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Stravinsky's Topology:
An Examination of his Twelve-Tone Works
through Object-Oriented Analysis
of Structural and Poetic-Expressive Relationships
with Special Attention to his Choral Works and Threni

Andrew Kuster
Doctor of Musical Arts in the Literature and Performance of Choral Music
University of Colorado, Boulder
(C) Copyright 2000 Andrew Kuster. All Rights Reserved.

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Abstract
Stravinsky's Topology: An Examination of his Twelve-Tone Works through Object-Oriented
Analysis of Structural and Poetic-Expressive Relationships with Special Attention to his Choral
Works and Threni seeks to explain Stravinsky's implementation of certain row forms for
particular formal events or to enhance the poetry in works with words. The investigation
presents an analytical method called Object-Oriented analysis. The method is Object-Oriented
in the sense that it employs topological figures such as the Torus and also that, like Object-
Oriented Programming, data and the operations that work on that data are grouped together.
In his twelve-tone works, Stravinsky consistently returns to foundational rows, i.e. rows
beginning or ending with the first or last members of the Prime row. Stravinsky employs
foundational rows and uses particular row forms to underscore structural areas and to
reinforce poetic meaning in Epitaphium, Anthem, Elegy for J. F. K., Fanfare for a New Theater,
and The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. In The Flood, a larger work, Stravinsky expands beyond the
foundational rows, but the forms he uses are still related to each other in their beginning or
ending members. This discussion fully develops the method of Object-Oriented analysis by
examining the vocal parts in The Flood and in a thorough study of Stravinsky's largest late
work Threni. The investigation concludes with remarks about how a conductor can apply
Object-Oriented analysis in the performance of Stravinsky's twelve-tone choral works.

Contents
Chapter 1: Introducion
Chapter 2: Analyses and General Characteristics of Stravinsky's Twelve-Tone Music
Chapter 3: Simple Application of Stravinsky's Method in His Short Works
Chapter 4: Extension of Stravinsky's Method in The Flood
Chapter 5: Twelve-Tone Rows and Geometrical Objects
Chapter 6: Threni: Large-Scale Musical-Poetical and Formal Row Employment with Objects
Chapter 7: Conclusion: Applications of Object-Oriented Analysis for the Conductor
Appendix A: Supplemental Matrices and Objects
Appendix B: Selected Bibliography and List of Scores Cited

How to cite this document in a Bibliography

Kuster, Andrew. "Stravinsky's Topology: An Examination of his Twelve-Tone Works through
Object-Oriented Analysis of Structural and Poetic-Expressive Relationships with Special
Attention to his Choral Works and Threni." D.M.A. diss., University of Colorado, 2000. WWW,
[current date], http://home.earthlink.net/~akuster/music/stravinsky/objects/

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CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Stravinsky's Twelve-Tone Music
This investigation will seek to explain aspects of Stravinsky's twelve-tone music that have been
neglected in the standard literature. In particular, this discussion will address the reasons Stravinsky
implemented certain rows for particular formal events or to enhance the poetry in his twelve-tone
works.
Some analyses of Igor Stravinsky's twelve-tone music have been carried out in the same manner
as those analyses of twelve-tone music by Schoenberg or Webern, while others have focused on
vertical pitch simultaneity that is analyzed harmonically, which, in light of the analysis introduced in
this paper, might be explained as superfluous or coincidental. (Various types of Stravinsky analysis
will be examined in the next chapter.) This paper will show that Stravinsky conceived all of his
twelve-tone music in a fundamentally different way than the classical serialists, and that an Object-
Oriented analysis is necessary for a thorough understanding of his serial works.
In the years between 1955 and 1966, when Stravinsky began composing with the twelve-tone
method, his procedure evolved considerably. Despite this evolution, all of Stravinsky's twelve-tone
works also exhibit many similarities in regard to formal structure and reinforcement of the poetry.
Although the author will focus on Stravinsky's choral music in detail, this paper touches on each of
the sixteen twelve-tone works that Stravinsky composed.
In his twelve-tone music, Stravinsky carefully chose tone rows designed to reinforce structural or
poetic-textual events. Furthermore, the serial procedures of Transposition, Inversion, Retrogression,
and Retrograde Inversion in Stravinsky's works enhanced the meaning of his poetic texts and his
formal musical structures. In order easily to ascertain Stravinsky's row constructions, this paper will
present a method of analyzing his twelve-tone works by projecting rows not into a standard matrix,
appropriate for classical serialism, but rather onto three-dimensional objects. The objects are
mathematical constructions formed out of arrangements of his twelve-tone rows by projecting them
into three-dimensional space. In providing the analyst with a visual representation of the rows and
transpositions that Stravinsky used, Object-Oriented analysis can aid in the understanding of
Stravinsky's compositional choices that otherwise might appear arbitrary.

Stravinsky's Late Choral Works

 The majority of Stravinsky's twelve-tone compositions, and arguably the most substantial ones, are
vocal music. In fact, of his sixteen twelve-tone works, eight include music for vocal soloists. Seven
include choral parts. Only six are for instruments alone. Of those six instrumental works, three are
brief, just over a minute long. Furthermore, Stravinsky's twelve-tone compositions with chorus are
the longest of his later works. Without doubt, vocal music formed a cornerstone of Stravinsky's late
compositional output.
In his vocal twelve-tone music, Stravinsky employed similar techniques for both voices and
instruments in his choice of rows. Consequently, this paper plunges into in-depth analysis of both
vocal and instrumental music. Nevertheless, with the addition of heretofore neglected poetic-textual
analysis, this study enhances specifically Stravinsky's vocal music.
Throughout his years of twelve-tone composition, Stravinsky composed both short, simple works
and long, complex ones. This paper begins with discussion of Stravinsky's shorter, simpler twelve-
tone compositions, and then focuses on works of greater complexity. Since the large and more
complex works from Stravinsky's last two decades build on techniques employed in his smaller
works, this approach is more comprehensive than a chronological analysis of all of his twelve-tone
music. The first works to be discussed are Epitaphium (1959), Anthem (1962), Elegy for J. F. K.
(1964), Fanfare for a New Theater (1964), and The Owl and the Pussy-Cat (1965-66). Although
these shorter works are analyzed using matrices, the analyses relate background concepts from
which object-oriented analysis can be extrapolated. Next, applying such an extrapolation in an
analyses of The Flood (1961-62), rows will be projected onto three-dimensional objects. In addition,
the analysis of The Flood will discuss how object analysis can explain how Stravinsky embodied
twelve-tone rows with structural and poetic-textual meaning. Following The Flood, Threni (1957-58),
a work by Stravinsky that employs more complicated object types, will be examined. Finally, this
paper will show how Object-Oriented analysis can enhance the preparation and performance of
these works. An appendix will present tools to analyze Stravinsky's works of increased
compositional complexity--including set rotation and verticals--in Canticum sacrum (1955), Introitus
(1965), Abraham and Isaac (1962-63), Variations (1963-64), and Requiem Canticles (1965-66).

Stravinsky's Sixteen Twelve-Tone Works

Table 1 lists chronologically all sixteen of Stravinsky's twelve-tone works. The first two works in the
list, Canticum sacrum and Agon, are not entirely twelve-tone, as they contain some non-serial
sections. Although he arranged and orchestrated the tonal (or modal) works of other composers,
Stravinsky never composed any non-twelve-tone music after 1957.

TABLE 1. Chronological List of Stravinsky's Sixteen Twelve-Tone Works

Canticum sacrum ad honorem sancti Marci nominis (1955)

Agon (1953-57)
Threni: id est lamentationes Jeremiae prophetae (1957-58)
Movements (1958-59)
Epitaphium "für das Grabmal des Prinzen Max Egon zu Fürstenberg" (1959)
Double Canon "Raoul Dufy in Memoriam" (1959)
A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer (1960-61)
Anthem "The dove descending breaks the air" (1962)
The Flood (1961-62)
Abraham and Isaac (1962-63)
Elegy for J. F. K. (1964)
Fanfare for a New Theater (1964)
 Variations "Aldous Huxley in Memoriam" (1963-64)
Introitus "T. S. Eliot in Memoriam" (1965)
Requiem Canticles (1965-66)
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat (1965-66)

Conventions Used in This Paper

Below are described the typographical conventions regarding pitch, row names, and intervals used
in this paper.

Pitch

A pitch that is not fixed in register (i.e. Pitch Class) will be indicated with a capital letter: C or Ab
refer to any C or Ab regardless of register. Specific pitch names in fixed register are consistent with
the Acoustical Society: c' refers to middle C.
In order to increase clarity and ease in readability, pitch names are standardized in this paper to the
following twelve pitch classes:

A Bb B C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab

Whenever possible in these analyses, enharmonic equivalents in Stravinsky's scores are replaced
with the pitches listed above. (For example, B# is here called C, Gb is here called F#.)

Row Names

The term "Prime form" is used in preference to "Original form" to indicate the basic, un-transposed,
unaltered twelve-tone row. Although Stravinsky himself used the term "Original" in his manuscripts,
that term has been replaced by "Prime," according to such analysts as Joseph Straus, George
Perle, Claudio Spies, Stefan Kostka, and others who contribute to the standard twelve-tone
literature of classical serial analysis. Furthermore, using the abbreviation "P" for Prime avoids the
pitfalls of the letter "O" for Original, which can be confused with the number zero (0) in the course of
analysis. In addition, following the standard serial literature "Retrograde" replaces "Crab" here.
Transpositions of rows are calculated from the first note of the Prime row, where P-0 is the original
untransposed row beginning on a named pitch, and P-1 is the row transposed up one half-step.
Hence, P-0 is the referential row, not necessarily the row that starts with pitch class 0 (or C).
When discussing hexachords and tetrachords, lower-case letters will be added to the names of the
rows in the order and direction of the particular row discussed. For example, when Stravinsky uses
hexachords, P-0a will refer to the first six notes in the Prime row, P-0b will refer to the last six notes.
Note that the hexachords P-0b and R-0a contain the same six notes, but in reverse order. In the
case of tetrachords, P-0a, P-0b, and P-0c will refer to the order positions 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12 of the
Prime row.

Intervals and Interval Class (ic)

When a twelve-tone matrix is shown, the intervals between each pitch (and their directions) are also
listed horizontally above the names of each Inversion form of the row. The names of each Prime
form of the row are listed in a column along the left side of the matrix.
Whenever intervals are mentioned where direction is not important, they will always be presented
as the smallest interval class (ic). That is, all relations will be reduced to the smallest interval within
the range of ic6 (a tritone). For example, the interval +10 will be reduced to ic2, and -7 will be ic5.
Rotation

Stravinsky occasionally employs set rotation in his twelve-tone music. His row rotation most often
involves the presentation of a row in the correct pitch order, but not beginning with the first pitch of
the row. Instead, the first sounding pitch might be, for example, the third pitch of the row. The row
proceeds until the twelfth pitch of the row is heard, after which the remaining pitches from the
beginning of the row--in this case the first and second pitches of the row--are heard. A row that
employs set rotation beginning with the second pitch of the row is designated rot1. Therefore, the
row P-0 rot2 begins with the third pitch of the Prime row, and concludes with its second pitch.

Verticals

The compositional process for Stravinsky's large-scale twelve-tone works changed somewhat after
The Flood. Before Abraham and Isaac, Stravinsky's primarily building block was the row and its
serially related forms. Subsequently, he exploited the relationships between various permutations of
each row. In the later works he chopped up his rows into two or three parts (hexachords or
tetrachords) and rotated each part.
Within the evolution of his twelve-tone compositional process, Stravinsky consistently fell back on
his standard conception of the relationship between rows that can be elucidated by the technique of
object analysis. For example, Introitus (1965) shows the combination of set rotation and row
relationships by the first and last notes of the Prime row. Introitus is explained in an Appendix.

Topology and Object-Oriented Analysis

Topology (or analysis situs) is a branch of mathematics concerned with geometric configurations
that are unaltered by elastic deformations such as stretching or twisting. Topology, a relatively new
development in mathematics, was pioneered by A. F. Moebius (1790-1868), J. B. Listing (1802-
1882), Bernhard Riemann (1826-1866). Topology concerns itself with problems such as the genus
of a surface (how many holes are in a surface), tiling surfaces, knots, one-sided surfaces (such as a
Moebius strip or Klein bottle), and coloring maps (the Five-Color theorem and the Four-Color
theorem).
For the purposes of this paper, an object is something material that may be perceived by the
senses, including abstract figures, which exist not in reality but in imaginary space. The abstract
object on which this paper focuses specifically is the Torus, or doughnut-shaped topological object
(a surface of genus 1). Other objects that appear in the course of analysis are the Sphere, the
Cylinder, and Plane (surfaces of genus 0).
The Object-Oriented aspect of the analytical method presented in this paper is two-fold. First, the
method employs objects in a mathematical or geometrical sense in that it uses graphical
representations of collections of twelve-tone rows that form topological figures such as the Torus.
Second, the method employs objects in the sense of Object-Oriented Programming, where data
and the operations that work on that data are grouped together as an object, which can be called
from and associated with other objects in the course of a computer program. Similarly, this paper
will show that, depending on their construction, Stravinsky's rows can be grouped by topological
figures, each type of which has properties effecting Stravinsky's compositional choices in the course
of a piece.
Analysis using geometrical objects follows in the steps of Richard Cohn (Properties and
Generability of Transpositionally Invariant Sets," Journal of Music Theory 35:1-2 (Spring/Fall 1991):
1-32), John Roeder ("A Geometric Representation of Pitch-Class Series," Perspectives of New
Music 25:1-2 (Winter/Summer 1987): 362-409.), James Bennighof ("Set-Class Aggregate
Structuring, Graph Theory, and Some Compositional Strategies," Journal of Music Theory 31:1
(Spring 1987): 51-98.), Walter O'Connell ("Tone Spaces," Die Reihe 8 (1968): 35-67.), and others.
Analysis with rows projected onto three-dimensional objects is only appropriate for works
constructed with rows related to one another by the first and last notes of the Prime row. This study
will show that Stravinsky conceived his formal and textual-poetic constructions using these kinds of
rows.
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CHAPTER 2
Analyses and General Characteristics of
Stravinsky's Twelve-Tone Music
Chapter Overview
Since the later chapters of this study expand on the substantial body of literature devoted to
analysis of Stravinsky's twelve-tone works, this chapter will present an overview of pertinent existing
Stravinsky analyses and will describe some general characteristics typical of Stravinsky's twelve-
tone compositions. In order that Stravinsky's unique twelve-tone method will come into stronger
focus in the remaining chapters, this investigation will analyze Schoenberg's De profundis (1950)
and compare it to Stravinsky's technique.

Overview of Literature on Stravinsky's Twelve-Tone Music

Analytical approaches to Stravinsky's twelve-tone music generally can be divided into four
categories. The first category involves the description and explanation of the twelve-tone rows,
hexachords, and verticals in Stravinsky's late works. The second category focuses on harmonic
aspects of Stravinsky's row simultaneities and the implied tonality of the rows. The third category
looks at large-scale structure in the twelve-tone works. The final category involves the application of
poetic analysis to Stravinsky's music.

Tracing Rows, Set Analysis, and Verticals

Most detailed analyses of Stravinsky's late works, since the music is twelve-tone, involve the
identification of the rows and their manipulations. However, several analysts focus on the structure
of Stravinsky's rows, their implications for subsets, their pitch class content, and symmetry. Robert
Gauldin and Warren Benson explore the numerological implications of sets already evident in
Stravinsky's pre-twelve-tone serial composition In Memoriam Dylan Thomas (Robert Gauldin and
Warren Benson, "Structure and Numerology in Stravinsky's In Memoriam Dylan Thomas,"
Perspectives of New Music 23:2 (Spring/Summer 1985): 166-185.). Claudio Spies examines
Stravinsky's row structure in detail, and explains Stravinsky's set rotation and verticals in several
articles (Claudio Spies, "Notes on Stravinsky's Abraham and Isaac," "Notes on Stravinsky's
Variations," and "Some Notes on Stravinsky's Requiem Settings," Perspectives on Schoenberg and
Stravinsky, 2nd edition, (Princeton: 1972): 186-249). Joseph Straus examines verticals and
Stravinsky's subsets in detail (Joseph N. Straus, "Stravinsky's `Construction of Twelve Verticals': An
Aspect of Harmony in the Serial Music," Music Theory Spectrum, 21:1 (Spring 1999): 43-73.).
Straus and David H. Smyth point out several inconsistencies between Stravinsky's pre-
compositional rows and sets (obtained from manuscript sketches), and his implementation of those
rows and sets in several of his works (Joseph N. Straus, "Two `Mistakes' in Stravinsky's Introitus,"
Mitteilungen der Paul Sacher Siftung, 4 (Jan. 1991): 34-36. David H. Smyth, "Stravinsky at the
 Threshold: A Sketch Leaf for Canticum Sacrum," Mitteilungen der Paul Sacher Siftung, 10 (Mar
1997): 21-26.).

Harmonic Intervals formed by Multiple Simultaneous Rows

Some authors take set analysis one step further and describe the harmonic and tonal implications
of the rows in Stravinsky's twelve-tone works.
Roberto Gerhard discusses "poles of attraction" or harmonic centers in the serial sections of
Canticum sacrum (Roberto Gerhard, "Twelve-Note Technique in Stravinsky," The Score 20 (June
1957): 38-43.). David H. Smyth explores Stravinsky's manuscripts for Canticum sacrum and finds a
regularity in vertical dyads in a sketch that demonstrate both a pre-serial construction and a
harmonic basis for the work's outer movements (David H. Smyth, "Stravinsky at the Threshold: A
Sketch Leaf for Canticum sacrum," Mitteilungen der Paul Sacher Siftung 10 (March 1997): 21-26.).
Jerome Kohl discovers pitch centers in Stravinsky's hexachordal rotations in Variations (Jerome
Kohl, "Exposition in Stravinsky's Orchestral Variations," Perspectives of New Music (Fall/Winter
1979 and Spring/Summer 1980): 391-405.). Anthony Payne and Spies examine melodic segments
to find key centers in Requiem Canticles (Anthony Payne, "Requiem Canticles," Tempo 81
(Summer 1967): 10-19. Claudio Spies, "Some Notes on Stravinsky's Requiem Settings," in
Perspectives on Schoenberg and Stravinsky, 223-249.). Lynne Rogers looks to vertical
simultaneities to highlight pitch centers in The Flood and The Owl and the Pussy-cat (Lynne
Rogers, "Stravinsky's Serial Counterpoint and the Voice of God." Unpublished paper presented at
the 1999 Society of Music Theory national conference, Atlanta.). Pieter van den Toorn looks for
octatonic collections within Stravinsky's twelve-tone compositions (Pieter Van den Toorn, The Music
of Igor Stravinsky, (New Haven, Connecticut: Yale, 1983): 427-455.).

Structural Analysis

Some analysts of Stravinsky's twelve-tone music focus on the large-scale formal structure of his
works. Thomas Clifton constructs a large-scale formal symmetrical structure of Stravinsky's A
Sermon, A Narrative, and A Prayer based on the focal symmetry that he finds in Stravinsky's
rotated rows (Thomas Clifton, "Types of Symmetrical Relations in Stravinsky's A Sermon, A
Narrative, and A Prayer," Perspectives of New Music (Fall/Winter 1970): 96-112.). Spies provides
formal outlines for many of Stravinsky's late twelve-tone works (Claudio Spies, Perspectives on
Schoenberg and Stravinsky, 186-249.). Straus examines the large-scale tonal, motivic, and
harmonic structures in Stravinsky's late works (Joseph N. Straus, "A Strategy of Large-Scale
Organization in Stravinsky's Late Music," Integral 11 (1997): 1-36.).

Text Analysis

Several analyses present relationships between the poetic texts of Stravinsky's twelve-tone works
and his music. Gauldin and Benson analyze the poetry and music of the serial, pre-twelve-tone
work In Memoriam Dylan Thomas in great detail (Robert Gauldin and Warren Benson, "Structure
and Numerology in Stravinsky's In Memoriam Dylan Thomas," Perspectives of New Music 23:2
(Spring/Summer 1985): 166-185.). Spies also incorporates analyses of poetry in his articles
(Claudio Spies, Perspectives on Schoenberg and Stravinsky, 186-249.).

General Remarks about Stravinsky's Serial Technique

Stravinsky's row construction and his melodic and harmonic manipulation of these rows distinguish
his twelve-tone music from that of other serialist composers.

Serialism before the Twelve-Tone Compositions

Stravinsky revealed his characteristic serial manipulation of pitch collections in Cantata (1952) and
In Memoriam Dylan Thomas (1954). These two works precede his first twelve-tone composition,
Canticum sacrum (1955). In the "To-morrow shall be my dancing day" movement of Cantata,
 Stravinsky employs serial procedures (Inversion, Retrograde, Retrograde Inversion, Transposition)
on a an eleven-note collection that includes repeating pitches. In the "Dirge-Canons" of In
Memoriam Dylan Thomas he treats a collection of five pitches with serial procedures.

Rows in Melodies and in Chords

Stravinsky's rows can most easily be traced in the music written for one or a few polyphonic lines. In
such instances, he typically employs rows melodically, in simple, horizontal order. In multi-voiced
homophonic chords, rows are often more difficult to trace. In homophony, Stravinsky often creates
chords based on half of a row, an entire row, or portions of rows that are rotated or (in his late
music) employed as verticals.

Repeating Pitches

Like many other twelve-tone composers, Stravinsky often repeats notes or small groups of notes in
the course of his set use.

Non-Sequential and Rotational Row Treatment

Stravinsky also employs notes from rows out of order, including such procedures as row element
rotation, skips in row ordering, as well as palindrome- or arch-shaped row deployment. Set rotation
in Stravinsky ranges from simple reordering in the works of the 1950's to his frequent use of more
complicated rotation and verticals in the works of the 1960's.

Combinatoriality, Verticals, and Invariance

Stravinsky only occasionally employs combinatoriality, i.e. when aggregates are formed from
simultaneous statements of two or more rows. Often found in Schoenberg's music, combinatoriality
appears most frequently in Stravinsky's early twelve-tone works, in which he employed the
technique in an experimental manner. In Stravinsky's later works, when he used verticals made up
of six-note sections of the rows, he was less concerned with the formation of aggregates than with
other consequences of row employment, such as the transposition of verticals by half-step.
Similarly, in most of his twelve-tone compositions, Stravinsky does not commonly highlight row
subset invariance, i.e. when the same groups of notes occur adjacently in different rows. However,
Stravinsky often employs rows that are invariant by one note (the first or last in a row).

Row as motive

Stravinsky was less concerned with the compositional exploitation of internal row patterning than
the classical serialist composers. Although some analysts point out the pitch-class set types in
segments of Stravinsky's rows, Stravinsky seldom takes full and exclusive advantage of common
tri-, tetra-, penta- or hexachords in most of his twelve-tone music. Additionally, Stravinsky does not
frequently use certain portions of the row as recurring formal motives, as Schoenberg or Webern.
Rather, Stravinsky's motivic row use is on a much smaller formal scale, although he often uses
entire rows as subjects in fugal expositions.

Relationships Between Rows

Stravinsky almost exclusively confined himself to employing rows related to each other by their first
and last pitches. In additions, in his more complicated works Stravinsky chose rows related to or
transposed from, in turn, the first and last notes of the principle rows. This row relationship often
occurs on the surface of a piece as a pivot, or an overlapping principle, where the last member of a
stated row becomes the first member of the next row. (For example, often Stravinsky follows a row
statement with its Retrograde.) But this row relationship also occurs in deeper structural levels of
Stravinsky's music, as will be discussed in the course of this paper. The row succession in
Stravinsky's music will be considered in detail in the next section.
Row Areas in Twelve-Tone Composition
Joseph Straus points out that in some of Schoenberg's works, the composer employs regions or
areas in which a few related rows are used for formal effect (Joseph Straus, Introduction to Post-
Tonal Theory (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1990), 169-79.). In Piano Piece, Op. 33a,
Schoenberg begins and ends with rows related to each other by combinatoriality. In the middle of
the piece, other rows with similar relationships to each other are employed to formally move away
from the principle row area. A formal return of the beginning of the piece is indicated by a return of
the principle rows.
George Perle analyzes Schoenberg's Op. 33a as well as works by Webern and Babbitt, and
concludes that row areas at times are used as formal and structural building blocks in twelve-tone
music (George Perle, Serial Composition and Atonality, 6th ed. (University of California, Berkeley:
1991), 111-145.). In addition, Perle has written extensively on large-scale and musical-poetical
serial employment in Berg's music.

Schoenberg's De profundis
A brief examination Schoenberg's De profundis will aid in the presentation of an Object-Oriented
study of Stravinsky's twelve-tone works. Schoenberg's last completed composition, De profundis,
exemplifies his characteristic compositional devices, such as combinatoriality and set succession.
Schoenberg composed De profundis, Op. 50b, in 1950, five years before Stravinsky's first work
using twelve-tone technique, Canticum sacrum. Schoenberg dedicated De profundis to the newly
formed state of Israel. The work calls for a six-part unaccompanied chorus (SSATBB) and soloists
(SATBB). The Hebrew words are taken from Psalm 130. Following traditional Jewish practice for
the musical presentation of Hebrew words, Schoenberg's setting replaces the Psalmist's
tetragrammaton (YHWH) with "adonay" in every occurrence of the word. The English translation
offers "LORD" for the tetragrammaton and "Lord" for "adonay." Table 2 shows the Hebrew words
and English translation of De profundis.

TABLE 2. Schoenberg De profundis poetic text

Hebrew English
MM.
(YHWH changed to adonay) (King James Version)

1-6 Sir hamaalot A Song of degrees.

mimaamaqim qeratiha adonay 1. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.

7-12 adonay simah veqoli tihyeynah ozneyha 2. Lord, hear my voice: let thy ears be attentive to the voice
qasuvot leqol tahanunay of my supplications.

13- im awonot tismor yah adonay mi 3. If thou, LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who
17 yaamod shall stand?

18- ki imha haslihah lemaan tiware 4. For with thee there is forgiveness, that thou mayst be
22 feared.

23- qiwiti adonay qiwtah nafsi welidvaro 5. I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word
28 hohalti do I hope.

29- nafsi ladonay misomrim laboqer 6. My soul waiteth for the Lord from one morning watch
33 somrim laboqer unto the other.
34- yahel yisrael el adonay ki im adonay 7. Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is
41 hahesed weharbeh imo fedut mercy, and with him is plentious redemption.

42- wehu yifdeh et yisrael mikol 8. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
55 awonotayw

The Prime row is taken from the first aggregate heard in the chorus (MM. 1-6). Table 3 shows the
standard twelve-tone matrix for De profundis.

TABLE 3. Schoenberg De profundis (1950) Matrix

int: -6 -1 -4 -2 -4 -3 +4 +1 +6 -1 -4

I-0 I-6 I-5 I-1 I-11 I-7 I-4 I-8 I-9 I-3 I-2 I-10

P-0 Eb A Ab E D Bb G B C F# F C#

P-6 A Eb D Bb Ab E C# F F# C B G

P-7 Bb E Eb B A F D F# G C# C Ab

P-11 D Ab G Eb C# A F# Bb B F E C

P-1 E Bb A F Eb B Ab C C# G F# D

P-5 Ab D C# A G Eb C E F B Bb F#

P-8 B F E C Bb F# Eb G Ab D C# A

P-4 G C# C Ab F# D B Eb E Bb A F

P-3 F# C B G F C# Bb D Eb A Ab E
 P-9 C F# F C# B G E Ab A Eb D Bb

P-10 C# G F# D C Ab F A Bb E Eb B

P-2 F B Bb F# E C A C# D Ab G Eb

In De profundis Schoenberg employs only two rows, and their retrogrades: P-0, R-0, I-3, and RI-3.
These rows have a combinatorial relationship so that the first half of P-0 (1-6) and the first half of I-3
(1-6) form and aggregate, as do the second half of P-0 (7-12) and the second half of I-3 (7-12).
Schoenberg exploits this combinatoriality in the course of the composition.
Table 4 shows all of the rows used in De profundis. Hexachords are split up so often that the first
six notes in each row will be designated the "a" hexachord, and the last six notes in each row will be
the "b" hexachord. P-0a contains the same six notes, in reverse order as R-0b; likewise I-3b
contains the same six notes, in reverse order, as RI-3a; etc.

TABLE 4. Schoenberg De profundis, Rows Employed

MM. Verse Soprano Mezzo Alto Tenor Baritone Bass

1-6 1 P-0 Speaking

7-8 2 I-3 I-3b I-3

RI-3a
9-12 P-0b Speaking Speaking
R-0a

13-16 3 I-3a R-0b P-0a Speaking RI-3b P-0a

17 RI-3a & R-0a R-0a & RI-3a

18-19 4 R-0b & RI-3a RI-3b & R-0a Speaking

20-22 P-0a I-3 Speaking P-0a RI-3b

I-3a

23-26 5 P-0 w/ Tenor I-3b w/Alto I-3a w/Bas P-0 w/Sop I-3a w/Alto
I-3b w/Mez

26-28 RI-3b w/Tenor P-0b w/Bar & Bass RI-3b w/Sop P-0b w/Mezz & Alto

29-30 6 R-0b w/Tenor P-0b R-0b w/Sop R-0a

31-33 RI-3 [including error] Speaking R-0 Speaking

R-0
34-36 7 P-0 w/Bass Speaking P-0 w/M & A

36-37 I-3a w/Bass P-0a I-3a w/Soprano

37-38 I-3b P-0(1-4) I-3(1-4)

38-39 P-0a

40 RI-3a RI-3(4-12)

40-41 RI-3(4-12) Speaking

42-43 8 P-0 R-0

44-45 I-3a & RI-3b I-3

46-49 RI-3 R-0 R-0

49-51 R-0 I-3

51-53 I-3

54-55 P-0 I-3

In the mezzo-soprano part in M. 32, two pitches, d" and eb' are out of order. Most analysts agree
that Schoenberg mistook the soprano clef (C1) for a treble clef (G3) when he wrote these notes.
The corrected pitches, transposed up a third (to f" and gb') maintain Schoenberg's formal
construction with his row choices.
As this investigation will later show, the rows that Schoenberg chooses are not related in the way
that Stravinsky commonly chooses his rows. Whereas Stravinsky chooses rows related to the first
and last notes of the Prime row, in De profundis the rows that Schoenberg uses do not share any
beginning or ending pitches. In this work, Schoenberg is concerned with the economy of
combinatoriality and a few rows. The next section of this paper will show how Stravinsky's row
choices are different.

Stravinsky's Row Succession

A common feature of all of Stravinsky's twelve-tone works is their row succession, i.e. which rows
he employs and when. Stravinsky relies on the same type of row succession (albeit to varying
degrees) in all of his serial works. In Stravinsky's row succession, the most important aspects of a
row are its first and last (twelfth) notes. These pitches provide a pivot, hinge, or nexus that relate
rows to each other.
Stravinsky's typical row manipulation includes four forms: the Prime form (or Original form), the
Retrograde form, the row in Inversion, and the row in Inverted Retrograde (as opposed to
Retrograde Inversion). (The term Inverted Retrograde comes from Claudio Spies: "it is preferable to
make a distinction between [IR and RI] for the cogent enough reason that Stravinsky's
'untransposed' set forms have consistently included the inverted retrograde in preference to the
retrograde inversion. [Spies' italics]" See Claudio Spies, "Notes on Stravinsky's Abraham and
Isaac," in Perspectives on Schoenberg and Stravinsky, (Princeton, 1972): 200.) The Inverted
Retrograde, in Stravinsky's standard usage, is not simply the reverse form of the row's Inversion,
but is more precisely the Retrograde Inversion beginning not with the final note of the Inversion
form, but with the final note of the Prime form.
 A typical example of Stravinsky's row manipulation is found in Epitaphium. Table 5 shows the forms
used in Epitaphium. The Prime row of Epitaphium begins on C# and ends on A. The Retrograde
form uses the same pitches as the Prime form, but in reverse order, from A to C#. The Inversion
begins on the same pitch as the Prime form, but the intervals between the pitches are reversed: it
begins on C# and ends on F. The table shows that Stravinsky's Inverted Retrograde is the same as
RI-4: it begins on the last pitch of the Prime form and proceeds backwards (like the Retrograde)
with reversed intervals (like the Inversion), from A to F. These four are the only rows that Stravinsky
employs in Epitaphium. For illustration, the traditional serial Retrograde Inversion row (RI-0) is listed
in the table below along with the forms just described.

TABLE 5. Epitaphium "für das Grabmal des Prinzen Max Egon zu Fürstenberg"
(1959) Rows

Prime Form (P-0) C# Bb Eb E C B F# F D G Ab A

Retrograde (R-0) A Ab G D F F# B C E Eb Bb C#

Inversion (I-0) C# E B Bb D Eb Ab A C G F# F

Inverted Retrograde (IR) A Bb B E C# C G F# D Eb Ab F

Retrograde Inversion (RI-0) F F# G C A Ab Eb D Bb B E C#

Retrograde Inversion (RI-4) A Bb B E C# C G F# D Eb Ab F

Within most of his twelve-tone works, Stravinsky consistently employs rows obtained from these
four forms (Prime, Retrograde, Inversion, Inverted Retrograde), to the exclusion of any other rows.
(In the course of analyses below, the phrase "Retrograde Inversion beginning with the last note of
the Prime form" (RI-4 in the case of Epitaphium) will be used in preference to "Inverted Retrograde"
(IR) to facilitate analysis. When Stravinsky does employ the actual un-transposed Retrograde
Inversion (RI-0), this paper makes clear the relationship of the rows.) Further, when he does employ
other rows, he often does so according to a system generated from similarly related rows. This
system will be illustrated later in this paper with Object-Oriented analysis.
Of great interest to the conductor is that Stravinsky often employs a specific row for a structural
event or to musically underscore the poetry. For example, Stravinsky often uses the Inverted
Retrograde form of the row to highlight a particularly poignant musical or poetic-textual moment in a
piece. On other occasions, Stravinsky uses specific foundational rows in certain sections of a work,
then moves away from these forms and returns again at significant formal instances.

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CHAPTER 3
Simple Application of Stravinsky's Method in His
Short Works
The Short Twelve-Tone Compositions
Stravinsky's choice of and manipulation of rows is least complex in his shorter works. These works
will be discussed below in chronological order: Epitaphium, Anthem, Elegy for J. F. K., Fanfare for a
New Theater, and The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. (Double Canon, a short work using slightly more
complicated compositional techniques, is discussed in an appendix.) Each of these works uses the
rows described in the previous section: Prime, Retrograde, Inversion, and Retrograde Inversion
beginning with the last note of the Prime (or Inverted Retrograde), and in some cases also the
actual Retrograde Inversion. These works, spanning virtually all of Stravinsky's twelve-tone output,
bear striking similarity in their compositional procedure.

Epitaphium "für das Grabmal des Prinzen Max Egon zu

Fürstenberg" (1959)
Stravinsky dedicated Epitaphium to Prince Max Egon zu Fürstenberg, the sponsor of the
Donaueschingen Festival at which Stravinsky was guest composer in 1957 and 1958. The prince
died before the 1959 festival, and Stravinsky wrote a special work commemorating the prince for
one of the festival concerts.
A mere seven measures long, Epitaphium concisely demonstrates Stravinsky's economical method
of row succession. The work features only three instruments: a harp, a flute, and a clarinet, the
latter two of which also appear in Webern's songs Op. 15, which premiered in the same concert as
Epitaphium. Stravinsky further constrains his timbral palate by sounding either the harp alone or just
the flute and clarinet. Only once, in M. 5 when the clarinet and harp both sound an a' do the harp
and winds overlap in sonority.
In Epitaphium more than one row never sounds at the same time. The harp plays from one to four
pitches of the same row simultaneously (M. 7). The flute and clarinet share rows, most often played
in the same rhythm (except in M. 6). The Prime form of the row is first heard in the first measure of
the harp part. Table 6 shows the standard twelve-tone matrix for the work.

TABLE 6. Epitaphium "für das Grabmal des Prinzen Max Egon zu Fürstenberg"
(1959) Matrix

int: -3 +5 +1 -4 -1 -5 -1 -3 +5 +1 +1

I-0 I-9 I-2 I-3 I-11 I-10 I-5 I-4 I-1 I-6 I-7 I-8

P-0 C# Bb Eb E C B F# F D G Ab A
 P-3 E C# F# G Eb D A Ab F Bb B C

P-10 B Ab C# D Bb A E Eb C F F# G

P-9 Bb G C C# A Ab Eb D B E F F#

P-1 D B E F C# C G F# Eb Ab A Bb

P-2 Eb C F F# D C# Ab G E A Bb B

P-7 Ab F Bb B G F# C# C A D Eb E

P-8 A F# B C Ab G D C# Bb Eb E F

P-11 C A D Eb B Bb F E C# F# G Ab

P-6 G E A Bb F# F C B Ab C# D Eb

P-5 F# Eb Ab A F E B Bb G C C# D

P-4 F D G Ab E Eb Bb A F# B C C#

The entire work employs just four rows, with repetitions, as shown in Table 7. The arrows in the
chart show where consecutive rows share a beginning or ending pitch class with one other: RI-4
and R-0 both begin with A, R-0 ends and I-0 begins with C#.

TABLE 7. Epitaphium "für das Grabmal des Prinzen Max Egon zu Fürstenberg"
(1959) Rows Employed

Measure Flute & Clarinet Rows Harp Rows Form

1 P-0 A
2 P-0

3 I-0

4 RI-4

5 R-0 B

6 R-0
I-0

7 RI-4

The row succession creates a simple binary form (A and B) consisting of two sections of four rows
each: A: P-0, P-0, I-0, RI-4; and B: R-0, R-0, I-0, RI-4. Each section of the binary form (MM. 1-4, 5-
7) begins with two statements of a row: the Prime stated twice in the first section (P-0), and
Retrograde stated twice in the second section (R-0). Each section of the binary form ends with the
same two rows: the Inversion followed by the Retrograde Inversion beginning with the last note of
the Prime (I-0 and RI-4).
An interesting event occurs at the center of the binary pattern. In M. 4, the flute and clarinet share
the RI-4 row, but end with an additional statement of the first pitch of that row, A. In M. 5, the R-0
form begins in the harp with a grace-note G (actually the third note of the row played out of order)
followed by A and Ab (the first two notes of the row), and the remainder of the row (notes four
through twelve). In fact, the beginning of the harp's row R-0 is blurred here since the last two notes
of the flute part in the previous measure are the same as the first two notes of the R-0 form heard in
the harp (Ab and A). Significantly, this blurring occurs at the central moment of the work.
In the flute part in M. 6 the order of the fourth and fifth members of R-0 (D and F) are switched. In
the same measure, the C# in the flute is treated as a pivot note that serves as both the last member
of R-0 and the first member of I-0. Significantly, C# is also the first note of the Prime form of the
row. The only other note that could serve as a pivot note in a work based on these four rows is A
(the first pitch in R-0 and RI-4), the same note that served a blurring function in MM. 4 and 5, as
described in the previous paragraph.
Since Stravinsky employs only four closely related rows, a simpler way to show the important rows
and their relationships can be achieved without a matrix. Instead, a graphical representation can be
created to summarize Stravinsky's complete row usage in Epitaphium. Table 8, lists the four
important rows that Stravinsky used (P-0, I-0, R-0, RI-4), their directions according to the classical
matrix (I-0 is top to down, P-0 left to right, etc.), and their common ending or beginning pitches (C#
is shared by P-0 and I-0, A is shared by R-0 and RI-4). Note that this example format discards all
extraneous rows and information from the matrix, and focuses on only those rows actually used in
the piece.
The economy of Stravinsky's row choices are governed by the intervalic relationship of the
beginning and ending pitch classes of the P-0 row: in Epitaphium, ic4. Note that this intervalic
relationship has far-reaching implications for much of Stravinsky's twelve-tone music.

TABLE 8. Epitaphium "für das Grabmal des Prinzen Max Egon zu Fürstenberg"
(1959) Graphical Representation of Rows Employed
 F

Ab

Eb

F#

^ C

| C#

RI-4 E

P-0 -> B

Bb

C# Bb Eb E C B F# F D G Ab A

B <- R-0

Bb I-0

D |

Eb v

Ab

F#

Anthem "The dove descending breaks the air" (1962)

In 1960, Cambridge University Press asked Stravinsky to compose a work to be included in an
Anglican hymnal. T. S. Eliot suggested that Stravinsky take the text for this hymn from Eliot's Four
Quartets: Little Gidding, Part IV. Stravinsky dedicated Anthem to T. S. Eliot, and presented him with
the manuscript score. Anthem demonstrates Stravinsky's method of row succession in a manner
similar to Epitaphium. However, Anthem is a larger work (43 MM.) and calls for a four-part mixed,
unaccompanied chorus. The poetry for Anthem is given in Table 9.
 TABLE 9. Anthem "The dove descending breaks the air" (1962) Poetic Text and
Measures

The dove descending breaks the air MM. 1-8

With flame of incandescent terror
Of which the tongues declare MM. 9-14
The one discharge from sin and error.
The only hope, or else despair MM. 14-25
Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre --
To be redeemed from fire by fire.

Who then devised the torment? Love. MM. 26-30

Love is the unfamiliar Name
Behind the hands that wove MM. 31-33
The intolerable shirt of flame
Which human power cannot remove. MM. 33-43
We only live, only suspire
Consumed by either fire or fire.

In Anthem Stravinsky employs rows horizontally (melodically), so that a complete row is sounded by
each voice, and when voices are heard simultaneously they usually each sing different rows. An
exception occurs in M. 29 where the tenor and bass voices exchange rows on the word "Name."
The Prime form of the row is taken from the alto voice, which sounds first. Stravinsky's row use
implies a pitch center for the work of F, specifically F-minor, since the first two notes of the row (F
and Ab, the root and third of an F-minor chord) are the first two notes of the work, the notes of the
tenor and bass entrance in m. 17, the pitches of the cadence at m. 25, and the last harmonic
sonority of the work. Table 10 shows the standard twelve-tone matrix for Anthem.

TABLE 10. Anthem "The dove descending breaks the air" (1962) Matrix

int: +3 -5 -2 -2 +1 -2 -1 -2 -3 +2 -4

I-0 I-3 I-10 I-8 I-6 I-7 I-5 I-4 I-2 I-11 I-1 I-9

P-0 F Ab Eb C# B C Bb A G E F# D

P-9 D F C Bb Ab A G F# E C# Eb B

P-2 G Bb F Eb C# D C B A F# Ab E
 P-4 A C G F Eb E D C# B Ab Bb F#

P-6 B D A G F F# E Eb C# Bb C Ab

P-5 Bb C# Ab F# E F Eb D C A B G

P-7 C Eb Bb Ab F# G F E D B C# A

P-8 C# E B A G Ab F# F Eb C D Bb

P-10 Eb F# C# B A Bb Ab G F D E C

P-1 F# A E D C C# B Bb Ab F G Eb

P-11 E G D C Bb B A Ab F# Eb F C#

P-3 Ab B F# E D Eb C# C Bb G A F

Like Epitaphium, Anthem also employs just four rows, with repetitions, as shown in Table 11. The
arrows in the chart show where consecutive rows share an overlapping linking pitch with each
other.

TABLE 11. Anthem "The dove descending breaks the air" (1962) Rows Employed

Measures Soprano Rows Alto Rows Tenor Rows Bass Rows Form

1-4 R-0 P-0 A

4-8 RI-6

9-14 RI-6 R-0

15-21 R-0 R-0 RI-6 P-0 B

21-25 I-0 I-0 R-0

26-28 P-0 R-0 A'

28-33 RI-6

33-39 R-0 R-0 RI-6 P-0 B'

39-43 I-0 I-0 R-0

Anthem is composed according to a binary pattern, as dictated by the two-verse structure of the
poetic text. Each stanza of the setting is further subdivided into two sections, one section for duet
(first soprano and alto, then tenor and bass), the other for full chorus. The rows in the first verse are
repeated (with a small adjustment for A') in the same order for the second verse.
The pitches F and D (the first and last pitches of P-0) act as important pivot notes in many places in
Anthem. Throughout the work, two consecutive rows often share a pitch at their beginning or end.
As the arrows indicate in Table 11, in M. 4 and in the return of the same material in M. 28, D hinges
the P-0 and RI-6 first in the Alto, then the Tenor voice. Further, in MM. 20-21 and in MM. 38-39, F
hinges R-0 and I-0 in the Soprano at the same time as D hinges P-0 and R-0 in the Bass (the
second member of R-0, F#, occurs out of order one note before, being also the eleventh member of
P-0).
All four rows employed in Anthem are related by their starting pitch, which is either the first or last
(twelfth) note of the Prime series. Table 12 summarizes Stravinsky's complete row usage in
Anthem. This graphical representation lists the four important rows, their directions (in relation to the
classical matrix), and their common starting pitches (P-0 and I-0 share F, R-0 and RI-6 share D).
The graphic also makes plain the hinge or pivot properties of the rows.

TABLE 12. Anthem "The dove descending breaks the air" (1962) Graphical
Representation of Rows Employed

Ab

C#

Eb

^ F#

| G

RI-6 A

P-0 -> C

Bb
 F Ab Eb C# B C Bb A G E F# D

G <- R-0

A I-0

B |

Bb v

C#

Eb

F#

Ab

Eric Walter White labels the rows differently by taking the first Soprano statement as the Prime form
of the row instead of the Alto statement. (Eric Walter White, Stravinsky: The Composer and His
Works, 2nd ed., (University of California, 1979), 101. See also the footnote concerning row order,
520, fn. 2.) However, even with White's assessment, the relationship of the rows in the above
graphic analysis remains the same, albeit rotated 180 degrees and with alternate names (P-0
becomes R-0, RI-6 becomes I-0, etc.). But, because the graphic analysis primarily is concerned
with the relationships between the rows, the name of each row (in the case of Anthem, RI-6 or I-0)
is, on the whole, irrelevant. Rather, the important aspects to the analyst of Stravinsky's works are
the pitch and row structures and their relationships to each other.
Like Epitaphium, Stravinsky's row usage is dictated by the interval class relationship between the
first and last pitch classes in the P-0 row. Where in Epitaphium Stravinsky used beginning and
ending pitches from the ic4 cycle (A, C#, F), here he uses beginning and ending pitch classes from
the ic3 cycle (F, D, B, Ab). Again, Stravinsky has a preoccupation with economical row usage.

Elegy for J. F. K. (1964)

Stravinsky wrote the short work Elegy for J. F. K. to commemorate the assassination of President
John F. Kennedy on 22 November 1963. In Elegy for J. F. K., Stravinsky set a short poem by W. H.
Auden for singer (either baritone or mezzo-soprano) and three clarinets (two in Bb, one alto clarinet
in Eb). Both Auden's poem and Stravinsky's music were dedicated to Kennedy. The poetry is given
in Table 13. Stravinsky sets the words syllabically, with no melismas.

TABLE 13. Elegy for J. F. K. (1964) Poetic Text and Measures in Stravinsky's Setting

When a just man dies, MM. 1-8

Lamentation and praise,
Sorrow and joy are one.
Why then? Why there? MM. 9-17
Why thus, we cry, did he die?
The heavens are silent.

What he was, he was: MM. 18-23

What he is fated to become
Depends on us.

Remembering his death MM. 24-28

How we choose to live
Will decide its meaning.

When a just man dies, MM. 29-38

Lamentation and praise,
Sorrow and joy are one.

The Prime form of the row of Elegy for J. F. K. is taken from the melody in the voice, beginning in
the first measure, even though the alto clarinet actually sounds the first pitch of the piece. Table 14
shows the standard twelve-tone matrix for Elegy for J. F. K. Note that the final two pitch classes of
P-0 and I-0 are Eb and C#.

TABLE 14. Elegy for J. F. K. (1964) Matrix

int: -6 -2 -2 +6 +1 -6 -2 -2 -1 -3 -2

I-0 I-6 I-4 I-2 I-8 I-9 I-3 I-1 I-11 I-10 I-7 I-5

P-0 Ab D C Bb E F B A G F# Eb C#

P-6 D Ab F# E Bb B F Eb C# C A G

P-8 E Bb Ab F# C C# G F Eb D B A

P-10 F# C Bb Ab D Eb A G F E C# B

P-4 C F# E D Ab A Eb C# B Bb G F

P-3 B F Eb C# G Ab D C Bb A F# E
 P-9 F B A G C# D Ab F# E Eb C Bb

P-11 G C# B A Eb E Bb Ab F# F D C

P-1 A Eb C# B F F# C Bb Ab G E D

P-2 Bb E D C F# G C# B A Ab F Eb

P-5 C# G F Eb A Bb E D C B Ab F#

P-7 Eb A G F B C F# E D C# Bb Ab

All the rows that Stravinsky employs in Elegy for J. F. K. are shown in Table 15. The arrows show
where rows overlap (pivot) by either one or two pitches. The rows P-0 and RI-0 overlap with both Eb
and C# in M.6 and MM. 7-9, whereas I-0 and RI-0 overlap with both Ab in MM. 17-18. Even so, the
row forms structurally hinge on Ab, the first note of the P-0 row.

TABLE 15. Elegy for J. F. K. (1964) Rows Employed

Measures Voice Rows Clarinet Rows Form

1-8 P-0 RI-0 (MM. 7-8 eb" & bb" in cl. 1 & 3) A

9-13 RI-0 (2-note overlap M. 6) P-0 (sharing 6, 7,& 10 with voice) B

14-17 (d'-e' out of rows) RI-0

18-21 P-0 I-0

22-23 R-0

24-28 P-0 R-0 (no 10)

29-38 P-0 RI-0 (MM. 35-37 incomplete row) A'

Stravinsky combines horizontal (melodic) and vertical (harmonic or chordal) row use with some less
strict pitch ordering in Elegy for J. F. K. He employs rows horizontally in the vocal part, and both
horizontally and vertically in the clarinets. On one occasion, Stravinsky borrows pitches from a
simultaneous row statement to fill in notes for a row, where clarinets borrow three pitches from the
vocal line in MM. 10-13 (F, B, F#). In MM. 14-15 the voice slowly trills d'-e', pitches outside of the
tone row for the text "The Heavens are silent." Elsewhere, a row statement lacks an internal pitch,
in M. 24 where clarinets omit F#. Finally, in the clarinet 1 & alto clarinet parts in MM. 7-8 (Bb and
Eb, P-0 pitches 2 & 3), and in the expanded return of the material in MM. 35-37 the pitches are
taken from P-0, but out of order and incomplete. In each of these instances, Stravinsky writes only
partial or incomplete row statements, perhaps indicative of the incompleteness he and many others
felt when President Kennedy was assassinated. Similarly, Stravinsky was to employ incomplete row
statements at the end of Introitus, discussed in an appendix, dedicated to the memory of his friend
T. S. Eliot.
In Elegy for J. F. K. Stravinsky uses different rows than he did in Epitaphium or Anthem. In an
analysis of Elegy for J. F. K. according to classical rows as indicated by the matrix, the entire work
employs four rows (more specifically, two rows and their Retrogrades). But whereas in both
Epitaphium and Anthem Stravinsky used the Retrograde Inversion starting on the last pitch of the
Prime form, in Elegy for J. F. K. he uses the Retrograde Inversion as the true Retrograde of the
Inverted form of the row, i.e. the Retrograde of the row starting on the last pitch of the Inversion, or
RI-0. The four rows used in this piece are shown in Table 16.

TABLE 16. Elegy for J. F. K. (1964) Graphical Representation of Rows Employed

P-0 -> <- R-0

Ab D C Bb E F B A G F# Eb C#

F# I-0

C |

B v

G ^

A |

Bb RI-0

C#

Eb

The structure of Elegy for J. F. K. is ternary. The material of the opening measures (MM. 1-9)
returns at the end (MM. 29-37), as does a repetition of Auden's first stanza. In addition, the voice
sings exclusively P-0 rows except for the poignant words "Why then? Why there? Why thus, we cry,
did he die?" when he uses the RI-0 form. Stravinsky's abrupt departure from P-0 to RI-0 at this point
underscores the severity and futility in attempting to find a comforting answer to the poet's rhetorical
question. In this case, Stravinsky's craft at text setting is striking since he chooses to highlight the
words of the most emotional weight in the poem with a unique row for the voice.
Stravinsky's economical row choices are manifest in Elegy for J. F. K. in the ic5 relationship of the
first and last pitches in P-0.

Fanfare for a New Theater (1964)

Fanfare for a New Theater is a short work for two trumpets in C. Stravinsky's intention was that it be
used as a short signal for patrons before a production by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine at
the New York State Theater in the Lincoln Center.
Stravinsky employs rows horizontally in Fanfare for a New Theater. On occasion both trumpets play
the identical row at the same time, but they do so without sharing pitches. Rather, each row occurs
in its entirety in each of the trumpet parts at different rates (see chart below, the trumpets start
together on system 3).
The Prime form of the row of Fanfare for a New Theater is taken from the first aggregate in either
trumpet part, both of which begin with the same form. The standard twelve-tone matrix for Fanfare
for a New Theater is given in Table 17.
The symmetry in the row is noteworthy: the first and last four intervals in the row are identical, but in
reverse order. Tetrachordal invariance between some rows results. For example, P-0 (1-4) are the
same pitches in the same order as RI-9 (1-4). In this case, however, Stravinsky does not exploit the
invariance of the rows in this composition.

TABLE 17. Fanfare for a New Theater (1964) Matrix

int: -1 +2 +2 +1 -2 +3 +2 -1 +2 +2 -1

I-0 I-11 I-1 I-3 I-4 I-2 I-5 I-7 I-6 I-8 I-10 I-9

P-0 Bb A B C# D C Eb F E F# Ab G

P-1 B Bb C D Eb C# E F# F G A Ab

P-11 A Ab Bb C C# B D E Eb F G F#

P-9 G F# Ab Bb B A C D C# Eb F E
 P-8 F# F G A Bb Ab B C# C D E Eb

P-10 Ab G A B C Bb C# Eb D E F# F

P-7 F E F# Ab A G Bb C B C# Eb D

P-5 Eb D E F# G F Ab Bb A B C# C

P-6 E Eb F G Ab F# A B Bb C D C#

P-4 D C# Eb F F# E G A Ab Bb C B

P-2 C B C# Eb E D F G F# Ab Bb A

P-3 C# C D E F Eb F# Ab G A B Bb

The rows that Stravinsky uses in Fanfare for a New Theater are indicated below in Table 18.
System numbers from the single-page Boosey & Hawkes score are given instead of measure
numbers, because the entire work only contains one internal bar line, after the initial unison motive
in the first system. The arrows in the chart show where rows share a pitch at their beginning or end.
The rows P-0 and R-0 pivot on G, as do P-0 and RI-6. The rows RI-0 and I-0 pivot on Bb, as do R-0
and I-0. All successive rows for each trumpet hinge this way except the final row statement in
trumpet two (between I-0 and R-0).

TABLE 18. Fanfare for a New Theater (1964) Rows Employed

System on Score Trumpet One Trumpet Two

1 P-0 P-0

2 RI-6

3 R-0 R-0

4 RI-0

I-0
5 I-0

R-0

Fanfare for a New Theater shares row-usage techniques with Elegy for J. F. K. as well as both
Epitaphium and Anthem. In an analysis of Fanfare for a New Theater according to classical rows as
indicated by the matrix, the entire work employs five rows. Just as in all the works so far discussed,
Fanfare uses the Prime, Retrograde, and Inversion rows. Like Epitaphium and Anthem, Fanfare
uses the Retrograde Inversion beginning on the last note of the Prime form (in this case RI-6). Like
Elegy for J. F. K., Fanfare uses the true Retrograde Inversion (RI-0) row. The five rows used in this
brief work are shown in Table 19 below.

TABLE 19. Fanfare for a New Theater (1964) Graphical Representation of Rows
Employed

Eb

C#

^ B

| A

RI-6 Bb

P-0 -> Ab

F#

Bb A B C# D C Eb F E F# Ab G

A <- R-0

G I-0

F# |

Ab v

F
 Eb ^

E |

D RI-0

C#

The form of this short work is through-composed. Note however, that Stravinsky uses both of the
Retrograde Inversion forms in the middle of the piece, and that each trumpet part only contains one
of these forms (trumpet 2, RI-6 in system 2; trumpet 1, RI-0 in system 4). Thus, these rows are
treated as more "distant" from the opening and closing forms than the Prime, Retrograde, and
Inversion forms, which were used for the opening (P-0) and closing (I-0 and R-0) of the work as well
as internally.
In Fanfare for a New Theater, Stravinsky's row use exploits the ic3 relationship of the beginning and
ending pitches of the P-0 row.

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat (1965-66)

Stravinsky's last complete composition is The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. This short piece is a setting
for soprano and piano of Edward Lear's poem. The piano plays one line in octaves throughout. The
row of this delightful piece with its many major seconds seems to depict a cat walking lightly up the
piano keyboard.
The poetic text of The Owl and the Pussy-Cat is printed in Table 20.

TABLE 20. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat Poetic Text and Location in Stravinsky's
Setting

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea page2, system 1

In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above, page 3, system 2

And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are, You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!"

Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl! page 4, system 3

How charmingly sweet you sing!
Oh let us be married! too long we have tarried
But what shall we do for a ring?"

They sailed away for a year and a day, page 5, system 4

To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood,
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose, His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling page 6, system 3
Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

They dined on mince, and slices of quince, page 7, system 4

Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon, The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

Stravinsky uses rows horizontally in The Owl and the Pussy-Cat in a two-part texture consisting of
the piano part and the soprano part.
The Prime form of the row of The Owl and the Pussy-Cat is taken from the first aggregate stated in
both the piano and the soprano part, both of which begin with the same form. Table 21 shows the
standard twelve-tone matrix for this piece.

TABLE 21. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat (1965-66) Matrix

int: +2 -5 +2 -3 -2 -1 +2 +3 +3 +3 -1

I-0 I-2 I-9 I-11 I-8 I-6 I-5 I-7 I-10 I-1 I-4 I-3

P-0 D E B C# Bb Ab G A C Eb F# F

P-10 C D A B Ab F# F G Bb C# E Eb

P-3 F G D E C# B Bb C Eb F# A Ab

P-1 Eb F C D B A Ab Bb C# E G F#

P-4 F# Ab Eb F D C B C# E G Bb A
 P-6 Ab Bb F G E D C# Eb F# A C B

P-7 A B F# Ab F Eb D E G Bb C# C

P-5 G A E F# Eb C# C D F Ab B Bb

P-2 E F# C# Eb C Bb A B D F Ab G

P-11 C# Eb Bb C A G F# Ab B D F E

P-8 Bb C G A F# E Eb F Ab B D C#

P-9 B C# Ab Bb G F E F# A C Eb D

All of the rows used in The Owl and the Pussy-Cat are shown in Table 22 below. Page and system
numbers from the Boosey & Hawkes score are indicated because the work has no bar lines. In the
first and second verses, the vocal part repeats the rows exactly. The arrows show where two
consecutive rows hinge or pivot on one common pitch. The rows I-0 and RI-0 share B, P-0 and R-0
share F, P-0 and RI-0 as well as I-0 and P-0 share D.

TABLE 22. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat (1965-66) Rows Employed

Page & System Voice Rows Piano Rows Form

2, 1 P-0 P-0 Verse 1

2, 3 I-0

3, 2 I-0 RI-0 1b

3, 4 RI-0 P-0

3, 4 I-0

4, 1 I-0 R-0

4, 3 P-0 P-0 Verse 2

5, 2 I-0 R-0

5, 4 RI-0 I-6 2b

6, 1 I-0 RI-0

6, 2 I-0

6, 3 P-0 P-0 Verse 3

7, 1 RI-0 R-0

7, 2 I-0

7, 4 P-0 (first pitch in pno) P-0 3b

8, 1 RI-0

8, 2 R-0

8, 3 RI-0

Like Fanfare for a New Theater, The Owl and the Pussy-Cat employs five rows. In addition to the
common forms of Prime, Retrograde, and Inversion that Stravinsky uses in all the pieces discussed
thus far, in The Owl and the Pussy-Cat he uses both the un-transposed Retrograde Inversion (RI-0)
form and a transposed Inversion form (I-6). This transposed Inversion form is the Retrograde of the
Retrograde Inversion starting on the last note of the Prime form (see Table 23 below). As in all the
works examined above, this row is related to the Prime form, since the last note of the Prime form
(F) is also the last note of this form. Table 23 shows the five rows employed in The Owl and the
Pussy-Cat. Again, the example shows the systematic relationships based on hinge or pivot motion.

TABLE 23. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat (1965-66) Graphical Representation of Rows
Employed

Ab

F#

I-6 B

| A

v C

D
 Eb

C#

Bb

P-0 -> G

D E B C# Bb Ab G A C Eb F# F

F <- R-0

Eb I-0

F# |

Ab v

G ^

E |

C# RI-0

Bb

The song sets the three verses of Lear's poetry continuously. Stravinsky uses rows to articulate
important formal events. For example, the beginning of each verse is set to both the piano and
soprano performing the P-0 row. Furthermore, internal poetic division at the change of rhyme
scheme (when the first "c" line begins in each stanza's rhyme pattern: a-b-a-b-c-d-c-d-d-d) provokes
similar row treatment in the first two stanzas, where Stravinsky uses I-0 and RI-0 rows (marked in
Table 22 above showing rows employed as 1b and 2b). At the analogous place in the third stanza,
Stravinsky uses P-0 forms in both the piano and the voice, as he had done at the beginning of each
stanza (marked as 3b). The single occurrence of the I-6 row, in the middle stanza of the setting, is
appropriate for the piano's depiction of Lear's bizarre line "And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood".
In The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, Stravinsky's economy of row usage is shown by his exploitation of
the ic3 relationship of the first and last pitches in the P-0 row.

Summary of the Simple Application of Stravinsky's Method

The analyses in this chapter show that Stravinsky often implements certain row deployments to help
define musical structure. In Epitaphium Stravinsky creates a small two-part structure where the
second half of each part uses the same rows. In Anthem another two-part structure repeats on a
larger scale that follows the two-verse poetic structure. In Elegy for J. F. K. the opening row material
returns at the end, forming a rounded binary structure. In Fanfare the Retrograde Inversion rows are
used in the center of the work, and are treated as more distant than the other forms, which appear
 at the beginning and the end of the short piece. Finally, in The Owl and the Pussy-Cat Stravinsky
uses similar rows at the beginning and in the exact center of each of the three verses of text.
Furthermore, the analyses in this chapter also show that Stravinsky sets certain portions of the
poetry to particular rows in order to emphasize the meaning of the poetry. In Elegy for J. F. K. the
voice sings exclusively P-0 rows, except for the poignant words "Why then? Why there? Why thus,
we cry, did he die?" when Stravinsky uses the RI-0 form. In The Owl and the Pussy-Cat the only
occurrence of the I-6 row, in the middle stanza of the setting, is appropriate for the piano's depiction
of Lear's strange line "And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood."

This Document is Available for Purchase

Stravinsky's Topology. Doctoral Dissertation. Boulder, CO: University of Colordao,
2000. www.lulu.com/akuster
(C) Copyright 2000 Andrew Kuster. All Rights Reserved.

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CHAPTER 4
Extension of Stravinsky's Method in The Flood
Overview
Although each of the pieces analyzed thus far consists of a variety of structures, instrumental and
vocal forces, and musical characters, they all employ rows strictly limited to those that share their
first and/or last (twelfth) notes with each work's respective Prime row. Furthermore, Stravinsky
employs repetition of important rows for structural events, and in the music for voice Stravinsky
often reserves special rows to underscore important poetic textual events.
In a manner even more extensive, Stravinsky also uses rows in the large work The Flood for
structural meaning and musical-poetical effect. This chapter will show that in The Flood the
concepts seen in Stravinsky's smaller twelve-tone pieces are still at work, but taken to a higher level
in tonal analogy and dramatic characterization, as shown in an expanded graphical representation.

The Flood: Matrix and Row Use

Stravinsky composed The Flood for production as a short television opera. The half-hour-long work
takes its text from Robert Craft's selections of various English allegorical pageants, including both
the York and the Chester Cycles of Miracle Plays. The Flood is for large orchestra (4.3.4.3-4.3.3.1,
strings, and percussion), tenor soloist, bass duet, SAT chorus, and speakers.

The Matrix

The Prime form of the row of The Flood that appears here is the same as in White's Stravinsky: The
Composer and his Works (White, 520-21). The P-0 form is the original transposition, as is evident
from markings in facsimiles of Stravinsky's drafts (Kunstmuseum Basel, Strawinsky: Sein Nachlass,
Sein Bild (Kunstmuseum Basel: Basel, 1984), 172-75.). The first appearance of the row is in
transposed form in M. 6, where woodwinds play the P-5 row while the harp plays the R-5 form.
Stravinsky calls this measure a "musical Jacob's Ladder" that becomes an important formal pillar in
each of its four occurrences (MM. 6, 179, 496, and 582). (Stravinsky, Igor and Robert Craft,
Dialogues and a Diary, (New York: Doubleday, 1963). See Genesis 28:12, "there was a ladder,
planted on the ground with its top reaching to heaven; and God's angels were going up and down
it.") Table 24 shows the matrix for Stravinsky's The Flood.

TABLE 24. The Flood (1961-62) Matrix

int: -2 +1 +6 -3 +2 -1 -2 -4 -1 -2 +1

I-0 I-10 I-11 I-5 I-2 I-4 I-3 I-1 I-9 I-8 I-6 I-7

P-0 C# B C F# Eb F E D Bb A G Ab

P-2 Eb C# D Ab F G F# E C B A Bb

P-1 D C C# G E F# F Eb B Bb Ab A

P-7 Ab F# G C# Bb C B A F E D Eb

P-10 B A Bb E C# Eb D C Ab G F F#

P-8 A G Ab D B C# C Bb F# F Eb E

P-9 Bb Ab A Eb C D C# B G F# E F

P-11 C Bb B F D E Eb C# A Ab F# G

P-3 E D Eb A F# Ab G F C# C Bb B

P-4 F Eb E Bb G A Ab F# D C# B C
 P-6 G F F# C A B Bb Ab E Eb C# D

P-5 F# E F B Ab Bb A G Eb D C C#

In The Flood Stravinsky sets the poetry four different ways: The words of mortals - Moses, his wife
and sons, etc. - are spoken; God's words are sung by a duet of basses; Lucifer, who becomes
Satan, is sung by a tenor; and an SAT chorus sings the opening and closing excerpts from the
liturgical Te Deum and Sanctus. All the rows that Stravinsky employed in the vocal parts of The
Flood are indicated in Table 25 below.

TABLE 25. The Flood (1961-62) Rows Employed by All Vocal Parts

Measures Vocal Part Text (or Form) Rows

8-15 Chorus (SAT) Te Dominum I-0, R-10

18-44 Te aeternum I-0 (notes 1-6)

46-59 Sanctus I-0, RI-0 (row crossings)

85-102 God (two basses) 1. "A skillful beast" R-0, RI-2

102-115 P-0, I-2

117-126 2. "I make thee master" R-0, RI-0 (cross after "mirror")

130-133 Lucifer (tenor) "The beams" (A section) I-0

134-138 P-0

139-143 "More fairer by far" (B section) RI-2

144-151 P-7 (3-1, 6-4)

152-160 Lucifer now as Satan "God made" (A' section) I-0

161-166 P-0

181-190 God 3. "I God" R-0, RI-2

190-196 P-0, I-2

196-207 R-0, RI-2

208-212 RI-0, I-0

212-215 I-0, RI-0

217-221 4. "Noah, as I bid thee" RI-0 rot1, I-0 rot1

224-229 5. "I shall thee succor" R-0, I-0

229-233 P-0, RI-0

235-238 6. "Noah, I shall guide" R-0 rot1, I-0 rot1

238-242 RI-2, I-0

242-246 P-0, R-0 (cross for final notes)

458-468 God 7. "A Covenant" R-0, RI-2

468-477 P-0, I-2

497-507 Satan "The forbidden act" RI-0

507-514 P-7

514-519 RI-7

527-537 Chorus Sanctus I-0, RI-0

538-544 Pleni sunt coeli I-0, RI-0

545-551 Sanctus I-0, RI-0

554 Tibi Cherubim I-0 (notes 1-6)

The vocal parts, then, confine themselves to the following rows: P-0, R-0, I-0, RI-0, I-2, RI-2, P-7,
RI-7, and R-10. The important "Jacob's Ladder" rows should also be included: P-5 and R-5.
Characteristically, all of these rows are related to each other by first and last notes. Each of the
rows begins or ends on two of the following pitches: Eb, Ab, C#, F#, and B. These pitches are
related by the circle of fifths because the interval class between the first and last notes of the Prime
form of the row is ic5. Stravinsky chooses these particular rows for reasons described below.

The Flood: Analysis of Structure and Musical-Poetical Effect

of Rows
This portion of the paper will focus on only those rows used by the voices and the Jacob's Ladder
row noted above. Other row relationships in instrumental and melodramatic sections will be
discussed later in the chapter.

Graphical Representation

Before proceeding further with analysis, note that the rows employed for the music sung by God
use the six characteristic foundational rows in Stravinsky's shorter works analyzed above. These
foundational rows are the Prime row (P-0) and its Retrograde (R-0), the Inversion (I-0) and its
Retrograde (RI-0), and the Retrograde Inversion beginning with the last note of the Prime form (RI-
2) and its Retrograde (I-2). These rows and their relationships are shown in Table 26 below.

TABLE 26. The Flood, Graphical Representation of Rows Sung by God

Eb

I-2 E

| Bb

v C#

^ C

| D

RI-2 F#

P-0 -> G

C# B C F# Eb F E D Bb A G Ab

Eb

D <- R-0

Ab I-0

B |

A v

Bb

C ^

E |

F RI-0

F#
 God sings seven times (identified with Arabic numerals 1-7 in Table 25 above), each statement
interrupted by Noah speaking or by other scenes. In those statements in which each bass sings
more than one row sequentially, consecutive rows share a beginning or ending pitch. The only
exception is the sixth statement of God (MM. 235-246), where God tells Noah that all the world will
perish, save Noah, his wife, and his three sons and their wives. The disconnectedness of Noah and
his kin from the dead old world is depicted by the disjunction of the consecutive rows in this
instance, in contrast with the row connectedness of all the other statements of God.

Tonal Analogy

Since the first and last notes of the Prime row for The Flood is one related by ic5 (an ascending
perfect fourth, or a descending perfect fifth), Stravinsky's practice of pivoting or hinging rows means
that the beginning or ending pitch classes are also in an ic5 relation with P-0. These related rows
based on fifths create an analogy with tonal practice.
An example of Stravinsky's exploitation of his fifth-related rows is the tenor's first aria, MM. 130-167.
This passage is Lucifer's first entrance, during which he is changed into Satan. Table 27 shows this
"aria" in A-B-A' form.

TABLE 27. The Flood: Satan's Aria

Form Rows Employed by the Vocal Part

A I-0 (MM. 130-133), P-0 (MM. 134-138)

B RI-2 (MM. 139-143), P-7 (3,2,1,6,5,4) (MM. 144-146)

A' I-0 (MM. 152-160), P-0 (MM. 161-166)

Both A sections of this aria use identical rows in the same order, and all four forms begin with C#,
the first note of the Prime row. In contrast, the B-section of the aria uses rows that both begin on
Ab. While Ab is the last note of the Prime row, it is also ic5 from the first note of the Prime row. Like
the analogous dominant-key B section in aria form, Stravinsky's B section is likewise pitched a
perfect fifth higher. (See discussion about similar structural functions of the set in Schoenberg's
Klavierstück, Opus 33a in George Perle, Serial Composition and Atonality, 6th ed. (Berkeley:
University of California, 1991), 111 ff. Set succession employing traditional tonal formal concepts is
not unique to Stravinsky. A textbook example is in Webern's Symphony, Op. 21 where the first
movement begins with rows P-0, I-8, P-4, and I-0; and the development section (MM. 25 ff.) begins
with the same forms transposed by ic5, or up a perfect fifth: P-7, I-3, P-11, and I-7.) Thereby, the
implications of the poetic text--that of Lucifer raising himself higher in heaven--are confirmed in the
musical setting.
The analogy to tonal function may be carried even further in row choices for The Flood, considering
not only the P-0 form (acting as "tonic"), and P-7 and RI-2 (rows a fifth higher (+7) acting as
"dominant"), but also in the use of rows whose beginning pitches are a fifth lower (-7) from P-0,
setting up a "sub-dominant" area as shown in Table 28.

TABLE 28. Tonal Implications of the First and Last Tones of the Rows in The Flood

-7 -7 +7 +7
 int: 10 5 0 7 2

pitch: B F# C# Ab Eb

"key:" "sub-dominant" "tonic" "dominant"

Certain rows are reserved for individual characters, while other rows are used by more than one
character. Returning to Table 25, the chorus uses rows I-0, RI-0, and R-10; God uses rows P-0, R-
0, I-0, RI-0, I-2, and RI-2; Lucifer uses rows P-0, I-0, P-7, and RI-2; when Lucifer becomes Satan,
he uses rows P-0, I-0, P-7, RI-7, and RI-0; and finally, the Jacob's Ladder rows are P-5 and R-5.
Pursuing the analogy to tonal music, Stravinsky employs these "dominant" and "sub-dominant"
areas for musical-poetical effect to depict the celestials and terrestrials. The characters in the story
are given particular row regions to sing. In addition to being the only sung solo parts, God, Lucifer,
and Satan also sing rows only in the "dominant" and "tonic" tonal areas. In other words, these
voices employ rows starting or ending on either C# or Ab. The chorus employs rows in the "sub-
dominant" area, or forms beginning or ending on F#. The Jacob's Ladder row symbolizes the bridge
between the terrestrials and celestials: whenever it occurs both the Prime and Retrograde forms
simultaneously move in both directions from the sub-dominant to the tonic - from F# to C#, and from
C# to F#. What better way to depict Jacob's Ladder, described in Genesis 28:12, "there was a
ladder, planted on the ground with its top reaching to heaven; and God's angels were going up and
down it." Thus, the row choices depict Jacob's Ladder not only because Stravinsky uses both the
Prime and Retrograde forms at once "going up and down it," but also because one end of the
ladder is "on the ground" in the sub-dominant area of the terrestrials, and the other "reaches to
heaven" - to the tonic area where the celestial voices sing.

Graphical Depiction of Rows in an Object

Table 29 shows all the rows that Stravinsky employed for the vocal parts in The Flood
characteristically hinged together by their first and last pitches. Next to the rows are labels showing
the rows used (P-0, I-0, etc.) and arrows showing the direction of those rows. Next to the labels, the
table lists those voices that sing the rows associated with the labels. The construction depicted in
the table is a portion of an Object, which will be fully explained in the next chapter.

TABLE 29. Musical-Poetical Aspects of the Vocal Rows in Stravinsky's The Flood

Eb

D F

R-7 E E I-2 God

F Bb

A C#
 B B

Lucifer C C

Satan Bb D Lucifer

P-7 C# F# RI-2 God

G G

F# A

Ab "dominant" Ab

Bb celestials G

A A

I-7 Eb Bb R-0 God

F# D

E E

F F

G Eb

B F# Lucifer/Satan

Satan RI-7 C C P-0 God

D B

C# "tonic"

C Eb

R-5 D D I-0 God

Eb Ab Lucifer/Satan

JACOB'S G B Chorus

LADDER A A

Bb Bb Chorus

Ab C Satan

P-5 B E RI-0 God

F F

E G

F# "sub-dominant" F#
 Ab terrestrials F

G G

I-5 C# Ab R-10 Chorus

E C

D D

Eb Eb

F C#

A E

RI-5 Bb Bb P-0

C A

Dramatic Characterization by Row

Stravinsky carefully assigns the rows to the characters, differentiating between the celestials and
terrestials. The "dominant" rows, which depict God and Lucifer--the celestials--are toward the top of
Table 29. The "tonic" rows--employed at times by all of the vocal parts--are in the center. Finally,
the "sub-dominant" rows--sung by the chorus of terrestrials--is toward the bottom.
It is noteworthy that God is the only voice to employ the "highest" row from the important forms on
this object, the I-2 form. The I-2 row is "highest" in that it employs the row with beginning and
ending notes that are furthest up in the circle of fifths pattern of the row's object. Additionally,
Stravinsky confines the rows for God to the foundational rows, which all begin or end with the first or
last pitch of the Prime row: P-0, R-0, I-0, RI-0, RI-2, and I-2. These foundational rows are related in
the exact same manner as those employed in The Owl and the Pussy-cat.

Misordering as a Depictive Device

Stravinsky sometimes changes the ordering of rows to symbolize dramatic events in the poetry. An
example of this kind of poetically depictive row employment is in the B-section of Satan's aria (MM.
139-152). Lucifer sings the RI-2 row, which is shared with God (MM. 85 ff., 181 ff., and 458 ff.) for
the line "More fairer by far my fees, My power surpasses my peers." In the next line, Lucifer breaks
God's order, along with the normal order of pitches for the text "I will be highest of Heaven!" Lucifer
sings half of the P-7 row in the broken (Retrograde and rot3) order: 3,2,1,6,5,4. (See the
introduction for a discussion of set rotation.) Here, Lucifer tries to get above God by approaching P-
7's last note, the sharpest beginning/ending pitch of any vocal part of the work, Eb, which God sang
as the first pitch of the I-2 row. Hence, Lucifer's approach to Eb does not use the same row as
God's, and can perhaps be thought of as climbing the under side of a ladder. But before Lucifer
climbs higher towards the Eb, God changes Lucifer to Satan, and temporarily Lucifer only speaks,
like the mortals in The Flood, until he is put back in his place with the tonic rows of the A' section of
the aria: P-0 and I-0.

Depictive Changes in Row Returns

When Stravinsky brings back Satan in another aria (similar to his first) near the end of The Flood,
only three rows are sung, RI-0, P-7, and RI-7. Two rows Satan has heretofore not sung: the RI-0
and RI-7. This aria relates humankind's continuous attempts to disobey God's order, even after the
lesson of the flood, but also prophesy a Redeemer who will "drown" the cacophony with his blood.
The return of the A' section is truncated by the closing strains of the chorus, who return with
material similar to that of the opening of the work.

The Flood: Conclusion

In The Flood, Stravinsky employed specific rows for structural and poetic-textual meaning. Because
the rows used to depict God are the same foundational rows and use similar linking techniques that
Stravinsky employed in his smaller twelve-tone works, The Flood can be seen as an outgrowth of
the compositional techniques that characterize these works. Stravinsky extended those techniques
through his use of the relationship of the rows depicting Lucifer and Satan with those foundational
rows used for God. The rows sung by the Chorus, and employed for the Jacob's Ladder also have
structural and musical-poetical significance. The rows Stravinsky used in The Flood propel the
drama of the poetic text.

This Document is Available for Purchase

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(C) Copyright 2000 Andrew Kuster. All Rights Reserved.

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CHAPTER 5
Twelve-Tone Rows and Geometrical Objects
Analysis of the Relationships between Stravinsky's Rows
Because of Stravinsky's economical row choices, the full twelve-tone matrix is not necessary for the
analysis of his works previously discussed. Rather, the relationships between the rows of those
pieces can be observed in simpler charts that contain only the employed rows hinged by common
pitches, which in the case of his smaller works are the first and last (twelfth) notes of the Prime row,
and in the case of larger works like The Flood, include pitches at the beginning and ending of
related rows as well.
As in most of his larger works, Stravinsky employed more rows in The Flood than in his smaller
twelve-tone works. Nevertheless, Stravinsky most often maintained the important relationship
between the first and last (twelfth) notes in his rows, i.e. pivot or hinge pitches. In these larger
works, Stravinsky often used rows based on the first and last (twelfth) notes of other related rows,
creating extensive patterns of related rows. For musical and poetic-textual meaning in many of his
larger works, Stravinsky used rows that are related in ways other than those described thus far. In
addition, in the larger works containing more rows, Stravinsky continued to use specific rows for
definite musical-poetical or compositional effects. Analysts can easily become aware of these
compositional devices and the relationships between rows when they project the rows onto the
three-dimensional objects, as described below. When Stravinsky chose to exploit or contradict
these relationships, he did so for a particular compositional effect.
 The above analysis of The Flood illustrates how the patterns and characteristics of Stravinsky's
related twelve-tone rows can be projected onto a three-dimensional object and facilitate analysis.
What follows is a presentation of a method to obtain geometrical models useful in the analysis of
The Flood and Stravinsky's other larger works.

Deducing Objects from Analytical Devices

The Matrix

The traditional analytical tool for twelve-tone analysis is the classic matrix, the format that shows the
tone row in its four standard operations (P, R, I, RI), indicating all forty-eight potential row forms.
Furthermore, the matrix is valuable for comparing rows for such compositional techniques as
hexachordal invariance, combinatoriality, and (rarely) implications for tonal centricity or polarity.
However, the matrix is less useful for the study of row succession and does not contribute to the
analysis of large-scale formal organization. The above analysis of The Flood illustrates that often
visual representations help to convey significant principles of row succession and other aspects of
large-scale organization. Nevertheless, since the matrix shows all of the rows (albeit many that
Stravinsky does not employ), it is a necessary starting point in the deduction of Object-Oriented
analysis. Table 30, then, shows the basis for the rest of this chapter: the matrix for Stravinsky's The
Flood.

TABLE 30. The Flood (1961-62) Matrix

int: -2 +1 +6 -3 +2 -1 -2 -4 -1 -2 +1

I-0 I-10 I-11 I-5 I-2 I-4 I-3 I-1 I-9 I-8 I-6 I-7

P-0 C# B C F# Eb F E D Bb A G Ab

P-2 Eb C# D Ab F G F# E C B A Bb

P-1 D C C# G E F# F Eb B Bb Ab A

P-7 Ab F# G C# Bb C B A F E D Eb

P-10 B A Bb E C# Eb D C Ab G F F#

P-8 A G Ab D B C# C Bb F# F Eb E
 P-9 Bb Ab A Eb C D C# B G F# E F

P-11 C Bb B F D E Eb C# A Ab F# G

P-3 E D Eb A F# Ab G F C# C Bb B

P-4 F Eb E Bb G A Ab F# D C# B C

P-6 G F F# C A B Bb Ab E Eb C# D

P-5 F# E F B Ab Bb A G Eb D C C#

Rows Tied to Beginning and Ending Row Members

In the smaller works analyzed earlier, including Epitaphium, Anthem, Elegy for J. F. K., Fanfare, and
the Owl and the Pussy-Cat, a graphical representation of the rows employed included only up to six
rows. For these works, the graphical representations enhance understanding of row succession,
form, and textual meaning. A similar graphical representation of the rows used in The Flood will
leave out many important rows that are employed in the composition. Table 31 shows the same
type of representation for The Flood as that used for the smaller works. It lists only the six basic
rows related to the end notes of the Prime form (P-0, R-0, I-0, RI-0, I-2, RI-2), and leaves out many
other rows that Stravinsky uses (P-7, RI-7, R-10, P-5, and R-5). (As shown in the previous chapter,
these rows are the only ones sung by the duet of basses portraying God.) Because it is incomplete,
this type of graphical representation must be extended in order to accommodate works that use
more than the six related rows.

TABLE 31. The Flood, Incomplete Graphical Representation of Rows Employed

Eb

I-2 E

| Bb
 v C#

^ C

| D

RI-2 F#

P-0 -> G

C# B C F# Eb F E D Bb A G Ab

Eb

D <- R-0

Ab I-0

B |

A v

Bb

C ^

E |

F RI-0

F#

The Extended Chain of Rows

An improved graphical representation of the important rows in The Flood shows an extended chain
pattern of rows where the last note of each row becomes the first note of the following related row.
Table 32 shows a graphical representation of the chain of rows for The Flood. Only the beginning
and ending notes of the rows are given, and the middle members of the rows are omitted.
The resulting row chains incorporate all of the rows employed by the voices and the Jacob's Ladder
row in The Flood on two axes. The vertical axis contains Inverted rows in an upward direction and
Retrograde Inversion rows in an downward direction. The horizontal axis contains Prime rows from
left to right, and Retrograde rows from right to left.
If the representation continues through all of the possible rows in any direction, then the chain
repeats indefinitely, or into infinity. In this case, the ends of the rows form a circle of fifths.
 TABLE 32. The Flood (1961-62) Graphical Representation of Rows Employed:
Chain of Rows

Eb

I-2

RI-2

Ab

I-7

RI-7

B P-10 -- R-10 F# P-5 -- R-5 C# P-0 -- R-0 Ab P-7 -- R-7 Eb

I-0

RI-0

F#

However, Table 32 is misleading because each important pitch from which rows are generated
occurs in more than one location on the chart (except for the central pitch, C#). Therefore, the
relationship between the rows starting or ending, for example, on Ab on the horizontal axis and
those starting or ending on Ab on the vertical axis are not immediately apparent. One way to
eliminate this drawback is to create a grid of rows where any pitch (that is, the end of any row) can
be the center of the axes.

The Grid of Rows

Table 33 shows a logical extension of the analytical method of the row chain graphical
representation in Table 32. Whereas in the graph of row chains all of the rows center on the first
note of the Prime row, in the grid any row that begins or ends with an important pitch can be traced
in any direction. Again, as in the row chains above, each vertical axis contains inverted rows in an
upward direction and Retrograde Inversion rows in an downward direction. Each horizontal axis
contains Prime rows from left to right, and Retrograde rows from right to left.

TABLE 33. The Flood (1961-61) Graphical Representation of Rows Employed: Grid
of Rows

C# P-0 - R-0 Ab P-7 - R-7 Eb - Bb - F

I-0 I-7 I-2

| | | | |

RI-0 RI-7 RI-2

F# P-5 - R-5 C# P-0 - R-0 Ab P-7 - R-7 Eb - Bb

I-0 I-7 I-2

| | | | |

RI-0 RI-7 RI-2

B P-10 - R-10 F# P-5 - R-5 C# P-0 - R-0 Ab P-7 - R-7 Eb

I-0 I-7 I-2

| | | | |

RI-0 RI-7 RI-2

E - B P-10 - R-10 F# P-5 - R-5 C# P-0 - R-0 Ab

I-0 I-7

| | | | |

RI-0 RI-7

A - E - B P-10 - R-10 F# P-5 - R-5 C#

Although this grid may prove more helpful in determining important relationships between rows,
considerable repetition exists. In fact (again as in the case of the row chains above), if the grid is
traced in any direction, then the same rows will recur an infinite number of times. Furthermore,
along the diagonal from the upper left corner to the lower right corner, the identical rows repeat
constantly. This redundancy, a fallout of two-dimensional cyclic organization, hinders the efficiency
of the grid as a useful analytical tool.
The Solution: Wrapped Repetitions form three-dimensional Objects

The goal for the best analytical tool to analyze Stravinsky's set succession, therefore, is one in
which the pertinent information contained in the above grid can be displayed in a concise format
that contains no duplication.
Table 34 shows a simplified version of the grid layout. For sake of clarity, this grid is limited to the
pitch names for only the ends of the rows:

TABLE 34. The Flood: Simplified Grid of Rows

C# - Ab - Eb - Bb - F

| | | | |

F# - C# - Ab - Eb - Bb

| | | | |

B - F# - C# - Ab - Eb

| | | | |

E - B - F# - C# - Ab

| | | | |

A - E - B - F# - C#

Note that in Table 34 the rows along the diagonal of the grid from lower left to upper right corner.
Unlike the rows along the diagonal from upper left to lower right, these rows contain information that
is not immediately redundant. In Table 35 all rows that were superfluous have been eliminated. By
eliminating all superfluous rows, the result is a chopped grid, shown in Table 35.

TABLE 35. The Flood: Chopped Grid of Rows

Bb - F

| |

Ab - Eb - Bb

| |

F# - C# - Ab
 | |

E - B - F#

| |

A - E

Here, using any diagonal traced from the lower left to upper right of the grid of rows also eliminates
any superfluous rows. Now the only evident redundancies are two occurrences of every other pitch
letter: these are found by moving diagonally down from left to right. However, most important, no
redundant rows exist.
For ease of illustration, Table 36 shows the chopped grid rotated 45 degrees counter-clockwise.

TABLE 36. The Flood: Rotated Chopped Grid of Rows

Bb Bb P

Eb

Ab Ab R

C#

F# F# I

E E RI
 A

Now all the Prime rows occur diagonally from lower left to upper right, with Retrograde rows in the
opposite direction. Likewise, all Inverted rows occur diagonally from upper left to lower right, with
Retrograde Inversion forms in the opposite direction.
If Table 36 is regarded as a two-dimensional object or a plane, the left and right columns form the
object's edges. Now, if the edge of the left column is "wrapped" so that it connects with the edge of
the right column and so that the pitch names overlap, a three-dimensional cylindrical object is
created.
Note that for this illustration, the edges of the object are wrapped "inwards," that is receding away
from the perspective of the reader and into the page. For example, the typed pitch letters printed on
this piece of paper would remain on the outside of the page if it were an inwardly wrapped object
(see Table 37).

TABLE 37. Formation of the Cylindrical Object

Wrapping the edges away into the paper... forms a cylindrical object.

Since the pitch names that were redundant now overlap, they can be treated as the same pitch, so
that no redundancy exists.
As a cylindrical object wrapped this way, all Prime rows will occur in an upward spiral from left to
right, and all Retrograde rows will be along the same path, but in the opposite direction. Likewise,
all Inverted rows will occur in a downward spiral from left to right, and all Retrograde Inversion forms
will be along the same path, but in the opposite direction. Hence this cylindrical object contains all
the rows, traceable in any direction, from any pitch, without immediate redundancy. (If the edges of
the plane were wrapped "outwards" instead of "inwards" then the spirals of rows would occur in the
opposite direction as those described here.)
With the internal pitches of the row of The Flood, an object-graph of the important rows that
Stravinsky employs can be created, as shown in Table 38. Remember that the pitch names on the
right and left column edges are "wrapped inwards" and are thus the same pitch. Note carefully the
spiral patterns traced by the four basic rows: Prime, Retrograde, Inversion, and Retrograde
Inversion.

TABLE 38. The Flood: Significant Portion of the Wrapped Plane or Cylindrical
Object

Eb

D F

R-7 E E I-2

F Bb

A C#

B B

C C

Bb D

P-7 C# F# RI-2

G G

F# A

Ab Ab

Bb G

A A

I-7 Eb Bb R-0

F# D

E E

F F

G Eb

B F#

RI-7 C C P-0

D B

C#

C Eb

R-5 D D I-0

Eb Ab
 G B

A A

Bb Bb

Ab C

P-5 B E RI-0

F F

E G

F# F#

Ab F

G G

I-5 C# Ab R-10

E C

D D

Eb Eb

F C#

A E

RI-5 Bb Bb P-10

C A

Only one type of redundancy still remains: if the rows continue to be traced upwards or downwards,
they will eventually repeat infinitely. Table 39 shows that eventually the pitch F (and the entire
pattern afterwards) returns.

TABLE 39. The Flood: Repeating Cylindrical Object

Bb Bb
 Eb

Ab Ab

C#

F# F#

E E

D D

C C

To eliminate this redundancy, the solution involves one final wrapping: the edges of the cylinder are
connected to form a doughnut-shaped object known to mathematicians as a Torus, as shown in
Table 40. Note that for this illustration the cylinder has been rotated 90 degrees. In addition,
because of the shape of the Torus, for this example it does not matter whether the cylinder is
wrapped inwards or outwards.

TABLE 40. The formation of a Torus

Wrapping the cylindrical object... forms a Torus.

This Torus-shaped three-dimensional object contains a projection of all of the rows on its surface
that can be read in any direction with no redundancy. (For a related method of graphing
representations of intervals in three-dimensional space, see John Roeder, "A Geometric
Representation of Pitch-Class Series," in Perspectives of New Music 25:1-2 (Spring-Summer 1987):
366.)
Note that, because the object wraps left and right like a cylinder and up and down like a torus, the
following two-dimensional representation of the object for The Flood in Table 41 shows the identical
object depicted in Table 38 above.

TABLE 41. The Flood: Another Representation of the Repeating Cylindrical Object

Bb

Eb Eb

Ab

C# C#

F#

B B

E
 A A

G G

F F

Bb

The unfolded, two-dimensional mapping of the three-dimensional Torus-shaped object in Table 41

is, perhaps, the most useful way to depict the object on two-dimensional paper.

Various Intervals Create Several Different Object Types.

In the case of other twelve-tone rows, where the interval between the first and last (twelfth) pitch in
the Prime row is not the same as that in The Flood (that is, other than ic5), the objects created by
this analytical tool will be different than the Torus described above. For example, when a cylinder is
created with a row with ic2 between the first and last pitch in the Prime row, the object will wrap into
a Torus after rows beginning on only six pitches, and not all twelve as in the case of The Flood. In
other words, to graphically represent all the rows of a row with ic2 between the first and last pitches
using three-dimensional objects, two objects must be created. The first object will be based on the
Prime form of the row, and will wrap after the Prime form is reiterated at six pitch levels. The second
object will be based on the Prime form of the row transposed up (or down) one whole-step. This
second object will contain rows with the six other pitch-class levels that were not mapped on the
first object. (This will be further clarified with other illustrations below, but also refer back to Table
32.)

Objects with ic2 Between First and Last Notes in the Row

Stravinsky employs the type of row that creates two objects in A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer
(again, the first and last notes of the row are ic2). In Table 42, an intervalic representation of each
object is presented on the left next to each of the two objects that incorporate the first and last notes
from the rows of A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer. Remember that the left and right columns of
each object are wrapped in the method described above to create a cylinder, and that the upper
and lower edges of each cylinder are again wrapped to form two Torus-shaped objects.
Note that these same objects will be formed by ic2, but that the negative form (the interval -2) will
be an inverted reflection of the positive form (the interval +2). Also, note that any works with rows so
constructed will have the same starting and ending notes in their rows as those in A Sermon, a
 Narrative, and a Prayer, and hence will form identical objects, albeit with different internal row
members.
The matrix and objects for A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer are shown in an appendix. For now,
please note the relationships created by the objects formed by the beginning and ending pitches of
the row.

TABLE 42. Objects Generated by Rows with ic2 between 1 & 12

1st Object ic2 2nd Object ic2

0 0 Eb Eb +1 +1 E E

-2 C# -1 D

-4 -4 B B -3 -3 C C

6 A -5 Bb

+4 +4 G G +5 +5 Ab Ab

+2 F +3 F#

0 0 Eb Eb +1 +1 E E

Other works by Stravinsky that use rows with a ic2 between their first and last members are the
third and fourth movements of Canticum sacrum, Movements, Abraham and Isaac, and the second
series of Requiem Canticles.

Six Object Types

The different types and number of objects created by rows with different intervals between the first
and last notes are listed in Table 43. (For pertinent information regarding cycles of invariant-
transposition pitch-collections, see Richard Cohn, "Properties and Generability of Transpositionally
Invariant Sets," Journal of Music Theory 35:1-2 (Spring-Fall 1991): 6.)

TABLE 43. Row and Object Types

Interval between 1 & 12 ic1 ic2 ic3 ic4 ic5 ic6

Number of Objects 1 2 3 4 1 6

Type of Object(s) Torus Torus Torus Torus Torus Sphere

Number of Beginning and Ending Pitch Classes per 12 6 4 3 12 2

Object

Table 43 shows that a pattern is formed with the beginning and ending interval classes ic1 to ic4
and the number of Torus-shaped objects. The projection of the row with ic5 creates a single Torus-
shaped object.
When mapping rows made of ic6 (a tritone) between the first and last pitches in the row, six
Spherical objects rather than Torus-shaped objects are formed. In this case, the object contains
redundancies after only two row iterations in any direction (for example, P-0 and P-6 reiterate; as
well as I-0 and I-6), and therefore it wraps immediately in any direction, creating a Sphere.

Stravinsky's Twelve-tone Rows

Table 44 lists all of the Prime rows in all of Stravinsky's twelve-tone works, along with the interval
between the first and last pitch in each row.

TABLE 44. Intervals between the first and last members of all of Stravinsky's Rows

Title of Stravinsky's Work Prime Row (P-0) Interval between 1 & 12

Canticum, II Ab G F D F# E Eb C# Bb C B A +1

Canticum, II & IV A Ab Bb C C# B E Eb F# D F G +2

Agon, Double Pas... Eb D E F C B C# Bb Ab A G F# +3

Agon, Pas... F F# A Ab G Bb B D C# E Eb C -5

Threni Eb Ab G Bb C# A D B E C F F# +3

Movements Eb E Bb Ab A D C B C# F# G F +2

Epitaphium C# Bb Eb E C B F# F D G Ab A -4

Double Canon F# F A Ab G D C Eb E C# B Bb +4

Sermon, Narr. Prayer Eb E C D C# Bb B F# G A Ab F +2

Anthem D F# E G A Bb C B C# Eb Ab F +3

The Flood C# B C F# Eb F E D Bb A G Ab -5

Abraham & Isaac G Ab Bb C C# A B Eb D E F# F -2

Elegy Ab D C Bb E F B A G F# Eb C# +5
Fanfare Bb A B C# D C Eb F E F# Ab G -3

Variations D C A B E Bb Ab C# Eb G F# F +3

Requiem, 1st Series F G Eb E F# C# B C D A Ab Bb +5

Requiem, 2nd Series F C B A Bb D C# Eb Ab F# E G +2

Owl & Pussy-Cat D E B C# Bb Ab G A C Eb F# F +3

From this table, it can be seen that Stravinsky favors rows whose beginning and ending pitches
form ic2, ic3, and ic5. Rows of ic4 between the first and last pitches occur only twice, and ic1 rows
occur only once. Stravinsky has no rows with ic6 between the first and last pitches.

Objects with ic1 or ic5 Between First and Last Notes in the Row

The only composition in which Stravinsky uses a row with beginning and ending pitches of ic1 is the
second movement of Canticum sacrum. Stravinsky uses rows with beginning and ending pitches of
ic5 in the "Pas-de-Deux" of Agon, The Flood, Elegy, and the first series of Requiem Canticles.
Table 45 shows the objects created by rows with beginning and ending pitches of either ic1 or ic5.
Either of these types of rows form a single Torus-shaped object with twelve distinct beginning and
ending pitches.

TABLE 45. Objects Generated by Rows with ic1 or ic5 between 1 & 12

Object ic1 Canticum Sacrum, II Object ic5 The Flood

0 Ab 0 C#

-1 -1 G G +5 +5 F# F#

-2 F# -2 B

-3 -3 F F +3 +3 E E

-4 E -4 A

-5 -5 Eb Eb +1 +1 D D
 6 D 6 G

+5 +5 C# C# -1 -1 C C

+4 C +4 F

+3 +3 B B -3 -3 Bb Bb

+2 Bb +2 Eb

+1 +1 A A -5 -5 Ab Ab

0 Ab 0 C#

Objects with ic3 Between First and Last Notes in the Row

Table 46 shows the objects created by rows with ic3 between the first and last notes of the row.
This type of row creates three Torus-shaped objects, each with four distinct beginning/ending
pitches. Stravinsky uses this kind of row in the "Double Pas-de-Deux" of Agon, Threni, Anthem,
Fanfare, Variations, and The Owl and the Pussy-Cat. The table shows the objects as used in
Threni: id est lamentationes Jeremiae prophetae: the First Object contains the Prime row which
begins with Eb and ends with F#.

TABLE 46. Objects Generated by Rows with ic3 between 1 & 12

1st Object ic3 2nd Object ic3 3rd Object ic3

0 0 Eb Eb +1 +1 E E +2 +2 F F

-3 C -2 C# -1 D

6 6 A A -5 -5 Bb Bb -4 -4 B B
 +3 F# +4 G +5 Ab

0 0 Eb Eb +1 +1 E E +2 +2 F F

Objects with ic4 Between First and Last Notes in the Row

Table 47 shows the objects created by rows with ic4 between the first and last notes. When
projected, this kind of row creates four Torus-shaped objects, each with three distinct
beginning/ending pitches. The objects formed from this projection are particularly interesting
because the cylinder must be twisted to accommodate the reiteration of rows, when the Torus is
formed. The twisting takes place since at the bottom of the two-dimensional Torus representation
the row beginning or ending pitches are on the outside of the cylindrical object, and at the top of the
Torus the row beginning or ending pitches ar in the center of the cylinder. For the three-dimensional
Torus, these all meet up at one point.
Stravinsky uses rows with intervals of ic4 between the first and last notes in only two short works:
Epitaphium and Double Canon. Table 47 shows the objects for Double Canon: the First Object
contains P-0, which begins with F# and ends with Bb.

TABLE 47. Objects Generated by Rows with ic4 between 1 & 12

1st Object ic4 2nd Object ic4

0 F# +1 G

-4 -4 D D -3 -3 Eb Eb

+4 Bb +5 B

0 0 F# F# +1 +1 G G

3rd Object ic4 4th Object ic4

 +2 Ab +3 A

-2 -2 E E -1 -1 F F

6 C -5 C#

+2 +2 Ab Ab +3 +3 A A

Objects with ic6 Between First and Last Notes in the Row

Although Stravinsky does not employ any rows with an interval of ic6 between the first and last
notes of the row, the objects created from this type of row are given in Table 48.

TABLE 48. Objects Generated by Rows with ic6 between 1 & 12

1st Object ic6 2nd Object ic6 3rd Object ic6 4th Object ic6 5th Object ic6 6th Object ic6

0 0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5

6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1

0 0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5

Thus far, these three-dimensional objects merely form theoretical models that are based upon row
succession in Stravinsky's twelve-tone rows. The following chapter will show how these objects can
be used to help determine formal structure and row succession, and to analyze textual-poetic
meaning in Threni.

This Document is Available for Purchase

Stravinsky's Topology. Doctoral Dissertation. Boulder, CO: University of Colordao,
2000. www.lulu.com/akuster
(C) Copyright 2000 Andrew Kuster. All Rights Reserved.

< Back Stravinsky's Topology Next >

 < Back Stravinsky's Topology Next >

CHAPTER 6
Threni: Large-Scale Musical-Poetical and Formal
Row Employment with Objects
Threni: id est lamentationes Jeremiae prophetae
Considered from any angle, Threni is a monumental work. Threni, written in 1957-58, is the largest
of any work that Stravinsky wrote after The Rake's Progress. Threni requires a huge orchestra
(2.3.3.0-4.1.3.1, sarrusophone, timpani, tam-tam, piano, celesta, harp, and strings), six soloists
(SATTBB), and a four-part mixed chorus. Although Threni is only the third composition (after
Canticum sacrum and Agon) in which Stravinsky employed twelve-tone technique, it is his first
entirely twelve-tone composition.
Stravinsky explores many aspects of twelve-tone technique in Threni. His row treatment includes
combinatoriality, set rotation, permutation, incomplete row usage, and large-scale formal row usage.
An Object-Oriented Analysis of Threni explains many of Stravinsky's row choices and their
subsequent compositional treatments.
The Prime form of the row is taken from the first aggregate sung by the soprano soloist, beginning
in M. 5. Although this row is not the initial row in the work, Stravinsky acknowledged that this form is
the Original form on which the rest of the work is based (Roman Vlad, Stravinsky (London: Oxford
University Press, 1960), 214.). The Prime form is indeed the home row of this work, since it is the
basis for the foundational rows used throughout Threni. Table 49 shows the standard twelve-tone
matrix for Threni.

TABLE 49. Threni: id est lamentationes Jeremiae prophetae (1957-58) Matrix

int: +5 -1 +3 +3 -4 +5 -3 +5 -4 +5 +1

I-0 I-5 I-4 I-7 I-10 I-6 I-11 I-8 I-1 I-9 I-2 I-3

P-0 Eb Ab G Bb C# A D B E C F F#

P-7 Bb Eb D F Ab E A F# B G C C#

P-8 B E Eb F# A F Bb G C Ab C# D
 P-5 Ab C# C Eb F# D G E A F Bb B

P-2 F Bb A C Eb B E C# F# D G Ab

P-6 A D C# E G Eb Ab F Bb F# B C

P-1 E A Ab B D Bb Eb C F C# F# G

P-4 G C B D F C# F# Eb Ab E A Bb

P-11 D G F# A C Ab C# Bb Eb B E F

P-3 F# B Bb C# E C F D G Eb Ab A

P-10 C# F# F Ab B G C A D Bb Eb E

P-9 C F E G Bb F# B Ab C# A D Eb

The row, which has ic3 between the first and last pitches, creates three Torus-shaped objects when
projected. These objects are shown in Table 50 (First Object), Table 51 (Second Object), and Table
52 (Third Object).

TABLE 50. Row Use in Stravinsky's Threni: First Object ic3

A A

E Ab

F Eb

I-6 D G R-3

B D
 Eb F

Bb C

C# E

Ab C#

RI-6 C Bb P-3

G B

foundational F# extended

rows F C# foundational

P-0, R-0, R-0 C D I-3 rows

I-0, RI-6 E B also include

B Ab RI-3 and R-9

D C

A G

C# Bb

P-0 Bb F RI-3

G A

Ab E

Eb Eb

Bb D

B A

I-0 Ab C# R-9

F Ab

A B

E F#

G Bb

D G

RI-0 F# E P-9

C# F

C
 B G

R-6 F# Ab I-9

Bb F

F D

Ab F#

Eb C#

G E

P-6 E B RI-9

C# Eb

D Bb

A A

TABLE 51. Row Use in Stravinsky's Threni: Second Object ic3

Bb Bb

F A

F# E

I-7 Eb Ab R-4

C Eb

E F#

B C#

D F

A D

RI-7 C# B P-4

Ab C

G
 F# D

R-1 C# Eb I-4

F C

C A

Eb C#

Bb Ab

D B

P-1 B F# RI-4

Ab Bb

A F

E E

B Eb

C Bb

I-1 A D R-10

F# A

Bb C

F G

Ab B

Eb Ab

RI-1 G F P-10

D F#

C#

C Ab

R-7 G A I-10

B F#

F# Eb

A G

E D

Ab F
 P-7 F C RI-10

D E

Eb B

Bb Bb

TABLE 52. Row Use in Stravinsky's Threni: Third Object ic3

B B

F# Bb

G F

I-8 E A R-5

C# E

F G

C D

Eb F#

Bb Eb

RI-8 D C P-5

A C#

Ab

G Eb

R-2 D E I-5

F# C#

C# Bb

E D

B A

Eb C
 P-2 C G RI-5

A B

Bb F#

F F

C E

C# B

I-2 Bb Eb R-11

G Bb

B C#

F# Ab

A C

E A

RI-2 Ab F# P-11

Eb G

C# A

R-8 Ab Bb I-11

C G

G E

Bb Ab

F Eb

A F#

P-8 F# C# RI-11

Eb F

E C

B B

De elegia prima
 Threni consists of three large formal sections. The central section is further subdivided into three
subsections. Each of the large formal sections takes its text from a different chapter of the Biblical
book of Lamentations: "De elegia prima" sets portions of the first chapter, "De elegia tertia" parts of
the third chapter, and "De elegia quinta" selections from the fifth and last chapter.
Post-Tridentine settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah that are intended for liturgical use make
use of the words from nine lessons in the Matins of Maundy Thursday (Lamentations 1:1-5, 1:6-9,
1:10-14), Good Friday (2:8-11, 2:12-15, 3:1-9), and Holy Saturday (3:22-30, 4:1-6, 5:1-11).
Stravinsky, not intending a liturgical performance, chose the portions of Lamentations for Threni
himself based on his sense of form and drama.
However, Stravinsky does follow the liturgical tradition of setting Lamentations in one respect: he
sets the Hebrew letters. Each of the five chapters of the Biblical book of Lamentations is an acrostic
poem. In chapters one, two, and four, each line of the acrostic begins with a successive letter of the
Hebrew alphabet. Thus, each chapter has twenty-two verses, one for each Hebrew letter. Chapter
three contains sixty-six verses, every three of which begin with the same letter. Therefore chapter
three is a triple acrostic. The fifth chapter of Lamentations also has twenty-two short verses, but it is
not an alphabetic acrostic and so its translation uses no Hebrew letters. In his setting, Stravinsky
follows Roman Catholic tradition by including the Hebrew letters (except for the fifth chapter), which
were maintained in Jerome's Latin translation to show the acrostic pattern.
Table 53 presents the Latin words and King James English translation of the first movement of
Threni, "De elegia prima." Stravinsky's alterations to the Latin text are designated with square
editorial brackets [ ].

TABLE 53. "De elegia prima" Poetic Text

Latin English

Incipit Incipit lamentatio Jeremiae Prophetae. The beginning of the Lamentations of the
Prophet Jeremiah.

1:1 Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo! facta
ALEPH est quasi vidua domina gentium: princeps
provinciarum facta est sub tributo.
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of
people! How is she become as a widow! she that
was great among the nations, and princess
among the provinces, how is she become
tributary!

1:2a Plorans ploravit in nocte, et lacrimae ejus in She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are
BETH maxillis ejus on her cheeks:

1:5a HE Facti sunt hostes ejus in capite, inimici illius Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies
[ejus] locupletati sunt Quia Dominus locutus prosper; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the
est super eam propter multitudinem multitude of her transgressions.
iniquitatum ejus.

1:11b Vide, Domine, [et] considera, quoniam facta See, O Lord, and consider; for I am become vile.
CAPH sum vilis.

1:20 Vide, Domine, quoniam tribulor, venter meus
RES(H) conturbatus est, subversum est cor meum in
memet ipsa quoniam amaritudine plena sum.
Foris interfecit gladius, et domi mors similis
est.
Behold, O Lord, for I am in distress: my bowels
are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for
I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword
bereaveth, at home there is as death.

Table 54 shows the form of the first movement of Threni, "De elegia prima," listing all the rows
employed.
 TABLE 54. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed

Measures Text Vocal Rows Orchestral Rows Form

1-5 R-0 & RI-6 at once introduction

5-18 Incipit soprano solo: P-0 oboe 1 to clars: R-0

alto solo: I-0 oboe 2 to Eng. horn: R-9
Eng. horn & clars: RI-3
Trbs to bass clar: RI-6

19-22 ALEPH RI-6 with orchestra RI-6 with chorus pillar letter

23-32 Quomodo sedet Speaking I-0 A

33-41 Domina genitum I-6

42-61 Quomodo sedet tenor 1: R-0 bugle: R-0

chorus SA: R-0, RI-0 strings w/ chorus: RI-0

62-65 BETH RI-10 with orchestra RI-10 with orchestra pillar letter

66-67 Plorans ploravit tenor 1: R-0, RI-6 B

tenor 2: I-0, P-0

68-72 HE P-7 I-0 (6 & 12 from chorus) pillar letter

73-79 Facti sunt Speaking I-0 A'

80-87 Quia Dominus I-6

88-107 Facti sunt tenor 1: R-0 bugle: R-0

chorus SA: R-0, RI-0 strings w/ chorus: RI-0

108-111 CAPH from orchestral pitches P-11, RI-0, R-0 (7-1) pillar letter

112-113 Vide Domine tenor 1: R-11, I-0 B'

tenor 2: P-0, RI-5

114-119 RES(H) from orchestral pitches violin 1: P-3 pillar letter

violin 2: I-3
viola: R-0
cellos and basses: RI-6

120-132 Vide Domine Speaking I-0 A''

133-141 Foris interficit I-6

142-165 Vide Domine tenor 1: R-0 bugle: R-0

chorus SA: R-0, RI-0 strings w/ chorus: RI-0
Incipit

The first five measures of Threni are a short instrumental introduction. The oboes and first violins
play the R-0 row as the clarinets and low strings play RI-6. After the rows begin, they spread
through the orchestra. Both rows begin with the pitch F#, the last note of the Prime form of the row.
In the Incipit and throughout Threni, Stravinsky sets up F# as an important pitch and establishes the
rows beginning on F# as important forms that will recur throughout the piece. Table 55 shows the
rows used in MM. 1-5 as located on the First Object (from Table 50).

TABLE 55. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed MM. 1-5: First Object

A A

RI-6

F#

R-0

Eb Eb

A A

In MM. 5-18 the vocal and instrumental parts shift the importance from F# to Eb and to the rows
beginning and ending on Eb. This shift to Eb is brought about by the first statement of P-0 in Threni,
sung by the solo soprano, and the first statement of I-0, sung by the alto. Both P-0 and I-0 begin
with Eb. The first oboe plays R-0 (beginning on F#), the second oboe R-9 (beginning on Eb, both
oboe rows are completed by the clarinets), the clarinets RI-3 (beginning on Eb), and the trombones
RI-6 (beginning on F#). The harp and cellos double vocal pitches. Row relationships caused by the
beginning and ending pitches in the network of rows at MM. 5-18 create a solid formal base for the
entire work: the extended foundational rows all taken from the First Object. Table 56 shows the row
relationships of the extended foundational rows.

TABLE 56. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed MM. 5-18: First Object

A A

RI-6

F# extended

R-0 foundational

RI-3 rows

P-0

Eb Eb

I-0 R-9

A A

Note that the rows that Stravinsky employs in the Incipit are an extension of the same foundational
rows that he uses in the smaller twelve-tone works (P-0, R-0, I-0, and RI-6). Along with the four
foundational rows, he also includes all of the rows beginning on the first pitch of the Prime row of
the work: Eb (RI-3 and R-9, as well as P-0 and I-0 already in the foundational rows). These six
rows, related to each other by beginning and ending pitches, are the extended foundational rows for
Threni.
Stravinsky's use of these six extended foundational rows is an appropriate setting of the poetic text
in the Incipit. Just at the moment that the Incipit announces the entirety of the rest of the work "the
beginning of the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah," all the extended foundational rows are
heard at once. This simultaneous row statement solidly centers the row collections for the entire
work, as will be shown below. Also, the Incipit is formally important because the Incipit is the only
instance in Threni in which Stravinsky combines all six extended foundational rows simultaneously.

ALEPH

The first Hebrew letter, ALEPH, in MM. 19-22 uses the row RI-6. This simple row statement
demonstrates Stravinsky's typical use of the Inverted Retrograde, or the Retrograde Inversion
beginning on the last note of the Prime form (F#). Interestingly, Stravinsky opens ALEPH as he
began the opening measures of Threni, with a row beginning on F#. Table 57 illustrates RI-6 in the
First Object as employed in MM. 19-22.

TABLE 57. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed MM. 19-22: First Object

A A

RI-6

F#

Eb Eb

A A

The pitches and rows from MM. 23-61 are repeated with new text in MM. 73-107, and 120-165. The
clarinets and low strings play I-0 in MM. 23-32 as the chorus speaks the poetic text. The clarinets,
horns, and strings play I-6 in MM. 33-41. In MM. 42-61 the tenor soloist and bugle repeat R-0 as the
strings and upper voices from the chorus repeat RI-0. Again, Stravinsky uses the same foundational
rows that he employs in his smaller works. Here, Stravinsky explores all the foundational rows and
their retrogrades except for P-0. Table 58 shows the rows used from the First Object in MM. 23-61,
73-107, and 120-165.

TABLE 58. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed MM. 23-61, 73-107, & 120-
165: First Object

A A

I-6

RI-6

F# all foundational

R-0 rows and

their retrogrades

except for P-0

Eb Eb

I-0

RI-0

A A

BETH

For the letter BETH (MM. 62-65), Stravinsky employs rows outside of the First Object for the first
time in Threni. This letter, as in the previous letter ALEPH, employs just one row. Here the RI-10
row from the Second Object is used. The Second Object, the frame pitches of which are a half step
higher than the First Object, is used perhaps as a precursor to the half step motive in the top tenor
line in the following "Plorans ploravit" section ("She weepeth sore"). Table 59 shows the RI-10 row
in the Second Object as used in MM. 62-65.
TABLE 59. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed MM. 62-65: Second Object

Bb Bb

E E

C#

"she weepeth sore"

RI-10

Bb Bb

Two solo tenors sing the foundational rows from the First Object in MM. 66-67. In M. 66 the first
tenor sings R-0 and the second sings I-0; in M. 67 the first tenor sings RI-6 and the second sings P-
0. Therefore, the first tenor centers on the rows starting on F#, while the second tenor centers on
those beginning on Eb. Note the abstract symmetry of the row presentation in these two measures
as shown in Table 60: in M. 66, R-0 and I-0 both move "down" along the object (from F# to Eb to C),
whereas in M. 67, P-0 and RI-6 both move "up" along the object (from Eb to F# to A).

TABLE 60. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed MM. 66-67: First Object
 A A

RI-6 return of

tenor 1 F# foundational

R-0 rows

P-0

tenor 2 Eb Eb

I-0

A A

HE

For the first time in Threni, Stravinsky employs rows from two objects at once for the letter HE (MM.
68-72). For this third letter in the work, the vocal parts sing P-7 from the Second Object
simultaneously as the instruments play I-0 from the First Object. The instruments borrow two
pitches (6 and 12) from the vocal parts to complete their row. The departure to the Second Object
may underscore the implicit separation in text "inimici" or "enemies," because throughout Threni
Stravinsky uses rows from the Second Object when the poetic text mentions enemies. Rows from
the Second Object are not used during the singing of the actual poetic text in MM. 76 ff., because
Stravinsky uses the same music three times for different texts in MM. 23-61, 73-107, and 120-165.
Stravinsky repeats the music for his settings of ALEPH, HE, and RES(H). He sets more of the
words from these verses than the excerpts that he uses for BETH and CAPH.
The choral statement of P-7 in MM. 68-72 relates to the previous presentation of a row from the
Second Object, RI-10 in MM. 62-65, in that both rows begin on Bb.

CAPH

In the letter CAPH, MM. 108-111, Stravinsky employs a row from the Third Object for the first time
in Threni. Here the rows RI-0, R-0, and P-11 are played simultaneously in the strings, with sporadic
doubling in the vocal parts. The R-0 and RI-0 forms from the First Object both end on Eb. P-11 is
from the Third Object. Just as Stravinsky employed rows from the First and Second Objects at once
in the third letter (HE), for this letter he uses rows from the First and Third Objects. This accretion of
rows used in the letter is an example of additive progression, which Stravinsky will continue to
exploit further in Threni. As the movement progresses, and in later sections of Threni, Stravinsky
tends to move farther and farther away from the First Object and its foundational rows. Table 61
shows the rows used in MM. 108-111.

TABLE 61. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed MM. 108-111

First Object Third Object

F# Ab

R-0

Eb F

RI-0 P-11

C D

MM. 112-113 displays Stravinsky's most complicated object employment in "De elegia prima."As in
MM. 66-67, two tenors sing four rows, but the rows here are different. In M. 112, the first tenor sings
R-11 from the Third Object as the second sings P-0 from the First Object; in M. 113, the first tenor
sings I-0 from the First Object as the second sings RI-5 from the Third Object. The Object mixture
represents the furthest collectional departure in "De elegia prima." This mixture of Objects, and the
collectional discord resulting from the mixture of foreign and foundational rows, also musically
depicts the words "for I have become vile."
Table 62 and Table 63 show the rows used in MM. 112-113. The symmetry of the row presentation
is analogous to the symmetry in the previous tenor duet in M. 66-67, except in the earlier case all
the rows are from the First Object (R-0 and I-0, then RI-6 and P-0).

TABLE 62. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed MM. 112

First Object (tenor 2) Third Object (tenor 1)

 F# Ab

P-0

Eb F

R-11

C D

TABLE 63. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed MM. 113

First Object (tenor 1) Third Object (tenor 2)

F# Ab

RI-5

Eb F

I-0

C D

RES(H)

In RES(H), the final letter of "De elegia prima," Stravinsky returns to the rows of the First Object.
Similar to the Incipit (MM. 5-18), where all rows beginning on Eb were heard simultaneously, here
 for the letter RES(H) in MM. 114-119 all forms starting on F# are heard at the same time. The first
violins play P-3, the second violins I-3, the violas R-0, and the cellos and basses RI-6. The vocal
parts double pitches from the instrumental parts sporadically, as they did for CAPH (MM. 108-111).
Table 64 shows this return to the foundational forms for the last letter in this movement. The return
to the foundational rows serves as a formal closure. But, because the closure here favors F# only
and not Eb, the closure is not final. Stravinsky reserves a stronger closure for the final measures of
Threni.

TABLE 64. Threni "De elegia prima" Rows Employed MM. 114-119: First Object

A A

RI-6 P-3 all rows

F# beginning on F#

R-0 I-3

Eb Eb

A A

The opening movement of Threni ends with the third and final repeat in MM. 120-165 of the material
from the First Object first heard in MM. 23-61.

Summary of "De elegia prima"

Of all the movements in Threni, "De elegia prima" yields most readily to analysis with rows
projected onto Objects. All the rows used in "De elegia prima" are from the First Object except for
 RI-10 (BETH, MM. 62-65), P-7 (HE, MM. 68-72), P-11 (CAPH, MM. 108-111), and R-11 and RI-5
(Vide from CAPH, MM. 112-113).
Stravinsky uses rows from the Second and Third Objects for specific formal events. In the case of
"De elegia prima," Stravinsky employs rows from the Second Object for the letters BETH and HE,
and rows from the Third Object for the letter CAPH. The first and last letters in the movement,
ALEPH and RES(H), use rows from the First Object. The remainder of the movement is written
using rows from the First Object, except for Vide from CAPH (MM. 112-113), which includes rows
from both the First and Third Objects.
Appropriately, the particular rows within the Second and Third Objects that Stravinsky uses in "De
elegia prima" are related to each other by hinging on the first or last pitches of the row, as can be
seen from the examples of the objects above. The rows from the Second Object both begin on Bb
(BETH RI-10, and HE P-7). The rows from the Third Object all begin or end on F (CAPH P-11, and
Vide from CAPH R-11 and RI-5).
Structurally, the rows from the Second and Third Objects establish different regions than the
standard sets of rows in the First Object. Stravinsky's use of these regional departures using
different objects parallels the motion into different key areas in a classical tonal composition.
Stravinsky uses rows from the First Object, and especially rows beginning and ending on Eb or F#
(the first and last notes of the Prime form), as structural centers from which other rows depart, and
to which they return at the ends of movements and at important internal events. Departure into rows
in the Second and Third Objects is formally further removed than rows in the First Object. Table 65
lists the Objects used for each subsection of "De elegia prima."

TABLE 65. Objects in "De elegia prima"

Objects Beginning Row Ending Row

Measures Text
Employed Pitches Pitches

1-5 First F# Eb, A

5-18 Incipit First Eb, F# C, Eb, F#, A

19-22 ALEPH First F# A

23-61 Quomodo sedet First C, Eb, F#, A C, Eb, F#, A

62-65 BETH Second Bb C#

66-67 Plorans ploravit First Eb, F# C, Eb, F#, A

68-72 HE First and Second Eb; Bb C; C#

73-107 Facti sunt First C, Eb, F#, A C, Eb, F#, A

108-111 CAPH First and Third C, F#; D Eb; F

112-113 Vide Domine et considera First and Third Eb; F C, F#; D, Ab

114-119 RES(H) First F# Eb, A

120-165 Vide Domine quoniam First C, Eb, F#, A C, Eb, F#, A

tribulor
De elegia tertia
The harmonic structure of most large-scale tonal music diverges from the foundational or central
key area in the middle portion of the work. Analogously, the objects employed by Stravinsky in "De
elegia tertia" increasingly diverge from the foundational rows of the First Object. In addition,
however, the foundational rows are employed throughout as a formal reference and structural
foundation. "De elegia tertia" is in three sections: Querimonia, Sensus spei, and Solacium.

Querimonia

The first part of "De elegia tertia" is Querimonia or "complaint" (MM. 166-193). Querimonia is in four
sections, each consisting of the chorus singing Hebrew letters accompanied by trombones, followed
by an increasing number of soloists singing the Lamentations text (from one to four). The rows for
the chorus and trombones are from the First Object (for the possible exception of BETH, see
below). The soloists take rows from all three objects, often showing a symmetrical or otherwise
ordered method as shown in the discussion below.
Table 66 shows the rows employed in and the form of Querimonia.

TABLE 66. Threni "De elegia tertia: 1. Querimonia": Rows Employed

Measures Text Rows Form

166 ALEPH P-0 (1-5), I-0 (1-4) Monodia

167 Ego vir RI-6 rot2, P-0 rot3

videns

168 ALEPH P-0 (5-9), I-0 (5-8)

169 Me menavit R-0, I-0

170-171 ALEPH P-0 (10-12), I-0 (9-12)

172 Tantum in R-0

me

173 BETH P-1a? Canon a2

174 Vetustam Ten 1: P-0 rot1, I-6 rot1 Bass 2: P-4 rot1, I-10 rot1
fecit

175 BETH P-1b?

176 Aedificavit Ten 1: I-8 rot2, RI-3 rot2 Bass 2: I-0 rot2, RI-7 rot2

177 BETH I-0 b?

178 In tenebrosis Ten 1: P-5 (5-10), RI-0 (9-12 & 1-2), R-0 (3-12 and 2-1) Bass 2:
P-11 (5-10), RI-6 (9-12 & 1-2), R-2 (3-12 and 2-1)
179 VAU Coro SA: R-0 (1-4) Canon a3

180 Et fregit Ten 1: R-2 (9-12 & 8-7), P-0 (8-12) Bass 1:R-9 (9-12 & 8-7), P-
7 (8-12) Bass 2: R-4 (9-12 & 8-7), P-2 (8-12)

181 VAU Coro SA: R-0 (5-8)

182 Et repulsa Ten 1: P-2 (5-12, & 4-1) Bass 1: P-7 (5-12 & 4-1) Bass 2: P-0
est (5-12 & 4-1)

183 VAU Coro SA: R-0 (9-12)

184-187 Et dixi periit Ten 1: RI-10 (6-12 & 5-1) Bass 1: RI-6 (6-12 & 5-1) Bass 2: RI-
2 (6-12 & 5-1)

188 ZAIN Coro SA: P-0 (1,2,11,12) Trbs: I-0 (1-4) Canon a4,
Duplex
189 Recordare Ten 1: RI-2 rot3 Ten 2: RI-10 Bass 1: RI-6 rot3 Bass 2: RI-3

190 ZAIN Coro SA: P-0 (3-5) Trbs: I-0 (5-7)

191 Memoria Ten 1: RI-1, RI-4 Ten 2: P-4, R-4 Bass 1: P-10, R-10 Bass 2: RI-
4, RI-7

192 ZAIN Coro SA: P-0 (7-10) Trbs: I-0 (8-12)

193 Haec Ten 1: R-9 Ten 2: RI-0 rot5 Bass 1: RI-6 rot5 Bass 2: R-8
recollens

Table 67 presents the Latin words and King James English translation of the first part of "De elegia
tertia:" Querimonia. Stravinsky's alterations to the Latin text are designated with square editorial
brackets [].

TABLE 67. "De elegia tertia," Querimonia Poetic Text

Latin English

3:1-3 Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga
ALEPH indignationis ejus.
Me menavit; et adduxit in tenebris
[tenebras], et non in lucem.
Tantum in me vertit, et convertit manum
suam tota die.
I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of
his wrath.
He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but
not into light.
Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand
against me all the day.

3:4-6 Vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath
BETH meum, contrivit ossa mea. broken my bones.
Aedificavit in gyro meo et circumdedit me He hath builded against me, and compassed me
felle et labore. with gall and travail.
In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead
sempiternos. of old.

3:16-18 Et fregit ad numerum dentes meos, cibavit He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones,
VAU me cinere. he hath covered me with ashes.
Et repulsa est a pace anima mea, oblitus And thou hast removed my soul far off from
sum bonorum. peace; I forgot prosperity.
Et dixi: Periit finis meus, et spes mea a And I said, My strength and my hope is perished
Domino. from the Lord.

3:19-21 Recordare paupertatis, et transgressionis
ZAIN meae, absinthii et fellis.
Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me
anima mea.
Haec recolens in corde meo, ideo sperabo.
Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the
wormwood and the gall.
My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is
humbled in me.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

ALEPH

The first of four subsections in Querimonia is ALEPH (MM. 166-172). The letter breaks up two row
statements into three parts (MM. 166, 168, and 170-171), as the sopranos and altos sing the P-0
row and the trombones play I-0. The solo bass sings the Monodia with RI-6 rot2 and P-0 rot3 in M.
167, R-0 and I-0 in M. 169, and R-0 in M. 172. All the rows in ALEPH are from the First Object, thus
reinstating its importance as manifest in "De elegia prima" as also the central or foundational area
for "De elegia tertia." Table 68 shows the rows employed in MM. 166-172.

TABLE 68. Threni "De elegia tertia" Rows Employed MM. 166-172: First Object

A A

RI-6 return of

F# foundational

R-0 rows

P-0

Eb Eb

I-0

C
 A A

BETH

The second of the four subsections in Querimonia is BETH (MM. 173-178). The letter for this
section is set as chords (harmonically), with one note per syllable for the first two statements of the
letter (MM. 173 and 175). Therefore, the rows that Stravinsky used are extremely difficult to
determine in relation to the rest of the work. For example, M. 173 has notes that could be from
either of the hexachords P-1a or I-6a; looking for aggregates in M. 173 and 175 does not provide a
definitive row analysis. The third statement of the letter in M. 177, while containing many pitches
from the hexachord I-0b, further eludes row analysis.
The row use in the two-part canons of this section is more obvious. In M. 174 the tenor soloist sings
P-0 rot1 followed by I-6 rot1, both from the First Object. The bass follows a minor sixth below, in
canon with the tenor, singing P-4 rot1, and I-10 rot1, both rows from the Second Object. Here,
Stravinsky sets up a pattern in his object use by beginning with the First Object and ending in the
Second Object. Stravinsky's first canon in BETH, then, is an exploratory journey with no return,
beginning in one object and ending in another. Perhaps the journey to another object underscores
aging or the one-way progression of time spoken of in the words "My flesh and my skin hath made
me old."
In the second two-part canon (M. 176) the bass leads with I-0 rot2 followed by RI-7 rot2. The tenor
follows a minor sixth above, with I-8 rot2 and RI-3 rot2. Here the bass begins in the First Object (I-0)
and the tenor follows with the Third Object (I-8). The bass then leads with the Second Object (RI-7)
and the tenor concludes with the First Object (RI-3). In this manner Stravinsky sets up a complete
symmetrical journey through the objects ending with a return to the home object, perhaps to depict
the word "circumdedit" or "compassed."
In the last two-part canon (M. 178), Stravinsky explores the combinatorial possibilities of
hexachords from several rows from different objects. Stravinsky divides the hexachords not in two
halves, but internally and asymmetrically. The tenor leads the canon with P-5 (5-10), then RI-0 (9-
12 and 1-2), and finally R-0 (3-12 and 2-1). The bass follows the canon a tritone below with P-11 (5-
10), then RI-6 (9-12 and 1-2), and finally R-2 (3-12 and 2-1). In this complex mesh Stravinsky
creates many combinatorial aggregates, shown in Table 69.

TABLE 69. Threni "De elegia tertia" Aggregates formed in M. 178a

M. 178a Aggregate: Aggregate:

Aggregate: Tenor: P-5 (5-10) Tenor: RI-0 (9-12 and 1-2)

F# D G E A F Ab B Bb Eb C# C

Aggregate: Bass: P-11 (5-10) Bass: RI-6 (9-12 and 1-2)

C Ab C# Bb Eb B D F E A G F#

According to the objects, the construction is symmetrical: The tenor leads with the Third Object,
then the First Object; the bass follows with the First Object then the Third Object. This exploratory
journey begins and ends in the Third Object, and thus returns like the first two-part canon in M. 174.
At the same time, the journey ends in the Third Object. Therefore, each of these three two-part
canons ends in a different object area: The Second, then the First, and finally the Third.
Several examples of word painting occur in BETH. In M. 174 note the wide leaps for "contrivit" or
"he broke." The rows are rotated, and rotate even further away from the pure forms to underscore
the text "He built against me and encompassed me" and "he has set me in dark places." Perhaps
Stravinsky's use of combinatorial aggregates, a technique prevalent in Schoenberg and used no
where else in Threni, for the words "He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead as of old"
is a compositional homage to Schoenberg.

VAU

The third of the four subsections in Querimonia is VAU (M. 179-187). In VAU, Stravinsky uses
canon in three parts to explore different cyclic presentations of rows and hexachords. The first two
canons in VAU use rows related by ic5, the last canon by ic4. Since the objects for Threni are
generated by ic3, the three-part canons in VAU based on ic5 or ic4 engage rows from different
Objects in each voice.
The rows of the letter are R-0 in the sopranos and altos; yet difficult to determine in the trombones
due to their vertical (harmonic) note presentation.
Continuing Querimonia's pattern of adding another canonical voice for each letter, Stravinsky
presents canons in three voices in VAU. In each of the three of the canons in VAU, the vocal parts
sing rows from all three objects, one object in each voice.
A musical-poetical conjunction appears at the words "he has also broken my teeth," where
Stravinsky depicts the words with broken fragments of rows. In M. 180 the tenor leads the canon
with the hexachord R-2b (9-12 and 8-7) followed by an incomplete hexachord P-0b (8-12). Note that
D (P-0 note 7) is missing from this statement, and the same respective pitch is absent from the
following voices as well (bass 1 Ab and bass 2 Eb). Furthermore, even if these hexachords were
complete, they would not form aggregates, since two pitches repeat in each hexachord. The bass
voices follow the canon quickly each a perfect fourth below. Bass 1 sings R-9b (9-12 and 8-7)
followed by P-7b (8-12). Bass 2 sings R-4b (9-12 and 8-7) followed by P-7b (8-12).
The hexachords employed in M. 180 change objects midway through in each voice at the words
"cibavit me cinere" or "covered me with ashes." The tenor begins in the Third Object (R-2) and ends
in the First Object (P-0). The bass 1 begins in the First Object (R-9) and ends in the Second Object
(P-7). The bass 2 begins in the Second Object (R-4) and ends in the Third Object (P-2).
Additionally, the systematic row shifts in M. 180 reinforce ic5 in that the voices enter and conclude
symmetrically in descending perfect fourths. Another aspect of the symmetry in M. 180 occurs
where the first hexachord in each voice is transposed down a whole step and reversed, albeit the
order of pitches is not maintained.
In the second three-part canon (M. 182) the tenor leads with P-2 (5-12 and 4-1), followed by the
bass 1 a perfect fifth lower singing P-7 (5-12 and 4-1), and finally the bass 2 again a perfect fifth
lower singing P-0 (5-12 and 4-1). The voices end with pitches related to each other as descending
perfect fifths, and so the rows reinforce ic5 just as in M. 180. Note that the unusual row ordering
turns to retrograde for the final four pitches to depict the text "bonorum" or a return to the former
"prosperity." The tenor is in the Third Object, the bass 1 in the Second Object, and the bass 2 in the
First Object.
Like the other two three-part canons, the third three-part canon, in M. 184-187, begins with the
tenor leading, but this time each voice enters an ic4 apart. The tenor sings RI-10 (6-12 and 5-1), the
bass 1 follows a major third below with RI-6 (6-12 and 5-1), and the bass 2 finishes with RI-2 (6-12
and 5-1). The order of the pitches in each row is just as in M. 182, where the order was 5-12 and 4-
1, with the addition of a single pitch. The change of order occurs on the word "mea" or "my" for the
syllabic presentation of the text "Periit finis meus, et spes mea a Domino," or "my strength and my
hope is perished from the Lord." The tenor is in the Second Object, the bass 1 in the First Object,
and the bass 2 in the Third Object.

ZAIN
 The last of the four subsections in Querimonia is ZAIN (MM. 188-193). Again, an additive pattern of
canons is at work in Querimonia, and this final section has four voices. However, the canons here
are double canons, in which two pairs of voices sing canons simultaneously. The letter is made up
of the P-0 row in the sopranos and altos, and the I-0 row in the trombones. Returning to some of the
foundational rows is appropriate for this, the last of the four subsections in Querimonia.
In M. 189, the first canon begins in the bass 2 with RI-3 and R-9. The tenor 2 follows the first canon
a perfect fifth above with RI-10 and R-4. The second canon begins in the bass 1 part with RI-6 rot3,
followed by the tenor 1 a minor sixth above with RI-2 rot3. The first canon bass 2 is in the First
Object, the tenor 2 is in the Second Object. The second canon bass 1 is in the First Object, the
tenor 1 in the Third Object.
In M. 191, the leading and following voices exchange roles. The first canon begins in the bass 1
with P-10 and R-10, with the tenor 2 following a tritone higher with P-4 and R-4. The second canon
begins with tenor 1 singing RI-1 and RI-4, with the bass 2 following a major sixth lower with RI-4
and RI-7. All the rows here are from the Second Object, and all either begin or end on G (RI-4
spans E to G, P-4 G to Bb, R-4 Bb to G) or E (RI-1 C# to E, P-10 C# to E, R-10 E to C#, RI-4 E to
G). The unity of the rows from a single object is perhaps appropriate of "memoria" or the
"remembrance" of a previous single object-state (from the first of the four subsections ALEPH and
from "De elegia prima"), however the remembrance of the original First Object is blurred, and the
Second Object is used in its place. (Stravinsky used rows from the Second Object to depict weeping
and enemies earlier.) Remembrance is also parlayed through the row succession, in that the voices
of the second canon trace their rows back on themselves, i.e. a row is followed by its retrograde
(bass 1 P-10 to R-10, and tenor 2 P-4 to R-4).
In the previous two double canons, one leading voice started before the other, but in the final
double canon in M. 193, both canons begin at the same time. However, the voices that follow do not
enter at the same time. The first canon begins in the bass 1 with RI-6 rot5, and the tenor follows a
tritone higher with RI-0 rot5. The second canon begins in the tenor 1 with R-9, and the bass 2
follows a minor ninth below with R-8. All the rows are from the First Object except the bass 2, which
is from the Third Object. The bass 2, entering last, comes in at its pitch level and not in the First
Object as a surprise. This unexpected entry by the last voice to finish the canon enhances the
inconclusive ending of Querimonia, appropriate for the first of three parts in "De elegia tertia." In
addition, the text of this canon is set appropriately, as the words "therefore I have hope" recall the
First Object. However, the setting is incomplete and tainted by the bass' single statement of the
Third Object.
Just as in "De elegia prima," here Stravinsky uses the rows in the Second and Third Objects to
establish different regions from the foundational rows in the First Object. In Querimonia Stravinsky
sets the Hebrew letters with rows from the First Object (with the possible exception of BETH). The
canons explore interval relationships outside of ic3, on which the Objects for Threni are based. At
the same time, however, Stravinsky maintains a balance between which Objects are used
simultaneously and in succession. Table 70 lists the Objects used for Querimonia.

TABLE 70. Objects in "De elegia tertia," Querimonia

Measures Text Objects Employed

166, 168, 170-171 ALEPH First

167 Ego vir videns First

169 Me menavit First

172 Tantum in me First

173, 175, 177 BETH First and/or Second (?)

174 Vetustam fecit First and Second

176 Aedificavit First, Second, and Third

178 In tenebrosis First and Third

179, 181, 183 VAU First

180 Et fregit First, Second, and Third

182 Et repulsa est First, Second, and Third

184-187 Et dixi periit First, Second, and Third

188, 190, 192 ZAIN First

189 Recordare First, Second, and Third

191 Memoria Second

193 Haec recollens First and Third

Sensus spei

The second of the three parts of "De elegia tertia" is Sensus spei or "Perceiving hope" (MM. 166-
193). Sensus spei is a setting of eight Hebrew letters and their corresponding Lamentations text
from chapter three of the Biblical book of Lamentations. Chapter three, the triple acrostic, contains
sixty-six verses of text in comparison with the twenty-two verses of the other four chapters of
Lamentations. Formally, Stravinsky sets aside the strict additive canons of Querimonia in favor of a
large-scale formal structure made up of three statements of each of the eight letters. In between the
statements of the letters, Stravinsky inserts the Lamentations text in various methods with a timbral
palate of much greater variety than any heard thus far in Threni.
Table 71 presents the Latin words and King James English translation of the second part of "De
elegia tertia:" Sensus spei. Stravinsky's alterations of the Latin text are designated with square
editorial brackets [].

TABLE 71. "De elegia tertia," Sensus spei Poetic Text

Latin English

3:22-24 Misericordiae Domini, quia non sumus
HETH consumpti; quia non defecerunt miserationes
ejus.
Novae [Novi] diluculo, multa est fides tua.
Pars mea Dominus, dixit anima mea; propterea
expectabo eum.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not
consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy
faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul;
therefore will I hope in him.

3:25-27 Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animae The Lord is good unto them that wait for him,
TETH quaerenti illum. to the soul that seeketh him.
Bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare It is good that a man should both hope and
Domini [Dei]. quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
 Bonum est viro, cum portaverit jugum ab It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in
adulescentia sua. his youth.

3:34-36 Ut contereret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the
LAMED terrae; earth,
ut declinaret iudicium viri in conspectu vultus To turn aside the right of a man before the
Altissimi; face of the most High,
ut perverteret hominem in judicio suo, Dominus To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord
ignoravit. approveth not.

3:40-42 Scrutemur vias nostras, et quaeramus, et
NUN revertamur ad Dominum.
Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad
Dominum in caelos [coelos].
Nos inique egimus, et ad iracundiam
provocavimus; idcirco tu inexorabilis es.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again
to the Lord.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto
God in the heavens.
We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou
hast not pardoned.

3:43-45 Operuisti in furore, et percussisti nos, occidisti, Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted
SAMECH nec pepercisti. us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that
Eradicationem et abjectionem posuisti me in our prayer should not pass through.
medio populorum. Thou hast made us as the off scouring and
refuse in the midst of the people.

3:49-51 Oculus meus afflictus est, nec tacuit, eo quod Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not,
AIN non esset requies. without any intermission.
Donec respiceret et videret Dominus de caelis Till the Lord look down, and behold from
[coelis] heaven.
Oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all
cunctis filiabus urbis meae. the daughters of my city.

3:52-54 Venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird,
TSADE gratis. without cause.
Lapsa est in lacu [lacum] vita mea, et posuerunt They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and
lapidem super me. cast a stone upon me.
Inundaverunt aquae super caput meum; dixi: Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I
perii. am cut off.

3:55-57 Invocavi nomen tuum, Domine, de lacis I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the
COPH novissimis [novissimo]. low dungeon.
Vocem meam audisti; ne avertas aurem tuam a Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear
singultu meo et clamoribus. at my breathing, at my cry.
Appropinquasti in die quando invocavi te; Thou drewest near in the day that I called
dixisti: Ne timeas. upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.

The Hebrew letters of Sensus spei employ pitches, one or two at a time, from a single row (RI-3).
The row is from the First Object and is significant because of its relationship to P-0: both rows begin
on Eb and end on F#. RI-3 is also one of the extended foundational rows Stravinsky used in the
Incipit. Table 72 lists all the rows employed in Sensus spei.

TABLE 72. Threni "De elegia tertia: 2. Sensus spei" Rows Employed

Measures Letter Rows

194-197 HETH, I-0, RI-6 rot2
RI-3 (1)
197-199 I-0

200-203 RI-6

204-209 TETH, Alto: I-2 (1-4), Ten 1: P-9 (5-12), Cls: I-0
RI-3 (2)
209-214 Alto: I-2 (1-4), Ten 1: P-9 (5-12), Cls: I-0

214-216 Alto: I-2 (1-4)

217-223 LAMED, Bass 2: P-7 (1-4), Ten 1: I-11 (5-12), Cls: RI-5 (no G, 4)
RI-3 (3-4)
220-228 Bass 2: P-7 (1-4), Ten 1: I-11 (5-12), Cls: RI-5 (no G, 4)

225-230 Bass 2: P-7 (1-4), Ten 1: I-11 (5-12), Cls: RI-5 (no G, 4; or Ab, 12)

231-234 NUN, Coro S & A1: R-0, Coro A2 & T: I-0, Trbs to strs: P-0, Harp & Strs to cls: I-0 (1-
RI-3 (5) 3), RI-6

235-238 Coro S & A1: R-0, Coro A2 & T: I-0, Trbs to strs: P-0, Harp & Strs to cls: I-0 (1-
3), RI-6

238-245 Voices: RI-6, Orch: I-0 (1-3)

246-248 SAMECH, Ten 1: R-0 (1-6), Coro SA: P-0 (7-12)

RI-3 (6-7)
249-252 Bass 2: RI-6 (1-6), Coro SA: RI-0 (7-12)

252-259 Ten 1: RI-6 (1-5), R-0 (1-6), I-0 (1-8), P-3 rot5, P-0 rot9 (alt.)

260-267 AIN, Coro SA: R-9, Ten 1 & Bass 2: R-9 (3,2,1,12,11,10)
RI-3 (8-9)
267-274 Coro SA: R-9, Ten 1 & Bass 2: R-9 (3,2,1,12,11,10)

274-281 Coro SA: R-9, Ten 1 & Bass 2: R-9 (3,2,1,12,11,10)

282-290 TSADE, Alto: RI-6, Ten 1: R-5

RI-3 (10-
291-300 11) Sop: R-0, Alto: P-11, Ten 1: I-0

301-308 Sop: I-0, Alto: RI-5, Ten 1: P-11, Bass 2: I-1

309 Mixed row ends R-9 (10-12), RI-4 (10-12), R-5 (12-10), I-0 (1-3), etc. All pitches
but A.

310-313 COPH, Sop: R-1, Alt: I-1, Vc: P-1

RI-3 (12)
314-318 Sop: R-1, Alt: I-1, Ten 1: I-1, Vc: P-1, Cb: Eb & F not with other rows

318-320 Bass 2: I-1

321 Mixed rows as 309, but with additional chord including A.

HETH

As in the beginning of "De elegia prima" and "De elegia tertia", Stravinsky generally opens formal
sections with rows from the First Object. HETH, the beginning of Sensus spei, is no exception. In
the Latin text for MM. 194-203, the rows used are I-0, RI-6 rot2, and RI-6. In contrast with the
previous section's sorrowful message, two of the four foundational rows from the First Object are
appropriately used here where the words concern mercy and compassion. (The foundational rows
are P-0, R-0, I-0, and, in Threni, RI-6.)

TETH

In TETH (MM. 204-216), rows from two objects are combined symmetrically. The alto soloist sings
I-2 (1-4) from the Third Object, followed by the tenor soloist P-9 (5-12) from the First Object. Note
that these row segments do not form an aggregate, since C# and F# are in both rows. The clarinets
play I-0. The rows and Objects are shared in a similar manner to those shared previously in MM.
182 and 184. Table 73 shows the palindromic symmetrical structure of row presentation.

TABLE 73. Threni "De elegia tertia" Row presentation in M. 205-216

MM. 205-207 207-211 209-212 211-214 214-216

Alto: (3rd Object) I-2 (1-4) I-2 (1-4) I-2 (1-4)

Tenor: (1st Object) P-9 (5-12) P-9 (5-12)

Clarinets: (1st Object) I-0 I-0

LAMED

Like TETH, LAMED (MM. 217-230) also employs fragments of rows from two objects, one fragment
of four pitches and the other of eight. In the case of LAMED, the bass sings P-7 (1-4), the tenor
sings I-11 (5-12), and the instruments play RI-5 with no fourth pitch (G). Here the bass's P-7 is from
the Second Object, and the I-11 and RI-5 are from the Third Object.
Most likely, Stravinsky creates the parallel between TETH and LAMED because each of the sets of
three verses in these sections begins with the same or similar word. The verses in TETH begin
"Bonus est," "Bonum est," and "Bonum est." The verses in LAMED each begin with "Ut." Fittingly,
this word repetition is not unusual, because the structure of the text in the third chapter of
Lamentations is a triple acrostic, with three successive lines beginning with the first letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, and the next three lines beginning with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet,
and so on through the 22 letters. In the cases of TETH and LAMED, Stravinsky capitalized on the
similarity of the words in the Latin translation by incorporating them into his form.

NUN

Stravinsky returns to the four foundational rows from the First Object and presents them
simultaneously for "return again to the Lord" in NUN (MM. 231-245). Rows are employed identically
in the first two verses (MM. 231-234 and 235-238). The chorus soprano and alto 1 parts sing R-0,
the alto 2 and tenor parts sing I-0. P-0 begins in the trombones and is passed to the celeste, violas,
and cellos. After an initial chord of I-0 (1-3) in the harp and contrabass, the low strings and clarinets
play RI-6. The third verse (MM. 239-245), however, is different in that all the vocal parts sing RI-6,
as the instruments play I-0 (1-3).

SAMECH

In SAMECH (MM. 246-259), the rows are fragmented into hexachords and obscured in reference to
the words from Lamentations: "Thou hast covered thyself." In addition, row statements further
fragment into even smaller units for the text "Thou hast made us as the off scouring and refuse in
the midst of the people." The section begins (MM. 246-249) with a tenor soloist singing R-0 (1-6)
followed by the sopranos and altos in the chorus each singing P-0 (7-12) at a different rate and
contour. Note that all three of these voices sing the same six pitches, albeit the chorus parts are in
reverse order of the tenor part. The section continues with a bass soloist singing RI-6 (1-6) followed
by the sopranos and altos in the chorus each singing RI-0 (7-12) at a different rate and contour. Up
to this point, SAMECH has consisted of hexachords from the foundational forms of the First Object.
The final part of SAMECH (MM. 252-259), however, employs fragments from all four foundational
forms. The tenor soloist begins with RI-6 (1-5), R-0 (1-6), and I-0 (1-8). Then the instruments enter
with P-3 rot5, and the bass soloist sings an altered form of P-0, which is mis-ordered (3, 9, 11, 12,
1, 2, 11, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 in contrabass) and contains all the notes for an aggregate save C (10). This
order is close to a P-0 rot9. Possibly the first two pitches were transcribed from the treble clef, and
should have been E and C (9 and 10), and the F (11) in M. 258 should have been a G.
Nevertheless, the wrong-ordering in the score seems to convey the words about the individual's a
lienation from society.

AIN

AIN (MM. 260-281) employs a single row from the First Object, R-9. The row is first sung by the
soprano and alto soloists, and the tenor and bass soloists answer with a hexachord made of the
outer notes from the row (3, 2, 1, 12, 11, 10). This row use repeats two more times in this section.
Note that the direction of the voices and their melodic lines from high to low depicts "till the Lord
look down and behold from heaven."
The three letters NUN, SAMECH, and AIN all use rows from the First Object. The compositional
procedure in these three letters displays a logical progression. In NUN the full rows are presented in
a clear and straightforward manner. In SAMECH the rows are obscured through hexachordal and
fragmented presentation. Finally, in AIN a single row is employed for the entire section. It seems as
if the First Object hereby is progressively refined from many rows into one in a manner akin with
putrefaction in alchemy, where purity is obtained only after decomposition. This row refinement is
appropriate for the progression into the depiction of the eye that observes contemporary injustice
depicted in the words of AIN.

TSADE

The dramatic narrative shifts to "enemies" and "affliction" in TSADE (MM. 282-309). The subject
matter in TSADE is similar to the subject matter in Querimonia, and the presentation in TSADE is
again imitative, albeit now as fugal subjects rather than strict canons. In addition, like Querimonia
the subsections here are formally additive--the first subsection for two voices, the second for three
voices, and the third for four. The first subsection (MM. 282-290) begins with the alto soloist singing
RI-6 from the First Object, and the tenor following with R-5 from the Third Object. The second
subsection begins with the soprano soloist singing R-0 from the First Object, followed by the tenor
singing I-0 from the First Object, and the alto singing P-11 from the Third Object. Thus far, the RI-6
and R-0 (First Object) initial entrances each become mirrored by the following statements of their
retrogrades, transposed (degenerated) a whole step down: R-5 and P-11 (Third Object). Perhaps to
balance the statements of the First and Third Objects of the first two subsections of TSADE, the
third subsection (MM. 301-309) begins with the bass singing I-1 from the Second Object. The other
voices sing rows that were already heard in TSADE: the alto sings RI-5, the soprano I-0, and the
tenor P-11. Here Stravinsky's row selection seems to portray the lone bass (first hearing of the
Second Object in TSADE) over which, according to the poetic text, flows the waters in the other
voices, which are singing previously stated forms.
 The last measure in TSADE (M. 309) consists of a variety of incomplete row fragments (trichords),
depicting the text "I am cut off." The measure contains all the notes of the aggregate except A.

COPH

COPH (MM. 310-321) closes Sensus spei by using rows from the Second Object centered on E. In
the first of three subsections (MM. 310-313) the soprano soloist sings R-1, the alto soloist sings I-1,
and a cello solo plays P-1. In the second subsection the soprano sings R-1, the alto and tenor both
sing I-1 at different rates and contours, and the cello soloist again plays P-1. In the third subsection,
the bass sings I-1 alone, as he did at the end of TSADE, forming a formal link between the two final
letters of "Sensus spei."
The curious contrabass pizzicati in MM. 317-318, Eb and F, seem to be related to nothing else in
Threni and do not double any other rows. Perhaps they portray the "cry" of the text by playing the
first notes of rows from the First and Third Objects in contrast with all the other rows used in COPH,
which are from the Second Object.
Sensus spei closes in M. 321 with a restatement of the row fragments from M. 309. Here, with the
text "fear not," the trichords heard previously are extended by one note into tetrachords, forming a
complete aggregate.
Table 74 lists the Objects used for Sensus spei.

TABLE 74. Objects in "De elegia tertia," Sensus spei

Measures Text Objects Employed

194-203 HETH First

204-216 TETH First and Third

217-230 LAMED Second and Third

231-245 NUN First

246-259 SAMECH First

260-281 AIN First

282-309 TSADE First, Second, and Third

310-321 COPH Second

Solacium

The final subsection of "De elegia tertia" is Solacium, or "Compensation." As in the previous two
subsections of "De elegia tertia," Solacium is structured around three repetitions of the Hebrew
letter texts sung by the chorus. In this section, three letters are each repeated three times.
Following each letter, the Latin text is sung by soloists as well as the chorus.
Table 75 presents the Latin words and King James English translation of the first part of "De elegia
tertia:" Solacium. Stravinsky's alterations of the Latin text are designated with square editorial
brackets [].
 TABLE 75. "De elegia tertia," Solacium Poetic Text

Latin English

3:58- Judicasti, Domine, causam animae meae, O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul;
60 redemptor vitae meae. thou hast redeemed my life.
RES(H) Vidisti, Domine, iniquitatem [illorum] O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my
adversum me iudicium meum. cause.
Vidisti omnem furorem universas cogitationes Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their
eorum adversum me. imaginations against me.

3:61- Audisti obprobria eorum Domine omnes
63 cogitationes eorum adversum me.
SIN Labia insurgentium mihi et meditationes eorum
adversum me tota die.
Sessionem eorum, et resurrectionem eorum
vide ego sum psalmus eorum.
Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, and all
their imaginations against me.
The lips of those that rose up against me, and
their device against me all the day.
Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I
am their music.

3:64- Reddes eis vicem, Domine, juxta opera Render unto them a recompense, O Lord,
66 manuum suarum. according to the work of their hands.
THAU Dabis eis scutum cordis, laborem tuum. Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.
Persequeris in furore, et conteres eos sub caelis Persecute and destroy them in anger from under
[coelis], Domine. the heavens of the Lord.

All of the rows used here for the Hebrew letters are from the First Object. RES(H) employs both P-0
and I-0 forms; SIN uses RI-6; and THAU uses I-0 forms. The rows used for the Latin text are from
all three objects, but are employed to create a symmetrical formal structure. Furthermore,
Stravinsky depicts the words musically in the permutated rows in SIN, the central part of Solacium.
The rows employed for Solacium as well as the formal structure are shown in Table 76.

TABLE 76. Threni "De elegia tertia: 3. Solacium" Rows Employed

Measures Text Vocal Rows Orchestral Rows

322 RES(H) P-0 (1-6), I-0 (1-4)

323-327 Judicasti Domine Sop: R-0, I-0 Alto: I-5, R-5 P-0 rot3, RI-0

328 RES(H) P-0 (4-7), I-0 (5-7)

329-335 Vidisti Domine Sop: I-0, RI-6 Alto: RI-1, I-7 P-0 rot3, RI-0

336 RES(H) P-0 (8-12), I-0 (8-12)

337-343 Vidisti omnem Sop: R-11, RI-9 Alto: I-2, P-11 P-0 rot3, RI-0

344 SIN RI-6 (1-6)

345-347 Audisti Ten 1: RI-6 Permutated R-0 Permutated

Bass 1: R-0 Permutated
348 SIN RI-6 (4-9)

349-352 Labia Ten 1: R-0 Permutated I-5 Permutated?

Bass 1: RI-6 Permutated

353 SIN RI-6 (8-12, 1-2)

354-357 Ego sum Ten 1: R-0 Permutated I-5 Permutated? I-8 (8-11)
Bass 1: RI-6 Permutated

358-359 THAU I-0 (1-4) R-0 (1-4)

360-366 Reddes eis Sop & Ten: P-11, RI-5

Alto: I-11 Bass: R-0, I-6 (6-12)

367-368 THAU I-0 (5-8) R-0 (5-8)

369-375 Dabis eis Sop: P-2 Alto & Bass 2: P-0, RI-6
Ten: RI-6 (7-12), RI-0 (7-12)

376-377 THAU I-0 (9-12) R-0 (9-12)

378-383 Persequeris Sop & Ten: P-1 (alt.), RI-7

Alto: RI-0 (1-4), R-6 (5-12) Bass: I-10

The outer two parts of Solacium, RES(H) and THAU, are pseudo-reflections of each other in terms
of row use. The rows used are related to each other, but are transformed either by Retrograde or
Inversion. The row relationships are shown in Table 77. The rows in the Second Object are
connected by solid arrows, and the rows in the Third Object are connected by dashed arrows.

TABLE 77. Quasi-symmetrical row qualities in the outer parts of Threni "Solacium"

RES(H) THAU

MM. Sop R-0 P-11 Sop & Ten MM.

323-327 " I-0 I-5 RI-5 " 360-366
Alt R-5 I-11 Alt
" R-0 Bass
I-6 (6-12) "

329-335 Sop I-0 P-2 Sop 366-375

" RI-6 P-0 Alt & Bass
Alt: RI-1 RI-6 "
" I-7 RI-6 (7-12) Ten
RI-0 (7-12) "

337-343 Sop R-11 P-1 (alt 2) Sop & Ten 378-383

" RI-9 RI-7 "
Alt I-2 RI-0 (1-4) Alt
" P-11 R-6 (5-12) "
I-10 Bass
 The first and second parts of RES(H) as well as the first and second parts of THAU use rows from
the First and Third Objects; the second part of RES(H) and the last part of THAU use rows from the
First and Second Objects. Like Querimonia, the ending of THAU includes an additional row that
does not formally close the work. In MM. 378 ff. of THAU, the I-10 row in the Bass from the Second
Object has no analogous similar Second Object statement in RES(H). Therefore, Solacium finishes
incompletely and points forward formally to "De elegia quinta." (Note that in the first part of RES(H)
two rows from the Third Object (I-5 and R-5) balance with one row in the first part of THAU (RI-5). In
the sense that RES(H) has one more row from the Third Object than THAU, and THAU has one
more from the Second than RES(H), the formal parts balance. Even so, RES(H) has no rows
balancing I-10.)
In SIN, the central section, rows from the First Object are permutated -- in this case ordered by
increasing odd and decreasing even ordinal members (i.e., 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2) -- an
imaginative device to underscore the "device" mentioned in Lamentations 3:61-62, "Thou hast
heard their reproach, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me. The lips of those that rose up
against me, and their device against me all the day."

De elegia quinta
The last section of Threni is "De elegia quinta," the fifth chapter of Lamentations. Unlike all the
previous sections in Threni, "De elegia quinta" does not contain statements of Hebrew letters. This
final part of Threni also is much shorter than either "De elegia prima" or "De elegia tertia."
Table 78 presents the Latin words and King James English translation of the first part of "De elegia
quinta." Stravinsky's alterations to the Latin text are designated with square editorial brackets [].

TABLE 78. "De elegia quinta" Poetic Text

Latin English

Oratio Oratio Jeremiae Prophetae. The prayer of the Prophet Jeremiah.

5:1 Recordare, Domine, quid acciderit nobis; intuere et respice Remember, O Lord, what is come upon
obprobrium nostrum. us; consider, and behold our reproach.

5:19 Tu autem, Domnine, in aeternum permanebis, solium tuum Thou, O Lord, remainst for ever; thy
in generatione et generatione [generationem et throne from generation to generation.
generationem].

5:21 Converte nos, Domine, ad te, et convertemur; innova dies Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we
nostros, sicut a principio. shall be turned; renew our days as of
old.

The form and row use of "De elegia quinta" are shown in Table 79.

TABLE 79. Threni "De elegia quinta" Rows Employed

Measures Text Vocal Rows Orchestral Rows

384 Oratio Bass 1: I-0

Bass 2: P-0

385-390 Recordare I-6 rot1 R-1

390-404 Tu autem Alto & Ten 2: RI-2 P-6, P-0
Ten 1: RI-2

405-411 Converte nos P-0 Permutated Hn 1: RI-3

Row mixture Hn2 & hp: RI-8

412-419 Innova dies Sop: R-0 Alto: P-0 I-0, R-9, RI-6, P-3
Ten: RI-0 Bass: I-6 Rows shared. Rows shared.

The "Oratio" in M. 384 recalls the Incipit at the opening of Threni. The P-0 and I-0 rows are sung
simultaneously, a return of the foundational rows from the First Object.
In MM. 385-390, the spoken choral text recalls MM. 27 ff. from "De elegia prima." Appropriately, the
aural recollection aptly depicts the words "Remember, O Lord, which is come upon us."
In MM. 390-404, the words "You, O Lord, remain for ever. You alone from generation to generation"
are depicted both musically and graphically. Beginning in M. 395, the Tenor I soloist sings RI-2 from
the Third Object as the Alto and Tenor II soloists, printed and sounding above and below the Tenor
I, share members in another statement of the same row. Therefore the pitches of the Tenor I row
literally remain with those in the row shared by the Alto and Tenor II. At the same time, beginning in
M. 391 the orchestra plays P-6 and P-0 from the First Object, perhaps reflecting the steadfastness
and eternal unchangeableness of God.
In M. 405-411 rows are broken up and permutated to depict the words "Turn thou us unto thee, O
Lord, and we shall be turned." The Soprano and Tenor parts in the chorus share a chopped up P-0
(Soprano has pitches 1, 11, 3, 4, 8, 6, 7, 9; Tenor has pitches 12, 2, 9, 6, 5, 7). The horns play RI-3
and RI-8 from the First and Third Objects. Perhaps the opening trill in the first horn paints the word
"converte," or "turn."
Stravinsky creates a fascinating formal conclusion in the last bars of Threni (MM. 412-419). As
might be expected, all the rows are from the First Object. The vocal parts sing rows from the
foundational rows, all of which end on either Eb or F#, the first and last notes of the Prime row. The
rows played by the horns begin on F# or Eb, but end on A or C. Table 80 shows that the vocal parts
sing rows "towards" the Prime row beginning and ending pitches, whereas the horns play rows
"away from" the Prime row beginning and ending pitches. In this manner, Stravinsky depicts the
final words "renew our days as of old," closing the work conclusively and solidly in the First Object.

TABLE 80. Threni MM. 412-419, Final measures.

Vocal Rows "Towards" P-0 Horn Rows "Away From" P-0

A A A A

I-6

RI-6 P-3

F# F#

R-0
 P-0

Eb Eb Eb Eb

I-0 R-9

RI-0

C C

A A A A

Threni: Conclusion
As demonstrated above, Stravinsky experimented with twelve-tone compositional techniques in
Threni to a greater degree of complexity and a greater extent than in his shorter twelve-tone works.
His row treatment included combinatoriality, set rotation, permutation, incomplete row usage, and
large-scale formal row usage. His compositional choices maintained a close relationship with the
meaning of the poetic text. In addition, analysis with rows projected onto three-dimensional objects
aids in the explanation of many of Stravinsky's row choices for and within the individual formal
sections, as well as the distinction of much of the overall structure of Threni. Stravinsky ensures the
overall cohesion of this monumental work with the varying forms of, and the compositional usage of,
the foundational rows from the First Object. These foundational forms are the structural frame
around which the whole work is constructed.

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CHAPTER 7
Conclusion: Applications of Object-Oriented
Analysis for the Conductor
Stravinsky and Objects
Although Stravinsky himself most likely did not realize the topographical implications of his row
succession, certainly he crafted his twelve-tone works with specific rows (such as the foundational
rows) for structural and poetic-expressive effects that can be explained by Object-Oriented analysis.
In his shorter twelve-tone works (Epitaphium, Anthem, Elegy for J. F. K., Fanfare for a New Theater,
and The Owl and the Pussy-Cat), Stravinsky employed the foundational rows, i.e. the Prime,
Retrograde, Inversion, and Inverted Retrograde, all of which link or hinge on the first and last notes
of the Prime form. In Stravinsky's larger works that use many more rows, such as The Flood and
Threni, he still employed rows related to each other by their first and last pitches. These rows,
linked and wrapped efficiently and without redundancy, form Torus-shaped or Spherical Objects,
which are useful in analysis. Moreover, Stravinsky often used particular rows or Objects to enhance
the meaning of the poetry and to create large- and small-scale structure.

Object-Oriented Analysis and the Conductor

How can Object-Oriented analysis help the conductor to rehearse a Stravinsky twelve-tone work
more efficiently and to perform a work with a greater understanding of formal and musical-poetical
effects? Teaching the performers the pertinent rows, their transpositions, and their canonical
manipulation can help the singers when the rows recur melodically or in significant formal areas. In
addition, teaching the performers not only where and how Stravinsky employs unusual row
formations (such as permutations or misorderings), where he strays to rows from outside of the
foundational rows, and, most importantly, how these musical events enhance the dramatic
progression of a poetic text, will give the performer a greater understanding of the drama and
elevate the level of musical presentation of the poetry in performance. Significantly, because of the
varying complexities in Stravinsky's twelve-tone music, the teaching techniques used for different
pieces must also vary. Therefore, the remainder of this chapter will suggest possible approaches for
the conductor to apply Object-Oriented analysis to Stravinsky's short work Anthem, and the longer
Threni.

Anthem
Because Anthem is an unaccompanied work that employs only the four foundational rows, and
because these four rows are repeated often in all four voice parts, the conductor can prepare this
work by teaching the foundational rows to the performers. In addition, the conductor can explain the
form and musical-poetical effects based on Stravinsky's row usage.

Teaching Linked Foundational Rows

Following a brief summary of the traditional practice of the twelve-tone system as a compositional
technique, the conductor can teach the foundational rows a number of ways. Singing rows can be
incorporated into a choir's warm-up. The row can be chromatically respelled when doing so to aid
the choir. Perhaps the simplest way of teaching the rows for Anthem would be to write the Prime
row on a chalkboard and practice singing it forwards and backwards. Doing so would teach both the
P-0 and R-0 rows. The I-0 and RI-6 rows could also be written on the board, the I-0 form visually
below the P-0 form, and the RI-6 form visually to the right of the P-0 form. The conductor should
note that the I-0 form and the RI-6 forms are related by transposition and retrograde order. In
addition, the conductor should show that the I-0 and RI-6 rows link from the first and last notes of
the Prime form. The I-0 form shares its first pitch with the P-0 form, and the RI-6 form shares its first
pitch with the R-0 form.
 After the four main rows are introduced, the conductor can progress by singing two connected
forms together. For example, the P-0 form connects with the RI-6 form by a shared linking note (as
in the alto part MM. 1-8, and tenor MM. 26-33). Also, the R-0 and I-0 forms link (as in the soprano
MM. 15-25 and 33-43), and the P-0 and R-0 forms link (as in the bass MM. 15-25 and 33-43).
After the choir is able to sing two linked rows, the conductor might begin to teach two voices at
once. For example, from MM. 1-8 the tenors and altos could sing the alto part (in their own range)
as the sopranos and basses sing the soprano part (in their own range). The same could then be
done in MM. 26-33, this time the sopranos singing the bass part in their own range, and the altos
joining the tenors.
Finally, based on the his or her previous preparation, the conductor can teach the most complicated
sections where four rows occur melodically at once.

Teaching the Form

As the notes are learned, the conductor can underscore the A-B-A'-B' form of the work, and also
point out places where and why Stravinsky breaks the row orders, as detailed above in the chapter
"Simple Application of Stravinsky's Method in His Short Works."

Threni
Whereas Anthem only employs four closely related rows, Threni uses many rows at various levels
of transposition, and uses row collections, objects, both musical-poetically and formally. Therefore,
Threni is even more suited to being taught with the lessons learned by Object-Oriented analysis
than Anthem.

Teaching the foundational rows from the First Object

The role of the soloists and that of the chorus is often distinct in Threni. Quite often the soloists bear
the Lamentations text, which requires more pitches and, therefore, rows, whereas the chorus
interjects with the Hebrew letters. Rows are most often employed melodically in their entirety by
solo voices. The Prime and Inversion forms are first presented by the solo Soprano and Alto in MM.
5-18. Two Bass soloists sing the identical rows simply and plainly at the beginning of "De elegia
quinta" in MM. 384. Despite the importance of the rows that the soloists sing in Threni, the
conductor will most likely spend his or her time teaching rows to the chorus. Therefore, the
remainder of this discussion will focus on the chorus.
The conductor could begin by teaching the foundational forms as described for Anthem. He or she
could present a brief summary of the traditional practice of the twelve-tone system as a
compositional technique. Then, he or she could write the Prime row on a chalkboard and practice
singing it forwards and backwards with the chorus. Doing so would teach both the P-0 and R-0
rows. The I-0 and RI-6 rows could also be written on the board, the I-0 form visually below the P-0
form, and the RI-6 form visually to the right of the P-0 form. The conductor should state that the I-0
form and the RI-6 forms are related by transposition and retrograde order. In addition, the conductor
should show that the I-0 and RI-6 rows link from the first and last notes of the Prime form. The I-0
form shares its first pitch with the P-0 form, and the RI-6 form shares its first pitch with the R-0 form.
After establishing the foundational rows and their relationships to each other, the conductor could
point out in Stravinsky's score where these rows are used. Perhaps the I-0 form could be taught by
first singing the row as written on the chalkboard, and then as written in the score in the chorus
parts in MM. 194-203. The conductor should tell the chorus that pitch repetitions (like those in M.
196) are one of Stravinsky's typical compositional devices. Rotation is another device, which a
conductor could tackle when teaching the RI-6 row sung in the Soprano part in M. 197. In MM. 231-
245, the I-0 (Soprano and Alto 1, sung twice), R-0 (Alto 2 and Tenor, sung twice), and RI-6 (MM.
235-238) parts could all be taught using the chalkboard and applying the rows to the score. Using
MM. 231-238, the conductor could practice with the chorus singing two foundational rows
simultaneously. The conductor should also remind the choir that the RI-6 row is identical (except for
rotation) in M. 197 and MM. 235-238. The conductor can show that the RI-6 row is also in MM. 19-
 22, but this time individual choral voices hold their pitches as the others sing their members from
the row. The conductor should again point out another of Stravinsky's compositional devices:
restating a row member that has already been sung in another voice in order to create a harmony.
In this case, the Sopranos and Altos sing the B in M. 22 already sung by the Basses in the previous
measure.
After the choir becomes familiar with Stravinsky's foundational rows and a few of his compositional
devices, the conductor could teach all foundational rows at once in MM. 412-417. An appropriate
method would be for the conductor to show how each row exists in each voice (P-0 in Altos, R-0 in
Sopranos, I-6 in Basses, RI-6 in Tenors). The conductor should show how occasionally, the vocal
parts share row members and consequently Stravinsky trims certain row members from their part.
Also, sometimes voices exchange members to create more interesting harmonies. After teaching
one voice at a time, the conductor can try pairs of voices, and finally the entire chorus at once.
A conductor should show how Stravinsky often uses pitches from a single row harmonically, in two
parts (the Sopranos and Altos in M. 188-193), and in four parts (the full chorus in MM. 358-383 for
the Hebrew letter THAU).
Once the foundational rows are ingrained in the minds of the chorus, the conductor can teach the
chorus the rows as they occur in Stravinsky's music (with his rhythmic values). Then, the conductor
can teach the other Objects, explaining that the row shapes are identical but transposed to new
pitch levels.

Teaching the form and musical-poetical effects

As the notes are learned, the conductor can underscore the formal structure of Threni by pointing
out how and where the foundational rows return as the work's structural foundation. The conductor
should show the chorus places where and why Stravinsky employs different Objects, as detailed
above in the chapter "Threni: Large-Scale Musical-Poetical and Formal Row Employment with
Objects." The conductor should also explain the significance of Stravinsky's large-scale use of RI-3
for the Hebrew letters in Sensus spei, also detailed in the chapter on Threni above.
As the conductor teaches the chorus notes, he or she should also tell them about Stravinsky's
interesting depictive row constructions, such as the permutation in MM. 405-408 for the words
"converte nos, Domine." Further, the conductor can explain how Stravinsky uses rows from different
Objects for expressive effect. For example, the Second Object is often associated with weeping or
enemies. Many of these depictive devices are detailed above in the chapter "Threni: Large-Scale
Musical-Poetical and Formal Row Employment with Objects."

Summary
Object-Oriented analysis can help the conductor to rehearse a Stravinsky twelve-tone work more
efficiently and to perform a work with a greater understanding of formal and musical-poetical effects.
Teaching the performers the pertinent rows, their transpositions, and their canonical manipulation
can pay off when the rows recur melodically or in significant formal areas. Furthermore, teaching
the performers not only where and how Stravinsky employs unusual row formations (such as
permutations or misorderings), rows from outside of the foundational rows, but, most importantly,
how these musical events enhance the dramatic progression of a poetic text, will give the performer
a greater understanding of the drama and elevate the level of musical presentation of the poetry in
performance.

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Supplemental Matrices and Objects

Supplemental Matrices and Objects for Stravinsky Analysis
This appendix presents matrices and objects for works by Stravinsky that were mentioned
parenthetically in the main body of this paper. To supplement the discussion in chapters two and
five, this appendix includes Matrices for all of Stravinsky's twelve-tone works not examined in detail.
Furthermore, this appendix includes brief analytical discussion of the three works Canticum sacrum,
Double Canon, and Introitus. The matrices, objects, and analyses in this appendix are ordered by
date of compositional inception.

Agon (1953-57)
Agon, a ballet for twelve dancers with orchestra, was started in 1953 and finished in 1957. The
parts of Agon composed last incorporate twelve-tone rows. Table 1 and Table 2 show rows that
Stravinsky used in Agon.

TABLE 1. Agon (1953-57) Double Pas-de-Deux, Matrix

int: -1 +2 +1 -5 -1 +2 -3 -2 +1 -2 -1

I-0 I-11 I-1 I-2 I-9 I-8 I-10 I-7 I-5 I-6 I-4 I-3

P-0 Eb D E F C B C# Bb Ab A G F#

P-1 E Eb F F# C# C D B A Bb Ab G

P-11 D C# Eb E B Bb C A G Ab F# F

P-10 C# C D Eb Bb A B Ab F# G F E

P-3 F# F G Ab Eb D E C# B C Bb A
 P-4 G F# Ab A E Eb F D C C# B Bb

P-2 F E F# G D C# Eb C Bb B A Ab

P-5 Ab G A Bb F E F# Eb C# D C B

P-7 Bb A B C G F# Ab F Eb E D C#

P-6 A Ab Bb B F# F G E D Eb C# C

P-8 B Bb C C# Ab G A F# E F Eb D

P-9 C B C# D A Ab Bb G F F# E Eb

TABLE 2. Agon (1953-57) Pas-de-Deux, Matrix

int: +1 +3 -1 -1 +3 +1 +3 -1 +3 -1 -3

I-0 I-1 I-4 I-3 I-2 I-5 I-6 I-9 I-8 I-11 I-10 I-7

P-0 F F# A Ab G Bb B D C# E Eb C

P-11 E F Ab G F# A Bb C# C Eb D B

P-8 C# D F E Eb F# G Bb A C B Ab
 P-9 D Eb F# F E G Ab B Bb C# C A

P-10 Eb E G F# F Ab A C B D C# Bb

P-7 C C# E Eb D F F# A Ab B Bb G

P-6 B C Eb D C# E F Ab G Bb A F#

P-3 Ab A C B Bb C# D F E G F# Eb

P-4 A Bb C# C B D Eb F# F Ab G E

P-1 F# G Bb A Ab B C Eb D F E C#

P-2 G Ab B Bb A C C# E Eb F# F D

P-5 Bb B D C# C Eb E G F# A Ab F

Canticum sacrum ad honorem sancti Marci nominis (1955)

One of the two works by Stravinsky before Threni, and his first work to employ any twelve-tone
technique, Canticum sacrum is an exploratory work both structurally and sonically. It was composed
in 1955 in response to a commission by Alessandro Piovesan and the Venice Biennale International
Festival of Contemporary Music. The work was designed to be performed in St. Mark's Basilica, and
its five movements are said to be analogous with the five domes of the cathedral. The first
performance was conducted by the composer on 13 September 1956 at St. Mark's.
Table 3 shows the matrix for the second movement of Canticum sacrum, and Table 4 shows the
rows employed.

TABLE 3. Canticum sacrum ad honorem sancti Marci nominis (1955) II Matrix

 int: -1 -2 -3 +4 -2 -1 -2 -3 +2 -1 -2

I-0 I-11 I-9 I-6 I-10 I-8 I-7 I-5 I-2 I-4 I-3 I-1

P-0 Ab G F D F# E Eb C# Bb C B A

P-1 A Ab F# Eb G F E D B C# C Bb

P-3 B Bb Ab F A G F# E C# Eb D C

P-6 D C# B Ab C Bb A G E F# F Eb

P-2 Bb A G E Ab F# F Eb C D C# B

P-4 C B A F# Bb Ab G F D E Eb C#

P-5 C# C Bb G B A Ab F# Eb F E D

P-7 Eb D C A C# B Bb Ab F G F# E

P-10 F# F Eb C E D C# B Ab Bb A G

P-8 E Eb C# Bb D C B A F# Ab G F

P-9 F E D B Eb C# C Bb G A Ab F#

P-11 G F# E C# F Eb D C A B Bb Ab
 TABLE 4. Canticum sacrum ad honorem sancti Marci nominis (1955) II, Rows
Employed

Measures Text Tenor Rows Orchestral Rows

46 R-0

47-50 Surge aquilo P-0 RI-2

50-52 Perfla R-0 (12-7) R-3

RI-8 (12-8)

52-55 Hortum meum R-0 R-0

56-57 RI-2

58-62 Veniat I-8 RI-2

63-65 Veni R-0 Harp: R-0

Fl: I-0

66-68 Soror RI-8

68-73 Sponsa R-0

73-81 I-2P-0

82-85 P-0

86-87 Comedite I-1 Fl: I-9Hp & CI: I-5

88-93 Et bibite P-0

Table 5 shows the matrix for the third and fourth movements of Canticum sacrum, and Table 6 and
Table 7 show the rows employed.

TABLE 5. Canticum sacrum ad honorem sancti Marci nominis (1955) III & IV,
Matrix

int: -1 +2 +2 +1 -2 +5 -1 +3 -4 +3 +2

I-0 I-11 I-1 I-3 I-4 I-2 I-7 I-6 I-9 I-5 I-8 I-10
 P-0 A Ab Bb C C# B E Eb F# D F G

P-1 Bb A B C# D C F E G Eb F# Ab

P-11 Ab G A B C Bb Eb D F C# E F#

P-9 F# F G A Bb Ab C# C Eb B D E

P-8 F E F# Ab A G C B D Bb C# Eb

P-10 G F# Ab Bb B A D C# E C Eb F

P-5 D C# Eb F F# E A Ab B G Bb C

P-6 Eb D E F# G F Bb A C Ab B C#

P-3 C B C# Eb E D G F# A F Ab Bb

P-7 E Eb F G Ab F# B Bb C# A C D

P-4 C# C D E F Eb Ab G Bb F# A B

P-2 B Bb C D Eb C# F# F Ab E G A

TABLE 6. Canticum sacrum ad honorem sancti Marci nominis (1955) III, Rows
Employed

Measures Text Rows Form

94-106 Organ: P-0, R-5 Caritas
Tbs: R-10; winds: RI-1 (alt?)

107-115 WW & trp: I-1

Tbs: R-0; Str: R-4

116-129 (repeated) Diliges Sop: RI-4 Alto: R-7

Ten: RI-2, I-2 Tr: RI-1, I-1

130-147 Organ & Cbn: P-3, RI-1 Spes

Tr: RI-9; Bn: RI-1
Ob & CI: I-10

148-153 Qui confidunt Ten: I-0 Bar: P-10

Orchestra: P-5,?

154-162 Sustinuit Sop: RI-1, R-4 Alto: I-1, I-7

Orchestra: I-3

163-168 Non Ten: I-0 Bar: P-10

Orchestra: P-5,?

169-177 Speravit Sop: R-4, P-3 Alto: I-7, I-11

Orchestra: I-3

178-183 Qui habitat Ten: I-0 Bar: R-10

Orchestra: P-5,?

184-203 Organ: P-2 Tbs: RI-10 Fides

Cb & cbn: R-1

204-218 Credidi Coro: P-1, P-1

Tr: I-11; Orch:?

219-236 Ego autem Sop: I-6, RI-8; Alto: I-11, RI-1;

Ten: I-4, R-2; Bass: I-9;
Tr 1 & cbtb: I-11; Ob 1 & btb: P-6

237-249 Tr 1: P-2, Tr 2: I-5

Organ: P-4; Str: P-2

TABLE 7. Canticum sacrum ad honorem sancti Marci nominis (1955) IV, Rows
Employed

Measures Text Vocal Rows Orchestral Rows

250-253 RI-0

253-265 Jesus Bar: P-0 Tr doubling vocal notes

Coro: P-0 Orchestra: R-0
265-273 Si potes Bar: R-0 Tr doubling vocal notes
Coro: R-0

274-280 Et continuo Sop: P-5; Alto: I-7, P-9

Ten: RI-10, I-10; Bass: R-5

281 Cum lacrimis Bar: RI-2

282-294 Credo Bar: P-10 R-5, RI-5

295-306 Adjuva Bar: I-10, RI-10 P-10

Movements (1958-59)
Stravinsky composed Movements, a ten-minute-long work for piano and orchestra, in 1958-59.
Table 8 shows the matrix for Movements.

TABLE 8. Movements (1958-59), Matrix

int: +1 -6 -2 +1 +5 -2 -1 +2 +5 +1 -2

I-0 I-1 I-7 I-5 I-6 I-11 I-9 I-8 I-10 I-3 I-4 I-2

P-0 Eb E Bb Ab A D C B C# F# G F

P-11 D Eb A G Ab C# B Bb C F F# E

P-5 Ab A Eb C# D G F E F# B C Bb

P-7 Bb B F Eb E A G F# Ab C# D C

P-6 A Bb E D Eb Ab F# F G C C# B

P-1 E F B A Bb Eb C# C D G Ab F#
 P-3 F# G C# B C F Eb D E A Bb Ab

P-4 G Ab D C C# F# E Eb F Bb B A

P-2 F F# C Bb B E D C# Eb Ab A G

P-9 C C# G F F# B A Ab Bb Eb E D

P-8 B C F# E F Bb Ab G A D Eb C#

P-10 C# D Ab F# G C Bb A B E F Eb

Double Canon "Raoul Dufy in Memoriam" (1959)

The analysis of The Flood shows that Stravinsky employs techniques whose use can be explained
by way of analysis through projecting rows onto an object. The projection of rows for The Flood
resulted in a single object. In addition, only a small section of the object was appropriate for that
analysis.
In other works, like Threni and A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer Stravinsky employs rows that
create multiple objects. A brief look at Double Canon, a smaller work that employs multiple objects,
can help to further illustrate the techniques used in the larger works.
Stravinsky's Double Canon "Raoul Dufy in Memoriam" is a short work for String Quartet written in
1959. The canon uses Prime and Retrograde, and Retrograde Inversion (never Inversion) forms at
various degrees of transposition. The rhythm of the Retrograde and Retrograde Inversion forms is a
retrograde of the rhythm of the Prime forms. In addition, the dynamic contour is retained in the
Retrograde versions as well.
The Prime form of the row of Double Canon is taken from the first aggregate in the first violin part.
The standard twelve-tone matrix is given in Table 9.

TABLE 9. Double Canon "Raoul Dufy in Memoriam" (1959) Matrix

int: -1 +4 -1 -1 -5 -2 +3 +1 -3 -2 -1

I-0 I-11 I-3 I-2 I-1 I-8 I-6 I-9 I-10 I-7 I-5 I-4
 P-0 F# F A Ab G D C Eb E C# B Bb

P-1 G F# Bb A Ab Eb C# E F D C B

P-9 Eb D F# F E B A C C# Bb Ab G

P-10 E Eb G F# F C Bb C# D B A Ab

P-11 F E Ab G F# C# B D Eb C Bb A

P-4 Bb A C# C B F# E G Ab F Eb D

P-6 C B Eb D C# Ab F# A Bb G F E

P-3 A Ab C B Bb F Eb F# G E D C#

P-2 Ab G B Bb A E D F F# Eb C# C

P-5 B Bb D C# C G F Ab A F# E Eb

P-7 C# C E Eb D A G Bb B Ab F# F

P-8 D C# F E Eb Bb Ab B C A G F#

All of the rows that Stravinsky uses in Double Canon are indicated in TAble 10. Each instrumental
part is barred differently, therefore the chart below indicates the system in which each row begins.

TABLE 10. Double Canon "Raoul Dufy in Memoriam" (1959) Rows Employed
 System Violin 1 Rows Violin 2 Rows Viola Rows Cello Rows

1 P-0 (1st Object)

P-10 (3rd Object)

R-0 (1st Object)

2 P-0 (1st Object) R-2 (3rd Object)

P-0 (1st Object)

R-0 (1st Object)

RI-8 (1st Object)

3 R-0 (1st Object)

RI-10 (3rd Object)

RI-8 (1st Object)

4 RI-8 (1st Object)

The entire work employs six rows: P-0, R-0, RI-8, P-10, RI-10, and R-2. Again, note that no
Inversion row is employed. When projected onto objects, the rows Stravinsky used (with an interval
between the first and last notes in the row of ic4) create four objects, two of which are exploited in
the work. These objects are shown in the table above.
From the four possible objects formed by ic4 rows, Stravinsky uses rows from the First and Third
Objects in Double Canon. The rows P-0, R-0, and RI-8 are from the First Object. The rows P-10, RI-
10, and R-2 are from the Third Object. These two objects are shown in Table 11 and Table 12.
The relationship of the First and Third Objects is important for the construction of the Double
Canon. The First Object includes rows beginning or ending with two of the following three pitches:
F#, Bb, and D. The Third Object includes rows beginning or ending with pitches a +2, +/-6, and -2
away from those in the First Object: C, E, and Ab.
The Third Object is identical with the First Object, but entirely transposed +2, +/-6, or -2. The ic2
relationships are important in Double Canon.

TABLE 11. Double Canon "Raoul Dufy in Memoriam" (1959), First Object

Eb Eb

R-4 F B I-8

Ab C
 G C#

E F# Violin I (2x)

F# Ab Violin II

B F

P-4 C E RI-8

C# G

A A

Bb Bb

B B

G C#

I-4 Ab E R-0

A Eb

D C Viola (2x)

E D Cello

C# G

C Ab

RI-4 Eb A P-0 Violin I (2x)

F F Violin II

F#

G G

R-8 A Eb I-0

C E

B F

Ab Bb

Bb C

Eb A

P-8 E Ab RI-0

F B

C# C#
 D D

TABLE 12. Double Canon "Raoul Dufy in Memoriam" (1959), Third Object

F F

R-6 G C# I-10

Bb D

A Eb

F# Ab

Ab Bb

C# G Violin II

P-6 D F# RI-10

Eb A

B B

C C

C# C#

A Eb

I-6 Bb F# R-2

B F Cello

E D

F# E

Eb A

D Bb

RI-6 F B P-2

G G
 Ab

A A

R-10 B F I-2

D F#

C# G

Bb C

Violin II C D

F B

P-10 F# Bb RI-2

G C#

Eb Eb

E E

The instruments in Double Canon are paired together: the two violins play one canon, while the
viola and the cello play another. The first violin and viola are the leading parts, the second violin and
cello are the following parts. The first violin and viola play rows from the first object two times each
(first violin P-0, P-0, RI-8, RI-8; viola R-0, R-0). The second violin and cello follow with the same row
as the leading part transposed by ic2, immediately followed by the row that the leading instrument
played. In other words, the second violin plays P-10 (the leading first violin row transposed -2)
followed by P-0, the row that the first violin is playing, and then RI-10 (first violin row +2) followed by
RI-8. Likewise, the cello plays R-2 (viola row +2) followed by R-0, the form that the viola is playing.
The transposed rows (ic2) that occur in the second violin and the cello parts are from the Third
Object.
The term "double" in the title Double Canon refers not only to the canons between the first and
second violins (two Prime forms, followed by two Retrograde Inversion forms), and between the
viola and cello (two Retrograde forms). The canon is also "double" in that Stravinsky's row choices
are from two objects related by ic2; both +2 and -2 are in the Third Object. Of all the rows from the
matrix, Stravinsky specifically chose rows that are related by ic2 in the First and Third Objects
formed by the projection of the rows.

A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer (1960-61)

Composed in 1960-61, Stravinsky's A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer is a cantata for alto and
tenor soloists, speaker, chorus, and orchestra. Table 13 shows the work's matrix, and Table 14 and
Table 15 show the objects obtained from the row.

TABLE 13. A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer (1960-61), Matrix

 int: +1 -4 +2 -1 -3 +1 -5 +1 +2 -1 -3

I-0 I-1 I-9 I-11 I-10 I-7 I-8 I-3 I-4 I-6 I-5 I-2

P-0 Eb E C D C# Bb B F# G A Ab F

P-11 D Eb B C# C A Bb F F# Ab G E

P-3 F# G Eb F E C# D A Bb C B Ab

P-1 E F C# Eb D B C G Ab Bb A F#

P-2 F F# D E Eb C C# Ab A B Bb G

P-5 Ab A F G F# Eb E B C D C# Bb

P-4 G Ab E F# F D Eb Bb B C# C A

P-9 C C# A B Bb G Ab Eb E F# F D

P-8 B C Ab Bb A F# G D Eb F E C#

P-6 A Bb F# Ab G E F C C# Eb D B

P-7 Bb B G A Ab F F# C# D E Eb C

P-10 C# D Bb C B Ab A E F G F# Eb
TABLE 14. Row Use in A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer, First Object

A A

Ab C

C C#

I-6 Bb B R-4

B Bb

D Eb

C# D

F# F

F F#

RI-6 Eb E P-4

E Ab

Bb F#

B Bb

R-2 A Ab I-4

Ab A

C# C

C B

Eb E

P-2 E Eb RI-4

D C#

F# D

F F
 E Ab

Ab A

I-2 F# G R-0

G F#

Bb B

A Bb

D C#

C# D

RI-2 B C P-0

C E

Eb

F# D

G F#

R-10 F E I-0

E F

A Ab

Ab G

B C

P-10 C B RI-0

Bb A

D Bb

C# C#

C E

E F

I-10 D Eb R-8

Eb D

F# G

F F#

Bb A
 A Bb

RI-10 G Ab P-8

Ab C

D Bb

Eb D

R-6 C# C I-8

C C#

F E

E Eb

G Ab

P-6 Ab G RI-8

F# F

Bb F#

A A

TABLE 15. Row Use in A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer, Second Object

Bb Bb

A C#

C# D

I-7 B C R-5

C B

Eb E

D Eb

G F#
 F# G

RI-7 E F P-5

F A

Ab

B G

C B

R-3 Bb A I-5

A Bb

D C#

C# C

E F

P-3 F E RI-5

Eb D

G Eb

F# F#

F A

A Bb

I-3 G Ab R-1

Ab G

B C

Bb B

Eb D

D Eb

RI-3 C C# P-1

C# F

G Eb

Ab G

R-11 F# F I-1
 F F#

Bb A

A Ab

C C#

P-11 C# C RI-1

B Bb

Eb B

D D

C# F

F F#

I-11 Eb E R-9

E Eb

G Ab

F# G

B Bb

Bb B

RI-11 Ab A P-9

A C#

Eb B

E Eb

R-7 D C# I-9

C# D

F# F

F E

Ab A

P-7 A Ab RI-9

G F#

B G
 Bb Bb

Abraham and Isaac (1962-63)

Stravinsky's Abraham and Isaac, for baritone and chamber orchestra, was composed in 1962-63.
Table 16 shows the work's matrix.

TABLE 16. Abraham and Isaac (1962-63), Matrix

int: +1 +2 +2 +1 -4 +2 +4 -1 +2 +2 -1

I-0 I-1 I-3 I-5 I-6 I-2 I-4 I-8 I-7 I-9 I-11 I-10

P-0 G Ab Bb C C# A B Eb D E F# F

P-11 F# G A B C Ab Bb D C# Eb F E

P-9 E F G A Bb F# Ab C B C# Eb D

P-7 D Eb F G Ab E F# Bb A B C# C

P-6 C# D E F# G Eb F A Ab Bb C B

P-10 F F# Ab Bb B G A C# C D E Eb

P-8 Eb E F# Ab A F G B Bb C D C#

P-4 B C D E F C# Eb G F# Ab Bb A
 P-5 C C# Eb F F# D E Ab G A B Bb

P-3 Bb B C# Eb E C D F# F G A Ab

P-1 Ab A B C# D Bb C E Eb F G F#

P-2 A Bb C D Eb B C# F E F# Ab G

Variations "Aldous Huxley in Memoriam" (1963-64)

Stravinsky composed the five-minute-long Variations in 1963-64 for orchestra. Table 17 shows the
matrix for Variations.

TABLE 17. Variations "Aldous Huxley in Memoriam" (1963-64), Matrix

int: -2 -3 +2 +5 -6 -2 +5 +2 +4 -1 -1

I-0 I-10 I-7 I-9 I-2 I-8 I-6 I-11 I-1 I-5 I-4 I-3

P-0 D C A B E Bb Ab C# Eb G F# F

P-2 E D B C# F# C Bb Eb F A Ab G

P-5 G F D E A Eb C# F# Ab C B Bb

P-3 F Eb C D G C# B E F# Bb A Ab

P-10 C Bb G A D Ab F# B C# F E Eb
 P-4 F# E C# Eb Ab D C F G B Bb A

P-6 Ab F# Eb F Bb E D G A C# C B

P-1 Eb C# Bb C F B A D E Ab G F#

P-11 C# B Ab Bb Eb A G C D F# F E

P-7 A G E F# B F Eb Ab Bb D C# C

P-8 Bb Ab F G C F# E A B Eb D C#

P-9 B A F# Ab C# G F Bb C E Eb D

Introitus "T. S. Eliot in memoriam" (1965)

Stravinsky's third-to-last composition, Introitus is dedicated to the memory of his friend T. S. Eliot.
The work is under four minutes long, and calls for two-part men's chorus (TB), harp, piano, tam-
tams, timpani, solo viola, and solo contrabass.
Stravinsky uses rows horizontally (melodically) in the vocal parts, and uses set rotation in the
instrumental parts. The Prime form of the row of Introitus is taken from the first aggregate sung by
the tenors beginning in M. 3. The standard twelve-tone matrix for the work is given in Table 18.

TABLE 18. Introitus "T. S. Eliot in memoriam" (1965), Matrix

int: +5 +1 -2 +4 +1 -6 -1 -1 -3 +1 -4

I-0 I-5 I-6 I-4 I-8 I-9 I-3 I-2 I-1 I-10 I-11 I-7

P-0 Ab C# D C E F B Bb A F# G Eb
 P-7 Eb Ab A G B C F# F E C# D Bb

P-6 D G Ab F# Bb B F E Eb C C# A

P-8 E A Bb Ab C C# G F# F D Eb B

P-4 C F F# E Ab A Eb D C# Bb B G

P-3 B E F Eb G Ab D C# C A Bb F#

P-9 F Bb B A C# D Ab G F# Eb E C

P-10 F# B C Bb D Eb A Ab G E F C#

P-11 G C C# B Eb E Bb A Ab F F# D

P-2 Bb Eb E D F# G C# C B Ab A F

P-1 A D Eb C# F F# C B Bb G Ab E

P-5 C# F# G F A Bb E Eb D B C Ab

The rows employed for the entire work are given in Table 19. Characteristic of Stravinsky's other
twelve-tone works, the standard four rows are sung by the voices: Prime, Retrograde, Inversion,
and Retrograde Inversion beginning with the last note of the Prime form.

TABLE 19. Introitus "T. S. Eliot in memoriam" (1965), Rows Employed

Measures Tenor Rows Bass Rows Instrumental Rows

1-2
3-9 P-0 R-0

9-10

10-15 R-0 P-0

16-18 Speaking Speaking

19-25 R-0

24-30 I-0 RI-2

31-33

33-39 RI-2 R-0

40-41 Speaking Speaking

42-45 R-0 (1-10) RI-2 (1-8) P-0

46-47

48-49 R-0 (9-12) RI-2 (8-12) P-0?

50-53

The object formed by this row has the same first and last row notes as the object of The Flood.
However, because Stravinsky only employs a few rows, and these forms are generated from the
first and last notes of the Prime form of the row, projecting the object is not useful for the present
analysis. Rather, the analyst simply needs a small graphical representation of the rows used, as
shown in Table 20.

TABLE 20. Introitus "T. S. Eliot in memoriam" (1965), Graphical Representation of

Rows Employed

Bb

F#

C#

^ G
 | Ab

RI-2 A

P-0 -> C

Ab C# D C E F B Bb A F# G Eb

Eb

D <- R-0

E I-0

C |

B v

F#

Bb

C#

Requiem Canticles (1965-66)

Requiem Canticles, for alto and bass soloists, chorus, and orchestra, was Stravinsky's penultimate
composition, written in 1965-66. The work uses two rows, the matrices for which are shown in Table
21 and Table 22.

TABLE 21. Requiem Canticles (1965-66) First series Matrix

int: +2 -4 +1 +2 -5 -2 +1 +2 -5 -1 +2

I-0 I-2 I-10 I-11 I-1 I-8 I-6 I-7 I-9 I-4 I-3 I-5
 P-0 F G Eb E F# C# B C D A Ab Bb

P-10 Eb F C# D E B A Bb C G F# Ab

P-2 G A F F# Ab Eb C# D E B Bb C

P-1 F# Ab E F G D C C# Eb Bb A B

P-11 E F# D Eb F C Bb B C# Ab G A

P-4 A B G Ab Bb F Eb E F# C# C D

P-6 B C# A Bb C G F F# Ab Eb D E

P-5 Bb C Ab A B F# E F G D C# Eb

P-3 Ab Bb F# G A E D Eb F C B C#

P-8 C# Eb B C D A G Ab Bb F E F#

P-9 D E C C# Eb Bb Ab A B F# F G

P-7 C D Bb B C# Ab F# G A E Eb F

TABLE 22. Requiem Canticles (1965-66) Second series Matrix

 int: -5 -1 -2 +1 +4 -1 +2 +5 -2 -2 +3

I-0 I-7 I-6 I-4 I-5 I-9 I-8 I-10 I-3 I-1 I-11 I-2

P-0 F C B A Bb D C# Eb Ab F# E G

P-5 Bb F E D Eb G F# Ab C# B A C

P-6 B F# F Eb E Ab G A D C Bb C#

P-8 C# Ab G F F# Bb A B E D C Eb

P-7 C G F# E F A Ab Bb Eb C# B D

P-3 Ab Eb D C C# F E F# B A G Bb

P-4 A E Eb C# D F# F G C Bb Ab B

P-2 G D C# B C E Eb F Bb Ab F# A

P-9 D A Ab F# G B Bb C F Eb C# E

P-11 E B Bb Ab A C# C D G F Eb F#

P-1 F# C# C Bb B Eb D E A G F Ab

P-10 Eb Bb A G Ab C B C# F# E D F
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Selected Bibliography and List of Scores Cited

Selected Bibliography
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History." In Perspectives in Musicology, ed. Brook, Downes, Solkema, 166-67. New York: Norton,
1972.
Babbitt, Milton. "Remarks on Recent Stravinsky." Perspectives of New Music 2:2 (Spring/Summer
1964): 35-55.
Babbitt, Milton. "Stravinsky's Verticals and Schoenberg's Diagonals: A Twist of Fate." In Stravinsky
Retrospectives, 15-35. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 1987.
Bennighof, James. "Set-Class Aggregate Structuring, Graph Theory, and Some Compositional
Strategies." Journal of Music Theory 31:1 (Spring 1987): 51-98.
Berger, Arthur. "Problems of Pitch Organization in Stravinsky." Perspectives of New Music 2:1
(Fall/Winter 1963): 11-42.
Boucourechliev, André. Stravinsky. Translated by Martin Cooper. New York: Holmes & Meier, 1987.
Brantley, John Paul. "The Serial Choral Music of Igor Stravinsky." Ph.D. diss., University of Iowa,
1978.
Buell, Timothy John. "Aspects of Stravinsky's Abraham and Isaac." Ph.D. diss., University of
Pittsburgh, 1986.
Burde, Wolfgang. "Igor Strawinsky's Annäherung an die Reihentechnik." Mitteilungen der Paul
Sacher Siftung 7 (April 1994): 18-21.
Clifton, Thomas. "Types of Symmetrical Relations in Stravinsky's A Sermon, A Narrative, and A
Prayer." Perspectives of New Music 9:1 (Fall/Winter 1970): 96-112.
Cohn, Richard. "Properties and Generability of Transpositionally Invariant Sets." Journal of Music
Theory 35:1-2 (Spring/Fall 1991): 1-32.
Courant, Richard and Herbert Robbins. What is Mathematics? 2nd ed. Revised by Ian Stewart.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Craft, Robert. A Stravinsky Scrapbook 1940-1971. London: Thames and Hudson, 1983.
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List of Scores Cited including Publication Information

Abraham and Isaac. Boosey & Hawkes, 1965. B&H 19197.
Agon. Boosey & Hawkes, 1957. B&H. 18336.
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Elegy for J. F. K. Boosey & Hawkes, 1964. B&H 19270.
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Fanfare for a New Theater. Boosey & Hawkes. B&H 19650.
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