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Schumann Piano Concerto: First Movement

Posted by Chris from Lafayette (A) on November 4, 2024 at 18:43:49

In Reply to: Musical structure posted by dgaapc7 on November 1, 2024 at 15:31:31:

Let me just say before beginning that musical analysis terminology can vary among various conservatories and universities, and my wording is based on what they told us at Stanford in the 1970's - mainly from the classes of Leonard Ratner. I think it's probably close enough to other standards that it shouldn't be hard to understand. The timings are keyed to the Ryan Bradshaw YouTube video you mentioned in one of your posts.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a score on IMSLP which had measure numbers, so I refer to the Peters edition, edited by Emil von Sauer, which at least has a few rehearsal letters, and I'll try to show the exact spots I mean in most cases by copying and pasting.

EXPOSITION (00:15 - 04:46)

(00:15) The movement is in A minor, but opens with three measures of electrifying "staging" of the main theme during which there are "hints" of other keys, each lasting less than a second before A minor is unequivocally established.

(00:22)The Main Theme (in main key area of A minor) starts in measure 4, first stated by the orchestra and then (after the orchestra's half cadence) by the piano soloist.

(01:05)After that, a somewhat long series of sequences passes briefly though several keys, with special emphasis on F major and C major. These two keys would be the normal ones for a "Second Subject" to reside in. (In a minor-key concerto, the usual contending key in earlier works would be the relative major, C major. But in the 19th century, composers began to prefer the minor (or "flat") sixth as the contending key area. In this Concerto, it's almost as if Schumann wants to have it both ways, because, starting at two measures before rehearsal letter "A" (01:45), you get a pretty full statement (six measures worth anyway, the first four of which are shown below) of F major.

But it doesn't last - Schumann has faked us out! Just a few measures later (at the "a tempo" after the "poco ritard" (02:22), Schumann states his theme (which begins exactly like his main theme, although the latter half of it turns in a different direction) in the key of C major (as would be normal in an A-minor concerto, according to earlier precepts).

This is the true Second Theme / Second Key Area of the concerto. Over the next page of the two-piano score, a couple of other keys are hinted at before rehearsal letter "B" (03:52) re-establishes that C major is in charge, thus conforming to the traditional "recipe" for a minor-key exposition. (BTW, don't be deceived by that "Deceptive Cadence" in the last measure of this example!)

The orchestral interlude (04:23) strengthens C major even more strongly. Thus, Schumann's exposition ends as expected in a sonata form.

DEVELOPMENT (04:55 - 07:59)

At the very end of the orchestral interlude (04:46), Schumann moves from C major to C minor to A-flat major.

When the piano soloist re-enters (04:55), the main theme slows way down and undergoes almost a thematic transformation (as well as the key change to A-flat major) to a very dreamy and contemplative state.

Eusebius is clearly in charge here, at least until rehearsal letter "C" (06:23), where we're suddenly off to the races again with key changes coming every couple of measures.

The key changes continue in the subsequent "Passionato" episode (06:56) (as one would expect in a sonata-form development section).

The melodic material is based on the initial descending notes of the main theme we heard back near the beginning of the Concerto. This "Passionato" section is somewhat extended, but, eventually, Schumann works back to the Concerto's home key of A minor at rehearsal letter "D" (07:59). This, together with a full statement of the main theme, marks the. . .

RECAPITULATION (07:59 - 14:32)

. . . of this movement.

From there, things go as expected until half a measure before rehearsal letter "E" (09:27). Whoah! Is that F-sharp there ever a surprise!

This enables Schumann to work his way back to the secondary theme, not in C major, as he did in the exposition, but in A major (09:58) (the parallel key of A minor - don't worry, Schumann will get us back to A minor by the end of the movement!). We stay in A major for a fairly long time until we get to the cadenza (12:12), which, not atypically, features a fairly generous number of key changes which pretty strongly hint that we're "comin' back home" to A minor.

And after the extended trill at the very end (starting at 14:26), the entrance of the orchestra in the "Allegro molto" section (14:32) confirms that we are indeed back in the key of A minor.

BTW, when the orchestra comes back in, we are now in the CODA of the movement (14:32 - 15:35). The musical rhetoric demands more strong cadences at the end, and indeed, Schumann provides them!

So that's my overview of the first movement of the Schumann Piano Concerto. I knew it was going to take me a long time, but it has actually taken longer than I thought it would. I hope it's OK with you if I defer the Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff 2 posts until tomorrow and Wednesday respectively? Or maybe I'm getting too much into the weeds? Maybe you just need the comments time-aligned to the YouTube videos?

• Bradshaw Video Link   (Open in New Window)

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