Distinction from Traditional Modal Systems

Definition: The clarification that Messiaen's modes of limited transpositions differ fundamentally from historical modal systems—including those of India, China, ancient Greece, and plainchant—which are based on scalar traditions transposable twelve times within the octave.

Messiaen's Treatment: Messiaen explicitly states that his modes have nothing in common with the three great modal systems of India, China, and ancient Greece, nor with modes of plainchant (which derive from Greek modes). All these different modes constitute what he calls "modal music," and his modes can be opposed to them or mixed with them. In paragraph 8 of Chapter XII, Example 182 ("le Verbe") demonstrates this mixing, combining the second mode of limited transpositions (the song) with tonal harmonies and the seventh mode of plainchant (the mode on G).

Modern Context: This distinction addresses a potential misconception—that Messiaen's "modes" simply represent another contribution to the long history of modal composition extending from medieval plainchant through folk music traditions to the modal jazz of the 1950s-60s. Instead, Messiaen emphasizes that his modes arise from a fundamentally different principle: symmetry and limited transposability rather than scalar tradition or cultural convention. Historical modes (Dorian, Phrygian, Mixolydian, etc., and their non-Western counterparts) are all transposable twelve times—they represent rotations or selections from the chromatic collection rather than symmetrical subsets. Contemporary theory would distinguish between diatonic modality (based on the seven-note diatonic collection and its rotations) and symmetrical modality (based on collections with transpositional limitations). Messiaen's modes belong exclusively to the latter category. This distinction also clarifies that despite the name "modes," Messiaen's system does not invoke historical modal practice's characteristic melodic formulas, cadential patterns, or hierarchical pitch relationships. The possibility of mixing his modes with traditional modal music (as in Example 182) demonstrates their compatibility as harmonic resources, even though they arise from different organizational principles.

Examples: Example 182 (Chapter XII)