CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Concerto and Recital Works by Bach, Haydn, Grieg, Guastavino, and Domine A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music in Music, Performance by Joanna Ezrin-Schauer May 2017 The graduate project of Joanna Ezrin-Schauer is approved: _____________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Pei-Shan Lee Date _____________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk Date _____________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov, Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii Dedication In loving memory of Dr. Calvin Ezrin, Geraldine Ezrin, and Michael K. Burke iii Acknowledgement Thank you to Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov, Dr. Gayle Kowalchyk, Dr. E. L. Lancaster, Dr. Pei-Shan Lee, Professor Edward Francis, and Professor James Domine for your guidance, wisdom, and encouragement. Thank you to my family-Terry, Rebecca, Daniel, Robert Ezrin, Arlene Sarner, and Michael K. Burke, whose support made this possible. iv Table of Contents Signature Page ii Dedication iii Acknowledgement iv Abstract vi Section 1: Fantasia and Fugue in A Minor BWV 944 by J.S. Bach 1 Section 2: Piano Sonata in E-flat Major Hob. XVI/52, L. 62 by Franz Josef Haydn 3 Section 3: Las Niñas by Carlos Guastavino 6 Section 4: Sonata in A Minor for Cello and Piano by Edvard Grieg 10 Section 5: Piano Concerto #3 in A Minor by James Domine 14 Bibliography 18 Appendix A: Program I (Concerto) 20 Appendix B: Program II (Solo Recital) 21 v Abstract CONCERTO AND RECITAL WORKS BY BACH, HAYDN, GRIEG, GUASTAVINO, and DOMINE By Joanna Ezrin-Schauer Master of Music in Music, Performance In this paper, I analyzed and discussed the works that I performed on my Masters Degree solo recital and concerto concert. My recital and concerto performances consisted of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Josef Haydn, Edward Grieg, Carlos Guastavino, and James Domine. The goal of this thesis is to provide an analysis of the form, harmonic structure, and history of these pieces. In selecting the solo recital program, I was aware of the balance of styles representing each of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth, and Twenty-First Century periods of music. The variety of these styles gives the pianist an opportunity to capture the full spectrum of techniques, articulations, and interpretive approaches on the piano. It also provides an historic flow, giving the audience a glimpse of the development of harmony, form, and increased capabilities of the keyboard as it developed over the years from harpsichord to vi pianoforte to the modern piano. Although I placed the Contemporary piece, Guastavino’s Las Niñas at the end of the first half of the solo recital program, it has a Romantic harmonic flavor and was a good compliment to the Haydn Sonata. The Grieg, being almost a half hour in length, and having a glorious grand finale, provided an effective ending to the second half of the recital. The Domine Concerto, containing a compilation of traditional forms with styles ranging from Baroque to Classical to Romantic to Rock and Jazz, is a challenge requiring the pianist to wear many musical hats, demanding a wide range of versatility. Working closely with the composer was an honor and provided an opportunity to closely follow his wishes. vii Section 1: Fantasia and Fugue in A Minor BWV 944 by Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) lived a life that was confined geographically to a limited region. Despite having little exposure to the greater world, Bach displayed a level of sophistication in his compositions that suggested a worldly wisdom. Born in Eisenach, the capital of the duchy of Saxe-Eisenach (which is now Germany), Bach was trained by his father on both the violin and viola. Following the death of his father, he moved 30 miles away to Ohrdruf in 1695 and was raised by his newly married brother, Johann Christoph (1671-1722), an organist.1 Johann Christoph, a former student of Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706), became Johann Sebastian’s clavier and organ teacher for the next five years. In 1700, Bach moved 150 miles away to Lüneberg as a chorister in a boys’ school. He spent his years of employment in various cities throughout Germany, finally settling in Leipzig for the last 27 years of his life. He resided in Weimar from 1708-1717 where he composed the Bach Fantasia and Fugue in A minor BWV 9442. It is believed to have been composed in the year 1708, but sources are not certain of the exact date. The Fantasia, which is only ten measures long, is highly improvisatory. The chords are written in blocked form, leaving the harpsichordist free to play the lush harmonies in an arpeggiated manner, and also to bring out the melodic dissonances and resolutions. The phrasing is unusual in that the groupings of the measures are 3+2+2+3. It begins in the tonic key of A minor and with use of multiple suspensions, creates dissonant harmonies that are uncharacteristic of most Baroque works. It briefly visits the subdominant key, again with a delayed resolution and suspension, before resolving to the D minor triad. The return to A minor contains the greatest dissonance of all when the F major seventh chord has a G# suspension introduced 1 Eva and Sydney Grew, Bach (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1972), 8. 2 Johann Sebastian Bach, Miscellaneous Keyboard Works (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2012), 212-221. 1 before ending on a half cadence. The fermata over the final chord gives the audience a brief moment of peaceful calm before the tumultuous subject begins. The contrast between the extremely short, introspective, and harmonically rich Fantasia and the energetic, unceasing Fugue, is very dramatic. The three voice fugue, noted as being the longest of Bach’s fugues, aside from the ”Art of the Fugue,” has a subject that is derived from the organ “Fugue in A minor,” BWV 543. Its exposition alone is nearly as long as some of Bach’s shorter fugues. It is unwavering in its momentum from start to finish with non-stop sixteenth notes, only coming to rest at the final cadence. The countersubject is a perfect complement to the fluid, legato sixteenth note subject with its non-legato eighth note chordal outlines, mimicking the sequential patterns of the subject. Its counterpoint continues in perpetual motion, modulating through various keys while revisiting the subject and countersubject with episodic sequences and imitations. Although the polyphonic texture in this piece is not very dense, being only a three-voice fugue, Bach compensated by keeping the pianist’s fingers moving in perpetual commotion. This piece is less- frequently performed than Bach’s other works and is a refreshing addition to a pianist’s recital program. 2 Section 2: Piano Sonata in E-flat Major Hob. XVI/52 L.62 by Franz Josef Haydn Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809) was primarily a violinist but also played the piano well. His earlier piano sonatas, accessible to student pianists, have a harmonic simplicity and predictability to them, and his compositional style evolved throughout his life. Haydn’s arrival in London in 1791 had the greatest impact on his piano writing. His “London visits constitute the most fully documented period of Haydn’s career.”3 His “visits to London in 1791 and 1795 brought him suddenly to the hub of fortepiano making.”4 The new English Broadwood pianos, with the ability to play rapidly repeated notes and the capacity for a fuller tone than the German pianofortes to which Haydn had been accustomed, injected a new life into his compositions. In addition to discovering this new-found piano on his first trip to London, Haydn made the acquaintance of the famous London-based German pianist, Therese Jansen (1770- 1843). He and Jansen must have developed a mutual friendship because in May of 1795, Haydn served as witness at her wedding to Gaetone Bartolozzi. Haydn was a great admirer of Jansen’s playing, as he dedicated three piano trios to her, and his last three piano sonatas “according to a small (now lost) catalogue of his works composed in England… were intended for her as well”.5 The Piano Sonata in E-flat Major Hob. XVI/52, L. 626, composed in 1794, is the final piano sonata among Haydn’s prolific output. This work is considered to be one of the most magnificent of Haydn’s piano works. Although the initial, hand-written autograph was dedicated to Therese Jansen, the dedicatee on the first published edition in 1798 by Artaria in Vienna, was 3 Jens Peter Larsen, The New Grove Haydn (New York: Norton, 1982), 60. 4 László Somfai, The Keyboard Sonatas of Joseph Haydn (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995),14. 5 Larsen, 68. 6 Joseph Haydn Sonaten Für Klavier (Frankfurt, London, New York: C.F. Peters, 1937). 3 Magdalena von Kurzbeck (1767-1845).7 The sonata was then published by Longman and Clementi in London in 1800 titled, “A Grand New Sonata for the Pianoforte Composed Expressly for Mrs. Bartolozzi, Op. 78.”8 The first movement, marked Allegro moderato, in sonata allegro form, utilizes a unique harmonic approach for the Classical period by using the Neapolitan key as a modulation launch pad. Also, the contrast between the majestic A theme and the delicate, bordering on humorous, B theme is as extreme as anything Haydn composed. The opening theme embraces the magnificence of the French Overture style, encompassing the entire span of the piano keyboard. The B theme resembles a person giggling and thus embraces the personality traits for which Haydn was so famous. The development surprisingly begins in the unexpected key of C Major, which could be explained as the parallel major to the relative minor key.