An Examination of Stravinsky's Fugal Writing in the Second Movement of "Symphony

of Psalms"
Author(s): Robert Taylor
Source: The Choral Journal , OCTOBER 1995, Vol. 36, No. 3 (OCTOBER 1995), pp. 17-20
Published by: American Choral Directors Association

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23550382

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms

American Choral Directors Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and
extend access to The Choral Journal

This content downloaded from

82.49.44.75 on Sun, 28 Feb 2021 19:28:01 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 Tempo J>-€0

S* f'T 'n L¿rrfT (IrTtj i

An Examination
An of Exa
Stravinsky's
StravinsFugal Writing
in the
inSecond Movement the S

of Symphony
of of Psalms Symp n. ft.
-Xi)'. , l"», rTTTi .mi i-n. Tim i y 'i
?yM4#N:
■r> rr^ r >tffFer f
flkol

by Robert
by Taylor
i*
Robert tiiiSW
Taylo
Igor
Igor Stravinsky's
Stravinsky's"Symphony
"Symphony
of Psalms,
of Psalms,
" movement
" movement
two two

Concerning the origin of his 1930 Symphony of Psalms, Igor tional definition of double fugue—a fugue involving two sub
Stravinsky wrote: "My idea was that my symphony should be jects, usually set forth separately, then usually combined in the
of great contrapuntal development."' A setting of verses from final section.'1
Psalms 39, 40, and 150, Stravinsky's work is cast in three
movements, each involving some degree of contrapuntal writ- The Double Fugue
ing. The most highly contrapuntal of the three movements is Stravinsky describes movement two as an upside-down pyra
the second, normally referred to as the "Double Fugue." mid in three levels.5 The first two of these levels are fugue
There is some debate concerning the precise form of move- expositions, complete with entries of the subject in four voices,
ment two. While some scholars, such as Eric Walter White and episodic material, and, in the case of level two, the use of
Stephen Walsh, view it as being fugal in at least a referential stretto. The third and final level is described by Stravinsky as a
way,2 one prominent Stravinsky scholar, André Boucourechliev, "combining" of the two fugues,6 an effect used masterfully to
believes this movement falls outside of any conventional form. bring the movement to a convincing conclusion.
In his book Stravinsky, Boucourechliev makes the following The first section, or level, is an exposition of the first fugal
statement: subject (Figure 1). The four subject entries are spaced evenly
except for the third, which is delayed by two measur
The development of [the opening four-note] cell . . . second entry is a real answer on the d
introduces a pseudo-subject marked by a descending fourth, a countersubject (Figure 2). Both pro
the whole passage being built up into one of those where Stravinsky inserts a two-measure
polyphonic constructions of Stravinsky's that falls into no final two measures of the subjec
existing category. . . . The horizontal writing becomes so exchange between the flute and oboe in
rich, its layering so dense, that it virtually dynamites the The third entrance is accompani
vertical control; so that the work ceases to belong to what version of the countersubject, as well
was originally taken to be a formal category and creates its counterpoint in the oboe. In m. 17, d
own stylistic "landscape"—a "no man's land."3 the intervals of the subject are altered for
the actual notes remain the same.
After a detailed look at the compositional procedures used A six-bar episode serves to move
in the course of the movement, this article shows that it is a minor to minor for the beginning of
highly organized, three-section movement that fits the conven- which is announced by the chorus (Fi
is accompanied by the first four measures of a tonally
Robert Taylor is Assistant Director of Choral Activities at the first subject in the lower strings. Sub
University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond. nent role in this section in order to affor
development.7 Fragments of subject one also can b

OCTOBER 1995 PAGE 17

This content downloaded from

82.49.44.75 on Sun, 28 Feb 2021 19:28:01 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
mm. 37-39 in the flutes and bassoon, mm. regular entries of the subject, again with the Two stretto sections ensue: the first in
39-40 in the oboe, m. 44 in the trombones, exception of the third entrance, which is the chorus based on subject two, and the
and mm. 48—49 in the trumpets. The sec- delayed by two measures. An episode follows second in the orchestra, based on the
ond-subject exposition, like the first, features the end of the second exposition (m. 47). opening four-note cell of subject one. The
choral stretto features entries one beat
+ ;+ + !++!+ + + apart, beginning in the soprano and pro
C^\ ~ ' ^ífj, r (T fm (f* gressing downward by secti
ing pitches of these entries are based o
^ descending circle of fifths, as the so
enters on F, the alto on BK the tenor o
Figure 1. Stravinsky, Symphony
Figure 1. of Psalms, movement two, first fugue
Stravinsky, subject FX and the b
Sympho
possibly be intended to symbolize mus
cally the text "et statuit super petram pedes

|PLl fTPr i
meos" ("and He set my feet upon a rock").

SIM Stravinsky stated that movement two of

Symphony of Psalms made "the most overt
use of musical symbolism" in any of his
Figure 2. Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms, movement two, first countersubject
Figure 2. Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms, movement two, first countersubject musk before jhg Xhe enSuing
strumental stretto gives way to a three
voice instrumental canon that is based on
mf mf
tranquillo tranquillo . , r r t ■
i £ X 1,_ - an altered fragment of sub]ect two.
Mr >• 1«
—1> , , ^lJ' iJJJ\'ñ
rj'-n ».. ^ f
pi
X.&f
r
m m
r ip
'pPp
ll.J
P p!H'"P
-p 'p
ip
Ex - pec - - tans ex - pec - ta - - - vi DO - MI - NUM.
This section winds its way to a close at
a dynamic level of p at m. 69 on a G7
chord—strongly suggesting a V—I resolu
Figure 3.
Figure 3. Stravinsky,
Stravinsky, Symphony
Symphonyof
ofPsalms,
Psalms,movement
movementtwo,
two,second
secondfugue
fugue subject tion to a C tonal center.
subject
though, is denied. After one measure of
SII
rest increases the tension, Stravinsky
launches into the final section, still in G
i i
JL1., minor. The text at this point is the impas
* & —ihn rrrn^nji
#
»

rP*p'i-hi
—V-—V n *—
nñ p =Hrt a « ¥— sioned "Et immisit in es meum canticum
*=\
! L
H
Et_im-mi-sit in
in _
_ os me-um
me-um can
can- -ti-cum
ti-cumnono - vum,
- vum, carcar - men DE - O no - stro
- men
novum" ("and He has put in my mouth a
new song"). Stravinsky matches the in
Figure
Figure 4.
4. Stravinsky,
Stravinsky,Symphony
Symphonyofof
Psalms, movement
Psalms, two,
movement combination
two, of three
combination themes
of three tensity of the textual sentiment with the
themes
movement's first ^"dynamic level, as well
as with the thickest overall texture of the
movement. The choral sopranos and ten
ors sing a unison melody based on ele

Simply...
Simply...the
thebest!
best!
ments of all three primary themes in the
movement (Figure 4).
At m. 75 the soprano voice is given a
motive—based on subject two—that is
promptly used as sequential material for

MASTER MUSIC
MASTER MUSICMANAGER
MANAGER
the next several bars to move from a
state of tonal unsteadiness to the con
cluding tonal center of E^ major. Seren
Easy-to-use
Easy-to-usecomputer
computer resources
resources
forfor
school
school
andand
church
church ity is achieved at the text "et sperabunt
musicians
musicians
in Domino" ("and [many] will put their
Macintosh®
Macintosh8 and
and Microsoft
Microsoft "" Windows™
Windows™ versions include: trust in the Lord"). The dynamic level,
which has been ff for the entire final
Music Library Recordings Library Membership Files section, becomes subito p. The chorus
Personal Directory Inventory Manager DataDesigner intones the text on a unison Ff over an

Easily customize any module, or design your own! ostinato in the lower strings based on
the four-note, subject-one cell. The
Call MANAGER SOFTWARE for a FREE demo disk. fugues have been combined, a tremen
dous climax reached, and the movement
(800) 282-9220 • Monday-Friday • 9-5 Eastern Time
quietly brought to a close.
for church
Also available for church musicians.
musicians. ..Hymnlndex™
Hymnlndex™ Worship
Worship Planner
Planner

PAGE 18 CHORAL JOURNAL

This content downloaded from

82.49.44.75 on Sun, 28 Feb 2021 19:28:01 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 s
CD
Gh c HV

M r¥n
o 0

Thematic Relationships p Ll', ,l „

f= f= r*
Walsh notes a resemblance between the
Vt\ yq*#1
opening subject of Stravinsky's second
movement and the opening subject of J. S. FiSure 5" J' S" Bach' Figure 5. J. S. Bach, Musicalisches Opfer, first subject
Musicalisches Opfer, first subject
Bach's Musikalisches Opfer {Figure 5). There
is a degree of similarity in the contour of
these two subjects—particularly in the
opening minor-third ascent and the fall
from to Bb. Stravinsky, however, never ' )t)' " ' " I 1 ' ' " r
mentions the Bach subject in his discus
Figure 6. Stravinsky, Three Pieces for String Quartet, movement two, fugue subje
sions of Symphony of Psalms. Figure 6. Stravinsky, Three Pieces for String Quartet
White, on the other hand, states that
the opening subject of movement two
stems
O from
LCI 1 lo 11U111 another
dllULllCI Stravinsky
OLldV11151Cy WU1R. ^ ^ work— [>#
\h+

Three Pieces for String Quartet (1914)9 \

(Figure 6). Although the two subjects _ 6'f F f P f f Tfi
clearly bear a similarity, particularly in
the opening four-note motive and the F¡gure
Figure 7. Stravinsky,ySymphony
Stravinsky> Symphony
of Psalms, movement one, ostinato of Psalms, movement
following ascent to Bi¡, the degree to which
Stravinsky consciously used the earlier

,J
JÜ^ J
J U
subject is uncertain.
Stravinsky himself describes the deri u
vation of the fugue theme: "The subject
was developed from the sequence of thirds
used as an ostinato in the first move- Figure 8. Stravinsky, Symphony
Figure of Psalms, movement
8. Stravinsky, two
Symphony of Psalms, movement tw
ment."10 A comparison of the ostinato
with the fugue subject reveals that the
first four intervals of each are identical,
except that the third note of the fugue
subject has been displaced an octave (Fig
ure 7). This opening four-note motive is
repeated four times (shown in Figure 1
acfea
Tour Consultants
with dotted lines), the repetition continu
Performing Arts Tours Since 1955
ing until a D? intrudes in m. 4.
Despite the repetition of this four-note
Top-quality choirs are invited to audition for participation in the
fragment, the effect is not the same as
that of an ostinato in which recognition
Birmingham Choral Festival
of repetition is inherent in the procedure.
'Voices in the City"
In fact, Stravinsky almost conceals the
Great Britain, July 1-13,1997
four-note repetition by cleverly manipu
lating rhythmic value and register to call
Performances will be under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle, with the
the listener's attention to two principal
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Birmingham Symphony Hall.
pitches, C and B. In Figure 1, plus signs The festival will feature:
have been placed over those notes receiv
ing stress due either to their metric or • 3 concerts with orchestra, including
registral placements. The result is an em Sir William Walton's Beishazzar's Feast
phasis on B and C through the first three • Workshop session with The King's Singers
measures, solidifying C as tonal center.
Choirs will not be expected to participate in the entire festival.
Another interesting aspect of the first For more information, please contact:
fugue subject is the manner in which it
leads to the answer at the fifth. The Hugh Davies, General Manager
subject's final measures can be viewed as 1508 Lincoln Ave., Suite A San Rafael, CA 94901
(800)886-2055 (415)453-6619 Fax (415) 453-6725
two separate lines: the upper line consist
ing of pitches C, Ah, B^, G, A^, F, and Fit; Artistic Director: Simon Halsey
the lower line, D, D^, C, Bh, B^, Ah, and A^ Sponsored by Birmingham City Council and the City of Birmingham
(Figure 8). Both lines lead to the domi Symphony Orchestra, in conjunction with ACFEA Tour Consultants

nant, G. The upper line, with its chain of

OCTOBER 1995 PAGE 19

This content downloaded from

82.49.44.75 on Sun, 28 Feb 2021 19:28:01 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 thirds, is derived from movement one's scent. From the outset Stravinsky has con
ostinato figure. The lower chromatic line structed his fugue subjects and first
could be seen to strengthen Walsh's argu- countersubject in a manner that facili
MUSIC
ment that Stravinsky's subject was derived tates their final combination. The open
TOURS inc.
from Bach's, as the latter's theme also fea- ing subject generates, at least to a degree,
tures a descending chromatic line. all the subsequent thematic material.
Subject one also can be seen as the , . . . . * i •
generator of portions of countersubject 1 echnical Means Achieve
QUALITY one and subject two. This is achieved by Expressive Ends
INTERNATIONAL the chromatic material presented in the This movement has been shown to b
CONCERT TOURS final two measures of the subject. Con- a highly structured and skillfully wrough
at
tained in the countersubject (Figure 2) double fugue. Its organization, as Wals
and subject two (Figure 3) is a motive suggests, symbolizes "in the Bach tradi
REASONABLE PRICES
involving a three-note chromatic descent tion of esoteric word-play" the tex
(D, tT, C in the countersubject; B^, A, "direxit gressus meos" ("directed [my
in the second subject) followed by a whole- steps").11 Moreover, this form allows
step, half-step ascent. Further interrelation Stravinsky both to build the movement
can be seen between the countersubject gradually toward an expressive climax
Call or write today
and subject two. The countersubject's and to achieve his initially stated goal o
for our unique opening ascent of a fourth is inverted in creating a symphony with "great contra
the initial descending fourth of subject two. puntal development."
personalized service!
Finally, each line possesses a motive con
sisting of an ascending leap ( in the Musical examples from Igor Stravinsky, Symphony
countersubject, a fourth; in subject two, a of Psalms, © Copyright 1931 by Edition Russe de
minor sixth) followed by a half-step de- Musique; Copyright Renewed. Copyright and Re
newal assigned to Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. Revised
MARK FOSTER Edition © Copyright 1975 by Boosey & Hawkes,
MUSIC TOURS Inc. Reprinted by permission. Figure 6 from Igor
Please
Please contact
contactthe
the Stravinsky, Three Pieces for String Quartet © Copy
« (800) 869-1406 ACDA
ACDA national
nationaloffice
officeat:at: right 1922 by Edition Russe de Musique; Copyright
P.O. Box 2760, Santa Clara P.O. Box 6310 Renewed. Copyright and Renewal assigned to Boosey
California 95055-2760 Lawton, OK 73506 & Hawkes, Inc. Reprinted by permission.

NOTES
1 Igor Stravinsky, Chronicle of My Life (London:
WE COMPETE Gollancz, 1936), quoted in Eric Walter
White, Stravinsky: The Composer and His
Check us out for competition caliber designs at Works, 2d ed. (Berkeley: University of
affordable prices. We have the freshest approach California Press, 1979), 321.
in the market with the largest selection of
2 Stephen Walsh, The Music of Stravinsky
innovative trendsetting styles each season.
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 150
Call for a copy of our 76 pg. 51; and White, 324.
catalog of dynamic looks for 3 André Boucourechliev, Stravinsky (New
. concert
concert and
and show
show and
and find
find York: Holmes and Meier, 1987), 187.
out why more and more 4 Don Michael Randel, The New Harvard
f performers
performers are
are turning
turning Dictionary of
of.Music
Music (Cambridge,
(Cambridge, MA
MA Belknap
Belknap
fto
toStage
Stage Accents
Accents for
for Press of Harvard University Press), 328.
1 their
their costume
costume needs.
needs.
Igor Stravinsky and Robert Craft, Dialogues
(London: Faber and Faber, 1982), 44.
6 Ibid.
7 Stravinsky and Craft, 45.
8 Ibid.
9 White, 197.
10 Stravinsky and Craft, 45.
800-631-1611 11 Walsh, 150-53.
FREE CATALOG
-ci
PAGE 20 CHORAL JOURNAL

This content downloaded from

82.49.44.75 on Sun, 28 Feb 2021 19:28:01 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms