Sonata in B minor (Liszt)

Franz Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor is considered to be one of the most technically demanding piano works of the Romantic and as a highlight in the oeuvre of the composer.

It is dedicated to Robert Schumann, and was completed in 1853. Recent studies show that Liszt in 1849 a preliminary version composed and had been instrumental in the company of his closest friends and students. The dedication to Schumann is a counter dedication, because in 1836 this devoted his C major Fantasy Liszt.

The movements of the work going without a pause. Can be roughly divided the work into three parts, which also allow an interpretation of the Sonata as a large sonata:

  • A kind of exposure, are presented in the topics and processes the
  • A slower middle section (bars 331-460 )
  • A reprise, which eventually leads into a coda.

Also can the concept of " Mehrsätzigkeit in the single-movement " Apply. Thus, the slow middle part of clock 331-460 considered individually also features of a sonata form. Heinemann ( see literature) is the term used single sonata. This term describes that within this sonata, a section is included which also has a sonata form.

A characteristic feature of the work is the reduction to a few core motifs:

  • At the beginning of a grim -sounding descending scale that appears chromatically altered in different positions and often, this especially at the end of the work, where it picks up like an epilogue, the initial motive. It occurs within the sonata as a framework, the different sections separated from one another, such as between the exposition of the main theme and the second theme (bars 84-104 ).
  • The " main theme ": an emerging Oktavmotiv followed by precipitous parallel octaves in both hands, once as Septsprung, then as Septabstieg, and then a descent down a diminished octave. The design is at the beginning of the Allegro. The motif also occurs in altered form, about the beginning of the recapitulation unanimously and a semitone lower ( from bar 460).
  • As an "answer" appears a staccato motif throbbing bass. It is referred to in the literature as a hammer motif. It begins with upbeat 32th triplets, which sounds like a proposal. There follow four staccato eighth, eighth, two 16ths down to underthird, and another two staccato eighth. This motif appears in the middle of the exposure (cycle 153) in song-like form ( cantabile ). To achieve this sound character, there the note values ​​of the subject are doubled. The sheet music sample is the basic shape of the subject. That there is no staccato dots represent, output is taken from the New Liszt.
  • A chorale-like theme that appears with broken chord jumps in Forte Fortissimo after a virtuoso cadenza-like transition. Liszt's expression name is grand finale. It is here in D Major, which is the relative major to B minor. This key development is common practice in sonatas. This topic is cited mainly in the middle part.
  • In the central part there is a topic that is not related to the former. Applying the concept of internal sonata, it is the main topic of internal sonata. It is in F sharp major, and has a quiet, melodic character. There are ten bars long no repetition in the melody. The corresponding page topic ( in A major, C # major would be usual, but A Major correspond to the traditional convention when this main theme in F sharp minor was not used) is the cantabile - hammer blow.

The recapitulation is preceded by a fugal processing of the main theme which becomes more furious. The coda takes the quiet character of the introduction again.

Kenneth Hamilton divided the Sonata in four sections. He interpreted the work as usual sonata form.

  • Exposure: here the section up to bar 330 must be meant.
  • Slow Movement: bars 331-459
  • Scherzo: bars 460-530 ( a possible definition: It takes place every 531 a turning point in that the key of B minor is mapped out again. )
  • Reprise: bars 531-760. During the recapitulation, the ( pre- recorded ) key of B minor to B major changes (which corresponds to the classical sonata form)

The somewhat unclear distinction from the Scherzo to the recapitulation is set by William Newman on clock 533, the re-entry of the tonic ( by Heinemann ). However, the form interpretation based on a four-movement form can not adequately describe this work of romance. Too many features, such as the aforementioned framing found in this interpretation no place. Also the many virtuoso solo cadenzas are not usual components of piano sonatas. They come from the genre of the concerto. Perhaps Liszt's inspiration for this comes from Robert Schumann, as this described his Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor (Op. 14) as a concert without orchestra. That Liszt knew this work is beyond doubt is: Liszt even wrote a review about it in the article Compositions pour piano, de M. Robert Schumann.

The end of the sonata

Based on the described motifs and their functions can describe the flow of the work in detail: clocks

From there, the page theme begins

From here, the slow middle movement begins

  • 331-348: Lyrical Andante sostenuto - melody theme (3/ 4 - stroke )
  • 349-362: Doubled hammer with cadence elements
  • 363-380: Grandioso motif in halved note values
  • 381-384: approach to the jump motif
  • 385-394: Jump Scene
  • 395-415: Diversified Andante sostenuto - Melody topic
  • 415-432: Reconciliation with frame elements (down sequences in the bass )
  • 433-445: Doubled hammer
  • 446-459: Frame

From here, the recapitulation begins

  • 460-523: fugal jump from subject and hammer
  • 524-530: Jump motif followed by virtuoso 16th - runs
  • 531-540: Jump motif alternated with hammer, this 16th runs
  • 541-554: 16th runs
  • 555-569: 16th chords and runs
  • 569-581: Jump motif alternated in the bass with downward scales
  • 582-599: Reconciliation and hammer
  • 600-615: Grandioso motif returns, from bar 600 B major is mapped out.
  • 616-650: Doubled hammer followed by a cadenza

The area from here can be classified as a coda: all relevant motifs occur in reverse order

  • 650-672: Stretta: double the hammer, jump thematic elements
  • 673-681: Presto: Down consequences in quarters
  • 682-699: Prestissimo: Chords and eighth chains
  • 700-710: Grandioso motif (3/ 2 - stroke ) with variation (9 crotchet instead of 12 eighth notes per measure in the company )
  • 711-728: Lyrical Andante sostenuto - Melody theme returns (4/ 4 - stroke )
  • 728-736: "original" hammered in the bass (H )
  • 737-743: Jump motif spread over both hands, but no parallel eighth runs
  • 743-749: Chords
  • 750-754: Frame
  • 755-760: final chords
Exposition (music) Alan Walker (musicologist)
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