Musical Form as a Framing Device: Absolute Music and Desiderius a Dó [The Second Desiderius] by Pádraig Ó Cíobháin

Sorcha de Brún

doi:10.4312/elope.21.2.89-103

Authors

Sorcha de Brún University of Limerick

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4312/elope.21.2.89-103

Keywords:

intermediality, Irish language fiction, framing device, classical music, absolute music, Pádraig Ó Ciobháin, contemporary Irish fiction, Irish language, arts

Abstract

This paper undertakes a close reading of European classical music forms used as a framing device in the Irish language novel Desiderius a Dó (1995) by Pádraig Ó Cíobháin. Considered one of the seminal novels of modern Irish, Ó Cíobháin’s work contains what the scholar Irina Rajewsky describes as “intramedial references to visual arts, music, cinema, literature and architecture”. Classical music occupies a central place in the novel, and is essential for an understanding of its plot, characterization, narrative and its thematic concern with ideas of binaries and performance. The paper examines absolute music forms characteristic of the classical period in the novel, explores how Ó Cíobháin uses liturgical music and chant, and concludes that the overall effect of the writer’s approach is a reimagination of the Irish language novel within a European frame that is remarkable for the depth and scope it gives the characters and the narrative.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Bonds, Mark Evan. 2015. Absolute Music: The History of an Idea. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bostridge, Ian. 2015. Schubert’s Winter Journey: Anatomy of an Obsession. London: Faber and Faber.

Brown, Calvin S. 1948. Music and Literature: A Comparison of the Arts. Athens: Georgia University Press.

Buckley, Ann. 2017. Music, Liturgy and the Veneration of Saints of the Medieval Irish Church in a European Context. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols.

Church, Michael, ed. 2015. The Other Classical Musics: Fifteen Great Traditions. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press.

Dahlhaus, Carl. 1989. The Idea of Absolute Music. Translated by Roger Lustig. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.

de Brún, Fionntán. 2023. Béal na Péiste. Indreabhán: Cló Iar-Chonnacht.

de Brún, Sorcha. 2012. “‘Sinne Laochra Fáil’: Heroism and heroes in the work of Pádraig Ó Cíobháin.” In Voicing Dissent: New Perspectives on Irish Criticism, edited by Sandrine Brisset and Noreen Doody, 226–40. Dublin: Irish Academic Press.

—. 2016. “An Domhan agus a Athair: An Chruinne Fhireann agus Fireannachtaí i Saothar Triúr Scríbhneoirí Gaeltachta: Micheál Ó Conghaile, Pádraig Ó Cíobháin, Joe Steve Ó Neachtain.” PhD Diss., Ulster University, Belfast.

Denvir, Gearóid. 2017. “Desiderius a Dó.” In Úrscéalta na Gaeilge, edited by Ronan Doherty, Brian Ó Conchubhair and Philip O’Leary. Indreabhán: Cló Iar-Chonnacht.

Denvir, Gearóid, and Aisling Ní Dhonnchadha. 2001. Gearrscéalta an Chéid. Indreabhán: Cló Iar-Chonnacht.

Ellman, Richard. 1982. James Joyce. New York: Oxford University Press.

Gilbert, Stuart, ed. 1957. The Letters of James Joyce. New York: Viking Press.

Grout, Donald J., and Claude J. Palisca. 1988. A History of Western Music. 4th ed. New York: Norton.

Gruen, John. 1970. “Samuel Beckett talks about Beckett.” Vogue Magazine, February 1970: 108–9.

Hurd, Michael. 1968. An Outline History of Western Music. Buckinghamshire: Novello.

Joyce, James. 1958. Finnegan’s Wake. New York: Viking Compass Edition.

—. 1961. Ulysses. New York: Random House.

Kennedy, Joyce, Tim Rutherford-Johnson, and Michael Kennedy, eds. 2013. “Absolute music.” In The Oxford Dictionary of Music, 6th ed. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199578108.001.000.1.

Kregor, Jonathan, and Rebecca Schreiber. 2021. “Programme music.” In Oxford Bibliographies. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199757824-0303.

Latham, Alison, ed. 2011. “Absolute music.” In The Oxford Companion to Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lysaght, Patricia. 1992/1993. “Review: Éigse. A Journal of Irish Studies. Vol. 24 by Pádraig A. Breatnach.” Béaloideas 60/61: 339–44. https://doi.org/10.2307/20522430.

Mac Craith, Mícheál, and Benjamin Hazard. (2009) 2024. “Conry, Florence.” In Dictionary of Irish Biography, edited by Eoin Kinsella, Angela Byrne, Terry Clavin, Niav Gallagher, Patrick Maume and Turlough O’Riordan. https://doi.org/10.3318/dib.001975.v1.

Mac Gearailt, Uáitéar. 2012. “Middle Irish archaisms in Early Modern Irish Prose.” Studia Hibernica 38: 57–116. https://doi.org/10.3828/studia.38.57.

Nic Eoin, Máirín. 2006. “Contemporary prose and drama in Irish 1940–2000.” In Cambridge History of Irish Literature 1890–2000, edited by Margaret Kelleher and Philip O’Leary, vol. 2, 270–316. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

—. 2008. “Prose writing in Irish today.” In A New View of the Irish Language, edited by Caoilfhionn Nic Pháidín and Seán Ó Cearnaigh, 131–39. Dublin: Cois Life.

Ní Chualáin, Aingeal. 2015. “Feidhm na hAmhránaíochta agus an Damhsa i luath-shaothar Mháirtín Uí Chadhain.” Comhar Taighde 1 (1).

Ó Cadhain, Máirtín. 1961. An Braon Broghach agus Scéalta Eile. Dublin: Sairséal agus Dill.

Ó Cíobháin, Pádraig. 1991. Le Gealaigh. Dublin: Coiscéim.

—. 1992. An Gealas i Lár na Léithe. Dublin: Coiscéim.

—. 1995. Desiderius a Dó. Dublin: Coiscéim.

—. 1998. “Dúchas agus Toil Mo Chinn.” Comhar 57 (6): 22–24.

—. 1999. Tá Solas ná hÉagann Choíche. Dublin: Coiscéim.

—. 2006. “An Treasruathar Turgnamhach: Féinspléachadh Údair ar an Ionchur i bPróslitríocht a Linne.” In An Prós Comhaimseartha, Léachtaí Cholm Cille XXXVI, edited by Aisling Ní Dhonnchadha, 54–76. Má Nuad: An Sagart.

—. 2014. Novella Eile. Dublin: Coiscéim.

Ó Conchubhair, Brian, and Philip O’Leary. 2015. “The canon in Irish fiction.” Dublin Review of Books, June 2015. Accessed November 24, 2024. https://drb.ie/articles/the-canon-in-irish-language-fiction/.

Ó Cróinín, Breandán. 2021. “Úrscéal Cathrach Eorpach.” In Ar an Imeall i Lár an Domhain: Ag Trasnú Tairseacha Staire, Teanga, Litríochta agus Cultúir, edited by Radvan Markus, Máirín Nic Eoin, Deirdre Nic Mhathúna, Éadaoin Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Brian Ó Conchubhair and Pádraig Ó Liatháin, 306–19. Indreabhán: Leabhar Breac.

Ó Fachtna, Gabhán. 2013. An Domhan. Dublin: Coiscéim.

O’Rahilly, Thomas, ed. 1975. Desiderius. Otherwise Called Sgáthán an Chrábhaidh, by Flaithrí Ó Maolchonaire (Florence Conry). Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.

Ó Tuama, Seán. 1960. An Grá in Amhrán na nDaoine. Dublin: Cló Iar-Chonnacht.

Pesic, Peter. 2017. Polyphonic Minds: Music of the Hemispheres. Cambridge, Massachussets: MIT Press.

Rajewsky, Irina O. 2005. “Intermediality, intertextuality, and remediation: A literary perspective on intermediality.” Intermédialités / Intermediality 6 (Fall): 43–64. https://doi.org/10.7202/1005505ar.

‘Schumann, Robert’. 1987. Kinderszenen. Dublin: Unknown Publisher.

Storr, Anthony. 1997. Music and the Mind. London: Harper Collins.

Stricker, Jeppe Klitgaard. 2016. “Musical form in the novel: Beyond the sonata principle.” In Silence and Absence in Literature and Music, edited by Werner Wolf and Walter Bernhart. Leiden: Brill Rodopi.

Titley, Alan. 2018. Lámh, Lámh Eile. Indreabhán: Cló Iar-Chonnacht.

Waterman, Fanny. 1993. Every Pianist’s Dictionary. London: Faber and Faber.

Weakliam, Peter. 2023. “Ní Fear Mé. Is banríon me.” Comhar (23), June 2023.

Witen, Michelle. 2018. James Joyce and Absolute Music. London: Bloomsbury Academic.