The French composer Henri Dutilleux (born 1916) was largely influenced by the French writer Marcel Proust's (1871-1922) novel A la recherche du temps perdu. This monumental work is regarded by many critics as one of the most important novels of all times. The narrator, a parallel figure of Proust himself, experiences an involuntary memory of his childhood. An involuntary memory which is aroused in the narrator runs like a thread through the novel. This study traces how Dutilleux's style of writing was influenced by the concept of memory. Proust's concept of involuntary memory is realised in the sonata through "musical beacons". Dutilleux's composition techniques which relate to the concept of memory involve the following markers: • mirror images such as fan-like or melismatic figures • prominence of the tritone • focal notes or chords • principle of circularity • obsessional chords. A related aspect of Proust's concept of memory is the instability and inconsistency of the human personality as it is portrayed in his novel. In this study it is indicated how Dutilleux's croissance progressive composition technique may be likened to the inconsistency of personalities. It involves the concept of thematic evolutions which usually permutate from a core cell. This technique is characteristic of his adult work, and he applied it consciously for the first time in his First Symphony (1951). However, he acknowledges that he had used the technique unconsciously before. Dutilleux's Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1947) is an early work which was written during his student years for competition purposes. He does not regard the sonata as representative of his adult writing style. Thematic permutations of a core cell in the first movement are indicated in all three movements of the work. The analysis of musical thematic structure shows that aspects of Dutilleux's adult writing style were already present in his early work. / Thesis (D.Mus.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The French composer Henri Dutilleux (born 1916) was largely influenced by the French writer Marcel Proust's (1871-1922) novel A la recherche du temps perdu. This monumental work is regarded by many critics as one of the most important novels of all times. The narrator, a parallel figure of Proust himself, experiences an involuntary memory of his childhood. An involuntary memory which is aroused in the narrator runs like a thread through the novel. This study traces how Dutilleux's style of writing was influenced by the concept of memory. Proust's concept of involuntary memory is realised in the sonata through "musical beacons". Dutilleux's composition techniques which relate to the concept of memory involve the following markers: • mirror images such as fan-like or melismatic figures • prominence of the tritone • focal notes or chords • principle of circularity • obsessional chords. A related aspect of Proust's concept of memory is the instability and inconsistency of the human personality as it is portrayed in his novel. In this study it is indicated how Dutilleux's croissance progressive composition technique may be likened to the inconsistency of personalities. It involves the concept of thematic evolutions which usually permutate from a core cell. This technique is characteristic of his adult work, and he applied it consciously for the first time in his First Symphony (1951). However, he acknowledges that he had used the technique unconsciously before. Dutilleux's Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1947) is an early work which was written during his student years for competition purposes. He does not regard the sonata as representative of his adult writing style. Thematic permutations of a core cell in the first movement are indicated in all three movements of the work. The analysis of musical thematic structure shows that aspects of Dutilleux's adult writing style were already present in his early work. / Thesis (D.Mus.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.