Subject
Sergei back to MR on counterpoint and texture in PF
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Dear Matt,
>"The difference between Shade
>and Kinbote is more in texture and style, than can be derived from
>various "keys" planted here an there."
>>Can you explain this a bit more? I don't think I'm understanding your
>>point. My idea was, simply, that counterpoint and texture (especially
>>as it relates to different voices in music) seem to be concepts which
>>speak to ("PF" + Commentary) much more than ("PF") by itself.
I think that the main meaning of "texture" is not musical, in music
it is used as part of special terminology, but main meaning is
rather related to visual arts and design. It can be used
in application to a butterfly wing, to how a picture is done
(e.g., smooth, with large
brush strokes etc), to the background of a photograph (and nowadays,
a web-site); a friend of mine is working with tapestry and painting
on tissue, and there the notion of texture is used all the time.
It is often used when one speaks about the style of a particular
painter - e.g., this copy looks similar but is very different
in texture.
In his interview to "Playboy" (and maybe elsewhere as well)
VN speaks about music - and says that he is not good in music at all
(in difference from Dmitry). He says that he is
usually bored at a concert, and is rather attracted by visual details
of the performance, and everything that he would say
about music would be very superficial. I think his
approach to art was such that he would not use (or use
very little) something he does not feel and understand
well. To me, it is strong argument against the idea
that PF would be built on musical principles.
To possible objection that there is clearly something
that looks like "contrapunct" I would answer, that
similar way to use complementariness and opposites
is characteristic not only to music. In painting you have
complementary colours, in chess compositions you often
use symmetric alternatives... When VN describes
his method to write (much similar to Shade's) he stresses
that he no more writes in chronological order - it is something
very a-musical.
These are several arguments why I think that texture in
the poem has little to do with music. The difference
in texture is rather similar to the difference between two artists
painting the same paysage (or two paysages which have
something in common). This is why I mentioned it
in the same context as "style". I think one of
principal differences between Shade and Kinbote is
in texture in this sense of the word.
Notice also that even if the musical analogy is
permitted, it doesn't necessarily mean most abstract
musical forms, like fugue. It might
be also opera where different voices correspond
to different characters (and one may say "texture of a voice"),
and so, it is not a strong argument in favor
of Shade's MPD theory.
It is possible that VN knew "Gradus ad Parnassum", but again,
if we take the basic meaning of "gradus", we shall see that it is
not musical, it is related to "step by step", gradual
progression, and it corresponds very well to gradual building
of tension with Gradus progress in the Pale Fire.
(Vinogradus grows and becomes ripe, so to say - in Russian vinograd =
grapes.)
Best regards,
Sergei
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>"The difference between Shade
>and Kinbote is more in texture and style, than can be derived from
>various "keys" planted here an there."
>>Can you explain this a bit more? I don't think I'm understanding your
>>point. My idea was, simply, that counterpoint and texture (especially
>>as it relates to different voices in music) seem to be concepts which
>>speak to ("PF" + Commentary) much more than ("PF") by itself.
I think that the main meaning of "texture" is not musical, in music
it is used as part of special terminology, but main meaning is
rather related to visual arts and design. It can be used
in application to a butterfly wing, to how a picture is done
(e.g., smooth, with large
brush strokes etc), to the background of a photograph (and nowadays,
a web-site); a friend of mine is working with tapestry and painting
on tissue, and there the notion of texture is used all the time.
It is often used when one speaks about the style of a particular
painter - e.g., this copy looks similar but is very different
in texture.
In his interview to "Playboy" (and maybe elsewhere as well)
VN speaks about music - and says that he is not good in music at all
(in difference from Dmitry). He says that he is
usually bored at a concert, and is rather attracted by visual details
of the performance, and everything that he would say
about music would be very superficial. I think his
approach to art was such that he would not use (or use
very little) something he does not feel and understand
well. To me, it is strong argument against the idea
that PF would be built on musical principles.
To possible objection that there is clearly something
that looks like "contrapunct" I would answer, that
similar way to use complementariness and opposites
is characteristic not only to music. In painting you have
complementary colours, in chess compositions you often
use symmetric alternatives... When VN describes
his method to write (much similar to Shade's) he stresses
that he no more writes in chronological order - it is something
very a-musical.
These are several arguments why I think that texture in
the poem has little to do with music. The difference
in texture is rather similar to the difference between two artists
painting the same paysage (or two paysages which have
something in common). This is why I mentioned it
in the same context as "style". I think one of
principal differences between Shade and Kinbote is
in texture in this sense of the word.
Notice also that even if the musical analogy is
permitted, it doesn't necessarily mean most abstract
musical forms, like fugue. It might
be also opera where different voices correspond
to different characters (and one may say "texture of a voice"),
and so, it is not a strong argument in favor
of Shade's MPD theory.
It is possible that VN knew "Gradus ad Parnassum", but again,
if we take the basic meaning of "gradus", we shall see that it is
not musical, it is related to "step by step", gradual
progression, and it corresponds very well to gradual building
of tension with Gradus progress in the Pale Fire.
(Vinogradus grows and becomes ripe, so to say - in Russian vinograd =
grapes.)
Best regards,
Sergei
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm