Week 1: Voicing, Texture in Schumann's Music
Welcome to Week 1 of the latest Two-Week Intensive!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RJ1WsNPulY
This week, you’ll choose one or two pieces and study the harmonic colours, voices, and texture. This should help you memorize the text and understand its shape.
Preparatory Step: Gather Information
A) Listen to the repertoire list and choose the piece(s) you'd like to focus on for this TWI. (from Kinderszenen 3-4 pieces may work). Recommended pianists: Virsaladze, Argerich, Cortot, Horowitz, Richter, João-Pires, Arrau, Ashkenazy, Lupu, Perahia, Gavrilov, Merzhanov, Uchida, Grimaud, Nikolayeva
B) Research your chosen piece on G. Henle Verlag website. Click on Preface and Comments under the cover picture.
C) Watch any of these videos about Schumann and his music:
Overview of Schumann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbF86ag4Rvk
Claudio Arrau on Schumann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4ty6yJjF8U
Simon Rattle on Schumann and Brahms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXTTlKdy5q4
Mitsuko Uchida on Schumann: https://youtu.be/u1vYu56xY9w?si=Ney0HGSqBkYZI8zs
- Anatomy of Poetry: Voices of Harmony
A. Write the main theme in SATB open score. Each layer/voice should have its own staff (see photo 1).
B. Label chords (symbols, Roman Numerals, etc).
C. Play from your open score and singing in solfege or open syllables, in the following order:
Alto
Tenor
Bass
Alto + Tenor
Tenor + Bass
Alto + Tenor + Bass
Memorize Alto+Tenor+Bass
*If your piece’s melody is in Alto, Tenor, or Bass, work on the other voices. Learn harmony first.
For TWI Forum:
Upload your open score to the chat for comments.
- Anatomy of Poetry: Texture
Study the texture and consider the following as you work.
—Count the total number of notes in each chord and write the total on the score. (see photo 2).
—Identify textures, ie. monophonic, biphonic/duet, polyphonic, homophonic, etc. Label changes in texture, ie. “Subito monophony” (abrupt or instant reduction of voices to a single voice, eg. Romances Op. 28 nr. 2, m. 17.)
—Describe topics, moods, emotions, instruments, or ideas indicated by textures. Descriptive phrases should metaphorize related elements and point to changing states, eg, “The harmony ambiguates as texture thins: it sounds like the experience of losing one’s train of thought.”
—Determine where sustain and/or sostenuto pedal will be necessary and the quantity needed: full-/half-/quarter-sustain, fluttering, no pedal, etc. Record the harmony using a variety of approaches to pedal.
For TWI Forum:
Upload a performance of the harmonic voices
Upload a performance of the different pedal changes (say aloud "change" or "quarter pedal" or "flutter" so it's clear where you're doing these)
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I'm very sorry, but I have to bow out of this TWI. I haven't been able to leave work any earlier than 8 pm this week, and the next two weeks on service are most likely going to be very similar. No time for music.
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Alexander Weymann We will miss you, dear Alex!
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Midweek update! https://youtube.com/shorts/tBzgROp5NI4?si=8MoCRbC9Uxc4kMGE
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Jarred Dunn A kind of “Schumannesque” post. Strawberries and solfège
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Jarred Dunn thanks for the fun video!
for singing, are we playing and singing the same line?
Which line do we sing when it is multiple voices (eg tenor+alto)?
I am remembering the exercise from the chopin lyricism twi where we are singing bass + playing melody. That was very hard.
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Lc play and sing and combination of voices that are not the melody. It’s in the description at the top of this page:
C. Play from your open score and singing in solfege or open syllables, in the following order:
Alto
Tenor
Bass
Alto + Tenor
Tenor + Bass
Alto + Tenor + Bass
Memorize Alto+Tenor+Bass
*If your piece’s melody is in Alto, Tenor, or Bass, work on the other voices. Learn harmony first.
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Here we go. 1) Individual voices with singing and combinations 2.) Harmonic voices together
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Andrea Buckland I learn from your video how to do this homework. You’re a singer, such beautiful voice🪷
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Andrea Buckland Beautiful! Maybe you can sing my Schumann piece too in my place
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@Sachi
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Vidhya Bashyam no no!
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Andrea Buckland Excellent job, Andrea! Wow, very beautiful voice. I can't imagine myself singing "Kind im Einschlummern", better only play it
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Vidhya Bashyam I was secretly going to ask Andrea to do that for mine, also!
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Andrea Buckland Excellent - you started us off well with 8:00 of practicing harmony (how long is the full video of this without cuts?). At phrase ends or mid-phrase, if your sung tone becomes sotto voce or mezza voce, imitate in your hands smoothly, without showing beats/barlines (esp. the diminished/deceptive and half cadence on E major as V of a minor).
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Here comes my best try🫣 C section of the assignment.
https://youtu.be/C6wUm7iYX6I?si=DsiDr__6bWrDOacq-
Sachi Sounds great!
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Vidhya Bashyam you’re too kind. Thank you
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Sachi Great job!
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Sachi Watching your video - great solfegging! I suggest more rhythmic precision on dotted rhythms: the sixteenth should be shorter. You've done the right work in learning each chord and voice.
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Jarred Dunn thank you so much for feedback. I ‘ve never studied music this way before. Very interesting and I’m glad I can hang around!
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Sachi welcome!
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I didn't hear back on my last inquiry. I was wondering about references for learning how to identify chords. Thank you.
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Hi everyone! Here "Child falling asleep" in SATB score (so sorry about the handwriting, but I was incapable of using MuseScore in one moment of the piece with chords and melody in the same voices...
I think this piece is very complex in all senses and maybe we should put the title since it has more substance and nuances than the usual lullaby. It invites us to a meditation full of melancholy, nostalgia...
Anyway, it's a gorgeous and hypnotic piece to play one and again... I'll try to to play it and upload a video this weekend.
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Juan Carlos Olite good work!
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Hi Jarred,
I'm thrilled to participate in this two-week intensive. I have picked the Aria movement of the Sonata in F sharp minor, Op 11 to work on. My very first proper sonata from the romantic period.
I have tried to work out the open score for the first 13 bars so far, but I went back and forth on how the voices should be split. I would like to check if I made the right choices, and whether it is fine to split up chords and octaves this way?
Thank you very much in advance!
