Various editions of Schubert piano sonatas (with/without completions)have been published since the revival of Schubert's music, the most famous being Paul Mies edition (with completions by Paul Badura-Skoda)-Henle, Martino Tirimo edition-Wiener Urtext, Barenreiter (not recommended for learners), and the strongly recommended Howard Ferguson's edition.
The autograph source of this sonata is lost and therefore, the urtext is based on the sole 1st edition pub.Vienna, 1829. This sonata is dedicated to young pianist Josefine von Koller, and copied by Albert Stadler (a faithful copyist) from the autograph.
Allegro moderato(♩=c.104)
There are an unusual number of widely-spaced chords for each hand in this Sonata. Since at least one of them are too big for most players to stretch (e.g. the r.h. 11th in b.19), there can be little doubt that Schubert intended them to be broken wherever necessary. When playing these arpeggios in the r.h. begin them on the beat, spread them smoothly (but not too slowly), and make the melody-note slightly more prominent than the rest. In the l.h. they should probably begin earlier, in order to make the top note coincide with the beat. Do not worry if this means taking extra time, for that is wholly in keeping with the leisurely mood of the movement.
Bar 1 (& forth) : If the pedal is changed with the harmony the lower r.h. notes need not be held down for their full value. However, bb.10-12 should be senza ped. for the sake of clarity (of the l.h. notes)and the change of colour(mf ->pp)
3 (r.h. beat 4) : As the final E is struck with the 5th finger. move to the 2nd finger (which has just played the B) towards the thumb, so that it is ready to play the E in chord 1 of b.4 (as shown in diagram above)
12. : Any slight rit. in this bar should not include beat 4, which leads into the following bar.
45-47 : Though the dynamic level is lower, the poignant chord 1 of b.46 is more intense than its equivalent in b.43. It may require a little extra space; and b.47 will certainly need a noticeable rit. to round off the exposition.
48-51 : Practise the l.h. by itself, to make sure that there is no slowing down at the end of bb.49 & 51.
55 : Unlike b.12, a rit. would here be out of place, for the music is moving towards a vigorous new idea, instead of returning to a familiar lyrical one.
66 & 72 : l.h. Do not let the 2 lower parts overpower the tenor.
79 : Beat 4 again leads into the following bar.
127 (& forth) : Allow the rests their full value, and do not hurry this touching coda. In b.131 the l.h. is apt to sound unpleasantly thick on a modern piano, unless the top 2 parts are lightened. On some instruments it may even be advisable to omit the middle line altogether.
Andante(♩=c.58, 69 & 80)
In spite of the straightfoward appearance of the movement, several different tempi are needed to match the changing moods of music.
1-14 (♩=c.58) : The tonal emphasis should be concentrated on the r.h. upper line. The l.h.is at present no more than the harmonic background, for it does not double the melody consistently. Its turn comes later (see b.51 & forth)
16-25 : Tenuto touch, combined with discreet pedal, will prevent the l.h. accompaniment from sounding dry.
22 r.h. : The turn is part of the melody, and must not be rushed. Some extra time can be taken at the end of the bar, to underline the curtailing of the phrase and its unexpected repetition.
32 : no rit., for the bar is moving towards.
33 & forth (♩=c.69) : a slightly faster tempo, without which the triplets would not flow.
37-39 r.h. : The dotted quaver with semiquaver rhythms should certainly coincide with the l.h. triplets, and the upper line in b.39 should probably do so; for although the latter's duple rhythm was established in b.7, the pull of the new triplets is irresistible.
40-41 : Poco accel. towards 42 (♩=c.80): the climax of the movement.
44-49 : Though not so marked, these six bars imply a continuous dim. It is wise, therefore, to drop no further than, say, mf at b.44, whence a gradual dim. e rit. leads back to
50 & forth(♩=c.58) :Tempo primo. The l.h. upper line now comes into its own by echoing the melody for four bars. Care must be taken to separate it clearly, but without exaggeration, from the two lower parts.
56, chord 1 : If both hands are spread, they should begin and end their chords simultaneously.
57 : No quieter than p(subito), to allow for the pp in b.58.
70-75, r.h. : A new voice enters for one bar in the top line of b.71, and again for the three final bars.
Allegro(♩=c.80)
1-18 : The playful character of the opening subject is greatly enhanced by the continual interplay between 1st-beat and 2nd-beat accents. For example, in bb.1, 3 & 9 the l.h. stress is on beat 1; yet in these same bars the r.h. has an implied stress on beat 2, following the staccatos. And in bb.4-5, 11-12 & 15-16 the stress in both hands is on beat 2, only to revert to beat 1 in bb.7, 14 & 18 respectively.
21-23 : The fz moves from hand to hand more clearly if there is no accent on the 1st semiquaver of each group.
36-37 : Give the tied chords their exact rhythmic value, so that (a)they match the tied Gs in bb.45-46;(b)their sound has time to disperse before the pp in b.38; and (c) the listener can keep track of the beats.
44-51, l.h. : Lightly detached, with perhaps a very slight touch of pedal on notes 1 & 4 of each bar. Practise the jumps by playing notes 1-2 slowly a number of times, then notes 3-4, then adding the two pairs together; and so on through the whole passage.
56, r.h. notes 6-7 : These two notes, and the similar pair in b.181, have the only fingering found in the Schubert sources.
63, beat 1 : This is the only time the l.h. has to play all six notes. While the final E is being struck by the thumb, fingers 2 & 3 should move slightly to the left, so that they are ready to strike the two middle notes of the following chord.
92-94 : The l.h. upper line takes lead for two bars, to be followed by the r.h. in the 3rd bar.
102, r.h. : Some players may find it comfortable to finger the passage 2/1, 3, 2/1, 3, 2/1, 5, or 2/1, 3, 4/2, 5, 3/2, 5.
121 : No rit. A tiny accent on note 7 will show that the recapitulation has begun.
201, l.h. chord 5 : The lower E is in the 1st edition, although the note was a semitone beyond the compass of Schubert's piano. To omit it would seriously weaken the balance of the passage.
214 : A fraction of extra time can be allowed for this bar; but the final two ff chords should be strictly a tempo.PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ANNOTATIONS ABOVE ARE INTENDED ONLY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
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