Scriabin

Sonata-Fantasie No. 2, Op. 28
Having accidentally listened to sonatas 5 and 9 before this one, I must admit several interesting realizations.

1)This does not sound more like a fantasy than the two sonatas, which are not labeled as fantasies.
2)The harmonies are easier to classify as post romantic. However the form, because this is a fantasy, is no easier to follow than the other two sonatas on our list.

I gather from all that I have heard, combined with my own research on the etudes, that Scriabin was very much concerned with being as different from his contemporaries and predecessors as possible. It is evident that in this piece the composer is still operating with the inherited tools of his hero Chopin. One can hear in the music that Scriabin’s desire for new and innovative textures will eventually guide him into his own unique style.

Sonata No. 5, Op. 53
Elements of this sonata sound highly impressionistic. The swiftly changing rhythms add to this feeling, almost making this work more of an improvisatory form than a sonata. It is interesting to glance over the score before listening to a section, only to find that the notation appears fairly confined while the music sounds limitless in its expression and technique. The harmonies which Scriabin finds in his slow passages are truly mystical, as his biography would suggest he were aspiring to. It is interesting to think that out of three contemporary Russian composers (Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Scriabin) each has their own distinct sound that makes them easily identifiable. Scriabin is obviously a master of taking contemporary harmonies and weaving them into something beautiful. I would imagine that even the average listener, one who is not experienced at all in classical music, would find enjoyment in listening to this work.

Sonata No. 9, Op. 68
The layering of timbres and motivic elements in the opening of this sonata is quite unbelievable in terms of compositional craftsmanship. To be completely honest, having never played any Scriabin, I am having an extremely difficult time following any recognizable element of these sonatas. The overall structure doesn’t help, being that it is in one movement with sudden and unexpected changes in texture and speed. Also it is becoming apparent to me that Scriabin was more interested in the creation of color and atmosphere than any recognizable or “singable” melodies. Thinking on who Scriabin was, it seems to me that this music is intended more for the enlightenment of the soul than for enjoyment purposes. Scriabin said of himself that he was the “weaver of a heavenly harmony”, meaning that this music is intended in an almost prophetic way.

Cui

Cui –

Op. 64 Preludes

Prelude No. 1 in C major: Allegro maestoso
This prelude is all about chords, of course. Cui uses them to evoke a majestic quality, similar to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (Promenade).

Prelude No. 2 in E minor: Moderato assai
Compositionally this prelude is all about craftsmanship of the melodic placement. It is most interesting to establish the first section of the melody and then follow his treatment of it. For instance a melodic idea is stated, which is repeated but overshoots its high note by one before settling back down, followed by the same idea as the first but beginning a third higher, before settling back to the final note.

Prelude No. 3 in G major: Allegro
This playfully exciting prelude is largely based on exaggerated elements. With melodies in octaves and sweeping crescendos, giving it a feeling of uncontrolled jubilation.

Prelude No. 4 in B minor: Allegro
This prelude diverges from the Chopin style of one prelude with one idea. This prelude is more like a precursor to the preludes of Scriabin and Rachmaninoff, which often consist of powerful outside sections which enclose a soft and lyrical section at the core.

Prelude No. 5 in D major: Allegretto
This prelude contains many wonderful and lovely sounds. The style is highly song like, never moving outside of the singers ranges.

Prelude No. 6 in F sharp minor: Andante
This prelude is very similar to Chopin’s prelude in E minor, relying on slowly evolving chords to carry the melody without decay over the length of the phrase.

Prelude No. 7 in A major: Allegro non troppo
This prelude uses the canon to a highly effective degree. Had I not been looking at the score I would not have realized that the melody and accompaniment revolved around the same pitches.

Prelude No. 8 in C sharp minor: Allegro
This prelude is centered on the ideas of chords, octaves, and thrilling gestures. Most similar to Scriabin’s etude in D-sharp minor.

Prelude No. 9 in E major: Andantino
In this prelude the melody and the accompaniment, though drastically different in contour and voice, are equally as important. These attributes make this like a duet in which two singers represent two sides to one idea.

Prelude No. 10 in G sharp minor: Allegro non troppo
Cui uses arpeggios as the basis for the melody and the overall connecting idea.

Prelude No. 11 in B major: Allegretto
The most interesting aspect of this prelude is the existence of musical elements which share the same space on the keyboard at the same time, but thanks to the layout do not inhibit each other, but rather lend to one grand orchestral idea.

Prelude No. 12 in E flat major: Allegretto
A rising three-note scale ties this entire prelude together. The B section makes use of the scale, though the direction is changed for contrasting purposes.

Prelude No. 13 in F sharp major: Andante
This prelude reminds me of a slow Schumann song. The patterns are simple, but highly effective for the communication of a deserving melody.

Prelude No. 14 in B flat major: Moderato
This prelude is all about accents and slurs.

Prelude No. 15 in D flat major: Andantino
The use of odd rhythms here does not in any way stand out. This gives proof to the argument that sometimes contemporary ideas work as terrific devices in communicating romantic sounding music.

For time purposes I will proceed to the end…. Sorry.

Prelude No. 25 in C major: Allegro non troppo

This prelude is pretty simple for the final prelude in a 25-prelude set. The basic idea here is dotted rhythms and pentatonic scales.

Balakirev

Balakirev –

Sonata in Bb minor

Mvt. I
This is a wonderful use of a fugue in a sonata. I wonder if Balakirev was influenced by Berlioz, considering that Berlioz seems to begin most of his large works with fugues, though not slow and nice ones like this. Balakirev’s departure from symmetry for the second section of this first movement is wonderful, and easy to follow with all the turns to point out the melodies entrance in different areas at different times. This movement seems to be the opposite of Islamey in that it feels like nothing is for show. Very seldom does one come across a composer with the bravery to have a slow first movement to their sonata.

Mvt. II – Mazurka
This definitely feels like a mazurka. The emphasis on beat two is very clearly marked and quite Chopinesque at times. The atmosphere of this movement shares similarities with the first movement, especially in terms of delicate and feminine voice types. Once again the craftsmanship is decidedly pianistic, displaying Balakirev’s ability to compose in timbres and textures specifically for the piano.

Mvt. III – Intermezzo
When I hear intermezzo I naturally think Brahms. The rhythmic styling’s are like Brahms to me, though the piece is much more melody than motive, and a bit too free to sound like Brahms. This movement seems to me like an improvisatory intermezzo, similar to where the form originated. This sounds a great deal like a Chopin nocturne at times, and the existence of two voices is similar to many Rachmaninoff preludes.

Mvt. IV – Finale
The use of a duple meter is exactly what one would expect from a sonata. Balakirev does a great job of incorporating the elements introduced with the first three movements, making sure that each movement has the same “sound”. This movement is obviously a great deal more virtuosic than the preceding three. In this movement there are several techniques similar to Islamey, leading me to believe that Balakirev had an easily definable virtuosic language. His gift seems to me to be the voicing of his slower sections. Across all the works I find that I am the most captivated when the virtuosity ends and the singing line emerges.

Islamey

I confess that I have never really listened to this piece until now, though I have heard many stories about its difficulties. To me, and this may just be the recording I am listening to, it reminds me a great deal of Paganini, specifically the fact that the difficulty seems to hinder the musical ideas significantly. To this day I have never heard a Paganini caprice performed in a way that was aurally pleasing, sure it seems REALLY difficult, but it is not really fun to listen to. I imagine that if Paganini played it that it would be enjoyable, but it seems to me that amongst the mere mortals of modern string performance that it is only attempted for the sake of overcoming a challenge.

Balakirev’s use of a monophonic idea at the start is extremely successful, lending the folksy elements of hammered dulcimers or gypsy bands. Balakirev’s use of technical devices within a seemingly limited use of register is interesting, and I would not think that the non-pianist would ever comprehend how difficult the textures become within these registers. The use of double notes, thirds, syncopations, chords, and octaves all serve to turn this piece into a testament of those who harness the full range of piano technique.

The way in which the melody is buried in the inside voices during the tranquillo section lends a wonderful timbre to the overall use of piano. The craftsmanship of this slow section is a perfect display of music composed for piano, not just set to piano. The transfer of the scales from the low end to the high end of the piano while the melody remains untouched in the middle is a brilliant use of three-handed composition. This section would definitely seem as difficult to the audience as the performer.

The section with all the tremolo chords is definitely something that Rachmaninoff would have been influenced by. He includes this technique very often in his concertos, especially the second. The presto furioso section that closes the piece, if played on a light action piano in a hall with large amounts of reverb, would be a fantastic aural effect of manufactured vibration and echoing.

The Americans

Variations on Balkan Themes Op. 60

Theme
The opening section is extremely haunting in nature, as the composer herself states in the Preface. The voicing reminds me of Schubert and the dissonances remind me of Chopin… specifically section C of Chopin’s “Raindrop” prelude.

Var. I
It is very interesting to me that Beach would use the 1st variation as a canonic restatement of the theme. It is amazing though that the music takes on such different qualities with such a simple structural change.

Var. II
This second variation seems to get very intense very quickly. This music is definitely not what I expected, due to the natural stereotypes that exist for someone who isn’t well versed in the music of female composers. The music is heavy, masculine, orchestral, dramatic, and I would imagine that it would be one of the more difficult passages to pull of cleanly.

Var. III
This variation seems a bit like a gypsy music box to me. The use of the N6 chord here is very special to my ears.

Var. IV
This barcarolle is very sweet in nature. However, the scales are similar in treatment to Chopin’s 24th prelude. The use of double-note harmonization’s for timbre rather than technique creates a sound that seems to evoke penetrating emotions.

Var. V
The layering of sonorities here shows a high degree of musical sophistication. This music seems to contain extreme elements of dramatic emotion, yet it is able to package them in manners that are confined and never abrasive.

Var. VI
The use of raised fourth, along with parallel sixths, creates a staged introduction to the Hungarian gypsy music that is to come. The registers, ornaments, and simple harmonic treatment are extremely similar to the final sections of Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies

Var. VII
We transition quite easily from the gypsy tune into what sounds like the elegant music of a haunted ballroom. It is always interesting for me to consider what makes music sound “dark”, which is always weird to think about something sounding like something else appears.


Var. VIII
For the con vigore section Beach employs a large use of dramatic virtuosity to excite a seemingly simple musical idea. It is evident by the number of dynamic indications that Beach considered the craftsmanship of her compositional style to leave few questions for performance indication.


Var. IX
This funeral march is almost entirely rooted in the use of register and dynamics. The melodic content begins as second to the atmosphere, and as the variation continues the melody becomes a triumphant song, only before returning to the dark and ominous chimes from the beginning.

Var. X
Whereas the initial theme of these variations was completely functional, this variation alters to the realm of coloristic harmony. This fantasia section is used to gradually increase excitement and sound as we transition back to the 2nd variation content.

Var. XI
This section is a bit mysterious to me. It seems that Beach opted to omit the typical climax style of traditional variation sets. Instead this set seems to do more of a symmetrical arch, rather than reaching a loud and virtuosic penultimate variation with a final resolve section.

Var. XII
It ends as it began, soft and sad.


Woodland Sketches

1) To a Wild Rose
The music here contains a highly delicate nature. The upward motion of the music suggests to me the blossoming of the rose, while the “slightly marked” descending tenor scale near the end suggests a wilting quality. In this sense the music contains the idea that any elements of sorrow only eventually return to the delicate and happy qualities that complete the cycle.

2) Will-o’-the-Wisp
The monophonic element of this composition is the most interesting to me. I always find myself questioning why a composer would write anything monophonic for piano, such as Chopin’s “Wind Over the Grave” following the famous funeral march. I still have not found any answer on this subject.

3) At an Old Trysting Place
This piece reminds me again of Schubert, in the way that each voice in the piano seems to carry its own melody, almost like a choir.

4) In Autumn
This depiction of autumn seems to be attached to a mischievous quality. The use of chromaticism makes great use of a rich color in a functional setting. I find the direction to “diminish without retarding” interesting. I wonder if the piece is meant to display the games of autumn.

5) From an Indian Lodge
The rhythm of the introduction is confusing to listen to and comes across as almost improvisatory. I see the character of this piece as being like that of the totem pole: stern, strong, stubborn, and mighty.

6) To a Water-lily
The sonorities of this piece are beautiful, as well as unique to my ears. The layering is like that of Debussy. The harmonies are a mixture of folk and coloristic, all the while portraying the atmosphere of a hymn. The delicate writing seems to perfectly match the vision of a water lily floating about.

7) From Uncle Remus
The sporadic rhythm, mixed with jumping articulations, carries the same excitement of an old man telling humorous and surprising stories. You can hear that the story teller increases the movements and volume in order to make the tale as effective as possible. The goal of this piece is to excite, not to narrate.

8) A Deserted Farm
In the case of this piece I believe that the programmatic title becomes a part of the composition. The portrayal of a static image would be close to impossible, however, if you allow the title to carry the image and the music to carry the emotion then the work emerges as one complete piece of art. I do not think that the composer intended anyone to envision a farm without the aid of the program.

9) By a Meadow Brook
Here we get a variety of flowing textures: such as trills, triplets, arpeggios, swiftly broken octaves, and uses of high register.

10) Told at Sunset
This piece, like the sunset, seems to be constantly descending. There are twinkling sounds that reveal to me the rippling water reflecting the glow on the horizon. At the end of the piece there is a seemingly random use of the upper register, which one would not expect if the sun had set, almost as if this were the final statement of our setting sun.


Sketches, Op. 15

1) In Autumn
I really enjoy Beach’s method of presenting thematic material in a simple fashion before harmonically exaggerating it. This is the type of music that I would love to play for “entertainment” purposes. It possesses those salon qualities while remaining harmonically complex enough to make is fun and engaging.

2) Phantoms
This definitely sounds like a Chopin waltz to me. I enjoy Beach’s use of thick harmonies within light textures. The sound becomes folk like while remaining in the upper echelon of musical integrity.

3) Dreaming
The design of this sketch is beautiful. The treatment of the accompaniment must be at least partially derived from Chopin’s etude in E-flat minor. Her skills as a composer are obvious in her ability to keep the listener engaged despite the never-ending change in texture.

4) Fire-flies
This seems as if it must have originally been conceived as an etude in thirds. The content is lovely. However, it is obvious that this piece, unlike the others, is all about technique.


New England Idyls

1) An Old Garden
It is always interesting to listen to a piece that contains little variance in rhythm or harmony, and that could easily be like a hymn, but captivates you no differently than a supreme show of color and flare could. Having never heard American music of this type I find myself making visual associations with the music that are very rewarding for me.

2) Mid-Summer
The use of motives here creates a lovely dialogue of texture. I would imagine that the overlapping textures symbolize the drifting of lazy clouds over the swaying wheat, as suggested in the poem. The use of such variety in a confined register is interesting, as well as the fact that this piece seems to specifically evoke the sweet sounds that only a piano could, unlike that music that is for piano but meant to sound like something else.

3) Mid-Winter
This piece is much more complex than the previous two. The sound is used to portray a mixing of emotions, whereas the others seemed to represent specific and self-contained moods or scenes. The lower registers are used to create a moaning\groaning effect.

4) With Sweet Lavender
The poem suggests that this is a piece about a lost lover. The sounds represent some pain, but mostly favor only the love side of the idea. I like this outlook, favoring the better end of memories and emotions; a remembering of life rather than a mourning of death.

5) In Deep Woods
The presence of four stanzas is interesting enough to comment on, but even more interesting than the separation of stanzas is the performance indications that accompany the various stanzas. The level of involvement by the composer in the interpretation of the music is second only to that of 20th century composers.

6) Indian Idyl
The mentioning of the flute in the poem is obviously evident in the music. The harmonies here are reminiscent of what we associate with the native-americans (the title doesn’t seem to be up-to-date with politically correctness). The use of the damper pedal in this piece is similar to impressionist ideals.

7) To an Old White Pine
Crescendos and large chords are used to evoke the image and stature of a large tree. I would imagine that the lighter sections are meant to display height, or the feeling of open air.

8) From Puritan Days
I am not sure how to interpret this piece. The quote would suggest that it is a chant. The harmonies would suggest that it is meant to convey the harsh and powerful.

9) From a Log Cabin
This piece seems more about the creation of a quaint feeling than the display of any scene or character. I am beginning to see that the pieces with folk rhythms are meant to convey something from human perspective, whereas the more inventive figures are used to personify non-human elements.

10) The Joy of Autumn
This piece is quite simply a sickeningly happy work. The ending seems to contain the most virtuosic elements of the set, bringing the work to an exciting close.

Tchaikovsky and Grieg

Tchaikovsky

Dumka, Op 59
The opening of this movement combines several unique styles that I did not expect to encounter in a piano work by Tchaikovsky, being that it sounds like a folksy Russian recitative. I usually do not expect Russian melodies in a Tchaikovsky work, due to his Neapolitan nature. The somber sections are striking in their use of modal harmonies. After getting so use to hearing pieces almost exclusively in harmonic minor these harmonies seem to explore emotions upon listening that have not been accessed as regularly. The moderato con fuoco section sounds a great deal like a Mussorgsky work to me. The piece ends as it began, giving the work a cyclical feel, almost like a lonely observer exploring the past only to end up right where he left himself.

The Seasons, Op. 37b

I. January: By the Fireside
It seems immediately evident that Tchaikovsky did not intend this set to be relient on musical imagery. I believe that Tchaikovsky intended to tell stories rather than paint pictures. I think that the music here is more about describing feelings and characters, giving the listener a feeling as if they are emotionally present but visually present.

II. February: Carnival
Each one of these pieces feels connected tonally. This is probably the first time I have heard carnival music in a 2/4 context rather than in ¾. The music seems to be nothing but jubilant, almost as though you were at the carnival as a child rather than an adult.

III. March: Song of the Lark
The music is slow moving, making this lark story a sad one. I question if the swifter movements are represantative of the Lark’s movements or if they display the Larks call. This piece is drastically different from “the Lark Ascending” by Vaughan Williams. I wish I could see and hear a lark for myself to get a better idea of the music based upon it.

IV. April: Snowbell
There are definitely intervals in here that are bell-like to me. Grasping ideas about what snow would sound like is quite difficult.

V. May: May Nights
In this piece Tchaikovsky seems to use rolled chords for the portrayal of starlit skies. The use of pedalled tones increases the feeling of night air.

XI. November: Troika
I don’t have much to say about this piece… to be honest it’s a bit too happy-sounding for my tastes. It sounds a little bit like a cowboy song to me. The use of the sixteenth-note figure at the end is interestingly harmonically to me in the way that it combines the folksy melody with the sounds of chromatic swirling.

XII. December: Christmas
The use of December as a waltz is interesting to me. I wonder what Tchaikovski was thinking in terms of musical portrayal with a winter month. To me it does not really sound as though his winter was in a place where it snowed frequently.


Grieg

Lyric Pieces, Op. 43

No. 1. Schmetterling (Butterfly)
The use of chromatic scales in swift sweeping motions is used to evoke the image of a butterflies wings fluttering. Works like this seem to me to be a bridge between programmatic music and impressionist music.

No. 2. Einsamer Wanderer (Solitary Traveller)
I feel convinced that the melody being unison between the bass and soprano is a musical manifestation of two ideas: solitude and separation. The use of 6/8 represents the walking of a “traveler”.

No. 3. In der Heimat (In My Native Country)
This piece evokes images of both the pastoral and the innocent, as well as elements of nationalism. Grieg seems to be looking at his country through innocent and silently proud eyes.

No. 4. Voglein (Little Bird)
This piece reminds me of works by Ravel and Messiaen. These composers must have been aware of Grieg’s use of bird sounds in music before they added their interpretations of it. I am surprised that it took up until this point for any musicians to consider imitating natures natural singers.

No. 5. Erotik (Eroticon)
I’m not sure if this title means what I think it means… but it is obviously a love song. The mixture of beautiful harmonies with harsh and piercing tones seems to embody this concept of romance in a more accurate way than many of the early composers of this type of piece.

No. 6. An den Fruhling (To the Spring)
This is probably the first piece I’ve heard that uses chords to represent water rather than scales and arpeggios. I like this rendition of musical imagery because it clearly separates the ideas of flowing water from rising water, or even splashing water.

Lyric Pieces, Op. 54

No. 1. Gjaetergut (Sheperds boy)
I would be interested to know the story behind this piece, seeing as how this sheperds boy has an extremely sorrowful tale. Grieg’s use of the darker qualities of the piano are striking. I am already seeing a great deal more innovation in the theory behind this music: with examples of heavy chromaticism, counterpoint and polyrhythms.

No. 2. Gangar (Norwegian March)
This is a very enjoyable piece to listen to. The march seems to be symbolized by the non-lyrical bass and tenor, while the soprano begins with a song melody. Grieg’s use of folk melodies is refreshing to me, and his manner of never seeming complicated for complexities sake.

No. 3. Troldtog (March of the Trolls)
I was very excited to see a piece about trolls, not that it is that unexpected from a norwegian composer. This piece is similar in some ways to “In the Hall of the Mountain King”, however, in it’s lyrical section it proves to contain a great deal of emotional debth, giving this piece its own identity.

No. 4. Notturno
This is a wonderful lyrical work. In many ways he shows a similarity towards Chopin here, but many of his harmonies lean heavily towards those of the impressionist composers. This combination of tonalities lends an eerie quality to this work in ways that Chopin’s tonal scheme never could. There are also times when the work reminds me of nightime jazz music.

No. 5. Scherzo
In this scherzo we receive a great deal of mischief that we associate with the composers fantasy-based works. The slow section shows another great use of folk-like melodies and rhythms, this time reminding me of american folk music, such as the songs of Copeland. The exchange between hands in the fast sections seems as though it would be quite difficult to coordinate.

No. 6. Klokkeklang (Bell Ringing)
This piece may be one of the most isolated uses of fifths I have ever seen. It is usually known that in a piece about bells there will be either fifths or fourths, however, this is the first time I have seen them used almost exclusively. The music is nice, though not quite on the level of Liszt, Ravel or Rachmaninoff in terms of bell-sound usage.


Sonata ,Op 7

I Allegro moderato
Immediately at the start I am reminded of Chopins prelude in D minor. The theme begins with a simple arpeggiated minor triad. It seems that Grieg considered his use as the sonata as being one of traditionally influenced style. The left hand parts are usually extremely similar to the left hand writing of Beethoven. His use of folk melodies is existent, but highly subdued from the lyrical works. His use of technique is impressive, while all the time staying conventional. The only other striking feature of this movement is its short length, which is definitely not in the style of Beethoven.

II Andante molto
This andante movement is incredibly beautiful. Like many of Grieg’s compositions it proves to evoke an atmosphere or an image behind the music. A trait of this composition I find interesting is the manner in which Grieg alters the accompaniment or texture almost every phrase. In this usage he exhibits a skill similar to Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, and Chopi n. All these composers were able to fluidly combine texture changes to enhance the movement and mood of the music. Composers who did not seem to exhibit this skill, in my opinion, are Schumann, Schubert and Scriabin. Not to say that they are lesser in skill, just that they would typically find an accompaniment and keep it going for long periods of time, sort of a one theme one accompaniment kind of idea.

III Alle menuetto
Grieg’s traditional use of sonata form is evident in this movement once more. The movement is expectadly in E minor, the original key. He also obeys convention by using a minuet with a B section in a major key. Grieg lends originality to this form by molding an extremely somber character from the dance, almost seeming like a dance of the dead.

IV Finale
The final movement definitely sounds like it should be the last movement of a sonata. His B section is most interesting in the way that the main theme keeps mischievously appearing beneath the second theme. I find his use of scales to be quite similar to the Pathetique sonata of Beethoven. I notice

Gabriel Fauré

Nocturne No. 13 in B minor, Op. 119

There are immediately noticeable differences between this nocturne and the nocturnes of Chopin or Field. The first difference is that of accompaniment. This nocturne begins in a manner that is neither arpeggiated nor chordal. The accompaniment is, in fact, almost entirely built on scales, where the only leaps that occur are those that enable another scale to commence on a separate scale degree. In addition the harmony here is certainly not in strict accord with the overtone series as we saw in the nocturnes of Chopin. The harmonic structure seems to be based on a scrambled assembly of major, minor, and chromatic scales. The Allegro section presents us with arpeggios; however, these are not used in the same fashion as Chopin or Field. Faure uses the arpeggios to provide swift and sweeping harmonic changes to a thinly laid melody in octaves. The key areas constantly shift, giving the music the feeling that this night song must be occurring during a storm. The last page is presented in a manner that is the most similar to Chopin’s compositional style. The arpeggios are slowed and the harmonic shifts become slower as well. The piece eventually settles in the key of G major, symbolizing that if there was a storm it has apparently subsided.

Barcarolle No. 5 in F-sharp minor, Op. 66

My initial thoughts on this piece are that Fauré must have either been setting his Barcarolle on unstable waters, or he must be loosely interpreting the genre. The harmonies here are significantly more stable than the nocturne, though they still contain those odd sounds known to Fauré. Though I am aware that being French does not automatically enable a connection between Faure and Debussy, however, there are some clear similarities between these composers use of swiftly changing accompanimental figures. One would typically associate a barcarolle with supplying a flowing, sometimes slightly “bouncy”, bass line, on which a coloristic display of harmony would be set in support of a lyrical melody. This barcarolle has difficulty settling on whether the bass is comprised of octaves, chords, of arpeggios. It becomes quite difficult to follow the voice parts, seeing as how they seem to evolve into a canonic flow where each part receives a certain figuration after the others have left theirs. Overall I enjoy the piece, though I would never be capable of labeling it a barcarolle if the title was not present.

Saint-Saens

C Saint-Saens:


6 etudes, op. 111

No. 1. Tierces majeurs et mineurs
This first etude is interesting in its use of the primary difficulty as an atmospheric sound, where most composers use the primary technique as the center point. The difficulty here is trilling, usually thirds, but there are also several measures where it alternates between sixths and fifths.

No. 2. Traits chromatiques
As the title suggests, this is an etude on chromatic passages. This etude seems to me like a combination of flight of the bumblebee with Chopin’s etude in C-sharp minor. I like the idea of this etude, being that the figure is always in a manageable grouping, rather than a whole scale. This suggests that the etude is really meant to help, and not just hard for the sake of being hard.

No. 3. Prelude et Fugue
The prelude is an etude in alternating thirds with the outer fingers of the hand. At the end Saint-Saens makes slight use of a rhythmic study, which would certainly be harder than most would imagine. The idea of having a prelude and fugue as an etude is very original, and really interesting. The fugue must study some specific technique, other than fugue playing. I would assume that the countersubject is used as a finger exercise while the subject is an etude in melodic projection.

No. 4. Les cloches de Las Palmas
This etude uses two right hand figures: the one at the intro, and the repeated-note “sparkling” figure. Along with this there are legato sixths in the left hand. Overall I would say that the primary difficulty here is one of continuity and timbre.

No. 5. Tierces majeurs chromatiques
This etude is not very difficult to figure out. The study is in chromatic thirds, as listed in the title, for right hand. The character reminds me of a Chopin etude, more so than the rest of the set.

No. 6. Toccata
It seems that Saint-Saens uses the form of toccata to explore all the techniques remaining at his disposal. Of these there are double-note thirds, octaves, broken octaves, syncopated octaves, large chords, arpeggios, repeated notes, difficult scalar figurations, and hand crossing.


Album op. 72 for piano

No. 1. Prelude
Saint-Saens explores a much larger array of characters than I expected for a prelude to a short work album. In many ways this feels toccata like for me, especially because I am listening to it immediately following the etudes. He makes full use of the keyboard in a very effective way. It is interesting to note the specific devices which he makes use of in each independent register.

No. 2. Carillon
This is definitely the first instance of a 7\4 rhythm we have observed in piano lit this year. It is interesting that the music is so fitting that one doesn’t even notice that there is an abnormal rhythmic structure. The bass pattern reminds me of Liszt’s Funerailles.

No. 3. Toccata
This is an excellent example of a piece that has an upper note but not a melody. The other virtuosic works displayed a melodic line that was enhanced with extreme figurations. This melody is rather unimportant, and I would say that this trait is what makes this decidedly a toccata.

No. 4. Valse
This piece serves as an example of a piece that is composed with motivic units rather than long phrases. I don’t like this piece as much as the others, I think this is due to the lack of varying accompaniments. Saint-Saens seems better at virtuosic concoctions than he does with fluid character pieces.

No. 5. Chanson Napolitaine
The composer displays his knack for the dark and mischievous in this composition. The character here changes frequently, varying accompaniment and timbre. This piece is highly enjoyable, furthering my argument that this is the composers best avenue.

No. 6. Final
I have noticed that in every music history, analysis, or appreciation class I have ever had it seems that every composer is listed as “having a great gift for melody”, I disagree with this in many cases, and in this instance I feel that I can certainly say that Saint-Saens had a gift with pianism, but not or melody. He seems to contain all the wonderful virtuosic devices of Liszt and Rachmaninoff, but I don’t believe you will ever really find yourself singing along with any of his compositions.


Rhapsodie d'Auvergne, Op. 73
I believe that the version for piano and orchestra is far greater than that of the solo piano version. The gypsy sounds seem to contain greater mischief and atmosphere when there are multiple instruments available. I enjoy his use of repeated notes, which tend to give the music a folk-dance quality, I do find that at times I find the ongoing patterns to be a bit boring. The lyrical passages at the end are quite beautiful, and I do wish that this work had more of them.


Variations on a theme by Beethoven, Op. 35
This work is obviously too long to comment on every variation so I will do my best to summarize appropriately. I enjoy the ways in which Saint-Saens keeps the feeling of Beethoven-like sounds. So far I cannot hear many techniques that would lead me to see this as a decidedly romantic work. The piece never seems to culminate into any grand vision for me. I found that if I stopped and started at random places on the track that I was unaware there was any change at all. I do think the craftsmanship of the variations is good, I might have liked a more interesting theme.

Max Reger - Variations and Fugue on a theme by Telemann

Variations and Fugue on a theme by Telemann for Piano, Op. 134

I really enjoy the theme that Reger chooses to base these variations on. I always enjoying hearing music that is entirely reliant on a wonderful progression which is well voiced.

Variations 1-8

These shorter variations are really fun to listen to, especially in the way that Reger slowly evolves away from the original theme harmonically. In the beginning it seems as though this will end up being variations in the baroque sense, meaning that only the right hand will be varied, but Reger begins to wander in the 3rd variation, using decorative non-chord tones. Reger’s use of chords, especially in the 6th variation, is the closest I have yet seen to the virtuosic tendencies of Rachmaninoff. Variation 7 contains delicate polyphony, whereas variation 8 begins the study of syncopation.

Variations 9-16

At variation 9 we begin an unseen form, being that Reger creates noticeably contrasting sections within the variation. Variation 10 brings the farthest removal from the chord progression we have yet seen. For the first time the theme is made minor, and a seemingly distant melody is created over the top of it. Variation 13 displays wonderful tricks of the piano, displaying to me that Reger fancied the twinkling sounds of the instrument. In variation 14 we return to an extremely recognizable display of the original theme, this time presented in greater majesty. Variation 16, equipped with a tempo change, seems to contain all the characteristics of a depressed minuet.

Variations 17-Fugue

Variation 17 contains the same longing character as the preceding variation, however the beginning is most certainly a major statement of the theme. Variation 18 makes me remember a time in piano lit when our accompaniment choices were limited to polyphony and alberti bass, this is obviously far removed from those times. His use of broken octaves in variation 21 reminds me of Brahms’ techniques in both his exercises and his variations on Paganini. This may be one of the most intense fugues I have ever heard. The techniques used remind me of Schubert and Liszt, in the ways that Reger uses octaves and chords to bring virtuosic flare to the content. Had I the time I would love to thoroughly analyze this fugue to see exactly how Reger mixes the traditional elements with his virtuosic abilities.

Max Reger - 9 Bunte Blatter, Op. 36

9 Bunte Blatter for Piano, Op. 36
No. 1. Humoreske
This immediately sounds to me like someone with the attention deficiencies of Haydn composing with romantic tones and colors. I quite enjoy the music, and the sudden changes in character make it quite enjoying to listen to.

No. 2. Albumblatt
This piece displays an excellent contrast between the A and B sections. The A section consists of slurred and tied chords, whereas the B section consists of staccato scales. The chromaticism is very well placed here.

No. 3. Capriccietto
The pianistic effects used here are very masterfully crafted. The flowing sections are short but very heartfelt.

No. 4. Reigen
Reger’s use of the upper register is very enjoyable. At this point he seems to me to be the complete opposite of Brahms, seeing as how he favors the upper registers and changes musical ideas at an extremely frequent rate.

No. 5. Gigue
The fugal construction of this Gigue is very enjoyable to listen to, and is in no way too complicated for the average listener to enjoy. The theme is notably similar to the italian song “Che Fierro Costume”.

No. 6. Elegie
I really enjoy Reger’s use of the hemiola in this piece. That is to say I honestly do not enjoy most of Brahms’ use of it, seeming as though they were composed for the sake of being complex. Reger uses the hemiola to carry out ultimate expressivity, and if I were not following the score I probably wouldn’t notice them.

No. 7. Valse-Impromptu
My main question while listening to this piece pertains to the significance of the meno mosso section. The rest of the piece sounds very waltz like, especially in Regers method of bringing out beat two in the left hand. However, the meno mosso section seems to disolve any dance-like tendencies. I would assume that this section has some sort of programmatic nature pertaining to the scene of the dance, though I am not sure what it would be.

No. 8. Capriccio
This piece seems to have something for everybody in terms of technique. Regers’ use of quick changes is surprisingly effective. This piece seems to me like a summary of a larger work, almost like a movie preview that is more enjoyable in its condensed version than the movie itself.

No. 9. Reverie
The use of dissonance in this final piece is very emotional. The chromaticism seems to flow almost unnoticed as if it were the landscape behind a lone singer. I enjoy that Reger chooses to end the set with a slow piece that seems to be the longest and most out of character compared to the rest of the set.

Brahms Larger Works

Sonata in F minor, Op. 5

I. Allegro maestoso
This is an interesting movement for any sonata in Brahms’ manner of restating the same motive in several different keys and characters. This makes it difficult to tell the exact form of what is the 1st theme and what is the 2nd. Luckily there is a repeat written in so show you undoubtedly where the exposition ends. Brahms begins the development in a virtuosic way, but he quickly displays a stronger interest to make the development about expression rather than technique. When the recapitulation is reached Brahms elaborates slightly on the material and ends in a conservative yet impressive manner.

II. Andante espressivo
The andante begins with an interesting play on the rhythmic placement of the melody. This use of rhythm enables Brahms to achieve a longing effect without the use of lamenting harmonies. The next section exhibits a use of twinkling effects, such as high registers, staccato thirds, and rolled chords. We then move into a soprano and tenor duet that is presented in the highly expressive use of two-note slurs. Brahms also incorporates the use of a repeated-note drone to increase the expression and dynamics without becoming percussive of quickened.

III. Scherzo: Allegro energico
The scherzo seems to be a disjunct waltz a bit like something that might be associated with mischief and the macabre. The trio seems to represent all the opposites of the scherzo. The rhythm is sustained, the harmonies are traditional, and the dynamics never get out of control.

IV. Intermezzo: Andante molto
It seems only fitting that Brahms would find this placement of an intermezzo between sonata movements. The musical elements he presents here seem to function as a scene setting for the final movement. The repeated notes create drama and a feeling of foreboding occurrences.

V. Finale: Allegro moderato ma rubato
The finale certainly carries an air of mischief. The B section contains an accompaniment in tremolo thirds which I have known only from Brahms and which I am now questioning as an original to him. This movement, for me, carries a stronger story-telling atmosphere than I am used to with Brahms. I can almost imagine certain sections of this music providing the soundtrack to live-action scenes and dancing.

Paganini Variations, Op. 35

Book I

1) The first variation is a rather devilish use of sixths in the right hand with the 5th of the chord in the left hand, necessitating a secure technique to achieve a unison chordal sound.
2) The second variation transfers the sixths to the left hand, giving the right hand octaves and chords as harmonization.
3) The third variation uses a Haydn-esque figuration which requires the two hands to share occupation of the same region of the keyboard. The idea is to create a monophonic virtuosity which necessitates the nimble use of ten fingers.
4) The fourth variation requires the shared use of trilled melodies with leaping legato octaves. Each hand gets its turn doing each technique.
5) The fifth variation uses disjunctive two-note slurs between the hands, requiring that each hand accent at different times.
6) Though this variation uses octaves and large chords exclusively, I believe the real difficulty lies in the placement of the melody one eighth note late at each measure. This necessitates a strong control over disjoint rhythms while remaining true to the expression of each element.
7) This variation is all about octaves, thirds, and octaves with thirds in them. The theme is made more chromatic to enhance the expression within the transparent texture.
8) This variation is similar to the previous one, though this time there are more thirds than octaves.
9) This is made up entirely of octaves and chords. Each hand is given an opportunity to perform octave repeated notes, which can be tiring if one does not possess the appropriate technique.
10) The melody is a duet in thirds here, where the primary issue of the music is syncopation amidst expression.
11) This variation is about maintaining melodic independence in both hands while maintaining the tremolo thirds as an underlying accompaniment. This technique is similar to Chopin’s etude in E major.
12) This variation deals with one of the more difficult methods of broken-chord figuration. Requiring a great deal of both horizontal arm movement and wrist rotation.
13) This variation is in regards to virtuosic right-hand octaves. Similar to many pieces by Liszt.
14) This variation is a finale which presents itself on a concoction of basically every virtuosic element at Brahms’ disposal, such as swift five-finger patterns, five-note arpeggios, octaves, chords, hemiolas, etc.

Book II

1) This variation consists of octaves, thirds, and octaves with scalar figurations in the middle of them.
2) This variation consists of octaves which are made more difficult by being duplets set against triplets.
3) This variation is crafted similarly to the previous variation, except now the primary difficulty is thirds, and they are in triplets while the accompaniment is in duplets.
4) I would imagine that the primary difficulty with this variation is the addition of ornaments to swift moving octaves. Control over the chords in the left hand could also be difficult to execute correctly.
5) The real trick of this variation is dividing the triplet groupings appropriately between the hands, making sure not to allow them to sound different from each other as a result of some being more difficult to execute.
6) The triplets carry over into this variation, this time studying the appropriate technique of crossing hands to achieve fluid velocity.
7) This variation is concerned entirely with difficult rhythms. The melody is in 4, the tenor is in 3, and the bass is in a displaced 9.
8) This variation is one of the few real music examples I have seen which utilizes contrary motion as a technique of interest.
9) This variation combines broken major 7ths on the first half of the measures with unison octaves on the second half.
10) This variation combines unison diminished 7 arpeggios with sustained melody notes, probably causing the most difficulty on starting the arpeggio with a secured sound and fingering.
11) This variation consists of broken scales with expand into octaves on every other eighth note, necessitating that the scale be played with limited fingering and a relaxed hand position, allowing for frequent contraction and expansion.
12) This variation combines left hand arpeggios with right hand octaves. The right hand is made more difficult by sustaining notes in the midst of the moving octaves.
13) The primary difficulty of this variation is the use of thirds with a constantly altering bottom note. The bottom note is repeated, requiring that the hand be agile and relaxed to avoid becoming sluggish.
14) This variation is extremely similar to the 14th variation of the first book, combining multiple techniques into a grand finale.

Brahms Short-Work Collections

Op. 76

Capriccio in F-sharp minor

My first thoughts about this piece regard Brahms’ ability to orchestrate piano textures. The ideas are basic regarding thematic motives and flowing accompaniment. The melody keeps being relocated from soprano to alto to tenor. Brahms uses these changes to affect atmosphere and character while keeping the harmonies and melodies similar. This economy of technique is truly impressive of a composer, to keep the listener interested and engaged without flashy changes.

Capriccio in B minor

The character of this piece seems to be that of a gypsy dance. The staccato eighth notes serve as a unifying element throughout the piece. They begin as the melody and later become the accompaniment. The dynamics and registers are relatively conservative in this piece, using the extreme bass only in one instance causes that section to stand out as the definite climax.

Intermezzo in A-flat major

This piece sounds to me either like a lullaby or a nighttime love scene. I could very easily see this as being orchestrated as the accompaniment to an aria in a love story. The piano utilizes rolled chords to achieve both a harp-like effect as well as a twinkling atmosphere. The harmony uses a constant shift between major and minor to create an atmosphere conveying both something dark and beautiful.

Intermezzo in B-flat major

This piece is the most like a song without words out of any we’ve heard so far. The accompaniment consists of a bass line which changes measure-by-measure. The middle voice creates a swirling harmonic progression. The soprano simply sings a long and engaging melody from start to finish.

Capriccio in C-sharp minor

Texture is the main issue in this piece. Not only textures of sound but also of composition. Elements to consider are rhythmic textures and intervalic textures. The bass is in 6\8, the middle voice is in straight eighth notes, and the melody is in 3\4. Intervallically speaking the bass is in large leaps, the middle voice is a chromatic scale, and the melody varies between whole steps and half steps. With these mixed elements Brahms is able to achieve a large range of expression with discipline and restraint.

Intermezzo in A major

This intermezzo caries with it similar rhythmic issues of the preceding capriccio. This is extremely different in character and sound, but with this Brahms is able to achieve a more cyclic feeling for the set as a whole. The key areas and musical stylings always flow quite easily from one piece to the next.

Intermezzo in A minor

This intermezzo carries with it a dark and melancholy sound and nature. It also happens to sound exactly like a Chopin piece that I cannot recall. The reason behind this piece seems to me to be all about feeling rather than voice or expression. Brahms’ use of very close-knit use of registers would lead me to believe that this music is meant to convey a very introspected sorrow.

Capriccio in C major

This music is all about flowing, and had it been set in a higher register it could easily evoke images of fountains and water. Brahms uses the same technique of setting a melody over a flowing accompaniment, but this time he notates that the melody is a part of the accompaniment, rather than in its own separate voice. Why he would choose not to differentiate the melody from the accompaniment seems to me to be a pianistic choice rather than compositional, and I would imagine that the seperation of voices should be the same as if he would have notated them seperately.




Op. 116

Capriccio in D minor

I have maintained for some time that this capriccio is a rather blatent ripoff of Chopin’s Scherzo in C-sharp minor. The key may be different but the melody is certainly the same. Other than this melody at the start the piece seems to be made up entirely of odd rhythmic placements and octaves highlighting unusual key relationships.

Intermezzo in A minor

Rhythmic traits of this piece that catch my ear and eye are Brahms’ use of 3’s against 2’s, as well as his use of a metric modulation at the non troppo presto section. The movements of the accompaniment are simple and leave enough transparency for the melancholy harmonies to be evident. I would assume this piece is about loneliness based on the accompaniment and character combination.

Capriccio in G minor

The A section of this piece seems to be an example of accompanimental invention rather than the highlighting of some wonderful melody. The B section is all about the melody, and Brahms uses offset rhythms to add to its expressive quality. Brahms ends the piece with an extreme hemiola, causing it to come as a schocking conclusion rather than a conclusive resolution.

Intermezzo in E major

The beginning of this intermezzo is a great example of a situation where the accompaniment if equally as important as the melody, I may argue that there is not really anything here that I would consider accompaniment, but rather its own voice in the grand scheme of the work. The second section is peaceful and flowing, and for me evokes the feeling of being on a boat. Not a gondola-type boat that produces music reminiscent of a slow dance, but a boat in a peaceful lake that is without waves or disturbance.

Intermezzo in E minor

This A section is literally all about the expressive nature of two-note slurs. The B section calls on Brahms’ slow and flowing nature once more. This piece is quite odd, and I actually used to despise it when it was performed by a member of my last studio. Now that I am hearing it performed by a professional I enjoy it and its constrained nature. Previously it seemed to be an extreme overuse of hemiolas and sounded a bit like a 20th century composition. It goes to show how important the sensitivity of the performer is in music of this complexity.

Intermezzo in E major

This piece seems to me like an experiment of what happens when you add severly chromatic accompaniment beneath a simple and insignificant melody. I think that if it were an experiment Brahms proved his compositional abilities effective once again. The chromatic sounds present the music with a completely different set of emotions than if this melody were set to a classically reminiscent progression.

Capriccio in D minor

This piece begins in a similar way to some of Brahms’s technical exercises. This lends to the idea that Brahms tended to the craftsmanship of his use of the piano just as much as his use of harmonies and motivic development. It is interesting at the close that even when Brahms is obviously attempting to sound virtuosic and bombastic that he cannot release his music into the realm of “just for show”. The complexities remain in the rhythm and use of harmony where a simplified Franz Liszt coda could have easily sufficed.

Liszt- large-scale works

Ballade No 2 in B minor- The piano accompaniment which begins the piece is no doubt the musical representation of something “stormy”. Not necessarily an actual storm, but perhaps the storm within. I would lean more towards the inner storm, considering that the proceeding section is notably beautiful and feminine in orchestration. This reminds me of a Chopin ballade in its story telling capability, except that in this beginning I am assuming that the storm is a result of self and that the feminine theme is what brings peace to it. In Chopin’s case it usually seems like the storm is the result of the loss of the feminine theme. The Allegro deciso reminds me of Chopin’s 2nd Ballade in its aggressive nature. With the broken-octave section Liszt takes Beethoven’s famed technique and turns it into a special effect, more so than an accompaniment. The slow romantic sections seem to me to most certainly be love-songs to the woman in question, assuming that this is a love story. This idea is furthered by Liszt’s use of a baritone register for the melody, which is then answered in the soprano. The virtuosic effects are well placed, in my opinion, showing the heights of human emotion when real love is present.

Sonata in B minor- The beginning of the sonata demonstrates supreme invention in the area of utilizing moments of silence to create real music. Liszt shows himself in the beginning of this sonata to be an innovator of registral use for pianistic device. Liszt’s use of octaves in the introductory material displays his seriousness on the subject of being able to do anything on a piano that an orchestra can do. I should note that I feel the repeated A octave with the “thumping” bass note section to be one of the greatest idea’s ever presented to any form of music. How any composer could originate this idea in a texture already so rich with notes and register is beyond me. The fugue within the sonata seems to me to be Liszt’s attempt to not only show off his compositional devices to the “non-believers”, but also a way of him taking a baroque-style tool and making at virtuosic as humanly possible. Liszt’s use of thematic transformation in this sonata is enough to write thousands of dissertations on.

Annees de pelerinage Bk. II

1. Sposalizio

This piece I know quite well and enjoy quite highly among Liszt’s works. This piece, based on the painting ‘Marriage of the Virgin’ by Raphael, exhibits a musical reflection of Liszt’s feelings of the artwork. Liszt utilizes pentatonic-based intervals to simulate the sounds of wedding bells. Registration is used primarily as a means of conveying emotions, such as higher “twinkling” sounds representing an almost feminine innocence presented by the scene. It is hard to say if the arch structure of the last three pages is representative of a story or if it has simply been composed as such to simulate a flux of emotions over the scenario.

2. Il penseroso

This piece, based on a statue by Michelangelo, is quite simple in its compositional style, and I would go on to suggest that Liszt’s aim here is similar to his Nuages Gris in terms of capturing the harmonic portrayal of an atmosphere, or in this case perhaps a depiction of mystery as to the goings on within the mind of ‘the Thinker’.

3. Canzonetta del Salvator Rosa

This is one of my favorites of the Years of Pilgrammage. When one addresses the score it is quite obviously based on an Italian song, in this case the composer was Salvator Rosa. I appreciate that Liszt departed from the concept of varying a vocal theme to its extremes, preferring in this case to simply embody the song in pianistic form.

4. Sonetto 47 del Petrarca

Here is the actual Sonnet:
Blest be the Day
Blest be the day, and blest the month and year,
Season and hour and very moment blest,
The lovely land and place where first possessed
By two pure eyes I found me prisoner;

And blest the first sweet pain, the first most dear,
Which burnt my heart when Love came in as guest;
And blest the bow, the shafts which shook my breast,
And even the wounds which Love delivered there.

Blest be the words and voices which filled grove
And glen with echoes of my Lady's name;
The sighs, the tears, the fierce despair of love;

And blest the sonnet-sources of my fame;
And blest that thought of thoughts which is her own,
Of her, her only, of herself alone!

In Liszt’s setting of this sonnet I believe his main intention is to convey feelings of joy, yielding mostly to those regarding a feminine nature. This is apparent in his use of melodies that ascend (giving thanks in an upward motion pertaining to religion), and his use of melodies and accompaniment which favor the more feminine characters of music. Liszt’s music adheres to lines such as “and glen with echoes of my Lady's name; the sighs, the tears, the fierce despair of love”, in his manor of switching the character of the music to more violently passionate sounds. Like love the music is a sweet combination of both happiness and sorrow.

5. Sonetto 104 del Petrarca

Warfare I cannot wage, yet know not peace;
I fear, I hope, I burn, I freeze again;
Mount to the skies, then bow to earth my face;
Grasp the whole world, yet nothing can obtain.
Pris'ner of one who deigns not to detain,
I am not made his own, nor giv'n release.
Love slays me not, nor yet will he unchain;
Nor life allot, nor stop my harm's increase.

Sightless I see my fair; though mute, I mourn;
I scorn existence, yet I court its stay;
Detest myself, and for another burn;
By grief I'm nurtured; and, though tearful, gay;
Death I despise, and life alike I hate:
Such, lady, do you make my wretched state!

This piece, beginning similarly to the previous one, hints on the topic of warfare within the violence of the first bars. One can hear that within the harmonies a different message is being conveyed here. The melody displays periods of extreme dissonances (without a gifted performer one may believe them to be wrong notes) showing the musical representation of a soul that knows not which way to lean. This is set in the text with lines like “detest myself, and for another burn” as well as “death I despise, and life alike I hate”, there is this conflict of a directional sense, and Liszt no doubt sought the musical setting of this emotion nestled in the grey area of human emotion.

6. Sonetto 123 del Petrarca

I beheld on earth angelic grace,
and heavenly beauty unmatched in this world,
such as to rejoice and pain my memory,
which is so clouded with dreams, shadows, mists.

And I beheld tears spring from those two bright eyes,
which many a time have put the sun to shame,
and heard words unered with such sighs as to
move the mountains and stay the rivers.

Love, wisdom, excellence, pity and grief
made in that plaint a sweeter concert
than any other to be heard on earth.

And heaven on that harmony was so intent
that not a leaf upon the bough was seen to
stir, such sweetness had filled the air and
winds.

This sonnet no doubt struck a special chord in the heart of Liszt, seeing as how it pertains to the harmonies with “sweetness [filling] the air and winds”. You can hear a delicate nature, assuming that the first line of the sonnet is what inspires the original concept as well as the musical timbre. Other musical elements derived from the sonnet may be “dreams, shadows, [and] mists”. In the second stanza key words which can be conceived musically with a talent like Liszt’s would be “tears, sun, sighs, mountains, and rivers.

7. Après une lecture de Dante: Fantasia Quasi Sonata

(Taken from a previous blog entry from the class on program music)
Liszt makes great use of the tritone interval at the start of this piece to display a descent into hell. All throughout the piece he uses these techniques of thick textures which descend and ascend, I would imagine this is to symbolize difficult attempt to escape the hellish entities. The use of repeated chords and octaves as lamenting figures is wonderful in its depiction of fear; it almost makes you feel as though you yourself are shaking at the sight of the terrible imagery. The technical devices in this piece in no way make me feel as though the piece is primarily about showing off virtuosity, but rather about depicting larger than life visual images that require larger than life technique. It is in works like this where Franz Liszt begins transitioning from the german story-telling composition into the french picture-painting composition. Liszt uses the form to tell the story, but he uses the timbres and the acrobatics of the piano to cause a visual response to what is happening in the music.

Liszt - Short Works

Nuages Gris

It is safe to say that this work is in no way composed for virtuoso effect. In this work there are several techniques which foreshadow 20th century composition…

1) Quartal harmonies (in this case making use of the tritone as a diminished fourth)
2) Use of modes rather than classically influenced major and minor harmony (Lydian in this case)
3) Steady use of augmented chords (non resolving)

This is most definitely a study in atmospheric harmonization. Most likely this can be looked at from the perspective of a pianist, who having attained all the virtuosity one could dream of, is now more interested in an equal command over harmonies.

Mephisto Polka

If anything I would characterize this as a compositional etude in ornamental textures. The score is rather bare even simply by looking at the page without listening. Liszt is able to achieve some interesting textural tricks, however, making this piece tolerable to listen to without succumbing to complete boredom.
Liszt sets the music in motion with a decidedly two-part texture. He then furthers the complexity with the A-sharp to B motive which establishes a soprano harmony over the sextuplet in the alto. At the un poco legato he alters register and accompaniment so that now the staccato melody is superimposed over a glittering arpeggiated left hand. The texture thins and we leave the piece in exactly the same manner we began.

Annees Bk. 3

Les Jeux d’eau a la Villa d’Este
It is obvious, when listening to a piece like this that the impressionist masters owe a great deal to the workings of Liszt and his ability to paint a picture of water with music. This also serves as a great example of extreme virtuosity used for the purposes of coloristic effect rather than showing off. The absence of any bass support is interesting, seeing as how Franz Liszt requires the use of his treble voice to create the “shimmering”. The means that the left hand is mostly required to supply the melodic content while the right hand provides the scene. I believe that in this way the compositional technique is similar to the literal picture. When one see’s water during the daytime they are not concerned with what is underneath, they are limited only to the sight of the light and ripples on the top. As Liszt descends throughout the piece one gets the impression that he is immersing himself spiritually into the depths of the water, not necessarily literally, but more like he is internalizing the idea to an extreme and envisioning himself as a medium for the communication of water as an art form.
Aux Cypres de la Villa d’E #1
The tonality is very intriguing at the start of this piece. The key, as well as the first right hand chord, suggest that we are in B-flat major. The presence of the F-sharp in the bass creates a tonality suggesting that we are in F-sharp major. The voicing suggests that we are in a dark and ominous key that one would associate with being in minor. It appears that Franz Liszt was far removing himself from conventional voice leading with this work. The harmonies serve no functional use, as to say they do not follow a classically inspired progression. The purpose here is to exploit overtones with the natural timbres of the piano to create something uniquely visionary. We see at the tranquillo section that our bass line is continuing to supply the lower half of a sixth, representing its own voice rather than a supporting accompaniment. At the coda we receive a prime example of Liszt’s orchestration abilities at the piano. The rolled chords in the treble voice over top of the supporting and thick bass texture sounds like an obvious precursor to the symphonic works of Wagner and Strauss (notably the coda to the Flying Dutchman overture).

Liszt - Virtuosic Transcriptions and Rhapsodies

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 9

The introduction I feel does a wonderful job of mixing the gypsy virtuoso feeling in with a feeling of romance when the dole grazioso section begins. The declamatory passages which begin the piece set the listener up for a feeling of excitement of which Liszt always seems to deliver, and I would imagine that if a composer ever began a dull piece in such an exciting fashion the audience would feel greatly disappointed (like seeing a really exciting movie preview… but then when you finally see the whole movie it turns out to be really bad and nothing more than a waste of time).
The following section sounds like the strumming of a guitar. The embellishments over the top make me think of a band of musicians where the guitarists keep the chord progression moving while the violinists take turns showing there improvisational talent. The allegretto section represents a sound I greatly enjoy, which is the sound of a chord progression that is rhythmically exciting but doesn’t really go anywhere but V and I. This section ends up being very similar to the slow section in that the accompaniment simply keeps going while the embellishments alter and become more complex in texture. The stringendo chromatic octaves before the finale are striking similar to the 6th Rhapsody. The existence of a finale is surprising, not only because it is much longer than I expected, but also because it displays Liszt’s intentions to think of the rhapsodies in multiple movements, rather than simply through-composed virtuosic works.

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13

The first half of this work seems to epitomize for me the meaning of slow virtuosity. The work has a haunting and almost frightening quality, in which it seems Liszt uses the runs to symbolize feelings of a stormy and arguable nature. It becomes evident at the vivace repeated section that this work is similar in form to rhapsody no. 12 which begins with a long slow section and uses the middle section to increase excitement and change character. Difficulties present in the end are similar to the difficulties of the 12th rhapsody (repeated notes, chords, octaves, leaps). This could certainly be due to the success the 12th rhapsody had, and this being the succeeding composition Liszt could have used many of the same methods as in the previous one.

Wagner Tannhauser Overture

Liszt seemed to use just about every virtuosic trick at his disposal for this work. It is a good thing the work begins slowly because otherwise it could be too intense to listen to in its entirety. The slow interruptions which will occur later in the work add to the “heavenly length” but are necessary in the separation of ideas. Liszt starts off with a technique that is one of my favorites of his, being the use of leaps with repetition to create a sort of illusion of reverberation and/or echoing sounds. Liszt will use the high register to great effect, creating that magical visual response to his music. These high-register flutters remind me greatly of a Disney. Liszt also uses the technique from the first movement of the “Tempest” sonata to a new extreme. These two-note slurs with the repeated note provide a feeling of great shimmering quality when combined with these innovative harmonies. It is exciting to note that Liszt had to use three staves within this work to fit all the virtuosity in. I think people underestimate the skill required to create a composition using all these devices, even though it is for “showing off”. The craftsmanship is obviously genuine and effective. God forbid any classical music be appealing to a non-musician listener.

Verdi Rigoletto Paraphrase

I listened to Cziffra’s recording of both of these transcriptions, and I originally thought they would just be too fast and too intense. On the contrary they are REALLY good, and the way that he uses the intro of Rigoletto to evoke these magical sounds is extremely inspirational. The change of mood from the original statement of the theme to the next section is really interesting in the way that Liszt uses the content of the music to mold this universe of sounds that one would never associate with opera. But, taking that back, I would say that Liszt’s flourishes are there when we watch the opera, but they are a mixture of what we see, what we hear, and what we feel. It is as if Liszt took all these elements of music and life and turned them all into a musical response, in which all elements of this

Dance and Program Music

Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 1

The beginning of this piece, up until the un poco meno mosso section, is extremely inventive in Liszt’s use of orchestral tools as special effects for piano. The use of quintal harmonies harkens back to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Liszt’s use of intervallically leaping and transposing octaves also reminds me of the chromatic sounds of Wagner. The swift tempo and thick textures make Liszt’s use of rests strategically brilliant in terms of suspension and excitement. In the next section Liszt uses rising fourths and falling fifths within a cantabile section which is exotic and charming in its use of dissonance and rhythmic syncopation. The presto section with the thirds and trills serves as an excellent transition, not into new harmonic material, but into similar material with an all new accompaniment and overall air of excitement. Liszt’s use of three staves to employ his “three-handed” techniques is extremely innovative in terms of a composer’s use of notation to inspire correct voicing, not relying on the inherent knowledge of the interpreter as his predecessors would have. His use of syncopations and chromatics, as well as swiftly altering registers, gives the music a feeling of turmoil that seems to invoke the heart to change beats while listening. You can see Liszt’s use of roaring arpeggios with exotic harmonies as a means of showing off Thalberg’s famed techniques but with greater ingenuity. The chromatic median chords which bring the piece to a close are extremely far removed from any of the music we have yet listened to, showing off Liszt’s ability to make functional use of previously non-functioning harmonies.

Chopin Scherzo No. 2

The beginning of this piece probably makes just as much importance of the harmonies as with the rests. Chopin will use the motivic material here to weave the entire piece together through various moods and textures. At the con anime section Chopin creates a melody with similar contour to the original motive, displayed in its use of three note stepwise movement followed by a leap. The left hand in this section is deceptively difficult and requires a great deal of melodic shaping to keep the levels balanced. Chopin writes out the repeat for this apparent sonata form. For the sostenuto theme Chopin once again makes use of the original motive, in this way this work is a new take on sonata form by using related motives for both the A and B themes. With the next part Chopin ingeniously weaves the exact same motive together in three ways with a quarter note version in the soprano, a triplet eighth-note version in the alto, and a half note version in the bass, with an accompanimental figure in the tenor. The E major arpeggio section, though lovely, is hard to see as having to do with any of the other harmonic material, unless Chopin was using it as an entry point for the arpeggiated figure, with which he will weave the development section. The development is a thick and complicated mixture of components from throughout the piece. The recap is nearly identical to the beginning except that the B-flat note is now held at the end of the original motive. The coda is a brilliant and virtuosic ending filled with arpeggios, chords, and large leaps.

Brahms Ballade Op. 10, No. 1

The beginning of this ballade is very much like a dark and ominous hymn song. At the allegro the character changes into a triumphant and heroic account. When the original theme reenters it now has this heroic quality but as the “battle-drums” slowly fade away the mood worsens again. The ending is interesting in its use of the 1st section but with a only slightly embellished accompaniment. I recall Nicole Agostino mentioning that the triplets in the bass symbolized the dripping of blood, and I can definitely hear this within the music now.

Tchaikovski The Seasons, Op. 37b

November- I don’t have much to say about this piece… to be honest it’s a bit too happy-sounding for my tastes. It sounds a little bit like a cowboy song to me. The use of the sixteenth-note figure at the end is interestingly harmonically to me in the way that it combines the folksy melody with the sounds of chromatic swirling.

December – The use of December as a waltz is interesting to me. I wonder what Tchaikovski was thinking in terms of musical portrayal with a winter month. To me it does not really sound as though his winter was in a place where it snowed frequently.

Liszt Dante Sonata from Years of Pilgrimage, Year 2

Liszt makes great use of the tritone interval at the start of this piece to display a descent into hell. All throughout the piece he uses these techniques of thick textures which descend and ascend, I would imagine this is to symbolize difficult attempt to escape the hellish entities. The use of repeated chords and octaves as lamenting figures is wonderful in its depiction of fear, it almost makes you feel as though you yourself are shaking at the sight of the terrible imagery. The technical devices in this piece in no way make me feel as though the piece is primarily about showing off virtuosity, but rather about depicting larger than life visual images that require larger than life technique. It is in works like this where Franz Liszt begins transitioning from the german story-telling composition into the french picture-painting composition. Liszt uses the form to tell the story, but he uses the timbres and the acrobatics of the piano to cause a visual response to what is happening in the music.

Virtuoso Composers

Thalberg – Fantasy on Rossini’s “Moses” Op. 33

There are some elements to this composition that I find quite beautiful, notably in the Andante in ¾ time. I enjoy his use of an extremely slow moving melody, set to a lovely and melancholy accompanimental chord progression. The semplice section is wonderful as well. It seems to me that Thalberg had a better knack for finding the “right-fit” with his overtones than did John Field. The virtuosity at the end definitely reminds me of the devices of Franz Liszt in pieces like Vallee d’Obermann and La Campanella. His use of the “three-hand” effect in the big arpeggio section toward the end is very impressive, but I imagine that it could become a bit more dull than Franz Liszt’s use of it, only because Thalberg always seems to stay with the pure arpeggio without adding any mystical non-chord tones into it. This makes it seem a bit too improvisatory, and it tends to drag on for a while. It seems a bit like someone with a great technique was just making up different accompaniments on the spot without putting a great deal of emphasis on craftsmanship.

Charles Valentin Alkan - Le Festin d'Esope, Op. 39, No. 12

I really enjoy the theme of this apparent variation set. The first variation strikes me by surprise with its stunning use of non-chord tones. I am realizing that more than the other composers here Alkan makes use of special harmonic effects which must have been quite innovative. These special effects seem similar to the techniques employed by Berlioz and Wagner. I enjoy that Alkan cares as much about atmosphere as he does virtuosity, and I am glad that the techniques are used to create an atmosphere rather than an air of arrogance.

Henri Herz - Variations on 'Non piu mesta' from Rossini's La Cenerentola, Op. 60

I feel like this set of variations is a bit more similar in compositional ingenuity to Handel’s variations than to Mendelssohn’s. The techniques used are beginning to seem a bit overused and obviously flashy. After listening to all the pieces on this list I find that I would have been able to predict the “new works” very easily if I would have lived during that time. It doesn’t seem to me like Herz does enough with the actual harmonies, but rather makes every varied aspect all about the accompaniment.

Louis Gottschalk - Tremolo, Op. 58

This piece is instantly different than what I expected, considering that the ever-constant technique employed is a repeated note rather than a traditional tremolo, which is what I expected. This piece seems to make stronger use of folk harmonies rather than classical ones. These sounds are the types that I associate with a tarantella (hopefully my expectations are right). The techniques displayed are indeed extremely impressive, and because of the fun nature of the music I do not find myself becoming bored by the music at all. The techniques used here are actually similar to a Billy Joel song “angry young man” (sorry to be that guy).

Carl Tausig - Ungarische Zigeunerweisen (Hungarian Gypsy Melodies)

I really enjoy the opening of this piece. It definitely sets the mood as one of mischief and mystery. I enjoy Tausig’s subtle use of sixths and octaves in a manner that is difficult without showing off, as opposed to Thalberg. The techniques used in the trilling section are quite inventive. I also find a great deal of originality in his use of the lower register as a grumbling stormy invocation. I don’t believe that we have seen an example of this yet within the pieces we have studied in class. Within the schnell section one can definitely hear the sounds of native Hungary, and the sounds are much more similar to the Hungarian dances of Liszt than I expected. In the bizarre scale passages that follow I hear elements akin to La Campanella as well as some of the virtuosic figurations of Rachmaninoff where the melody is embedded in the quick finger work. The ending, though sounding extremely difficult, does not quite serve justice to the climactic end of the piece. I believe that Chopin’s ballades find a much more exciting use of virtuosity when closing off a large piece, this one seems to drag on a bit until the composer was able to find a good ending point.

Chopin Ballades 2, 4, and Sonata No. 3

Ballade No. 2, Op. 38

This ballade for me is all about reconciliation of opposites. The beginning hymn tune is a lovely and unexpected start to this work. Chopin borrows a little trick from Franz Liszt with his use of a mystical arpeggio as transitional material to a far removed section. The second section is all about passion and intensity. There really is not any hard evidence of a tangible melody, but rather an implied one created by the torrent of rushing sounds. In the agitato section Chopin utilizes the technique of repeated chords as a vehicle for extreme conflict. In all reality this figuration probably originated with the infamous first movement chords from Beethoven’s Les Adieux sonata. His choice to end this with the slow style of the beginning serves to bring this story to a cyclic close.

Ballade No. 4, Op. 52

Chopin’s use of an introduction is interesting here. The intro carries with it a melody that could have functioned perfectly as a 1st theme, however Chopin inserts a furmata at its end and carries on with a totally new idea. The 1st theme lasts a good while and takes on a few characteristics of a variation style while intensifies towards the next section. We come briefly to another hymn tune much like the 1st ballade. We then reach some transitional material made up of elements of theme 1. Throughout the third section we encounter a tremendous collection of virtuosic accompaniments designed to give a slow moving melody a feeling of anxiousness, excitement, and torment. Chopin is very kind to insert the slow descending chords as a breath before the tremendously difficult closing section. Here Chopin found a near perfect combination of most of the pianists most difficult techniques (octaves, thirds, chromatic scales, and large leaps).

Sonata in B minor Op. 58

I. Allegro maestoso
Now that I am thinking about it this is a rare occasion to see Chopin composing in Common Time. The most surprising thing to me is the length of this first movement. I am usually used to seeing Chopin compose with a 12 minute maximum. Chopin approaches the composition of this movement similarly to the way Schubert composed, meaning that he was concerned primarily with the weaving of a beautiful melody with a beautiful accompaniment and less with length. This movement seems more improvisatory to me than the majority of works I have heard by Chopin.

II. Scherzo: Molto vivace
The style of the first section here could have been used in any large work (Ballades, Scherzi) of Chopin. The technique used is very similar to the middle section of the B-flat minor Scherzo. The second section seems to be a sorrowfully beautiful song which is concerned not with technique but rather with tone and register.

III. Largo
This may be the first time I have ever heard a loud beginning to a slow movement. Chopin displays his prowess over singing melodies within this movement. His accompaniment evolves into a steady ripple which carries the melody from one place to the next. Chopin’s use of the natural and dissonant sounds of the intervals on the piano seems to cause the listener to drop any other thoughts aside and completely absorb the beauties within the sound and melody.

IV. Finale: Presto non tanto
The intro of this movement is similar in character to the 3rd movement. I believe that Chopin is composing similarly to Schumann in this instance, considering that the majority of this movement is conceived from a sort of perpetual motion. Mostly this movement is about sparkle and movement, lyrically speaking there is not nearly as much to say about this movement as the others.

Chopin Mazurkas

Mazurkas Op. 17

No. 1 in B-flat major: This mazurka is filled with bombastic intensity brought on by thick textures with swift and unexpected changes in register. The B section displays one of my favorite romantic-style traits which is that when the texture changes suddenly the composer will give several measures with only the bass highlighted so that you have time to prepare for something new. This is similar to the section in the Polonaise Op. 53 with the left hand octaves.
No. 2 in E minor: This piece is interesting to me in its combination of a nocturne like sound which changes suddenly to a mischievous dance. It seems almost like a faery-tale which begins sweetly in the countryside and unexpectedly becomes devilish.
No. 3 in A-flat major: This mazurka reminds me a bit of the A-flat Ballade, not only because of its key but because of the opening melodic material. One of the more interesting facts about this nocturne is its modulation to the key associated with the tritone. The melodic content is much more simple and repetitive within this mazurka than in the others. I would say that this piece is more motivically driven.
No. 4 in A minor: The polyphony used in this mazurka is haunting and touching. The repeated chord style makes this sound to me like the E minor prelude. I find Chopin’s limited use of the “boom-chic” bass to be interesting. He utilizes it in several brief moments when the “mazurka sound” is given a limited presence.

Mazurkas Op. 59

No. 1 in A minor: The rhythmic instability of the beginning, caused by only partially including downbeats in the bass mixed with subdivisions on the 1st and 3rd beats, creates a feeling of extreme uneasiness within this Mazurka. The section in A major begins like a hymn tune, as if it would be a peaceful release from the first section. However, the involvement of chromatic polyphony reinstates the agitated sorrow of this piece. I enjoy Chopin’s method of beginning the chromatic scale in the right hand and then taking it over with the left hand once the tune re-enters. This serves to join the accompaniment and the melody as if they were of equal importance.
No. 2 in A-flat major: This mazurka is far more stable than the previous one. The aspect of this piece which grabs my attention is Chopin’s complete departure from smooth voice-leading rules. I would think that this habit of changing registers by drastic intervallic leaps would have more to do with the idea that Chopin is using multiple voices to carry out single ideas. In the way that instrumental sections of an orchestra can have large leaps within their parts and still their timbres will not interfere with, but rather aid the instruments carrying the melody.
No. 3 in F-sharp minor: The use of the triplet on the first beat gives this mazurka, though in a minor key, a light and peppy feel. As if this were a piece of mischief rather than sorrow. The second section contains constantly evolving rhythms which supply the music with great and unpredictable excitement. In this mazurka Chopin displays great talent in combining transparent textures with highly complex ones, which do not obstruct flow despite the short and condensed nature of the composition.

Chopin, Week 5

Chopin

Polonaise Op. 53

The introduction of this polonaise is so strikingly declamatory that it becomes hard to not view the contents to come as being nothing less than genius. It reminds me of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, whose name establishes an expectation that serves to heighten the entire work. Chopin’s use of dominant 7 chords is unique, but also his choice to harmonize the chromatic scales with major triads. This gives the romantic chromatic scale a new appeal that separates it from the classical predecessors.

The main theme is interesting to me in terms of rhythmic duration. The presence of the rising “so-do” interval in the bass octaves makes the motivic units seem to be centered on the 3rd beat rather than the first. Chopin intensifies the rhythmic variety with his use of two-note slurs in the bass that tend to syncopate the accompaniment. The presence of the trills and rolled-chords give the piece a festive folk-music sound. The use of the octave-spanning three note chords in the melody are similar to the Hungarian Rhapsodies of Franz Liszt, which leads me to believe that the roots of this harmonic stacking derive from folk practice.

I feel that Chopin’s habit of writing out the repeat was well-founded considering that in modern performances people tend to omit repeats within works that contain them, this would not be possible in the works of Chopin. The presence of the Phrygian half-step in the section of measures 57-65 gives the music a sound similar to a toreador song.

Chopin’s use of the tritone as a new key for the C section (measure 81) is quite striking. This section sounds very similar to Franz Liszts Orage, as well as his Funerailles. These stepwise bass octaves function fantastically as a way for the accompaniment to remain harmonically uneventful while supporting the melody with a strong force of vibration. This accompaniment also functions as a great vehicle towards accelerandi and crescendos.

I am convinced by the end of this piece, which is seemingly a rondo, that Chopin sometimes disliked the idea of ending music in a conventional manor.
Here are a few pieces I can think of by Chopin which end oddly…
1) This one.
2) The Revolutionary Etude
3) The Ballade in G minor
4) The f minor Fantasy
It seems in pieces like this that there is a perfectly normal ending, followed by several measures of an extremely strange and often chromatically formed chord progression.





Polonaise Op.61

The mystical arpeggiations of the opening, which outline the overtones which we discussed in class, seem very similar to me to the Fantasy Op.49. The A section is a melancholy song, and with the existence of so many chromatic descensions it feels as though this is on the even darker side of melancholy, anger as opposed to sorrow.

At the a tempo, around the 6th page, Chopin manifests an accompaniment that seems to almost suspend the melody in a timeless and spaceless atmosphere. Throughout the work we see a bit more of the fantasy than of the polonaise. Where as the Op. 53 seemed like a dramatic virtuoso show, this piece seems to be more of a song cycle of sorts. I would say that the polonaise title probably lends itself more to the rhythms and the nationalism than the overall feeling.

At the finale it seems that Chopin throws all the virtuosity and bravura that he can at the absolute last minute. The texture become joyously thick and the registers span in both ways to the extremes of their capacities. But at its very last the piece returns to its soft and song-like nature with the piannisimo trills. I would think the the loud chord at its very end is nothing more than a signal to the audience to clap.

Barcarolle Op. 60

A barcarolle, being a song sung by Venetian gondoliers, carries with it certain expectations as to how the music will embody the vision and spirit of the scene. Chopin accomplishes the setting of a boat upon water with a slowly rising and rapidly falling bass voice. Later in the piece the waters become more sormy as the bass moves to a two note rise and fall pattern, similar to the boat bouncing against the wake set forth by another larger boat.

Chopin also adds a shimmering quality to the music by inserting layered trills, as well as setting swiftly moving parts at piannisimo levels in a higher octave. In many ways this piece is similar to a nocturne, in the way that the melody moves fluidly through various rhythms and song-like intervals while the bass remains constantly supportive but non-interfering.

Fantasy Op. 49

By the very first measures of the piece it becomes clear that this will be a work rich with romantic 19th century attributes. The combination therein of nationalism with mysticism and broader dynamics of emotions. This is what makes this work different from the fantasies of Mozart for example. The mixture of worldy images with otherworldy destinations. The entrance of the arpeggios after the march introduction almost feels like the musical equivalent of a persons hearing news that causes all their priorities to resort. The piece uses this fantasy idea as a manor of evolution from the sad to the sublime.

At the piu mosso march return we see the same medium from the introduction but this time from a different point of view. If the introduction were a sombre march to war then this would be its triumphant victory march, after the fact. This piece for me seems as though it could have had all the attributes of a typically sorrowful Chopin piece, however, I feel that in this music we see those heroic qualities similar to the musical evolutions of Beethoven. This piece for me is certainly a triumph through struggle. I would not be surprised to think that this music embodied Chopin’s feelings about the difficult political situation in Poland. For me this is a piece about taking dark thoughts and seeing them through to joyous expectations.

Week 4 - Chopin Preludes, Etudes, and Mazurkas

Chopin
24 Preludes, Op. 28
1. Agitato – C major
This prelude is very much in the style of the figuration preludes of J.S. Bach. This is a fitting, though short, introduction to the set, seeing as how Chopin modeled the idea of both the form of his preludes and their relationships of major to minor. The only difference being that Chopin moves to the relative minor where Bach moved to the parallel minor.
2. Lento – A minor
This is a very somber piece that is characterized by a difficult left hand accompaniment supporting an extremely exposed lyrical melody. The end of this piece is unique in its forshadowing of the 9th prelude in E major. This ending serves to tie the works together so as to establish them as a unified set and not as a collection.
3. Vivace – G major
In many ways this is an etude for the left hand. Chopin makes use of a simple and joyful melody. The melody moves at a moderate tempo and the quickened left-hand serves to bring more excitement to the character than a slow accompaniment could accomplish.
4. Largo – E minor
This is the prelude that I have no doubt heard played the most. It seems that in most cases this becomes an etude on rubato. The rubato is necessitated here because the melody mostly functions only on the 4th and 1st beats of each bar. In order to maintain a sustained singing-voice the decay time must be shortened between.
5. Molto allegro – D major
We see here another figuration prelude similarly composed like the first. The figure is altered and is slightly more difficult here. This style is important not only to Chopin’s influences of J.S. Bach but also to the compositional style that makes his etudes so effective.
6. Lento assai – B minor
Sometimes referred to as the “Cello Prelude” this work has a beautifully lyrical left hand melody. In some ways this functions as the mirror image of the E minor prelude. The interest here is in shaping the left-hand effectively while maintining a steady and independent right hand.
7. Andantino – A major
This is the shortest prelude and arguably the easiest. This is remnant of Schumann’s ability of creating a self-sustaining fragment which contains enough interest to communicate its content in the smallest of forms.
8. Molto agitato – F-sharp minor
We return again to the figuration-style etude. The difficulty here is maintaining a convincing melody in the thumb while keeping the difficult left-hand and upper right-hand patterns at only a sparkling ornamental level.
9. Largo – E major
The arrival at this prelude is a sweet one, especially after being set up with the ending of the 2nd prelude. The rhythm’s and timbres of this prelude are similar to the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven, which is fitting given that E major is the relative major to the originals c-sharp minor.
10. Molto allegro – C-sharp minor
A very quick prelude indeed… Here we see Chopin’s ability to make his most out of simple scales.
11. Vivace – B major
This is a remarkably beautiful prelude. The upper notes contain not only the melody but also the ornamental accompaniment. In this way Chopin is able to create a masked yet transparent line.
12. Presto – G-sharp minor
This would be an excellent piece to study before beginning work on the Tempest Sonata. The two note groupings here necessitate a strong command of arm weight and a firm yet relaxed attack.
13. Lento – F-sharp major
This is obviously composed in Chopin’s accomplished Nocturne-style. The left hand is a flowing accompaniment that carries the melody through like an un-diminishing voice. In many ways the B section here is similar to the “Raindrop Prelude”.
14. Allegro – E-flat minor
Here we see an extremely difficult study in unison playing. Even the slightest unevenness of sound pierces the texture. This would be a good piece to study before attempting the last movement of the “Funeral Sonata”.
15. Sostenuto – D-flat major ("Raindrop Prelude")
Not much remains to be said of this prelude. There is simplicity in beauty here and Chopin does all he can to let the melody display its perfection. The repeated notes are most likely there in order to showcase Chopin’s beauty of design in his ability to eliminate the percussive nature of the piano. The repeated notes create an illusion that the piano can spin sounds out like any stringed instrument could.
16. Presto con fuoco – B-flat minor
The first instinct here is to assume that this is nothing more than a study of scrambled right-hand scales. I know it to be true, however, that the real difficulty is the left-hand’s leaping pattern. This combination of a leaping hand with a flowing hand requires the performer to be very comfortable with their mind hand control and independence of extremities.
17. Allegretto – A-flat major
If this were an etude it would have to be one in melodically projecting the outer fingers while maintaining proper musical control over the thick inner harmonies. I would liken this to pieces like Liszt’s Vallee d’Obermann and Scriabin’s etude in c-sharp minor.
18. Molto allegro – F minor
Here we see another example of the Chopin scrambled scales. He inserts chromatic leading tones to almost randomized degrees of the scale. The ending here is very unexpected, without the leading tone it is difficult to feel that the piece ends on tonic.
19. Vivace – E-flat major
Another figuration prelude appears here. The style is very similar to the B major prelude.
20. Largo – C minor
This prelude is very familiar to me, and as funny as it is when I played this in my home many years ago my dad thought I was practicing a Barry Manalow song… apparently he ripped it off. The issue here is the proper voicing and dynamic control of chordal playing.
21. Cantabile – B-flat major
This prelude, like the 2nd, makes use of a very unusual left hand accompanimental pattern. Chopin uses the left hand to voice all the evolving chromatic harmonies that one would usually need two hands or even an orchestra.
22. Molto agitato – G minor
This is certainly a quick study in left-hand octaves. The duration and simplicity of the texture requires the pianist to have ample control over the left hand, or else the performance will be quite worthless.
23. Moderato – F major
Chopin uses a delicate and inventive approach to the use of arpeggios as melodic content. The distance of the melody from the accompaniment gives this piece a light and flowing feeling… like water.
24. Allegro appassionato – D minor
From experience I feel that this prelude is a study in left-hand stretching, as well as rhythmic independence when the left-hand must keep or expand rhythm when the right-hand gets a freely flowing scale, arpeggio, or double-note scale. The three D’s at the end serve as a fantastic ending to the set.

Chopin
12 Etudes, Op. 10
No. 1: Étude in C major
This is a fantastic etude on right-hand arpeggios. I became a fan of this piece when I first saw Ashkenazy’s performance of it on youtube. Chopin makes the arpeggios more difficult by spanning them up a tenth and over awkward black-key terrain. This requires that one have freedom of arm and body movement to allow the hand to stretch without injury or awkward sound.
No. 2: Étude in A minor
This, in my opinion, is the most difficult of the Op. 10 set. The difficulty lies in the necessity of the pinky, 4th finger, and occasionally the 3rd to manage never-ending chromatic scales while performing the accompanying staccato chords with the bottom of the hand.
No. 3: Étude in E major
I had heard it said that Chopin felt this to have been the most beautiful melody he ever composed. I could not think of a better way to study melodic projection than with a melody that you desire to hear so badly that the study begins to become nothing but rewarding with every ounce of melodic content you achieve. This Etude is the first in the set to alter accompaniments within the piece. Chopin feels that sixths and tritons can also be difficult settings for achieving melodic projection.
No. 4: Étude in C-sharp minor
This is one of the only etudes which focus on both hands equally. Chopin spares no difficulty here and requires both hands to play swift and crowded hand positions over all settings of keyboard terrain. The diminished arpeggios in the B section are of great difficulty. He adds to his study of 4th and 5th finger technique at the finale of this etude.
No. 5: Étude in G-flat major "Black Key"
This etude requires the right hand to play all over the black keys. This causes the melody to take on the form of a pentatonic scale. Consequently this makes this piece sound very “cowboy-like” to me. Though the popular consensus is that this is one of the easier etudes, it is true that studying this etude GREATLY increases security with black-key playing.
No. 6: Étude in E-flat minor
This etude is interesting in that it is mostly an etude on handling difficult harmonies. The existence of non-chord tones in the accompanying figure necessitates very little use of the pedal. This causes the player to strive for strong legato playing without any aid from the dampers.
No. 7: Étude in C major
The issue here is one of polyphonic playing within one hand. The figures with the right hand require a great deal of finger independence, with even enough control to control the dynamic ranges therein.
No. 8: Étude in F major
The contents of this etude are very similar to the prelude in B-flat minor. The right hand is required to flow without end through varying scales, while the left hand takes control of a melody that occurs in no way by a flowing motion. This juxtaposition of leaps with stepwise movement once again requires the performer to have a strong command of right-hand security.
No. 9: Étude in F minor
Like the D minor prelude this etude works as an excellent study for left-hand reach. The melody in the right-hand necessitates a strong enough rhythmic constitution that the hands will be able to play in unison even on the weaker beats.
No. 10: Étude in A-flat major
There is a combination of difficulties within this etude. One of them would certainly be an ability to play swift and never resting broken chords while maintaining both musical shape and proper rhythmic emphasis. The other issue would be the two note slurs occurring between the 2nd and 1st fingers of the right-hand.
No. 11: Étude in E-flat major
This etude is obviously a study in rolled chords. Chopin makes these chords more difficult by increasing the intervals to sizes that necessitate larger gestures of the upper-arm. The presence of the melody would also require the performer to have a well thought out approach to pedaling.
No. 12: Étude in C minor "Revolutionary"
This study for the left-hand is one of the better known of Chopin’s etudes. The left-hand is given many difficult figurations which require great control of technique and flowing musicality. The right-hand later serves to inject some further difficulty into the piece by means of difficult rhythms being superimposed over the swirling left-hand.

12 Etudes, Op. 25
No. 1: Étude in A-flat major "Aeolian Harp"
This etude was said to have been a favorite of Chopin’s. The difficulty here is once again melodic projection but in a far removed setting from the etude in E major. The arpeggios require the hand to change positions away from the melody notes but return with enough control to keep the phrasing moving appropriately.
No. 2: Étude in F minor "Bees"
This etude presents a study in rhythmic security. The right-hand is in 4 whereas the left-hand is in 6. This requires enough control to move the rhythmic groupings without relying on strong unison beats. Obviously the chromatically changing scales in the right hand would also be an area of specific difficulty.
No. 3: Étude in F major
This could either be considered an etude in trills or in leaps. I believe it is a combination of both and focuses on pieces with these types of difficulties, such as the “Les Adieux” Sonata by Beethoven, which in its final movement has a trill which moves to a distant interval in a similar way.
No. 4: Étude in A minor "Paganini"
This would certainly be an etude in leaping left hand figures. The placing of the chord on the weaker beat makes it even more difficult because the performer must have enough control to secure all the notes after the leap without awkwardly accenting the chord in a way that will draw the listener to believe that it is the on beat.
No. 5: Étude in E minor
This etude combines several difficult techniques into one.
1) Under-turning the 2nd finger to the thumb.
2) Rolling the left hand.
3) Maintaining bass-balance without smooth pedaled harmonies.
The B section turns this primarily into a left hand melodic study, while the right-hand is given difficult harmonized arpeggios which must remain un-obstructive to the melody.
No. 6: Étude in G-sharp minor
This is the infamously difficult study in thirds. The left hand is not of great technical importance here, other than to supply a stable melody and accompaniment to the step-wise, and often chromatic, construction of the right-hand.
No. 7: Étude in C-sharp minor "Cello"
This etude is a study in left-hand melodic shaping. The left-hand is required to play both harmonic notes and accompanimental notes, requiring that it be firm in its musical independence. This etude is a combination of aspects from the B-minor prelude, the “Revolutionary” prelude, and Scriabin’s etude for left hand.
No. 8: Étude in D-flat major
This etude is simply a study of the extremely difficult practice of moving from the fourth finger to the fifth. The lower voices in the right-hand increase difficulty by requiring that the hand to be spread and set in a secure position. This is similar to the A minor etude, but now the bottom voice is matched to the top rhythmically.
No. 9: Étude in G-flat major "Butterfly"
This etude, like the G-flat, sounds like a cowboy song to me. It combines the difficulty of moving from 4-2 fingerings to octave 1-5’s with the awkward “boom-chic” accompaniment in the left-hand.
No. 10: Étude in B minor
This is quite simply a study in right-hand octaves with varying styles (fast and furious, slow and melodic).
No. 11: Étude in A minor "Winter Wind"
This is a study in the playing of broken intervals at extremely fast tempos. The melody is given to the left-hand, making this similar to etudes like the 1st in C major. The performer will require here a strong command of a rotation technique. The primary difficult is the inconsistencies in interval size.
No. 12: Étude in C minor “Ocean”
This is a study which requires both hands to master the technique. The study is of arpeggios which double the top note with the starting note of the next position. This requires a lot of use of body movement, as well as an ability to secure the bottom melody notes without losing melodic contour.
3 Nouvelles Etudes,
No. 1: Étude in F minor
This etude is in 4’s against 3’s. The difficulty here is to allow the rhythms to sound free and secure while maintaining proper rhythmic distance. A merely percussive “pass the golden butter” will prevent the beauty of the music from being communicated.
No. 2: Étude in D-flat major
This is another multi-voice study. The right hand must maintain separation of a flowing upper-note melody with a staccato lower voice accompaniment. The left-hand must maintain a soft springy bass while also correctly voicing the chord which occurs in the tenor range.
No. 3: Étude in A-flat major
This is an etude for 2’s against 3’s, as well as for proper chord-voicing with a melody note on the top. The observance of slurs, as difficult as they may be, is important for maintaining melodic shape and integrity.