The Last Word Is: Imagination: A Study of the Spatial Aspects of Varèse's Work (Part I: Written Evidence)

THE LAST WORD IS: IMAGINATION A STUDY OF THE SPATIAL ASPECTS OF VARÈSE’S WORK*  PART I: WRITTEN EVIDENCE ROGER REYNOLDS HERE FOLLOWS A COMPENDIUM of statements that Varèse wrote or that were attributed to him in English,1 all referring to space, both metaphorically and explicitly. It includes not only direct references, but materials from which valuable inferences can be made. My aim is to lay *Disclaimer: As a practicing composer for five decades, I am confident of my instincts and craft. This experience has not optimally prepared me for scholarly activity. The present study is a special case. As a result of a long friendship with Chou Wen-chung, I have been keenly aware of the dedication that Varèse can inspire: as a man, as an artist. During 2009–10, I became involved with Varèse’s T The Last Word Is: Imagination (Part 1) 197 a foundation on the basis of which it would be possible to understand, manifest, even extend his spatial concerns now, given the flexibility and power of contemporary computer resources. I embarked upon this project expecting that the fragmented and often inconsistent evidence might prove intractable. To the contrary, if one reads carefully, considers what was known earlier and what is now, if one gauges the potential meaning of the words and phrases Varèse uses in relation to the musical experiences one has in the presence of his work, a remarkably clear, detailed, and useful picture emerges. He was certainly a visionary, but a rather well-informed advocate as well. There are two significantly different bodies of sonic evidence: recordings of the instrumental and vocal music (both recent and historical) in which the interpreter’s and recording engineer’s perspectives act as an intermediary filter of variable nature. This filtration can produce dramatically varied results, complicating judgements. There are also three electroacoustical projects Varèse completed: the three interpolations for Déserts (1954 and 1961 versions), La procession de verges (1955, composed for a movie by Thomas Bouchard called Around and About Joan Mirò), and Poème électronique (1958). None of these can be considered ideal representations of Varèse’s intentions either, for all were variably impacted by available equipment, studio philosophy, and the nature of the assistance the composer had. The dramatic differences between the 1954 and 1961 versions of the interpolations offer particularly valuable ground for comparison. legacy, in particular as it applies to his thinking and practice in matters spatial. My efforts have made me keenly aware of the difficulties encountered in Varèse scholarship: the variable availability and reliability of even “original” sources, chronology, his predilection for a collaging way of working (whereby the seeming authority of an item and the potential relevance of its surroundings can mislead). Eventually unraveling this all will be an arduous, perhaps even an impossible task. In any case, I am not in a position, by circumstance or training, to make such a labyrinthine journey. I bring another perspective, though I have, of course, made my best effort to check the accuracy of quotes and attributions. My organization is not on the basis of chronology, as I have come to feel that this would be largely impossible to establish securely. I rely, wherever possible, on texts and materials in the Sacher Varèse collection as well as Chou’s various presentations of Varèse, as I believe there is reason to trust him above other sources. I have uncovered numerous instances in which authors quoting Varèse do not seem to have gotten it right, but the circumstances under which we all are working still can hardly be considered optimal. What is presented here, then, is a set of materials and a commentary. The commentary has as its authority my own experience and knowledge. When I recognize and know a resource upon which I have drawn, I specify it. 198 Perspectives of New Music My interest does not disregard, but may be seen as preliminary to and shaping of the experience that can be had from listening to the music itself or from studying the scores with a sufficiently informed perspective. I will attempt to...