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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE

Concerto and Recital Works by Bach, Beethoven, , Chopin, Poulenc and Rachmaninoff

A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Music in Music, Performance

by Peter Shannon

May 2016

The graduate project of Peter Shannon is approved:

______Dr. Soo-Yeon Chang Date

______Dr. Alexandra Monchick Date

______Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov, Chair Date

California State University, Northridge

ii Table of Contents

Signature Page ii

Abstract iv

Section 1: Toccata in F-sharp Minor BWV 910 by J.S. Bach 1

Section 2: Op. 109 in by L.V. Beethoven 4

Section 3: Variations Sérieuses in by Felix Mendelssohn 7

Section 4: Piano No. 2 in by Frédéric Chopin 9

Section 5: in F-sharp major by Frédéric Chopin 10

Section 6: Napoli Suite, FP 40 by 13

Section 7: Etude-Tableau Op. 39 no. 9 by 17

Bibliography 20

Appendix A: Program I (Concerto) 21

Appendix B: Program II (Solo Recital) 22

iii Abstract

Recital and Concerto Works by Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Poulenc and Rachmaninoff

By

Peter Shannon

Master of Music in Music, Performance

Johann Sebastien Bach (1685-1750) explored the genres and forms of the Baroque period with astonishing complexity and originality. Bach used the form of the toccata to couple the rigorous logic of Baroque to the fantastic possibilities of improvisational harmony. The Op. 109 in E major is the first of the final three piano by the German composer . It summarizes the conventions of the Classical period, and anticipates the textures and moods of the Romantic period. Mendelssohn lived and composed in the shadow of his predecessor, and like Beethoven’s Op. 109 and 111 the Variations Sérieuses open a gateway to the music of the past, present, and future. As in the late sonatas of Beethoven, the Variations Sérieuses suggest spiritual reflection and transcendence through the unity of diverse compositional styles and the transformation of a single theme. Chopin’s Concerto in F minor is written in the stile brillante, showcasing the skills of the soloist within the traditions of Classical form.

The Barcarolle in F-sharp major is a late work by the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, written between 1845 and 1846. The Barcarolle was a popular genre of in the Romantic period, which usually sought to depict a Venetian gondola ride. Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) conceived of Napoli after a trip to Italy in 1922. The suite is composed of three movements, and represents the transition from the composer’s early style to his middle period of composition. Rachmaninoff wrote the second set of Etudes-Tableaux from 1916 to 1917, after experiencing several tragic events. The first eight etudes in the set have a dark and brooding character, while the final etude in has a more optimistic and life-affirming message.

v Section 1: Toccata in F-sharp Minor BWV 910 by

Johann Sebastien Bach (1685-1750) explored the genres and forms of the Baroque period with astonishing complexity and originality. His seven keyboard toccatas were written in the middle period of his output, from before 1710 to 1719. The genre of the toccata emerged in Italy in the sixteenth century, and quickly came to be associated with rhythmic and harmonic complexity. Toccatas specifically sought to showcase the performer’s abilities, often through rapid runs or dense polyphony: “the Toccata seems always to have implied a certain amount of brilliance and bravura, and to have made considerable demands on the player’s technique.”1 By the time J.S. Bach wrote his seven keyboard toccatas in the early 18th century, the genre had become more specifically associated with improvisatory phrasing and virtuosic keyboard writing. Bach used the form of the toccata to couple the rigorous logic of Baroque counterpoint to the fantastic possibilities of improvisational harmony. Although he incorporates into the keyboard toccatas, the fugal process sometimes gives way to free counterpoint: “Their spirit is the Toccata spirit of energy, emotional directness, and poetic freedom. They are not perfect examples of Fugue as Bach established the Fugue in the period of his latest maturity.”2 Indeed, the in Bach’s toccatas occasionally seem to gather so much energy that they organically spin out of strict fugal form. While the F-sharp minor and toccatas are respectively numbered 1 and 2 in published editions, they were actually completed around 1717-19, about ten years later than nos. 2-6. 3 Sydney Grew considers the first 4/4 fugue of the F- sharp minor Toccata to be one of the most technically demanding sections in all of the keyboard toccatas, 4 perhaps because the contrapuntal implications of the subject leads to dense intervallic passages in later entries. The 4/4 fugue is preceded by an

1 J. A. Fuller-Maitland, “The Toccatas of Bach,” Proceedings of the Musical Association 39th Sess. (1912-1913): 46. 2 Sydney Grew, “The Clavier Toccatas of Bach,” The Musical Times, 60 no. 915 (1919): 206-207. 3 Maurice Hinson and Wesley Roberts, Guide to the ’s Repertoire (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2014), 68. 4 Grew, 206.

improvisatory introduction and 3/4 adagio, which prepares the F-sharp minor tonality through tonicizations of the C-sharp minor dominant, B-minor subdominant, and A-major mediant. While these modulations might sound like the most basic harmonic possibilities, the cadences in the opening adagio consistently resolve into second inversion sonorities that are perceived as 4-3 suspensions in the following phrase. The lack of authentic cadences creates a sense of harmonic restlessness and instability, and contributes to a general air of mystery in the opening adagio. The first 4/4 fugue affects an abrupt shift in mood with an assertive and diatonic subject. The opening statement of the subject implies a clear dominant- tonic cadence in the home key of F# minor. The consistent eighth note rhythm of the subject seems simplistic until the countersubject is introduced, which is composed almost entirely of sixteenth notes. The running sixteenth note texture is sustained throughout the fugue, and some of the passages require rapid sixths or thirds to be taken in one hand by the performer. The final climax ruptures the fugal structure, using the B# diminished seven of the C# dominant to intensify the drama. A transitional sequence links the first fugue to the second fugue. It is based on a single measure of musical material: a dominant-tonic cadence. The first cadence tonicizes the G# minor supertonic, before moving upwards by step in sequential motion. After moving up three steps to G#, the melody of the material is switched from the right hand to the left, and the sequence begins to move downwards by step. The sequence starts to become slightly less predictable: it occasionally jumps steps, emphasizing some unexpected harmonies. After tonicizing the relative major in the low register, the sequence changes direction and moves upward once again. After a third change in direction, the sequence gives way to cadential patterns that culminate in the tonicization of F# minor and the initiation of the final fugue. Extensive sequential passages can be found throughout Bach’s keyboard toccatas, and some performers criticize these sections for their lack of originality. On the other hand, such sequences also demonstrate that much can be achieved with a single musical idea, which is admittedly subjected to several harmonic and contrapuntal transformations over the course of the passage.

2 The final fugue is written in 6/8 time, and has a dance-like character. The subject repeats the first scale step on beats 2, 3, and 4, before moving downwards in chromatic motion towards the fifth scale step, which it reaches on beat 4 of the following measure. The subject concludes with a sixteenth note turn that enlivens the texture and suggests dancing. The second fugue is not particularly harmonically adventurous, although a fourth voice is introduced in the middle of the fugue, intensifying the mood and making it technically denser than the first fugue. A fermata held on E dominant seven dramatizes a modulation to the relative major, anticipating the harmonic and dramatic patterns later found throughout the Mozart piano . The remainder of the fugue is freer in form, and exhibits fluid melodic counterpoint. The final climax temporarily abandons the fugal structure entirely for a long arpeggiation of the F# minor tonic, recalling the athleticism and improvisatory qualities of the introduction. A final cadence restates the second fugue’s subject, bringing the Toccata to a close.

3 Section 2: Piano Sonata Opus 109 in E major by Ludwig van Beethoven

The Piano Sonata Op. 109 in E major is the first of the final three piano sonatas by the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Written during the first months of 1820, the first movement likely existed first as part of a series of Bagatelles written for the musician and editor Friedrich Starke.5 1820 proved a difficult year for Beethoven: he fought and lost the battle for custody over his nephew Karl, and began to experience the first symptoms of the liver disease that eventually claimed his life.6 Op. 109 suggests that the composer began to look inward for strength and inspiration, finding solace in deep reflection and spirituality. The sonata is a summary of the conventions of the Classical period, and an anticipation of the textures and moods of the Romantic period. The first movement begins in a delicate and fickle character reminiscent of a Bagatelle.7 A flowing four-voice texture propels the first subject towards the dominant, leading to an Adagio espressivo whose improvisatory rhythms and distant harmonies suggest a miniature Fantasie.8 The parenthetical enclosure of one musical idea within another is a salient feature of each of the final three piano sonatas.9 The development returns to the brisk texture of the first subject, and builds momentum that eventually leads to an explosive utilization of extreme register at the beginning of the recapitulation. Russell Adams Bliss sees the transition from the development to the recapitulation as a representation of the unity that is characteristic of Beethoven’s late work: Unity within the movements – the deliberate fusing of the various sections into a structural whole – is prominent in several movements of these sonatas. The recapitulation in the first movement of Opus 109 is an illustration of this. The entire development consists of the

5 William Kinderman, Beethoven (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 239. 6 Kinderman, 239-240. 7 Kinderman, 240. 8 Kinderman, 240. 9 Kinderman, 240.

4 same figuration as the principal theme, and when the restatement comes, it appears as a continuation of the preceding pattern.10

The sense of unity in Beethoven’s late work heavily influenced the following generation of composers, especially Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Franck. The second subject ‘Fantasie’ in the recapitulation modulates decisively to the flat submediant with a cascade of arpeggios. The modulation back to the E major tonic is confirmed with a proto-Lisztian run of broken thirds in both hands down the length of the instrument. An ethereal coda sets the stage for violent contrast in the second movement, and the return of spirituality in the final movement. The second movement ruptures the calm atmosphere with fortissimo octaves in the bass, and an anxious 6/8 melody written in the parallel minor. Both the octaves and the melody play an equally important motivic role in the movement, 11 and their simultaneous statement suggests both intellectual depth and anxiety. This movement is also written in , and has a windswept second subject that culminates in three-octave scales in the melodic minor. The development provides another example of a ‘parenthetical’ phrase, as the shift to a pianissimo dynamic and use of the una corda creates an impression of encapsulation. The modulation to the C major flat submediant provides a harmonic reminiscence of the first movement, and continues to build anticipation for the transcendence and serenity of the final movement.12 The recapitulation of the second movement bears close resemblance to its exposition, and hammers home the hasty and violent impetus of the movement as a whole. The third movement is composed of a theme and six variations, exploring a form that would resurface in other important late works such as the second movement of Sonata Op. 111 and the Diabelli Variations. Kinderman interprets the third movement’s theme as a Baroque sarabande, with an implied stress on the second beat of every bar of triple meter. 13 Influence from the Baroque period

10 Russell Adams Bliss, “A Recital of Three Late-Beethoven Pianoforte Sonatas” (PhD diss., Columbia University, 1966), 78. 11 Bliss, 10. 12 Kinderman, 242. 13 Kinderman, 243.

5 provides an impetus for many of the variations, which explore the contrapuntal techniques of invertible counterpoint, canon and fugato (Variations 3, 4 and 5, respectively). Other variations anticipate the keyboard rhetoric of the Romantic period: the quintuplet flourish in the first variation anticipates the melodic writing of Chopin, while the virtuosity of the final variation opens the door to the technique and sonorities of Liszt. Each of the first five variations remain closely tied to the structure and harmony of the theme. The theme is quoted and then transformed via rhythmic diminution in the sixth variation, leading to a climax that resembles a “radioactive break-up, a fantastically elaborate texture of shimmering, vibrating sounds.”14 The left-hand 32nd note runs in the final climax are reminiscent of the opening of the Bach F# minor Toccata; these runs are quasi-improvistory in nature, but also designed to emphasize specific harmonic goals. The physical demands that the runs and sustained trills of this final passage place on the performer accentuate the transcendent nature of the musical material. The variation disintegrates into a long diminuendo on the B major dominant seven, which eventually falls into a restatement of the original theme. Although it may evoke Romantic sentiments in many listeners, the final statement of the theme is fundamentally Classical and should be executed with relatively little rubato. Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 109 shows that the conventions of Classical tradition can co-exist with historical and experimental compositional influences.

14 Kinderman, 244.

6 Section 3: Variations Sérieuses in D minor, Opus 54 by Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) wrote the Variations Sérieuses in D minor in the summer of 1841 as a contribution to a piano album that also included works by Chopin, Czerny, Liszt, and six other composers. 15 The publication hoped to raise funds that would provide for a statue of Beethoven in the composer’s hometown of Bonn. 16 Mendelssohn lived and composed in the shadow of his predecessor, and like Beethoven’s Op. 109 and 111 the Variations Sérieuses open a gateway to the music of the past, present, and future. Variations 1, 2, 4, and 10 utilize Baroque techniques of counterpoint, imitation, and fugue, while variations 11 and 15 are strikingly modern in their free approach to harmonization. Variations 3, 5-9, 12-14, and the climactic finale are written in Mendelssohn’s personal style, which is frequently characterized by dense triadic voicing, rapid syncopations, and virtuosic arpeggios. The intellectual depth of the contrapuntal variations, the refinement of the theme and slower variations, and the athleticism of the virtuosic variations are all representative of the composer’s upbringing and personality: “Mendelssohn was cultivated, intellectually gifted to a remarkable degree, possessed tremendous mental and physical energy, and was motivated in both his life and his art by sincerely and deeply held aesthetic and moral convictions.” As in the late sonatas of Beethoven, the Variations Sérieuses suggest spiritual reflection and transcendence through the unity of diverse compositional styles and the transformation of a single theme. Every variation draws closely from the original theme, whose exotic harmonies are derived from syncopated suspensions and chromatic voice leading. The first half of the theme is both a simple period in the Classical style, and an exploration of the limits of Romantic chromaticism. The opening antecedent drifts with otherworldly conviction from D minor to E major (V/V), then from (iv) to a half cadence on (V). The consequent of the first phrase modulates to the relative major, and has often been regarded as suggesting personal religious

15 Larry Todd, Mendelssohn: A Life in Music (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 414. 16 Todd, 414.

7 interiority. Mendelssohn was born Jewish but converted to Christianity, a point highlighted by Clive Brown in his biography of the composer: There can be no doubt that Mendelssohn’s Jewish background, like his sincere, if undemonstrative, Christian faith, was a significant factor in his upbringing, his outlook, his social relationships, his relationship with contemporary musicians, and the critical reception of his music in ,17 The religious qualities of the Variation Sérieuses re-emerge in the fourteenth variation, which is a four-part in the parallel major. It is the only variation written in a major key, and the final cadence to D major evokes the power and depth of personal faith. Although the finale brings the work to an anxious and nihilistic close, the memory of the major variation suggests that faith can play a role in the confrontation of personal crisis and mortality. The Variations Sérieuses are consistently regarded as one of Mendelssohn’s finest works for solo piano. 18 19

17 Brown, 83. 18 Todd, 414. 19 Hinson, 674.

8 Section 4: No. 2 in F minor, Opus 21 by Frédéric Chopin

Chopin wrote his two piano concertos a few months apart in 1829 and 1830, between the ages of 19 and 20. The F minor concerto, dubbed number two by the publisher, was actually completed before Concerto no. 1. The first movement has a bold and serious tone, and is modeled on Classical sonata form. A contrast is set up between extroverted anguish and melancholy in the first subject, and happier introspection in the second subject. The development begins calmly in the relative major, but quickly explodes into angry virtuosity. The recapitulation briefly reflects on the second subject, but soon collapses into a despairing and virtuosic conclusion in F minor. The Larghetto has an operatic and amorous tone, showcasing lengthy melodies and florid embellishments. Although iterations of the primary theme remain rooted to Ab major, a stormy middle section evokes the narrative qualities of operatic by traveling to more distant harmonic destinations. A favorite of both Chopin and Liszt, this movement remains popular with the public. The final movement derives its rhythmic and metrical inspiration from the , and its formal sophistication from the rondos of Mozart. The mazurka is a national dance from Chopin’s home country of Poland, and has a melancholic yet lively quality. The steady simplicity of the mazurka soon gives way to faster passagework in triplets, incorporating delightful and surprising modulations. An ebullient second theme in A-flat major contributes a celebratory tone to the movement, though the mood darkens once again with a return to the F minor mazurka. One cannot help but suggest an influence from Mozart’s Concerto in D minor K. 466 at the end of the movement, when a final modulation to serves as the basis for a bright and explosive coda.

9 Section 5: Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Opus 60 by Frédéric Chopin

The Barcarolle in F-sharp major is a late work by the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, written between 1845 and 1846. 20 The Barcarolle was a popular genre of character piece in the Romantic period, which usually sought to depict a Venetian gondola ride: represented Venice through literal mimicry; they depicted the rocking of a boat floating down a canal with a lilting rhythm in the bass and a gondolier’s song with a melody in thirds above. In other words, the barcarolle of the nineteenth century was a representational genre, much like a painting of Venice or poem set within the city. 21 Chopin’s Barcarolle conforms to the conventions of the genre in several obvious ways. The 12/8 meter is emphasized with a steady, rocking accompaniment in the bass, which seems to suggest the water flowing under the gondola. The treble melody in the main theme is composed mostly of thirds and sixths, evoking the sweetness of a gondolier’s serenade. However, the large-scale form of the piece and the use of chromatic modulation suggest a psychological depth that transcends the clichés of the barcarolle genre. Chopin wrote the Barcarolle during a difficult period in his life: “His relationship with was in turmoil . . . meanwhile, Chopin’s health continually weakened.” 22 The Barcarolle draws its strength from the refuge of imagination, and encourages performer and listener to move ever further from the mundane realities of real existence. Elizabeth Morgan suggests that the large-scale form of the piece can be divided into three barcarolles and a , with each piece within the piece depicting a different scene in Venice. 23 The form could be more precisely analyzed as: A-A’-B-C-D-A”-E, with a short introduction and an

20 Elizabeth Natalie Morgan, “Chopin’s ‘Barcarolle and an Imagined Venice,” (DMA diss., University of California Los Angeles, 2009). 21 Morgan, 37. 22 Morgan, 37. 23 Morgan, 38.

10 expansive coda. Morgan notes that “the shape of the work reflects the material at hand; the Barcarolle winds from one scene to another, like a boat journeying from site to site down a canal.” 24 The A, A’, and A’’ sections are composed primarily of the same F# major theme, with a consistently expanded density and texture. The B section begins with a modulation to the parallel minor, which almost immediately serves as a gateway to the A major flat mediant. The modulation from F# minor to A major at the opening of the B section demonstrates how quickly melancholy and sorrow can be transformed into illuminating joy. The B section is the most emotionally fickle section of the work, episodically tonicizing F# minor and G# minor before consistently returning to A major. The C section that follows remains firmly rooted in A major, and decisively cadences in that key. Throughout the C section, the right hand plays a melody in three-note octave chords, a figuration that became popular in the Romantic era and is now also associated with jazz pianism. This melodic voicing is also used in the Barcarolle’s coda. One of the most striking moments in the Barcarolle is the transition from the C section to the D section, in which the sonic world of a new tonal center is unlocked with the reinterpretation of a single note. The end of the C section is followed by several measures built over an E octave pedal point, suggesting a continued link to key of A major. The soprano melody moves chromatically from F# to F natural to E in these measures, suggesting that F natural is a passing tone. However, the third time the melody lands on F natural, it is held over to the next measure as a suspension. This suspension pushes the bass line to D, and reshapes the four-part harmony into a diminished seventh chord built on D. In the following measure, the F natural is retained in the soprano, but is enharmonically reinterpreted as the E# third of C# major. The bass resolves down by half-step to C#, leading to an authentic cadence in C# major, and a sublime shift in texture and character two bars later. This D section is marked dolce sfogato, meaning sweet, light and airy. This enharmonic modulation to C# major eventually facilitates the return of the F# major tonic in the A” section.

24 Morgan, 45.

11 The A” section confirms the return to F# major with a restatement of the original theme, creating a strong sense of thematic and harmonic unity across the work as a whole. The Barcarolle’s evocation of transcendence through thematic restatement is an iconic moment in Romantic era composition, and foreshadows the works of Fauré, Franck, and Debussy. The virtuosic legato octaves in the left hand intensify the mood as the Barcarolle moves towards climax, providing one of the main technical challenges in the piece. The end A’’ section moves to the same dominant seven sonority as the A’ section, but actually sustains the ff dynamic, and cadences satisfyingly to F# in the extreme registers of the instrument. This cadence introduces the E section, which restates melodic material from the A major C section in the F# major tonic using denser voicings and extreme registration. Chopin’s innovative use of passing diminished sevens in the voice-leading of this section probably served as an inspiration to composers of the late . The coda is initiates with with an F# major cadence in bars 102-103. It continues to explores innovative voicings and harmonies, such as the G major Neapolitan tenth on the downbeat on 105. Like the final variation in Beethoven’s Sonata 109, the chordal intensity of the coda is dissolved using rapid, shimmering runs (mm. 110-115). The penultimate measure momentarily obscures the perception of meter with a rhythmically ambiguous scale, but the final octaves in m. 115 provide firm metrical resolution to the work as a whole.

12 Section 6: Napoli Suite, FP 40 by Francis Poulenc

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) conceived of Napoli after a trip to Italy in 1922.25 The suite is composed of three movements, and represents the transition from the composer’s early style to his middle period of composition.26 Over the course of five decades, Poulenc composed ballets, operas, keyboard concertos, , vocal works, and pieces for solo piano.27 The Barcarolle and Nocturne feature easy-going melodies and a cellular phrase structure that are characteristic of the early period, while the through-composed form and harmonic originality of Caprice Italien exhibit a braver and more mature approach to composition. The piano works of Poulenc are sometimes criticized for their “overdependence on idiomatic figuration and passagework,” and a tendency towards empty virtuosity.28 The Napoli Suite successfully negotiates a balance between improvisatory virtuosity and careful planning of the formal structure and voice leading. Although titled “Barcarolle,” the opening movement of Napoli has little in common with the genre exemplified by Chopin’s Barcarolle. The left hand accompaniment is based on a dissonant minor tenth from D to E# that resolves upward in a suggestion of the D major tonic. The harmonic instability of the accompaniment pushes the movement forward with restless drive, negating associations with the traditional barcarolle genre. The treble melody is highly diatonic, but takes on an ironic character when paired with the dissonant accompaniment. The form of the first movement is centered around three statements of the opening melody, with short, celluar interjections between each reiteration. The second statement of the theme is more richly harmonized in both the melody and accompaniment, with four-voice chords in the right hand and

25 Linda Pruitt Stutzenberger, “The Published Solo Piano Works of Francis Poulenc (1899-1963),” (D.M.A. diss., Unversity of Maryland, 1979): 9. 26 Kirk Servertson, “Poulenc’s Development as a Piano Composer: A Comparison of the Solo Piano Works and the Mélodies”, (D.M.A. diss, University of Cincinnati), 37. 27 Severtson, 1. 28 Severtson, 2.

13 spreads of a major tenth in the left. The third and final statement of the theme resolves the original D-E# dissonance in the accompaniment to D-F#, and pushes the treble melody an octave higher to create a three-dimensional effect of distance. The second movement also bears a conventional title (“Nocturne”) that it both mimics and mocks. The use of A-B-A form abides by the conventions of the genre, but the harmonic stasis of the A section and extreme dissonance in the B section are out of character for a nocturne. Like the first movement, the A section of the second movement makes of an ostinato accompaniment, though it is now entirely diatonic and structured on the consonant fourths and fifths. The phrasing is built on a four-octave melodic descent, eventually transferring the melody from single notes in the right hand to octaves in the left. No attempt is made to prepare the listener for the B section, which restates the conflict between F# and F natural/E# that provided the dramatic impetus in the first movement. A fortissimo rolled chord in the middle of the B section serves as the harmonic and dynamic climax of the movement, and has the effect of an unanticipated swallowing of seawater. The reiteration of the A section is virtually identical to its original form, and closes with a one-measure coda that leads chromatically to a pensive Eb major chord. The Eb major sonority effectively prepares a surprising but delicious modulation by half-step to E major at the start of the finale. The Caprice Italien has a large-scale, through-composed ternary structure (ABC). Material is repeated within each section, and both the A and B sections exhibit a smaller ABA form. The movement draws on the Romantic genres of the Etude and Waltz, but also has more acerbic passages that are highly original and Modern in their harmonic and contrapuntal qualities. The opening flourish consists of a long E major scale in the left hand (reminiscent of Chopin Etude Op. 10 no. 4), and a syncopated E major chord in the right hand that resembles a trumpet. The first part of the A section is essentially a toccata, with an incessant and virtuosic exchange of notes between hands. The first departure from diatonic harmony occurs in m. 31, when a new phrase begins with a G augmented chord leading to a C major chord in the following measure. The eventual destination of the phrase is the B major dominant

14 in m. 45, but for a moment the listener is delightfully lost in a more coloristic approach to harmonic structure. The gesture marked subito f in 37-38 is distinctly Poulenc, as the boldness of the articulation seems to justify the “wrongness” of the A#. In the following phrase, the A# is naturally justified as the leading tone in an authentic cadence to B major in mm. 44-45. B major is confirmed with diatonic figuration in mm. 45-49, but is quickly destabilized with chromatic tones in mm. 49-53. B minor, F# minor, F major, and D minor are consecutively tonicized in mm. 53-68. Even as the capricious alternation of key areas plays with the listener’s sense of tonal logic, the voice leading is carefully considered and is often cleanly resolved. The section from mm. 69-99 has a more dissonant and anxious character, which is further accentuated by aggressive accents and dynamic markings. The harmony in mm. 80-81 is completely static and, extending D major thirteen for two bars. However, Poulenc always has a destination in the back of his mind, as B major jumps back into the foreground in mm. 86-87. He toys with the harmonic stability once again in bars 86-98, before finally resolving back to the E major opening flourish in mm. 99-100. The restatement of the opening material closes the A section, finishing with another Toccata-like passage in mm. 122-129. The B section immediately slows the pace of the movement, and shifts the character into a more exotic and reflective mood. The middle section of Caprice Italien exhibits many of the musical characteristics that became hallmarks of Poulenc’s mature style, highlighting chromatic vocal melodies and unique pianistic flourishes. A lyrical passage begins in A-flat minor at m. 140, eventually giving way to the A-flat parallel major in m. 155. The vocal character of the passage is further reinforced by the marking “très chanté” at m. 155. A more waltz-like section begins at m. 171, introducing figuration that anticipates the composer’s later chansons “Violon” and “Les chemins d’amour.” A virtuosic interlude occurs from mm. 179-195, using harmonies that are both surprising and logical in nature. A return to the original A-flat minor vocal section is prepared with the E-flat minor dominant in m. 195. The restatement of the A-flat minor and A-flat major sections is somewhat abbreviated, and leads to the initiation of the C section in m. 228.

15 The final section of Caprice Italian creates a sense of unleashed excitement as the movement races to conclusion. A new set of rhythmic and pianistic complexities is explored in every phrase, and very little material is repeated. Augmented harmony provides the basis of one of the most unique and challenging flourishes in mm. 244-46. Poulenc’s interested in prolonged augmented harmonies links some of his writing to his Russian contemporary, Sergei Rachmaninoff. Indeed, the A-flat major passage at 259-271 bears much in common with Rachmaninoff’s final Etude-Tableau in D major, featuring a sixteenth-sixteenth- eighth note rhythm, and densely blocked triadic harmonies. The densest writing in Caprice Italien occurs at the very moment of climax, from mm. 314-22, and also bears much in common with the finale of Mendelssohn’s Variations Sérieuses. Like Rachmaninoff, Poulenc roots his pianistic figuration in the Romantic tradition, while allowing his harmonic imagination to explore new, exciting territory. Caprice Italien helped define Poulenc’s mature style of composition, and remains an important contribution to the canon of twentieth century piano literature.

16 Section 7: Etude-Tableau Op. 39 no. 9 in D major by Sergei Rachmaninoff

The Russian pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) began his musical education at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and transferred to the Moscow Conservatory in 1885. He met and idolized Tchaikovsky while studying in Moscow, and his compositions show a strong influence from the Russian Romantic tradition. Rachmaninoff had a successful early period of composition in Russian, achieving public success with virtuosic works such as the First Piano Concerto (1891). Unfortunately, the premiere of his First in 1897 was not well- received, and the cold reception of his work “caused Rachmaninoff to go into a depression and a compositional drought . . . After being aided by the physician Dr. Nickolai Dahl in 1900, and the subsequent success of his Second Piano Concerto in 1901, Rachmaninoff’s desire to compose returned.” 29 Rachmaninoff had great respect for the etudes of Chopin and Scriabin, and in 1911 he commenced work on his first series of Etudes-Tableaux (Op. 33). In addition to surmounting formidable technical challenges, Rachmaninoff’s studies require the pianist to evoke a complex range of colors and moods. Rachmaninoff wrote the second set of Etudes-Tableaux from 1916 to 1917, after experiencing several tragic events: “the deaths of his father (1916), his counterpoint teacher Taneyev (1915), his friend and colleague, Scriabin (1915), along with the impending Russian Revolution.”30 The first eight etudes in the set have a dark and brooding character, while the final etude in D major has a more optimistic and life-affirming message. The composer described the D major etude in a letter to , who eventually transcribed Op. 39 for : “The fourth Etude in D major (Op. 39, No. 9) has a similar character, resembling an oriental march.”31 There are two primary motives in the Etude: Unison octaves on the downbeat followed by a diminished chord on the second beat, and a D octave repeated three times in a sixteenth-sixteenth-eighth note rhythm. The first motive could resemble the banners being carried by the participants in the march, and is

29 Surdell, 2. 30 Surdell, 20. 31 Surdell, 111.

17 presented in mm. 1-4. The second motive immediately follows the first motive in m. 5, and seems to depict a great crowd of people marching together. The second motive dominates the texture throughout the work, providing most of the technical challenges, while the first motive reemerges at important harmonic climaxes. The overall form of the etude is ABA’. It is a firmly tonal work, leaving from and returning to the key of D major. The A and A’ sections occasionally stretch the limits of tonality with augmented harmonies (mm. 14-17) and chords related by a tritone (end of m. 7 to m. 8, mm. 36-37). One of the main technical challenges in the A section is the articulation of a legato line in the same hand as the primary staccato sixteenth note motive (m. 8, mm. 12-13). Rapid jumps also require a precise knowledge of the harmonic content, and dexterity, strength, and stamina in the hands and arms. Thirds are briefly explored as a technical challenge in bars 24 and 26; such passages may seem relatively small-scale in the scope of the work, but can prove highly problematic if the pianist has not thoroughly mastered the necessary technique. After modulating every two measures for the duration of the A section, the harmony shifts downwards by half-step from D-flat to C major in bars 33-34. The arrival to C major triggers a restatement of the first octave motive in bars 34-45, and initiates the transition to the B section. Firmly rooted in the G major subdominant, the harmonic area of the B section (mm. 41-62) is forecasted in the initial statement of the second sixteenth note motive (end of m. 4 – m. 5). The B section is shorter than the outer sections, and less technically demanding. It has a subdued character that suggests viewing the march from a distance, or perhaps a more introspective remembering of the occasion. The top voices of the chords suggest a gracious melody floating above the texture, though the pianist must still ensure that the entire texture is audible to the listener. The second motive briefly appears in quotation of its initial form in mm. 49-51, with the third of the G minor subdominant now raised to G natural. This quotation appears exactly halfway through the piece, confirming its highly deliberate compositional structure. The B section ends with a docile plagal cadence in G major.

18 The scherzando passage in mm. 61-65 marks the beginning of the A’ section, and immediately suggests a more agile and explosive character. The final section uses dense voicings in both hands and rapid octaves in the left hand to build slowly towards a massive climax. The return to D major in mm. 89-97 combines the second sixteenth note motive and first octave motive in a tsunami of diatonic harmony. The consonant final cadences have an optimistic quality, affirming the power of human solidarity at the end of a dark and honest set of etudes.

19 Bibliography

Fuller-Maitland, J. A. “The Toccatas of Bach,” Proceedings of the Musical Association 39th Sess. (1912-1913): 46.

Grew, Sydney. “The Clavier Toccatas of Bach,” The Musical Times, 60 no. 915 (1919): 206-207.

Hinson, Maurice and Roberts, Wesley, Guide to the Pianist’s Repertoire (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2014), 671.

Kinderman, William, Beethoven (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 239.

Morgan, Elizabeth Natalie “Chopin’s ‘Barcarolle and an Imagined Venice,” (DMA diss., University of California Los Angeles, 2009).

Servertson, Kirk. “Poulenc’s Development as a Piano Composer: A Comparison of the Solo Piano Works and the Mélodies”, (D.M.A. diss, University of Cincinnati), 37

Stutzenberger, Linda Pruitt. “The Published Solo Piano Works of Francis Poulenc (1899-1963),” (D.M.A. diss., Unversity of Maryland, 1979): 9.

Surdell, Jacob. “Tonality, form, and stylistic features in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s ‘Etudes-Tableaux’, Op. 39,” (D.M.A diss., The University of Texas at Austin, 1992): 1.

Todd,Larry. Mendelssohn: A Life in Music (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 414.

20 Appendix A: Program I (Concerto)

California State University, Northridge

Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication

Department of Music

Present

PETER SHANNON

in his Master of Music Concerto Recital*

A student of Edward Francis

Landon Baumgard, second piano

Saturday, December 6, 2014, 7:30 pm

Music Recital Hall

PROGRAM

Concerto Op. 21 No. 2 in F minor…………………F. Chopin (1810 – 1849) I. Maestoso II. Larghetto III. Allegro vivace

*In partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree in Piano Performance

21 Appendix B: Program II (Solo Recital)

California State University, Northridge

Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication

Department of Music

Present

PETER SHANNON

in his Master of Music Recital*

A student of Soo-Yeon Chang and Edward Francis

Monday, May 2, 2016, 7:30 pm

Music Recital Hall

PROGRAM

Toccata in F# minor (1710-19)……………………………… J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Barcarolle in F# major (1845-46)……………….……..Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Sonata Op. 109 in E major…………….……………….L.V. Beethoven (1770-1827) I. Vivace ma non troppo / Adagio espressivo II. Prestissimo III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung. Andante molto ed espressivo

Intermission

22 Variations Sérieuses in D minor (1841) ……………… F. Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Etude-Tableau Op. 39 no. 9 (1916-17) ………………. S. Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Napoli Suite (1922-25) ………...……………………….……F. Poulenc (1899-1963) I. Barcarolle II. Nocturne III. Caprice Italien

23