Le Marteau Sans Maitre (The Hammer without a Master)
By: Laurel Haslip and Ian Culley
Pierre Boulez, (born March 26, 1925) was a French accomplished composer and
conductor. During his career in compostion, he explored concepts such as the twelve tone
technique (studied throughRene Leibowitz)m serialism and atonal music in a post-
Webernian style. Although he produced many great works, Le Marteau Sans Maitre is
most often described as his strongest acheivement and a keystone in 20th century music.
The various influences, unique form, imagery and serialism are examples of the
exceptional creativity that went into Le Marteau Sans Maitre.
Boulez explored and incorporated many ethnic materials into this composition. The
piece is said to encompass the sounds of modern jazz, as well as the incormporation of
the Balinese gamelin and traditional African and Japanese musics. There is also an
apparent exploration through instruments. The jumps between pitches make stark
contrasts, as well as the emphasis of middle range instruments. Instruments included in
this piece are the alto flute, voice, xylorimba, guitar, viola, and percussion Boulez also
created a sense of suspenseful and somewhat unpredictable image of a hammer falling
and rising.
The various instruments used in Le Marteau Sans Maitre are not necessarily all used at
the same time. In fact, no instrument every plays in every single movement. The unique
and varying combinations of instruments lend themselves to another aspect of originality
present in this piece. Below, are the listings of instruments in each of the nine movments.
1. Alto flute, Vibraphone, Guitar, Viola
2. Voice, Alto flute, Xylombria, Tambourine, 2 bongos, Viola
3. Voice, Alto flute
4. Xylorimba, Vibraphone, Finger cymbals, Agogô, Triangle, Guitar, Viola
5. Voice, Alto flute, Guitar, Viola
6. Voice, Alto flute, Guitar, Xylorimba, Vibraphone, Maracas,
7. Alto flute, Vibraphone, Guitar
8. Alto flute, Xylorimba, Vibraphone, Claves, Agogô, 2 bongos, Maracas
9. Voice, Alto flute, Xylorimba, Vibraphone, Maracas, Small tam-tam, Low gong,
Very deep tam-tam, Large suspended cymbal, Guitar, Viola
The form of Le Marteau Sans Maitre is somewhat complex. There are three cylces, in
which each of then contain three separate movements.
1. Avant "l'artisanat furieux" (before "the furious craftsmanship")
2. Commentaire I de "bourreaux de solitude" (first commentary on "hangmen of
solitude")
3. "L'artisanat furieux" ("the furious craftsmanship")
4. Commentaire II de "bourreaux de solitude" (second commentary on "hangmen of
solitude")
5. "Bel édifice et les pressentiments", version première ("stately building and
presentiments", first version)
6. "Bourreaux de solitude" ("hangmen of solitude")
7. Après "l'artisanat furieux" (after "the furious craftsmanship")
8. Commentaire III de "bourreaux de solitude" (third commentary on "hangmen of
solitude")
9. "Bel édifice et les pressentiments", double ("stately building and presentiments",
again
Le Marteau Sans Maitre is influenced, or rather set to three poems of Rene Char, which
explains the titleing of the movements. Four movements are directly influenced by the
three poems, and the remaining movements are musical extrapolations of the four
original movements.
Serialism is also a very important component of Le Marteau Sans Maitre. In previous
compositions, through experimentation and exploration, Boulez created a new and rigid
“musical grammar” for himself, known as integral or total serialism. However, in this
particular composition, Boulez started to distance himself from the set frame-work he had
previously created. While he didn't stray to far, he still allowed himself
“breaches of discipline.”
ELEMENTS
Composer: Pierre Boulez
Genre: Voice and ensemble
Timbre:
-rising and falling of the different voices/instruments to create the effet of a hammer.
-the middle range of instruments play an important part, as opposed to
-Partially inspired by Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire
Texture:
-has multiple decorative textures that embellish the piece
-the staggered texture of different instruments are finally meshed together in the final
movement
Form:
-nine movement composition (three cycles with three movement each)
-one cycle for voice and instruments
-two others, purely instrumental
-four movements are set and inspired by three poems by René Char
-each cycle uses different serial techniqes ex: pitch multiplication
-more free than his previous compostions Boulez, he “distanced himself from rigid
musical grammar”
Rhythm:
-the effect of spontaneity
-very complex and challenging ex: 32nd note quintuplets
-also difficult for insturments to follow one another. Fifty rehearsals were necessary
before the premiere
Tonality:
-wide range of pitches used
Expression:
-expressive, but in a reserved style
-Boulez was inspired by tautness of Char’s poems and incorporated it into his work.
Sources:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/253627/The-Hammer-Without-a-Master
http://www.scena.org/lsm/sm6-4/serialisme-en.html
http://www.compositiontoday.com/articles/boulez_le_marteau.asp
http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/138145.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about