Monday, April 3, 2017

Assignment for Wednesday, April 5

Please listen to the Liszt B minor sonata, if you haven't done so already, and number all the bars in your Dover score. For Wednesday, as a comment to this post, please give a short answer (two or three sentences) about the form of the piece, which is famously controversial. The comment to the video below (Krystian Zimerman's recording) is illuminating, and gives us all a good starting point.


9 comments:

  1. The form of Liszt’s Sonata in B minor is interesting for several reasons. There are no distinct movements, as the material for each of the four “movements” is woven together into one continuous work. What allows this form is that there are several recurring motives that are taken, developed, and altered throughout the piece. While there are changes in key, meter, tempo, and other greater structural elements, the small motives remain throughout simply in different forms to weave what otherwise might be distinct sections into one flowing work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. To me, this piece reminds me of a Theme and Variations, though, much more complex and less rigid in terms of structure. There are several themes that are developed, juxtaposed, and dove-tailed. Overall, it's probably ternary form (it is a sonata after all), and I saw the sections that the youtube comment pointed out, particularly the recap. But the sections are obscured thanks to Liszt's manipulations of the main motives.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This specific sonata form that Liszt has created is a combination of traditional sonata form and the hyper-Romantic technique of extreme motivic development. Instead of the traditional two themes, Liszt uses seven themes (some can argue that there are nine), which interact with each other throughout the entire piece and sometimes are even used to tie the traditional sonata sections together. Along with layering multiple motives on top of an over-arching sonata form, Liszt also superimposes various non-traditional modulations and constrasting styles, such as a surprising slow section in the middle of the piece and a scherzo fugue towards the end. The traditional sonata sections happen within these contrasting moments, which makes it so difficult to tell the exact moment that they begin.

    ReplyDelete
  4. An interesting aspect of this piece that I noticed was the manipulation or the dramatic changes in the motive as it occurs throughout the four movements. I like how the comment it is described as "menacingly violent" to a "beautiful melody". The most impressive factor is Liszt's ability with the context of the piece to change the perception of the same motive throughout each of the four sections of the piece.

    ReplyDelete
  5. While listening to this piece, it seems as though Liszt wrote in the sonata form within each of the sections of a traditional sonata. The exposition felt like it had it's own exposition, development, and recapitulation, as well as the development section and the recapitulation. What also makes this interesting is that he uses many different themes throughout the piece and connects them all through the different sections.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This piece—as the comment and a colleague have mentioned in other words—is very "meta." It is quite evident that there are forms happening within the sections of the overall sonata form. Though the sections have very unclear divisions, by the time they're established, it becomes clear that you're in a new section. The trouble is listening carefully enough, and with enough context to know when you're in the exposition of the exposition, or the development, for instance. With this piece, and specifically with its form(s), it is safe to say that Liszt aimed to create, and succeeded in creating a very detailed, spacious, and complex world of sound.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is a four movement classical sonata piece. Liszt used thematic material in a economical way. The three motives ideas of the first pages are being transformed throughout the piece. The music seems never stop since each movement has no clear gap. It's hard to tell the beginnings and endings of the traditional development and recapitulation sections.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This piece is particularly interesting because although academically it is still technically in sonata form, there seem to be a lot of scholar discrepancy over the fact that the piece is so fluid that it almost seems through-composed (not really, but the fluidity of ideas gives the listener or scholar difficulty differentiating the ideas). In my opinion, it actually sounds like there is a sonata form that is inserted inside of the sonata. For example, there seem to be an exposition, development, and recapitulation all before the end of the piece. It is important to note the fluidity of the ideas and movements which make it difficult to analyze and articulate.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can definitely hear a recapitulation, but I'm not sure where to put the development. I'm not sure I agree with the analysis on the video that the development starts at mm. 331, because that area is quite stable, although it modulates to radically different keys. I would put the development beginning at a more chromatic section, which there are several of. I think the recapitulation starts around mm. 523, with the lead back into it around mm. 453. One thing that remains consistent, though, is his use of motivic themes. It was fun listening for new motives we didn't discuss in class and finding how often they appeared. I think analyzing these lesser-used motives might help determine a more exact form.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.