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b Abstract The European arts in the nineteenth century went through significant changes with the advent of romanticism. In respect to music, more and more composers at that time set out to express their emotions through the beauty of sounds and rhythms, imbuing their works with multiple elements and alterations. However, the overemphasis on the subjective experience of the composers led to the gradual loss of
simplicity and purity in their music. At that time, Brahms abondoned the artistic trend of the epoch and refused its pompous and exaggerated style. Devotedly following Bach, Beethoven and Schuman in their aesthetic perspectives and musical creations, Brahms composed absolute, introspective, sincere and in-depth works in the classical form. Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op. 56 composed by Brahms in 1873, was the representative piece marking his shift from large piano works to orchestra works, exhibiting the master s habitual use of composition skills and mature variation techniques. The two pianos version (op. 56b), as Brahms most important work of its kind, illustrated how he took advantage of the strength of two pianos to arrange multiple voices with expertise. This piano piece pushed the artistic value of Brahms two pianos works to its peak in the musical history and launched their golden age. Chapter One of this thesis gives the definition of variations, introduces its types and discusses the historical specificity of the variations of the nineteenth century. Chapter Two introduces the life of Brahms and his variations. Chapter Three probes into the composing skills, variation techniques and features illustrated in Brahms Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op56b. Chapter Four examines the history of two pianos and gives suggestions on the performing of two pianos works.
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Johannes Brahms, 1833-1897 Variations on a Theme by Haydn b 1873 b 1
A. Cabezon, 1510-1566 Vihuela 1 2 Basso Ostinato Ground Bass Variation chaconne passacaglia constant-melody variation Cantus-firmus variation 1 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1980), s.v. Variations by Kurt von Fischer and Paul Griffiths, 545 2 1 536-537. 2
Constant-harmony variation passamezzo folia romanesca thoroughbass variation J. S. Bach, 1685-1750 Goldberg Variations Melodic- outline variation Fantasy variation Leitmotiv 3
formal-outline variation free variation Serial variation Anton von Webern, 1883-1945 Piano Variations, op. 27 Ornamental variation Figural variation Simplifying variation 3 Contrapuntal variation 4 Character variation A. B. Marx, 1795-1866 Formal variation 5 3 4 5 1 549 4
6 Franz Schubert, 1797-1828 Trout Quintet, D. 667 Death and the Maiden, D. 810 Fantasia Wanderer, D. 760 Der Wanderer Carl Maria von Weber, 1786-1826 Castor and Pollux, op. 5, 1804 Vien qu Dorina bella, op.7, 1807 virtuoso 7 6 character-picture that arises from an idea which corresponds to the inner life, 5 7 5
Anton Diabelli, 1781-1858 Vaterländische K nstlerverein Hexam ron 8 Felix Mendelssohn, 1809~1847 Op. 54 Op. 82 Op.83 1841 Variations Sérieuses 9 Robert Schumann, 1810-1856 1836 8 9 R. Larry Todd, Piano Music Reformed: The Case of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Nineteen-century Piano Music (New York: Schirmer Books, 1990), 204. 10 In no other genre of our art is more bungling incompetence displayed variations should create as a whole, whose centre is the theme.the time is past when one can create astonishment with a sugary figure. Now one strive for thought, for inner connections, with the whole bathed in fresh fantasy., The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. S.v. Variations by Kurt von Fischer and Paul Griffiths,. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2001), s.v. Variations by Elaine Sisman, 310. 6
the theme must be worthy of treatment 11 Carnaval, op. 9 Papillons, op. 2 12 Symphonische Etüden, Op. 13 11 12 Willi Kahl, Romantic Piano Music : 1830-1850 New Oxford History of Music-Romanticism (1830-1890), ed. Gerald Abraham (London: Oxford University Press, 1990), 244. 7
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Romanticism Hans von B low, 1830-1894 B the three great B s 13 program music Music drama Symphonic poem Franz Liszt, 1811-1886 Cosima Wagner, 1813-1883 14 Otto F. 13 Guido Adler, Johannes Brahms - His Achievement, His Personality, and His Position. The Musical Quarterly 19(1933), 139 14 66 118 9
W. Cossel, 1813-1865 Eduard Marxen, 1806-1887 15 Eduard Hanslick, 1825-1904 1854 Vom Musikalisch-Schonen - ein Beitrag zur Revision der Asthetik der Tonkunst absolute music 16 17 15 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1981). S.v. Brahms, Johannes, by Guido Adler, 155-56 16 82 103-105 17 102 10
18 19 1. 1855 2. 1856-1876 3. 1877 18 105 19 Karl Geiringer, Brahms: His Life and Work, 2 nd ed. (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1948): 212-217 11
Klavierstück 20 Joseph Joachim, 1831-1907 op. 120 no. 2 E 20 15 164 21 I occasionally reflect on variation form and find that it must be kept with greater strictness and purity. The old composer retained the bass of the theme, the actual theme, strongly throughout. In Beethoven, the melody, harmony, and rhythm are so beautifully varied. But I sometimes have to admit that newer composers ( ourselves included ) rather ( I don t know how to express it ) rummage around the theme We keep anxiously to the melody, we do not treat it freely, do not actually create anything new from it, but only load it down. Yet the melody is thus barely recognizable, Michael Musgrave, The Music of Brahms New York : Oxford University Press, 1994,49. 12
1. f Variations on a Theme by R. Schumann, 1854 2. D Variations on a Hungarian Song, 1855 3. D Variations on an Original Theme, 1857 Eduard Rem nyi, 1830-1898 1. E Variations on a Theme by R. Schumann, 1861 2. B Variations on a Theme by G. F. Handel, 1861 3. a Variations on a Theme by N. Paganini, 1863 b 13
B 1873 22 22 The music of brahms, Michael Musgrave, p158 14
Carl Ferdinand Pohl, 1819-87 Feldpartita 23 Hob. II. 46 B 24 25 Esterh zy Antony Hoboken, 1887-1983 Divertimento mit dem Chorale St. Antoni Ignaz Pleyel, 1757-1831 Karl Geiringer Burgenland 26 23 1932 Karl Geiringer 24 serpent 25 Karl Geiringer, Brahms: His Life and Works (New York: Da Capo Press, 1982), 251. 26 Michael Musgrave, The Music of Brahms New York : Oxford University Press, 1994, 63. 15
Variations on Chorale St. Antoni Munich Starnberger Tutzing Hermann Levi 27 a b Fritz Simrock, 1838-1901 28 Anton Door, 1833-1919 Malwine von Benfeld Gabriele Brauner 29 27 Tutzing is far more beautiful than we first imagined. We have just had a gorgeous thunderstorm; the lake was almost black, but magnificent green along the shores; usually it is blue, though of a more beautiful and deeper hue than the sky. In the background there is a range of snow-covered mountains- one can never see enough of it. 26 115 28 91 29 92 16
30 31 b a 32 a 1997), 292. 30 Avins,Styra ed., Johannes Brahms Life and Letters (New York: Oxford University Press, 31 26 252 32 29 90 17
Music Drama Symphonic Poem Thematic Transformation 33 34 Hemiola 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 3-1 3-1 a. 220-223 b. 308-310 a. 220-223 33 120 34 18
b. 308-310 polyrhythm 3-2 3-2 30-34 syncopation 3-3 3-3 332-336 19
rhythmic displacement 3-4 3-4 290-293 3-5 314-321 20
6/8 3-5 3-6 A 3-7 B 3-8 3-6 a. 146-150 b. 156-160 21
3-7 a. 322-326 b. 327-331 3-8 342-350 22
3-9 3-9 a. 108-111 b. 127-130 Heterophony 3-10 antiphonal alternate antiphony 23
verse alternately 3-11 3-10 97-100 3-11 127-130 24
35 A 5+5 B 4+4 A 4 Coda 2+2+3 coda 2+2+4 35 Op. 9 16 Op.21 No.2 13 Op.21 No. 1 11 Op. 24 25 Op. 23 10 Op. 35 14 28 25
2 4 B b M 1~29 29 A B A Coda :5+5: 4+4 4 2+2+3 2 4 B b M 30~58 29 2 4 b b m 59~87 29 2 4 B b M 88~145 29 A B A Coda B A Coda 10+10 8 4 7 8 4 7 3 8 b b M 146~205 60 A B A Coda B A Coda 10+10 8 4 8 8 4 8 6 8 B b M 206~263 ( ) 58 2 4 B b M 264~292 29 6 8 B b M 293~321 29 3 4 2 2 b b m B b M 322~360 39 361~471 111 A B A Coda 10+10 :4+4 4 2+2+3: passacaglia 16 B 6/8,3/4 26 A A 2+1+2 1+4
B b D G 3-12 3-12 278-281 Passacaglia 3-13 3-13 3-14 27
1. D-E b -D 2. E b -C 3. 3-14 1-5 426 3-15 430 D-E b -D B b -C-B b 440 28
3-12 3-15 426-430 441 antiphonally 3-16 441 442 443 444-445 446 B b -C-B b 449 453 D-E b -D A +coda 29
3-16 441-445 30
31 ( ) 361-365 366-370 371-375 376-380 381-385 386-390 391-395 396-400 401-405 406-410 411-415 416-420 421-425
36 independent variation sectional variation theme and variations Fixed-harmony variation Basso ostinato Ground bass variation Fantasy variation D G A B V V/VI 3-17a V-I V/VI-VI 3-17b I 3-18 36 independent variation movement sectional variation continuous variation 32
3-17 a. 264-268 b. 269-273 V/VI V/VI VI 3-18 206-210 33
3-17 3-6 3-19 3-19 293-295 3-18 fanfare martellato 3-17 siciliana 3-19 3-7 3-8 34
Virginal Nicholas Carleton, c.1570-1630 A verse for two to play on one Virginal or Organe Thomas Tomkins, 1573-1656 A fancy for two to play (Giles Farnaby, c.1560-c.1600) For two Virginals (William Byrd, 1538-1623) Fitzwilliam Virginal Book 37 François Couperin, 1668-1733 11. 37 Hans Moldenhauer, Duo-Pianism: A Dissertation ( Chicago Musical College Press, 1950 ), 35
antiphonally concertante style Six Short Pieces Le Parnasse/ L Apotheose de Corelli L Apotheose de Lulli Suite No. 3: L Imperiale Domenico Scarlatti Alessandro Scarlatti 38 1729 Collegium Musicum Dietrich Buxtehude, 1637-1707 39 38 37 20 39 21 36
C. P. E. Bach 4 Kleine Duetten fuer 2 Klaviers W. F. Bach F (Duetto, Sonata in F Major) J. C. Bach G op. 15 No. 6 Il Maestro e lo scolare, variazioni a quadri mani per un clavicembalo George Christoph Wagenseil 40 1767 11 Leopold Mozart op. 5 J. L. Dussek 41 Emperor Joseph II 1781 40 47 41 73 187 37
K. 242 K. 365 K. 448 K. 426 43 44 D op. 5, 1797 op. 45, 1804 C 1794 D C Grand Duo, op. 140 45 Jonh Field 42 43 37 93 44 37 69-70 45 37 71-72 38
Introduction and Rondo Ignaz Moscheles, J. B. Cramer C. Czerny J. N. Hummel F. Kalkbrenner Liszt 1822 Grand Duo 46 Hommage Handel op. 87b Preciosa Melodic-Contrapuntal Studies, op. 137 J. L. Dussek 47 46 37 73 47 1822 3 31 Aloys Schmitt 39
cadenza 48 Andante and Variation, op. 46 49 Grand Duo 50 A Grande Polonaise brillante, op. 18 Three brilliant Fantasies on favorite Motives from the works of Schubert, op. 339 Duo brillant, op. 358 Ten brilliant Fantasies, op. 797 Six Potpourris, op. 212 Variation on Montecchi 48 We spent the evening at the Mendelssohns in a quiet way After supper we amused ourselves on two pianos, and at last had a grand improvisation together, in which Felix was so inspired that in my enthusiasm I almost forgot my own part in listening to him., 37 76 49 37 78 50 37 79 40
51 Alfred Einsteiny Music the Romantic Era Rondo, op. 73 Andante and Variations, op. 46 Concerto Path tique salon 53 1843 19 51 1850 Conservatoire 52 Schumann, Chopin, and Liszt are the three musicians who by their work saved piano composition from the shallowness into which it was in danger of falling or had already fallen, 37 83 53 37 84-85 41
54 d op. 54 Friedrich Melchior Grimm, 1723-1807 d Concerto in D Minor for Piano and Orchestra, op. 15 f op. 34 F minor Quintet, op. 34a Sonata for two 54 37 94 42
Pianofortes, 34b op. 56 op.90 op. 98 Waltzes, op. 39 Hungarian Dances Liebeslieder Walzer, op.52a op. 65a Theme of Schumann, op. 23 op. 52 op. 62 55 55 37 93 43
Gilman Collier 56 57 Brazil Rio de Janeiro 58 Arthur Loesser 56 Maurice Hinson. Music for more than one piano : an annotated guide. (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, c1983), ix 57 Henry Raynor. Music and Society Since 1815 ( New York: Barrie & Jenkins, 1976), 62. 58 52 44
59 4-1 1990), 364. 59 Loesser, Arthur. Men, Women and Pianos : A Social History. (New York: Dover Publications, 45
4-1 1-4 60 61 60 Piano Duo and Duet Performance by Nikki Landre, Clavier May-June 1982. 61 37 192 46
A B 62 4-1 4-2 62 37 207 47
4-2 141-145 48
4-3 4-4 4-3 40-43 4-4 220-223 49
4-5 3-10 50
4-5 108-111 51
4-6a A B 3-2 4-7 52
4-6 1-5 53
4-7 a. 88-91 b. 98-101 a. 88-91 a. 98-101 54
55
63 63 37 93 56
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