Listening Guide

YUDKMC09_225-271hr 15-01-2007 11:28 Page 243 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY I: EARLY ROMANTIC MUSIC was his genius for capturing the essence of a poem youthful love or the resignation of old age, Schu- when he set it to music. In fact, his song settings bert’s music goes straight to the heart. often transcend the poetry that inspired them. We Schubert’s gift for lyricism influenced everything he heard this in the song “Gretchen am Spinnrade” in wrote, even his instrumental music. He composed a Chapter 3. The melodies he devised for the voice, great variety of music for solo piano and some wonder- the harmonies and figuration of the piano part— ful chamber music. Two of his chamber works are actu- these turn mediocre poetry into superb songs and ally based on songs he wrote; one is called the Death turn great poetry into some of the most expressive and the Maiden String Quartet, the other, the, Trout music ever written. During his pathetically short life, Quintet. Each has a movement that is a set of varia- Schubert composed more than 600 songs. These tions on a melody from one of those songs. (See Lis- range from tiny poems on nature, to dramatic dia- tening Guides below.) logues, to folklike tunes, to songs of the deepest Among the larger works are several operas, a number emotional intensity. In addition to this enormous of choral works, and eight symphonies. The best known number and variety of individual songs, Schubert of Schubert’s symphonies are his last two, the so-called also wrote two great song cycles, Die schöne Müllerin Great C-major Symphony (1828) and the Unfinished (The Pretty Miller-Maid, 1824) and Winterreise Symphony (Schubert completed only two movements). (Winter’s Journey, 1827). The first tells the story of a Schubert’s music, from his tiny, moving, earliest love affair that turns from buoyant happiness to songs to the expansiveness and grandeur of his late tragedy; the second is a sequence of reflections on symphonies, is finally emerging from the enormous nostalgia, old age, and resignation. Both contain shadow cast by Beethoven. It is fascinating to contem- music of the greatest simplicity as well as the greatest plate how highly we would regard Schubert’s music sophistication. Whether expressing the joys of today if Beethoven hadn’t been his contemporary. LISTENING GUIDE Student CD Franz Schubert (1797–1828) Date of composition: 1817 II, 59 Song, “Die Forelle” (“The Trout”) Voice and piano Complete CD Tempo: Etwas lebhaft (“Rather lively”) 2 IV, 1 Meter: 4 Key: Db major Duration: 2:10 “ The Trout,” written to the poem of a German poet, Christian Friedrich Schubart, has been a favorite among Schubert’s songs since its composition. Part of the song’s charm lies in the composer’s remarkable ability to depict the atmosphere of the poem by blending the melody with its accompaniment, both of which have an equal share in the musical interpretation. 243 YUDKMC09_225-271hr 15-01-2007 11:28 Page 244 CHAPTER 9 The song begins with a piano introduction based on a “rippling” figure that evokes the smooth flow of a stream. This figure becomes the dominant feature of the accompaniment, over which the voice sings an animated and lighthearted melody. The song represents a modified strophic form with an unexpected change of mood in the last stanza. The first two stanzas are sung to the same music simply because the scene remains the same: As long as the water in the stream is clear, the fish is safe. In the third stanza, however, when the fisherman grows impatient and maliciously stirs up the water to outwit the trout, the music becomes more agitated and unsettled. After the fish is finally hooked, the smoothing of the water’s surface is represented by the return of the gentle “rippling” figure, which gives a sense of artistic unity and makes the song a highly organic work. The subtlety of expression, the perfect matching of feeling to music, and the gentle pictorial touches all combine to make this song a complete miniature masterpiece. CD TIME LISTEN FOR 59 (1) 0:00 Piano introduction based on the rippling figure. Stanza 1 [rippling accompaniment continues] 0:08 In einem Bächlein helle, In a limpid brook Da schoss in froher Eil’ In joyous haste Die launische Forelle The whimsical trout Vorüber wie ein Pfeil. Darted about like an arrow. 0:20 Ich stand an dem Gestade I stood on the bank Und sah in süsser Ruh’ In blissful peace, watching Des muntern Fischleins Bade The lively fish swim around Im klaren Bächlein zu. In the clear brook. [last two lines repeated] 0:39 Piano interlude Stanza 2 60 (2) 0:45 [same music] Ein Fischer mit der Rute An angler with his rod Wohl an dem Ufer stand, Stood on the bank, Und sah’s mit kaltem Blute, Cold-bloodedly watching Wie sich das Fischlein wand. The fish’s flicker. 0:57 So lang’ dem Wasser Helle, As long as the water is clear, So dacht’ ich, nicht gebricht, I thought, and not disturbed, So fängt er die Forelle He’ll never catch that trout Mit seiner Angel nicht. With his rod. [last two lines repeated] 1:17 Piano interlude Stanza 3 [sudden change of rhythm, harmony, and accompanying figures] 61 (3) 1:23 Doch endlich ward dem Diebe But in the end the thief Die Zeit zu lang. Er macht Grew impatient. Cunningly Das Bächlein tückisch trübe, He made the brook cloudy, [diminished sevenths] Und eh ich es gedacht, And in an instant [suspense gaps in piano] 244 YUDKMC09_225-271hr 15-01-2007 11:28 Page 245 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY I: EARLY ROMANTIC MUSIC 1:37 So zuckte seine Rute, His rod quivered, Das Fischlein zappelt dran, And the fish struggled on it. [crescendo] Und ich mit regem Blute And I, my blood boiling, [earlier music returns] Sah die Betrog’ne an. Looked at the poor tricked creature. [last two lines repeated] 1:58 Piano postlude LISTENING GUIDE Student CD Franz Schubert (1797–1828) Date of composition: 1819 II, 62 Fourth Movement from Quintet in A Major, Orchestration: Violin, viola, cello, double Complete CD D. 667 (The Trout) bass, piano IV, 4 Tempo: Andantino—Allegretto (“Medium slow”—“A little faster”) 2 Meter: 4 Key: D major Duration: 8:34 Schubert chose the gentle theme from his song “The Trout” for a set of variations written for piano and strings. The original song was written in the key of Db major, but here it is transposed to D major, which is easier to play and more resonant on stringed instruments. Instead of the normal complement of strings (two violins, viola, and cello—the “string quartet” group), Schubert uses one each of violin, viola, cello, and double bass. This makes for a slightly more transparent texture and, of course, a deeper bass line. The movement consists of the “Trout” theme and six variations. The theme is presented first, in a simpler form than in the song. It is played by the strings; the violin plays the melody while the other instruments provide a simple accompaniment. You can clearly hear the double bass, with its deep, rich tones. In the first three variations, the theme is heard successively in the treble, in an inner part, and in the bass with little modification. In the fourth variation, it is presented in the parallel minor key, D minor, and transformed, but it comes back again in recognizable form in the fifth variation in Bb major. In the closing variation, Allegretto, Schubert presents the theme in yet another version; this time he borrows the texture and the rippling accompanying figure directly from the original song. 245 YUDKMC09_225-271hr 15-01-2007 11:28 Page 246 CHAPTER 9 The theme consists of two sections, the first of which is repeated. In the second section, after eight measures, a trill at the cadence leads to a four-measure extension before the close. 8 measures 8 + 4 measures CD TIME LISTEN FOR Theme Strings only. 62 (4) 0:00 First section. Violin states theme with group accompaniment; prominent double bass. 0:21 Repeat. 0:43 Second section. (Trill to start added measures at 1:04.) Variation I In this variation, the theme is played by the piano and is slightly embellished. The strings weave an ornamentation around the melody with fast-moving triplets and trills. Listen here to the pizzicato bass. 63 (5) 1:19 First section. 1:36 Repeat. 1:53 Second section. Variation II Now the main melody is taken over by the viola, above which the violin plays ornaments in triple rhythm. The theme is complemented by short imitative phrases in the piano part. 64 (6) 2:40 First section. 2:58 Repeat. 3:15 Second section. Variation III This variation is dominated by the piano, which plays an uninterrupted flow of fast notes. The theme is played (rather ploddingly!) by the double bass and progresses steadily along this perpetual motion of the piano part. 65 (7) 3:40 First section. 3:55 Repeat. 4:10 Second section. Variation IV This variation bursts out loudly in the minor key, but the initial dramatic chords soon yield to a more playful section in triplets. The second half gradually becomes more and more calm, gently introducing the cello. 246 YUDKMC09_225-271hr 15-01-2007 11:28 Page 247 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY I: EARLY ROMANTIC MUSIC 66 (8) 4:33 First section. 4:49 Repeat. 5:06 Second section. Variation V The cello dominates the fifth variation, which is in Bb major but is also tinged with melancholy minor touches.

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