The orchestral elements in Franz Schubert's Wanderer fantasy-with implications for piano performance

Transcription

1 University of Iowa Iowa Research Online Theses and Dissertations Fall 2011 The orchestral elements in Franz Schubert's Wanderer fantasy-with implications for piano performance Liang-Fang Chang University of Iowa Copyright 2011 Liang-Fang Chang This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: Recommended Citation Chang, Liang-Fang. "The orchestral elements in Franz Schubert's Wanderer fantasy-with implications for piano performance." DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) thesis, University of Iowa, Follow this and additional works at: Part of the Music Commons

2 THE ORCHESTRAL ELEMENTS IN FRANZ SCHUBERT'S WANDERER FANTASY WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR PIANO PERFORMANCE by Liang-Fang Chang An essay submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa December 2011 Essay Supervisor: Professor Uriel Tsachor

3 Copyright by LIANG-FANG CHANG 2011 All Rights Reserved

4 Graduate College The University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL D.M.A. ESSAY This is to certify that the D.M.A. essay of Liang-Fang Chang has been approved by the Examining Committee for the essay requirement for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the December 2011 graduation. Essay Committee: Uriel Tsachor, Essay Supervisor Matthew Arndt Benjamin Coelho Gregory Hand Alan Huckleberry

5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks to: My advisor, Prof. Uriel Tsachor, for his great musical knowledge and endless patience. My parents for their unconditional support for my life and study. My husband, Chen-Ming Lee, for his warmest heart. My daughter, Sabrina Yungjen Lee, her sweetest smile is always mommy s best encouragement. It is their love which made this essay become possible. ii

6 ABSTRACT Most pianists and music scholars consider Schubert s Wanderer Fantasy his most virtuosic piano work. The piece was written in November 1822 when the composer was twenty-five. By that time, Schubert was known for his lieder and some four-hand piano works, which are written in a very lyrical style. In comparison to these works, the Fantasy is written with a demanding technique requiring a richer, orchestral sound. The technical demands of the Wanderer Fantasy at times cause pianists to injure their arms. Even if this does not happen, the instrument, nonetheless, can sound harsh. This type of thick texture may have prompted Robert Schumann s comments in his 1828 review of the Fantasy (M.J.E. Brown, Schubert, A Critical Biography [London: Macmillan & Co., 1958], 124.): Schubert would like, in this work, to condense the whole orchestra into two hands This essay will address two main subjects: first, the Fantasy will be considered from an orchestral perspective with reference to Schubert s own symphonic writing; second, this essay will seek to assist the pianist in producing a better sound, as well as avoiding injury. It is this essay s thesis that Schubert, when composing the Wanderer Fantasy, was actually constructing an orchestral plan under the guise of a piano score. In order to analyze Schubert s orchestral writing, this essay will be divided into three chapters. Chapter one will offer the historical background of the Wanderer Fantasy, chapter two will discuss Schubert as a symphonist as well as the Unfinished Symphony, which was written only two weeks before the Fantasy. Chapter three, based on the parallel orchestral iii

7 elements found in the Unfinished Symphony piano sketch, will discuss the relationship between the piano sketch of the Symphony and the Wanderer Fantasy. Following this comparative analysis, chapter three will also offer practical performance suggestions based on previously discussed orchestral elements for the pianist. The conclusions reached in this essay are presented in the hope that they will assist the pianist to achieve a more meaningful performance when performing the Wanderer Fantasy. iv

8 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES.....vi LIST OF FIGURES......vii INTRODUCTION...1 CHAPTER 1 SCHUBERT AND THE WANDERER FANTASY...8 CHAPTER 2 SCHUBERT AS A SYMPHONIST AND THE UNFINISHED SYMPHONY Schubert As A Symphonist Schubert s Symphony No. 8 Unfinished Symphony...18 CHAPTER 3 ELEMENTS OF SCHUBERT S COMPOSITIONAL PROCESS AND ORCHESTRAL WRITING IN THE WANDERER FANTASY The Unfinished Symphony, First Movement: Allegro moderato (m. 249 to the end) Sustained Fortissimo Chords Tremolo The Unfinished Symphony, Second Movement: Andante con moto Long Octave Legato Lines Wedge Staccato Dot Staccato Rapid Notes Used as an Accompaniment Phrases Containing Parallel Fortissimo Octaves Other Orchestral Elements from the Full Score of the First Movement of the Unfinished Symphony Contrasting Orchestral Textures in Different Instruments Repeated Phrases Played by Different Instruments...85 CONCLUSION...93 BIBLIOGRAPHY...94 v

9 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Related articles on Schubert s Wanderer Fantasy and their contents...4 vi

10 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Der Wanderer, D. 489, mm Figure 1.2 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, m Figure 1.3 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 1.4 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, m Figure 1.5 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Figure 1.6 Figure 1.7 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Figure 1.8 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm Figure 1.9 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.1 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm Figure 3.2 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm Figure 3.3 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm Figure 3.4 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm Figure 3.5 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, m Figure 3.6 Figure 3.7 Figure 3.8 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, m Figure 3.9 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Allegro moderato, mm Figure 3.10 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm Figure 3.11 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Allegro moderato, mm vii

11 Figure 3.12 Figure 3.13 Figure 3.14 Unfinished Symphony, Allegro moderato, mm (all strings and timpani only) Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Figure 3.15 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m. 231 (first beat) Figure 3.16 Practice suggestion, Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.17 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.18 Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.19 Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.20 Wanderer Fantasy, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Figure 3.21 Wanderer Fantasy, Adagio, m Figure 3.22 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.23 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.24 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.25 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.26 Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.27 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Figure 3.28 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Figure 3.29 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.30 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm Figure 3.31 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm Figure 3.32 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm Figure 3.33 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm Figure 3.34 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, m Figure 3.35 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, mm viii

12 Figure 3.36 Figure 3.37 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.38 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.39 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.40 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Adagio, m Figure 3.41 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.42 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.43 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.44 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.45 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.46 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.47 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm Figure 3.48 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.49 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.50 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.51 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Figure 3.52 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, mm Figure 3.53 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, mm Figure 3.54 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Allegro, mm Figure 3.55 Practice Suggestion, Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, m Figure 3.56 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, mm Figure 3.57 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, mm Figure 3.58 Practice Suggestion, Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, m Figure 3.59 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, mm ix

13 Figure 3.60 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.61 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.62 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.63 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.64 Figure 3.65 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Figure 3.66 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm Figure 3.67 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, mm Figure 3.68 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Adagio, m Figure 3.69 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, mm Figure 3.70 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Adagio, m Figure 3.71 Practice Suggestion, Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.72 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm Figure 3.73 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante moderato, mm Figure 3.74 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante moderato, mm Figure 3.75 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.76 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.77 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm Figure 3.78 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Presto, mm x

14 1 INTRODUCTION After completing the recital requirements of the Doctor of Musical Arts program at The University of Iowa in December 2007, I was eager to schedule my next performance. Through six on-campus recitals, several off-campus recitals, and countless accompanying recitals during my graduate school years, I began to understand better how to communicate with audiences through music. I believe the essential element of this genre of performing art is to connect with the audience throughout the performance. Therefore, I decided to apply for a piano recital at the National Recital Hall in Taiwan, hoping through proper preparation to be recognized as a professional musician. A major goal for all Taiwanese performers is to have a recital at the National Theater and Concert Hall (NTCH) in Taiwan. The NTCH is Taiwan s premier performance venue, featuring a traditional Chinese palace structure coupled with modern acoustic design. A soloist performing there has clearly achieved professional status. An important part of a recital is to choose an appropriate program. The program not only has to be difficult enough to show the soloist s refined technique but also must be familiar enough to the audience so they can relate to it and appreciate it fully. For my first performance at the National Recital Hall, I certainly knew that in addition to exhibiting well-developed performance skills, I needed to find a means by which I could hear the music in my mind as well as see it on the page. In the entire piano repertoire, I love Franz Schubert s piano music the most and believe I can naturally convey its spirit to my audience. However, Schubert s piano music in Taiwan continues to be somewhat misunderstood, not only by amateurs but also by a significant number of professional musicians. The common misconception about it revolves around its length and its

15 2 complex modulations. In order to let audiences experience Schubert s unique musical style, I decided to play an all-schubert recital at the National Recital Hall. While searching through Schubert s piano works for my recital, one day I happened to hear Schubert s Wanderer Fantasy on the radio. I immediately knew that the piece was the one I wanted to perform. It highlights Schubert s typical lyricism in the second movement, the ländler spirit (although in a fast tempo) in the third movement, the remarkable orchestral manner at the beginning of the first movement, and an extraordinary fugue section in the last movement. It seemed to me that the young Schubert was pouring his entire soul into the piece. When I mentioned my plan for the Wanderer Fantasy to my advisor, Dr. Uriel Tsachor, at the University of Iowa, surprisingly he did not fully support my choice, but instead, suggested that I listen to a few recordings and see how I felt about the piece. Then I could decide to play the piece or not. His suggestion struck me as curious, but I still checked out the recordings later that day. When I listened to the recordings, I was definitely attracted to the beautiful music and some of the polished performances; however, I was also surprised to hear distractingly harsh sounds from a number of them. After our next meeting, I finally realized that my professor was hoping that I would hear all the difficulties inherent in performing the Fantasy despite those gorgeous melodies. The recordings that I did not like actually exposed the difficulties experienced by the pianists. The harsh sounds were the consequence of pursuing a high-level performance without properly incorporating the appropriate technical means. The difficulties caused by the Fantasy are not only a consequence of its length (it is a twenty-two minute, continuous work), but also from the

16 3 thick texture Schubert wrote into the piece. The composer seemed to have constructed a symphonic piece on the piano. Before I started to learn the piece, I had to understand that in order to bring the most beautiful tone quality to the Fantasy and avoid injuries, I had to conquer many arm weight playing techniques that were unfamiliar to me. While discussing with my professor the possibility of performing the Fantasy, I was also beginning to write the DMA essay, my last requirement for the doctoral program. Originally, I was working on another topic; however, learning the application of arm techniques for the Wanderer Fantasy and practicing them daily gradually redirected my focus toward this work and its challenges as the foundation for my DMA essay. Thus, I decided to change my topic and combine the writing and practicing challenges inherent to the Wanderer Fantasy in the hope that my analysis of this work would serve as a useful guide to pianists. In the spring of 2008, I began to research current books, articles, and papers about the Fantasy. Surprisingly, I found that most of them focused on the relationship between the Lied, Der Wanderer, and the Wanderer Fantasy, the development of the rhythmic motif in the Fantasy, and its structural influence on late nineteenth-century composers, with little mention of the connection between the Wanderer Fantasy and Schubert s orchestral writing.

17 4 Table 1 Related articles on Schubert s Wanderer Fantasy and their contents Name of article/ author/publisher/year The Piano Works of Schubert/Eva Badura- Skoda/Routledge/2004 Schubert s Piano Music: Probing the Human Condition/ William Kinderman/Cambridge University Press/1997 Schubert/ John Reed/Oxford University Press/1998 Schubert, the Man and the Music/ Brian Newbould/University of California Press/1997 Schubert: Solo Piano Literature/ ed. by Carolyn Maxwell/Maxwell Music Education/1986 Mirror of His Soul: Schubert s Fantasy in C (D. 760)/ Elaine Brody/The Piano Quarterly/1979 Questions About the Persona of Schubert s Wanderer Fantasy/ Charles Fisk/College Music Symposium/1989 Schubert and the Piano/ Geoffrey Linnell/The Schubertian/1997 Oaks and Osmosis/ Leo Black/The Musical Times/1997 Structural Novelty and Tradition in the Early Romantic Piano Concerto/ Stephen Lindeman/Pendragon Press/1999 Relationsh ip to Der Wanderer Main Focus Theoretical Influences analysis on later (Rhythmic motif, composers structure ) Orches tral writing

18 5 Table 1 Continued Adorno s image of Schubert s Wanderer Fantasy multiplied by ten/ Jonathan Dunsby/Nineteenth Century Music/2005 The unfinished piano sonatas of Schubert: The wanderer s trail / Hikari Nakamura/University of Iowa/2005 Among those thirteen contemporary articles, only Elain Brody s and Eva Badura- Skoda s essays mentioned Schubert s orchestral writing. Elaine Brody wrote in 1979 in her Mirror of his soul: Schubert s Fantasy in C (D. 760): Schubert uses his favorite epic key, C major, and treats the keyboard in an orchestral manner. 1 Eva Badura-Skoda wrote in 1990 in Nineteenth Century Piano Music: in Op. 15 the seeds of the symphonic development of the nineteenth century are present In its grandiose orchestral use of the piano, Schubert s Wanderer Fantasy stands as a guidepost to the future. 2 However, neither treatise provided any further discussion regarding how Schubert treated the keyboard in an orchestral manner. While researching, I also learned that Schubert wrote his famous Unfinished Symphony D. 759 about two weeks before the Fantasy: he wrote the date 30 Oct on the first page of the Symphony, while the Fantasy was completed in November Elaine Brody, Mirror of His Soul: Schubert s Fantasy in C (D. 760). The Piano Quarterly 104 (1979), Eva Badura-Skoda, The Piano Works of Schubert, in Nineteenth-Century Piano Music, ed. R. Larry Todd (New York and London: Routledge, 2004), 138.

19 6 Thus, the orchestral manner in the Fantasy appeared to align with the composer s mood while writing the Unfinished Symphony. Therefore, the extant piano sketch of the Symphony becomes a reasonable indication for how Schubert developed the orchestral concept in the Fantasy. After a period of studying and practicing the Wanderer Fantasy, I gradually established the essay s main concept. The essay provides an analysis of the Fantasy as an orchestral concept. In order to be practical to the pianist who reads the essay, the essay also offers performance suggestions such as arm weight technique applications, finger distance and positioning, and appropriate coordination between arms and fingers. These useful suggestions and some of the orchestra manifestations are a direct outcome of many invaluable lessons and conversations with my advisor, Prof. Uriel Tsachor. Throughout the essay, the orchestral analysis of the Wanderer Fantasy is based on the author s opinion, which is established from the comparison between the piano sketches of the Unfinished Symphony and the Wanderer Fantasy. Although the piano sketches were simplified scores for the orchestra and not meant to be played on the piano, pianists can still benefit from logical comparison between and analysis of the sketches and the Fantasy. During the research, I also learned that Franz Liszt arranged the Wanderer Fantasy for piano and orchestra in This arrangement provides support for the essay s hypothesis of viewing the Fantasy from an orchestral concept. However, since Liszt s orchestration is full of late romantic style, it may not present the Fantasy with the original composer, Schubert s, spirit. Therefore, caution is advised when comparing the solo and the orchestral versions of the Fantasy.

20 7 While working on my essay, I was chosen to perform a recital at the National Recital Hall in Taiwan in June The performance received great critical acclaim for both the unique all-schubert program and the sensitive musical thought imparted through the refined piano techniques. I truly believe my preparation and subsequent performance experience with the Wanderer Fantasy at this magnificent Taiwanese venue has proven to be a keystone in the nascent development and later refinement of my essay.

21 8 CHAPTER 1 SCHUBERT AND THE WANDERER FANTASY Schubert s letter to his friend Josef von Spaun ( ) on December 7, 1822, first revealed he had finished a fantasy for piano: Apart from these I have composed a Fantasy for pianoforte, two hands, which is also to appear in print, inscribed to a certain wealthy person. 3 The Fantasy mentioned in the 1822 letter above is the Wanderer Fantasy, which today is one of his most-often-heard concert piano works. Despite its famous sobriquet, Wanderer Fantasy, the piece was originally called Fantasy in C major op. 15 (D. 760). The current title is derived from the composer s Lied, Der Wanderer, which was composed six years earlier, in The expressive C-sharp minor theme of the Lied was directly quoted in the second movement of the Fantasy. In addition to the lyrical second movement, the Fantasy also includes three other fast and bravura character movements. Those bravura movements were written in a thick or rich texture: numerous ff chords and rapidly moving notes. The numerous ff chords and passages present major difficulties for the pianist. The combination of technically demanding sections and expressive moments has created for the Fantasy its own unique place in the piano repertoire since the early nineteenth century. Unlike most of Schubert s works, the Fantasy was published during his lifetime, on February 23, 1823 by Cappi & Diabelli, with its first review found on April 30, 1823, in Vienna s Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung: 3 O. E. Deutsch, The Schubert Reader: A Life of Franz Schubert in Letters and Documents (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1947), 248.

22 9 A fantasy is a musical piece in which a composer may allow perfectly free deployment to the wings of his imagination, unite the most curious forms into the greatest possible unity Seeing that a composer like Herr Schubert, who had already betrayed such profound sentiments in his generally esteemed songs, presents us with a soul-image of this kind, the musical world can only rejoice. 4 According to this first review, Schubert adopted fantasy as a format for this piece to allow himself complete freedom. The Fantasy is a continuous work, about twenty-two minutes long, consisting of four sections: Allegro, Adagio, Presto, and Allegro. Based on the tempo arrangement, the Fantasy can also be seen as a fourmovement sonata. In 1822, Der Wanderer D. 489 was Schubert s most popular song after Erlkönig. The text was written by the amateur poet Georg Philipp Schmidt ( ), and Schubert quoted the melody of the first line of the second stanza from the Lied:. Die Sonne dünkt mich hier so kalt ( Methinks the sun is so cold here ) as the main theme of the piece. The quotation appears in the Adagio movement in exactly the same tempo, key, and mood as in the Lied. In addition to this self-quoted theme, Schubert also unifies the Fantasy through the rhythmic motif from the piano accompaniment of the Der Wanderer (Figure 1.1). This rhythmic motif in the piano accompaniment in Figure 1.1 not only unifies the Fantasy but also differentiates the four-movement sonata structure of the Fantasy from a simple longer free form (Figure ). 4 O. E. Deutsch, The Schubert Reader, 277.

23 10 Figure 1.1 Der Wanderer, D. 489, mm Figure 1.2 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, m. 1. Figure 1.3 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m. 189.

24 11 Figure 1.4 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, m The Fantasy is the earliest of a series of famous sonata-like fantasies, or fantasylike sonatas, examples of which come from Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Chopin and culminate with the Sonata in B minor by Liszt. 5 The opening movement is very much like a sonata-allegro form without a recapitulation. In this movement, the heroic first theme, the lyrical second theme, and the transition to the second movement (Figure ) are all generated from the same rhythmic pattern. Figure 1.5 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Stewart Gordon, A History of Keyboard Literature: Music for the Piano And Its Forerunners (New York: Schirmer Books, 1996), 232.

25 12 Figure 1.6 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Figure 1.7 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm The theme of Der Wanderer appears in the Adagio followed by a set of variations (although Schubert did not give a clear indication for each variation); the composer also modulates between C-sharp minor and C-sharp major with each variation. A Presto movement follows without any break and is basically a scherzo and trio. The beginning of the Presto is literally from the left hand of measure 236 through measure 244 of the second movement (Figure 1.8~1.9).

26 13 Figure 1.8 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm Figure 1.9 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m The final movement has all the traits of a fugue in its opening, and the counterpoint breaks down to a series of octaves, tremolos, arpeggios, and rapid scales to bring the work to a brilliant conclusion. Although Schubert created the Fantasy for the keyboard, it is well known that the physical and mental challenges the work poses were beyond his own playing abilities. Several of Schubert s friends remembered an informal performance during which Schubert broke down in the last movement and announced, Let the devil play the stuff. 6 6 Elaine Brody, Mirror of His Soul: Schubert s Fantasy in C (D. 760). The Piano Quarterly 104 (1979), 30.

27 14 From a performer s perspective, playing the Fantasy is challenging, because the work includes more forte, fortissimo, sforzando passages than the vast majority of other large-scale works, as well as the long tremolo, the extreme ranges of both hands, and the rapid sixteenth notes in pianissimo. All these features can easily be perceived as key elements of orchestral writing. Therefore, it is the hypothesis of this essay that Schubert, when composing the Wanderer Fantasy, was actually conceptionalizing an orchestral piece under the guise of a piano score. In order to analyze Schubert s orchestral plan in the Fantasy, the following chapter is devoted to a discussion of Schubert as a symphonist and his Unfinished Symphony (dated on the first page of the full score: October 30, 1822). As mentioned previously, this work composed in the same timeframe as the Wanderer Fantasy (November 1822). Based on the close proximity of these dates, the Wanderer Fantasy is presumed to be reminiscent of the composer s similar symphonic language successfully employed two weeks earlier when composing the Unfinished Symphony.

28 15 CHAPTER 2 SCHUBERT AS A SYMPHONIST AND THE UNFINISHED SYMPHONY Before examining the Wanderer Fantasy from an orchestral perspective, Schubert s symphonies should first be considered to gain an understanding of the elements of his symphonic language and his compositional process. 2.1 Schubert As A Symphonist Schubert composed nine symphonies, including the seventh, which is only in sketch form, and the eighth, which has only two completed movements. He finished his first symphony in 1813 at the age of sixteen, and composed the Unfinished Symphony (the eighth) in 1822 at the age of twenty-five. By the time he completed the last symphony, the Ninth Symphony, nicknamed the Great, he was around thirty. At the age of thirty, Beethoven was just composing his first symphony, whereas Schubert already had nine of them. His nine symphonies are as follows: Symphony no. 1, in D major (c. 1813) Symphony no. 2, in B-flat major (1815) Symphony no. 3, in D major (1815) Symphony no. 4, in C minor (1816) Symphony no. 5, in B-flat major (1816) Symphony no. 6, in C major (1818) Symphony no. 7, in E major (1821) Symphony no. 8 Unfinished in B minor (1822) Symphony no. 9 Great in C major ( )

29 16 From the nineteenth century through the present day, musicologists often clarify Schubert as a song composer rather than a symphonic or piano composer. The fact remains, however, that Schubert began work on his first orchestral piece, Overture in D, D. 2a (only a fragment), around 1810 or 1811 and his first symphonic piece, Symphony in D, D. 2b (only a fragment of the first movement) during the same period. This was close to the time of his first composition, Song, in c, D. 1a, around 1810 (only a sketch with no text), and was earlier than any of his piano, theatrical, or choral works. 7 Schubert s educational background greatly influenced his later works. Based on his marvelous talent as a singer, he easily passed the highly competitive audition for the Kaiserlich-königliches Stadtkonvikt (Imperial and Royal City College) and entered the college in 1808 at the age of 10. At the college, Schubert was soon invited to join the second violin section in the student orchestra and became acquainted first hand with the orchestral works of Haydn, Mozart, early Beethoven, and their less famous Viennese contemporaries. According to Schubert s life-long friend Josef von Spaun, Mozart's Symphony no. 40 in G minor and Beethoven's Second Symphony made a particularly strong impression on Schubert. 8 During his first two years at the college, Schubert received regular composition lessons with Antonio Salieri ( ) 9. Salieri was a well-known composer of operas 7 His earliest piano work is Fantasie, c [formerly 993], D. 2e, which was written in 1811; his earliest theatrical work is Der Spiegelritter, D. 11, which was written from around Dec to late 1812 or early 1813; his earliest choral work is Quell innocente figlio, D. 17 (for mixed voice), which was written around Robert Winter: Franz Schubert, Life: (i) Background and Childhood. Grove Music Online Dictionary 9 Ibid.

30 17 who had studied with Gluck and was Mozart s rival at the Viennese court. He had taught Beethoven lessons in the setting of Italian texts to music, and in his last years also taught the young Liszt. Although Schubert was only eleven when he studied with Salieri, he felt passionate about Mozart s and Beethoven s symphonic works. As a teacher, Salieri did not inspire the young boy with more symphonies. Instead, he urged Schubert to find his models in Italian opera, a directive that conflicted sharply with Schubert's enthusiasm for the music of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, as well as with his growing interest in the poetry of Goethe and Schiller as material for songs. The young Schubert thus absorbed on his own the ideas implicit in the scores of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Not surprisingly, by the time he was 13, Schubert seems to have discontinued his regular lessons with Salieri. After writing four overtures and one symphony in fragment, Schubert finally completed his first symphony in 1813 at the age of 16: Symphony no. 1 in D, D. 82. With this work, he officially began his career as a symphonic composer. The short-lived composer left behind a great number of vocal works (more than six hundred), but only nine symphonies (seven of which are completed). Among those nine symphonies, the first six were written before 1818, when Schubert was about 21. While these symphonies contain the enthusiasm of the young composer, they lack the maturity demonstrated in his later works. With regard to Schubert s vocal works and symphonies, a cursory examination of both may initially lead a casual observer to view the latter works as less important than his vocal works. However, the symphonies are indeed much larger in scope and more complex in the conception than are the songs. Thus, even though the number of

31 18 Schubert s symphonies is far fewer than his vocal works, the scope, innovative texture, and original orchestral language of Schubert s symphonies 10 elevate their status to a level of equivalent or greater significance than his vocal pieces. Schubert s extraordinary talent as a symphonist manifests itself through his compositional process. Schubert rarely heard his own instrumental pieces performed, and none of his symphonies was performed or published during his lifetime. 11 He never had a second chance to edit his symphonies after hearing an orchestral performance. However, the composer apparently had no difficulty in precisely conveying the timbre he wanted from the orchestra. Due to the lack of opportunities for hearing his symphonies performed, Schubert actually created his symphonic works solely through composing at the keyboard. To do so successfully, he had to know clearly the uniqueness and capability of every instrument in the orchestra and certainly had to understand very well the similarities and differences between orchestral instruments and the piano. 2.2 Schubert s Symphony No. 8 Unfinished Symphony Schubert s symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 was composed in October 1822, and remained unfinished at Schubert s death. There are many unfinished symphonies in music history, for example by Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Elgar, but the title is generally 10 For example, at the beginning of the Symphony No. 9, Schubert had two French horns play the eight-measure theme in unison and unaccompanied. This kind of orchestration never appeared in the works of his predecessors. 11 O. E. Deutsch, The Schubert Reader: A Life of Franz Schubert in Letters and Documents (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1947),

32 19 taken to refer only to Schubert s. 12 The essay will also apply this title when discussing the symphony. In 1822 Schubert completed the first two movementsof the Unfinished Symphony: Allegro moderato and Andante con moto. He sketched part of the third movement, but probably wrote nothing for the last movement. However, a study of Schubert s sketching habits in other works does suggest that he may have sketched all four movements of the Unfinished before writing the orchestral score. Since the composer only left full scores for the first two movements and musicologists are still debating the existence of the last movement, the discussion in this essay will focus on the two finished movements. After completing the first two movements of the Unfinished Symphony in October, 1822, Schubert sent a well-written copy of those two movements in 1823 to the Styrian Music Society in Graz to thank the organization for his nomination as an honorary member of the society. A letter that Schubert sent earlier to the Styrian Musical Society reveals his plan: In order to give musical expression to my sincere gratitude as well, I shall take the liberty before long of presenting your honorable Society with one of my symphonies in full score. 13 Since Schubert had received his diploma from Graz, the manuscript appears to have been sent to the Graz society, but instead of sending a complete symphony to the society directly, Schubert sent the manuscript of the first two 12 Grove Music Online Dictionary. Key word: Unfinished Symphony. 13 O. E. Deutsch, The Schubert Reader: A Life of Franz Schubert in Letters and Documents, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1947), 289.

33 20 movements of the B minor Symphony, the Unfinished Symphony, to his friend Anselm Hüttenbrenner. Hüttenbrenner, the president of the Styrian Music Society from 1825 to 1829, kept the Unfinished Symphony locked up for more than forty years, and Schubert never mentioned the Unfinished Symphony to other people. Thus this remarkable work was ignored for about half a century before its premiere in The Viennese critic Eduard Hanslick described the first performance of the symphony on December 17, 1865 as follows: The tonal beauty of the two movements is fascinating. With a few horn figurations here and there and a clarinet or oboe solo, Schubert achieves, with the most simple, basic orchestra, tonal effects which no refinement of Wagnerian instrumentation can capture. This symphonic fragment may be counted among Schubert s most beautiful instrumental works, and I am especially happy to say so here because I have permitted myself more than once to speak warningly of over-zealous Schubert worship and the adulation of Schubert relics.ˮ14 In the next chapter, the compositional process which Schubert employed in the Unfinished Symphony will be analyzed and discussed. Subsequently, the orchestral elements used in the Wanderer Fantasy will be identified and the technical applications for pianists will be addressed. 14 A. Peter Brown, The Symphonic Repertoire II: The First Golden Age of the Viennese Symphony: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002), 623.

34 21 CHAPTER 3 ELEMENTS OF SCHUBERT S COMPOSITIONAL PROCESS AND ORCHESTRAL WRITING IN THE WANDERER FANTASY According to Leonard Michael Griffel, 15 Schubert often worked on a piano sketch prior to working on the full score of an orchestral piece. He would then plot the melody-carrying voices on the orchestral score before filling in the other parts. He would sketch and complete one page of the score at a time before moving to the next and would use different shades of ink for sketching and scoring. According to this source, Schubert edited and revised his symphonies a great deal; he used a new color of ink for each stage of revision. If a draft became too messy, he would recopy the score. When he was convinced that his work was finished, he would generally discard his sketches and all the preliminary drafts. Therefore, the extant sketches and drafts are the most reliable, firsthand resources to use in studying Schubert s compositional process and harmonic plan in his nine symphonies. According to Martin Chusid, except for the Unfinished Symphony, there are no piano sketches remaining for the completed symphonies (i.e., the first six and the Great Symphony) or for the symphony sketch (No. 7) in E of As Georg Kinsky pointed out in 1928, these Schubert sketches and autographed scores are very important because they are all that Schubert ever saw of his symphonies, since none of them were published 15 Leonard Michael Griffel, Schubert s Approach to the Symphony, (New York: Columbia University, 1975), Martin Chusid, Franz Schubert Symphony in B Minor ( Unfinished ): An Authoritative Score, Schubert s Sketches, Commentary, Essays in History and Analysis (New York: Norton & Company, 1971), 4.

35 22 during his lifetime. 17 A close study of Schubert s existing sketches and autographed scores reveals a great deal about his compositional methods. In addition to the piano sketches for the Unfinished Symphony, Schubert left another three sketches for his incomplete symphonies: Three Symphonies in Fragment, D. 615, 718A, and 936A. These sketches were probably preserved because the symphonies were never completed. A comparative analysis of these four sketches shows that the sketch for the Unfinished Symphony is the most detailed. As was mentioned previously (p. 12), in 1823 Schubert sent the transcribed copy of the first two movements to the Styrian Music Society in Graz. He kept the corresponding piano sketches in his drawer for himself, strongly suggesting that he felt a need to keep them in order to finish the work. After his premature death in 1828, the sketches passed to his brother Ferdinand Schubert. Unlike the transcribed copy of the first two movements, the piano sketches never left Vienna and were unknown to the Hüttenbrenner family in Graz. In 1883, Max Friedlaender 18 discovered the sketches in Vienna 19 and brought them to the public s attention. According to Griffel, the extant piano sketches for the Unfinished Symphony begin with m. 249 of the first movement (Allegro moderato) at p. 4 and conclude with the sixteenth bar of the Trio of the third movement on p The most valuable aspect of 17 Leonard Michael Griffel, Schubert s Approach to the Symphony (New York: Columbia University, 1975), Friedlaender, Max ( ). The German musicologist had a small but valuable collection of autograph compositions and letters of German composers. Grove Music Online Dictionary 19 Ibid., Ibid., 170.

36 23 this sketch is that it offers so many details, including some dynamic markings and indications of orchestration for a later compositional stage. In this sketch, Schubert is not just preparing melodies; he is virtually composing the entire piece in a piano arrangement format. Bärenreiter 21 published a study score of the Unfinished Symphony in 1997, providing the piano sketches as an appendix. This appendix includes a fragment of the third movement (in full score) and the piano sketches mentioned above. In order to scrutinize Schubert s orchestration process in the piano sketches, this essay will compare the full scores with the piano sketches of the first two movements and then apply the results of this analysis to the Wanderer Fantasy. Since Schubert worked on piano sketches prior to transferring music to the full score, one sees a logical progression from his piano sketches to his orchestral scores. Therefore, to understand fully his compositional process, one should study his piano sketches first before examing his finished orchestral scores. The piano sketches of the Unfinished Symphony reveal the orchestral nature of the piano score that often imitates the articulation of string and wind instruments. Thus, the sketches offer an excellent insight into how Schubert constructed a symphonic piece under the guise of solo piano music. In order to understand clearly the comparison between the Unfinished Symphony and the Wanderer Fantasy below, two points need to be clarified. First, since Schubert composed the Wanderer Fantasy as a continuous piece with four different sections (movements), the measure numbers that appear in this essay will 21 German firm of music publishers. Founded in Augsburg in 1924 by Karl Vӧtterle.

37 24 be presented consecutively throughout the entire piece and are not unique to each movement. However, each movement will be discussed separately. Second, attention should be paid to the articulation markings when reading Schubert s handwriting. The composer frequently inserted markings for only the first few bars (or notes) of the passage and not for the entire passage, which complicates the reading of his sketches. Fortunately, the often symmetrical musical phrases assist performers in making an interpretation consistent with Schubert s intentions (See Figure 3.38 on p. 53, where the left hand carries dot staccato at m. 1 and 2, but not m. 7 and 8. Based on the symmetrical musical phrases, the pianist should also play m. 7 and 8 with dot staccato). After the comparison between the Unfinished Symphony and the Wanderer Fantasy, the essay provides a discussion of the Wanderer Fantasy and its orchestral elements. The discussion focuses on the physical aspects of actual piano playing. Also included are discussion on both sonority implications and technical applications relevant to each musical example. And, through this discussion, the way pianists can use their bodies to produce an orchestral sound while performing this piece are also considered. 3.1 The Unfinished Symphony, First Movement: Allegro moderato (m. 249 to the end) The extant piano sketches, which contain just 93 measures, reveal two unique orchestral elements.

38 Sustained Fortissimo Chords The piano sketches for the first movement begin with m Immediately, the right hand brings out a C-sharp dominant-seventh chord with ff dynamic markings (Figure 3.1). The chord lasts for six-and-half beats. For the piano, the sound decays soon after the keys have been pressed, making it impossible to maintain the ff for the full count. Therefore one must consider this to be a typical orchestral effect, with long notes that could only be sustained by string and wind instruments. Figure 3.1 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm The chord is played by the entire woodwind and string sections plus trumpets and timpani in the orchestra (Figure 3.2). In m. 281 and 283 of the piano sketches (Figure 3.3), these sustained ff chords appear again, but this time the chords are sustained for only three beats in each bar, and Schubert places an accent marking above the chord to emphasize the harmonies.

39 26 Figure 3.2 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm Figure 3.3 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm In the full score, the entire orchestra plays the chords. The strings emphasize the ff effect by playing tremolo. (Figure 3.4).

40 27 Figure 3.4 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm In a similar manner, the sustained fortissimo chords first appear in the Wanderer Fantasy at m. 32 (Figure 3.5) and 38 in the right hand, as well as in the left hand at m. 84, 86, and 87 (Figure 3.6).

41 28 Figure 3.5 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, m. 32. Figure 3.6 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm In Figure 3.5, the right hand plays chords in a high register while the left hand plays rapid sixteenth notes. Based on the comparison between the piano sketches and the finished full score of the Unfinished Symphony, one could imagine that the chords in the right hand would be appropriate for the woodwind section, and the supplementary sixteenth notes in the left hand would be appropriate for the strings. Probably as a result of having seen the orchestra traits of the Wanderer Fantasy, Franz Liszt arranged the Fantasy for piano and orchestra in A close analysis of m. 28 and 30 in Liszt s concerto version (Figure 3.7) indicates that Liszt assigned oboes and horns to play the high chords and first violins to play the sixteenth notes.

42 29 Figure 3.7 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm In m. 32 (Figure 3.8) and 38 of the concerto version, Liszt did not write sixteenth notes for any instrument except for the piano. The woodwind section was assigned to the sustained fortissimo chords. As a result, the fast notes of the piano are not obscured by the orchestra. Liszt s arrangement seems to supports the interpretation proposed by this essay.

43 30 Figure 3.8 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, m. 32. When playing Schubert s Wanderer Fantay, in order to get the orchestral sound in the sustained fortissimo chords, the pianist has to apply weight from both the arm and the shoulder. The right hand at m. 32 (Figure 3.5) and 38 should be completely supple before and after pressing the keys, and when playing the chords, the weight of the entire arm must be applied instead of only the wrist or fingers. Being supple does not mean that the

44 31 hand is soft and completely collapsed on the keyboard but that the fingers and wrist need only the weight necessary to sustain the hand position on the keyboard. The crescendo and ff sounds are actually achieved from the weight of shoulder and upper arm. When the wrist and fingers are well positioned on the keyboard and are supple enough, the weight from the shoulder and upper arm can transfer successfully through the entire hand and carry the power into the keyboard. To apply this arm weight correctly and thereby creating better sonority and tone color during the sustained fortissimo chords, the pianist should practice the sixteenth notes before the chords (m. 31 and m. 37) at a slower tempo. The pianist should closely monitor the flexibility of the entire arm while practicing this section and then combine the sixteenth notes with the chords using the same arm flexibility. In Figure 3.6, the fortissimo chords in the left hand only last for two beats each time, but each of them has a fz. This means they must be played not only ff (as in ff in m. 83), but also with a certain emphasis. The high register of the chords suggests that they probably would be played by woodwinds in the orchestra, with the previous ff octaves played by the bass section (cello, bass, and trombone). Due to the big shift in the left hand at mm. 84, 86, and 87, the sustained fortissimo chords here, when compared with those at m. 32 and m. 38, are easier for pianists to maintain with a relaxed arm thus generating a warm sound. During performance, those big shifts by a single hand require a broader and round movement; through those expansive movements, it is easier to maintain a relaxed muscle and thus the possibility of having supple arms is increased. When the arms are supple while executing the shift, the sound tends to be richer and more orchestral rather than percussive.

45 Tremolo In the piano sketches of the Unfinished Symphony, from mm (Figure 3.9), the right hand is written in tremolo, which is a common technique for string instruments. Figure 3.9 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Allegro moderato, mm In the full score, the tremolo is played by violins and violas (Figure 3.10). Figure 3.10 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm

46 33 A similar texture appears again from mm (Figure 3.11); this time both hands are playing tremolo. Figure 3.11 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Allegro moderato, mm In the orchestra, all string instruments and the timpani play their notes in a tremolo texture at this spot (Figure 3.12). Figure 3.12 Unfinished Symphony, Allegro moderato, mm (all strings and timpani only).

47 34 Rapid up-and-down movement of the bow on stringed instruments produces tremolo. 22 For strings, each instrument plays one to two notes but with many stringed instruments when playing tremolo, but for piano, pianists have to play all the notes at the same time. This technique also causes a difficulty to pianists. To imitate the orchestral tremolo effect on the piano, the pianist s right hand must rapidly alternate several pitches of the chords, repeating the motion for the duration of the passage. In the Wanderer Fantasy, Schubert applied tremolo textures many times. Examples of this technique in the Fantasy include the following: mm (Figure 3.13): both hands play rapid repetition of sixteenth notes to imitate the effect of the strings. Figure 3.13 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm Forearm rotation is the key element for playing tremolo successfully. In order to have effective forearm rotational movements, flexibility of the wrists and forearms is equally essential to the pianist. To achieve similar tremolo effect as strings in this section (Figure 3.13), arm weight should be applied from the shoulder, the arms should be 22 Don Michael Randel, Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music, (Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2000), 517.

48 35 naturally relaxed and the movement of the wrists should be gentle and horizontal. This avoids tight wrists blocking the effective weight transfer to the fingers. The fingers are merely a bridge to connect the arm weight with the keyboard. Oftentimes, pianists play the tremolo relying only on their fingers. This approach results in a slower tempo, a mechanical sound, and soreness in the wrists after only a short period of playing. As mentioned by Tobias Matthay 23, pianists should practice this rotation slowly to actually rock the hand from side to side for each note: a rolling or rocking movement towards each note, after first rocking backwards. Thus pianists can impress upon their minds the direction of the rotational help which eventually pianists have to provide invisibly and without actual rotatory movements. After mastering the above hand position and being comfortable with it, the pianist should now think about overlapping of notes ( which means not completely releasing each note when playing the next one) when playing the tremolo. Since it is essential to play at a fast speed and properly execute the tremolo, it is almost impossible to play each key with a complete down-and-up movement. The inability to play the tremolo as fast as possible creates a timing issue. Furthermore, the effect of tremolo comes from the entire phrase and not from each individual note. Thus, when pianists play the tremolo with overlapping of notes, they actually save energy. This technique reduces the difficulty and the tremolo effect is more successfully achieved. 23 Tobias Matthay, The Visible and Invisible in Pianoforte Technique, (London: Oxford University Press, 1932; reprint, New York: Oxford University Press, 1947), Tobias-Matthay-1947.

49 36 mm (Figure 3.14): the composer applies the tremolo technique again but with different voicings of the chord to augment the crescendo. Figure 3.14 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm The difference between mm. 67 through 69 and mm. 14 through 15 is that the right hand in mm. 67 through 69 keeps moving up in pitch while playing the tremolo. Based on the special effect of the tremolo, it is possible to imagine mm. 67 through 69 being played by the strings in an orchestra. For the pianist, there is a significant difference in technique when playing these two tremolo types. When playing the tremolo with broken chords, the pianist needs to use not only the forearms but also the upperarms. Upper-arms provide weight and forearms provide direction in assisting the hand movements. If a passage like Figure 3.14 is played with only finger movement, it will be impossible for the pianist to create the tremolo in legato and for it to be powerful and continuous in nature. Schubert even indicated a crescendo at m. 68 to make the phrase grow to ff from the initial pp. To combine the tremolo and the crescendo, the pianist must incorporate weight from both forearms and upper-arms to achieve the required hand movement.

50 37 mm (Figure 3. 15): both hands play fast sixty-fourth notes with the melodic notes presented as the lower note of each tremolo pair of notes. Figure 3.15 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m. 231 (first beat). When imagining the orchestra in this passage, the entire string section could be pictured as playing the tremolo together, with a crescendo from f to ff, followed by ffz at m. 235, the climax of this movement (although in block chords, not in tremolo). Forearm rotation also should be applied when playing this passage. Pianists should follow the same practice methods as mentioned for Figure. 3.14, as well as working on vertical intervals of melody (Figure 3.16) in a slower tempo to help the wrists become supple and can adapt to the direction of movement. Figure 3.16 Practice suggestion, Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m. 231.

51 38 After developing supple wrists by the above mentioned exercise, the pianist can start to practice Figure 3.15 in a slower tempo working to sustain the same wrist flexibility. When practicing this way, the pianist should remember to maintain the legato character of the melody, so that when resuming at full speed, the phrases will remain well connected. The other tremolo examples in the Fantasy are very similar to those already discussed. For example, mm. 267 to 270 and mm. 297 to 298 are similar to mm. 14 and 15; mm. 678 to 688 are similar to mm. 67 to 69, but instead of staying on the same notes, the left hand at mm. 678 to 688 moves to different notes and matches the right hand melody line. 3.2 The Unfinished Symphony, Second Movement: Andante con moto Five orchestral effects used in the second movement of the Unfinished Symphony apply to the Wanderer Fantasy Long Octave Legato Lines Throughout the second movement, legato octave passages are found. In the piano sketches, the long octave legato lines are played by the right hand (Figure 3.17). Figure 3.17 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm. 3-7.

52 39 Schubert wrote the legato melody for the strings from mm (excerpt shown in Figure 3.18), mm , and mm Figure 3.18 Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm The woodwinds play the legato melody from mm (Figure 3.19), mm , mm , mm , and mm

53 40 Figure 3.19 Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm In the Wanderer Fantasy, a long legato octave line first appears from m. 116 to m. 123 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.20), and m. 128 to m This is the development section of the first movement; the right hand plays the legato melody in pp (Schubert did not give the dynamic marking at the begining of this section, but wrote pp at one measure before the section to establish the lyrical character) with the harmonic support in broken chords by the left hand. Figure 3.20 Wanderer Fantasy, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm

54 41 Since octave lines move within a larger range on the keyboard, pianists playing these phrases need to direct their hands more by the upper arms rather than the forearms or the wrists. Also, it is impossible to rely on the fingers to play octave legato in both voices here; since the fingers are too short to play long octave legato lines within a large range on the keyboard, only the arms can give octave lines the necessary direction. Timing is another key point for playing beautiful melodic lines in octaves. If music such as Figure 3.20 is played in perfectly strict timing, with all the correct timing of eighth notes, it is impossible to render the melody legato and lyrical. Pianists also should not think about timing above all other musical issues such as rhythm, tone color, and harmony, because considering timing first will result in unexpected rubato everywhere, and the music will lose its pulse. When pianists play octave legato lines such as in Figure 3.20, they should think of using the least amount of time to plan for the rubato; thus the rubato will be well rendered at the proper spot and the phrase moves more fluently. After mastering the techniques above, the final thing pianists can do to make the octave line more beautiful is to add refined pedaling. Although pedaling can easily change the tone color or sustain the sound, a pianist s hands are more sensitive and essential to piano playing. Accordingly, when practicing, the pianist should always use the pedals carefully and consider them to be the last resource to be used. Although the left hand repeats the same harmony at mm. 116 and 117 (Figure 3.20), the octave melody in the right hand constantly creates dissonant intervals while the melody is moving forward. If the pianist uses just one pedal for the entire two measures (mm. 116 and 117), the sound will not be clear. To resolve this difficulty, pianists could add a half or onethird of the pedal on every first and third beats, depending on the piano and the

55 42 auditorium. Refined pedals will not break up the legato line in the right hand and will not leave an obvious gap between every two beats. The same situation happens again at mm. 118 and 119, as well as mm. 124 and 125. Further examples of long legato lines in octaves can be found in the second movement from m. 215 (Figure 3.21) to m. 219, m. 219 to m. 222, and m. 237 to m Figure 3.21 Wanderer Fantasy, Adagio, m Wedge Staccato In the piano sketches of the second movement of the Unfinished Symphony, from m. 32 to m. 44, the left hand plays an eighth note every beat in staccato which is indicated by a wedge (excerpt shown in Figure 3.22). These markings imply martellato on stringed instruments and usually happen in louder sections. Martellato literally means a hammered strike, an effect obtained by releasing each stroke forcefully and suddenly. It can be played by any section of the bow and is sometimes indicated by an arrowhead Randel, Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music, 62.

56 43 Figure 3.22 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm A comparison with the full score of this section (Figure 3.23) reveals that Schubert transferred the staccatos from the piano to all the strings. Figure 3.23 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm

57 44 The same arrangement is used in the piano sketches in the left hand between m. 237 and m. 243 (Figure 3.24) and between m. 244 to m. 249 (Figure 3.25). Figure 3.24 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.25 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm The full score from m. 237 to m. 243 shows that Schubert arranged for the violas, cellos, and basses to play the staccatos, whereas from m. 244 to m. 249 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.26) the composer assigned only the bassoon, trombone, and bass to play staccatos, indicating that even with a similar musical context and articulation, the composer did not keep the same orchestration all the time but orchestrated the musical lines with different combinations to create varied tone colors.

58 45 Figure 3.26 Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm The Wanderer Fantasy contains numerous examples of wedge staccato, the first appearing as early as the right hand of m. 2 and 3 (Figure 3.27), with others at m. 5 and 6. Figure 3.27 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm. 1-3.

59 46 It seems that Schubert used this articulation to enhance the march-like character. String players play martellato by releasing each stroke forcefully and suddenly. Thus, when pianists try to imitate this effect, they need to apply their arms like string players bows, energetically and efficiently. Also, string players have to play martellato with their whole arms and the majority of the bow; pianists must play this using the whole weight of their arms and not with the fingers alone. Further examples of the wedge staccatos from the first movement of the Fantasy include the right hand of mm. 16 and 17, and the downbeat of m. 133, 135, 137, and 139 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.28). In Figure 3.28, the composer wrote staccato on the downbeat of every two measures to distinguish the articulation from staccato to legato and to emphasize the differences between each harmony. Figure 3.28 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm In Figure 3.28, both hands are playing ff chords with wedged staccato on the first beat of each measure. It is conceivable to imagine these chords being played by an entire orchestra with strings playing in martellato and winds playing with accents. In order to avoid sounding too dry and percussive, the pianist should practice these ff chords singly at first to get the warmest sound possible and then combine them with the subsequent

60 47 broken chords. When practicing these block chords alone, an effort should be made to apply the weight from the shoulder and transfer it to the arms, wrists, and fingers. Since the tempo is fast here, pianists will not have much time for broad arm movements while playing. In order to effectively connect block and broken chords, a complete understanding of the harmonic progression and efficient movement from chord to chord is needed. In the second movement of the Fantasy, the wedge staccato appears only in m. 234 (Figure 3.29) and m. 235 in both hands. The climactic moment in this slow movement occurs when the composer uses staccato to differentiate the rhythm with or without the wedge and to articulate each harmony. Figure 3.29 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Due to an active rhythm and rich harmony, mm. 234 and 235 are well-suited for the orchestra s entire brass section. The pianist needs to practice these block chords with completely relaxed arms with the hands not leaving the keyboard too far. Failing to relax the arms when playing a dotted rhythm often slows down the tempo, and lifting the fingers too far above the keyboard wastes time when moving between each chord.

61 48 The Fantasy has several examples of wedged staccato in its third movement, which may be categorized into three types: part of the character of the theme, the main character of the theme, and part of the accompanying figure. In the first type, wedged staccato is a part of the character of the theme. Typical examples are found from m. 245 through 252 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.30) and from m. 263 through 266 (Figure 3.31). Figure 3.30 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm Figure 3.31 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm In the second type, wedged staccato is the main character of the theme. The sole example is from m. 299 through 302 (Figure 3.32)

62 49 Figure 3.32 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm In the third type, wedged staccato is a part of the accompanying figure. The sole example is from m. 323 through 330 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.33). Figure 3.33 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm In Figure 3.30, the wedged staccatos appear on the third beat, which is the weakest beat in each measure. With the accent on the first beat, the first and third beats are the two main rhythmic structural pillars of the two-bar group. Pianists should imagine these two parts to create a vivid, bouncing, and dance-like atmosphere and figure out the arm movements that direct the fingers to achieve them. At m. 251 (Figure 3.34), Schubert possibly used the wedged staccato to prepare the unexpected fz on the second beat. In order to emphasize the fz, pianists should move their arms going up when playing the wedged staccato, physically creating a little gap before playing the second beat. Thus, listeners will definitely notice that the composer marked fz on the second beat.

63 50 Figure 3.34 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, m In Figure 3.31, the wedged staccatos are marked p and two measures later crescendo, not only indicate the bouncing quality but also create a feeling of urgency. In the art of music, the feeling of urgency is actually established by a steady pulse. Thus pianists, when playing this passage, should not push the tempo or shorten the third beat; otherwise, the feeling of urgency will be reduced, especially at a faster tempo. On the other hand, during these four measures, pianists should technically relax their thumbs when playing the third beat to help create a sense of an upbeat and to aviod accents. In Figure 3.32, wedged staccato is marked on every chord, with the ff marking at m The first four measures present a ff and solid sound before the unexpected bass d- flat comes in m The writing from m. 299 to 302 conveys a symphonic idea: unison and full of orchestral sound. When pianists play Figure 3.32, again, they need to utilize their upper body weight to maximize the full potential sound of a piano. Full sound does not come from playing each chord loudly, directly, and vertically into the keyboard, but rather, from the natural and comfortable movement of this weight into the keyboard. Typically pianists try to play each chord loudly and rapidly. This can cause tension in the arms and wrists. This tension prevents the efficient passage of the weight from the body, through the arms, to the hands, and, ultimately, to the keyboard. This unnatural tension is a significant

64 51 obstacle to the pianist s efforts to draw a full sound from the instrument. To prevent this, pianists need to attain symbiosis, a perfect balance between a full sound and a relaxed body. Usually, practicing at half to eighty percent of tempo is a good start. Playing at slower tempo, pianists will gradually learn how to use their bodies comfortably to achieve a maximum sound. Because everyone is different, each pianist s efforts to achieve a maximum sound through a relaxed body will be a personal experience. When a pianist gradually feels the body relaxing and hears a sound that is not only loud but also full, success will be imminent. In Figure 3.33, wedged staccato appears on the downbeat of every measure (left hand) and is a part of the accompanying figure. The staccato here does not mean short, but means separate. With the half note on the second beat, an appropriate separation between the first and second beats is necessary. The left hand in Figure 3.33 is presenting two different voices. In addition to writing wedged staccato on the downbeat to differentiate the voices, Schubert also placed an accent on the half-note chord to remind pianists of their timbre differences. Although similar examples of the wedged staccato as part of the accompanying figure do not exist in the Unfinished Symphony, given Schubert s tastes in orchestration, the single note with wedge staccato could very likely be played by low-pitched wind instruments, the half-note chord with accent by high-pitched wind instruments, and the melody in the right hand by strings. In order to imitate the effect of the orchestra, when playing the bass notes, pianists need to apply arm weight together with a gentle placement of the fifth finger to make the sound as round and lively as if played by low

65 52 wind instruments. This vigorous accompaniment should be rendered completely differently from the lyrical melody in the right hand. At the end of the Fantasy, from m. 711 to 715, the staccato appears again (excerpt shown in Figure 3.35). Together with fff, the staccato has a similar function to that at mm. 133, 135 (Figure 3.28), 137, and 139. At the end of the piece, the fff chords with the staccato burst forth with the strongest power in the entire composition. Figure 3.35 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, mm Dot Staccato Unlike the wedge staccato, the dot staccato is written as either a true dot or a short horizontal stroke. Earlier composers such as Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach ( ), Joseph Haydn ( ), and Beethoven, normally indicated staccato with a wedge, reserving the dot for a less forceful staccato (portato) 25 occurring principally in slow movements Portato: A manner of performance halfway between legato and staccato. In string playing, notes so played are taken in a single bow stroke. (Don Michael Randel, Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music, (Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2000), 398.) 26 Randel, Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music, 480.

66 53 In the piano sketches of the Unfinished Symphony, examples of the dot staccato are found in the second movement in the left hand of mm. 1 and 2 (Figure 3.36), 154, 155, and 190. Figure 3.36 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm These measures are where the composer wrote dots in the sketches; these sketches, however, are not the only places where performers should play staccato. As is mentioned on p. 24, Schubert frequently added the markings only for the first few bars of a passage but not for every note in the phrase. Thus, performers should read the music carefully and refer to similar musical phrases when considering the articulations in preparation for a performance. A good example of this difference is evident when comparing the sketches and the full score of the Unfinished Symphony from m. 1 to m. 9 in the second movement. In the sketches of these measures (Figure 3.37), the composer only wrote the dot in the first two measures, not for m. 7 to 9 where the same phrase appears again. However, in the full score (Figure 3.38), the dot is indicated in both m. 1 to 3 and m. 7 to 9.

67 54 Figure 3.37 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.38 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm. 1-8.

68 55 When thinking about interpreting these dots in this lyrical movement, performers must understand that although the composer wrote pizz. at m. 1, based on the tempo (Andante con moto) and the character of this movement, the dots are intended to be performed with a rich, warm sound instead of a sharp, percussive manner. The dot staccato only appears in the second and third movements of the Wanderer Fantasy, and most of them are in the second movement from m. 210 through 230. The first example of the dot staccato appears at m. 210 in the second movement (Figure 3.39). Figure 3.39 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m In Figure 3.39, the melody is separated between the two hands. In order to make the melody move forward, pianists need to listen to the whole phrase rather than to each chord. Therefore, I believe, Schubert did not write wedges here to break the melodic line but wrote dots to separate each chord, at the same time keeping the continuity of the phrase and its vivid character. With this aforementioned observation in mind, Liszt, when arranging the Fantasy to a piano and orchestra work in 1851, assigned the entire string section to play the original left hand part. The solo pianist plays the right hand part. An agitato is indicated for both strings and piano (Figure 3.40). To maintain the melodic line, the strings should play this passage with portato articulation.

69 56 Figure 3.40 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Adagio, m To imitate the orchestral portato when playing Schubert s Wanderer Fantasy, pianists should not forget that there is an f on the downbeat at m. 210 and should apply more weight from the upperarms to generate a thick and rich sound. In addition, in carefully voicing the melody of the top lines of both hands, pianists should relax their thumbs to create a warmer middle voice. By doing so, the middle voice will not only support the melody on the top but also provide a richer tone to the chord.

70 57 The dot staccato returns in m. 215 (Figure 3.41) through m The pp marking and the left hand s dot staccato here create a situation quite different from four measures before, although the markings look exactly the same. The staccato in the left hand between m. 215 and m. 219 is more like a pizzicato played by cellos and basses. With a slow tempo, a lyrical character, and broken-chord figuration in the same hand, these staccato notes have to be light but still strong enough to carry the harmonic progression. Technically speaking, transferring more whole-arm weight to the left side of the hand will be helpful in playing passages like this. Figure 3.41 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Dot staccatos from mm. 219 (Figure 3.42) to 222 are presented in another way. The dots here appear above the middle voice in the left hand and present the secondary melody. Based on the pitch range, this secondary melody could be assigned to the viola if it were played by an orchestra or a string sextet. Furthermore, the main melody in the right hand octave could be played by the first and second violins, and the bass notes by the cello and double bass. With this interpretation in mind, pianists should search for the best possible balance among all six voices. To play the secondary melody appropriately,

71 58 the pianist should relax the left hand thumb, lead it with the forearm, and know the harmonic progression of the line in advance. Figure 3.42 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m From m. 223 (Figure 3.43) through m. 226, the staccato is marked on each sixteenth note of the left hand except for the first sixteenth note of each beat. Because of the slow Adagio tempo, pp (the last dynamic marking since m. 215), and the broken chord figurations in the left hand, the staccato here, again, implies a pizzicato by the lower strings. The left hand s staccato is similar to that of the double bass from m. 13 to m. 15 of the second movement of the Unfinished Symphony. In the piano sketches of the same section, Schubert had the left hand play staccato (Figure 3.44). Based on the piano sketch s indication of pizz. at the beginning of the movement and the staccato notes in the left hand at m. 13 and m. 14, the composer indeed transferred the same idea to the double bass in the full score (Figure 3.45).

72 59 Figure 3.43 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m Figure 3.44 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm Figure 3.45 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm

73 60 One can visualize that the left hand in Figure 3.43, therefore, could be played by the cello and double bass in pizzicato in the orchestra. Due to the wide range of the broken chords, (the narrowest interval here is on the downbeat of m. 223 and 224, a tenth, from C# to e#), pianists need to use more upperarm to lead the hand to the respective notes instead of reaching for notes with each finger alone. The bass notes need the most arm weight to create a warm sound, while the continued staccato notes are reached by the movement of the arm. This eliminates unnecessary stretches that cause stress and tension in the hand. A more relaxed hand enables the pianist to create a tone of richer and more rounded quality, which, when compared to the typical pianistic sound, is much closer to the rich quality of a bass string sound. Again, knowing the harmonic progression before playing each note is a desirable mental practice for pianists. It is like giving pianists an intellectual map. They will not only play the right notes, but always anticipate the different colors of each harmony. The last dot staccato in the second movement occurs from m. 227 (Figure 3.46) through m Figure 3.46 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m. 227.

74 61 The left hand plays staccato on the first note of every half beat. The staccato bass notes imply a pizzicato by the bass strings in the orchestra. The pianist s supple fifth finger is needed here for giving the other voices solid support. In the third movement of the Fantasy, the dot staccato only appears in the left hand from m. 331 through m. 338 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.47) and from m. 413 through m Since the latter passage is the same as the former passage but in a different key, this essay will discuss only the former one. Figure 3.47 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm The staccatos in Figure 3.47 are actually very similar to those in Figure 3.41, but this time at a much faster tempo, Presto. Based on the same principles as before, this writer believes the staccato notes here could be played by the bass in pizzicato in the orchestra. And again, a supple fifth finger in the left hand is needed here. In order to move correctly from the first note to the second note, pianists have to practice attaining the shortest distance between the two without lifting the hand away from the keyboard. Both a relaxed wrist and proper knowledge of the harmonic progression will aid the pianist in playing the broken chords easier and faster.

75 Rapid Notes Used as an Accompaniment In the piano sketches of the symphony s second movement from m. 103 to m. 110 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.48), the middle voice (later in the bass voice in mm. 109 and 110) presents rapid thirty-second notes. This long running-note line is both harmonic support and rhythmic contrast to the melody, which is played by eighth notes in the upper voice. Figure 3.48 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm The thirty-second notes are played by the second violin, viola, and oboe in the full score (Figure 3.49).

76 63 Figure 3.49 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm The same arrangement happens again from m. 250 to 251 and m. 254 to 255, but Schubert uses a different orchestration from the previous one, with the rapid notes this time played by the bassoon, viola, cello, and bass. In the Fantasy, the clearest example of rapid notes used as an accompaniment is from m. 227 (Figure 3.50) through m. 230.

77 64 Figure 3.50 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m In this passage, the right hand plays rapid sixty-fourth notes to accompany the hidden melody, which is in the upper voice of the left hand. Based on the comparison between Fgure 3.48 and Figure 3.49, the right hand in Figure 3.50 could be imagined as played by a high-pitched woodwind or violins in an orchestra. In order to recreate the similar effect on the piano, pianists should first practice minimizing their finger movements, trying to direct the fingers with the whole arm and not just with independent individual fingers. Less finger movement will also facilitate a faster tempo. Pianists often complain that they cannot meet the requirement of this fast tempo. They waste too much time playing the piano with their fingers lifted too high away from the keyboard, by having too much finger or arm movement. The excess movement actually takes the fingers away from the keyboard. In addition, when pianists have less finger movement away from the keys, evenness in tone quality becomes easier to achieve. When the right hand plays Figure 3.50 with minimized finger movement, each note is played essentially by the upper arm, with a constant distance from the shoulder to the keyboard. The different lengths among fingers become less obvious, and the evenness in tone quality gradually improves.

78 65 Other examples of rapid notes used as an accompaniment in the Fantasy appear in the right hand from m. 83 through m. 89 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.51) and its counterpart in the left hand from m. 90 through m. 96; in the right hand from m. 631 through m. 639; in the left hand from m. 641 through m. 648; and in the right hand from m. 659 through m Figure 3.51 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm In Figure 3.51, the right hand plays the descending scales twice in the first four measures and then begins to sequentially move up on every beat. Based on the observation of the Unfinished Symphony, these right hand rapid notes could be conceived, again, as transformations of high-pitched woodwinds or violins. When playing the descending scales, the pianist needs to be certain that the thumb does not create an unintended accent. Among the five fingers, the thumb is the most unique; it is shorter and stronger than the other digits. Due to these differences, it is easier to play loudly with one s thumb. When playing with all fingers, the thumb often creates an uneven sound. To avoid this situation, pianists have to practice relaxing the thumb first; the thumb does need weight to support itself and stand naturally on the keyboard, but any weight beyond this purpose is not necessary. Just pressing a single key with the thumb and

79 66 seeing how relaxed it can be and listening to the different sounds between a relaxed thumb and a tense thumb is an effective practice tool. This kind of practice will not generate an immediate result. Through repetition over time, the pianist will gradually learn to relax the thumb and gain awareness of the level of the relaxation through the quality of the sound. After this exercise, the pianist should practice the scale slowly and check for the evenness of the sound. Evenness is generally related to the balance between the thumb and the other fingers. Another example of rapid notes used as an accompaniment occurs from m. 631 through m. 639 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.52) of the Fantasy. The right hand accompanies the left hand s octave melody with arpeggios. Figure 3.52 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, mm The arpeggio here is divided into ascending and descending parts every two beats. To play it more fluently and imagine imitating the sounds of strings or woodwinds, the pianist must have the appropriate upper-arm weight applied during the interval between the second and third beats. By doing so, the hand has a greater opportunity to move freely and is less likely to tighten up. In addition, by marking an fz on the third beat of each measure, the composer indicated his intention for the sound quality desired; proper arm-weight techniques facilitate this passage. Pianists may practice combining the

80 67 first two beats and the first note of the third beat to experience how to transfer the arm weight from the ascending arpeggio to the top note (the first note of the third beat) of the descending arpeggio. Once the weight transfer is felt when playing that top note, practice with the entire descending arpeggio may be incorporated. Pianists should remember that when playing the descending arpeggio, the notes still need to be played using the arm and not by the fingers alone. This is mentioned because it is actually easier to play the descending arpeggio than the ascending one using just the fingers and not the entire arm. Doing so would result in a harsh sound and a possible hand injury over time. The left hand takes the rapid notes to accompany the right hand melody from m. 641 through m. 648 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.53). With a finger crossing (the second finger has to cross the thumb quickly on every first and third beat), this eight-measure passage is much more difficult than it looks. Figure 3.53 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, mm In the same passage, Liszt had the right hand, instead of the left hand, play the sixteenth-note part in his concerto version of the Fantasy (Figure 3.54).

81 68 Figure 3.54 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Allegro, mm Based on the low pitch and the fast-moving notes in the left hand part in Figure 3.53, the orchestration can be viewed as playing of the cello or bassoon. In order to achieve the fluency of the cello or bassoon, the pianist must have the left hand function akin to the string player s bow or the woodwind player s air. Three effective practice suggestions for the left hand that can be applied are as follows:

82 69 First, for practice purposes, add a small accent on the third note of the first and third beats, which is where the second finger crosses the thumb. After doing so, the hand comes back to the normal position on the next beat due to its natural weight response, and the fingers then have extra weight to press the keys, thus avoiding any unnecessary finger movement. Less finger movement results in a greater fluency for the phrase. Second, practice the first beat as written but the second beat as a block chord (Figure 3.55). Figure 3.55 Practice Suggestion, Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, m Due to finger crossing in the first beat, the pianist cannot play it as a blocked chord. Playing the second beat as a block chord, however, will provide a valuable insight into both the harmony and the hand position. After the pianist practices this technique for a period of time, both mind and hand will be prepared to play this passage in its original tempo. Once the pianist is more comfortable with the music, an awkward note-by-note style of performance is easier to avoid, and the music will be performed in a more fluent manner. Third, practice the entire passage as written with a much slower tempo to make sure that the fingers motions are minimized. This exercise will not manifest its results as quickly as the two previous exercises; however, practicing this passage at a slower tempo

83 70 will gradually provide the pianist with a more successful way to use the fingers. After a reasonable period of practice, the pianist eventually will develop the skills to play this passage in the original intended tempo. The right hand plays a fast-moving counterpoint figure to support the left hand from m. 659 through m. 667 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.56). Figure 3.56 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, mm Based on the thick texture, this nine-measure phrase presents a dazzling orchestral sound: a theme in octaves by a solid bass and a rapid counterpoint figure by high-pitched strings or woodwinds in sixteenth notes. In this passage, the ff and fast tempo often cause the pianist s right hand to have certain difficulties. In addition, Schubert also incorporated many dramatic skips within the fast-moving broken-chord patterns, presenting the pianist with an extremely tiring and difficult musical phrase to perform. Finally, because this passage occurs toward the end of the twenty-two-minute piece, further complications could arise here as well for the inadequately prepared pianist. These aforementioned challenges make this passage arguably one of the most difficult to play in the entire work.

84 71 Liszt probably also sensed these difficulties when he worked on his concerto version of the Fantasy. He arranged this passage for both strings and piano (Figure 3.57) with the entire string section playing the main melody (originally in the left hand of Schubert s piano solo version) and the pianist playing the fast-moving notes (originally in the right hand of Schubert s piano solo version). The fast-moving notes are distributed so that they are played by both hands in octaves. As a result, when a concerto soloist plays this passage, it is much easier to play successfully than the original version. To play Figure 3.56 correctly, the pianist must learn to effectively control and utilize upper-arm weight. In order to have the right hand play all the sixteenth notes freely, the pianist needs to have a relaxed forearm and allow the upper-arm to provide both weight and direction to the hand and fingers. In addition, a relaxed wrist is also an essential element for playing Figure 3.56 effectively. A relaxed wrist is not only a major factor in the arm s motion but it also facilitates effective weight transfer to the fingers. Three practice steps illustrated by the author s teacher, Prof. Uriel Tsachor, may be used to gradually achieve this essential hand, forearm, and upper-arm coordination:

85 72 Figure 3.57 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, mm Step 1: Practice the first two sixteenth notes at m. 659 slowly, feeling the weight transferring from the left side of the wrist to the right side through the half circle motion of the wrist. This exercise will discourage the pianist from using the little finger to reach the high C (c3) on its own through stretching and will avoid the subsequent wrist

86 73 tension that this motion produces. The first two sixteenth notes at m. 661 and m. 665 provide an additional opportunity for this exercise. Step 2: Practice octave leaps in the second half of m. 659 (Figure 3.58) to feel the weight shifting between the left and the right sides of the wrist. This exercise is very similar to Step 1, but this time, it requires a back and forth type of weight-transfer leap rather than the single weight transfer in Step 1. Pianists may practice one octave leap at a time in order to acquaint themselves with the weight shifting, gradually increasing the number of leaps executed consecutively. Figure 3.58 Practice Suggestion, Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, m Step 3: After successfully mastering Steps 1 and 2, the pianist should apply the same technique to every measure from m. 659 through m. 667, except for the first two beats of m. 663 and m. 664 (Figure 3.59). Figure 3.59 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro, mm

87 74 These first two beats differ in that the thirds in these two places occur in a lower range than the rest of the phrase. This difference results in a new difficulty for the pianist. When playing here, the pianist needs to not only rearrange the hand position to a new mold, but also to solve the problem caused by the shortness of the thumb and the index finger. This physical configuration causes more difficulty in playing these at the required speed. To resolve this difficulty, the pianist needs to work on these two spots slowly and step-by-step. Essentially, the pianist should repeat Steps 1-2 mentioned above, paying more attention to the wrist, using it to lead the hand to counter the effects caused by the shorter fingers required to play the intervals here. When the pianist masters the passages in Figure 3.56, these passages bring excitement and brilliance to the performance. Meanwhile, by application of the necessary techniques, right-hand fatigue from rapid running notes is minimized Phrases Containing Parallel Fortissimo Octaves In the piano sketches of the Unfinished Symphony, there are two places where Schubert applied octaves in fortissimo in several measures to bring out the melody. They are in the right hand from m. 96 through m. 102 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.60) and from m. 237 through m. 243 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.61). Figure 3.60 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm

88 75 Figure 3.61 Piano Sketch, Unfinished Symphony, Andante con moto, mm In Figure 3.60, if the ff octaves are played in a straightforward pianistic way, which means attacking the keys in a very vertical manner, the sound will be very harsh. Thus, these octaves imply the unison of string or wind instruments. In the full score, this phrase is played by first and second violins (Figure 3.62). Figure 3.62 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm

89 76 In the second example (Figure 3.61), because the piano s sound decays as soon as the keys are pressed, the long line in ff octaves is more likely to be played by woodwinds and strings; these instruments can easily sustain the sound. In the full score, the composer assigned the upper melody in mm to be played by the entire orchestra except for the lower instruments, which play the syncopated rhythm to support the upper melody (excerpt shown in Figure 3.63). Figure 3.63 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm

90 77 The parallel fortissimo octaves occur several times in the Wanderer Fantasy, and wherever they appear, these thick textures transfer an orchestral sound to the piano. Relevant examples may be found in multiple places throughout the piece. left hand from m. 83 through m. 89 right hand from m. 90 through m. 93 left hand from m. 152 through m. 160 left hand from m. 623 through m. 630 left hand from m. 659 through m. 665 left hand from m. 682 through m. 685 left hand from m. 689 through m. 691 Due to the similarity among these examples, this essay will discuss two representative examples, from m. 152 through m. 161 and from m. 623 through m. 635, as they present two slightly different types of examples. The left hand continually plays the transformation of the main theme in ff (Schubert wrote ff at m. 132) and octaves in the Fantasy from m. 152 through m. 160 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.64). Figure 3.64 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm

91 78 Based on this broad writing, this writer concludes that Schubert is pursuing an orchestral sound in this passage. Indeed, Liszt s concerto version in the same passage (Figure 3.65) reveals that he arranged the entire string section to play the left hand part of the original piano score while the concerto soloist plays the right hand part of the original solo piano score in octaves. Figure 3.65 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo, mm

92 79 When the pianist plays Figure 3.64, due to the repeated movement patterns, the left hand has to be controlled by the upper arm and move with agility; otherwise, the hand will become tense. In addition, a down-exertion of the forearm is needed to provide more weight to the hand and to achieve the ff sound. As Matthay mentioned 27 : The main secret of producing large tone without harshness lies in this down-exertion of the forearm in conjunction with a free upper-arm. The pianist should try to practice the left hand slowly and feel the coordination of the forearm and the upper arm. By doing so, when the hand plays the octaves, the pianist will gradually become accustomed to relying on the arm rather than the fingers. At the same time, the wrist will relax, and this should help alleviate tension. A rich and warm orchestral sound will develop, stemming from the use of the upper arm. 3.3 Other Orchestral Elements from the Full Score of the First Movement of the Unfinished Symphony Although the extant piano sketches of the Unfinished Symphony begin at m. 249 of the first movement, several orchestral elements between m. 1 and 248 from the full score are still present Contrasting Orchestral Textures in Different Instruments Schubert wrote different orchestral textures for different instruments in the same measures to create contrasting atmospheres. The first example of this style of writing in the Unfinished Symphony appears within the first theme of the first movement from m Ibid, 37.

93 80 through 29 (excerpt shown in Figure 3. 66). Violins play rapid sixteenth notes in pp to produce a mysterious atmosphere, while an oboe and a clarinet play the first theme four measures later, also in pp, but with much longer notes to establish a contrast with the violin accompaniment. Figure 3.66 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm The most obvious examples of contrasting orchestral textures in different instruments may be found from m. 206 through m. 209 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.67) and from m. 236 through m. 244 in the Fantasy. In Figure 3.67, the right hand plays the motif from Der Wanderer, and the left hand plays tremolos in thirty-second notes, evoking two different orchestral instruments. This example is very similar to the first movement of the Unfinished Symphony.

94 81 Figure 3.67 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, mm Liszt s concerto version also corroborates this orchestral writing style. He arranged the clarinets, bassoons, and the entire string section to perform the motif while the soloist plays the tremolo with both hands (Figure 3.68). Figure 3.68 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Adagio, m. 206.

95 82 In order to let the two hands present two contrasting timbres at one time, the pianist needs to consider varied mental and physical processes essential for correct hand usage and respective sound. Figure 3.67 requires that the pianist presents the same rhythmical shaping as at the beginning of the movement. When the Der Wanderer theme repeats, the audience will have a sense of thematic continuity, no matter what type of accompaniment is being played. A challenge for the pianist is to maintain the same tempo, or pulse, when the theme reappears. Pianists should practice the right hand alone in this section, keeping in mind the same pulse that occurs in the beginning of the movement and then checking the tempo by playing the beginning phrase again to ensure that the music maintains the same flow. Figure 3.67 also requires that the left hand sound like the tremolos played by the low strings. Minimizing the movement of the fingers will help the pianist significantly to imitate the sound of the subtle vibrations string players create when playing tremolo. The practice method for tremolo presented in Another example of representing two instruments simultaneously occurs in the Fantasy from m. 236 through m. 244 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.69). Based on the example from the first movement (from m. 9 through m. 29) of the Unfinished Symphony, one could easily imagine this passage as an orchestral setting with the left hand notes being played by lower strings and the right hand notes being played by high woodwinds or violins.

96 83 Figure 3.69 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, mm Liszt, in the piano concerto version of the Fantasy, had the pianist play the fast moving notes (which are in the left hand of Schubert s original solo version) and assigned the flute and violins to carry the theme (Figure 3.70). Figure 3.70 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Adagio, m. 237.

97 84 When practicing Figure 3.69, the pianist can follow the exercises below in order to make the fast-moving notes in the left hand as fluent as when played by the strings: First, the pianist should practice relaxing the thumb as much as possible. Once more, a relaxed thumb will save the pianist a significant amount of energy. When playing fast, the left hand will only need to take care of the lower moving part (which is played by the second, third, and fifth fingers) while the relaxed thumb will have minimal movement, responding only to the rotation of the forearm. This manner of playing has the hand moving from side-to-side with a loose and relaxed approach to the keyboard. Second, the pianist should practice every two sixty-fourth notes as an interval (Figure 3.71) to accustom the hand to the harmonic progression and the distance demands these intervals create. Figure 3.71 Practice Suggestion, Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Adagio, m This exercise will familiarize the pianist with the left-hand phrase in an effective fashion; in addition, this exercise encourages the pianist to play responsively with a supple wrist. A relaxed, supple wrist will conserve the pianist s energy when playing a tiring passage like this. After practicing the left hand for a period of time, the pianist may go back to play this passage as written, and then will discover that very little weight is

98 85 actually needed to support the hand comfortably while performing this fast-tempo passage. Third, practice m. 238 and m The lower moving part in these two measures goes from lower to higher notes. This is in direct contrast to the preceding m. 236 and the first two beats of m. 237, where the lower moving part goes from higher to lower notes. The transition from descending notes to ascending notes requires an immediate response, especially with such a fast-tempo passage. Therefore, practicing these measures separately is advisable and will make the pianist more confident with the transition when performing the entire passage. The right hand in Figure 3.69 needs to be played extremely legato, especially at mm. 238 and 241 where Schubert indicated it with a slur. It is impossible to rely completely on the fingers to play legato here. In order to achieve the best possible legato the pianist needs to support the finger with horizontal, hand-and-arm direction while avoiding any accent resulting from the hands moving between white and black keys. Judicious pedaling is the final element of this practice sequence. Using a half pedal technique can help the pianist as well. Any point beyond half-pedaling is unnecessary and will blur the tremolo in the left hand Repeated Phrases Played by Different Instruments From m. 73 to 85 of the first movement of the Unfinished Symphony (excerpt shown in Figure 3.72), Schubert had different string instruments repeating the same rhythmic figures. These phrases were designed as conversations among the various orchestral sections; the composer used the respective differences in pitch and tone quality of the instruments to create inflection within the melody.

99 86 Figure 3.72 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Allegro moderato, mm Similar examples can be found from m. 94 through m. 104 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.73) and from m. 122 through m. 133 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.74) of the first movement of the Unfinished Symphony. In Figure 3.73, the motif of the second theme occurs among violins (first and second, respectively), cello, flute, and oboe. Schubert used these different instruments to create a rich orchestral color before the end of the exposition. The same technique appears again later at the end of the recapitulation (from m. 312 through m. 322).

100 87 Figure 3.73 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante moderato, mm In Figure 3.74, the repeated phrase happens between violins, bassoon, and viola. The phrase derives from the beginning of the first movement (from m. 1 through m. 4) and is presented by overlapping the phrases; through the overlap, the music gradually increases in intensity from pp to f.

101 88 Figure 3.74 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante moderato, mm Other similar but shorter examples appear in the second movement: m. 231 through 236 and m. 258 through 268. From m. 231 through 236 (Figure 3.75), clarinet, oboe, and flute play the same two-measure phrase in order, but bring the dynamic from f down to ppp. Schubert used different tone colors and dynamics among instruments to create different layers within the same melody. From m. 258 through 268 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.76), the melodic phrases alternate between woodwinds and strings, becoming conversations between the different instruments.

102 Figure 3.75 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm

103 90 Figure 3.76 Unfinished Symphony, D. 759, Andante con moto, mm In the Wanderer Fantasy, a similar technique appears from m. 458 to m. 470 (excerpt shown in Figure 3.77). The left hand begins the first phrase at the second half of m. 458 and soon is answered by the right hand at the second half of m. 461; the same pattern repeats twice after that, each time with slightly varied pitches that lead to an unexpected key and color change in G-flat major at m. 469.

104 91 Figure 3.77 Wanderer Fantasy, D. 760, Presto, mm Liszt also sensed the repeated phrases in this passage and arranged an orchestral conversation among different instruments (Figure 3.78): cello and bassoon begin the conversation at m. 458 and are answered shortly by the piano at m This same pattern is repeated two more times until the horn joins the conversation in G-flat major with a long pp note at m Figure 3.78 Liszt, Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Presto, mm When the pianist plays Figure 3.77, the left hand should be viewed as a cello or bassoon playing the descending scale lines extremely legato as Liszt orchestrated in his concerto version of the Fantasy. It is impossible to rely solely on the fingers to play the octave legato line here, especially since the line includes many octaves. The best solution