and Contemporaries on Ravel Counter Influences of Debussy and Ravel III. HARMONIC ANALYSIS AND COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE DEBUSSY AND RAVEL QUARTETS . 31 Analysis of the Debussy String quartet Harmonic equipment: structure and function Formal features Analysis of the Ravel String Quartet Harmonic equipment: structure and function Formal features Summary and Comparison of the Debussy and Ravel Quartets IV. CONCLUSIONS . 86 BIBLIOGRAPHY .,.$ ... ... ... 88 iii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Harmonic Material in the Debussy juart . 31 2. Seventh Chords . 32 3. Inversions of Seventh Chords . 33 . * .. * .. .. .. .. 4* Triads # 35 5. Inversions of Triads . ...... .. 35 6. Ninth Chords. 38 7. Inversions of Dominant Ninth Chords . 38 8. Tonal Centers in First Movement of Debussy Quartet . ... .. 47 9. Tonal Centers in Second Movement of Debussy Quartet . .-. 50 10. Tonal Centers in Third Movement of Debussy Quartet . .a... .. .# . 53 11. Tonal Centers in Fourth Movement of Debussy uart#t . 57 12. Harmonic Material in Ravel Quartet . ... 57 13. Seventh Chords . .*... 58 14, Inversions of Seventh Chords . 58 15. Triads . 60 16. Inversions of Triads . 61 17. Ninth Chords . 62 18. Inversions of Ninth Chords . * .... 62 19. EleventhChords . .. 63 iv Table Pale 20. Tonal Centers in First Movement of Ra e uarteo . .. ... * a . 70 21. Tonal Centers in Second Movement of Ravel Sucartst . ,. a a a a . 74 22. Tonal Centers in Third Movement of RavelQuartet . a . a a .a 76 23.N Tonal Centers in Fourth Movement of Rav l Quartet#.#.!. a a . a . 80 24. Comparative Interpretation and Tempo aa Indications . a ap a . 80 25. Comparative Tonal Centers and Formal Aspects . a 82 V LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Debussy, Chansons de Bilitis, p. 12, m. 8 9 2. ioussorgsky, "Elegy" from the Song Cycle Sunless . * . 17 3, Debussy, "Nuages" from the Nocturnes " . 17 4. Rimeky-Korsakof, Scheherazade, Violin Solo in Second Movement . ... 0 . 18 5. Debussy, 2'Aprs-midi un fauna . .18 6. Borodin, Strin uatet No. 1 . .. 19 7. Chabrier, Trois Valsas Romantiques. ..22 8. Ravel, Valses nobles et sentimentales . 23 9. Ravel, "Toccata" from the Tombeau de Couperin . 23 10. Chabrier, gBourre flaasqu . 24 11. Faur, quartet for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello . 25 12. Debus y, Strin uare~t .. .. 28 13. Ravel, 8rnguartet ... 28 14. Debussy, "Pagodas" from Estampes . 29 15. Ravel, Jeux d'Eau . 30 16. Debussy, Strin Quartet,. p. II, mm. 7-8 34 17. Debussy, Strin Quartet,, p. 34, m.. 10 37 18. Debussy, Striom uartet, p. 33, mm. 15-19 39 19. Debussy, String quartet, p. 35, mm. 1-3 . 40 20. Debussy, Strin Quartet, p. 26, mm. 2-5 41 vi Figure Page 21. Debussy, Strin Quartet, p. 1, mm. 1-2 . 42 22. Debussy, String Suar... Lt, p. 1, M. 13; p. 2, m. I ... 43 23. Debussy, Strip Quartet, p. 3, m. 15; p. 4, m* 1-3 . .. # 43 24. Debussy, Strin quartet, p. 4 , m. 12; p. 5. m. 1 . 9 . 44 25. Debussy, String Quartet, p. 5, mm, 10-11 . 44 26. Debussy, String Quartet, p. 5, mm. 12 -13 . 45 nl Quartet, 27. Debussy, S s p. 6, mm. 10 ~-11. .. 45 28. Debussy, String Quartet, p. 15,0 m.4 . 46 29. Debussy, str Quartet, p. 16, mm. 3-4 ... 47 30. Debussy,. String Suartet, p. 16, mm. 9-10 . .. 48 31. Debussy, p. 18, mm. 16-19 48 32. Debussy, String Quartet, p. 20, mm. 11-12 49 33. Debussy, String Quartet, p. 22, mm. 1-3 49 Strin uarte , 34. Debussy,, p. 22, mm. 13-16 50 35. Debussy, String Suartt, p. 24, mm. 5-6 . 50 36. Debussy,. St Quartet, p. 27, mm. 5-6 51 37. Debussy, p. 27, mm. 11-12 52 38. Debussy,, String Quartet, p.. 28,. mm. 11-14 52 39. Debussy, Stringquartet,.String Suartet, p. 29, mm. 11-14 52 40. Debussy, StromgQurtt,. p. 33, mm. 1-2 53 41. Debussy, p. 33, mm. 15-16 54 42.. Debussy, Strin Quartet, p. 35, mm. 4-5 54 43. Debussy, String Quartet,, p. 36, mm. 1-3 55 vii Figure Page n 44. Debussy, String quartet, p. 39, mm. 15-1 . 55 45. Debussy, Str Quartet, p. 40, mm. 10-a2 ." . 55 46.. Debussy, Strin& Quartet,, p. 42, mm. 11-15 . 55 47. Debussy, String Quartet, p. 46, mm. 1-2 ." . 56 48.. Ravel, String Quartet, p. 10, mm. 12-13 . 64 49. Ravel, String iartet, p. 1, mm., 1-4 ... ., 65 50. Ravelf stin juaftt, p. 2, mm. 7-9 . 66 51. Ravel, Strin Quartet, p. 4, mm. 9-11 .. 67 52. Ravel, String Quartet, p. 4, mm. 17-18 . 67 53. Ravel, Str Quartet . 5, mm. 8-9 .. 68 54, Ravel, Stri uart p. 6,. mm. 2-m8 . 68 55. Ravel, String Quartet, p. 13, mm. 6-9 . 69 56. Ravel, fljrin 3uarlt, p. 14, mm. 1-2 . 71 57. Ravel, String Quartet, p. 14, , mm. 13-16 . 71 58. Ravel, stflna Suartet, p. 18, mm. 20-24 . 72 59. Ravel, Stin Qurt p. 21, mm. 1-2 . 73 60. Ravel, Strin5 Ppartet.26, mm. 14-17 . 74 61. Ravel, Strom Qartet,. p. 27, mm. 9-12 .. 75 62. Ravel, String juart, p. 29, mm. 6-8 . , . ., 75 63. Ravel,. St Quartet,,p.. 34, mm. 1-2 . 77 64. Ravel, String Quartet, p. 36, mm. 2-3 ... 77 65. Ravel, Str nQuartet, 36, mm. 12-14 . 77 66. Ravel, $tr 4ngQuartet, ps 37, mm. 18-21 . 78 67. Ravel, Strn uartt, P_ 42 mm. 11-13 . 78 68. Ravel, String Quartet,. p.. 47, mm. 16-18 . 79 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: OBJECTIVES AND PROCEDURE The single flg Quartet by Claude Debussy (1892-3) and the one t Quartet by Maurice Ravel (1902-4) did much toward shaping their composer's mature musical person- alities and prepared the way for their acceptance as French composers of the first order. Debussy's uartet marked the beginning of the most productive years of his creative activity, the years between 1892 and 1900. The Ravel Quartet designated the onset of his mature second period, and the composition stands among his most distinctive works. This thesis proposes to determine the construction of the two quartets and to reveal through the study of the quartets the similarities and contrasts of the creative musical characteristics of Debussy and Ravel. Biographical data concerning both composers are excluded except in instances of direct relation to the music being discussed. In the same manner critical im- pressions and opinions of the works of each composer by various writers are not contained in this study except in cases of particular importance. Chapter II is a study of the important influences to which Debussy and Ravel were subjected. Whenever possible 1 2 and necessary for the clarification of adiscussion con- cerning influences,, examples and references are cited in both the works of the composers being studied and the sources of the influences. Chapter III presents a study of the aesthetic and technical principles employed in the two quartets and analyses of the modes of presentation of these principles in terms of harmonic structure and function. In most cases the clarity and formal symmetry of both quartets make ex- tended note-for-note analyses unnecessary. However, it is here believed that detailed study, if not allowed to obscure the total effect of the work, will unravel passages which at first sight, or first hearing, may seem obscure. Representa- tive sections of the works are considered in most instances to illustrate adequately the item or style feature being discussed. In the analysis of harmonic equipment it is most logi- cal to study and present writing habits which appear in sufficient quantity to be recognized as the principal fear tures of that particular style. A survey of the vertical sonorities in the quartets is therefore presented in order of relative frequency.. In most cases the chords appear in actual vertical structure; however, since some of the music in both works is monodic,, the successive melodic tones which,, when grouped together,, comprise chords, are accorded harmonic identity. 3 Chapter IV is comprised of conclusions which are drawn directly from the materials presented in Chapter II and Chapter III. It is shown that few additions to the melodic and harmonic. vocabulary of the preceding period in music were made by either Debussy or Ravel. But their importance is to be found in their manner of employing the compositional devices already in existence, It will also be found that their novelties of idiom are principally extensions, rather than contradictions, of the musical practices of the Nineteenth Century. CHAPTER II THE INFLUENCES OF PREDECESSORS AND CONTEMPORARIES ON THE WORKS OF DEBUSSY AND RAVEL The Rise of Impressionism in France The word "Impressionism" was originally coined in 1863 as a term for "opprobrium in a derisive criticism" 1 of a painting exhibited in Paris by Claude Monet,, called "Sunrise; an Impression." The term was then applied to certain anti-academic and anti-romantic tendencies in late nineteenth century painting, advocated and carried into effect by Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, and a number of others who followed the example set by these leaders.2 The technique of impressionism in painting followed the theory that color, as a defined quantity, does not exist, but is only the result of the play of light upon form.