319 no - Digital Library/67531/metadc331037/m2/1/high... · 319 LISZT'S SCHUBERT LIEDER...

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LISZT'S SCHUBERT LIEDER TRANSCRIPTIONS J A STUDY

OF LISZT PIANISTIC IDIOMS IN THE TRANSCRIPTIVE

PROCEDURE. A LECTURE RECITAL, TOGETHER WITH

THREE RECITALS OF WORKS BY MOZART, DEBUSSY,

SCHUMANN, GRIFFES, AND OTHER COMPOSERS.

DISSERTATION

Presented "to "the Graduate Council of the

North Texas State University in Partial

Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

BY

Hsiao-Hung Ku, M.M.

Denton, Texas

August, 1983

no.AOW

Ku, Hsiao-Hung, Liszt's Schubert Lieder Transcriptions;

A Study of Liszt Pianistic Idioms in the Transcriptive Proce-

dure. Doctor of Musical Arts (Piano Performance), August,

1983, *K)pp., 39 musical examples, bibliography, 3^ titles.

Franz Liszt, who was the greatest virtuoso pianist in the

nineteenth-century, was also a productive composer. But his

tremendous technique brought the misunderstanding that his

compositions were just flashy and superficial, thus creating

an obstacle for appreciating his music.

The purpose of this study is to encourage an understanding

of the value of Liszt's music, especially his Schubert Lieder

transcriptions.

The study starts with an introduction, which states the

revival of the art of transcription, gives the muscial back-

ground of Liszt and describes the instruments that were avail-

able to him. Then follows a discussion about his experimen-

tation with the conventional piano techniques and how he

applied them to the song transcriptions. Two transcriptions

"Hark, Hark, the Lark" and "Der Lindenbaum" are analyzed in

detail to show the transcriptive procedure and the relation

between the poetry and the musical expression. A conclusion

summarizes the study.

Tape recordings of all performances

submitted as dissertation requirements

are on deposit in the North Texas

State University Library.

111

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

DOCTORAL RECITAL PROGRAMS v

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ix

LISZT'S SCHUBERT LIEDER TRANSCRIPTIONS: A STUDY OF LISZT PIANISTIC IDIOMS IN THE TRANSCRIPTIVE PROCEDURE 1

BIBLIOGRAPHY 38

IV

North Texas State University School of Music

DMA Piano Recital

HSIAO-HUNG KU

Monday, March 31, 1980 8:15 p.m. Concert Hall

Ballade Op. 47 in A Flat Major Chopin

Sonata K. 330 in C Major Mozart

INTERMISSION

Carnaval Op. 9 Schumann

This rec i ta l is presented in par t ia l f u l f i l lmen t for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts

v

North Texas State University

School of Music

presents

'DMA Piano Recital

Hsiao-Hung Ku

Monday, November 24, 1980 4 :00 p.m. Concert Hal

Bagatellen Op. 33 Beethoven

Jiitcrmission

Image, Book I Debussy

Reflets dans I'eau

Hommage a Rameau

Mouvement

Sonata Charles T. Griffes

This recital is presented in partial fulf i l lment

for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts

V I


Graduate Chamber Music Recital

HSIAO-HUNG KU, Pianist

Assisted by Shirong Chen, Violinist

Julianne Parazo, Violinist Dan Lewis, Cellist

Monday, April 26, 1982 5:00 p.m. Concert Hall

Violin Sonata No. 3 Op. 108, D Minor Brahms Allegro Adagio Un poco presto e con sentimento Presto agitato

Intermission

Piano Trio, Op. 99, Bb Major Schubert Allegro moderato Andante un poco mosso Scherzo Rondo - Allegro vivace

Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Musical Arts

Vll


Graduate Lecture Recital

HSIAO-HUNG KU, Pianist

Monday, April 25, 1983 5:00 p.m. Concert Hall

LISZT'S SCHUBERT LIEDER TRANSCRIPTIONS: A STUDY

OF LISZT PIANISTIC IDIOMS IN THE

TRANSCRIPTIVE PROCEDURE

Friihl i ngsgl aube

Wohin

Serenade

Hark, Hark, the Lark

Der Lindenbaum

Presented in pa r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Musical Arts

V I 1 1

9

10

10

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Example Page

1. Schubert-Liszt, Per Lindenbaum, mm. 77-78 . . . 9

2. Schubert-Liszt, Per Lindenbaum, mm. 28-33 . .

3. Schubert-Liszt, Serenade, mm. 105-106 . . . .

Schubert-Liszt, Fruhlingsglaube, mm. ^-6-^7 •

5. Beethoven, piano sonata Op. 53> first movement mm. 50-55 •

6. Chopin, Ballade No. 2 in F major, mm. ^7-^8 .

7. Schubert-Liszt, Wohin? mm. 82-87

8. Schubert-Liszt, Wohin? mm. 27-3 -

9. Schubert-Liszt, Hark, Hark, the Lark, mm. 61-63 1 +

10. Schubert-Liszt, Hark. Hark, the Lark, mm. 57-60 1^

11. Schubert-Liszt, Serenade, mm. 62-66 . . . . . . 15


13. Schubert-Liszt, Hark. Hark, the Lark, mm. 6^-70 16

1*K Schubert-Liszt, Hark. Hark, the Lark, mm. ^8-52 17

15. Schubert-Liszt, Erlk'onig, mm. 39-^2 17


17. Schubert-Liszt, Per Lindenbaum, mm. 1-2 . . . . 18

18a. Schubert-Liszt, Per Lindenbaum, mm. 60-62 . . . 19

11

12

12

13

18b. Beethoven, piano sonata Op. Ill, second movement, mm. 1 9

IX

Example Page

20

20 . Schubert-•Liszt, Wohin? mm. 7 6 - 7 8 . 20

21 . Schubert-•Liszt, Fruhlinffselaube. mm. k3~k$ t • 21

22 . Schubert, Hark, Hark, the ! Lark. mm. ! L-^ . • s • 2k

23-

?M.

Schubert-•Liszt, Hark, Hark . the Lark , mm. 8-•52 25 23-

?M. Schubert-•Liszt, Hark, Hark , the Lark , mm. 75-•78 25

25.

26 .

Schubert--Liszt, Hark, Hark . the Lark , mm. 18-•23 26 25.

26 . Schubert--Liszt, Hark, Hark , the Lark t mm. 39-41 27

27.

28 .

Schubert--Liszt, Hark, Hark . the Lark , mm. 53-5^ 27 27.

28 . Schubert--Liszt, Hark, Hark , the Lark , mm. 61-•70 28

29. Schubert< , Der Lindenbaum, • 30

30. Schubert , Der Lindenbaum, mm. 25-28 30

31. Schubert , Der Lindenbaum, mm. 8-13 • 31

32. Schubert . Der Lindenbaum, mm. 29-32 31

33. Schubert , Der Lindenbaum, mm. • 32

3^. Schubert' -Liszt, Der Lindenbaum, mm. 1-2 . • • 33

35. Schubert' -Liszt, Der Lindenbaum, mm. 28-30 • • 33

36 . Schubert -Liszt, Der Lindenbaum, mm. 36-37 • • Jk

37. Schubert -Liszt, Der Lindenbaum, mm. 215-2+6 • • 3k

38. Schubert -Liszt, Der Lindenbaum, mm. 7-11 • • 3k

39. Schubert -Liszt, Der Lindenbaum, mm. 60-62 • • 1 35

x

PART I

INTRODUCTION

In the past few years there have been signs of a revival

of interest in transcribed music. More and more performers

are including such works in their concert and recording reper-

tory, and new transcriptions are being written and performed.

For example, pianist Dickran Atamian gave the premiere per-

formance of American composer/pianist Sam Raphling's solo piano

transcription of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring in Carnegie Hall

on November 19 > 1 9 7 9 I n November of 1981, pianist Earl

Wild's Carnegie Hall recital consisted entirely of piano trans-

criptions. Composers represented on the program included

Gluck, Rameau, Bach, Wagner, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rossini, Kreisler,

and Mendelssohn. Their works, originally composed for orches-

tra, organ, or voice, were played in transcribed versions by

such pianist-composers as Godowsky, Tausig, Moszkowski, Sgambati,

Thalberg, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff, plus Mr. Wild's own trans-

cription of Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Little Swans" from

2

Swan Lake. A recent Telefunken recording by pianist Cyprian

Katsaris included Liszt's transcription of Beethoven's Pastoral

Symphony as well as the performer's own arrangements of Liszt's

Phillip Ramey, record jacket notes for Sam Raphling's solo piano transcription of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, performed by pianist Dickran Atamian (RCA ARCI-3636).

2Richard Freed, "Earl Wild," Stereo Review (Dec. 1982), p. 138.

Csardas Obstine and Gottschalk's Ban.jo. In a review of the

record, Richard Freed commented: "Katsaris performed this

music (Pastoral Symphony) with such exceptional sensitivity

that the thought of its "being a transcription hardly ever

'intrudes'.... It manages to evoke the orchestra while at the

same time sounding thoroughly and idiomatically pianistic."-^

In addition to piano music, a similar phenomenon can be

observed in the repertory of other instruments. For example,

clarinetist Jean Kopperud and pianist Cameron Grant concluded

their Merkin Hall (in New York City) recital with the

"Rigoletto" Fantasia by Luigi Bassi (a clarinetist).^ In his

review of this recital, Andrew Porter wrote, "Over Rigoletto's

'Piani, fanciulla', assigned to the piano, Miss Kopperud's

clarinet spun tracery more elaborate than Gilda's. It

declaimed 'Bella figlia dell'amore' with a grace of phrasing

few modern tenors achieve.

In the light of renewed interest in transcriptions

evidenced by such performances, it is appropriate to re-

evaluate some examples of this genre by the greatest trans-

criber of the pasts Franz Liszt.

Because of his strong interest in poetry and literature,

Liszt felt especially inclined toward the music of Franz

^Richard Freed, "Cyprian Katsaris," Stereo Review (Nov. 1982), p. Qk.

^Andrew Porter, New Yorker (Nov. 1982), p. 199•

-'ibid.

3

Schubert, whom he described as "the most poetic of all musi-

£

cians." Liszt produced more than fifty transcriptions of

Schubert's solo songs, most of them written between I838 and

18^7, which comprise nearly a fourth of his total piano

transcriptions. Robert Schumann described them as "perhaps

the most difficult pieces ever written for the piano.

Sacheverell Sitwell wrote in his book, Liszt;

He ^/TiszJ/ exercised a particular care and restraint where these songs were concerned. His customary magniloquence and his tricks of pianistic ornamen-tation are subordinated to the poetical directness and simplicity, the freshness and the free imagina-tion of the songs. All their lovely qualities are transferred in a miraculous way from one medium into another....^All the beauties of the Romantic Age are present in them, and they are impregnated with all the sensitiveness of this extraordinary virtuoso who, at the time that he was setting them for his instrument, was at the very summit of his powers of interpretation.

Two dissertations touch upon the concept of the poetic

idea as translated into musical expression: A Background and

Analysis of Selected Lieder and Opera Transcriptions of Franz

Morris Hastings, record jacket notes for Music of Schubert in Piano Transcription, played by Egon Petri (Columbia, ML ^36).

7 'Sacheverell Sitwell, Liszt (London: Cassell. 19^). n.

131. g Hastings, oy. cit.

9 'Sitwell, op. cit., p. 131.

k

Lisztt10 "by Dan Paul Gibbs, and Franz Liszt's Transcriptions

of Schubert's Songs for Solo Pianoforte,11 by James M. George,

This paper will closely examine selected Schubert song trans-

criptions written by Liszt, and also describe how the charac-

teristic pianistic idioms in Liszt's transcriptive process

relate to the poetic ideas.

The study is divided into three parts. Part one focuses

on Liszt's characteristic use of virtuosic piano techniques.

Part two compares two transcriptions "Hark, Hark, the Lark"

and "Der Lindenbaum" with the original Schubert Lieder.

These two pieces were chosen for the contrast between the

original settings and the transcriptions. Liszt transcribed

the simple strophic setting of "Hark, Hark, the Lark" into a

variation-like piano piece and the lyric "Der Lindenbaum"

into a dramatic virtuoso piece. Part three is a conclusion

summarizing the study.

Dan Paul Gibbs, A Background and Analysis of Selected Lieder and Opera Transcriptions of Franz Liszt, D.M.A. Disser-tation, North Texas State University, 1980.

11 James M. George, Franz Liszt's Transcriptions of

Schubert's Songs for Solo Pianoforte a A Study of Transcri-bing and Keyboard Techniques, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Iowa, 1976.

5

LISZT'S PIANO STYLE AND HIS NEW EXPERIMENTATIONS

As a child prodigy, Franz Liszt studied with Carl Czerny

in Vienna from 1821 to 1822. The exercises and finger equali-

zation training learned from Czerny provided the foundation

for Liszt's piano technique. He then went to Paris which was

the center of the Romantic movement at that time. Among the

celebrated cultural leaders in residence were the writers

Victor Hugo, Alfred de musset, George Sand, Heine, and Lamar-

tine; the painters Delacroix, Vernet, Courbet, and Scheffer;

and the musicians Berlioz, Chopin, Paganini, Meyerbeer, and

Liszt himself. Involving himself in the artistic life around

him, Liszt encountered three influences in Paris: Chopin,

Paganini, and Berlioz.

Liszt heard Paganini's first concert in Paris in 1831»

and was electrified by the violinist's performance. He ex-

claimed, "What a man, what a violinist, what an artist I

Heavens, what sufferings, what misery, what tortures in those

12

four strings." Liszt now aimed for technical perfection:

to produce effects on the piano equivalent to those Paganini

had created on the violin.

In the same year, Liszt met Chopin who was already a

mature composer. Chopin created a whole new world of piano

music to Liszt with an exceptionally individualistic musical

"^Ralph Hill, Liszt (London: Duckworth, 1936), p. 29«

style. His remarkably free treatment of modulation and dis-

sonance, and above all his imaginative pedal effects created

incredible nuances of tone a world of poetry. Liszt enthu-

siastically described his reaction to hearing Chopin's first

concert, remarking that "the most vigorous applause seemed

not to suffice for our enthusiasm in the presence of this

talented musician, who revealed a 'new phase of poetic senti-

ment' combined with such happy innovations in the form of his

13

art." Chopin, who dedicated his Op. 10 Etudes to Liszt,

was also impressed by Liszt's playing. In a letter to his

friend Ferdinand Hiller, he wrote: "I write to you without

knowing what my pen is scribbling, because at this moment

Liszt is playing my studies and transporting me outside of my

respectable thoughts. I should steal from him the way to . Ik

play my own studies." From Chopin, Liszt learned that the

piano was capable of delicate expression as well as bravura

effects.

Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique inspired Liszt to develop

orchestral and coloristic effects from the piano. His later

transcriptions of orchestral works, such as Berlioz's Sym-

-phonie Fantastique and Beethoven's symphonies, demonstrate

~^Ibid., p. 29.

114. Alan Walker, "Liszt's Musical Background," Franz Liszt:

The Man and his Music, ed. Alan Walker (New York: Taplinger, 1970), p. 59-

his uncanny ability for recreating an orchestral fabric at

the keyboard."*" Paganini's bravura and virtuosic technique,

Chopin's sensitivity and poetry, and Berlioz's orchestral

sound all combined to form the basis of Liszt's own style as

a composer and performer.

Unlike his predecessors, Liszt had available an instru-

ment capable of reproducing these orchestral effects. During

his formative years as a virtuoso pianist (1839-18^7), Liszt

used a piano produced by the Parisian firm of Erard. This

piano employed the thicker copper-covered strings, the felt

hammer, and the one-piece iron frame introduced by Alpheus

Babcock of Boston in 1825• These three improvements aided in

producing a louder, richer tone quality. The Parisian action,

which combined the firmness of the English and the lightness

of the Viennese actions with an invention of Erard's own,

provided a reliable rapid repeating action.

As a result of mechnical changes in the piano, Liszt was

free to liberate piano playing from conventional classicism.

By 1835» when Liszt began the Schubert song transcriptions,

he had experimented with coloristic effects, orchestral sono-

rities, and virtuosic techniques, such as playing octaves,

repeated chords and notes, scales, tremolos, trills, and

"^John Gillespie, Five Centuries of Keyboard Music (New York: Dover, 1972), p. 238.

8

arpeggios at a wide range of speeds and with enormous dynamic

changes. These Schubert song transcriptions represented the

new ideal of romanticism emotional expression closely asso-

ciated with poetry, literature, and art.

Several of Liszt's techniques and their application to

textual depiction will be considered in the following discus-

sion.

Scalar runs

Scalar runs had been the principal technical device since

the baroque period when they were used improvisationally in

the fantasias and toccatas of the time. This technique was

applied to piano music in the classical period by Hayen,

Mozart, Beethoven and many other composers, but in a less

flamboyant and more structural manner. Liszt expanded this

technique by employing big dynamic curves that span the entire

range of the keyboard. Example 1 shows a characteristic use

of the scalar run by Liszt. It occurs near the end of the

song, "Der Lindenbaum," and creates a brilliant and dramatic

effect, which conflicts with the sentiment of the text: "Du

fandest Ruhe dortl" (There you would find rest).

Example 1. Schubert-Liszt, "Der Lindenbaum," mm. 77-78.

fan - - dest Ru -riten. Ossia.

m fmarcato

i marc.

Text: Du fanciest Ruhe DortI (There you would find rest)

By contrast, Liszt depicts the image of the text "tiefer

Nacht" (deep night) by a chromatic scalar run set in the low

range of the keyboard as shown in Example 2.


muflt auch heu-te wan-

Icnte marc a to

Nacht da hab ich noch un Dun-

ff

10

Examples 3 and k are non-thematic cadenza-like passages

of a type often used by Liszt to provide color and nuance.

In both cases, the device is clearly inspired by the text:

Example 3» "the passage in question reads as follows "Komm,

beglucke mich!" (Come, make me happy); in Example the text

speaks of "nun muss sich alles, alles wenden" (now everything

must change).

Example 3. Schubert-Liszt, "Serenade," mm. 105-106.

k e . mich!

•<*. , v i-s u >

.5.5 S

rg ; • • • ^ dolciss.

v } 1 - rr

dolce

f t i s s id

^ ^ 7 r=F -0- i ii i j i L _ _ n

Text: Komm, beglucke michl (Come, make me happy)

Example k, Schubert-Liszt, "Fruhlingsglaube," mm. 6-^7.

a l l e s

f f r a Li I 1 1 1 p p p p a

— T ..— —rjwUi-41 LI JJi [i, i !J

ritard dolce espressu o

Text: nun muss sich alles, alles wenden. (now everything must change)

11

Arpeggios or arpeggiated figuration of broken chords

Arpeggios or arpeggiated figuration also had been used for

a long time. For example, in Beethoven's sonatas of the Classi-

cal or early Romantic period, the arpeggios are mostly of the

single-note type, as illustrated in Example 5.

Example 5« Beethoven, piano sonata Op. 53» first movement, mm. 50-55.

. t s . .t-1 r-

"ft#

Chopin later added double-note figures to single-note

arpeggios as in his Ballade No. 2 (Example 6). This arpeg-

giation of partially broken chords is frequently employed by

Liszt, who greatly enlarged its scope by using the entire

keyboard instead of confining himself to Alberti-bass type

figuration primarily in the middle range of the piano (Example

7).

12

Example 6. Ballade No. 2 in F major, mm. 4?-48.

I

Example 7. Schubert-Liszt, "Wohin?" mm. 82-87.

Bach. LaB sin - gen Ge - sell, laB sehen, und

sempre dolce grazioso

wan - are froh lich nach,

poco a poco perdendosi

Text translation: Let them sing, let the stream murmur, and follow it gaily!

These chordal arpeggios enrich the texture and vividly

depict a murmuring brook and the mood of the happy wanderer:

"Lass singen Gesell, lass rauschen, und wandre frohlich nach!"

(Let them sing, let the stream murmur, and follow it gaily!)

13

Example 8 demonstrates how Liszt made arpeggios more

complicated by devising them into different rhythmic patterns.

He set these patterns in the brilliant high range of the

piano, expressing the text: "Und immer frischer rauschte,

und immer heller der Bach." (and ever more clear, and ever

more bright, the stream babbled on).

Example 8. Schubert-Liszt, "Wohin?" mm. 27-3^*

im - mer fri - scher rausch - te und im - mer hel - ler der Bach, und

M

- mer fri - scher rausch - te und im - mer heller der Bach.

m un poco nt.

a tempo

In some transcriptions, Liszt initiates the arpeggios

with an octave to intensify the melody as illustrated in Exam-

ple 9* In comparison with Example 10, Liszt clearly high-

lights the repetition of the text "Du doch gar so reizend

14

bist, du susse Maid, steh aufi" (You so pleasing are, sweet

maid, arise I) by means of this technical device.

Example 9. Schubert-Liszt, "Hark, Hark, the Lark," mm. 6I-63.

doch srar so rei - - zend bist, du si1 - - I3e Maid, steh

se m pre pi it J eci a n im a to

<0

Example 10. Schubert-Liszt, "Hark, Hark, the Lark," mm. 57-60.

du doch e-ar zend bist,

- fie Maid, <9

steh auf,

15

In the section from "Serenade" (see Example 11), Liszt

elaborates the original melody with an arpeggiated double-

third figuration. The same technique is also employed in the

accompaniment of "Der Lindenbaum" (see Example 12).

Example 11. Schubert-Liszt, "Serenade," mm. 62-66.

i h, rpi Jff-- d l j j i

—1 *7Wrw* J' | | f f j

eJ UU i_

} lKLf T

ijfcg t •»

ft

. JL . JL .

LU 4| dolciss.

—^«t i f i » '0 i <0~

* $


Ossia. bin ich man-che Stun- -de

motto nten. k

r \ ±\ rr-r—l'r

ZZ j I il canto sernpre mar cat o ed espres\sivo

molto nten. f S

, j t — ? — >

Edition Peters.

Chordal Technique

In George's dissertation, Franz Liszt's Transcriptions of

Schubert's Songs for Solo Pianoforte, he commented: "Liszt's

16

use of chords in a manner different from that of his predeces-

sors can be observed in his moving of multiple sonorities as

1

if they were single notes Example 13 is an illustra-

tion of such a chordal passage, in which Liszt employs conse-

cutive upward jumping chords to depict the text "steh auf"

(arise).

Example 13. Schubert-Liszt, "Hark, Hark, the Lark," mm. 6^-70.

auf, 8~2"

steh auf,

- * ^ -

steh auf,

T M '

du

i i

aF a*1 motto energico

t . _JC T I T *

=J=

J

m 4

if

j_i | | l A

lie Maid, ste

M ' ? »

S g g f-T

*4 "4—r—rr ^ c _ _ J 9 1 a

tT

sii - lie Maid, steh auf, steh auf, 0

A A A m steh auf,

* 5

J U l T i

m sf dim.

HI h ) f r ? } P 3 ^ ; j ^ 7'*

3 5 ¥ WT a

A passage of chordal repetition (see Example 1*0, which

creates an orchestral effect, came about as a result of his

James M. George, Franz Liszt's Transcriptions of Schubert's Songs for Solo Pianoforte (Ph.D"l Thesis, University of Iowa, 1976), p. 135-

17

experimentation with piano sonority rather than mere virtuosic

technique.

Example 1^. Schubert-Liszt, "Hark, Hark, the Lark," mm. ^-8-52.

marcatiss molto fuocoso * *

This chordal repetition technique is more extensively

applied to the song transcription "Erlkonig," imitating the

gallop of the horse (see Example 15)•

Example 15• Schubert-Liszt, "Erlkonig," mm. 39-^2.

bang dein Ge-sicht? Siehst Va

sempre marcato il canto

* £

Liszt also employs vibrating chords such as tremolos

to produce rich sonorities. Example 16 illustrates a chordal

tremolo passage executed by both hands; it is not confined to

18

one octave, but moves up and down chromatically in a succes-

sion of diminished seventh chords and provides a dramatic

transition in the song.


& nichtj sempre string.

i ! ? m ? 1 I > r—} w n—

Trills

Trills are employed in Liszt's transcriptions to create

mood and atmosphere and to increase coloristic effects. As

in Example 17, they help to depict the rustling branches in

the night wind.


Moderato.

i* *

19

In Example 18a, Liszt requires the right hand to play

not only the trills hut to carry a chordal melody, while the

left hand plays chordal arpeggio accompaniment. The next

example shows how Beethoven employs the trills. In compa-

rison with Examples 18a and 18b, Liszt's adoption of his

predecessor's device and new experimentation with it is clear.

Example 18a. Schubert-Liszt, "Der Lindenbaum," mm. 60-62.

^ •Nun bin Ossia.

molto ritcn

molto nten. n\ > J >

S t u n - - lie

415 7 1

il canto sempre marc at o cd cspreSsivo

4 = 4

S p - f t T' 5 ? $ 9 H 8 5 4 ;.r-'t-V4 Edition Peters.

Example 18b. Beethoven, piano sonata Op. Ill, second move-ment, mm. 117-123.

^ . I i. J. . I U- \ M\ .

20

Hand-division

The technique of hand-division was a common device in

nineteenth-century piano writing. Liszt's contemporary Thal-

berg was famous for this "three-hand" technique in which a

melody played "by the thumbs is surrounded by elaborate arpeg-

gios. Liszt extended this technique by framing the melody

not only with arpeggios but also other kinds of accompanying

figures, such as leaps of octaves and repeated chords. Exam-

ples 19 and 20 demonstrate how Liszt employs this device.


deckt. pe schleuiit die

<9; gel - blu - me

M- M. marcato il canto

* i:oceo mpag-'Ha men to

* bit -m.

£ sempre leg-germ.

V §

Example 20. Schubert-Liszt, "Wohin?" mm. 76-78.

• r— J

8

4 ^ -« i * - -

4)-.$ /rTTTfj>' S d J

r _

/r ,

cV cV

% i " —1

7 a * s

21

Leaps and Stretches

The technique of wide leaps on the keyboard, first stri-

kingly used by Domenico Scarlatti, was enormously exploited

by Liszt. Impressed by the virtuoso violinist Paganini's

playing, he imitated the effect of the violin bow jumping on

different strings with leaps on the piano. Liszt's writing

is difficult not only because of the frequent use of wide

leaps, but also because it demands the stretch of a tenth or

eleventh as seen in Example 21. Thus he extends the space

the pianist must cover on the keyboard and also the position

of the hand.

Example 21. Schubert-Liszt, "Fruhlingsglaube," mm. 43-45.

nun mufl sich al - les, al - les wen - den, nun mufl sich al - les,

. - / A » " •

dolciss. cresc ere sc. molto

Pedal Technique

The pedals, especially the damper pedal, play an important

role in the performance of Liszt's piano works. They were used

prior to the nineteenth-century, but their application was not

as extensive as in Chopin's or Liszt's works. Liszt used the

22

pedals to create a warm, romantic sound with a series of over-

tones producing the desired coloristic effects and sonority.

Examples 1 and 12 demonstrate the necessity of the pedals

without it the music is much less expressive.

Now let us consider in detail two song transcriptions

which illustrate the transcriptive procedure and the relation

between the poetic imagine and musical expression.

23

PART II

"Hark, Hark, the Lark"....variation treatment of a strophic song

Liszt's adoption of Schubert's setting "Hark, Hark, the

Lark" is taken from the morning song in Shakespeare's play

Cymbeline. In the play the song is sung by a clown, Cloten

to Imogene. The text consists of a single strophe.

Hark! hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings, And Phoebus 'gins arise,

He steeds to water at those springs, On chaliced flowers that lies;

And winking Mary-buds begin, To ope their golden eyes,

With everything that pretty is, My lady sweet, arise:

Arise, arise! '

In his rendition of the poem, Schubert vividly depicts

the singing lark and the happy lover with a simple waltz-like

Landler tune in C major and a guitar-like piano accompaniment.

In a later version of the song, Friedrich Reil added two

strophes to the original single strophe, thus transforming

the song into a strophic setting. It was this setting, trans-

posed to B-flat major that Liszt used as the source of his

transcription.

The song begins with an eight-measure piano introduction

which reappears as interlude and postlude. It presents two

17 Louis C. Elson, Shakespeare in Music (Boston: L.C.

Page, 1900), p. 228.

24

guitar-like rhythmic figures which accompany the entire piece

(see Example 22).

Example 22. Schubert, "Hark, Hark, the Lark," mm. 1-4.

iA1, vy H j

-fry" & { 1 1 : * . O p

~ai j) I =b: " 1 m <0 3 • 'J jj-jgc 0 J 3 S 3

•J V H I Fi'iwre/

its J> 4

•'fy, ft/ 3 K.

-v—+

Each strophe consists of two periods, the first compri-

sing a 4+4+2-measure phrase, the second a 4+4+4-measure phrase

with a 4f4-measure prolongation on the words: "steh auf, du

susse Maid" (my lady sweet, arise). The repetition of the

second phrase in each period is slightly varied at the cadence.

The regular periodicity, simple harmonic schemes begins in

B-flat major, modulates to G-flat major then back to B-flat

major in the second period, and the two-fold repetition of the

first strophe provide Liszt an opportunity for considerable

musical variation.

Liszt transcribed this song in I838 and played it in a

recital the same year. In his rendition, the interlude and

the third strophe are omitted; a five-measure transition (see

Example 23) is inserted between the first and second periods

of the second strophe, and the postlude is changed to incor-

porate a vi-IY-I cadential elaboration (see Example 24).

25

Example 23. Schubert-Liszt, "Hark, Hark, the Lark," mm. k8~52.

mehr,

i t ? jj n marcatiss. molto fuocoso

k*-

Example 2k. Schubert-Liszt, "Hark, Hark, the Lark," mm. 75-78,

8-j-

Ziii&V*

2 y

The noteworthy change, however, is Liszt's treatment of

the accompaniment of the original version. The vocal line

remains in the same register throughout the entire piece,

while the accompaniment is subjected to continuous variation.

It is perhaps for this reason that audiences were stunned by

the electrifying effect of the great virtuoso's playing; the

critic of Breitkopf & Hartel's Musikzeitung commented that

2 6

"Liszt made the piano sing as none before him.

Example 25 illustrates how Liszt varied the two guitar-

like figures in the first strophe, effectively utilizing a

different accompanying register to decorate and enhance the

melody. At the beginning of the strophe, Figure 1 is placed

two octaves higher to depict the singing lark. In the second

period, Figure 1 suggests an echo of the bird song and at the

same time helps to project the left hand melody.


deckt. Der Rin pe schleuflt die

mar cat o il canto \ r f .

l-accompu £ sSmm-e leggerm

&—tu

nen Aug - lein auf, 8-

lem, was

The seaond strophe, reproduced in Example 26, illustrates

how Liszt continues to vary the accompaniment. The principal

1 s Dietrich Fisher-Dieskau, Schubert: A Biographical Study

of his Songs, trans. & ed. by Kenneth S. Whitton (London; Cassell, 1976), p. 291.

27

motive (guitar-like figure) is combined with scale material,

depicting the twinkling stars in the night: "Wenn schon die

liebe ganze Nacht der Sterne Lichtes."

Example 26. Schubert-Liszt. "Hark, Hark, the Lark," mm. 39-^1.

Wenn schon die lie - be gan

sempre marcato il canto -ze Nacht der Ster - ne lich -

legato dolce grazioso .

In the second period, following a brief five-measure pro-

longation in F, the melody is played by the thumb of the left

hand while the right hand executes brilliant arpeggio accompa-

niment in the high upper range of the piano (see Example 27).

This arpeggio figure strongly enhance the happy atmosphere of

the song.


auch brillante leggien

dein Au - - gen - stern sie gruflt

ma oen articolato il canto

kj—

28

Towards the end of the second period (mm. 61-63), the

melody is doubled three octaves higher in the accompaniment

building to the climax of the entire piece (mm. 6^-70, see

Example 28). After a dramatic pause at measure 71> a succes-

sion of chords brings the transcription to its conclusion.

This cadential gesture replaces the melody that appears at

the end of the song.


doch gar so rei - - zend bist, du sii - fie Maid, steh

scmpre piu feci animato A £

auf,

m- Cl'V**?

steh auf,

motto energico

rni-u • • • T sii - fie Maid, steh auf, steh auf, steh auf,

» ^ V *. o —

29

Despite the structural changes noted earlier and his

intensive use of variation technique, Liszt retains the essence

of Schubert's setting of Shakespeare's text.

Per Linderibaum".... expansion of "poetic ideas, from lyricism to dramatic use of virtuosic techniques

"Der Lindenbaum" is the fifth song in the song cycle

Winterreise. composed by Schubert in 182?. The original poem

of the song is translated as follows:

By the well before the gate there stands a lime-tree? in its shade I dreamt many a sweet dream.

In its bark I carved many a word of love; in joy as in sorrow I felt ever drawn to it.

Today I had to wander past it at dead of night, and even in darkness I closed my eyes.

And^its branches rustled as if they were calling to me: 'Friend, come here to me—Here you will find rest."

The cold winds blew straight into my face, my hat flew from my head—but I did not turn round.

Now I am many hours' journey away from that place; but I always hear the rustling: 'There you would find rest!' °

Schubert employs broken-sixths in E major in the prelude

to depict the wind rustling through the linden's leaves. When

this broken-sixth figure occurs in E minor, as it does in the

interlude, it serves to suggest the dark night and chilly wind

19 Siegbert S. Prawer, ed. & trans., The Penguin Book of

Lieder (Baltimore: S.S. Prawer, 196*0, p. 56.

30

(see Examples 29 & 30).

Example 29. Schubert, "Der Lindenbaum," mm. 1-2.

Miitiig.

Si n i} ' ''

4 —O-,


rrrtt 3

The piano accompaniment changes from strophe to strophe.

The pattern for the first strophe is chordal figuration (see

Example 31) in which the top part doubles the vocal line. An

eighth-note figure dominates the accompaniment of the second

strophe (Example 32).

31

Example 31. Schubert, "Der Lindenbaum," mm. 8-I3.

P r i J J J i l j '[• I r ^ I _ _ , Am Brunnen vor dem To_re da steht ein Linden_baum; ich triiumt in seineni

^ Vjrr- * v w 7 s a r * *


rr—

mulit a u c h h e u . t e wan _ dern vor . bei in tie . fer Naeht,

B

The most dramatic part of the song is the third strophe

which Schubert set in a recitative-like style over accompa-

nying broken-sixths depicting the icy wind of the winter

(Example 33)-

32

Example 33• Schubert, "Der Lindenbaum," mm. 45-5^,

Die k a l . -ten \Yin.de blie . sen

ins An . ge .s icht , der Hut ere sc.

t IOK mir vom h-rr

:ch wen. dec. re sc.

3 r r r r

nicht.

P decres(

33

Following a transitional interlude, the tune of the first

strophe returns with the eighth-note triplet figure again

serving as its accompaniment# Like the prelude, the postlude

recalls the rustling linden tree.

In his transcription made in I839, Liszt effectively

projected the melody in different registers and also elabo-

rated on the accompaniment. In addition to adding a trill

figure, a chromatic scalar run and a diatonic scalar run, he

expanded the broken-sixth to chordal tremolos (see Example 3^,

351 36, and 37).

Example 3^» Schubert-Liszt, "Der Lindenbaum," mm. 1-2.

Moderato


muflt auch heu-te wan

lente marcato

34


1 * ft dolciss. armonioso • ne Zwe i - t o ratiseh-

Icggicriss.

Example 37* Schubert-Liszt, "Der Lindenbaum," mm. ^5-46.

Molto agitato

Hi 93

sotto voce piu animato

Liszt's setting of the first strophe is similar to the

Schubert's (see Example 38).


Brun-nen vordem To - re da steht ein Lin - den-baum;

semplice

* ^c9.

35

The chromatic scales and the diatonic scales that appear

in the second strophe, respectively depict the wanderer's sad

winter journey and the peaceful rest.

The "beginning of the third strophe, which omits the first

four bars of the melody, hence Liszt brackets the text (Example

37), employs a chordal tremolo figure and trills, creating a

cold, hostile atmosphere that is suggested in the text: "Die

kalten Winde bliesen mir grad in's Angesicht" (The cold winds

blew straight into my face).

By placing the melody three octaves higher and employing

a continuous trill on B, Liszt made a dramatic transition from

a turbulent mood of the wanderer (as indicated in the third

strophe) to a calm recalling of the restling linden tree (see

Example 39, the fourth strophe).


O s s i a . r~fL Nun bin ich man-che Stun- -de

molto ritc'n.

^ | xl canto sernprc marc a to rd espreSsivo * —

molto nten. >

iTS??:' -ar -ar . —r

36

In the final measures of Liszt's transcription, the lyri-

cism of Schubert's setting gives way to brilliant virtuosity,

but not for virtuosity's sake# Liszt seems to be suggesting

that the wanderer will not find rest.

37

PART III

CONCLUSION

Franz Liszt was such a virtuoso pianist that his tremen-

dous technique sometimes led to the misunderstanding that his

compositions were just brilliant and superficial, thus crea-

ting an obstacle in appreciation of his music. From the

study of these Schubert song transcriptions, we may recognize

the serious and poetic side of Liszt's composition. He

realized that the nature of transcription does not differ

radically from that of original composition. He was not en-

slaved by the songs j he took advantage of the modern piano and

his own technical facility to transcribe these songs into

idiomatic piano pieces without losing the poetic spirit.

There is no virtuosity for virtuosity's sake in the

Schubert song transcriptions. Liszt employed his technical

devices for one purpose only: to enhance the beauty of the

song. He kept Schubert's tempi and descriptive directions and

added some of his own interpretative ideas in the transcrip-

tions. The texts of the songs were placed above the melody

to remind the player: this is not meant for display but a

narration of poetry through another medium. The understanding

of Liszt's transcriptive procedure should help us appreciate

the performance of these works, and may further the revival

of this art.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Abraham^Geraldêd. The Music of SnhnWt, New York, W. W.

Busoni,^Ferruccio, The Essence of Music and other Papers, ranslated by Rosamond Ley, London, Rockliff, 1957.'

C a P e lkoSuan!'lffy? b e r t' S S° n g H' 2 n d r e v"

D e U t S ^ i S"? ?ri?hi T h e Schubert Reader = A Life of Fran* iTT l h!,,1? ftters,,and Documents. translated by Eric Blom, New York, W. W. Norton, 19^7,

ElnsteinÂlfred,^Music in the Romantic Era. New York, W. W.

E1S°ni9oSUiS C"' g h a k e s p e a r e i n Music. Boston, L. C. Page,

Fisher-Dieskau, Dietrich, Schubert; A Biographical R-hi r 0f

Logdon?SCasse?lf?976.and 8 d i t e d b y K e n n e t h S" »i«on,

Giiiespie^John^ Five Centuries of Keyboard Music. New York,

» Ralph, Liszt. London, Duckworth, 1936.

Longyear, Rey M., Nineteenth-Century Romanticism in Music, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, 1969.

Lenz, Wilhelm von, The Great Piano Virtuosos of Our Time from Personal Acquaintance: Liszt. Chopin. Tauai.g. —

I899 ^ M a d e l e i n e R* B a k e r» New York, G. Schirmer,

PerenyiÊieanor, Liszt; The Artist as Romantic Hero. Boston,

38

Prawer, S. S., ed. & trans. The Penguin Book of Lieder. Baltimore, S. S. Prawer, 196^.

Ramann, Lina, Franz Liszt, Artist and Man, translated by Miss E. Cowdery, London, W. H. Allen, 1882.

Rostand, Claude, Liszt. translated by John Victor, New York, Grossman, 1972.

Schonberg, Harold C., The Great Pianists. New York, Simon & Schuster, 19631

Schumann, Robert, On Music and Musician, edited by Konard Wolff, translated by Paul Rosenfeld, New York, W. W. Norton, 1969.

Searle, Humphrey, The Music of Liszt, 2nd rev. ed., New York, Dover, 1966.

Sitwell, Sacheverell, Liszt, Boston, Houghton, 193 -•

Walker, Alan, ed. Franz Liszt: The Man and his Music. London, Barrie & Jenkins, 1970.

Articles

Bauer, Marion, "The Literary Liszt," The Musical Quarterly. XXII/3 (July, 1936), 295-313.

Bekker, Paul, "Liszt and his critics," The Musical Quarterly, XXI1/3 (July, 1936), 277-283.

Freed, Richard, "Cyprian Katsaris," Stereo Review (Nov. 1982).

Freed, Richard, "Earl Wild," Stereo Review (Dec. 1982).

Lang, Paul Henry, "Liszt and the Romantic Movement," The Musical Quarterly. XXIl/3 (July, 1936), 31^-325.

Porter, Andrew, New Yorker (Nov. 1982), p. 199-

39

Thesis & Dissertation

Oibbs, Dan Paul, A Background and Analysis of Sele°teg ^ d e r and Onpra Transcriptions of Franz Liszj, D.M.A. Disserta tion, North Texas State University, 1980.

George, James M., Franz Liszt's Transcriptions of Schubert's for Solo Pianoforte: A Study of Transcribing; —

Keyboard Techniques, Ph.D. Thesis, Universi y o ,

197^

Record. Jacket Notes

H a S t l l f kan^Transc^lptlonfplaye^^Egon Petri (Columbia,

ML 4436) .

Kolodin, Irving, Record jacket notes for Schubert-Liszt Song Transcriptions, performed by pianist Emanuel Ax ( , ARLI-1030, 1975)•

Editions of Musical Examples

Beethoven, Ludwig van, The Thirty-Two Piano Sonatas, 5 vols., New York, Kalmus, 1968.

Chopin, Fryderyk, iaavierwerke, 3 vols•» revised by Herrmann Scholtz, Leipzig, Peters, 19^9.

T • „+ T7v.onz T.i oHov—"Rparheitungen fur Klavier zu zwei LlSZtHanSen!' eltSTby Emil von Sauer, Franklurl, 1 etirs,

1917.

Schubert, Franz, Complete Song Cycles, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski, New York, Dover, 1970.

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