Presentation and Listening Assignment, Week 5

Chloe Kiely
406 words
To understand what is meant by lobjet trouv, it is first essential to understand what is
meant by musical objects. It is the idea that while music may not be tangible, it still exists
within space and time, and can be considered as a metaphor for an object. According to
Deborah Mawer,
a musical objectan artefact or deviceis a fixed, passive entity, as distinct from a
motive which engenders organic growth and development.
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According to this definition, a musical object can be any idea that features in a piece of
music, from a specific note that features heavily to ritornello themes and ostinatos, as well
as prominent intervals and chord construction.
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It could then be said that each piece of music is made up of objects, which are
paradigmatic. Each idea or motif is a model, that can be remodelled, which in essence is
the idea of the objet trouv. Ravel would often take an idea from a previously published
work and use it as a source of thoughtful inspiration. As Mawer mentions however, the use
of these objects is not synonymous with imitation,
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as the idea can be taken apart and
reconstructed. It is a raw material in the process of composition, and stylisation in the
manipulation of these materials is altogether essential.
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The use of these models ranged
from as vague as an ascending phrase of dotted rhythm in thirds drawn from
Chambriers Trois valses romantiques and somewhat reiterated in Ravels Valses nobles et
1
Deborah Mawer (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Ravel (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press), 48
2
Ibid., 48
3
Ibid., 56
4
Ibid., 56
sentimentales to larger-scale examples such as Debussys Quartet, where much melodic
material would have been drawn from.
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Even within his own works, Ravel remodelled his objects. He would write a short
piano score before orchestrating a piece, with Daphnis et Chlo being a notable example.
In 1910 the somewhat rough piano outline was composed, followed by two orchestral
suites in 1911 and 1913, a solo piano arrangement and full ballet in 1912, and finally an
instrumental arrangement of the choral section in 1914.
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In essence, lobjet (re)trouv is taking any musical object and drawing from it by
reconstructing it in some manner. As is the case with Ravel, the musical object may be
sourced from previously published works or indeed, ones own composition.

5
Ibid., 56
6
Ibid., 57