Performance Guide To Three Keyboard Sonatas of Antonio Soler

University of Iowa
Iowa Research Online

Theses and Dissertations
Fall 2009
Performance guide to three keyboard sonatas of

Antonio Soler
Hayk Arsenyan
University of Iowa
Copyright 2009 Hayk Arsenyan

This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/332
Recommended Citation
Arsenyan, Hayk. "Performance guide to three keyboard sonatas of Antonio Soler." DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) thesis, University of
Iowa, 2009.
http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/332.
Follow this and additional works at: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd

Part of the Music Commons
PERFORMANCE GUIDE TO
THREE KEYBOARD SONATAS OF ANTONIO SOLER
by
Hayk Arsenyan
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 2009
Essay Supervisor: Professor Rene J. Lecuona
Copyright by
HAYK ARSENYAN
2009
All Rights Reserved
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
Hayk Arsenyan
has been approved by the Examining Committee
for the essay requirement for the Doctor of Musical Arts
degree at the December 2009 graduation.
Essay Committee: ___________________________________
Rene J. Lecuona, Essay Supervisor
___________________________________
David J. Nelson
___________________________________
John R. Muriello
___________________________________
Rachel A. Joselson
___________________________________
Alan Sener
To my lovely mother
ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my DMA essay adviser and dear
friend, Dr. Rene J. Lecuona, for her tremendous help on this project and her inspiring
musicianship. Her patience and kind spirit are an example to all. Also, I would like to
convey my sincere thanks to my DMA committee for their support and flexibility, to
Diego Arango, Ana Maria Orduz, Sarah Snydacker, and Andrew Hofstrand for their
hospitality and incredible friendship, and to my amazing family in Armenia, especially
my grandmother and my mother, for their undying love and encouragement.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. vi
LIST OF EXAMPLES ...................................................................................................... vii
INTRODUCTION...1
CHAPTER ONE: SOLERS WORLD ................................................................................4
Soler and El Escorial ........................................................................................5
The Socio-Political Scene In Eighteenth-Century Spain ..................................5
Soler and Scarlatti .............................................................................................6
The Mid-Eighteenth Century Sonata ................................................................8
Soler and Don Gabriel ....................................................................................10
Soler and Publishing .......................................................................................12
Editions of Solers Keyboard Sonatas ............................................................14
The Harpsichod and Pianoforte ......................................................................15
Soler: Musician Extraordinaire ......................................................................19
Solers Fandango............................................................................................21
CHAPTER TWO: MUSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLERS KEYBOARD SONATAS .......22
Formal and Harmonic Structure .....................................................................22
Choice of Keys ...............................................................................................24
Themes and Phrase Structure..........................................................................26
Rhythm ...........................................................................................................28
Texture ............................................................................................................31
Tempi and Meter.............................................................................................35
Ornamentation ................................................................................................35
Spanish Characteristics ...................................................................................38
CHAPTER THREE: STYLISTIC ANALYSIS AND PERFORMANCE GUIDE
TO THREE KEYBOARD SONATAS OF ANTONIO SOLER ...................43
Sonata M.1 in C Minor ...................................................................................43
The Formal, Harmonic and Melodic Structure ....................................43
Phrase Structure ...................................................................................46
Stylistic Observations and Performance Suggestions ..........................48
Jota Aragonesa ....................................................................................51
Sonata M.9 in D Major ...................................................................................52
The Formal Structure ...........................................................................52
The Thematic and Harmonic Structure ................................................53
Spanish Characteristics and Performance Suggestions........................57
Missing Indications and Editorial Remarks .........................................61
Sonata M.21 in G Minor .................................................................................62
The Form and Harmonic Structure ......................................................62
Tempo and Meter Indications ..............................................................67
Spanish Characteristics and Performance Suggestions........................69
iv
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................71
BIBLIOGRAPHY ..............................................................................................................73
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Correlation between keys and scale degrees........................................................25
Table 2. Correspondence between Natural Minor scale and Natural mode degrees .........40
Table 3. Correspondence between Western key and Natural mode through their
Phrygian Cadence .................................................................................................40
Table 4. Harmonic Scheme ................................................................................................44
Table 5. Phrase structure in both sections ..........................................................................47
Table 6. Formal structure ...................................................................................................53
Table 7. Measure groupings between the sections.............................................................57
Table 8. Formal structure ...................................................................................................62
Table 9. Scheme of modulation and augmentation of the sequence ..................................65
Table 10. Sequential relationship.......................................................................................66
Table 11. Hypermetrical scheme .......................................................................................69
vi
LIST OF EXAMPLES
Example 1. Sonata M.13 in B Major, m.93-107. ............................................................18
Example 2. Sonata M.2 in C Minor, m. 9-10 .....................................................................26
Example 3. Sonata M.4 in C Minor, m.70-73 ....................................................................27
Example 4. Sonata M.4 in C Minor. Footnote to m. 73 .....................................................28
Example 5. Sonata M.9 in D Major, m. 48-56 ...................................................................29
Example 6. Sonata M.9 in D Major, m. 11-21 ...................................................................30
Example 7. Sonata M.4 in C Minor, m. 1-3 .......................................................................30
Example 8. Sonata M.2 in C Minor, m. 71-72 ...................................................................31
Example 9. Sonata M.17 in E Minor, m. 12-22 .................................................................32
Example 10. Sonata M.12 in C Minor, m. 34-46...............................................................32
Example 11. Sonata M.5 in C Major, m. 19-24 .................................................................33
Example 12. Sonata M.5 in C Major, m. 5-10 ...................................................................34
Example 13. Sonata M.16 in B Major, m. 21-26 ...............................................................34
Example 14. Sonata M.1 in C Minor, m. 76-81.................................................................46
Example 15. Sonata M.1 in C Minor, m. 9-23...................................................................49
Example 16. Sonata M.9 in D Major, m. 11-21 .................................................................54
Example 17. Sonata M.9 in D Major, m. 45-47 .................................................................55
Example 18. Sonata M.9 in D Major, m. 102-105 .............................................................59
Example 19. Sonata M.21 in G Minor, m. 12-13 ..............................................................63
vii
INTRODUCTION
My love and interest in early music goes back to my childhood. When I was in
high school orchestra, our director was a well-known early music specialist, and we often
played works by renaissance, baroque and pre-classical composers. Nine years ago I
encountered the sonatas of Antonio Soler for the first time. I was immediately impressed
by the beauty of these works and began to include them in my concert repertoire.
As I began to investigate the music of Padre Antonio Soler, it became apparent
that most of the source material on Soler and his music is written in Catalan1. However,
there are several articles in music journals and periodicals written in English by wellknown scholars Frederick Marvin, Ralf Kirkpatrick, Joaquin Nin, Joseph Freedman, and
Dean Elder that discuss eighteenth-century Iberian2 music, including Solers. There are
only five dissertations in English that are related to Antonio Soler; the latest of which
dates from 1978. Two of these dissertations are translations of Solers theoretical treatise
La Llave de la Modulacion y Antiguedades de La Musica.3 Another serves as a general
introduction to Solers life and works, and the other two discuss Solers keyboard
sonatas. None of the aforementioned dissertations, however, offer stylistic observations
and a performance guide to the music of Soler.
Most of the manuscripts of Solers sonatas are held in five institutions in Spain:
the Monastery of Montserrat; the Monastery El Escorial; the Biblioteca Central in
Barcelona; the Orfeo Catalan in Barcelona; and the Institute of France in Madrid.
Among many different published editions of Solers keyboard sonatas the editions of
1 Catalan is a language which is spoken in Catalonia, a region in northeastern part of Spain.

2 The Iberian Peninsula is the geographical location of the countries of Spain and Portugal. The Iberian
Peninsula, though part of southern Europe, is separated from France by the Pyrenees Mountains.
3 Heretofore, I will refer to Solers thesis as Key to Modulation.
Frederick Marvin and Samuel Rubio are the most commonly used.
I am using the
Marvin Edition for my performances.

The discography of Solers works is quite large. Artists such as Gilbert Rowland,
Alicia De Larrocha, Jacques Ogg, Daniel Blumenthal, and Bob Van Asperen have
recorded Solers keyboard sonatas on labels such as Sony, Decca, Naxos, Philips, Orion,
and Deutsche Grammophon. The sonatas on these recordings are performed on the
harpsichord, the pianoforte, and the piano.
In my essay I will discuss eighteenth-century Iberian keyboard traditions that
influenced Solers works, identify general stylistic characteristics of Solers keyboard
sonatas, and offer my own theoretical and stylistic analysis to provide a performance
guide to three of his keyboard sonatas on the modern piano.
I will divide my essay into three chapters. In the First Chapter I will provide a
brief sketch of the political and musical scene in eighteenth-century Spain.
In my
discussion I will concentrate on Solers environment at El Escorial Monastery where he

lived and composed. Within this context I will discuss some of the stylistic peculiarities
and compositional techniques that set Soler apart from his famous contemporary
Domenico Scarlatti. I will discuss the history of music publishing and printing in Spain,
and explore the relationships between composers and their royal patrons. In this regard I
will touch upon Solers teacher/student relationship with Carlos IIIs youngest son Don
Gabriel, for whom Soler wrote most of his keyboard sonatas. Also, I will discuss the
historical context and the formal structure of the mid-eighteenth-century pedagogical
sonata scolastica. To assist in interpreting Solers works on a modern piano I will include
a short historical overview of eighteenth-century keyboard instruments that were used in
Spain and Portugal, such as the Cristofori and Antunes fortepianos. In the conclusion of
this chapter I will discuss some of Solers other interests, such as his theoretical treatise
Key to Modulation and his organ-building work, so that the reader will gain an
appreciation of the breadth of his knowledge and accomplishments.
In the Second Chapter, I will discuss several general aspects of Solers keyboard
sonatas, including formal and harmonic structure, thematic use and melodic organization,
rhythm and meter, phrase structure, texture, tempo markings, and his use of
ornamentation. I will also discuss Solers choice of keys and their correlation with keys
that are often used in Flamenco guitar music. This is important since a truly well thought
out and stylistically authentic performance of the keyboard sonatas on a modern piano
must embrace the Spanish characteristics that influenced Solers writing, such as cante
jondo, regional dances, and the imitation of specific Flamenco guitar techniques.
In the final chapter, I will analyze three specific keyboard sonatas of Antonio
Soler. The sonatas I have chosen represent contrasting compositional styles that suggest
different time periods of the composers life. I will analyze these works based on their
stylistic traits and forms, and also discuss performance-related issues such as the use of
pedals, specific ornamentation, dynamics and articulation, and the application of various
tone-colors. I will consider the authenticity of the editorial markings within the context
of the improvisatory style and performance on the modern instrument. In order to offer a
performance guide to these sonatas on the modern piano, I offer my own theoretical
analysis, stylistic observations and performance suggestions for each of the sonatas.
For this work, I consulted several treatises on eighteenth-century performance
practice, including Solers own Key to Modulation, I evaluated the different editions and
available extant manuscripts of Solers sonatas, and I listened to recordings of the sonatas
performed on different instruments with a variety of stylistic interpretations.
CHAPTER ONE: SOLERS WORLD

Soler was born in the town of Olon de Porrera, in the province of Gerona, in
Catalonia.4 His birth date is unknown but he was baptized on December 3, 1729.5 At a
young age he entered the Escolonia of the Montserrat Monastery, one of the oldest music
schools in the Western World, near Barcelona. At the Escolonia, Soler studied organ,
solfeggio, harmony, composition and harpsichord. After graduating from the Escolonia
in 1752, Soler took holy orders and entered the monastery of Montserrat at the age of
twenty-three.
When the bishop of Urgel asked him to recommend someone for the
position of organist and choir-master at the El Escorial monastery, near Madrid, Soler
offered himself as a candidate. 6 Agreeing to the request, Urgel appointed him as a choir
master and organist at the monastery where Soler worked from 1752 to his death in
1783.7 Here, Soler composed an impressive number of religious vocal works for use at
El Escorial, as well as secular music and music for plays written by the famous Spanish
dramaturges, Calderon de la Borca and Lope De Vega.8 However, Soler maintained
contact with the Montserrat Monastery throughout his life, regularly sending the monks
manuscripts of religious works composed at El Escorial. 9
4 Sadowsky, Reah. Antonio Soler: Creator of Spains Fifth Century of Musical Genius. The American
Music teacher, no. 1 (1978): 28:10-16.
5 Marvin, Frederick. Discovered Treasure: The Music of Antonio Soler. Clavier 19 (July-August 1980):22.
6Kirkpatrick, Ralph. Domenico Scarllati: A Famous Harpsichordists Study of the Life, Times, and Works
of One of the Greatest Composers for His Instrument. Apollo ed. Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New
York: Princeton University Press, 1968. 123.
7 Carroll, Frank. An Introduction to Antonio Soler. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Rochester, 1975, 5.
8 Marvin, Frederick. Antonio Soler. The Consort, no. 39, (1983): 479.
9 Yamaoka, Miyuki. Antonio Soler Sonatas La Ma de Guido. Piano CD cover, article by Isabel Izard I
Granados. 2000. p. 10.c2.
Soler and El Escorial

When Soler took his position at El Escorial, he entered a milieu which would
soon prove optimal for his artistic and professional life.
Beginning in 1757, Soler
assumed important and prestigious professional responsibilities. At the monastery, he

took over the position of maestro di capella upon the death of Gabriel de Moratilla.
Soler also became the official teacher of the royal children upon the death of Domenico
Scarlatti.10
El Escorial, built by Philip II (1527-1598), was intended to serve four functions:
palace, monastery, and church, as well as a burial place for Spanish kings and queens.
There were close ties between the Spanish royal court and El Escorial. The royal court
lived at El Escorial for part of each autumn. The monastery at El Escorial had an annex
in Madrid, where Soler stayed when he visited Madrid to study with Jose de Nebra and
Scarlatti, as well as when he travelled to hear various musical performances.
The Socio-Political Scene in Eighteenth-Century Spain

It is helpful to explore the socio-political scene in which Soler lived in Spain, so
that we may come to a closer understanding of Solers professional situation. Following
the dissolution of the Spanish Habsburgs and the War of Spanish Successions, a new
French-born monarch, Felipe V, the grandson of Louis XIV of France, arrived as king of
Spain in 1700. Along with him he brought his wife, Italian-born Isabel Farnese de
Parma, who had a strong interest in both Italian opera and French court dances.11 This
10 Stevenson, Robert. Antonio Soler. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Edited by Stanly
Sadie. Volume 17. Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London, 1995. 449.
11 Gross Ceballos, Sara. Keyboard Portraits: Performing Character in the Eighteenth Century. Ph.D.
Dissertation. University of California in Los Angeles, 2008, 88.
new dynasty opened doors to foreign influences and had little interest in Spanish
culture.12 While many Spaniards initially welcomed the French fashions and tastes that
Felipe V brought to Spain, some Spaniards, rebelling against the court rejection of
Spanish national costume, music, and dance, wanted to return to art forms based on folk
traditions as a means of self-definition against foreigners and petimetres.13
Furthermore, many Spaniards blamed these new leaders for the arrival of political
upheavals in their country. 14
By the time of Felipe Vs death in 1746, Spain was up in arms over its national
identity. Therefore, the public welcomed the succession of Felipes son Ferdinand VI.
Not only was the new king Spanish born, but his queen Maria Barbara de Braganza was
from neighboring Portugal, a country with close geographical and cultural ties to Spain.
Fernando and Maria Barbara fostered an appreciation for native Spanish culture, while at
the same time continuing the more international cultural fertilization in the Spanish royal
court by maintaining an impressive list of Italian musical figures such as Farinelli,
Domenico Scarlatti, Luigi Boccherini, Domenico Alberti and many others.
12 Sadie, Julie Ann, ed. Companion to Baroque Music. Forwarded by Hogwood, Christopher, Schirmer
book, New York, Oxford, Singapore, and Sydney: Maxwell McMillan International, 1991, 330.
13 Fr. petit- matre or little masters, a group of middle class and aristocratic Spaniards who preoccupied
itself with emulation of the royals, and hence the French in costume, dance, music, and compartments.
Gross Ceballos, Sara. Keyboard Portraits: Performing Character in the Eighteenth Century. Ph.D.
Dissertation. University of California in Los Angeles, 2008, 101.
14 Spain was embroiled in multiple wars with England and other neighboring countries.
Soler and Scarlatti

The name Soler is often mentioned along with that of Scarlatti (1685-1757), the
famous Italian composer who also spent the majority of his professional life on the
Iberian Peninsula. For ten years Scarlatti served as a private keyboard instructor to the
gifted harpsichordist and Portuguese princess Maria Barbara de Braganza in Lisbon.
When she married into the Spanish royal family, Scarlatti followed her from Portugal to
Andalusia.
Later, when her husband Ferdinand VI became the king of Spain, Scarlatti
followed Maria Barbara to Madrid.

Scarlatti played an influential role in the musical life of Spain. He often traveled
back to his native Italy, and is generally credited with bringing many of the important
Italian compositional styles of the eighteenth century, including the galant style, to Spain.
In the early eighteenth century, instructions such as muy faciles y de buen gusto (very
easy and of good taste) began appearing in many Iberian works.15
Scarlatti was also fascinated with Iberian popular culture.
He used Spanish
harmonies, rhythms and dance-types, such as the bolero and the jota. In his keyboard
sonatas, some passages imitate the sound of castanets and the Spanish guitar. Scarlattis
compositional style synthesizes Spanish musical traditions with eighteenth-century Italian
musical forms, such as the sonata and the arietta, and stylistic features such as
cantabile.16
The nature of the association between Soler and Scarlatti has long been the
subject of debate. It has always been accepted that the two composers knew of each
15 Maxwell, Carolyn, ed. Scarlatti: Solo Piano Literature. Boulder, Colorado: Maxwell Music Evaluation
Books, 1985, 143.
16 According to Newman, the first use of the title sonata in Spain was by the 16th century Spanish
composer Luis Cabezon. Newman, William S. The Sonata in the Baroque Era. Revised ed. Chapel
Hill: University of North Carolina press, 1966, 18.
other, since Soler mentions Scarlatti by name in his treatise Key to Modulation. 17 In this
treatise, Soler does not include the name of Scarlatti in the list of his teachers.18 Instead,
he respectfully mentions Scarlatti as the famous Scarlatti [Don Scarlatti].19 However,
since Kirkpatricks seminal study of Soler, it is generally accepted that Soler did indeed
study with Scarlatti.20 Following the tradition of many eighteenth-century composers,
Soler even copied and edited some of Scarlattis keyboard works.21 Furthermore, we
know that for the first five years that Soler was at El Escorial, (1752 to1757), Scarlatti
lived near Madrid. We also know that Scarlatti accompanied the Spanish royal court in
their annual fall visits to El Escorial. Scholars such as Kirkpatrick believe that Soler had
lessons with Scarlatti when the royal court visited El Escorial and possibly in Madrid at
the annex of Solers monastery.22
17 Shipley, Linda Patricia. English Translation of Solers Llave de la Modulacion. Ph.D. Dissertation,
Florida State University, 1978, 10.
18 Marvin, Frederick. Discovered Treasure: The Music of Antonio Soler. Clavier 19 (1980): 22.
19 Shipley, Linda Patricia. Pedagogical Advantages in the Keyboard Sonatas of Antonio Soler. The
American Music Teacher, no. 5, (1989): 38:23.
20 Ralf Kirkpatrick catalogued Scarlattis all keyboard sonatas and wrote a book entitled Domenico
Scarlatti: A Famous Harpsichordists Study of Life, Times, and Works of One of the Greatest
Composers For His Instrument.
22 Kirkpatrick, Ralph. Domenico Scarlatti: A Famous Harpsichordists Study of the Life, Times, and
Works of One of the Greatest Composers for His Instrument. Apollo ed. Thomas Y. Crowell Company,
New York: Princeton University Press, 1968. 123.
The Mid-Eighteenth Century Sonata

In the eighteenth century, music underwent many changes, including a transition
from the Baroque to the Classical style. Such stylistic transformations proved crucial for
the development of Iberian keyboard music.23 In Spain and Portugal, as well as in much
of central Europe and Italy, musicians were called upon to provide courtly entertainment
as well as compose for and tutor their royal patrons. Therefore, the musical amateur and
dilettante sector of aristocratic society played a very important role in the development of
pre-classical genres, especially the galant sonata scolastica of the eighteenth century. 24
In the pre-classical era the sonata gained a pedagogical purpose and became one
of the most popular genres in Europe. The terms used to describe the sonata scolastica
were different in various countries. For example, in England such sonatas were called
lessons, in France pices or tudes, in Austria divertimenti, in Italy essercizi, and in Spain
toccatas.25 These sonatas were generally in binary form, served an educational purpose,
possessed fantasy elements and consisted of contrasting sections. The easier versions
of such exercises were called sonatinas. Composers such as Sammartini, Galuppi,
Soler, and Haydn wrote numerous sonatas for their royal patrons.
Collections with
dedications such as a amatori and a dilettanti or lusage de Dame and pour le

beau sexe appeared all over Europe. According to William Newman, such pieces were
23 It is somewhat inappropriate to use the term Baroque to refer to the Spanish music of the seventeenth
century, since the music was mainly conservative in style, light and thin in texture, and was not overly
ornamented.
24 Schonberg, Harold C, The Great Pianists Revised and updated edition. Simon and Schuster, New York,
1987, 19.
25 Newman, William S. The Sonata in the Classic Era. Second ed. Chapel Hill: University of North
Carolina Press, 1963, 20.
10
supposed to be charming and easy in order to satisfy the needs of the amateur musicians,
and especially the ladies.26
The sonatas of the early galant style were not necessarily intended for public
performances. Many of Scarlattis keyboard sonatas were composed for Maria Barbara
as practice pieces to develop her technique. In fact, Soler inherited the keyboard sonata
from Scarlatti, a man forty-four years his senior. Like Scarlatti, Soler set technical
demands for his pupils in these works. Difficulties such as scales (from simple, slow
scales to faster and more complicated scales, with skips in thirds and octaves, in double
notes, with repeated tones, and chromatic scales combined with leaps and broken chords)
and other challenges had to be combined with graceful musical content, in order to
entertain his pupils while developing their techniques.
Soler and Don Gabriel

Soler was the harpsichord instructor of all three sons of Carlos III, who became
king of Spain in 1759 after the death of his half brother, Ferdinand VI. Before becoming
king of Spain, Carlos lived in Naples, and, from there, ruled over Spains holdings in the
Mediterranean.
Carloss youngest son, Gabriel de Bourbon, born in Naples in 1752,
spent his first years in Italy. Although he was raised speaking Italian, he was also fluent
in Spanish, French and German, since his mother was the German princess Maria Amalia
of Saxony. 27 Thus, Gabriel was introduced not only to numerous languages, but also
was given a broad range of cultural and musical perspectives due to his parental support.
Carolina press, 1963, 45.
27 Heimes, Klaus Ferdinand. Antonio Solers Keyboard Sonatas. Thesis, University of South Africa,
1965,27.
11
Shortly after Carlos moved to Madrid as king of Spain Don Gabriel began studying
harpsichord with Soler. It was a long and fruitful relationship; Don Gabriel studied with
Soler until his death in 1788.28 He was dedicated to the arts, and especially to music,
and was an inspiring figure in Solers life.29
Don Gabriel de Bourbon collected harpsichords, fortepianos, organs, violins, and
guitars. He was also among the first in Spain to own a glass harmonica. His collection
contained a handful of experimental keyboard instruments, including a curious item
purchased in London and documented as a clave harmonico, a complicated keyboard
instrument invented in Paris with an ability to imitate fifteen instrumental timbres from
celeste to bassoon.30 Another experimental instrument at El Escorial was the vis--vis
organ.
It had two keyboards at opposite sides of a cabinet, which contained the
instruments pipes and bellows, so that two players could perform at once on a single
instrument. Most likely, the instrument was purchased so that Don Gabriel and Soler
could sit on opposite sides while playing one of the six concerti for two organs, which
Soler composed for Don Gabriel.31
In 1779 Don Gabriel built a small palace Casita de Ariba which still sits on a
small hill close to the El Escorial monastery.32 A large room with an arched and
28 Don Gabriel died of smallpox in 1788. Gross Ceballos, Sara. Keyboard Portraits: Performing
Character in the Eighteenth Century. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of California in Los Angeles,
2008. 130.
29 He was often described as the Maecenas of his day. Gross Ceballos, Sara. Keyboard Portraits:
Performing Character in the Eighteenth Century. Ibid.
30 Ibid134.
Sadie. Volume 17. Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London, 1995.450.
Dissertation. University of California in Los Angeles, 2008. 135.
12
frescoed ceiling serves as the center of the small building. The room was Don Gabriels
primary performance space, housing his keyboard instruments as well as quarters for the
listeners. The musicians who were performing sat in a chamber which looked down into
the room below. Thus, the name of the palace, ariba or on high refers both to its
physical location on the hill and the balconies from where music floated over the
listeners.33 The ensemble musicians, such as the string quartet in Solers organ quintets,
assembled in the upper rooms and were invisible to the listeners on the ground floor.
Because the organ was centered in the same lower room as the audience, the performance
space, therefore, emphasized the soloistic role Gabriel assumed in the chamber works
written for him by Soler, which demonstrated the princes talent at the keyboard.
Similarly, Soler divides the musical material between the two instruments in his
six concerti for two organs in such a way that Don Gabriel played the more impressive
part. Ceballos suggests that often such works could function as a type of musical portrait.
As a portrait of Don Gabriel these works project an ideal of Spanishism while at the
same time speaking to the growing cosmopolitanism of his country.34
Soler and Publishing

Lord Fitzwilliam, who was a music aficionado from London, came to Spain out of
interest in publishing Domenico Scarlattis works, and there encountered Solers sonatas.
Impressed, he took two volumes of manuscripts of Scarlattis works and twenty-seven of
Solers sonatas to London, the publishing capital of Europe at the time, and promptly
Dissertation. University of California in Los Angeles, 2008. 135.
34 Ibid166.
13
published them in 1772.35 These were the only works Soler would live to see published,
even though twelve more of his sonatas were published in Paris, soon after. Today, the
estimated number of Solers published keyboard sonatas ranges from 130 to 220. Yet,
many of Solers works are lost, including a set of keyboard sonatas in all twelve major
and minor keys, entitled Quadro Libros.36
The fact that so few of Solers sonatas were published during his lifetime is best
understood by reviewing what we know about the relationship of composers, patrons, and
publishers at the time. In the early eighteenth century, royal patrons generally owned the
works of the composers in their courts, and hence, often controlled the publication of
these works. Since royal patrons often paid for the publication, composers remained at
the mercy of their patrons. Royal patrons sometimes decided not to allow works to be
published at all but preferred to maintain the works for their exclusive use. Additionally,
patrons could require works to be at a specific level of difficulty and could even dictate
musical aspects of the works.
In addition to the ramifications of the composer-patron relationship on publishing,
there are several other factors in the eighteenth century which often created confusion
and inconsistencies with the chronology of many composers works. When assigning
opus numbers, many publishers disregarded the actual chronology of a composers
works, or they disregarded the opus numbers already assigned by previous publishers.37
Some composers chose not to publish their works at all, as plagiarism was very common
at the time.
35 Kirkpatrick, Ralph. Domenico Scarllati: A Famous Harpsichordists Study of the Life, Times, and
Works of One of the Greatest Composers for His Instrument. Apollo ed. Thomas Y. Crowell
Company, New York: Princeton University Press, 1968. 123.
37 Ibid79.
14
Until the second half of the eighteenth century, music publishing was
prohibitively expensive. The first publishing house in Spain exclusively devoted to
music printing, La Imprenta Musica, was established by Joseph de Torres and
Martinez Bravo in Madrid in the beginning of eighteenth century.38 Between 1700 and
1720, Torres was the predominant music publisher in Spain; however, after his death in
1738, there was no successor to carry on the activities of his Imprenta, and the company
had to close down.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century in Spain, as well as in other parts of
Western Europe, the process of engraving became cheaper and more practical than
typography for music printing.
Taking advantage of the new printing technology,
Joaquin Ibarra of Madrid became the leading music publisher within the country of
Spain.
Still, it was not until the reign of Carlos III (1759-1788) that the Spanish
government took active steps to promote native printing and publishing. Under Carloss
rule, publishers were given tax exemptions as well as other privileges tied to the
governments progressive revocation of certain censorship laws.
In order to create an
even stronger publishing system, the government organized its own printing firm in
Madrid, known as the Imprenta Real in 1761.39 Unfortunately, none of Solers keyboard
sonatas were published in Spain during his lifetime, despite his close relationship to Don
Gabriel and to Carlos IIIs other children.
38 Esses, Maurice. Dance and Instrumental Diferenciasin Spain During the 17th and Early 18th
Centuries. PhD Dissertation, University of Toronto, 1986. 125.
39 Ibid129.
15
Editions of Solers Keyboard Sonatas

In 1925, after a gap of nearly two centuries, Joaquin Nin, a Cuban musicologist
and pianist, published fourteen of Solers sonatas in Paris.
According to Frederick
Marvin, American pianist and respected Soler specialist, Nins edition of Solers sonatas
was heavily edited and not always faithful to original sources. Fortunately, however, this
edition inspired Marvin to research Solers sonatas more deeply and to reedit them.
Marvin spent fourteen years in Europe studying and performing Solers keyboard
sonatas. He also researched and performed some of Solers other instrumental and vocal
works. After copying, editing and correcting the manuscripts, the first volume of Solers
sonatas together with the fandango were published in 1957. Following the tradition of
important editing endeavors, Marvin, in his edition of Solers 180 keyboard sonatas,
gives each sonata an M number (the initial of his last name.)
Marvins enthusiasm for Soler encouraged Spanish monk and scholar, Samuel
Rubio, to initiate a Spanish edition of the sonatas. In 1974, Rubio published a seven
volume collection of Soler sonatas, which contains 121 sonatas.40 In his edition, Rubio
marks the sonatas with the initial R for his cataloguing purposes. Pianist Alicia De
Larocha, who used Rubios edition, observes that it offers the greatest possible
guarantee of authenticity and presents the text without any expression signs, with the
exception of the rare ones, which Soler himself put in the manuscripts.41
40 Numbering the sonatas is problematic because of the challenge of whether to count the sonatas
individually, in groups, or in pairs. On some of the manuscripts, there are signs such as sigue which
means to follow, or to be continued. When Luigi Boccherini came to Madrid in 1769 and introduced
some of Haydns sonatas, Newman believes these works impressed Soler and inspired him to expand
his later sonatas from one-movement forms to three or four movements. This undoubtedly suggests
that some of the sonatas should be paired. However, how many and which sonatas to pair or group
together remains a point of debate for the modern scholars of these works. Some scholars pair the
sonatas according to their keys, melodic content, harmonies, contrasting tempi and other
characteristics.
41 Elder, Dean. A Music Lesson on a Soler Sonata: Alicia deLarocha Recording. Clavier, no. 1 (1971):
10:23.
16
For my own study of Solers sonatas, I generally use Marvins edition, because
some of the sonatas I perform are not in Rubios edition. Marvin is respectful of the
original sources; he puts his own musical suggestions in parenthesis, making it easy to
differentiate between his editorial additions and Solers original markings.
The Harpsichord and Pianoforte

Transition from Baroque to Classical styles in Spain, as well as in the rest of
Western Europe, was manifested within a shift of emphasis from the harpsichord to the
pianoforte as the predominant keyboard instrument for secular music. One intriguing
difference between Spain and the rest of Europe was that until the end of the seventeenth
century, continuo playing was realized on guitar or harp, and not on the harpsichord. The
harpsichord as well as the clavichord was used primarily as a practice instrument for
organists.
It was not until the reign of Felipe V (1700-1746) that the harpsichord became the
predominant continuo instrument in Spain. Felipe V, the French-born king, and his
Italian queen brought with them an appreciation for French and Italian music. The royal
courts enthusiasm for Italian vocal music led to a more frequent use of the harpsichord
as a continuo instrument. The solo keyboard sonata gained prominence only after the
Italian Domenico Scarlatti arrived in Madrid in 1729.42
There were twelve keyboard instruments (nine harpsichords and three
fortepianos) distributed among the three palaces of the Spanish royal court (Aranjuez,
Buen Retiro and El Escorial.) The harpsichord at El Escorial had one manual and two
sets of strings: one for loud and brilliant sounds, the other for delicate and soft sounds.
42 Esses, Maurice. Dance and Instrumental Diferenciasin Spain During the 17th and Early 18th Centuries.
PhD Dissertation, University of Toronto, 1986. 352.
17
Because the registers were operated by hand rather than by pedal, registration was
changeable within a piece only when one or both hands were free. Therefore, it would
not have been easy to transform the sound by changing the registration during a
performance, or to create the echo effect within short, repeated passages. Instead, such
phrases were varied through the use of different articulation and ornamentation.43
Bartolommeo Cristofori, an eighteenth-century Italian harpsichord maker,
invented a keyboard instrument that allowed a player to change dynamics based on touch.
He named the new instrument Gravicembalo col piano e forte, which means harpsichord
with soft and loud sounds.
Its strings were struck with hammers, the speed of which
determined the volume of the sound.44 The courts of Spain and Portugal purchased the
new instrument enthusiastically in the 1730s.45 This is most likely the time when
Domenico Scarlatti wrote some of his sonatas for the pianoforte.
The spread of popularity of the pianoforte in Iberia triggered Francisco Perez
Mirabel, a harpsichord maker in Seville, to build pianofortes in 1745. Similarly inspired,
Manuel Antunes, a piano maker in Lisbon, built pianofortes that were the exact copies of
the Cristofori piano in 1760. As in Cristoforis piano, the hammers were covered with
soft, thick leather that brought out a comparatively soft, mellow timbre unlike that of
quill-plucked harpsichord strings. The Antunes piano had only one manual of fifty-one
keys, and had no pedals, knee levers, or stops. However, the una corda effect was
44 Schonberg, Harold C, The Great Pianists. Revised and Updated Edition, Simon and Schuster, New
York, 1987.20.
45 Sadie, Julie Ann, ed. Companion to Baroque Music. Forwarded by Hogwood, Christopher, Schirmer
book, New York, Oxford, Singapore, and Sydney: Maxwell McMillan International, 1991. 370.
18
available by manually pushing the entire keyboard to the left. Many of the Antunes
fortepianos have survived in such good condition that they remain playable.46
The first known work composed specifically for the piano in Spain was Sebastian
Albertos Obras para clavicebalo o piano forte, written around 1746. However, it was
only in the 1760s when many works explicitly written for this instrument were published.
Two composers working in Seville, Manuel Blasco de Nebra and Joaquin Montero each
published a set of six sonatas for harpsichord and piano in the 1780s.47 In the 1770s
composers often wrote for harpsichord or fortepiano in the titles of their keyboard
works, and beginning around 1785, the harpsichord began to disappear from the titles of
pieces.48 In 1790, Haydn said, . . . .He was no longer in the habit of playing the
harpsichord, and he advised a friend, to get a piano. 49 However, Ralf Kirkpatrick in
his book Domenico Scarlatti convincingly points out that stylistically it is very difficult
to draw a definitive line between mid-eighteenth century harpsichord music and the
music composed for the early piano of the period. He states Even in the music of Haydn
and Mozart, the transition from the harpsichord to the piano is almost imperceptible.50
Since it is clear that Soler had access to both instruments, the harpsichord and
pianoforte, the modern keyboard musician must look to the musical characteristics of
Company, New York: Princeton University Press, 1968, 176.
47Stevenson, Robert. Antonio Soler. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Edited by Stanly
49 Schonberg, Harold C, The Great Pianists. Revised and Updated Edition, Simon and Schuster, New
York, 1987, 23.
19
each sonata to help him or her infer which instrument, either the harpsichord or the
pianoforte, is better suited for the piece.
For example, sometimes fast passages of
octaves going up or down are encountered in either hand.
Example 1. Sonata M.13 in B

Major, mm. 93-107.
In my opinion, the use of this type of pianistic device indicates that the sonata was
intended for the piano rather than the harpsichord. Because of the rather harsh and loud
sound of the harpsichord, these types of passages are likely to sound noisy and blurry,
while on the principally softer and clearer sound of the fortepiano such passages are
bound to have a better acoustic effect.
20
Soler: Musician Extraordinaire

Soler was very interested in music theory and wrote a famous treatise on theory,
Key to Modulation and Musical Antiquities. It was published in Madrid in 1762 by
Joaquim Ibarra.51 In his treatise, Soler illustrates how to modulate from one key to any
other key in the tonal system within several measures. The harmonic procedures that
Soler discussed, though later considered fairly standard, at first were viewed as being too
radical, and the publication of his treatise caused controversy and dispute among Iberian
music theorists of the time. 52 In 1764, the maestro de capella of Mondonedo Cathedral,
Antonio Roel del Rio, published his criticism in response to Solers treatise in his
Reparos Musicos Precisos a la Llave de la Modulacion, and Soler responded the
following year with Satisfaccion a Los Reparos Hechos por Don Antonio Roel de Rio a
la Llave de la Modulacion.53 I will discuss some of Solers views on modulation in
Chapter Two.
Solers interest in theory and in the division of tones also led him to construct a
small, square, stringed keyboard instrument, which he called the Afinador o
Templante. On this instrument, Soler divided each pitch into nine micro-pitches,
anticipating by two hundred years the experiments in micro-tonality conducted by Harry
Partch and Conlon Noncarrow.54 Soler made two instruments of this kind - one for Don
51Kirkpatrick, Ralph. Domenico Scarllati: A Famous Harpsichordists Study of the Life, Times, and Works
of One of the Greatest Composers for His Instrument. Apollo ed. Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New
York: Princeton University Press, 1968. 123.
52 Stevenson, Robert. Antonio Soler. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Edited by
Stanly Sadie. Volume 17. Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London, 1995.449.
53 Yamaoka, Miyuki. Antonio Soler Sonatas La Ma de Guido. Piano CD cover, article by
Isabel Izard I Granados. 2000. 9.c2
54 This connection is made by Rene Lecuona.
21
Gabriel and the other for the Duke of Alba.55 In addition to creating new instruments,
Soler was also a respected consultant for organ building. We know that he directed the
construction of organs in both Malaga and Seville.56
Solers Fandango
Besides his keyboard sonatas, the Fandango is Solers only other substantial work
for solo keyboard.57 The fandango is a dance which originated in Latin America in the
eighteenth century, and which became extremely popular in Spain. Usually the fandango
is written for a pair of dancers who accompany themselves on castanets, and who also
vocalize at specific points during the dance. Characteristic features of the genre are: the
triple meter, the sudden stops in the middle of the composition when the couples click
castanets and sing, along with the gradual increase in tempo.
According to Giovanni
Casanovas description of the dance, . . . Each couple, a man and a woman, never moves
more than three steps as they click their castanets. . . . This dance is the expression of
love from beginning to end, from the sigh of desire to the ecstasy of pure enjoyment.58
The fandango was forbidden by the Catholic authorities for being too exciting and
sensuous. Solers Fandango is based on an ostinato pattern, which intensifies in its
technical difficulty and tempo, climaxing at the end of the piece on the dominant chord of
55 Heimes, Klaus Ferdinand. Antonio Solers Keyboard Sonatas. Thesis, University of South Africa,
1965,4.
57 In his treatise The Key to Modulation Soler includes small musical examples for keyboard, called
preludes. However, they are not concert pieces.
58 Sadowsky, Reah. Antonio Soler: Creator of Spains Fifth Century of Musical Genius. The American
Music teacher, no. 1 (1978): 28:12.
22
the home key of D Minor. It is unusual for a monk to have written a piece with such an
erotic character, especially taking into consideration the somber atmosphere of the
monastery El Escorial, where Soler lived and worked. Some scholars believe that Soler
may have composed this piece while he lived away from El Escorial for a year during the
early 1750s.59
59 Ibid.
23
CHAPTER TWO: MUSICAL ASPECTS OF

SOLERS KEYBOARD SONATAS
Before examining individual works, I would like to discuss several general

aspects of Solers keyboard sonatas.
These aspects include formal structure of the
sonatas, Solers view on modulation, his choice of keys, thematic use, phrase structure
and melodic organization, rhythm and meter, texture, his consideration of tempi, and the
use of ornamentation.
Formal and Harmonic Structure

Soler composed the majority of his sonatas in the Baroque bipartite form, dividing
the works into two large and fairly symmetrical sections. Generally, the first section
finishes in the dominant key if the sonata is written in a major key, and ends in the minor
dominant or the relative major key if the sonata is in a minor key. The second section
often begins in the key in which the first section of the sonata finished, and the tonic of
the home key is established somewhere near the end of the second section.
Isabel Izard I Granados positions Solers formal structure as the bridge between
the forms of the Baroque suite, and the formal structure that was to become the mature
classical sonata.60 Kirkpatrick also uses many of the terms commonly associated with
classical sonata form to describe the musical events in Solers sonatas. He refers to the
first section of the sonatas as the exposition, and describes the material of the second
60 Yamaoka, Miyuki. Antonio Soler Sonatas La Ma de Guido. Piano CD cover, article by

Isabel Izard I Granados. 2000. 10 c. 2.
24
section as being both development, which he terms excursion, and recapitulation.61

The excursion, as mentioned above, usually starts in the closing key of the first section
and passes through a sequence of more remote keys. It is in this section where most of
Solers extravagant modulations, described in his treatise on modulation, take place. I
will discuss Solers views on modulation in more detail below. The excursion often uses
material stated previously and represents a section of harmonic, rather than melodic or
thematic, development. As in mature classical sonatas, after moving through several
keys in the excursion, Soler eventually arrives on the dominant chord of the original key.
Exactly where in the second section Soler chooses to return to the original key varies.
Unlike the fairly predictable positioning of the recapitulation in many classical sonata
forms, Soler sometimes waits until the very end of the second section to return to the
home key.
Similarly to Scarlatti, Soler uses the musical material of the cadential section as a
means of recapitulation in the second part of his sonatas; in the closing section of the first
half, the cadential section usually appears in the dominant key. Yet, in the closing
section of the second half, the cadential material is recapitulated in the home key. This
compositional procedure helps resolve the tension created by the different thematic
material presented in the exposition, as well as the harmonic adventures of the excursion.
As mentioned above, Soler often wrote dramatic modulations in the excursions of
his sonatas. In his treatise, Key to Modulation, Soler states, . . . if a composition has
no modulation it will lack perfection altogether. Soler refers to this type of fast-paced
modulation which he often uses in the excursions of his sonatas as quick modulation or
Company, New York: Princeton University Press, 1968, 251-279.
25
the means of modulating from one key to another in the fewest measures possible. 62
Soler explains that quick modulation works best in instrumental writing, as opposed to
vocal music. He further explains that his own methods of quick modulation are derived
from his experiences as a church organist. In fact, he states that his harmonic rules are
essential for church organists.63 While playing an offertory, which could be in a distant
key, an organist might receive a signal from the priest to finish the offertory, and, without
the slightest interruption, the player should be able to seamlessly return to the liturgical
service in its original key. It is for such situations that Soler offers his four rules for
quick modulation:
Use of a common note or a chord between the two keys
Arrival at the dominant of the new key
Use of enharmonic spellings
Stepwise and contrary motion between the outer voices
Solers use of these harmonic ideas, set forth in his treatise, will be observed in the
individual sonatas in Chapter Three.
62 Soler, Antonio. Llave de la Modulacion. New York: Broude Brothers, 1967.80.

63 Ibid. 84.
26
Choice of Keys
Similarly to the composers of the early classic period, it has been observed that
Soler prefers keys that have three or fewer accidentals in their signatures.64 However,
there is an additional consideration which I believe may have influenced Solers
predilection for certain kays; Solers choice of keys often coincides with the primary keys
often used in Flamenco guitar music, which are derived from the open strings of the
guitar (E-A-D-G-B-E). Flamenco guitar specialist Paco Pena has identified the key of E
major, E minor, A major, A minor, D major, and D minor as those most commonly used
in Flamenco guitar music.65 He explains this by pointing out that the three lowest keys
of the Spanish guitar (E, A, and D) have a special quality in relation to each of the open
strings (E, A D, G, B, E). The tonic, subdominant and dominant scale degrees of E major
and minor, A major and minor, and D major and minor may be found on the open strings
of the Spanish guitar.
64 In sonatas in minor keys which have flat(s) in the key signature, one flat is almost always omitted and
the designation en modo dorico appears in the title of the piece. Almarie Dieckow in his dissertation
states that no modal element is found in the works themselves, and the practice is merely a notational
convention retained from the past. Dieckow, A. A Stylistic Analysis of the Solo Keyboard Sonatas of
Antonio Soler. Ph.D. Dissertation, Washington University, Saint Louis, 1971, 226.
65 Pena, Paco. Flamenco Guitarin The Guitar: A Guide for Students And Teachers. Complied and edited
by Michael Stempson. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. 227.
27
Table 1. Correlation between keys and scale degrees:
KEYS
SCALE DEGREE
TONIC
E Major
SCALE
DEGREE SCALE DEGREE
SUBDOMINANT
DOMINANT
E Minor
A Major
A Minor
D Major
D Minor
While Soler uses many keys in his extant sonatas, he tends to favor E major and
minor, A major and minor, and D major and minor. In examining this relationship of
keys, we can assume that Soler, consciously or unconsciously, was influenced by the
Spanish guitar music which surrounded him.
Themes and Phrase Structure

The melodies in Solers sonatas tend to be diatonic rather than chromatic. Soler
constructs his melodies using fragments of scalar motion, which are sometimes
interrupted by neighboring notes, thirds or large leaps. He also implements the triadic
motion in his melodic construction, whether in arpeggios or broken chords. Melodic
fragments of Moorish origin are found in Solers sonatas through the use of the
augmented second interval.
28
Example 2. Sonata M.2 in C Minor, mm. 9-10.
As mentioned above, the use of the Phrygian cadence (i.e. A-G-F-E, also the last
four notes of natural minor) is frequently used by Soler as well.
Soler does not establish only a single melodic or thematic idea, but instead, he
introduces multiple themes within sections. The two most important thematic structures,
however, are the head-motive, the theme at the beginning of the first section, and the
second theme, which is the theme stated at the beginning of the second section. This
analytical approach to identifying Solers themes, while differing from the way in which
similar terminology is used to describe the thematic material of mature classical sonataallegro movements, is often employed among Soler scholars. Typically, the head-motive
is stated twice. The repetition often appears an octave lower or higher with harmonic
alterations or ornaments. Fragments of the opening motive often appear sequentially.
The second theme is generally shorter than the head motive.
The thematic content of the excursion can be independent of earlier material;
however, at least a common rhythmical motion unifies the two theme-groups between the
sections. The second theme can also be restated twice, embellished or modified by quasidevelopmental procedures, such as a sequence. In some sonatas, he inserts a cadenza-like
passage or a small section before the recapitulation.
29
Example 3. Sonata M. 4 in C Minor, mm.70-73.
In the footnote to this measure Marvin provides a continuation of the cadenza passage
offered by Soler or a copyist in another manuscript of this sonata.
Example 4. Sonata M.4 in C Minor, footnote to measure 73.
These very short, improvisatory cadenza passages are usually based on one of the
themes used before. This compositional procedure often appears in the sonatas of the
later classical period.
Solers sonatas are predominantly organized in short phrases often consisting of
irregular groups of measures. Unlike the mostly predictable phrase lengths of mature
classical style based on multiples of two measures, or the symmetrical phrases of most
Baroque works, Solers fragmented melodic organization is typical of stile galant.
Phrases of three, five, and seven measures are common in his sonatas.
30
Rhythm
The most commonly used rhythmical patterns in Solers sonatas consist of eighth
and sixteenth notes. This is to be expected, as the sonatas were written for non-sustaining
instruments, such as the harpsichord or the early fortepiano.66 However, some longer
notes are encountered in the sonatas as well, which may imply adding ornamentation for
sustaining purposes. I will discuss Solers ornamentation in more detail below.
The performer of French Baroque music is accustomed to executing notated
straight eighth notes as dotted eighth notes (notes ingales.)
However, Italian and
Spanish composers wrote out dotted eighths. 67 Therefore, the performer of Solers
sonatas should play exactly the values notated in the score.
Soler frequently uses characteristics considered typical of Spanish dance types,
such as combinations of duple and triple rhythmical patterns, dotted rhythmical
figurations, and syncopated melodic motives with an emphasis on the weak beat. The
combined use of triplet and duplet figures was common in Spanish songs dating from the
fourteenth century.68
66 The early fortepiano did not sustain the sound nearly as long as the modern piano.
67 As the French theorist Jean-Jacques Rousseau points out In Italian [and Spanish] music all the eights
[are] equal, unless they are marked pointes [dotted]. But in French music one makes the eights exactly
equal only in the four-beat meter; in all the others one always makes them a little unequal, unless they
are marked cloches gales. Hefling, Stephen E. Rhythmic Alteration in Seventeenth- and EighteenthCentury Music: Notes Inegales and Overdotting. New York, Toronto, and New York: Schirmer Books,
1993, 38.
68 Storm, Elizabeth Nancy. The Harpsichord Sonatas of Padre Antonio Soler. Thesis, University of
Washington, 1948.80.
31
Example 5. SonataM.9in D Major, mm. 48-56.
Soler often uses the technique of the rhythmical crescendo; he intensifies the
emotional character of the section by gradually shortening the rhythmical values.
Example 6. Sonata M.9 in D Major, mm. 11-21.
32
In some sonatas Soler also uses specific rhythmical patterns associated with
particular Spanish dance types, such as the bolero or the Andalusian folksong Saeta.69
Complementing these Spanish rhythmic patterns, Soler frequently imitates the

sound of castanets, banduria, and zapateado, which were popular accompanying
instruments in the dances of Spain.70
The subdivision of the strong beat into small melodic elements appearing not only
at the end of the motifs but also at their beginnings can suggest vocal glissando of
Moorish and Gypsy association.
69 Saeta is an Andalusian folk song for Lent or the Feast of the Nativity. Yoon Soo, Cho. The Spanish
Guitar Influence on the Piano Music of Isaac Albeniz and Enrique Granados: A Detailed Study of
Granada and Asturiasof Suite Espanola by Albeniz and Andaluza and Danza Triste of Doce
Danzas Espanolas by Granados. DMA Treatise, The University of Texas in Austin, 2006,7.
70 Chase, Gilbert. The Music of Spain Dover Publications, New York, 1959, 224.
33
Texture
Solers sonatas typically contain a free-voiced texture based on two-part writing.
The texture is predominantly homophonic, and sometimes, quasi-polyphonic. In nearly
all of Solers sonatas, the bass functions as harmonic support for the more important
melodic upper voice(s). However, the bass is often given brief thematic imitations. Such
imitative polyphony in Solers sonatas lasts only a few bars and occurs mostly at the
beginnings of sections. Pseudo-polyphony, typical of guitar music, appears as a third
voice. This voice enters throughout the piece, if only for a few beats or measures, and
acts independently from the other two voices.
Example 9. Sonata M.17 in E Minor, mm. 12-22.
34
A third voice may also be added as two or three notes in different registers;
however, it soon blends into the other voices and becomes harmonic filling in the texture.
In his treatise, Key to Modulation Soler states that in counterpoint the outer parts
are supposed to be the most important ones, because these are the voices that the ear
catches. Respectively, the inner parts are supplements or fillings.71 This statement
helps to explain Solers practice of adding and dropping voices without preparation.
Kirkpatrick, explaining this as an expression of free thought that was so usual in Spain,
believes that this kind of free contrapuntal handling can be connected to both
composers [Scarlatti and Soler] desire to imitate the sound of the Spanish guitar.72
71 Soler, Antonio. Llave de la Modulacion. New York: Broude Brothers, 1967, 84.
35
Soler knew the guitar and approved its use in the role frequently assigned to keyboard
instruments.73
Other elements of texture include Solers use of Alberti bass (accompaniment in
broken chords) and Murky bass (accompaniment in broken octaves).
Example 11. Sonata M.5 in C Major, mm. 19-24.
73 Fisk, Eliot, A Fresh Look at Padre Soler. The Guitar Review, 56: 10.
36
Example 12. Sonata M.5 in C Major, mm. 5-10.
In Solers sonatas, octaves appear in the left hand much more often than in the
right hand. Hand crossings so characteristic of Scarlattis style, are present in some of
Solers sonatas, as well.
Example 13. Sonata M.16 in B Major, mm. 21-26.
37
Tempi and Meter

Tempo markings are present in almost all of the editions of Solers sonatas, but
we cannot know with certainty which tempo indications are those of Soler, and which
were later added by copyists.
As described in chapter one, Soler scholarship is made
much more challenging because there are no extant original manuscripts of Solers
keyboard sonatas. Furthermore, there are discrepancies between many of the copies of
Solers manuscripts, making research complicated.
About half of the sonatas are marked simply as Allegro or Andante. Others range
from the very fast Prestissimo, through moderate tempi such as Allegro Moderato and
Allegretto, to the slower markings of Andantino and Largo Andante.
Sometimes,
descriptive terms such as Espressivo, Gracioso, Spiritoso, Maestoso, and cantabile take
the place of tempo markings. These terms indicate the musical characteristic of the
passage and often imply a corresponding tempo.
The majority of Solers sonatas are in duple meter.
Allabreve meters, which
indicate a half-note beat, are more common than meters indicating a quarter-note beat
(4/4 or 2/4.) When using triple meters, Soler chooses the 3/4 meter more frequently than
the 3/8 meter.
Ornamentation
Regarding ornamentation and embellishment in Solers sonatas, Kirkpatrick
suggests that Solers ornamentation closely resembles that of Scarlatti.74
Both
composers rarely use ornamentation signs; instead, the ornaments are explicitly written
74 It is not surprising that both Scarlatti and Soler gave their musical indications in Spanish as well as in
Italian or Latin in addition to such notational correlations as Arbitri for ad libitum and deto solo for
glissando.
38
out using smaller notes and become an integral part of the melodic lines.75 Marvin, in
the preface to his edition of Solers complete set of sonatas, points out that the three most
frequently used ornaments are the turn, the trill and the appoggiatura. According to
Marvin, the speed of the trill varies according to the tempo of the particular composition.
As with most scholars of eighteenth-century music, Marvin also believes that in the
music of Soler, most ornaments should begin on the upper auxiliary note.
In his
dissertation, Esses, quoting the eighteenth-century theorist Nazzare, argues that Spanish
sources of the period make no mention of the upper-note trills (trinos) in keyboard works.
Esses even states that in keyboard works by non-Spanish composers living in Spain,
ornaments should be started on the main note, not the upper auxiliary note.76 Although
it might be difficult to determine a hard and fast rule for the starting note of ornaments in
the music of Soler, I agree with Marvin and generally begin my ornaments on the upper
auxiliary note. Esses and Kirkpatrick both agree that most keyboard ornaments begin on
or after the beat, not before it.77
In the preface to his edition, Marvin also mentions that Soler did not use a sign for
a turn. If he desired a turn, he usually wrote it out with small notes.
However, in the
English edition of the sonatas, as discussed by Marvin, Soler indicates the trill and the
turn with the same sign, tr. Thankfully, in parallel passages Soler often shows which of
the ornaments he wished to be used by writing notes out. Soler usually writes out most of
77 In his dissertation, Dieckhow states that grace notes should be played before the beat. However, the vast
majority of scholars now believe that ornaments in Baroque and Classical music should begin on the
beat. Dieckow, A. A Stylistic Analysis of the Solo Keyboard Sonatas of Antonio Soler. Ph.D.
Dissertation, Washington University, Saint Louis, 1971.255.
39
the appoggiaturas as well. Marvin suggests that appoggiaturas should be executed

according to the basic eighteenth-century practice, e.g. starting on the beat.
Soler
mentions the mordente in Key to Modulation but does not give any examples of it.78
Esses explains in his dissertation that performers in the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries frequently added mordents, even though there were no indications for them in
the scores.79
Scholars such as Kirkpatrick and Rubio suggest that the performer of Solers
music should resist using additional ornaments or adding and dropping lines as they
would when playing French and German compositions of the same period.
Yet,
Frederick Marvin convincingly argues that . . . embellishments were freely used and
improvised at the time, and it is certain that one cannot play a work of Soler, or a work of
any other composer of the era, without adding ornamentation. Thats a must.80 Alicia
De Larrocha confesses that in her interpretation of Solers sonatas she uses entirely her
own version of ornaments. As she observes, many liberties were taken in the manner of
executing ornaments in seventeenth and eighteenth century Spain, therefore . . . . It is
not possible to play pieces of this era in any one way.81
I respectfully agree with Marvin and DeLarrocha and would like to add that, with
the help of specific ornamentation, a performer can heighten the Spanish elements in
Solers music. As opposed to the Baroque ornamentation traditions of C.P.E. Bach and
78 Carroll, Frank. An Introduction to Antonio Soler. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Rochester, 1975, 193.
79 Mordents, were called quibro senzillo in the seventeenth century and aleado in the eighteenth century.
Esses, Maurice. Dance and Instrumental Diferenciasin Spain During the 17th and Early 18th
Centuries. PhD Dissertation, University of Toronto, 1986. 416.
80 Fisk, Eliot, A Fresh Look at Padre Soler. The Guitar Review 55 (1983): 11.
81 Elder, Dean. A Music Lesson on a Soler Sonata: Alicia DeLarocha Recording. Clavier, no. 1 (1971):
10:23.
40
Francois Couperin, there were no written rules or treatises concerning the traditions of
ornamenting eighteenth-century Iberian instrumental music.82 Nonetheless, it appears
that Iberian composers were aware of the traditional eighteenth-century performance
rules since they were not working in isolation from the rest of Western Europe as they
had been in the seventeenth century. Moreover, eighteenth-century composers were first
of all improvisers, and the use of ornamentation was part of their improvisatory skills.
Spanish Characteristics
Although Solers music incorporates many of the sophisticated international
characteristics of the late Baroque and early Classical periods, it also contains some
elements which may be identified as specifically Spanish. As Gilbert Chase points out,
the Iberian Peninsula is richer in folklore than any other region in the western world. He
explains that . . . the reason for this is the strong musical individuality that was retained
by the various provinces and the very strong imprint of Moorish and Gypsy influences
left on the musical formulae of the people.83 The collective musical traditions of its
provinces, such as Andaluca, Castile, Galicia, and Catalonia, are all accepted today as
belonging to the Spanish idiom. Furthermore, the Muslim domination of Spain lasted
from 711-1492, and the first Gypsies arrived in Spain in 1449.84
One of Solers favorite musical traits, a direct influence of the Spanish idiom, is
the use of the minor second interval.
He uses the interval both melodically and
82 Speer, Klaus. Review of Solers Nine Sonatas; Fandango recorded by Marin. Musical Quarterly,
44/3:414.
84 Ibid163.
41
harmonically. I believe that this distinctive Spanish sound is closely related to the use of
what Spanish guitarists refer to as the Natural mode in Flamenco guitar music.85
Flamenco guitar music is based on three modes: the Dorian, Lydian and Phrygian.
The Phrygian mode is the most commonly used in Flamenco guitar music and is referred
to as the Natural mode86. The most important cadential chord progression in the
Natural mode starts with a minor chord on the fourth mode degree followed by the
descending major chords on the third, second, and first mode degrees of the Natural
mode, e.g. iv III II I. 87 In Flamenco guitar music this type of cadence is called a
Phrygian cadence.
Interestingly, there is a close relationship between the natural minor scale of the
major/minor tonal system and the Natural mode (Phrygian mode) of Flamenco guitar
music. The following table demonstrates the correspondence between the scale and its
mode degrees:
85 Pena, Paco. Flamenco Guitarin The Guitar: A Guide for Students And Teachers. Complied And
Edited By Michael Stempson. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. 227.
86 The use of the term Natural to refer to Phrygian mode by Flamenco guitarists can be confusing for the
western-trained musician, who is used to using Natural as a term to describe one of the minor scales.
In this discussion I will use Natural to mean Phrygian.
87 In Flamenco guitar music it is customary to substitute a major triad for a diatonic minor triad in this
particular chord progression. Pena, Paco. Flamenco Guitarin The Guitar: A Guide for Students And
Teachers. Compiled and edited by Michael Stempson. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press,
1988. 227.
42
Table 2. Correspondence between Natural Minor scale and Natural mode degrees:
Pitches
Natural
Mode 1
(Phrygian)
Natural Minor Scale
Therefore, the A Natural mode corresponds to the D natural minor scale. The
following table will illustrate the correspondence between the major/minor tonal system
of E, A, and D harmonic minor scales, and the Natural (Phrygian) modes through their
common Phrygian cadences.
Table 3. Correspondence between Western key and Natural mode through their
Phrygian Cadence:
Western Key
Natural/Phrygian Mode
Phrygian cadence
E Minor
B Natural
e-D-C-B88
A Minor
E Natural
a-G-F-E
D Minor
A Natural
d-C-B-A
88 The capital letters represent major chords, while the small letters are for minor chords.
43
A striking characteristic of Flamenco music is that even if the tonic is in major,

the whole character of the piece is still minor sounding.89 The Greek rhetoricians
thought that the Dorian mode had a modest, grave and religious character. The Phrygian
mode, in their opinion, had a suggestive and warlike quality. 90 The eighteenth-century
French composer, Jean-Benjamin de Laborde, in his Essai sur la Musique Ancienne et
Moderne, included a chart that compares the two scalar systems.91 According to de
Laborde, the Natural (Phrygian) mode is also defined as: ardent, proud, impetuous,
vehement, and terrible.92 It is remarkable to note that very similar adjectives were used
to describe the Phrygian mode by many other French, German, and English composers
and theorists of the eighteenth century. In my opinion, it is important to note these terms
in relation to the description and the character of many of the Spanish dances, and
particularly those in Flamenco style.
The factor of pride, along with the other
abovementioned qualities, is significant in many of these dances and songs and is

reflected in the choreography, as well as costumes of the dancers. Therefore, the frequent
appearance of the Phrygian cadence or other Phrygian gestures in Spanish music, and
accordingly in the sonatas of Antonio Soler, is not a mere coincidence.
According
to
Martin
Kunnigham,
Spain
has
over
one
thousand
choreographically different dances, and over two hundred are known only in
Catalonia!93
Since Soler incorporated Spanish dance elements into many of his
90 Steblin, Rita. A History Of Key Characteristics In The Eighteenth And Early Nineteenth CenturiesUMI
Research Press, Ann Arbor, 1981.69.
91 Steblin, Rita. A History Of Key Characteristics In The Eighteenth And Early Nineteenth CenturiesUMI
Research Press, Ann Arbor, 1981.71.
92 Ibid 76.
44
sonatas, I would like to mention a few of them. Generally, Spanish dances are divided
into two main groups: classic dances and Flamenco. The most popular classic dances are
Bolero, Sevillanes, and the Jota. The best known Flamenco dances are the Tango,
Farruca, and the Garrotin.94
Farruca, is a virtuosic solo dance performed by one man. The music for the
farrucas is usually in a very fast tempo with a complex staccato rhythmic structure and a
wide dynamic range from very soft to very loud. The Tango is the opposite of Farruca.
It is a solo dance for a woman and has a very gentle and soft character. The meter of
these Flamenco dances is generally 2/4. The Bolero, which originates from the Spanish
verb volar, to fly, is a dance that is composed of three parts. In the outer parts the
dancers dance together, whereas in the middle section one of the dancers performs a solo
dance.95 According to Gilbert Chase, . . . the additional rhythmic complexity is created
by the dancers themselves; the guitar, which provides basic rhythms, is accompanied by
the zapateado (stamping and tapping of the feet), pito (finger snapping), palmada
(clapping of the hands with a sharp, dry clack, also slapping of the thighs) of the
dancer, and by the jaleo (the stimulating shouting and clapping of the spectators). 96
I will discuss dances such as the Jota Aragonesa, Passeo, and Sardana, as well as
specific Spanish guitar techniques, and the Flamenco singing style cante jondo in more
details in Chapter Three, since each of these Spanish art forms is reflected in the
individual sonatas I have chosen to analyze.
93 Oxford Music Online. Spain: Traditional and Ethno musical Research. Martin Kunnigham.
96 Ibid252.
45
CHAPTER THREE: STYLISTIC ANALYSIS AND PERFORMANCE

GUIDE TO THREE KEYBOARD SONATAS OF ANTONIO SOLER
Sonata M.1 In C Minor

Formal, Harmonic and Melodic Structure
This sonata is in a simple binary form with clear A and B sections. Both sections
have an introduction and two subsections. The introduction in the A section is from mm.
1-9. The first subsection is from m. 10-31, and the second subsection is from mm. 32-55.
The introduction is a harmonic descending gesture, which spans two octaves and is
restated immediately. Solers irregular phrasing is evident in the introduction. The
opening five-bar phrase creates an expectation that the repetition of the phrase beginning
in m. 6 will be another five-bar phrase. Soler heightens the dramatic entrance of new
material in m. 10, when he truncates the second phrase of the introduction.
The first subsection starts on the dominant. The motive is based on the repetition
of minor seconds (e.g. G-A, B-C, D-E in mm. 10-18) over the harmonic alternations
between the dominant and the subdominant (mm. 13-15), and the dominant and the tonic
(mm. 16-18). This motive will reappear in different keys throughout the sonata.
The prominent use of this interval and the repeated alternation between the
dominant and the subdominant harmonies are characteristic features of Spanish music.
More specifically, the triple meter, the specific rhythmic figuration ( ), the constant
alternation between the tonic and the dominant that is seen throughout the sonata, and the
irregular phrasing, are all characteristic of the Jota Aragonesa.
The Jota, which
originated in Aragon, spread to other regions of Spain, where the form developed
regional differences. However, the dance is invariably in rapid triple time and has
characteristic odd-numbered phrasing. I will discuss the Jota in more detail later in this
46
chapter. The following table demonstrates the largescale pattern of the alternation
between the tonic and the dominant harmonies throughout the piece:
Table 4. Harmonic Scheme:
Tonic
mm.1-9
m. 39
mm.47-55
mm.56-65
m. 103
mm.111-121
Dominant
mm.10-29
mm.32-38
mm.40-46
mm.66.75
mm.93-102
mm.104-110
The second motive of the first subsection (mm. 20-31) continues the dominant
prolongation, which started at the beginning of the subsection in m.10. A new melody,
which is an arch-formed ascending and descending line, appears with a new texture of
sixteenth-notes as opposed to the eighth-notes of the first motive. The compound melody
in the right hand in mm. 20-28 suggests the guitar technique in which two strings are
plucked in alternation, creating a polyphonic effect. The middle voice acts as a drone on
the dominant pitch of G. The first subsection finishes with a Phrygian cadence and ends
on the dominant of the dominant (D Major, in measure 31.)
The second subsection of the A section (mm. 32-55) starts on the dominant of G
Minor and alternates between the dominant and the subdominant.
Similarly to the
previous subsection, the beginning of the first motive of this subsection (mm. 32-34) is
based on the interval of the minor second. Measure 39 seems to be a very important
point, because there is a perfect authentic cadence in the new key of G Minor. Soler
could have ended the first part of the binary form here. However, he repeats the motive
once more, and then adds another motive (mm. 47-55) that is stated in the new key and
47
consists of the cadencial material of the previous motive (mm. 45-46 and 50-51). As
Kirkpatrick observes, this type of prolonged multiple endings of a section is a common
compositional feature in Scarlattis and Solers writing.97
Although slightly longer than the A section, the B section of this sonata also has
an introduction and two subsections. The introduction of the B section is from mm. 5665. The first subsection is from mm. 66-95, and the second subsection is from mm. 96121. The motive of the introduction is based on the motive of the A section. However,
the difference between the descending gesture of this motive from that of the A section is
in its harmonic path. The first phrase of the motive starts on the tonic of the new key G
Minor, but when we arrive at the cadence in mm. 59-60, we realize that we modulated to
B Major, the relative major of G Minor. The second phrase starts in B major and
modulates to D Minor (mm. 64-65). This switch is made possible by Solers substitute of
the natural minor scale in the third measure of the theme (m. 58) instead of the harmonic
minor scale of the A section (m. 3.) The first subsection of the B section starts on the
dominant of D Minor. The first motive of this subsection is based on the minor seconds
(mm. 66-75) and serves as a dominant bridge.
In the following subsection (mm. 76-95) the following motive is melodically
based on that of the A section and is presented as a sequence (mm. 76-83 in G Minor, and
mm. 84-95 in C Minor). These modulations are achieved through chromatic inflections
and secondary dominants.
In the modulatory passage (mm. 76-95) Soler keeps the
Phrygian feel with the use of the lowered second degree of the scale.
Company, New York: Princeton University Press, 1968. 263.
48
Soler finishes the subsection with a Phrygian cadence in mm. 94-95, which is
very typical for his compositional writing and is identical to the comparable part in the A
section. In my opinion, this characteristic Spanish element should be emphasized in a
performance. The second subsection starts on the dominant of the home key, in m. 96,
and entirely mirrors the melodic material of that of the second subsection in the A
section, bringing the sonata back into the home key of C Minor. The second subsection
is longer in the B section. This compositional device also foreshadows the development
of the later classical sonata form.
Phrase Structure
The phrasing in this sonata is irregular, which is typical of Solers compositional
style and, as mentioned above, is one of the characteristic traits of the Jota. This type of
asymmetric phrase structure is called aksak which is a Turkish word and literally
means limping or struggling. 98 This type of phrasing is very popular in Spanish
music, as well as in the Middle Eastern and Balkan folk music. It designates a rhythmic
system in which the pieces or sequences in a fast tempo are based on an uninterrupted
98 Arcadio de Larrea Palacin. Oxford Music Online, Grove Dictionary online. Traditional and Popular
Music in Spain.
49
combination of ternary and binary construction of phrases, such as 2+2+3 or 2+3+3. It is

interesting to observe that despite the irregularity of the phrasing, on a bigger spectrum
the phrase structure within the two sections of this sonata is closely related and is rather
symmetrical. The following table demonstrates the phrasing within the two sections:
Table 5. Phrase structure in both sections:
Introduction
First Subsection
Second
mm. 1-9
mm. 10-31
Subsection
mm. 32-55
Motive
First motive
Second motive
First motive
Second motive
mm.1-9
mm. 10-19
mm20-31
mm. 32-46
mm. 47-55
5+4
3+3+4
3+3+3+3
5+3+5+2
2+3+2+2
Introduction
First Subsection
Second
mm. 56-65
mm. 66-95
Subsection
mm. 96-121
Motive
First motive
Second motive
First motive
Second motive
mm. 56-65
mm. 66-75
mm. 76-95
mm. 96-110
mm. 111-121
5+5
3+3+4
3+3+2+3+3+3+3
5+3+5+2
2+3+2+4
50
Stylistic Observations and Performance Suggestions

The irregularity of the phrases suggests metrical changes and an emphasis on
this will make a performance more interesting. This may be achieved by a specific choice
of articulation, ornamentation and dynamics. For example, to highlight the five-measure
phrase of the introduction in the A section, a performer may add a trill on the first note of
each of the two first phrases in the A section, and continue playing the entire phrase with
a non-legato, marcato touch. Additionally, Soler indicates trills on the beginning of both
phrases in the introduction of the B section (m. 56, and m. 61). Taking a little time
between the introduction and the first subsection will help to articulate the irregular
length of the phrases in both A and B sections. The same case may be made for the
timing between the mm. 95-96. With a use of slight rubato between the end of the
modulatory passage and the next subsection (m. 96) the performer will draw attention to
the Phrygian cadence.
As a performer I respectfully disagree with some of the dynamic markings
suggested by Marvin in his edition of Soler sonatas. Marvins piano indication in m. 13
seems to imply that he believed that a new section begins here.
Because of the
presentation of the minor seconds in the motive in m. 10, I believe the section starts in m.
10. There is a pattern of G, B, D, and F from m. 10-19.
51
Perhaps, because the G pitch is explored in the left hand in m.13, Marvin
misinterpreted the musical material. By starting the section softly in m.10, a performer
will be able to build a musically logical phrase towards its top in m.19. Likewise, I
would suggest beginning the section starting in m. 66 in piano. I do agree with Marvins
choice of subito mezzo piano in m.20, as well as his suggestion to change the articulation
from marcato to molto legato.99 These markings help to create strong entrance for the
new material, which is first introduced in m. 20. A choice of a specific accentuation,
such as accenting every subdominant eighth-note of mm. 22, 25-28 will bring out the
harmonic alternation between the dominant and the subdominant, already observed
above, and emphasize on the Spanishism of his musical language.
The ornamented first beats (eighth-notes in the right hand) of mm. 47-48 and 5253, 111-112, and 116-117 present an interesting choice to the performer. In Marvins
edition, the ornament indicated on the first beat of each of these measures is a grace note.
99 Marvins dynamic marking in m. 85 of the parallel passage represents an inconsistency. The pianissimo
belongs in m. 84.
52
However, as Marvin points out in a footnote in his edition, in another copy of this sonata,
the first beat of each of these measures contains two sixteenth-notes instead of an
ornamented eighth-note.
According to traditional eighteenth-century performance
practice, grace notes indicated over eighth-notes can be executed as running sixteenthnotes. However, taking into account that many Italian and Spanish composers of the
time, including Soler, were not consistent with their indications for ornaments, and even
expected performers to improvise them, the grace note could also be replaced by other
ornaments, such as a trill or mordent. If we add a mordent or a short trill on the
downbeats of these measures, the new tonic will be emphasized. Adding such ornaments
will create a stop in the running sixteenth-note motion in the right hand. Adding a
mordent or a short trill will also help initiate a dramatic, clear rhythm since, an eighth
note followed by four sixteenth notes on a deeper level implies an eighth note followed
by a quarter note. The stop of the sixteenth-note motion also separates the two measures
(mm. 47-48, 52-53, 111-112, 116-117) in which the rhythm is changed from the
following three measures (mm. 49-51, 113-115, 118-121.) This highlights the ternary
and binary construction of the aksak phrase structure discussed earlier.
I personally believe that adding an ornament on the downbeats of these measures
greatly enhances the Spanish feel of the piece, because it mimics the instrumentation of
the jota. Usually the jota is sung and danced with accompaniment by castanets, guitars,
bandurias, lutes and drums. A mordent or a sharp short trill on the eighth notes suggests
the percussive sound of castanets and small drums, as well as the strumming of the
guitars and bandurias.
Taking into consideration that the harpsichord has a rather
percussive tone-quality this type of ornament in such a quick tempo sounds very sharp
and dramatic.
The second option, appoggiatura sixteenth-notes, creates a smoother, more
elegant effect. If we consider the important emergence of the galant style in Spain during
the mid-eighteenth century, this more Classical rendering may also be considered a
53
reasonable stylistic choice. Taking into account that ornaments and rhythms were varied
in repeats of the sections, a performer may choose to make use of both of the
abovementioned interpretational choices.
Jota Aragonesa
Soler often changes the rhythmical patterns in this sonata, combining the common
rhythmical structure of the jota, quarter note to eighth note, with the reverse order of
the pattern; the eighth note to quarter note . Salient cases of this change of the
patterns can be seen in mm. 38, 102, 103, and 115. The different rhythmical patterns in
mm. 55 and 121 are possibly copyists mistakes. Most likely Soler intended to use the
rhythmical pattern in m. 55 identical to that in m. 121. Such sudden changes in
rhythmical patterns should not be missed by the performer, as they usually symbolize the
different and sudden changes in the steps of the dance. There is a broad division between
the jota of upper Aragon, which is lighter, livelier and faster in tempo (the dancers touch
the ground only with their toes), and the jota of lower Aragon, which is slower and has
fewer leaps. In my opinion, this sonata with its lively allegro tempo marking corresponds
to the jota of the upper Aragon, which is danced by a couple or several couples.100
Gilbert Chase describes the costumes of the dancers and the steps of the dance in a rather
picturesque manner:
The girl wears the full peasant skirt, and over the upper part of her body she
wraps a large shawl; the figure is completely concealed. The man wears a
waistcoat and black breeches laced at the knee, with a broad, bright-colored sash
around his waist and a headdress of vivid hue. His stockings and shirt are white.
For both, the footwear is the alpargata, cord-soled sandals tied on with black
laces. . . . Speed, emphasized by abrupt pauses in which the dancers hold
100 Arcadio de Larrea Palacin. Oxford Music Online, Grove Dictionary online. Traditional and Popular
Music in Spain.
54
themselves immobile for a couple of measures, is the very essence of the jota.
Strongly executed pirouettes and turns are frequent. Facing each other, with
castanets held out at arms length, the dancers swing outward first one leg and
then the other. In one figure the girl sits on the ground playing her castanets
while the man pirouettes around her. In another they kneel down on one knee
opposite each other, and alternately bump the ground with left and right knee,
keeping rhythmic count. . .101
The jota was once danced during burial ceremonies; however, this custom has
changed over times. The content of the song is quite diverse, from patriotism and religion
to sexual exploits. Jotilla (little Jota) in Andalusia is danced to celebrate the end of the
olive harvest. Knowing and taking into consideration the historical context,
instrumentation and other stylistic characteristics of the jota will make the performance
of this wonderful sonata bright and colorful.
Sonata M.9 In D Major

The Formal Structure
This sonata is written in a binary form. Both the A and the B sections contain two
sections that are contrasting in their character, and could be interpreted as slow and fast
sections.
The slow sections in the A and the B sections are divided into three
subsections, whereas the fast sections consist of two subsections. The form of this sonata
reflects elements of two traditional Spanish dance types, the Paseo, and the Catalan
dance Sardana. The slow parts of the A and B sections stylistically correspond to the
paseo, which is a slow and an elegant promenade that serves as an introduction to the
101 Chase, Gilbert. The Music of Spain Dover Publications, New York, 1959.252.
55
dance. The faster sections suggest elements of the quicker and livelier circle dance
Sardana. The following table demonstrates the formal structure of the piece:
Table 6. Formal structure:
A Section
B section
mm.1-63
mm. 64-122
Paseo
Paseo
mm.1-21
mm.22-31
mm. 32-47
mm. 65-80
Sardana
mm. 48-57
mm. 81-90
mm. 91-106
Sardana
mm. 58-64
mm. 107-113
mm. 114-123
The Thematic and Harmonic Structure

The first subsection of the Paseo of the A section, (mm. 1-21) starts on the tonic,
with a head motive that is repeated immediately an octave higher. After the repetition of
the head motive, the subsection continues through a chain of modulations in which Soler
briefly tonicizes A major and then E major in the passage from m. 12 to the unison Bs in
m. 21. Also, in this passage Soler demonstrates the use of a harmonic crescendo, a
compositional tool discussed in Chapter Two.
In order to create this effect, Soler
gradually shortens the rhythmic values of the melody in the right hand, and the harmonic
changes in the left-hand accompaniment become quicker towards the end of the passage.
56
Also of note in this passage is the long series of sigh figures which chart a long ascent
from F-sharp in m. 12 to the high B in m. 20.
The subsection ends with unison Bs (m. 21) which represents a half cadence in
the key of E major or E minor. Soler established the key of E major in mm. 17-19, but
introduces a C natural in m. 20 (which most likely continues in m. 21 as the upper
auxiliary note of the trill). With the C natural, Soler implies the parallel minor key, E
minor, to which he shifts in the next phrase. Solers exploration of parallel major and
minor keys is an important facet of the compositional styles of later composers such as
Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert as well as that of his teacher, Scarlatti.
The following subsection (mm. 22-31) contains two phrases, the second being an
extended version of the first. The first phrase (mm. 22-25) starts on the dominant of E
Minor and progresses towards its tonic 6/5 chord. The second phrase in m. 26 also starts
on the dominant chord and echoing the melodic material of the first phrase goes through
57
the tonic 6/5 chord. However, it further develops that melodic material and finishes the
subsection on the E dominant chord in m. 31.
It is interesting to note that the main melodic notes in the initial phrase are: F#-BA-(D#)-F-#-E. Since we are in the key of E minor at this point, we can say that Soler has
neglected the third scale degree, G. In the extended version of the phrase, Soler creates
an even longer descending scale in mm. 29-31, and finally brings in a G# in the melody:
E-D-C-B-A-(B-A)-G#-F#-E. The G#, introduced first in the accompaniment in m. 29,
moves us away from E minor to A minor. There are many instances of Viennese
classical composers and Romantic composers intensifying the appearance of a pitch by
first avoiding it. It is exciting to note that this compositional device was used by Soler.
The third subsection of the Paseo of the A section is from mm. 32-47. It starts on
the tonic of the new key of A minor and stays in this key until its end. Similarly to the
previous two subsections, this subsection consists of two phrases. The first phrase is
from mm. 32-39, and the second phrase from mm. 40-47. The harmonic structure of this
subsection is fairly simple, consisting mainly of tonic and dominant harmonies.
However, the ending of the subsection is highly unusual. The unresolved dominant
harmony in m. 46 follows with a rest under a fermata in the next measure.
58
This type of sudden ending is associated with the Bien Parado step present in
many of Spanish Dances. Bien Parado, which literally means well stopped, concludes
a dance or a section of a dance. It provides one of the sudden transitions and striking
attitudes that are so characteristic of Spanish dancing. Gilbert Chase describes the step:
In the bien parado the dancer makes a sudden stop, assumes a motionless pose,
placing one leg slightly forward, bent at the knee and turned outward, the body
somewhat twisted and thrown back upon the support of the leg, while one arm is
held arched over the head and the other is crossed in front of the chest. When this
figure is skillfully executed, the spectators cry out Bien Parado!102
After the fermata, the new section with a completely new character starts with the
pick-up sixteenth-note in m. 47. The first subsection of the Sardana (mm. 48-57) starts
on the tonic of A Major, the parallel major of the key of the previous section, A minor.
Similarly to the following subsection (mm. 58-63) this subsection also consists of two
identical phrases.
The entire section of the Sardana has a very simple harmonic
structure; a mere alternation between the tonic and dominant harmonies and a
confirmation of the tonic at the end of the section (mm. 61-64.)
The first subsection of the Paseo in the B section (mm. 65-80) starts in the key in
which the previous section ended, A Major. However, in m. 68 Soler introduces a
diminished seventh chord, which signals the start of a modulation to B minor. From mm.
71-78 Soler introduces a sequence that modulates through secondary dominant
harmonies, descending stepwise from B minor (mm. 71-73) to A Major (mm.74-76) and
finally to G Major (mm.77-79.) After a rather jarring harmonic progression in m. 69 (a G
major chord to B half-diminished seventh chord,) Soler finishes the subsection with a
Phrygian cadence to an E major chord in mm. 79-80.
59
The next subsection is from mm. 81-90 and starts on the dominant of A Minor.
This subsection, as well as the following subsection (mm. 91-106) in its harmonic and
melodic construction is nearly identical to those in the A section except that they are
transposed up a perfect fourth. As many composers do in the recapitulations of mature
Classical sonatas, Soler brings the repetition of the sub-phrase from mm. 99-105 down an
octave. This affords the performer a good opportunity to explore the darker placement of
the theme. Similarly, the Paseo section ends with the Bien Parado step in measure 106,
giving way to the Sardana, which is again virtually identical in its material to the one in
the A section, except that it appears now in the home key of D Major.
Each subsection consists of two phrases, except the first subsection of the A
section (mm. 1-21). That subsection has the extra phrase, which serves as a modulatory
bridge (mm. 12-21). Furthermore, each thematic phrase in this sonata is echoed in its
melodic material, except the second phrase of the first subsection in the B section
(mm.71-80). After the statement of the head motive in mm. 65-70, there is a modulatory
bridge phrase from mm. 71-80. Because there is a repetition of the head motive in the A
section and not in the B section, the opening section of the A is longer (21 measures) than
the opening section of the B section of the sonata (16 measures.) The following chart
demonstrates the measure groupings of the opening sections of the A and B sections.
Table 7. Measure groupings between the sections:

A Section
B Section
6+5+10
6+10
60
Spanish Characteristics and Performance Suggestions

Elements of Spanish music are found throughout this sonata. In the second and
third subsections in both the A and B sections (mm 22-31, 32-47, 81-90, 91-106), there
are salient examples of Solers stylistic use of two important facets of Flamenco, cante
jondo (deep song), and pulgado, a guitar technique in which the strings are plucked with
the thumb to produce a strong sound that separates the specific notes or voices in the
overall texture. 103
Characteristic of cante jondo, the typical Flamenco style of
Andalusian songs of lament, love, passion and sadness, the melodies of these subsections
employ descending diatonic gestures (mm. 30, 38, 89, 97). Since cante hondo often also
refers to a very expressive vocal timbre, the thirty-two notes of the melody should be
played in a tenuto manner (not too fast) and very expressively. This will also help to
create a bigger contrast between the first subsection in D Major and this subsection,
which is in E Minor in the A section and A Minor in the B section. To create this
expressive color, I do not start the first statement of the phrase in mp as suggested by
Marvin in mm. 32 and 81. Instead, I play these phrases statements louder, with a legato
touch and molto espressivo timbre the first time. While maintaining the same touch and
timbre, I play the repetition of these phrases softer and more delicately. Since inflections
in the form of accenting or descending appoggiaturas are typical to this style of singing
and are used to accentuate certain notes in the melody, I add appoggiaturas on the first
notes of mm. 33, 34, 40, 41, 92, 93, 100 99, and 101.
In mm. 35-37, 43-45, 94-96, and 102-104 Soler imitates the Pulgado guitar
technique, in which the guitarist pulls sharply on a string in order to create a strong
emphasis on a note, often with the aim of creating an additional line in the texture. In
61
these passages, Soler double stems the notes and creates a pedal point over each group of
three measures. The pianist, by playing those eighth-notes in a portamento style, will
emphasize the pseudo-polyphonic texture, and thus imitate the sound produced by this
guitar technique.
A further refinement for the execution of the above-mentioned eighth notes would be to
imitate a guitar technique called apagado,104 which is often used to produce a muffled
sound, comparable to that of the piano when the damper pedal is used. I recommend this
effect in the repetition of the passage to create an echo effect.
In the previous subsection, the modulatory bridge in mm. 12-21, represents a
harmonic crescendo, as mentioned earlier. If we consider that this piece may have
been performed on the harpsichord, then this type of compositional device was one of the
means to make a seeming crescendo with the help of a written-out rhythmic accelerando.
As a performer of these sonatas on the modern piano, I still perform a crescendo in this
104 Pena, Paco. Flamenco Guitarin The Guitar: A Guide for Students And Teachers. Compiled and
edited by Michael Stempson. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. 22.
62
passage and strengthen this effect with a slight accelerando and the use of the sustaining
pedal on each of the new harmonies. Breaking some of the chords in arpeggios in the left
hand and adding trills that gradually become longer in the right hand intensifies this
effect. The trills can be put on each eighth-note in mm. 12-17 in the right hand, and then
following the motivic trend, the trills are executed on the first sixteenth-notes of the beats
in mm. 18-20. To heighten the sense of arrival at in m. 21, I trill for a relatively long
time and linger on the final note of the trill for a little while as well. I breathe at the end
of the fermata, just before I start the next phrase in m. 22, in order to intensify the
heartbreaking cante jondo style. Similarly, where I envision the bien parado step in mm.
47 and 106, I would suggest holding the fermata in a dramatic and purposeful way. The
entrance of the Sardana dance in mm. 48 and 107 should act as a spirited relief of the
built-up tension.
The sardana is a traditional Catalan dance, which has been popular since the
seventeenth century and still represents a symbol of their national identity. In the words
of Enric Morera, a Catalan composer, The Sardana is a dance, a Hymn, a Song, it is
Catalonia!105 The sardana is a circle dance executed by a large group of men and
women who hold hands and turn first to the right then to the left, at the same time
executing fairly simple steps: two steps to the right, two steps to the left, and then four
steps to the right, followed by four steps to the left. In the first section the dancers hold
their hands down, and in the second section they hold their hands up. These steps can be
varied by pointing the toes before each step is taken. The group of musicians who play
for the sardana is called the cobla. It consists of eleven musicians, nine of whom play
the wind instruments, one plays the bass, and the most important member of the cobla
plays both the tamburi (a small drum attached to his elbow) and the fluviol (a three-holed
63
pipe). He not only announces the beginning of the dance but also keeps the time with the
unvarying beats of his drum taps.106
The musical structure of the dance section of this sonata (mm. 48-64 and 107123) corresponds to the harmonic and rhythmic structure of the sardana. This Catalonian
dance is depicted in one of the sculptured walls of the Montserrat Monastery, dating from
the fifteenth century.107 Solers native Catalonia, located in the northeast part of Spain,
did not undergo the intensive Muslim and Byzantine influences that were experienced in
southern Spain, and in particular in Andalusia. Harmonically, this section of the sonata
also reflects the least oriental inflections. It sounds more traditionally European to the
ear with its mostly tonic and dominant harmonic structure.
While sardanas are generally in a 6/8 meter, and the meter of this sonata is 2/4,
Soler introduces many triplet sixteenth notes throughout this passage, suggesting a
compound metrical feel. It is interesting to note that there is not a single triplet in this
sonata except in these passages. The performer can emphasize the sardana characteristic
by establishing and keeping the tempo very firmly from the beginning of the section, thus
creating a stylistic contrast with the fairly free, rubato style of the paseo section, and
imitate the pipe-like sonorities that are reflected throughout the section. Although there
is no indication of a new tempo, Marvin indicates the return to the B section (m. 65) with
a tempo primo mark, thus implying that the previous section (mm. 48-64) should be
performed in a different tempo.
107 Ibid.
64
Missing Indications and Editorial Remarks

For the reasons presented in the discussion above, I believe that there are missing
tempo indications in mm. 48 and 106. I would like to mention several other possible
problems present in the score of this sonata, possibly due to copyists mistakes. One of
them is at the very beginning of the sonata. The left hand plays a D octave quarter note
in the first measure, which is absent in the repetition of the phrase in m. 7. The left hand
staff curiously has no indication of a rest either. In its parallel passage, in m. 65, the tonic
bass chord is again absent, thus putting the relevance of the quarter note in the left hand
in the first measure in doubt.
Since that chord is absent in all the parallel passages, in
my performances of this sonata, I prefer to omit the chord in the first measure as well.
Starting only with the right-hand melody gives this passage a feeling of delicateness,
which is emphasized by Marvins dynamic suggestion of piano.
I agree with most of the editorial suggestions made by Marvin. However, I will
have to respectfully disagree with his suggestion of slowing down in mm. 46 and 105.
The effect of what I believe to be a Bien Parado (sudden stop) step in Spanish dance in
the following measures will be more dramatic without a preceding ritenuto.
Sonata M21 In G Minor

The Form and Harmonic Structure
The form of the sonata M21 in G minor is a rondo. The sections of the sonata are
clearly delineated in the score by both meter and tempo or character indications. The
sections may be summarized as follows:
65
Table 8. Formal structure:
Sections A
Measure 1-23
24-29
30-35
36-41
42-45
47-65
66-71
72-77
78-83
84-91
numbers
In the chart above, A refers to fast sections, marked either prestissimo or

allegro in the score and B refers to the contrasting slower sections, marked cantabile in
the score.
The prestissimo section consists of four subsections. Each of these sections is
used to create the four returns of the A section (A, A, A, and the coda A). The
first subsection is from mm. 1 to 7 and is based on alternating tonic and dominant
harmonies. In the second subsection (mm.8-13) Soler introduces descending thirds in the
inner line of the right hand and parallel octaves in the left hand. In this subsection, Soler
also uses alternations of the harmonic and natural minor scales within one measure.
Example 19. Sonata M.21 in G Minor, mm. 12-13.
This coloristic use of two forms of the minor scale in conjunction with the guitarlike texture of the section, and the soprano pedal point, create a Spanish flavor. The third
66
subsection, a modulatory bridge, is from mm. 14 to 18. It starts on the dominant of G

minor and modulates to C major. This modulation is achieved by following the fourth
rule of Solers Quick Modulations, stepwise motion between the moving lines. Soler
relies on secondary dominants, particularly, on a pivot chord, (the second beat of m.15)
to modulate from the key of G minor, through the key of F Major, and finally to the key
of C major.
Example 20. Sonata M.21 in G Minor, mm. 14-17.
The fourth subsection (mm. 18-23) comprises of two transpositions of the first
three measures of the second subsection (m. 8 to the downbeat of m. 11.) The material
from m. 18 to the downbeat of m. 21, in the key of C major, is an exact transposition
(down a perfect fifth) of the material from m. 8 to the downbeat of m. 11. The material
from m. 21 to the downbeat of m. 24, in the key of F major, is also a transposition of the
material from m. 8 to the downbeat of m. 11, but Soler changes the left hand part by
incorporating the textural pattern of the left hand part of m. 11 to the downbeat of m. 13.
The harmonic function of the two transpositions is the same as that of the original
material in mm. 8-11: IV-I-ii-I.
Soler uses the F pedals in the soprano and alto voices in mm. 21-23 to introduce
the first cantabile B Section (mm. 24-29) which is a long F dominant prolongation in the
key of BMajor. This modulation is achieved by following the first and second rules of
67
Solers Quick Modulations: the use of a common note or a chord between the two keys,
and the arrival at the dominant of the new key.
In the A section, (mm. 30-35) Soler uses the material of the fourth subsection
(mm.18-23). In the A section, (mm. 47-65), Soler develops and extends the material of
the third subsection (mm. 14-17) by augmentation of its descending sequence of
secondary dominants. The following chart demonstrates the scheme of the modulation
and the augmentation of the sequence in the third subsection of the A section and the A
section of the sonata:
Table 9. Scheme of modulation and augmentation of the sequence:
Measure 14 Measure 14 Measure 14 Measure 15 Measure 15 Measure 15

Beat 1+
beat 2
beat 2+
beat 1
beat 1+
beat 2
Measure 47
Measure 48
Measure 49
Measure 50
Measure 51
Measure 52
G7
F7
a0
(diminished)
Soler closes the A section (mm. 60-65) with a nearly exact repetition of the
second subsection of the A section (mm. 8-13). The following A section (mm.72-77) is
also based on the second subsection. The coda (mm.84-91), section A , is in the main
key of the sonata, G minor. Soler uses the same melodic pattern as the opening of the
68
sonata: two turn figures around the pitch G followed by three alternations of pitches G
and F . However, in the coda Soler re-harmonizes the turn figures; the tonic and
dominant harmonies of the opening of the piece are replaced by a progression which
includes a subdominant-functioning chord: i-ii dim.-i 6/4-V. After four measures of
alternating between tonic and dominant chords, the sonata finishes with a unison G
without specifying the mode.
The first two appearances of the cantabile sections (mm. 24-29 and 36-41) are
identical in their musical material. These sections are in the key of Bmajor, but the
tonic chord appears only close to the end of the sections, on the second beats of mm. 27
and 39. The B sections end harmonically unresolved on a dominant F7 chord.
At the
end of the first B section (m. 29), the dominant F7 chord is reinterpreted as the tonic in
the following Allegro sections.
The first phrase of the Cadenza C section (mm42-43) begins in the key of B
major. However, our visit to the key is short-lived because Soler tonicizes F major in m.
43. The second phrase of the cadenza starts in C major (m. 44), which in measure 45
moves to a D dominant seventh chord of G major. The first chord of the second phrase
(m44) acts also as a pivot chord since not only is it the dominant of F major, but it is also
the subdominant of G Major. Hence, through this pivot chord the modulation takes the
key of the section from F major to G major (the parallel major of the main key) where the
following Allegro section begins. This key is prepared by the modulation mentioned
above and is also anticipated by the use of the note B (the second beat of m. 46.) The
following chart expresses the sequential relationships in mm. 42-46.
69
Table 10.Sequential Relationship:
Harmonies
Measure numbers
BMajor-C Dominant-F Major
42-43
C Major- D-Dominant- G Major
44-46
The third and fourth B sections (mm. 66-71 and 78-83) are also identical in their
musical material, and both are on the dominant of the main key of G Minor. In these
sections Soler uses all three variants of the minor scale. He uses the ascending melodic
minor scale in mm. 68 and 80 raised VI and VII scale degrees: B, C, E). He uses the
harmonic and natural minor scales within one measure, which adds to the Spanish feel.
Example 21. Sonata M.21 in G Minor, m. 66-71.
70
Tempo and Meter Indications

The indication of meter and tempo markings of this sonata is of great interest
since this sonata introduces changes in both the tempo and meter between the sections,
which is quite rare for the period. The change of the meter from allabreve (2/4) to 6/8
creates an impression of naturally slowing down. This can be explained by the binary
division of the allabreve and the ternary division of the 6/8.
Curiously, the original
tempo indication prestissimo in the opening material of the sonata is replaced with the
allegro in all of the returns of the A section. This case raises the question of whether the
tempo markings found in the copies of this sonata were given by Soler or whether they
were later added by a copyist. Whether this change of the tempo was a copyists mistake
or Soler indeed wanted the performer to play the first time faster than the following of the
times cannot be proven and remains one of the artistic decisions for the performer to
make. Since the material of the subsequent A sections is derived from the opening A
section, I choose to play all the A sections in about the same tempo.
To further enhance the contrast between the A and B sections, the cantabile
sections and especially the cadenza ad libidum, should be performed in tempo rubato and
in a recitative style as opposed to the more driving rhythmic style appropriate for the
prestissimo/allegro sections.
The meter is not only important to create contrast but it is also vital for phrasing
within each section. I believe that Solers irregular phrase lengths help to create an
interesting large-scale rhythmic connection between the contrasting allabreve and
cantabile sections. The lengths of the phrases in the A sections vary from two measures
to three and four measures. Thus, the grouping of measures into larger hyper-measures
gives the impression of switching back and forth between duple and triple meters. In
order to clarify this concept the phrases will be divided as follows: the first two phrases
consisting of two measures each and the following three phrases consisting of three
measures each.
The bridge section of the A (mm. 14-17) makes a phrase of four
71
measures followed by two separate phrases of three measures each. If every group of
four eighth-notes is considered as one grouping, they can be numbered in regards to their
amount found in every phrase. Hence, the first two phrases will have four beats (four
groupings) while the following three phrases will have six beats/groupings each. The
chart below demonstrates the hypermetrical scheme of this section:
Table 11. Hypermetrical Scheme:
cut
time
Measure 21
Measure 22
Measure 23
6
8
Measure 24
This irregular phrasing, so common in Solers sonatas, creates a metrical

instability. However, in this sonata the metrical instability contributes to continuity of
the work as a whole. For example, if we consider the last phrase of the A section (mm.
21-23) as one large measure in 6/2, the transition to the 6/8 meter of the cantabile will be
smoothened, contributing to a more seamless change in tempo between the two
contrasting sections.
72
Spanish Characteristics and Performance Suggestions

The Spanish influences in this particular sonata are reflected throughout. There
are two main aspects of Spanish Flamenco music that are translated into the sonata: the
transfer of the guitar idioms into the piano writing and the vocal flamenco style. The first
section represents the guitar plucking of the toque Flamenco style,108 whereas the
cantabile section is a sung melody in the cante Flamenco style. 109 The short trills on the
sixteenth notes and the ascending four-note embellishments enhance the expressivity of
the latter style. The contrast between the toque and cante styles can be increased by the
use of different articulation and dynamics. The first section can be performed with a
more percussive and brighter quality in order to imitate the sound of the solo guitar,
which needs to be heard over the castanets and the tapping of the nailed shoes of the
dancers. The second section can have more legato and dolce espressivo quality that
would imitate the voice of a singer and the softer guitar accompaniment.
Along with the strong Spanish character of the piece, the influence of Italian
music and especially of Italian opera as well as instrumental works by Viennese classical
composers can be heard in this sonata. Particularly the cadenza section of the sonata is a
salient example of the eighteenth-century operatic cadenza that usually showcased the
technical capacities and the virtuosity of the performer. This type of cadenza was also
inserted into the concertos and sometimes sonatas of the more mature classical style to
display the virtuosity of the soloist. In this sonata Soler is slightly ahead of his time in
incorporating operatic cadenzas into his keyboard sonatas. Hence, if we go back to
Ceballoss idea of composers creating their patrons musical portraits discussed in
Chapter One, then we can surely say that Soler, with such hybridism of his style in the
108 Solo sections performed on the Flamenco guitar accompanied by castanets and dancing.
109 Lyrical and expressive song accompanied by dancing and guitar playing, the heart of the Flamenco
style.
73
sonatas represents the open character and various interests of his young prince, as well as
the new multiculturalism of his country.
74
CONCLUSION
The interpretation of a musical composition reflects the performers sentiments,

knowledge and musical ideas. The argument for a stylistically authentic performance is
even more diverse in regards to early music, since there are no recordings of the
composers or performers playing the works of the time.110 Accordingly, it is almost
impossible for a performer to have a definitive view on the performance practice of the
sonatas as executed by Soler himself. As discussed earlier, some scholars believe that the
performer of Iberian music should avoid using additional ornaments, yet others believe
the contrary. Some pianists state that Baroque music should be played without pedal,
while some state the opposite. Although in this essay I am providing a performance
guide to Solers keyboard sonatas on a modern piano, I would like to recall Alicia De
Larrochas quote introduced earlier in the essay: . . . . it is not possible to play pieces of
this era in any one way.111
However, an examination of the environment in which Soler lived and composed,
a study of the eighteenth-century keyboard traditions, an exploration of the Spanish
culture that influenced Solers compositional writing, as well as listening to various
interpretations of those sonatas performed on different instruments will be helpful for the
performers to make their own musical choices.
Furthermore, I believe that in the
particular case of interpreting the keyboard sonatas of Soler, consideration of Spanish
110 Saint-Saens was the first major pianist to record. Schonberg, Harold C, The Great Pianists. Revised
and Updated Edition, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1987. 15.
111 Elder, Dean. A Music Lesson on a Soler Sonata: Alicia deLarocha Recording. Clavier, no. 1 (1971):
10:23-8.
75
dances and guitar techniques is often inspiring and sometimes critical to an informed
interpretation.
76
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bobri, Vladimir. The Segovia Technique, New York: the Macmillan Company, 1972.
Carroll, Frank. An Introduction to Antonio Soler. Ph.D. dissertation, University of
Rochester, 1975.
Chase, Gilbert. The Music of Spain Dover Publications, New York, 1959.
Dieckow, A. A Stylistic Analysis of the Solo Keyboard Sonatas of Antonio Soler. Ph.D.
Dissertation, Washington University, Saint Louis, 1971.
Donington, Robert. Baroque Music: Style and Performance: A Handbook. 1st American
Ed. New York: Norton, 1982.
Elder, Dean. A Music Lesson on a Soler Sonata: Alicia deLarocha Recording. Clavier,
no. 1 (1971): 10:23-8.
Esses, Maurice. Dance and Instrumental Diferenciasin Spain During the 17th and
Early 18th Centuries. PhD Dissertation, University of Toronto, 1986.
Fisk, Eliot, A Fresh Look at Padre Soler. The Guitar Review 55 (1983): 9-14.
________. A Fresh Look at Padre Soler. The Guitar Review 56 (1984): 8-13.
Freedman, Frederick. Antonio Soler: A 250th Anniversary. Review Article, InterAmerican Music Review (1979): 2:45-57.
Gross Ceballos, Sara. Keyboard Portraits: Performing Character in the Eighteenth
Century. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of California in Los Angeles, 2008
Harich-Schneider, Eta. The Harpsichord: An Introduction to Technique, Style and the
Historical Sources. Second Ed. Basel, Tours, and London: Barenreiter-Verlag Kassel,
1973.
Hefling, Stephen E. Rhythmic Alteration in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Music:
Notes Inaegales and Overdotting. New York, Toronto, and New York: Schirmer
Books, 1993.
Heimes, Klaus Ferdinan. Antonio Solers Keyboard Sonatas. Thesis, University of South
Africa, 1965.
Hogwood, Christopher, ed. The Keyboard in Baroque Europe, Musical Performance and
Reception. Cambridge, England and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
77
Houle, George. Meter in Music, 1600-1800: Performance, Perception, and Notation,
Music Scholarship and Performance. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987.
Kirkpatrick, Ralph. Domenico Scarlatti: A Famous Harpsichordists Study of the Life,
Times, and Works of One of the Greatest Composers for His Instrument. Apollo ed.
Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York: Princeton University Press, 1968.
Marvin, Frederick. An Almost Forgotten Composer. Music Journal 18 (February 1960) :
34-36.
_______. Discovered Treasure: The Music of Antonio Soler. Clavier 19 (1980): 22-29.
_______. Antonio Soler. The Consort, no. 39, (1983): 479-488.
Newman, William S. The Sonata in the Baroque Era. Revised ed. Chapel Hill: University
of North Carolina press, 1966.
_______. The Sonata in the Classic Era. Second ed. Chapel Hill: University of North
Carolina press, 1963.
Nin, Joaquin. The Bi-Centenary of Antonio Soler. The Chesterian, xi (1930), 97.
Noone, Michael J. Music and Musicians in the Escorial Liturgy under the Habsbourgs,
1563-1700, Eastman Studies in Music. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press,
1998.
_______. Symposium: Music in the Escorial. Early Music, 1993.
Pena, Paco. Flamenco Guitarin The Guitar: A Guide for Students And Teachers.
Complied And Edited By Michael Stempson. Oxford, New York: Oxford University
Press, 1988.
Rubio, Samuel. Antonio Soler: Catalogo Crtico. Instituto de Msica Religiosa de la
Diputacin Provincial de Cuenca, c.198, Cuenca, Spain:
Sadie, Julie Ann, ed. Companion to Baroque Music. Forwarded by Hogwood,
Christopher, Schirmer book, New York, Oxford, Singapore, and Sydney: Maxwell
McMillan International, 1991.
Sadowsky, Reah. Antonio Soler: Creator of Spains Fifth Century of Musical Genius.
The American Music teacher, no. 1 (1978): 28:10-16.
Schonberg, Harold C, The Great Pianists. Revised and Updated Edition, Simon and
Schuster, New York, 1987.
78
Shipley, Linda Patricia. English Translation of Solers Llave de la Modulacion. Ph.D.
Dissertation, Florida State University, 1978.
________. Pedagogical Advantages in the Keyboard Sonatas of Antonio Soler. The
American Music Teacher, no. 5, (1989): 38:22-24-61.
Steblin, Rita. A History Of Key Characteristics In The Eighteenth And Early Nineteenth
CenturiesUMI Research Press, Ann Arbor, 1981.
Stein, Louise K. Songs of Martals, Dialogues of the Gods: Music and Theatre in
Seventeenth-Century Spain, Oxford Monographes on Music. Oxford and New York:
Clarendon Press and Oxford University Press, 1993.
Stevenson, Robert. Antonio Soler. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Edited by Stanly Sadie. Volume 17. Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London, 1995.
Soler, Antonio. Llave de la Modulacion. New York: Broude Brothers, 1967.
Storm, Elizabeth Nancy. The Harpsichord Sonatas of Padre Antonio Soler. Thesis,
University of Washington, 1948.
Yoon Soo, Cho. The Spanish Guitar Influence on the Piano Music of Isaac Albeniz and
Enrique Granados: A Detailed Study of Granada and Asturiasof Suite
Espanola by Albeniz and Andaluza and Danza Triste of Doce Dazas
Espanolas by Granados. DMA Treatise, The University of Texas in Austin, 2006.
Yamaoka, Miyuki. Antonio Soler Sonatas La Ma de Guido. Piano CD cover, article by
Isabel Izard I Granados. 2000.

Performance Guide To Three Keyboard Sonatas of Antonio Soler

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Performance guide to three keyboard sonatas of

Copyright 2009 Hayk Arsenyan

Follow this and additional works at: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd

An essay submitted in partial fulfillment

1 Catalan is a language which is spoken in Catalonia, a region in northeastern part of Spain.

Marvin Edition for my performances.

discussion I will concentrate on Solers environment at El Escorial Monastery where he

CHAPTER ONE: SOLERS WORLD

Soler and El Escorial

Beginning in 1757, Soler

assumed important and prestigious professional responsibilities. At the monastery, he

The Socio-Political Scene in Eighteenth-Century Spain

Soler and Scarlatti

followed Maria Barbara to Madrid.

The Mid-Eighteenth Century Sonata

dedications such as a amatori and a dilettanti or lusage de Dame and pour le

Soler and Don Gabriel

Carloss youngest son, Gabriel de Bourbon, born in Naples in 1752,

It had two keyboards at opposite sides of a cabinet, which contained the

Soler and Publishing

Taking advantage of the new printing technology,

Editions of Solers Keyboard Sonatas

The Harpsichord and Pianoforte

Its strings were struck with hammers, the speed of which

For example, sometimes fast passages of

octaves going up or down are encountered in either hand.

Example 1. Sonata M.13 in B

Soler: Musician Extraordinaire

54 This connection is made by Rene Lecuona.

CHAPTER TWO: MUSICAL ASPECTS OF

Before examining individual works, I would like to discuss several general

These aspects include formal structure of the

Formal and Harmonic Structure

60 Yamaoka, Miyuki. Antonio Soler Sonatas La Ma de Guido. Piano CD cover, article by

section as being both development, which he terms excursion, and recapitulation.61

Use of a common note or a chord between the two keys

Arrival at the dominant of the new key

Use of enharmonic spellings

Stepwise and contrary motion between the outer voices

62 Soler, Antonio. Llave de la Modulacion. New York: Broude Brothers, 1967.80.

Table 1. Correlation between keys and scale degrees:

DEGREE SCALE DEGREE

Themes and Phrase Structure

Example 2. Sonata M.2 in C Minor, mm. 9-10.

Example 3. Sonata M. 4 in C Minor, mm.70-73.

Example 4. Sonata M.4 in C Minor, footnote to measure 73.

However, Italian and

Example 5. SonataM.9in D Major, mm. 48-56.

Example 6. Sonata M.9 in D Major, mm. 11-21.

Example 7. Sonata M.4 in C Minor, mm. 1-3.

Complementing these Spanish rhythmic patterns, Soler frequently imitates the

Example 8. Sonata M.2 in C Minor, mm. 71-72.

Example 9. Sonata M.17 in E Minor, mm. 12-22.

Example 10. Sonata M.12 in C Minor, mm. 34-46.

Example 11. Sonata M.5 in C Major, mm. 19-24.

Example 12. Sonata M.5 in C Major, mm. 5-10.

Example 13. Sonata M.16 in B Major, mm. 21-26.

Tempi and Meter

As described in chapter one, Soler scholarship is made

Allabreve meters, which

the appoggiaturas as well. Marvin suggests that appoggiaturas should be executed