Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov Series VIII: Performing Arts • Vol. 6 (55) No. 2 - 2013

CLASSICAL ARCHETYPE IN SONATINA FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO BY PAUL CONSTANTINESCU

Dan PEPELEA1

Abstract: Focusing his entire creation on the enhancement of the folkloric lode and Byzantine psychical melos, Paul Constantinescu, disciple of Mihail Jora composition school, takes withal forward the path opened by George Enescu, as regards the autochthonous “transformation” of the classical forms of the sonatina.

Key words: sonatina, cyclical reasoning, miniature aspect.

1. Introduction for his creation: psaltic music and folk song. Pertaining to the compositions from The third decade of the year 1900 is the the first creative stages, Sonatina reveals auspicious period for the looming of the expressiveness of an original musical genuinely creative personalities, in our language, “adequate to the requirements of great George Enescu’s sphere of influence: the genre, which bestows on it, the interest Mihail Jora, Sabin Drăgoi, Marţian Negrea of a qualitative leap, within our national and so forth; or, the younger Paul creation” [5]. Constantinescu, Tudor Ciortea, Sigismund The contact with popular music, drawn Toduţă. Chronologically, the genre of from the collections made by Bartόk, sonata is successfully approached, after Breazul, Brăiloiu, Drăgoi and, especially, Enescu, by Paul Constantinescu, whose Anton Pann, enabled the composer to Sonatina for Violin and Piano, composed penetrate ever more thoroughly into the in 1933, marks an initiatory moment. phenomenon and to continuously enlarge Vasile Tomescu, the author of the the modal-processing resources. The first monograph on Paul Constantinescu’s and most important source of Paul creation, states the following: “So much Constantinescu’s themes - Anton Pann’s Romanian musical poetical life throbs in melodics – which crosses his overall the pages of the Sonatina by Paul oeuvre like a read thread, is a unifying Constantinescu that we dare say it model for the composer’s entire creation. gracefully opens the path for this genre in The Oriental coloratura of his melodics, our country, along with the great Enescu’s which illustrates the “prevailing” modern sonatas” [5]. Greek culture (increased or decreased From his first compositions, conceived intervals, melismatic aspect and so on), by the year 1930, Paul Constantinescu shines through P. Constantinescu’s overall defines two sources of paramount interest style, closely influencing the folklorically

1 Faculty of Music, Transilvania University of Braşov, Romania. 74 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series VIII • Vol. 6 (55) No. 2 - 2013 or comically nuanced creation and shortened reprise, followed by a codetta). coalescing it with the aesthetics of The thematic contrast is secured by the Balkanism; urban folklore, as unique folk opposition of the two main themes, each species, is the unifying source and the reduced to the dimension of a period. The basis of the folk-inspired or comically tonal plan circumscribes the two minor oriented creation. Furthermore, Anton tonalities, in a relation of quint - G and D. Pann acts on P. Constantinescu’s The dynamics of the modalities Byzantine creation. (sometimes diatonic modes) is achieved by Therefore, Anton Pann’s melodic world means of the composer’s choice procedure: reflects in the two musical works from the tetrachordal transposition [1]. outset: Quintet for Violin and Wind The I-st part begins with an 8-beat Instruments (1932) and Sonatina for Violin introduction, wherein two elements and Piano (1933). An organic link may be characteristic of the exposition stand out: noticed between these two compositions, Basic tonality, G minor, and the I-st theme in terms of melodic substance, and it incomplete (5 beats), followed by a sometimes reaches the identity of themes sequential expansion (2 beats), which underlain by A. Pann’s collection of songs, makes the passage towards the tone of A, Hospital of Amour. Akin to a neoclassical wherein the I-st theme reappears, for the spirit – the sonatina even reveals cyclical violin. The exposition, in another tonality reasoning – doubled by melismatic, of the main theme of the first part, is sometimes chromatized melodics, of possible due to the introduction itself, layered harmony and giusto rhythmic which sets up the basic tonality (G minor, frame, the two “school” works foreshadow with its modal versions). Tonal instability some attributes of the last opus, Triple may be noticed in the melodic construction Concerto for Violin, Violoncello, Piano of the main theme. The octaviating frame and Orchestra (1963). is cancelled and several sonorous centers easily set up, by the transposition of the 2. Classical Archetype in Sonatina for constitutive pentachord of the first theme, Violin and Piano a chromatic pentachord, with enlarged second between the steps III-IV. Constructed in three parts, the musical work embraces Enescu’s cyclical reasoning, which reveals the close blend of the first two parts, unlike whom the end appears strongly individualized. Ex.1 A feature of this musical work is the miniature, simplified proportions of the The composer takes over this mutation archetype of sonata, an intentional fact from the Byzantine music, by applying the enunciated by the composer in the title of principle of the wheel (trohos), to wit, the work - Sonatina. This entitling wheel I – transposition with common involves, inter alia, the didactic, school sound (conjunct) or connection of the type aspect of this composition, enjoyed by our synaphé. In the special study dedicated to emerging violin players. explaining the origin and nature of this In terms of form, the miniature aspect procedure, the composer shows the looms in the almost schematized contours numerous possibilities it opens: “[...] of the stanzas (an exposition and a intertwining the various diatonic or development “by the book”, as well as a chromatic [...] either D. PEPELEA: Classical Archetype in “Sonatina for Violin and Piano” by Paul Constantinescu 75 conjunctively [...] or disjunctively [...] we modal aspect [...]. To a lesser extent, obtain a manifold of combinations which, however in the same way, either , whether being simple melodic or pentachords, or may combinations, or suggesting modulating concatenate” [1]. changes, may be used in the music with

Ex. 2

The main theme is characterized by V. neoclassical facets. The takeover of the Tomescu: “In a giusto rhythmic frame, of a theme in the dialogue of the two rigorously measured dynamism, the I-st instruments (m. 16), with imitations in the theme stands out robust, voluntary, and octave and the quint likewise signifies the fairly directly suggests the grafting on the remembrance of the procedures of Baroque stem of the Romanian melos, of the essence. procedures characteristic of Bach’s art” In contrast, the II-nd theme is attacked [5]. Hence, by the enhancement of the through a plagal relation of descending metric rhythm and by the accent symmetry second. This one breaks the rhythmic and the uniform pulsation whereto the rigour of the I-st theme and evokes, by its rhythmic pedal of the bass contributes (m. melismatic profile and modal mobility 1-8), tangent with the popular figuration, (locric quint), the picturesque of Anton the first theme unveils one of its Pann’s music.

Ex. 3.

This way, some rhythmic-melodic shown by the comparison between the II- profiles of the themes of this origin prove a nd theme of the sonatina and the I-st common root, by the close intonation theme, part I, of the Quintet for Violin and aspect, sometimes reaching similitude, as Wind Instruments.

Ex. 4. 76 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series VIII • Vol. 6 (55) No. 2 - 2013

The rigour of the harmonic-polyphonic a simplified form of the melody played on scoring, whilst playing the I-st theme, the violin) and quasi-imitative (by the changes and acquires lightness in the case delay of the piano play, with stationing on of the II-nd theme, in terms of plan augmentative durations, compared to the intertwining. The voices display reductive main plan in the violin play). heterophony aspects (the pianist performs

Ex. 5.

The stop on D with the second and matic D minor, with piano response, in seventh ajoutées marks, once with the end chromatic A minor, in incomplete thematic of the exposition, the moment of suspense form; in the II-nd stage (m. 54-73), for the attack of the development. continuing an entrance in stretto at the The development first highlights octave, in chromatic E, the theme suffers separately, the valences of the main sequential external expansions of the final theme and thereafter confronts them, in a cell (in anapaest rhythm) of its first phrase, synthesis, with the valences of the reaching a pedal of B major-minor, with secondary theme. This development plan enlarged quart ajoutée, and ending in a is achieved along three stages, this way: chromatic manner on the same centre - B in the I-st stage (m. 46-53), on the tonal in the variant chromatic 1d, specific to the frame of the exposition, two thematic urban folklore, the melodic inspirational replays occur, first on the violin, in chro- source of the sonatina.

Ex. 6.

D. PEPELEA: Classical Archetype in “Sonatina for Violin and Piano” by Paul Constantinescu 77

The emphasis on this modal centre, seen procedure frequently resorted to by the as a stop on the dominant of E – tone of composer in the expansions of his folk the following stage, is achieved on a themes. rhythmic pedal of ascending oscillation, a

Ex. 7.

The III-rd stage (m. 74-86), in terms of centres (Doric E, Phrygian D/G) the re- developmental climax, brings the synthesis modulation to the tone of the reprise is of the two themes, assigned this way: on made (G minor), with picardian stop on the the piano, reflexes of the I-st theme, on the V-th stage with the lowered quint, a double violin, the consequent of the second theme. sensitisation being thereby achieved for the In an uncertain oscillation of the modal modal centre G.

Ex. 8.

This example also highlights other melodic cells, marked with the letter x, interesting aspects, such as heterophony, in centred sometimes in the lower pole (D), reductive form on the piano (marked with other times in the higher pole (G). The dotted lines), which emphasizes, by modulation by mutation is anticipations or delays, the oblique made likewise in this case, operable on the dimension of the musical discourse, as level of the common tetrachord to the two well as the mobility of the tetrachordic Phrygian modes, D and G.

Ex. 9. 78 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series VIII • Vol. 6 (55) No. 2 - 2013

The shortened reprise (m. 87) correspondent during the epoch, in Dinu concentrates the I-st theme to a unique Lipatti’s similar work, issued during the utterance in the basic tonality, G minor, same year, 1933: “This Sonatina, which, this time on the violin; thereafter, on its along with the one of Dinu Lipatti, must dynamic replay, the secondary theme underlie the young Romanian musical overlaps, in octaves, on the piano, likewise generation’s literature for violin and piano in the basic tonality. One may also note the has, in our light, three essential features: it absence of the bridge in the reprise. A is musical, it is Romanian and it is destined rhythmic acceleration (stringendo), for violin. The themes are brief and whereto the fragmented replay of the capo characteristic in the developments strictly of the main theme contributes, leads limited by the content of the form. towards a codetta (Vivo, m. 104), which, as Moulded with contrapuntal understanding cadence appendix on the tonic, delivers, in and arrayed in a modern, vigorously two imitative pairs, the thematic capo, harmonic system” [5]. followed by an ascending scale covering three octaves, on the violin, on the range G References minor melodic. Here it is how the main tonality proves, through the multiple 1. Constantinescu, P.: Modulaţia după variants of mobile steps, a tonal-modal, procedeul mutaţiei tetracordurilor diatonic-chromatic symbiosis, centred on (Modulation by Tetrachord Mutation). the sound G. In: Despre „poezia” muzicii (On Music “Poetry”), Hîrlav-Maistorovici, 6. Conclusions S. (ed.). Premier Publishing House, Ploieşti, 2004, p. 18-24. To draw a conclusion, the autochthonous 2. Firca, Cl. L.: Direcţii în muzica implications of the sonata in the creation of românească, 1900 -1930 (Directions the genre for violin and piano are under the in the Romanian Music). Bucureşti. sign of that global aesthetic climate, defined Academy Press, 1974. by the classical “immanence” of the 3. Herman, V.: Formă şi stil în noua interwar Romanian compositional creaţie muzicală românească (Form reasoning. placed in the general coordinates and Style in the New Romanian of equilibrium and symmetry, of sobriety Musical Creation). Bucureşti. Musical and economy of means. Not outdated, the Publishing House, 1977. sonata form has proved that, far from 4. Popovici, D.: Muzica românească having run out of resources, it may be contemporană (Romanian refreshed by infusing new elements of Contemporary Music). Bucureşti. language, apparently incompatible with its Albatros Publishing House, 1970. functioning principles. Moving it away from 5. Tomescu, V.: Paul Constantinescu. pure musical expression and drawing it Bucureşti. Musical Publishing House, closer to the musical picturesque, this 1967. infusion, particularised in a musical 6. Vancea, Z.: Creaţia muzicală characterology specific to folk genres, româneacă, sec. XIX-XX (Romanian transmits a specifically Romanian content to Musical Creation, 19th-20th Century), the traditional characterological sectors of Vol.1. Bucureşti. Musical Publishing the form and agogic of the sonata cycle [2]. House, 1968. As noted by Mihail Jora at the time, Paul 7. http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Consta Constantinescu’s sonatina finds its ntinescu. Accessed: 20-09-2013.