|
|
|
|
    
 
|
     
|
File courtesy of www.piano-midi.de Source: ‘Well Known Piano Solos – How to Play Them, Charles W. Wilkinson, Theo. Presser Co. 1915’
After all the convulsive excitement of the foregoing movement, this adagio brings a message of quiet confidence; the soul is no longer perturbed, but gently sings of hope, a veritable song without words. It has been said: "Music begins where words leave off." Here you will feel the music too deep for words, or your playing will be lifeless and mechanical. Still the pathetic note is present, always nearer tears than laughter, especially in the middle episode in the minor key; so you must forget at the keyboard the inadequacy of your instrument, and hear mentally the most sympathetic human voice conceivable. When the heart is full the poet sings; and assuredly the great tone-poet has here a message to be received of all men for all time. It is necessary first to warn the young pianist against the habit of arpeggioing the chords. It is easier to play the melody notes slightly after the others, but it has a bad effect. It is really difficult to play the two parts in the right hand, unless you have made a special study of Bach. Indeed, only very few can individualize the melody apart from the accompaniment. Still, if you hold the quarter-notes down and not the uppermost sixteenths, your legato will be assisted by the fuller tone of the keyboard in that register. Further on, where the accompaniment is doubled, at 9, you must use very great discretion. One word with regard to the bass: although so beautiful in contour, it cannot be played too softly; otherwise it will detract from the melody.
The episode in the relative minor, at 17, is more like a violin passage, especially when you consider the ornamental turns unsuitable for the voice. In several up-to-date editions these turns are printed in full; and, if only students would measure them out, the helpless confusion would be absent. For instance, in 21, the note G, which begins the turn proper, comes in after the third sixteenth-note. Indeed, what should be an ornament becomes often a deformity. Again, in 20 two sixteenth notes must be played before the turn begins on E flat. In all such detail the exclamations of my Berlin professor, Rudorff, often recur to me-"Hübscher! hübscher!" meaning "Prettier! Prettier!" - When he expected more finish or nuance. The pedal is not marked, but may be used freely throughout the piece, but not in such a measure as 38, where the obbligato cello passage would be muddled. The six measures written in sharps, so full of poignant grief, are approached by the device known as enharmonic - the C flat in 41 is written B natural in the next measure. These measures have some rather wide, full chords which, however, cannot be modified for small hands. It is interesting to note how Beethoven diminishes the figure of nine notes at 46, to six notes at 48, and still smaller at So, where we find two groups of threes; a favourite device throughout his compositions generally.
All such information, whether imparted or, still better, self-extracted by your own analysis, is useful, and will add to your appreciation of the master's painstaking construction of a beautiful edifice. This rondo has all the finish of a Mendelssohn Song Without Words, but much more, namely, a deeper human note to which the latter never attained.
Free Piano Sheet Music - Copyright 2008 © - All Rights Reserved |
PATHETIQUE 2ND MOVEMENT 
