Observations and Thoughts on the Opening Phrase of Webern's Symphony Op.21. Mvt. I.

by Glen Charles Halls. (for teaching purposes)

This analysis is intended as a learning introduction to the work and is by no means exhaustive.

A brief consultation with Kathryn Bailey's work suggests that this is the basic row for the piece:

P5 F Ab G F# Bb A Eb E C C# D B 5 8 7 6 10 9 3 4 0 1 2 11

( note, I am calling it P5- by modern convention I.e. with C as P0... )

In general with Webern's 12 tone technique relationships both within a single row and between superimposed rows are exploited.Looking at the row itself:

we note that it is a symmetrical retrograde, at the interval of a tritone. Difficult to say at this point how such a revelation might be reflected musically, perhaps the notion of 'arch' form will come into play.

Let us have one more look at the linear intervals in the row, as these will likely emerge as the 'thematic elements" in the piece.

So in trying to determine how the rows lay out here, one notes that the only 'lines' that seem to follow the intervallic profile suggested in the row, are the two below: One starting 9 6 7 8 , and one starting 5 8 7 6 . In other words it appears to begin with an inversion I9, followed closely by a prime, P5. (? So what are those other notes that don't seem to follow the order....yet )

So let us fill out a matrix-like row for each of these.

5 8 7 6 10 9 3 4 0 1 2 11P5 F Ab G F# Bb A Eb E C C# D BI9 A F# G Ab E F B Bb D Db C Eb 9 6 7 8 4 5 11 10 2 1 0 3

(as an aside, note the 'place' invariance for G... and the trichord C C# D, D Db C cells. He may do something with this. Note also, that the two hexachords superimposed only produce many of the same six pitches within the hexachord. Perhaps he is attempting to isolate unisons and exact pitch repetitions..

Now if we actually track these rows.. we are required to 'skip' for now, some other yet-to-be-defined pitches. Also note that he jumps around orchestrationally.

As we follow the row we begin to notice detail in terms of dynamic, duration, and articulation ( and paired tones at times.. and timbre... but timbre is another whole dimension in the plan...) ... We also begin to notice the same gestures repeating in the yet-undefined tones. In other words, he's writing in CANON.

I9 is answered by P9, and P5 is answered by I1. .. at present I don't know why he would chose these combinations...

So for the sake of clarity let us now draw up a quasi-matrix for the new rows.

P9 9 0 11 10 2 1 7 8 4 5 6 3 A C B Bb D Db G Ab E F F# EbI1 1 10 11 0 8 9 3 2 6 7 4 7 Db Bb B C Ab A Eb D F# G E Ab

At this time it is prudent to look at the detail in terms of dynamic, articulation, and duration, and note that Webern has attempted to 'assign' or serialize these parameters to particular intervals and/or row positions.

If we isolate each row, we get something like this: ( I9 and P5)

It would seem that the figures are basically exclusive to each row. Note, these rhythms and articulations are imitated in the canon voices. Note also the variety of beat placements.. It's not something scientifically demonstrated, but there is in Webern a certain 'feel' for playing 'off the beat'. He creates a little rhythmic momentum that way.

The main point here is that rhythm, duration, and articulation are ordered or serialized along with pitch. This concept of course was taking up by Boulez and Stockhausen with the notion of 'total serialism' , already present here..

When we 'condense' all staves into a single piano stave we realize that Webern has assigned or "serialized", REGISTER, and to a large extent, Timbre. Below is a 'piano score' of the entire phrase. ( Which I gather is actually just the first half of the phrase... )

What we are hearing is a texture, not too dense, of relatively isolated tones and intervals. There is local timbral-intervallic awareness which competes for consciousness with a global, textural awareness. This kind of duality of perception might be termed "pointillism".

One can also observe little timbral canons, such as this one between the clarinet and bass clarinet- I'm sure one could find more. ( One wonders in this regard if Webern is directing the listener a bit here, not unlike Schoenberg's concept of the Hauptstimme and Nebenstimme- creating a little 'superior line' out of the texture.

In spite of all of this abstract symmetry and pre-compositional rigour, we must not lose the perceptual effect here. Think of the tempo.. The relative absence of rhythmic subdivision and rhythmic anomaly.. Slow, clear, meditative.. somewhat predictable. It is an environment in which one can 'notice properties which change otherwise similar contexts.' It is a psychological study in short term memory and substitution. We are 'drawn to notice' the timbral change, primarily, on pitches and, and for small gestures which complement each other via local inversion. As such the listener is somewhat 'stuck' in a state of both anxiousness-expectation, and concentration and alertness of memory. At the same time, we are drawn to the pleasantness of the sounds themselves. That is to say, he triumphs in this regard.. He defeats the abstract symmetry of his system and creates a situation where sounds... in their intervallic profile, but especially in terms of timbre.. become content- aesthetic content via awareness. Still, this alertness of memory, the slight anxiousness in anticipation of the next substitution, the isolation of timbre and interval.. one is engaged and aware, charmed.. But I submit it does not seem to penetrate, perhaps there is a better word but that will do.. does not penetrate to the core of one's awareness to the same degree as tonal harmonic awareness.