From Klangfarbenmelodie to timbre innovation : a practitioner's perspective

Abstract

The role of timbre within tonal hierarchies has undergone a radical transformation since the early 1900s with Arnold Schoenberg stands out as a key figure in driving this change. Schoenberg recognized the potential of timbre, elevating it to a level comparable to pitch relationships in creating melodic patterns — a technique known as Klangfarbenmelodie.

In 1966, Helmut Lachenmann proposed an innovative typology for categorizing sound based on its distinct physical attributes. By challenging traditional instrumental techniques, Lachenmann produced novel sonorities under the concept of musique concrète instrumentale, ushering in a dialectical approach to musical structures that challenges conventional perspectives.

A parallel is observed between Lachenmann’s concept of Fluktuationsklang (fluctuation sound) and Schoenberg’s notion of ruhende Bewegung (static motion). This discovery implies that Schoenberg contemplated the physical characteristics of sound, foreshadowing the innovative approaches that would later emerge from composers such as Lachenmann. This convergence of ideas serves to underscore Schoenberg’s pioneering exploration of the timbral thinking and its significance in the evolution of post-tonal music.

This thesis consists of two parts. The first part, comprising Chapters 1 and 2, delves into two distinct approaches to articulate form through timbre in the post-tonal era. Chapter 1 explores the ascension of timbre’s significance and Schoenberg’s Klangfarbenmelodie, while Chapter 2 investigates Lachenmann’s concepts of sound types and Strukturklang, merging sound and form. The second part, encompassing Chapters 3 through 6, presents a portfolio of four original musical compositions, which serves as both outcomes and responses to the ideas explored in the previous part of the research.