DSCH Journal No. 24

DOCUMENTARY III VARIANT AND VARIATION[1] IN THE SECOND MOVEMENT OF THE ELEVENTH SYMPHONY Lyudmila German The Eleventh Symphony, form, as it ‘resists’ develop- named Year 1905, is a pro- mental motif-work and frag- ach of Shostakovich’s gram work that relates the mentation. [2]” symphonies is unique in bloody events of the ninth of Eterms of design and January, 1905, when a large Indeed, if we look at the sec- structure. Despite the stifled number of workers carrying ond movement of the sym- atmosphere of censorship petitions to the Tsar were shot phony, for instance, we shall which imposed great con- and killed by the police in the see that its formal structure is strains, Shostakovich found Palace Square of St. Peters- entirely dependent on the nar- creative freedom in the inner burg. In order to symbolize rative and follows the unfold- workings of composition. the event Shostakovich chose ing of song quotations, their Choosing a classical form such a number of songs associated derivatives, and the original as symphony did not stultify with protest and revolution. material. This leads the com- the composer’s creativity, but The song quotations, together poser to a formal design that rather the opposite – it freed with the composer’s original is open-ended. There is no his imagination in regard to material, are fused into an final chord and the next form and dramaturgy within organic whole in a highly movement begins attacca. the strict formal shape of a individual manner. Some of The formal plan of the move- standard genre. This idiosyn- the quotations generate the ment is detailed in Fig. 1 cratic approach generated original material that inter- (overleaf) developmental methods that twines, connects, and devel- corresponded to the overall ops them. The second movement por- design of each symphony. trays the actual scene of the While all methods shared com- The programmatic content of shooting of the workers in the mon general traits, the com- the symphony prompted the Palace Square. This descrip- poser chose only those proce- composer to adopt the quoted tive material, first introduced dures that would present the material and its derivatives in the opening movement, most successful unfolding of and in doing so completely serves as a connecting ele- the design. In the program- abandon the sonata form in its ment in the narrative. In addi- matic symphonies such as Sec- strictest sense, in all the tion, it has another function, ond, Third, Eleventh, and Four- work’s movements. These as often happens in teenth, we witness a weakening changes in the formal concept Shostakovich’s music: in the of sonata form. Its obligatory produced different develop- process of musical develop- return to the opening creates a mental methods. Here is what ment the material transforms closed shape which constricts Sabinina writes about the the character to its opposite, the narrative; hence, other nature of development in this in this case from reserved to designs in these symphonies symphony: “The very meth- aggressive and violent, in sec- took preference. The narrative ods of thematic development tion B1. The change of char- of the Eleventh Symphony runs change qualitatively. The acter is sudden, and is through the entire work, call- song, as it is known, is diffi- achieved by variations in the ing for a through-composed cult to develop in a symphon- rhythmic unfolding of the form of the symphony. ic manner, inherent in sonata 45 DSCH JOURNAL No. 24 - January 2006 material (as well as instru- The movement opens with a rehearsal 29 mentation and harmoniza- short statement which, after is unfolding tion). being repeated, is elaborated as a varia- upon for seven measures before tion, since it Polyphony based on variant we arrive at its source – the is qualita- and variation techniques song quotation “O Thou, Our tively very becomes the main source of Tsar, Our Father” at rehearsal close to the original and there development in the second 28, which serves as the subject are no interpolations or other movement, with homophony (see ex. 16, pp. 50-53). Thus, new features that would mark being practically nonexistent. in the opening both subject and it as a variant. At 30 there is Despite the fact that countersubject come from the another subject starting from Shostakovich uses song quo- same source. The countersub- Db, and yet another from Bb at tations, the principles of ject is a more chromatic triple 30 [6]. This type of variation unfolding derived from the diminution of the subject. At unfolding of the theme, in this folk polyphony play in this rehearsal 29 the song melody case the shifting of short the- movement a much lesser role and its countersubject begin to matic statements to different than they did in the Fourth develop by means of variation. pitch levels, is typical of devel- Symphony (DSCH Journal The melody, now in the upper opment, rather than the initial strings, has a connecting link presentation of thematic mate- No. 23). Let us now analyze that brings it to another state- rial. the opening section of the ment in measure 29 [7][3]. The movement in order to eluci- connecting link is melodically The countersubject, in violas, date the variation and variant derived from the song and cellos, and basses unfolds by techniques of polyphonic leads to the statement of the means of both variation and unfolding. theme on a new pitch level variant at the same time. At (from Eb in 29 [7]). Thus, first, there is a change in Fig 1. Rehearsal Material Section Key Numbers Song “O Thou, Our Tsar, Our Father”. At 41 a new A G minor 27-44 motif appears, based on song “Bare Your Heads” Same song material as A. At 68 there is a transition to a A Bb minor 44-69 1 new section Based on the original material from the first movement B A minor 69-71 that depicts the Palace Square. A2 A minor 71-85 Fugato. The theme is based upon the A material B minor Climax is based on the B material, which undergoes B1 (beginning 85-89 considerable rhythmic changes. It alternates with short only) appearances of fugato theme (in timpani). Transition Based on song “Bare your heads”, alternating with fuga- various 89-91 to Coda to theme in timpani A variation on the B section, with an addition of song B -Coda G minor 91-97 2 “Listen”, first quoted in the first movement. 46 DSCH JOURNAL No. 24 - January 2006 direction at and registral palette. The drawn from a single source. 28 [9], a fea- theme now moves to the upper This method is different from ture of vari- woodwinds, while the coun- Beethoven’s variations, since ant unfold- tersubject remains in violas in the process of variation (for ing. After and cellos. The horn drone instance, in the Thirty Two the excursion disappears and the theme is Variations on the Theme by into deeper chro- harmonized by chords in the Diabelli) the music is trans- matic regions, there is a winds and horns, but only for formed almost beyond recog- momentary return to the open- three measures, after which it nition, while Bach and ing statement in 29 [-2]. The reverts to the low winds and Shostakovich preserve the third voice appearing in the strings. The theme begins to original character, the changes horns at 29 presents a new expand by means of modula- affecting only the structure of motif, which, in the third tion. The episode between the smaller units of material. movement, will create the rehearsals 33 and 40 consti- The method that Shostakovich somber mood when the last tutes the development of sec- uses here is a combination of respects to the victims are tion A of the movement. It variant and variation tech- paid (see rehearsal 106 ff.). contains many modulations niques. By exploiting the While it is a new motif, not that anticipate the key of the variants the composer arrives generated by the song quota- next section, Bb minor. At 33 at a new variation. Whenever tion, its shortness and step- [8] the horns abandon their the incessant variant unfold- wise descent resembles the function as an accompani- ing exhausts itself, he either descending measures of the mental drone and pick up an offers up a dynamically song (see rehearsal 28 [2-3]). ascending version of the enhanced episode, or starts a The continuation of the horn theme. It becomes the second section in a new key (such as motif provides a harmonic countersubject, written in B section), or adds new drone rather than a contrapun- large values, like the subject, motives to dilute the tally independent voice. which remains in the bassoons monothematicism of the Thus, up until the end of and low strings. The trumpets music. rehearsal 31 the texture, start- now enter the scene at 33 ing with one voice and ending [10], inheriting the drone The slow expansion in regis- with three, becomes an elabo- from the horns. ter is matched by a section of rate counterpoint that springs equal length scored for nearly up from the same source - a With the number of entering full orchestra (rehearsals 34- song quotation. It is interest- instruments increasing rather 40, see ex. 17, pp. 54-57). ing that whereas the voices slowly, the sudden near tutti Despite the increased number are manipulated by inversion, comes as a surprise at of instruments playing, the modulation, variation, their rehearsal 34. Slowly and eco- amount of parts initially very presence is never chal- nomically-growing registral decreases. At 34 [-6] there are lenged.

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