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THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE
SPACE, MASS, ELEMENT, AND FORM
JOHN STRAWN
Introduction
After a protracted and undeserved hiatus, the music of Edgard
Varese has in the past few years experienced a sort of "comeback"
in the literature. Several biographies have already appeared [13, 17,
26, 27];* reprints of Varese's own theoretical lectures and writings
[1, 4, 5, 6, 19, 23, 24] as well as analyses by others [7, 29, 30, 31]
are surfacing more and more frequently in publications devoted to
music. But the literature to date has only occasionally [2, 11, 28]
touched upon certain aspects of the music of Edgard Varese which
will be treated in detail here.
Composed in 1924 and premiered in 1925 [26, pp. 216-25 passim],
Integrales lends itself to a thorough analysis. Not only was it written
during Varese's most creative period; a number of Varese's own
statements about this work have also appeared in print. Integrales
thus provides an excellent test case for examining the relationship
between Varese's theoretical statements and his compositional prac-
tice. The aspects of Integrales discussed here, as well as other impor-
tant elements [14, 20] play a role in the rest of Varese's works which,
however, can only be mentioned in passing.
[26, pp. 227-28]. But another, lengthier passage from a lecture held
in 1939 at the University of New Mexico (Santa Fe) is more inform-
ative, and all the more significant, as Varese quoted the same pas-
sage again in his lecture at Princeton twenty years later:'
Integrales was conceived for a spatial projection. I constructed the
work to employ certain acoustical means which did not yet exist,
but which I knew could be realized and would be used sooner or
later... Whereas in our musical system we divide up quantities
whose values are fixed, in the realization I wanted, the values would
have been continually changing in relation to a constant. In other
words, it would have been like a series of variations, the changes
resulting from slight alterations of a function's form or from the
transposition of one function to another. In order to make myself
better understood-for the eye is quicker and more disciplined than
the ear-let us transfer this conception into the visual sphere and
consider the changing projection of a geometrical figure onto a plane
surface, with both geometrical figure and plane surface moving in
space, but each at its own changing and varying speeds of lateral
movement and rotation. The form of the projection at any given
instant is determined by the relative orientation of the figure and
the surface at that instant. But by allowing both figure and surface
to have their own movements, one is able to represent with that pro-
jection an apparently unpredictable image of a high degree of com-
plexity; moreover, these qualities can be increased subsequently by
permitting the form of the geometrical figure to vary as well as its
speeds... [17, p. 83]
A short, inconspicuous footnote in the score of Integrales is crucial
for the interpretation of this idea of "spatial projection". In m. 203,
a "solo" in the oboe is "accompanied" by four other instruments (see
Ex. 1). A footnote in the same measure specifies: "Clarinettes, Cor,
Trptte, Trbne.-tres homogenes et equilibres-legerement au 2me
plan". It would seem here that the four instruments listed are to form
a single "plane" in juxtaposition to a second "plane" in the oboe
alone.
This idea of "plane", along with such terms as "surface" or "mass",
appears to play a crucial role in Varese's music. As Varese generalized
1 The lecture given by Va-rse at Princeton in 1959 has apparently not yet been
published in its entirety. Excerpts appear in [4, 19, 24]. A typewritten manuscript
[25] exists, but in many places it does not match the printed versions cited; cf.
note 2. Quotations from [24] translated by the present author.
140 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC
206
203 a tembn 204 _ __ n-... I
Ob.l J5
a".l r._
A,- ^rA _
j ^
_%. - 5-
^3^.-#w;it. M.rp n-g .
research to date has not been able to precisely define the relationship
between the distance from the sound source to the hearer, and the
auditory estimate of that distance.3 However, it is currently assumed
that three factors play a role in estimating the distance for an un-
known source of sound: loudness, timbre, and reverberation. 1) The
sound pressure level of a signal arriving at the ear decreases with
increasing distance of the sound source from the hearer, and thus the
perceived loudness of the signal decreases as well. [3, pp. 96, 99] In
everyday experiences, loudness of the sound source and distance of
the associated auditory image are directly related. 2) For compara-
tively large distances, it is assumed that a change in timbre is brought
about by the non-linear transmission characteristics of the atmosphere,
which is also a factor in estimating the distance of a source of sound
(but see [3, pp. 233 ff.]). It is also interesting to note at this juncture
that the timbre of an instrument is related to dynamics: if an instru-
ment is played loudly, a brighter, richer sound is produced. [16, p.
256] 3) In closed rooms, reverberation apparently plays an important
role. The more reverberant, the more diffuse a signal which reaches
the ear, the greater the distance perceived. [3, p. 223]
The extraordinary orchestration and the carefully notated, compli-
cated dynamic markings in Integrales would strongly suggest that
Varese thought of a loud, brilliant, present sound (sound source) as
creating a sound mass (auditory image) located in the vicinity of the
listener. A soft, dull sound, on the other hand, is to be heard and
understood as being "far away". Diminuendi, crescendi, and other
transformations would represent intermediate steps between these two
extremes.
Vermeulen's research and the so-called Frannsen Effect have fur-
thermore cast some light on the ability of the ear to perceive different
sound sources as a single entity. [3, pp. 223 ff.] These discoveries
strongly suggest that a passage, such as in m. 19 (see Ex. 2), where
the A# in the oboe is continued by the trumpet, is to be understood
as an attempt to synthesize a new sound. The entrance of the oboe
is undoubtedly masked by the sixteenth note in the trumpet, which
is carefully notated with an accent. Even if the oboe entrance were
Andantino J=7 6
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Al
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. rrtf3-f-- f h
,
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Bass Dr. n y2 . f
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/t
Sup. Cym
;J
Ten. Dr.Inr \
Sleighbells P
Chains K a
Bass Dr.
pincd et mord.
Sn 17 18 19
D^4
Ob. n - 4 Y / n
pt. I senzasord. ,ff=
s
M R*
R
Susp. Cym.
. f 4 n
Ten. Dr... ||
p f ~P~/>P~/~
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SleighbeUs p f-PCf? Cf, P
Chasins IIH 4 n
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:210 . . 25
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Masses
TABLE I (cont.)
Mass Measure Instruments
No.
22 76-771 trombone I, II
23 771-78 woodwinds
24 771-78 brass
25 79-93 percussion
26 80-93 clarinet I, II
27 80-92 horn, trumpet I, II
28 82-90 trombone I, II, III
29 93-100 horn, trumpet I, II
30 93-100 trombone I, II, III
percussion (bass drum starting in m. 90, crash
cymbal in m. 92)
31 101-105 oboe
32 101-105 piccolo I, II
33 102-105 trombone II, III
34 102-104 percussion (except for the tam-tam in m. 103)
35 103-104 tam-tam
105-119 trumpet I, II, trombone I, percussion
36 106-117 woodwinds, horn, trombone II
37 117-121 trombone II, III
38 119-120 woodwinds
39 120-121 horn, trombone I
40 121 oboe, clarinet I, II
41 121-126 horn
42 121-126 trumpet II
43 121-126 trombone I
44 121-126 trombone II
45 121-126 trombone III
46 124-126 trumpet I
47 126 woodwinds
48 127-130 clarinet II, horn, tenor drum
49 131-134 clarinet I, II, trumpet II
50 131-134 trombone I, II, III, cymbals,bass drum
51 134-135 horn, trumpet I, snare drum, suspended cymbal
52 134-143 trombone I, II, III
141-143 bass drum
53 135-143 woodwinds
138 castanets
141-143 cymbals
54 140 string drum, sleighbells, tam-tam
THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 149
TABLE I (cont.)
Mass Measure Instruments
No.
TABLE I (cont.)
Mass Measure Instruments
No.
87 195-197 Chinese blocks
88 195-197 sleighbells, chains
89 195-197 tenor drum
90 196-198 tambourine
91 196-198 suspended cymbal
92 196-198 piccolo II, clarinet II, trumpet II
93 196-198 piccolo I
94 196-198 trombone I
95 198 clarinet II
199-205 clarinet I, horn, trumpet I, trombone I
96 200-206 oboe
97 206-212 trumpet I, II, trombone I, string drum
98 212 piccolo I, II, clarinet I, II, suspended cymbal,
triangle
99 212-213 castanets
213 percussion
100 214-218 horn, trombone III
101 214-215 trumpet I, II, trombone I
102 215-217 woodwinds
103 217 percussion
104 218 oboe, clarinet I, II
105 218-2231 horn
106 218-223k trumpet II
107 218-2231 trombone I
108 218-2231 trombone II, III
109 221-2231 trumpet I
110 223J-224 tutti
comes to mind, entities which repeatedly penetrate into and then dis-
appear from the listener's field of hearing. The pulse of Mass 5 orig-
inates "far away" in m. 6, springs into the immediate vicinity of the
listener in m. 13, and starts fading away in m. 18 (cf. Ex. 2).
The following have been analyzed in a similar manner: Masses
9-10; 18-28; 31-34; 35-36 as well as 55 and 97; 37-40; 52-54;
59-64; 71-76; 79-94, where it should be noted that the percussion
instruments can hardly be grouped into a single unit in light of the
fact that their entrances are timed independently of each other;
THE INTEGRALES OF EDGARD VARESE 151
99-103; and, recalling Mass 10: 47; 77-78; 98; 37-40; 102; and
104.
The singular entrance of piccolo I, oboe, and clarinet I in mm.
44-45 is especially noteworthy (Ex. 3). This is undoubtedly a further
asl y ;
J.""
Elements
occurrence in mm. 25-28; but cf. also mm. 36, 38, etc., as well as
mm. 194-198.
6. Pulse: a more or less regular beat is established, such as was already
discussed in Mass 5 of m. 6; but cf. also mm. 93 ff.
7. Pitch curves: the sirens described in Helmholtz were an important
inspiration for Varese in the development of his concept of spatial
music. [26, p. 42] "Later I made some modest experiments of my
own, and I found that I could obtain beautiful parabolic and hyper-
bolic curves of sound, which seemed to me equivalent to the parabolas
and hyperbolas in the visual domain." [17, p. 18] Such instruments
were actually used in other works by Varese. But successions of pitches
which follow the outlines suggested by parabolic and hyperbolic curves
seem to have captured Varese's interest even when played by tradi-
tional instruments (mm. 62-69, trombone II; m. 168, piccolo I; m.
120, trombone II-III).
8. Selection of pitch content (vertical): as far as I know, no com-
prehensive study has been published to date on the question of har-
mony in Varese's music.6 Varese himself repeatedly emphasized that
his music was not based on any "fixed set of intervals such as a scale
or a series" [19, p. 206]. Not surprisingly, it seems impossible to de-
rive the choice of pitches in the individual masses in Integrales from
such a framework. Still, Varese seems to have applied a few basic
rules of thumb: octaves, for example, are usually avoided. On the
other hand, "strong dissonances", such as major and minor seconds,
augmented fourths, major and minor sevenths, and their octaves occur
quite frequently, both in the selection of pitches for a single mass and
in the distribution of pitches of masses presented simultaneously. An
extreme case is the use of eleven different pitches for the eleven
pitched instruments as in m. 28.
9. Selection of pitch content (horizontal): since a system of "har-
mony" is apparently not present in Integrales, it is accordingly diffi-
cult to derive the selection of successive pitches from such a system.
Rather, the distribution of pitches for the first presentation of a given
series of notes seems to have been worked out in conjunction with
the principles outlined in 8. above. One further principle apparently
plays a role in the expansion of the pitch content through time: once
a given pitch content has been presented, the stated note or interval
6 In
[12], a computer study is made of the chords in the first 38 (!) measures
of Integrales; but the conclusion reached there on p. 146 is hardly justified.
154 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC
Form as Process
7 Cf.
[1, pp. 192, 194]. The footnote on p. 192 is especially important.
156 PERSPECTIVES OF NEW MUSIC
1-9-17-61-66-77-82
2-57
(2-3-4)-(9-10) -(18-19-20-21-22)-(25-26-27-28)-(31-32-33-34-35-36) -
(52-53-54) - (66-68-69-70) -(84-92)
5-25-30-(48-50) -54-64-71
6-58-67-76-87
7-(9-10)-(13-14-15-16-17)-(23-24)-(41-42-43-44-45-46-47)-56-(77-
78)-110
9-77-84
10 (high woodwinds) -38-40-47-78-98-102-104
10-16-63-(74-75)-(84-94)
12-60-73-85
28-56-70-81
(29-30)-(49-50-51)
(37-38-40-41-42-43-44-45-46-47)-( 100-102-104-105-106-107-108-109-
110)-59-96
mass in the oboe moves away and returns (p ffff). At the end
of m. 13, while both masses are "close" to the listener, the "solo"
mass takes over the "pulse" (m. 14, now in clarinet I), and the mass
in the percussion disappears (m. 14: chains, sleighbells, suspended
cymbals, snare drum). Gradually, the mass in the clarinet moves
away from the listener (mm. 14-16); in m. 18, new elements are
added to it (trumpet I), and the pulse is separated and returned
(m. 17) to the mass in the percussion (but see also [14, p. 443]).
An important question remains to be answered: can Integrales be
divided into two or three "major formal sections" separated by "ca-
dences" (e.g., in mm. 28, 78, and/or 153), as has been attempted
[8, 31]? One objection to such a procedure is the fact that the meas-
ures which are thus arbitrarily tied together show no internal unity
which would intrinsically separate them from the other "sections".
Similarly, it is impossible to derive a 2-, 3-, or 4-part form by exam-
ining the relationships shown in Table II (see also [14, p. 445]). But
the strongest objection derives from the fact that such an undertaking
ignores the idiosyncrasies of the formal process in Varese's music.
Varese was not interested in subjugating every musical entity in In-
tegrales to two or three groupings which would determine the "form".
Indeed, he warned against such thinking on more than one occasion
[19, p. 206]. To use Varese's words, we are confronted here with a
"series of variations" since, in a larger sense, every mass is related to
every other mass. The central feature in Varese's compositions is not
the manner in and the extent to which the composer repeats and
develops the "themes", "harmonies", or "motifs" chosen by him.
Varese does not introduce here, modify there; he constantly varies.
Conclusion
Acknowledgments:
This article is based on a paper submitted at the Oberlin Conservatory
of Music, Oberlin, Ohio, in 1973, in partial fulfillment of the require-
ments for the Bachelor of Music degree. I should like to thank Prof.
Robert Drummond at Oberlin for his many helpful suggestions and
comments. A modified version of this article first appeared (in German)
in Melos/Neue Zeitschriftfur Musik, 1:446-456, 1975.
REFERENCES
16. Olson, Harry. Music, Physics, and Engineering. New York: Dover,
1967.
17. Ouellette, Ferdnand. Edgard Varese. Tr. by Derek Coltman. New
York: Orion Press, 1968.
18. Schuller, Gunther. "Conversationwith Varese", in [4, pp. 34-39].
19. Schwartz, Elliott, and Barney Childs, eds. Contemporary Composers
on Contemporary Music. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston,
1967:
20. Stempel, Larry. "Not even Varese can be an Orphan." Musical
Quarterly, 60:46-60, 1974.
21. Tenney, James. "A Metric Space Model of Temporal Gestalt Percep-
tion." Read at the 1977 International Computer Music Conference,
San Diego.
22. Thomson, Virgil. American Music since 1910. New York: Holt,
Rinehart, Winston, 1970.
23. Varese, Edgard. "A Communication." Musical Quarterly, 41:574,
1955.
24. Varese, Edgard. "Erinnerungen und Gedanken." Darmstddter Bei-
trige, 3:65-71, 1960.
25. Varese, Edgard. "The Liberation of Sound and Spatial Music."
Typewritten manuscript, catalog no. d64/53, Internationales Musik-
institut Darmstadt.
26. Varese, Louise. Varese: A Looking-Glass Diary, Vol. 1. New York:
Norton, 1972.
27. Vivier, Odile. Varese. Paris: Editions du Seuil, 1973.
28. Wen-Chung, Chou. "Asian Concepts and 20th-Century Composers."
Musical Quarterly, 57:211-219, 1971.
29. Wen-Chung, Chou. "Open rather than Bounded", in [4, pp. 49-54].
30. Whittall, Arnold. "Varese and Organic Athematism." Music Review,
28:311-315, 1967.
31. Wilkinson, Marc. "Edgard Varese-Pioneer and Prophet." Score, No.
29, p. 5, 1967.