Brahms

Ballades, Op 10

This was my first Brahms piece. Listening to it again brings back good memories. I remembered feelilng overwhelmed by the big chords and the amount of sound that was produced. My teacher in college kept telling me that I need to have an image of Brahms in my head when I play his music: a fairly big guy with a big gut and with arms the size of a tree trunk. I will always remember that.

This is, in my opinion, a very good starter into Brahms' works. It is not too terribily difficult but has all the "Brahmsian" characters in the music: big, thick chords, hemiolas, big, rolled chords, polyrhythms, rich harmony, and some large stretches (though not as many compared to his other works). These are four intermezzi-like pieces. Each is in ABA form with a contrasting B section differ from the A section in key, tempo, mood, and character. The first one is stately and regal, somewhat solemn and serious. The second one, a lullaby, develops into a stormy and restless B section with a fairly difficult Molto staccato e leggiero section with quick grace notes. The third one, actually marked as "Intermezzo" by Brahms, sounds like the Scherzo movement of a sonata, is quick in tempo. The last one, begins with series of song-like descending arpeggios, progresses into the middle section which is meandering in nature with its relentless polyrhythms that go through many modulations, creates harmonic ambiguity and uncertainty of direction.

Op 118

1. Intermezzo - definitely a good starter for the set. It surprised me how short the piece is. There is not a contrasting section and the whole thing is simply two pages long. One of the prominent things that I noticed is the left arpeggios and how low they are in the register, which is a great contrast to the right hand passionate melody.

2. Intermezzo - the one everybody loves and wants to play. I have already taught it twice this year! No doubt, one of the most beautiful pieces ever written. The recording I heard, performed by Idil Biret, was too fast for my taste. Though I like everything else she does.

3. Ballade - typical Brahms: thick textures, left hand octave leaps, contrasting B section.

4. Intermezzo - interesting feature: emphasis on the second beats for the first seven measures, then emphasis on the first beats for four. It plays tricks with listeners' ears.

5. Romanze - lullaby in 6/4. In the beginning, we feel the music in 3. By measure 8, we feel it in 2 because of how it is grouped (three sets of two-note slurs).

6. Intermezzo - this huntingly beautiful piece seems to be narrative in nature: a story of something sad and tragic that has happened. The opening has a recitative quality that meanders, which is created partly through harmonic ambiguity. In the middle section, things lighten up a bit: major key, quicker rhythmic motion, staccatos, more light-hearted in general. Brahms then seamlessly take us back to deep grieving and solemn. This is perhaps my favorite piece out of the entire set. It is very different sounding from the rest of the set. It is music that speaks to the soul.

Grieg and others

Grieg Sonata and Lyric Pieces, Op. 12

A four-movement sonata, each is quite short (between 3-6 minutes), in sonata standard. This fits well into his "miniature form" scheme of his compositional style. The "lyrical" aspect, which is so apparent in all of his music, is heard especially in the second movement. I love how the beginning is so simple and sweet but later becomes stormy and passionate, totally unexpected. The first movement, in my opinion, is quite Schumanesque, with its off-beat melody, rumbling low-register accompaniment, and the dotted-rhythms. The third movement, a melancholy and grandioso march, a lyrical section with an inversion of the motive from the beginning. Fourth movement, playful in character, again with the dotted rhythms. Having never played this piece before but heard it at numerous different performances, I would imagine it would be a good show piece for a concert. It is a piece that everyone an enjoy, whether you are a professional musician, an amateur pianist, or someone who does not know a thing about music. To me, it is what makes Grieg's music so attractive, because it reaches out to the general public, no matter who you are.

Lyric Pieces, Op. 12, what a lovely piece! Each of these selections are short and sweet (1-2 minutes each). Each presents a different song or dance. Most of them are folk songs or dances or Norwegian. Grieg's talent of writing beautiful melodic lines (yet simple, which is what most folk tune is about) is so apparent here in these miniature pieces.


Frank Prelude, Chorale and Fugue

As I listen to this piece, couple of features come to mind:

Improvisatory style: arpeggios, chromaticism (descending base line in octaves, scales), harmonic meandering.

Pedal tone: the B pedal point that is throughout the piece.

Chorale style: rolled-chords (goes with the improvisatory element). The use of roll-chords is an expressive element of the music.

Off-beats starts: very Bach-like, as we mentioned in class. A good example is the Chromatic Fantasy.

Fugue: a Bach-like 3 voice fugue, but freer in style, less reserved, more outpouring of emotions. I especially like the intro to the fugue, which is a nice bridge connecting the motive material from the prelude and then developing it in the fugue.

Saint-Saens Etude en Forme de Valse

A fun piece! It definitely has some "etude-like" quality to it. The repeated notes, double-notes, ascending 3rds, octaves, all at obscenely fast speed, unless you are Rubinstein, is hard to pull off. What I like about it is that on top of all the Liszt-like brilliant and virtuosic stuff, Saint-Saens managed to make it sound not too pretentious and over the top. Though I'm not exactly sure how anybody could possibly "dance" to this without falling or killing their feet!

Chabrier Scherzo-Valse

No. 10 from the Piece Pittoresque, is in 9/16 meter. This implies that it is a very quick waltz. In the beginning of the piece, the second beats are accented. As the piece progresses, the first beats were accented. Then it alternates, gives it an unexpected feeling of never knowing what will happen next. The word "pesant dance" comes to mind. This piece is not without technical difficulties. The staccato triplets in Vivo is especially hard to articulate clearly.

Alkan Etudes Op 39 No. 12 Le festin d'Esope

We talked about in class how incredibly difficult his music is. It is notey, random, and can be a bit strange. It can get overwhelmingly virtuosic. Sometimes they get too loud and bombastic to the point that it becomes noisy. I appreciate the idea of writing a set of variations using etude format for each of them. We can definitely hear the brilliance of the sound and the virtuosity from Chopin and Liszt's influences.

Liszt

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12

Written in C-sharp minor, the piece has a somewhat dark and solemn quality. The beginning has a very typical figure of Liszt: grace note octaves, which is also seen in the second, tenth, thirteenth, and fourteenth. It starts with a slow, recitative like introduction. It goes through many tempo and key changes throughout the piece. The section of Un poco piu lento has a lyrical and expressive quality with dotted rhthms and chromaticism. In Allegro zingarese, the hungarian dance kicks is interjected by a melancholy slow section. The section follows sounds almost like a march, intertwined with virtuosic Lisztian octaves in, once again, dotted rhythms. In Allegretto giogoso, very Liszt like trills on top of the melodic line, followed by a light heartd dances, emphasizing the second beats! Stretta Vivace: fast and hard! Double notes chromatics and the usual difficult octaves. The ending octave passage on the left hand (before the E major section) sounds like one section in the first movement of the Liszt Concerto No. 1.

Spanish Rhapsody

The Lento introduction sets a gloomy and somber mood to a more light-hearted character later in the piece. This piece combines the "rhapsody" and the "Spanish" aspect together by sometimes emphasizing the second beats (rhapsody like) and other times on the the first beat (Spanish-like). The delicate cadenze follows the slow intro before the real Spanish music begins in Andante moderato. The expressive section is then followed by difficult chromatic double notes on both hands and octaves for a few pages before another Spanish tune enters. This one consists mainly of thirds in the melody. It progressively gets harder and harder as it bursts out into chromatic scales and large octave leaps.

Trascendental Etude No. 10

This etude is full of passion and drama. The famous beginning of this etude, with hands over-lapping at a ridiculously fast speed, sets up the off-beat syncopated pattern in that melody that is seen throughout the piece. The main motive in the first theme is changed every time through the difference in accompaniment: the first time the accompaniment and melody play off of each other more; the second with more "swirling" accompaniment; third with triplets in both melody and accompaniment, but played at different times. Liszt also develops the motive in ascending sequences. The second theme has a beautiful melodic line in octaves with tricky left hand passages. The coda is explosive and even faster than the first established tempo.

Transcendental Etude No. 12

Chasse-Neige is the programmatic title of this etude, which means "impetuous winds which raise whirls of snow". The description fits the piece well. There is a constant "whirling" of sounds through the tremelos, which is the prominent accompaniment of the entire piece. The melody (the snow flakes, maybe?) seems to rise above the turmoil and the difficulty of this, of course, is that the melodic line has to be played seamlessly when it is switched from one hand to the other, but at the same time, without destroying the flow of the turbulent accompaniment. This piece reminds me very much of Un Sospiro from Liszt's Three Concert Etudes, where it sound like an "extra hand" is playing the melody.

La Leggierezza

Possibly the most "Chopinesque" of Liszt. From the title, it is obvious that the challenge here is to play everything "light and delicate". Unlike most of other Liszt's etudes, this one has no bombastic octaves and chords. The left hand leaps are very difficult, especially while trying to coordinate with the right hand double notes (which has to be played delicately!). It is one of my favorite Liszt etude and everyone should play it at some point of their musical career!

Ballade No. 1 and its various performances

Ballade No. 1 opens with a Largo introduction followed by the first subject in 6/4 in G minor. It starts out simple and subtle before bursting into a stormy and agitated section. The second subject in E-flat major has simple yet beautiful melody. The first subject returns in E major, this time more developmental in nature with virtuosic right hand octaves. There is a scherzo section in E-flat major before the returns of the second subject in B-flat major. The first subject returns once more in D major before the intense and difficult coda. It seems like Chopin has sonata form and theme and variations forms in mind when he wrote these. There are two main themes in the whole piece but each theme is further developed through different variation techniques.

So the first pianist, full of passionate energy, seems to pour all of his/her emotion into music. From the background noise and the ambience of the recording, we can tell that it's a live performance, which probably has a lot to do with the ever unstraining passion that goes into the piece. This pianist is brave in playing the fast section so ferociously! Unfortunately, he/she also sacrifices the clarity or the passages a bit. It is very exciting playing, but because of the fast tempo, a feeling of "got to go somewhere", it ceases to "paint a picture and tell a story", as what Chopin might had in mind. From the lack of accuracy in notes and the speediness of the playing, I guess Horowitz.

The second pianist, very sentimental and detail in execution. What a wonderful sense of touch. It is effortless to listen to the performance. Transitions between sections are well-thought out and smooth. The fast passages flows well into the slow, lyrical sections. Texturally, I can hear different layers at all time! The performer has a very clear idea of how he/she wants to organized the piece. The returns of each theme and its variations never sounded redundant. The coda is clean and not hectic (which is very hard to do...) Unlike the first performer, I hear a story going on, painting different pictures in my head. I guess Artur Rubinstein.

The third pianist, probably the most straighforward out of the three. Rubato was never overly done, the transitions between the fast and slow sections were tastefully exectued, and the clarity and the accuracy that every audience listens for are also presence without sounding forced. It combines the first pianist's passion and the second pianist's introspective quality into one, resulting in a perfect blend of sentimentality and virtuosity. I guess Vladimir Ashkenazy.

More Chopin!

Polonaise in F-sharp Minor

Like many of the other polonaises Chopin wrote, this one has a noble and majestic quality. It starts with a virtuosic introduction of octaves (with harmonic ambiguity) leading to the main theme of the piece (we finally do arrive on the tonic!). At the end of the first section, Chopin cleverly uses the F natural to lead into the next area, which is in B-flat minor. After that Chopin constantly switches back and forth between these two tonal areas before a brand new section of what sounds like the drum roll with single, monotone A as the "melody". The theme in the B section returns briefly in this section before the drum roll continues into a Mazurka section. The jerky rhythms (emphasis on the second beats) gives an unsteady feel (hence the jerkiness). The grace notes add more flavors and flares to the dance. This "hopping around" from section to section gives this piece a somewhat fantasy-like characteristic.

Barcarolle

A Barcarolle is a folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers (Venetian sculling boats). The beginning rocking motion of the left hand accompaniment shows the "rocking back and forth" of the boats in the water. As we discussed in class, the melodic thirds, which is used quite frequently, have an Italian quality. Chopin also uses the melodic sixths throughout the piece. Notice the left hand rocking motion never stops, but just written in different ways. The right hand decorated melody gives that nice free, improvisational quality we see so often in Chopin's music.

Mazurkas, Op. 59

Each of the three pieces presents a differe flavor: the first one melancholy and otherworldly; the second simple and sweet; the third majestic and full of energy. All three are harmonically complex with chromaticism playing a big part in the music (i.e. the chromatic passage leading to the coda at the end of the second one). Because of the dance nature and the emphasis on the second beats, even if it is in the minor mode and has a sentimental and melancholy melody, it still sounds somewhat playful. In the second and third one, it has a hint of the polonaise, with it's marching-like, majestic quality. The melody (never stays in one place, always moving up and down the keyboard), along with complex harmonies, giving it a 'weaving in-and-out" feel to the music.

Clara Schumann and Mendelssohn's Variations

Both sets of variations by Clara Schumann and Mendelssohn have some interesting similarities and differences. Both pieces are written less obscurely (not as harmonically and rhythmically complicated and as Beethoven's and Brahms' variations), meaning that the variations written following the theme are quite straightforward. The theme is often times clearly stated and it is usually in the top voice. Clara Schumann's variations, compared to Mendelssohn's, are more sectionalized between variations. There is a clear beginning and ending for each variation. Mendelssohn's, on the other hand, has more connection between variations. For example, the beginning of Variation 11 sounds more like a continuation of Variation 10, instead of a new idea. This connection is also further enhanced through the persistent key of D minor throughout the piece (notice that almost every variation ends with a D minor chord and begins with some kind of D minor figuration). The only exception of this is in Variation 14, where it is in the relative major of the original key. Clara also uses the relative major key for several of the variations. Harmonically, it is less adventurous than Mendelssohn's. The theme of Mendelssohn's variation introduces chromaticism right from the start. In Variation 10, the contrapuntal writing here chromaticized the piece even more. We can also see here of Bach's influence behind Mendelssohn's writing.

Comparing textures, Mendelssohn seems to have more things going on. He creates thicker texture and is not afraid to venture out from the middle of the keyboard. Clara's tends to resemble her husband's writing more: more timid in extremes on the piano. The broken chords is a very Mendelssohn-like is the figuration in Variation 17: (right hand on the down beat playing the first chord of the triplet, the rests with the left hand). This creats a flowy and fluent texture. We can see influences of Schumann in both sets of variations. Clara writes more for the middle of the keyboard and chorale-like passages (Variation II and III). Mendelssohn writes off beat melodies (Variation 5 and the end of Variation 17). I also thought that Variation V (ascending octaves and octaves unison on both hands) of Clara's and Variations 3 (octaves), 6 (virtuosic leaps) and 12 (more octave leaps) of Mendelssohn's resemble some of Brahm's virtuosic variation writings.

Chopin Nocturnes and Preludes

Nocturnes

"Chopin was a genius of universal appeal. His music conquers the most diverse audiences. When the first notes of Chopin sound through the concert hall there is a happy sign of recognition. All over the world men and women know his music. They love it. They are moved by it. Yet it is not Romantic music in the Byronic sense. It does not tell stories or paint pictures. It is expressive and personal, but still a pure art, even in this abstract, atomic age, where emotion is not fashionable, Chopin endures. His music is the universal language of human communication. When I play Chopin I know I speak directly to the hearts of people!" ---Artur Rubinstein

The diversity Rubinstein speaks of here can especially be seen with Chopin's nocturnes. It's got it all: the lyricism, the imagination, the passion, the virtuosity. Each nocturne creates a different mood: some are calm and simple (Op. 9 No. 1; Op. 15 No. 2; Op. 72, No. 1); some are turbulence and dramatic (Op. 15, No. 1; Op. 48, No. 1; Op. 62, No. 1). There are also others that start quite and sweet, yet turns into quite a storm in the B section (Op. 15, No. 1; Op. 27, No. 1; Op. 62, No. 2). There are couple of strange ones: Op. 32, No. 1 has an uncalled for pause at the end of section A, ending on an inconclusive C-sharp minor chord (ii of B major). The music just stops for a brief second, before a new idea is introduced, without any transitional material. This happens three more times at the return of each A section! Chopin is also quite adventurous harmonically in these nocturnes. For example, in Op. 27, No. 1, the beginning of the piece opens with C-sharp minor accompaniment while the right hand E-sharp clashes with it. Many of these nocturnes follow song forms, with a contrasting B section through changes in meter, tempo, and texture. B section is often times passionate and virtuosic.

As Rubinstein commented, Chopin's music moves audience. They are full of sentiments and to a certain degree, spiritual. In Op. 15, No. 3, a section towards the end is marked religioso, a choral, hymn-like melody that is peaceful and without disturbance. Listening to Chopin's nocturnes, in many ways, is an otherworldly experience; as if the music has transcended us into a higher place...of course it helps to have someone like Rubinstein, the master interpreter of Chopin's music, whose playing touches everyone's heart.


Preludes, Op. 28

What an exciting set of pieces! I like the perfect blend of emotional turmoil and undisturbed tranquility. The preludes, as some of us know, are based on the circle of fifths, using all the related major and minor keys in ascending number of sharps and descending number of flat keys: resembling Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. What is different from Bach's well known preludes and fugues is first of all, how succinct each selection is. They are also, in my opinion, even more dramatic contrasts between each number. I read once that these are really more like tone poems than preludes. Each has a different character and speaks in a poetic way. Like the nocturnes, these are quite diverse. Some of them are etude-like with its daunting technical difficulty: No. 3 (evil left hand ostinato), 8 (voicing out inner voice while there's everything else!), 12 (bass leaps!), 16 (bass leaps!), 19 (bass leaps!), and 24 (descending double thirds). Nos. 13 and 15 sound like nocturnes. No. 7 is a miniature mazurka. Nos. 9 and 20 are hymn-like. No. 6 is a lament. No. 14 is written in quite a low register (only 4 bars plus a beat is written on treble clef), which gives the dark, turbulent character.

Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words

Op. 30, Nr. 5 in D Major

This piece, marked Andante grazioso, has several pianistic principles that students tend to struggle with. Mendelssohn writes Il Basso sempre piano e leggierissimo, meaning the bass is always soft and delicate. The melodic line is clearly on the right hand octaves. The left hand consists of 32nd-note accompaniment that conjures images of flowing streams or rippling water. It is subtle and transparent as opposed to the melodic line, which is clear-cut and forward. Because of this delicate nature of the left hand accompaniment, it must be treated carefully so it is not played out too much (which destroys the serenity of it), neither is it underplayed (which becomes unarticulated).

This accompaniment on the left hand should be soft and delicate without loosing the clarity of the notes. This can be practiced through different articulations of the passage: staccatos, dotted rhythms, detachment of every note using high fingers. This will help the students learn the intervals and know where the leaps are, which further helps with accuracty. Articulation can also be achieved through rotations of wrist and forearm, which give support to the fingers. Elbow can act as a pivot point, directs and leads the fingers through running passages. In measure 5, where the left hand plays C#, E, A#, and C#, it is helpful to practice in groups of two, three, and four in order to play these evenly. For example, C# to E, E to A#, A# to C#, then backwards.

Another issue with this piece is connecting the right hand octaves. There are two ways of playing legato octaves. The most effective way for this piece, in my opinion, is finger substitution. If the tempo allows (meaning that it is not too fast), this method works best for me. Take the beginning of this piece, for example, I would play the F# with a 4 (like it suggests in the music), then 1-5 for the first octave, substitute 5 with a 4 before playing the next octave with 1-5 again. In desceding passages, same principle applies, but now 1-4 first, then substitue with 5, then 1-5 for the next octave. This way, the top notes are connected, which connects the octaves. The other way is playing all octaves with 1-5, but to "slide" from one octave to the next by staying as close to the keys as possible using the elbow and the forearm to lead from one position to the next. I find that this works best in fast passages, where there is no time for finger substitution.

The last principle is voicing chords. There are several ways to practice bringing out the top melodic lines without loosing the inner voices. One is to practice without the thumbs. This is also a good way to practice leaps from one chord to the next. Another way is to practice only the top notes with the fingers given for the chords (most of the time, it would be all 5s, or sometimes alternating 4s and 5s), using more support from the elbow to give these notes richer and fuller tone. Add the top inner voice, then play all three voices, before adding the thumb back in. Playing each inner voice by itself (using the fingerings given) with different articulations will further train the student's ears to listen to many layers at once.

Weber and Mendelssohn

Weber - Invitation to the Dance

What a charming little piece! It is graceful, elegant, and full of spirit! It opens with a slow introduction before the majestic waltz begins. The running right hand passages in the beginning of the Allegro vivace sounds almost like a Czerny exercise (not in a bad way). We here some chromaticism intervening the scale passages (maybe we can see where Chopin gets the chromaticism from?). Weber also plays with the waltz pattern; once in awhile he puts accents on the third beats of the measures, thus giving the feeling of "a bit off". The Wiegend section where Weber bombards us with a page and half of waltz pattern (with repeats!) gets a bit old after awhile. The piece ends with a virtuosic coda and with the slow introduction heard from the beginning of the piece to round off the piece nicely.


Mendelssohn

Rondo Capricciosos, Op. 14

This piece has the perfect blend of musicality (beautifully singing melodies) and virtuosity (the typical fast finger works of Mendelssohn and the double thirds!). After the somewhat slow introduction, Presto comes in with energy and playfulness with a theme that most of us are familiar with. The motive from the beginning of the presto is developed throughout the rondo. The arpeggios are flashy and brilliant and act as the links between sections. Overall, this is an exciting piece to listen to; full of flare and fun!

Prelude and Fugue in E minor, Op. 35

The arpeggiation in the prelude, commonly seen in Bach's preludes as well, along with the passionate melodic lines (both hands alternate to play this) make this a unique piece . The romantic quality of the melody is what makes this a "Mendelssohn" prelude. The beginning of the fugue sounds like a standard Bach's 3-part fugue; intricate polyphonic lines and complex harmony. As it gets to the section that is marked "accelerando poco a poco all' Allegro con fuoco", the 16th notes passage moves from one voice to the other. Octaves are added, creating more volume and weight as well as excitement for the fugue. The rhythmic energy hightens as the moving 16th notes accelerate without holding back. As it breaks into nothing but octaves on the left hand towards the last page, it transforms what was a Bach fugue into a Beethoven late-style fugue. This last part of the fugue reminds me very much of the fugue from the last movement of Beethoven's Op. 110.


Variations serieuses

Theme - peaceful, chromatic religious chorale

Var. 1 - simple variation with string trio-like quality with left hand pizzacatos

Var. 2 - rhythmic diminution, sextuplets speed up and also give fluidity to the music

Var. 3 - virtuosic octaves, almost Brahms-like

Var. 4 - between the staccatos and the grace-notes, it sounds very playful

Var. 5 - off-beat melodies is very Schumann-like

Var. 6 - Brahms-like again, with the big chords and the leaps

Var. 7 - the rhythmic figures reminds me of Schubert's Wanderer's Fantasy, I think it's the "chord, chord, chord, run, chord, chord, chord" pattern.

Var. 8 + 9 - fast and virtuosic!

Var. 10 - similar to the fugue in Prelude and Fugue Op. 35

Var. 11 - syncopated accompaniment

Var. 12 - virtuosic, Brahms-like

Var. 13 - chamber music quality; pizzacatos accompaniment on the right hand

Var. 14 - back to the peaceful, religious chorale from the theme.

Var. 15 - off-beat melodies again

Var. 16 and 17 - virtuosic, triplets off beats on the right hand, then on the left hand; coda is the same as Var. 5 but an octave lower, but even faster!

The Social Order and Music

The Social Order and Music by Riedel is an article discussing the expansion of society and music in the 19th century. What Riedel calls the "continuous expansion" of all aspects of human life indeed does effect everyone in the society. As middle-class takes over, an explosion in creativity and productivity (through the invention of mechanical devices, which leads to fewer hard-labor workers) is apparent. Public education becomes important since the work force now calls for more specialized professions. As people become more educated, the idea of individuality becomes more prominent. Spirituality becomes less of a concern than scientific reasoning. The increase in population is seen because of the advanced medial techonology. More diseases are being cured or at least brought under control.

These dramatic changes in society effects the musical society greatly. The biggest change in music during the 19th century is the fact that music is reaching a larger audience. Concert halls and music theaters are being bulit. Middle-class can now afford to go to concerts and purchasing pianos at home. As music publishing and printing become even more popular, more people can afford taking lessons at home. This reaching out of expanded audiences inspires the composers to write with "local color" in mind. Use of folktune materials in music not only is more publicly accessible, it also speaks nationalism. Riedel discusses how the roles of the society and the composers are a bit different from what we have seen in the Baroque and Classical periods. Pre-19th century, composers composed for mostly churches or courts. They were composing for certain purposes. They were told what and how to compose. In the 19th cenutry, the patronage system never disappeared; composers were supported by the rich, rising middle classes. The difference here is that now the composers have the freedom to write what they like. The bonus is that they get paid for it! The idea is that if this rich middle class patron recognizes your talent and like what you are putting out musically, he will support you financially and will want to play your music!

After reading this, I realize how it is not that different from the system we have today. Piano teachers today, who teach from home with their own pianos are pretty much in the same boat. Without the patronage of these students and their parents, it is hard to imagine how these teachers would survive in the money-deprived musical society today. Even something relating to myself personally is the assistantship that I have through FSU. Without the College of Music's patronage of supporting me through school, (so I wouldn't have to starve, ask money from my parents, borrow money from friends, or work at Starbucks...) I would not be able to learn, get my degree and eventually, hopefully, get a descent job in the future. Riedel uses Dvorak's as an example to illustrate the the advantage of the patronage system in teh 19th century when Dvorak received a state stipend for his music, as he was able to use the funding to continue composing as he likes. Riedel commented: "he was liberated by the patronage system rather than limited by it". When he puts it this way, patronage system doesn't seem so bad, and being a well-funded musician is a fortunate thing!

Kreisleriana and Fantasie in C Major

I had the privilege to perform the Fantasie in C and parts of the Kreisleriana. It is no easy task to play Schumann well. It requires certain creative and imaginative mind that does not come naturally to me. If often takes me quite awhile to understand Schumann's dream world in order to be in it completely while performing. Listening to his music is like watching a movie, seeing how the story unfolds.

Kreisleriana

The work of art here is the subtleness of the melody and harmony, which opens endless numbers of new expressions. Melodic lines are often hidden and are often brought out through accents, dynamics, and texture. It is interesting to note that every movement has two very different sections, resembling the two characters Schumann created himself: Florestan and Eusebius. The fast, quick-temper, extrovert section suggests Florestan; the lyrical, dreamy, introvert section suggests Eusebius.

It is a shame that this piece is not performed as much as other of Schumann's music. I wonder how much it has to do with the abstraction and complexity of it. It is not the typical crowd pleaser, meaning that it is not virtuosic in the same way as Liszt or Chopin. It is more introspective and meditative. Of course, it also depends on the performers. A wonderful performance can always guide and intrigue the listeners.


Fantasie in C Major

I have wonderful memories working on and performing this piece. The first movement, passionate and full of sensous melodic lines interrupted by syncopated rhythms and numerous Adagio interludes and the dark and epic development.

The second movement begins as a march and breaks out into 7 minutes of dotted rhythms. The middle section is tricky to feel the pulse because the accents are on the offbeats, which gives a limpy feel to it. The coda is a beast! Obviously, accuracy is a big issue here...

I just love the third movement. It doesn't get more beautiful than this. It is simple, gentle, reserved, and full of sentiment. Schumann transforms the three major themes in the movement through numerous modulations and key changes; first in C, then in A-flat (flat 6th of C), F (6th of A-flat), D-flat (flat 6th of F), before completing the circle and returns to C.

Carnaval

Preambule: what an introduction of what is about to come. The prominent dotted rhythms of Schumann pounding the listeners' ears from the very beginning. It has it all: the regal prelude; the virtuosic Piu moto and Animato (with double dotted rhythms!), ascending octaves in half-steps on the left hand, creating harmonic tension while the right hand breaks out into rapid arpeggiated passages (very Chopinesque).

Pierrot: this is a strange beginning. It sounds so harmonically ambiguous for the first 2 measures before it makes sense again with the return of E-flat. Though noted that E-flat is served as the pedal tone here to link between the sadeness (the decending half-steps chromaticism) and the humors (the figure that follows the chromatic descend).

Arlequin: looking at the music, 3/4 meters, certainly looks like a typical waltz pattern. But the strong second beat is confusing and it becomes difficult to feel the pulse. I can't imagine dancing to this. It's as if Schumann is playing tricks on us.

Valse noble: noble waltz...named righteously so. Unlike Arlequin, we feel the big one of the three beat pattern. Feels more like a ballroom dance, like Papillons.

Eusebius: the introvert, the dreamer, the poet. The irregularity of the rhythms suggests the dreaming quality of the character; meandering and wondering about. The inflection of the phrases also shows song-like quality.

Florestan: the opposite of Eusebius, an extrovert, expressing his passion here. The waltz pattern is somewhat offset by the accented second and third beats. There are frequent tempo changes here: 8 bars of passionato, 2 bars of interlude of opening material from Papillons (in Adagio), another 8 bars of passionato, 4 bars of Adagio this time, so on...I find it interesting that there is a marking "Papillons?" under the second Adagio. I wonder if Schumann marked that or if it is an editing mark from the pirated edition I bought from Taiwan...

Coquette: flirty and fun. Infested again by dotted rhythms, with occasional non-dotted rhythms interludes.

Replique: the dotted rhythms still...short and sweet.

Papillons: taken from his Op.2, it is obsecenely fast! The melodic and rhythmic motives are similar to No.2 from Op.2, not to mention this is the only one with the 2/4 meter.

A.S.C.H-S.C.H.A.: the grace notes produce similar effect as the dotted rhythms, which give a more playful character.

Chiarina: describing the young Clara Schumann; passionate and full of youthful energy. Notice the dotted rhythms...the beginning motive with accents on the third beat becomes a bit hypnotic after awhile.

Chopin: left-hand arpeggiation and right hand melodies...doesn't get more Chopin than this.

Estrella: with affection. Written for his fiance Ernestein whom he was secretly engaged to when he was 17. Full of passionate octaves.

Reconnaissance: begins with a light-hearted, string trio like texture. The entire B section consists of duets between the soprano and the bass.

Pantalon et Colombine: like Pierrot, these are two characters from the commedia dell'arte. Pantalon was a gullible merchant, attempted to disguise his old age in order to attract women by wearing tight-fitting Turkish clothes. Schumann characterizes him in light staccatos. Columbine, a servant or wife of one of the Old Men, demonstrated wit and charm in a world of stupidity, greed, and constant misunderstanding. She is the Meno presto and more lyrical section of the piece, contrasting Pantalon's playfulness.

Valse allemande: a short waltz interlude.

Paganini: a portrait of Paganini's composing style - virtuosity.

Aveu: a short interlude

Promenade: a somewhat slower promenade than usual. The use of octaves is prominent.

Pause: the idea of calling a piece marked Vivo a "pause" is bizarre to me. It sounds more like a one-page introduction to the finale.

Marche des "Davidsbundler" contre les Philistins: the Davidsbündler or "League of David" were named after the biblical King David, who played and composed music, wrote poetry and slew the Philistines. This march takes themes from some previously heard movements and combine them all into one.

Schumann's Papillons

I will never forget summer of 2000, my horrific performing experience at a masterclass in Italy. It was mid-July in Southern Italy, blazing hot with no air conditioning anywhere in the city (except in the fancy hotels and restaurants, but certainly not in the practice rooms or concert halls). A certain hot-shot pianist from Italy, whom we will refer to as Maestro X, tore apart every participants' performances, including my Prokofiev 3rd Sonata. The most harsh one was a freshman from Peabody performing Schumann's Papillons. Maestro X looked at the director of the program and said that he had no desire to instruct this student how to play better because it was simply horrible. He went on and asked if the student knows how to dance, because that is what the piece needs. The student shook his head. Maestro X's last comment before the poor kid was booted off was: "learn how to dance".

Though Maestro X's approach towards the student was extremely rude and pompous, I do agree with his comment. I do believe that performing this piece does require some imagination of the picturesque quality of the masquerade as well as the dances that are taken place at the ball. As I listen to this wonderful work, I realized how much of Schumann's musical elements and ideas are developed from the very beginning: short character pieces with contrasting mood and characters (within each piece and between pieces), uses of short motives and dotted rhythms, sudden changes of characters using piano, double bar lines, key change, and repeats. Oh, and did I mention the repeats? Schumann loves to repeat: repeating lines, repeating sections, repeating the entire piece. Sometimes only repeating the first A section, but not the B section; sometimes repeating just the second A section. Sometimes, he repeats all of them! Sometimes he writes in first ending and second ending, because he can't just repeat things all the time... that would be redundant. Of course, some performers choose not too take all the repeats, which I think it is a wise choice. Don't get me wrong, I love Schumann, but having all these repeats is taking things a bit too far.

I do hope that the Peabody Freshman had looked beyond Maestro X's cruelty and contemplated on his unkind but rightful comment about Schumann's Papillons and "danced away" as he performed this piece from that day on.