Nono Il Canto Sospeso ANALISI

'Work in Progress': Analysing Nono's 'Il Canto Sospeso'
Author(s): Kathryn Bailey

Source: Music Analysis, Vol. 11, No. 2/3, Alexander Goehr 60th-Birthday Issue (Jul. - Oct.,
1992), pp. 279-334
Published by: Wiley
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KATHRYN BAILEY
'WORK IN PROGRESS':
ANALYSING NONO'S IL CANTO SOSPESO
In 1960, AlexanderGoehr wrotethatintegralserialism
amountsto a completeneutralization of musical character.The

creative
idea is replacedbymereprocedure. inthe
Thereis no material
traditionalsense, but only a pre-compositional
abstractionof the
intendedcourseofevents.'
In the same year Gy6rgyLigeti published his analysisof Pierre Boulez's

Structurela fortwo pianos,2perhaps the most famous work in this trad-
ition. I was disturbedwhen I firstread this,in my twenties,and realised
thatwithoutthe composer's explanation(at second hand, in this case) no
amountof labour on mypartwould have been sufficient forme to discover
the methodsused in writingthe workand thusto understandwhyit was as
it was. In those days I was analysingfor the firsttime the twelve-note
music of Schoenberg and Webern, and while I found Schoenberg's
penchantfortakinglibertieswithhis systemunsettling- because it seemed
to leave the music so susceptible to error (how could one judge the
accuracyof a printing,forexample,when the onlyknowncontrolmightbe
overriddenat any time?)- at least one knewin the end how the music as a
whole had been put togetherand whichbitsdid not conformto the system.
I foundmuch more unsettlingthe idea thatalthoughall aspects of a work
might be closely organised and no liberties taken, any hope of my
discoveringthe particularsof this organisationthroughlisteningto the
piece and studyingthe score would be futile.ThirtyyearslaterI stillfind
thisunsettling.
Luigi Nono's II cantosospeso(1955-6) is a workthat stands directlyin
the centreof the traditionof post-Webernserialismas it was practisedin
the 1950s and 60s; it is also noteworthy as an example of post-warsocially
committedmusic (engagierte Musik). Its text- fragmentsof letterswritten
by condemnedResistancefighters - has a lifeof its own: presumablyit was
this, not the integralserialism,that occasioned a bomb attack at the
MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3,1992 279

KATHYRN BAILEY
Munich Oktoberfest in 1980, killingthirteen people and injuringmore

than200 others,and preventing a scheduledperformance. I firstbecame
interestedin the workin its role as politicalprotest;I laterbecame
fascinatedwiththe intricacies of its construction. Now, yearslater,and
aftera further six months'close studyof the score,I have come to the
conclusionthat while I can explainthe organisation of severalof the
parameters ofthisworktherearestillmanyimportant decisionsforwhichI
can offerno explanation. I arrivedsome timeago at thepointof dimin-
ishingreturns.In the ensuingpages I offerwhat illumination I can
concerning thecomposition ofII cantosospeso; unfortunately thisaddition
to what has alreadybeen written3 still leaves knowledgeof the com-
positionalprocess incomplete.I have deduced the systemsused in
determining severalaspectsofthepiece;explanations ofmostofthesehave
to
not, myknowledge, been put forward before. They have to do mostly
withdurations and dynamic indications, which are and variously
intricately
organisedthroughout. I have also solveda fewriddlesconnectedwith
pitch.The elusivenessof some of Nono's techniqueshas meantthatthe
tenorofmyanalysisis notconsistent: whereI havebeenable to apprehend
the system,thisis describedobjectively; whereI have not succeededin
the the
cracking code, analysis is of a more impressionisticnature.
Such a gappedanalysisis all I can honestly (and safely)offer. In a work
ofthissortitis important notto extrapolate and generalise;an earlyreview
of II cantosospesoby the Britishcomposerand criticReginaldSmith
Brindleis a case in point.4SmithBrindle,whosespecificknowledge ofthe
piece was,it is quiteclear,limitedto No. 2 (one movement ofnine)and,
evenso, incomplete, wrotein an assuredwaynevertheless abouttheentire
piece,on theassumption thatthesamerulesapplythroughout. In doingso
he providedseveralgenerations of music studentsand enthusiasts with
considerable misinformation, perhapsthemostsurprising being his blithe
assertionofthework'ssimplicity.
In examiningNono'scomposition intheCantosospeso
principles ... it
willbe relatively
easyto showhowhismusicis an admirable
unity of
pre-determinedelements...
Itwillbe easytoreveal
themechanics
ofhiswork...
TheserialaspectoftheCantosospeso isextremely
simple, as istheform
ofthetone-row itself
... The use ofthetone-rowis as simpleas its
It is nevertransposed,
design. orusedininversionorretrograde. [See
theanalysisofNos 5 and 9 below.]Furthermore, it is notused hori-
zontallyin individualvoice and instrumental parts,but is appliedto
eachnote(whatever voicethisbelongsto) as itoccursintime.[See my
analysisofNos 1, 3, 5 and 7.] The samesuccessionofnotesis there-
foremaintained duringthetwenty-eight minutesofthewholework.5
280 MUSIC ANALYSIS11:2-3, 1992

NONO'S IL CANTO SOSPESO
In conjunctionwith the lack of knowledgeof the work betrayedin these

observations,such deceptionsas 'It is impossibleto analyzeherethe whole
of the structuresin thiswork.It willbe sufficient
forourpurposeto examine
the second movement'6and 'Each of these eleven dynamic values is
distributedaccording to a permutationalplan, whichhardlyconcernsus
here'"seem particularlydisturbing.Concerningthe 'extremesimplicity'of
Il canto'sconstruction,let the followingincompleteanalysisspeak foritself.
THE SERIES
II canto sospesois built on an expanding all-intervalseries (referredto

henceforthas the a-is) - A B%A, B G C F#C#F D E Eb. The contentof
each hexachordof this series representshalf of the chromaticoctave (the
row is built fromBabbitt's firstall-combinatorialsource set, with hexa-
chordalcontent111117/111117)."It is a symmetrical row whose R0 and P6
are identical.Nono is interestedin this series not primarilybecause of its
combinatorialor symmetricalpossibilities,I think,or even because of its
capabilityof producingeleven intervalclasses in a single statement.His
fascinationseems,instead,to be withthe way in whichit is arrivedat. The
seriesis produced by the applicationof eitherthe permutation7 6 8 5 9 4
10 3 11 2 12 1 or itsretrogradeto a descendingchromaticscale (EL to E or
A to BL respectively),or of its obverse, 12 1 11 2 10 3 9 4 8 5 7 6, or its
retrogradeto an ascendingone (BL to A, E to Ek). (The two formsI have
listedas retrograde,1 12 2 11 ... and 6 7 5 8 ..., are less elegantthan the
other two because in both cases one of the outer elementsof the series
remainsstationarythroughoutall the permutations.)The pitch-classrows
that result from any of these permutationspossess the characteristics
shown in Fig. 1. The permutationsrepresenting the reconstructionof the
chromaticscale fromthe seriesare 1 3 5 7 9 11 12 10 8 6 4 2 and 12 10 8
6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9 11 and theirretrogrades.Nos 3, 7, 8 and 9 of Il canto
sospesoare based on thesepermutations.Nos 2 and 4 use cyclicrotation,a
closely related operation.In fact,the work seems almost to representan
anthologyof the possibilitiessuggested by the ai-s permutations.The
opening movement,in which I can findno strictserial organisation,and
No. 6a are the onlytwo thatwould appear not to be based on any kind of
permutationor rotation;theyexploreinstead anotheraspect of the series,
its symmetry, and in so doing exhibita structuralsimilarity not shared by
the othermovements.
NO. 1
The opening piece, withoutvoices, is divided by double barlines and

changes of metreand tempo into thirteensections,but two of these (the
MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3, 1992 281

KATHYRN BAILEY
Fig. 1 Permutationtablesrelatingto the expandingall-interval

series
(a) resultof 7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1 permutation:
[1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12] (descendingchromaticscale)
(1) 7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1 (expandingwedge,Nono's a-is)
(2) 10 4 3 9 11 5 2 8 12 6 1 7 (alternateintervalstritones)
(3) 2 5 8 11 12 9 6 3 1 4 7 10 (threediminishedtriads)
(4) 6 9 3 12 1 11 4 8 7 5 10 2
(5) 4 11 8 1 7 12 5 3 10 9 2 6 (six perfect5ths/4ths)
(6) 5 12 3 7 10 1 9 8 2 11 6 4
(7) 9 1 8 10 2 7 11 3 6 12 4 5
(8) 11 7 3 2 6 10 12 8 4 1 5 9 (fouraugmentedtriads)
(9) 12 10 8 6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9 11 (bothwhole-tonescales)
(10) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (descendingchromaticscale)
(b) resultof 12 1 11 2 10 3 9 4 8 5 7 6 permutation:
[1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12] (ascendingchromaticscale)
(1) 12 1 11 2 10 3 9 4 8 5 7 6 (expandingwedge,Nono's a-is)
(2) 6 12 7 1 5 11 8 2 4 10 9 3 (alternateintervalstritones)
(3) 3 6 9 12 10 7 4 1 2 5 8 11 (threediminishedtriads)
(4) 11 3 8 6 5 9 2 12 1 10 4 7
(5) 7 11 4 3 10 8 1 6 12 5 2 9 (six perfect5ths/4ths)
(6) 9 7 2 11 5 4 12 3 6 10 1 8
(7) 8 9 1 7 10 2 6 11 3 5 12 4
(8) 4 8 12 9 5 1 3 7 11 10 6 2 (fouraugmentedtriads)
(9) 2 4 6 8 10 12 11 9 7 5 3 1 (both whole-tonescales)
(10) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (ascendingchromaticscale)
second and eleventh) are so brief that they cannot be considered as

anythingmore than metricinterruptions. The movementis essentiallya
binarystructureand can be representedas in Fig. 2.
The A and B sections are themselvesaba ternarystructures.In both
cases two similar sections are separated by a thirdin contrastingstyle:
section iv - the centralportionof A - resemblesVI and VIII, the outer
sectionsof B, while the music separatingthese lattertwo - sectionvii - is
like A's outer sections,III and V. Sections I, III, V, vii and IX are written
for wind instrumentsand timpaniin 8 metre (and 6 in b.40), playinga
succession of clusters.This styleis introducedin section I and developed
in III, V and vii, IX is a varied returnof I and marksthe end of the first
largeunit of the piece. The even-numberedsectionswithinthisunit- (ii),
iv, VI and VIII - are forstringsonlyin 3 metreand in a linearcontrapuntal
style.Again, the firstof these sectionsservesas a briefintroductionof the
282 MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3, 1992

style,whichis thendeveloped in sectionsiv,VI and VIII. The two stylesof

presentationare combinedin sectionsX and XII, wherestringsand winds
are pitted against each other; the final section, XIII, for a reduced
orchestraof both stringsand winds playingtogether,seems to representa
synthesis.
Fig. 2 No. 1: Formal structure
1 2
I (ii) III iv V VI vii VIII IX X (xi) XII XIII

I I I I I I
(intro) A B (link) (A+B) coda
One of the pervasivecharacteristics of II cantois the use simultaneously

of a numberof different tempos. This is a featureof Nos 1, 2, 5, 6a, 6b, 8
and 9. In No. 4 several tempos, notated as various subdivisionsof the
quaver, as in the movementsjust mentioned,occur in succession. Only
No. 3 progressesat the same tempo throughout.The idea of several
tempos proceedingat once - an idea reminiscentof composersas diverse
as Stravinsky(much earlier)and Carter(a littlelater)- is givena thorough
expositionin the openingmovement.Altogether, ten temposare used here:
the basic pulses are the demisemiquaverseptuplet,the demisemiquaver
quintuplet,the demisemiquaver,the semiquaverseptuplet,the semiquaver
quintuplet,the semiquavertriplet,the semiquaver,the quaver triplet,the
quaver and the crotchettriplet.The exact natureof some of these tempos
is obscured by the notationin the sectionsin 4 metre,where,in orderto
facilitateentrieson minutesubdivisionsof the beat, all partsare writtenas
if the basic unit were twice as fast as it is (writtendemisemiquaver
quintupletsand septupletsproduce, in fact,notes whose pulse must be
understoodas divisionsof the semiquaver intofiveand seven).
Five tempos are introducedin the firstfourbars (section I); two notes
are played in each tempo,the firstfiveunitslong and the second ten. (The
consistency with which like durations are clustered throughoutthis
movementsupportsthe suggestionthat the nine-unitroll played by the
timpani in bs 3 and 4 should be one semiquaver longer.) The clusters
continue in section III, where the values 6, 4, 9, 2, 7, 12 and 10 are
presentedin fourtempos (see Ex. 1).
Afterthe interruption by section iv the clusterscontinue,now in only
threetempos:thevalues are 7, 8, 4, 12, 3, 11, 7, 10, 6, 2 and 5. (The third
and fourthof these occur in two voices only.) In the next section of this
type,vii,the numberof temposhas been further reduced to two: thevalues
are 5, 8, 11, 2, 6, 12, 1, 7, 8 and 2. Followingthe B section,sectionIX is a
MUSIC ANALYSIS11:2-3, 1992 283

KATHYRN BAILEY
Ex. 1
III
4 _9 9(b)
FI.
I
- 9 ral. 6(d) accel. 4(d)
rail.
6_
c) 4e
Ott.
4.
6( b) P -
2bA0
-- __ _ i in
- _____-~~~_--_-
i~I-ziji---7 -_.....a
__ ____
_
9 )
I ____ --- -____ ___________-
a4(a) - rz I' zzz- z:
Clar.
4(b)mp 2(b)
___;t
__- --- X4X?-_ __ __ -
''j
1
Tee
t
__
- _61_a) - ____ --- -----____{ ____
a= ui pe s units~fL~zzrn~
TJg . -- -
-9
4- - _
--------- _ -_ -
4r --92 ralL. _ accel-
cc) :z z ______ -- -~ ------
b---scisqtcvcr uit
trpetqivrunt
qaaser tail
~ Ve-~~--
~~~~-~
4_4__euns
~~~~- Ms~-Cprih
-- --- -- Viv- rla GmbH---Mainz.------
----
-eprduc i---Scott&-C.
Idyeris by- Repodce perisio ofSht o Lt. . n
odn
d = quaver units
CopyrightArsViva VerlagGmbH, Mainz.
Reproducedby permissionof Schott& Co. Ltd., London.

Ex. 1 cont.
iv
= 92 al. 1= 60
P 12(d)
Fl. 1
S- -- .
in 12(a)
--- 10(d__
Clar. bso
- -- i I_
mm--m-m-m -. ... -
F. mf 212(b)
_ _10(c)
i
_-Cor-.f--
r. i -
C " "__"
__ _ _ _ _ _ _
-
L
Trbne.
-6 ...
S= 92 rail. 4_ _
....d
I
ViT, - - pppp
o
Vc 7obl d.r .3
... ".
,ord r -
= = =
At
con
sor- d.
c, b {------------
.
b
..b

KATHYRN BAILEY
returnof the opening:againin fourbars of ', utilizingthe same instru-

mentsas bs 1-4, two durationsare presentedin each of thefivetempos
used at theopening,thistimein notesofsixand sevenunits'duration.
While the numberof temposis diminishing steadilyin the vertically
orientedwindsectionsof thepiece,justthe oppositeis happeningin the
intervening stringsections,whicharein a linearstyle.The introduction of
thisstyleoccursin section(ii), in whicha singlevoiceplaysthreenotesin
succession(thelasttwodoubledat thesamepitch),withvaluesof3, 8 and
1 quavers. In the firstsectionto develop this idea, sectioniv, two
rhythmically continuous butpointillisticallyorchestrated voicesbothmove
in triplets- one in quaversand one in crotchets: thevaluesin theslower
voiceare6 and 9, in thequickerone 4, 2, 5, 3, 1 and 11. The nextcontra-
puntal section,VI, is in threevoices, movingin semiquavers,quaver
tripletsand quavers.The seriesofdurations presented by thesevoicesare
respectively 7 5 8 10 2 1 3 9 1 4 7, 9 9 11 6 10 and 12 12. In sectionVIII
thenumberofvoicesand temposhas increasedto fourand theserieshave
becomemuchlonger:3 10 7 2 4 11 5 7 3 12 8 1 2 6 7 3 8 1 11 9, 9 12 5 3
9 1 5 2 4 10 10 12 12, 4 11 1 8 11 6 5 11 10 5 and 5 9 9 9 4 2 8 (see
Ex. 2). A steadyincreasein lengthreinforces thisgrowthin complexity:
section(ii) is two bars long; sectioniv, althoughnotatedas threebars,
overlapswiththe following sectionand thusin factlasts forfourbars;
sectionVI is sixbarslong,and sectionVIII, eight.
In thethirdlargesectionofthemovement, comprising barredsections
X, (xi) and XII, verticaland horizontal stylesoccursimultaneously, each
playedby theinstruments associatedwithit up to thispointin sectionX
(see Ex. 3), withtherolesswitched in XII. Section(xi) consistsofa single
minim,whichis the value needed to completesectionX. The clusters
presentedfirstby the windsand laterby the stringsare less consistently
treatedthanwas the case in earliersectionsof the movement:although
thereare fivetempospresent,themajority of thedurationsoccurin only
two,threeor fourof these.Five voices move in continuouspolyphony
meanwhile, statingeverlongerseriesofnotes,also in fivetempos;thereis
one breakin thecontinuity of all voicesin sectionXII (thelengthof this
breakvariesgreatly fromone voiceto anotheraccordingto thetempo;all
thebreaksoccurbetweenbs 74 and 83).
In the finalsection,XIII, continuouspolyphony is abandonedas a
reduced numberof instruments representing both winds and strings
presents a seriesof each in two
durations, occurring only parts/tempos, and
not separatedinto clustersas in earliersections.Because the several
temposin thissectionare neithertreatedas singlecontinuous voices,nor
presentedin exclusiveclusters,this finalsection may perhaps be seen to
representa consolidation,but at the same time a dissolution,of the two
stylesused in oppositionuntilthispoint.
AlthoughI have identifiedall the tempos and durationsused in this
movement(not as simple-mindedan occupation as mightbe supposed), I

Ex. 2 VIII
.82
Sca
FI.3
Fg. 2 ..-n
o
Tr. 5
(Cdi) 4 1 (c)
42(a)
--I-
-'<-:i-:.-
---?? --?........ -T 7 ,
7 -- ----
Pj 8
-
Con
sord.
(c).
..--= i b F , ,7
id. -en:a sord. 4(a __

'". 40 i " . .
(div. enza
con sor
sord. 3f 12(b) ) 9(b)
-9f
VCb ,.___
ra ' "--
____
Vlot
44 9(d) 801) f
4(d)
Rdip b
dbIyi) i d of S c C L
4
9_-_ 3:-- - .k "n ,12) ._, -d
--'U"-__.
" ------z
-- -
t<
Ars
Viv
A (, b --_-
Copyrigh
Vrg M
ViC yg ms g
Mirc .
2ro.d
F I 11
A.Ini quaver tiiis
d=(bl r
i tnl1t2(b
Copyright Ars Viva Verlag GmbH, Mainz.
Reproduced by permission of Schott & Co. Ltd., London.
MUSIC ANALYSIS 1992

11:2-3, 287

KATHYRN BAILEY
Ex. 3
9(b)
(a)
Timp (e)
1
f a {
aa-p 9
1213 2
I2(d)
Sr----
_ - --- -
! -
_--_- _- -
diAI I
"I ;OaI I
1040)
7Idi
_
24(d
---
L_. ... t V i -9--
:,
--------
-f
-----------.
-- ---_----_
-
quaqer
uni
-I
I&b4
5-(
24_(c)
c- = senlq ver units
288 MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3,1992

can offerno explanationforthe choice or the orderof eitherdurationsor

pitches.Judgingfromthe tenorof the othereightmovements,all of which
show a highdegree of controland integration, I can onlysuppose thatthe
openingone is also tightlyorganised,but I have not been able to findthe
key.The a-is is presentedhaltinglyin the openingbars of the movement:
the firstcluster(duration5, bs 1-2) presentsnotes 1-5 of the series,but in
the orderG G#A B Bb;the second cluster(duration10, bs 2-5) uses notes
6-9 (in the order F F#C#C) plus the firstnote of the series again; the
remainingthreenotes, again in the wrongorder (E Eb D), appear in the
firsttwo clustersof section III (durations6 and 4, bs 7-10), along with
otherpitchesoccupyingvarious positionsin the series. Pitches 1-9 of the
series are presented by consecutive notes in bs 44-6 with 10-12 in
consecutivenotes afterthe interpolationof G and B. Beyond these two
veryunassumingreferencesto the row,I can offernothing.
NO. 2
'... I die for a world that will shine with lightof such strengthand
beautythatmy sacrifice
is nothing.For thatworldmillionsof men
havediedon thebarricadesand in war.I die forjustice.Our ideaswill
triumph... '"
In two movements of II canto sospeso - Nos 2 and 6b - cyclic rotation is

used to determinethe order of durations in a very simple pitch-class
structureconsistingof repeatedblock statementsof the untransposeda-is.
These two movementsare similarin many other,more apparent,ways as
well: both are in ' metre and are linear, with fourvoices proceedingin
several differenttempos, in the style introducedin the even-numbered
sectionsof the openingmovement,and both are fifty bars long.
The second movementis writtenforunaccompaniedeight-partchorus.
The eightvoices neversound togetherbut are used as availablematerialin
the pointillisticcomposition of four continuous voices which proceed
polyphonically, each movingat its own tempo. The fourtempos share the
crotchet,dividingit into two, three,fourand fiveunits. The fourvoices
beginthe piece together;the firstgap in the four-voicetextureoccurs at the
beginningofthe coda (b. 142).
The ordering of both pitches and durations follows what I have
elsewherecalled 'block topography','0cuttingacross the four-voicelinear
structureto presenta succession of twelve-notechunks. In each of these
the pitchesare arrangedso thattheyarticulatethe untransposeda-is. Thus
the pitch content of the movement is audibly repetitious: the untransposed
a-is is heard constantlyrepeated, nineteen times all told.
Each of the nineteen pitch-class rows functions also as a series of
durations. Both the values used and the way in which they are ordered in

KATHYRN BAILEY
successiveseries are determinedby the regularcyclic rotationof a

symmetrical seriesbased on thefirst sixFibonaccinumbers.The durations
ofthenotesmakingup thefirst a-is,in bs 108-10,establishtheseries1 2 3
5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1. The followingelevenstatements go througha
completecycleof rotationin whicheach seriesbeginswiththe second
elementof the one preceding,the firsthavingmovedto the end. This
producesa 'magicsquare'in whichcorresponding rowsand columnsare
identical(see rows 1-12 in Fig. 3). Six of theserotationsproducethe
inversionoftheoriginalseries(13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 8 13); twelvewould
reproduce theoriginal itself.This latterstepis avoided.The cycleseemsto
begina second time - series13-15are thesameas 2-4 - but omitting the
repetitionof the originalseries.Rows 13-15 also represent thefirstthree
stepsbackwards through thepermutation table.This newcycle/reversalis
cutshortafterthreerows,as ifall is accomplished oncetherelationship
has
been demonstrated."
HereI shouldliketo quoteSmithBrindleone lasttime.Not onlyhas he
made assertionsabout the wholeworkon the basis of his analysisof a
Fig. 3 No. 2: Table ofdurations

A Bb AX B G C F C# F D E
E_
(1) 1 2 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1
(2) 2 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 1
(3) 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2
(4) 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2 3
(5) 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5
(6) 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 8
(7) 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 8 13
(8) 8 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 13
(9) 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 13 8
(10) 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 13 8 5
(11) 2 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3
(12) 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2
[1 2 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1: missing]
(13) 2 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 1
(14) 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2
(15) 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2 3
(16) 13 13 8 13 13 8 5 8 8 5 3 5
(17) 5 2 3 3 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 CODA
(18) 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 3 2 3 8 5
(19) 5 3 8 5 8 5 13 8 13 8 13 13

single movement; it now becomes clear that his remarks about that
movementare based on his analysis of the firsttwo bars. He correctly
identifiesthe initialdurationsseriesand goes partof the way to recognising
how it workswhenhe says
... theproportional
seriesand itsretrograde (1.2.3.5.8.13//13.8.5.3.2.1)
is appliedto fourbasic durationvalues... .Whenever a noteendsit is
followedby anotherformedby multiplying the same basic duration
valuebythenextnumberavailableintheproportional series.'2
(The latteris of course not true at the ends of rows, where the 'next
number available in the series' is always skipped; this firstoccurs in the
thirdbar.) The factis that SmithBrindle'sinvestigationof the movement
must have stopped with the firstrow; this is the only explanationforhis
subsequentstatementthat
The firstcompletestructure(34 measures)continuesthisprocedure
untilthe proportional
seriesand its retrograde
have been used ten
times.
Not onlyhas he failedto noticethatthe rowsare not all the same, but even
his sums are wrong.
The coda (bs 142-57) worksin a different way altogether.Up to this
point the rotationof the durationsseries has cut across the polyphonic
structureof the music. While the serial operationdeterminesthe number
of unitsin each note it does not prescribewhichof the fourtemposis to be
used; thereforethe same series of numbers resultsin a varietyof com-
binations.In the coda it is as ifthisapproachwere givena 90-degreeturn:
now, although the a-is continues to repeat as before, the significant
numberseriesare not produced by successivestatementsof the pitch-class
row but by the fourindividualtempo strands/voices, each of which plays
completelythe inversionof the durationsseries(previouslyheard as row 7,
halfwaythroughthe rotationalcycle: 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 8 13). The
relativechaos this produces withinthe fourstatementsof the a-is can be
seen in the row table (rows 16-19 in Fig. 3).
The order of the dynamic indications is also determined through
rotation,by the applicationof a systemwhich,thoughsimilarto, is quite
independent of that governingthe durations. Eleven discrete dynamic
indicatorsare used in the movement:fivebasic levelsplus six indicationsof
change. The lowestlevel,ppp, is used twice,in orderto obtainthe seriesof
twelveelementsshownin Fig. 4. When the dynamiccontentsof successive
pitch-class rows are displayed on a table like the one used for durations in
Fig. 3 it will be seen that in the firstsection of the movement (rows 1-12)
each column (representing the successive appearances of each pitch class)
contains all twelve indicators in the correct order, as was the case with

KATHYRN BAILEY
Fig. 4 No. 2: Dynamicsseries

ppp p mp mf f ppp ppp<f f>ppp ppp<mf mf>ppp p<f f>p
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
durations. Also as there, each column representsa rotation from the

previousone so thatneighbouringcolumnsbegin at different pointsin the
cycle (see Fig. 5).13 Unlike the rotationsgoverningthe durations,however,
these are not regular;since the rotationsof the series (in the columns) are
not determinedby the series, the firstrow is not the same as the first
column, and the product is not a symmetricalsquare. The pattern of
rotationhas been determinedby the applicationof a permutationclosely
relatedto the a-is. This is shownin Fig. 6.
There are eightdiscrepanciesin the score. These can be rationalisedin
various ways. The first,the G in row 1, is possiblya printingomission-
simply,there is no dynamicindicationfor this note (though this is not
Fig. 5 No. 2: Table of dynamics
A B% A, B G C F# C# F D E E6
(1) 1 3 2 6 (3) 9 4 12 5 3 6 6
(2) 2 4 3 7 4 10 5 1 6 4 (7) (7)
(3) (3) 5 4 8 5 11 6 2 7 5 (8) 8
(4) 4 6 5 9 6 12 7 3 (8) 6 9 9
(5) 5 7 6 10 7 1 8 4 (9) 7 10 10
(6) 6 8 7 11 8 2 9 5 10 8 11 11
(7) 7 9 8 12 9 3 10 6 11 9 12 12
(8) 8 10 9 1 10 4 11 7 12 10 1 1
(9) 9 11 10 2 11 5 12 8 1 11 2 2
(10) 10 12 11 3 12 6 1 9 2 12 3 3
(11) 11 1 2 4 12 7 2 10 3 1 4 4
(12) 12 2 1 5 2 8 3 11 4 2 5 5
(13) 2 4 3 7 4 10 5 1 6 4 7 7
(14) 3 5 4 8 5 11 6 2 7 5 8 8
(15) 4 6 5 9 6 12 7 3 8 6 9 (9)
(16) 7 8 7 9 5 11 1 12 4 2 5 3
(17) 9 5 1 5 5 2 1 3 5 4 5 1 CODA
(18) 5 3 2 3 5 5 4 1 4 5 4 10
(19) 4 4 4 1 3 7 3 9 2 10 1 12
NB: Numbers in bracketsindicate discrepanciesbetweenwhat is requiredby the system

and whatappears in the score; I have alteredthesenumbersto fitthe system.

Fig. 6 No. 2: Patternofrotationused in table of dynamics
I I I I I
-1 -3 -5 -7 -9
rows,bs 108-10:
first 1 3 2 6 3 9 4 12 5 3 6 6
+2 +4 +6 +8 +10 +0
I I I I I I
necessarilya sign of omission,as it happens more than once elsewhere).It

is easy to suppose a similarexplanationforboth the E in row 3 and the F
in row 4, notes marked only f instead of the required f>ppp. The
discrepanciesin rows 2 and 5 (2: E and E?, 5: F) mightbe explainedin the
same way (all threeare markedppp instead of ppp<f (in 2) or ppp<mf(in
5), but a second explanationseems more likely,and thiswould coverthe F
in row 4 as well: these four notes are all semiquaver quintuplets,and
nowherein the movementdoes Nono assign a changingdynamicto this
shortvalue. If thisis the explanation,it is an exampleof one of the hazards
ofwritingmusic in thisway: the productionof an impossibility throughthe
inauspicious intersection of two one-dimensional systems. The E? in row
15, ppp<finsteadofppp<mf,maybe an errorof omission;it is possible,on
the otherhand, that its crescendo is exaggeratedto emphasisethe end of
the main body of the piece and of the four-voicetexturethat has been
consistentup to this point (but then,why was the dynamicof the E not
alteredin the same way?). Only thisE, and the A in row 3 (ppp<mfinstead
of mp) do not offereasy explanations.
The recurrenceof the numbersthreeand six in the firstrow resultsin
identicalcolumns in second, fifthand tenth,and in fourth,eleventhand
twelfthpositions. No two rows are the same: rows 2-12 representthe
complete table of transpositionsof the initial row, listed chromatically.
Like the durations,the dynamicsof rows 13-15 are identicalto those of
rows 2-4, and, again,the orderwithinthe coda appears chaotic.I cannotin
thiscase determinetheway in whichthesefourrowsare organised.
NO. 3
'... theyare takingme to Kessarianiforexecutiontogetherwithseven

others.I die forliberty
and country
...'
'... today they will shoot us. We die as men for our country.Be
worthyofus...'
'... theywill hang me in the square because I am a patriot.Your son

goes withouthearingthe bells of freedom...'

KATHYRN BAILEY
No. 3 is writtenforthree solo voices and large orchestra(24 wind parts

and at least 19 strings,althoughat no time are all instrumentspresent).
The partsare groupedinto threerhythmic voices whichmove at the same
tempo, the semiquaver acting as basic durational unit for all three.
Durations are serialised,and, as in the majorityof the othermovements,
the operatoris one of the a-is permutations.The treatmentdiffersfrom
that in the second movementin several ways: most significantly, both
pitch-class and durations seriesare givena linear expositionhere.
All the durationsseries in No. 3 draw fromthe odd numbersbetween
one and nine; each voice uses a distinctivesymmetricalcombinationof
these numbers.In each seriesused by the voice that entersfirst(hereafter
referredto as A) the numbers 1, 3, 5 and 9 all appear twice,and 7 occurs
fourtimes.All the seriesin voice B containtwo each ofthe numbers1, 3, 7
and 9, and four5s; in those of voice C thereare fourappearances of the
numbers 1 and 3, two of 5 and 7, and no 9. In all voices the series are
subjectedto a successionof 2 4 6 8 10 12 1 3 5 7 9 11 - or 11 9 7 5 3 1 12
10 8 6 4 2 - permutations(the symmetry of the originalseriesensuresthe
identity of the resultsof these two operations).Because the startingrows
were symmetrical,all the rows resulting from this permutation are
symmetrical as well. The permutationtables forthe rows used by all three
voices are givenas Fig. 7.
Fig. 7 No. 3: Permutationtablesfordurationsseries
voice A voice B voice C
(1) 371579975173 531957759135 171353353171

(2) 759713317957 397515515793 733511115337
(3) 573197791375 955173371559 351137731153
(4) 717935539717 513759957315 517313313715
(5) 195377773591 179535535971 133175571331
(6) 937751157739 755391193557 315731137513
(1) 371579975173 531957759135 171353353171
Each voice is presentedby a distinctiveinstrumental

group:A by oboes,
bassoon and trombones;B by clarinets,includingbass clarinet,and horns;
C by flutes and trumpets.Stringsand singersjoin all three groups at
varioustimes.The activityofthe threevoices is shownin Fig. 8.
Fig. 8 No. 3: Three-voicestructure
158 176 181 182 201 207 213 219 226 231 239
A
B
C -

Each voice plays its originaldurationsseriesand its firstpermutationin

the opening section of the movement(bs 158-76). In the middle section
(bs 177-219) voice A goes through three more rows, continuing its
permutationsto the penultimateone of its cycle, and voice B completes
one cycle except forthe repetitionof the startingrow (six rows). Like A,
voice C presentsrows 3, 4 and 5 of its cycle,then the firstfournotes only
of its sixthand finalrow; omittingaltogetherthe repetitionof the row with
which it started,it goes on to rows 2 and 3 of a second cycle,which is
continuedin the finalsection (bs 219-39), wherethe last row (6) is once
again representedby its firstfournotes only.In this sectionvoice B states
its startingrow entirely,thus finishingthe only complete permutational
cycle in the movement.Voice A has only fragmentsin this section: ulti-
matelyall but note 10 of the sixthrow of its cycle,plus notes 1-6 of its
originalseries.This is shownin Fig. 9.
The pitch contentof this movementis less transparent.Its patternis
obscured in two ways. Firstly,in the course of the movementeightof the
durationsare expressedas rests (in bs 168, 170, 181, 191, 194, 201, 216
and 236-7, shownin bold in Fig. 9); thismeans thatfromb.168 onwardsa
direct correspondencebetween durations series and pitch-classrows is
impossible. Secondly, when two or more instrumentsplay the same dur-
ation theyfrequentlyhave different pitches (thoughthereis considerable
pitch-class reinforcement as well). Pitch-classdiversityof this sort occurs
sporadically; at its most dense five differentpitches express togetherthe
same duration ? in bs 169-70, forexample). These 'extra'pitchesdo
not group themselves
(see, into twelve-note rows, nor is their vertical
relationship to each other consistent,although they are in most cases
clustersof semitonesor of tones and semitones.Each of the threevoices
opens the movementwith the untransposeda-is. Voice C plays this row
twicemore in the course of the movement(in the firstinstance,in bs 189-
96, the row falls on notes 5-12 of a durations series and a four-note
fragmentthat follows; the second a-is follows immediately,this time
coincidingwitha durationsseries,in bs 196-201). Voice B ends withthe
a-is.
NO. 4
The fourthmovement,forinstrumentsalone, uses two orchestras:one of

stringsonly,the otherof wind and percussion.These two bodies play at
the same time,treatingthe same orderedgroup of seventy-two pitchesin
quite different
ways. Perhaps the most strikingfeatureof the movementis
its narrowrange: all the pitchesin both orchestrasfallwithinthe octave e'
and eb2. The stringspresentthe basic pitch materialin the formof six
twelve-noterows played in verylong notes. All these statementstake the
formof texturallozenges, beginningand ending with a single voice and

KATHYRN BAILEY
Fig. 9 No. 3: Durationsseries

voice A [2x1; 2x3; 2x5; 4x7; 2x9]
(1) 371579975173 (b.158): trbnl/2,ob, bssnl, bcl

(2) 759713317957 (b.167): trbnl/2,ob, bssnl
(3) 573197791375 (b.181): trbnl/2,ob, bssnl, vces, str

(4) 717935539717 (b.189): trbnl,ob, bssnl, ten/alt,vln,vlc
(5) 195377773591 (b.199): trbn1/2/3/4,obl, vces, via, vlc
(6) f 937751157739 (bs219; 231): vces (1-5); trbnl,obl, vces (6-9, 11-12)
(1)f 371579975173 (b.235): ob, cll, trbnl/2(1-6)
voice B [2x1; 2x3; 4x5; 2x7; 2x9]
(1) 531957759135 (b.158): hnl, cl, bcl

(2) 397515515793 (b.166): hnl/2,cl, bcl
(3) 955173371559 (b.185): hns,cl, bcl, vces, vla, vln

(4) 513759957315 (b.193): hnl/2/3,cls, bcl, vln,vla, vlc
(5) 179535535971 (b.202): vces, vla
(6) 755391193557 (b.210): trpl/2/3/4/5,vces
(1) 531957759135 (b.226): hnl/2,cll, vces
voice C [4x1; 4x3; 2x5; 2x7; no 9]
(1) 171353353171 (b.159): fl

trpl/2/3/5,
(2) 733511115337 (b.165): fl
trp2/3/4/5,
(3) 351137731153 (b.177): trp2,fl,vces,vln,vlc

(4) 517313313715 (b.182): trpl/2/3/5, fl,str
(5) 133175571331 (b.188): trpl/2/3, fl,vces, vln
(6) f 315731137513 (b.194): sop (1-4)
(1) 171353353171 (missing)]
(2) 733511115337 (b.196): trbl,fl,vln,vlc, c12
trpl/2/3/5,
(3) 351137731153 (b.207): fl,vla
trpl/2/3/5,
(4) 517313313715 (b.224): fl,vces

trpl/2/3/5,
(5) 133175571331 (b.229): fl
trp2/3/4/5,
(6)f 315731137513 (b.235): fl(1-4)
trpl/3/4/5,
f indicatesfragment(s)only.
Those seriesnumberedin bold facepresenta-is pitch-classseries.
Instrumentsin italicsare playingoutsidetheirusual ensemble.
Duration numbersin bold face are expressedas rests.

becomingmost dense at the centre,and theyoverlapgreatly,occurringin

bs 240-51, 246-57, 253-62, 261-70, 264-78 and 270-84. The instru-
mentationformsan arch: the firstthreerows are played by, respectively,
twelve solo cellos and basses playingharmonics,twelve solo violins and
violas, and tuttistrings(in eightparts), and the subsequent threeby the
same groups in reverseorder. This arch is reinforcedby the dynamics,
which are the same forthe lengthof each row:ppp<p on each note of the
firstrow, mp<mfthroughoutthe second and f<fff throughoutthe third,
thenfff>f, mf>mpand p>ppp in the fourth,fifth and sixthrows.
The seventy-two notes played by the stringssupplythe materialforthe
wind and percussion orchestra as well, but here they are expressed
differently. Each note playedby the stringsgeneratestwo at the same pitch
level in the wind/percussion orchestra,one reinforcingits appearance and
the otheremphasisingits release. These notes are much shorterthan the
correspondingones in the stringorchestra,and all togethertheyproduce a
single continuousrhythmicvoice, similarto those alreadyencounteredin
movements two and three and the linear sections of movement one.
Because severaldifferent notes of the same durationare frequentlystruck
and released simultaneously(correspondingwith as many attacks and
releases in the strings),sixtyof the 144 notes echoingthe stringmusic are
rhythmically redundant.Conversely,fifteennotes played at various times
throughoutthe movementby unpitchedpercussioninstrumentsand one
twelve-noterow playedby the winds in the centralsection (bs 258-63) are
independentof the stringsbut contributeto the continuousrhythmof the
winds and percussion (although most notes in the winds' row are also
rhythmically redundant). The resultis a succession of 102 durations,or
eight and one-half twelve-unit rows.
These begin in bs 240, 246, 252, 257, 260, 264, 269, 275 and 281,
thereby(except forthe finalhalfrow, which acts as a coda extendingthe
finalsection) correspondingwiththe internaldouble bars and changes of
tempo. Four tempos - based on tripletquavers, semiquavers,quintuplet
semiquaversand septupletsemiquavers- are used to produce an arch form
thatacceleratestowardsthe centre.A comparisonwiththe arch formedby
the strings'activitiesshows that the juncturesin these two structuresdo
not in all cases coincide.
The contentsof the durationsseries are given in Fig. 10a. The initial
seriesin b.240 is a regular,thoughobscure,rearrangement of the numbers
fromone to twelve(see the firstrow of Fig. 10a and Fig. 10b); subsequent
rows representrotationsof this series. The pattern of rotationis also
regular:it is such that the initialdurationsof successiverows read in the
order 11 5 4 10 9 3 2 8 7 (see the firstcolumn of durationsin Fig. 10a and
Fig. O10c).
I can offerless in the way of explanation where pitch structureis
concerned.Two readingsof the six rows played by the stringorchestraare
suggestedby the emphasisprovidedby the windsand percussion:theymay

KATHYRN BAILEY
Fig. 10 No. 4: Durations series
a) b.240 11 2 1 9 7 12 6 3 4 8 10 5
b.246 5 11 2 1 9 7 12 6 3 4 8 10
b.252 4 8 10 5 11 2 1 9 7 12 6 3
b.257 10 5 11 2 1 9 7 12 6 3 4 8
b.260 9 7 12 6 3 4 8 10 5 11 2 1
b.264 3 4 8 10 5 11 2 1 9 7 12 6
b.269 2 1 9 7 12 6 3 4 8 10 5 11
b.275 8 10 5 11 2 1 9 7 12 6 3 4
b.281 7 12 6 3 4 8
b) I I I I
+3 -4 +5 (6) -3 +4 -5 (6) (semitonepattern)
11 2 1 9 7 12 / 6 3 4 8 10 5 /
-1 -2 (6) +1 +2 (6)
c) I I I I I
11 5 4 10 9 3 2 8 7 [1 12 6] (semitonepattern:6 -1 6 -1 ...)
I I I I I I
be arrangedin orderof eitherentryor release. Fig. 11 shows the firstthree

rows orderedin the firstway and the last threein the second; the central
row in this example (in bs 258-63) is the one played by winds and
percussionat the centreof the movement,rangingacross the strings'third
and fourthrows, in bs 258-63.'~ Notes that are bracketedtogetherare
struck(or, in bs 261-84, released) at the same time, therebyleavingthe
orderundefined.
The orderin the outerrows of thislist,i.e. the attacksin the firstof the
stringrows and the releases in the last - conformto the a-is. The central
wind row has in common withthisrow onlyits firstand (probably)its last
Fig. 11 No. 4: Pitch-classseries
-
bs 240-51 A B% At B G C F# C# F D E
bs 246-57 ~ B D G Ab A F B6 (C# C E,
E) FO E6
bs 253-62 * B F A (At Bb) C D G C# (E F#) E6
bs 258-63 A B (C F) (C# B[) G (At E) F# (D EL)
bs 261-70 -- A B, C G (B C#) (F# E) F (E, AP) D

bs 264-78 -- A B6 (C C#) (G F#) Ab E6 F B E D
bs 270-84 -- A B6, At B G C F# C# F D EEE

note. Although the winds play sufficientnotes in this movement to

accommodate thirteenrows (six timestwelvenotes reinforcing the attacks
in the strings,six timestwelvepointingout theirreleases and one row not
playedby the strings,in bs 258-63), and these are in factarrangedso as to
produce a durations structureof eight and one-half rows; because of
duplications these notes do not sort themselvesinto pitch-class rows
independentofthose of the strings.
NO. 5
'... iftheheavenswerepaperand all theseas oftheworldink,I could

notdescribemysufferingsand all thatI see aroundme. I saygoodbye
to all andweep...'
No. 5 proceeds in three continuous voices, each moving at a different

tempo. The basic durational units are the semiquaver,the semiquaver
quintuplet and the semiquaver sextuplet (writtenas subdivided quaver
triplets).Only threedurationsare used in each tempo: the semiquaver,and
notes worthtwo and seven semiquavers(the factthatthe threevalues add
up to ten is probablysignificant;the numbersfiveand ten are importantin
this movement,as theywere in the opening section of No. 1). These are
combined in four symmetricaltwelve-unitseries, all of which use each
numberfourtimes: 7722 1111 2277, 1717 2222 7171, 1271 7227 1721
and 2127 7117 7212. Each voice has ten durationsrows in the course of
the movement;the seriesplayedby the voices thatenterfirstand third(the
slowestand fastestmoving,respectively)are identical.The durationsof all
threevoices are shownin Fig. 12.
Three versionsof the a-is are used to generatethe pitchmaterialof this
movement:voice B is based on the primeform,voice A on the retrograde
and voice C on the retrogradeinversion.The lattervoice also makesuse of
transposition.The ten rows in each voice formtwo retrogradepatterns,
one comprisingthe row on whichthe voice is based and its retrograde,the
second a series of four rows obtained throughsuccessive permutational
rearrangements,and their retrogrades.The firstrow in voice A is the
retrogradeand the second is the retrogradeof this(the a-is itself).The next
four rows proceed from this one, the first through a symmetrical
rearrangement ofitsnotes - 1 4 9 12 / 2 6 7 11 / 3 5 8 10 - and subsequent
ones throughthe applicationof similarrearrangements in whichthe central
tetrachordof each row becomes the firsttetrachordofthe nextone and the
notes of the remainingtetrachordsare rearrangedsymmetrically (the four
outernotes in one tetrachordand the fourinnerones in the other)- 1 9 12
4 / 2 10 11 3; 102 3 11/ 1 9 12 4; 2 10 11 3/ 1 9 12 4. These fourrows
are thenheard again, in reverseorderand in retrograde.The second voice
has the entirepitch-classcontentofthe firstin retrograde, thusendingwith

KATHYRN BAILEY
Fig. 12 No. 5: Table of durations
voices Aand C: 7722 1111 2277

1717 2222 7171
1717 2222 7171

7722 1111 2277
1271 7227 1721
2127 7117 7212
1717 2222 7171

2127 7117 7212
1271 7227 1721
7722 1111 2277
voice B: 127 1 7227 172 1

2127 7117 7212
1717 2222 7171
7722 1111 2277
1271 7227 1721

7722 1111 2277
1717 2222 7171
2127 7117 7212
1271 7227 1721

2127 7117 7212
NB If 7722 1111 2277=m, 1717 2222 7171=n, 1271 7227 1721=o and 2127 7117
7212=p, then voices A & C contain 3xm, 3xn, 2xo and 2xp, while voice B contains2xm,
2xn, 3xo and 3xp.
the primeformof the a-is. The remainingvoice begins,likevoice A, witha

retrogradepair, in thiscase the retrogradeinversionand its retrograde,the
inversion.The nextfourrows are produced in the same way as the parallel
rows in voice A and are, as there,followedby theirretrogradesin reverse
order.This time,however,everything fromthe eighthnote of the firstof
these rows in retrogradeto the last seven notes of the fourthis transposed
down a tone; the last seven notes are a tone higherthan the original.The
pitch-classcontentof the threevoices is shown in Fig. 13. The obvious
potential for canonic imitationbetween these three series (rows 1-8 of
voice B are identicalto rows 3-10 ofvoice A; voices A and C are relatedby
inversion)is not exploited.
Five dynamicindicationsare used in No. 5: ppp p mp mfand f. These
300 MUSICANALYSIS
11:2-3, 1992

Fig. 13 No. 5: Table ofpitch-classrows

voice A:
b.285 F E D F C C G B A? B% A (R)
b.288 A B A B GFG F
C CO F D E E~ (P)
b.291 A B F E B% C FO E A? G CO D
b.295 B% C F# E A A D E~ B G CO F
b.298 A D E6 G C FO C B6 B F E
b.301 G A,
C FO CO A? B F D A BE E F
(ret.)
b.305 E~ E B6 A D F B A C# Fj C G
b.308 E F B B6 C# F# C G E D A
b.311 F C G B El D A? A E FO C B6
b.315 D C G A? E F# CB6 E~ F B A
voice B:
b.288 A B F E6 B6 C FO E A? G CO D
b.290 B6 C F E A A? D E, B G C# F
b.293 A Ab D E6 G C FO C B6 B F E
b.296 G C FO CO A? B F D A B6 E E6e
(ret.)
b.298 EF E B6 A D F B A? C~ FO C G
b.301 E F B B6 C C G EE D A A
b.304 F CO GB E D A A E FO C B6
b.306 D DFj
CO G A E FO C B6 E~ F B A
b.309 E E D F FO C G B A? B6 A (R)
b.311 A B6 Ab B CG
G CFO F D E E6
C# (P)
voice C:
b.290 E D E F C B G B6 A A
A? B6 G F (RI)-
b.293 A
CG
B FO C F C# E D E6 (I)
b.295 A G CO E6 A? F C D B6 B F E
b.297 A?F C D A B E E6 G B F CO
b.299 A B7E E6 BFO C F A? G CO D
b.302 B FO C F B6G CO E A A E~
FD
b.304 E D A? A E CO G A E B6 E A
b.306 C B F FO E6 B6 E A CO D A? G
b.308 B E6 A F C D A? G C B6 E FO
b.310 D E6AA A& C D A? B6 F E6 A B
NB The noteswithin
thesinglebox areat TIo,thosewithin
thedoubleboxat T2.

KATHYRN BAILEY
are arrangedin thesame orderin voicesA and C, thereby reinforcingthe

structural of thesevoicesthathas alreadybeen observedin the
similarity
organisationof bothpitchclassesand durations;as in the case of dura-
tions,however, thecontentofvoiceB does notrepresent theretrograde of
thatoftheothervoices,as wouldbe suggested by thepitch-class relation-
ship.The dynamicssuggestforthe mostparttrichordal or hexachordal
divisionsratherthanthetetrachordalones implicitin thedurations series.
The dynamic contentofthethreevoicesis giveninFig. 14.
Fig. 14 No. 5: Table ofdynamics
voicesA and C:
(1) ppp p ppp p ppp p mp p mp p mp p

(2) p p mp mp p mp mf mp mf mf mp mp
(3) p p mp mp p mp mf mp mf mp mp mf
(4) mf f mp mf f f f mp f f f mf
(5) mp mf mp f mp mp mp mf f f mf mf
(6) f mp f f mf mp mf mp mp mf f mp
(7) mf mf mp mp mf mp p mp p p mp mp
(8) mf mf mp mf mp mp p p mp p mp mp
(9) mf p mf mp mp mp p p p ppp ppp ppp
(10) p mp p mp p mp p ppp p ppp p ppp
voice B:
(1) ppp ppp ppp p p p mp mp mp p p p

(2) p p p mp mp mp mf mf mf mp mp mp
(3) p p p mp mp mf mf mf mf mp mp mp
(4) mf mf mf f f f f f f mf mf mf
(5) mp mp f mp mp mp mf mf mf f f f
(6) f f mf mf mf mf mp mp mp mp mp mp
(7) p p p mp mf mp mf mf mf mp mp mp
(8) p p p mp mp mp mf mf mf mp mp mp
(9) p p p ppp ppp ppp p p p mp mp mp
(10) p p p ppp ppp ppp ppp ppp ppp ppp ppp ppp
I cannot suggesta serialbasis forthislist;however,severalobservations

should be made. The last row of voices A and C is the retrogradeof the
first;and thereis a close relationshipbetween rows 2 and 8. In voice B,
row 2 is the same as row 1 at the equivalentofTi; row 8 is the same as row
2; row 4 is a palindrome;the firsthexachordof row 9 is the retrogradeof
the second hexachord of row 1, and vice versa. In six of the ten rows of
voice B a singledynamicindicationis in forcethroughentiretrichords;the
fourrowsthatdo not conform(3, 5, 6 and 7) differin onlyone marking.

As in No. 3, also fororchestraand singers(thereis only one singerin

the presentmovement)and also in threevoices, each voice is represented
by a unique combinationof forces.In thisway as in most others,voices A
and C are similar(both use oboe and bassoon, bass clarinet,trumpetand
trombone,harp and strings- A is assigned the second harp and uses also
the clarinet,while C uses consistentlythe firstharp as well as fluteand
horn) and B is strikingly different,using none of the instrumentsof the
other two groups (the tenor shares this voice with the vibraphoneand
marimba, all three very distinctivetimbres in the total combination).
Again, I cannot finda serialbasis forthe organisationof timbresbut will
make a few observations.In voices A and C the durationalvalue 1 is
alwaysplayed by harp. In voice C rows 4-6 use onlyharp and strings,and
stringsare used verysparinglyin the rows on eitherside of this central
group; all duration2s in these outersectionsare playedby winds. In voice
A, conversely,rows 4-6 are played entirelyby wind and harp, with the
stringsprominentin the outer sections:the firstand last row of thisvoice
are givenentirelyto stringsand harp, and all duration2s in rows 1-3 and
7-10 are playedby strings.
Inevitablythismovementis reminiscentof No. 3, since thatis the only
movement to combine instrumentsand voices prior to this one. The
surfacekinshipis reinforcedin manyways. These are the onlymovements
thus farthat have proceeded in a thoroughlylinear contrapuntalmanner
(althoughfourvoices were maintainedconsistentlythroughoutNo. 2, all
the seriesof pitch classes, durationsand dynamics- were presentedin
block fashion),and both are in threevoices. An importantdifference is the
complicationof additional tempos in No. 5: this makes a chart of the
progressof the threevoices look verydifferent fromthe one givenearlier
forNo. 3 (compare Fig. 15 withFig. 8 above).
Fig. 15 No. 5: Three-voicestructure
285 288 290 313 314 318

A
B
C
NO. 6a
... the doors open. There are our murderers.Dressed in black. They
chaseus fromthesynagogue.'
No. 6a is essentiallya cancrizansstructurein which chorus and orchestra

performthe same music, going in opposite directions,probably as a
reflectionof the text.As the assassins enter,the people exit. The idea of

KATHYRN BAILEY
two groups progressingtowardseach otherand crossingat midpointwas

introduced in No. 1, where the complexityof odd-numbered sections
(played by winds) decreased whilethatof even-numberedsections(played
by strings)increasedas thepiece progressed.
In No. 6a the two performing bodies, an eight-partorchestrausingonly
low-pitchedinstrumentswith copious doublings (firstbassoon with first
and second horns; second bassoon withthirdand fourthhorns; firstand
second trombones;thirdand fourthtrombones)and an eight-partchoir,
presentessentiallythe same piece, one startingat eitherend. The piece, in
2 metrethroughout,is in foursections,nine, seventeen,seven and a half,
and eleven and a halfbars in length,and comprisingrespectively six, nine,
six and ten durationsin each voice, correspondingto the text,whichfalls
into foursectionsof six, nine, six and ten syllables(... le portes'aprono./
Eccoli i nostriassassini./ Vestitidi nero./ Ci caccianodalla sinagoya).Three
tempos are used, based on semiquaver quintuplets, semiquavers and
quaver triplets;each voice playsin one tempothroughouteach section,but
the distributionand even the numberof tempos change betweensections.
In termsofpitch,the piece is static:each part (voice, or instrument)simply
reiteratesthe same pitch throughouteach section, and thus no part has
more than four pitches in the course of the piece. In both chorus and
orchestraall eight parts are present only in the section containingten
durations(the firstsection forthe orchestra,the last forthe chorus); the
heaviestdensityoccurs in the middle of the outer sections,when thirteen
partsare presentforjust overthreebars (bs 322-5 and 357-9). Of the eight
voices in the orchestra'sfirstsection(and the chorus'sfourth),fivemove in
semiquaverquintupletsand threein semiquavers.In the 'next' section(the
second for the orchestra,the thirdfor the chorus), only six voices are
present,three moving at each of these tempos. The thirdtempo 'first'
appears in the followingsection(the thirdforthe orchestra,but the second
forthe chorus),wherethereare again six voices,two movingat each speed.
In the orchestra'sfourthsection (the chorus's first),one of six voices
moves in semiquavers,two in quintupletsand threein quaver triplets.
Six durationsare used. They correspondto the firstsix numbersof an
arithmeticprogressionin which successivenumbersrepresentan expand-
ing increment(n+1, 2, 3, 4, 5): 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 17. I can discern no
regularity in the initialarrangementof thesevalues, but all the tempos and
durationsof the orchestralpiece occur in exact retrogradein the choral
one. Since the foursectionsare of unequal length,chorusand orchestrado
not move from one section to the next at the same time. The largest
discrepancycomes at the centre of the movement,where all parts are
playingthe same music, half in retrograde,fromb.338 to b.345. This is
illustratedin Fig. 16.
A twelve-elementseries of dynamicindicationsis used (see Fig. 17).
Althoughthe dynamic markingsare independentof the durations,they
also contributeto the retrograderelationshipbetween orchestra and

Fig. 16 No. 6a: Coincidenceofparts

section I II III IV
bs 319 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 50 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 60 1 2 3
B6b
B?
BE
AA
A
C~
hE6-I E
rn IAU
[above: bssnl, hns1/2; bssn2, hns3/4; trbs1/2;trbs3/4;timp1; timp2; vlc; cb]

[below: sl, s2, al, a2, tl, t2, bl, b2]
chorus,thoughin thiscase the relationshipis complicatedby transposition.

Fig. 18 shows the pitch-class, durational and dynamic content of
movement6a (dynamic indicationsare representedby the upper set of
numbers,durationsby the lowerset). The apparentlynon-systematic series
of numbersrepresenting dynamics and durationsare reminiscent of those
seen in No. 1.
Fig. 17 No. 6a: Dynamicsseries
ppp p mp mf f fff ppp<fff fff>ppp p<f f>p mp<mf mf>mp15

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
The pitch content of this movementis limited to two incomplete

statementsofthe a-is, one at To and one at T,. This row'sTo is the same as
its untransposedretrograde,and while the latterinterpretation providesa
more accurate expressionof the text as well as better reinforcingthe
cancrizansstructureof the movement,both rows followthe same contour
in No. 6a - fanningout fromthe centrein a mannercorrespondingto the
way in whichthe a-is was derivedfromthe chromaticscale, and therefore
to the primeformof the row. Only eighteenpitchesare used, the activities

KATHYRN BAILEY
Fig. 18 No. 6a: Durationsand dynamics

section 1, instruments(bs 319-30) - section 4, voices (bs 352-63) -
B (bssnl/hns): 9 2 4 5 5 4 4 7 2 6 AI (altol): 9 5 10 6 6 8 8 7 4 12 [(R3)]

3 5 17 17 17 12 12 8 8 12 12 8 8 12 12 17 17 17 5 3 (R)
Bb(bssn2/hns): 12 9 6 1 2 12 11 3 9 7 G (alto2): 12 2 8 4 5 7 6 11 2 5 (R5)

5 2 8 8 12 5 3 17 2 5 5 2 17 3 5 12 8 8 2 5 (R)
A (trbl/2): 10 3 5 1 4 4 6 6 6 6 C (tenorl): 2 4 1 5 3 3 12 4 2 9 [(R11)]

8 8 3 17 5 5 2 12 3 8 8 3 12 2 5 5 17 3 8 8 (R)
Ak (trb3/4): 10 7 11 8 3 9 2 8 1 8 B (bassl): 11 4 11 5 12 6 11 2 10 1 (R3)

17 5 17 8 3 12 5 8 8 8 8 8 8 5 12 3 8 17 5 17 (R)
A (timpl): 4 5 5 3 6 8 9 10 8 6 C (bass2): 3 5 7 6 5 3 12 2 2 1 (R9)

8 5 5 12 3 2 3 5 2 5 5 2 5 3 2 3 12 5 5 8 (R)
At(timp2): 6 2 4 1 8 5 6 10 1 12 B (tenor2): 1 1 11 7 6 9 2 5 3 7 (R1)

2 8 3 12 5 2 2 12 17 17 17 17 12 2 2 5 12 3 8 2 (R)
B (vlc): 1 5 12 1 7 5 12 1 2 5 At (sop2): 6 3 2 1 6 8 2 1 6 2 (R1)

3 17 2 3 12 17 2 3 5 17 17 5 3 2 17 12 3 2 17 3 (R)
B6 (cb): 8 7 8 4 2 10 1 3 11 8 G(sopl): 3 6 10 8 5 9 11 3 2 3 (R7)

2 3 2 12 17 3 12 17 5 2 2 5 17 12 3 17 12 2 3 2 (R)
C (bssnl/hns): 2 4 8 6 4 6 F#(sopl): 9 7 9 11 3 5 [(R3)]

8 3 5 12 17 12 12 17 12 5 3 8 (R)
G (bssn2/hns): 10 6 11 10 9 11 F (sop2): 4 2 3 4 11 3 (R5)

2 8 3 22 3 3 2 2 3 8 2 (R)
G (trbl/2): 7 2 11 10 12 12 F (tenor2): 7 7 5 6 9 2 (R7)

3 17 5 3 8 8 8 8 3 5 17 3 (R)
F#(trb3/4): 2 4 12 3 6 5 C#(altol): 2 3 12 9 1 5 [(R9)]

5 8 12 12 3 5 5 3 12 12 8 5 (R)
F#(timpl): 6 3 1 1 9 3 C#(bassl): 2 8 12 12 2 5 (R11)

2 8 17 17 5 8 8 5 17 17 8 2 (R)
C (timp2): 7 3 4 9 2 10 F#(tenorl): 11 3 10 5 4 8 (R1)

12 8 12 5 5 3 3 5 5 12 8 12 (R)
cont.on p.307
of both chorus and orchestrabeing restrictedto the range of a sounding

major sixth: all the chorus notes fall between b and ab', all those of the
orchestrabetween F#and eb. The chorus sings only one note, e?1,in its
section 1, continuingwith two in section 2 (e' and d', notes 2 and 3 of
three(f', c#'and f'1,notes 4-6) in section 3 and four(c1, g', b and
R/T6),
ab', notes 7-10) in section 4. The pitchesneeded to finishthe choral row
(b? and a') do not occur anywherein the movement.
The instrumental The orchestraplays a
row, PO,is less straightforward.
clusterof fourpitchesin its section 1 (notes 1-4 of the row: A, Bd,A6 and

Fig. 18 cont.
A (bssnl/hns): 7 3 9 2 7 10 1 5 3 D (bassl): 4 6 2 11 8 3 10 4 8 (R1)

12 8 5 5 12 3 3 17 8 8 17 3 3 12 5 5 8 12 (R)
E, (trbl/2): 1 11 11 7 4 9 5 7 11 D (tenorl): 10 6 4 8 3 6 10 10 12
(R11)
17 12 12 2 5 5 3 2 12 12 2 3 5 5 2 12 12 17 (R)
E (timpl): 3 8 2 11 4 12 6 12 10 E (sopl): 5 7 1 7 11 6 9 3 10 (R7)

17 2 17 5 12 8 5 8 3 3 8 5 8 12 5 17 2 17 (R)
Ed (timp2): 9 4 5 7 1 3 10 7 6 D (bass2): 3 4 7 12 10 4 2 1 6 (R9)

3 8 5 2 17 12 5 2 3 3 2 5 12 17 2 5 8 3 (R)
A (vlc): 9 2 10 1 10 11 6 9 4 E (altol): 9 2 11 4 3 6 3 7 2 (R5)

2 12 2 8 2 3 8 2 17 17 2 8 3 2 8 2 12 2 (R)
A (cb): 3 [11] 5 4 9 4 7 5 7 E (sop2): 10 8 10 7 12 7 8 2 6 (R3)

12 2 17 17 3 17 8 17 8 8 17 8 17 3 17 17 2 12 (R)
9 5 10 8 2 5 2 11 5 7 2 6 (R9)
B6 (bssnl/hns): EF (bass2):
3 5 5 2 17 5 5 17 2 5 5 3 (R)
B6 (trbl/2): 3 8 5 11 5 6 E, (tenor2): 5 4 10 4 7 2 (R11)

8 3 3 12 3 2 2 3 12 3 3 8 (R)
B6 (trb3/4): 8 11 7 2 5 4 Eb (tenorl): 11 12 9 2 6 3 (R7)

2 5 3 17 8 12 12 8 17 3 5 2 (R)
4 6 12 7 8 1 2 9 8 1 [7] 5 (R1)
Bb (timpl): Eb (altol):
12 17 2 12 8 3 3 8 12 2 17 12 (R)
6 3 10 11 1 [2] E (alto2): 5 4 2 1 6 9 (R3)

Bb (vlc):
12 12 2 2 5 8 8 5 2 2 12 12 (R)
3 11 7 4 1 [3] Eb (sopl): 8 6 9 12 4 8 (R5)

Bb (cb):
17 3 5 17 8 17 17 8 17 5 3 17 (R)
B), and three (notes 5-7: G, c and F#)in its section 2; the two notes it
plays in section3, however,representthe two extremesof the row (A and
el) ratherthanthe continuationthatmightbe expected,and the singlenote
played in section 4 is B%,a note already heard in section 2. The two
redundantnotes, A in section 3 and the finalB% (notes 1 and 2 of the
orchestralrow), are the pitch classes needed to complete the choral row,
thoughforthispurpose,in additionto being played ratherthan sung,they
are both in thewrongorderand out ofrange.
If this structureis intendedto reflectthe dramaticcontentof the text
there seem to be slightdiscrepancies.It is logical that the choir should
representthe people, and the factthatits music begins witha singlenote
and subsequentlyfansout seems to paralleltheirflightfromthe synagogue,
especiallyas its progressfallsinto disarrayat the end of the movement(as
MUSIC ANALYSIS11:2-3,1992 307

KATHYRN BAILEY
representedby the numerousinconsistenciesto be seen in the presentation

of the finaltwo notes of its series). The advance of the assassinsmight,on
the otherhand, be expectedto become more focusedas it progresses.This
is trueofthe orchestrainasmuchas it beginswithits largestclusterofnotes
and playssuccessivelyfeweras the movementprogresses,comingto a close
on the two centralnotes of its opening section,A and B%.16At the same
time, however,it is difficultto account forthe fact that the instruments
fall,in sections3 and 4, into greaterdisarraythan the chorus,abandoning
the progressof theirrow fivenotes shortof completionto sound instead
the final note of theirseries (which is spatiallyremoved fromthe notes
played up to this point) and two others which can be seen either as
representing in whichthe end is like the beginning- hardlyan
a circularity
appropriate idea here - or as displaced elementsof the choral series, or
both. Althoughit is fittingthat the advance is carriedout by the original
row and the flightby its reverse,it seems anomalous that the formeris
more chaoticthanthe latter.
NO. 6b
'How harditis to saygoodbyeforeverto sucha goodlife!'
Like No. 2, 6b moves in fourvoices throughout,but here thereare only

two tempos, one based on semiquaverquintuplets,the other on quaver
triplets,and each is used consistently by two of the voices. (This is the way
in whichtempos were used in No. 5 but notin the otherwisemore closely
relatedNo. 2.) Each of the fourvoices consistsof a section of the chorus
and a section of the string orchestra contributingalternatelyto an
essentiallycontinuousline but neversoundingtogether:the sopranos and
firstviolins,and the basses and cellos, play at the quickertempo,whilethe
tenors and violas, and the altos and second violins - and the trumpet-
proceed in triplets.Each of the participatingsections exhibits slightly
different characteristics:
the firstviolinsplay highnotes exclusively,mostly
fromthe middle or upper rangeextendingfromb2to c4, and in all but two
of twelve appearances they play only one note, interjectedinto a wide-
rangingline (c' to bV2)in whichthe sopranos ordinarilysing threeor even
fournotes in succession; the relationshipof the cellos (range: e?'-e2) and
basses (F-eL) is similar,althoughthe basses' contributionsare not as long
as the sopranos' (characteristicallytwo notes only); the second violinsplay
single long notes exclusively,and only four of them, two relativelyearly
and two relativelylate in the piece, whiletheirpartnerthe second trumpet
plays onlytwo notes altogether- long highones (d3 and cy3),in Succession,
near the centre- and the altos sing primarilyin groups of notes (threein
succession on threeoccasions, a pair twice), also of long values; the violas'
notes are arrangedmostlyin pairs, and fall in a fairlyhigh range (b'-b2),

alternatingwith the tenors,who sing more single notes in isolation than

any othersection of the chorus.Thus all the stringsplay in a high range,
whilethevoice rangesare fairlywide.
The numberserieson whichthe durationsin thismovementare based
is similarto that used in No. 2. Here, as there,the originalversionis a
symmetricalarrangementof the first six numbers of an expanding
progression,in this case the one used to determinethe durationsin the
companionpiece, 6a: 2 3 5 8 12 17. The arrangementof these numbersis
the inverseof the arrangementin No. 2: the initialrow is 17 12 8 5 3 2 2 3
5 8 12 17. This serieshas been submittedto the rotationaloperationused
in the earlierpiece, but here the cycle stops one row shortof completion.
In No. 2 the thirteenthrow, which would have reproducedthe original
series, was avoided, as if having demonstratedthe complete cycle were
sufficientwithouthammeringhome its circularity. Here the twelfthrow is
avoided as well, being representedby its firstnote alone, which, as it
happens, is the firstnote of the piece and thereforeseems to satisfythe
desireforclosure.Althoughthe two movementscontainthe same number
of bars, thereare manyfewernotes in 6b (133, compared withthe 118 of
No. 2), since this structurenot only falls shortof a complete rotational
cycle but also lacks the retrogradegroup and coda that followed the
completionofthe cyclein No. 2 (compareFig. 19 withFig. 3).
Fig. 19 No. 6b: Table of durations
1) 17 12 8 5 3 2 2 3 5 8 12 17
2) 12 8 5 3 2 2 3 5 8 12 17 17
3) 8 5 3 2 2 3 5 8 12 17 17 12
4) 5 3 2 2 3 5 8 12 17 17 12 8
5) 3 2 2 3 5 8 12 17 17 12 8 5
6) 2 2 3 5 8 12 17 17 12 8 5 3
7) 2 3 5 8 12 17 17 12 8 5 3 2
8) 3 5 8 12 17 17 12 8 5 3 2 2
9) 5 8 12 17 17 12 8 5 3 2 2 3
10) 8 12 17 17 12 8 5 3 2 2 3 5
11) 12 17 17 12 8 5 3 2 2 3 5 8
12) 17 [17 12 8 5 3 2 2 3 5 8 12] bracketednotes
[13) 17 12 8 5 3 2 2 3 5 8 12 17] do not occur
The dynamicindications,also, seem to have been handled in much the

same way as those in No. 2, though a large number of anomalies exist.
Afterpuzzlingover these fora considerabletime,I have decided thatthey
must representalterationsmade for contextual reasons.'7 Six dynamic
levels are used; these have been arrangedsymmetrically to produce the
series in Fig. 20. The table of dynamicmarkingsin this movement(see
Fig. 21) resemblesin several particularsthe one in Fig. 5 above. In the

KATHYRN BAILEY
Fig. 20 No. 6b: Dynamics series
ppp pp p mp mf f f mf mp p pp ppp
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
table forNo. 2 the numbersin all the columnswere orderedone to twelve,

althoughthe columns startedat various points in the series. Here, as can
be seen in Fig. 21, the same thingnearlyhappens: whilethereare too many
'wrong' numbers (36 of 133: these are in bold face in Fig. 21, and the
numbers they replace are given in bracketsat the end of each line) to
suppose all of themto be errors,much too much of the table conformsto
the pattern to allow the dismissal of the correspondence as simply
fortuitous.'"I can offerno explanationforthe irregularityin the order of
the firstrow, whichbegins like thatof No. 2 but does not continuein the
same way (although seven numbers occupy the same position as in the
earliertable - comparethe firstrow in Fig. 21 withthatgivenin Fig. 6).
Fig. 21 No. 6b: Table of dynamics

A Bb A, B G C FO CO F D E E6
1) 1 3 2 1 6 2 4 3 5 3 6 5 (4, 3)
2) 2 4 3 2 7 3 5 4 6 4 7 6 (1, 4, 4)
3) 3 5 4 3 8 4 6 5 7 5 8 7 (2, 2, 6, 2)
4) 4 6 5 4 9 5 7 6 8 6 9 8 (1,1,3,3)
5) 5 7 6 5 10 6 8 7 9 7 10 9 (6, 3)
6) 6 8 7 6 11 7 9 8 10 8 11 10 (2, 5, 2)
7) 7 9 8 7 12 8 10 9 11 9 12 11 (4, 1, 1, 3)
8) 8 10 9 8 1 9 11 10 12 10 1 12 (6, 6, 4, 3)
9) 9 11 10 9 2 10 (12) 11 (1) (11) (2) (1) (4, 2, 2)
10) 10 12 11 10 3 11 1 12 2 12 3 2 (4, 4, 1)
11) 11 1 12 11 4 12 2 1 3 1 4 3 (3, 3, 6, 2)
12) 12
NB. Numbersin bold facedo notfitthescheme.Theycan be seenas errors withvarying

degreesofsuccess:a misprintinvolving twonumbers thatareadjacenton thescaleis more
likelythanone involving twonon-adjacent numbers.Bracketsindicatenotesthathaveno
dynamic in thescore.It is assumedthateachoftheseis to be playedat thesame
indication
levelas thenotedirectlypreceding in thesamevoice,butthiscreatessomeambiguity, since
itis alsoconceivable
thatomissionmight be involved.'"
The pure vowel sounds used in this movement are also arranged
symmetrically(and serially). Each of the five vowels appears four times in
the body of the piece, and in each instance all five are heard before any is
repeated. The order u i e o a is established in bs 364-72. The next
appearance, in retrograde order, is scattered over ten bars, 375-85. The
series appears twice more, firstforward and then in retrograde, in bs 386-

93 and 396-407. A coda (bs 407-9) repeats u, the last vowel heard, two
moretimes.
NO. 7
'... goodbye, Mother, your daughter Liubka goes into the damp
earth.'
In No. 7 up to threevoices progressat a time,all in the same tempo,using

the semiquaveras the basic unit. Statementsof the row are linear once
again in this movement;this linearity,as well as the number of voices,
immediatelyconnectsthismovementwithNos 3 and 5, both of whichare
written,as is No. 7, for solo voice(s) and orchestra;the consistencyof
tempo relates particularlyto No. 3. Twenty-fourtwelve-noterows are
presented one, two or three at a time in twelve clearly distinguished
sections. Both pitch-class and durations rows are submitted to a-is
permutation.
The durations series on which the movement is based consists of
identicalhexachordsderivedfroma 1 6 2 5 3 4 permutationof the firstsix
numbersof the Fibonacci series (a shorterversionof the permutationthat
producesthe a-is fromthe descendingchromaticscale A to Bb: 1 12 2 11 3
10 4 9 5 8 6 7). The resultingrow,whichreads 1 12 2 8 3 5 1 12 2 8 3 5,
appears alone in bs 414-20. In the followingsection(bs 420-6) threevoices
proceed in counterpoint,each presentinga singlerow. These threerows,
which representa readingof, respectively,alternatenumbers,everythird
and everysixthnumberof the originalrow, are characterisedby repeating
trichords,dyadsand singleunits(see Fig. 22).
Fig. 22 No. 7: One possible derivationofthe threedurationsseriesin bs

420-6
Permutation 1 12 2 11 3 10 4 9 5 8 6 7 (retrograde a-is) of

series 1 2 3 5 8 12 * 1 2 3 5 8 12 (Fibonacci nos) gives
series 1 12 2 8 3 5 1 12 2 8 3 5 (bs 414-20).
Then...
permutation:
2468 10 12* 1 3 5 7 9 11 gives 12 8 5 * 12 8 5 * 1 2 3 * 1 2 3 (s.sop,vlns,...)
36912 * 25811 * 14710 gives 25 * 25 *123 123 * 1 8 * 1 8 (hp,sop,mar,...)
612*511*410*39*28*17 gives 55*33*88*22*1212*11 (alt,fl,vibr,...).

KATHYRN BAILEY
Fig. 23 No. 7: Derivationof durationsseries
(1) 1 12 2 8 3 5 1 12 2 8 3 5 row 120

(2) 12 8 5 12 8 5 1 2 3 1 2 3 row 3
(3) 8 12 5 2 1 3 12 5 8 1 3 2 row 5
(4) 12 2 3 5 1 2 8 5 1 12 8 3 row 6
(5) 2 5 2 5 12 3 12 3 1 8 1 8 row 4
(6) 5 5 3 3 8 8 2 2 12 12 1 1 row 2
Two further durationsseriesoccur in the thirdsection(bs 426-32). The

firstof these representsthe readingof everyfourthnumberof the original
series (4 8 12 3 7 11 2 6 10 1 5 9), so completingthe set of derivatives
begun in the previous section. The result of this permutationis not a
repeatingserieslike those in Fig. 22; it is a less symmetrical and therefore
in a way a more complex rearrangement of the originalseries than those
thathave preceded it: 8 12 5 2 1 3 12 5 8 1 3 2. The second row of this
sectionis the least regularof all: 12 2 3 5 1 2 8 5 1 12 8 3. This row cannot
be relateddirectlyto the originalrowbut representsa 2 4 6 8 10 12 1 3 5 7
9 11 permutationof the row thatdirectlyprecedesit, and thisrelationship,
finally,suppliesthe keyto the real etymologyof the lot. In fact,of course,
the rows describedabove as representing variouspermutationsof the same
row (2 4 6..., 3 6 9..., 4 8 12..., 6 12 5 11...) are all produced by
repeatedapplicationsof the singlepermutation2 4 6 8 10 12 1 3 5 7 9 11.
Their truerelationshipis not immediatelyapparentbecause theyhave been
reordered.In Fig. 23 theyare placed in the orderoftheirderivation.It can
be seen thatthese six rows firstappear in the order 1 6 2 5 3 421- in other
words,theyhave been orderedaccordingto the same permutationthatwas
used to determinethe hexachordal content of the row initially.They
comprisethe complete durationscontentof the movement;the entireset
occurs threemore times: each row again (but in a different order) in bs
430-51, and each in retrogradeformin 451-69 and again, reordered,in
463-88 (rows fromboth the thirdand fourthsets are heard togetherin bs
463-9). In these subsequentappearancesthe rows occur in the order3 4 2
5 1 6, 6 1 5 2 4 3 and 3 2 1 4 5 6, all shortformsof a-is permutations.It
will be noted thatthe orderof the (retrograde)rows in the thirdsectionis
the directretrogradeof thatin the precedingsection,whilethe orderin the
finalsectionrepresentsa more complexreversal- 5 3 1 6 4 2 - ofthe first.
The derivationof the pitchcontentis more difficult to apprehend.The
twelvedurationsrows and theirretrogradesare conveyedby twelvepitch-
class rows and theirretrogrades.The firstof these is the resultof a 1 6 2 5
3 4 reorderingof the firsthexachordof the a-is and a corresponding12 7
11 8 10 9 reorderingof the second: A C BI G Ab B EL,F E C) D F. Two
rows are derived from this - one directly,the second fromthe first-
throughthe rearrangement both of notes withineach trichordand of the
trichordsthemselves.In the firstcase the trichordsof the originalrow are

reorderedas an expanding series - 2 3 1 4 (a short form of the a-is

permutation6 7 5 8...) - and the notes withinthe outer ones turned
around to produce two expandingwedges: 6 5 4 7 8 9 1 2 3 12 11 10. In
the thirdrow the trichordsof the second are rearrangedas just such a
wedge - 2 1 3 4 - whilethe internalorderof each is changed- differently
in everycase, so thatthose in the firsthexachordrepresentexpanding,and
thosein the second contractingseries:5 6 4 2 1 3 7 9 8 12 10 11.
A second row,C#G D B A F E6 A6B6 C E F, also appearingwithinthe
firstthreesections (bs 414-32), spawns two offspring in a mannersimilar
to but less straightforwardthan that just described.In this case the three
tetrachordsof each new row consist of notes that occupied symmetrical
positionsin the previousone. The firstis a 2 4 11 9 6 3 7 10 1 5 12 8
reordering, the second 4 9 3 10 5 8 2 11 6 7 (1 12 - the last two notes of
thisrow are missingin the score).
Thus are the firstsix pitch-classrows arrivedat. Like the durations
rows,however,theyfirstappear in the order 1 6 2 5 3 4. The remainingsix
come about in an exactlyparallelway and occur in the order9 10 8 11 7
12, thus correspondingwiththe 3 4 2 5 1 6 recurrenceof the durations
rows to which theyare necessarilyattached. The derivationof all twelve
pitch-classrows is shown in Fig. 24. (I cannot suggesta source for the
Fig. 24 No. 7: Derivationofpitch-classseries22
[a-is: A Bk A6 B G C F D E
F# C# E]
(1) A C Bk G A6 B Et E C D F
F#
1 6 2 5 3 4 / 12 7 11 8 10 9
(2) B A6 G E FF E A C B F D C#
6 5 4/ 7 8 9 / 1 2 3 / 12 11 10
(3) E A B G A C
F# EE Bk C# F D
5 6 4/ 2 1 3 / 7 9 8 / 12 10 11
(4) Cg G D B A Ft Et A6 Bk C E F
(5) G B E B F# D Et C C A F A6
2 4 11 9 / 6 3 7 10 / 1 5 12 8
(6) Bk C# E A F# C B F D Et (G A6)
4 9 3 10 / 5 8 2 11 / 6 7 (1 12)
(7) C A6 E Ct B E, D A G F B F"
(8) E, B C# D A G C AB E F B F
6 5 4 / 7 8 9 / 1 2 3 / 12 11 10
(9) A G D B C E FF
Et C# A6 F Bb
5 6 4 / 2 1 3 / 7 9 8 / 12 10 11
(10) G Et A6 F F B C D A Bk
E C
(11) A6 Bk D B A G
E F Et F# C C
2 4 11 9 / 6 3 7 10 / 1 5 12 8
(12) D (G) Bb F F A A6 C# EB B E C
4 9 3 10/ 5 8 2 11 / 6 7 1 12
MUSICANALYSIS
11:2-3, 1992 313

KATHYRN BAILEY
generatingrows 4, 7 and 10.) In the second halfof the movement,bs 451-

88, the association of pitch-classand durationsseries remainsthe same;
the twelverows heard in bs 414-51 are heard in retrograde,in the order
121110987 531642.23
Only threedynamicindicationsare used in this movement:ppp,p and
mf. While this is the smallest of the pools of material represented-
compared with six durationsand twelvepitch classes - the way in which
they are employed seems somehow to embody the patternsused in the
othertwo row structures.
Twelve-elementrows are constructedby groupingthe threemarkingsin
threeways- 3xppp+ 5xp + 4xmJf 5xppp+ 3xp + 4xmf;and 4xppp+ 4xp +
4xmf- and formingfour distinctrows fromeach group. Referringonce
again to the numbersused to representthe orderof derivationof the pitch-
class rows (see the bracketednumbersin Fig. 23), the dynamicsof the
rows numbered(1), (4), (7) and (10) thereuse the combination3xppp +
5xp + 4xmf,those numbered(2), (5), (8) and (11) contain 5xppp+ 3xp +
4xmf,and each indicationoccurs fourtimes in those numbered (3), (6),
(9) and (12). In this way twelve rows24have been built which can be
reorderedin conjunctionwiththe pitch-classrows (in the second half of
the piece the retrogradeof each of the twelve pc rows expresses the
retrogradeof the appropriatedynamicsrow). Thus the dynamicstructure
seems to encompass both the otherstructures:just as the durationsrows
exhibita tighterorganisationthan the pc rows (six durationscombined
into six discreteseriescomparedwithtwelvepitchclasses in twelveseries),
so the dynamicsare in one sense even more tightlyorganised(only three
indicationsgroupedin threeways); yetin the end thesethreeelementslead
to twelve discrete series, thus matchingin number those of the pitch
classes. All threestructures
undergothe same permutationalreordering.
The orchestrationof this movementseems to be in directresponse to
the text,whichis fromthe letterof a younggirland the briefestof the lot.
The small orchestraconsists of strings,flutesand harp, togetherwith a
large group of high-pitchedcolour instruments- glockenspiel,celesta,
vibraphoneand marimba.The tessiturais veryhigh:the lowestpitchesare
f, f? and g, each played once by the harp; aside fromthis only the altos
descend below c'. The cellos and basses play in harmonicsexclusively.The
interestin unusual colours extendsbeyond the choice of instruments:the
flutesarticulatethe piece withharmonicsin the firstand finalpairs of rows
and just before the centre (these are approximately,but not precisely,
symmetricallyplaced), and, at irregularintervals throughout,by the
fluttertongued doublingof harmonicsplayed by the cellos or violins(in bs
426-7, 432-3, 437-8, 453-4, 456-7 and 472). Most of the singingis done
with closed or half-closed mouth. The instrumentalparts are very
scattered:onlyfivetimesin the course of the piece does an instrument play
two notes in directsuccession - the violas in bs 429-30 (continuityis in
this case offsetby the fact that the firstnote is bowed and the second

pizzicato), the second flutein bs 456-7, the violas in bs 457-9, the second
violinsin bs 461-3 (the only instanceof threenotes) and the marimbain
b.467.
NO. 8
No. 8 is the third and last purely instrumentalmovement,writtenfor

flutes,clarinets,horns, trumpets,trombonesand timpani. Althoughits
surfacestructureis reminiscentof the firstmovement,this is as faras the
resemblancegoes: this movementcontains none of the linear polyphony
that characterisedthe stringsectionsof No. 1, and, while a texturerather
like thatof the wind sectionsin the earlierpiece is maintainedthroughout,
there are no metre changes, and groups of similar durations are not
gatheredtogetherhere. Double bars and changes of tempo and instru-
mentation define eleven sections of varyinglengths; in Fig. 25 this
structureis comparedwiththatofNo. 1.
The music proceeds at fourtempos. In the quickestof these the quaver
divides into seven units; the otherthreerepresentdivisionsinto five,four
and three.The textureis not linear as in most of the othermulti-tempo
movements(Nos 2, 5 and 6b), where all notes movingat the same speed
connect to form a continuous strand. Neither is there any strict
correspondencebetweentempos and instruments(as thereis, say, in No.
6b) or tempos and structuraldivisions(as in No. 4), withthe exceptionof
sections2 and 10, whichare veryshortand entirelyin tripletand septuplet
subdivisionsrespectively.In most cases each instrumentplays in only one
tempo forthe durationof a section.25
As in Nos 2, 6b and 9, the series of No. 8 unfold in block fashion.
Thirty-sixtwelve-noteseries appear as successive clumps of music, each
comprisingtwelve discrete pitch classes and durations, and the serial
manipulationsof these are unquestionablybased on the a-is permutations.
With one exception,however,I have not been able to discoverthe exact
natureof the operationsused. The systemI have been able to identifyis
that used to determinethe way in which pitch classes and durationsare
paired. As was the case withNos 3, 4 and 6a, I cannot explainthe orderof
notes in each row.
Durations are expressedas notes worthone to twelvesemiquavers(in
the triplettempo) or demisemiquavers(in all the others),or as groups of
two to six repeatednotes of the same duration.Withinthe block of time
givento each row, notes appear and disappear in apparentlyfreefashion.
Both the order of notes withinthe rows and the sequence of the rows
themselves give the appearance of having been somewhat randomly
determined.The untransposeda-is appears on seven veryunevenlyspaced
occasions - as the third,sixth,eleventh,eighteenth,twenty-fourth,twenty-
fifthand twenty-sixth rows, in bs 493-5, 498-500, 506-8, 516-17 and

KATHYRN BAILEY
Fig. 25 Nos 1 and 8: Structurescompared
No. 1
I I I I
section I (ii) III iv V i VI vii VIII IX X (xi) XII XIII
no. bars 4 2 9 3 9 6 7 8 4 15 1 20 19
speed (mm) 92 60 92 60 92 72 72/92 82 92 92 60 92 72/56/72/60
no. tempos 5 (1) 4 1 3 3 2 4 5 5 (1) 5 4
metre 4/8 3/4 4/8 3/4 4/8 3/4 4(&6)/8 3/4 4/8 4/8 2/4 4/8 4/8
instr. fl, 2vns wind, str wind, str ww, str brass, all timp all ww, str
brass, timp timp hn, timp
timp trp
No. 8
section I ii III iv V vi VII viii IX x XI
no. bars 4 2 6 3 9 2 8 3 4 1 15
speed (mm) 92 rall. 112 92 112 66/60 72 rall. 56 46 92
no. tempos 4 1 2 4 3 2 4 1 2 1 4
metre 4/8 -- -throughout---
instr. fl, 3 hns, ww, (cl), fl, fl, all 2 tbns, fl, fl, fl,
brass, timp tbn, trp, trp, timp timp hn, trp hns,
timp timp tbn tbn, trp, trp,
timp timp tbn,
timp
524-31 - and the remainingtwenty-ninerows show no tendency to

regularity:theyare not the product of symmetricalpermutation,nor are
theythe conventionalvariants(inversion,retrograde,transposition)of the
a-is. Successive rows tend to retain the same pitch classes in many
positions (it is particularlynoticeable that the firstnine rows begin on A
and end on E6, withB6 occupyingthe second positionin eightof these and
E the penultimatepositionin seven; subsequentlythirteenmorebeginA B6
and fourteenend E EB); thispitch-classstickinessresultsin a largenumber
of rows that are nearlybut not quitethe a-is (see the table of pitch-class
rowsin Fig. 26).
An examination of the durations discloses a similar situation. A
comparison of the thirty-six durationsrows with the permutationtables
associated withthe a-is (see Fig. 27) shows too many similaritiesforthis
relationshipto be coincidental,but too many anomalies to be treatedas

Fig. 26 No. 8: Pitch-classseries
(1) bs 489-91 A B% B Ab G Fo Co C D F EkE

(2) bs 491-3 A Bk B Ab C G Fo Co F E E6D
(3) bs 493-5 A B6 A6 B G C Fo Co F D E6 a-is
E
(4) bs 495-7 A B A6 B6 G C Co Fo F D E6E
(5) bs 497-9 A B, Ab B G C F# Co D F E6E
(6) bs498-500 A B, A6 B G C Fo Co F D E, a-is
E
(7) bs 500-3 A B6 A6 G B C Fo Co F E EtD
(8) bs 502-4 A B, A6 B G C Fo Co D F E6E
(9) bs 504-5 A B A6 B Co C Fo F G D E6E
(10) bs 505-7 B6 A A6 B G C Fo Co F D E6E
(11) bs 506-8 A B, A6 B G C Fo Co F D E6 a-is
E
(12) bs 507-9 B6 G A6 B A C F# C# F D
Et E
(13) bs 509-10 A B B6 At G C Fo Co F ED E6
(14) bs 510-11 At B A B6 G C Fo Co F ED Et
(15) bs 511-12 B6 A At G F# B C C# D EF E6
(16) bs 512-14 A B6 At B C Fo G Co F ED EF
(17) bs 514-16 A B6 At B C Fo G Co F ED E6
(18) bs 516-17 A B6 At B G C Fo C# F ED E6 a-is
(19) bs 517-18 A B6 A, B G C Co F D E
E6 Fo
(20) bs 517-20 A B, At B G C Fo Co F Et E
D
(21) bs 519-20 B%, At A B G C Fo Co F Et E
D
(22) bs 520-1 [A] B6 At G B C F Co F ED E6
(23) bs 521-4 A B~ A, G B C Fo Co F ED EtF
(24) bs 524-6 A [B,] A, B G C F C# F ED FE a-is
(25) bs 526-9 A B, A, B G C F C# F ED E, a-is
(26) bs 528-31 A B, At, B G C F C# F ED E, a-is
(27) bs 531-2 A B, Ab B F# C# G D F EC E,
(28) bs 532-4 A A, Fo G B Co B, C E6 F
D E
(29) bs 534-5 A A, B, F# B Co G C F D E
A E_ D E
F
(30) bs 535-6 C A, Fo Co B6, B G E6
(31) bs 536-8 C A Bk, Fo Co A, B G F E D E,
(32) bs 537-9 A A6 B B, C G Co Fo F E6 E D
(33) bs 539-41 A Ab B, B Fo Co G C F E, D E
(34) bs 540-2 C A, A Fo Co B, B G F E, D E
(35) bs 541-3 C Fo Co A B, Ab B G F D Et E
(36) bs 543-4 A B C A, G D E, B, F# E F C#
simple mistakesor misprints.The eighteenrows in the firstand second

sectionscloselyfollowthe 7 6 8 5 ... table,rows 1 to 9 presentingthe rows
of that table in retrograde,and 10 to 18 in forward-going fashion.The
eighteenrows of sectionsthreeand fourbear a similarrelationshipto the
rows of the 12 10 8 6 ... table. The seven rows that presentthe pitch

KATHYRN BAILEY
classes in the a-is order also contain no durationalaberrations:in these

rows the series of durationsread the same as the correspondingrows on
the permutationtables (these rows are printedin bold face in Fig. 27). In
most instancesanomalies take the formof two, or perhapsthreeor four,
numbersexchangingpositionsdirectly- but not systematically. In termsof
both pitch and durations,the finalsection (rows 28-36) is more chaotic
than anyofthe previousones.
Although the close adherence of the durations rows to these
permutationtables makes it plain thatthe orderwithinthe rows has been
in some way determinedby them, I can offerno explanation for the
numerousdeviationsfromthe table or, therefore, forthe sequence of notes
in the thirty-six
rows.
What I can explain is the rather circuitous route by which the
correspondenceof pitch classes and durationshas been determined.For
thispurpose the thirty-six rows do representfourcompletecyclesof the a-
Fig. 27 No. 8: Durations contentcomparedwithpermutationtables

durationsrows permutationtables
(1) 1 12 11 2 3 4 10 9 8 5 6 7 - 7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1
(2) 7 1 12 6 2 8 5 11 9 4 3 10 10 4 3 9 11 5 2 8 12 6 1 7
(3) 10 7 4 1 3 6 9 12 11 8 5 2 2 5 8 11 12 9 6 3 1 4 7 10
(4) 2 7 5 10 8 4 1 11 12 3 9 6 6 9 3 12 1 11 4 8 7 5 10 2
(5) 6 2 9 10 3 5 12 7 8 1 11 4 4 11 8 1 7 12 5 3 10 9 2 6
(6) 4 6 11 2 8 9 1 10 7 3 12 5 5 12 3 7 10 1 9 8 2 11 6 4
(7) 5 4 12 3 6 11 7 2 10 1 8 9 9 1 8 10 2 7 11 3 6 12 4 5
(8) 9 5 1 4 8 12 10 6 3 2 7 11 11 7 3 2 6 10 12 8 4 1 5 9
(9) 11 9 7 5 4 1 2 6 3 8 10 12 12 10 8 6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9 11
(10) 6 7 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1 - 7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1
(11) 10 4 3 9 11 5 2 8 12 6 1 7 10 4 3 9 11 5 2 8 12 6 1 7
(12) 5 12 8 11 2 9 6 3 1 4 10 7 2 5 8 11 12 9 6 3 1 4 7 10
(13) 6 12 9 3 1 11 4 8 7 5 10 2 6 9 3 12 1 11 4 8 7 5 10 2
(14) 8 1 4 11 7 12 5 3 10 9 2 6 4 11 8 1 7 12 5 3 10 9 2 6
(15) 12 5 3 10 9 7 1 8 11 2 6 4 5 12 3 7 10 1 9 8 2 11 6 4
(16) 9 1 8 10 7 11 2 3 6 12 4 5 9 1 8 10 2 7 11 3 6 12 4 5
(17) 11 7 3 2 10 12 6 8 4 1 5 9 11 7 3 2 6 10 12 8 4 1 5 9
(18) 12 10 8 6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9 11 12 10 8 6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9 11
(19) 11 9
9 5
7 5 3 1
1 4 8 12
4 6
10 6
8 10
2 3
12
11
2
7
p 12
11
10
7
8
3
6 4 2 1
2 6 10 12
3 5
8 4
7
1 5
9 11
(20) 9
(21) 4 12 5 6 3 11 7 2 10 8 9 1 9 1 8 10 2 7 11 3 6 12 4 5
(22) 4 6 11 8 2 9 1 10 7 3 12 5 5 12 3 7 10 1 9 8 2 11 6 4
(23) 6 2 9 3 10 5 12 7 1 8 11 4 4 11 8 1 7 12 5 3 10 9 2 6
(24) 2 10 5 7 8 4 11 1 12 3 9 6 6 9 3 12 1 11 4 8 7 5 10 2
(25) 10 7 4 1 3 6 9 12 11 8 5 2 2 5 8 11 12 9 6 3 1 4 7 10
(26) 7 1 6 12 8 2 5 11 9 3 4 10 10 4 3 9 11 5 2 8 12 6 1 7
(27) 1 12 2 11 4 9 3 8 5 10 6 7 7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1
(28) 12 8 1 4 6 3 10 2 11 5 7 9 - 12 10 8 6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9 11
(29) 11 3 7 12 2 8 6 10 4 9 1 5 11 7 3 2 6 10 12 8 4 1 5 9
(30) 7 8 9 11 3 1 10 2 5 6 12 4 9 1 8 10 2 7 11 3 6 12 4 5
(31) 1 5 12 9 8 3 7 10 2 6 11 4 5 12 3 7 10 1 9 8 2 11 6 4
(32) 4 8 1 11 12 7 3 5 10 6 2 9 4 11 8 1 7 12 5 3 10 9 2 6
(33) 6 3 9 12 4 8 1 11 7 2 5 10 6 9 3 12 1 11 4 8 7 5 10 2
(34) 9 8 2 6 3 5 11 12 1 10 4 7 2 5 8 11 12 9 6 3 1 4 7 10
(35) 5 2 8 10 4 3 9 11 12 6 7 1 10 4 3 9 11 5 2 8 12 6 1 7
(36) 7 5 4 8 9 2 1 6 10 12 11 3 7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1

is permutation,and with no anomalies, but this fact is obscured by

subsequent reordering. Rearranged so that the durations express a
graduated scale from 1 to 12, the pitches of the firstrow form the
descendingchromaticscale A-Bb.This can be seen to representa 12 10 8 6
... permutationof the retrogradeof the a-is (or of the a-is itselfat T6).
When the second row is reorderedin the same way the pitch classes
produce a 12 10 8 6 ... permutationof the first.Pitch classes and
durationsare coupled in the followingthirty-four rows in such a way that
when the durationsof all rows are reorderedto read 1 to 12 the pitch
classes undergofourcompletepermutationalcycles,two using the pattern
12 10 8 6 ... and two its obverse,7 6 8 5 .... Rows 1-9 (bs 489-504)
representa 12 10 8 6 ... permutationof the retrogradeof the a-is; rows
10-18 (bs 505-17) the same permutationof the forward-going version.In
rows 19-27 (bs 517-31) the retrogradeof the a-is is put througha complete
7 6 8 5 ... cycle (the retrogradeof the 12 10 8 6 ... cycle used on the
previousnine rows), and the same operationis applied to the originala-is
in the nine rows of the finalsection (bs 531-45; again a retrogradeof the
permutationused in the correspondingsection 1, bs 489-504). In all four
cycles the firstand last rows (the initiatinga-is and the returnto it) are
omitted, so no rows are repeated. Large-scale repetitiondoes occur,
however: the rows of sections 3 and 4 are the same as those of,
respectively,sections 1 and 2, in reverseorder.In Fig. 28 all the rows of
section 1 have been reorderedso that the durations read from one to
twelve;a comparisonof thisfigurewithFigs 26 and 27, and withthe first
table in Fig. 1 above, will show how the pitch/durations couplingshave
Fig. 28 No. 8: Determinationofpitchclass/durationcouplingsin section
1; rows 1-9 reorderedto show the permutationofpitchclasses
pitch-classrowsrearrangedso durationsread 1-12:
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12
[EI E D F C F# C G B Ab Bb A] [Nono's a-is in retrograde]
(1) A Ab G F# F E E D C# C B B% (descendingchromaticscale)
(2) Bb C D E F Ab A G F E C# B (whole-tonescales)
(3) B E6 G Ab E C Bb D F# A F C# (augmentedtriads)
(4) C# A D C Ab E6 B G E F F
Bb
(5) F Bb G Eb C A C D Ab B E F#
B D A Eb Bb F G C C
(6) F# Ab E (six p5s/p4s)
(7) E C# G B6 A B F# D E6 F C Ab
(8) Ab F D B B6 C# E G A F C (diminishedtriads)
(9) C F# G C# B F Ab D E,
A (alternateintervalstritones)
Bb E Eb
[Eb E D F C F# C G B Ab Bb A] [Nono's a-is in retrograde]

KATHYRN BAILEY
been arrivedat. This relationship can of coursebe observedfromthe

oppositedirection,by reordering all the rowsin each sectionso thatthe
sequenceofpitches ratherthanthesequenceofdurations is constant.If all
therowsin section1 arearranged to followtheorderoftheretrograde a-is
(or the a-isT6) the durationswill produce a completecycle of the
permutation 7 6 8 5 . . . (see Fig. 29). Section2 producesthesamecycle
whenthenotesare arrangedin the orderof the forward-going a-is at its
originaltonallevel.The durationsof sections3 and 4 represent complete
cyclesofthe 12 10 8 6 ... permutation, section3 aroundthea-isT6and
section4 aroundthea-isTo.
couplingsin section
ofpitchclass/durations
Fig. 29 No. 8: Determination
1; rows1-9 reorderedto showthepermutationofdurations
so pitchesreadas in a-is:
rowsrearranged
durations
A B6 Ab B G C F C# F D E E6
(1) 7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1
(2) 10 4 3 9 11 5 2 8 12 6 1 7
(3) 2 5 8 11 12 9 6 3 1 11 7 10
(4) 6 9 3 12 1 11 4 8 7 12 10 2
(5) 4 11 8 1 7 12 5 3 10 1 2 6
(6) 5 12 3 7 10 1 9 8 2 11 6 4
(7) 9 1 8 10 2 7 11 3 6 10 4 5
(8) 11 7 3 2 6 10 12 8 4 1 5 9
(9) 12 10 8 6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9 11
I am unable to suggestanythingconcerningthe organisationof

dynamicsin thismovement.Fifteenindicationsare used, sevensimple
, fff)and seven compound ones (ppp<fff,
ones (ppp,pp, p, mp,mff, fff>ppp,
p<mf,mf>p,p<f,f>p, mp<mf and mf>mp), thus makingthe thoughtof any
twelve-element serialoperationsimpossible.There is also considerable
repetition ofthesamedynamicindicator withinindividual rowstatements.
All in all, despiteone veryinteresting No. 8 has provento be
discovery,
resistantto myefforts.
NO. 9
'... I have no fearof death.. .'
'... I shall be calm and collectedin frontof the firingsquad. Are they
as tranquilas thosewhom theyhave condemned?...'
'... I go withfaithin a betterlifeforyou ...'
The similarityof Nos 2 and 6b was noted earlier. A much closer

relationshipexists between Nos 2 and 9, the latterseeming,indeed, to

representsome sort of recompositionof the former.Like both 2 and 6b,
No. 9 is in i metreand, althoughit lasts considerablylongerthan either
(the greaterextentof its sixty-onebars compared withtheirfifty is further
enhanced by its slower tempo: [Q]=54 compared to [Q]=60-66 and 66
respectively),its structurecloselyreplicatesthat of No. 2. It is writtenfor
divisi chorus,26 a cappella as in No. 2, except for the presence here of
timpani. No. 9 proceeds in three tempos, based on the quintuplet
semiquaver,the ordinarysemiquaverand the tripletquaver; in thisrespect
it occupies a middle ground between No. 2, with four tempos, and 6b,
with two. In most ways, however,it is considerablymore complex than
either. Rows of pitch classes, durationsand dynamicsare expressed in
block fashionthroughout,as in the two earlierpieces, but here the tempos
do not formcontinuousstrands;instead of a four-voicestructurewe are
presented with a series of moments in which density increases and
subsides,each beginningwithone or two voices and swellingto as manyas
nine at once (as on the second beat of b.573). Thus the microtexture
reflectsthe macrotexture:the constantfluctuationin the numberof voices
heard at once is similar to the continuallychangingnumber of voices
participating.There are eighteenrows, only one less than the nineteenof
No. 2.27
Probablythe most significant difference betweenthismovementand the
others is that it is organised almost entirelyback to front.If we are to
understandthe logic controllingboth the order of notes withinthe rows
and the order of the rows themselves,all but the last three- the coda -
must be read fromend to beginning,since the order in which notes are
released is the definingfeature(read fromrightto left). (Because of the
variationin the lengthof notes,thissuccessionof releases,when read from
startto finish,does not produce retrogradestatementsof the a-is.)
As in the earlier pieces, the durations are derived fromthe firstsix
numbers of a series, in this case the series of prime numbers,and here
again two identicalgroupshave been arrangedsymmetrically to produce a
row of twelveunits- 13 11 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 11 13 - but now the generating
seriesis not used as the firstrow in the cycle.The rotationused in Nos 2
and 6b is replaced by more complex permutation.Two permutations,in
fact- 12 1 11 2 10 3 9 4 8 5 7 6 and7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1 - both
operatingfromback to front,beginningwithrows 15 and 5. Each of these
rows has been obtained by the application, to both hexachords of the
generatingseriesin turn,of a scaled-downversionof the permutationto be
used in the ensuingcycle (thus,forexample,the permutation6 1 5 2 4 3 -
a shortversionof 12 1 11 2 10 3 9 4 8 5 7 6 - applied to both hexachords
of the series 13 11 753 11 357 1113 gives 1122 11 57 12 111 357,
the row (15) whichis the structuralbeginningof the piece). Because of the
relationshipof the two permutationsused, rows 5-1 (sic: see Fig. 30) are
the retrogradesof 15-11, just as the parallelrows 13-15 werethe reverseof

KATHYRN BAILEY
10-12in No. 2 (see Fig. 3). The permutation tablein Fig. 30 represents a
readingofthepiecefromend to beginning, withnoteslistedaccordingto
theorderinwhichtheyarereleased(butsee thequalifying note).
A comparison ofFig. 30 withFig. 3 showstheclosestructural similarity
(in retrograde) of movements2 and 9. No. 9 fallsinto threesections
definedbythetreatment ofthedurationsseries;thesesectionsare exactly
parallelto thosein No. 2, withtheimportant exceptionofthecoda,which
by definition comesat theendofbothmovements, and is thusmisplaced
structurally 9
in No. (shownby thefact thatwhile the coda appearsat the
of
end Fig. 3, it comes at the of
beginning Fig. 30). Thus the'starting' row
- theone fromwhichsubsequentones are derived- appears,in Fig. 30,
not as thefirst, but as thefourth - thefirstrowin themainbodyof the
movement, the section following coda. (In performance,
the ofcourse,it is
thelastheardin thissection,and directly precedes coda.) In bothNos 2
the
and 9 themainsection(thesecondin Fig. 30, thefirstin Fig. 3) contains
one completecycle(the rotationused in No. 2 requirestwelverowsfor
completion,the permutation in No. 9, onlyten). In the tablesthis is
followedin bothcasesbya shorter section(threerowsin No. 2, fivein No.
9 to compensate fortheshorter firstcycle),whichbeginsto go through the
in
process retrograde (in performance thisis the second section of No. 2,
the firstof No. 9). In bothpiecesthe coda behavesdifferently fromthe
precedingsections.The coda ofNo. 2 was discussedon page 291; thatof
No. 9 was conceivedin the same way.It is of particular interest,in the
contextof thismovement, thatin thissectionalone theforward orderof
thenotes(theattacks, rather thanthereleases)is definitive: themusicin bs
595-605mustbe considered fromstartto finish, in theusualway.In these
barsthedurations progression 13 11 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 11 13 occursin each
ofthethreetemposused in themovement. Here,finally, is thegenerating
seriesofthepiece.
As thepermutation used in No. 9 is morecomplexthantherotation in
No. 2, so is theprocessofreversalbetweenthetwosectionsofthepiece
thatfollowpermutational procedures. Whenthe12 1 11 2 10 3 9 4 8 5 7 6
cyclehas been completed(as is thecustomin II cantosospeso, justshortof
repeating theoriginalrow),thereverseofthispermutation - 6758493
10 2 11 1 12 - is appliedto thelastrow.This resultsin theseries5 7 3 11
1 13 7 5 11 3 13 1, whichis thensubjectedto the secondpermutation
used in the movement, 7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1. (This row also
represents the applicationof a shortformof thispermutation to both
hexachords ofthegenerating row.)The newpermutation, itselfessentially
a reversalofthefirst one,is appliedfourmoretimes.
Similarly,the dynamicindicationsof No. 9 have been determinedby a
more obscure version of the method that was used in No. 2 and
complicatedconsiderablyin 6b. Concerningthe derivationof dynamicsin
No. 9, I can in fact offernothing beyond a progress report. Twelve
indications occur: the six fixed markings used in both the earlier

Fig. 30 No. 9: Table of durations
A B6A B G C F?Ct F D EEB

(18) 7 1 1 3 5 11 11 7 11 13 13 13
(17) 3 1 1 1 5 3 3 5 3 1 7 5 CODA
(16) 13 13 13 11 11 11 7 7 7 5 5 3
(15) 1 13 3 11 5 7 13 1 11 3 7 5 permutation1:
(14) 5 1 7 13 3 3 11 11 1 5 13 7 I I I
I I1
(13) 7 5 13 1 5 7 1 13 11 3 11 3 12 1 11 2 10 3 9 4 8 5 7 6
(12) 3 7 11 5 3 13 11 1 13 I 5 1
I 7 I I I I
(11) 7 3 1 7 5 11 13 5 [1] 3 11 13
(10) 13 7 113 3 1 1 7 5 5 11 11
(9) 11 13 13 7 5 11 5 3 7 3 1 1
(8) 1 11 1 13 [3] 13 7 7 3 5 5 11
(7) 11 [1] 5 11 5 1 3 13 7 3 7 13
(6) 13 11 7 1 3 5 7 11 13 5 3 1
[1 13 3 11 5 7 13 1 11 3 7 5: missing]
(5) 5 7 3 11 1 13 7 5 11 3 13 1 permutation2:
(4) 7 13 5 1 11 11 3 3 13 7 1 5 1 1 1 I I
I
(3) 3 11 3 11 13 1 7 5 1 13 5 7 6 7 5 8 4 9 310 2 11 1 12
(2) 7 1 5 13 1 11 13 3 5 11 7 3
(1) 13 11 3 1 5 13 11 5 7 1 3 7
NB In rows 16-18, whichare listedin the same way as the othershere forthe sake of consistency,the
orderin whichthe notes appearis definitive;thereforethe contentof these threerows is correctwhen
read fromleftto right,though such a reading of the rest of the table represents the movementin
retrograde.
movements and six representing change - ppp pp p mp mff ppp<f pp<mf

p<mp mf>pmf>ppf>ppp. There is some reason to suppose thatthe order
of the generating series is ppp ppp<f pp pp<mf p p<mp mp mp>p mfmf>ppf
f>ppp, but, as in the case of the durationsrows in this movement,this
seriesis not used directly,and those thatare used do not make theirorigin
clear. The seriesthatactuallyoccurs is shown in Fig. 31. I cannot explain
(as I could in the case of the durations series) the way in which this
orderinghas been derivedfromwhat I believe to be the generatingseries;
nor can I explain the table of durations,which appears in Fig. 32. I can
onlymake some observations.
It is obvious thatthisis not a permutationtable and thatthe dynamics
in thismovementdo not representthe regularpermutationor rotationof a
seriesof twelveelements:thereis a greatdeal of internalrepetition.In fact,
no row and onlyonecolumn- column 8, representing Ci - containstwelve
discreteelements(compare thiswiththe situationin Figs 5 and 19). What

KATHYRN BAILEY
Fig. 31 No. 9: Dynamicsseries
mp mf>pp pp<mf mf pp ppp<f f ppp mp>p p<mp f>ppp p

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
does seem fairlyclear is thatthe dynamicsare arrangedin such a way as to

impose the proportionsofNo. 2 on thepresentmovementin additiontothe
proportions natural to this movement - those resulting from the
permutationsapplied to the durations series. (Since it contains twelve
elements,the one whole series to appear as a column in this movement
beginsin the 'first'row,row 15, and continuesto row 4, whichis two rows
into the 'next' sectionon the table in Fig. 30, but is parallelto the last row
of the firstsectionin No. 2 (see Figs 3 and 5).) We will see presentlythat
thisdivisionof rows 15-1 into two sectionsof twelveand threeto replicate
the structureofNo. 2 is reinforcedin otherways.
Only column 8 contains twelve discreteelementsin succession; thus
this table, while hauntinglylike those of Nos 2 and 6b, is essentially
different. In it are also resonancesof various otherconstructionswe have
observedwhile workingwiththe a-is permutations.Columns 5 and 10 of
the section comprisingrows 15-6 and columns 3 and 8 of the section
consistingof rows 5-1 representthe continualalternationof two elements;
such columnsare a featureof the permutationsused in thiswork,and even
occur in these positions(see, forexample,columns 3 and 8 in table (a) or
5 and 10 in table (b) ofFig. 1), althoughin a regularpermutationthe same
two numbersalternatein both columns. This can be no accident; at the
same time, it is difficult to see how all fourof these alternatingcolumns
could have been produced by the same operation.What is veryapparent,
and more to the point,is the structuralresemblanceof the table in Fig. 32
(the dynamicstable) to that in Fig. 33 (the durationstable, expressedin
ordernumbersratherthanactual durationsas in Fig. 30).
Two of the rows on the table in Fig. 32 are strikingly differentfromthe
rest, and closely related (they are constructed in the same way, but in
formattheyare the retrogradeof each other): these are rows 15 and 5,
which are parallel to the structurallyimportant'first'rows of the two
sections on the table in Fig. 33 - those rows from which the regular
permutationsproceed, the second of which is the retrogradeof the first.
The alternatingcolumns are 3 and 8 in the largersection,5 and 10 in the
smalleron the table in Fig. 33 - a mirrorimage of theirpositionsin the
Fig. 32 table. In addition row 14 and most likelyrow 4 of the dynamics
table - the 'second' row in each sectionis a palindrome.Thus the table
representing the organisationof dynamicsin this movementseemsto be a
cosmetic one, drawingits featuresfromvarious permutationaltables and
combiningthemin a somewhateclecticfashionso thatthe resultresembles
a permutationaltable withoutbeing one.
An interestingand characteristicfeature of this movement is the

Fig. 32 No. 9: Table of dynamics
A B6 Ab B G C F# C# F D E EF
(18) 3 5 1 8 11 10 10 8 1 10 5 8
(17) 8 5 1 1 3 8 9 7 7 1 1 1 CODA
(16) 7 6 4 6 12 11 8 11 9 11 2 11
(15) 8 11 8 11 8 11 1 1 1 1 1 1
(14) 3 5 6 8 2 4 4 2 8 6 5 3
(13) 1 9 7 12 8 10 4 3 8 1 12 6
(12) 8 4 11 10 2 3 5 4 5 6 8 12
(11) 2 12 12 7 8 9 12 5 - 1 10 8
(10) 11 3 1 1 2 12 4 6 7 6 8 5
(9) 6 6 4 9 8 6 11 7 10 1 7 7
(8) 1 2 1 2 - 2 8 8 3 6 4 9
(7) 4 - 2 3 8 1 1 9 4 1 9 10
(6) 8 7 12 5 2 8 7 10 12 6 4 8
(5) 3 3 3 3 (3) 3 8 11 8 11 8 (11)
(4) 1 6 5 5 12 9 9 12 5 5 (6) 1
(3) 5 2 3 11 1 12 7 11 5 10 4 3
(2) 2 8 5 6 12 6 1 12 7 8 9 6
(1) 11 7 3 12 6 2 4 11 10 4 (2) 12
NB In rows 5, 10 and 4 I have made alterationsin orderto preservea patternthatseemed

to me verylikelycorrect.The 3 and 11 in row 5 should read 4 and 8, followingthe score;
the 6 (f) in row 4 is really7 (ppp>f), and the 2 (mf>pp) in row 10 is 4 (mf), both easy
misprints.There is a mistake in row 1: the dynamic indication on E is mf>ppp,an
indicationthatdoes not existin thismovement.
frequentoccurrence of the same duration in two parts simultaneously.

This happens somewhatless oftenthan it would seem at firstglance, ifwe
discount those instanceswhere the same pitch occurs on two staves for
technicalreasonsas the resultof forceddivisinotationbeforeor followinga
real divisionof function(the basses and tenorsin bs 553-60 and the altos
in 577-81). This is not the case, however,with the middle C sung by
sopranosand tenorstogetherin bs 552-3. This C is interestingbecause it is
the only example of the doubling of the same pitch by two parts,but -
especially- because it correspondsto the onlyexample of doublingof any
sort that occurs in No. 2: in both movementsthe pitch concerned is a
middle C in row 2 (see soprano 2 and alto 1 in bs 110-12). Different
pitches occur in rhythmicunison in the followingrows: 4 (F#and C#in

KATHYRN BAILEY
ofdurations
Fig. 33 No. 9: Permutation series
A B% Ab B G C F# C# F D E Eb
(18)
(17)
(16)
(15) 4 3 5 2 6 1 10 9 11 8 12 7
(14) 10 1 9 6 11 2 8 5 12 3 7 4
(13) 8 2 5 11 12 6 3 9 7 1 4 10
(12) 3 6 9 12 7 11 1 5 4 2 10 8
(11) 1 11 5 7 4 12 2 9 10 6 8 3
(10) 2 12 9 4 10 7 6 5 8 11 3 1
(9) 6 7 5 10 8 4 11 9 3 12 1 2
(8) 11 4 9 8 3 10 12 5 1 7 2 6
(7) 12 10 5 3 1 8 7 9 2 4 6 11
(6) 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12
(5) 7 12 8 11 9 10 1 6 2 5 3 4
(4) 4 7 3 12 5 8 2 11 6 9 1 10
(3) 10 4 1 7 9 3 6 12 11 5 2 8
(2) 8 10 2 4 5 1 11 7 12 9 6 3
(1) 3 8 6 10 9 2 12 4 7 5 11 1
bs 560-1), 7 (E and F in 567-8, A? and G in 568), 8 (E and D in 569-70,

C and B in 580-2), 9 (E and D?, F? and G, both in 573), 10 (F and D in
574-5, C and F?, G and B, both in 576), 12 (C? and E in 581), 14 (C? and
F? in 587-8, C and G in 588-9), 17(A? and B in 599) and 18 (B6 and G? in
601).
More strikingthan these, because of the repetitioninvolved, are
rhythmicunisons involvingthe A at the end of one row and the E6 at the
beginningof the next.Nearlyall the rowsin the main body of the piece (6-
15) are elided in this way (see bs 569-70, 573-5 and - following
immediatelywithout a break - 575-7, 579-80, 586-7, 589-90). Only
between rows 12 and 13 is there no hint of elision. (Could this be in
referenceto the structuralbreak that occurs between rows 12 and 13 of
No. 2?) Such a connectionis closely approximatedbetween the firsttwo
rows of the section,rows 6 and 7: in bs 85-6 the second sopranos' D? and
the second basses' A both have a value of 13; theirsoundingand release
are as nearlysimultaneousas possible, giventhattheyare not in the same
tempo. This also is an importantjuncturein No. 2: thererow 6 represents
the completion of the firsthalf of the rotationalcycle; 7 is the exact
inversionof the generatingrow. The next join that is not rhythmically

elided is thatbetweenrows 8 and 9; here such an elisionwould occur ifthe

timpani's were writtenone quaver earlier,at the end of b.572 rather
than the beginning of 573, and, in the lightof the othercarefullyplanned
D.
connections,one is temptedto see this as an error.The rows of the first
section of the movement (1-5) and the last (16-18) are not so joined,
exceptforthe finaltwo: the E6 at the end of row 17 and the initialA of 18
(both theserowsare forward-going) are sounded exactlytogether.
And so in some way the circle is closed: Nos 8 and 9 representthe
returnof many aspects of Nos 1 and 2, althoughthe arch formthatthis
suggestsis not realized.The designof the whole is asymmetrical, withlittle
in the way of referencebeyondthe similarities just noted: Nos 1 and 8, and
Nos 2, 6b and 9. The dispositionof severalfeaturesis shownin Fig. 34 for
reference;those movementsexhibitinga structuralsimilarity are bracketed
together.
Fig. 34 Il cantosospeso:overalldesign
1 ORCHESTRA alone, windsvs strings
4/8,3/4:.=56, 60, 72, 92; .=60, 72, 82
2 text
unaccompaniedeight-partCHORUS; fragmented
2/4: =60-66
3 soprano,alto and tenorSOLOISTS; ORCHESTRA

4/8/3/8: = 152
4 sixteensolo stringsand ORCHESTRA

4/4,3/4: .=92
5 tenorSOLOIST, solo stringsand ORCHESTRA

3/4: ==46,56, 66
6a eight-part
CHORUS and low INSTRUMENTS
2/4: =66
6b four-partCHORUS and strings;vowel sounds extracted

2/4:.=66
7 sopranoSOLOIST, women's CHORUS and highINSTRUMENTS;

singingwithclosed mouth
5/8:.=80, 96, 120, 132, 152
8 wind INSTRUMENTS and timpani

4/8: 56, 60, 66, 72, 92, 112
,>=46,
-9 eight-part CHORUS and timpani; fragmented text
2/4:i=54, 44

KATHYRN BAILEY
CODA
At thispoint I should like to discuss musicalaspects of Il cantosospeso;but

the truthis that I findit verydifficult to writeabout the work as music,
because it doesn't seem to me eitherto consist of musical fabricor to
behave in a musical way. I returnto my originalquotationfromAlexander
Goehr: 'There is no materialin the traditionalsense, but only a pre-
compositional abstractionof the intended course of events.' Material
sounds a fairlyunspecificterm,but when a musicianspeaks of material,he
is in fact speaking of the very essentials of music-building.He means
melodyas distinctfromthe arbitrary succession of pitches,rhythms thatare
contrived either to reinforce or to suspend a metrical orientation,
simultaneitiesbrought togetherto some purpose, motivesthat recur or
develop and in some way provideunity.These thingsare the essence of
music, and theyhave no place in the music of integralserialism,in which
decisions concerningthe combinationof ingredientsare made on non-
musicalgroundsbeforecompositionbegins.
Perhaps ironically,the downfallof this music finallyis its sameness
throughout.Carefully contrived contrasts in instrumentationnotwith-
standing,it sounds monotonous. Aurally,four movements of Il canto
sospesoprovide some degree of contrastto the rest: No. 5, because of its
slow tempos; No. 6a, because of its restricted,low range and the large
number of voices playing together (the effectis of an extended tone
cluster); No. 7, because of its high range and thinnessof texture(never
more than three voices present,and oftenonly one); and No. 9, again
primarilybecause of its slow tempos. The overall effect,however,is of
continualstridentdissonance in, generallyspeaking,a veryhigh range,in
which shrillnessis exaggerated.Though consonant intervalsand octaves
frequentlydo occur, they do nothingto allay the overridingharshness,
since theirpresence is the accidental resultof precompositionaldecisions
of a numericalratherthan a musical natureand theirplacementtherefore
without(musical) purpose.Again I quote AlexanderGoehr:
... thismusicis dull in its lack of formalcomplexity, of dramatic

gesture.No amountoftechnicalingenuity can breakthemonotony of
- even thoughthis regularity
regularity can be shownto contain,
withinitself,
thewidestpossibledegreeofisolationand differentiation.
The dullimpression is simplydue to thefactthatall serialpossibilities
are continuallypresentin the work. Musical interestis always
producedby the restriction - a restriction
of possibilities whichis
determined,in itsturn,bythecharacter ofthematerial, byindividual
invention.28
Goehr of course was writingabout integralserialmusic in general,not

about Nono's piece. Yet perhapsit is timeto submitsome of the 'classics'

of that traditionto the detailed analysis they deserve (and which we

routinelyaccord the classics of the past). If theyreallyare classics,theywill
repaysuch attentionrichly.If theyare not, thenit is timetheylost some of
theirmystique.I am well aware of the ambivalenceof my own feelingsin
thisregard.While fascinatedby the intellectualoperationsthatlay behind
the compositionof Nono's work,I am much less attractedto it as 'music'.
This leads me to ask - at the riskof soundingphilistine- whether'music'
is in factan accurate descriptionof the piece at all. When sense and sound
- constructiveachievementand aestheticeffect- are out of kilterto the
extentthattheyappear to be here, somethingmust be wrong.This is not
to denigrate the intellectualaccomplishmentof the work: many of its
problemsare challenging,manyof its solutionselegant.Perhaps,as writers
like Nicolaus Huber and Ivanka Stoianova argue,it is expressiveof its text
(thoughit is surelynot trivialthatthese authorshave turnedto theoriesof
filmmakingand of language to make theirpoint). But if the problem I
have highlightedis a real one, it is one thataffectsmanymodem 'classics'
apartfromII cantosospeso.
APPENDIX
One oftheinevitable
resultsofan analysisofthissortis a listofprobablemisprints
and omissions.
I offer
thefollowing.
No. 2: b.110 figure

accompanying bracketin bass 2 (overD) shouldbe 5,
not3, andnoteshouldbe a semiquaver
b.135 durationsof2 notesin altol&2 shouldbe reversed:1st,not
2nd, shouldhavea dot
No. 3: bs 169-70 2ndtiednoteinbcl shouldbe a quaver

bs 169-70 2ndtiednoteintrp4shouldbe a semiquaver
No. 4: b.249 xylshouldhaveB, notG

b.278 flshouldhaveB, notD
No. 5: b.290 vibrshouldhaveC insteadofB

b.292 trp3shouldbe mp]
[omission:
No. 6a: b.319 2ndand 3rdvlcnotesshouldbe tied
b.332 decrescendo frombssnl
missing
b.334 sop l's 1stand 2nd notes shouldbe tied
b.339 thereshouldbe no tie in the cb
b.340 mp<fin cb shouldbe mp<mf
b.359 [omission:p missingfromvlc]
b.360 [omission:mpmissingfromcb]

KATHYRN BAILEY
No. 6b: b.387 vnl shouldhaveFi , notAg

b.392 vlcnoteshouldbe notE
b.394 E,, not26
noteshouldequal 17,
b.410 vnl's D? shouldbe worth8
No. 7: b.428 A shouldbe a semiquaver
b.432 alto'sE shouldendwithdottedquaver
b.445 soprano'sF shouldbe G
b.459 E inmarimbashouldbe G
b.464 [omission:thereshouldbe an A on lasthalfof4thbeat]
No. 8: b.497 2ndtiednoteinbcl shouldbe a semiquaver

b.498 dot belongswith 1st tied note in trbnratherthan with
preceding rest
b.504 1stnoteintrp2shouldbe a quaver
b.510 G intrbn2shouldbe 7 unitslong
b.516 last2 notesinhn2shouldbe 4+3 unitsinlength
b.517 a trebleclefis neededinhn5part
b.520 F inhnl shouldbe A (bassclef?)
b.522 trp4noteshouldbe a semiquaver
b.524 B intrbnlshouldbe Bb
b.533 1stnoteintrplshouldbe a quaver
b.535 tiednoteinfll shouldbe a quaver
b.535 hns5&6shouldhaveF? , notF
b.542 1stnoteintrp3shouldbe a quaver
b.542 trbn4shouldhavedottedrest,demisemiquaver
No. 9: bs 545-6 mf>pppshouldbe mf>pp

bs 562-4 C? shouldbe C?
b.564 A shouldbe 5 unitslong,not4
bs 566-8 C? shouldbe 13 unitslong,not12
b.584 D shouldbe 3 unitslong,not4
b.592 C shouldbe 7 unitslong,not4
b.568(9?) Bb(=1 unit)missing
[omission: fromb.568 or 569]
bs 571-2 G (-3 units)missing
[omission: frombs 571-2]
b.577 F (=1 unit)missing
[omission: fromb.577]
NOTES
1. 'Is ThereOnlyOne Way?',TheScore(January 1960),p.64.

2. 'PierreBoulez',Die Reihe,Vol. 4 (1960), p.36.
3. In Englishthereis, to my knowledge,only Udo Unger, 'Luigi Nono:
"Polifonica-Monodia-Ritmica - Il cantosospeso"',Die Reihe,Vol. 4, pp.5-13
330 11:2-3, 1992

MUSICANALYSIS

(II canto sospesois mentioned only on pp.10-13); Karlheinz Stockhausen,

'Texte und Sprache', Die Reihe,Vol. 6, pp.40-67 (Il cantosospesodiscussed on
pp.47-57); and Reginald Smith Brindle, 'CurrentChronicle: Italy', Musical
Quarterly,Vol. 47 (1961), pp.247-55. Both Stockhausen's and Smith
Brindle's discussionsare limitedto certainaspects of No. 2 (althoughthis is
not clear in the case of Smith Brindle, whose pretence of an intimate
knowledge with the remainderof the work leads him to make egregious
blunders),and both failto notice essentialfeaturesof the organisationof that
movement.There is, in addition to these: Massimo Mila, 'La Linea Nono.
Apropositode "Il canto sospeso"', RassegnaMusicaleItaliana,Vol. 30 (1960),
pp.297-31 1; T. Ekbom, 'Der om6iligauppdraget.Om Luigi Nonos k6rverkIl
canto sospeso', in Nutida Musik, Vol. 6, No. 1 (1962/3); WolfgangMotz,
Analytische Betrachtungen iiber'Il cantosospeso'von Luigi Nono (Freiburgi.Br.,
1978-80); Nicolaus A. Huber, 'Luigi Nono: Il canto sospeso VIa, b', Musik-
Konzepte 20: Luigi Nono, ed. Heinz-Klaus Metzgerand Rainer Riehn (1981),
pp.58-79; and Istvin Balizs, "'Il giovane Prometeo". I "peccati" di Nono
contro il serialismo ortodosso nel periodo darmstadtiano', and Ivanka
Stoianova, 'Testo-musico-senso."Il canto sospeso"', both in Nono, ed. Enzo
Restagno (Torino, 1987), pp.102-15 (Il cantosospesois discussed on pp.108-
15) and pp.126-42. I have not seen the firsttwo of these; of the remaining
three,onlyNicolaus Huber discussesthe serialand permutationalbasis of the
music, and, even so, thisis not his primaryconcern.And again, of course,his
article deals with only one (two?) movement(s). I feel a kinshipwith him
when he writesthathis analysisis bound to be 'eine subjektiveInterpretation
..., die durch Daten abgesichert,somit einsehbar ist und Anregung zu
sch6pferischer Weiterarbeitsein kann' (p.59).
4. 'CurrentChronicle:Italy',Musical Quarterly, Vol. 47 (1961), pp.247-55.
5. Ibid.,pp.248-9.
6. Ibid., p.249 (myemphasis).
7. Ibid., p.254 (myemphasis).
8. Milton Babbitt, 'Some Aspects of Twelve-Tone Composition', The Score
(June1955), pp.57ff.
9. Translationsof the textsare myown.
10. I use this termfor serial music in which the series is expressedthroughthe
succession of attacksthroughoutthe entirerange of a texturewhich may be
linear in nature but most oftenis not. This is the opposite of linear topo-
graphy,in which severalrows unfold simultaneouslyin separate voices that
sound together. See Bailey, The Twelve-NoteMusic of Anton Webern
(Cambridge: CUP, 1991), pp.31ff.
11. Stockhausenidentifies'a seriesof six factorswhichcan be multipliedwiththe
fourunitvalues: 1 2 3 5 8 13' in thismovement,but curiouslyfailsto see that
this series was doubled and the result submittedto a regular patternof
rotation. Thus his rather complicated explanation of the organisationof
durationsmissesthepointentirely(Stockhausen,p.52). SmithBrindle,on the
otherhand, recognisesthe twelve-element series 1 2 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 and

KATHYRN BAILEY
its applicationto the repeatingpc rows,but (even more curiously)seems not

to have noticedthatthe seriesunderwentrotation(SmithBrindle,p.250).
12. SmithBrindle,p.250.
13. Concerning dynamic markings,Stockhausen writes: 'The structureof the
dynamicvalues is ... linkedwiththe pitches,each of the 12 chromaticpitch
values receivinga different intensitywheneverit recurs' (p.52). While this is
nearly true (it holds only withinthe two main sections- rows 1-12 and 13-15
- and not in the coda, rows 16-19, and does not take into account the
appearance of theppp indicationtwice(as elementsone and six) in each of the
columnsrepresenting rows 1-12), Stockhausenhas here again failedto notice
the essentialfactofrotation.
14. The figuredoes not show all the possibilities(the arrangementof the first
threerows in order of releases and of the last threein order of attackhave
been omitted,for example), because the symmetricalorganisationof other
aspects of the movementmake it fairlyclear thatthe seriesshownmustbe the
significant ones.
15. I
Although cannot findany serialmanipulationof the dynamicindicationsin
this movement,the orderin which I have placed themhere is not arbitrary.
Besides representinga logical progressionas in other movementswhere
dynamics are serialised, this order is clearly Nono's: the transpositional
relationshipbetweenthe dynamicsof the chorus and those of the orchestrais
apparentonlywhen the dynamicsare orderedin thisway. This relationshipis
missed by Huber in his otherwisethoroughanalysisof 6a. He says in this
connection that 'die Lautstirkenim Orchestersind selbstandig,gehorchen
nichtdem Rticklauf,sindnormalerMusikh6r-Zeitunterworfen ...' (p.66).
16. Huber agrees with this interpretation, but for differentreasons, which are
difficultto discern.He discussesthe matteron pp.66-7: 'Das Orchesterist die
Stimmeder Mbrder. Sie wiederholenden Text auf der Bedeutungsebenedes
Berichts, anders als der Chor jedoch von der Basis der Handelnden,
Eingreifenden,Schicksalbringenden. Die M6rder sind gleichsamdie direkte
Realitdt,von der der Chor berichtet,auf die der Chor der Opferreagiert.Die
Orchester-Anschlige schlagengleichzeitigum in neue Ausdrucksqualitiit. Sie
sind die Schlige, die fremde,feindlicheEmotionalititbesitzen(vgl. die eigene
neueLautstdrkekomposition [myemphasis]' , etc....
17. I mustthankAnthonyGrittenforsuggestingthisas a possibilityafterstudying
the score.
18. Huber, who analyses 6b, does not notice this (but then,it is unlikelythat it
would come to mind unless the scheme used in No. 2 had been found first,
and to my knowledge no one has seen this until now). On pp.77-8 he
suggestsan explanationratherlike Stockhausen'sexplanationof the dynamics
in No. 2 (Stockhausen,pp.52-4).
19. In manycases it is easy to see the reason forthe alteration.I givethe following
as examples:
b.368, alto has p instead off on the thirdnote of a melodic group in
whichfirstand second notes are sungp and mp;

b.368, cello has mp instead of p on note fiveof a six-notecrescendo:

ppp-[f,pizz]-pp-p-mp-mf;
b.372, soprano has mp instead off on second note of 'Com' &', after
firstnote was p;
b.376, soprano has f instead of mfon second of threenotes, the other
two of whicharef;
bs 378-9, soprano and bass have ppp-p for'addio' instead of the mf-f
(soprano) and f-f(bass) prescribed;
b.381, soprano has f instead ofp on thirdof threenotes, the firstand
second ofwhicharef;
b.407, cello has ppp instead of p to match precedingtwo notes of a
three-notegroup.
At othertimesthe reason is not immediatelyapparent:forexample,whythe
second violinhas been writtenppp ratherthanpp in bs 370-2, whythe viola
is markedp in bs 385-6 and thenpp-pp in 387-9 ratherthan mpthenf-f,or
whythebass has p and f insteadof mpand p in bs 395-6.
20. In the followingparagraphsand, particularly,in the tables I will make a
distinctionwheneverit seems necessarybetweenthe actual orderof the rows'
appearance and the orderin whichtheywere derivedby puttingthe numbers
identifyingtheir real position in the score in bold face and placing the
numbersrepresenting the orderof derivationin brackets.
21. These numbers and those later in this paragraph are derivationnumbers;
bracketshave been leftout in the interestsof simplicity.
22. The rows are listedand numberedhere in the orderof derivation.The order
in whichtheyactuallyappear in the score is thatdescribedearlier:
row 1 bs 414-20 (1)

rows 2, 3 and 4 bs 420-26 (6), (2) and (5)
rows 5 and 6 bs 426-32 (3) and (4)
rows 7 and 8 bs 432-8 (9) and (10)

rows 9, 10 and 11 bs 438-44 (8), (11) and (7)
row 12 bs 445-51 (12)
23. To continuethe table begun in thepreviousnote:
rows 13 and 14 bs 451-7 (12)R and (7)R

rows 15, 16 and 17 bs 457-62 (11)R, (8)R and (10)R
rows 18, 19 and 20 bs 463-9 (9)R, (3)R and (2)R
rows 21 and 22 bs 469-75 (1)R and (4)R
row 23 bs 476-82 (5)R
row 24 bs 482-8 (6)R
24. It should be mentionedthat althoughthereare twelvediscreterows, two of

them,(1) and (7) (or 1 and 11, as theyactuallyoccur), are the same withthe

KATHYRN BAILEY
hexachords exchanged: (1) = ppp mfmfp p ppp p ppp p mfmfp, (7) = p ppp p
mf mfp ppp mf mfp p ppp. The other pairs of rows that share the same
contentsare not relatedin thisway.
25. Exceptionsare trumpet5 in section 1; trumpet4 and trombones1, 3 and 4 in
section5; trumpets3, 4 and 5 and trombone3 in section7; and horns 1 and
2, trumpets2, 3 and 5, trombone1 and both timpaniin the finalsection,by
farthe longestand rhythmically mostdiverseof all.
26. WhereasNo. 2 dividedthe foursectionsof the chorusregularlyinto eight,the
divisionhere growsfromonlyfourpartsat the outsetto ten by b.567. This is
accomplished througha constantfluctuation:the sopranos are divided into
three groups in bs 564, 567-8 and 586-7; the altos are similarlydivided in
b.568; the tenors in bs 564-5, and the basses in 570-7 and 588-90. The
number of parts diminishestowards the end: all the altos join togetherin
bs 577-98 and again in 602-4, as do the sopranos in 595-8, the tenors in
598-9 and thebasses in 603-5.
27. is the directresultof therebeing
It will be seen presentlythatthis difference
one less tempoin No. 9 (see the discussionof the coda below).
28. 'Is There Only One Way?',p.64.
334 MUSICANALYSIS11:2-3, 1992


Nono Il Canto Sospeso ANALISI

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'Work in Progress': Analysing Nono's 'Il Canto Sospeso'

Author(s): Kathryn Bailey

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In 1960, AlexanderGoehr wrotethatintegralserialism

amountsto a completeneutralization of musical character.The

In the same year Gy6rgyLigeti published his analysisof Pierre Boulez's

MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3,1992 279

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Munich Oktoberfest in 1980, killingthirteen people and injuringmore

280 MUSIC ANALYSIS11:2-3, 1992

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In conjunctionwith the lack of knowledgeof the work betrayedin these

II canto sospesois built on an expanding all-intervalseries (referredto

The opening piece, withoutvoices, is divided by double barlines and

MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3, 1992 281

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Fig. 1 Permutationtablesrelatingto the expandingall-interval

(a) resultof 7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1 permutation:

(b) resultof 12 1 11 2 10 3 9 4 8 5 7 6 permutation:

second and eleventh) are so brief that they cannot be considered as

282 MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3, 1992

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style,whichis thendeveloped in sectionsiv,VI and VIII. The two stylesof

I (ii) III iv V VI vii VIII IX X (xi) XII XIII

One of the pervasivecharacteristics of II cantois the use simultaneously

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4r --92 ralL. _ accel-

cc) :z z ______ -- -~ ------

284 MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3, 1992

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MUSIC ANALYSIS11:2-3, 1992 285

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returnof the opening:againin fourbars of ', utilizingthe same instru-

286 MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3, 1992

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id. -en:a sord. 4(a __

MUSIC ANALYSIS 1992

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c- = senlq ver units

288 MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3,1992

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can offerno explanationforthe choice or the orderof eitherdurationsor

In two movements of II canto sospeso - Nos 2 and 6b - cyclic rotation is

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successiveseries are determinedby the regularcyclic rotationof a

Fig. 3 No. 2: Table ofdurations

290 MUSIC ANALYSIS11:2-3, 1992

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MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3, 1992 291

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Fig. 4 No. 2: Dynamicsseries

durations. Also as there, each column representsa rotation from the

NB: Numbers in bracketsindicate discrepanciesbetweenwhat is requiredby the system

292 MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3, 1992

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Fig. 6 No. 2: Patternofrotationused in table of dynamics

necessarilya sign of omission,as it happens more than once elsewhere).It

'... theyare takingme to Kessarianiforexecutiontogetherwithseven

'... theywill hang me in the square because I am a patriot.Your son

MUSIC ANALYSIS 11:2-3, 1992 293

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