Snapshots in Sound: Mystère de l'instant and the Legacy of Moment Form

Abstract

Dutilleux's Mystère de l'instant for cimbalom, strings and percussion (1985–1989) stands out within his output for its unusual approach to large-scale form. Eschewing processes of ‘progressive growth’ and the emphasis upon organic, symphonic continuity which had characterised the composer's mature language, this work presents a succession of self-contained ‘instants’ in which little attempt is made to establish longer-term connections of material. His approach shows some striking parallels with the aesthetic of ‘moment form’ adopted by Stockhausen and his Darmstadt colleagues during the 1960s and set out systematically by Jonathan Kramer in 1978, even though the respective musical languages employed are very different. A more detailed exploration of these parallels highlights new connections between Mystère de l'instant and the work of Proust, who has long represented an important source of inspiration for Dutilleux, and allows the work to be ‘rehabilitated’ within the main thread of the composer's stylistic development.