Representations of Chaos in 18th Century Music

Abstract

Chaos has been theme of constant debate since Antiquity, although there are few surveys that approach the representations of it in music. Musical works that imitate Chaos also do not appear in large scale in musical literature. However, the 18th century witnesses at least three important works that go for this duty: the ouverture Les Elemens (1737) by Jean-Féry Rebel, the ouverture to the opera Zais (1748) by Rameau and the prelude to The Creation (1798) by Joseph Haydn. It is clear, in comparing them, that, despite of stylistic differences, they reveal many elements in common, both concerning the classics – which serves as starting point to all of these works – and the techniques used by them to express Chaos. In this article, it will be studied the main Greco-latin, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries understandings around Chaos by following the path of these thoughts until those composers, seeking an unity in the way to represent Chaos in eighteenth century music.