Lot n° 52
Estimation :
10000 - 15000
EUR
messiaen Olivier (1908-1992). - Lot 52
messiaen Olivier (1908-1992).
MANUSCRIT autograph signed "Olivier Messiaen", Vingt Leçons d'harmonie (1940); 1 title page + 48 pages of music in-fol. (on double sheets), and 1 title page + 6 pages of text in-4.
Important contribution in music to the history of musical harmony, in homage of Messiaen to the masters he admires. It was in the summer of 1939 that Messiaen began to collect and order these exercises written in previous years for his courses at the École Normale and the Schola Cantorum, in styles ranging from Monteverdi to Messiaen himself, and of which he had already given a sample in Le Monde musical in February-March 1937. It was published by Alphonse Leduc in May 1940. Messiaen composed a draft of the title page: "Olivier Messiaen / Vingt Leçons d'harmonie / Dans le style de quelques auteurs importants de l'Histoire Harmonique" de la musique, depuis Monteverdi jusqu'à Ravel. / Preceded by a note from the Author and remarks on the realization of each lesson in particular / Price increased: 30 francs / According to a new method of work, this volume serves both the Master and the student "... The Note from the Author explains: " These lessons are intended for students who have already finished "learning" the Treatise of harmony. Their difficulty is more or less the same as that of the harmony competitions of the Paris Conservatoire. In order to encourage the student to read the works of the ancient and modern masters, to find the source of the rules that are imposed and the licenses that are tolerated, they have been conceived in the style of some important authors of the "harmonic history" of music, from Monteverdi to Ravel. It is not a question of pastiches, but of the study in four voices of different styles "... Etc. The musical manuscript is realized in black ink on paper with 16 lines. It includes : 1. Chant donné (in the style of Monteverdi) (p. 1-3), Modéré un peu vif. 2. Chant donné (in the style of a Passepied by Rameau) (p. 4-5), Vif et gracieux. 3. Bass given (in the style of J.S. Bach's chorales) (p. 6), Decisive, a little lively. 4. Bass given (in the style of J.S. Bach's Prelude) (p. 7-8), Well moderated. 5. Basse donnée (in 3 voices, in the style of J.S. Bach's organ sonatas and trio) (p. 9-10), Bien modéré. 6. Given song (in the style of Gluck) (p. 11), A little slow, noble. 7. Given bass (in the style of Mozart's string quartets) (p. 12-14), Gay, moderate.
8. Given song (in the style of Mozart's string quartets) (p. 15-17), Very slow and tender. 9. Given bass (in the style of Schumann) (p. 18-19), Very lively and light. 10. Given song (in the style of César Franck's canons) (p. 21-22), Very slow, expressive and collected. 11. Given bass (half-Schumann, half-Lalo style) (p. 23-24), Lively and light. [p. 25 false start scratched] 12. Given song (half-Chabrier, half-Massenet style) (p. 26-27), Passionate, almost lively. 13. Given bass (in the style of Fauré's Sicilienne) (p. 28), Moderate. 14. Song given (very hybrid style: a little Schumann, a little Fauré, a little Albeniz) (p. 29-31), Almost lively, and light. 15. Given song (half-Franck, half-Debussy style) (p. 32-33), A little slow, expressive and collected. 16. Given song (half-Massenet, half-Debussy style) (p.34-35), Slow and tender. 17. Chant donné (style mi-Chabrier, mi-Debussy) (p. 35-36), Balanced, a little lively. 18. Chant donné (in the style of Pelléas et Mélisande by Cl. Debussy) (p. 37-39), Moderate, deeply expressive. 19. Chant donné (à 5 voix, dans le style de Maurice Ravel) (p. 40-43), Almost lively, and caressing. 20. Chant donné (very special style, somewhat similar to Hindu cantilenas) [original title crossed out: in the style of the author's Poems for E] (pp. 44-47), Moderate, with charm. Bibliography: Peter Hill and Nigel Simeone, Olivier Messiaen (Fayard, 2008), pp. 112-113 and 550-551.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue