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RESEARCH IN PERFORMANCE:ANALYSIS OF FIVE TRUMPET WORKS
A Capstone Manuscript
Presented by
Frederick A. Sienkiewicz
Submitted May 2005
Guidance Committee Approved:
Professor Eric M. Berlin, Chair, Music
Professor Nikki R. Stoia, Music
ABSTRACT
Title: Research in Performance: Analysis of Five Trumpet WorksAuthor: Frederick A. SienkiewiczResearch Area: MusicGuidance Committee Chair & Dept: Eric M. Berlin, MusicGuidance Committee Member & Dept: Nikki R. Stoia, Music
The academic tools provided by the undergraduate music curriculum here at theUniversity of Massachusetts are not mere academic exercises, separate from the practiceof music-making, but an integral part of the process of preparing and performing. As partof preparing my Senior Recital, I chose to make an in-depth study to experience what thisperspective on musical performance means to me as a performer. For my recital and thisexploration, I chose five of the central works of trumpet repertoire, "The Trumpet ShallSound" (from Messiah) by G. F. Handel, Concerto for Trumpet in E-flat Major by JosephHaydn, Legend by Georges Enesco, Sonata fur Trompete und Klavier by Paul Hindemith,and Variations on The Carnival of Venice by J. B. Arban. In this paper, I discuss my ownexperience of the process of learning, studying, and performing each work, comment onthe diverse tools I used to gain deeper insight, and present the applicable conclusions I'vecome to through my research and experience. These conclusions, where appropriate, takethe form of music-theoretic notes including harmonic, thematic, and formal analyticsketches, historical background, and/or a survey of available recordings. At every step ofpreparing this research, I was surprised at the new depth and interest, as both performerand listener, which I found through the richer understanding of the formal structures andhistorical context of each work. It is now my conviction that this process of detailed andinformed musical preparation is essential to my ability to be an effective performer andcreate great music.
Honors Project (499Y/P)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Introduction, Purpose, Methodology.
Chapter 2: "The trumpet shall sound," G. F. Handel
Chapter 3: Concerto per il clarino, J. Haydn
Chapter 4: Legend, G. Enesco
Chapter 5: Sonata fr Trompete und Klavier, P. Hindemith
Chapter 6: Variations on The Carnival of Venice, J. B. Arban
Chapter 7: Conclusions and Reflections
1
Chapter 1: Introduction, Purpose, Methodology
As a musician and a performer, it was my thesis that higher levels of musical
excellence become accessible when you integrate into the art of performing the many
diverse fields of study, both in academic and applied disciplines, which are included in
the academic music curricula of universities. My present teacher, Mr. Eric Berlin, has
long encouraged me to practice, as a prerequisite for performance, creating a precise and
clear aural concept of the music I wish to perform. Through his teaching, I have come to
believe that it is necessary that this aural conception must be as detailed as possible with
respect to both technical issues, such as intonation and rhythm, and musical
considerations, such as style and phrasing. It has been my goal to undertake research and
study to understand the uses of the conservatory tradition of solfege, academic theoretical
analysis, and historical scholarship in creating a more detailed aural and musical concept.
The study of these techniques is the core of the music curriculum at the University of
Massachusetts; however, the study of their integration and application to the practice of
music-making and performance is not systematically addressed anywhere in the
department's offerings. My goal has been to understand and to put into practice a synergy
of all these disciplines to the end of more detailed, informed, and ultimately effective
musical performances.
The cornerstone of this process has been the presentation of five works of trumpet
literature as a senior recital, performed twice: once at the University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, in the fall and again in my hometown of Westfield, Massachusetts, in the
spring. At both recitals, I presented informal spoken program notes, and written notes as
well at the latter. Three of these works -- the Concerto, the Legend, and the Sonata --
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were also important works in my audition repertoire for graduate school and summer
orchestra festival auditions during the intervening winter months and also performed on
several other occasions throughout the school year. I began studying these works in the
Summer of 2004 and have been actively and continually engaged in their study
throughout the entire academic year.
With this framework as my medium, I studied the application of each musical
discipline to this process: I had lessons with my teacher's teachers, Mr. Charles Schlueter
and Mr. Vincent Penzarella, to refine my ideas which were the source of the project; I
studied solfege with Mr. Larry Scripp, a teacher of solfege in Boston and applied insights
gained there to my daily practice and preparations of my repertoire; I spent much time in
score study of these works, learning in as much detail as possible how the parts fit
together; I did my own harmonic, thematic, and formal analysis of each work, to the
extent appropriate to my abilities; and lastly, I researched the most prominent secondary
sources for historical details regarding the composers' lives, the circumstances of the
compositions, and the performance practice considerations of the period.
In each chapter of this work, I discuss my experience of applying these varied
techniques to the specific work in question and I present the results of my research.
These results are by no means exhaustive treatments of the subjects; My focus during
this project on the application of techniques to my own performance ability limits the
depth and academic completeness of my findings. This research is presented from
perspective of that which has been useful to myself as an undergraduate performer,
focusing on results and insights which specifically influenced the way I think about the
performing music.
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Chapter 2: "The trumpet shall sound," from Messiah , by G. F. Handel
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) is one of the most famous Baroque
composers and Messiah is one of his most popular, mature works. For me, this was my
first serious attempt at the performance of a work in Baroque style, an issue about which
there has been much discussion in the musical community in recent decades. My
experiences in attending performances of "period orchestras," such as the The Academy
of Ancient Music, the Bach Collegium Japan, and the Handel and Haydn Society, have
cultivated in me a real passion for the distinctive sound of Baroque music performed on
period instruments. I am now convinced that this music sounds better when performed in
an "authentic" style. Lacking an accessible expert on historical trumpet performance, my
understanding of historical performance is necessarily crude: I draw primarily on my
experiences of these concert and recorded performances, my experiences performing with
Dr. Robert Eisenstein and the Five-College Renaissance Collegium, the working baroque
trumpets available to me, and the readily-accessible historical scholarship.
G. F. Handel
Before I address the important stylistic concerns about Messiah, I wish to consider
the circumstances of Mr. Handel and his Messiah, in order to understand properly the
importance of the work and some factors which governed its composition. Handel, a
German who spent his early years studying opera composition in Italy, began his
illustrious career in England around 1710 when he arrived at the start of a three-decade
affinity between the London public and Italianate opera.1 As a composer of Italian opera,
Handel, who was also a shrewd impresario, did very well for himself. Handel made his
1 Anthony Hicks, "George Frideric Handel," grovemusic.com, ed. L. Macy, http://www.grovemusic.com,accessed 1 June 2005, 4.
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way to the center of London's musical and operatic life and cultivated very profitable
associations with the Royal family in the process. Handel was a quick study of the
prevailing music of the English, and absorbed much from Henry Purcell, who was at that
time England's most prominent composer. Handel succeeded Purcell in providing
English choral and orchestral music for Royal Celebrations: the celebrations of King's
victory at both Utrecht [Te Deum and Jubilate, 1713] and Dettingen [Te Deum and
Jubilate, 1743], a Royal publicity cruise down the Thames river [Water Music, 1717], and
the coronation of King George II [four anthems, 1728], among others. By the late 1730's,
Handel had won deep admiration from both the London nobility and public and was
considered a person of figure renown.2
In 1728, after more than a decade of Handel's reign as a successful opera
composer-producer, especially the fruitful years 1720-1729 with the Royal Academy of
Music,3 John Gay composed his "Beggar's Opera," an operatic work in English which
parodied the excesses of London's Italian operas. This marked the beginning of the
decline of London's interest in that genre.4 Throughout the following decade, Handel met
with mounting difficulties composing and producing Italian operas and his interest
steadily shifted toward composing and presenting concerts of organ concerti, concerti
grosso, seranatas, and oratorios. Competition, lack of interest, and a poor 1740-1741
opera season strengthened Handel's interest in the invitation by the Duke of Devonshire to
produce a 1741-1742 concert season of choral music, concerti, and organ music in Dublin
to the benefit of several local charities, which he accepted.5
2 Ibid., 9.3 Ibid., 6.4 Ibid.5 Thomas Forrest Kelly, First Nights: Five Musical Premieres (New Haven: Yale University Press,
2000), 62.
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Oratorios
Unlike his Italian operas, Handel's oratorios were unstaged (no costumes or
scenery), sung in English (rather than Italian), and often had Biblical subjects (which the
Bishops in England forbade to be presented theatrically, i.e. in opera). Oratorios did not
depend on the grand eloquence of the finest continental castrati to execute the
magnificent solo roles; rather, they emphasized choruses which were simple but beautiful
compositions that could be performed satisfactorily by less talented singers.6 Other than
these differences, oratorios are very similar to Handel's Italian operas. As the music
historian Donald Grout noted, "Most of the arias in these works [Handel's oratorios]
differ in no important respects -- neither in form, musical style, nature of musical ideas,
nor technique of expressing effects -- from arias in his operas."7 Like his operas, they
consist of alternations of recitatives, arias, often in da capo form, choruses, and the
occasional duet or trio. These essentially independent pieces are presented in alternation
to create a dramatic narrative in the style of a Baroque opera.
Circumstances of Messiah
Handel composed Messiah in a month's time, late in the Summer of 1741, before
he left for Ireland, not yet knowing what orchestral or vocal performers he would have
available to him there.8 Both the idea of and libretto for Messiah were the work of
Handel's friend and patron Charles Jennens, a wealthy Englishman and serious theologian
who was as committed to the arts as to Protestant Christianity. Jennens compiled the
libretto for Messiah almost entirely of Old Testament texts which, in this context,
6 Ibid., 65-66, 68-69.7 Donald J. Grout, A History of Western Music, revised edition (New York, 1973), p. 442, cited in Max L.
Morley, "The Trumpet Arias in the Oratorios of George Frederic Handel," International Trumpet GuildJournal, Volume 5, October 1980, 14.
8 Kelly, 70.
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prophesy the coming of the Christian Messiah, with the didactic intent to justify the
doctrine that Jesus Christ is that Messiah. The result is that the story of Christ is "neither
directly narrated nor dramatized."9 Messiah is divided into three sections, the first
dedicated to the Christmas festival, the second to the Easter celebration, and the third is a
celebration of Christian thanksgiving for the triumph of life over death through the
resurrection of the Messiah. It is in this last section where "The trumpet shall sound" is
found.
Handel successfully promoted and presented a season of 15 subscription concerts
in Dublin, with Messiah as the climax of the season.10 The next season, 1742-43, Handel
presented it to the London public to decidedly more mixed reaction, over the controversy
of Biblical texts performed in a theater,11 in a series of Lenten oratorio concerts which
would become his main concert season for the rest of his career. Messiah would be
performed almost every year until and after Handel's death (it was also the last work he
heard performed12), and by 1750 it had attained "iconic status [which it] has never
relinquished."13 Annual Messiah concerts have become a mainstay of many amateur and
professional performing ensembles (including Boston's own Handel and Haydn
Society14). This remarkable work has been in almost continuous performance since its
composition
9 Hicks, 10.10 Kelly, 100-101.11 Hicks, 10.12 Ibid., 12.13 Ibid., 23.14 Handel and Haydn Society, History (accessed 15 June 2005),
.
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Baroque Style.
The style of the Baroque trumpet is something which has become a field of study
unto itself in the latter half of the 20th century: dozens of craftsman have become
interested in creating authentic reproductions of period trumpets; institutions such as the
New England Conservatory of Music offer a degree program in "Historical
Performance"15; and orchestras like the Academy of Ancient Music or the Handel and
Haydn Society have dedicated themselves to performing and recording old works on
period instruments in a "historically informed" style. As I mentioned previously, my
exploration of this subject is necessarily limited to the sources and elements which
influenced my performances in this, my very first consideration of the issue.
Edward Tarr's excellent book The Trumpet should be read by every serious
trumpet player. It is a well-written volume on the entire history of the trumpet, and it was
extremely helpful in placing my knowledge of history and style in an unbroken
framework of evolution, since medieval times (rather than the isolated and ad-hoc
understanding which I had developed). For sake of brevity, I have omitted here any
review of the natural trumpet and the details of its construction which I focused on in the
spoken notes I presented at each recital for the benefit of those audiences. If the present
reader is unfamiliar with the subject I highly recommend Tarr's book or The New Grove
Dictionary's entry on "trumpet."
In talking about historical trumpet style, I would like to first briefly discuss the
division between and details of the field and clarino styles of playing. Throughout
Medieval times, trumpeters' function was mainly for military, royal, and civil signaling
15 Thomas Handel, Scott Chaurette, and Andrea Rash, "New England Conservatory of Music, AcademicCatalog 2004-2005," (Boston: New England Conservatory, 2004), 104-106.
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and consequently they played in the low register of the instrument (the first four or five
partials, where pitches are farther apart and therefore more distinct) with a loose
embouchure and a loud, blaring tone which could be easily heard and recognized.16 In the
early Baroque as trumpeters began to be accepted into art music, they were required to
develop a different embouchure so to play in the higher partials of their instrument, play
in tune, and be able to play softly as not to drown out the other instruments.17 The former
style continued to be refined in the trumpet corps which held great prestige in the Holy
Roman Empire18 and were associated with courtly splendor; the latter style as it
developed became the renown clarino trumpet style of the great Baroque works.
On the clarino style of performance, J. E. Altenburg, an 18th century German
trumpet master, wrote "It is well known that the human voice is supposed to serve as the
model for all instruments; thus should the clarino player try to imitate it as much as
possible, and seek to bring forth the so-called cantabile on his instrument,"19 indicating
that a vocal quality was very important in clarino performance. Altenburg also mentions
a system of unequal tonguing which was practiced by all wind players of the Baroque and
early classical eras (also detailed in the treatise by the 18th century German flautist and
writer, Johann Joachim Quantz); this is an area of performance practice which I wish to
study further when the appropriate opportunity and guidance are available.
Circumstances of The Trumpet Shall Sound
"The trumpet shall sound" is clearly a piece in the style and tradition of what has
become known as the "trumpet aria," or an operatic (or oratorio) da capo aria which
16 Edward Tarr, The Trumpet, trans. S.E. Plank and Edward Tarr (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1988),48, 85-86.
17 Ibid., 86.18 Ibid., 94-97.19 Ibid., 91.
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employs a trumpeter as duettist with a singer. This form had its start when Monteverdi
introduced the trumpet into art-music and Italian opera with L'Orfeo. The trumpet's role
in opera was progressively expanded by other Venetian opera composers who followed
him and found the trumpet suitable for arias expressing a heroic or noble Affekt and
Handel certainly knew of the style from his studies there. When he arrived in England, he
also absorbed the style of Purcell, who had introduced the tradition in England in the
latter part of the 17th century.20
In composing Messiah, Handel had been moving away from the practice of full-
length da capo arias, finding creative ways to through-compose arias yet still give the
feeling of the large repetition of the popular form. In composing Messiah, Handel seems
to have made conscious effort in this direction to avoid excessive length.21 The full-
length da capo form is therefore reserved for only the most important arias, of which the
"The trumpet shall sound" is one. It begins with an introduction, A section (bars 1-156)
in D major, a contrasting B section in minor (sans trumpet, bars 157-end), and concludes
with dal segno repetition of the A section. Handel scholar Friedrich Chrysander (1826-
1901) determined this to be the authentic interpretation22 of the work and my musical
intuition has been satisfied with the results of the contrast. I certainly found it appropriate
in recital context to begin with its paired recitative "Behold, I tell you a mystery." The
recitative, in concert performance as in the oratorio proper, helps prepare the drama of
Handel's music, and as the very first work of my recital it worked particularly well.
20 Max L. Morley, "The Trumpet Arias in the Oratorios of George Frederic Handel," InternationalTrumpet Guild Journal, vol. 5 (October 1980), 17.
21 Kelley, 70-71.22 Cited in a footnote to Morley, 18.
10
It is widely known that in such da capo arias, there is an expectation for
ornamentation in the repeat of the A section. It is my regret, however, that the
circumstances of my performances prohibited Curtis, the singer with whom I was
working, and me from addressing the issue of the "expected" embellishments. Post-
performance, I discovered a paper by Max Morley in the International Trumpet Guild
Journal which asserts that the texture of the "The trumpet shall sound" is similar enough
to that of a Baroque trio sonata so that some of Quantz's comments on trio sonata
ornamentation apply:
The instructions from Quantz that apply to this trumpet aria are: "It[ornamentation] should only be used in passages which consist ofimitation..." As already stated, "The trumpet shall sound" is not imitative.We may infer then that other than the obligatory ornaments, such as trillsat cadences, appogiaturas, mordents, and double-dotting, highly floridornamentation would not have been practiced in this trumpet aria.23
As Morley's assertion of the applicability of Quantz's comments seems tenuous, I am not
inclined to immediately agree with him; however, this issue deserves more detailed
attention and research into available scholarship and precedents, such as the 1966
recording by the London Symphony under Colin Davis referenced by Morley.
Analysis
In searching for a way to understand the formal construction of the "The trumpet
shall sound" in more detail, I am drawn to the text of as a guide. The recitative-aria
combination spans three verses from 1st Corinthians: "Behold, I shew24 you a mystery;
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trump25: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
23 Ibid., 17.24 Sic. "Shew" is an archaic synonym for "show."25 Sic. "Trumpet" is the diminutive form of "Trump."
11
incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality."26 The first half of the first sentence forms the
recitative text (through "trump"), the second half is the text of the A section, and the
second sentence is the text of the B section. As to be expected, the form is based around
the expression of this text, which I would now like to consider; for brevity's sake I will
omit consideration of the trumpet-less B section.
The A section is organized, loosely speaking, into an introductory ritornello, six
textual phrases, and a concluding ritornello (see appendix 1-A). The introduction (bars 1-
28) begins with a tutti fanfare theme in French overture style (dotted rhythms), which
recurs throughout on the text "The trumpet shall sound." This is followed by two
imitative motives between the trumpet and orchestra, which recur throughout, and a
cadence in D. The first phrase (bars 29-44) begins with the "The trumpet shall sound"
text accompanied by with the opening fanfare motive. Harmonically, this phrase moves
from D to a cadence on A (bar 40, repeat cadence at 44). In phrase two (bars 45-58) the
"trumpet" text is repeated on the dominant, and the fanfare is adapted to the natural
trumpet's more limited ability to play in that key. Phrase three (bars 59-78) introduces
new text, "we shall be changed," and, appropriately enough, completely new melodic
material: the bass gives out a long melisma starting in E leading to a cadence in A (bar
69). The trumpet and orchestra answer with a 10-bar tutti which repeats the move from E
to A and introduces another new, recurring theme: the ornamented figure in the first
violins (bar 74). This completes a full first presentation of the text of the A section.
Phrase four (bars 79-98) begins with the bass entrance in D, repeats the opening
melody, and starts a second text iteration. All this happens under a sustained trumpet
26 1 Corinthians, 15:51-53.
12
note, a common Handelian gesture, which leads into the expected fanfare tutti, which
returns to accompany the "trumpet shall sound" text (bar 84). The trumpet leads off
phrase five (bars 99-120) with a change of texture in anticipation of the bass' text "we
shall be changed" in A, which is sung to a dotted rhythm version of the melisma in phrase
three. The bass continues singing through to the cadence in D, which last occurred as an
orchestral reprise. The last phrase (bars 121-140), which is also on "we shall be changed"
introduces another new motive and then the previous gesture repeats, with the soloist
continuing to sing, through music which again had previously been an orchestral tutti,
through to the deceptive cadence in B (bar 138) followed by a dramatic closing cadence
in D (bar 140). The last 16 bars of the A section are a concluding ritornello which echoes
the opening, but with the second 12-bar motive omitted.
Earlier, I discussed the difference between the field and clarino styles, the former
being associated with military and courtly signaling and splendor, the latter being a vocal
and musical style that opened the door for the trumpet to enter art-music. I feel here, as in
the Haydn Concerto, both of these styles of playing -- which were both current then and
old-fashioned now -- are invoked in the writing for the trumpet. "The trumpet shall
sound" is a clear reference to the trumpet's signaling function. As we saw previously, this
signaling function is primarily associated with courtly splendor and military might; in
Christian literature, Heaven itself is often described in terms of being the most splendid
of all royal courts, which I feel further strengthens the reference. Handel's oratorio-going
audience would certainly have been familiar with this allusion and the nature of the
fanfare motif seems based in this reference. This association of trumpet signals with
military strength and nobility is not lost on us even today, as our popular culture
13
continues to make associations between these images and the historical use of the
trumpet. With the exception of that fanfare theme, the rest of the trumpet writing is
lyrical and diatonic melody. Altenburg's comments about imitating the voice seem
particularly appropriate in the middle of phrase one (bar 37) where trumpet and voice are
scored beautifully in thirds.
Process
This process of research on form, style, history, and context has been extremely
rewarding for my intellectual understanding of what it means to apply "historically
informed performance" to the practice of music-making. Research into textual sources on
this piece and its period have greatly expanded my understanding of how the historical
scholarship is conducted and has familiarized me with the landscape of primary source
material. I certainly have come to know much more about Mr. Handel and his career and
there is some very interesting scholarship about Valentine Snow, Handel's first trumpeter
throughout most of his later years, which did not find a formal place in this study.
My applied understanding of "authentic performance," however, is still necessarily
rudimentary. While I was very pleased with my performance of this aria on both recitals,
I was unable to give the work more than a preliminary attempt at integrating the
understanding gained through the results of my research on account of the many
challenges of both personal and ensemble preparation presented by opening the recital
with a ten minute work for piccolo trumpet and singer. Furthermore, to perform the work
on a period instrument with strings, continuo, and a Baroque-trained singer is something
that, from my perspective, seems to require the experience of performing in the
conventional fashion first. Baroque trumpet players with whom I have spoken report that
14
the experience of performing period music in a "historically informed style" on the period
instruments meaningfully changes the way they approach the same repertoire on
conventional instruments. I am pleased with the milestone which I have passed and I
consider attempting that "authentic" performance an important step to be undertaken as
part of future research.
15
Chapter 3: Concerto per il clarino , J. Haydn
Joseph Haydn's (1732-1809) Concerto for trumpet is quite possibly the most
widely known and appreciated work for trumpet soloist in the classical genre, and it was
the very first of this type of music I ever heard in concert.27 Its accessible, classical style
seems to readily entertain the casual listener and it has, in recent years, become a central
piece of repertoire for recitals and auditions of all kinds. While it is relatively easy to
present the work as just a showpiece for a trumpet player's technique and talent, I believe
that with an interpretation informed through historical study and detailed knowledge of
the score, you can highlight Haydn's characteristic wit and humor and really bring this
work alive.
Joseph Haydn
The many details of Joseph Haydn's life and works, especially concerti, and how
they relate to this Concerto are beyond the scope of this work. To make such a study
would be richly rewarding and I encourage even casual readers to at least familiarize
themselves with Haydn's biography. The New Grove Dictionary is an excellent resource
for this. In the discussion that follows, I will focus on the details which specifically give
context to this work and generally assume an understanding of Haydn's life and his highly
regarded place in music history.
Haydn had, for most of his life, been sequestered at the court of the noble
Esterhzy family in Austria, composing all his music at the court, for the court. A clever
man, Haydn made his works available to the publishers of Europe and, especially in his
later years there, he was well-known on account of them. In 1790, death and succession
led to a reorganization of the court which brought to an end the long period of strong
27 Mr. David Bilger as soloist with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, sometime in the like 1990's.
16
musical patronage and set Haydn loose to travel and compose in the musical communities
of Europe as he pleased.28 Shortly thereafter, he traveled to London, where he was
acclaimed for the symphonies he composed and performed during his visit (The so-called
"London" symphonies, No. 92-104) and where he was impressed by the music at a 1791
Handel Commemoration celebration, which followed on the fervor aroused during the
178429 centenary celebrations of England's "national" composer.30 After his return, he
spent the last few remaining years of active compositional life in Vienna focused on
oratorios inspired by Handel (The Creation, on a libretto originally intended for Handel),
masses, string quartets, and this trumpet Concerto, which is his very last orchestral work
and his most successful instrumental concerto.
Anton Weidinger and his Concerto
Anton Weidinger (1766-1852), the Viennese court trumpeter and the virtuoso for
whom both Haydn and Hummel wrote their trumpet concerti, had been one of several
European trumpeters experimenting with designing a "keyed trumpet" at the end of the
18th century. The keyed trumpet is similar to the natural trumpet of Handel's day but,
like a woodwind instrument, it is fitted with vent-holes and keys to cover them;
uncovering the holes could raise the pitch some amount depending on number and
placement (for Haydn's Concerto, at least a minor third is required).31 Weidinger was not
the first to experiment with this, but probably had the best success and certainly is the
best-remembered by history. Weidinger had befriended Joseph Haydn32 after he returned
28 James Webster and Georg Feder, "Haydn, (Franz) Joseph," grovemusic.com, ed. L. Macy,http://www.grovemusic.com, accessed 1 June 2005.
29 "the centenary of his birth as erroneously recorded by Mainwaring," cited in Hicks, 23.30 Hicks, 2331 Tarr, The Trumpet, 149-151.32 Edward H. Tarr, "Haydn's Trumpet Concerto and its Origins," International Trumpet Guild Journal,
Vol. 21, No. 1 (September 1996), 32.
17
from London and apparently asked him to compose a concerto for him, which Haydn did
in 1796. Around this time, Weidinger was active in the promotion of his new instrument
and in the four years which passed between the composition of this work and its
premiere, Weidinger performed several times, each presenting easier works on what he
called his "organized trumpet."33 When Weidinger had secured both the confidence and
permission needed to present the work, he gave the following announcement:
[Mr. Weidinger will present] to the world for the first time, so that it maybe judged, an organized trumpet which he has invented and brought --after seven years of hard and expensive labour -- to what he believes maybe described as perfection: it contains several keys and will be displayed ina concerto especially written for this instrument by Herr Joseph Haydn,Doctor of Music.34
Weidinger premiered the work in his first solo recital with the new instrument at
the Vienna Burgtheater on the evening of 22 March 1800. Despite Robbins Landon and
Tarr's optimistic speculation about the effect of the evening in the preface to the
Universal edition of the Concerto,35 the evening was in fact poorly attended and not very
successful.36 Through Weidinger's later performances, however, he secured critical
acclaim for himself and was not only well known for his instrument, but for his
musicality as well. Weidinger's instrument itself was short-lived, driven out of service
within four decades by technical limitations which the piston valve, invented around
1813, overcame easily.37. The concerti composed for Weidinger and his instrument by
Haydn and Hummel, however, have survived and after a long period of dis-use the Haydn
33 Tarr, "Haydn's Trumpet Concerto...," 33.34 H. C. Robbins Landon, Haydn: Chronicle and Works, vol. 4, Haydn: The Years of 'The Creation', 227-
8, cited in Melissa Willis, "The Trumpet Concertos of Joseph Haydn and Johann Nepomuk Hummel: ASenior Honors Projcet," an unpublished paper, 2003, 4.
35 Joseph Haydn, "Concerto," edited by Edward H. Tarr and H. C. Robbins Landon, (Mainz: UniversalEdition A.G., 1982), preface.
36 Tarr, "Haydn's Trumpet Concerto...," 32-3437 Tarr, The Trumpet, 158-160.
18
Concerto was rediscovered by Alphonse Goyens or his students at the Brussels
conservatory around the turn of the (20th) century38 and the work has subsequently
ascended to its canonical standing in the trumpet repertoire today.
Formal Analysis
My analysis of the Concerto was quite helpful to me as a performer; it not only
expanded my understanding of the inner workings of the piece but, surprisingly, it also
continually increased my enjoyment of the work as a listener. The most stunning
example of this is the melody of the second movement: in bar 11, the ties are suspensions
which resolve to beat two and imply a natural phrasing (group together: beats 6-1-2,
break, 3-4-5, break, 6-1-2) whereas my intuitive phrasing had been different (beats 6-1,
break, 2-3-4, break, 5-6-1). Performers on many recordings have made a similar
"mistake," whereas the Rheinhold Friedrich, a performer known for his thoughtful and
informed performances, has recorded a performance39 with proper phrase emphasis on the
resolution of the suspensions. In comparing recordings, I do believe I enjoy Friedrich's
interpretation of this passage best.
The first step I took in analyzing the score was to simply and mechanically
perform a chord-by-chord analysis of the work. This yielded a wealth of minute technical
details about pitch and harmonic rhythm, as in the rondo theme from the third movement
which has a very characteristic I-IV-V-I associated with it or in the main theme which has
an emphasis on subdominant in the third bar. However, this is not a very effective
methodology for addressing large-scale musical concerns; for that, thematic and structural
38 Tarr, "Haydn's Trumpet Concerto...," 30.39 Reinhold Friedrich, "Klassiche Trompeten Konzerte," (Konigsdorf: Delta Music GmbH, 1992), track 7.
19
elements must be considered as well. This last insight is something important which I
had missed in my theory training.
The concerto form, like symphonic form and other larger-scale classical orchestral
forms, is a cohesive structure by which musical ideas are presented, developed, and
conjoined with one another in important and meaningful ways. In performing such a
work, understanding the larger musical phrases and relations is essential in helping to
bring musical depth and contrast to the work. In this case, this means elevating it beyond
a series of pretty or virtuosic passages strung together. Haydn's concept of the three-
movement form of the concerto was: "heavy and intellectual first movement, poetic slow
movement, light-hearted and brilliant finale."40 There are of course there are more
detailed conventions, which, for the present discussion, I will assume the reader has some
familiarity. To the extent of my understanding of them, this work seems to satisfy
convention quite well. A full analysis which explores, in detail, the relationship between
the different thematic and phrase structures, including a study of how this relates to the
conventions of the time, is beyond the scope of this work; I will nonetheless begin my
analysis by looking at the most obvious elements.
The first movement is in Sonata-allegro form with the expected components
(please refer generously to the annotations in appendix 2-A): an orchestral exposition
(bars 1-36) which cadences in E-flat major and presents orchestral and solo themes which
will be used throughout the work (Theme A, the main theme; Theme B, the transition
motives; Theme C, the ending gesture of the second theme area; Theme D, a motive used
at the beginning of the development; and Theme E, which is also used as the movement's
coda); a solo exposition (bars 37-83) with a first theme (bars 37-44) in the tonic,
40 Robbins Landon, 232-233, cited in Willis, 11.
20
transitional material (bars 45-59) which moves from tonic to dominant, a second theme
area (bars 60-77) which cadences in the dominant, and closing material which reiterates
the second theme area's cadence (bars 77-83) -- Alternately, it is very possible that the
true closing cadence of the second theme area is at the trilled whole note (bar 83) and the
material immediately following (bars 84-92) is closing material, moving the beginning of
the development back to the trumpet entrance in C minor (bar 93); a development (bars
83-124) which touches on several diverse key areas (C minor, bars 87-95; A-flat major:
96-101; E-flat major: 102-124) and arrives on a prolonged dominant in the home key
(bars 113-124); a recapitulation in E-flat major (bars 125-169) which has a return of the
main theme (bars 125-132), a transition that remains in the tonic key (bars 133-137), a
different second theme area which remains in the tonic (bars 138-161), and a short bit of
closing material (bar 161-168) which arrives on a tonic 6-4 cadence with accompanying
cadenza to bring the harmony to a dominant 5-3 (bar 168); a perfect authentic cadence
resolves the cadenza into a short coda (bars 169-end).
The simple, cantabile second movement is in ternary form (ABACoda) and the
key of A-flat major. The A theme (bars 1-8, 9-16) is a simple singing melody that is
broken into two phrases of a regular period and is 8 bars long. The simple harmonies are
embellished with the expressive suspensions which I mentioned previously. The B theme
(bars 17-32) has a truly audacious modulation (bars 19-22) to the distant key of C-flat
major (bar 22-26) and a gentle modulation back (bar 27-30) to the dominant of A-flat
(bars 30-32). The second A section (bars 33-40) is a literal repeat with the exception of a
single note ornamenting the climax of the second phrase (bar 38, beat 5). It is worth
noting here that Gerard Schwartz, in a recording this Concerto with the Y Chamber
21
Symphony of New York,41 finds cause to further embellish the repeated material here. I
have not yet found scholarship on the issue although certainly further study is warranted.
The short coda (bars 41-50) begins as an imitation of the B section but cadences in the
familiar manner (bar 46) and relaxes into a prolongation of the final tonic, embellished by
expressive half-step resolutions in the trumpet.
The last movement is a seven-part Sonata-rondo finale (ABACABA). The reader
will recall that the key feature of a Sonata-rondo is that it superimposes on the rondo form
a greater Sonata-allegro schema. Like each of the other movements in this work, there is
an orchestral introduction (bars 1-44) which introduces both the main rondo theme (bars
1-12, 13-25) and the second theme (bars 26-33). The solo exposition begins with the the
rondo theme, which is presented by the soloist twice (bars 45-56 and 57-68), the former
ending with a half cadence and the latter with a full cadence in E-flat major. The
transition (69-77) after the end of the first rondo theme (main theme) is played by the
orchestra alone and when the soloist enters again it is at the start of the first episode
(second theme, bars 78-124) in the dominant key. The episode develops the second
theme freely through several phrases and then cadences clearly on B-flat major (bar 116).
A small amount of closing material (bars 117-124) moves from B-flat as key center to B-
flat as dominant of the home key and the work stops for a short improvisatory episode
"known in those days as an Eingang"42 (bar 124).
It is important to note that an Eingang is not a cadenza, although they share many
traits and in the Universal Edition of the Concerto, it is even marked as "cadenza." An
41 Gerard Schwarz, "The Classic Trumpet Concerti of Haydn/Hummel," (Hollywood: Delos InternationalInc., 1983), tracks 1-3.
42 Michael Brydenfelt, "Works of Telemann, Haydn, Bach, Mozart," Liner notes by Edward H. Tarr,(Netherlands: Channel Classics BV, 1997), 2.
22
Eingang usually begins on a dominant triad or seventh chord, rather than the tonic 6-4
chord from which cadenzi begin, and serves not as an embellishment of the final cadence
of the preceding phrase, but as an introduction to the fixed thematic material which
follows it and is often shorter than a cadenza.43 I was unfortunately not aware of this until
after performing both recitals, and in my performance treated it as a cadenza despite a
colleague of mine pointing the spot out as being rather awkward. The Eingang resolves
into the last rondo theme of the exposition (bars 125-136), this time only one 12-bar
phrase again ending on dominant.
The development, or next episode, (bars 137-180) starts as many Sonata
developments do, with a reference or repeat of the main theme, but that quickly changes
course and develops thematically through several diverse key areas (A-flat major, bars
142-148; F minor, bars 149-167; G major, bars 168-176). The tonal ambiguity at the end
of the section (bars 177-178) masks a clever direct modulation to the dominant of E-flat
major which brings back the next rondo theme and the recapitulation section of the
Sonata-rondo.
As expected, the main (rondo) theme (bars 181-192), transition (193-198), and
second theme (third episode, 199-204) of the recapitulation are all re-arranged to remain
in the tonic key. The third episode begins by recalling the first episode (199-209) and
then continues on as the first did in free development of the themes (bars 210-238)
coming to a decisive cadence in the tonic key (bar 220). The closing material theme
returns (bars 221-235) and the harmony moves to a prolonged dominant (bars 232-237)
which then cadences into a return of the rondo theme (bar 238). The last rondo theme
43 April Nash Greenan, "Eingang," grovemusic.com, ed. L. Macy, http://www.grovemusic.com, accessed28 June 2005.
23
comes as a very abbreviated reference (bars 238-241) before Haydn develops the thematic
material in another free episode or closing material (bars 242-279). This section ends
with a dramatic dominant and grand pause which seems to suggest a cadence, although
Haydn did not intend there to be one44 (albeit modern soloists have performed and
recorded it otherwise). This is clearly supported by the resolution in the orchestra of the
tonic 6-4 to dominant 5-3 before the grand pause. The coda that follows starts with an
unsettled reference to the main theme (over a dominant of sub-dominant harmony) which
leads to a vigorous and martial closing tonic prolongation.
Motivic Analysis
When considering this work in its context, I feel that there are three compositional
gestures that deserve comment because of their characteristic nature and the sense of
thematic integration they bring to the three movements of the work. In the previous
chapter, I discussed the distinction between clarino and field styles of playing which had
existed side-by-side in Europe for more than a hundred years and were still directly
meaningful to audiences of Handel's day. Haydn's audience still lived with these styles,
although clarino playing was, by this time, considered a markedly "old style" and the
courts which sported the trumpet corps were in rapid decline.
The first gesture of note is the frequent reference to the traditionally martial
character of the instrument and its characteristic "sol-do" signal: the fanfare in the
orchestral exposition of the first movement (I:13-16, more on these later), the short
exclamation in the first movement transitions (I: 49-50 and 141-142), and several
separate places in the third movement (III: 117-120, 155-164, 168, 170, 204-209, 225-
228, 276-279, and 290-end). To make matters more interesting, in the third movement's
44 Brydenfelt, 2.
24
development, Haydn takes this characteristic gesture which would have only been
performable in one key at a time on a natural trumpet and now weaves it into the
developing texture calling for the keyed trumpet to successively play it in F, B-flat, and
A-flat. Lastly, the descending "natural" arpeggio in the first movement, second theme
(bars 147-149) also has the feel of a martial signal.
The second gesture is the use of the full diatonic scale in the low register of the
instrument. The first movement's main theme may have been a delightful treat for the
audiences in Vienna who had never before heard a trumpet play a full scale in its third
octave (between e-flat' and e-flat''). In fact, it is noticeable that the first movement is
mostly composed in conjunct motion, both diatonic and chromatic, in varying speeds and
registers of the instrument. Willis suggests that this is partly because of weakness of
Weidinger as a performer and limitations of his instrument, and that Haydn was avoiding
the more difficult to perform leaps to keyed notes.45 The second movement's simple lyric
melody is in the low register of the instrument and in keys quite "distant" from the
instrument's E-flat base: the main melody is in A-flat major (A-flat itself being a "keyed
note" on Weidinger's instrument) and the development is in the remote key of C-flat
major.
Thirdly, natural trumpets do not possess any half-step interval between partials
until the third octave (e''-f'' on a trumpet pitched in C). Throughout this Concerto, Haydn
seems to bring special emphasis on the trumpet now playing chromatic half-steps
throughout the middle of its compass. In the first movement's exposition, the melodic
line several times emphasizes a chromatic neighbor motion (I: 55-59, 66-71) and
throughout the entire Concerto, Haydn finds ways to insert ascending and descending
45 Willis, 24-25.
25
chromatic scales (I:47, 101, II: 21-22, III: 227-299) which specially demonstrate the new
instrument's chromatic abilities. The most noticeable instance of this idea, however, is a
characteristic "sighing" motif which appears in every movement (I: 115-117, II: 25-26
and 47-48, III: 151-154).
The first opening notes of the solo trumpet in this Concerto seem out of place: in a
classical concerto, the soloist is not expected to play until the solo exposition. So what is
the trumpet soloist doing playing during the orchestral exposition? One suggestion,
made by Willis expresses a popular sentiment that these are "warm-up" notes for
Weidinger, who needed them because of his weak playing abilities.46 I like to think that
this is Haydn's special brand of musical humor at work. Much of the composition of this
piece seems to play the expectations of form and the traditional role of the trumpet
against the newfound abilities of Weidinger's instrument. The first of these exclamations
is but a single note, the tonic of the new instrument, and merely punctuates the first
cadence. The second alternates (in the orchestral setting) with the tutti trumpets in
fanfares which lie entirely within the harmonic series. If you have come to see and judge
for yourself the advertised "perfection" of Mr. Weidinger's "organized trumpet," then
there is a certain reaction when the first notes you hear from this new instrument are these
fanfares, which you have always heard any trumpets play. In a certain sense, Haydn
teases his audience along before he gives them the what they have been waiting for: a
new, fully chromatic trumpet. I am aware that this position is not backed up by any
scholarship and it remains an open question to find a more scholarly opinion on the
matter.
46 Willis, 23.
26
Process
My performances of the Haydn Concerto were wonderful learning experiences.
The detailed score study was a huge help in being able to bring out the sense of line in
some of the phrases. While sometimes my sense of phrase became "heady" and the
attempt to emphasize theoretical concepts obstructs musical intuition, the way in which
score study (and to a lesser degree, analysis) helped bring the music alive to me as a
performer was amazing. More than the other works on the recital, this concerto has both
great depth and is readily accessible to my skills in analysis and score study. The
harmonic and thematic syntax is very familiar and so it allows me to to ask the higher-
level questions about form and structure earlier. Unfortunately, the benefits which my
detailed chordal and harmonic understanding brought to my intonation did not find
expression during either recital: technical issues involving tension and my playing
sabotaged my attempts at good intonation.
For all the exploration which I have done, there is room for much more research in
both analysis and performance of this piece: Other authors have certainly addressed the
issue of analysis of this work, and I am eager to see what details or analytic concepts I
have missed; the way in which this Concerto relates to other Haydn works and other
concerti of the time is another study to be done; issues of ornamentation which I
mentioned regarding the second movement and correct performance of the turns indicated
in the third movement are still open questions; uncritical sources have suggested to me
that in this time period there were two senses of the adagio tempo marking in the second
movement, a topic about which I have heard no scholarly opinion; I look forward to
finding a better way to treat the Eingang in the third movement in my next performance
27
of the work; all of my studies in this project were from the piano reduction of the
Concerto and it has been suggested to me that to truly know the work means to study the
orchestral score and get a sense too for Haydn's orchestration; this last point also implies
performance of the work with a Chamber Orchestra, which would be another milestone
experience to understanding the nature of the piece to be sought; and, for all my textbook
research on Weidinger and his instrument, I have not heard any of the several modern
performances of the piece on replicas of his instrument, which I consider essential to
further understanding the style of the work.
I have come to feel, through this project, that both the questions which I have
answered in the course of this discussion and the ones for which I will continue to search
for answers are the issues that performers must address when they propose to present a
piece of solo literature. It is simply not enough to know the notes on the page and be able
to play them all, although that is certainly a prerequisite. It has to mean something to me
as a performer and so it is my job to search for what that meaning is, and the process of
that search is something I believe I should undertake every time I perform a work; it is a
never-ending process.
28
Chapter 4: Legend by Georges Enesco
I have been fond of Legend, by Georges Enesco (1881-1955), since my first
exposure to it my freshman year (2000) at a performance by Tom Bergeron for our studio
class. My formal study of the work, however, did not begin until I prepared it for my jury
last spring. It is unique among the trumpet repertoire with which I am familiar as an
arguably late-Romantic work for trumpet (albeit heavily influenced by Impressionism).
Chronologically, Legend is one of the very next works we have after the Haydn and
Hummel concerti, despite the intervening century. In the time since I began with this
project, I have performed this work more than any other and I enjoy its musical
effectiveness greatly.
Score study
When I first approached the work, I was overwhelmed: the trumpet part seemed
very complicated and technical, the French terms in the score and part were foreign to
me, and the piano score was so dense with notes that I could not begin to imagine how
the parts fit together. In this regard, this work has been one of the clearest experiences in
the importance of score study. Larry Scripp, the solfege teacher with whom I studied this
past year, put it like this: "On one level, music is an inquiry. This is the implicit question
we're asking every time we perform a piece of music: How does it go? How should it
go? How am I going to interpret it?"47 Some of my first performances of the Enesco were
not very effective, musically, because my answer to some of these questions was, in
effect, "I don't really know, but I'll do something that I think approximates what the music
should be." Especially in the fast sections, the musical line becomes muddied and unclear
if it is not accurate and precise.
47 Larry Scripp, private conversation, 09 October 2004.
29
One of the tools I now use when I approach a new work is to ask these questions,
starting with the broadest sense and getting progressively more detailed: First, do I
understand each of the printed musical directions in the score? In this case, since I do not
speak any French, this required some time with both a musical and a common dictionary,
and I have included the results in a glossary table (see appendix 3-C). Next, do I
understand the rhythms and pitches that appear in my part? Do I understand the notes and
rhythms of all the parts? Is there a form? There is no end to this line of questioning.
With the Legend, I experienced strongly that it was not until I knew the answers to many
of these questions, and not until after I had spent the time in deep study of my part and the
score to really understand what was there, that the work became transparent to me as a
performer and listener. Once this started to open up, it became accessible to me to
perform more accurately and with more musical flexibility and effectiveness.
Circumstances of Legend
It is not too much of a stretch, then, to think of the historical research I have
advocated as an ancillary line of questioning to the one I have suggested above. I found
my research in the historical aspects of this work to be engaging. Georges Enesco is
Romania's most famous composer and was a talented and active violinist. He was known
in France under the French interpretation of his name, Georges Enesco, but later in life
published under the traditional Romanian spelling of George Enescu. Reportedly a
prodigy from a very young age, he attended the Vienna Konservatorium starting at age 7,
the Paris Conservatoire at age 14, had a prodigious memory, and commanded a wide
variety of compositional styles throughout his career.48 Personally, Enesco is also
48 Noel Malcolm, "Enescu, George," grovemusic.com, ed. L. Macy, http://www.grovemusic.com, accessed02 April 2005, 1.
30
remembered as being a very humble, self-effacing, and sincere musician,49 and I feel that
his personality is part of his Legend.
I was only able to find a limited amount of information on the circumstances
around the composition of the work. A few short years after he graduated from the Paris
Conservatoire (1899), Enesco composed this work for a competition there in 190650 and
dedicated it to the current trumpet teacher, Merri Franquin (1848-1934). Franquin was an
active proponent of the 4-valved, small-bore C/D trumpet and he actively encouraged
composers to write for it and performers to perform on it.51 Enesco was apparently
convinced and his work is one of the few works of that time published for C trumpet.
The tradition of using the C trumpet became popular in the early part of the twentieth
century in French orchestras, crossed the oceans, and is prevalent in American orchestras
today (albeit with a very different, large-bore C trumpet).
Formal and Thematic Analyses
When you take the aforementioned process of inquiry a still further, the question
becomes "What does this given musical gesture mean in relationship to the whole of the
work?" Formal analysis becomes the next step in understanding the work better. In
Legend, what seems like dense complexity at first boils down to a fairly basic harmonic
framework onto which a generous amount of dissonance and harmonic color is added.
Enesco, who was very familiar with the lush Romantic compositional style of Wagner52
and also apparently influenced by the Impressionistic style of Debussy, composed this
work in a manner which blends the two styles. Common Practice Period harmonic
49 Ibid., 2.50 Ole J. Utnes, "Merri Franquin," http://abel.hive.no/trumpet/franquin/. Accessed 29 March, 2005.51 Edward Tarr, "Franquin, Merri," grovemusic.com, ed. L. Macy, http://www.grovemusic.com, accessed
01 April 2005.52 Malcolm, 1.
31
structures and an almost Wagnerian weaving of motifs coexists with use of
Impressionistic techniques such as chord planing. While the piece is divided into clear
sections by tempo and character, neither the late-Romantic nor Impressionistic syntaxes
facilitate making those divisions clear and rigid, allowing the music to integrate into a
free-floating, rhapsodic work spun out from a small amount of thematic material.
There are five of these sections, easily recognizable by two contrasting tempi and
styles (A and B), in alternation: slow, fast, slow, fast, slow or ABA'B'A'' (see appendix 3-
A; bars 1-19, 20-30, 31-43, 44-68, and 67-77, respectively). This schema is an expansion
of ternary form, where the form is the traditional tripartite ABA but with the BA grouping
repeated again, as in the scherzo of Beethoven's 7th symphony53. The A sections are in
the tempo-style "Lent et Grave" and both notated in 6/4 meter whereas the B sections
both have the same musical double-time relationship to the A section, although B is
written out in double-speed note values and B' is written out in double-speed meter (2/4).
The only difference I can perceive is that the B' seems to have more of a hypermetric
emphasis on two (i.e. bars are grouped in twos) rather than the three which you would
expect from an imitation of the B section's 3/4 notation (because one bar of B' equals one
beat of B).
53 W. Deansutcliffe, and Tilmouth, Michael, "Ternary Form," grovemusic.com, ed. L. Macy,http://www.grovemusic.com, accessed 7 July 2005.
32
These sections are also, to some degree, thematically delineated. On a coarse
level, the theme given in figure 4.1 forms the basis of the material in the A sections and
the gesture of the excerpt given in figure 4.2 is the germ for the B sections. This level of
study can be very fruitful, and is the level on which the listener will probably perceive the
piece with the first hearing. I feel, however, that there is a deeper structural unity which
goes beyond this division. Enesco treats the first four notes of figure 4.1 as a rhythmic
and melodic motive out of which much of the melodic material is somehow derived,
including that of figure 4.2, above (in Appendix 3-A, I have indicated with a circled star
many of the places I consider to be somehow derived from this motive). A few subtler
instances of this relationship include: in bar 13, taken without octave displacement, the E-
flat, C, B-flat, A-flat gesture in the trumpet is the retrograde of the interval structure of
the principal motive; in the buildup to the climax (bars 56-59) the melodic gesture is three
instances of that four-note motive, doubled in octaves, and in stretto; lastly, the interval
structure of the arpeggios after Plus Lent (bar 73) is the four-note interval pattern which
has been developed from the beginning (in movable do: do-me-fa-sol) to here (do-me-fi-
sol).
33
Harmonic Analysis
Harmonically, this work was a challenge to analyze (appendix 3-A contains my
rough analysis). Some portions of the work resist my analysis by use of impressionistic
chordal techniques which I understand only superficially. Others are parsable by the
techniques I understand well through the simplification of the harmonies down to the
basic structural tones (i.e. ignoring the copious dissonances). While expanding my
language of analysis sufficiently to explain all the notes in detail was beyond the scope of
this project, the challenges in my work on the simplified analysis broadened and
expanded my understanding of theory and analysis technique. The chords themselves do
not easily yield up their function and it required a lot of contextual study to make sense of
the different sections. What follows is a terse discussion of the harmonic structure that I
found.
The work begins with a long expansion on the tonic C minor. There is free use of
dissonance within this, and frequent use of neighboring chords, but there is very little
actual harmonic motion. In the bar before the first 3/4 (bar 5), the upward melodic line is
accompanied by a series of complex and dissonant chords which end with a supertonic-
tonic resolution. I feel the entire harmonic gesture here is one of an intense neighbor
dissonance to the tonic. The first substantive harmonic motion of this first phrase (bars 1-
16) is a harmonic progression to A-flat major (bar 12). Despite my use the symbols of
modulation, the progression is not one of modulation but merely of expansion over three
measures (bars 11-14). Even though there are moments of dominant-tonic resolution in
A-flat, they are downplayed very cleverly: at the first resolution of dominant-tonic in A-
flat major (bar 12) rests on beats 4 to 5, which is very weak metrically; in the next
34
measure (bar 13), dominant-tonic similarly comes on beats five to six and over the barline
the "tonic" A-flat harmony shifts into an upper neighbor D-flat 6-4 chord. Functionally,
this A-flat area serves as an expanded upper neighbor harmony and resolves to G (bar 15)
which in turn is a brief but unequivocal dominant resolving in the very first cadence of
the piece (bar 16). When I discovered that the trumpet's G-C gesture (bars 15-16) was the
goal of the whole first 16 measures of harmonic motion, my perception of those two
lonely notes changed from being a throwaway gesture of sorts to something much more
significant and dramatic, musically.
The music which comes after the cadence (bars 16-19) serves as transition toward
the next section. The harmonic motion from B-flat to E-flat in bar 17 appears to set up a
cadence in A-flat major but instead there is a direct modulation to the distant F-sharp
minor (bar 18). F-sharp gives way to A major and the bar before Mouvt (bar 19) lingers
on the minor dominant (i.e. E minor) resolving properly across the barline to the
beginning of the B section. In contrast to the A section's almost harmonic monotony,
the B section is much less stable. There is a sense of A as a home key, although the
tonality moves through the distant key areas of C (bar 22), B-flat (bar 23), D-flat (bars 24-
25), and F-flat (bars 26-27). When we reach the tonally-ambiguous end of the B section
(bars 29-30), I feel the melodic contours link the diminished harmony back to "tonic" A.
Given this context, the last two notes in the trumpet (bar 30) set up a kind of dominant
feeling: the D-sharp as a leading tone to the dominant E which follows. This "cadence"
does not resolve to A across the barline as we might expect, but rather the tonality of E
slides in beneath it and becomes the starting tonality of the next A' section.
35
A series of chordal motions, one to a bar, leads back to the dramatic return of
tonic C minor with the entrance of the trumpet (bar 35). The melodic line, which has
been building since the beginning of A', climaxes at the trumpet's high C which also
articulates a shift to the minor dominant. This dominant is emphasized in the a volont
section that follows and all of the motion from here to the Vif (bar 43) is an expansion of
this weighty dominant. The last chord before Vif (bar 43) is a clear dominant seventh,
emphasized by its strong penultimate aggogic emphasis, which resolves in an authentic
cadence into the next bar. Since this piece is in an ABA plus BA form, this cadence
marks the end of the regular ABA form; The rest of the work (BA) can be understood as a
coda of sorts, and this is supported by the conspicuous lack of any sense of dominant-
tonic resolution from here to the end of the work.
The repose of the Vif cadence is quickly overridden by the explosion of rhythmic
energy. The 16th note triplets articulate the upper triad of a C-seventh chord (E, G, and
B-flat), changing this tonic to an applied dominant of F (which arrives four bars later) and
robbing the cadence of its sense of harmonic repose and sending us off through the next
whirlwind section. The series of alternating scales seems to be based on a sense of scalar
harmonic motion (both diatonic, bars 48-51, and chromatic, bars 53-54) which leads to
D-flat or C-sharp major. As a key area, D-flat is also never confirmed by cadence but
seems to act as a prolonged precursor to the final tonic; the rhythmic and thematic fervor
builds to a climax at Furieusement and then a brief transitional episode relaxes away from
the climax and resolves D-flat downward back to C minor. The final A section is in the
style of the first A section and the major motion to D-flat (bar 73) and B-flat (bar 74)
seems to be a harmonic double-neighbor embellishment of the final tonic.
36
In this work more than the others, knowing the chordal structure of each bar (as a
result of my harmonic sketches and score study) yielded great insight in terms of
intonation and phrasing: For instance, each time the theme in figure 4.2 occurs, it is
outlining the upper triad of a seventh-chord (in bar 20, A-seventh, in bar 22, D-flat
seventh, and in bar 44, C-seventh), yet in each of these cases I had previously been
thinking diminished chords (C-sharp, F, and E diminished); the exclamation at bar 27
starts as F-half-diminished but the top note of the line is marked with a change to F-flat-
major, not A-flat minor which I had thought it was; the G-F appogiatura in bar 23 makes
more sense knowing it is over a B-flat chord; most importantly, however, the 32nd note
run starting in measure 60 outlines the prevailing tonality of D-flat minor, and being
aware of this helped tremendously by to 'locking in' to a pitch center. I previously
mentioned the importance of the G-C gesture in bars 15-16, and this pattern of musical
emphasis repeats at each "cadence": the F-sharp-E at the end of bar 19 as dominant of A,
the D-sharp-E at the end of bar 30, and the G as dominant in bar 37.
Process
Going beyond the chord-by-chord emphasis, the understanding of the larger
harmonic motions which I find in the work has influenced my sense of musical phrase in
very positive ways, most of which I alluded to in the body of my analysis. It is still very
powerful for me to think back to when I began performing the work and was "guessing"
at what the phrasing should be for lack of understanding and to contrast that with the
understanding which I present in the present discussion. It was also very useful to listen
in detail to several other major recordings of the work. It was very insightful to compare
37
their senses of style and phrasing, and I have included a brief annotated discography in
appendix 3-D.
In terms of the actual performances of the work, I am very pleased with my
experiences. The inquiry into each area of the piece, much of which happened between
my first and second recitals, is perceivable in the quality of each successive performance.
In addition to all the benefits of this research which I have discussed above, the detailed
knowledge of the score quite simply helps tremendously in putting this work together
with the pianist. As the work I performed most this year, it was repeatedly amazing to
come together with my pianist after months and with only minimal rehearsal prepare a
performance which fit together much easier than the last; I felt like a large part of this
phenomenon was my expanded comfort with the score. Even though there were still
issues of execution in my last performance of Legend, it was one of the works that I feel I
performed most musically. Its Romantic-Impressionistic Affekt is one that many modern
listeners, even those unfamiliar with classical art-music, can tap into readily and it is a
piece that I will continue to keep in my solo repertoire for auditions and future recitals.
38
Chapter 5: Sonata f r Trompete und Klavier , P. Hindemith
Paul Hindemith's (1895-1955) Sonata is the first major work of 20th century
literature for solo trumpet and is another piece which I had been exposed to repeatedly
but had not learned prior to this project. Hindemith's work had always been opaque to
me, but through this study and the performance of his work, I have begun to learn and
appreciate his compositional techniques and harmonic language. In studying the details, I
have come to deeply appreciate and love Hindemith's work; study and performance of
this Sonata was the most enjoyable of the five works in this project.
Paul Hindemith
As a composer, Hindemith was remarkable; "one of the most prolific and
frequently played composers of his generation."54 He studied violin and composition at
the Hochsche Konservatorium in Frankfurt (1908-1914),55 where he absorbed much from
both then-conservative 19th century and modernist compositional influences.56 As a
performer he was a member of the Frankfurt Opera orchestra (and soon its
concertmaster), and performed with several of the most prominent string quartets of the
1910's and 1920's. During World War I, Hindemith was impressed into the armed service
where he served as a bass drummer and experienced the power of music to cross political
boundaries.57 On his return, he switched from violin to viola and unleashed his creative
powers, creating a large quantity of new works in a style known as Neue Sachlichkeit (or
"New Objectivity"). Hindemith quickly established himself as a formidable new-music
54 Giselher Schubert, "Hindemith, Paul," grovemusic.com, ed. L. Macy, http://www.grovemusic.com,accessed 28 October 2004, 2.
55 "Biographie: Paul Hindemith, 1895-1963," Lebendiges Museum Online,http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/biografien/HindemithPaul/, accessed 13 July 2005.
56 Ibid, 1.57 Ibid.,2.
39
composer.58 While his active career as a performer helped secure performances of his
own works, he gained further influence as chair of a major new music festival (the
Donaueschingen Festival) and was invited to teach at the Berliner Hochschule fr Musik
(in Berlin).
In adopting the Neue Sachlichkeit style, Hindemith left behind the language of
Romanticism which he had absorbed at the conservatory. This new style is described in
some detail an the article by Giselher Schubert:
the Neue Sachlichkeit was thus identified stylistically with the dissertationsof a fundamentally linear, polyphonic musical idiom that seemed new inthe context of the time. Formal coherence was no longer supported andarticulated by motivic-thematic developmental processes, tonal functionalharmony, or regular syntax, but rather by a rhythmically and metricallyuniform structure or a sometimes supple, sometimes strict continuity ofmusical movement. In this continuity, musical procedures were reduced totheir primary elements, such as a pulsing meter, often made markedlydissonant in these works, to allow the often extremely individualizedvoices in the musical texture to stand out against one another.59
Whereas the Romantic style was woven around the subjective experience of the listener
reacting to the music on stage, the "New Objectivists" specifically placed themselves
against subjectivism. To give you a taste of the Zeitgeist of the Neue Sachlichkeit
movement, Hindemith's Concerto for Orchestra (1925) was judged to have "struck the
mist-clouds of late Romantic emotional doodling like a bolt of lightening."60
By this time, too, Hindemith had formulated some of his fundamental socio-
musical ideas: he believed firmly that music needed to assume a practical role in society
and he rejected the Romantic ideal of the inspired artist composing for the sake of
composing to bring enlightenment to society in some vague, undefined way; he
58 Ibid, 2.59 Ibid.60 Ibid, 3.
40
encouraged amateur music-makers to take an interest in serious composers and vice
versa; he discussed music in film at the Musikhochschule; he encouraged music on the
radio; and he used his influence through articles and festivals to encourage practical
musical compositions. At the Musikhochschule, he also found himself ill-supplied to
teach composition by the materials of the day. Unhappy, he set out to author his own
texts on composition; to this end, he studied mathematics, acoustics, and music theory in
depth which would later manifest in his published treatises.61
The rise to power of the National Socialists (Nazi Party, 1933) in Germany
repulsed Hindemith; the feeling was mutual and many of his works were banned from
performance. His beliefs forced him to react to the situation in his art, which he did in
several works of the period, especially his opera Mathis der Maler (1933-35), to which he
composed his own libretto which addresses the relationship between politics, art, power,
and personal responsibility.62 Hindemith's work continued to be curtailed until in 1936,
when the popularity of his Violin Sonata in E was seen as a political threat; performance
of his works was then completely forbidden by the Nazis. He had been preparing to
emigrate for several years, and finally did so, to Switzerland, in 1938.
Theory of Hindemith's works
During these years of restricted performing, teaching, and composing under the
Nazi regime and in Switzerland, Hindemith took the time to focus on the theoretical
research he had begun at the Musikhochschule. His compositional treatise, Unterweisung
im Tonsatz (or "The Craft of Musical Composition") was begun in 1935, the first part
completed in 1937, and the second part in 1940. In it, he presents new theoretical
61 Ibid., 4.62 Ibid., 5.
41
principles governing the harmonic and melodic relationships of pitches. This work both
grew out of his compositions and influenced them, and he substantiated his new theories
in his sonatas, which he composed for nearly every orchestral instrument, including this
Sonata (1939).63 Among composers, Hindemith is particularly verbose about what
exactly he is thinking about as he composes. He even provides analyses of several of his
works.
In order to begin an analysis of this work, I needed to understand something about
Hindemith's compositional practices, for which I surveyed J. Kent Williams' treatment of
the subject in his "Theories and Analyses of Twentieth-Century Music."64 I will begin
with a very brief discussion of Hindemith's compositional ideas before analyzing the
trumpet Sonata. A fundamental idea presented in Unterweisung im Tonsatz is a new
ordering of relationships between pitches which he called "Series I" (see figure 5.1,
below). Series I is based on the acoustical properties of the overtone series, and read left
to right the pitches' relationships are ordered from "closest" to "most distant," relative to a
constant tonal center (in this case, C). Hindemith also presented a "Series II" of interval
classes which is arranged based on the acoustic phenomenon of "resultant tones" in order
63 Ibid., 6.64 Except where noted, the following discussion comes entirely from J. Kent Williams, "Theories and
Analyses of Twentieth-Century Music," (Orlando: Harcort Brace & Co., 1995), 216-233.
42
of increasing tension or dissonance (also left to right). Note here that interval classes are
grouped together by barlines and are equivalent across inversions. Hindemith theorized
that tense melodic intervals have more melodic "force" than did consonant ones;
inversely, consonant harmonic intervals have more harmonic "force" or stability. This
latter concept was the basis of a new system of chord classification which is itself quite
complex and not directly relevant to this discussion. The point here is that while
Hindemith's music is very dissonant, especially works composed after 1935, he is still
fundamentally a tonal composer. He has written his own rules on tonality and until a
listener becomes accustomed to his tonal language the expression in his music is difficult
to grasp.
Hindemith's compositional style is firmly rooted in counterpoint. Since his Neue
Sachlichkeit period, he experimented with works where he "stripped the musical fabric
down to unadorned two-part textures"65 and in Unterweisung im Tonsatz he maintains
"that the bass line and the next most important line form an immediately understandable
two-part texture."66 A clear example of this in the Sonata is the Wie am Anfang section at
the end of the third movement: the piano's parallel octaves reduce to one voice and the
music is unadorned two-voice counterpoint up until bar 58. It is also significant that in
his theories on counterpoint he does not draw a hard line, as traditional counterpoint does,
between "dissonant" and "consonant" intervals. Rather, according to his "Series II," he
saw resolutions of intervals as a relative process: a very tense interval may resolve to a
less tense interval, even if the latter would be considered dissonant under traditional rules
(i.e. a minor second resolving to a major second).
65 Schubert, 2.66 Ibid.
43
Analysis
When I began this project, I had hoped to conduct an in-depth analysis of each
work on the program, and through the process learn what I needed in order to accomplish
this. Hindemith's language of melodic and harmonic consonance and dissonance was,
academically speaking, foreign to me at the outset of this project. Study of the
aforementioned Unterweisung im Tonsatz and application of analysis techniques to all
three movements of the Sonata is a task that is beyond the scope of this study, although
one which I leave to myself as an open project. For now I must content myself instead to
discuss briefly the formal and thematic elements of the work, ignoring all but the most
obvious or intuitive of "harmonic" details. The reader should keep in mind the
limitations and problems of this study from lack of scholarly understanding of the
"harmonic" fabric of the work when adopting any of the ideas presented herein.
The form of these works seems fairly clear, even without careful study of
Hindemith's writings. The first movement is in Sonata-allegro form, as expected from a
piece entitled Sonata. Marked Mit Kraft (see appendix 5-B for translations of German
terms found in the score), the first melody heard (bars 1-9) is the main theme which is
divided into the two motives shown in figures 5.3 and 5.4. Both are the subject of
imitative treatment throughout the opening section. Rehearsal 3 (bar 27) marks the
beginning of the transition. The trumpet calls (bars 28-29) announce the basic motive
(see figure 5.5) of the next section, which Hindemith crafts into a rhythmic fabric and
builds toward a dramatic statement of it between the trumpet and piano at rehearsal 5 (bar
44 with pickup). The second theme is the lyric melody presented before rehearsal 6 (bar
44
47-54). Like the main theme, Hindemith then treats it imitatively (bars 54-62) as the
music builds toward a section that seems to be closing material for the exposition.
The dramatic Breit section (bars 67-84) repeats the opening theme but now
seeming around a tonal center of D and pushes ever forward toward a resolution on D
after rehearsal 9 (bar 84). This section could signal the beginning of the development
(Sonatas, as we have seen with the Haydn, often begin their development with a citation
from the main theme somehow treated differently); however, the structural weight of that
concluding resolution (bar 84) and the sense of direction throughout the second theme
toward the Breit section lead me to group it in with the exposition. I am convinced that
this part of my analysis requires more study.
Given that the Breit section is part of the exposition, then the Wie vorher section
(bars 85-107) begins the development with almost an exact quotation of the second
theme, modulated up a whole step to a tonic of B. Again using imitation of the theme, he
sets it against a duple accompaniment (clearly a developmental gesture at this point) and
45
on several other tonics. The next section in 12/8 is very similar to the transition from the
exposition and has the same sense of a building tension which continues all the way to the
9/8 before rehearsal 14 (bar 124), which I interpret as a kind of "dominant arrival." The
change from driving forward melodic motion (bars 119-122) to the more static repetition
of the pitches B-C-D (bars 124-126) has a feeling that gives the impression of some kind
of arrival.
The half-step (and thus strongest possible) melodic resolution to the return of the
main theme at rehearsal 14 (bar 127) is clearly the beginning of the recapitulation (bars
127-142), although the recapitulation then lacks what I identified as the second theme
which figured so prominently in the development. An interesting alternate assessment
comes to mind where the transition of the exposition (bars 30-45) is actually the second
theme (the theme being the motive of figure 5.5), and then the recapitulation would be
presentation of the main and secondary themes simultaneously. Again, this is a question
left open to further study. The main theme keeps building in an upward motion through
to 137 and the powerful melodic half-step resolution downwards to F-natural (bar 138) is
the final resolution of the piece. The remainder of the movement (138-142) is a short
coda.
The second movement is in a clear ternary form with 5 distinct themes (labeled 1-
5 in Appendix 4-A, subsequent occurrences also notated) whose repetition and imitation
are the markers I use to think about the structure of the movement. The A section begins
with a presentation of three thematic ideas (the latter possessing two distinct phrases; bars
1-12). Next, theme one is imitated at the interval of a fourth (bars 16-18), and then a
46
repetition of theme one (bars 23-26) concludes the section. These these small sections
are divided from one another by the fanfare motif of theme two.
The B section (bars 26-58) has a related treatment of themes, but is divided into
two parts. The first part (bars 16-48) presents the material labeled as themes four and
five