Helping Developing Pianists Prepare for the Sonatas of Haydn and Mozart: A Sequenced Approach to Technique and Artistry by Xiao Yang, BA, MM A Dissertation In Piano Pedagogy Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS Approved Dr. Carla Davis Cash Chair of Committee Dr. Lora Deahl Dr. William Westney Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School August, 2019 Copyright 2019, Xiao Yang Texas Tech University, Xiao Yang, August 2019 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to extend my most sincere appreciation to my advisor, Dr. Carla Davis Cash, for her tremendous help and patient guidance throughout my D.M.A. study. Her passion in educating young musicians sets an outstanding example of a true piano pedagogue, which has inspired me all the time. This work could not be finished without her professional guidance and unwavering support. I am also truly thankful for my other committee members: Dr. Lora Deahl and Dr. William Westney, for their contributive guidance and suggestions. The classes taught by Dr. Deahl and Dr. Westney are crucial for me to develop my own teaching philosophy. And this four-year journey would not have been possible without the support and love from my family and friends. I cannot tell how much I am indebted to them. iii Texas Tech University, Xiao Yang, August 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. v I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 II. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MUSIC OF HAYDN AND MOZART .......... 4 2.1 Life and Keyboard Characteristics of Haydn and Mozart ............................... 5 2.2 Similarities between the Music of Haydn and Mozart .................................... 8 2.2.1 Dynamic Effects ............................................................................................... 10 2.2.2 Use of Articulation ........................................................................................... 10 2.2.3 Virtuosity at the Keyboard ................................................................................ 11 2.3 Differences between Haydn’s and Mozart’s music ....................................... 12 2.3.1 Texture in the Left-Hand Figures ..................................................................... 12 2.3.2 Melodic Motives and Phrase Lengths ............................................................... 14 2.3.3 Influence of Opera and Vocal Works on Mozart’s Music ................................ 14 III. REVIEW OF PIANO TECHNIQUE: THE PLAYING MECHANISM ...... 16 3.1.1 Shoulder ............................................................................................................ 19 3.1.2 Upper Arm ........................................................................................................ 20 3.1.3 Forearm ............................................................................................................. 21 3.1.4 Wrist ................................................................................................................. 21 3.1.5 Fingers .............................................................................................................. 22 IV. USING PREPARATORY SONATINAS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE SONATAS OF HAYDN AND MOZART ...................................................... 24 4.1 Overview ....................................................................................................... 24 4.2 The Music Characteristics of Haydn’s Piano Sonatas ................................... 25 4.2.1 Projected Left-Hand Lines ................................................................................ 25 4.2.2 Short Motives .................................................................................................... 29 4.2.3 Harmonic Thirds ............................................................................................... 32 4.3 The Musical Characteristics of Mozart’s Piano Sonatinas and Sonatas ....... 37 4.3.1 Alberti Bass ...................................................................................................... 37 4.3.2 Lyrical Themes ................................................................................................. 41 4.3.3 Double-Octave Opening Statements ................................................................. 44 V. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................... 48 iv Texas Tech University, Xiao Yang, August 2019 ABSTRACT The aim of this document is to help piano teachers guide their students in developing a better understanding of the works of Haydn and Mozart even before they reach their works. Pieces written by Haydn and Mozart are appealing to many young students, but they also can be quite challenging in aspects of technique and artistry. To help students effectively prepare for Haydn’s and Mozart’s sonatas, I provide this guide that, first, reviews the characteristics of the music of Haydn and Mozart, briefly explains the functions of each part of the body in piano playing, and provides an overview of pedagogical techniques employed in teaching the physical approach to the piano. Afterward, I discuss level-appropriate sonatinas that can be used during the earlier years of piano study to help students perform Classical piano music stylistically. With this training, students can develop the fundamental understanding of the defining characteristics of Haydn and Mozart and produce them in ways that are appropriate, informed, and efficient. v Texas Tech University, Xiao Yang, August 2019 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Haydn’s and Mozart’s works represent the pinnacle of music created during the Classical period.1 As contemporaries, they were inspired and influenced by one another, both achieving “the perfect blend of form and content. wealthy in textural and emotional depth.”2 As a piano teacher, I notice that my students find the music of Haydn and Mozart interesting and exciting. Not only do they enjoy the melodies while listening, they also consider playing a whole piece by one of these composers as a major accomplishment. Despite their enthusiasm for Haydn and Mozart, students’ grasp of the music of these composers is naturally limited. Students can readily capture the similarities between the pieces composed by Haydn and Mozart (e.g., range of the sound, rhythm, tempo, etc.), but they may fail to recognize the subtle differences in texture, phrase organization, or use of thematic materials that set these two composers’ works apart. In many cases, these differences are what make these composers’ expressions unique. Missing these compositional features in the Classical period may hinder students’ comprehension of the music in both learning and performance. The goal of this project is to help piano teachers guide their students in developing a better understanding of the common characteristics found in the piano works of the Classical period and, in particular, the sonatas of Haydn and Mozart. In 1 James Peter Burkholder and Donald Jay Grout, A History of Western Music (New York: WW Norton & Company, Inc., 2001), 466. 2 Ibid., 465-495. 1 Texas Tech University, Xiao Yang, August 2019 my opinion, this is accomplished by an examination of the Classical period sonatina and sonata repertoire. By choosing a variety of level-appropriate sonatinas during the earlier years of study and sequencing this repertoire intelligently until sonatas are reached, teachers can mold students who perform Classical piano music stylistically and who can also identify and appropriately bring attention to unique qualities of the composers of this musical form. My belief is that employing many opportunities for students to explore all of the characteristics of the Classical period can prepare them to distinguish between, approach, and perform the more sophisticated repertoire of the masters more confidently and musically later on. This document contains a review of Haydn’s and Mozart’s lives and music characteristics in order to provide a historical background for young students in understanding and learning Haydn’s and Mozart’s sonatas. I include a review of pedagogical schools of thoughts regarding the technical/physical approaches to playing the piano. And, because I reference different parts of the playing mechanism, primarily the shoulder, upper arm, elbow and forearm, wrist, and fingers, in discussing technique later on in the document, I provide brief general descriptions of how each of these component is used in piano playing. Selected musical characteristics of Haydn’s and Mozart’s piano sonatas, previously identified by scholars or by myself, are discussed. I provide examples of Classical sonatinas, considered preparatory material for the later learning of more complex sonatas, that can be used to prepare students to effectively execute these characteristics found more often in either Haydn’s or Mozart’s later works. I outline 2 Texas Tech University, Xiao Yang, August 2019 physical approaches to learning and performing the music with ease, including steps that teachers and/or students can adopt in teaching and practice. 3 Texas Tech University, Xiao Yang, August 2019 CHAPTER II CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MUSIC OF HAYDN