Piano Literature : Character Pieces

Lecture I:  Beethoven and Schubert

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Cycle of trifles (the relationships between the movement)

Trifle: Something unimportant
improvisation titles (Schubert Impromptus)

song without words (Mendelssohn)

It basically on lied (a melody or songs), but the texture is "song without words"

-Key scheme of Bagatelles

op. 119 # 1 in g minor

in the end of coda, you might heard that you don't know that is tonic or dominant IV4/6 - I (in g minor)

I        - V (in c minor)

op. 126  G-g-Eb-b-G-Eb

                    I-i-VIb-iii-I-VIb

 

#2, and 3 motive connected

 

Relationship to other concurrent Beethoven works.
Cadenza passage - op.126 # 1, 3
                            -Sonata op. 109 & Symphony No. 9
Intro. - op. 126 #6 Intro (Presto)
          - Symphony No. 9, 4th movement
Phrase take 3 measures - 1 phrase

                                       - op. 126 # 6 A section

                                       - Symphony No. 9 2nd movement Scherzo (4 bars to 3 bars)
op. 126 # 6 A section takes from Sonata op. 111 2nd movement middle section

Franz Schubert (1797-1828):

Air russe (Russian folk song)

The third Moments Musical - originally a separate composition called "Air russe" - is the most popular of the six. This miniature march in f minor is typically Schubert in its gradual moving toward the key of F major for the ending.

 

Rosamunde

Schubert dispenses with traditional ternary form in Impromptus op. 142 No. 3 in Bb major, which is a theme with five variations. This theme - one of Schubert's favorites - was extracted from his ill-fated stage work "Rosamunde".

He usually uses the same theme used another key of works. In each variations, a different melodic elements is exploited while original harmonic structure is retained.

Drei Klavierstucke - form of 1st movement (key scheme)

                                              Rondo form ABACA

Schumann