Henri Dutilleux's Sonate pour piano, Op. 1 (1947–1948): External Influences on His Idiosyncratic Musical Style

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explain French composer Henri Dutilleux’s (1916-2013) idiosyncratic musical style through the analysis of form, melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, pianistic techniques, and other features of his transitional work Sonate pour piano Op. 1. Comparison of features of the Sonate proceed with salient excerpts from the Romantic era and from French impressionist composers — Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), and Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) — illustrate Dutilleux’s assimilation of historical styles. Comparison with contemporaneous piano works by Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), Maurice Ohana (1913-1992), Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994), and György Ligeti (1923-2006), suggest that Dutilleux may have intentionally fused historical styles with contemporary musical elements into his personal musical discourse. The textural timbres inspired by carillon sonorities, Dutilleux’s preoccupation with the visual appearance of the music, and progressive thematic transformation inspired by French literature illustrate non-pianistic influences.