A Formal Analytical Approach Was Utilized to Develop Chart Analyses Of

^ DOCUMENT RESUME ED 026 970 24 HE 000 764 .By-Hanson, John R. Form in Selected Twentieth-Century Piano Concertos. Final Report. Carroll Coll., Waukesha, Wis. Spons Agency-Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, D.C. Bureauof Research. Bureau No-BR-7-E-157 Pub Date Nov 68 Crant OEC -0 -8 -000157-1803(010) Note-60p. EDRS Price tvw-s,ctso HC-$3.10 Descriptors-Charts, Educational Facilities, *Higher Education, *Music,*Music Techniques, Research A formal analytical approach was utilized to developchart analyses of all movements within 33 selected piano concertoscomposed in the twentieth century. The macroform, or overall structure, of each movement wasdetermined by the initial statement, frequency of use, andorder of each main thematic elementidentified. Theme groupings were then classified underformal classical prototypes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (ternary,sonata-allegro, 5-part or 7-part rondo, theme and variations, and others), modified versionsof these forms (three-part design), or a variety of free sectionalforms. The chart and thematic illustrations are followed by a commentary discussing each movement aswell as the entire concerto. No correlation exists between styles andforms of the 33 concertos--the 26 composers usetraditional,individualistic,classical,and dissonant formsina combination of ways. Almost all works contain commonunifying thematic elements, and cyclicism (identical theme occurring in more than1 movement) is used to a great degree. None of the movements in sonata-allegroform contain double expositions, but 22 concertos have 3 movements, and21 have cadenzas, suggesting that the composers havelargely respected standards established in theClassical-Romantic period. Appendix A is the complete form diagramof Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto, Appendix B has concentrated analyses of all the concertos,and Appendix C lists each movement accordog to its design.(WM) DE:802 FINAL REPORT Project No. 7-E-157 Grant No. 0EG-0-8-000157-1803 (010) FORM IN SELECTED TWENTIETH-CENTURY PIANO CONCERTOS November, 1968 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION& WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLYAS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIALOFFICE OF EDUCkTION POSITION OR POLICY. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Office of Education Bureau of Research ....1411.11,...MIN..f FINAL REPORT Project No. 7-E-157 Grant No: 0BG-0-8-000157-1803 (010) FORM IN SELECTED TWENTIETH-CENTURY PIANO CONCERTOS John R. Hanson Carroll College Waukesha, Wisconsin November, 1968 The research reported herein wasperformed pursuant to a grant with theOffice of Education, U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Contractors undertaking such projects under Government Sponsorship areencouraged to expressfreely their professional judgmentin the conductoftheproject. Points of view or opinions stated do not, therefore,necessarily represent official Office of Education position or policy. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WE1FARE Office of Education Bureau of Research TABLE'OF CONTENTS SUMMARY. 0 INTRODUCTION . 3 5 RESULTS AND FINDINGS 8 CONCLUSIONS . 11 BIBLIOGRAPHY Reference Sources . 12 Scores . l4 APPENDIX A.. Piano Concerto by Samuel Bafber. Example of complete chart analysis 17 APPENDIX B. Conaensations of the chart analysesof all the concertos . II 28 APPENDIX C. Lists of all the movementsin the concertos according-to formal type, andan enumeration of cadenzas, cyclicism, and concertos withother than three movements . t, 47 ii 0 SUMMARY This report concerns a reseah projectundertaken to fulfill the dissertation requirement for a doctoral degree. The dissertation was submitted to the Eastman School of Music inRochester, New York, and it is entitled Macroform in SelectedTwentieth-22E11g Piano Concertos. The dissertation presents a formalanalysis of all the movementswithin thirty-three selected piano concertos of thetwentieth century, with twenty-six composers represented. The following concertos are included: Barber, Bartok (First, Second, andThird), Britten, Chavez, Copland, von Einem) Gershwin_Ginastera, Haieff, Hanson, Helm(Second), Kabalev- sky (Third), Khachaturian, La Mo7ataine,G.F. Malipiero (Third),Martina (Third), McPhee (For Piano and Wind Octette), Menotti,Pijper, Poulenc, . Prokofiev (7irst, Second, Third, andFifth), Ravel (G major), Rawsthorne (Second), Schoenberg, Shostakovich (First andSecond), Stravinsky (Capriccio and Concerto for Piano and WindInstrumentb). There arc pub- lished scores (orchestral or two-pianoarrangement) for each one, and each concerto has been commercially recorded ondisc. The dissertation presents in chart formdetailed analyses of each of the movements of the concertos. This report includes a detailed analysis of the Barber Concerto as an exampleof the procedure used (Appendix A); condensations of the analyses of all of theconcertos showing their major formal divisions also appearin this report (Ap- pendix B). The analyses in the dissertation concernthe large, over-all or "macro" form of the movements as determined bythe statement and stibse- quent use of the main thematic elements. After these elements had been located, they were arbitrarily labeled(with a number, or letter, or combination of both) and the labels listedvertically on a page, along with an identifying measure number and abrief explanatory statement. On the basis of aural impression, thethematic elements were then grouped into sections and the structure resultingfrom the sectioning was usually identified with a formal prototype such as"sonata-allegro," "rt...,do," "ternary," etc. Some movements did dhow some modificationsof these de- signs, and some movements were labeled"free, sectional" when there was extensive departure from standard patterns. The thematic elements them- selves range from brief figures, throughmotives, to longer, lyric phrases; they are quoted in musical notation on aseparate page following the chart of each movement. Following the charts of each concerto, a commentary includesinformation regarding formal modifications orir- regularities, thematic unifying devices, andcharacteristics of the harmonic and melodic style. While the main purpose of the dissertation wasto present the series of analyses as a reference source,three main conclusions were reached. The first was that the concept of acceptingthematic statements and uses as the determinant ofthe large, aver-all form provedvalid for this particular choice of literature. Second, while various styles and formal 1 movements were classi- modifications were encountered,the majority of the fied according to oneof the formal prototypesof the Classical-Romantic marked indebtedness to period (18th and 19thcenturies), showing a rather between harmonic pre-existing formaltraditions. Third, no correlation dissonant style was not style and form was inevidence--that is, a more arrangement, or conversely, necessarily associatedwith an unusual formal with an adherence a moretraditional style was notnecessarily associated aid mixtures werefound. to stricter classicalform-is; many combinations Characteristics peculiar tothe classical concertoinclude the use the "double of three movements,the cadenza for thesolo instrument, and In these 20th cen- exposition" in the openingsonata-allegro movement. have three movcments(the tury concertos, twenty-twoof the thirty-three (five of others have from oneto five); twenty-one contain cadenzas concertos which-have them in twomovements);however, there are no double exposition. containing a movement insonata-allegro form with a in the section Other common and less commonelements are discussed Appendix CI each movementof all the on Findings. Then, appearing as concertos is contained in alisting according tothe following categor- (not strict A B A), sonata-allegro, ternary(A B A), three-part ies: variations, A A B, two- five-part rondo, seven-partrondo, theme and unipartite, and free,sectional part or binary,five-part but not rondo, with other than three move- dasigns. .Cadenzas,cyclicism, and concertos ments also are enumerated. 2 INTRODUCTION One of the intriguing aspectsof art is the reason for its appeal to man--what are the elementscontributing to its beauty?One generally accepted theorem is that beauty in artis the result of a balance between unity and variety. It is often difficult to be veryspecific about the elements of art and their use asdevices of unity or variety,especially in music, which is the mostabstract of the arts. Nevertheless, in the past, certain techniques of analysishave been accepted as being meaning- ful and relevant to the understandingof a work of music. These techniques include describing theover-all form of each movement of a work (that is describingthe ordering of the thematicmaterial and key centers) and searchingfor balancing similarities ordifferences in the thematic material(that is seeking common elements of length, shape, key, motives, rhythmic devices,and any other bharacteristics peculiar to the themes of a work). During the late lath century andduring the 19th century, composers limited the possibilities of ordering thethematic material to a certain few generally accepted formal prototypes,given such names as "sonata- allegro," "three-part," "rondc," or "themeaid variations," and these forms were employed in the concertoliterature as well as in purely sym- phonic music and in chamber music. Due to the presence of the soloin- strument, the concerto, besides

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