Harmony book

Vingt Leçons d'Harmonie / Olivier Messiaen

Introduction
[1] Chant Donné (in the style of Monteverdi)
[2] Chant Donné (in the style of Passepied of Rameau)
[3] Basse Donnée (in the style of J.S.Bach Chorals)
[4] Basse Donnée (in the style of J.S.Bach Preludes)
[5] Basse Donnée (for 3 voices, in the style of the organ trio sonatas of J.S.Bach)
[6] Chant Donné (in the style of Gluck)
[7] Basse Donnée (in the style of Mozart's string quartets)
[8] Chant Donné (in the style of Mozart's string quartets)
[9] Basse Donnée (in the style of Schumann)
[10] Chant Donné (in the style of César Franck's canon)
[11] Basse Donnée (style half-Schumann, half-Lalo)
[12] Chant Donné (style half-Chabrier, half-Massenet)
[13] Basse Donnée (in the style of Fauré's Sicilienne)
[14] Chant Donné (very hybrid style: a little Schumann, a little Fauré, a little Albeniz)
[15] Chant Donné (style half-Franck, half-Debussy)
[16] Chant Donné (style half-Massenet, half-Debussy)
[17] Chant Donné (style half-Chabrier, half-Debussy)
[18] Chant Donné (in the style of Cl. Debussy's "Pelléas et Mélisande")
[19] Chant Donné (for 5 voices, in the style of Maurice Ravel)
[20] Chant Donné (very special style, coming a bit closer to Hindu cantilenas)

OLIVIER MESSIAEN'S NOTE

These lessons are intended for students who have already completed “learning” of the Treatise on Harmony. Their difficulty is approximately that of the harmony competitions at the Paris Conservatory.
To encourage the student to read the works of ancient and modern masters, to find there the source of the rules imposed on him and the moves tolerated, they have been designed in the style of some important authors of “the harmonic history” of music, from Monteverdi to Ravel.
It is not a question of pastiches, but of the study for four voices of different styles. Some lessons are inspired by two authors at the same time.
In my creations, I have constantly written the figured bass: this figured bass will be sufficient, in many cases, to indicate the normal analysis.
For passages that are difficult to analyze, I will give detailed explanations below, to which I will add some advice to students on the harmonization of each particular lesson.

Contrary to the custom which wants us to publish a student's book (with only the given texts) and a master's book (with the author's achievements), I present here a book of achievements which must serve to the student, guided by the master.
The student will therefore proceed, for each lesson, in the following way: he will copy the bass part (if it is a Basse Donnée”) or the soprano part (if it is a “Chant Donne”), carefully hiding the other parts, and, having read what concerns him in my “remarks”, he will realize, always seeking to release from the imposed melody “the natural and true harmony” that she presupposes.
Then, he will read my creation and the explanations I give. Then he will perform again, with my figured bass and my soprano for the “Basses donnes”, and with my figured bass for the “Chants donnes”. Finally, he will compare this last work and my rendering.

1951