Modes and Pitch-Class Sets in Messiaen: A Brief Discussion of 'Première Communion de la

Vierge'
Author(s): Rosemary Walker
Source: Music Analysis, Vol. 8, No. 1/2 (Mar. - Jul., 1989), pp. 159-168
Published by: Wiley
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/854329
Accessed: 16-12-2019 11:02 UTC

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ROSEMARY WALKER

MODES AND PITCH-CLASS SETS IN MESSIAEN:

A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF 'PREMItRE COMMUNION
DE LA VIERGE'

The following discussion concerns the relations between tonal, m

chromatic elements in the eleventh movement of Vingt Regards sur l
Jfsus. 'The Virgin's First Communion' is a descriptive piece repr
various aspects of the Annunciation and the Nativity and apparently i
a painting showing the Virgin kneeling in contemplation. The overall
the eighty-bar movement is straightforward: a contemplative opening
based on a fragment of the Th me de Dieu (the God-theme), a series of
on the theme, and a coda which returns to the opening material. T
God-theme is the principal cyclic element in Vingt Regards; in No. 11
first four chords of the theme are used. Messiaen articulates the music
unambiguously by the traditional compositional means of varied tem
register, contour, dynamic and rhythm. Fortunately, therefore, one of the
problematic aspects of pitch-class set analysis is avoided, for I conside
segmentations to be uncontroversial.
Major/minor tonality makes a number of appearances in Vingt Regards,
least in the eleventh movement, where a Bb major triad seems to be prolon
throughout and the composer resorts to a dominant-to-tonic cadence (see E
However, the actual pitch array in 'Premiere communion', as in all the
movements of the Vingt Regards that sound more or less 'tonal', is m
derived from one of the Modes of Limited Transposition. Messiae
affirmed that his system of modes was among the first elements of his har
language to develop (Samuel 1976: 23); the modes and the harmonies de
from them were codified in Technique de mon langage musical, published sh
before the completion of the Vingt Regards in 1944. As is well known, Me
specifies seven modes in all; the first of these is the whole-tone scale, the s
the octatonic collection. The term 'limited transposition' is the composer's
applying to the symmetrical properties of each mode in which the original
class content is replicated if the mode is transposed beyond the limiting le
which characterize it. The initial pitches are not intended to be 'toni
'finals': no pitch class takes precedence over any other in this respect, and
modes can begin on any degree or their pitch classes appear in any o

MUSIC ANALYSIS 8:1-2, 1989 159

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 ROSEMARY WALKER

Example 2 shows Mode 2 in its three possible transpo

of the prime attractions of the modes (particularly M
they enable him to work with a rich palette of so
associations entirely personal to him (see Bernard 198
do not seem to correspond to specific colours in h
forthright about the extent to which tonality and
following quotation shows: 'There are tonal passages i
precisely blended with these modes which colour t
little importance' (Samuel 1976: 23).
The piece to be examined here is mostly in Mode 2.
D occur together only in the second transposition, w
transposition of choice for a Bb tonality. If the matt
there would of course be no further need for theorizi
However, Messiaen's pitch arrays are often mo
communion' exhibits a variety of material within its
material based entirely on one transposition of M
passages in which non-modal pitches appear, as well a
noticeably quicker tempo than the rest of the mov
becomes indiscernible because of the degree of chrom
to employ the apparatus of pitch-class set theory to e
modal pitch collections, exploring the possibility of a
with the intention of explaining the extra pitches tha
points in the piece.The suffixing of the symbols A an
the approach of Larry Solomon, in which separate lab
allowing inversion between sets to be treated as a
equivalence (Solomon 1982). Major chords, for exam
from minor, as can the dominant seventh from the
chord. Those collections which are not suffixed with
are inversionally symmetrical.

Ex. 1 ,s.
kvs
dimil. ?9d

dim

8a bassa----------------------------8a bassa_

d im?. __ _ __ _ __ _

w ww OF w v w 4p w v pvw go w ww wUv* WwU

s ---
8 ,1bas

160 MUSIC ANALYSIS 8:1-2, 1989

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 MODES AND PITCH-CLASS SETS IN MESSIAEN

Ex. 1 cont.

Tres lent (?=96)

8 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- - -- --- -- - - ------- .----"-------- .,i..

?2 1?4
s.

I IT I f b i11 I _RM
1 - 1 1 1 r" i_ , I t , i ' -- I 1 1 l ! -"

8-------------------- -------------I Rall.

------ ----------

(Embrassenment int~rieur)5 -5
@ ~T,-e lent (2 5023-- ......4
(E m ra seren i tereu )
(i6 1ti eu ri

T- T)-I

2~izca I 3'Y

p7

Reproduced by perm

MUSIC ANALYSIS 8:1-2, 1989 161

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 ROSEMARY WALKER

Ex. 2
Mode 2i

Mode 2ii

Mode 2iii

d6 1,11 all
W" o a n lb --LoI -

The octatonic Mode 2 is set 8-28

stress that the distinctive qualiti
Modes 2, 3, 4 and 6, which are e
respectively) derive partly from th
among them. Therefore, it should
the modal identities of Messiaen'
mode is incomplete or contains ext
potential for explanation here bein
common. Moreover, absolute pitc
are attached not only to the differe
of the same mode. The mode is
communion': apart from providing
an anacrusis and resolution gesture
in cadenza-type figuration which,
the mode. Purely modal sonorities
latter segment, the change from
coincides with a new motivic gestu
Messiaen - the opening movement
held invariant between the second
and B. Messiaen highlights this fea
Modal qualities become more diffic
a chord or passage belong to the sam
hand arabesque, which Messiaen d
the designs of stalactites in myst
pitches (C, D# and F# ) to the eigh
hand (see Ex. 4): the total pitch con
Chapter 17 of Technique de mon la
modes may 'borrow from themselv
65): thus the most obvious interpre
borrowed from either the first or,
Although any extra pitch can
'borrowing', this theory of M
compositional method, does not exp
its effect on the pitch structure.

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 MODES AND PITCH-CLASS SETS IN MESSIAEN

Ex. 3

Premier mouvement (.=5o)

8----------------------

Mf

I 1 1 4 - 1 1 i 11,1 " : ]-l f ta

p I Mode 2ii

n mf mf_ bilio: , o
-6

-7nf Wz ?? r ?Plus len

-------------------------------------------

I I

~ *~e (appel de"IaVierg~e

_________________________________ aba_ __ et 1'Enfant")
VMode 2iii

(a) W II-M
I i i

Reproduced

In apply
only wit
7-31, 10
repertoi
appear.
collections of cardinal 6 are so rare in Messiaen that the issue of hexachordal

MUSIC ANALYSIS 8:1-2, 1989 163

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 ROSEMARY WALKER

Ex. 4
TrisF
lent ( 8;
=50)
#?" I 5 2

A 2. VA 6-:17 -1 1 m

(interieur) 8-28
(Theme de Dieu)

Reproduced by permission of Editions Durand S.A., Paris/United Music Publishers Ltd.

connectedness, crucial in classic Fortean theory, does not arise, nor ca

possibility of a 'nexus' set. Rather, the fact that Messiaen tends actually to
large pitch collections enforces an analytical focus on sets of cardinality 7
above. There is no case for discussing sets in terms of their complements,
absolute pitch remains a crucial factor within the pitch organization: altho
Messiaen deliberately uses invertible pc collections, for him the functi
absolute pitch in defining colour is comparable to its function in defining
Set 7-31 has an important role to play in this movement, not least becaus
the largest octatonic subset. It first appears in b.2 (Ex. 5a). The justifi

Ex. 5

b)) 2~~db_
5.--7 -1

-17-31A

c))

Reproduced by permission of Editions Durand S.A., Paris/United Music Publishers Ltd.

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 MODES AND PITCH-CLASS SETS IN MESSIAEN

for taking this collection in isolation is that Messiaen

of the piece (Ex. 5b). Transformations of 7-31A and B
in the cadenza-type passages (Ex. 5c), and the inverted
pitch content of bs 39-41 (Ex. 6). Why Messiaen sh
second transposition) minus one pitch (G) in this segm
an arbitrary question. All the subcollections of this
triads and dominant sevenths. This overall sonority
partitioning of the complete eight-note mode, but onl
pitch to form the largest subset (the smallest superset
have a high profile anywhere in the music).

Ex. 6

of cresc.

Rall. 8--

cresc. molto

Reproduced by permission of Editions Durand S.A., Paris/United Music Publishers Ltd.

One of the most opaque passages from the point of view of pitch is
which abandon the serenity of Bb major and modal sonorities in favou
chromatic collections (see Ex. 7). This kind of juxtaposition of modal an
modal material in Vingt Regards has provoked criticism, not least fro
who only recently remarked of the work:

For [Messiaen] there is no problem in two worlds coexisting - a ve

complicated world, very atonal and sometimes very aggressively so with
any polarisation of any kind; and then you find beside that the kin
relationship even Debussy would not have written any more. For me it i
rather strange. I don't see the coincidence very much. (Boulez 1986: 168)

MUSIC ANALYSIS 8:1-2, 1989 165

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 ROSEMARY WALKER

The pitch structures from b.43 seem to be designed

sonority. Sets of cardinal 8 are prolific: the upper D
8-21, 8-12A and so on. Parsing the non-modal section
associations with earlier modal material to be revealed
and 4-Z29A, the only subsets of 8-28 here, are highli
Of the six possible sets of cardinal 10, there is only o

Ex. 7

Mod6r6 (?=12) 4-
-- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - ------ -

8-21 9-5A 8-Z 15B

5- 8 8 - -%Y
7 j lip

3-54-29

s < ,6
A.. s _ms
, ,4-'T _
f f r Sf <- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

l Elm
8-21.=1
9--AIl
bassa B Sabssa--------

4 f ,Leur-de
9-9 Len0!,00_
f=1s -1
>- 1-1L.NM
W-2 9
A ,6,6L
I.I.-L.
6 .6 Igo
, . II L

IO-.7.aeusd ' en r-.3. '31 5

Reproduced by permission of Editions Durand S.A., Paris

166 MUSIC ANALYSIS 8:1-2, 1989

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 MODES AND PITCH-CLASS SETS IN MESSIAEN

this piece. Significantly, it appears in the non-moda

pitch-change is suspended for four bars to empha
combination of the two verticals forms set 10-3,
missing pitches are C# and E, but the C# is reintro
both CQ and E are the boundary notes at the start of
superset of 8-28 and of no other colour mode is of th
10-3 appears within a section that overtly disreg
underlying control of 8-28 is unmistakable, an
explanatory force of interpreting the near-aggr
randomly 'borrowed' additional pitches, but as a
unique modal content.
In his brief notes to the work, Messiaen discusses
inversions' in the chromatic passage. This indicates t
him, but their specific formations are revealed by e
three-bar segment (bs 58-60), collections of 7-20
combinations in each bar forming larger sets of 10-
total chromatic (b.59) (see Ex. 7). There is a clear l
segment and the horizontal aggregate in b.42 - not
notes in b.42 are a transformation of 7-20A (see Ex.

Ex. 8

12-1

Rubato Pressez

7-20A

Reproduced by permission of Editions Durand S.A., Paris/United Music Publishers Ltd.

In the eleventh movement of Vingt Regards there is a clear interaction not only
between modal and tonal elements but also between the modes and chromatic
structures. The application of a rather simple set classification can account for
pitch collections that do not conform to the exclusive Mode 2 presentations.
Messiaen is a most meticulous composer, and without doubt there are no
random gestures in his control of pitch organization: every detail counts. This is
why any exploration of pitch structure in his music, particularly those pitch
components outside the modes, is so inherently compelling.

MUSIC ANALYSIS 8:1-2, 1989 167

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 ROSEMARY WALKER

REFERENCES

Bernard, Jonathan, 1986: 'Messiaen's Synaesthesia: The Corresponden

Color and Sound Structure in His Music', Music Perception, Vol. 4,
pp.41-68.
Boulez, Pierre, 1986: 'Boulez on Messiaen: Pierre Boulez in Conversation with Roger
Nichols', Organists' Review, No. 3, Vol. 71, No. 283, pp.167-70.
Messiaen, Olivier, 1944a: Technique de mon langage musical, trans. John Satterfield,
1956 (Paris: Leduc).
1944b: 'Note de l'auteur', Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jtsus (Paris: Durand), trans.
Susan Bradshaw (sleeve notes to CSD 3680-3681; SLS 793/2).
Samuel, Claude, 1976: Conversations with Olivier Messiaen, trans. Felix Aprahamian
(London: Stainer and Bell).
Solomon, Larry, 1982: 'The List of Chords, Their Properties and Use in Analysis',
Interface, Vol. 2, No. 2.

168 MUSIC ANALYSIS 8:1-2, 1989

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