thesis

Les techniques de l'ostinato : analyse et typologie

Defense date:

Jan. 1, 1994

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Institution:

Paris 4

Disciplines:

Directors:

Abstract EN:

Procede musical extremement repandu, exploite tant par la musique savante occidentale ecrite que par de nombreuses musiques relevant de la tradition orale, notamment extraeuropeennes, l'ostinato est pourtant peu present dans la litterature musicologique. En outre, la transformation de l'adjectif ostinato en substantif a ete la cause d'une confusion certaine dans les definitions. Il a donc fallu dissiper le flou terminologique encore trop frequent et redefinir ce que nous entendions par ce procede, a, savoir, au sens strict, une structure rythmique repetee de maniere ininterrompue, formant ainsi une periodicit reguliere, dont on peut degager un modele unique, servant de reference a d'eventuelles variations. L'ostinato ne recouvre pas une realite uniforme : il peut constituer un procede formel et constitutif ou simplement un procede d'ecriture qui n'affecte ni la forme ni la construction. Il differe egalement en fonction de la nature des parametres qui le constituent et enfin par la presence ou non de variations. Les differentes caracteristiques et mises en oeuvre de ces parametres determinent ce que l'on peut appeler des "degres" d'obstination, c'est-a-dire les degres de perceptibilite de l'ostinato. Ainsi la longueur du motif obstine, son taux de variation; le nombre de ses repetitions, son emplacement dans la polyphonie, le role structurel qu'il assume dans la piece rendent en effet plus ou moins aisee la memorisation du modele au cours des reiterations. Une fois posees les limites du procede, l'un des principaux objectifs de ce travail a ete de demonter les mecanismes de l'ostinato pour degager le potentiel creatif offert par ses combinatoires, ce qui a permis d'etablir une veritable typologie de l'ostinato. Cette procedure de separation des

Abstract FR:

A widespread musical technique, used in western written music as well as in oral traditional (notably non-european) music, the ostinato has hardly been studied in musicology. Moreover, the turning of the ostinato adjective into a noun has led to a certain degree of confusion in the definitions. So the vagueness which is still frequent in the terminology had to be cleared up, and we have defined what we meant by this word, that is, in the strict sense, a rhythmical structure repeated uninterruptedly, thus forming a regular periodicity - whose single model can be brought out - used as a reference for possible variations. The ostinato embodies several dimensions : it can constitute a formal and constituent technique or simply be a writing technique affecting neither form nor construction. It may also differ according to the paramethers which constitute it and according to the presence or absence of variations. The different features and implementations of the these parameters determine what we can call "degrees" in the obstinate form, ie degrees in the perceptibility of the ostinato. Hence the length of the obstinate pattern, its rate of variation, the number of repetitions, its place in the polyphony, its structural role in the piece - all make the memorizing of the model during the repetitions more or less easy. Once stated the limits of the technique, one of the main aims of this work was to explain the mecanisms of the ostinato in order to throw light into the creative options brought about by its combinations, which gave us the possibility to establish a typology of the ostinato. This way of separating the