'Abyss Of The Birds' By Messiaen

Messiaen indicates in the score, by inserting a comma, that he wants the performers to play the entire phrase in one breath. It is often heard differently during a number of performances as clarinetists are not able to execute the entire phrase in one breath as the composer suggested. Many times, clarinetists chose to circle-breath during the beginning of the third movement in order to follow composer’s guidelines. In addition to the comma at the end of the fourth bar, Messiaen indicates breath marks throughout the entire third movement. Abyss of the birds was written in the ABA1 form, similarly to the previous movement Vocalise. The other significant technical challenge of Abîme des oiseaux is found in the variety of dynamics used by the composer throughout the entire movement. It is done so because the clarinet is the only instrument (from the entire symphony orchestra) that is able to play ppppp and fffff in all the registrars whereas other instruments struggle to produce such dynamics.
Messiaen marks the middle B section Presque vif, gai, capricieux (lively, cheerful, and capricious) where the quarter note equals 126 bpm.
The material of the middle section completely differs from the slow and eternal-sounding A section. However, similarly to the first movement, Messiaen wants the clarinet to imitate sounds of blackbirds flying over the abyss. Most of the passages written in the clarinet part are technically challenging. In addition, it is required that the performer to be equipped with a variety of dynamics and an overall control throughout all the registers, and to have crisp articulations that add extra pose and direction throughout the middle
section.
From the example above, the listener can detect the abrupt changes in dynamics in addition to the often-placed eighth-note rests that Messiaen purposely inserts there. That way, the composer is able to create a sense of overall anxiety, unpredictability and chaos that the performer needs to convey to the audiences through his or her technical and artistic command of the instrument. Once the performer successfully completes the task set by the composer, then listeners are often left emotionally satisfied after presented with a moving performance of Abyss of the birds. There is another technical challenge presented for clarinetists in the Modéré section. Messiaen decides to showcase the instrument’s ability by juxtaposing loud and soft dynamics within four octaves. The composer writes pitches C#, F, E, G, C#, and D and indicates FF dynamics. This is followed immediately by the exact pitches, only this time marked PP, creating an echo effect. If the performer completes the task successfully, then audiences are able to experience the almost limitless dynamic capabilities of the clarinet. Even though the tempo is marked at 92 for each eighth note, it is without a doubt one of the most challenging spots in the entire third movement.