Chopin Rubato - Both Hands or Melody Only? (Op28. no 4)

Hi You'll easily find extensive writings on all composers in conservatory/university libraries and also public libraries. I was nurtured with anecdotal material from some of my teachers never studied musicology but had some pleasure reading the letters of some a very enriching reading from a historical/literary point of view. Many of them are about financing and fees which reminds us that music was a business even back then! A very interesting question is: does research into the composers life matter when it comes to interpretation? Take this wellknown A-major sonata. This story about Mozart affect most of us, we can easily understand the trauma and it certainly has an impact on the interpretation.But it is still OUR own projection. What if Mozart, possibly suffering from adhd or some kind of autism, felt absolutely nothing? Then the a-major might be just what it seems to be. There are of course examples when it's pretty obvious like in the Grieg Ballade where you can't find anything but sadness. What do you think?

I am sure Mozart didn't have any autism - he could certainly feel. But I have had the experience of something beautiful and totally unrelated to my pain coming out (as a composer I mean), which probably came out partly of the intensity of my painful experience in the moment. A strong sadness is a strong emotion. HOW it interacts with the creative process doesn't need to be direct. I could understand him writing that as a way of remembering the beauty and simplicity of his childhood relationship to his mother, of recreating it in music. He was happy with her then and it could be this ongoing happiness which took precedence over the momentary sadness in his soul at that time. AFF PS I always gained a great deal from reading about the lives of the composers and especially their letters. The more I felt I them, the better I could interpret their music.

I agree the modern syndrome of finding a syndrome for historical persons is not particulary reliable. Very nicely expressed I see what you mean sometimes you can feel a kind of special serenity in a piece or a phrase and the loss of loved ones often with time turns into joyful memories-fortunately. You're absolutely right having that feeling of knowing the composer and his/her situation gives a kind of intimacy and security I've neglected that part too often. Even for solving a technical problem I guess- taking a time-out and do some research is not a bad thing. Activating one's own imagination building up a story.

Thank you Eric and Alan for an interesting discussion. I tried playing the piece again yesterday with this new knowledge about its origin. I can definitely see now how it has some lingering sadness - nostalgic memories of grace and gentleness. If this piece is about his mother, I see it overall mostly as a positive celebration of her life. The last variation is a bit contrasting though, becoming allegro and I think it expresses a bit of anger, but also a realization that life must go on. It definitely ends on a strong triumphant ending, but not necessity a happy one. We go forward because we have to, not because we want to - life goes on and we can't spend it forever lingering on memories of the past. What do you think of the last variation in this context? On another more technical note - I also tried playing with an overall more legato feel as Eric suggested. I treated the staccato markings within phrases more as a slight accent of the next note rather than shortening the marked note - so there is a slight break in the shape of the line, but not a complete period of silence in between notes. I think it definitely helps to project the mood of piece discussed above - if every phrase is too "jumpy" with full staccato notes the piece becomes too playful and less "singing". Zack

Sorry, can't agree with your take on that last variation. Look at the one that precedes it - tremendously lyrical and sweet, dreamy. He breaks the dream in standard fashion, bringing us back to waking state with a rustic folk dance. He turns the melody into a peasant tune and then adds the drumming dance band chords to emphasize his point. I think it's cheery and robust, can't really find any trace of resignation! AFF

I think it's cheery and robust, can't really find any trace of resignation! AFF This is what I had originally thought about this variation before reading this: I remember Jokut Mihailovic, Kemal's wonderful teacher, speaking about Schumann and saying that above all, in ALL Schumann, always remember there is a tinge of sadness... Could this apply to the A major Mozart Sonata as well? After having read the comments, I tried to see how else I could look at the sonata. I could find some hint of lingering sadness in every variation excecpt the last one. Perhpas I don't need to look to hard for something that isn't there. If the composer indicates "allegro" and writes such a cheerful variation, he probably means just that. I also find this variation somewhat forshadowing the Rondo.

I think all the greatest composers were close to God somehow, and transformed divine energy into musical patterns so that we could experience that energy. Look at Chopin especially. Beethoven was the one composer who seemed to it about himself the most, as evidenced by certain statements in his letters. But I think perhaps Mozart was the most perfect of God's aural messengers, at least from the Classical perdiod on. Which perhaps explains why he could write such a cheery piece so shortly after his mother died. Could it be not that he was unfeeling, but that he was exceptionally gifted at transforming our human feelings into their divine equivalent? AFF