Society for Music Theory

Pitch/Register in the Music of Edgard Varèse

Author(s): Jonathan W. Bernard
Source: Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 3 (Spring, 1981), pp. 1-25
Published by: on behalf of the Society for Music Theory
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Pitch/Registerin the Music
Edgard Varese
Jonathan W. Bernard
By its verydefinitionanalysisis sterile.To explainby meansof it is to
decompose,to mutilatethe spiritof a work.l
This quotationhardly seems a promisingbeginning to what
is, after all, an analytical study. In fact, there would be little
reasonto cite it, were it not for the fact thatthe wordsareEdgard
Varese's own. There is a good deal of vehemence in these
words- muchof it, we may gather,directedagainstthe studyof
music as it was pursuedin the academicinstitutionsof Varese's
student days. Beyond that, however, the passage above
bespeaksan attitudeaboutmusicalcomposition:a processthatis
the business of the composer and no one else.
Given Varese's condemnationof analysis-by implication,
of anyone's music-is there any point in attemptingto analyze
his own music, which may have been designed, among other
things, to foil such attempts?Do we even have any right at all,
morally speaking, to investigate?As a matterof fact, there are
valid reasons for proceedingwith this study. Varese has had a
considerable, if somewhat vaguely defined, impact upon com-
position over the past quarter-centuryor so-in other words,
dating from about the time when he began to receive general
lEdgardVarese, "Jeroms'en va-t'en guerre," in TheSackbut,4 (December,
1923), 147.
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of
recognition as a majorfigure. The numberof composers who
mention Varese as a significantformativeinfluence upon their
own work must be nearly legion by now. Often cited, for
example, are his pioneering efforts in the alterationof tape-
recordedsounds, his path-breakingachievementswith percus-
sion, and his radically different uses of sonority in general.
Muchof this influencemay well have been absorbedintuitively.
Nonetheless, the specific characteristicsof Varese's music,
which only detailed analysis can reveal, must also have had
somethingto do with the extent of his impactupon other com-
posers. If these characteristicscan be defined, they surelywould
go a long way towardexplaining what Varese means, and has
meant, to contemporarymusic.
As for his views on musical education, we shouldremember
thatVarese's experiencesas a studentin the ParisConservatory
had left him with an almost entirely negative impression of
pedagogy. To his mind, apparently,the only people likely to be
interestedin analysis would be pedantsso preoccupiedwith the
music of the past that they would be unableto accept anything
new. In this respect, of course, times have changed, and analy-
sis is no longer, or at least not often, used as a weapon against
innovation. In fact, as educated musicians many of us have
become confidentof the powerof theoreticalinquiry,not only to
provideorderlyexplanationsof all sortsof evolutionsin musical
2 MusicTheorySpectrum
practice, no matter how amazing, but also to remain impartial
regarding the innate worth of such evolutions. Nevertheless,
those whose choose to ignore Varese's warning had better be
prepared for a certain amount of difficulty. Varese had no
interest in making things easy for anyone.
As others have noted, much of the difficulty with analysis of
Varese's music stems from the apparent unsuitability to the task,
in whole or in part, of known theoretical systems. This is
indicated, though by no means proved, by Var&se's reputation
as a solitary figure who belonged to no identifiable school. In his
lectures and writings, in fact, he was often far more specific
about what he did not do, compositionally speaking, than what
he did. Dismissing the neoclassicists, for example, as men
writing "in the manner of another century," he called their
work "the result of culture" and declared that "desirable and
comfortable as culture may be, an artist should not lie down in
it."2 The dodecaphonists, on the other end of the spectrum,
fared no better: Varese compared this movement to "hardening
of the arteries." Although he was careful to state that he re-
spected the twelve-tone discipline and its adherents, Varese
evidently found it to be of only temporary usefulness: an artifi-
cial methodology designed principally to free composers from
past (tonal) biases.3
Opposed to systems and "isms" of all sorts, Varese was
understandably reluctant to describe his own approach in any
detail; no doubt he feared that someone would proceed to bind it
in rules. From time to time, however, he did talk about his
music. To be sure, he would not analyze. In fact, much of what
he had to say on the subject was couched in rather enigmatic
terms. Yet this material affords many substantial clues to prin-
ciples of organization. It is here that we must begin.
of Sound,"in ElliotSchwartz
2Var6se,"TheLiberation andBarneyChilds,
ed., ContemporaryComposers on ContemporaryMusic (New York: Holt,
Rinehart& Winston, 1967), p. 202.
3GuntherSchuller, "Conversationwith Varese," in Benjamin Boretz and
Edward T. Cone, ed., Perspectives on American Composers (New York:
Norton, 1971), p. 35.
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The Composer Speaks
Embodied in Varese's writings and other recorded remarks is
a way of thinking about musical structure which is at once highly
original and highly consistent. The following passage is charac-
teristic; it is also particularly revealing:
Whennew instrumentswill allow me to writemusic as I conceive it, the
movement of sound-masses, of shifting planes, will be clearly per-
ceived, taking the place of linear counterpoint.When these sound-
masses collide the phenomenaof penetrationor repulsionwill seem to
occur. Certaintransmutationstakingplace on certainplanes will seem
to be projectedonto other planes, moving at different speeds and at
differentangles. . . . In the moving masses you would be conscious of
their transmutationswhen they pass over different layers, when they
penetratecertainopacities, or are dilated in certain rarefactions.4
Varese's visual imagery has always been susceptible to interpre-
tation as merely a rather involved metaphor. However, his
insistence upon this imagery suggests that the events described
in such geometrical detail are in fact taking place literally in the
music. "Spatial music" and "music in space" are terms used
by Varese over and over again; indeed, the single unifying
principle of Varese's music is the manipulation of materials with
reference to a spatial framework.
To what extent is physical space translated into musical
space? More specifically, which attributes of physical space are
employed in this translation? Varese provides a partial answer in
a comparison between himself and his predecessors:
The new composershave not abandonedmelody . . . thereis a distinct
melodic line runningthroughtheirwork. . . . But the line in ourcase is
often vertical and not horizontal.5
4"The Liberationof Sound," p. 197.
5Varesecited in Louise Varese, Varese:A Looking-GlassDiary (New York:
Norton, 1972), p. 211.

This rather oddly phrased statement is actually quite important,
for it expresses a primary concern on Varese's part with the
vertical dimension. That this aspect of his work was easily and
generally understood is borne out by review columns in the
popular press of the time, particularly in the 1920s. Struck by
the newness of what they heard, and searching for descriptive
terminology appropriate to it, the critics found such phrases as
"blocks of sound," "skyscraper chords," and "the geometry
of sound."6 We understand them immediately, for in Varese
there is almost nothing resembling melody or line, in the tradi-
tional senses of these words.
As a first step beyond intuitive judgments toward solid theo-
retical ground, we may make the following basic assumption: if
the vertical dimension is to serve as the primary scale of refer-
ence, then the partitioning of vertically defined space will take
on crucial significance. Indeed, Varese says that "taking the
sonorous elements as a whole, there are several possibilities of
subdivision with relation to the whole: into other masses, other
volumes, other planes."7 With these possibilities of subdivi-
sion, Varese apparently seeks the result that he describes vari-
ously as "the sensation of non-blending" or "the movement of
unrelated sound-masses."8 Clearly, however, mere identifica-
tion of component portions of the whole would not in itself
constitute much of an analysis. Exactly to what extent are these
component masses unrelated? Surely not completely so, for
complete separation would imply a technique of random juxta-
position and combination, precisely the sort of approach which
6PaulRosenfeld was particularlyfond of such images. See, for example, the
chapteron Varese in An Hour with AmericanMusic (Philadelphia:Lippincott,
1929), pp. 160-179.
7,'Prenanten masse les 6elments sonores, il y a des possibilit6s de subdivi-
sion parrapporta cette masse:celle-ci se divisanten d'autresmasses, en d'autres
volumes, en d'autres plans." Var&se,in "La m6canisationde la musique"
(Bifur, 1930), p. 126.
8' The Liberationof Sound," p. 197; Varese, "Le destinde la musiqueest de
conqu6rirla libert6," in Liberte 59 (1959), 13.
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Pitch/Registerin Varese 3
Varese criticizes in the work of Cage and others ("so accidental
that I can't see the necessity for a composer!") .9 Further, even in
his early works Varese occupies himself with
a way to project in music . . . how one element pushing on the other
stabilizes the total structure,thus using the materialelements at the
same time in opposition to and in supportof one another.10
In his remarks about his work Deserts, Varese becomes
clearer about just how this might be accomplished:
The work progresses in opposing planes and volumes. Movement is
createdby the exactly calculatedintensities and tensions which func-
tion in oppositionto one another;the term "intensity" referringto the
desiredacousticalresult, the word "tension" to the size of the interval
employed.11
There is no question that the words "exactly calculated" are of
considerable significance. But in what sense are they meant?
The composer continues, again referring to Deserts:
Although the intervals between the pitches determine the ever-
changingandcontrastedvolumes andplanes, they arenot based on any
fixed set of intervalssuch as a scale, or series, or any existing principle
of musical measurement.They are decided by the exigencies of this
particularwork.12
What Varese seems to be describing is a self-generating tech-
nique of composition in which order is not imposed externally
but grows in some fashion from within. Varese found that the
"exigencies" of a work were best expressed in the form of an
analogy to the process of crystallization. Crystal form, he
explains (quoting the words of mineralogist Nathaniel Arbi-
9"Conversationwith Var6se," p. 39.
10"Conversationwith Varese," p. 36.
11Varesequoted in FernandOuellette, Edgard Varese (New York: Orion,
1968), p. 183.
12Varesequoted in HenryCowell, "CurrentChronicle" [review of the pre-
miere of Deserts], in Musical Quarterly, 41 (July, 1955), 372.
4 MusicTheorySpectrum
ter), "is characterized by both a definite form and a definite
internal structure." This internal structure originates in "the
smallest grouping of the atoms that has the order and composi-
tion of the substance" and, extended into space, results in the
external form. Varese shows special interest in the fact that "in
spite of the relatively limited variety of internal structures, the
external forms of crystals are limitless."13
The analogy to crystallization, then, emphasizes growth
through orderly expansion of a bare minimum of an idea, cell-
like in nature. This may sound, in twentieth-century context,
suspiciously traditional. One might well wonder whether
"crystallization" is simply synonymous with the generative cell
models of analysis propounded by George Perle and others.14
Other statements by Varese, however, effectively deny this
possibility:
Thereis an idea, the basis of an internalstructure,expandedor split into
different shapes or groups of sound constantly changing in shape,
direction, and speed, attractedand repulsed by various forces. The
form of the work is the consequence of this interaction.15
In other words, the initial idea is not necessarily anything more
than a point of departure. The "basis of internal structure,"
expanded into other configurations which in turn produce
others, may not appear more often than, or even stand in any
direct, easily discernible relation to, other sound-events that
come into existence in the course of a work. In fact, having
appeared once, the initial event may never be heard again.
The formal implications of this technique are revolutionary
indeed. Since for Varese the form of a work is the consequence
of the interaction and expansion of its materials, his statement
that "form and content are one" follows inevitably.16 Further,
13"The Liberationof Sound," p. 203.
14SeeGeorgePerle,Serial CompositionandAtonality, fourthedition(Berke-
ley: University of CaliforniaPress, 1977).
15"The Liberationof Sound," p. 203.
16"The Liberationof Sound," p. 203.
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the fact that "form is a result-the result of a process"17 pro-
duces the striking conclusion that unity and continuity in the
works of Varese spring at least as much from the consistent
nature of the manipulative processes applied to sound materials
as from any overall consistency in the structure of the sound-
masses themselves.
Placing process on an equal footing with result suggests that
the music unfolds within a kind of continuum of perpetual
change. From some points of view such methods no doubt invite
incoherent results, but Varese clearly does not agree:
I thinkof musicalspaceas open ratherthanbounded,which is why . . .
I want simply to projecta sound, a musical thought, to initiateit, and
then to let it take its own course. I do not want an a prioricontrolof all
its aspects.18
Logically, then, the exact repetition of any formation heard
earlier in a work would be rather unlikely. In fact, instances of
this is virtually non-existent. Near-exact repetition, however, is
an important aspect of process. This kind of event, which
involves reference to some previous material, bears a certain
resemblance to the more traditional process of motivic unity and
development, and might seem to contradict the uni-directional
nature of conditions of constant change. However, according to
Varese, "if the themes reappear, they always occupy a distinct
function in a new medium."19
The Theory Itself
In a truly spatial context-an approximation of Varese's
working frame of reference-criteria of absolute size and dis-
tance, in the vertical sense, must form the basis of structure.
17"The Liberationof Sound," p. 203.
18"Conversationwith Varese," p. 39.
19Varesequoted by J. Andre, "Edgar Varese y la musica de vanguardia,"
translated by David R. Bloch in "The Music of Edgard Varese" (Ph.D.
dissertation, University of Washington, 1973), p. 260.

Consistent application of such criteria has certain inescapable
effects. First, inversional equivalence cannot exist, for in a
framework based on absolute interval sizes a third, for example,
obviously will not serve the same function as a sixth. Second,
octave equivalence must be ruled out as well, for events in one
octave occur in a place fundamentally different from events in
any other octave. Thus the property of pitch class disappears.
The designation "Ct," for example, can have no meaning
unless its octave location is identified. In Example la the two
intervals shown are spatially equivalent, but the two in lb are
not. In Ic the two groups of pitches shown are not spatially
equivalent, even though both are instances of pc set 3-2. The
term "pitch/registral,"' then, will refer to entities in which pitch
content and its registral disposition are taken to define, as one,
the nature of that entity. Under these conditions, the "equal-
tempered" system serves simply as a neutral calibration of that
portion of the frequency spectrum (seven octaves plus) which is
available to conventional instruments. It provides a uniform
measure of absolute interval size, of distance between upper and
lower boundaries of sound-masses.20
Example 1
^ 1
,alj"? 'IbI hoj CcbJ 1j
20Varese, in fact, had no particularattachmentto the temperedsystem, and
one of his hopes for the futureof music was thatnew meansof soundproduction
would not only providemoreextensive timbralpossibilities but would also free
the composerfromthe "arbitraryrules" resultingfromthe inflexible division of
sound-spaceinto semitones. He also speculatedaboutthe possibility of extend-
ing the available frequency range to the limits of human perception, adding
perhaps two octaves above the highest pitch obtainable with conventional
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Pitch/Registerin Varese 5
The properties of Varese's music revealed by the analogy to
crystallization indicate a means of describing activity within this
sound-space. The fact that a "continuum of change" represents
unity means that the most important analytical considerations,
in most situations, will be point-to-point connections. Because
of the special nature of Varese's procedures, immediate succes-
sion often reveals the strongest relationships between musical
formations. Each new formation must result in some fashion
from what has preceded it, in turn to be manipulated to produce
the next formation. The theorist must define significant kinds of
evolution and transformation in some exclusive way. He must
ask: how is each new development special-that is, not random?
And how is the process involved consistent with other transfor-
mations at other points? For this purpose we will have recourse
to several different kinds of operations, all of which exhibit the
general property of symmetry.
On the simplest level, symmetry can describe individual
formations.21 In Example 2a, E4 is symmetrically placed with
respect to outer pitches C$4 and G4 because it is precisely
Example 2
a) b)J
118 11
trl W^19
instruments.("La m6canisationde la musique," p. 123, p. 126) Here, the
implication is clearly that a larger sound-space, in the vertical sense, allows
greaterfreedom to the composer.
21From here on, a system of pitch/registral reference is adopted, which
consists of the pitch name followed by a superior number denoting octave
location. Octavesarenumberedfrom 1 (lowest C on the piano)to 8, the highest.
Numbering of pitches begins with C in each octave: for example, B3 is a
semitone below C4. Pitches lower than C1 bear the number0.
6 MusicTheorySpectrum
equidistantfromboth. In Example2b, middlepitchesG4and B4
are symmetricallyplaced with respectto C#4and F5becausethe
distance from C#4 to G4, six half steps, is equal to the distance
from B4to F5. Fromthese relativelyuncomplicatedexamples, it
is clearthateitherone or two pitchesmay comprisethe centerof
a symmetricalformation.
When a largernumberof pitches is involved, morepossibili-
ties exist. In Example 3a, the order of intervals from top to
bottomis the same as frombottomto top. The bracketshows the
centerof the formation.This kind of symmetryis termedmirror
type. Parallel symmetry, on the other hand, exists when the
sonorityin questionmay be divided into two (or more) groups,
each of which displays the same intervallicorderfrom lowest to
highest pitch. In Example 3b, the parallelsymmetryof the two
groupsis shown by the brackets.These two types of symmetry
may also operate simultaneously. In Example 4, mirrorsym-
metry accounts for the configurationextractedin (a), parallel
symmetryfor the extractionin (b).
Example3
AS j;=.
nt 3
L9.
a) Deserts, mm. 21-22
b) Integrales,m. 36
woodwinds
This kind of all-inclusive symmetry does not, of course,
characterizeevery collection of pitches in the music of Varese.
Frequently,a given formationwill exhibitno obvious properties
of symmetry in itself. This might be so for any one of three
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Example 4. Integrales, m. 69
a) b)
tpts.
i. _ 4. -.
horn - ,.
?v58j '
ISg: 7 tWt t .
tbn. -9-
..ff
tbns.
i
reasons: (1) the formation may not include everything that is
happening in its particularlocation; (2) the formation may
encompass two or more events which are in fact separateenti-
ties, not necessarilylinkedby any one expressionof relation;(3)
the formation may be transient, and thus accounted for by
movement which occurs on a level distinct from that of imme-
diate succession. What was said earlier about point-to-point
connections still holds; however, Varese occasionally juxta-
poses unrelatedevents deliberatelyin order to make more ap-
parentcertaintransformationstakingplace over a time-spanof
greaterlength. Examplesof these possibilitieswill appearin due
course.
Partialsymmetry, where it occurs, also has importantfunc-
tions. In Example5, it is readily apparentthatthe lower half of
the structuredoes not duplicate the spacing of the upper half.
However, the middle segment, extending from C4 to F5, in-
cludes pitches Eb4and D5, which divide it into the pattern[3]
[11][3].22The remainingsegments of the chord, A1-C4 below
22Numbers in brackets refer to interval sizes in semitones. A series of
bracketednumbersalways refersto a vertical arrangementof adjacentintervals.
 Pitch/Registerin Varbse 7

Example 5. Integrales, m. 78 low brass, A'-B2; middle and high brass, C4-D5;and wood-
winds, F5-Gt7.Now, one resultof the importanceof timbrefor
Varese is that the lowest and highest pitches of timbral
piccs.
groupings can serve, in the spatial sense, as demarcators.As
ES cl.
__1#1AX
- with other means of distinguishingmasses from one another,
B, cl.
ob.
D tpt.
I -R---
~IFI
A__A-
these boundariesof timbralareastakeon a certainprominencein
the texture. Thus, in the present example, the span A1-C4in-
cludes all low brassand the distancebetweenthemandthe horn,
C tpt. at C4, which is the lower edge of the middle/high brass. The
horn
span F5-G$7indicates the boundariesof the woodwind area.
tbns.
X LK - Finally, another aspect of symmetry here lies in the groups
bO A1-Bbl-B2and the analogously placed Gb6-G6-Gt7.These two
segmentsproducea combinationof mirrorandparallelsymme-
try: mirror because the two groups are equidistantfrom the
and F5-Gt7above, areequal in size. Furtherexaminationof this center of the entire chord;parallelbecause their internalstruc-
example reveals otherforces at work as well, operatingtogether tures maintainthe same orderingof adjacentintervals, [1][13],
with intervallicsymmetries.These forces come underthe head- from bottom to top.
ing of timbraldifferentiation.Varese often spoke of the impor- Dynamics may act in conjunctionwith timbreto emphasize
tant function that timbre served in his work. We turn to his the symmetricalcharacterof individualformations.In Example
wordsonce again, rememberingthateven thoughat the time the
6, a vertical structureis presentedwhich, viewed as a whole,
means for fully realizing his goals were not yet available, still does not appearsymmetrical. However, the lower part of the
he found some of his ideas at least partiallyapplicableto existing
structure, Ebl-E2, is clearly set apart from the rest. This is
musical media:
broughtaboutby meansof dynamicandtimbralcontrast,for Ebl
Theroleof timbrewouldbecompletelychangedfrombeingincidental, andE2aremarkedpp, while the otherpitchesareall emphasized
anecdotal,sensual,orpicturesque; it wouldbecomeanagentof delin- in some way. That is, either they are already registrally and
eation,likethedifferentcolors on a mapseparatingdifferentareas,and timbrallyprominent(as is C#6, for example), or they are ac-
anintegralpartof form.Thesezoneswouldbe feltas isolated... 23 cented, fp, at theirentrances.The upperpartof the structurein
Timbre,then, functionsas a partitioningdevice. In this role it is Example 6 is symmetrical. Notice too that the symmetry is
often, inevitably, tied to registralplacement,but this is far from reinforced by timbral distribution:two pairs of instruments
always being so. Registraloverlap often poses analyticalprob- (trumpets and flutes) interlock, while a third pair, clarinets,
lems which only timbraldifferentiationcan resolve. In Example bracketsthem. Finally, the lowest of these notes, Gt2, is em-
5, timbre helps divide the sonority into groups (delineated by phasized over the others by repetition, instrumentation,and
brackets). The instrumentalgroups comprising this chord are: variationin loudness, and can thus be said to serve as a delimit-
ing lower boundary,furtherisolating Ebl and E2 from the sym-
metry above.
23"The Liberation of Sound," p. 197. So far, we have seen structureswhich, consideredby them-

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 8 Music Theory Spectrum

Example6. Diserts, mm. 171-74 (percussionof indefinitepitch omit-

ted)

171 172
Js66
A 174 T.t-D;, .,
i QGL '^ e , _ I
_ _

f I., n. rPf Fis.

=.- : (p__- -

appp - 1- --- P
E 3 L
~p~-ff _ Take _ _
) E'cl.
I- p
Bas TakeBJcl.
Baa. cl w---
3 __-__--
ns. 4..PP
El cl. -
- 7 A-
_Ins. -- _ Hns. fl. *_+
--- --_ --- .
tJLj tpt. I
- A
fl.2
Mule tpt. 2
Tpts. ' --- ---_
basscl. _ t
Tpts. _ __ u }
timp.
sI upp .
'
Tbns. . tubasl - Li
p'- -
Y Ibs. P -
'- '
Tbnb.
,, ~p- ---- -

Pf. V. . V
l.v. l.v.
.: -i - . _ - - _
,4-D_ ;tv- .

- *T.- s o ra'il. TakeI

r??.?'-i ---h?-->^ J>^i
Timp. - j JJ Jmj LiJ J it
?imp..~ * mot j
ffSf=. !
rm.I '4 - -I-e.1 I f 0 MP~I
f serco

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 /

Pitch/Registerin Varbse 9

selves, display various types of symmetry. All of these struc- conceptionto the opticalfield andvisualizethe changingprojectionof a
tures, however, also function in some sort of context. A logical geometricalfigure on a plane, with both figure and plane moving in
extension of the principle of symmetry would describe these space, but each with its own arbitraryandvaryingspeeds of translation
contexts as instances of process. Example 7 illustrates one kind and rotation.25
of operation. Here, the spatial configuration in mm. 6-7 is In this extract from an interview, Varese considers, besides the
duplicated in mm. 8-9. This kind of transference of structure to a result of projecting a figure onto a plane, the variety of images
new pitch/registral level will be referred to as projection. A
brought about by motion imparted to both objects. Such variety
slightly more complicated instance of projection is shown in would seem particularly characteristic of passages in his music
Example 8. The configuration given in the timpani at m. 29 is in which the pitch content remains fixed while the sound-masses
duplicated, [14] higher, in the brass at m. 30. It should be that these pitches define are juxtaposed, through changes in
mentioned that this timpani sonority is itself a projection of a
segment of the chord in mm. 21-22, reproduced above in Ex-
ample 3a.
The use of the term projection in this sense is meant to
approximate, at least, the meaning that Varese assigns to it. Example 8. Deserts, mm. 29-30, brass and timpani
Varese defines projection as
the feeling thatsoundis leaving us with no hope of being reflectedback,
a feeling akinto thatarousedby beamsof light sent forthby a powerful brass
searchlight. ... .24
hard
MI|_____
sticlks __ X-~> ~-- -- I/,
hardsticks - 3 // /
Of his work Integrales in particular, he says, further: _ >0 I.
timp.
__ o .711 ; -
Intigrales was conceived for spatialprojection.I plannedit for certain
acousticalmedia that were not then in existence, but thatI knew could f 3 1ff
be builtand would be availablesooner or later. . . Let us transferthis

Example 7. Density 21.5, mm. 6-9

r31 _b 3
r-----, 3'---~,
. , JrU-V3----?
fsubito ~~~~6,
_ _

25Varesequoted in FredericWaldman,"EdgardVarese:An Appreciation,"

24"The Liberationof Sound," p. 197. in Juilliard Review (fall, 1954), p. 9.

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10 MusicTheorySpectrum
dynamics and rhythmicpatterns,in a series of distinctlydiffer-
ent ways.26
Partial projection is also a possibility. In Example 9, the
sustainednotes C5(trumpet),Ct6 (oboe), andD7 (piccolo) form
the configuration[13][13] in mm. 177-81. This is duplicated,
[10] lower, in m. 185 by D4 and Eb5in the clarinetand E6in the
piccolo. However, the B6 of mm. 177-81 has no correspondent
in m. 185; hence the projection is only partial. In general,
Varese employs partialprojectionfar more often than literal,
complete duplication,probablybecause the process of projec-
tion usually overlaps with other processes which bring about,
simultaneously, other changes in the material.
Always, however, whateveris to be regardedas a productof
projectionmustpreservesome characteristicof its source. In the
hypothetical Example 10, for example, there would be little
point in calling group (b) a projectionof (a). Similarmotion is
not enough. Thereis no intervalof projection,because D5-A5is
not the same size as C3-F3.As analyticalconstructs,symmetri-
cal processes will not yield particularlyuseful informationif
they are not applied consistently with exactitude.
Often used in conjunctionwith projection,rotation is closely
relatedto mirrorsymmetry.The differencebetween the two is
thatin the case of rotationa causal relationshipis involved. The
transformationdescribedby this term is sometimes called "in-
"
version, meantin the literalsense- as, for example, to denote
the inversionof a twelve-noterow withrespectto the primeform
beginning on the same pitch. Use of the term rotation avoids
26Such events may representanotherlevel of structure.These passages of
"static continuity," to use Schuller'sterm, do not, however, seem materiallyto
affect the ongoing continuumof change in pitch/registralstructure.It is true, in
Integrales as well as in other works, that as a rule such passages immediately
precedeothers characterizedby an extremely rapidrateof pitch change. How-
ever, no readily apparentrelationshipexists in their placementwith respect to
one another, nor between the various spans of time in which the material is
prolonged.
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potentialfor confusion with inversionin the tonal sense, where
it is meant as a function of octave complementation.
In Example 11a, the boundaryinterval [11] in the trumpets
and horn is duplicatedat the entranceof the trombones. The
internal structure, however, is reversed-as if the trichord,
simultaneouswith its projection, had been turned 180 degrees
within the "plane" of the music. In Example 12, rotation is
applied to a sonority of considerabletemporaland spatial ex-
panse. The example shows only the few measuresin which the
rotationoccurs;however, the first sonorityshown in the reduc-
tion below the score is actually prolonged from m. 85 to this
point. Notice thata changein instrumentationoccurs simultane-
ously with the reversal of the vertical order of intervals.
Example 1lb, which is a continuationof 1la, illustratesthe
symmetricalprocess henceforthto be designatedas expansion.
Note that, reckoningfrom the outer edges of the first trichord
(trumpetsand horn), the distance Bb4-C3 is the same as the
distance A5-G7. Pitches C3 and G7 are both outer boundaries;
they represent,respectively, the lowest and highest points at-
tainedin this particularpassage. The fact thatD3, not C3, is the
lowest point in the final sonority of m. 153 does not interfere
with this symmetry, which depends upon total space occupied
over a period of several measures. Varese's methods are ex-
tremely flexible. Orderin his music is not restrictedto fixed
situations, but insteadincorporatesprovisionsfor furtherprog-
ress into the resultsof a previousoperation,as is the case here.
Anotherexample of expansionserves to demonstratefurther
this flexibility of application. In Example 13, measures 46
through53 (with pickup)are bounded,temporallyspeaking,by
a brief silence and an abruptchange in instrumentation,before
and afterrespectively. The first event in this clearly delineated
segment fills a space of [7], which is subsequentlyand rapidly
enlarged. The interrelationsand interactionsbetween compo-
nent elements are ratherintricateand are not of concern to us
here;for the present, we focus on the largerspatialdesign. The
lower boundaryof this passage, F#l, is quickly attained. The
 Pitch/Register in Varese 11

Example 9. Integrales, mm. 177-85

reJ~tempo
lUbj.(ee-vvr.
IIJ jwf LenebJ.G i
y 6
iWj Yy-f~
Ptes Fl

lb

Clt

Trp ,i,
T,p - <
_
4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'
72LLfl;
_ _
ftill# 4 [>

T / =- ---

( B L-r---___ ___
t(e o -empo
J()<r/rw-a o ral. Lento.. dI.
Cy

I
T;

-Y . -7 .- .I
B -h

Ch
3Gr

GTrg

Trgl

4y ch
4 Vr
GCrr

L?X^wau,t'ir ,
sonorrf.,w,,Le g, tk, e c}

r - -* S
A e I-

_ _
-----_

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12 Music Theory Spectrum

Example 10 Example 12. Deserts, mm. 90-92

r-- a) b.-_
Q

Bc1.

Tbns.,
Example 1la. Integrales, m. 151

tpts.,I- "-
m
horn _ - - 1
: :

"~11*1

L0 IHta
tbns. . -
hi .i
?" (hg, (', a t F e rS 'y i . . f't

bi.
5br r^ ; . 1 r7 . j
, ! i?; ' ::

I'-. b -- 1

4a l
Example 1lb. Int4grales, mm. 151-54

woodwindsa
woodwinds r

tpts., horn 'L _

tbns.

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 Pitch/Register in Varese 13

Example 13. Deserts, mm. 46-53

horn E ccl. At
E
_aI -t_

!i
piano, tuba

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14 MusicTheorySpectrum
highest pitch in the passage, however, is Eb6,which does not
appearuntil m. 51, at which point F#1is no longer sounding.
Nevertheless, because by durationaland timbralcriteriamm.
46-53 comprisea unit, an overall symmetrycan be determined
by the highest and lowest limits establishedfor the whole pas-
sage. Symmetricalexpansion occurs, since F#l-G3equals D4-
Eb6.
Symmetriccontraction, illustratedin Example 14, is simply
the reverse of expansion. Here, note that the initial event,
F#3-G5,is expressed as a temporalsimultaneity, but that Eb4-
Bb4, the goal of the contraction,is not.
Example14. Deserts,mm. 81-82
?1>
3---
A _ _d
l 1
t _4_-i . ___.__ ____ ._
piano, horn, clarinets trumpets
Combinations
Farmorecommonthanisolatedinstancesof single processes,
of course, are situationsin which two or more operatesimulta-
neously. In such situations,timbrecan be quiteeffective-even
essential-as an agent of delineation. In the excerpt shown in
Example 15a, Vareseachieves timbralseparationby placingthe
first two trichordsin the woodwinds, the second two in the
brass.These two phasesof activitytogetherconstitutethe simul-
taneous employmentof projection, rotation, and expansion.
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For this and the remainingexamples in this paper, a mode of
graphic representationhas been devised to show as clearly as
possible the spatialaspectof the processesinvolved. In Example
15b, the grid representspitch along its vertical axis (calibrated
from the lowest, at the bottom, to the highest, at the top); one
squareequalsone semitone. Time is representedby the horizon-
tal axis. Time elapses from left to right, but the horizontalaxis
has no constant value. Numbers at the left margin mark the
locations of C from the lowest octave, 1, to the highest, 8. In
Example 15b, however, only the portion of the available
sound-spacein use at thatpointis shown. Numbersalong thetop
edge are measurenumbers.The two pairsof solid parallellines
show projectionand expansion;the two pairsof crossed dotted
lines show that rotationtakes place as well.
Example15a.Deserts,mm. 63-65
woodwinds brass
x- ...._
' II
-1kI\
z _ ,
In Example 16, the techniqueof symmetricalexpansion, on
two differentlevels, is combinedwith projection.Foursymme-
triescan be identified.(1) The brassparts,consideredseparately
fromthe rest of the texture,are spreadacrossthe space D3-A5in
mm. 109-10; then, in m. 111, the full choir of trumpetsand
trombonesis deployed from G#2 up to D#6, an expansion from

Example15b.Deserts,mm. 63-65, graphicrepresentation
the previous space by [6] on each end. (2) If the voice (doubled
by ondes) in mm. 106-09 is consideredby itself, thenits B3-C4is
projected to E4-F4in trombone 2. These two interconnected
events, takentogetherandjuxtaposedagainsttheentire sonority
of m. 111, reveal anotherexpansion(B3-F4to G#l-G#6). (3) The
piano andtimpaniin mm. 106-09 togetherdefine a space A?-E3,
which is projectedto the exactly congruentspace D3-A5defined
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Pitch/Registerin Varbse 15
by the brass. (4) The inclusionof the piano and timpanipartsof
mm. 106-09 in the sound-space preceding m. 111 yields the
composite A?-A5, which is projectedto G#I-G.6.
Longer examples
The precedingillustrationshave been chosen for theirgener-
ally straightforwardnature. As the analyticalcontext becomes
larger,however, the combinedconfigurationof processesinevi-
tably becomes more complex: projection,rotation,expansion,
and contractionall begin to exert a certainamountof influence
upon one another. Length, though, also has its advantages.
Analysis of the passages at handdemonstratesthe operationof
pitch/registralstructureover appreciablespans of time.
Example 17 (Ecuatorial, mm. 211-20) is indeed rathercom-
plicated. Essentially, what happenshere is that a large space is
reducedsystematicallyto one much smaller.The largeexpanse
Bb?-E7is divided exactly in its middle by the highest note in the
trombones(C#4), a note which is given special emphasisby the
glissando precedingit. The entrancesof parts are staggeredin
typically Varesian fashion, roughly in order from lowest to
highest, and the highest pitches (D#6 and E7 in the two ondes)
enteras the othersdropout. While these areheld in mm. 212-13,
other, lower notes appear,ending with the groupD1-D'-F2(m.
215), which is followed by a rest. The ondes' D#6-E7may thus
be said to have an analogue in El-F2; the presence of D1,
however, makesthis projectiononly partial.The entranceof D1
completes a secondarysymmetry involving the duplicationof
the interval[19]: its first appearanceoccursbetween E4(lowest
pitch in the trumpets,mm. 211-12) and A2 (lowest pitch in the
organ, m. 213), then between A2 and D1. The placementof the
lower boundary at D1 is made even more interesting by the
events thatfollow. The trombones,in sextupletsat m. 216, first
outline G2-E4,then expandit to F4. Temporallyadjacentevents
thus articulate the span D1-F4, which by virtue of registral
proximitymay be interpretedas a projectionof Bb?-C#4fromm.
16 MusicTheorySpectrum

Example 16. Ecuatorial, mm. 106-11, reductionand graphic

representation

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 Pitch/Registerin Varbse 17

Example 17. Ecuatorial, mm. 211-20, reductionandgraphicrepresen-

tation

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18 MusicTheorySpectrum
211. Next, trombonesgive way to trumpets(mm. 217-18) then
rejointhem in mm. 219-20. In the latterpairof measuresa span
E3-D5 is delineated as a projection of G2-F4, to which it is
exactly congruent. Simultaneously, the large span D1-E7,
formedearlierby temporaladjacency,contractssymmetrically
to this same E3-D5.The confluence of processes suggests that
the phenomenonreferredto by Varese as "penetration"of one
sound-massby anotherhas taken place.
Example 18 (Deserts, mm. 1-22). Analyticalcomplications
often result when the musical fabric splits and the process of
transformationproceeds in two or more different directions.
When the disparatestructuresproducedby such fragmentation
reunite in a single structure,penetrationagain may be said to
occur. In Example 18, the initial [14]-span F4-G5produces
D2-E3 (m. 6) by projection. F4-G5 is then bisected by C5,
followed immediately and analogously by A2 dividing D2-E3
(m. 7).27 All six pitches remain in place until m. 14, where Bb1
and B2 are introduced.These can be regardedas a projectionof
the gap E3-F4between D2-E3and F4-G5.The next new pitch,
C#4, stands closest spatiallyto F4 and C5. Togetherwith these
pitches, it forms a configurationanalogousto the dispositionof
Bb', D2, and A2-which, even though they do not sound to-
gether at any point, nevertheless are the three lowest pitches
heardso far. The pitchC#4assumesfurther,crucialsignificance
with respect to the chord in mm. 21-22, which extends in
alternatingadjacent[7]'s and [6]'s up to E6. Here, C#4serves as
a projectionalpivot, reproducingwith E6 the distance Bbl-C#4
(articulatedin mm. 17-20) above C#4.Notice also that BbLand
C$4 togetherreproducethe span separatingthe lower pitches D2
andF4of each of the initial [14]-spans.Furthermore,this chord,
alreadydiscussed in Example 3 above, not only is symmetrical
in itself, but also combines the [7], obtainedby bisecting [14],
27This particularseries of events was first explained with referenceto Var-
6se's descriptiveterminologyby Chou Wen-chungin his article, "Var&se:A
Sketch of the Man and His Music," Musical Quarterly, 52 (1966), 158-170.
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with the [13], as [7] plus [6], found earlier between the two
[14]-spans.
In summary:the groupF4-G5,eventuallyF4-C5-G5,is dupli-
cated (projected) to produce a second group, creates a third
group in collaborationwith the second, and creates a fourth
groupin analogy to a pitch/registralrelationshipimplicit in the
juxtaposition of the second and third groups. This series of
" spinoffs" ends with the adventof a single structureincorporat-
ing many features of the previous structuresbut superseding
them all.
Examples 19 and 20 (Integrales, mm. 80-102 and 126-35).
The secondof these two passagesis clearlyheardas a "return,"
or near-repetition,of materialfrom the first. Side-by-sidecom-
parison of mm. 93-100 (in Example 19) and mm. 131-34 (in
Example20) reveals a resemblancethatis surelynot coinciden-
tal. Yet is this recapitulationin the traditionalsense? Keepingin
mind Varese's remarksabout the "distinct function in a new
medium" of such reappearingmaterial, we notice that some
changes have in fact been made-in rhythm,dynamics, accom-
panying percussion, and use of mutes. These may well be
intended as clues to indicate changed function. Nevertheless,
pitch/registralrelationshipshave been left intact.
Analysis of both passages in light of theirrespectivecontexts
becomes crucial at this point. In the earlier of the two (see
Example 19), the excerpt in question is preceded by several
measures(80-93) dominatedby a groupA4-B6which alternates
several times with a lower pair of chords:GI-F#2followed by
D2-E3.Embeddedin this lower area are featuresof the upper,
given in succession instead of simultaneously:the [11]-span
GI-F#2,an effect of the interlocked[11]'s A4-G#5 and Bb4-A5;
and the [14]-spanD2-E3,a projectionof A5-B6.The two widely
separatedgroupsconvergein a symmetriccontractioninvolving
the "melodic" componentof mm. 93-100 in its eventualcom-
plete form. The pitches D4 and E4 are the first two presentedin
the melody, and the F#4 and the C4 bracketthe final interval
(filled in by D4 andE4)in m. 100. The repeatedtrombonechord
 Pitch/Registerin Varese 19

Example 18. Deserts, mm. 1-22, reductionand graphicrepresentation

.1tl
o

I I
6
tL
2

c
r' A ii (
a
J !f

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20 Music Theory Spectrum

Example 19. Integrales, mm. 80-102, reductionand graphicrepresen-

tation

,,.~ /<As < !r~~, f

/
-/

* , 7
*/

X ^' I '- C,,

,/ N

1,2 /- . ,. J

J" ^t!^ ,l
r
'N,.,L|J -L . rl! .-.

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Db2-Ab2-Eb3 comes aboutas a partialprojectionof D2-E3.Note
that the space filled by the entire contents of mm. 93-100
(Db2-_F4)is congruent to the intervals of contraction G1-C4 and
B6-F#4. Finally, C4, the last pitch given in m. 100, is used
togetherwith B4in m. 101 to effect a symmetricexpansionto the
outer boundariesF#l and F7 in m. 102.
In the laterpassage (Example20), on the otherhand, projec-
tion ratherthan contractionis the process primarilyresponsible
for motion to the recurringmaterialfrom the immediatelypre-
ceding eleven-note sonorityof m. 126, F#3-C7. This chordcan
be partitionedin two ways: first, into overlappingwoodwind
and brass groups (B4-C7 and Ft3-E6, respectively); second, into
threecongruentsegments at Ab4and Bb5.These three segments
are timbrallydetermined,too: the lower F3_-Ab4encompasses
trombonesand horn and is set far apartfrom the high trumpets,
and the upperBb5-C7is defined by the three highest woodwind
instruments(piccolos andpiccolo clarinet).In the firstpartition-
ing, the span B4-C7 corresponds to the distance (marked by
single brackets)delineatedby D4 in m. 127f. and the trombone
chord Db2-Al2-Eb3; and F#3-E6 corresponds to the interval of
projection, which can be read either as B4-Db2or as C7-D4
(marked with double brackets). The second partitioningpro-
duces three segments, all congruentto the spanof the trombone
chordin mm. 131-34;in Example20, the lowest of these threeis
shown projectedto m. 131.
The continuationof this passage emphasizes certain other
featuresof its structure.The pitch Eb6in m. 135, which remains
the highestpitchfor some time, is the same distanceabove D4 as
Db2is below, hence anotherinstanceof projection.Contributing
as well to the attainmentof this high point are the successively
articulated [13]-spans C#4-D5 and D5-Eb6(the latter of which is
dividedby Ab5andstandsin analogyto Eb3,the uppernote of the
trombonechordin mm. 131-34, andA3 andE4, the initialupper
and lower boundariesof the melody in those same measures).
Below, successive [14]-spansaregiven by the trombones(F1-G2)
and the distance G2-A3between the trombonesand the lowest
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Pitch/Registerin Varese 21
pitch of the melody. These areprojectionsof the trombonespan
in mm. 131-34. Furthermore,while the double intervallicpro-
jections below A3andabove C#4do balanceone another,the real
(i.e. exact) symmetryexisting here is expansionoutwardto F1
and Eb6not from A3 and C#4but from A3 and B3, the last two
pitches given in the melody before the introduction of the
"new" C#4.
In summary:the various facets of the "repeated" material
have different structuralmeanings dependingupon location in
the work. In each of the two cases the materialis fully integrated
into its context. Withoutquestion,the pitchduplicationsarestill
heard, but the effect of the disparityin treatmentis to provide
equal emphasisupon thefunction of the materialin the ingoing
process.
Example 21 (Density 21.5, mm. 1-23). This, the most ex-
tended of the examples presented in this paper, also demon-
stratesin clearestfashionthe applicationof pitch/registralideas
to analysis, even thoughthe completeworkis not analyzedhere.
Density 21.5 is for a solo instrument, but the analytical
approachremainsmuchthe same as in precedingexamples. The
only realdifferenceis thatlineardetail is often morecrucialhere
than elsewhere in Varese. The opening figure articulates a
chromatictrichord(F-E-F#)4.28This figure, in its varioustrans-
positions, will be referredto as group (x), and is always en-
closed in solid boundariesin the graph. With the occurrenceof
G4 in m. 2, a group (E-F#-G)4is also articulated.This will be
referredto as group(y), andis always markedby dottedbounda-
ries. By registralassociation,in fact, group(y) is a succession of
a kind, even in its firstappearancein m. 2. The implicitrelation-
ship between the pitches (E-F#-G)4is madeexplicit in mm. 3-4,
in the form of a directlinear succession, and again in mm. 4-5,
28Expressionssuch as (E-FP-G)4are abbreviations.The numberat the end
applies to each of the pitches within the parentheses.The parenthesesthem-
selves imply no special association between the notes enclosed beyond their
appearance,at that moment, in the same octave.
22 MusicTheorySpectrum

Example20. Integrales, mm. 126-35, reductionandgraphicrepresen-

tation

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c,

U)
I)
Co

C:

.
L&
0)

-.

tC ZZ 1L 01 VI LI 91 SI tI fI ZI II

4I

0 I Ff 6 Z
en

otq". r. ---- =--------

_ on
u
C)
.ar '
jopqns 4

rj * r11^1 ^^j"1^ ^,'--=' -- j >ty1

o
c

el
o,

C) X riG^.s
d ----; Jql= j Jqi
^^y^^' o '~'~ --=- r
,~ . ^-.=-.-_

S
eq

Vu t 'fi -l-f r
w
tCLr
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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
24 Music'TheorySpectrum
in reverse order. Symmetricalpropertiesalso suggest assign-
mentof structuralimportanceto (E-FO-G)4, for the articulationof
space bounded by C#4 and G4, divided evenly by E4, also
becomes clear in the course of the openingmeasures(see m. 5).
Group(y) outlines the interval(E-G)4and thus serves to fill an
intersticeof this symmetry. Given this opening, it is not at all
surprisingthatexpansionof occupied space proceedsfrom here
by extensions of group(y): (G-A-Bb)4,then Bb4-(C-Db)5. Up to
the point whereDb5is reached,in m. 9, total space employed so
far in the work is [12] in extent, doublethe initial [6] coveredby
(Ct-G)4. The initial high point, G4, now stands in the same
relationshipto outerboundariesC#4andDb5as did E4to C#4and
G4 at the beginning-that is, it bisects the space in use.
Expansionof space by one more half step, to D5 in m. 11, at
once completesa second (x) group-completing a chainof three
linked(y)'s with an (x) on each end-and sets off a new seriesof
developments.With D5, a sudden,radicalchange occurs:rapid
expansion of delineated space through articulationof larger
intervals, in the form of projections of previously presented
structures.The structuralframework(C#-G)4-Db5serves as the
templatefor these new formations.Notice thatG#4-(D-G#)5and
(D#-A)4-Dt5, both of which are bracketedin the graph, are
projectionsof thatoriginalconfiguration.Further,A5appearsin
m. 13, which enlarges the previous [6][6] formation by one
more [6]. This results in a pair of interlocked[6][6]'s, which
share the common segment A4-D#5. The repetitionof A4 in m.
13 emphasizes the [12]-span A4-A5as a significant segment.
The E6in mm. 13-14, which constitutesa climax of sortsand
a majorstructuralarticulation,has two distinctfunctions:(1) In
retrospect,we note that D5 is a point of rest before the burstof
activity leading up to m. 14, by virtue of its temporalvalue in
comparisonto the notes thatprecedeit. D#5 and E6are similarly
situatedwith respectto theirimmediatesurroundings;thus they
duplicatethe relationshipbetween C#4and D5. (2) Bb5-E6is the
counterpartto (D#-A)4,in thatthese two segmentsforma mirror
symmetryaboutA4 andBb5.Note thatA4-Bb5is given as a direct
succession in m. 13.
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The appearanceof the [6]-span Bb5-E6introducesthe possi-
bility thatanother[6][6] structurewill be formed. This possibil-
ity is realizedwith E5in m. 15, the firstnote of thatmeasure.It is
also the first note of a new instanceof (x), given in the distinc-
tive rhythmicpatternof the opening. Again, too, (x) is suc-
ceeded by (y), but in rotationthis time: (D#-E-F#)5in m. 16.
Thus, some similarity is maintainedwith the opening of the
piece, but the altered manner of presentation suggests that
something different will happen in consequence. In fact, this
proves to be the case, as a new high point is reachedin m. 17.
Gesturalsimilaritywith mm. 13-14 is evident. Attainmentof G6
is accomplishedthrougha symmetricaloperationcenteredabout
F#5,for the intervalF#5-E#4is equal to the intervalF#5-G6.This
symmetryis shown in the diagramby the dottedlines radiating
from Ft5.
Articulationof the interval F$4-G6, as a direct succession,
reflects the gesturalparallelwith mm. 13-14 noted above: the
distanceD#4-E6, [25], was formerlyexpressedas a symmetrical
configurationinvolving several pitches, but now appearsas a
single, linearlypresentedinterval.Just as the quick attainment
of a new high pointG6reflectsa condensationof musicalmotion
compared to what immediately precedes it, so do the actual
details of spatial manipulation.
In termsof temporalorderof presentation,what happenedat
mm. 15-16 now occurs, in mm. 18-19, in reverse. Group (y)
follows group(x) within the space of [3], but this spanof [3] is
given as a descent ratherthanas an ascent:thatis, (B-G#)4.The
(x)-groupthatfollows, C#6-B#5-D6,is a rhythmicallyelaborated
version of the initial motive and is significant spatially, in that
the outeredges of the new space, G$4andD6, standin symmetri-
cal contradictionto the compositeof D$4-E6,of mm. 12-14, and
F#4-G6 of mm. 16-17. The union of these two large spaces is
justifiedby theprocedurallinks betweenthemdiscussedabove.
In the last two measures(22-23) of this excerptfromDensity
21.5, the size of the lower groupfirstpresentedwithinthe space
(B-G#)4undergoesprogressiveshrinkage,in two stages:first to
 Pitch/Registerin Varese 25

(A-B)4, then to (A-A#)4. As a pitch entity, (A-B)4 has already music had been overwhelmingly pitch-oriented.Even a great
been presented,in m. 19, and thereis no need to accountfor its revolutionarycannot change everything at once, if indeed he
origins at this point. However, its placementin this context can shouldwantto. Even Varese, I think, wouldnot havedeniedthis
be interpretedas an effect, or projection,of the span B#5-D6.In inherentlimit uponthe evolutionof compositionalpractice.One
turn,when (A-B)4contractsto (A-A#)4,thereis a responsein the of the compromises, then, that Varese had to make was to
higher register, as we see in m. 23: B#5-C#6.The net effect of acknowledgethe sovereigntyof pitch. Nevertheless,as we have
this attenuationabove and below is to reduceoccupied space by seen, he was able to mitigate this sovereignty somewhat by
means of anothersymmetricaloperation:thatis, contractionby introducingregisteras a vital factorin thedefinitionof structure.
one half step on each end. From the original outer boundaries Furthermore,Varese's use of timbreand dynamicsas agents
D#4 and G6, then, the size of space in use has been reducedby of delineation representsa considerableadvance beyond their
[12]: [6] above and [6] below. The fact that these two interval largely ornamentalfunctionin most earliermusic. Thus Varese
sizes have alreadyplayed majorroles in the spatialorganization pointed out the path leading away from extreme pitch orienta-
of this work is probablysignificant. tion, even though he did not venturevery far along it himself.
But his "dream of instrumentsobedient to my thought" and
Conclusion "their contribution of a whole new world of unsuspected
sounds"29helped that dream become a reality for his heirs.
This theory, in the form presented here, is by no means
complete. The symmetricaloperationsdescribedabove do em-
brace many aspects of structurein Varese's music, but certain
matters of internal order are only sketched. As it happens,
another, substantialcomponent of pitch/registral theory, de-
signed to take measureof internalstructure,does exist. How-
ever, to have includedits exposition here would have made the
presentpapertoo long. I hope to bringforth a sequel sometime
in the near future.
There remain a few words to say concerning the natureof
assumptionsmadein formulatingthis theory.We beganwith the
idea that pitch, in tandemwith register, is the primarydetermi-
nantof structurein Varese, and thatothercompositionalfactors
must be relegatedto secondarystatus, however much of a role
they may play in shaping the decisions made about pitch and
register. Is this assumptionwarrantedfor Varese, who after all
has long been famous for emphasizing--in words and in
music--the importanceof timbre, dynamics, and rhythm?The
answer-affirmative-is inevitably bound up with historical 29Varese, "391," Number5, June 1917, New York;includedin the epigraph
context. For manycenturies,up to Varese's present,all Western for "The Liberationof Sound."

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