Week 7: The Romantic Period and the Performance Practice of Johannes Brahms

Review of Classical Period Performance Practice Foundations

To understand the performance practice of Johannes Brahms, one must first review the general aspects of the Classical period that remained intact or served as the foundation for Romantic interpretation.

Melodic and Harmonic Treatment

• Diminuendo through Resolutions: It was standard practice to perform a diminuendo when moving through harmonic resolutions.

• Dissonance vs. Consonance: There is a strict conceptual hierarchy where dissonance is considered "strong" and consonance is considered "weak."

• Appoggiaturas: These are classic examples of weighted dissonances that require specific emphasis followed by a resolution.

Rhythmic and Metric Hierarchy

• Bar Hierarchy: This refers to the varying importance of beats within a single bar.

  • Example in $4/4$ Time: The weightings are heaviest on beat 1, followed by a secondary weight on beat 3, with beats 2 and 4 being the lightest.

  • 1. 1

  • 2. 3

  • 3. 4

  • 4. 2

• Playing "im takt" vs. Rubato: Original practice often involved a separation of hands, particularly maintaining a rhythmically steady left-hand line while the right hand enjoyed more freedom.

Articulation and Phrasing

• Slurs as Diminuendos: Historically originating from bow strokes, a slur indicates a natural diminuendo towards the end of the slur.

• Short Articulation: As noted by Leopold Mozart: "Crotchets and quavers should be held half their written value." This technique accentuates character differences between articulated and slurred passages.

• Note Shape: Every single note is considered to have its own unique shape and expressive profile.

Expression and Structure

• Ornamentation, Embellishment, and Improvisation: These were standard tools for the performer to add personal expression.

• Repeats and Formal Structure: Performers were expected to play differently the second time through a repeated section to maintain interest and provide new perspectives.

• Vibrato: In the Classical era, vibrato was treated strictly as an ornament rather than a continuous, default sound.

The Early Romantic Era: Rossini and Paganini

Following the Classical foundations, the early Romantic era was defined by "Superstars" such as Gioacchino Rossini and Niccolò Paganini, who introduced specific stylistic shifts.

Performance Characteristics

• Variance of Articulation: Comparison of different interpretations, such as those by Shunske Sato versus Itzhak Perlman, highlights the evolution of Paganini's technical requirements.

• Lightness: There was a significant emphasis on lightness in both articulation and phrasing.

• Phrasing Off: The importance of "phrasing off" through consistent diminuendos was paramount.

• Longer Phrasing: The era saw a shift toward thinking in longer phrases, sometimes conceptualizing one or even two full bars as a single beat.

• Directionality: Music was expected to always have a distinct direction, either clearly moving in a crescendo (<) or a diminuendo (>).

• Tempo and Rubato: In Rossini's music, tempo and rubato became more fluid tools for dramatic expression.

Important Chronology and Figures

A timeline of key composers and milestones provides context for the development of Brahms’s style:

• W. A. Mozart: $1756 - 1791$

• L.v. Beethoven: $1770 - 1827$     * Beethoven's 3rd Symphony Completed: $1804$

• Franz Schubert: $1797 - 1828$

• Gioacchino Rossini: $1792 - 1868$     * By 1819: Rossini had already written 27 operas.     * Guillaume Tell (his 39th and final opera): Written in $1829$.

• Hector Berlioz: $1803 - 1869$     * Symphonie Fantastique Complete: $1830$

• Richard Wagner: $1813 - 1883$

• Johannes Brahms: $1833 - 1897$     * Ein Deutsches Requiem Composed: $1868$

• Robert Schumann: $1810 - 1856$

• Clara Schumann: $1819 - 1896$

• Joseph Joachim (violin): $1831 - 1907$

Aspects of Performance Practice in Brahms

Brahms's music relies on specific Historically Informed Performance (HIP) principles that distinguish it from modern "standard" interpretations.

Expressive Techniques

• Portamento: For string instruments, the slide (portamento) was a vital means of expression, used primarily at climaxes or to highlight specific intervals.

• Dislocation:     * Pianists: This meant purposely not playing both hands together (the melody might lag slightly behind the bass).     * Ensembles: This involved a collective "not together" approach to heighten emotional tension.

• Arpeggiation: Pianists frequently used rolled chords (arpeggiation) even where not explicitly marked, to soften or warm the texture.

• Vibrato: Remained an ornament, not a default setting.

• Classical Holdovers: Principles like "slurs = diminuendos" remained firmly intact.

Tempo and Flexibility

• Tempo Rubato: This was not forced into a metronomic bar. Instead, whole sections of the music could speed up or slow down.     * Rule of Thumb: Forte passages tended to speed up, while piano passages tended to slow down.

• Expression Markings: Terms like "Sostenuto" or "Tranquillo" were often interpreted as indications of tempo changes rather than just mood.

• The Metronome: Brahms was famously opposed to metronome markings. He stated, "For I myself have never believed that my blood and a mechanical instrument go well together at all."

• Priority: Passion and expression were prioritized over technical perfection, uniform intonation, or instrument manufacturing standards.

Case Study: Joseph Joachim's Performance Marks

Joseph Joachim was a close collaborator of Brahms. His performances (recorded around $1903$) provide a window into Brahmsian aesthetics:

• Rubato: Tied directly to dynamic markings.

• Lack of Continuous Vibrato: Used selectively for color.

• Score Annotations: Common markings found in Brahms's scores include:     * Allegro non assai     * Poco riten.     * A tempo     * Poco sosten.     * Riten. e dim.     * Vivo

Romantic Aesthetics and Phrasing Concepts

The "Unless You Feel It" Philosophy

In an $1878$ letter to conductor Otto Dessoff regarding the 2nd Symphony, Brahms addressed the use of tempo indications like "quasi ritard" or "piu moto." He dismissed the need for excessive markings, stating, "but they are such superfluous indications… 'if you don't feel it, etc.'"

Musicologist Styra Avins notes that Brahms was quoting Goethe's Faust, a text every educated German of the time would know by heart:

This sentiment serves as a microcosm for the Romantic period: the performer's genuine feeling in the moment can override the composer's written indications if it is musically convincing.

Phrasing and "Hairpins"

• Joseph Bloch (Budapest Conservatory, 1903): Stated that the main goal of phrasing is to make the work understandable by separating melodic members developed from motives from new thematic material.

• Fanny Davies (English Pianist, 1887): A student of Clara Schumann, Davies provided insight into the Brahmsian Hairpin (< >).

  • Brahms used these marks to express "great sincerity and warmth."

  • The hairpin applied to both tone and rhythm.

  • Brahms would often "linger" on a whole idea or lengthen a bar rather than breaking the musical beauty to fit a metronomic grid.