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10th Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference Proceedings Sock Siang Thia of 25

THE PIANO SONATAS OF FANNY HENSEL AND CLARA SCHUMANN

Sock Siang Thia

This paper investigates the piano sonatas of Fanny Hensel and Clara Schumann. It focuses onissues of performance practice, with a formal analysis of each of the composer’s piano sonatacarried out from a performer’s perspective. There is a discussion of the interpretative andstylistic issues encountered throughout the course of studying and preparing their piano sonatas.Key musical elements such as form, melody, dynamics, tempo, texture and colour arethoughtfully considered in order to reach conclusions about the pianistic idioms andexpressive intentions of both composers.

INTRODUCTION

Hensel and Schumann were excellent pianists whose piano compositions consisted largely of

miniatures. While it is acknowledged that both women composed works for themselves and

for others, they nonetheless differed in regard to the professional purpose of their

compositions. Hensel’s pieces were written for her own musical satisfaction and for

performance in her Sonntagsmusik, or Sunday musicals. As such, they were not available to

the public beyond the close circle of people who attended her private salon (Tillard 1996).

Moreover, Hensel did not expect that her compositions would be published or that they

would receive public or critical acclaim. Schumann’s works were also written to be

performed by her, but her performances were not limited to private gatherings and salons.

Rather, her compositions were also performed in public concert halls throughout Europe

(Reich 1985), and this meant that they reached a larger, more varied audience than that found

in Hensel’s home in Berlin. In addition, Schumann intended for her compositions to be

widely available to the public through publication, whereas Hensel only published her piano

compositions under her name two years before her death in 1847.

The aim of my research is to investigate the performance-related issues relevant to the piano

compositions of these composers. In order to examine their piano compositions more closely,

I have included their piano sonatas for analysis and discussion in this paper. Each composer

has written a Piano Sonata in G minor - Hensel in 1843 and Schumann in 1842. While this

genre does not necessarily constitute a substantial portion of each composer’s repertoire, a

study of their longer solo piano works have provided valuable insight into the musicianship

of the two composers.


THE PIANO SONATAS

Hensel’s wrote her Piano Sonata in G minor in the autumn of 1843 after a visit from Charles-

François Gounod (1818-1893), who arrived in Berlin at the end of April and stayed until

May. Gounod and Hensel met for the first time in Rome during her visit to Italy in 1839, and

Hensel introduced the keyboard music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) to Gounod

which he came to revere. During his stay in Berlin, Gounod received a very warm welcome

from the Hensel family, and it is quite possible that the admiration he displayed towards

Hensel during his visit encouraged her to compose the sonata, and other musical pieces

around that time. As she wrote:

Another thing that sways me in his favour is the true affection, and respect, he feels

for us, and which he demonstrated in coming to Berlin, for he only undertook the

journey in order to visit us. His presence was a very lively stimulus for me, for I

played and discussed music a great deal with him during the numerous afternoons I

spent alone in his company, for he generally remained with us after twelve (Hensel

1879).

The sonata contains four movements – Allegro molto agitato in G minor, Scherzo in B minor,

Adagio in D major, and a Finale with Presto and Allegro moderato e con espressione in G

major. Each movement is connected by means of transitions and attacas, forming a single

long work.

Schumann, on the other hand, wrote her only piano sonata, also in G minor, in 1841-42. The

composition was initially a two movement Sonatine, with Allegro in G minor and Scherzo in

G major, and was dedicated to her husband, Robert Schumann, as a Christmas gift. The title

page of her autographed copy reads Sonatine. Allegro und Scherzo, followed by her

dedication: “Accept with love, my good husband / and be patient with your Clara / at

Christmas 1841” (Schumann 1991). Schumann finished composing the other two movements

of the sonata: Adagio in E flat major which became the new second movement; and Rondo

finale in G minor, in January 1842 (Reich 1985). In turn, the complete composition is the

only work by Schumann bearing the title “sonata”.


Although composed within one year of each other, neither sonata was published during the

lifetime of the composer. As previously mentioned, Hensel began publishing her work just

two years before her death; carefully selecting and arranging her piano miniatures –

specifically her Songs without Words – to be published. In contrast, although Schumann

incorporated the Scherzo into the printed edition of Quatre Pièces Fugitives Op. 15,

composed in 1843/44 and published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1845, she never published her

Sonata in G minor in its entirety. There is no evidence to suggest that either composer wrote

their sonata with the intention to have it published.

The sonata genre was regarded as the ideal achievement in instrumental writing by Romantic

musicians, as Robert Schumann once wrote that composing a sonata requires ‘both capability

of effort and artistic experience’ (Newman 1969). Indeed, both Hensel and Schumann clearly

demonstrated these skills in their work. Their attempt to write in such a sublime style

suggests that both women were evolving as composers, and that they clearly felt they were

ready to undertake the challenge of writing a substantial composition; namely the cyclical

form in several movements that is characteristic of a piano sonata.

The analytical observations and performance practice issues encountered during the course of

studying the two piano sonatas written by Hensel and Schumann have provided valuable

insights into the way in which they might be interpreted and performed. For the purpose of

this presentation, I will provide discussion of their piano sonatas from a performer’s

perspective, while also drawing attention to some of the distinctive musical characteristics

apparent in each work.

The First Movements:

Hensel and Schumann wrote the first movements of their piano sonatas in the home key of G

minor. Interestingly, Hensel ends hers in G major while Schumann stays in the tonic minor.

Hensel did not actually put a complete end to the movement right after her final chord in the

tonic major. In fact, she connected the first movement to the second by a transition and

attaca, a technique that she applies to all the remaining movements in her sonata, creating a

single unified work.


1. The opening passage

The first movement of Hensel’s sonata begins abruptly with bass tremolos reminiscent of an

orchestral timpani roll that might be found in a concerto introduction. This is followed

immediately by the composition’s opening theme, a rising chordal pattern which anchors the

tonic as shown in Example 1.

Example 1: Bars 1-9 of Hensel’s Piano Sonata in G Minor, first movement

The opening passage bears a striking resemblance to Mendelssohn’s Concerto No. 1 in G

minor, Op. 25 written in 1831 (see Example 2).

Example 2: Bars 1-7 of Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25


The elements of texture, melodic shape, harmonic progression and accompaniment type are

so convincing that it suggests that Hensel modelled the opening of her piece directly upon

Mendelssohn’s earlier work.

In contrast, Schumann grounds the beginning of her composition in a simple chordal melody,

which leads on to her song-like second motif, before returning to restate the original motif in

ternary form (see Example 3).

Example 3: Bars 1-18 of Schumann’s Piano Sonata in G minor, first movement

The opening motif in the first movement of Schumann’s sonata resembles that of Weber’s

Konzertstück for Piano and Orchestra in F minor, Op. 79, written in 1821 (see Example 4).


Example 4: Bars 1-8 of Weber’s Konzertstück in F minor, Op. 79

It can be suggested that Schumann, new to the genre, closely modelled her first and only

sonata on Weber’s widely acclaimed piece which appeared in her concert repertoire. This is

further confirmed by the fact that Schumann gave her first performances of the concert piece

shortly after she had completed the sonata in 1842 (Chissell 1983).

The coincidence that both composers modelled their piano sonatas on works that were well

known and widely established reveals that they were both cautious in undertaking the

challenge of writing a large, complex composition.

2. The structural and tonality plan

Upon closer scrutiny, it is evident that both composers demonstrate completely different

preferences in relation to formal structure and tonality when composing their sonatas (see

Tables 2 and 3).


\

Hensel: Sonata in G minor, first movement

Section Sub-section Bar numbers Key CommentsExposition First subject 1-22 G minor Bar 1 consists of a bass tremolo in the

LH reminiscent of the orchestraltimpani roll of a concerto introduction.LH tremolo continues as tonic pedalwhile RH melody joins in blockchords. The same melody repeats frombar 10, but with broken chords in theLH. A transitional passage startingfrom bar 15 leads to the secondsubject.

Secondsubject

22-44 G minor A second subject, also in G minor,characterised by a more lyrical melodyin the RH maintaining the sameagitato feeling from the first subject.

Development Themes fromfirst subject

45-51 B minor Frequent modulations with themesfrom the first and second subjects.

Themes fromsecond subject

51-54 E major

55-58 D minor59-60 Eb minor

Transition 61-66 Bb major67-73 A minor

Recapitulation First subject 74-84 G minor The first subject is restated here with adominant pedal in D, which serves as adominant preparation for the return tothe second subject in G major insteadof G minor compared to parallelsection in the exposition.

Secondsubject

85-100 G major

First subject 101-104 G minor Both themes from the first and secondsubjects are repeated here with moremodulations before the concludingcoda.

105-113 Eb minor114-115 Bb major116-118 G minor

Secondsubject

119-120 G major121-122 C minor123-124 G major125-126 Ab major

Coda 127-134 G major A short cadential passage with mostlyblock chords.

Transitionalpassage to thesecondmovement

135-140 G major Moving towards B minor in the secondmovement.

Table 1: Structural and tonality plan of Hensel’s Sonata in G minor, first movement


Schumann: Sonata in G minor, first movement

Section Sub-section Bar numbers Key CommentsExposition First subject 1-26 G minor Set at Allegro, the first subject is ternary

(ABA) with a Section B marked Mittiefer Empfindung. Section A is chordalwhile Section B contains a melody linethat is more legato and contrapuntalwhich is further supported by a dominantpedal in D.

Second subject 26-44 Eb major The second subject consists of twothemes in Eb major The first theme has amore fleeting character that movesbetween the tonic and dominant keys ofEb major.

44-70 Eb major The second theme is marked Um vielesscheneller and has chromaticicm in itsmelody and harmony.

Transition 70-90 Eb major This section is marked Tranquill anduses the same figuration that connectsthe first subject to the second, except thatit is more elaborated here.

Development New thematicmaterials andthemes fromthe first andsecond subjects

90-94 C minor With new thematic material and anexploration of both themes from the firstand second subject, the developmentsection sees frequent modulations andfurther application of chromatisicm inboth melody and harmony.

94-96 Ab major96-99 F major99-102 Db major102-103 A minor104-107 F# minor107-122 G minor

Recapitulation First subject 123-150 G minor The first subject returns with secondtheme in the tonic G minor with slightvariation at the end to prepare for thereturn of the second subject in a differentkey.

Second subject 150-167 G major The second subject recapitulates here inthe tonic G major with its first theme.

167-192 G major The second theme follows in the sametonic G mojor major.

Coda 193-212 G minor A short passage marked animato ispresented here with imitation betweenvoices which is chromatic.

212-219 G minor Material from previous transitionalpassage in the exposition appears here torealise the cyclic form in this movement.

Table 2: Structural and tonality plan of Schumann’s Sonata in G minor, first movement

The overall structure of Hensel’s sonata, when compared to Schumann’s structure, is more

exploratory. Rather than using the conventional tonal structure in her sonata movement, and

moving traditionally from tonic to dominant, Hensel’s first and second subjects in the

exposition are both in the tonic, G minor. Another feature worth mentioning in Hensel’s first

movement is that she begins her recapitulation before the harmony has resolved to the tonic

(I), a device that is also found in Beethoven’s Sonata opus 111 (Rosen 1980).

To summarise, in the first movement of Hensel’s sonata, the conventional sonata tonality

scheme is less important than the representation of her thematic material, whereas in

Schumann’s piece, form is the primary base upon which her sonata is set.


3. Octaves

The use of octaves is typical of Hensel’s piano style, and they are also commonly found in

the piano compositions of Felix Mendelssohn. This piano style possibly developed because

Hensel found the Viennese piano that she owned to be weak in the middle register (Tillard

1996). Therefore, in order to produce a more powerful piano sound and to intensify the

melodic line, she displayed a predisposition towards octave passages in her writing. In turn,

this virtuosic doubling of line can be seen in many long passages in the first movement of her

sonata, as shown in Example 5.

Example 5: Bars 30-37 and 84-95 of Hensel’s Piano Sonata in G minor, first movement

For Schumann, the use of octaves is an exception. Indeed, she rarely includes this technique

in her piano sonata, and only uses it sparingly in her recapitulation, as shown in Example 6.


Example 6: Bars 203-207 of Schumann’s Piano Sonata in G minor, first movement

The Second and Third Movements:

Both Hensel and Schumann wrote a fast and a slow musical arrangement for the second and

third movements in their compositions, but in the reverse order. For Hensel, she intentionally

arranged a scherzo for the second movement of her sonata rather than a traditional slow

movement while her third movement is marked Adagio. Such arrangement of fast-fast-slow-

fast movements in a four-movement piano sonata is also seen in Beethoven’s Piano Sonata

No. 2, Op. 101 in A major written in 1816. Schumann, on the other hand, opted for a brief

second movement marked Adagio, with the third movement cast as a more typical minuet and

trio.


The formal structures and tonality plans in the inner movements of both sonatas demonstrate

the preference of both composers to employ the simple ABA form. However, the composers

display different interest in the way they have cast their tonality plans. The purpose of

modulation in a musical composition is to provide new colour, create tension and to

strengthen the need to resolve to the original key. In turn, what is clearly evident when a

comparison is made between the two inner movements of each sonata is that Hensel has a

broader perspective of modulation schematics than Schumann (compares Tables 3, 4, 5 and

6).


Hensel: Sonata in G minor, second movement

Section Bar numbers Key CommentsScherzo 147-156 B minor A pastoral and folk-like theme in a four-bar

phrase structure begins and ends in the tonic Bminor.

158-167 B minor The second half of the first theme is stretched toadditional two bars at the end. Instead of ending inthe tonic minor, it swerved off to the tonic Bmajor in the trio section.

Trio 168-185 B major A second charming theme in the soprano registerbegins the trio with tremolo also in the upperregister accompanied by the harp-like basses. Itgoes through several modulations before a repeatof the same theme at bar 200, this time in thesupertonic C# major.

186-189 G# minor190-199 F# minor

200-209 C# major The second theme is transposed a major secondhigher with similar, slightly extended and has ashort transitional passage leading to the return ofthe scherzo section.

210-213 D# minor214-217 C# minor218-225 F# major

Scherzo 226-241 B minor The first theme is presented again here withoutalteration.

242-249 B minor The first theme reappeared with a slight variationin the accompaniment which takes the form ofsemiquaver figurations. The tension is furtherintensified and brings the scherzo to arecapitulation.

Recapitulation 250-254 B major The second theme of the movement from the triosection is heard again in the tonic B major andmoves to C major.255-259 C major

260-267 V of B minor A fragment of the first theme from the scherzosection reappears in the dominant key of B minorto prepare for the final coda.

Coda 268-277 B minor The coda section conclude the second movementin the tonic B minor at bar 273, and then startsmoving away from it to prepare for the new key ofthe transitional/introductory passage leading to thethird movement.

Table 3: Structural and tonality plan of Hensel’s Sonata in G minor, second movement

Schumann: Sonata in G minor, second movement

Section Bar numbers Key CommentsA 1-17 Eb major Set in a simple ternary form, this expressive

second movement is well connected to the firstmovement by the motif from the transitionalpassages in the first movement. The motif itselfalso forms the basis of the theme that occursthroughout the whole second movement.

B 17-27 Bb major

A 27-38 Eb major

Table 4: Structural and tonality plan of Schumann’s Sonata in G minor, second movement


Hensel: Sonata in G minor, third movement

Section Bar numbers Key CommentsIntro 278-286 B minor This short opening passage, marked attaca and

Adagio, continues the 3/4 time signature from thesecond movement. It is a smooth transitionalpassage leading to a new key, D major and a newkey signature, 9/8 in the third movement.

A 287-298 D major The third movement begins with an operatic andsong-like theme played by the RH in octaves. It ischaracterised by the rising major 7 th intervalwhich is heard twice in its two out of threephrases.

298-306 D major The soprano voice of the first theme is then takenover by a middle voice with some alteration. Thesame LH quaver accompaniment in the bass fromthe previous section is now shifted to the higherregister.

B 307-325 D major Another song-like theme in soprano whichconsists of motifs assimilated and developed fromSection A forms the new theme of Section B. Themajor 7th interval apparent in Section A is nowreplaced with a more frequent octave leaps in thesingle melody line played by the RH. The last fourbars of this section see the use of chromaticismand syncopation which leads to a transitionalpassage that follows.

Transition 326-327 G major The tremolo in the LH together with the blockchords played by the RH transforms the calmfeeling created by the first two themes into a moremajestic rendition of the first theme which ispresented immediately after this passage.

328-333 C minor

A 334-340 D major The first theme in the soprano voice returns inoctaves, with recurring bass notes in semiquaverresembling a timpani roll in the orchestra.

341-343 E minor344-345 D major

Coda 346-350 D minor The coda provides a final close to the thirdmovement in the tonic D major. It is thenconnected to the Introduction of the fourthmovement by means of attaca.

351-353 D major

Table 5: Structural and tonality plan of Hensel’s Sonata in G minor, third movement

Schumann: Sonata in G minor, third movement

Section Bar numbers Key CommentsScherzo A 1-12 G major A complete ternary form in itself, the scherzo

begins and ends in tonic. Section A has irregularphrase structure of 5+7 bars. It contains duplerhythms in the triple time signature of 3/4. SectionB does not really settle in the dominant key of Dmajor until bar 20.

B 13-28 D majorA 29-40 G major

Trio C 41-56 E minor Also a complete ternary form in itself, the trioemploys a new thematic material in the relativeminor key of the scherzo. The return of Section C isplaced in reverse order when compared to its firstappearance in the trio section..

D 57-68C 68-84

Scherzo A 85-96 G major The whole scherzo recapitulates here and finish offwith a perfect cadence in tonic marked ff andschnell.

B 97-112 E minor

A 113-126 G major

Table 6: Structural and tonality plan of Schumann’s Sonata in G minor, third movement


2. Tempo

The second movement of Schumann’s sonata is set in E flat major using a 3/4 time signature.

Comprising only 38 bars, the form of this movement is relatively straight-forward. In order to

create greater interest to this short piece it is possible to quicken the tempo in the middle

section marked animato, by having an accelerando from bar 14 onwards, which will also

provide a contrast to the second theme. Naturally, a ritardando would be required at the end

of this section, ideally from bar 25 onwards in order to ease the tempo to its original pace. In

other words, the performer can have two tempi in mind while playing this movement: adagio

for sections A and A1, and andante for the section B in between (see Example 7).

Example 7: Bars 13-28 of Schumann’s Piano Sonata in G minor, second movement

Set in a contrasting B minor, and with a clear four-bar phrase structure, Hensel’s second

movement opens with a folk-like melody. Although marked as a scherzo, she did not take the

term literally by giving the movement a humorous tone. It is still light in character, but is

definitely not to be played too fast. It is important for the performer to maintain a more


leisurely tempo in order to bring out the pure-sounding melody, while creating defined

changes of colour between the various sections to coincide with the registers (see Example

8).

Example 8: Bars 141-157 of Hensel’s Piano Sonata in G minor, second movement

3. Pedalling

Also found in Hensel’s second movement is the una corda marking at bar 168 (see Example

9). The shimmering semiquaver tremolos that create a different sonority in this section are

further enhanced by the use of the soft pedal. However, there is no tre corde found anywhere

in the movement to indicate when the soft pedal should be released. It does not imply that the

soft pedal is not to be released at all. Rather it has been left to the discretion of the performer

as to when the soft pedal should be employed in the tremolo passages. As we know, Hensel

did not expect the sonata to be published and played by a pianist other than herself. Thus, she

knew very well when and where to engage and release the soft pedals and therefore saw no


need for the tre corde signs. In order to resolve the issues relating to the application and the

release of the soft pedal for a stylistically appropriate performance, an additional tre corde

sign has been added to bar 226 when the first theme returns (see Example 10), a una corda at

bar 250 when the second theme reappears for the last time (see Example 11), and another tre

corde at bar 276 to mark the transition into the third movement (see Example 12).






4. Rubato

To express the lyricism of Hensel’s third movement, it is crucial for a performer to engage

the use of rubato in this piece. For example, after a series expansive melodies which

commence from the middle of bar 306, the performer can be more flexible in the tempo by

applying slight rubato in order to express the lyrical melodies in a more convincing way from

bar 314 onwards (see Example 13).

Example 13: Bars 306-318 of Hensel’s Piano Sonata in G minor, third movement

5. Articulation

The third movement of Schumann’s Sonata in G minor is written in traditional minuet and

trio style, with its liveliness contrasted by the simple and soft trio. After the concluding theme

of the minuet gradually slows to seemingly close the movement, Schumann surprises the


listener with a perfect cadence marked schnell and fortissimo which ends the movement with

a humorous touch.

Overall, the piece is very well notated with all the necessary performance directions

regarding dynamics, phrasing and tempo provided to the performer. It is worthwhile to take

note of the articulation and dynamics when the minuet returns at bar 85 which is marked

tempo primo. Schumann has clearly indicated the change of dynamics: forte as opposed to the

piano in the beginning (see Examples 14 and 15).

Example 14: Bars 1-6 of Schumann’s Piano Sonata in G minor, third movement

Example 15: Bars 85-90 of Schumann’s Piano Sonata in G minor, third movement

In order to bring out the return of the minuet, it should be played with a broader dynamic

which will serve as a clear signpost for the recapitulation of the entire movement. At the

same time, the gracefulness created by the light staccato accompaniment in the beginning of

the movement should be maintained by playing them with a sense of detachment without

being affected by the change of dynamic.


The Fourth Movements:

It is interesting to note that both Hensel and Schumann started their sonatas in G minor but

ended them in different keys. Hensel wrote her last movement in G major while Schumann

casted hers in G minor. However, both composers wrote in sonata-rondo form, a form widely

employed by other composers of this genre. Neither composer provides many performance

directions in the fourth movements of their sonata so the performer needs to add all the

necessary elements in order to present the movement as close to the intention of the

composers as possible.


The structural and tonality plans of Hensel’s and Schumann’s last movements are represented

in Tables 7 and 8. In terms of structure, Hensel’s last movement is not as balanced as

Schumann’s. However it does work well musically with a good cohesion and a lot of colour.

On the other hand, Schumann’s fourth movement has a clearer structure while her thematic

materials are elaborated to a great extent.

Hensel: Sonata in G minor, fourth movement

Section Bar numbers Key CommentsA 368-409 G major The opening has a cheerful and melodious theme

in the style of a ‘songs without words’.B 409-426 E minor A new and more agitated second theme is

presented in this section with a restless forward-moving semiquaver accompaniment.

427-451 D major

A1 452-455 G major The first theme goes through a series ofmodulations. The melody which is played by theRH in octaves is first presented in the originalsoprano voice, then in a lower voice and finallyback to the soprano register.

456-459 A major460-465 B minor467-480 G major481-486 A major487-503 D major

B1 503-525 D minor The theme from Section B is repeated here indominant minor.526-550 G major

A2 551-563 Eb minor The initial theme from Section A is representedand repeated twice here with slight variations.564-619 G major

Coda 620-638 G major The last movement finally concludes here in thetonic with recurring G major LH chords in thefinal eleven bars.

Table 7: Structural and tonality plan of Hensel’s Sonata in G minor, fourth movement


Schumann: Sonata in G minor, fourth movement

Section Sub-section Bar numbers Key CommentsA a 1-22 G minor The opening theme of this final

movement is dark and intense. Theshort transitional passage belonging toSection A that occurs from the end ofbar 39 to bar 54 marked by ‘a’ showsthat Section A is ternary in itself.

b 23-27 G minor – V of Bbmajor

27-31 Eb major – V of Cminor

31-39 C minor - V of Gminor

a 39-54 G minor

B 55-111 Eb major goingthrough severalmodulations verybriefly

This section is considerably warmer andcalmer when compared with the first. Ithas a more lyrical tone with a light andgraceful accompaniment.

A1 a 111-133 G minor Section A is repeated here. There is notransitional passage leading to thefollowing Section B1.

b 134-138 G minor - V of Bbmajor

138-142 Eb major - V of Cminor

142-156 C minor – V of Bbmajor

B1 156-200 Bb major Repeat of Section B in the relativemajor key of Bb major.

A2 a 200-221 G minor The dark and intense feeling isrecapitulated for the last time with thereturn of the main theme. It is radicallyabbreviated and is transformed by theaddition of a coda.

Coda 222-237 G minor The movement is ended with a shortcoda marked animato.

Table 8: Structural and tonality plan of Schumann’s Sonata in G minor, fourth movement

2. Phrasing

Due to the lack of performance direction in the last movements, it is essential to consider

certain musical elements, such as phrasing, to create a convincing sense of shape and to ease

the learning process. While most of the phrases are clear and easily identifiable, there are

some additional points that are worth considering in enhancing the performance of these two

movements.

For example, in the opening theme of Hensel’s last movement, it is recommended to group

the initial theme into four-bar units. Even though it is obvious that the first four bars in the

movement consist of two short phases as represented by dotted curved lines in Example 16, it

is possible to treat them as a one long unit of a four-bar phrase which is marked by

continuous curved line to create a bigger shape for the first section with a total of four four-

bar phrases (see Example 16).


Example 16: Bars 368-384 of Hensel’s Piano Sonata in G minor, fourth movement

Likewise, the opening theme in Schumann’s fourth movement can also be grouped into four-

bar units to present the first section in a bigger and clearer musical shape as shown in

Example 17.


Example 17: Bars 1-16 of Schumann Sonata in G minor, fourth movement

3. Fingering adjustments

There are passages in Hensel’s and Schumann’s fourth movement that require certain

fingering adjustments especially for pianists with small hands.

In the case of Hensel, the semiquaver figurations in the second subject pose difficulties for

pianists with shorter span to play in one hand position. For example, the two-bar phrase in

bars 433-434 as shown in Example 18 can easily be played by a pianist with big hands by

using the third and fifth finger on the right hand for every quaver beat. A pianist with small

hands will have to use the thumb and the fifth finger at certain places marked in Example 19

with careful hand positioning and shifts, while maintaining a relaxed thumb by releasing the

pressure on the thumb immediately after the key is pressed.


Example 18: Bars 433-434 of Hensel’s Piano Sonata in G minor with fingerings for big hands

Example 19: Bars 433-434 of Hensel’s Piano Sonata in G minor with fingerings for small

hands

For Schumann, there are several passages that require splitting the left hand chord by

arpeggiation and playing some of the left hand notes with the right hand. An example of such

fingering adjustments are shown in Example 20.

Example 20: Bars 183-191 of Schumann’s Piano Sonata in G minor, fourth movement with

adjustments


SUMMARY

To conclude, both Hensel’s and Schumann’s Piano Sonatas in G minor were composed

within a short time-span and used approaches to form and texture that were characteristically

romantic. Yet there are distinct differences between them. Hensel’s compositional textures

are more flexible, irregular and orchestral, and her melodies, with their wider range and more

expansive phrase structure, are more distinct and pianistic. In contrast, Schumann’s piece is

less exploratory of both pianistic elements and of the pianist’s ability, while her

compositional textures are more anchored and consistent throughout. Hensel’s wider melodic

range, as well as her more adventurous approach to texture, suggest that she felt relatively

more compositional freedom within the confines of her private salon. Schumann’s more

controlled use of the musical landscape is rooted in traditional concerns for balanced musical

phrases, and, ultimately, the requirements of the external form – the sonata form in this case.

These differences are likely the result of the different purpose for undertaking the musical

composition and their different performance settings. Schumann, who published her

compositions during her lifetime, perhaps needed to conform to conventional expectations.

She may also have wished her music to be technically accessible to the amateur. In contrast,

Hensel was primarily composing for personal pleasure and for performances at her salon, so

she could take a freer, less constrained approach with regard to technical difficulty and

composition style in general.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books:Bates, C. N. (1996). Women in Music: An Anthodology of Source Readings from the Middle

Ages to the Present (Revised ed.). Boston: Northeastern University Press.

Chissell, J. (1983). Clara Schumann: A Dedicated Spirit; A Study of her Life and Work. NewYork: Taplinger.

Hensel, S. (1879). Die Familie Mendelssohn, 1729-1847, nach Briefen und Tagebuchern(Vol. 3). Berlin: B.Behr's Buchhandlung.

Newman, W. (1969). The Sonata Since Beethoven. Chapel Hill: The University of NorthCarolina Press.

Reich, B. N. (1985). Clara Schumann: The Artist and the Woman. New York: CornellUniversity Press.

Rosen, C. (1980). Sonata Forms. New York and London: W.W.Norton.

Tillard, F. (1996). Fanny Mendelssohn (C. Naish, Trans.). Oregon: Amadeus Press.

Scores:Schumann, C. (1991). Sonata for Piano in G minor (Breitkopf Nr. 7445 ed.). Wiesbaden,

Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel.

Mendelssohn, Fanny. (1992). Two Piano Sonatas. (J. Radell, ed.). PA: Hildegard.

Mendelssohn, Felix. Piano Concerto No.1, Op.25. Leipzig: C.F. Peters.http://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No.1%2C_Op.25_%28Mendelssohn%2C_Felix%29. Accessed 6 June 2008.

Weber, Carl Maria von Konzertstück, Op.79. Moscow: Muzika.http://imslp.org/wiki/Konzertst%C3%BCck%2C_Op.79_%28Weber%2C_Carl_Maria_von%29. Accessed 6 June 2008.


About the Author:Sock Siang Thia graduated with a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance withdistinction from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom. She then returnedto Malaysia and served as a music lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. She is currently studyingtowards a PhD in Performance at the Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide under ascholarship from the Malaysian Government. Her doctoral research has as its focus the pianoworks of Fanny Hensel and Clara Schumann.

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