Traditional Instruments in the Performance of Music before 1750 - Essay Example

nаlysis Assignment (Bаrоquе реriоd) Name Instructor Course Date Аnаlysis Assignment (Bаrоquе реriоd) When it is a question of looking at good music and composition there are names that cannot be left out of the picture. Names such as Bach and Handel will always be mentioned amongst other musical composers. Their composition has always been seen to be mature and well composed in the sense that majority of the new age composers borrow some elements from their music. This paper will look at Goldberg Variations BWV 988 by J.S.Bach and Chaconne in G HWV 456 by G.F.Handel. The two forms of compositions can be analyzed through their characteristics in the form of their meter and rhythm, melody, tonal language and harmony, figuration and texture, instrumentation and orchestra work and the use of rhetorical figures. These forms of compositions can be looked at in form of them being advantageous and disadvantageous to the modern and traditional orchestral setup. The analysis will also ensure that one understands the aspect behind the composition of the two musical orchestras. Johann Sebastian Bach-Goldberg Variations BWV 988 The "Goldberg" Variations is also known as BWV 988 and is the final series of the keyboard music that was published by Batch under the title Clavierübung. This type of composition is seen to be the most ambitious and serious pieces that has ever been written for harpsichord. It was based on a single theme of bass and displayed the variation of the composer’s exceptional knowledge of different styles of music that comprises of various performing techniques (Donington, 2002). This work by Johann Bach consists of 30 variations and an aria. Its publication was in 1741. It gained popularity amongst many composers as it was termed as the most important element of variation form. These variations derive their name from Johann Gottlieb Goldberg who was supposed to be the first performer. Various musical composers have given tales on the numerous ways in which its composition came along. Goldberg is believed to have been requested by Bach to perform the piece as a way of a musical instruction. The publication of the Goldberg Variations was done in 1741 during his time. Form The thirty variations come into play after the aria has taken place. These variations do not take the same specifications of the aria but rather follows the chord progression and the bass line. This can be shown as: The digits that are visible at the top of notes are an indication of the specific chords that is shown in the figured base. These digits are separated with use of commas, which are an indication of different variations. George Frideric Handel- Chaconne in G HWV 456 During the high baroque period, Handel was seen to be one of the most prolific composers of good music. At this moment, there were dozens of operas and oratories and water music that came into play (Donington, 2002). He gave leeway to solo keyboardists as majority of musicians embarked on following some of his works. However, there are very few of his works that can be noticed in the vocal works and the orchestra in many theatres. Looking at HWV 456 one will notice that it is one of the series he has on the HWVs. This set is arranged from an overture of the Italian operas. It was composed for the performance of circa. One will realize that it the 48th edition of HG. The different sections in this performance include the HWV 456.1 which was an overture to "Il pastor fido". This is followed by HWV 456.2 which is an Overture to "Amadigi". The other components of HWV 456.3, 4 and 5 were overtures of “Flavio", "Rodelinda" and "Riccardo Primo" respectively. Analysis of the Two Musical Pieces The question of whether music from before 1750 should be played on period or modern instruments continues to be a heated debate amongst scholars and listeners of early music. The music before 1750 includes the Medieval (600-1200), Renaissance (1400-1550), and the Baroque (1600-1750). Whilst some listeners prefer the authentic instruments, others prefer the modern ones. A quick survey conducted among such listeners revealed that some of the listeners, particularly the baroque lovers prefer modern instruments claiming that such instruments produce a richer sound. Number listeners who preferred authentic instruments claimed that the emotional and richer sound created by the modern instruments turns the music romantic which is not the idea behind the original composition of the songs. This thus implies that there are disadvantages and advantages of using both the authentic instruments and the modern instruments in performing such music. This essay will examine and compare some of the advantages and disadvantages of performing music from before 1750 on period instruments with references to baroque music. Baroque is a unique style of art, which means attractive or bizarre. Some examples of the Baroque era composers include J. S Bach and Claudio Monteverdi. Performing of the music from before 1750 using on period instruments creates some aspects of authenticity which lack in the modern instruments. Performers using modern instruments with experience several issues associated with performance and recording of the music (Donington, 2002). Some of the key issues arising from the use of modern instruments in performing music before 1750 and particularly Baroque which are related to authenticity include: Tempi Most performances using the modern instruments will create a fast tempo which does not suit the Baroque music. The tempo during those times would be slower than what modern ears would expect to hear. The fast and rapid tempo which most of the listeners prefer today hinders quite a few of the details in the music. However, Baroque listeners would state that slower and clearer performances are the best for this type of music compared to the fast and rapid performances. Another issue with tempo is that the fast and rigorous movements are a creation of the 19th century because the original version of the music had ultra-slow movements (Donington, 2002). Baroque, French composer Georges Enesco argued that Baroque is supposed to be performed in three slow movements which are almost equal in duration. Slow movements make the music lively and enjoyable to watch. Performing of the music from before 1750 using on period instruments creates some aspects of authenticity which lack in the modern instruments. Performers using modern instruments with experience several issues associated with performance and recording of the music. Some of the key issues arising from the use of modern instruments in performing music before 1750 and particularly Baroque which are related to authenticity include: Tempi Most performances using the modern instruments will create a fast tempo which does not suit the Baroque music. The tempo during those times would be slower than what modern ears would expect to hear. The fast and rapid tempo which most of the listeners prefer today hinders quite a few of the details in the music. However, Baroque listeners would state that slower and clearer performances are the best for this type of music compared to the fast and rapid performances (Donington, 2002). Another issue with tempo is that the fast and rigorous movements are a creation of the 19th century because the original version of the music had ultra-slow movements. Baroque, French composer Georges Enesco argued that Baroque is supposed to be performed in three slow movements which are almost equal in duration. Slow movements make the music lively and enjoyable to watch. Another issue that arises with the use of modern instruments is the loss of balance in the performance of Baroque. Modern sound engineers who make recordings in the studio will use a harpsichord concerto in one session and a piano concerto in another session. In the two cases the keyboard soloist will be placed alongside the orchestra. Because the piano dominates in the piano concerto, the harpsichord will only feature in the background. It is rare to find the dominance in the harpsichord, even in Bach’s harpsichord concertos. Although the harpsichord is very important in the performances of Baroque music, the loss of balance and rapid speed makes it almost inaudible in the music (Donington, 2002). Traditional instruments normally have the same dominance in a production or in a performance and rarely would one outdo the other. In fact, the tradition of the inaudible harpsichord is perhaps based on the assumption that the harpsichord is a supportive instrument whose role is to maintain rhythm and to create the background harmony. Although the harpsichord performs these roles, it is also very significant in the performance of solo-in-concerto as proved by Bach. Bach’s sonatas for violin and keyboard also reveal another instance in loss of balance particularly in the use of harpsichord. In the sonatas, which were 3-part Trio sonatas, two parts for the keyboard and one for the violin, the harpsichord was relegated to the background and was barely audible. The significant moves from the violin to the harpsichord were all lost. In the performances of choral music, balance is also lost when for instance; the choir is given the priority over the instruments. Timbre refers to the sound quality that instruments produce. This is in particular reference to violin and harpsichord. The harpsichord and the violin which are considered as modern instruments produce tinny and sub-standard music which Bach may or may not have desired. Such sounds would have been unfamiliar to Bach’s ears as the technology for such instruments did not exist during Bach’s time (Donington, 2002). The harpsichords that have been created today are essentially a prototype of Baroque instruments and are generally a replica of the lighter French and Flemish designs. The German harpsichords produced in the Baroque era were generally heavier and more concrete which enabled them produce a deeper, richer, and louder sound. The lute-harpsichords which Bach produced have not survived to date and are greatly missed. Another advantage found in the traditional instruments is that they have the ability to create true chords which are very essential in the performance of Baroque music. The violin for instance which is considered as a modern instrument has totally assumed that very significant part of the Baroque performance. True chord is an aspect associated with stringed instruments. True chords in Germany are produced by a unique bow commonly associated with German Baroque performances (Donington, 2002). The German baroque violin bow was unique and very different compared to other bows and completely suited their performances. The Italian bow for instance was slim, light and nearly straight and almost the same to those used in the modern days. The German bow was heavy and heavily arched and the strings were not very tight. This enabled the users to sustain the appropriate pressure of the thumbs as they played the instrument. The design of the instrument enabled the user to maintain adequate pressure on the thumbs because the strings could be tightened when producing single-line melodies or they could be loosened when playing using four or three strings at the same time. This technique of play was developed by Emil Telmanyi who produced Bach’s works for German Decca several years ago through the use of modern modification of the baroque German violin bow. His performances revealed first the simultaneous use of the chord and solo line. Traditional instruments have the ability to create vibrato. The modern instruments produce performances that completely lack vibrato creating music that is flat, plain, and has a dead tone. Vibrato creates expressiveness when performing baroque music. Vibrato is regarded as an important aspect of baroque performances and is valued greatly in its use on the clavichord which in German is referred to as ‘Bebung.’ Vibrato enhances both the vocal performances of the music as well as the warmth of the entire presentation (Grout, 2003). It is worth noting that traditional music instruments were not constantly maintained unlike the modern instruments in regard to tuning standards. Modern instruments are constantly maintained which makes them lose vibrato and hence make performance flat and boring. There has always been a desire to produce musical performance instruments that are furbished with modern digital technology as opposed to the traditional instruments. This is because the modern instruments have several advantages as opposed to the traditional ones. One of the disadvantages in traditional instruments is that they limit the extent to which the performer can interact with the audience. When using the modern instruments a stage performance even with the baroque music can enhance the listening experience of the audience and probably respond or interact with them. In such performances, the listener thinks that the music is to an extent live through the interaction enabled by the modern instruments, the performance becomes more interesting and entertaining. This lacks with the performance using the traditional instruments where the listener does not have that vital opportunity of interacting with the performer (Donington, 2002). Another disadvantage of the traditional instruments is that they do not give a chance to the performer to add value to the music. With the use of the modern instruments, the performer has a chance to enhance the value of the music while giving an opportunity to the audience to get an original interpretation of the music. This gives the modern instruments an advantage over the traditional ones when performing any music before 1750. Another advantage of the modern instruments over the traditional ones is that modern instruments give the performer a greater capacity to tone color. This creates variations in the songs and makes then unique and modern. The performer is able to create or generate new techniques of performing and also come up with new ideas that have never been there before. The ability to generate new ideas and techniques generally adds value and increased the number of fans associated with each type of music. Modern instruments have the ability to increase the variations associated with the performance of any music. A modern instrument for instance an electronic guitar which was invented in the 20th century consists of steel strings and electromagnetic pickups. The instrument has many features which cannot be found in a traditional instrument (Grout, 2003). The guitar has an integral part which can transmit the output to amplifiers and speakers. The instrument has a physical control interface which makes the sound produced natural and interesting to the listeners. It has the ability to create harmony and balance in the performances. The fact that electronic guitar comes in different variations makes it a unique tool in the performances of all music before the 1750 and even the music thereafter. It makes the music sound original and the performers can use different variations of the music to add life, interest and value of the music. It is particularly important to the bands that prefer to perform their own music using as few instruments as possible. Different variations of the guitar will enable the bands to use the instrument for different purposes within the performance. This is achieved because the instrument has the ability to maintain harmony and balance within a song or performance. Traditional instruments have to be used in numbers for every performance because the instruments are normally standardized such that every instrument has its purpose within a performance. This makes it difficult to maintain balance in a performance as some instruments will be pushed to the background by the most dominant ones (Grout, 2003). The modern instruments have an advantage also in terms of characteristic because they are superior to the traditional ones. Take for instance physical appeal, a modern instrument is well decorated and will have a greater appeal to both the performer as well as the audience compared to a traditional one. The modern instruments have fine controls and enhanced physical feedback which makes them easier to use. The essay has examined some of the disadvantages and advantages associated with traditional instruments in the performance of music before 1750. It is difficult to point out whether the traditional tools are ultimately superior to the modern tools in the performance of this music. This is because the instruments have numerous advantages as well as disadvantages. The preference of a particular instrument however lies with the individual listeners. The traditional instruments are superior to the modern ones in the performance of baroque for instance because with them, it is easier to maintain very vital aspects of the performances including tempo, Timbre, tone, and balance. The modern ones on the other hand have the ability to create variations in performances. This adds value to the performances while making them interesting and enjoyable (Grout, 2003). The instruments give the performers a chance to interact with the audience and enable the audience to get an original interpretation of the songs or performances. The traditional instruments can be considered superior to the modern ones in the performance of music before 1750 because they portray the music in the particular manner the composer intended it to be. Bibliography BACH, J. S. (n.d.). Verschiedene Canones über die ersteren acht Fundamental // Noten vorheriger Arie. von J.S. Bach. Clavier Ubung Bestehend in Einer Aria Mit Verschiedenen Verænderungen Vors Clavicimbal Mit 2 Manualen : Denen Liebhabern Zur Gemüths-Ergetzung Verfertiget Von Johann Sebastian Bach. Badura-Skoda, Paul. 1993. Interpreting Bach at the Keyboard, translated by Alfred Clayton. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press Booth, W. 2009. For the Love of It. University of Chicago Press. Donington, R.,2002. Baroque Music: Style and Performance. W.W. Norton.. Grout, D, 2003. A History of Western Music. Norton. VIVALDI, A., GIAZOTTO, R., BACH, J. S., BACH, J. S., HANDEL, G. F., HANDEL, G. F., PACHELBEL, J., BACH, J. S., & HANDEL, G. F. (1997). The best of Baroque [including The four seasons & Water music]. New York, NY, Philips Classics. Read More