Rethinking WTC: a new interpretation of the Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach through the prism of the theory of Boleslav Javorsky
(2023)
author(s): Natalya Pasichnyk
published in: Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design, University of Bergen
In this project I sought to get new insights into the interpretational process, to make a contribution to the renewal of methods of working with a musical text, to find a new way to communicate meaning found in music, to broaden the role of the pianist to a co-creative one, and to unfold a new facet of the understanding of the Well-Tempered Clavier by J.S. Bach.
The initial inspiration for this project came from the theory of the Ukrainian-born musicologist Boleslaw Javorsky (1877-1942), the main sense of which can be formulated as: the main foundation of the Well-Tempered Clavier (WTC) is the protestant chorales, and that the WTC is an artistic interpretation of images and plots of the Bible.
The use of metaphors, images and narrative is important as a way of working with music for many musicians. For me this way of thinking has always been the most important working method, along with the wide range of other elements within my individual working processes, which inform my artistic practice. I intended to go further and through the creative process during this project develop a new methodological approach in working with the music text. I call the process in search for meaning in preludes and fugues.
I try in this project to tell the story of my personal understanding of this iconic piece, often called the pianist's Bible. The story presented is not merely a descriptive Bible story, but rather a personal reflection over our existence.
My working process began with trying to find and understand the connection between words in the chorales as well as other vocal works of Bach, and the music text of WTC. When analysing the found connection, each prelude and fugue receives a concrete semantic meaning. I decided to place the pieces chronologically according to the meaning I found, so that the entire WTC becomes a unified coherent story, instead of a collection of 48 separate pieces.
I did not attempt to imitate the way of performing that was common during Bach's time, but rather to use all the advantages of the keyboard instrument of our time and all the expressive means it offers to share my findings. By experimenting with interweaving the motives of vocal music with WTC's music texture, I wanted to make my understanding of the genesis of the piece audible, but also to embed my reflections into my playing. It also broadened the role of the pianist to a more co-creative one, which was the common practice in Bach's time, but in an entirely different way. In other words, my intention was to make my interpretation historically informed, but to be faithful to the spirit of the time, rather than to the letter of the time.
The legendary Bach scholar Albert Schweitzer wrote about WTC: "What is gripping, is not the shape, or the structure of the pieces, but the worldview reflected in them". To make my understanding of this worldview audible to all listeners, and to invite them to immerse themselves into Bach’s spiritual universe (where the music's aim is the “recreation of the spirit”), is the overall goal of the project. Bach’s faith generated his music, and so I hope that this music can in turn generate faith, which we need in our current times more than ever.
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Listening to Messiaen’s colourful hands
(2022)
author(s): Arjen Berends
published in: KC Research Portal
Name: Arjen Berends
Main subject: Master Theory of Music
Supervisor: Dr. Bert Mooiman
Title of Research: Listening to Messiaen's colourful hands
Subtitle: Analysing harmony and voice leading in the two homorhythmic chorales from Messiaen’s La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ.
Research question: How to analyse harmony and voice leading in the two homorhythmic chorales from Messiaen’s La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ?
Abstract
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), one of the most famous French composers of the 20th century, was also known to be a great organist and improviser, as organist of Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris for over 60 years. His huge oratorio La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ, composed 1965-1969, includes two entirely homorhythmic movements entitled ‘Choral’. As a listener, I am fascinated by Messiaen's extraordinary approach to harmony. The aim of this research is, therefore, to attempt to understand how best to analyse Messiaen's unique harmonic language.
Many approaches to analysing Messiaen’s music are vertically orientated, including his own way of describing his use of harmony. He himself never discussed the horizontal aspects of his music. Because of his coloured hearing synaesthesia (son-couleur), Messiaen's analyses are particularly special in their manner of addressing the colours of certain chords. A colour analysis by Messiaen therefore may give the listener some insight in the way Messiaen might have perceived his music. This research includes videos with the music and paintings of the colour analyses by Messiaen and two other musicians with synaesthesia of one of the chorales, specially made for this research.
Considering Messiaen’s own lack of emphasis on horizontal aspects of his music, is it possible to understand Messiaen’s music from a horizontal perspective as well? Since the two chorales are homophonic and homorhythmic, the bass and soprano are the most important voices. These parts can be perceived clearly, but the attention of the listener is also caught by other aspects such as the complexity of the chords. It is difficult to determine the precise voice leading of the inner parts because it is ‘blurred’ by the varied orchestration, but by way of harmonic reductions of the chorales, Messiaen’s horizontal compositional techniques can be clarified. This research includes a harmonisation of a melody by Messiaen in the style of the chorales in La Transfiguration.
Biography
Arjen Berends teaches music theory and arranging at the conservatories of The Hague and Utrecht. He graduated in music education at the Utrecht Conservatory, where he also studied classical piano with Henk Ekkel and Martyn van den Hoek. At the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague he completed his studies in music theory with Paul Scheepers, Arie Boers, Diderik Wagenaar, and Ineke Kien. He is répétiteur of Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam conducted by Boudewijn Jansen; he has previously worked with choral conductors such as Louis Buskens, Iassen Raykov and Béni Csillag.