Harawi
Encyclopedia
Harawi is a song cycle
for soprano
and piano
, written by Olivier Messiaen
in 1945.
Harawi is the first part of Messiaen's 'Tristan Trilogy', preceding the Turangalîla Symphony and the Cinq Rechants (both completed in 1948). The cycle takes its name from the 'Harawi
' or 'Yaravi', a love song genre of Andean music
which often ends with the death of the two lovers, thus providing a vehicle from the composer's exploration of the theme of love-death central to the myth of Tristan and Isolde
. These themes are explicitly stated in the work's subtitle: "Chant d'amour et de mort" ("Song of love and death"). The ideas of love-death may have had a deeper personal significance to Messiaen, whose first wife, Claire Delbos
had begun to suffer from mental illness in the years preceding Harawis composition. Though the work bears no explicit dedication to Delbos, it is impossible to consider that her condition cannot have been at the forefront of the composer's mind while working on the cycle.
The text of Harawi is Messiaen's own (as is the case for all almost all of the composer's vocal works) following Wagner's music dramas of and Debussy who set his own symbolist poetry in his three Proses Lyriques. Messiaen's text is highly surrealist
, and generally comprises isolated symbol
s, raised to the ultimate symbolic ideal in that they are emancipated from grammatical on syntactical constructions, as demonstrated by the cycle's second movement 'Bonjour toi, colombe verte': "Etoile enchaînée, Ombre partagée, Toi, de fleur, de fruit, de ciel, et d'eau, Chant des oiseaux" ("Enchained Star, Shared shadow, Thou of flower, fruit, sky and water, Bird song.") In addition to the French text, Harawi also uses Quechua words, not for their semantic meaning, but for their sound, that is, their timbral
qualities. For example, the fourth movement, 'Doundou Tchil', uses these two words onomatopoeically to represent the ankle bells used by Peruvian-Indian dancers. The eighth, 'Syllabes', uses repetitions of the word 'pia' to simulate the cries of apes, descending from a Quechua legend
in which these animals' cries rescued a prince from danger.
A typical performance of Harawi lasts about 50 minutes; the cycle's twelve movements are as follows:
Yvonne Loriod
, piano, and Rachel Yakar
, soprano:
Song cycle
A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist. Unification can be achieved by a narrative or a persona common to the songs, or even, as in Schumann's...
for soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, written by Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
in 1945.
Harawi is the first part of Messiaen's 'Tristan Trilogy', preceding the Turangalîla Symphony and the Cinq Rechants (both completed in 1948). The cycle takes its name from the 'Harawi
Harawi (genre)
Harawi is an ancient traditional genre of Andean Music and also indigenous lyric poetry. Harawi was widespread in the Inca Empire and now is especially common in countries that were part of it: Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, partially Chile and Argentina. Typically, harawi is a moody, soulful slow and...
' or 'Yaravi', a love song genre of Andean music
Andean music
Andean music comes from the general area inhabited by Quechuas, Aymaras and other peoples that lived roughly in the area of the Inca Empire prior to European contact. It includes folklore music of parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela...
which often ends with the death of the two lovers, thus providing a vehicle from the composer's exploration of the theme of love-death central to the myth of Tristan and Isolde
Tristan and Iseult
The legend of Tristan and Iseult is an influential romance and tragedy, retold in numerous sources with as many variations. The tragic story is of the adulterous love between the Cornish knight Tristan and the Irish princess Iseult...
. These themes are explicitly stated in the work's subtitle: "Chant d'amour et de mort" ("Song of love and death"). The ideas of love-death may have had a deeper personal significance to Messiaen, whose first wife, Claire Delbos
Claire Delbos
Claire Delbos was a French violinist and composer, and first wife of the composer Olivier Messiaen.-Biography:...
had begun to suffer from mental illness in the years preceding Harawis composition. Though the work bears no explicit dedication to Delbos, it is impossible to consider that her condition cannot have been at the forefront of the composer's mind while working on the cycle.
The text of Harawi is Messiaen's own (as is the case for all almost all of the composer's vocal works) following Wagner's music dramas of and Debussy who set his own symbolist poetry in his three Proses Lyriques. Messiaen's text is highly surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
, and generally comprises isolated symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
s, raised to the ultimate symbolic ideal in that they are emancipated from grammatical on syntactical constructions, as demonstrated by the cycle's second movement 'Bonjour toi, colombe verte': "Etoile enchaînée, Ombre partagée, Toi, de fleur, de fruit, de ciel, et d'eau, Chant des oiseaux" ("Enchained Star, Shared shadow, Thou of flower, fruit, sky and water, Bird song.") In addition to the French text, Harawi also uses Quechua words, not for their semantic meaning, but for their sound, that is, their timbral
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
qualities. For example, the fourth movement, 'Doundou Tchil', uses these two words onomatopoeically to represent the ankle bells used by Peruvian-Indian dancers. The eighth, 'Syllabes', uses repetitions of the word 'pia' to simulate the cries of apes, descending from a Quechua legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
in which these animals' cries rescued a prince from danger.
A typical performance of Harawi lasts about 50 minutes; the cycle's twelve movements are as follows:
- La ville qui dormait, toi (The City That Slept, You)
- Bonjour toi, colombe verte (Hello There, You Green Dove)
- Montagnes (Mountains)
- Doundou tchil
- L'amour de Piroutcha (Piroutcha's Love)
- Répétition planétaire (Planetary Repetition)
- Adieu (Farewell)
- Syllabes (Syllables)
- L'escalier redit, gestes du soleil (Staircase Retold, Gestures of the Sun)
- Amour oiseau d'étoile (Love Star-bird)
- Katchikatchi les étoiles (Katchikatchi the Stars)
- Dans le noir (In the Dark)
Discography
Marie Kobayashi, mezzo-soprano, and Fuminori Tanada, piano:- Daphénéo, 3534610812038, distribution Codaex, record. Conservatoire de Montreuil, October 2008
Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Loriod
Yvonne Loriod was a French pianist, teacher, and composer, and the second wife of composer Olivier Messiaen. Her sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod.-Life:...
, piano, and Rachel Yakar
Rachel Yakar
Rachel Yakar is a French soprano.Yakar was born in Lyon, France. She studied for Germaine Lubin at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1963, she made her debut at Strasbourg. For the next twenty years, she was associated with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf. In the mid and late 1970s, she...
, soprano:
- Erato, 2292-45505-2/IX ECD 75501, record. Studio 107 Radio-France, Paris, February 1988
Further Reading
- Brund, SiglindSiglind BruhnSiglind Bruhn is a German musicologist and concert pianist.-Biographical Sketch:Siglind Bruhn was born in Hamburg. Her father was the engineer Ernst Bruhn, her mother the interpreter Leonore Bruhn née Kieberger...
. Messiaen's Explorations of Love and Death: Musical Signification in the Tristan Trilogy and Three related song cycles, Pendragon, 2008. ISBN 978-1-57647-136-4 - Google