Brahms, Developing Variation, and the Schoenberg Critical Tradition WALTER FRISCH In 1946 Robert Maynard Hutchins, Chancellor oristically-in his critical writings, he clearly of the University of Chicago, sought Arnold considered it one of the most important Schoenberg's advice on the creation and or- compositional principles of Western music ganization of a music department. Schoenberg from the common-practice era to his own day. recommended, as one of several possibili- It is thus worthwhile to gather and examine his ties, "a clean-cut Musicological Department," scattered remarks in order to form a clear pic- whose sole function should be research. He ture of the term and the concept. In one essay graciously provided Hutchins with "Some Schoenberg explains: Problems for the Department," a list of "a few ... with which classes could become subjects Music of the melodic of As be in- homophonic style composi- busy." might expected, Schoenberg tion, that is, music with a main theme, accompanied cluded mainly compositional and analytical by and based on harmony, produces its material by, topics, such as "methods of transition" and a as I call it, developing variation. This means that "'systematic cataloguing of features of variation of the features of a basic unit produces all He also a the thematic formulations which provide for rhythm." proposed subject sugges- and called fluency, contrasts, variety, logic unity on the tively "developing variation."' one hand, and character, mood, expression, and Although Schoenberg discussed developing every needed differentiation, on the other hand- variation only sporadically-and often aph- thus elaboratingthe idea of the piece.2 1Arnold Schoenberg, Letters, ed. Erwin Stein, trans. E. Wil- 2Schoenberg, Style and Idea: Selected Writings of Arnold kins and E. Kaiser (New York, 1965), pp. 240-42. Schoenberg, ed. Leonard Stein (New York, 1975), p. 397. All further page references in section I of this article are to 0148-2076/82/010215+18$00.50 O 1982 by The Regents the Stein edition. of the University of California. 215 This content downloaded from 128.59.222.12 on Wed, 29 Jul 2015 17:43:18 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 19TH Elsewhere defines the transformation" In CENTURY Schoenberg procedure relating figures by (p. 173). MUSIC more polemically. He offers the blunt pos- one well-known example Schoenberg seeks tulate, "Whatever happens in a piece of music to demonstrate more concretely how "the is nothing but the endless reshaping of a basic method of developing variation" was used by shape," and then elaborates: the preeminent Viennese classicist, Beethoven; the second subject in the first movement of the Or, in other words, there is nothing in a piece of Fifth Symphony is derived "from a rein- music but what comes from the theme, springsfrom of the two main notes the first it and can be traced back to still more se- terpretation [of it; put and as tonic dominant of verely, nothing but the theme itself. Or, all the subject], Eb F, and Eb shapes appearingin a piece of music are foreseen in major" (p. 164). This is, unfortunately, not one the "theme." I say a piece of music is a picture-book of Schoenberg's more persuasive analyses.3 He consisting of a series of shapes, which for all their was more successful at-and clearly more in- variety still (a) cohere with one another, [and] (b)are terested how as variations with the of in--demonstrating developing presented (in keeping idea) variation informs the music of a basic shape, the various charactersand forms aris- Brahms, who, ing from the fact that variation is carried out in a he felt, brought the procedure to its most ad- number of different ways fp. 290). vanced state. In "Criteria for the Evaluation of Music," in It is clear that Schoenberg is not discussing Style and Idea, Schoenberg contrasts Brahms's variation form, as in a theme and a series of compositional techniques with those of Wag- discrete variations, but a more flexible compo- ner. The latter, "in order to make his themes sitional procedure whereby the different ele- suitable for memorability, had to use se- ments of a basic idea or shape-what he called quences and semi-sequences, that is, unvar- a Grundgestalt-are successively modified. ied or only slightly varied repetitions differing Indeed, Schoenberg contrasts traditional varia- in nothing essential from their first appear- tion form with the technique of developing var- ances, except that they are exactly transposed iation. Of the former he notes: ". in primor- to other degrees" (p. 129). Schoenberg gives two dial specimens, sets of variations serve rather examples from Tristan, the first seven mea- the virtuoso who wants to be brilliant through sures of the Prelude and the two measures of his technique. In such variations there is sel- Isolde's command to Brangine in Act I, scene 2, dom any other development than velocity and "Befehlen liess dem Eigenholde." In each a no other change than the figuration of the in- brief phrase is repeated sequentially (though strumental style." But "artistically superior not exactly). Dismissing this technique as compositions" (including the more sophisti- "primitive" and "inferior," Schoenberg points cated variation sets) are generated "through admiringly to Brahms, who avoided exact repe- 'developing variations' of basic features of the tition and "repeated phrases, motives, and theme and its motive ... producing thematic other structural ingredients of themes only in material for forms of all sizes: the melodies, varied forms, if possible in the form of ... de- main and subordinate themes, transitions, veloping variation. " codettas, elaborations, etc., with all the neces- sary contrasts" (pp. 165-66). Schoenberg's essays do not spell out the ways in which the theme can be varied-I re- turn to that below-but do to 3Treating only a few measures of music, the analysis is too topic they begin brief and too to us of the evolution superficial persuade significance suggest how he viewed the historical of developing variation in shaping Beethoven's movement of developing variation. He claims that J. S. as a whole. Furthermore, it misconstrues the first theme; as basic musical Bach the which was as Schenker demonstrated, and perception originated procedure, tells us, the "two main notes" are not Eb and F, but the then taken up and refined by the Viennese pitches on the two analogous downbeats, Eb and D. classicists (pp. 115, 118). We are given no Schenker's compelling analysis treats Eb-D as the basic "two-note motive" of the movement. See Der Tonwille 1 specific examples of how Bach employed the (1921), 27-37; trans. Elliot Forbes and F. J. Adams, Jr., in technique, but are told that he created "the art Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, ed. Elliot Forbes, of producing everything from one thing and of Norton Critical Score (New York, 1971), pp. 164-82. 216 This content downloaded from 128.59.222.12 on Wed, 29 Jul 2015 17:43:18 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions In this essay Schoenberg does not analyze and the unusual intervals, the ninths contained in WALTER FRISCH music but he does so on several this phrase [m. 5], made it difficult to grasp. I felt all Brahms and any by Brahms, Developing other occasions. In a radio talk of 1931 he this myself, so I know how seriously it must be Variation ap- taken! to the of a late Brahms theme in peals example To make matters worse, the theme develops too order to defend the theme of his own Orches- quickly, and its motivic evolution is very difficult tral Variations, op. 31, against charges of in- for the ear to trace, without the help of the written comprehensibility. "New music is never beau- page. It is only there that one sees that the opening fourth is inverted into a tiful on first acquaintance," Schoenberg fifth; claims. "The reason is simply this: one can only like what one remembers; and with all new music that is very difficult."4 The great popular composers constructed their melodies by "repeating every little phrase often enough ~e~jii~ii~~ for it to impress itself on the listener." After quoting the first part of Strauss's Blue but this is hard for Danube from one to seven the ear to grasp, if only because Waltz-numbering the initial in two-note then the phrasing groups parallel repetitions of the simple four- switches to groups of three: measure phrase-Schoenberg observes: But a stricter style of composition must do with- out such convenient resources. It demands that 2 6 APE*. , a-. • I r 1 I. I1I • d I V nothing be repeated without promoting the de- ..,P,•r I- I I1 ' F velopment of the music, and that can only happen by way of far-reachingvariations. Here is a theme that develops rapidly. You are certainly expecting me to quote something modem and extreme, but you are wrong: It is the opening of So those who did not understand at the time Brahms's F-majorCello Sonata [op. 99]: were right (pp. 28-30). In its penultimate paragraph Schoenberg's Allegro vivace analysis develops almost as elliptically as the ." theme itself. We do not learn precisely where 4. , or how the opening fourth is inverted to a fifth: 10 the D-G never in the , figure actually appears - " -- initial rhythm, as Schoenberg notates it; nor is it easy to discern among his parentheses and grace-notes. Young listeners will probablybe unaware that at At any rate, the actual intervallic develop- the time of Brahms'sdeath this sonata was still very ment of the motive seems less significant (and unpopular and was considered indigestible...