The Eighteenth-Century Piano Sonata In MLA Format - Essay Example

 The Eighteenth-Century Piano Sonata In MLA Format I. Introduction II. Eighteenth Century Music a) Trends and tendencies of the century b) Development of musical instruments c) The status of composers III. Sonata genre a) The appearance of sonata genre b) The rise of sonatas to popularity c) Sonata form structure IV. Bright Representatives of Sonata genre: a) Joseph Haydn b) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart c) Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach V. A closer look at the sonatas by the stated above authors a) Mozart Sonata K310 in A minor b) Haydn Sonata in Eb minor Hob XVI:52 c) CPE Bach Sonata in C Minor (Prussian Sonata w48/4) VI. Contrasting and comparing the above listed sonatas VII. Conclusion The Eighteenth-Century Piano Sonata Today we all have varied tastes when it comes to music. Some of us prefer gothic, metal, punk, and punk – rock music, these people usually wear black, grow out their hair and show “devil horns” when greeting each other. There are other people who prefer rap and R’N’B music. This group tends to be hated by the punk-rock-metal groups. Thus, brawls between the representatives of these two groups are found in cities. There are also people who still listen to pop music which now has a much smaller group of fans than it used to in the 1990s. Looking at the list of musical directions today one may wonder why the subject of those listening to classical music is not brought up. The reason is that, as sad as it is, less and less people today are familiar with classical music and an even smaller number of people can distinguish between composers of the classical era. Though this paper will be devoted completely to classical music. This paper will also highlight the music of the eighteenth century in particular, because the eighteenth century is deemed one of the best times in art, and music. As you probably already know, the history of music is divided into eras. The eras I am going to deal with are the Baroque and Classical eras. In history, the period from 1600 to 1750 is known as the Baroque era. Dance, music, architecture, art – everything in the Baroque era was on a grand scale. It was a magnificent era that brought about smart, dignified, talented people and bright creations. What is remarkable is that during the Baroque era people’s interest was drawn to instrumental music more than ever (Encyclopedia Britannica). The instruments that were mostly popular in this time period were the keyboard instruments counting the clavichord, harpsichord, piano, and organ (Brainrad). These clavichord instruments sweeped away the renaissance popularity of softer viol string instruments. The soft violin was replaced by the more rough, more aggressive and expressive violin, viola, and cello. These instruments were not only in use of composers. At the beginning of the eighteenth century when music played an everyday part in most people’s lives, most of the citizens were capable of playing (Classical Music Pages). We must remember that during the Baroque period the foundations of music for the next centuries were given. Moreover, the idea of the modern orchestra and opera was born. Also, in the Baroque period composers came to be the servants of nobility and clergymen. According to Brairad, as music was very popular at that time it was used “to show off”, thus the music grew “showy and complicated”. While music during the epoch of Baroque can be described as bright, chaotic, unexpected, and frivolous, the music of the Classical era was very different. In my paper I am touching upon both Classical and Baroque eras because the composers I am going to talk about later composed at the turn of these two centuries, representing both eras equally. The Classical period started late in the eighteenth century and it focused on the opposite types of sounds that Baroque musicians paid strong attention to ((History of Classical Music). Classical music was arranged, organized, well-planned and accurate. With a change to a new musical era the status and standing of composers had not changed. Their task was again to write music that would please their employer. New types of music that were more dignified, emotionally restrained, and marked by great clarity were then composed for kings, and nobles. Most were supported financially by the European Monarchs, others produced works for the church (Brainrad). According to the Music Theory Spectrum, at that point composers were willing to systematize their music according to a theme causing the genre of the sonata to appear (Petty, Koch, 151-153)). It is even said that the appearance of sonatas as a genre was a “significant starting-point” for the Classical period (Sadie, 89). Having appeared, the sonata genre was high ranking in the works of such great composers as Haydn, Clementi, Mozart, and that of Beethoven. The first movement of Classical sonatas is most often in Sonata form. The slow movement may also approximate to sonata form, though usually with less development and a simpler phrase structure. Among forms used for inner and final movements are the minuet or scherzo, the rondo or sonata-rondo and variations (Sadie). Having appeared sonatas were at once recognized to be the paramount expression of tonal music, due to the fact that it functions on the contrasts and eventual resolution of opposing keys (Todd). Right after sonatas appeared and a lot of composers took up writing in this genre, the official definitions of sonata and its parts were proposed. This deduction is described in the article by Petty and Koch the Development Section of Sonata Forms by C. P. E. Bach (1999, pp 155-160). According to that scheme, a sonata consists of two parts. The first part establishes a principal key centre – the tonic, a secondary centre is usually called the dominant. A sonata is made up of one or more themes or motives that are presented in different keys. Having introduced you to the music the of eighteenth century as well as the newly developed musical genre of a sonata I would like to take a closer look at some examples of sonatas created in the eighteenth century. In greater detail I will separately analyze the K310 Sonata by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata Hob XVI: 52 by Joseph Haydn, and Prussian Sonata in C minor by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. After describing the three chosen sonatas I will compare and contrast them, together with comparing and contrasting the styles of their authors. The key purpose of this essay is not to pass judgments on or criticize one composer or another, because all three of them are brilliant. My purpose is to show the peculiarities and distinctions of each of the sonatas that represent different groups in the eighteenth century piano sonata genre. I would like to start with a K310 Sonata composed by Mozart. This sonata resembles a standard sonata form in many ways. It opens with a first theme that is four bars long. Mozart then continues the theme with variation. Thus, a second consequent phrase is totally different from the first consequent phrase (Brilliant Classics CD). This new consequent phrase has not only a faster paced rhythmic movement, but it also does not posses an obvious harmonic rhythm. These two distinct sounds bouncing together prepare the listener for a change in the music that is about to occur. The second part of the sonata is much different from the first faster paced one. A short repeated musical phrase in the first bar and a half is ended by what sounds at first like modulation, but does not actually continue the transformation to another key. Since the rhythm at the end of the sonata is in the key of C the development of the tune begins in C. The opening of the development is also a textural change but appear to have music displayed earlier in the song in its melody (Irving, p. 406-407). Moreover, what is remarkable is that over the course of the sonata the bass moves from being rapid to being at times quite. There is a part in the second section of the sonata in particular where tonality, rhythm, and register have been drastically changed from the tone in beginning of the sonata. The harmonic rhythm is compressed into two different harmonic events per measure as opposed to one. This all adds to more building of tension and built up melodies. Such changes of tonality in the piece that I described above lead to it obscurity and vagueness. Though, as the dominant chord of this sonata is weak, the end chord is not fully prepared. However, Mozart manages to get through this situation by adding another two measure codetta to round off and perfect the final tempo. Even though people say that Mozart is predictable, in this sonata the listener does not know what to expect, as the tonality, rhythm, and bass is changing abruptly. Now I would like to move to another astonishing composer Joseph Haydn. Haydn wrote as many as fifty one sonatas for piano, together with several other short piano pieces (Somfai, p. 243). Most of these were written during his earlier years as a composer. He was not a pianist, and eventually he lost interest in music. Thus only three of his sonatas were written in the last twenty years of his life (Landon). Without a shadow of doubt Haydn is best known for his string quartets and symphonies. Though his piano sonatas, albeit many of them follow a three-movement structure, show a great deal of experimentation, expression, and innovation (Somfai, p. 243). Sonata Hob XVI: 52 in Eb Minor by Joseph Haydn in my opinion and in the opinion of critics, is one of the best sonatas among the earliest group of composers that wrote them. As I have already mentioned at the beginning of this paper, eighteenth century music combined techniques from both the Baroque and Classical era. Haydn's sonatas offer thematic variety, significant, technical, very detailed piano work, constant mood and character changes. In his sonatas one may also find a sometimes surprising mix of strict Classicism, brightness of Baroque, and advanced Romanticism notes (Landon). Haydn’s sonatas usually cover a vast amount of musical styles and material, ranging from short, smaller works that get straight to the point, to more complex thematic experimental developments and variations. The first movement in this sonata offers everything you need to compose a sonata in its proper form. It includes a proper transitional passage between tonic and dominant keys, a clearly-stated secondary theme that very different from the original, and an excellently worked-out building up section. The second movement of the sonata has a highly decorated melodic line which unfolds gradually over a vibrating, pulsating bass. The sheer mixture of rhythmic notes by itself is more advanced than anything ever encountered before in the keyboard sonata style. The mood is completely flipped upside down, even turned slightly dark. In the third movement of this piece the style may not seem dull to modern listeners, nor is there a case to be made for anything in particular about the movement. I am planning to compare and contrast the works of the lower described composer, though at this point I must mention that Haydn’s sonata, unlike the one by Mozart is described as absolutely predictable. The last but of course not least composer whose work in sonata form will be described in this paper is the work C.P.E. Bach. The sonata I chose to describe is Prussian Sonata w48/4 in C minor. At first, though, I would like to give a short introduction to the life and style of this great composer. Bach spent the last 20 years of his life in Hamburg, after serving the Prussian king for nearly 30 years. C.P.E. in Hamburg he succeeded as his memorable godfather Georg Philipp Telemann as cantor of the Johanneum (Ottenberg, p. 56). It cannot have been easy to have been a son of the great Johann Sebastian Bach (Berg, pp- 288-291). It was even harder to have to undertake the career of the composer always having to be in a dark shade of his father. Musically, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach turned away from the traditions his father had embodied. He did it mainly, according to Mendel, because he knew he would never be able to surpass his father’s outstanding achievements (Mendel, p.31). Listening to his Prussian sonatas w48/4 in particular it can be “seen” that Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach did completely move away from his father’s baroque style (Berg, pp. 300-303). The tone, the rhythm, the use of basses – everything is completely different. His style is very sensitive, being at times soft, at times harsh and rapid, though very emotional and deep. In sonata w 48/4 in C minor Bach presents his expressive style. What is remarkable about this work is speed, volume, and dramatic pauses (Moss). In the sonata a melancholic, soft-voiced melody is repeatedly interrupted by harsh, nervous outbursts of notes (Berg, pp. 276-289). Now, after giving a brief description to the chosen works of the sonata composers of the eighteenth century, I would like to compare and contrast them. All three of the composers stated above were astonishing creators and innovators, completely dedicated to music. In my opinion, to compare and contrast their works is a rather complicated task because analyzing music in general is rather hard. It is hard, because music is all about feelings and it seems to be so complicated to pour your feeling out onto the paper. To begin with what must be said is that even though Haydn works may seem to be simple at times, this is far from the truth. It is true that not many of them contain virtuoso passages, and some of them sound relatively simple. This does not detract from their musicality, but it may explain why Haydn's piano sonatas are not performed very often unlike Mozart’s or C.P.E. Bach’s sonatas. When it comes to comparing Mozart’s and Haydn’s sonatas it must be said that Haydn's writing does not seem to be as transparent and as naturally fluid as Mozart's. It is true that in comparison with sonatas by Mozart and C.P.E. Bach, Haydn music sounds sharper. It also seems to have less resonance and tonal variety in the low notes, as well as its decay is much faster. Haydn’s harmonies are fairly adventurous for the time, but his pieces are usually quite conservative in form. This can be explained due to the fact that Haydn was not a piano player, while Mozart and C.P.E. Bach were. Though, when listening to the described sonatas, Haydn sounds to be more formally innovative and more rhythmically varied. He likes to give unexpected 'twists' to musical ideas: strange phrase lengths, unusual modulations, sudden changes of dynamic level, and so on. I think that Mozart’s music has more colors than Haydn’s does. Haydn seems to be more limited in front of the piano. The path of gamma colors that Haydn is walking on is the same as Mozart’s but one composer is walking fast and imposing, but the other is strolling about more quietly and much richer. In conclusion I would like to say that the composers mentioned above were more than just writers of music, they were the talented legislators of the music for three and maybe more centuries to come. These composers are still poplar. Though, there are those who say that classical music has become obsolete. They have a right for their own opinion. Though it would be marvelous if they could glance into the future and see whether their favorite bands would be know three-hundred years later. If they could manage to do so, I doubt that the answer would be “yes”. Sources 1. Berg, Darrell M, “Towards a Catalogue of the Keyboard Sonatas of C. P. E. Bach”, Journal of the American Musicological Society, Vol. 32, No. 2, 1979, pp. 276-303 2. Benward, B., In Search of Musical Logic. Retrieved from http://www.macromusic.org/journal/volume3/06_Musical_Insights.pdf on September 28th, 2007. 3. Brainard, R., 18th century Composers. Retrieved from http://www.history1700s.com/articles/article1050.shtml 2005 on Septemebr 28th, 2007. 4. BRILLIANT CLASSICS 99671, CD1 Piano Sonatas 41, 16, 2, 32, 46. 5. Classical Music Pages. The Musical Form. Retrieved from http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/g_sonata.html on Septemebr 29th, 2007. 6. Education. History of Classical Music. Retrieved from http://www.naxos.com/education/brief_history.asp on September 29th, 2007. 7. Encyclopedia Britannica, vol.18, “Classical Music”, pp.654-657, 1990. 8. Irving, J., Mozart’s Piano Sonatas: Contexts, Sources, Style, 2nd Ser., Vol. 56, No. 2, 1999, pp. 406-407. 9. Landon, Robbins, The symphonies of Joseph Haydn, London: Universal, 1955. Supplement, London: Barrie and Rockliff, 1961. 10. Mendel, Arthur, The Bach Reader, 2nd edition, NY: Norton, 1966, p. 31. 11. Moss, Charles K., Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Retrieved from http://www.carolinaclassical.com/cpebach/ on September 28th, 2007. 12. Ottenberg, Hans-Gunter, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Trans, Philip J. Whitmore, NY: Oxford UP, 1987, pp. 56-7 13. Petty, Wayne C., Koch, Schenker, “the Development Section of Sonata Forms by C. P. E. Bach”, Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Autumn, 1999), pp. 151-173 14. Sadie, Stanley, Mozart: The Early Years, 1756-1781, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 89. 15. Sadie, S. The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. Macmillan Press Ltd., London. 16. Somfai, Lazslo, the Keyboard Sonatas of Joseph Haydn: Instruments and Performance Practice, Genres and Styles, University Of Chicago Press, 1995, pp 243-256. 17. Todd, Larry R., 18th-Century Piano Music, Routledge, 2004. 18. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performer Murray Perahia, Mozart: Piano Sonatas K.310, 331 & 533/494, 1992. Read More