‘C omposing with I ntervals ’: I ntervallic S yntax and S erial T echnique in L ate S travinsky
Massimiliano Locanto · Music Analysis · 2009
ABSTRACT In Stravinsky's final serial works, the intervallic component assumed a more decisive role than in his in earlier compositions, becoming the foundational aspect of a ‘motivic’ technique, the specific aspects of which are illustrated here through several sketch‐based analyses. In Stravinsky's case, motivic‐intervallic syntax and serial procedures operate according to slightly but significantly different criteria: the first on the level of single intervals, the second on the level of pitch‐class sets. Using several specific examples drawn from compositions ranging fromAgonto theRequiem Canticles, this article demonstrates that the discrepancy provided Stravinsky with a stimulus, rather than an obstacle, to composition, and provides a guide to the interpretation of certain well‐known characteristics both of his creative process and of his serial technique. The music‐theoretical aspects of Stravinsky's intervallic syntax are illustrated, and its interaction with serial technique is observed from two conceptually different directions: from intervallic motives to rows (the initial definition of a row of pitches), and from the row to intervallic motives (the transformation of the ‘abstract’ row into concrete musical contexts).