University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 1986 A structural analysis of the relationship between programme, harmony and form in the symphonic poems of Franz Liszt Keith Thomas Johns University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Johns, Keith Thomas, A structural analysis of the relationship between programme, harmony and form in the symphonic poems of Franz Liszt, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, 1986. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/1927 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROGRAMME, HARMONY AND FORM IN THE SYMPHONIC POEMS OF FRANZ LISZT. A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY from THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG by KEITH THOMAS JOHNS (M.Litt.,B.A.Hons.,Grad.Dip.Ed., F.L.C.M., F.T.C.L., L.T.C.L. ) SCHOOL OF CREATIVE ARTS 1986 i ABSTRACT This thesis examines the central concern in an analysis of the symphonic poems of Franz Liszt, that is, the relationship between programme,harmony and form. In order to make a thorough and clear analysis of this relationship a structural/semiotic analysis has been developed as the analysis of best fit. Historically it has been fashionable to see Liszt's symphonic poems in terms of sonata form or a form only making sense in terms of the attached programme. Both of these ideas are critically examined in this analysis. The authenticity and history of the written programmes has been discussed and an analysis of the programmes is included where possible and appropriate. An understanding of the way in which Liszt extracts the essence, of a programme, often resulting in a thesis, antithesis, synthesis pattern, is important in understanding the larger structural organization in the symphonic poems. A graph displaying the function and inter­ action of the motives, sections and key centres, precedes a thorough analysis of each symphonic poem. The graphs employ structural/semiotic techniques of analysis and the inclusion of the time element is an important part of the analysis which is specifically aimed at an examination of the thesis. a The concept of 'motive-type'is developed along with an examination of sequence structures (and therefore the intricacies of harmonic patterns) as the way in which the programmes are expressed in the symphonic poems. Sonata form does not rest easily with an analysis of the poems and the idea that each symphonic poem is a unique structure taking its form directly from a unique programme is not supported by a thorough analysis of the symphonic poems. The conclusion reached is that the programmes are usually expressed in terms of motive-types and appropriate harmony usually expressed in sequences. That is, the programme is expressed in a microcosmic sense within the macrocosmic formal structure of the poems which exhibit features of more traditional formal structures. This research was made possible by a Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Award and a Jahresstipendium from the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch- dienst (3undesrepublik Deutschland). Special thanks are due to Herr Professor Dr. Ludwig Finscher for his hospitality and supervision at the Ruprecht- Karls-Universitat during 1986 and Dr. Maria Parkai-Eckhardt of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for information and help in obtaining material from Hungary. Dr. Gerhard Schmid of the Goethe- Schiller- Archiv in Weimar has been most help­ ful in organizing a visit to this major Liszt archive in 1984 and comforting during the customary wait for copies of manuscript material. IV CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 PART ONE: 14 An Introduction to the Analysis. PART TWO: 22 The Analysis. Ce qu'on entend sur la Montagne 23 Tasso: Lamento e Trionfo 51 Les Preludes 69 Orpheus 91 Prometheus 105 Mazeppa 126 Festklange 1 46" Hero'ide funebre 1 57 •i Hungaria 183 Hamlet 213 Hunnenschlacht 232 Die Ideale 252 Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe 2 75 PART THREE: 295 Conclusion Appendix I 306 Appendix II 3 43 348 Appendix III 1 INTRODUCTION I The aim of this thesis is to examine the central question arising from a study of the symphonic poems of Franz Liszt; that is, what is the relationship between music and programme? This thesis examines programme, formal structure and harmony. Before considering the relationship of the elements of programme, formal structure and harmony, each of these three areas must be examined with particular reference to the way in which Liszt perceived them. During the 1830s Liszt, with his strong ties to the musical life of Paris, was extremely interested in, and influenced by,the music of Berlioz. This influence and recognition of a kindred musical philosophy, is often underplayed in a consideration of the musical philosophical and personal relationship which existed between Liszt and Wagner. Berlioz was an important influence during the early formative years of Liszt's youth. The first important example of Liszt's fascination with the music of Berlioz took the form of a piano transcription, of Berlioz's Symphonie fanstastique (1833), to be followed by transcriptions of Ouverture des Francs-Juges (18 33) , Ouverture du r.oi Lear (1836) and Harold en Italie (1836). Later, in 1855, Liszt wrote his long and detailed article examining Berlioz's Harold Symphonie which revealed Liszt's analytical interest in Berlioz's music. While the popularity and respectability 2 of programme music in the nineteenth century can undoubtedly be traced to music by Beethoven, in particular the Pastoral Symphony and overtures, Liszt's earliest and deepest preoccupations with programme music, the area in which he has made his greatest contribution to aesthetics, seems to be with the programme symphonies and overtures of Berlioz. Consequently, it is not surprising that Berlioz's thoughts on the aesthetics of what Liszt termed 'programme music', should provide the basis for Liszt's own aesthetic. Berlioz's article, "L'Imitation en musique", appeared in Gazette de Paris in 1837 and it outlined - with a great deal of clarity - one of the major problems which faced the development of programme music in the nineteenth 3 century. Berlioz discusses Carpini's division of programme music into two categories. The first category is that of direct imitation which encompasses the imitation of bird calls, cannon fire, and by implication the use of cultur­ ally meaningful, musical symbolism such as hymn tunes, 4 funeral marches and 'idiomatic' nationalistic devices. This category is important for Liszt's and Berlioz's music and its roots stretch back into the very difficult and lesser explored regions surrounding a 'tradition' of musical symbolism as developed in the lute songs and madrigals of the renaissance and continued with the growth of Italian opera. This area blends into the second category outlined by Carpini and Berlioz, which is called 3 indirect or emotional imitation and is concerned with musical metaphor, association and the expression of 5 psychological states. Berlioz very correctly attacks the notion of 'representation' and creates a distinction which, although extremely fundamental to an understanding of the aesthetics of programme music in the nineteenth century, is today still often misunderstood or not recog­ nized. That distinction arises from the recognition that musical imitation or representation is something very different from the expression of a programme. While the term 'expressionism' has been snapped up to label a twentieth century musical style, it would serve as an extremely useful term in discussing the aesthetics of programme music. The term 'impressionism' is not unrelated to the expression of a programme and the meaning of this term helps one to avoid the central mistake of confusing all programme music solely with imitation and representation. These two categories of'direct imitation1 and 'expression' are especially useful in an examination of Liszt's symphonic poems. However, for Liszt, as for Berlioz, it is the expression of states of consciousness and the exploration of psychological states, in other words the interpretations of extra-musical concerns, which are the main objectives of the larger and more serious works. The importance of the individual and the subjective, personal vision is at the heart of nineteenth century programme music and this expression of an interpretation of experience. This idea is expressed in Liszt's preface 4 to his programmatic piano work Album d'un voyageur, Annies de pelerinage, book one (1842): "Having in recent times visited many new lands, many different places and many situations consecrated by history and poetry, having felt that these varied aspects of nature, and the things that take place in nature are not simply empty images that pass before my eyes but are deep emotions that move the soul, emotions that link me in an indefinable yet immediate way to the things that I have seen, having with them an inexplicable yet unmistakable rapport, I have tried to express in music some of the strong- cere emotions that are the. fruit of myrmore ,,7 vivid experiences. This idea, that the composer of programme music is reproduc­ ing the feelings aroused by the extra-musical subject, is very similar to the idea attacked by Berlioz in "L'Imitation en musique".8 However, Berlioz is attacking the aesthetic principle as put forward by Count Bernard de la Cepede (1750-1825) in his treatise, The Poetics of Music (1785), a principle very close to the one expressed by Liszt in the above passage. Berlioz criticises any suggestion that the expression of feelings aroused by an object could in any way be universal and rightly makes a nonsense of the idea that one can derive any direct communication about extra-musical subjects from music.