REVIEWS Observations Held in Check William Kinderman Charles Rosen. Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas: A Short Companion. New Haven and London: Y ale University Press, 2002. xii, 256pp. Contains CD with musical illus- trations at the piano. I n approaching Charles Rosen’s new book Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas: A Shor tCompanion, it makes sense to beg in at the end, with the very last sentence. In his comments on Beethoven’s last sonata, op.111, Rosen concludes that “the modesty of the final chord is significant” (p . 249). The ending of this sonata is understated and suggestive, and the rapport of sound with silence is tantamount, as various commentators have observed. In Rosen’s view, however, a notion ofmodesty or restraint extends as well to the kind of discourse about the music that he finds appropriate. In his preface he writes that I have always despised the writing about music that tries to substitute for the music a kind of pseudo-poe try or, e ven worse, the sort of facile philo sophical speculation that leads readers to believe that they will be engaged in an exalt- ed activity when liste ning to Beethoven—or are already so exalted merely by reading about i t. There is no question, of course, that the music of Beethoven often made a claim to reach the sublime, and that he believed that the expe- rience of great music transcended the day-to-day experience of our ordinary lives. T ranslating this transcendence i nto words does not, however , mak e it more accessible, only more commonplace. The ecstasy provided by music arrives above all through the kind of unselfconscious attention to listening and play- ing that makes us, for a moment, lose ourselves in the work (pp.xi–xii).
Transcript
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REVIEWS
Observations Held in Check
William Kinderman
Charles Rosen. Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas: A Short Companion. New Haven and
London: Yale University Press, 2002. xii, 256pp. Contains CD with musical illus-
trations at the piano.
In approaching Charles Rosen’s new book Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas: A Short
Companion, it makes sense to begin at the end, with the very last sentence.
In his comments on Beethoven’s last sonata, op.111, Rosen concludes that
“the modesty of the final chord is significant” (p.249). The ending of this sonata is
understated and suggestive, and the rapport of sound with silence is tantamount,
as various commentators have observed. In Rosen’s view, however, a notion of
modesty or restraint extends as well to the kind of discourse about the music that
he finds appropriate. In his preface he writes that
I have always despised the writing about music that tries to substitute for the
music a kind of pseudo-poetry or, even worse, the sort of facile philosophical
speculation that leads readers to believe that they will be engaged in an exalt-
ed activity when listening to Beethoven—or are already so exalted merely by
reading about it. There is no question, of course, that the music of Beethoven
often made a claim to reach the sublime, and that he believed that the expe-
rience of great music transcended the day-to-day experience of our ordinary
lives. Translating this transcendence into words does not, however, make it more
accessible, only more commonplace. The ecstasy provided by music arrives
above all through the kind of unselfconscious attention to listening and play-
ing that makes us, for a moment, lose ourselves in the work (pp.xi–xii).
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cresc.
dimin. sempre
cresc.
Maestoso
cresc.
3
6
10
14
Example 1: Beethoven Sonata
in C minor, op. 111, first
movement, slow introduction
and beginning of exposition.
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96 william kinderman
3
3
mezzo poco ritenente cresc.
a tempo
3
3
Allegro con brio ed appassionato
cresc.
17
20
[etc.]
Example 1 cont.
rising upbeat motive of the fourth is of course its rhythm, and it is the trill that
links the Maestoso and Allegro while also providing raw material for the gradual
shaping of the ensuing main theme of the movement. In this context, much de-
pends on a convincing projection in performance of the relation between the
Maestoso and Allegro. More is at stake than a correct rendering of proportions inBeethoven’s tempo relations. What Beethoven seems to be aiming at here is a gradual
emergence out of the end of the Maestoso of those primary impulses that launch
and sustain the Allegro con br io ed appassionato.
Such an extension of Rosen’s discussion avoids the r isk of “pseudo-poetry” or
“philosophical speculation” while drawing attention to the high level of integra-
tion and compelling dramatic development embodied in this music. The challenges
to successful performance are considerable, since these involve engagement with
a psychological process of some complexity. The discovery of a convincing tempo
relation between the Maestoso and Allegro is certainly a key element. On the other
hand, as Rosen writes, a faster performance of the Maestoso to promote this rela-
tion “would make most pianists nervous . . . because the opening skip, properly
played with only one hand, is dangerous and tricky” (p.100). It is indeed cur ious
that many pianists make these purely mechanical difficulties a matter of stubborn
conviction. In this case, it is advisable to play the opening octave on E with the
right hand, which removes technical uncertainty while allowing for full concen-
tration on the rhythm and voicing of the opening phrase. Nothing is gained through
