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Innovations in the Construction of the Pianoforte from Mozart to Debussy and the Resulting Influences on Piano Style

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Innovations in the Construction of the Pianoforte from Mozart to Debussy and the Resulting Influences on Piano Style University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1966 Innovations in the construction of the pianoforte from Mozart to Debussy and the resulting influences on piano style Elizabeth Ann Loeffler The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Loeffler, Elizabeth Ann, "Innovations in the construction of the pianoforte from Mozart to Debussy and the resulting influences on piano style" (1966). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 2709. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/2709 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE INNOVATIONS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PIANOFORTE FROM MOZART TO DEBUSSY AND THE RESULTING INFLUENCES ON PIANO STYLE By ELIZABETH ANN LOEFFLER B. A. U niversity of Montana, 1965 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of M aster of A rts UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1966 Approved by: .ûyCLiJ,4,'Lay Chairman, Board of Examin w Deqçï, Graduate School JUN 6 1966 Date UMI Number: EP35318 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT UMI EP35318 Published by ProQuest LLO (2012). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLO. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLO. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 - 1346 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF PLATES ..................................................................... iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................... iv LIST OF EXAMPLES .............................................................................. v Chapter I, THE PROBLEM ............................................................................ 1 The Problem ................................................................................... 1 Statement of theproblem .................................................... 1 Basic assumptions and justification of the s t u d y ............................................................................ 2 Delimitations ofthe p ro b le m........................................ 2 Methodology................................................................................... 2 P r o c e d u r e ............................................................................ 2 II. THE PRE-MOZARTIAN PI A N O F O R T E .................................. 4 III. THE PIANOFORTE OF MOZART'S GENERATION . 15 IV. THE PIANOFORTE OF BEETHOVEN'S GENERATION ............................................................................ 32 V. THE PIANOFORTE OF THE ROMANTIC GENERATIONS............................................................................ 45 VI. THE PIANOFORTE OF DEBUSSY'S GENERATION: A SUMMATION............................................................................ 66 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................. 73 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................ 78 -ii- LIST OF PLATES Plate Page I. English Pianoforte and Italian Pianoforte.......................... 14 11. Early Pianofortes............................................................................ 66 -111- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page I. Cristofori's Action............................................................................. 5 II. C ristofori's Action, 1726 7 III. English Single A c tio n....................................................................... 11 IV. Stein's G erm an A c t i o n ................................................................ 18 V. Broadwood Grand Action, 1795 ....................................................... 20 VI. Double Escapement A ction.......................................................... 47 -IV- LIST OF EXAMPLES Example Page 1. Mozart, Sonata, K. 3 3 1 .......................................................... 25 2. M ozart, Fantasia and Fugue, K. 397 26 3. M ozart, Sonata, K. 309 ......................................................... 2 7 4. M ozart, B-flat Concerto, K. 595 27 5. M ozart, Sonata, K. 332 28 6. dementi. Sonata in B-flat, Opus 2 ....................................... 30 7. Beethoven, Sonata, Opus 10, Number 3 ......................... 39 8. Beethoven, Sonata, Opus 5 3.................................................. 40 9. Beethoven, Sonata, Opus 81a.................................................. 40 10. Beethoven, Sonata, Opus 109.................................................. 41 11. Beethoven, Sonata, Opus 106.................................................. 42 12. Liszt, T o te n ta n z............................................................................. 47 13. Liszt, Etudes d'Execution trancendante, "Prelude" . 49 14. Field, Nocturne Number 9 in E m i n o r ................................. 51 15. Schubert, Impromptu in G -flat major. Opus 90, Number 3 .................................................................................. 60 16. Chopin, Scherzo in B-flat minor. Opus 31.... 61 17. Brahms, Concerto Number 2 in B-flat major. Opus 8 3 ......................................................................................... 61 -V- Example Page 18, Schumann, Concerto in A minor. Opus 54 62 19, Beethoven, Concerto in E-flat m a jo................................ r 64 20, Debussy, "The Little Shepherd" from Children's C o rn er ............................................................... 67 21, Debussy, Prelude, La Cathédrale englouti , , , , 68 22, Ravel, Gaspard de la Nuit .......................................................... 68 -VI- CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM Throughout the history of music, composers and performers have been limited by the peculiar capabilities of their instruments. Perhaps no other instrument has been changed and in changing affected the style of composition as much as has the pianoforte during the history of its development. Many students of the piano do not understand the complex mechanism of their instrument, nor do they know how it has evolved from the invention of Cristofori to the well - established modern instru­ ment known today. Also, in their study of the repertoire for the instrument, many students are unaware of the relationship between the music and the instrument; both the instrument of the period in which the music was written and the instrument of today. THE PROBLEM Statement of the problem. The historical development of the pianoforte in a mechanical sense has centered around five essentials; (1) the action, including the keys, and hammers; (2) pedals; (3) the strings; (4) the sounding board; and (5) the frame. The purpose of - 1 - ~2 - this paper is to determine in what ways, if any, the continued develop­ ment of these factors has influenced the style of composition for the instrument. Basic assumptions and justification of the study. It is assumed that any serious student of the piano should have a basic knowledge of the construction of the instrument and of the principles upon which it operates. One method of gaining this knowledge is through a historical study of the instrument's evolution and develop­ ment. Although this knowledge is beneficial in itself, it is also most useful in the study of expressiveness and interpretation of the litera­ ture from the various periods of music. A knowledge of the instrument at a specific date in time, including its good qualities and its limita­ tions, will enable the student and the performer to view the music in its proper historical perspective. Delimitations of the problem. This paper is not meant to be a detailed history of the development of the pianoforte. It will point out only the major innovations or those which seemingly had influence on the style of composition for the instrument. In most cases the influence, if any, will not be seen immediately, but only after the innovation has been accepted for some time. METHODOLOGY Procedure. After a brief introduction of the invention of the pianoforte and its development up to the time of Mozart, the discussion -3- of the innovations in the construction of the pianoforte will be divided into four parts, each of which is centered around a major composer of pianoforte literature. These are Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy. In each of these four chapters, we will examine the piano­ forte music of the period represented by each composer to see if the innovations of the period had any influence on the style of composition for the instrument. CHAPTER II THE PRE-MOZARTIAN PIANOFORTE 1709--First successful pianos built by Bartolommeo Cristofori in Florence 1716--Marius submitted models of pianofortes to the Academy in P aris 1717--Christoph Gottlieb Schroter invented two actions with hammers
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