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Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: Reception, Performance, Recordings

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Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: Reception, Performance, Recordings Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: reception, performance, recordings Inja Davidović PhD in Music Department of Music Faculty of Arts and Humanities The University of Sheffield January 2016 Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: reception, performance, recordings 2 Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: reception, performance, recordings Table of Contents List of Figures p.6 List of Tables p.7 List of Graphs p.8 Acknowledgements p.9 Abstract p.11 Introduction p.13 Chapter 1: Chopin's Reception during his Lifetime p.17 1.1 Introduction p.17 1.2 The Industrial Revolution and Changes in Music in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century: a short overview p.18 1.3 British Reception and Early Press Coverage: 1834 to 1839 p.22 1.4 The Diversification of British Reception of Chopin: 1840 to 1843 p.30 1.5 A Continuation of Diversification: 1844 to 1848 p.38 1.6 Chopin in England and Scotland: 1848 to 1849 p.42 1.7 Obituaries p.49 1.8 Conclusion p.51 Chapter 2: Chopin’s Reception from 1849 to 1899 p.53 2.1 Introduction p.53 2.2 Historical Overview: 1849 to 1899 p.54 2.3 Reception from 1850 to 1854: continuing the established tropes p.58 2.4 An Increase in Popularity: 1855 to 1876 p.62 2.5 A Further Rise in Popularity and Weekly Articles about his Life and Work: 1877 to 1879 p.68 2.6 Reception between 1879 and 1899: following the established paths p.72 2.7 Conclusion p.83 3 Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: reception, performance, recordings Chapter 3: Chopin’s Playing: written evidence and sound evidence p.85 3.1 Introduction p.85 3.2 Rhythmic and Tempo Flexibilities p.86 3.3 Tempo Rubato: an historical overview p.89 3.4 Chopin's Playing, Metrical Rubato and Tempo Modifications p.94 3.5 Tempo Modifications in Chopin's Playing in Relation to Early Sound Recordings p.102 3.6 The Vocal Ideal: bel canto and its influence on tempo rubato, small-scale alterations and expressive techniques p.105 3.7 Bel Canto in Chopin's Pianism p.107 3.8 Written Evidence, Editions and Recordings p.114 3.9 Conclusion p.118 Chapter 4: Examining Early Recordings of Chopin: two case studies p.121 4.1 Introduction p.121 4.1.1 Methods p.122 4.2 Acoustic Recordings: 1890s to 1925 p.124 4.2.1 Cylinders p.124 4.2.2 Discs p.125 4.2.3 Mechanical Recording Process p.126 4.2.4 Limitations of Mechanical Recording Process and Acoustic Recordings p.128 4.2.5 Electrical Recording p.129 4.2.6 The Electrical Recording Process p.130 4.2.7 The Reproducing Piano Rolls p.133 4.3 Case Study of Chopin's Nocturne Op. 27 No.2: one performer, one composition, three recording mediums p.136 4.3.1 Introduction p.136 4.3.2 Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2 p.138 4.3.3 Differences between Recorded Mediums p.140 4.3.4 Tempo Alterations p.146 4.3.5 Correspondences between Pachmann’s Recordings and Various Editions p.155 4.4 Rhythmic Alterations and Text Variations p.159 4 Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: reception, performance, recordings 4.5 Dislocation and Unnotated Arpeggiation p.161 4.6 Conclusion p.171 4.7 Case Study Two: one composition, sixteen performers, three instruments, and voices p.173 4.7.1 Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 p.173 4.7.2 Recording Artists p.176 4.7.3 Nocturne Versions and Textual Changes p.178 4.8 Tempo Changes and Elastic Tempo p.191 4.9 Rhythmic Changes and Small-scale Alterations p.201 4.10 Playing with the Accompaniment p.205 4.11 Portamento and Vibrato p.206 4.12 Dislocation and Unnotated Arpeggiation p.208 4.13 Conclusion p.210 Conclusion p.213 Appendix I p.219 Appendix II p.225 Bibliography p.241 Discography p.251 5 Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: reception, performance, recordings List of Figures Figure 1. Limitations of the frequency range. Reproducing piano roll. p.143 Figure 2. Limitations of the frequency range. Acoustic recording. p.143 Figure 3. Limitations of the frequency range. Electric recording. p.144 Figure 4. Waveform. Reproducing piano roll. p.146 Figure 5. Waveform. Acoustic recording. p.146 Figure 6. Waveform. Electric recording. p.146 Figure 7. Dislocations in Pachmann’s 1906 recording. Bars 46, 47 and 48. p.163 Figure 8. Dislocations in Pachmann’s 1916 recording. Bars 46, 47 and 48. p.163 Figure 9. Dislocations in Pachmann’s 1925 recording. Bars 46, 47 and 48. p.163 Figure 10. Dislocations in Pachmann’s 1906 recording. Bars 1 to 9. p.164 Figure 11. Dislocations in Pachmann’s 1925 recording. Bars 1 to 9. p.165 Figure 12. Dislocations in Pachmann’s 1906 recording. Coda. p.166 Figure 13. Dislocations in Pachmann’s 1916 recording. Coda. p.167 Figure 14. Dislocations in Pachmann’s 1925 recording. Coda. p.168 Figure 15. Op. 27 No. 2, Pachmann-Labori edition. p.170 Figure 16. Piano accompaniment in Sarasate’s transcription compared with first editions. p.179 Figure 17. Presentation of Sarasate’s ornamentation. p.180 Figure 18. Piano Introduction to Chopin-Wilhelmj. p.183 Figure 19. Comparison between piano parts, Chopin-Sarasate and Chopin- Wilhelmj. p.184 Figure 20. Chopin-Wilhelmj Cadenza. p.185 Figure 21. Chopin-Popper, bars 5 to 8. p.186 Figure 22. Comparison between Mikuli variants and edition. p.187 6 Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: reception, performance, recordings List of Tables Table 1. Percentage changes mapped on to structural sections of Chopin's Op. 27 No. 2. p.151 Table 2. Combined representation of tempo fluctuations in individual sections of the piece. p.153 Table 3. Summary of dislocations, bars 1 to 9. p.165 Table 4. Summary of dislocations, bars 62 to 77. p.169 Table 5. Performers’ birth and recording dates. p.177 Table 6. Textual changes, omitted bars. p.178 Table 7. Presentation of minimum and maximum change throughout the recording, percentage. p.195 Table 8. Pachmann 1906 recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.219 Table 9. Pachmann 1916 recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.221 Table 10. Pachmann 1925 recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.222 Table 11. Pachmann Recordings: cross-referencing, tempo alterations. p.224 Table 12. Casals recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.225 Table 13. Sorlin recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.226 Table 14. Godowsky recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.227 Table 15. Hofmann recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.228 Table 16. Koczalsky recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.229 Table 17. Pachmann recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.230 Table 18. Paderewski recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.231 Table 19. Rachmaninov recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.232 Table 20. Conus recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.233 Table 21. Parlow recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.234 Table 22. Primrose recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.235 Table 23. Rosé recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.236 Table 24. Sarasate recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.237 Table 25. Hubermann recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.238 Table 26. Nikita recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.239 Table 27. Muzio recording, bar duration, percentage changes and BPM. p.240 7 Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: reception, performance, recordings List of Graphs Graph 1. Vladimir de Pachmann, 1906 recording. Bar durations. p.148 Graph 2. Vladimir de Pachmann, 1916 recording. Bar durations. p.148 Graph 3. Vladimir de Pachmann, 1925 recording. Bar durations. p.149 Graph 4. Vladimir de Pachmann, 1906, 1916 and 1925 recordings. Bar durations. p.149 Graph 5. Violin recordings. Bar durations. p.192 Graph 6. Cello recordings. Bar durations. p.196 Graph 7. Voice recordings. Bar durations. p.197 Graph 8. Piano recordings. Bar durations. p.199 8 Chopin in Great Britain, 1830 to 1930: reception, performance, recordings Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Simon Keefe, for all his hard work, patience and painstaking editing skills. I am grateful for all valuable advice, guidance and wonderful friendship I received from Neal Peres Da Costa, who is also 'guilty' for introducing me to first sound recordings. I would like to thank Peter Hill, for all the inspiration and support here in Sheffield. Your guidance on both research and piano-playing is priceless - you make everything seem so easy (and we all know it is not). I will always be grateful to Benjamin Frith, for his patience, encouragement, crazy fingerings and wonderful piano playing. I would not be writing these lines if I had not studied with Michael Lewin, whose hard work, dedication to his students, and exceptional piano playing will always remain a guiding light. I am extremely grateful to my parents, Višnja and Milan Davidović, who supported, encouraged and understood me as only parents can; this thesis would not exist without their strength and sacrifices that taught me to strive towards my goals. I would like to thank Naka, Peter and Tin Seidel, for being there for me, always. Mia Ujiničica Vojnić and Zoran Vuč Vučković, - thank you for cheering for me all these years. I am extremely grateful to my Baka, Savka Vučković, for teaching me the values of hard work and laughter.
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