Rythmes, trois mouvements symphoniques

Rythmes, trois mouvements symphoniques
(Rhythms) Three symphonic movements for full orchestra

Year of composition

1926

Duration

18'

Scored for

3 3 3 sax. 3 - 4 3 3 1 - timp. - perc. - bells - glock. - xyl. - harp(2) - piano - celesta - strings

Publication information

Universal Edition (UE18560)

Commentary

Rythmes

Commentary 1
Rythmes, three symphonic movements, composed in 1926, were first performed on March 12, 1927 in Geneva and were repeated in Lausanne with Mr. Ernest Ansermet and the Suisse Romande Orchestra.
The title of this symphonic suite clearly indicates the composer’s orientation towards rhythm in his search for aesthetic and expressive means rarely used, whether monodic rhythm as in ancient styles or the most surprising polyrhythmic models of oriental origins.
The nature of these rhythms almost completely excludes polyphony as heard in our classics, and this prompted the composer to treat the orchestra generally in compact groups. The wealth of polyphony is replaced here by the result of superimposing these groups, kinds of musical complexities, each one with its complete harmony in itself and an independent pulse.

In: General Programme of the International Festival of the S.I.M.C. in Geneva, April 1929; published in A propos de… commentaires de Frank Martin sur ses œuvres (Neuchâtel, 1984) | English translation by Rachel Ann Morgan

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Commentary 2
It was during 1925 and 1926 that I wrote the three symphonic movements entitled Rythmes. At that time I was particularly drawn to the research of rhythms; it was in the air, as they say. People often thought that it was my acquaintance with Jacques Dalcroze that had stimulated this interest, but the truth was quite the contrary: I had already written the Rythmes when I studied with him for a while. With these symphonic movements I attempted to introduce rhythmic processes from various periods and various countries, all more or less foreign to our western classical music, into my style of composition.
Thus, the first movement makes use of the ancient Greek rhythmic system, building phrases by succession and addition of long and short values of mesure. In this piece I made use of elements borrowed from incidental music that I had written previously for the Sophocles tragedy: Oedipe Roi. I also used ancient modal scales. However, the harmonic character of this music shows that it is in no way an attempt at reconstitution.
The same can be said of the second movement, as I was inspired by polyrhythms of the Far East. Here there are rhythmical passages, essentially played by percussion instruments, each going its own way, accompanying melodies of totally independent nature. To prove that there is no question of imitating Chinese or Japanese music, one of the melodies I introduced here is a popular tune from lower Brittany.
The third movement is characterised by bars of uneven beats, especially towards the end where I used a very fast and complex Bulgarian rhythm, full of syncopated accents which pose huge problems in performance for our orchestral musicians.
I only have partial memories of these Rythmes of 30 years ago and I am very curious to know how this resurrection will be under the leadership of Paul Sacher. In any case I am convinced that precision and vitality will be assured.

Text by Frank Martin in: Mitteilungen Basler Kammerorchester No 65, February 25, 1956. Alte und neue Musik II, Atlantis Verlag Zürich 1977, pp. 257-258; published in A propos de… commentaires de Frank Martin sur ses œuvres (Neuchâtel, 1984) | English translation by Rachel Ann Morgan

Premiere

World première: Geneva 12 March 1927. Ernest Ansermet, conductor

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