Guide to Messiaen's Compositional Techniques

Copyright 2013 Michelle Horsley

A Basic Guide to Messiaen’s Compositional Techniques Messiaen was a tremendously influential and important composer of the 20th century whose unique style can be understood by the various compositional techniques he invented which characterize his style. RHYTHMS

Non-Retrogradable Rhythms - unusual combinations of rhythmic values which

generally don’t fit a standard time signature. Non-retrogradable rhythms are

named such since they sound the same forward and backward - much like the

word racecar in language.



Example:



Added Value - a short value which is added to a rhythm by a note, rest, or dot



Hindu Rhythms - taken from the treatise Sangitaratnakara by Sarngadeva which lists a table of 120 decitalas (deci - regional; tala - rhythm) and range from 1 (consisting of a single value) to the longest number, which is 35





Example: ragavarghana (93)

candrakala (105)



lakskmica (88)

HARMONY

Modes of Limited Transposition - similar to the Greek modes (Dorian, Phrygian,

Mixolydian, etc.) these are simply scales that Messiaen invented. They have

“limited transposition” because they can only be transposed a few times before the

same notes are being repeated in the order. There are a total of 7 modes.



Example: Mode 2, first transposition

Mode 2, second transposition

Mode 2, third transposition Here is a complete list of the seven Modes of Limited Transposition: Mode 1 (whole-tone scale)

Mode 2 (alternating half and whole steps)





Mode 3





Mode 4





Mode 5





Mode 6





Mode 7

Messiaen often combines multiple modes simultaneously, creating polymodality. Example of Mode 3 (4th transposition) superimposed over Mode 2 (2nd transposition):



Synesthesia – a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory of cognitive pathway. Messiaen, for example, saw colors in pitches and tonal combinations. In interviews, Messiaen revealed his favorite and least favorite colors: violet and yellow. (He associated blue violet with the second mode of limited transposition.)





Example:

Birdsong –

Messiaen was also very passionate about ornithology and was known for spending hours in the woods, notating birdsongs on a musical staff to include them later in his works. He often would note the bird species above or below the staff in his compositions.







Example: Rousserolle Effarvatte (Reed Warbler) from La Rousserolle Effarvatte (Catalogue d’Oiseaux)