Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)

Quatre Études de rythme: ‘Mode de valeurs et d'intensités’

By Kristian Del Cantero

Messiaen’s highly influential work ‘Mode de valeurs et d'intensités’ (Mode of durations and
intensities) was one of the first works that employed the use of Total serialism.

Total serialism is the application of serial technique towards different compositional factors. This
is an attempt to attain total serial control of the musical material. Many composers who used
Total serialism were highly influenced by the work of Anton Webern. It is important to note the
step away one takes from the traditional values of classical music in Serial music, since the
musical material comes from a new structure of pre-ordained values.

The work is based entirely out of the mode of the piece, from which Messiaen composes. Here
is the mode:

There are 4 different parameters to the piece. There is a mode of pitches (36 notes), note
values (24 durations), touches (12 touches), and dynamics (7 dynamics). Messiaen utilizes
three series of twelve notes (12+12+12=36) over three lines, and each note has a uniquely
specific combination of duration, register, and intensity (loudness). Using these parameters
Messiaen creates a system in which each of the 36 separate notes are played exactly the same
way whenever they are used in the piece.

Given these preconditions, each note is unique in its sound. The way these sounds react with
each other in the piece creates a different structure: the different notes in different combinations
create different echoes of the mode.
Serial Analysis (numbers represent one of the 12 possible options from each stave

I 1 2 3 4 6 5 7 10 11 12 11 8 9 12 9 4 35 7 10 12 1 2 3 8
II 123 4 5 12 36 7 8 9 1 10 11 1 2 3
III 9 6 3 4 5 1 2 7

I 1 2 4 7 10 12 1 2 4 5 8 9 12 11 10 9 5 4 3 2 1 7 3 5 8 10 12 11
II 10 12 14 5 16 7 8 9 4 8 12
III 8 11 14 5 6 1 5 12

I 1 3 1 8 12 1 12 2 11 3 10 4 9 5 8 6 7 2 9 1 2 12 10 1 2 4 12 11
II 11 9 7 6 5 4 3 214 1 23 4 1 2 3 12 11
III 10 3 4 5 1 2 1 12 6

I 10 5 6 7 9 8 1 2 4 11 3 9 5 7 8 4 10 2 12 7 1 2 12 6 5 7 8 9 11 3 6 7 8
II 10 5 4 6 9 8 7 1 11 3 9 5 7 8 4 10
III 7 9 13 4 2 6 7 1 2 11

I 10 11 12 1 2 4 5 8 7 11 12 8 6 11 6 7 12 15 8 11
II 2 12 6 4 12 314 15 1 9 2 12 3 4 5 12 3 6
III 5 4 3 2 1 3 1 6 3 1 3 2 1 4

I 1 4 9 10 3 12 1 3 2 4 8 9 11 10 6 12 6 11 9 10 4 2 3 1 7 11 5
II 7 5 6 5 7 48 3 9 2 10 1 11 123
III 5 6 9 1 7 2 8 3 9

I 3 1 2 4 9 10 4 12 9 12 4 3 2 1 6 2 4 1 3 4 5 12 8 1 2 3 5 6 11 12
II 5 8 7 4 9 10 1 2 3 12 4 2 16 141
III 4 10 5 11 6

I 4 11 12 3 1 4 2 3 4 2 1 6 2 4 3 1 7 8 1 12 7 2 11 6 3 10 5 4 9 4 1 3 2 9 10
II 8 3 21 5 13 2 6 8 5 4 1 2 4 10 11 9 4
III 12 10 9
I 6 7 8 3 5 6 1 4 8 1 4 7 10 2 5 8 5 1 4 11 2 5 8 11 3 6 9 12 8 12
II 5 10 3 6 11 2 7 12 18 7 6 12 3 4 5
II 7 8 5 1 5 4 3 2 12

I 10 11 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 11 12 18
II 9 1 3 2 10 9 12 7 31 25 123 124 13
III 3 1 10 8 3 1 5

I 10 12 11 8 1 3 9
II 2 1 2 1 6 8 4 14
III 3 1 2 1 3 2 1 12

Repeating Note Analysis

Line 1

1 2 3 4 6 5 7 10 11 12 11
8 9 12 9
4 3 5 7 10 12 1 2 3
8 1 2 4 7 10 12 1
2 4 5 8 9 12
11 10 9 5 4 3 2 1 7 3
5 8 10 12 11 1 3 1 8
12 1 12
2 11 3 10 4 9 5 8 6 7 2
9 1 2 12 10 1
2 4 12 11 10 5 6 7 9 8 1 2
4 11 3 9 5 7 8 4
10 2 12
7121
2 6 5 7 8 9 11 3 6
7 8 10 11 12 1 2 4 5 8
7 11 12 8 6 11
6 7 12 1 5 8 11 1
4 9 103 12 1 3
2 4 8 9 11 10 6 12 6
11 9 10 4 2 3 1 7 11
5 3 1 2 4 9 10 4
12 9 12
4 32162
4134
5 12 8 1 2 3 5
6 11 12 4 11
12 3 1 4 2 3
4216 2
431781
12 7 2 11 6 3 10 5 4 9 4
1 3 2 9 10 6 7 8 3
5614 81
4 7 10 2 5 8 5
1 4 11 2 5 8 11
3 6 9 12 8 12
10 11 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 9 1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 11 12
18

Olivier Messiaen has said the following about the piece:

“In Modes de valeurs et d’intensités, I used a superseries in which sounds of the same
name come past various regions making them change as to octave, attack, intensity,
duration. I think that this was an interesting discovery […] I was very annoyed by the
absolutely inordinate importance which has been granted to that minor work, which is
only three pages long and which is called Mode de valeurs et d’intensités, under the
pretext that it was supposed to be at the origin of the serial shattering in the domain of
attacks, of durations, of intensities, of timbre, in short, of all the musical parameters.
This music may have been prophetic, historically important, but musically, it is nothing”

Messiaen moved on from the technique of total serialism because of its limitations; he
himself believed that music’s beauty did not derive solely from the realms of logic and
mathematics.

The musical experience of “Mode de Valeurs et D’intensités” is extremely unique to

listen to, especially for one who has never listened to Messiaen before.All of the
different parameters were constructed very deliberately by Messiaen through his use of
total serialism.