The Music of Elliott Carter

Author(s): Orin Moe

Reviewed work(s):
Source: College Music Symposium, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Spring, 1982), pp. 7-31
Published by: College Music Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40374136 .
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Viewsand Viewpoints

The MusicofElliottCarter
Orin Moe
FiskUniversity
This composer'sstyleis rootedin vocal music. He has a likingforlong,lyrical
lines and texturesof rhythmically
fluidcounterpoint,
the whole frequentlybeextra-musical
inginspiredby
conceptions.
WOULD RECOGNIZE ELLIOTT CARTER IN TIS DESCRIPTION, yet it

definesthecoreofhisstyle.Fromthedateofhisfirst
acknowledged
incidental
musicforSophocles'Philoctetes
(1933),to hisfirst
composition,
characteristic
one,thePianoSonata(1945-46),15outof21 worksare
fully
ofthingsoutvocal.Of theeightinstrumental
works,threeare descriptive
sideofmusic,and almostall havestrongvocalqualities.
By stressing
songand choralmusicin hisearlyyears,Carterallied
It
himself
to theAmericanmusicalpastwhichis steepedin thistradition.
centofindmanyAmericancomposersofthetwentieth
wouldbe difficult
on
vocal
with
concentration
who
their
career
so
a
tury
began
generous
havean effect
on hislater,almostpurely
music.Does thispreoccupation
characterisworks?Verydefinitely.
It anticipates
recurrent
instrumental
notin thetradition
of song,butin the
ticsof hismature.art:(1) Lyricism,
mannerof the madrigal,an extended,supple contour.It is always
intheworksfromthesecondstringquartet
althoughverysubtly,
present,

and irregularly
scannedlines.Perhaps the most
on; (2) A texture
ofdifferently

in thecomposer'sstylewilloccurhere;(^Extradevelopments
important
for
Carter
has
saidmanytimesthatthisisa springboard
musical
inspiration.
To theabovemustbe added hisdeep concernforthe
hiscompositions.
- structural,
- of the meessentialcharacteristics
acoustical,expressive
musicfora
which
he
is
in
for
Thus
incidental
dium
composing.
writing
Greekplay,the composerstudiedGreek musicand incorporatedeleIn thePianoSonatahe exploitedthepementsofitintothecomposition.
oftheinstrument;
culiarsonorouscapabilities
and in theFirstString
Quarofthisgenre
tethe seemsto havebeenacutelyconsciousofthetreatment
as a conversation
amongfourequals.
To understandCarter'sdevelopment
Quartet
up to theSecondString
his
first
individual
work,we mustbe awareof three
(1959),
completely

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COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

thesemay
linesofdevelopment.
Forthesakeofconvenience
overlapping
be labeled the Neoclassical,the Expressionist,
and the Mature.These
termsshouldnotbe thoughtof as definitive
or mutually
exclusive.They
musicand
serve
to
to
mind
certain
of
Carter's
characteristics
simply
bring
to relatehimto othercomposers.In the Neoclassicalphase,his styleis
linmarkedbya leanand economicaltexture,
rhythmically-differentiated
harear counterpoint,
growthby motivicextension,a tonally-focused
of
and
to
adherence
formal
Even
mony,
thoughmany the
stereotypes.
of
in
this
are
vocal
or
compositions
period
descriptive origin,theyare govrelateCarter
ernedbyabstract
musicalprocesses.Theseaspectsobviously
to such figuresas Copland and Stravinsky.
The Expressionist
phase
modifies
certainof thecharacteristics
of theNeoclassical:thetexturebeis
comesmorecongested,freeuses of serialtechniquesappear,tonality
loosenedor dissolved,and thereis morerelianceon ad hocforms.Here
themusicof Sessionsand Schoenbergis touchedon. The maturephase
willincorporate
and transform
manyof thetraitsoftheearlierstyles.At
thisstagethe composercomesintoprofoundcontactwiththe musical
chartwillhelpclarify
worldsofCharlesIvesand Debussy.The following
theabove.Notall ofCarter'scompositions
arelisted,onlythemoresignal
of more
onesand thoseinitiating
a phase.1Those havingcharacteristics
thanone phasewillbe listedunderall theappropriate
headings.
The vocalmusicof theearlyyearsrangesfromtherelatively
simple
ofthesongsand someoftheearlychoralmumelodyand accompaniment
sic to the complexcounterpoint
o MusiciansWrestle
(1945).
Everywhere
choral
his
is
The firstworkto reflect
Carter
of
the
individual
something
of EmilyDickinson's
HeartNotSo HeavyAsMine(1938). The skillsetting
fulpiling-upof different
evocasomebrilliantly
and graphically
motives,
tiveofthetext,anticipates
ina shortspanthecharacteristics
ofindividual
inthelatermusic.Eachidea keepsa sharpidentity
instruments
evenwhen
mixedsimultaneously
withothers.Perhapsthefinestsettingof thisNeoclassicalstageis a translucent
TheHarmony
(1944) forwomen's
ofMorning
voicesand chamberorchestra.Its melodicgrace,brightcolors,and
reflect
one sideof theneoclassicalaesthetic,
and a genusnappyrhythms
ineifnotoftenrecognizedsideofCarter'smusicalpersonality.
The instrumental
musicofthisperiodissimilaringeneralstyletothe
vocalmusic,witha strongpreference
forlineartextures.
The earlyessays
inlargeforms,
suchasPocahontas
(1939) and theFirstSymphony
(1942),are
*Amoredetaileddiscussionof theearlyworkscan be foundin AbrahamSkulsky,
American
Alliance
Bulletin
, Vol. 3, No. 2 (1957),pp. 2-11;and RichardFranko
Composers
MusicalQuarterly,
43 (1957),151-70.
Goldman,"The MusicofElliottCarter,"

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THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

Phases
fig. I- TheStylistic
Neoclassicism

Mature

Expressionist

IncidentalMusicfor

Sophocles'Philoctetes

(1933)

HeartNotSo Heavyas Mine

forchorus(1938)

balletfor
Pocahontas,

balletfor
Pocahontas,

orchestra
(1939)

orchestra
(1939)

TheDefenseofCorinth,

men'schorus,piano,
speaker(1941)
FirstSymphony
(1942)
TheHarmony
ofMorning,

forwomen'schorusand
chamberorchestra
(1944)
PianoSonata(1945-46)
balletfororTheMinotaur,
chestra(1947)
formen'schorus,
Emblems
piano(1947)
WoodwindQuintet(1948)
CelloSonata
CelloSonata
(1948)
(1948)
EightEtudesand a
Fantasy(1950)
StringQuartetno. 1
(1951)
SonataforFlute,Oboe,
Celloand Harpsichord
(1952)
for
Variations
Orchestra( 1954-55)

StringQuartetno. 1
I
(1951)
SonataforFlute,Oboe
Celloand Harpsichord
(1952)
|
for
Variations
Orchestra( 1954-55)
Alllaterworks

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10

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

confident
and successful
ifnotparticularly
individual.It is withhisfirst
workalmostpurelyinstrumental
in inspiration,
thePianoSonata,thatthe
movematurecomposerbeginstoemerge.In twomasterfully
interrelated
bold
with
out
a
tonal
B
between
and
ments,working
A-sharp,
opposition
of thepithemesderivedfromthesonorousand technicalcharacteristics
From
and lastingcontribution
to therepertoire.
ano,itis a distinguished
thispointhe beginsto abandonthepredictable
formalproceduresofthe
earliercompositions,
musicalcontrastsstartto be based on complex
linesbecome
and thecontrapuntal
differentiations,
tempoand rhythmic
idiomsinitievermoredifferentiated.
The exploitation
of instrumental
atedbythePianoSonatawillremaina preoccupation
of thecomposer,especiallyin theperiod1945-50withsuchworksas theCelloSonata(1948),
theEightEtudesanda Fantasy
forwoodwindquartet(1950) and thePieces
(1949).
forTimpani
Elementsof the Expressionist
phase firstappear in theballetPocabut
will
not
untilTheMinotaur
full-blown
hontas, they
(1947),Ememerge
blems
the
Cello
First
and
above
all
the
Sonata,
(1951).
(1947),
Quartet
String
The CelloSonatamakesan interesting
tothePianoSonata.It is
comparison
a morearresting
richin thematicideas. Like the
work,extraordinarily
earliercomposition,
thissonatagrowsintimately
out of thesoundingpeculiarities
of themedium,nowtwoinstruments.
Added to thisis thefirst
use of preciselymeasured,fluctuating
prominent
tempos,generallyreferredto as "metricalmodulation."Fromthe structural
pointof view,
thanthePiano Sonata.The movementsehowever,it is less satisfactory
is in A-B-Aform,a cuone,and each movement
quenceis a conventional
choicegiventheboldnessofthethematic
riouslymechanical
process.The
composerhas notyetfounda propervehicleforhisdevelopingmusical
ideas. Some of thissame uncertainty
pervadestheimposingFirstString
Its
movement
is
the
first
inCarter'soeuvre
tosubordinate
Quartet. opening
thematic
structure
to texturalaction.The largerstructure
is determined
betweenextremeindependenceof thefourinprimarily
byan oscillation
struments
and a morecooperativeinterplay.
Contrastis also at theheart
of the innermovements
whichsimplyjuxtaposedramatically
different
thematic/textural
blocks.The ultimate
effect
ofthesemovements
is somewhatstiff,
as in thesuccessionof A-B-Aformsin theCelloSonata.Thematicstructure
and texturalactionare held in balancein the variationswhichisgivena deftternary
finale,
shape.Hoveringbetweenolderformal
and
new
musical
this
shapes
processes, quartetgainsa peculiarexpressive
Theseyearsstillsee someworkswhich
qualityfromitsowncontradictions.
are bestclassifiedas neoclassical,such as the Woodwind
Quintet(1948),
Etudes
and
a
for
woodwind
and
the
Sonata
Eight
Fantasy
quartet,
forFlute,
Oboe,Cello,andHarpsichord
and restraint
about
(1952). There is a clarity

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THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

11

theseworkswhichprecludecallingthemexpressionist;
rathertheyarethe
maturest
productsofCarter'sneoclassical
genius.
The workwhichunmistakably
ushersin thematurephaseis theVariations
(1954-55).It is thelastworkofCartertoshowan easily
forOrchestra
contactwiththepastand thefirstto revealall theessential
recognizable
qualitiesofhismaturestyle.As suchitis wellworthsomeextendeddiscushas pointedoutitsbasicstructure.
sion.The composerhimself
The workis basedon threemusicalideas.The first
two,ritornelli,
theworkin various
are repeatedliterally
hereand therethroughout
of pitchand speed.The thirdis thecentralthemeand
transpositions
thefirst,
Of theritornelli
risingrapundergoesmanytransformations.
beafterthebeginning,
idlyand playedbythefullorchestrashortly
VIII
slowerateachrestatement
comesprogressively
I, III,
(Variations
and Finale).The second,playedbytwosolo violinsin a highregister,
ofthemainthemeand
descendsquiteslowlyduringthepresentation
becomesfasterat each reappearance(VariationsII, VII, and Finale).
The materialofthemainthemeis usedin manyways,and itsopening
are frequently
referred
to.
and closingmotives
of degreesof conThe largerplan consistsof the presentation
four
and theirgradualneutralization
trastofcharacter
duringthefirst
the
From
minimum.
In
is
to
a
contrast reduced
variations. thefifth,
of
charconflict
ninth
there
is
definition
and
sixththrough
increasing
acter,and thefinalecarriesthisconceptevenfurther.2

and
of thevariations
needsadditionalattention
The largestructure
Fig.No. 2 willaid theanalysis.Thisissimplya sketchoftheover-allshape
and is meantto serveas a referencefortheensuing
of thecomposition
discussion.
The disappearanceof the themeand its eventualtransformed
is notuncommonin variationsets.Similarexamplesmaybe
restatement
and
EroicaVariations,
foundinBeethoven's
Opus 35 and Reger'sVariations
imis
an
theme
the
of
The
return
a
Theme
132.
on
ofMozart,Opus
Fugue
in
form.
to
sonata
the
thus
event,
Symmetry,
analogy
culminating
portant,
and the"recapitulation"
betweenthethe"exposition"
thiscase occurring
staticcentralvariation
and withinthe"development"
(withtherelatively
willbecomea resurroundedby retardingand accelerating
variations),
laterworks.
in
Carter's
movement
the
of
characteristic
current
sequence
theinterfrom
are derived
ofthevariations
Sincetheharmonicmaterials
- either
of the theme,the periodicreturnof the theme
valicstructure
intactas in variation2, brokenintochordsas in variation5, or with
fairly
therhythm
changedas in theFinale- actsas a kindoftonalreturn.
MS 7191.
2Recordlinernotes,ColumbiaRecording

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12

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

Fig. 2- TheLargerStructure
"Exposition"

f ( Introduction- subsidiaryideas
(Theme
I Variation 1- thematicfragments

* |
I

"Development"

Variation2- theme + thematicfragments

Variation3- thematicdistillation

4- retardation
Variation5- thematic"nothingness"
Variation6- acceleration
[Variation

"Recapitulation"
%

( Variation7- subsidiaryideas
\ Variation8- subsidiaryideas
( Variation9- subsidiaryideas
^ Finale- theme

* Indicates returnof theme.

As Carterpointsout in hisbriefanalysis,theintroduction
presents
tworecurrent
The firstof
thematicelementswhichhe termsritornelli.
thesemaybe describedas an ascending,
leapingmelodicfigurefrequently
associatedwithan accelerating
descendthesecondas a generally
rhythm;
becomes
The firstritornello
ingstepwiselinein a regular,slowrhythm.
slowerthroughout
thevariations,
thesecondbecomesproprogressively
faster(Ex. 1).
gressively
and thetheme,thereare two
However,inadditiontotheseritornelli
othermusicalideaswhichplayan important
The
rolein thecomposition.
firstappears at the verybeginningand may be describedsimplyas
and may be called a
"chords";the second appears shortlythereafter,
"scherzorhythm."
It is generally
briskin tempoand involvesa triplesubdivisionina prevailing
duplemeter(Ex. 2).
the composerat timesabstractsfromthe second riFurthermore,
tornello
and thethemea commonqualitywhichmaybe termed"lyricism."
He also establishes
a commonbond betweenthefirstritornello
and the
scherzorhythm
similarities.
Noticethatthese
bymeansoftheirrhythmic
- chords,scherzorhythms,
- are farlesstangibleeland lyricism
qualities
ementsthanthetworitornelli
and thetheme.It isprecisely
becauseofthis
thattheyare so significant.
Carter'slatermusicwillnotbe concernedwith
themesin thetraditional
sense,butwithassembliesofmusicalfragments
tossedat each other.I willcall theseassemblies"character-complexes."
The beginnings
oftheseare tobe foundin theVariations
forOrchestra.

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13

THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

Alltherecurrent
are presented
elementsoftheVariations,
therefore,
within
theintroduction
and theme.The character
ofeachindividualpart
of theworkwillbe determinedby itsparticularmixof theseelements.
sectiontheascending,leapingfiguredominatestheintroWithinthisfirst
dominatesthe theme.The scherzo
duction,and thequalityof lyricism
between
in
hinted
at
the
occursas punctuation
introduction,
only
rhythm,
are kept
themanyphrasesof thetheme.All of thesemusicalcharacters
detached,aurallyspeaking,fromone anotherbyeitherspatialor temporalmeans.
Ex.1.Variations,
#l)M.8-27
IJ
VMS

. Ml>'*-^

Pit!.

J^^^

uni, ft ~

QJ

pizi.

**
"iT3 r-n b>P ">h;

j?->

[^

________

J_

___
g _

- - - - f "?rc-rV7 '

f^

"
-

niy.'m^ t

|_0__^

P^l^y

/"

uni*,
arcq , d |J , t ,

~1

^^^^

/ warc.

221
> /7773
JjJJJ

^^j^^p^_ rfr^r :

^e ^ (J*>

rgj [^ f*Y'-z

, v -,

Fri fyP ^1 h^^ ' m' k

(^

1^^^ f"^ fcpz

#2)M. 39-46

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14

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

Ex. 2. Variations
"Chords"
' Illfr ~l

ALLEGRO
(J . 162,^.54)
jp^

- - JWV V 1^
tJ
' -^-^= - m/

"~

{"

2. llBE!
j_

BASSOON [feg

GJV

^=

=E

^*~

m|

TIMPANI

- -

-^~'

ep*~'

*' W= =====
VIOLAS

\
==

VIOLONCELLOS
[fei
CONTRABASSES

" '

"

~~

== IHJE~
^*

=
~

|R==

--- -- -yV

~~

m|-m|

^T
^^ y i

- -

^ ^ y^

I ft (con lard.i
B*TRPT I t (con ar<n
i
2. JlKt
j

~*
_9--^7
^}

^) yy A
~~
a f~"-

j^-

~^
^* ""*

/r-a -i r^J-=^^^=
j^

.=

ti,

EE:

"

- -==
=
-

"Scherzo Rhythm"
HNS ^lfr" k

'

"^-^

=
m

--

m ~==

I
"

Jk^~

#dSg

nivi a .[It)F:^
~
- F

ALLE6R0
(J.162,ol..S4)
[ft _
i. /jee

_f

F HORNS \|(

BASSTROMBONE
IBi
DM93
^^
ar
tura

'

via mrrf.
tar. - i
'

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j
=

15

THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

isbrokendownin variThisseparateness
betweenmusicalcharacters
and isolatedphrasesof the themeare interation 1. Motivicfragments
to producea priand thefirstritornello
lockedwiththescherzorhythm
of
variation
absence
marked
a
(Ex. 3).
lyricism
marily
rhythmic
by general
Twice towardsthe end of the variationthis prevailingcharacteris
Ex.3. Variations
VARIATION1

rgsi VIVACE
1221
LEGGERO
(SW)

b^cl. i. (Mee

j~

HARP \L_

Ci

& y ff I

f Qt

o^

3 desks (3 leggii) div. a 3

VNS

lCM6

!ffi?

small
group
(piccolo
gruppo)
flft

lB^_^n

'Small group; at least 2 desks (4 players) or half of total

Picco/o gruppo; almeno 2 leggii (4 strumenti)o la met

_^^^^

1. lMf
Ih

LJ

"\_^

m I rj

"

wd - -^

*
/n/

L
VNS

I/I A

P
I

iBt'

/^.
K

'

'

'^^^^^^^^^^^T*~***~
^
*Small

1 ij

.
fi""

"

[!*/'

*T

Uv w
^

2defcmeflg)
g> (^

'

groiTat least 2 desks 4 players) or half of total

Prccofogruppo; o>meno 2 leggii (4 strumenti)o to met

"

i.

rr

"
~ - _"rt'
^

pwTgTo^ppiceoofl^ppo

CB>

L^J

^*^B^

3deksf3<eogitfdiv.o3
,jy^

<|B

wumiy wp
*T^^r-

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|ff# '" '"

<^-'I

rif.

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"

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

16

changed by the appearance of the chords (measures 109-115, 125-128).

Apartfromtheobvious cadentialeffect,theyserveto close offthisunitby
referringback to the chordswhichopen thework.
Variations2 and 3 paralleltheintroductionand theme,and variation
Ex. 4. Variations

II

niord^^ ___ ^

^ ^^

'

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V- -

THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

17

1. In variation
2 thethemeis presentedagain,inthebrass,surroundedby
of
the
ideasofvariation1 (Ex. 4). Variation3 presents
many
fragmentary
butratherthanwhirling
themtogetheras
variousthematic
components,
The musicalcharacters,
variation1 does, it separatesthemdistinctly.
are broughtintothesharpestpossiblefocus,presentchordsand lyricism,
first
case
of
a melody-plus-accompaniment
texture(Ex. 5). Bethe
ing
and a slight
ofthistextureoccurthescherzorhythm
tweenthestatements
The
lattervery
of
the
first
ritornello
(measures176-181).
suggestion
at measure196.
clearlytakesoverthevariation
Ex.5. Variations
r=a VARIATION3

m^^^
OB.

t^ci.

||fc= JBv

Ffl 3ar~

-L tl'
2. BbL--

S fli

fli

!heee r

g*

^s:

=== r

^pT^-

=:

==

=== r

-j -

|.Trfc.fri_4 j-^

-jj

4^^^- - ' F* "' ^1

Tm. y* i-jpij

^j

^p.

- F"

f ,| 1

Si

J ^

QMCrttwl.^

es.

1t^s

"r '

'

i. - ~_2tJF

Wy

r i-

&^

^r '

== ~T"

t1

==

^^

LJ

== =^-

\ Jv

=SSE

"' ~

"

JJt'

aM^a^^

"~ n'

^>

y-,

li

-#L-

'ij

v^"'-

'J >*

^^

*r "

sss=mm^^mt^~^rr

TuMid{

MOOERATO J:M

oncvtoUMup^j

"

"
3 mm^K^mmm

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~
=== j

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=

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18

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

- variations
Whathas been called the"development"
4, 5, and 6in
a
direct
and
and resumpvivid
cessation
brings
waytheslowingdown,
tionof musicalactivity.
Variations4 and 6 bringintoplayCarter'smost
- metricalmodulation.In no otherwaycould
famousmusicaltechnique
variation5, presentingthe notes of the themein almostmotionless
of musical
Successiveretardations
chords,be so effectively
highlighted.
lines(variation
and successiveaccelera4) lead intothismusicalstill-point
tions(variation
6) outofit.
the
The beginningof the "recapitulation"
recallsquite distinctly
of
the
the
variations.
The
chords
echo
opening
briefly through groupsof
theorchestra.
The firstritornello
tobejoined bya lyrical
quicklyfollows,
linereminiscent
ofthesecondritornello
(Ex. 6). Unlikethe"exposition,"
culthereis a continuing
however,
argumentfromvariationto variation,
in
the
finale.
minating
The lyricalline is sustainedfromvariation7 throughvariation9,
withfragments
fromthefirst
ritornello
and thescherzorhythm
playedoff
a
9
been
it.
we
7
to
has
What
have
heard
in
variations
temporally
against
One musicalcharexpandedand reassortedversionof theintroduction.
has beenallowedto dominatethissetofvariations,
acter,thatoflyricism,
thelongestperiodgivento anyexpressivequalityin thework.Sincelyriin a
cismis a dominantaspectof thetheme,thesevariations
represent,
a
return
of
its
way,
spirit.
The actualnotesofthethemedo notappearuntilthefinale,and they
are notheardin theiroriginalrhythm
or as a dominantelement.In fact,
unlikethepreviousvariations,
no one expressivequalityprevails.About
halfof thefinalemightbe thoughtof as devotedto thescherzorhythm;
anotherhalftothe"lyric"
othermusiquality.Atanygiventime,however,
cal charactersare noticeably
is
a restateinto
of
this
Woven
all
present.
mentof thenotesof thetheme,thefirsthalfplayedbythebrass,thesecond by the strings. This reverses the orchestrationof the two
ofthethemeinthe"exposition."
presentations
The Variations
establishes
a tacticthatwillremain.A logicalsequence
ofdramatic
eventswillorganizea workatthelargeststructural
Level,with
an emphasison processat themediumand smallstructural
level.It is one
ofthestrategies
thatCarterwillemployto solvethetensionsbetweenthe
listener's
need forpatternand coherenceand thecomposer'sfascination
withprocessand time.
WiththeSecondString
(1959) Carterembarkson themostreQuartet
markableseriesofworksto be producedbyanyAmericancomposer.Obviouscontactswiththepastare nowgone.If Stravinsky
and Coplandare
theclearestinfluences
in the Neoclassicphase and Schoenbergand Sessionsin theExpressionist
phase,thenIves and perhapsDebussyare the

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TH MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

19

choicesforthisphase.Carteris theonlyAmericancomposertoassimilate
Ives'sdramaticscenariosand collidingmusicalworldsand producesomehisown.A comparison
ofthetwocomposersis beyond
thingdistinctively
liesin Carter'sstructhescopeof thisarticle,buttheessentialdifference
turalcontrol.No eventis random.
had put considerableemphasison theindiThe FirstStringQuartet
Ex.6. Variations
7
SS] VARIATION

^T-

HNS

TUBA

ANDANTE(J72)

9^ ^

fflj

IH-'-t-

**-^

^__

W..'^F"

fr

. #1

&,<

** l=

P611andante(J72J

VIOLI
N?||fr ,r<rj*

^=

farco)
P
VIOLAS WfiJ i

m ==

*cellos

BP* < j^

PASSES |pM

>

FI

HNs

"

Vf*

=f!^p^pg^^31g
'

-- - ==~

"
^^

y ^li-ft^1 ^*

JC*

_^^^^^^-

*
{ P frqwq
?/|o_^:
~

/wc. ^UJ

BB^y=^^^^i

* jf -, T

-^^- ^^^^^^^-

"

y - ** ^ h

^^^^j'^'^'^^^j^^^^JJJ^^'^j^^^j^uj^J^^^^^^S^S^CZiMS^^MMjMMfc^fc^

.C3Z- ^K..

-.

^i^i^TT^L.

SJ^"
-

#*T"
"^
f k - Li
"i'^ ^T'
i~^~' m-

^
w

^r^^

Jt -

4L"
- ~:
T~ ^=
T~
' _
=y
pL
tranquile
jp

fmrc.

^^^^^^^'"ij

P ^

=fe=b=^^^PFr

j|a

<[ji

***
4mfc.
kf.f |ig<^"^=a^B^^p^=

^=

^ZmiZM^Ji^-

1 Ir^

II
1 JL^,
TRB- ]|Bt=
III

VLAS

==

^i

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^^Z-M^Z^^Z^^^^B^^^!^^^^^

20

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

of each of theinstruments.
This is ofcoursealmosta matterof
viduality
doctrineforthisgenre.The SecondString
carriesthisindividuality
Quartet
of
tothefurthest
extreme.3
Eachinstrument
isassigneditsownrepertoire
violin
The
first
and
intervals,
character, expressivepersonality.
rhythmic
incharacter;
isgiventheminorthirdand theperfect
and isvirtuosic
fifth,
thesecondviolinhas themajorthird,themajorsixth,and themajorsevstricttimeand is oftenpizzicato;4
theviolahas thetritone
enth,maintains
and theminorseventhand is highlyexpressive;thecellohas theperfect
fourth
and theminorsixthand playsin rubatorhythm.
Majorand minor
secondsactas bindingor unifying
intervals
sharedbyall theinstruments.
Muchoftheconsistency
ofthisworkcomesfromthecontinuedpresence
thematicdeof thesecharacter-complexes.
Carterabandonstraditional
louse of primarily
and recurrence,
velopment
althoughthereis skillful
In additionto distinct
calizedrepetition.
musicalcharacters,
logicis furintoa symmetrical
therenhancedbythedisposition
of thesecharacters
andconclusion
ofdramaticscenes(Fig.3). The introduction
arrangement
in a succinct
fashion.Betweenthese
presenteachinstrument's
repertoire
in thefoltheinstruments
a seriesof movements
and cadenzashighlights
- whole
violin
first
first
violin
violin
cello
viola
second
lowingway:
ensemble.Noticethe tendencytowardsan alternatehigh/low
presentationofinstruments
and thereturnofviolintimbre
as a kindofrefrain.In
is
the movements
properthe characterof the dominatinginstrument
In thecadenzasthe
translated
intotheotherinstrument's
ownrepertoire.
instrument
is opposed by the others;the viola'sexpressive
dominating
is
confronted
in theothers;thecello'srubatobystrict
melody
byferocity
time;and theviolin'svirtuosity
bysilence.Thusthereis,inthemovements
and cadenzas,a regularand perceptible
patternofdramaticscenes.The
dissociates
the
fromtheirparticularinstruallegro
character-complexes
their
individual
This
could be heardas inapidentities.
ments,blurring
theexwithabstracting
propriate.5
PerhapsCarterwishesto experiment
3The bestoverviewof thisquartetand also thethirdquartetis RobertMoevs' review
of ElliottCarter'sStringQuartetsNos. 2 and 3 (Recording,Columbia MS 32738), Musical
Quarterly^ (1975), 157-168.
The presenceof a musicalline or partkeepingstricttimewhiletheothersare more
flexibleis commonin Carter'smusicfromthe Cello Sonata on. Apartfromthe obviousaid
to a correctperformance,thispracticeis related to his conceptionof mathematicaltime
and psychologicaltime.See ElliottCarter,"Music and the Time Screen," The Writings
of
ElliottCarter,ed. Else Stone and Kurt Stone (Bloomington: Indiana UniversityPress,
ed. John W.
1977), pp. 343-365. Originallypublished in CurrentThoughtin Musicology,
Grubbs(Austin:Universityof Texas Press, 1976), pp. 53-88.
5See Moevs' review(footnote3 above), p. 167. Carterinsuresthe independence of
theinstruments
bymeans of complex polyrhythms.

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THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

21

in theSecondStringQuartet
Fig. 3- Symmetry

"

Introduction
* Allegro
Fantastico
!" Cadenza
forViola
* Presto
Scherzando
^ Cadenza
forCello
* Andante
Expressivo
*- Candenzafor
FirstViolin
* Allegro

>

Conclusion

Eachinstrument
its
presents
repertoire.
Firstviolindominates;
otherinstruments
translate
intoown
repertoire.
Otherinstruments
oppose
viola'srepertoire.
Secondviolindominates;other
instruments
translate
intoown
repertoire.
Otherinstruments
oppose
cello'srepertoire.
Violadominates;otherinstrumentstranslate
intoownrepertoire.
Otherinstruments
aresilent.
Cellopartially
dominates;instruments
exchangerepertoires.
Eachinstrument
its
presents
repertoire.

* Thesemovements
wouldforma traditional
bythemselves
sequence.

fromitsconcreteinstrumental
Atanyrate
character
associations.
pressive
he doesnotdo itagain;thelaterworkswillkeeprepertoires
separate.
The SecondString
is one ofthemostaccessibleofCarter'smaQuartet
tureworks.Itscompactness,
and directexpresopen and audibletexture,
should
As novelas its
siveness
toanysensitive
listener.
appealimmediately
musicalstructure
is,whispersof theold four-movement
sequenceof the
of
firmimpact.
the
but
touch
the
ears
with
delicate
string
past
quartets
ofinstrumental
and theirpresentaThe individualization
characters
tioninan orderly
seriesofdramaticscenesareclothedina richand varied

and Piano (1959instrumentalgarb in the DoubleConcerto

forHarpsichord

in naturebetweenthetwosolo
61). Here thereis a pronounceddisparity
instruments.
One isplucked,one isstruck.
One islimitedinvolume,one is
unlimited.Cartersimplyacceptsthesedifferences,
relatively
providing
eachinstrument
withitsownorchestra
and placingthemon oppositesides
howof thestage.This is notthewholeof themusicalcharacterization,
and
uninto
since
the
individual
orchestras
are
ever,
pitched
disposed

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22

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

in theDoubleConcerto
Fig. 4- Movement
Symmetry

-**
r^

Introduction
Cadenza
forHarpsichord
r^ * Allegro
Scherzando
* Adagio
^* * Presto

'->
^^

Cadenzas
forPiano
Coda

Emergenceofinstrumental
character
outofnothingness.
itsenHarpsichord
presents
semblerepertoire.
Pianoand ensembledominate
fromother
withinterjections
groups.
Windsofbothensemblesdominate.
and itsensemble
Harpsichord
dominatewithinterjections
fromothergroups.
Pianopresents
itsownrepertoire.Interrupts
Adagio.
of
Disintegration musicalcharactersintonothingness.

* These forma commonthree-movement

sequence.

withthesoloistsactingas mediators
betweenthetwo.
pitchedinstruments
Thisis thefirstuse ofa mediatorin Carter'slistofcharacters.
Sinceboth
soloistscan be consideredpitchedpercussioninstruments
(admittedly
theconcepta bitfortheharpsichord),
forthe
are
ideal
stretching
they
role.
The presentation
ofthe"scenes"is themostsymmetrical
in Carter's
uvre.Like the SecondStringQuartet
an introduction
conclusion
and a
presentthe castof musicalcharacterswiththeirparticularmusicallanofmusicalinstruments,
thecomguages.Takingadvantageofthevariety
shows
a
musical
world
in
creation
and
poser
disintegration.
the introduction
Startingwithnonpitchedinstruments,
gradually
untilthetwosoloistsand theirrespecbringsin thepitchedinstruments
- or coda as itis called
tiveorchestras
The conclusion
divergein identity.
here presentsthisprocessin reverse,althoughmuchmore suddenly.
The cadenzaforharpsichord
allowsthatinstrument
to presenttheparticularlanguageof itsensemble;thecadenzasforpiano are based on that
instrument's
ownlanguage.As in theSecondString
thereis at the
Quartet
heartof theseriesa standardmovement
in
this
case fast-slowsequence,
fast.In theAllegro
scherzando
thepiano and itsensembledominate,with
theothersbreakingin. In thePrestotheoppositeis thecase (and also the
instruments
areabsent).The Adagio,
one ofthemostbeautiful
percussion

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THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

23

inCarter'swork,highlights
ofboth
slowmovements
thewindinstruments
the
two
solosurroundedbya halo of strings,
and
orchestras,
percussion,
and deceleratingpatterns.At the conclusionof this
istsin accelerating
thetwoinstruments
movement
decelerating
playa duet,theharpsichord
intheconcertoand
thesimplest
confrontation
andthepianoaccelerating,
the
of the interplay
of independentlineswhichcharacterize
archetype
work.
oftheconcerto,
The essentialconsistency
as intheSecondString
Quarbuton themaintenreturnor development
tet,dependsnoton thematic
instrumental
characters.
Each of thetwoperforming
ance of consistent
own
and speeds.Their
has
its
of
intervals,
rhythms,
repertoire
groups
in
is
than
the
earlierwork.The
even
more
control,however,
precise
scalearedisposedintoa limitednumberof
twelvepitchesofthechromatic
complexchordsdividedbetweenthetwogroups.These chordsare furare assointervals
and theseintervals
therbrokendownintocharacteristic
is a
Thus
there
and
ciatedwithcertaininstruments,
rhythms, tempos.6
asis ultimately
in theharmonicstructure
and thisconsistency
consistency
and
of rhythm
charactersand individuality
sociatedwithinstrumental
latter
but
the
serialism
to
is
similar
This
integral
technique obviously
pace.
thatlimit
withpermutations
is generally
appliedto muchlargerpatterns
it
since
Carter'spracticeis eminently
itsaudibility.
audible,
applies to
unitswhichremainassociatedwith
muchsmallermotivic-rhythmic-tempo
certaininstruments.These musical atoms I have called charactercomplexes.
the SecondStringQuartet,and the Double
The Variations
forOrchestra,

are all closelylinkedin thattheysharethesameapproachto balConcerto

the
ancing demandsofpatternand process.In eachthereisa symmetrical
movementor sectionplan organizedas a seriesof dramaticsceneslevels,
"scenarios"as thecomposerhas called them.At lowerstructural
thematic
nuclear
of
is
a
free
on
The
interplay
emphasis
processreigns.
and nonlinearsenseoftime's
unitsgovernedbya sophisticated,
irregular,
passage.
Withhisnextwork,thePianoConcerto
(1964-65),processinvadesall
levelsof themusicalstructure.
Perhapsbecausethisis a lesscomplexmeare handledina
thedramaticrelationships
diumthantheDoubleConcerto,
theorchestra
with
than
have
the
Rather
fashion.
pianocooperate
simpler
Romantic
it
with
the
or
dominate
as
with
as
Mozart,
composers,Carter
canbe foundin ElliottCarter,"The Orches6Adetailedchartoftheserelationships
tralComposer'sPointofView,"Writings,
publishedin TheOrchespp. 282-300.Originally
ofOklahoma
Hies
ed. RobertStephan
PointofView,
tralComposer's
(Norman:University
51-57.
Press,1970),pp.

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24

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

placesthe twoin starkopposition.The orchestrais a ratherinflexible

So thattheworkis
massedgroup,thepianoa nervousunstableindividual.
Carteradds a medianotsimplya clashbetweenincompatible
characters,
This mediatoris a concertor,a conceptfirstused in theDoubleConcerto.
of
tino sevensoloinstruments:
violin,viflute,Englishhorn,bassclarinet,
ofeitherthe
ola,celloand bass,whosecharacter
mayleaninthedirection
or thepiano.These threeperforming
orchestra
unitsareboundtogether
chord
toa centralfundofpitches.One twelve-tone
bytheirrelationships
is assignedto theorchestra,
and soloist.Fromthe
one to theconcertino
and
twelve-tone
chords,sixtriadsarederivedfortheorchestra
respective
intera particular
sixfortheconcertino
and soloist.Each triadhighlights
val.7As in theDoubleConcerto,
pitchgroupsare associatedwithcharactermorethana simisticrhythms
and speeds.WhatmakesthePianoConcerto
istheabandonment
coloredversionoftheDoubleConcerto
pler,differently
In the
movements.
two
ofa symmetrical
movement
There
are
sequence.
dominatewitha verylightand subtly
firstthepiano and theconcertino
assailedbythemassed
coloredtexture;in thesecondthepianois brutally
butultimately
orchestra
triumphs.
As simpleas theplanofthisconcertois,itisperhapsthemostdifficult
ofall Carter'scompositions
to grasp.The relianceon dramaticinterplay
intotheraw
totheneglectofanyschematic
repetition
plungesthelistener
for
thepatient
streamoftimewithan energyworthy
Yet
ofJamesJoyce.
listenerthereare manyrewards.The delicateinteraction
betweenpiano
between
andconcertino
isfrankly
intone,as istheconfrontation
romantic
and
in
orchestra
the
work
best
second
movement.
It
is
a
piano
enjoyedby
livinginthebeautyofthepresentmoment.Onlyonceagaindoes thecomposeressaya workso ruledbyaction,theDuoforViolinandPiano.
If thePiano Concerto
is essentially
of earlierprocea simplification
Orchestra
a
introduces
dures,theConcerto
(1969)
for
majornewtechnique:
simultaneous
movements.
Carter'smusicis builton one ofthefundamentalcharacteristics
of Westernmusic,the simultaneity
of musicalcharacThe use of severalsuccessive
ters,or as itis usuallycalled,counterpoint.
of differing
movements
characters
can easilybe seen as an extensionof
thisprinciple.Thus whatthecomposeris doinghereis collapsingthese
twoprinciples
intoone. The fourmovements
oftheConcerto
forOrchestra
are distinguished
musicalcharacter
and tempo,and inbytheirtessitura,
strumentation.
The firstmovementoccupiesthe lowermiddleregister,
maintainsa moderatelyfasttempo,is characterizedby decelerating
phrases,and includesthecellosection,piano,harp,marimba,
xylophone,
7Fora diagramof thispitchmaterialsee KurtStone,"CurrentChronicle,"
Musical
55 (1969),559-572.
Quarterly,

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THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

25

and woodenpercussion.The secondmovementis in the highregister,

startsfastand graduallybecomesslower,and encompasseshighstrings,
The thirdis setin thelow
highwinds,and metalpercussioninstruments.
is
similar
to
in
recitative
its
iscomposed
character,
pitchrange,
expressive
of accelerating
phrases,and featuresthe basses,horns,tuba and some
otherlowpitchedinstruments.
The fourthis inthemediumhighregister,
startsslowlyand thenbecomesmorerapidin tempo,and uses theviolas,
These movesnaredrums,and otherappropriateinstruments.
trumpets,
lines
mentsare treatedin muchthe same waythatfourcontrapuntal
The generalprogwouldbe, nowone, nowtheotherbeinghighlighted.
areemphasized
ressoftheworkisnothardtofollowsincethemovements
in thesameorderin whichI have describedthem.For instanceaftera
is
at thebeginning,
thefirstmovement
generaloutbreakoftheorchestra
it.Then thesecwiththeotherscounterpointing
heardin theforeground
comesto thefore,and so on. Carter'suse of sharprhythond movement
and metricalmodulationbetweenlayersonlyreinforces
micdifferences
as a kindof thickened
the conceptof thesesimultaneousmovements
enrichedand complicated
Thisbasicsonictextureisgreatly
counterpoint.
or conina soloistic
in
movement
various
instruments
each
the
bytreating
musiwithin
Thus
we
have
manner.
counterpoint,
counterpoint
trapuntal
musical
characters.
within
calcharacters
Controlofthepitchmaterialis similartotheprecedingconcertos.A
betweenthe movementsand becentralfundof pitchesis distributed
relatedto theirindividualexpressivecharacteristics.
comes intimately
formtheharmonic
chordsand theirsmallerand largerrelatives
Five-tone
sound
coreoftheConcerto
forOrchestra,
givingita leaner,moreastringent
PianoConcerto*
thanthedenselychromatic
becomesincreasingly
the Concerto
forOrchestra
Initiallyconfusing,
soundsare
movements'
The
various
on
transparent repeatedlistenings.
with
and theear followstheirinterplay
and soonremembered,
distinctive
whichis a part
betweenmovements
The impliedinteraction
fascination.
made
work
is
here
of anytraditionally
simplymoreexsequentialcyclic
plicit.
The CanonforThree(1971) is an occasionalworkwhichbringsnothing new to Carter'smusic,but the ThirdStringQuartet(1971) mustbe
and highlyaudible
works.It sumsup inbrilliant
countedone ofhisfinest
of hismaturephase,and presentswhat
fashionthemajorachievements
becomesa favoredsolutiontothedemandsofpatternand process.As has
ofthecomposer'sstyleis a textureof
beensaid,one ofthecharacteristics
scannedlines.Allfacetsofthecomposer'suse
and irregularly
differently
isdiscussedinCarter,Writings,
8Thepitchorganization
pp. 357-363.

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26

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

ofthisconceptareclearlypresentedinthisquartet.Withinthetwoduos- intowhichtheplayersare separated

first
violin/viola
violin/cellOjSecond
thereis generally
considerable
contrapuntal
independence.Betweenthe
duos as wellthereis thesamedistinction.
duo playsrubato,the
The first
secondkeepsstrict
time.Rarely,forinstance,
do theyhavea simultaneous
downbeat.The oppositionand interplay
of musicalcharactersis- as in
theConcerto
forOrchestraextendedtothemovement
sequence.Eachduo
has itsownsetof movements,
fourforduo I and six forduo II. These
movements
are heardeitheralone (all tenappearthisway)or in overlappingsequence,so thata newone beginswhilean old one is sounding.All
are played,and thesuccessionwithin
possiblepairingsofthemovements
eachduo is systematic.9
Sinceeachmovement
maybe considereda characwe
have
an
unusual
to absorbthisaspectof
ter-complex,
opportunity
Carter'smusic.Tempos, expressivecharacter,and intervalsare all related.In duo I theFuriosomovement
emphasizesthemajorseventh,the
the
theminorsixth,and
Andante
the
fourth,
Leggerissimo perfect
espressivo
emmovement
thePizzicato
Maestoso
the
minor
third.
In
duo
II
the
giocoso
Pizzicato
the
the
the
Grazioso
the
minor
seventh,
phasizes
perfectfifth,
meccanico
theaugmentedfourth,theScorrevole
theminorsecond,
giusto,
theLargotranquillo
themajorsixth.
themajorthird,and theAppassionato
The unusedmajorsecondfunctions
as a bindingelement,in a manner
similartothemajorand minorsecondsinthesecondquartet.
As in thePianoConcerto
all levelsofthestructure
are in motion,withoutclear-cutrepetition.
If we wereto takeeach cycleof movements
byitbutbyplayingtwocyclesagainst
self,therewouldbe obviousrecurrence;
eachother,theeffect
is marvelously
fluidand at thesametimereassuring
becausethereis perceptiblerepetition.
A meredetailingof theoverlapwoulddo littleto conveytheextraordinary
pingsand repetition
expressiveflexibility
whichtheymakepossible.Movements
of similarcharacter
eachother;onesofdiffering
collide.Thereis no
character
mayreinforce
nuanceleftunexplored.So satisfactory
a solutionto thelargerstructure
are thesecoexisting
setsof movements,
Carterhas used themforseveral
ofhislaterinstrumental
works.
is theDuo
Somethingof a chambermusictwinofthePianoConcerto
Violin
and
Piano
of
the
most
essentials
direct
statement
of
the
(1973-74),
for
Carter'smusic:the derivationof musicalideas fromthe individualnaturesof instruments.
It is also reminiscent
of theCelloSonatabutwithout
thatwork'srelianceon traditional
formalprocedures.Thereare no moveThere is nothingbuttwoindividments;thereis no thematic
repetition.
uals speakingtheirown characteristic
languages.The piano strikesits
9Formoredetailsee Moevs'review(footnote
3), pp. 159-160.

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THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

27

controloverthesoundis overonce thehammerhits.The violin

strings;
bowsitsstrings;thesoundcan be minutely
controlled.The piano has a
widerrangeand dynamiccapacitythantheviolin.The violiniscapableof
in
farmoreidiosyncratic
tonalattackand articulation.
As so frequently
stricttime(pithiscomposer'smusic,one memberofthepairkeepsfairly
ano) whiletheotheris veryflexible
(violin).Whatensurestheunityofthe
work?
is
There
much
intervallic
materialin common,and there
resulting
is a plausiblecurveof dramatictension;but I thinkmuchof the unity
idiomsoccurthetwodifferent
comesfromthelistenersimplyperceiving
mustbe
the
listener
Thisis trueofmuchofCarter'smusic;
ringtogether.
in hiscompositions.
A personwatchinga busycity
an activeparticipant
window
unifies
its
and
a
spatial
temporaleventsin hismind.
through
of
Sinceso manyofCarter'sideasarederivedfromtheparticularities
will
instruments,
produce
simplychanging the performinggroup
new sound
music.The BrassQuintet
different
(1974) bringsan entirely
are bynowfamiliar.
intohismusic,althoughthemethodsofcomposition
whichappearaloneor overlap,
Thereare 19 shortsectionsor movements
as in thethirdstringquartet.Ratherthanusinga setsequenceof movementsthatrepeatin variousways,thereis a setsequenceofmusicalactivicalleda quodlibet,showsthefiveinstruments
ties.Everythirdmovement,
In between
other
with
each
repertoires.
partsoftheirindividual
opposing
instruments
in
which
the
trios
various
duos
and
thereare
cooperatewith
thesamemusicalideas.Thus thereisan alternate
separationand conjunca moreflexibleprocedurethanthatfoundin
tionofmusicalrepertoires,
forinstance.
thesecondor thirdstringquartets,or theDoubleConcerto,
with
the
and
of
The association intervals,
expressiveperrhythms, tempos
is alsoa partoftheBrassQuintet.
ofindividualinstruments
sonalities
The decade of the 1970swas an exceptionally
productiveone for
durwritten
Carter.There werethreetimesthenumberofcompositions
a
his
mastered
of
who
has
a
man
It
is
the
1960s.10
technique,
yield
ingthe
in
Notonlyistheregreaterfluency
techniqueforgedwithawesomeeffort.
as well.If anyworkswillassure
buta pronouncedlightening
thewriting,
witha wideraudience,itwillbe suchmusicas A Mirror
Carterpopularity

and Syringa.Withthesethe
onWhichtoDwell,A Symphony
ofThreeOrchestras

recurs.
reverberations
earlierinterestin vocal musicand extra-musical
absentin theworksof thematurephase.
Notthatit has been altogether
ananaturaand Pope'sDunciadprovidedconvenient
Lucretius'De rerum
Vents
Perse's
St.
and
Concerto
of
the
Double
to
John
logues explainaspects
We shouldnotgive
fortheConcerto
someinitialinspiration
forOrchestra.
"Carterin theSeventies,"
10Thisdecadehasbeensurveyed
Tempo,
byDavidSchiff,
130(1979),2-10.

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28

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

theserelationshipsundue importancesince theydid not affectthe actual

structureof the works,but theydo show that the composer's thinking
about the musicwas not purelyabstract.
A song cycleis by its verynature extra-musicalin inspiration.The
poems of ElizabethBishop thatformthe cycleA Mirroron WhichtoDwell
(1975) providethe wide scope forboth pictorialand structuralresponses
fromthe music. The poems are arranged so thattheyare alternatelydescriptiveand emotional,and theyare well complementedby Carter's essentiallydramaticstyle.The bustlingbells,birds,and whistlesare vividly
evokedat thebeginningof "Anaphora,"onlyto be choked offas thejoy of
morningdescends to the wearinessof evening.In "Sandpiper" the bird's
song and movementsare picturesquelysuggestedby the oboe while the
long beach and lapping watermay be identifiedwiththe bass, cello, and
low chords in the piano. The half-heardband of "View of the Capitol"
breaks through the prevailing music with an almost hallucinatorywit.
These are farfrompictorialresponsessincetheyaffectthe deepest aspect
of themusic,itsprojectionof time.Withoutthe masteryof rhythmgained
over many years, the seeminglyeffortlesscontrastof gerrymandering
sandpiperand to-and-frowaves,the magicof a vanishingband would not
have been possible.Rhythmand evocativetone color are also at the heart
of the less descriptive,emotionalpoems. For the initiateto Carter'smusic
there is no betterstartingplace than these songs. As structurallysubtle
and complex as any of his music,theyare neverthelesssimplyapproachable as brilliantreadingsof arrestingpoems.
At firstglance A Symphony
(1976) would seem far
ofThreeOrchestras
removedfroma song cyclebut it has a close relationshipto Hart Crane's
poem "The Bridge." His interestin thispoem goes back to the 1930s when
he projected an oratorio based on it. Many of the symphony'smusical
ideas derive fromitsimages. The opening high,steelyviolinchords and
the plungingpassage forsolo trumpetrepresentthe bridge soaring high
over the waterwitha seagull wingingabout. Shortlythereafterthe Rip
van Winkleepisode is portrayedbythe traditionalclownsof theorchestra,
the bassoons. In other musical respects,the work is somethingof an orchestralversion of the thirdstringquartet. There are three orchestras,
one on the rightconsistingof triplewoodwinds(less clarinets),twohorns,
strings(less cellos) and unpitchedpercussion(principallymetallic) one
- and one in the
on the leftconsistingof brasses,stringsand kettledrums
of
three
center consisting
clarinets,vibraphone, xylophone, marimba,
chimes,long drum,tom-tom,and a fewstrings.This centerorchestrais a
concertinoand is characterizedby rubato rhythm.Each orchestra has
four movements,played twicein differentorders,withvariations.As in
the thirdquartet,these movementsgenerallyoverlap, withone occasion-

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THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

29

and conallybeing heard alone. Framingtheirinterplayare introductory

cluding sections in which the music assembles and then breaks down.
These movements are again character-complexes,being bundles of
chords, intervals,tempo, rhythm,and expressivecharacter.All are related to a 45-note "tonic"chord whichformsthe structuralstem of the
work.Emphasison thischord movesfromtop to bottomas the symphony
proceeds,much like a lightpanning over a tree. Each movementis built
on a three-notechord and interval derived via four twelve-noteallintervalchords from this central column of pitches. Although this descriptionmakes the symphonysound impenetrablydense, it is the airiest
and most colorfulof all Carter's orchestralcompositions.It is withthis
workthata certainkinshipwithDebussybecomesmostapparent.There is
evanescentprocess,theuse of textureand
thesame concernwithshifting,
timbreas a structuralcore, the avoidance of closed thematicmaterial,the
subtleuse of evolvingmotives,but- and the differenceis a crucialone- a
farmore energetic,one would almostsayflamboyantsense of rhetoric.
To listento theserecentcompositionsin shortsuccessionis to be dazzled by theircomposeras singularmusicalimagination.Carter'sseventieth
His
birthdaypiece, Syringa(1978), is as distinctiveas any in his oeuvre.11
musiinto
an
to
the
translate
appropriate
twentieth-century
poem
ability
cal structureis unsurpassed,as his presentationof the bivocalityofJohn
Ashbery'spoem shows. Meditatingon death, objectifiedin the mythof
Orpheus, the poet interweavesa quiet voice,acceptingof time'sflow,with
an elegiacone, passionateand resistantto time.To dramatizethesevoices
Carter contrasts a calm, graceful, smoothly flowing line for mezzoagitated,mournful,almost archaic line for
soprano witha rhythmically
bass. Rather than tryingto pick out the two voices intertwinedin
Ashbery'stext,the composer assignsthe poem to the upper voice and selected textsfromthe ancientGreek to the lower one, rangingfromSappho to Heraclitus.These passages pick up the elegiac tone and represent
the resonance of past writings,the undertonesof old Greece, thatmight
flowthroughthe mind of an educated reader. They are also a strikingillustrationof the Freudian subconscious;theirassignmentto the bass, the
sub-voiceas it were, is a delightfullyappropriate, almost naive touch,
somethingnot uncommon in Carter. The instrumentalensemble is all
weightedtowardsthe bass: guitar,violin,cello, bass, alto flute,bass clarinet,Englishhorn,piano and percussion.As a resultthe mezzo-sopranois
sonicallyislated,somethingwhichensures audibilityof the textand interbetweenmusicand poem is Lawrence
HA superbdiscussionof therelationships
"
NewEssayson
Amazement:
Kramer, 'Syringa':
JohnAshberyand ElliottCarter,"Beyond
Cornell
Lehman
ed.
David
Press,1980),pp. 255-271.
(Ithaca:
University
JohnAshbery,

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30

COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

estinglyranges the music on the side of the subliminal.As novel as this

settingis, it has deep roots in Romanticsong. There also the voice's primaryrole is to declaimthe text;the piano sounds the unsayable.
The settingflowsthroughtimewithno repetitions,not even the lapping, eddying reiterationsof movementsfamiliarfromthe thirdstring
of ThreeOrchestras.
Although seeminglyunique
quartet,and A Symphony
Carter's
has
close
works,
relationshipswithworks
among
Syringaactually
and particularlytheDuoforViolinandPiano with
suchas thePiano Concerto
itsseamlessprojectionof twopersonalities.The twopoeticstreamsdo not
remainstrictly
parallel,however,but at timesconvergeby means of bilinwhen sounds of the twolanguages echo each other.The
similarities,
gual
differences
betweenthispoeticsettingand theearlysongsis as wide as any
in the historyof music.Few composershave traveledso far.12
Looking over the composers compositionsas a whole,it can be seen
thatthose phases labeled neoclassicaland expressionistare not set aside
but subsumed intothe maturephase, ifby the formeris meanta concern
withstructureand bythelatterwithdrama. Of course itis not unusual for
a composer to maintaina consistencyof artisticoutlook throughouthis
musicalproduction.What is rare is forhim to do so in ever new ways.Because of hisexceptionalcreativity
Cartercan be likenedto such composers
as Josquin,Bach, Beethovenand Mahler,and notonlybecause of hiscreativitybut also because of his deep contactswiththe traditionsof Western
musicsince the Renaissance. He is perhaps the onlycomposer of his generation to maintain his contactswith the past and also to renew them.
Whilemanycomposerswere surrenderingtheircompositionalcontrolto
mathematicsor to chance, he reassertedhis freedomto choose, and his
choice was intimatelyrelated to those fundamentalcharacteristicsmentioned above: structureand drama. The Western composer's concern
with structurestems from the fact that his music is polyphonic. This
presentsproblemsof unityand varietynot oftenfound in othercultures.
Carterbeginswiththe underlyingconcept of distinguishingbetweenthe
simultaneousmusicallinesand carriesitto thefurthestpossiblepointwith
cross rhythmsand differingand changing tempos. When the counterpoint of individuallines was exhausted, he moved to a counterpointof
movements.The othertouchstoneof his style- drama- isjust as basic to
12Themostrecentcomposition,NightFantasiesforpiano (1980), was firstperformed
at the Bath Festival.The composer has said thathe "triedto catch the waythe mind goes
fromone thingto another when you're lyingawake at night... I also tried to express
changes of characterwithina phrase, as when you thinkof somethingthatbegins like a
joke but makes you cryat the end." From an interviewby Leighton Kerner,SaturdayReview,December 1980, p. 41. This piece was not available forexamination.

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THE MUSIC OF ELLIOTT CARTER

31

and a
and successive,
Westernmusic.It is a musicofevents,simultaneous
musicwhichtriesto affecthumanemotions.It was Carter'srealization
of the musicalgesthatthisdrama is bound up withthe individuality
- complexclustersof intervals,
tures
rhythm,
tempo,and articulation
formalprocedures.Intelligibility
thatenabledhimtoabandontraditional
characofaudiblemusicalcharacters,
can simplycomefromtheinterplay
tersrootedin thenatureof theirsoundingmedium.The composerhas
in our tradition
thatmanymighthavethoughtno
shownus possibilities
longerexisted.

ElliottCarterVariations
farOrchestra
Copyright1957, 1958 by AssociatedMusic Publishers,
Inc. Excerptsused bypermission.

the seCORRECTION- In the Fall 1981 issue of Symposium

The
has
been
reversed.
musical
of
the
example
example
quence
shouldbeginon p. 137and concludeon p. 136.

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