Reflection of Carillon and Bell Sounds in Piano Works by Impressionists and Composers of the Twentieth Century - Oleksandra Makarova

This thesis investigates the ways in which the sound of bells and carillons is reflected in piano works by Impressionist and 20th-century composers. The research focuses on selected compositions by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Olivier Messiaen, Federico Mompou, and George Enescu, whose music demonstrates a consistent interest in evoking bell-like sonorities. Through detailed score analysis, the study examines harmonic structures, modal and whole-tone usage, rhythmic repetition, pedaling, articulation, and register layering as primary tools for creating bell effects on the piano.

In addition to musical analysis, the work incorporates relevant findings from campanology to compare the actual overtone structures of bells with the intervals and textures employed by composers. Particular attention is paid to the deliberate avoidance of the minor third—an acoustically prominent bell overtone—in favor of more consonant intervals such as fourths and sixths, often justified by aesthetic considerations, instrumental limitations, and the cultural perception of bells in France and Spain.

The interdisciplinary approach adopted in this research bridges musicological analysis with historical and acoustic contexts. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how composers adapted the piano’s capabilities to approximate complex inharmonic sound sources such as bells, and how these adaptations shaped the harmonic language of the period.