Nationalism in Karol Szymanowski’s Mazurkas No. 1-4, Op. 50: The Influence of Goral Music A doctoral document submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS in the Keyboard Studies Division of the College-Conservatory of Music 2007 By Sun-Joo Cho 2410 Ohio Ave. #201 Cincinnati, OH 45219 B.M., Ewha Women’s University, Seoul, South Korea, 1997 M.M., University of Cincinnati, 2001 Committee Chair: Dr. Robert Zierolf Abstract Karol Szymanowski was a successor to the Polish nationalism of Chopin, and truly was an important figure as the bridge between Chopin and twentieth-century composers including Lutoslawski, Penderecki, Gorecki, and Paderewski as a figure of international fame. He composed two sets of mazurkas: 20 Mazurkas, Op. 50 (1924-25) and Two Mazurkas, Op. 62 (1933-34), his last completed works. His mazurkas are commonly understood to have been directly inspired by Chopin’s. However, Szymanowski’s were also influenced by Poland’s postwar independence, Bartok’s nationalism, Stravinsky’s Russian Period music, and musical contacts with the Gorale and personal experiences in Zakopane, located in the Podhale region in the Tatra Mountains in the early 1920s. Among these influential factors, the music in the Podhale region was the biggest motivation and musical basis in composing a set of Mazurkas, Op. 50. Written in Zakopane in the 1920s, they show many general musical characteristics from the “highland” mountain area and are clearer examples of nationalism than Op. 62. This document analyzes the first four mazurkas in Op. 50, favored in concert by many pianists, focusing on how Szymanowski incorporated musical features from Podhale into the mazurka, the genre from the “lowland.” The purpose of this document is to present musical folk idioms of the Tatra Mountains area, then provide deeper understanding of Szymanowski’s Mazurkas by examining relevant musical characteristics in the first four of Op. 50. Chapter one includes a biographical sketch, five important factors that were crucial influences on Szymanowski’s nationalism, and brief examination of general characteristics of authentic form and features of the mazurka. Chapter two mainly focuses on highland Podhale music in the Tatra Mountains including the Podhale region’s geography, its history as an artistic center from the late nineteenth century and four main figures in musical history of Podhale before Szymanowski, followed by musical characteristics of the Tatra Mountains region. Chapter three, the main portion of the document, concentrates on stylistic analyses of Szymanowski’s first four mazurkas, Op. 50. This chapter examines and illustrates how Szymanowski dealt with the folk elements in his mazurkas and how the characteristics of the goral music are specifically used in the pieces for piano. Acknowledgements Special thanks to my advisor, Dr. Robert Zierolf, for his thorough advice and helpful suggestions on improving and eventually finishing this project. I appreciate his warm caring, endless support, and enormous patience. I could not have accomplished this without him. I would like to thank Eugene and Elizabeth Pridonoff, and Ms. Sandra Rivers for being my piano teachers and mentors. They always have been beautiful inspirations for every piece of my life. I also want to acknowledge my parents for believing in their daughter’s musical gift and supporting my every step to this moment. They gave me strength, loving hearts, and tireless support. I extend my many thanks to my family members and friends for their positive support and prayer. Finally, I thank God, whose name I will glorify throughout my whole life. Table of Contents List of Tables iv List of Figures v Introduction 1 Chapter I. Karol Szymanowski, His Nationalism, and Mazurka’s General Characteristics 5 A. Biographical Sketch 5 B. Influential Factors on Szymanowski’s Nationalism 9 C. Mazurka: Definition and General Characteristics 13 Chapter II. On Highland Music 16 A. Podhale: Geography 16 B. Podhale: An Artistic Center 18 C. Four Main Figures of Podhale Music before Szymanowski 19 D. Musical Characteristics 21 Chapter III. Analysis of Szymanowski’s Mazurka Op. 50, Nos. 1-4 27 Chapter IV. Conclusion 58 Bibliography 60 iii List of Tables 1. Table 1. Karol Szymanowski: Works for Solo Piano 2 iv List of Figures 1. Figure 1. Basic rhythmic figures of the mazurka 14 2. Figure 2. Map of Central Europe, Poland, Podhale, and Zakopane 17 v Introduction The nationalism that inspired Frederic Chopin (1810-49) carried on throughout the nineteenth century in Poland. After the death of Chopin, however, there were few Polish composers until Szymanowski who made remarkable contributions and achieved international fame. Undoubtedly, Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) was a successor to the Polish nationalism of Chopin. Mieczyslaw Kolinski (a Polish ethnomusicologist and theorist) called Szymanowski “the most representative composer of Poland.”1 Szymanowski was a leading figure in reviving Polish nationalism in music in the early twentieth century. However, despite Szymanowski’s musical ingenuity and contributions to Polish nationalism, he has been one of the most neglected composers in the early twentieth century. His piano music (along with his other compositions) was largely excluded from concert programs for many years. Szymanowski’s works are now recognized as marvels of modern music, and the composer is seen as a great stylistic innovator.2 A recent performance of Szymanowski’s King Roger by the English National Opera and performances of his orchestral works bring more attention to his music. Also, the Vienna colloquium of 1982 celebrating the centennial anniversary of his birth greatly contributed to the revival of his works.3 1Paul Collaer, A History of Modern Music (New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1961), 369. 2 Janina Fialkowska, pp. 1-2 in the liner notes to Fialkowska Plays Szymanowski. Janina Fialkowska, pianist (Ontario: Opening Day Recordings, 1995), ODR9305, Compact Disc. 3Roger Scruton, “Introduction,” in Karol Szymanowski in seiner Zeit, ed. Michal Bristiger (Munchen: Wilhelm Fink Verlag, 1984), 9. 1 Generally, Szymanowski’s piano output is divided into three periods. The first is in the style of late German romanticism. There are strong influences from Chopin (although not yet Polish nationalism) and from Wagner, Strauss, and Reger. The second happened in the mid-1910s, when his musical output changed to some extent through the influence of Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky (whom he met for the first time in London in 1914). Exotic sounds and Impressionism best describe this middle period. In a trip to Paris in 1921, he was overwhelmed by Stravinsky’s music (Les Noces) and his nationalistic treatment of Russian folk-songs. This experience inspired him to write Polish national music, especially under the influence of the folk-music of the Tatra Mountains. This is his third creative period.4 Compositions after 1920 are usually designated as from the “nationalistic” period. See Table 1. Table 1. Karol Szymanowski: Works for Solo Piano 1st Period 2nd Period 3rd Period Years ~ c1911 1914 - 18 c1920 ~ Influences/Musical Chopin & Exotic/oriental Polish nationalism Styles Late German influences (especially the romanticism & Impressionism Goral [mountain people] music) Piano Works Nine Preludes, Op.1 Metopes, Op. 29 Twenty Mazurkas, Examples Variations, Op. 3 & Masques, Op. 34 Op. 50 Op. 10. Twelve Etudes, Op. Valse Romantique Four Etudes, Op. 4 33 Four Polish Dances Sonatas, Op. 8 & 21 Sonata, Op. 36 Two Mazurkas, Op. 62 He composed two sets of mazurkas: 20 Mazurkas, Op. 50 (1924-25) and Two Mazurkas, Op. 62 (1933-34), his last completed works. His mazurkas are commonly 4Martin Anderson, p. 2 in the liner notes to Karol Szymanowski: The Complete Mazurkas. Marc- Andre Hamelin. Pianist (London: Hyperion, 2003), CDA67399, Compact Disc. 2 understood to have been directly inspired by Chopin’s. However, Szymanowski’s were also influenced by Poland’s postwar independence, Bartok’s nationalism, Stravinsky’s Russian Period music, and musical contacts with the Gorale and personal experiences in Zakopane, located in the Podhale region in the Tatra Mountains in the early 1920s. Among these influential factors, the music in the Podhale region was the biggest motivation and musical basis in composing a set of Mazurkas, Op. 50. Written in Zakopane in the 1920s, they show many general musical characteristics from the “highland” mountain area and are clearer examples of nationalism than Op. 62. In this document, the first four mazurkas in Op. 50 (1923-24) will be analyzed, focusing on how Szymanowski incorporated musical features from Podhale into the mazurka, the genre from the “lowland.” The purpose of this document is to present musical folk idioms of the Tatra Mountains area, then provide deeper understanding of Szymanowski’s Mazurkas by examining relevant musical characteristics. My analysis of Nos. 1-4 will concentrate on the treatment of the folk elements in Szymanowski’s own way. I will illustrate how each of the four mazurkas adopts musical features of the Podhale region. The mazurkas will be analyzed, not by considering a standard analytical approach like Roman numeral or Schenkerian analysis, but by revealing the particular musical characteristics in Podhale used in the four mazurkas: the construction of melodies, rhythms, use of typical modes and scales, voicing and texture, and so on. First, I will begin with a brief biographical sketch of Szymanowski, highlighting his sojourns to the Tatra Mountains and the influences of the traditional music there in the 1920s. Then five important factors that were crucial influences on Szymanowski’s nationalism will be discussed. A brief examination of the general characteristics of 3 authentic form and features of the mazurka will be presented to help the reader’s understanding of the genre. The second part of the document will mainly deal with history and music of Zakopane and Podhale in the Tatra Mountains.