Musique(s) de saint-john perse
Institution:
Paris 4Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
The influence of music upon the poetry of saint-john perse is more profound than had been thought until now. This is why, as far as he is concerned, the musical metaphor has a highly applicable value. It would irrelevent to attempt to relate saint-john perse to composers of concrete music. Rather than on the noises of the natural environment, his interest bears on the phenomenon of language, with its near musics. On the other hand, his close personal contacts in the neo-classical milieu explain the importance that he accords to the notions of fugue and counterpoint. These are, according to saint-john perse, the "base of all art". A study of the structures of enunciation in his poems reveals a polyphonic writing; each theme is taken succesively in a regular order by several voices (anecdotal account, then a lyrical effusion and symbolic transposition). The messages of these voices, obscure at times, illuminate each other once they are surimposed. Only silent reading grants this insight into the textual counterpoint. This approach to texts, familiar to musicians who "hear" an arrangement when they read it, explain why saint-john perse would not allow his poems to be read aloud. There is an interesting confirmation of this thesis; the majority of composers who have been inspired by saint-john perse's poems, interpret the text by fugue and counterpoint. In this way, they arrive at an exegesis, sometimes revealing its internal contradictions.
Abstract FR:
Influence de la musique sur la poesie de saint-john perse est plus profonde qu'on ne l'a pense jusqu'ici. La metaphore musicale prend donc, a son propos, une valeur operatoire exemplaire. Il serait peu pertinent de vouloir rattacher saintjohn perse aux compositeurs de musique concrete. Plutot que sur les bruits de l' environnement naturel, son interet se porte sur les phenomenes du langage, musiques simplement virtuelles. En revanche, ses liens personnels tres etroits avec le milieu musical neo-classique expliquent l'importance qu'il accorde aux notions de fugue et de contrepoint. Elles seraient, selon lui, "la base de tout art". L'etude des structures de l'enonciation dans ses poemes revele une ecriture polyphonique: chaque theme est repris successivement dans un ordre regulier par plusieurs voix (recit anecdotique, puis effusion lyrique et transposition symbolique). Les messages, parfois obscurs, de ces voix, une fois superposes, s'eclairent reciproquement. Seule la lecture silencieuse permet la perception du contrepoint textuel. Cette attitude, familiere aux musiciens qui "entendent" une partition en la lisant, explique pourquoi saint-john perse interdisait de reciter ses poemes. Confirmation interessante de cette these: la plupart des compositeurs qui se sont inspires des poemes de saint-john perse traitent le texte en fugue et contrepoint. Ils aboutissent ainsi a une exegese, revelatrice parfois de ses contradictions internes. D'ou les relations tendues entre le poete et ses adaptateurs musicaux.