Varied Ostinato and the Functions of Repetition in Harrison Birtwistle’s “Frieze 2” and “Frieze 3”

Abstract Harrison Birtwistle has stated that the “Frieze” movements of his Nine Movements for String Quartet are “about repetition.” I show how Birtwistle uses what he terms “varied ostinati” in two movements, “Frieze 2” and “Frieze 3,” to explore a set of contradictions and paradoxes surrounding our perception of repetition. In addition to fundamental ontological mysteries, such as the way in which a repeated element is simultaneously the same and different and the difficulty of defining what “counts” as a repetition, these include paradoxes of textural and temporal perception. Texturally, repeating musical material can either draw attention to a musical object or cause it to recede into the background, whereas temporally, repetition can either draw a listener more intensely into the present moment or seem to remove material from its temporal context for abstract contemplation. Building upon David Lidov’s (1979) typology of repetition types to explore the relationship between the structure of repeated material and its perceived textural and temporal function, I argue that Birtwistle’s varied ostinati, due to features such as rhythmic play, variation and development, and lack of clear unit boundaries, often invite the participatory rhythmic experience of a more typical ostinato while occupying a liminal textural role that hovers between perceptual background and foreground. The layering of such varied ostinati creates a dynamic and multifaceted musical surface. Finally, I demonstrate how hidden global repetition processes in each movement explore these themes at a deeper structural level, creating a linear thread below the ever-changing surface material.