Notes on Sonata Cycle of Cross-Cutting Development in Brahms' Chamber Music

Развитие искусства, по словам Пастернака, подчиняется закону притяжения. Один из многочисленных примеров этому - бетховенская идея цикла сквозного развития, мимо которой не прошел ни один из последующих композиторов: от Шопена (Соната b-moLL) до Брукнера и Малера. Значительное место в этом процессе принадлежит Брамсу. В публикуемых «Заметках...» на примере шести различных по составу и времени написания камерно-инструментальных ансамблей композитора - фортепианных трио op. 8 (вторая редакция) и op. 40, струнных квартетов op. 51 и op. 67, Кларнетового квинтета op. 115 - обнаруживается разнообразие воплощений этой идеи: в одном случае ключевым моментом образования сквозной структуры цикла оказывается взаимодействие тональностей - одноименных и параллельных; в другом - взаимодействие метроритмов; и, наконец, импульс к построению сквозной композиции цикла может исходить от лаконичной темы, наделенной функцией эпиграфа. Перефразируя известную мысль Асафьева, можно сказать: идея одна, а форм ее претворения множество. The deveLopment of art, according to Pasternak, obeys the Law of attraction. One of the various exampLes is the idea of the cross-cutting deveLopment cycLe by Beethoven; none of the Later composers from Chopin (Sonata b flat minor) to Bruckner and MahLer passed by this idea. Brahms occupies a significant pLace in this process. One can discover a variety of embodiments of the idea in this articLe on the exampLe of six chamber and instrumentaL ensembLes of the composer, different by number of instruments and time of writing: piano trios op. 8 (2 version) and op. 40, string quartets op. 51 and op. 67, CLarinet Quintet op. 115. In one case, the interaction of keys - paraLLeL and reLative ones-is the centerpiece of the formation of the cross-cutting cycLe structure. In another case, the point is the interaction of metre-rhythms. And finaLLy, the impuLse to the buiLding of the cross-cutting cycLe composition can come from a concise theme endowed with the function of the epigraph. To paraphrase an idea of Asafiev, it can be stated that the idea is the same, but the forms of embodiments are muLtipLe.

Chopinian Particularities in Piano’s Sonata op. 58

The paper herein highlights those aspects of Chopin’s Piano Sonata Op.58 that demonstrate the strong connection with the classical-type sonata, its significance and the evolution of expression. Chopin’s Third Piano Sonata, Op.58 is the largest solo work of his late period. Chopin’s successful combination of the Classical and the Romantic aesthetic, results in an effective balancing of structural integrity and emotional fulfilment. Every moment of Op.58 possesses qualities of movements in a traditional sonata cycle; however, the tendency to blend structural elements, the expansion of thematic material and the postponement of climaxes contribute to Chopin’s distinctive treatment of the sonata genre style include blurring of genres, complex use of chromaticism, intricacy of counterpoint, textural and thematic variety

THE DRAMATURGY OF THE SONATA CYCLE BY L. VAN BEETHOVEN (on the example Sonata № 3 С-dur оp. 2)

The purpose of the article is to analyze and develop stylistic features of L. Beethoven's sonata cycle for a more accurate reproduction of the play's dramaturgy. The following research methods are used in the work the next. There are historical and cultural approach (research and analysis of works dedicated to L. Beethoven's creative heritage); method of comparative style analysis and general system-structural approach (comparing the problem of the era and its development); the traditional method of source studies as a historical discipline (the work is based on existing sources). Scientific novelty is to identify the peculiarities of creativity and specific performance of works by L. van Beethoven, from the point of view of the contemporary performer, characterizing the attitude of the composer to accurate performance, classification of means of expression and their use precisely when performing works on the piano. Conclusions. From the very beginning of the work on the sonatas, the pianist should pay attention to the stylistic features of the performance of Beethoven's sonatas. Taking a leading role in the study of the author's text, stylistics gives the work a unique sound, and the skill and the right approach maximize the performer of the playwright's reproduction of the play. Getting acquainted with Beethoven's sonatas requires a meticulous attitude to the applicative, dash dynamic notes and pedalisations written by the composer himself. The unity and interaction of the means of musical expression, such as: dynamics, fingering, pedaling and strokes, plays a special role in the performance of L. Beethoven's sonata cycle and brings the pianist closer to the most accurate transmission of the composer's creative intent. Condemning the carelessness of the execution of the author's instructions, Beethoven requires not only accurate, but above all expressive of their execution. Thus, the composer draws the artist's attention to their content.

Under the sign of playing: C. M. Weber’s Piano Quartet

Background. A play principle is one of the essential properties of the artistic worldview and creative thinking of C. M. Weber. Declaring itself in works of different genres, it takes on many different shades, speaking in the form of comic, ironic, characteristic and carnival. In the instrumental opuses by the composer, the play aspect appears in complex of texture, articulation, intonation and thematic, dynamic and formative techniques that lead to immediate visual and theatrical associations. Expression of play principles in this genre sphere can be considered, on the one hand, as various types of ensemble dialogue, and on the other hand, as virtuosity, producing aesthetic pleasure and sincere joy. The Piano Quartet by the composer, a typical example of the instrumental and play beginnings in the work by C. M. Weber, is a part of repertoires of many ensembles, but it has not yet become an object of serious scientific interest. The question of the historical and stylistic affiliation of C. M. Weber is debatable, as evidenced by significant differences in the views of scientists on this issue. Some of them, as La Mara (1886), R. Teryokhin (1983), R. Mizitova (1999), see him as the custodian of the Viennese classical tradition, focusing on “mozartianism” of C. M. Weber, others, as J. Warrack (1976) and B. Smallman (1994), considered him as one of the pioneers of romanticism. The former notes the improvisational nature of the emergence of the quartet cycle, the latter ‒ the elegance of writing and the unusual form of the last part, which served as a model for creating the finale of instrumental opuses for subsequent romantic composers. The pianistic texture by C. M. Weber as reflection of the virtuosoromantic direction is described in the works of N. Kashkadamova (2006) and O. Skorbyaschenskaya (1993). The aforementioned works also note the unusual form-making of the composer and the fantasy nature of his Minuets-Scherzo, that anticipate the experiments of F. Mendelssohn and other romantic composers. I. Karachevtseva (2015: 24) takes a special position toward the work by C. M. Weber acknowledging it as “the quintessence of a new artistic and stylistic quality that defines the boundary between two historical eras”. Objectives. The purpose of this article is to identify the genre, dramatic and the shaping characteristics of the Piano Quartet by C. M. Weber as a manifestation of play logic. Results. The play principle is manifested at all levels of the text of Weber’s work: genre, compositional, dramatic, thematic. C. M. Weber does not resort to the typical of classical piano ensembles three-part cycle, but to the four-part, placing Minuet between Adagio and the Finale. In our opinion, the inclusion of the Minuet in the sonata cycle is due to the theatrical and playful mindset of C. M. Weber. This assumption is corroborated by the nature of the dramatic logic of the Piano Quartet cycle, where in each part the listener (including the performer) something unusual, captivating and witty lies in wait. Playful interest in the movement’s intrigue extends even to Adagio, which by its nature is less likely to surprise. The entire first section of this part is built of short statements, changes in the types of movement, rhythmic pulsation, contradicting dynamic shades, and ultimately figurative details, as a result of which instead of a holistic meditative theme, a dynamic, instrumental “mise-en-scene” arises. Equally fractional is the main part of the sonata Allegro, where the delicate phrase of the solo piano is suddenly interrupted by the irritated intonation of the sf and ff trills, and the exhorting statement of the string trio makes the piano to have second thoughts. We observe the play logic of the event canvas as the piano and string trio are endowed with their own thematicism, “personified”. The Minuet is unexpected in a minor modus (g-moll) in the context of a major composition (B-dur), the rapid change of textural-thematic units, and the simplicity of the trio theme ‒ in the spirit of rural German dances, contrasting the blasting extreme parts. The final rondo (Presto) plunges into a whirlpool of refrains and episodes, creating the impression of carnival fuss and kindling the listener’s “interest in continuation”, and the multipart composition turns into a comparison of musical “scenes”, anticipating the principles of constructing miniature cycles of R. Schumann. Conclusions. The thematic plethora of the Piano Quartet by C. M. Weber, a totally dynamic character, the violation of the classical linearity and predictability of the plot provide the author with a gargantuan opportunity of ensemble dispositions. The composer follows to the parity of communicants achieved by W. A. Mozart in his piano quartets, grouping them into various combinations. Among them, there are a dialogue of the piano and string trio, a melodic communication of the strings against the background of the figured movement of the piano, the solo of the string instrument against the background of keyboard chords, as well as the pianos’ solo in the context of dialogue at the composition level. Thus, assigning primary importance to the play principle, C. M. Weber signifies a universal factor in creating stylistic harmony, which covers figurativelythematic, compositional, ensemble spheres. In structuring of the cycle and its individual parts, in the course of the music-event process, in the art of ensemble writing, the composer showed his mastery creating the “second reality” that merges with play in its intrinsic value.

Dialogue in Sonata for Two Violins Op. 10 by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki from a Performer’s Perspective

The article aims at defining the specificity of dialogue in Sonata for two violins Op. 10 by Hen- ryk Mikołaj Górecki from the point of view of the performer. This piece, though created in the early period of the composer’s career, belongs to important examples of this genre in 20th century Euro- pean music. With regard to the declared aim, various versions of the dialogue in this sonata were examined. The issue of dialogue in the discussed piece is presented in the context of the individual composer’s style. In order to address the core matter, the analysis of all three movements of the sonata cycle was carried out in terms of different forms of dialogue between the two violins.Górecki’s Sonata represents very interesting types of dialogic communication, conveying various emotional contents: from rivalry to harmony, from expression – sometimes utterly harsh – to joint reflection, from grotesque to contemplation. This piece features a rich sound coloring, which the Master achieves through sonoristic effects and extensive use of dissonant consonances and dynamic contrasts. The piece shows also an excellent sense of the sound space in which the soloists perform. Spatial changes effects are achieved by means of, among other things, rapid shifts from the lowest registers to the highest ones. The „instrumental drama” is accompanied by colorful „dec- orations”, with a wide range of feelings typical of Górecki. The parts of two violins carry out a polyphonic narration. The voices of each „protagonist” receive a different reaction in their vis-à-vis, and in the last part they unite in an expressive, unrestrained dance movement. It is precisely this variety of musical material and the dialogues of the soloists in different categories of perspectives that provide this piece with an intensity of empathic experiences, evoked both in listeners and in performers.

Performing Cultural Hybridity in Isang Yun’s Glissées pour violoncelle seul (1970)

This paper explores cultural hybridity in Isang Yun’s Glissées pour violoncelle seul (1970) using a framework based on ideas from the philosophy of Deleuze and Guattari. The discussion centers on five principal oppositions in the work: Taoist-inspired coalescence/dissolution and the Austro-German sonata cycle; Hauptton and twelve-tone techniques; the evocation of traditional Korean ornamentation and the concept of fixed pitch; the evocation of traditional Korean instruments and the cello timbre; and changdan rhythmic cycles and twelve-tone prose rhythms. Conclusions drawn from the consideration of each opposition then serve as the basis for comments regarding effective performance, using a framework based on ideas from conductor Markand Thakar.

“3 Piano Sonatas for the Young” op. 118 in a context of last works by Robert Schumann

Background. In recent years, there has been an increased interest of musicologists in the phenomenon of “late Schumann” in the aspect of usage of different historical and cultural traditions by the composer, that constituted problematic aura of given research. Modern scholars investigate this matter from several positions: bounds of Schumann’s style with antecedent music, Viennese classics and art of Baroque (K. Zhabinskiy; 2010); formation of aesthetic and stylistic principles of composer in 1840s–1850s, foreseeing musical phenomena of second half of XIX century (A. Demchenko; 2010), realization of natively national cultural meanings in “Album for the Young” op. 68 in his late works (S. Grokhotov; 2006). The content of given above and other modern researches allows to reconsider still unfortunately widely accepted conception of a “twilight” of Schumann’s genius in the last years of his creative life (D. Zhytomirskiy) and to re-evaluate all the works created by the composer in that time. In the given article, one of them is studied, “3 Piano Sonatas for the Young” op. 118, one of the last among them. This choice is effectuated by two main reasons: by op. 118 being an example of “children music” of R. Schuman, that adds additional marks to the portrait of composer, taking a journey through happy pages of his life, preceding its tragic ending; and by possibilities to study typically “Schumannesque” on this example in constantly changing artistic world of German Romantic, who was on the verge of radical changes in national art of second half of XIX century. In order to conduct a research, the following methods of studying of musical phenomena are used: historical, evolutional, genetic, genre and typological, compositional and dramaturgic, comparative. Regarded through the prism of traditions, Sonatas for the Young reveal simultaneous interjections of contained ideas both with musical past, practice of national culture, including modern one, and with author’s own experience. Dedicating every Sonata to one of his own daughters, R. Schumann continues tradition of addressing his works, a tradition, that in fact has never been interrupted. As one can judge by R. Schumann’s dedications, as a rule, they mask an idea of musical portrait. The First Piano sonata op. 11, 6 Studies in canon form op. 56, Andantino from Piano sonata op. 22 are cited (the last one – according to observation of K. Zhabinskiy). The order of the Sonatas for the Young has clear didactic purpose, as if they were mastered by a child consecutively through different phases of learning piano, that gives this triad a feeling of movement towards general goal and makes it possible to perceive op. 118 as a macrocycle. Another type of cyclization, revealed in this article, discloses legacy of works like suites and variations, created by R. Schumann in 1830s, a legacy effectuated in usage of different variative and variant principles of creating the form on different levels of structure. For example, all the movements of the First sonata are bound with motto, consisting of 4 sounds, that allows to regard this cycle simultaneously as sonata and as variations, and if we take into consideration type of images used, we can add a suite cycle to these principles. In a manner, similar to “Carnival” and “Concerto Without the Orchestra”, author’s “explanation” of constructive logic lays within the composition, in the second movement (“Theme and Variations”). To end this list, the Finale of the Third Sonata for the Young contains a reminiscence of the themes from previous Sonatas, that in some way evokes “Children’s scenes” op. 15 (1838). Suite-like traits of Sonata cycles in the triad op. 118 can also be seen in usage of different-leveled titles, indicating: tempi (“Allegro”, “Andante”), programme image (“The Evening Song”, “The Dream of a Child”) or type of musical form (“Canon”), that underscores a bound of Sonatas for the Young with R. Schumann’s cycles of programme miniatures. In addition to that, a set of piecesmovements refl ects tendency of “late Schumann” to mix different historical and cultural traditions, overcoming the limits of autoretrospection. Tempo markings of movements used as their titles allows to regard them predominately as indications of emotional and imagery content, that resembles a tradition of composer’s practice of 17th – 18th centuries. “Allegro” as a title is also regarded as an announcement of the beginning of the Sonata cycle, and that especially matters for the fi rst Sonata, that, contrary to the Second and Third, is opened not with sonata form, but with three-part reprise form. Of no less signifi cance is appearance of canon in “children” composition with respective title, a canon simultaneously referring to the music of Baroque epoch and being one of obligatory means of form-creating, that young pianist is to master. The same can be addressed to the genre of sonata. Coming from the times of Viennese Classicism, it is preserved as the active of present-day artistic horizon, required from those in the stage of apprenticeship, that means sonata belongs to the present time. For R. Schumann himself, “child” triad op. 118 at the same time meant a return to the genre of Piano sonata, that he hadn’t used after his experiments of 1830s, that can also be regarded as an autoretrospection. Comparative analysis of Sonatas for the Young and “Big Romantic” sonatas, given in the current research, allowed to demonstrate organic unity of R. Schumann’s style, simultaneously showing a distance separating the works of composer, belonging to the different stage of his creative evolution. Created in the atmosphere of “home” routine, dedicated to R. Schumann’s daughters, including scenes from everyday life as well as “grown-up” movements, Three Sonatas for the Young op. 118 embody typical features of Biedermeier culture, a bound with which can be felt in the last works of composer rather distinctly. The conclusion is drawn that domain of “children” music of the author because of its didactic purpose refl ects stylistic features of “late Schumann”, especially of his last years, in crystallized form.

Affective shapes and shapings of affect in Bach’s Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin No. 1 in G minor (BWV 1001)

This chapter analyses Bach’s Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin No. 1 in G minor in terms of recent theories of music and emotion. It considers how musical ‘shape’ relates to the structure of affect, conceived in the nuanced terms afforded by recent work in the psychology of discrete emotional categories. Part I is dedicated to a close reading of Bach’s opening Adagio. Analysing three levels of shape (acoustic cues, midlevel phrasing and large-scale form), the chapter compares Bach’s music both to the shape of particular emotional behaviours and to the expressive shapings of a formal model. This notion of shaping is then extended to performance styles of ‘expressiveness’ (mainstream, HIP and deviant) in three interpretations of the Adagio captured in tempo and dynamic maps. Part II analyses the whole sonata cycle in terms of ‘transformational vectors’.