©2020 Scott Matthew Noriega ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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©2020 Scott Matthew Noriega ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DEFINING THE LEFT-HAND PIANO AS “ANOTHER KIND OF INSTRUMENT” IN THE MUSIC OF LEOPOLD GODOWSKY AND FRANZ SCHMIDT By SCOTT MATTHEW NORIEGA A dissertation submitted to the ScHool of Graduate Studies Rutgers, THe State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of PHilosopHy Graduate Program in Music Written under the direction of Floyd Grave And approved by _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey May 2020 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION DEFINING THE LEFT-HAND PIANO AS “ANOTHER KIND OF INSTRUMENT” IN THE MUSIC OF LEOPOLD GODOWSKY AND FRANZ SCHMIDT BY SCOTT MATTHEW NORIEGA Dissertation Director: Floyd Grave, Ph.D. This study seeks to situate the contribution of LeopoLd Godowsky and Franz Schmidt to the history of redefining left-hand piano music. Both were outstanding pianists and composers who came to the Left-handed genres for their own individuaL reasons. They each defined their pianistic styLes based on common traits (the music of both Chopin and Bach figured highly for both) but differed in approach owing to the genres in which they worked: Godowsky’s compositions were chiefLy in the reaLm of soLo piano music, while Schmidt’s fell in the realms of both chamber music, discussed here, and in concertos. Rather than defining the Left-hand piano in a two-handed fashion as had composers before them––attempting to “normalize” the Left hand by making it do the work of two––both carefuLLy crafted the Left-hand piano as a unique instrument capabLe of performing its own type of music. The study wiLL begin by discussing the state of Left-handed piano music before the earLy twentieth century from its beginnings in the eighteenth, showing how most composers came to see music written for the Left-hand piano before 1900. Two larger chapters will then focus on Godowsky and Schmidt, ii detailing their relationship to the piano, clarifying certain of their ideas on the instrument, examining their sources of inspiration, and providing analyses of their music to show how they defined the left-hand piano as an instrument in its own right. iii Acknowledgements There are too many people who have driven me to the completion of this project. If I have Left anyone out, it is not for Lack of trying nor for room; it is, at times, too daunting a task to remember and name them all. Whether they are listed here or not, their infLuence wiLL aLways be feLt. I would like to thank, first and foremost, my dissertation advisor, Prof. Floyd Grave, who guided this project to completion, edited and reedited my prose, and provided words of encouragement when I needed them most. I would also like to thank Prof. Douglas Johnson and Prof. Rebecca Cypess, both whose heLp cannot be overstated. They guided me to compLetion, providing me with a path when aLL seemed Lost. Prof. Cypess’s phone calls and words of encouragement, along with her tireLessness in finding funding in my Last semesters, aLLowed me to compLete this project without financiaL hardship. Thank you to the other members of my committee for aLL of your heLp: Prof. NichoLas Rennie; Prof. NichoLas Chong; and Dr. Robert Grohman. I am thankfuL to Dr. Carmen Ottner of the now-defunct Franz Schmidt GeselLschaft in Vienna. During my trip to Vienna in 2017, she provided me with copies of Schmidt’s manuscripts, with some of the newest research, and helped me to answer questions relating to both the music and the city of Vienna. Though I have not taken her up on her invitation to visit Vienna again yet, I promise to do so in the near future! Thank you to aLL of those peopLe who are no longer here to heLp me ceLebrate: Edna Ross, my dearest and best friend; Rebecca Demeo, one of the most important infLuences iv on my development, who provided me with some of my happiest moments; and Prof. Richard Burke, my master’s thesis advisor and friend, who introduced me to the music of Franz Schmidt when working on my thesis about Richard Strauss. I would also like to thank all of those cLosest to me. Thank you to my friends who listened to me complain and urged me to finish when all seemed lost: Bernd, Russell, ALex, and Youn Ju. Thank you to my famiLy, who not onLy supported me, but encouraged me to pursue that which I Loved most: Eric, my brother, Christina and Francesca, my sister and niece, and my parents, GiLbert and GiseLa Noriega, who introduced me to the clarinet when I was seven, aLLowed me to pursue the piano when I was ten, and who suffered through countLess hours of practice: whether Bach or Beethoven, Schoenberg or Strauss, MendeLssohn or Schubert, Mozart or SibeLius, you suffered through it aLL. Thank you most for making my chiLdhood speciaL. And last but not least, thank you Melanie Gisin. You were the light at the end of the tunnel. When things seemed lost, you encouraged me; when I willed to stop, you pushed me on. Thank you for everything…and then some! v Table of Contents ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION ii Acknowledgements iv List of Tables and Examples vii Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Left-Hand Pianism? 13 Chapter 2 A Survey of the Solo Left-Hand Piano Repertoire from the Eighteenth to the Early Twentieth Century 34 Chapter 3 Leopold Godowsky 65 Leopold Godowsky: A Symphonic-Pianistic Approach 67 Godowsky and Chopin …or pianistic symphonicism… 85 …becomes Godowsky and Bach ...or pianistic assimiLation 106 Godowsky: The Original Conceptions 109 Chapter 4 Franz Schmidt 137 Franz Schmidt: A Chamber-Pianistic Approach 140 Schmidt’s Three Quintets: An Overview 155 The Integration of the Piano into the EnsembLe 159 The Piano Acts FigurativeLy (or Pianistic InterpLay) 191 CuLmination 201 Toccata in D Minor: A Pianistic Encore 207 Conclusions 219 Bibliography 227 FuLL-Length Books and Dissertations 227 Shorter ArticLes 232 Scores 241 Original writings by Godowsky 243 Original writings by Schmidt 244 Reminiscences on Schmidt 244 Websites of Interest 245 vi List of Tables and Examples ExampLe 1.1: Wagner-Liszt: Isoldens Liebestod, m. 15. 19 ExampLe 1.2: Wagner-Liszt-Wittgenstein: Isoldens Liebestod, m. 15. 20 ExampLe 1.3: Bach Chaconne, opening measures. 24 ExampLe 1.4: Bach-Brahms Chaconne, opening measures. 24 ExampLe 1.5: Bach-Brahms-Wittgenstein Chaconne, opening measures. 25 Example 1.6: Bach-Brahms: Chaconne, mm. 112-115. 26 ExampLe 1.7: Bach-Brahms-Wittgenstein Chaconne, mm. 112-115. 27 ExampLe 1.8: Bach-Brahms Chaconne, ending of the work. 28 ExampLe 1.9: Bach-Brahms-Wittgenstein Chaconne, ending. 29 Example 2.1: CPE Bach: Opening to his Klavierstück for the right or Left hand alone, mm. 1-4 35 ExampLe 2.2: CPE Bach: Sonata for SoLo FLute, Wq. 132. 36 ExampLe 2.3: ExampLe 2.3: ALkan: Fantasy in A-fLat Major, op. 76 no. 1, mm. 27- 31. 42 ExampLe 2.4: Dreyschock: Variations for the Left hand aLone, op. 22: Tema, mm. 1-4. 44 ExampLe 2.5: Dreyschock: Variations for the Left hand aLone, op. 22: Variation 2, mm. 1-6. 44 ExampLe 2.6: AdoLfo FumagalLi is pictured performing with his soLo Left hand whiLe smoking (fumare in ItaLian) with his right. 46 ExampLe 2.7: AdoLfo FumagalLi: The Robert le Diable Fantasy, mm. 19-28 of the Valse Infernale Section. 48 Example 2.8: Schubert-Zichy: Erlkönig, mm. 72-76 (This corresponds to the point in Schubert’s song at “Mein Vater, mein Vater, und hörest du nicht?”). 53 ExampLe 2.9: Zichy: Piano Sonata for the Left Hand: II. Andante serioso, mm. 11- 18. 54 ExampLe 2.10: Zichy: Piano Sonata for the Left Hand: III. Allegro con brio, mm. 25- 29. 55 ExampLe 2.11: Reinecke: Sonate für die Linke Hand aLLein in C Minor, op. 179: I. Allegro moderato, mm. 1-8 58 ExampLe 2.12: Scriabin: Nocturne in D-fLat Major for the Left hand aLone, Op. 9 No. 2, mm. 44-48 62 ExampLe 3.1: Saint-Saëns: Six Etudes for the Left Hand, op. 135: No. 3 Moto Perpetuo, mm. 1-6. 68 Table 3.1: Godowsky Chopin Etudes for the Left Hand ALone 72 ExampLe 3.2: Chopin: Etude in C Minor, op. 10 No. 12 “RevoLutionary”, mm. 1-4. 76 ExampLe 3.3: Chopin-Godowsky: Etude in C-Sharp Minor, op. 10 No. 12 “RevoLutionary”, mm. 1-4. 77 vii ExampLe 3.4: Chopin-Wittgenstein: Etude in C Minor, op. 10 No. 12 “RevoLutionary”, mm. 1-4. 77 ExampLe 3.5: Chopin: Etude in C Major, op. 10 No. 1, mm. 1-2. 80 ExampLe 3.6: Chopin-Godowsky: Etude in D-fLat Major, after op. 10 No. 1, m. 1. 81 Example 3.7: Eduard Schütt: Concert Paraphrase über Walzer-Motive von Johann Strauss. 83 Example 3.8: Godowsky: Symphonic Metamorphosis of the Schatz-WaLzer Themes from “The Gypsy Baron” by Johann Strauss for piano Left hand alone, mm. 152-155. 84 Example 3.9: Godowsky: Symphonic Metamorphosis of the Schatz-WaLzer Themes from “The Gypsy Baron” by Johann Strauss for piano Left hand alone, mm. 164-166. 84 ExampLe 3.10: Chopin: BalLade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52, mm. 175-176. 87 Example 3.11: Chopin: Etude in A-fLat Major, op. 25 No. 1 “Aeolian Harp”, mm. 15-16. (The voice which Chopin brings out in the figuration has been shown above through the note-heads marked by an “x” for easier reading). 94 Example 3.12: Chopin: Etude in A-fLat Major, op.