Sussmayrs and Maunders Editions of Mozarts Requiem - Essay Example

? Table of Contents Introduction Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was renowned for his musical talent at an early age; he was born in Austria, on 1756. He learnt basic theory of music from his father, Leopold Mozart; he also learnt various techniques of keyboard and the violin tactics (Wolff and Whittall, 1998). His career began with the tour of Europe along his father and he played for several royal families. During his tour, he mastered different traditional styles of music famous at national level and was impressed by the great composers of that time (Grout, Burkholder and Palisca, 2010). He worked as a professional and composed several musical genera’s largely for income. It is also reported that he never enjoyed a long term employment in contrast to other composers of his era. He had a short lived life and died in the age of 36 years in 1791 in Vienna. In the same year he came forward with classic work of his life known as ‘Mozart’s Requiem’. It is reported that Mozart’s Requiem mass was assigned by Count Walsegg to Mozart in the memory of his wife in early 1791. Mozart started his work on this classical work in the fall of 1791, during this work he suffered from fever and died without completing his requiem (Levin et al., 2008). According to Grout, Burkholder and Palisca (2005), the requiem Aeternam, figured bass, choral, and several essential instrumental components of first 8 measures of Lacrimosa; Domine Jesu Christ as well as Hostias were at the initial stages. It was Franz Xaver Sussmayr, who was working with Mozart at that time, who completed the incomplete Mozart’s Requiem. From definition, a requiem refers to the mass for the dead as the first line of the introit says, “Eternal rest grant them, O Lord” (Mozart, 1998). There are different editions of Mozart’s Requiem and all are dissimilar from each other. There is controversy on the script and structure of different editions. However, it is very evident that it was written in 1791 in ‘Requiem in D minor, K. 626’ by Mozart and was the last as well as best recognized and the most impressive composition of his life (Harrison, 1997). Its music was a classical addition to western music and its complicated compositional history. The recent studies reveal that the aeternam was also added with some orchestral bars by another composer. Kyrie and Dies Irae to Confutatis were in the form of vocal parts at the death of Mozart. Moreover, some of the most well-known orchestral parts were also indicated by him, example of the orchestral contribution from Mozart include violin element of Confutatis and melodious links in the Recordare (Leeson, 2004). During twentieth century, many musicologists pointed out several weaknesses in the traditional edition of Mozart’s Requiem which was accomplished by Sussmayr. Therefore, they offered alternative editions of the Requiem. After the traditional edition, five other editions of Mozart’s work have been represented by Beyer, Druce, Maunder, Landon and Levin. Every one of these musicologists completed the Requiem by following a different approach. Beyer presented an edition that offered revisions of Sussmayr’s orchestration and claimed to make them more familiar to Mozart’s style. On the other hand, Maunder’s edition agreed with the orchestral parts of Sussmayr’s edition but decided to retain the Agnus Dei when he discovered an exclusive phrase in Sparrow Mass, K. 220 (Davies, 2004). The next section gives detailed overview of the two editions of Mozart’s Requiem, the traditional edition of accomplished by Sussmayr and Maunder’s edition, assessment of the resources and their mutual relationship be discussed. An investigation into the sources of Sussmayr’s and Maunder’s Editions of Mozart’s Requiem and their relationship to each other Wolff and Whittall (1998) described the tradition edition of Requiem completed by Sussmayr. They expressed a strong belief in the authenticity and originality of this score. It is the only score that must be protected as the most existing, chronological, rational and melodious document. It also includes some Requiem portions that were not a part of the Requiem draft proposed by Mozart. Moreover, the requiem has an artistic importance for the listeners. It is the only work that represents the genuine notes of Mozart, although they were incomplete yet they are purely his creation and Sussmayr made more realistic and Mozartian style changes in these notes (Keefe, 2008). In comparison with all other editions, this edition is the most authentic and natural completion of Mozart’s work since Sussmayr was the composer who assisted Mozart during the last year of his life, in the last projects on which he worked in the year 7191 including the project of Requiem. Both the rough union and clear intermingling of perfect and imperfect compositions take us to the Mozart specific circle and the reader tries to face the irresistible legacy of Mozart’s composition (Newbould, 2003). Below discussed notes explore and reveal the rout of completion of Requiem and illustrates the merits of traditional edition in which the position of Sussmayr is of a collaborator for Mozart. The testament of traditional edition of Mozart’s Requiem shows that most of its structure was laid down by Mozart himself and some of the parts were completed by Sussmayr. On the other hand, some sketches (made by Mozart) were discovered which contained a small draft of fugues of Rex Tremendae and Amen. The length of this draft raised several questions on the present length of Requiem. It is concluded from these sketches that the only parts of Requiem that are complete in length are the Offertorium, There is a break after 8th bar of ‘Lacrymosa’ in Sequential while ‘Sanctus’ and ‘Agnus Die’ seemed to be formulated by Sussmayr following the sketches made by Mozart (Wolff and Whittall, 1998). Maunder is of the view that we never know the length of requiem intended by Mozart because the Catholic Requiem Mass which is in Latin contains various sections and movements such as ‘Valedictio’, ‘Absolve’ and ‘Lux Aeterna’ in addition to the current parts of Mozart’s Requiem like Introit, Offertorium and Sanctus. The length of the Mozart Requiem Mass could have been much larger than its present form. Maunder’s Edition of Mozart Requiem (Levin et al., 2008) completely addressed this concern and increased the length of Requiem by addition of new and self realization of Amen fugue. Maunder did not disturb the orchestral plan given by Sussamy and only added to its length by introducing more fugues. It is also reported that Amen fugue was devised by Mozart to wind up the Sequenz that comes after Lacrymosa since all the sections of Requiem end with a fugue. It is also concluded by Sequenz must also follow the same structure rather than very small (only two short) Amen fugue introduced by Sussmayr to conclude Lacrymosa (Ebisawa, 1992). It is believed that Sussmayr had no instruction from Mozart for scrapping the given sketch because the inclusion of this sketch would have only resulted in the destruction of unity of the entire Requiem. The subject of Amen fugue is similar to the basic theme of opening bars in ‘Introitus’ in the reverse order (Jackson, 2005). Maunders edition does not cover the cons of these additional fugues and their effects on the overall quality of the Requiem. He also removed some parts from the traditional addition such as the wind parts, he also omitted trumpets and timpani from ‘Kyrie fugue’; this is an obvious deviation from the major sketches of this work by Mozart. It is believed to be the most controversial and non-Mozartian move in the Maunder’s edition. The overview of the traditional testament clearly indicates that the entire range of orchestral work during his lifetime and in the Requiem heavily involved winds of texture (scrapped by Maunder); moreover, Mozart was never reluctant of using Timpani and trumpets in his compositions when and where their use was appropriate (Stafford, 1993). The omission of these fugues from the Confutatis in spite of the presence of Timpani and Trumpset blank lines in the original score sketched by Mozart himself is also a strange move in this edition. Another dubious move by Maunder is to leave the Osanna, Benedictus and Sanctus out of the new edition. It is an irrefutable fact that the ‘Sanctus’ looks to be the miniature in major keys of Dies Irae, a similar example is that of Quam Olim Abrahe in the major key of Osanna fugue (Maunder, 1988). The Benedictus theme included in the traditional edition of Sussmayr is very much similar to the sketch of an exercise prepared by Mozart for one of his pupols, Barbara Ployer. It is also believed that although these movements were added by Sussmayr yet they were originally based on the sketches of the great composer of Western music (Maunder, 1988). Maunder’s ‘Lacrimosa that was composed anew after the 8th bar is not considered the wise addition in the Requiem and may not be liked by everyone. From the discussion above, it can be said that Maunder’s edition is more unconvincing as well as extreme. The validity of the traditional edition by Sussmayr is more authentic and it is more Mozartian in nature than the Maunder’s edition with additions and omissions without taking the Mozartian work and style into account (Leeson, 2004). The following section will discuss and evaluate the editorial process of the aforementioned editions of the Mozart’s Requiem. Discussion of the editorial processes of the two editions and comparison of their respective outcomes  The score of Requiem remained unfinished till the death of Mozart in December, 1791. The first person to complete the work was the pupil or assistant of Mozart, Franz Xaver Sussmayr. It is reported that a very short time before the death of Mozart, he sang the requiem with his wife ‘Constanze’ and Sussmayr (Barnard, 2002). Mozart started with writing the Recordare and other major parts due to his illness. He was of the view that if he did not live, the key parts were the most consequent in order to complete the entire Requiem. When he had completed the basic work, he asked Sussmayr to repeat the fugue written at the commencement (Kyrie). He also made some important points to fill other parts which had been sketched by him (Wolff and Whittall, 1998). When Mozart died, it was essential for Constanze to ask someone for the accomplishment of commission for which half of the money had been paid in advance. It had to be completed in Mozart’s style as much as possible. The research ((Stafford, 1993)) reveals that the manuscript of Requiem sent to the Walsegg carried a forgery Mozart’s signature which was penned by Sussmayr. It was right that Constanze did not trust the abilities of Sussmayr for the completion of the manuscript because his abilities were below power but he was not inaccurate in claiming the considerable level of authorship. However, there was some contribution of Sussamayr in the completion of Requiem but the level of this contribution is debatable. Wolff and Whittall (1998) have summarized the editing process of Requiem by Sussmayr in the following words. The opening movement of Requiem aeternam was completed by Mozart and many other parts described above. The contribution of Sussmayr is the review of the completed work and completion of many incomplete parts. Some other hands also provided input in this work, the foremost was Franz Jacob Freystadtler, and he completed the orchestral work for Kyrie. Another hand was made by Eylber who did instrumental work for Sequenz. However, the key contributor towards the successful completion and editorial process of the first edition of Mozart’s Requiem was Sussmayr. All of these musicians had been working with Mozart and it was natural for Constanze to call them for the completion of this work. The compositional and editorial abilities of the Sussmayr emerged in the later stages of the project when he composed the orchestral work for Offertorium and very complicated and problematic composition for Sanctus, Agnus Die and Benedictus (Levin et al., 2008). The controversy on this work arose twenty years after the death of Sussmayr when some musicians pointed out some orchestral and compositional mistakes in the work and the critics raised the question to his work by saying if the entire work on the compositions was done by him or he followed sketches or directions of Mozart. As far as Maunder’s edition is concerned, he conducted an in depth research and came forward with a new and improved edition of Requiem with an intention to make it more Mozartian in style (Maunder, 1988). He studied the previous work from Mozart and tried to make the Requiem according to the intentions and sketches of Mozart. He has also presented comprehensive and intensive arguments regarding the authenticity of the movement in Requiem that are dubious (Leeson, 2004). The editorial decisions that he had to make for the successful completion of this edition were of great importance. Maunder exclusively studied the setting by other composers that had influenced Mozart to some extent while planning his Requiem. The problems of performance practice are also discussed in detail for the Requiem included in this edition. He admires Sussmayr for the accomplishment of such a difficult task and is of the view that although he wrote some disputed movements yet he used sketches prepared by Mozart for the composition of the Agnus Dei (Maunder, 1988). Issues in Performance Practice For the detailed and in depth interpretation of a musical composition, performance practice is considered an essential element (Barnard, 2002). While performing any piece of music in any situation, the performer requires considering some elements of technique and style which are determined by some important factors including the nature of the work being performed, nature of performance, the purpose of performing and the size of the performing company or band. The background for the performance of the work is essential determinant for the entire performance of the work (Davies, 2004). Mozart’s Requiem, as stated above, is an example of dubious composition because it is composed by more than one composer which make it difficult to perform due to the fluctuations in the orchestral as well as vocal differences. An important contemporary issue in performing the Requiem is the slowness of the track; especially this problem is related to the traditional edition of Mozart’s Requiem by Sussmayr (Keefe, 2008). The edition published by Maunder is more contemporary and many issues of performing practices have been discussed in it. The philosophical issues regarding the Requiem have long been solved and the performers now completely understand the philosophy as well as the purpose of the Requiem. Dress is another modern issue in performing practices, the performers must pay attention to the type of music they are going to perform and play and their dress should depict the essence of the music while performing in front of audience (Grout, Burkholder and Palisca, 2010). Robert Levin, one of the legendary keyboard players in America, maintains great reputation in all periods as well as genres of piano based music. He has successfully completed the traditional edition of Mozart’s Requiem and performed it with utmost skill. Orchestral performance on the Maunder’s edition is more challenging than the traditional one as most of the old orchestral notes have been omitted from the new edition or changed according to the traditional style of Mozart. Davies (2004) is of the view that there should be no issue with the performance on the editions written and composed by more than one writer as far as there is no ambiguity in this fact. He explains the controversy and issues pertinent to performance in Mozart’s Requiem on the basis that it was presented as Mozart’s original work at first. That is why the contribution of his assistants or students was not simple to sort out. Ambiguity is an important issue in the performing practices of Requiem, any mass is considered ambiguous if it various editions have different instructions and conflict with each other. The mass fails to clarify the components of Requiem that are work constitutive in nature. This problem persists in the editions of the Mozart’s Requiem because every author has presented conflicting compositions from the traditional as well as other editions. The problem of inconsistency in the Requiem mass is also a crucial subject in performing practices; inconsistency arises when a conflict occurs among the written material (Newbould, 2003), customary melodic grammar and pertinent performance practice. This problem has also been reported in the aforementioned editions of the Mozart’s Requiem, especially the two editions discussed in detail. Maunder eliminated different orchestral and vocal sketches which he considered non Mozartian in nature and he added considerable amount of new material to make the Requiem more close to Mozart’s work (Freyhan, 1986). To abbreviate a lengthy topic, it can be said that with the introduction of new sketches in the compositions, new issues related to the performance practice have come forward. Five different editions with different compositions have been proposed in order to complete Mozart’s Requiem. Conclusion There is no doubt that Mozart’s Requiem Mass is the classic and unforgettable part of the western music despite the controversy about the amount of original work of Mozart and the addition by his students and other musicologists. Five editions of this requiem have been published and a few are in the pipeline also. In this essay, the two articles were evaluated for their resources, authenticity, difference, their editorial processes and issues in performance practice. In light of the issues discussed above, it can be concluded that both editions are very much similar with a few differences. Maunder has admired Sussmayr in his editions and retained many of his additions and compositions as such. However, he has also identified the orchestral sketches which were different from the past work of Mozart. He conducted extensive study of the previous work of Mozart and compare the style of composition. The traditional edition of Sussmayr have been studied for the philosophical, compositional and other performance practice issues in detail but the relatively new is the Maunder’s edition which poses inconsistency issues due to difference in the lyrics and composition. Mozart’s Requiem has been performed by many musicians and instrument players in different styles and different compositions. In short, the contribution of Sussmayr is more credible than the Maunder’s work due to his closeness to the original composer. Bibliography Barnard, M. (2002). Fashion as Communication (2nd Ed.). London: Routledge. Dvaies, S. (2004). Musical works and performances: a philosophical exploration. New York: Oxford University Press. Freyhan, M. (1986). Toward the original Text of Mozart’s ‘Die Zauberflote. Journal of the American Musicological Society 39 (2), pp. 378-80. Grout, D. J., Burkholder, J. and Palisca, C. V. (2010). A History of Western Music. New York: W. W. Norton and Company. Harrison, B. (1997). Haydn's keyboard music: studies in performance practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Jackson, R. J. (2005). Performance practice: a dictionary-guide for musicians. London: Routledge. Keefe, S. P. (2008). Die Ochsen am Berg’: Franz Xaver Sussmayr and the Orchestration of Mozart’s Requiem, K. 626. Journal of the American Musicological Society 61(1), pp. 1-66. Leeson, D. N. (2004). Opus ultimum: the story of the Mozart Requiem. Algora publishing. Levin, R. D., Maunder, R., Druce, D., Black, D. Wolff, C. and Keefe, S. P. (2008). Colloquy: Finishing Mozart’s Requiem. Journal of the American Musicological Society 61(3), pp. 698-702. Maunder, R. (1988). Mozart's Requiem: On Preparing A New Edition. New York: Oxford University Press. Newbould, B. (2003). Schubert the progressive: history, performance practice, analysis. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Stafford, W. (1993). The Mozart Myths: A Critical Reassessment. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Wolff, C. and Whittall, M. (1998). Mozart's Requiem: historical and analytical studies, documents, score. California: University of California Press. Ebisawa, B. (1992). The Requiem: mirror of Mozart performance history. Early Music (1992) XX (2),  279-296. Wendt, I. (1987). Singing the Mozart requiem. Michigan: Breitenbush Books. Mozart, W. A. (1998). Requiem, K626, in Full Score. Courier Dover Publications. Table of Contents Introduction Performance is considered as the most suitable and successful outlet for the musical expressions – performance can be expressed as the moment when music is communed from the musicians to the audience. But the advancement in technology has challenged the performance with the introduction of recording and media, these technologies have provided the listeners with the novel modes of listening music (Miller, 1999). Due to this, the importance of recorded music has increased though live concerts are still a tradition. During the concert performance, instrument of the musicians acts as conduit between the listeners and musicians (Leppert, 1993). Therefore, every performance should be conducted according to the definite plan devised by the performer or the creator of the music. When a composer starts composing, he has an idea in his mind about the type of work he aims to write. This definitive plan which forms the basis for writing a piece of music is termed as ‘Form’. Form assists the performer to create a balance between the unity and variety, statement of the piece and its restatement and contrast and connection and it is very basis to every piece of music written and composed (Small, 1998). To summarise with, form helps to shape and determine the pieces of music that are formless and undetermined but are ready to take the musical shape. The piece of writing when takes the form and shape then is becomes music. Therefore, the knowledge of form is required for the performance and recording of any piece of writing. I have selected to record the ‘ARABESKE’ by Robert Schumann (Arabeske in C. Major, Op.18, 1839). Before performing and recording this track, it is essential to get the knowledge of its form and shape. Brief Description of ABAESKE by R. Schumann R. Schumann dedicated this piece to Maxen, the autumn of 1838 was the time when the relationship between Schumann and Calra Wieck reached at the point of no return. Schumann communicated with her through music and the letters; it is the background of this master piece by Robert Schumann. At that time he was a depressed and professionally disappointed man but he successfully created remarkably great compositions. According to Schumann, his style was, “lighter more feminine style” and described this composition as delicate for women (Schumann, 1986). ‘C Major’ is described as the key of Arabeske and Schumann was influenced to write his famous Arabeske after reading the book of Christian Schuburt on aesthetics of music. After the creation of this Arabeske, Schumann said, “Never refer me again as Jean Paul II or Beethoven II. I am willing to be ten times less than these others, and only something to myself”. Arabeske is a poetic metaphor which depicts a florid decoration or an organic system of fragments which has the ability to transcend synthetic but orthodox forms. It consists of a short customized rondo form to entail a short ABACA form which is illustrated below. Main section A consisted of gentle lyrics, two florestans (more powerful episodes of B), C and a meditating Epilogue E (termed as Eusebius). The contrasting moods are altered and exchanged with this piece of Arabeske and tends to end with the same gentle stroke of A as for the start of this piece. The touchy postlude following the gentle opening acts as a delicate surprise for the listeners. The unique metronome markings devised by Schumann for this piece are too rapid but these were revised by Clara Schumann as Minore I, Minore II and Leicht und zart which are described as crotchet 112, crotchet 120 and crotchet 126 respectively (Schumann, 1986). After thoroughly understanding the form and description of Schumann’s Arabeske, the following section of this essay throws light on the various issues in the performance practice of this master piece. Relevant issues in the performance practice of ARABESKE The arabesque is a sort of music that is associated with the piano; it utilizes melodies to produce a florid and gentle effect. It is an infectious melody and this ‘Arabeske’ nearly plays itself. However, this happy and carefree melody will be spoiled if the performer does not pay attention to the articulation of his or her fingers according to the notes described in the section above. All the keys must be appropriately divided between the hands for playing this piece of writing from Schumann. The performer must not brogue the eighth note which is dotted. The gentle section of this melody, the A part is heard in full for at least three times at the start, the performer should vary from one repetition to other very slightly by making judicious use of pedal(Schumann, 1986). It is followed by Minore I whose melody is quite different from that of the first note but it must originate from the initiating part of the melody. The dynamic markings should be handled and controlled with full sensitivity, it is essential for achieving full grasp on the entire section of the melody. Once the pianist is able to do this, the phrases take the perfect shape themselves. After this, the pianist has to go back to the first section. A very brief interval while terminating the second section and starting the first one is an illustration of Schumann’s ‘Eusebius mood.’ Ritard sign gives the meaning of rubato and it is frequently used during this section. The second Minore is a sort of fiery and emotional in contrast to the first which is gentle and touchy. The upbeat’s snap can be sharpened by 16th rest. Every note of this melody should ring and then die; the performer should always pay a delay before hitting the final low C. The Arabeske from Schumann is undoubtedly a piece of simplicity and chasteness and is in rondo form that is A B A C a, plus coda (Schumann, 1986). Apart from the practical performance of the melody there are several other issues of practice performance which must be considered in order to produce a successful performance. According to Barnard (2002), performance practice is vital for the detailed interpretation of any musical composition. The melodies like Arabeske can also be performed successfully by considering these issues. The environment, instruments utilized, lighting during the performance, dress, posture of the performer, techniques utilized for communication between performer and his or her audience all are the elements that require considerations. All these elements are selected by considering the nature of the work, performer, and purpose of the performance and background of the work. This essay has brought into light the nature and background of the Arabeske by Schumann and every element was selected by considering the nature of this melodious piece of music. The aesthetic features of the performance are also crucial issues for performing a work, there are some aesthetic features which are general to all the performances and some are specific to the type of the work. The issues of practice performance are applicable to all the artworks and have similar vitality in the musical performances (Kivy, 2002). The performances are considered a type of artwork in general and their importance is unquestionable during the evaluation process of musical performance. The general aesthetic values of all types including dressing, lighting, style of pianist etc were considered during the current recording (Rosset-Llobet and Odam, 2007). It is important to know what the general aesthetic values are when we look into the aesthetic features of a musical performance and how aesthetically good they are. If the musical performance has the aesthetical unity, it is better for the good making attribute of an musical work and of performances as it is better for other arts (Harrison, 1997). Expressions are also very important in the performance of a gentle melody like Arabeske; this issue of performance was also taken into account while recording the selected work by the student. It is illustrated by Jackson, (2005) that greater intensity of expressions does not guarantee the improved performance, very high or intense expressions may cause negative impacts on the performance. Therefore, the soft and light expressions were expressed while recording the current piece of music by the student. Again the type of work is important, soft expressions may also lead towards the subtraction of the evaluation of performance. For instance, while performing the works of Satie or Glass the worth of performance may be deducted due to the intense expressions while the soft expressions may cause the deteriorating impact while performing the works of Bartok’s or Prokofieff’s second symphony (Ridley, 2004). Quality of sound is another important factor in the evaluation of performance, the exquisiteness of the singer’s timber can attract many people towards the opera houses, and the quality associated with the sound instruments used during the performance is also important factor for assessing the performance. It is reported by Newbould, (2003) that instrumentalists and bands acquire great admiration from the listeners for the quality of sound produced by their instruments or their ability of drawing good quality sound from others. It is evident from the above discussion that numerous factors are involved in the practice performance and evaluation of the performance on a musical piece. According to Davies (2004), as a common point, tuneful works are characteristically soundless regarding precise voice quality within a voice-type, as they are about the meticulous sound-quality of personage pianos, string instruments as well as orchestras. The range of interpretive possibilities in ARABESKE The interpretive possibilities refer to the extent to which a piece of music can be subjected to different meanings and purposes. The background of the Arabeske by Schumann is so hilarious that numerous interpretive possibilities are there for this piece of work. These were written for his beloved when they were physically detached but emotionally attached and Cara’s father refused to accept Schumann as his son of law and considered him a hurdle in career of his daughter. Therefore, arabeske can be interpreted as the love themes as well as message for the beloved ones. This piece of writing can be moulded in various ways by the performers and composers as it has emotional importance and rises from gentle emotional touch towards the intense expression of emotions. The emotional notes and the rondo form (A B A C A) makes this piece of music very interpretive and augments the possibilities for the performers to use it for different purposes.   The following section of the essay presents and evaluation of the performance recorded by the student on the Arabeske of Robert Schumann in light of the issues and principles discussed above. Assessment of the Performance According to Kivy (2002), the evaluation of the musical performance is evaluated on the same basis as are used for the evaluation of musical works by the composers and writers. This statement can be interpreted in two ways; the first is that the features which are considered good making for the musical performance are the same for good making of the musical work. These features are described in the above sections for the general performances as well as specific to the current performance. These features include the environment, instruments, dresses, body movements, and the notes of the piano, the sound produced by the instrument and the performer’s mood and expressions during the performance. When observed from all these attributes and features, the current performance of the student on Arabeske of Schumann can be evaluate as positive and regarded as the good quality performance. From the assessment criteria of sound, the student have used up to date piano instrument and sound instruments for the recording the high quality sound. As a pianist his expressions are soft which is in accordance with the mood of this piece of work. The notes have been played as described in the practice performance section. In short the performance of the student while recording the selected piece of music can be categorized as the good quality work. The general as well as specific attributes related to the performance have been appreciatively balanced and maintained. Conclusion The above discussion regarding the performance and its evaluation clearly depicts that overall process of the recording of the selected piece of music as well as the issues and evaluation of the recording. The evaluation has been done in accordance with the pertinent methods and principles of evaluation of music work and music based performance. Bibliography Dvaies, S. (2004). Musical works and performances: a philosophical exploration. New York: Oxford University Press. Harrison, B. (1997). Haydn's keyboard music: studies in performance practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Jackson, R. J. (2005). Performance practice: a dictionary-guide for musicians. London: Routledge. Kivy, P. (2002). Introduction to a Philosophy of Music. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Leppert, R. (1993). The Sight of Sound: Music Representation and the Body. Berkeley: University of California Press. Miller, R. (1999). Singing Schumann: an interpretive guide for performers. New York: Oxford University Press. Newbould, B. (2003). Schubert the progressive: history, performance practice, analysis. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Ridley, A. (2004). Philosophy of Music: Theme and Variations. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Rosset-Llobet, J. and Odam, G. (2007). The Musician’s Body: A Maintenance Manual for Peak Performance. Aldershot: Ashgate. Schumann, R. (1986). Arabesque Blumenstuck Romance Opus 18 Opus 19 Opus 28: Piano. Hal Leonard Corporation. Small, C. (1998). Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press. Read More