1. Serialism
Key Terms
Total serialism
Darmstadt (International Summer
Courses for New Music)
IRCAM (Institute de Recherche et
Coordination Acoustique
Musique [Institute for Musical
Research and Collaboration])
René Char
Left: 12-tone matrix
for Babbitt’s Philomel

2. Olivier Messiaen (1908-92)
Mode de valeurs et d’intensités, 1949 (Mode of Durations and Dynamics)
from Quatre études de rhythme

3. Pierre Boulez (b. 1925)
Le marteau sans maître, 1955 (The Hammer without a Master)
for alto voice, viola, alto flute, guitar, vibraphone, xylorimba, percussion
(1) I. Before “The Raging Proletariat”
• flute, vibraphone, guitar, viola
(2) II. Commentary I to “Hangmen of Loneliness”
• flute, xylorimba, viola, tambourine, 2 bongos
(1) III. “The Raging Proletariat”
• Flute, alto voice
(2) IV. Commentary II to “Hangmen of Loneliness”
• xylorimba, vibraphone, guitar, viola, triangle, small cymbals,
high cowbell
(3) V. “Beautiful Edifice and Forebodings”
• flute, guitar, alto voice, viola
(2) VI. “Hangmen of Loneliness”
COMPARE:
• flute, xylorimba, vibraphone, maracas, guitar, alto voice, viola Schoenberg,
(1) VII. After “The Raging Proletariat” Pierrot lunaire (1912)
• flute, vibraphone, guitar Song cycle in 3 parts
(2) VIII. Commentary III on “Hangmen of Loneliness”
• flute, xylorimba, vibraphone, slapsticks, high cowbell, 2 Instrumentation
Piano
bongos, maracas Flute (+ piccolo)
(3) IX. Counterpart to “Beautiful Edifice and Forebodings” Clarinet (+ bass clarinet)
• flute, xylorimba, vibraphone, guitar, alto voice, viola, tam Violin (+ viola)
Cello
tams, low gong, triangle, etc. Voice (Sprechgesang)

4. 1934 surrealist text by René Char (1907-88),
organized into 3 song cycles by Boulez
I. L’Artisanat furieaux I. The Raging Proletariat/Furious Artisans
La roulotte rouge au bord du clou The red caravan beside the prison
Et cadavre dans le panier And a body/corpse in the basket
Et chevaux de labours dans le fer à cheval And work horses in the horseshoe
Je rêve la tête sur la pointe de mon coutreau I dream with my head on the point of my
de Pérou Peruvian knife
II. Bel édifice et le pressentiments II. Beautiful Edifice and Forebodings
J’écoute marcher dans mes jambes I hear walking in my legs
La mer morte vagues par-dessus tête The dead sea waves over my head
Enfant la jetée—promenade sauvage Child—the wild promenade-pier
Homme l’illusion imitée Man—the imitated illusion
Des yeux purs dans le bois Pure eyes in the woods
Cherchent en pleurant la tête habitable Seek, weeping, a head to live in
III. Bourreaux de solitude III. Hangmen of Loneliness
Le pas s’est éloigné le marcheur s’est tu The step has receded the walker is silent
Sur le cadran de l’Imitation On the dial of imitation
Le Balancier lance sa charge de granit réflexe The Pendulum thrusts its load of reflex granite

5. Milton Babbitt (1916-2011)
Composition for Piano No. 1, 1947
Movement I
PALINDROME FORM
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4 – rows retrograde of section 3
Section 5 – rows retrograde of section 2
Section 6 – rows retrograde of section 1