Discipline vs. Fun

A friend of mine asked me, how can he play the piano better?

He's an amateur pianist who plays mostly Chinese pop music.

The immediate thing that comes up to my mind is technique, but then that sounds so boring!

I decided to answer,

"If you could play your piece as touchingly and beautifully in half the tempo, probably you can play the piece in regular tempo really well."

What I mean is that notes and even and tone are elegant even when speed halves. It's hard for me, and hard for everyone. But if you want to pursue perfection (knowing that you can't achieve it), then go ahead! It's the right way!

The Distortion of Musical Syntax: articulation of the fugue subject in Franck's Prelude, Chorale and Fugue

This is the question I had when I practiced yesterday. I haven't quite made up my mind on what to do, and I'd like to share with you some fragments of ideas.

The problem is here:

The fugue subject starts at "Tempo I", and it comprises of two parts: the first part consists of two "sighing motives"with anticipation, and I am referring to the first six notes of the fugue subject with the rests. The second consists of a descending line and a resolution, which represents the seventh to fifteenth note of the fugue subject.

How should I articulate the seventh and eighth notes? (the first two notes of the second part of the fugue subject)

The phrasing and syntax of the music as represented by the notation is curious. The slurs between the second and third, and fifth and sixth notes, form two sighing motives. The second and fifth notes are non-chord tones (with the implication of V - I or V - vi as the harmonic progression), resolving to the third and sixth notes. We can view them as appoggiaturas; Donnington (1974:197) states the art succinctly:
     The Italian verb appoggiare means "to lean" and implies an ornamental note expressively emphasized and drawn out before being more gently resolved on its ensuing main note. This is the true appoggiatura.

In the first part of the subject, the strong-weak syntax is notated. (Of course, how you link the two gesture is another question.) However, the beginning of the slur at the seventh note is on the weak beat. Should I emphasize the weak beat because it's the beginning of a (long) slur? Should the seventh be in quasi legato with the eighth?

Often, we find the best answer when we situate the question within the context, i.e. the whole piece of music. But in this case, that complicates the question.

Similar gestures has occurred in earlier places of the piece. Here are two important moments:

In the middle of the prelude, this capriccio section has forbade the fugue subject. Compare the articulation markings from the third measure to the first beat of the fourth measure, with those from the second beat of the fourth to the first beat of the fifth. Is it a similar problem as the one we have in the fugue?

After the Chorale (second movement), there is a bridge (Poco Allegro section) before the fugue commences. Take a look at the articulation of the fugue subject: it is different from the first appearance of the fugue subject in the "official" fugue. Pay attention also, to the gesture on the right hand at the end of the upper system. The anticipation of the top voice forces the gesture to cross across the bar line. Rhetorically, it creates doubt. The doubt is enforced by the transposition of the same gesture in different register, eventually withers into the void. "Not the right way," said Franck, and we're off to another attempt to reaching the fugue.

In the middle of the second attempt, the withering gesture propagates. Notice the difference between the phrase marking at its first appearance (final beat of measure 2 to second beat of measure 4)  and its second (final beat of measure 4 to second beat of measure 5). Is the first gesture an adventure, and does the A-sharp outside the phrase marking represent hesitation? (Although the harmony at the final beat is V over I, I think A-sharp does sound foreign, even exotic and sexy, given the B as bass note.) Is the inclusion of the C-double-sharp in the second gesture a confirmation of the success of the adventure? (And therefore, the fugue starts after the germination of this gesture?)

This brings us to the fugue, the subject matter of today. The second presentation of the fugue subject at the alto voice (top voice in the second system) is marked differently from the first presentation in articulation. The second part of the subject has its first note detached from the phrase afterward. The weak beat emphasis occurs after the fugues subject. After two gestures of weak beat emphasis, the strong beats begins the slur again.

What can we make out of this labyrinth given to us by Franck? Here's my suggestion:


Same-note upbeat to a sighing gesture: hesitation and anticipation (a dialectic), or simply an assured anticipation, to the ensuing sighing gesture. Decision depends on the context and the performer's interpretation.
Slurs (long or short) on the downbeat: smooth gesture.
Slurs on a fourth beat: deliberate distortion of the four-beat syntax, to be emphasized. The distortion is always rectified by subsequent appearances of the right syntax. This distortion is a dissonance in syntax, leading to a right, thus consonant syntax.

Coming back to the opening question, I will play it (the first note of the second part of the fugue subject) quasi legato, with more emphasis than the same-note anticipations that precede. It is as though a continuation of the exploration, or this time a trial and error, although the fugue has started (formally, it has started.) The fixation point of the fugue subject articulation is at the second appearance of the subject. Interestingly, the articulation is the same as that in the opening of the bridge section. (At this point, I play the bridge with a lot of planned hesitation. But none of the recordings of the masters is doing that.)

Three more things to say:
1. I believe the distortion of syntax appears in poetry! But I don't' know about them. Does anyone know?
2. I guess someone in the music theory circle has said similar things. I want to know who they are and how they theorize, and what how to they label it.
3. Well, I admit, when I play it on the piano, it's another art. Enough bullshit.

The first few measures of Mozart's Sonata in C minor, K. 457

I was taught, when I was little, that Mozart ought to be elegant. Always.

This turn out to be a beautiful misunderstanding. Look at this:

The powerful and almost disturbing (in the Classical sense) Sonata in C minor, one of only two piano sonatas in the minor mode by mozart, starts with an upward octave gesture in forte. Angry, solemn, masculine, or in some musical jargons, the Ratnerian topic of military/ horn call, or the Mannheim rocket. Measures 3 and 4 answers with piano. being sorrowful, docile, feminine, or an Nietzschean Angst, if you will. The first four bars constitutes what we call the antecedent phrase (the first in a question-answer pair), and the following four the consequent.

Here's how I heard it played by a person of undisclosed name a few days ago, and also an ex-colleague a few months ago, as well as in the first video search result on Youtube when I typed "Mozart Sonata in C minor":

As if it is a plague, numerous people apply the pedal at the second beat of the second bar, prolonging the E-flat until momentarily before the next E-flat played by the right hand.

They also apply a diminuendo from bar 3 to four, partly, rendering the antecedent and consequent phrases totally symmetrical.

There are a few rebuttals for the above interpretation. What Malcolm Bilson preached in his DVD Knowing the Score would forbidden us from applying the pedal at measure two, and I concur totally. Firstly, applying the pedal shortens the silence after the note. The drama of silence conveyed by the rests is one of the things I am looking for. The upward thrust ends "untimely" at E-flat, as if it should have gone up infinitely. The abrupt stop causes silence and question, and the rhetoric continues by picking up the high E-flat as a start of the feminine gesture. Applying the pedal creates what I call a plateau at E-flat, and it may sound like a legitimate emotional linkage between the agitated octaves and the languous melody afterward. This plays with elegance (which is not the character of this passage) and buries musical surprise.

The dampers of the modern steel piano truncates sounds very well, but in a good concert hall or practice room, the resonance during the rest is still evident. In Mozart's piano, the dampers are less efficient, and the resonance constitute part of the musical excitement. I believe this intention is naturally translated well from a Mozartean piano to a Steinway or Yamaha.

Now, take a look at the harmonies:

Measure three to four suggest, harmonically, a crescendo, as the diminished chord at measure 4 is more dissonant than the first inversion tonic chord at measure 3. it makes no sense to play measure 3 louder, and let the music "resolve" to measure 4. The resolution is non-existent. I certainly admire the slight imbalance between the antecedent and consequent phrases more than a dogmatic balanced elegance within the eight bars. This decision based on harmony is very suitable on a fortepiano. But does it translate well on a modern piano? Not necessarily. Therefore, I would do the following:

As a pianist with some talent but far from a natural player, I think about music often with great complexities, however aim at having it sound simple and natural. My markings may look complicated, but I think you will understand my intentions.

Interestingly, this sonata was written before most, if not all Beethoven compositions. There is, however, the vigor that is often associated with Beethoven. Also notice the orchestral effect imitated on the piano (tutti/ strings for mm. 1-2, woodwinds for mm. 3-4). Although he wrote the most elegant and tuneful melodies in the history of music, Mozart is neither a transcendental being who only writes angelic music, nor is all his music suitable for shopping malls or the Mozart Effect compilation.

The Effective Diminuendo

I was practising Franck's Prelude, Chorale and Fugue today, but the most joyful moment comes at the postlude of the practising, Elgar's Salut d'amour (Greetings of Love).

(Here's a link to a violin and piano version of Salut d'amour. I was playing the solo version.)

  

At the third bar of the third stave, there's an effective diminuendo. (The crescendo before that was three-bar in length.)

When I was practising by memory, I extended the diminuendo through the third to fifth bar of the third stave. It still sounded nice, but the gist is lost. (the piano and dolce are also eliminated.)

In this case, play what the score says, please!

Try it on the piano, or try it in your mind, and you'll know what I mean.

That's why, students (and even teachers) should always practise with the score on the stand, at least on top of the piano for reference anytime.

Try it the wrong way, then try it the right way... it's magical.