Musica Poetica: Musical-Rhetorical Figures in German Baroque Music

Notes ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 383
Author(s):  
David Yearsley ◽  
Dietrich Bartel

Author(s):  
Nataliia Horetska

Background, objectives and methodology of the research. Musical performing art of the XX–XXI centuries demonstrates a steady and growing interest in a huge array of music from pre-classical eras – the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque. The baroque music occupies a leading position in the field of instrumental performing as an obligatory part of the educational (works by J. S. Bach) and concert repertoire. The problem of interpretation of early music, acutely posed by musicians of the XX century – up to the reconstruction of all historical performance parameters – retains its relevance. In this regard, we note that the performance of a piece of music does not always make off the strongest impression precisely in its “primary” – restored – form, since reconstruction is limited by the volume of our historical knowledge, while modern musical instruments have a much wider range of expressiveness, than theirs historical predecessors, and the modern interpreter – “de facto”, due to his location in the historical space – a much richer thesaurus. So, the aim of this article is systematization, from the standpoint of the teaching experience of its author in the piano class, observations and practical recommendations regarding the style of performing of ancient instrumental music and approaches to its interpretation by a pianist on an instrument of modern construction. The methodology of the study includes an appeal to the intonation theory of B. Asafiev (1971), when considering the dynamic processes of formation of the musical form and the functioning of articulatory units – motifs, phrases, rhetorical figures, strokes, etc.; to the provisions of the works of M. Mikhailov (1981), E. Nazaikinskiy (2003), O. Katrich (2000) concerning the theory of styles; V. Kholopova (1979) and G. Ignatchenko (1983), when considering performance techniques that emphasize the originality of the texture of baroque music; as well as generally accepted methods of scientific research: analysis, selection, structuring of information with its subsequent generalization. Presentation of research results. The study of ancient instrumental music in the piano class is extremely important for the formation of a competent specialist, a musician of a wide range. In the cognitive process, such stages must be passed as determining the style, genre, form of the musical work, identifying the features of the musically expressive means used in it and finding appropriate ways to embody them. It is necessary to make as complete an idea as possible of the past historical epoch, its philosophy, aesthetics, different types of art and their interaction. The purpose of work on pieces of ancient music should be directing а performer to the general laws of “style of the era” (according to M. Mikhailov, 1981), because, despite national differences, by the middle of the XVIII century, a certain “panEuropean” style was formed, which was of great importance for the formation of the next generations of musicians. One of the brightest manifestations of the musical style of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is a close connection between music and the art of rhetoric. When referring to ancient music, performers must take into account the enormous influence that rhetoric had on the formation of musical thinking at that time. The close relationship of the latter with the oratory, which is based on a set of laws and rules, led to the influence of musical-rhetorical figures on the semantics of musical language, and, consequently – on the intonation-declamation sphere of musical text, ways of articulation. The latter were largely determined by the design features of ancient tools. The variety of characteristic techniques of instrumental sound production – expressive touches, among which a special place was occupied by the string strokes (legato, detache, martele, etc.) – has become an integral part of the style of European music of the XVII–XVIII centuries. Transferring them to the field of piano technique is necessary for adequate interpretation of works of this period, requiring the pianist to find appropriate analogues that allow to some extent to reproduce the figurative, articulatory, timbre-color, texture characteristics of the performed work. Modern piano, which due to a fundamentally different method of sound production does not claim to be an authentic reproduction of baroque music, has its own rich arsenal of expressiveness, which allows you to offer the listener no less interesting interpretive content of music of past eras. The art of outstanding pianists of the XX–XXI centuries, to whose audio and video recordings modern performers turn in search of a reference sound (G. Gould, S. Richter, S. Feinberg, T. Nikolaeva, M.Argerich, F. Gulda, G. Sokolov, A. Schiff and others) demonstrates this fact clearly. Conclusions. Not reconstruction, but reproduction of the style, image and spirit of early music becomes the leading principle of working on it in the piano class. And here the pianist should come to the aid of a conscious intonation, based on knowledge of both the general laws of the reproduced style and its characteristic details. The outstanding interpreter of early music V. Landowska (1991: 350) wrote: “One cannot ignore the reading of Quantz’s treatises on playing the flute, Leopold Mozart on the violin, Tosi-Agricola on singing, François Couperin, Rameau, Frescobaldi, Marpurg, K. F. E. Bach and many others – about playing keyboard instruments”. Finding “unexpected treasures” in them, “the disciples are delighted, because they begin to realize what they simply did not pay attention to before. In such cases, you find yourself witnessing an explosion of joy, somewhat reminiscent of the discovery of love”.



2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
Ildiko Kalό ◽  

When we speak about musical rhetoric, rhetorical figures, or elements related to musica poetica, we almost always automatically think about the Baroque and, why not, about Johann Sebastian Bach`s music. However, few of us realize that the roots of these notions trace back to the Renaissance, and even fewer will relate them to Martin Luther`s name and the Protestant Reformation. The principles of musical rhetoric developed mainly in the North German space, although they were also present in other countries such as Italy, France and England. It was Germany, however, that in those times most enthusiastically adopted and adapted the terminology, methods and structures of ancient rhetoric. In his Musica Poetica, the German musicologist Dietrich Bartel explains the rise of musical rhetoric in Germany as a consequence of Martin Luther`s view of music being embraced by the Christian believers. Over the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, musical rhetoric was continuously enriched and perfected, generating an extremely elaborate art whose focus was to find equivalences between rhetorical figures and musical intervals. Thus, music acquired a higher degree of accuracy of expression.



2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (24) ◽  
pp. 54-70
Author(s):  
Kholodkova Olena

Statement of the problem. In musicology there has long been a tacit belief that Baroque music is the music of rhetoric, rhetorical figures and affects. In Baroque aesthetics, rhetoric, which is an important element of Baroque poetics, is perceived as an integral part of the content of a musical piece that together with form, harmony, counterpoint and musical expression form its integral substance. The study of Baroque music from the perspective of the rhetorical aspect gives a clearer comprehension of the work, understanding the context, and the competent interpretation of the composer’s idea. Analysis of recent research and publication. The theoretical assumptions of this article are based both on historical treatises (M. Praetorius, Ch. Bernhard, J. Mattheson) and authoritative works of researchers who studied theoretical issues of historically informed performance of the late XX – early XXI century (D. Bartel, L. Dreyfus), including relatively new works (M. Zgółka, P. Zawistowski, A. Mocek). M. Zgółka (2016) adopts a rather traditional approach to rhetoric, which operates with rhetorical figures and affects, and at the same time offers an innovative division of rhetoric into three varieties. Referring to the most important treatises L. Dreyfus (2004) makes us think about the relevance of making parallels between oratory and musical rhetoric highlighting common features and differences. A. Mocek’s (2019) view on musical rhetoric and on the studies devoted to it is quite critical. The main objective of the study is to examine G. Ph. Telemann’s Concertos for Four Violins without basso continuo from the perspective of figurative and onomatopoeic rhetoric. The scientific novelty. In this research for the first time, Telemann’s Concertos were analyzed from the perspective of onomatopoeic and figurative rhetoric. The concept of division of rhetoric into three categories (onomatopoeic, figurative, symbolically mystical) was proposed by the Polish violinist and theorist M. Zgółka (2016). The author uses the following methods in this research: historical, typological, comparative and structural-functional analysis. Results. The analysis of four concertos demonstrates that G. Ph. Telemann uses not only figurative type of rhetoric but also onomatopoeic, successfully combining these two categories. In comparison with, for example, A. Vivaldi or H. I. F. von Biber, the palette of sound imitative techniques in the concertos of G. Ph. Telemann is not so diverse and comprehensive, however, elements of onomatopoeic rhetoric can be found both in fast and slow movements: sound of organ or bells as well as sound images of nature. The composer does not refuse from the elements of figurative rhetoric. Like in his duo sonatas, these are mainly represented by figures that describe a melodic motion. Such techniques are often found in polyphonic quick movements. In the lyrical slow movements, similarly to the duo sonatas, harmony, polyphony and intervals are brought to the fore. Conclusions. G. Ph. Telemann’s cycle of Concertos for Four Violins without continuo is an interesting example of chamber music not only in terms of composition but also from the view point of the usage and combination of various types of musical rhetoric. Knowledge of the rhetorical component brings researchers and performers to a new, more comprehensive level of understanding of the composer’s music, allowing us to consider the emotional content not only of the work as a whole, but also of each single intonation.



Rhetorik ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dagmar Glüxam

AbstractThis paper deals with some connecting links between rhetoric and articulation that have scarcely been considered thus far. It will show that the earlier commonly- held view of articulation as involving only »joining« and »separating« notes is by no means sufficient to understand Baroque music in all of its great expressive variety. Based on Baroque music aesthetics - in which music was regarded as imitating nature and, as a result, imitating speech and human emotions - the important principle of analogous imitation using musical means will initially be explained. Since the different musical-rhetorical figures function in this system as individual compositional building blocks, it is evident that understanding them is also of vital importance to answering questions about different technical features of articulation.



Rhetorik ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Grassl

AbstractThe article provides a critical survey of the musicological literature on the relationship between rhetoric and music in early modern France. During the recent decades the topic aroused increasing interest in musical scholarship, especially regarding the repertory of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Yet, the pertaining studies largely adopt methodologies which have been developed within German musicology in regard to primarily German Baroque music. This approach which aims to discern formal structures analogous to the rhetorical dispositio and to discern musico-rhetorical figures faces several problems when applied to French music. In contrast, the relation between rhetoric and music, as far as it is made concrete in the contemporary theoretical discourse, relates to a complex of rhythmic phenomena (the so-called mouvement) and the basically declamatory nature of (vocal) music. Furthermore, several recent studies have began to uncover how rhetorical concepts and ideas informed aesthetic stances and notes related to music on a more general level and in an often implicit way.



1950 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-119
Author(s):  
Glen Haydon
Keyword(s):  


2020 ◽  
Vol 1(16) (2020) ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
Tetіana Kryvytska ◽  
◽  
Svitlana Panasyuk ◽  

Purpose of Article. The purpose of the work is to reveal the intonation and interpretive features of “Songs Without Words” op. 9 No. 3 by Yakiv Stepovyi. Methodology. The methodology of the research is based on the complex application operations of genre, stylistic, intonation and interpretive analysis. Scientific Novelty. The scientific novelty of the research is to determine the genre-style genesis of the little-known the composition, but indicative for the composerʼs style. Author describes his characteristic intonation features and properties. He pays attention to the performing technique. Conclusions. The author of the study proved that “A Song Without Words” op. 9 No. 3 by Yakiv Stepovyi continues the traditions of F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, M. Lysenko, A. Lyadov, O. Scriabin, F. Chopin. This piece is full of Ukrainian song and romance intonations. It contains allusions to the works of F. List and F. Chopin. Author introduces the intonations of lira music, folk group singing, baroque music. The composer revealed these properties of the artistic image with the help of gamma, figuration and chord technique of pianism.





Author(s):  
Matylda Figlerowicz ◽  
Doris Sommer

Latinx writers cross boundaries between languages, renovating the experience both of language and of literature. This article takes up the invitations of several creative/disruptive artists: Víctor Hernández Cruz, Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Ana Lydia Vega, William Carlos Williams, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Tino Villanueva. The analysis shows how bilingualism transforms rhetorical figures and affective structures, arguing that metonymy—understood as contiguity and as desire—is a predominant figure of bilingualism: a figure of almost arbitrary coincidence, an unintended intimacy that writers exploit. Through rhetorical and affective gestures, bilingualism alters genre conventions and opens a new space for aesthetic pleasure and political discussion, which requires and forms an alert audience with new ways of reading. The essay traces the visions of future (and its fantasies) and of past (and its memories) from the perspective of bilingualism, showing how operating between languages allows for new ways of constructing knowledge.



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