CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE

Concerto and Recital Works by , Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, , Sergey Prokofiev, and

A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music in Music, Performance

By

Knarik Petrosyan

May 2018 The graduate project of Knarik Petrosyan is approved:

______Dr. Lorenz Gamma Date

______Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk Date

______Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov, Chair Date

California State University, Northridge ii Table of Contents

Signature Page ii Abstract iv in E minor, BWV 914 by Johann Sebastian Bach 1 Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90 by Ludwig van Beethoven 4 Variations Sériuses in D minor, Op. 54 by Felix Mendelssohn 7 Valée d’Obermann in E minor by Franz Liszt 11 Sonata No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 29 by Sergey Prokofiev 15 Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 by Robert Schumann 19 Bibliography 23 Appendix A: Program I (Solo Recital) 25 Appendix B: Program II (Concerto) 27

iii Abstract

CONCERTO AND RECITAL WORKS BY JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH, LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN, FELIX MENDELSSOHN, FRANZ LISZT, SERGEY PROKOFIEV, AND ROBERT SHUMANN

By

Knarik Petrosyan

Master of Music in Music, Piano Performance

This project is a survey of compositions spanning from the Baroque Period to the 20th century that were performed on my Master’s Degree solo and concerto recitals. The survey provides history and analysis of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, Franz Liszt, , and Robert Schumann.

iv Toccata in E minor, BWV 914 by Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685-1750) compositions represent the high point of . Bach produced masterpieces in almost all genres and forms of the Baroque period combining technical mastery with emotional depth. One of the common forms used by the Baroque composers that Bach largely explored throughout the early period of his life was the toccata. Originating in northern Italy during the late sixteenth century, the toccata was a popular Renaissance form for keyboard and lute that became of significant importance for keyboard and harpsichord throughout the Baroque period.1 Similar to preludes, usually have an improvisatory quality which is reinforced through rhythmic flexibility and elaborate embellishment of the melodic lines. Often through the use of complex polyphonic textures and speedy passages, the toccata form gives an ability to the performer to display his/her virtuosity and technical brilliance: “…the Toccata seems always to have implied a certain amount of brilliance and bravura, and to have made considerable demands on the player’s technique.”2 Bach’s seven keyboard toccatas were written during his Weimar (1708-17) and early Cöthen (1717-23) periods: “Recent chronology would suggest that the earliest of these works, BWV 913-5, date from before 1708, the latest, BWV 916, from around 1719.”3 Probably because these pieces are among Bach’s earliest compositions, his seven toccatas have been quite underrated in comparison to his other works for keyboard and often neglected by eminent performers. As Maitland states, “If I were asked why these beautiful Toccatas are so sedulously ignored by

1 Jean Ferris, Music: The Art of Listening, 7th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008), p.140. 2 J. A Fuller Maitland, “The Toccatas of Bach,” Sammelbände der Internationalen Musikgesellschaft, 14. Jahrg. H. 4 (1913): 578-582; see p. 579. 3Richard Abrman, “Toccatas in C minor (BWV 911), D Minor (913), E minor (914), G Minor (915) and G Major (916) by Johann Sebastian Bach and Trevor Pinnock,” Early Music 8 No. 2, Keboard Issue 2 (1980): 261-262; see p. 262.

1 pianists, I should be obliged that I have no idea at all. They are grateful, and in their way very showy, but for years together no pianist inserted even one in his programme, though nearly all the eminent performers play and delight in transcriptions of the organ Toccatas.”4 The Toccata in E minor, BWV 914, is probably the earliest among Bach’s keyboard toccatas. The exact date of the composition is unknown, but according to Bach’s biographer Phillip Spitta, it was composed during the Weimar period when Bach was in his 20s, at around 1708.5 The E minor Toccata is a great example that displays the development of Bach’s compositional style. This toccata consists of four movements. The opening movement is a brief prelude-like introduction with an improvisatory quality that is reminiscent of some of Bach’s later organ works, such as Toccata and in D, BWV 565. In contrast to the opening sections of the other six keyboard toccatas, all of which start with rapid bravura passages to display the performer’s technical abilities, this section is comparatively understated. It starts with rather solemn statements in the bass in contrast with the upper voices. The abundant use of dissonant harmonies and semitones expresses deep mourning and grief. The opening section leads to a double fugue for four voices with strict counterpoint, marked Un poco Allegro. In contrast to the opening section, the second movement has a dance-like character. It is highly chromatic and harmonically unstable throughout. The thoughtful double fugue is brief, but it displays “a characteristic blend of skill and expressiveness.”6 The two subjects are presented together at the beginning, and they work together throughout the movement, which creates a very alluring effect. The subject in the tenor voice in m.1 has a more leading character and feels more dominant due to its lively syncopated rhythm, thus making the other subject in the alto voice appear as a counter-subject. The third movement is a fantasia-like Adagio written over a descending bass line, which is

4Maitland, p. 581. 5 Maitland, p. 580. 6 Harvey Grace, “The Clavier Works of Bach: The Toccatas,” The Musical Times 68 No.1009 (1927): 220-223; see p.220.

2 also reminiscent of a recitative. This movement acts as a bridge between the fugato section and the last fugue movement, which creates a big contrast with the two due to its meditative character. It is highly improvisatory, full of scalar passages, , and excessive embellishments that should be performed with rhythmic flexibility. The final movement, Allegro, is a fast and brilliant three-voice fugue with an extended subject in a perpetual motion. The four-bar subject contains elements of Italian violin style that should not be played very legato. The main subject is first introduced in the alto voice in the tonic key of E minor, and then in the soprano voice in the dominant key; the third time the subject appears again in the tonic key, but this time it is an octave lower. The subsequent episodes are based on the development of the main subject. This fugue is a great representation of one of Bach’s most commonly used compositional techniques in which he elaborates a single melodic idea in a composition and creates unity through a constant rhythmic drive.

3 Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90 by Ludwig van Beethoven

German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is undoubtedly one of the highest musical geniuses of all time. He unfolded “new realms of musical expression and profoundly influenced composers throughout the nineteenth century.” 7 His particular ability to blend various compositional styles and methods is quite unique and remarkable. Beethoven’s most beloved instrument, the piano, inspired him to compose one of the greatest collections in music, the Thirty-Two Piano Sonatas. According to Kastner, among all of Beethoven’s compositions, “the thirty-two piano sonatas represent the most personal side of his genius. Throughout the whole of his life, Beethoven confided to the piano his most secret thoughts and made it the interpreter of his visions.” 8 Beethoven’s sonatas are divided into three groups that follow the course of Beethoven’s deafness and subsequent stylistic transformations: “the first group reflected rules established by Haydn and Mozart; the second group showed the fully developed drama of his maturity; the last exhibited the rare beauty and detachment of spiritual isolation.”9 The Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90 was composed during Beethoven’s late Middle period, in August of 1814, while he was in Vienna. This was the first piano sonata Beethoven composed after a five-year break in writing sonatas for piano.10 Beethoven dedicated this sonata to his close friend and patron, Count Moritz Lichnowsky. Unlike most of Beethoven’s piano sonatas that are cast in three or four movements, this sonata is composed of two movements. Instead of the traditional Italian tempo markings, Beethoven used, for the first time, German headings for each

7 Roger, Kamien, Music Appreciation, 6th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008), p. 193. 8 Rudolf Kastner, Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas (Berlin: AFA-Verlag, 1935), p. 4, quoted in Stefan L. Treber, “A Schenkerian Analysis of Beethoven’s E Minor Piano Sonata, Opus 90,” M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 2010, p. 1-2. 9 Patricia Fallows-Hamond, Three Hundred Years at the Keyboard (California: Ross Books, 1984), p. 64. 10 Beethoven’s previous Piano Sonata in E-flat Major, No. 26, Op. 81a, known as “Les Adieux,” was composed almost five years before the Op. 90.

4 movement that provide performance instructions and convey the character of each movement: the first movement is marked Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck (“With liveliness and throughout with feeling and expression”), and the second movement is marked Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen (“Not too quickly and to be performed in a very singing manner”). According to Beethoven’s biographer and friend Anton

Schindler, Beethoven was initially intended to title the two movements “A Struggle Between Head and Heart” and “Conversation with the Beloved,” the latter referring to Count Lichnowsky’s love affair with a woman he was going to marry.11

The first movement, in E minor, is written in a classical sonata-allegro form, in which the exposition is not repeated. The scholar and pianist Charles Rosen characterizes this movement as

“ ‘despairing and impassioned, laconic almost to the point of reticence.’ ”12 The character of the music is very erratic and unpredictable throughout the movement; the music constantly alternates between rapid, impulsive gestures and lyrical, gentle passages. It indeed resembles a “struggle between head and heart,” as Beethoven initially intended to title this movement. The first theme of the exposition, which consists of three sections, begins with muscular and dramatic chords that are answered by more subdued material. It resembles a dialogue between a male and a female, despair and hope, anger and compassion. After the first theme cadences on the E minor chord, the harmony suddenly shifts to a dominant seventh in m.24. This new section, which is based on downward moving scales followed by repeated chordal passages, acts as a bridge between the first and second subjects. Through the use of interesting enharmonic and semitonal

11 George Grove, Beethoven and his Nine Symphonies (Cambridge University Press, 2014), p. 314. 12 Charles Rosen, The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (New York: 1997), quoted in Lewis Lockwood, Beethoven: The Music and the Life (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003), p.342.

5 modulations, the bridge leads to the second subject in B minor, which is based on the G-F# semitone slip accompanied by broken chords in the left hand. The development section, which consists of two sections, begins softly on a single note of B, which is derived from the preceding B minor chord. The first half of the development is almost entirely based on the opening motif of the first theme, although the accompaniment in repeated notes and chords is derived from the transitional section that leads to the second subject. The second half of the development is entirely based on the lyrical melody drawn from the second group of the first subject, which is dramatized through the use of sforzandi in the left hand accompanied by broken chords in the right hand. The development is followed by a short canonic passage that leads to the recapitulation, where all the subjects are stated in the tonic key of E minor. The movement ends quietly on the E minor chord with a tragic statement taken from the opening theme. The second movement is in a sonata-rondo form consisting of seven sections: ABACAB’A’. According to Lockwood, this movement, which is perhaps Beethoven’s “longest singing rondo, reveals his renewed capacity for sustained emotional intimacy.”13 Written in the key of E major , it drastically contrasts with the first movement with its peaceful character. The principal theme is based on a lyrical, cantabile melody; its peaceful, unhurried, and singing quality is very reminiscent of Schubert’s style. Throughout the movement, the principal theme alternates with contrasting episodes that employ transient minor modes and also some polyphonic textures. The sonata ends very peacefully in the tonic key of E Major.

13 Lewis Lockwood, Beethoven: The Music and the Life (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003), p.343.

6 Variations Sérieuses in D minor, Op. 54 by Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) is one of the most outstanding figures in the music of the Romantic era. He is a romantic whose music is embedded in classicism. Mendelssohn’s style is distinguished by beauty, grace, and clarity of presentation. His music “radiates the elegance and balance of his personality; it evokes many moods but avoids emotional extremes.”14 Throughout his lifetime, he extensively composed in all the existing forms of his day except . Being one of the greatest pianists of his time, Mendelssohn’s piano compositions are regarded as some of the most essential keyboard repertoire of the Romantic period. One of his most notable and frequently performed piano compositions is his Variations Sérieuses in D minor, Op. 54. As Eric Werner suggests, the Variations Sérieuses, “by their excellence, stand on a lonely height above Mendelssohn’s other piano compositions.”15 This composition has a significant role in the development of the nineteenth century variation form standing along with such masterpieces as Beethoven’s 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C Minor, WoO 80, Brahms’s Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, and Schumann’s Études Symphoniques, Op. 13. The Variations Sérieuses in D minor were composed in the summer of 1841 as part of a campaign to raise funds for the construction of a large bronze statue of Ludwig van Beethoven in his hometown of Bonn. Viennese publisher Pietro Mechetti asked Mendelssohn to contribute to an “Album-Beethoven” that also included compositions by Liszt, Chopin, Moscheles, Czerny, and other composers and pianists. 16 In fact, until then, Mendelssohn had continually avoided writing variations for piano; evidently, he aimed on purpose to compose a set of piano

14 Kamien, p. 240. 15 Erich Werner, Mendelssohn (London: Collier-Macmillan, 1936), p. 360, quoted in Patricia Fallows-Hammond, Three Hundred Years at the Keyboard (California: Ross Books, 1984), p. 107. 16Glenn Stanley, “The Music for Keyboard,” The Cambridge Companion to Mendelssohn, Edited by Mercer-Taylor (Cambrige: Cambridge University Press, 2004), p. 160.

7 variations for the “Album-Beethoven,” which is documented in the letter he wrote to his friend

Karl Klingemann on July 15 of 1841:

“ ‘Do you know what I have been doing so passionately for the last few weeks? -variations for piano. Eighteen of them at one go, on a theme in D minor; and they gave me such a divine pleasure that I immediately wrote a new set on a theme in E flat major, and am now working on a third on a theme in B flat. I almost feel as if I have to make amends for not having written variations before.’ ” 17

After several revisions, the Variations Sérieuses were eventually published as a set of seventeen variations in 1842, and the money raised for it went to the construction of Beethoven’s monument.

Mendelssohn consciously opposed the seriousness of his piano music to the superficial brilliance of modern virtuosity, which he clearly reflected in the title of his D minor Variations.

In contrast to the “brilliant” variations, which often lacked musical expression and became fashionable during the mid-nineteenth century as a form to display one’s mere virtuosic abilities,

Mendelssohn wrote “serious” variations. In his D minor Variations, Mendelssohn avoids any external effects. Although many of the variations require virtuoso technique, thus giving the performer an opportunity to display his/her technical abilities, Mendelssohn’s use of various virtuoso pianistic techniques and textures is due to the deep content of the musical images and characters. As Stanley notes, “none of the brilliant variations parades as an end in itself; like the coda, they all remain serious.”18

As typical to his style, Mendelssohn uses traditional variation form in which he

17 Mendelssohn to Karl Klingemann, letter of 15 July 1841, quoted in Michael Kube, “Preface,” Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Variations Sérieuses Op. 54 (Austria: Winener Urtext Edition, 2012), p. vii. 18 Stanley, p. 163.

8 encompassed romantic content. The theme is written in a traditional binary form without the repeats, where each half consists of eight measures. Most of the variations maintain the symmetrical 16-measure structure of the theme, except Variations 9, 13, and 17. That is,

Variations 9 and 13, both of which are composed of 20 measures, are expanded through the repetition of slightly altered last four measures, while Variation 17 is developed into a long Coda

(“Presto”). Additionally, some variations may be grouped together due to their continuous nature or use of similar textures and melodic materials. For example, Variations 1-4, Variations 6-7,

Variations11-12, Variations 16-17+coda are connected together by elisions; Variations 8-9 have common textures and motivic material both sharing sixteen note triplets in perpetual motion.

The diversity of moods found in the variations is impeccable, which Mendelssohn achieved by employing diverse compositional techniques from different eras of music. For instance, the eloquent “Andante sostenuto” theme, where harmonies are drawn from the chromatic voice leadings and crossbar suspensions, uses four-part polyphonic texture common to the Baroque era. Other Baroque compositional techniques, such as counterpoint, imitation, canon, and fugue are used in Variations 1, 2, 4, 10. Moreover, Variation14 is a slow chorale, which is distinguished from other variations by its coloristic switch to the parallel key of D major, the only variation in a major key. Variation 5, marked Agitato, uses chordal writing, where eight- note chords quickly alternate between the right hand and left hand promoting to the agitated spirit of the variation. As characteristics of the Romantics, in Variations 7-9, Variations 16-17, and the climactic coda, Mendelssohn utilizes rapid flashy passages and virtuoso arpeggios as means of building up emotional intensity. Although the melodic-harmonic scheme of the original theme is the basis of the development of each variation, the theme is periodically

9 subjected to considerable transformations, such as in Variations 3, 4, 10, 11, etc., that makes some variations seem as stand-alone pieces. As a common technique used by Romantic composers, Mendelssohn “often aimed for a coloristic dissolution of the theme, making its melodic and rhythmic contours more fluent;” nonetheless, Mendelssohn achieved a strong sense of unity and continuity throughout the entire composition.19

19 George Kochevitsky, “A Discussion of Mendelssohn’s Variations Sérieuses,” Clavier, 22/3 (March 1983): 26-30, see p. 27.

10 Vallée d’Obermann in E minor from Années de Pèlerinage, Première Année: Suisse by Franz Liszt

A Hungarian composer, conductor, and virtuoso pianist, Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was undeniably one of the most influential musicians of the nineteenth century, whose musical style is distinguished by its power and originality. Throughout his lifetime, Liszt extensively explored the ways to free compositional form from its connection to classical structures; he surpassed the advancing musical ideas of the Romantic period by “ingenious combinations unique to his own style—the lyricism of Italian cantilena, Mendelssohnian lightness and playfulness, the violence of unrestrained orchestral sound, and nationalist rhythmic drive.”20As the greatest piano virtuoso of his time, Liszt intensively explored every aspect of the piano, pushing piano technique to the limits of physical probability. Liszt’s virtuoso and brilliant piano style was heavily influenced by the virtuoso violinist of his time, Niccolò Paganini. Throughout his lifetime, Liszt wrote a large amount of program music and character pieces, most of which have descriptive titles often inspired by literature and nature. Like other

Romantics, Liszt often combined his program pieces into cycles or compilations, such as

“Consolations,” “Hungarian historical portraits,” “The Christmas Tree,” “Poetic and Religious

Harmonies,” and others. The most famous and substantial cycle Liszt composed was the Années de Pèlerinage (“Years of Pilgrimage”), which encompasses almost every aspect of his compositional style. “Inspired by nature, literature, and works of art, this cycle of three sets for solo piano is an important aspect of Liszt’s overall output as a composer.” 21 Liszt worked on the overall cycle for almost 40 years, several times revising individual pieces: the first pieces arose

20 Fallows-Hamond, p. 145. 21 Julie Kang Harvey, “A DMA Recording Project Accompanied by an Essay on Liszt’s Années de Pèlerinage,” D.M.A. thesis (University of Georgia, 2013), p. 1.

11 in the early 1830s, the last - in the late 1870s. The history of the cycle is associated with the great journey that Liszt carried out together with Countess Marie d’ Agoult 22 in Switzerland and Italy in the second half of the 1830s. Liszt embodied his impressions of Switzerland in the cycle Album d’un Voyageur (“Album of a Traveler”), in which most of the pieces were composed in 1835-1836 23. Later, many of the pieces from the Album d’un Voyageur were reworked and compiled into the first book of the “Years of Pilgrimage” --Années de Pèlerinage,

Première Année: Suisse, the final version of which was published in 1855.

The title Années de Pèlerinage was inspired by Lord Byron's narrative poem, “Childe

Harold’s Pilgrimage,” from which the epigraphs of most of the pieces of Première Année: Suisse

(“The First Year: Sitzerland”) are borrowed. These epigraphs that supplement and deepen the program headings help to reveal the poetic meaning of those impressions of the Swiss nature, with which nine pieces of the cycle were born. Liszt sought to make his musical idea as clear as possible and understandable to the widest circle of listeners. The nine pieces of the Années de

Pèlerinage, Première Année: Suisse are 1.Chapelle de Guillaume Tell; 2. Au lac de Wallenstadt;

3. Pastorale; 4. Au bord d'une source ; 5. Orage; 6. Vallée d'Obermann,; 7. Eglogue; 8. Le mal du pays; 9. Les cloches de Genève: Nocturne.

The most large-scale piece of the Première Année: Suisse is the Vallée d'Obermann, which occupies a central place in the cycle. Vallée d'Obermann, probably the deepest and most touching piece of the cycle, was inspired by two 19th century works of literature-- Étienne Pivert de Sénancour’s French novel, “Obermann,” and Lord Byron’s English poem, “Childe Harold’s

22 Countess Marie d’ Agoult was better known by her literary name, Daniel Stern, and she was a friend of Frederic Chopin and George Sand. 23 Harvey, p. 2.

12 Pilgrimage.” The two excerpts from this novel and the verse from the “Childe Harold’s

Pilgrimage,” taken as an epigraph, depict the contradictory inner world of the nineteenth century young man, his eternal doubts, hesitations, and passionate impulses. As Bora Lee notes, “the music reflects each work’s emotional quality—the despondent protagonist of the former, and the hopeful, searching protagonist of the latter.”24

Vallée d'Obermann resembles one of the finest examples of the compositional technique of thematic transformation, which was “one of Liszt’s most influential advances in European music of the Romantic period.”25 The entire piece is built on the free alternation of four contrasting sections (A-B-C-D ), each of which consists of smaller subsections. Each section is based on the thematic transformation of the main theme, which is a syncopated descending scalar passage introduced at the beginning of the section A (Lento Assai). In the first section, this theme sounds elegant and mournful and resembles the sad monologue of the hero. It has a pronounced cello coloration and is based on descending seconds. In terms of tonality, it is very unstable: first it modulates from E minor to G minor, and in the second section, it modulates from G minor to B minor. Further, the initial phrase is extracted from the main theme and is intensively developed and complicated throughout the piece harmonically, rhythmically, and texturally. The music of the second section, marked Un poco di moto ma sempre lento, embodies the hero's lofty dreams. The main melody of this section is based on the augmentation of the descending syncopated motif of the main theme . The theme appears in the fragile upper register of the piano, in C major, played gently and lightly and sounding more distant. Then the music becomes more and more agitated, followed by a declamatory descending passage that leads to the third section, marked Recitativo. In this section, which is in E minor, the intonations of the main theme dissolve in violent passages against the background of vibrating tremolos that resemble

24 Bora Lee, “Franz Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann from the Années de Pèlerinage, Première Année, Suisse: A Poetic Performance Guide,” D.M.A. thesis (University of Cincinnati, 2013), p. 17. 25 Lee, p. 23.

13 life storms. The last section (Lento) in E major, is very similar to the second section, where the descending syncopated motif is subjected to another thematic transformation. The texture in this section consists of four voices, where the melody in the upper voice is accompanied by sisxteenth-note triplets in the middle voice. As the section develops, the main theme is continually repeated, and each time the music becomes more and more agitated, passionate, and enthusiastic, but at the moment of the higher culmination, the exuberance suddenly breaks off. The piece ends with a tragic speech-like descending passage, which derives from the opening theme and embodies the hero’s unanswered questions.

14 Sonata No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 29 by Sergey Prokofiev

One of the most prominent 20th century Russian composers, Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953), who was also a conductor and pianist, was regarded as “a member of the avant garde.” His musical legacy includes piano compositions, symphonies, , ballets, and film music, in which Prokofiev fused “sharp wit and dramatic incisiveness with innate lyricism.” 26 Prokofiev’s piano style is very unique, which “adds Lisztian virtuosity to the particular percussiveness pioneered by Bartok and Stravinsky.”27 Prokofiev’s five piano concertos and nine piano sonatas belong to some of the most essential 20th century repertoire. Sonata No. 4 in C Minor, one of Prokofiev’s most beloved compositions, is the final link in the group of sonatas of the early period that closes the series of sonatas composed before he left Russia. The fourth sonata was composed in 1917, although the material is obtained from his student years when he studied at St. Petersburg Conservatory.28 In April of 1917 Prokofiev wrote in his diary the following: “ ‘I was busy reworking a string suite into the Sonata No.4. … I was looking for a new Andante for it: I used to have such an Andante among my works for the musical forms class, but could not find the lost manuscript. … I rejoiced when I remembered about the Andante from the E-minor Symphony, which would work excellently on the piano as well…’ ”29

Prokofiev dedicated the C minor sonata to his close friend, Maximilian Schmidthof, whose suicide, committed in 1913, shocked and dispirited the composer. It was first performed by

26 Fallows-Hammond, p. 273. 27 Ibid, p. 273 28 The first version of this sonata was composed in 1908. 29 Sergei Prokofiev, Diary, 1907-1918 (Paris: Serge Prokofiev Foundation, 2002), p. 648, quoted in Boris Berman, Prokofiev’s Piano Sonatas: A Guide for the Listener and the Performer ( New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2008), p. 84.

15 Prokofiev himself in Petrograd on April 17, 1918 and was published the same year by the publishing house A. Gutheil.30 The sonata consists of three movements: I. Allegro molto sostenuto; II. Andante assai; III. Allegro con brio, ma non leggiero. As can be seen from Prokofiev’s diary-note, the central second movement derives from his Symphony in E minor, while the first and third movements are revisions of the first and last movements of his youthful Fifth sonata composed in 1908.31 Some elements of Prokofiev’s compositional language found throughout the entire sonata include use of strongly diatonic melodies, complex harmonies, and polyphonic textures. The first movement, Allegro molto sostenuto, has a very unique character; its expressive use of various piano registers and its melodic and harmonic language connect this movement with “the Russian tradition of musical fairy tales, especially with the dark, spooky variety.” 32As typical of Prokofiev, who mostly used traditional forms for his compositions, the first movement is written in the traditional sonata-allegro form. The lyrical, mysterious, and gloomy first theme of the exposition is introduced in the dark and low register of the piano. It is followed by the bridge section, the main melody of which sounds wistful and disturbed. Dramatic tension of this melody is increased through the use of sforzando remarks. The second theme combines the contrasting characters of the first theme and the theme from the bridge section. Here, the chromatically crawling bass line in the low register (marked ill basso pesante), which carries the spooky and mysterious mood of the first theme, is contrasted by the narrative nature of the melody in the upper voice; “it’s expressive octave leaps mirror the ascending exclamations of the preceding bridge section.”33 In the short development, the first and second themes of the expositions are treated polyphonically, where the two themes are developed simultaneously. In the recapitulation, the character of the music becomes more intimate and penetrating. Here, the musical narrative is even more associated with distant memories. The second theme, marked

30 Berman, p. 84. 31 This should not to be confused with the mature Sonata No. 5, in C major, Op. 38. 32 Berman, p. 85. 33 Berman, p. 86.

16 tranquillo, sounds more sublime and transparent than in the exposition. The coda concludes the first movement very decisively and courageously.

The meditative second movement, Andante assai, has a very complex structure: it combines “aspects of variations with a ternary (ABA) form and the sonata form without a development.”34 The first part consists of the main theme and two variations in A minor and G- sharp minor, the middle section is based on a new theme in C major, and the third part consists of the two variations in G-sharp minor and A minor, the latter of which can be viewed as a dynamic recapitulation as the main tonality of the A minor is restored. The main theme of the first section is based on the ascending melodic line accompanied by repeated thirds in the low register that establish the gloomy and serious mood of this section. The main theme is followed by two variations. In the first variation, the main melody is enhanced by a sixteen-note accompaniment in the middle register. Here the main theme appears in different voices. In the second variation, where tonality shifts from A minor to G-sharp minor, the main theme and its inversion sound simultaneously. The majestic, somber, chromatic first theme is contrasted with the gentle, lyrical, and transparent C major theme of the middle section, which is presented in a high register and uses only the white keys of the piano. The middle section is followed by a more animated version of the second variation from the first section, where the inverted main theme is played an octave higher. In the concluding variation, which acts as a coda, the main theme and the C major theme from the middle section are presented together. Here, the C major theme sounds even more transparent in combination with the first theme in the bass.

The final movement, Allegro con brio, ma non leggiero, is in ternary (ABA’) form that ends

34 Berman, p. 88.

17 with a coda. In the first section, the music is impetuous, resilient and triumphant. It begins with an upward moving brilliant run that creates a glissando effect. The run ends on the climactic note of C, from which the main theme of the finale is derived. The main theme, written in C major, is very energetic and joyful, played against the background of seething sixteenth-note accompaniment. The main theme is followed by a tense and highly chromatic bridge section that links the first theme to the second theme of the A section. The nature of the chromatic second theme is perturbing and mysterious. The contrasting middle section presents a new lyrical theme, which has a completely different character. The texture in this section has orchestral qualities. As Berman notes, “this is a precursor to Prokofiev’s lyrical Ballet music, such as found in The or Romeo and Juliet.”35 The third section begins with the repetition of the first theme, which sounds somewhat new. This time it’s played pianissimo and in a higher register. The second theme is also modified in the recapitulation. Now the second theme sounds more expressive, which brings it closer to the character of the main theme. This time it is played forte, and the melody appears in the lower voice unlike in the exposition. In the coda, the final repetition of the main theme is spectacular, brilliant, and impressive, which concludes the piece with triumphant chords in C major.

35 Berman, p. 91.

18 Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 by Robert Schumann

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) is one of the most outstanding Romantic composers in the first half of the 19th century and is distinguished by his unique musical style. As a composer,

Schumann expanded the boundaries of musical art showing that it is capable of portraying poetic characters and images of the external world, and conveying a complex range of human experiences with astounding delicacy and depth. In search of new expressive possibilities of the musical language, Schumann unfolded new musical genres and forms, melodic intonations, harmonic sequences, new textures and rhythms that gave the concept of the “Schumann style.” His musical legacy includes many works for solo piano, a piano concerto, chamber compositions, six symphonies, concertos for violin, cello, choral works, art songs, and an opera.

Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54, the flower and culmination of his long list of piano works, is one of the most popular and essential works in the romantic concerto literature. Although this is Schumann’s only concerto for piano, between 1827 and 1831 he attempted to write a piano concerto at least four times, but “they were nothing more than initial attempts;” 36 those concertos had never been completed. Schumann’s A minor Concerto actually started as a Phantasie for Piano and that he composed in 1841. His wife, Clara

Schumann, who was considered as one of the greatest pianists of her time, urged Schumann to expand this work into a full piano concerto. In 1845 Schumann added an intermezzo and a finale to the Phantasie for Piano and Orchestra to complete the A minor Concerto.37 The concerto was

36 Peter Jost, “Preface,” Robert Schumann, Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 (Munich: G. Henle Verlag, 2010), p. iv. 37 Donald Sanders, Experiencing Schumann: A Listener’s Companion (New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 20160, p. 20.

19 first premiered in December of the same year in Dresden with Cara Schumann as a soloist and the concertmaster Ferdinand David Hiller, to whom the concerto was dedicated, conducting the

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.38

While the concerto genre arose as an embodiment of virtuosity-- a competition between soloist and an orchestra that accentuates the virtuosic abilities of the soloist, for Schumann, the expression of feelings and emotions were more important than superficial virtuosity, which is embodied in all three movements of his Piano Concerto. Although this concerto consists of three movements, there is no break between the slow second movement and the finale, and in fact,

Schumann preferred that the last two movements are listed together as one in concert programs.

The first movement, Allegro affetuoso, is written in sonata-allegro form. The movement starts with a powerful attack by strings and timpani, followed by a bold and fierce descending passage played by the piano that features massive chords in dotted rhythm. This three-measure bold statement leads to the lyrical, soulful, and intimate first theme of the exposition in the tonic key of A minor, which is first introduced by the orchestra (mm.4-11) and then played by the piano (mm.12-19). The noble and spacious first theme is followed by an extended transitional passage (mm.19-58), where the lyrical descending melody played by violins is accompanied by quiet broken chord figures in the piano. This transitional section leads to the second theme in m.59 played by the solo piano, which is actually a partial restatement of the first theme in the relative key of C major. As the solo concludes its restatement of the main theme, the whole note played by the cellos soothes and prepares the subsequent Animato section starting at m.67. Here,

38 Sanders, p. 120.

20 the clarinet's statement, which starts with the first eight notes of the main theme, is accompanied by rapid passages in the piano. The closing section starts at m.112 with the piano playing a graceful and quiet melody in C major that is derived from the first theme. The triumphant orchestral tutti leads to the climax in m.134, and the tension starts decreasing in m.150, which quietly ends the exposition, and the development begins. The development section (mm.156-259) consists of three subsections- Andante espressivo, Allegro Tempo I, and

Più Animato, where the main theme undergoes various thematic transformations. The recapitulation (mm.259-393) begins with the restatement of the primary thematic material in the tonic key of A minor, while the secondary and closing themes are restated in the parallel A major. The (mm. 402-457) resembles a rich, lyrical improvisation based on a four-part imitation of a scalar melody, which evolves and elaborates the mood of the entire movement.

The extended energetic coda (m. 458-544), based on the first motive of the main theme, resembles a quick march. Marked Allegro molto, the coda leads the movement to an exhilarating conclusion, ending it with powerful sforzando chords played in unison by the piano and the orchestra.

The second movement (Andantino grazioso) is a sweet, song-like Intermezzo written in ternary (ABA) form. The A section (mm. 1-28), which itself consists of three parts (aba’), begins with a graceful theme in F major derived from the opening motive of the principal theme of the first movement. This theme resembles an intimate dialogue between the piano and the orchestra. The B section (mm. 29-68) starts in the dominant key of C major. It presents an elegant cello theme responded by little outbursts in the piano. The second A section is from measure 68 to 102. The abbreviated return to the A section (m. 68-102) leads to the coda in m.103, which acts

21 as a transition to the last movement. From this point on, the tempo begins to accelerate, and the second movement rolls into the vibrant finale without a pause. The third movement, Allegro vivace, is written in rondo form (ABA’CABA’+ coda) in A major, where Schumann expanded the traditional form. More accurately, the form of this movement can be labeled as sonata-rondo, but as Sanders notes, “even that hybrid label hardly does it justice. There is considerable development and movement through the foreign keys. In addition, the reprises of section A are not all in the tonic key as in the classical rondo.”39 The principal theme of the exposition derives from the main theme of the second movement, which in turn, is based on the principal theme of the first movement. Thus, we can say, that the entire concerto is based on the thematic transformation and variation of a single theme. Additionally, the mood of the third movement is very festive, and Schumann's favorite atmosphere of carnival is present. Although the movement is written in 3/4, the time signature feels obscure due to rhythmic manipulations that Schumann employs. For instance, Schumann creates a rhythmic ambiguity through the use of cross rhythms in the secondary theme (m. 81) of the exposition.

That is, “every two measure of three quarter-note beats each are combined into one measure of three half-note beats that are twice as long.”40 This is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing and fascinating rhythmic experiments of the entire concerto.

39 Sanders, p. 123. 40 Sanders, p. 123,

22 Bibliography

Abrman, Richard. “Toccatas in C minor (BWV 911), D Minor (913), E minor (914), G Minor (915) and G Major (916) by Johann Sebastian Bach and Trevor Pinnock.” Early Music 8 No. 2, Keboard Issue 2 (1980): 261-262.

Berman, Boris. Prokofiev’s Piano Sonatas: A Guide for the Listener and the Performer. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2008.

Fallows-Hamond, Patricia. Three Hundred Years at the Keyboard. California: Ross Books, 1984.

Ferris, Jean. Music: The Art of Listening. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.

Grace, Harvey. “The Clavier Works of Bach: The Toccatas.” The Musical Times 68 No.1009 (1927): 220-223.

Grove, George. Beethoven and his Nine Symphonies. Cambridge University Press, 2014. Harvey, Julie Kang. “A DMA Recording Project Accompanied by an Essay on Liszt’s Années de Pèlerinage.” D.M.A. thesis, University of Georgia, 2013. < https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/ harvey_julie_k_201308_dma.pdf>.

Jost, Peter. “Preface.” Robert Schumann. Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54. Munich: G. Henle Verlag, 2010.

Kamien, Roger. Music Appreciation. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.

Kochevitsky, George. “A Discussion of Mendelssohn’s Variations Sérieuses.” Clavier, 22/3 (March 1983): 26-30.

Kube, Michael. “Preface.” Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Variations Sérieuses Op. 54. Austria: Winener Urtext Edition, 2012.

Lee, Bora. “Franz Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann from the Années de Pèlerinage, Première Année, Suisse: A Poetic Performance Guide.” D.M.A. thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2013. < https://etd.ohiolink.edu/rws_etd/document/get/ucin1377868661/inline>.

Lockwood, Lewis. Beethoven: The Music and the Life. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2003.

Maitland, J. A Fuller. “The Toccatas of Bach.” Sammelbände der Internationalen Musikgesellschaft 14. Jahrg. H. 4 (1913): 578-582.

23 Sanders, Donald. Experiencing Schumann: A Listener’s Companion. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016.

Stanley, Glenn. “The Music for Keyboard.” The Cambridge Companion to Mendelssohn. Edited by Mercer-Taylor. Cambrige: Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Treber, Stefan L. “A Schenkerian Analysis of Beethoven’s E Minor Piano Sonata, Opus 90.” M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 2010. .

.

24 Appendix A: Program I (Solo Recital) California State University, Northridge Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication Department of Music Present

KNARIK PETROSYAN in her Master of Music Solo Recital

A student of Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov

Sunday, February 18th, 2018, 7:30 pm Music Recital Hall

In partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree in Piano Performance

PROGRAM

Toccata in E minor, BWV 914………………..Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90…………….Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) I. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und derhaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen

Variations Sériuses in D minor, Op. 54………….Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

25 Intermission

Vallée d’Obermann in E minor…….……………………..Franz Liszt Années de Pèlerinage, book 1, Switzerland (1811-1886)

Sonata No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 29………...…...... Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953) I. Allegro molto sostenuto II. Andante assai III. Allegro con brio, ma non leggiero

26 Appendix B: Program II (Concerto Recital) California State University, Northridge Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication Department of Music Present

KNARIK PETROSYAN in her Master of Music Concerto Recital

A student of Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov Narek Torosyan, second piano

Sunday, December 11th, 2016, 4:00 pm Music Recital Hall

In partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree in Piano Performance

PROGRAM

Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54……………….Robert Schumann (1810-1856) I. Allegro Affetuoso II. Intermezzo II. Allegro Vivace

27