The Masters and their Music Part 10

BACH, BEETHOVEN, CHOPIN, SCHUMANN, LISZT.

The fullness with which the characteristics of the different composers have been treated in the preceding chapters of this course leaves little to be said in this final summing up, since the only element of the present program which we have not already had in combination with the others is that of Liszt, itself fully treated in the previous chapter.

We have now arrived at a point where a completely developed recital program, according to modern ideas, can be presented, and this upon a great variety of grades of difficulty. As an ill.u.s.tration, three programs are given. The first contains nothing of greater difficulty than the fifth grade, and is, therefore, within the reach of pianists of very moderate abilities. The second is of a more difficult character, involving technic up to the eighth or ninth grade, and requiring more experience and brilliant capacity. The third program is a fully developed recital, such as an artist might play. In so far as regards the mechanical difficulties of the last program, they are not beyond the reach of the better cla.s.s of pianists, as we find them almost anywhere; but from an artistic point of view the interpretations require a good deal of musical maturity.

PROGRAM I. (Easy.)

Bach, Prelude and Fugue in D major. Clavier, No. 5.

Saraband in E minor.

Loure in G major. (Heinze.) Beethoven, Sonata in G major, opus 14, No. 2.

Chopin, Impromptu in A-flat, opus 29.

Nocturne in B major, opus 15.

Schumann, Forest Scenes: "Entrance," "Wayside Inn," "Homeward."

Nachtstuck in F, opus 23, No. 4.

Wagner-Liszt, Spinning Song, from "The Flying Dutchman."

PROGRAM II. (Moderate.)

Bach, Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp major. Clavier, No. 3.

Beethoven, Sonata in A-flat major, opus 26.

Schumann, Fancy Pieces, opus 12: "In the Evening," "Soaring," "Why?"

"Whims," "End of the Song."

Chopin, Prelude in D-flat; Scherzo in B-flat minor.

Liszt, "A Dream of Love" (No. 3); Eighth Hungarian Rhapsody.

PROGRAM III. (Difficult.)

Bach-Liszt, Fantasia and Fugue in G minor. (Organ.) Beethoven, Sonata in C minor, opus 111.

Chopin, Fantasia Impromptu in C-sharp minor, opus 66.

Studies, opus 10, Nos. 3, 5, and 12.

Nocturne in G major, opus 37.

Schumann, "Kreisleriana," opus 16, Nos. 1 and 2.

Liszt, "Eclogue," "Au Bord D'Un Source."

"The Erl King." (Schubert.)

In all these programs, except the second, the order observed is that of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt. When forming a program to be played before those not accustomed to cla.s.sic music, it is quite practicable to make a combination on a different plan, beginning with a combination of three pieces by Bach, Chopin, and Schumann or Liszt, or Bach, Schumann, and Chopin. These could be followed by a serious Beethoven work, such as one of the larger sonatas; and this again by a few small pieces, in order to relieve the overtaxed attention; the whole concluding with a Hungarian rhapsody or some other brilliant piece. The advantage of this arrangement is that the audience does not have to wait so long before arriving at music which pleases.

In the ordinary arrangement--as that in the programs above--the program follows a systematic development from the beginning to the end, in the direction of greater freedom of expression and more brilliancy and adaptability to the pianoforte; so the music becomes more and more pleasing all the way through, and the only trouble is a fear lest the early pieces may prove too severe to those who are not accustomed to listening to music of this kind. In the case of musical clubs, and other places where the study of art is the princ.i.p.al motive, this fear is not ent.i.tled to any weight, since when it is designed to present programs of serious works, requiring to be understood and to be heard several times before their full meaning is apparent to the listener, a certain amount of preliminary a.n.a.lysis or study ought to be done, either by members of the club separately or by the club together in a sort of preliminary rehearsal by a competent person, who will both play the works in fragments and comment upon their peculiarities. As an ill.u.s.tration of a program arranged on the plan last mentioned, the following is presented:

1. Bach, Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp major, Clavier No. 3. Chopin, Fantasia Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Valse in A-flat, opus 42.

2. Beethoven, "Sonata Appa.s.sionata," opus 57.

3. Grieg, "b.u.t.terflies." Wm. Mason, "Reverie Poetique," "The Silver Spring."

4. Schumann, "Traumes Wirren," "End of the Song," opus 12. Liszt, Second Hungarian Rhapsody.

This could be played in two numbers, pausing after the sonata; or, better, in four, pausing after the Chopin valse, the sonata, and the Mason "Silver Spring." Each number is pleasing by itself.

A certain amount of care has been taken in the easy program to ill.u.s.trate different phases of all the writers; accordingly, the Bach ill.u.s.tration begins with the Prelude and Fugue in D major, which is a very pleasing one, followed by the short Saraband in E minor, and this again by the Loure in G major. The saraband is of a very serious and melodious turn, and is about as near a sustained lyric melody as Bach ever got upon the piano. In writing for the violin he reaches a higher flight in several cases.

In the most difficult program of all, we open with the Bach-Liszt Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, which, having originally been composed for the organ with a difficult pedal part, becomes very much more difficult when put upon the piano for two hands alone. This is a very remarkable work indeed, the fantasia being full of chromatic changes and very expressive and thoroughly modern modulations and sequences.

It is almost as modern a work as the "Chromatic Fantasia." The fugue is remarkable for having a very long subject, which is almost a gavotte in its rhythm; and the splendid subject is developed with charming freedom. It is one of the greatest favorites of all the Bach fugues, and when arranged for orchestra--as has been done by Abert--it is one of the most pleasing numbers in the entire orchestral repertory, never failing of delighting an audience. The Beethoven sonata in this program (opus 111, in C minor) is the last one which that great master wrote. Opinions of artists differ in regard to this sonata; some, like the present writer, holding it to be, on the whole, the most expressive of all the sonatas, or nearly so; others regarding the last movement as practically a failure. The peculiarities of the work which have given rise to these differences of opinion are substantially the following: It begins with a slow introduction, which is full of meditative and dreamy harmonic changes of a very delicate and suggestive character.

Then enters the allegro, with a very strong subject, such as would naturally be used for a fugue. The entire first movement is developed out of this subject in a very strong and almost fugue-like manner. In fact, fugal pa.s.sages occur repeatedly in the course of this development. The effect of the whole is very impa.s.sioned and irresistible. It is a very similar vein to that of the allegro movement of the "Sonate Pathetique," a work which Beethoven composed about twenty-five years earlier.

Up to this point it will be seen that the work differs from the usual sonata treatment in not possessing a lyric second subject. The element of song-like repose is entirely wanting in this first movement; it is suggested in the slow introduction, but in the allegro itself we have nothing of it.

The second movement consists of an Arietta, which is in two strains--one in C major, the other in A minor. These two strains are treated with variations through a very long and highly developed unfolding, the necessary relief of key being secured by the alternating tonalities of C and A minor. In my opinion, what Beethoven sought to do was to end this sonata in a more serious and poetic vein than sonatas usually close in. The general character of the sonata form, with a slow movement in the middle, necessarily amounts to an anti-climax. The sonata finale is almost always either a sonata-piece--in which case it is of a very impa.s.sioned character, such as we find ill.u.s.trated in the first sonata and in the "Moonlight Sonata"; or a rondo--an easy-going movement, the princ.i.p.al subject often returning, examples of which we find in the "Pastoral Sonata,"

the opus 2 in C major, opus 7 in E-flat, and a great variety of others.

While the regular finale admits of a serious and effective ending, it precludes the peculiarly elevated and poetic sentiment of the adagio movement. I think Beethoven undertook in the present instance to develop the sonata to the necessary complexity for climax and at the same time to end with the poetic and sentimental spirit. When these variations are played in this mood, they produce a very beautiful and excellent effect, but the close of the sonata is very difficult to treat satisfactorily.

In the Liszt selections at the close of the last program are two pieces very seldom played--an eclogue and "At the Fountain." Both these require delicate playing rather than extremely brilliant, and both are rather difficult, without making a show proportionate to the difficulty of performing them. They are, however, very musical and pleasing. The whole ends with "The Erl King" of Schubert.

CHAPTER XII.

CONCERNING THE TYPICAL MUSICAL FORMS.

By form in music is meant the general plan in accordance with which the ideas composing the piece are arranged; that is to say, if the piece be a short melody of one period, there will be one phrase which is repeated at least twice, and two other phrases which are not exactly alike. In an ordinary simple melody the first phrase has the general character of proposing a subject or of stating a proposition, and the second phrase has the general character of answering that subject, or, in musical parlance, it forms a counter-theme, but as a rule does not fully complete itself on the original key. The third phrase is very often quite the same as the first; thus the original proposition is repeated and emphasized, and the fourth phrase completely answers it and ends upon the princ.i.p.al key. A period of this type is known as a "lyric" form, and this is the general type of all simple melodies.

There is a period of quite a different type, sometimes called "thematic," in which, in place of a single idea extending throughout the first phrase, we have a short idea, or motive, which is repeated or modified in one way or another a sufficient number of times to fill up the rhythm proper to the first phrase of the simple period--viz., two measures. Occasionally, the development of this motive is carried through the first two phrases of the piece, or four measures; after which it is answered by a counter-theme or new material, bringing the whole period to an end on its own or some other key. This type of construction is very common in Schumann's works, and striking examples of it are found in the first period of the Novelette in E major, the first "Kreisleriana," the first period of the "Aufsschwung," and in many other places. Up to this point we might make a scheme of the period forms as follows: Letting _a_ represent the first subject unchanged, _a'_ the first subject slightly modified and _b_ the answering material, and _b'_ the answering material of the counter-theme somewhat modified, the lyric period would present the following schedule:

_a_ plus _b_ _a_ plus _b'_;

and the thematic this:

_a_ plus _a'_ _b_ plus _b'_;

or, more generally:

_a_ plus _b_.

The _a_ and _b_ in this latter case each extend to four measures.

In case a form is to be developed to two periods, new material is often introduced at the beginning of the second period. Designating this new material by _c_ and _c'_, the schedule of the two-measure period would be as follows:

First period: _a_ plus _b_ _a_ plus _b'_.

Second period: _c_ plus _c'_ _a_ plus _b'_.

Thus represented in algebraic formulae, it is easy to see that repet.i.tion of the materials designated _a_, or _a_ and _b_ together, is the source of unity in the period, and the third element introduced, here designated as _c_, has its only use in serving as variety. The normal dimensions for the two-period form just scheduled would be sixteen measures; but if the motive were two measures, then the period form resulting would be sixteen measures, and the two-period form thirty-two measures. Many examples will be found in the instrumental works of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, and also in Schumann.

This simple form above given serves also as a type of the organization of the larger forms. For example, one of the most numerously represented forms in music is the rondo, which derives its name from the reappearance of the princ.i.p.al subject at intervals, after the manner of a round. Supposing such a princ.i.p.al subject to be a one- or two-period song form like those described above, this entire form would be designated as A; after A, a small amount of pa.s.sage work might be introduced, and then would enter a second form, B, which within itself, however, would be modeled quite like the two-period form described above. After this second form the first form would then be repeated, and after this a coda would be added. Designating the entire first form or princ.i.p.al subject of a rondo by A, and the second subject or second song form by B, the rondo then will have this schedule: