piano trio Flashcards
(9 cards)
introduction
Clara Schumann, an early Romantic composer, constructs the Piano Trio in G minor in a traditionalist manner. Composing around the birth of the Romantic period, Schumann utilises techniques from the Classical period that bridge the gap between the Classical and Romantic genre. This perhaps takes inspiration from what other composers were doing before and around that time, such as Beethoven, who took Romanticism in their stride, venturing into new, experimental, musical realms. What’s more, Clara Schumann may have been influenced by the recent decline in her husband’s mental health when composing this piano trio. Writing this during the pregnancy of one of her children, the worry of the responsibility to provide for her unwell husband and yet another child, perhaps manifests itself in the emotional, wrenching passages of this movement.
melody
- typical of movements in sonata form, schumann presents 2 contrasting themes in her exposition and develops melodic material in the development
- typical of classical : balanced periodic phrasing, harmonised with primary chords
MOZART SYMPHONY GM
- uses textbook periodic phrasing
–> schumann abides to the norms of classical melodic writing
LISZT PIANO SONATA BM
- saturated in melodic complexity
- idea of periodic phrasing = abandoned
- importance = placed on emotions of erratic melody
LA CAMPANELLA
- bell effects
- melody = being manipulated in unusual ways @ same time
1st subject: driven, rhythmical melodies –> dotted rhythms and quavers
2nd subject: pensive + introspective –> sustained minims in strings
Schumann uses techniques that the listener would expect during that time period, and in ways that would be considered ‘normal’ when handling sonata form in the classical way
- e.g. imitation and dialogue to share and advance thematic material
MOZART PIANO TRIO G
- mozart and haydn contributed to the Classical idea that music could be based on 2 opposing themes —> developed in structure
—> schumann isnt revolutionary
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melodic simplicity @ beginning of movement
FANNY MENDLESSHON PIANO TRIO
- similar melodic simplicity in violin - same year wrote- restrained for time
SCHUBERT PIANO SONATA A MAJ
- 1825 written - more melodic complexity e.g. cascading triplets
—> new wave of romanticism- schumann left behind
rhythm
- common time
- allegro moderato
- syncopation @ start of 2nd subject- rhythmic variety
MARSCHNER PIANO TRIO NO7 FMAJ
- uses cross rhythms + triplets
- more prominent syncopation
—-> in 1855
- makes schumann seem more timid
BEETHOVEN ARCHDUKE
- conventional rhythmic ideas
- e.g. dotted rhythms, quaver, crotchets
dynamics
range of dynamics
sf strings, ff piano for homorhythms
sudden drops to p after
long crescendos p-ff
numerous fp markings
lack of mf mp —> heightened emotions
BEETHOVEN PATHETIQUE
- uses fp at beginning, perhaps to convey sadness rather than anger like schumanns homorhythms
- both lack mf and mp- focus on extreme dynamics
tonality
(normal)
BEETHOVEN PATHETIQUE
- completely unorthodox - written before
2nd sub= Ebm not Eb - recap = Fm
highlights how far other composers were pushing limits of composition
sonority
- piano trio- popular romantic chamber music
- the use of instruments largely conforms to romantic period
- each has fairly large range and equal independent roles
- string parts = almost entirely arco
- double stopping for variety
- piano part = complex with many technical challenges
—> aware of own capabilities, wrote for herself
BEETHOVEN ARCHDUKE TRIO IN Bb
- all 3 instruments have fairly independent parts, like S’s melodic independence
CORELLI’s TRIO SONATA IN D
- earler trios, bass had more supportive role in Baroque and early classical periods
–> one way Schumannn departs from classical -> early romantic = more melodic independence
harmony
harmonic writing of romantic period = based on foundations of tonal functional harmony- firmly established in classical period
moving –> romantic = more chromatic
- although schumann utilised chromaticism, she did so within the established harmonic language of the early romantic period
–> functional- I V maj min root 1st invers, Ic-V-I
MOZART PIANO SONATA NO13
- functional harmony
- strong drive to cadential points
- clearly defined perfect cadences - textbook classical harmonic
- however more than 60 years prior- harmonic language = outdated
- the chromaticism that schumann does use = well controlled + evokes strong emotion of longing and sadness
- dim. 7ths, increasingly common and longer in duration -> growing darkness in her life
CHOPIN 24 PRELUDES- prelude in Am
- dissonant, unstable harmony
- Am isnt established until final 3 bars
-> compared to unheard of method of composition, seems reserved in comparison
—> romantic experimentation w harmony schumann = yet to explore
texture
range of homophonic textures
- interest is created by interplay between parts + moments of polyphonically animated homophony
- discursive, contrapuntal violin + cello
- piano textures: broken chords, off beat chords, arpeggiation, block chords, 8ve doubling
- homorhythms = exciting variety
- pedals = common
R SCHUMANN TRIO NO1
- similar contrapuntal writing- Schumann ‘abiding by norms’
structure
- textbook sonata form
BERLIOZ SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE - opening movement has slow introduction
- contrasts the formuleic approach of Schumann.
