Touching a Mystery

A New Reading of Clavier Works by J. S. Bach And its Pedagogical Application to Childrens Music School Repertoire

Svetlana A. Gordeevtseva

Translated by Svetlana Ponomarva English version edited by Dr. Graham N. Hunter

Copyright 2007 by Svetlana Ponomarva Marc Villger

All rights reserved. No Part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the permission in writing from the author or copyright holder, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper or magazine or broadcast on radio or television.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Gordeevtseva, Svetlana A. Touching a Mystery/ Svetlana A. Gordeevtseva. ISBN 978-1-897518-04-5

Cover illustrations: Portrait of J.S. Bach by Hausmann; Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor (BWV 1001) in Bachs handwriting

This book was published by: FIRST CHOICE BOOKS www.firstchoicebooks.ca Printed in Canada

In memoriam Professor A. A. Alexandrov (1927-2004)

Table of Contents

Preface

Touching a Mystery
Part One:
Educational manual for childrens music schools Introduction The question of Baroque articulation Rules of articulation Practicum Conclusion 11 13 15 21 23

Part Two:
J.S. Bach selected pieces for piano, edited by S.A. Gordeevtseva From Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach Minuet in F Major BWV 113 Minuet in G Major BWV 114 Minuet in G Minor BWV 115 Minuet in G Major BWV 116 Polonaise in G Minor BWV 119 Polonaise in G Minor BWV 125 Minuet in D minor BWV 132 From Little Preludes and Fugues Prelude in C Major BWV 933 Prelude in C minor BWV 934 Prelude in D minor BWV 935 Prelude in D Major BWV 936 Fughetta in C Minor BWV 961 Fugue in C Major BWV 952

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27 28 29 30 31 32 33

34 35 36 38 40 42

From Inventions and Sinfonias Invention in C Major BWV 772 Invention in C Minor BWV 773 Invention in D Minor BWV 775 Invention in E Minor BWV 778 Invention in G Minor BWV 782 Invention in A Major BWV 783 Invention in B Major BWV 785 Sinfonia in C Minor BWV 788 Sinfonia in D Minor BWV 790 Sinfonia in E Minor BWV 793 Sinfonia in A Minor BWV 799 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64

P reface

Finally available to international audience, Svetlana Gordeevtsevas essay Touching a Mystery offers children and their music teachers an invaluable insight into the basic rules of articulation in clavier Baroque music and J.S Bachs works in particular. A selection of Bachs pieces from childrens music school repertoire, edited by Gordeevtseva, is included in this edition. Her essay is based on the book by Evgeni Teregulov Forgotten Rules: Problems of Articulations and Agogics in Clavier Works of J.S Bach, Kompositor Publish House, Moscow, 1993, and a series of lectures by Professor Alexander Alexandrovich Alexandrov of the Gnesins Russian Academy of Music which I had the chance to attend during my studying piano with him in Moscow. A pianist, theorist and conductor, Alexandrov was a man of colossal erudition and skills. His phenomenal pedagogic intuition and knowledge brought a multidimensional quality to his teaching: creative analysis of the dramaturgy of form and conductors thinking that organizes musical time became important tools in our piano performing experience. We toured a lot with Alexandrov throughout Russia: while he was giving lectures and master classes, we, his students, were playing concerts and were illustrating his lectures. These times were indeed unforgettable. And we all hoped to have inherited some of his great sense of humor on the way. Later I shared notes and taped lectures with my first piano teacher, Svetlana Gordeevtseva, the author of the present essay, a teacher at Childrens School of Art #4 in Omsk, Russia. With enthusiasm Svetlana started working with this material applying it to childrens clavier Baroque repertoire. In 2001 she went to Moscow and met with Professor Alexandrov. His review of the essay states: This essay is indeed a necessity. It is true to the essence of late XX century research which aimed at restoring the performing principles of Baroque music and its most significant representative J.S. Bach Among a surprisingly small number of pedagogues-pianists concerned with the noble realization of performing Bachs principles, stands Svetlana Gordeevtseva whose efforts and achievements deserve sincere respect and gratitude. After reading her essay, I trust youll agree with him!

Svetlana Ponomarva

Touching a Mystery
Part One
Educational manual for childrens music schools

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I ntroduction

Each era has its own heroes and genius, its own style and aesthetics in painting, literature, architecture, and in music. Hence, the life and creation of any artist cannot be examined apart from the time from which it sprang. In Europe, the end of the 16th century saw the Baroque style replace that of the Renaissance (the term baroque comes from the Italian, meaning whimsical, fanciful, intricate). The earnest study of Baroque art began only in the 20th century. Baroque art includes an enormous amount of music. The most significant of which was undoubtedly written by J. S. Bach. It is difficult to overestimate his role in the musical cosmos of the Baroque and Bach's work is a great mystery that has still not been fully explained. Yet, the works of few composers have had as many editors as those of J. S. Bach. In Russia only Mugellinis edition of his Well-Tempered Clavier has been issued for the past 50 years while the urtext is hard to find. But despite the many existent editions widely available elsewhere, the question of how to interpret Bachs music remains. It is a question of agogics (metric freedom) and articulation. In 1997, I came across a book by Evgeni Teregulov, The Forgotten Rules. This discovery led to a fascinating archeological musical journey and for the past eight years I have been involved in pedagogical research regarding the performance of Bach's music. Honored Artist of Russia, Professor Alexandrov of the Gnesins Russian Academy of Music gave me tremendous help and encouragement in my research. I listened to recordings of Alexandrovs lectures "From Baroque to Classicism" in which his students played works by Bach to illustrate his points. I corresponded with Professor Alexandrov for several years as more questions arose. Finally, in 2001, we met in Moscow and I gave him a draft copy of my own edition of selected Bach works for his inspection. He corrected a few points, but on the whole, approved of my edition.

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The search for answers regarding articulation in clavier pieces of the Baroque era, and especially in the works of Bach still presents difficulties for music teachers and performers alike. The main difficulty lies in our resistance against moving away from a stereotypic mentality and its habits while approaching the polyphonic works of Bach. We have been used to these stereotypes since childhood we were taught in a certain way and we continue to teach that way. There are two customary ways of interpreting Bach's works: taking the liberty to do with the text anything one wants as long as one refers to an urtext in which there are very few indications from the composer, or unthinkingly to follow indications given by some editor. Unfortunately, most editions, in Professor Alexandrovs opinion, treat Bachs texts frivolously. In this music we cannot rely on intuition and we must not invent things. We simply need to know the background, understand the language that Bach used, and then should we be able to apprehend all facets of Bach's works.

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T he

question of Baroque articulation

Before addressing the question of articulation in some details, we should emphasize a number of features that are characteristic of Bachs music writing. During Bachs time, music mostly existed in handwriting as opposed to printing or publishing. Bach often entrusted his sons to copy his works, sometimes making himself corrections afterwards. Later on, some editors perceived those rare authors indications as guiding principles and used them extensively throughout the score. In addition, other editors applied questionable rules to Bachs clavier works. For instance, Busoni followed the theory that all Bachs music was thought for the organ, forgetting that organ and clavier are too very different instruments with different potentialities in dynamics and in registers. As for Baroque tempos, there were only four of them Adagio, Andante, Allegro and Presto. Often these tempos defined not so much the speed but the character of the piece. For instance, Allegro, besides its meaning quick, more importantly meant gaily, cheerfully. All other tempos Largo, Allegretto etc appeared later. Moreover, Baroque tempos were much closer to each other than nowadays. It is well known that Bach didnt indicate tempos in his music. Some musicians hold the opinion that a strict, unbending meter-rhythm is the basis for Baroque performing style. This is a delusion: music never was mechanical and the Baroque era is no exception. Furthermore, in Baroque aesthetics everything was curved, there were no straight lines. For instance, in improvisation forms such as Fantasia, Toccata etc.., some accelerando and ritenuto were natural depending on the context and the performers professional manner. But the use of mixed dynamics, various diminuendo and crescendo is totally contrary to the Baroque essence. These slavicisms, as Alexandrov called them, have nothing to do with Baroque music and Bachs music in particular. Sure, forte and piano indications existed in the score. However, they were used in connection to specific mechanisms of instruments featuring several keyboards (or manuals) such as harpsichord, clavier-chord, organ etc. but not as dynamic nuances loud or quiet. Switching manuals upper manual piano (P), lower forte (F) allowed creating only a dynamic effect less versus more, not loud versus quiet. Therefore, dazzling nuances are not acceptable while playing Baroque music: crescendo, diminuendo or molto legato, all sorts of dying phrases, slowing down at the end of cadences are absolutely contrary to the Baroque rules, its ethics and aesthetics. We must therefore abide to the rules of the era as they define the recognizable face of the music. The personality of Bachs works depends on it. Now that the general concepts are well established, the question often arises in music school practice: what kind of articulation manner is the basis for interpreting Bachs clavier music? The most common manners of performing is either, legato or non legato. For instance, famous pianist Glenn Gould preferred non legato (or separate

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manner) and even often staccato articulation. Another established method is to articulate by big blocks (eighth note method by A. Braudo) where the eighth notes are played non legato and the sixteenth legato. This articulation stereotype of Bachs polyphony has been used for many years. However many expressive possibilities, hidden in each voice, are left unopened with this approach. Sometimes young musicians and we, pedagogues, dont know what to do with the lower voice (left hand) in Minuets or Little Preludes. We just play this lower voice with a boring and impersonal non legato, thinking that we play a polyphonic piece. How about the articulation itself? The earliest any articulation appeared on scores was the 17th century. It was marked for string instruments with a slur above two notes. Before Bach, such indications were rare in clavier works. The functions of articulation are various and often connect with rhythmical, dynamic, timbre and other means of musical expressivity. In the Baroque era, articulation and agogics were main catalysts of performing style. However, their conspicuous absence from urtexts and methodical studies is puzzling. The reason for this absence is that these attributes were quite known and didnt need a written confirmation on the score. The Baroque era was the time of universal musicians. Clavier players were raised as distinctive musical elite absorbing all the rules with mothers milk. The Baroque musician was not only a performer, he usually was a composer, a Kapellmeister (conductor) and he could play at least two instruments (clavier or organ for sure). The musician-performer of that time was also an educator forming the rules that were cultivated since childhood. Thats why composers, including Bach, wrote down articulation only in situations where there could be various reading or when it was an exception that carried a special intention of the composer. However and this is the core argument indications of articulation do exist in Bachs orchestral scores where everything was written down. The reason was that orchestral musicians didnt belong to musical elite. Often, they were simply music lovers much less musically educated than clavier players. Therefore, if we want to find an answer to the question about how to articulate Bachs clavier works, we cannot just look at his clavier music: we also need to study his other instrumental, ensemble and orchestral scores.

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R ules

of articulation

Now lets state the basic principles in performing the different textures of Baroque music. The rules of articulation that follow were forgotten for many years. (Indeed, much that is new is often something old that has been rediscovered.) So, let's try to recover what has been lost. In the Baroque era the manner of performing was different from that in later periods. The hand did not lift between slurs. Articulation (separation, division) was done by lifting the finger. This can be explained and verified by the specificity of instruments of that time. Small, vocal articulation that allowed music to sound close to human speech was traditional and required in the Baroque period.

Non legato, separate manner of playing This articulation was used for: 1) Long notes. 2) Dotted rhythms.

Not this way 3) Leaps in melody

but this way

4) Motives built on triad-cords or their inversions

5) Ascending and descending sequences in slow tempo.

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It is worth specifying that the intensity level of staccato in Bach's clavier works varies depending upon the tempo, character of the piece, and genre. We should also remember that a rule of articulation may appear as an exception, depending upon context. A few words about syncopation: it is necessary to emphasize that syncopation in Baroque time was a big event and we, pianists, cannot treat casually this rhythmical piquancy. Syncopation in Bachs music was always the beginning of a motive and always separated from a previous material. This moment cannot be brushed over. Therefore syncopation (that is born from two tied notes) should never be tied with a previous note. You have to sort of step on syncopation, anticipate it, or in other words pay attention to it. 6) Therefore, separate articulation for syncopation

One more important law in Baroque music upbeats never tie with strong beat (meaning, a slur doesnt carry over the bar line). Upbeat always points towards the strong beat and Seconds that go from weak to strong beat are also separate (not slurred). Imagine how it would be played by string instruments it is not possible to drive into a strong beat on one continuous bow. The string articulation principles work not only for string players. Why is it that upbeats cannot be tied with strong beats? This rule depends on the rule of iamb trochee (meaning from weak to strong). All Baroque music is constructed on this principle. It is all iambic in nature (for Romanticism, the trochee is more typical, and for Classicism, both iamb and trochee are equally used). J.S. Bach is the most energetic composer of the Baroque era because of the iambic nature of his music. Everything aims towards the end; energy grows towards the last cord.

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Playing upbeat Not this way

But this way

(In Bach's works almost all themes or motives start with a weak beat. Performers should always remember this.)

Legato Legato usually tied two, three, or rarely, larger groups of notes.

1) Cases when two notes are played legato: 1) Sighing intonation

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2) Material where odd notes create a clear melodic structure

3) All passages with hidden two-voiced texture

4) As a part of mixed articulation

2) Cases when three notes are played legato: 1) Most often in triplets and in measures that contain triplets (without leaps)

Here the term finger lift is truly relevant although the application of this rule, to my mind, is conditional to the students abilities. Thus, in Gigues and in fast pieces in form of a Gigue such articulation is hard to perform and not always practical for the pupils.

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2) In quadruplets with a clear structure 3+1 or 1+3

In the given examples we can see analogy with stringed instruments playing upbow and down-bow when strong notes are slightly longer and weak notes slightly shorter. At the same time, strict pulsation between strong beats remains.

3) Cases when four notes are played legato: Groups of quadruplets without leaps: these groups in general are fill ups of the intervals, different written ornamentations that sometimes can be tied by five notes

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4) Longer slurs are played in scale-like passages

In Bach's works we sometimes come across slurs that do not reflect literal legato playing. Sometimes the sequence of slurs shows a motif-symbol. In the Baroque era all motives carried some specific meaning ("Symbolism in Bach's music" is another great subject for discussion). In summing up "forgotten rules" for the Baroque era, we should remember that small speech-like articulation, by the expressivity of various motives, delineates each voice of the polyphonic texture in clearer relief. Small structures combine to create big themes, just as letters create words, and words sentences. When performing, we should not be afraid of this and should often change articulation accordingly, although one does not need to forcefully demonstrate it during playing. It is like punctuation marks in text: we see them, we are guided by them, but we do not pronounce them. Most important is what we form with these letters and syllables.

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P racticum
Another merit of this articulation resides in solving the problem of caesura (breathing) in polyphonic texture. Caesura is not an easy task for pupils. However in learning the technique of speech-like articulation we find a very natural breathing: ears, head, hands and fingers the entire body of a performer is mobilized by these changes of intricate articulation. As an example of such caesura here is the theme from Bachs threepart Invention in A minor. Lets also mention that as a rule, theme in any Bachs polyphonic piece (prelude, fugue, invention etc.) finishes on the tonic or on the tone of a tonic triad. This way the next tone starts a different phrase. Often pupils playing is devoid of clear motive structure. In the given example, the theme cannot be finished on a dominant H, it has to come to the tonic A. This theme is based on a choral and choral always finishes with a tonic tone. Thus it has to be played this way:

Such things in Bach's works are found everywhere. We simply need to analyze the text deeper, recognize the rule and then logic triumphs! Small speech-like articulation also solves the problems linked to unity of tempos which is often the stumbling block for a pupil. Take, for example, a canonic theme in two-part invention in B flat-major by Bach: performing this invention with the rules makes everything fall in place, and it keeps the intricate dancing character and meterrhythmic pulsation.

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A pupil has enough time to play, to hear and somehow stops rushing it (this kind of healing many times happened in my class). Learning the small speech-like articulation is a distinctive preparatory stage, a little bridge to playing Mozart Sonatas in later grades. So how do we accomplish such uneasy task in practice? Where do we start from? First, we should take our students through a little excursion in the past, into Baroque time. Then a teacher can help pupils compare, analyze few polyphonic pieces played with different articulation. Any Minuet from Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach can serve as an obvious and accessible example. In conventional editions all minuets are articulated as legato in upper voice and non-legato in lower voice. With this articulation it is difficult to hear a true, authentic nature of this antique dance since Menuet in French means small step. Thats the way Minuet was danced with small steps and reverences. But in such simplistic articulation the dancing is lost. Following the lecture on articulation, teachers may encourage young musicians to do their own edition using the rules. This is a real creative process. Children may discover themselves how Little Prelude in C minor becomes a minuet if performed with the speech-like articulation.

As we see, articulation can radically change the character of a piece, or rather reveal it. I have noticed that the interest of pupils taking their first steps in polyphonic music in general and Bach's in particular has increased since I started to apply the "old" rules of articulation. Most rules are accessible and feasible, especially during the first stage of learning (pieces from Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, Little Preludes and Fugues and two-part Inventions). Pupils understand those rules; they learn to hear and to play works of this great composer differently. However, for various reasons, not all pupils can fully apply the whole technical arsenal. For example, the finger lift technique sometimes demands a special professional skill.

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C onclusion

This essay of course doesnt pretend to be exhaustive. There are still many secrets in Bachs music and more can be said with regards to articulation problems such as rhythmic-articulation features, peculiarities of pulsation in Bachs works, choice of tempo, articulation and genre, articulation and image content, articulation and symbolism. I gave presentations and performances in front of various audiences. The subject New reading of J.S. Bach clavier works always arouses lively reaction and discussion. Actually, one cannot impose this method to all pedagogues and performers: firstly, because a comprehensive teaching method is yet to be written; secondly, it is always difficult to re-learn and to re-create. Some, having read this essay or listened others will imagine this musical museum of the Meanwhile, inspired pedagogues are already and re-discovery, teaching the great principles of musicians. to the presentation, will dwell on it; Baroque era and realize how it was successfully taking advantage of this articulation to new generations of

One thing is clear, "who does not possess skill in performing the works of Bach will always have difficulty performing the music of other periods. (A.A. Alexandrov). The music of J. S. Bach is the foundation we cannot dispense with.

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References

Evgeni Teregulov. Forgotten Rules: Problems of Articulation and Agogics in Clavier Music of J.S.Bach, Kompositor Publish House, Moscow, 1993 Vera Nosina. Symbolism in Bachs Music, Klassika-XXI, Moscow, 2006 Audio-recordings of lectures From Baroque to Classicism by Professor A.A.Alexandrov of Gnesins Russian Academy of Music in Moscow, 1993 Musical Encyclopedia, Sovetsky Kompositor, 1973

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