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Composer
Pierre Boulez
Genre
Voice and ensemble
Context/Influences
-rising and falling of the different voices/instruments to create the effect
of a hammer.
-the middle range of instruments play an important part, as opposed to
higher ranges
-Partially inspired by Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire
Unifying features
-A unifying feature of the piece would be the bizarre instrumentation
throughout.
-Voice, Alto flute, guitar, viola, Vibraphone, Xylombria and auxliary
percussion, which often surprises the ears of the listeners, with an
unfamiliar soundscape.
-Serialism throughout the whole piece helps give that organized chaos
kind of feel.
Compositional Style
-The Use of Serialism
-9 movements based on the three poems "Bourreaux de solitude",
"Artisanat furieux", "Bel édifice" with instrumental “commentaries”
between movements.
Melody
-Melody is disjunct
-Melody does not repeat
-Changes from instrument to instrument very often.
-The vocal part is full of big interval jumps, glissandi.
Harmony
-Dissonant guitar chords, vibraphone chords
-A lot of tension with very little instances of release
Tonality
-extremely atonal
- wide range of pitches used
Rhythm
-the effect of spontaneity
-very complex and challenging ex: 32nd note quintuplets
-also difficult for instruments to follow one another. Fifty rehearsals
were necessary before the premiere
Form
-nine movement composition (three cycles with three movement each)
-one cycle for voice and instruments
-two others, purely instrumental
-four movements are set and inspired by three poems by René Char
-each cycle uses different serial techniques ex: pitch multiplication
-more free than his previous compositions Boulez, he “distanced himself
from rigid musical grammar”
Texture
-has multiple decorative textures that embellish the piece
-the highly uniform texture of different instruments are finally meshed
together in the final movement
Timbre
-the use of flutter tonguing in the flute adds colour
-has multiple decorative textures that embellish the piece
Expression/Dynamics -expressive, but in a reserved style
-Boulez was inspired by tautness of Char’s poems and incorporated it into
his work.
Le Marteau Sans Maitre (The Hammer without a Master)
By: Laurel Haslip and Ian Culley
Pierre Boulez was born March 26, 1925 in Montbrison, Loire, France. Growing up, he
showed exceptional aptitude in mathematics and in music, eventually studying at the
Paris Conservatoire. His teacher Olivier Messiaen introduced him to twelve-tone
technique and would open up a whole new world of atonal music to him. It would be
Messiaen who would extend the twelve tone technique into elements of music other
than pitch, serialising durations, dynamics, mode of attack, and so on. This training and
influence on Boulez would help him establish himself as a groundbreaking abstract and
experimental composer.
Boulez explored and incorporated many ethnic materials into this composition. The
piece is said to encompass the sounds of modern jazz, as well as the incorporation of
the Balinese gamelan and traditional African and Japanese music. There is also an
apparent exploration through instruments. The jumps between pitches make stark
contrasts, as well as the emphasis of middle range instruments. Instruments included in
this piece are the alto flute, voice, xylorimba, guitar, viola, and unpitched percussion.
The various instruments used in Le Marteau Sans Maitre are not necessarily all used at
the same time. In fact, no instrument ever plays in every single movement. The unique
and varying combinations of instruments lend themselves to another aspect of
originality present in this piece. Below, are the listings of instruments in each of the nine
movements.
- Alto flute, Vibraphone, Guitar, Viola
- Voice, Alto flute, Xylombria, Tambourine, 2 bongos, Viola
- Voice, Alto flute
- Xylorimba, Vibraphone, Finger cymbals, Agogô, Triangle, Guitar, Viola
- Voice, Alto flute, Guitar, Viola
- Voice, Alto flute, Guitar, Xylorimba, Vibraphone, Maracas,
- Alto flute, Vibraphone, Guitar
- Alto flute, Xylorimba, Vibraphone, Claves, Agogô, 2 bongos, Maracas
- Voice, Alto flute, Xylorimba, Vibraphone, Maracas, Small tam-tam, Low gong,
Very deep tam-tam, Large suspended cymbal, Guitar, Viola
The form of Le Marteau Sans Maitre is somewhat complex. There are three cycles, in
which each of then contain three separate movements.
1. Avant "l'artisanat furieux" (before "the furious craftsmanship")
2. Commentaire I de "bourreaux de solitude" (first commentary on "hangmen of
solitude")
3. "L'artisanat furieux" ("the furious craftsmanship")
4. Commentaire II de "bourreaux de solitude" (second commentary on "hangmen of
solitude")
5. "Bel édifice et les pressentiments", version première ("stately building and
presentiments", first version)
6. "Bourreaux de solitude" ("hangmen of solitude")
7. Après "l'artisanat furieux" (after "the furious craftsmanship")
8. Commentaire III de "bourreaux de solitude" (third commentary on "hangmen of
solitude")
9. "Bel édifice et les pressentiments", double ("stately building and presentiments",
again
Le Marteau Sans Maitre is influenced, or rather set to three poems of Rene Char, which
explains the titling of the movements. Four movements are directly influenced by the
three poems, and the remaining movements are musical extrapolations of the four
original movements.
Serialism is also a very important component of Le Marteau Sans Maitre. In previous
compositions, through experimentation and exploration, Boulez created a new and rigid
“musical grammar” for himself, known as integral or total serialism and earned great
criticism for “a lack of expressive flexibility in the language”. However, in this particular
composition, Boulez started to distance himself from the set frame-work he had
previously created and found more creative ways of using the twelve-tone technique.
While he didn't stray to far, he still allowed himself “breaches in tradition”, which did
shine through to establish Le Marteau Sans Maitre as his most highly regarded work.
Sources:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/253627/The-Hammer-Without-a-Master
http://www.scena.org/lsm/sm6-4/serialisme-en.html
http://www.compositiontoday.com/articles/boulez_le_marteau.asp
http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/138145.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about