The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

Sergi Puig
Clemens Nachtmann
15 de febrero de 2020

The dramatic discourse of the

static mechanism.
Richard Wagner & Alban Berg

In the present work, we study and compare two different ways of using ostinato as the
main element of the musical composition. On the one hand the first bars of the introduction
of Das Rheingold (1869) by Richard Wagner, where during 136 bars of E-flat, Wagner seems
to recreate the beginning of time on Earth and all that evolution of nature is represented by
the Eb major arpeggio. As the arpeggio develops along the entire orchestra, the music
increases in intensity, in register, in order to reach the climax.
On the other hand, in the first song of Fünf Orchesterlieder nach Ansichtskartentexten
von Peter Altenberg, Opus 4, (1912) Alban Berg creates a complex mechanism of
superposition of different ostinatos during the orchestral introduction. At first sight these two
examples seem very different because of the character and the musical language, but in the
present work we will try to find similarities in the use of the ostinato to generate an
apparently motionless texture, but of a fantastic musical dramatic discourse.

In the prelude to Das Rheingold, Wagner composed one of the most characteristic
passages in the history of music: an E-flat chord that during 136 bars is constructed from the
deepest and oldest of knowledge. Wagner seems to represent the creation of an imaginary
world, the first sound that would emerge of nature.

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !1
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

"Auf dem Grunde des Rheines. Grünliche Dämmerung, nach oben zu lichter, nach
unten zu dunkler. Die Höhe ist von wogendem Gewässer erfüllt, das rastlos von rechts nach
links zu strömt.”1

The double basses play a perfect E-flat octave. It must be said that Wagner indicates to
tune the IV string of the instrument in E-flat to play that note. The composer's approach to
nature is, of course, through the harmonic series of the fundamental, therefore, the first note
that appears next is the B-flat, always in octave, played by the bassoons.
It is really interesting to imagine that Wagner thought of the archaic sonority of the
bourdon (drone) and also the fifth chord (no 3).

Ex. 1

Then, a E-flat horn presents a large melodic amplitude's motif, based on E-flat arpeggio.
This motif pretends to be an ostinato and ascends three octaves following the order of the
natural harmonics of the fundamental sound.

Ex. 2

This ostinato is repeated 32 times in a canon style, into the 8 Horns. The entrances are
shortened (first 4 measures, then 2, then 1, then half etc.)

1 First page of the Wagner score. Introduction.

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !2
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

Both the general texture and the motif (long-short) certainly remind the beginning of
the Richard Strauss's Eine Alpensinfonie:

Ex. 3 Eine Alpensinfonie - Richard Strauss (1-5 b.)

We could name as the second section of the prelude at the time when the arpeggio motif
varies rhythmically by augmentation (Ex. 4). On the other hand, the bourdon moves into the
trombones and the bass is reinforced with bass clarinet and tuba contrabass.

Ex. 4

In measure 49 the third section of the prelude begins. A new ostinato appears in the
cellos in a continuous rhythm of eighth notes. Upward and downward movement in which
every 4 measures reaches an amplitude of up to 3 octaves (Ex. 5). Throughout 32 measures,
this new motif overlaps with the other ostinatos, that were present in the two previous
sections, creating a more complex texture that is rewarding in the following processes: higher
sound density, greater rhythmic complexity, directionality in the high register, etc.

Ex. 5

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !3
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

In measure 71 the motif that has presented by horns before (Ex.4) now is in the
woodwinds, and also is reduced every two measures. We can observe a large counterpoint of
ostinatos divided into 5 sections: woodwinds playing the first arpeggio motif, horns playing
the variation arpeggio (descending half dotted notes), double basses, contrabass tuba and bass
clarinet playing with trombones playing the “bourdon” effect and violins and violas playing
the eight notes descending and ascending arpeggio motif.
The last section of the prelude could be divided into 16 + 16 + 16 + 8. Both the initial
motif (Ex. 4) and the arpeggio on the strings (Ex.5) are transformed by decreasing values as
we can see below:

Ex. 6

Ex. 7a/b

In the second section of 16 measures, the clarinets motif is expanded in the oboes and
English horn. In turn, the arpeggio of sixteenth notes in cellos is also expanded in the violas
and violins. In the third section of 16 bars we have the whole string section playing the
arpeggio and the register is getting wider and higher. The first motif (Ex. 4) is now played by
the trumpets and the entire woodwinds section plays the motif varied by decrease (Ex. 6).
In the last 8 bars the motif of woodwind instruments and cellos is transformed into an
ascending scale with a continuous rhythm of sixteenth notes (b.129). This last burst pushes
the music towards the end of the prelude that gives way, without any interruption, to the first
scene.

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !4
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

Ex. 8

The change to the first scene is suddenly, horns keep the E-flat pedal while the violins
play an A-flat arpeggio spread in two voices. In the first appearance of the voice, we can
observe that it maintains the "long-short" structure of the first motif of the horns that we had
heard in the prelude (Ex 9).

Ex. 9

Wagner seems to leave a memory of what the prelude has been. The long notes that
remember the archaic accompaniment of the "bourdon" is still present in the horns, also the

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !5
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

motif that represent the “Rhein” (ex. 6 Clarinets) appears in order to accompain the large
waves that we can see in violins (b. 150)

In the same way that we will see in the Alban Berg example,
Wagner seems to leave remains of the macro-structure he has
created in the prelude, which on the one hand empties all the
orchestral density, and thats helps to make the voice entrance
very clear, and on the other hand, it links the prelude to the first
scene with continuity. However we will see that unlike Wagner,
Berg seems to destroy that macro-structure and what remains
after that is only the ashes.

Ex. 10

At the end of March 1911, Fünf Orchesterlieder, nach Ansichtkarten-Texten von Peter
Altenberg by Alban Berg was premiered in Musikverein (Vienna) conducted by Arnold
Schönberg. This piece was his Op.4 in the Berg’s catalog after Piano Sonata, Vier Lieder and
the first String Quartet Op.3. In these songs, Berg used the poems for postcards of the
austrian poet Peter Altenberg, who mostly talk about an internal dialogue with the soul,
taking to the extreme all human feelings such as love, desire, etc.
In the first of the five songs, called Seele, wie bist du schöner, there is a constant
dialogue between two realities, that of the protagonist's soul and what we might consider
tangible. These two realities can be seen in the first entrance of the voice, where Berg writes
three repetitions in different characters that mean the different existences. The first one, the
singer has to sing with slightly closed lips, the second one, with his mouth open and finally, it
is the real voice entrance.

Ex. 11

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !6
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

In this analysis we are going to focus on the orchestral introduction before the voice
entrance, but it is important to point out the use of the different realities in Alban Berg, since
"remoteness" as a concept is a main quality in his poetic work as Theodor Adorno has
commented occasionally in his writings.
In the orchestral prelude that lasts 20 measures, Berg creates a complex mechanism of
superposition of different ostinatos. The sensation that the listener has despite the diversity of
the motifs, is of a prolonged formal stability. This happens until measure 6, thereafter all the
ostinatos move sequentially and therefore we have a sense of directionality. However, the
coherence of a rigid mechanism never breaks. Next we are going to observe the different
ostinato to understand this complex mechanism and the intervallic relationship between most
of them.
We will call motif "A" to what it seems to be the leading voice played by piccolo,
clarinete and glockenspiel. A melody of 5 eighth notes within a 4/8 beat measure, therefore
we can already notice the first irregularity present in the structure.

Ex.12

This same melody is found displaced by a sixteenth note in the Xylophone, and also
clarinets 2, 3 plus viola play it for half the duration of "A" (we can call it motif “A2”).

Ex. 13

Other than that, violins I play a sophisticated heterophony of this melody in 16th note
triplets with a third major down ornament note, that we could call it “A3”:

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !7
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

Ex. 14

Second, flutes and violins II play the following motif with an interesting color of
flutter-tonguing and pizzicato. We will call it “B”:

Ex. 15

The trumpets on the other hand play a 16th note triplet (“C”) and celesta answers with a
32th fast motif (“D”). The harp in turn plays what it seems to be an echo of the celesta motif
(“D1”).

Ex. 16

As we can see in "Ex. 16", the notes of "C" are derived from "D". Not only that, but the
celesta's motif contains all the intervallic relationships of the other motifs except for “B".

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !8
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

Ex. 17

Finally, the piano ostinato derives from notes 2, 3 and 4 of “A".

Ex. 18

The superposition of all these ostinatos turn on the mechanism that accompanies all this
orchestral introduction. As a curiosity, both the texture and the character especially the motif
"A" and its heterophonies recall in a certain way the beginning of Arnold Schönberg's Gurre-
Lieder, which was written almost at the same time as Alban Berg's Altenberg Lieder.
Especially if you look at measure 3 of the Schönberg piece, we can see piccolos playing a
similar texture and a similar set of second voices which create also a mechanic structure of
ostinato, as we can see below:

Ex. 19 Gurre-Lieder - Arnold Schönberg (b.3)

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !9
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

Returning to Berg's piece, the initial structure is maintained for 5 measures. Already in
the middle of measure 5 the motif "A2" moves up a whole tone and from there, the other
motifs gradually move upwards.

Ex. 20

The motif "A" moves up to a minor seventh (G, A-flat, B-flat, C-sharp, E, F). As we
will see in the following example (Ex.21), Berg ends up using the entire chromatic space, and
after that the motif of 5 notes is shortened first to 3 and then to 2. The consequence of this
chromatic saturation is a violent descent towards the lowest register of the orchestra of the
measure 15.

Ex. 21

The motive "B" has a curious development since the ascent is through increasing the
intervallic distance, so we have the leading voice since measure 5 as: F-sharp - G - A - C - E
- A - E -flat - B-flat, (2m, 2M, 3m, 3M, 4P, TT, 5P).

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !10
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

On the other hand, the motive “C" is moved up in half-steps and the piano motif is
inverted the direction of the middle voices from measure 10 and rhythm is accelerated
gradually to reach the climax (measure 15).
The motif "D" (celesta and harp), has a very elaborate transformation. The two motifs
are repeated on a regular basis every six 16th-note, but the harp begins on the last note of the
celesta and therefore, it seems to be a "shadow" of the main motif. However, in measure 6 the
first alterations appear in the harp and the roles are exchanged, so now we could say that the
harp introduces the celesta:

Ex. 22a (b.1)

Ex. 22b (b.5-6)

We only need to talk about the melody that appears in measure 9 in the violas and the
horn. In the same way as in motif "A", in this melody Alban Berg uses the twelve tones of the
chromatic scale. Nevertheless, in the previous example the tones appeared as a consequence
of a motivic sequence (a transposition) and in this example it is through the development of a
melody. A melody that it is created itself adding notes every new repetition (we can think of
the first movement of Gustav Mahler's 9th Symphony), and yet we realize that the technique
used in this melody could be considered dodecaphonic. Obviously the whole context of this
piece is not dodecaphonic, but the way of creating this melody. It is an interesting fact to

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !11
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

consider, since Berg's Lieders were premiered in 1911 and is considered Waltz from 5
Klavierstücke, op. 23 (1920-1923) by Arnold Schönberg as one of the first pieces composed
with the technique of the twelve tones.
Another interesting fact in the conclusion of this melody is found in measure 15 (the
climax), since we can see the motif "A" played by oboes, violas and a heterfonia with horns:

Ex. 23

As we have already mentioned, the conquest of the entire chromatic space results in a
violent collapse towards the lowest register through different gestures such as chromatic
scales, glissandos or arpeggios in measure 15. This collapse completely destroys the entire
mechanism that Berg has built throughout the beginning of the piece, it is a gesture with
enormous dramatic force in the musical discourse. In the same way, this type of deviations in
the discourse that end in a musical "catharsis" are very frequent in the music of Gustav
Mahler, a composer who was rescued and highly valued by the Second Viennese School.
And another very Mahlerian gesture is definitely the reconstruction after the collapse.
Especially we can see one of the most beautiful examples of the history of music in his 9th
Symphony. In this Lieder, Alban Berg turns the conclusion before the chromatic descent of
the motif "A" to a transition thematic to link the introduction with the first verse.

Ex. 24 (b. 14)

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !12
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

In this way, we can interpret as the ashes of the collapse, as a new rebirth, the gesture
that seems to be a neighbouring keys on measures 17-20.

Ex. 25 (b.17-18)

However, this "new beginning" at the beginning of the 20th century will never sound
like something hopeful. On the contrary, it will sound as a symbol of a deep wound of
nostalgia, of a memory of something that it was but it will never return to be the same.
Adorno wrote a beautiful example of this feeling in Mahler's music in the last paragraph
of his book Mahler: A Musical Physiognomy:
"Only those cast from the ranks, tramped underfoot, the lost outpost, the one buried
"where the shining trumpets blow," the poor "drummer boy," those wholly unfree for Mahler
embody freedom. Bereft of promises, his symphonies are ballads of the defeated, for "Nacht
ist jetzt schon bald" -soon the night will fall” 2

2 Theodor W. Adorno. Mahler. A Musical Physiognomy (University of Chicago Press: 1996), 166-167.

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !13
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

Index of examples

- Ex. 1 - - - - - 2
- Ex. 2 - - - - - 2
- Ex. 3 - - - - - 3
- Ex. 4 - - - - - 3
- Ex. 5 - - - - - 3
- Ex. 6 - - - - - 4
- Ex. 7 - - - - - 4
- Ex. 8 - - - - - 5
- Ex. 9 - - - - - 5
- Ex. 10 - - - - - 6
- Ex. 11 - - - - - 6
- Ex. 12 - - - - - 7
- Ex. 13 - - - - - 7
- Ex. 14 - - - - - 8
- Ex. 15 - - - - - 8
- Ex. 16 - - - - - 8
- Ex. 17 - - - - - 9
- Ex. 18 - - - - - 9
- Ex. 19 - - - - - 9
- Ex. 20 - - - - - 10
- Ex. 21 - - - - - 10
- Ex. 22a - - - - - 11
- Ex. 22b - - - - - 11
- Ex. 23 - - - - - 12
- Ex. 24 - - - - - 12
- Ex. 25 - - - - - 13

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !14
 The dramatic discourse of the static mechanism.

KONTRAPUNKT 05 !15