the analysis of three impromptus for piano op · 2020. 4. 2. · piano op. 68 by lowell liebermann...

An Analysis of Three Impromptus forPiano Op. 68 by Lowell Liebermann

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Authors Uchino, Tomoko

Publisher The University of Arizona.

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Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195000

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195000

AN ANALYSIS OF THREE IMPROMPTUS FOR PIANO OP. 68 BY LOWELL LIEBERMANN

by

Tomoko Uchino

________________________ Copyright © Tomoko Uchino 2007

A Document Submitted to the Faculty of the

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

In the Graduate College

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

2007

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE

As members of the Final Examination Committee, we certify that we have read the document prepared by Tomoko Uchino entitled An Analysis of Three Impromptus for Piano Op. 68 by Lowell Liebermann and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the document requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts. Date: 6/15/07 Rex Woods Date: 6/15/07 Paula Fan Date: 6/15/07 Janet Sturman Final approval and acceptance of this document is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the document to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this document prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the document requirement. Date: 6/15/07 Document Director: Rex Woods

STATEMENT BY THE AUTHOR This document has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this document are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copy right holder. Signed:________________________________________ Tomoko Uchino

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This document could not have been made possible without those who assisted me

over the course of research, writing and endless editing: Dr. Rex Woods, for his patience,

guidance and expertise in critical writing; Dr. Paula Fan, for her advice and support

during the years of my degree; and Dr. Janet Sturman who kindly stepped in at the last

minute to fill in for Prof. Nicholas Zumbro. I am also greatly in debt to Academic Student

adviser Lyneen Elmore who guided me through the process.

I thank the publishers who gave me permissions to use their music as examples in

this document. Theodore Presser, G. Henle Verlag and Dover Editions. I would like to

express my sincere gratitude towards Lowell Liebermann, David Korevaar and Antonio

Pompa-Baldi for taking their time to answer my questions regarding the Three

Impromptus and issues related to the work.

Finally and most importantly, special thanks to my family and especially to my

husband Greg for his never-ending support and encouragement through the years of

working on this project.

5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... 6

LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................... 11

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... 12

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION..................................................................... 13

CHAPTER II BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A Brief Biography of Lowell Liebermann...................... 16

Liebermann as Pianist..................................................... 21

CHAPTER III A BRIEF HISTORY OF IMPROMPTUS

Voříšek’s Impromptus.................................................... 24

Schubert’s Impromptus................................................... 28

Later Composers’ Impromptus....................................... 34

CHAPTER IV AN ANALYSIS OF THREE IMPROMPTUS, Op. 68

Impromptu I.................................................................... 52

Impromptu II................................................................... 64

Impromptu III.................................................................. 74

CHAPTER V SUMMARY.............................................................................. 83

APPENDIX A INTERVIEW WITH LOWELL LIEBERMANN.................... 86

APPENDIX B ONLINE INTERVIEW WITH DAVID KOREVAAR............ 93

APPENDIX C ONLINE INTERVIEW WITH ANTONIO POMPA-BALDI.. 95

REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 97

6

LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 3.1.1a Voříšek Impromptu in C major, Op. 7 No. 1, Bars 1-3............... 25

FIGURE 3.1.1b Voříšek Impromptu in G major, Op. 7 No. 2, Bars 1-3............... 25

FIGURE 3.1.1c Voříšek Impromptu in D major, Op. 7 No. 3, Bars 1-4............... 26

FIGURE 3.1.1d Voříšek Impromptu in A major, Op. 7 No. 4, Bars 1-4............... 26

FIGURE 3.1.1e Voříšek Impromptu in E major, Op. 7 No. 5, Bars 1-4............... 26

FIGURE 3.1.1f Voříšek Impromptu in B major, Op. 7 No. 6, Bars 1-6............... 26

FIGURE 3.2.1 Schubert Impromptu in C minor, D 899 No. 1, Bars 1-9............ 30

FIGURE 3.2.2 Reichardt Erlkönig, Bars 1-16..................................................... 32

FIGURE 3.2.3 Schubert Erlkönig, Bars 123-125................................................ 33

FIGURE 3.2.4a Schubert Impromptu in E-flat major, D 899 No. 2, Bars 1-4...... 33

FIGURE 3.2.4b Schubert Impromptu in E-flat major, D 899 No. 2, Bars 83-86.. 34

FIGURE 3.3.1 Schumann Impromptus Op. 5, Theme, Bars 1-16....................... 35

FIGURE 3.3.2a Schumann Impromptus Op. 5, Variation I, Bars 1-8................... 36

FIGURE 3.3.2b Schumann Impromptus Op. 5, Variation II, Bars 1-8................. 36

FIGURE 3.3.3 Schumann Impromptus Op. 5, Variation VII, Bars 1-4.............. 37

FIGURE 3.3.4a Schumann Albumblätter Op. 124 No. 1, Bars 1-4...................... 37

FIGURE 3.3.4b Schumann Albumblätter Op. 124 No. 9, Bars 1-4...................... 38

FIGURE 3.3.5 Chopin Fantasy-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op. 66, Bars 1-8.................................................. 39

FIGURE 3.3.6 Chopin Impromptu in A-flat major, Op. 29, Bars 1-4................. 40

7

LIST OF FIGURES – Continued

FIGURE 3.3.7a Chopin Impromptu in F-sharp major, Op. 36, Bars 1-4.............. 40

FIGURE 3.3.7b Chopin Impromptu in A-flat major, Op. 29, Bars 35-40............. 41

FIGURE 3.3.8 Glazunov Impromptu in D-flat major, Op. 54 No. 1, Bars 1-7.................................................. 42

FIGURE 3.3.9 Glazunov Impromptu Op. 54 No.2, Bars 49-57.......................... 43

FIGURE 3.3.10a Scriabin Impromptu, Op. 7 No. 1, Bars 1-6................................ 43

FIGURE 3.3.10b Scriabin Impromptu, Op. 7 No. 2, Bars 1-12.............................. 44

FIGURE 3.3.10c Scriabin Impromptu, Op. 7 No. 2, Bars 37-41............................ 44

FIGURE 3.3.11 Poulenc Impromptu II, Bars 1-16................................................ 45

FIGURE 3.3.12 Poulenc Le Dramadaire from Le Bestiaire, Bars 1-7................. 46

FIGURE 3.3.13 Poulenc La Carpe from Le Bestiaire, Bars 1-5........................... 47

FIGURE 3.3.14a Fauré Impromptu No. 2 in F minor, Op. 31, Bars 1-10............... 48

FIGURE 3.3.14b Fauré Impromptu No. 2 in F minor, Op. 31, Bars 86-95............. 49

FIGURE 3.3.15 Fauré Impromptu No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 34, Bars 1-10........ 49

FIGURE 4.1.1 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu I, Bars 1-7.................................................. 53

FIGURE 4.1.2 Schubert Impromptu in G-flat major, D 899 No. 3, Bars 1-4..... 54

FIGURE 4.1.3 Schubert Impromptu in E-flat major, D 899 No. 2, Bars 1-9...... 55

FIGURE 4.1.4 Schubert Nacht und Träume, Bars 1-8........................................ 55

FIGURE 4.1.5 Fauré Impromptu No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 25, Bars 35-37...... 57

8

LIST OF FIGURES – Continued FIGURE 4.1.6 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu I

Bars 23-30.............................................. 58

FIGURE 4.1.7 Liebermann Variations on Theme by Anton Bruckner, Op. 19 Variation III, Bars 1-4............................ 59

FIGURE 4.1.8 Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19 Violin Solo Line, Bars 1-6..................... 59

FIGURE 4.1.9a Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu I Bars 36-38.............................................. 60

FIGURE 4.1.9b Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu I Bars 43-50.............................................. 61

FIGURE 4.1.10 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu I Bars 59-60.............................................. 62




FIGURE 4.2.1 Schumann Im wunderschönen Monat Mai from Dichterliebe Bars 23-26.............................................. 65

FIGURE 4.2.2 Schumann Aus meinen Tränen spriessen from Dichterliebe Bars 1-3.................................................. 65

FIGURE 4.2.3 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu II Bars 1-2.................................................. 66

FIGURE 4.2.4 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu I and II Main Motives......................................... 66

9

LIST OF FIGURES – Continued FIGURE 4.2.5

Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu II

Bars 7-10................................................ 68

FIGURE 4.2.6 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu II Bars 13-16.............................................. 69

FIGURE 4.2.7 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu II Two Patterns from Section B................. 70




FIGURE 4.3.1 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptus I and III Bars 1-2.................................................. 74

FIGURE 4.3.2 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu III Melody Line, Bars 1-2........................... 76

FIGURE 4.3.3a Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu III Melodic Fragments, Bars 1-2................. 76

FIGURE 4.3.3b Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu III Alternate Melody Line, Bars 1-2........... 77

FIGURE 4.3.4 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu III Bars 23-30.............................................. 77

FIGURE 4.3.5 Liebermann Lullaby from Album for the Young Op. 43 Bars 1-12................................................ 78


10

LIST OF FIGURES – Continued

FIGURE 4.3.7 Liebermann Nocturne No. 2 Op. 31 Bar 34..................................................... 80

FIGURE 4.3.8 Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68, Impromptu III Bars 79-102............................................ 81


11

LIST OF TABLES TABLE 3.1.1 Form of Voříšek Impromptu in C major, Op. 7 No. 1................... 27

TABLE 4.1.1 Form of Impromptu I: Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68...... 52

TABLE 4.2.1 Form of Impromptu II: Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68.... 67

TABLE 4.3.1 Bass Line of Impromptu III; Bars 23-53: Liebermann Three Impromptus Op. 68.................... 79

12

ABSTRACT American composer Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961) wrote his Three Impromptus

Op. 68 in 2000. They manifest his self-proclaimed intention to be a composer espousing

the traditions of Western music and aiming to be part of that continuum. Liebermann’s

Impromptus exhibit spontaneity and a sense of improvisation, the most pervasive aspect

of the antecedent Impromptus. His personal lyricism embraces tempo rubato, inventive

harmonies, distinctive textures, and dramatic gestures. Liebermann’s Impromptus,

however, are tightly organized works employing simple motives that unify individual

Impromptus within a basic tripartite template.

This study begins with a brief summary of Liebermann’s life and then examines

antecedent examples of Impromptus by Jan Vaclav Voříšek (1791-1825) and Franz

Schubert (1797-1828) as well as some of the prominent composers from the 19th and 20th

centuries, including Gabriel Fauré. A thorough analysis of Liebermann’s Impromptus

constitutes the body of the document. Appendices contain transcriptions of the author’s

interview with the composer himself, as well Antonio Pompa-Baldi and David Korevaar

who have performed and recorded the Impromptus. These contemporary commentators

confirm the value of comparing Liebermann’s music to earlier models to better

understand how he creates his unique sound environment.

13

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

American Composer, Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961) composed his Three

Impromptus Op. 68 in 2000 for the 100th anniversary commemoration of Yaddo, a

working community of writers, visual artists and composers in Saratoga Springs, New

York.1 The same year, the set of pieces was premiered by world-renowned pianist

Stephen Hough at Alice Tully Hall in New York City.2 In his review of the premiere

performance, the New York Times music critic said, “Lowell Liebermann’s Three

Impromptus pay homage to those of Schubert... Mr. Hough’s sensitive performance made

the most of the hazy tonal harmonies and seductive piano colors.”3 In 2001, the work

won the first American Composers Invitational Competition at the 11th Van Cliburn

International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas.4 The silver medalist Antonio

Pompa-Baldi, who won a special award for his performance of the Impromptus, favors

the intimate and introspective nature of the work created by the predominantly tonal

language and sensitive keyboard writing.5 He also observes that the work has received

enthusiastic approval from various audiences and music critics alike.6

1 Yaddo was founded by Spencer Trask and his wife in 1900. Since its establishment, artists who have been involved with the colony have won 60 Pulitzer Prizes, 56 National Book Awards, a Nobel Prize, and countless other honors. Aaron Copland, Virgil Thompson, Ned Rorem, and David del Tredici are among the composers who have been in residence. 2 Lowell Liebermann, Three Impromptus for Piano (King of Prussia, PA: Theodore Presser Co., 2001), Preface. The work was premiered on May 4, 2000. 3 Anthony, Tommasini, Music Review: Celebrating Yaddo With Works It Helped Spawn (New York Times, 9 May 2000, late ed. sec. E, p. 5). 4 Lowell Liebermann, Three Impromptus for Piano, Preface.

14

Liebermann’s reputation had spread beyond the classical music world in 1998

when his Piano Concerto No. 2 received a Grammy Award nomination for Best

Contemporary Classical Composition.7 This achievement caught the attention of the

academic world and in 2003, a stylistic analysis of the concerto was written by a doctoral

piano student, Wei-Hui Yu, at the University of Northern Colorado.8 There have been a

couple of others completed by doctoral students: Mayumi Kikuchi from the University of

Illinois wrote her doctoral dissertation on selected Liebermann piano works in 1999:

Gargoyles, op. 29 and Piano Sonata No. 2, op. 10; and Dean Alan Nichols, the University

of Kentucky student, completed his on the composer’s keyboard works in 2000. The

latter contains a thorough analysis of the composer’s most well-known piano work,

Gargoyles, as well as all of the other pieces for the instrument up to 1996.9 Therefore, no

significant study of the Impromptus exists today.

The primary intention of this document is to introduce the Three Impromptus for

Piano to the reader by examining this work and exploring to what degree Liebermann

5 Pompa-Baldi, Antonio, Piano Instructor at Cleveland Institute of Music. Interview by author through e-mail correspondances on 13 January 2005.

6 Antonio Pompa-Baldi, “Three Impromptus by Liebermann: Music Performed in the 2001 Cliburn

Competition,” Clavier 41 (September 2002): 26. 7 [http://www.lowellliebermann.com/biography/index.html], accessed on January 14, 2005. 8 Wei-Hui Yu, “A Stylistic Analysis of Piano Concerto No. 2 Op. 36 by Lowell Liebermann” (D.M.A.

diss., University of Northern Colorado, 2003). 9 Mayumi Kikuchi, “The Piano Works of Lowell Liebermann: Compositional Aspects in Selected

Works” (D.M.A. diss., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999); Dean Alan Nichols, “A Survey of the Piano Works of Lowell Liebermann” (D.M.A. diss., Lexington, University of Kentucky, 2000). In 2005, Aryo Wicksono, then an honors undergraduate pianist at the University of Arizona, wrote yet another analysis of Liebermann’s Gargoyles, Op. 29 for Solo Piano, augmenting and challenging aspects of Nichol’s analysis.

15

combines identifiable ideas from the past and the present to create his personal writing

style. This exploration begins with a concise history of the Impromptu form with a brief

survey of works bearing this title by composers in the past. It will be followed by in-

depth analysis of Liebermann’s use of the form, encompassing motivic development and

examining how the composer manipulates sound parameters to create his unique sound

environment.

The Impromptus of Schubert will serve as comparative and influential antecedents

to Liebermann’s Impromptus. In addition, we will also briefly review certain elements of

Fauré’s harmonic language as an important influence on Liebermann’s writing.10

Although one might suppose Chopin Impromptus, particularly Fantasy-Impromptu,

would be important to this study, the composer was not thinking of them as the

antecedent.11 Thus, Chopin Impromptus are discussed not as a comparison but only as

part of the evolution of the genre. Also included in this document, are a current version of

Liebermann’s biography and a transcript of an interview with the composer on the piece

as well as on his philosophy of composing and contemporary music, especially for the

keyboard.

10 During the interview, Liebermann mentioned that Fauré was an important composer for him in terms of treatment of harmony and harmonic progression. The interview took place at his residence on 3 February 2005 in Weehawken, New Jersey. For a full transcript of the interview with the composer see Appendix below.

11 Ibid.

16

CHAPTER II: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A Brief Biography of Lowell Liebermann

Lowell Liebermann was born in Forest Hills, New York on February 22, 1961.12

Although his parents, Edward and Nicole Liebermann, were not musicians, they enjoyed

and appreciated music. Living just outside of Manhattan provided opportunities for the

family to attend concerts and operas in a regular basis. When Lowell was six, his mother

encouraged two of her sons to start taking piano lessons. She was of German heritage and

strongly believed, like many of her forbearers in the great value of art. He continued his

piano lessons all through his teenage years. One of his teachers was Ada Segal, a concert

pianist at the turn of the century who once studied with Joseph Hoffman, Ignacy Jan

Paderewsky and Theodore Leschetitzky. As for his composition lessons, it was not until

his family moved from Queens, New York, to Westchester, New York that Lowell started

studying with Ruth Schonthal (1924-2006) who gave him formal instruction in

composition in addition to his piano lessons.

Schonthal, also of German descent and a pupil of Paul Hindemith and Manuel

Ponce, may have had a great influence on young Lowell. Her approach to composing was

to combine European musical tradition with contemporary language and to experiment

12 The biographical information was taken from several sources; Dean Alan Nichols, “A Survey of the Piano Works of Lowell Liebermann”; Mayumi Kikuchi, “The Piano Works of Lowell Liebermann: Compositional Aspects in Selected Works” (D.M.A. diss., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999); Nicholas Slonimsky, ed., Baker's biographical dictionary of twentieth-century classical musicians (New York : Schirmer Books, 1997); Lowell Liebermann, [http://www.lowellliebermann.com/biography/ body. html], accessed on August, 2006.

17

with structure and extended tonality.13 It was with her that Liebermann wrote his Piano

Sonata No. 1. In 1977, he gave the debut performance of this work at the Carnegie

Recital Hall at the age of fifteen. Liebermann won the First Prize at the National

Composition Contest sponsored by the Music Teachers National Association in 1978 and

the Outstanding Composition Award from the Yamaha Music Foundation in 1982.14

This four-movement work (Adagio; Presto; Lento; Presto strepitoso) is a

remarkably sophisticated work for a young composer and demonstrated creative promise,

as well as being a showcase for Liebermann’s technical prowess at the keyboard although

most of the work sounds contrived and academic.15 The slow movements exhibit one of

the most important characteristics of the composer’s music – lyricism. The use of

ostinato, mastery of counterpoint and texture, and many flavors of virtuosity in the faster

movements are also Liebermann’s characteristics seen in his future pieces.16

In 1979, Liebermann was accepted at The Juilliard School to continue his studies

under composer David Diamond with whom he had already been taking lessons for a

year. During the time he spent at Juilliard in the 1980s, it was assumed that living

composers, especially those in musical academia, had a duty explore uncharted musical

terrain. Ironically, many academic composers, consequently, perpetuated styles which

had been considered avant-garde while ignoring trends outside of academy.

13 Who’s Who in American Music, s.v. “Schonthal (-Seckel), Ruth.” 14 Mayumi Kikuchi, 5; Nichols, 15. 15 Nichols, 15. His document includes a thorough analysis of Liebermann’s Piano Sonata No. 1. 16 Lowell Liebermann, “Piano Music, Vol. II,” Performed and Liner notes written by David Korevaar,

(KOCH International Classics 3-7552-2 HI (CD), [2004]), 1.

18

Liebermann’s recollection of an incident describes such tendencies in a vivid way: during

his lessons, Diamond would not approve of tonal music and would insist that he put down

wrong notes in the music to make it sound “modern.”17 Liebermann eventually had to

come to terms with the fact that he was not happy writing what the world of music critics

and academics wanted to hear, but needed to write down what came out of his true

creative “well.” This realization ultimately led him to decide to switch teachers from

Diamond to Vincent Persichetti. As a result, he found himself sharing a path several

twentieth-century composers who did not fit into the tradition of American experimental

music such as David Del Tredici, and William Bolcom. These composers were

considered as “Post-Romantic,” “Post-Modern,” “Neo-Tonal,” or “Neo-Romantic” in

contrast to more traditional composers of the twentieth-century American classical music

such as Roger Sessions, Edgard Varèse, and Milton Babbitt.

Some critics categorize Liebermann’s compositions as “Neo-Romantic” or “Neo-

Tonal.”18 Some critics seem to view the composer’s style of writing as not as

contemporary or modern but as something old which does not fit into music of our time.

This label comes from his pieces being predominantly tonal, with an inventive use of rich

harmonic language from the Romantic and even the Impressionistic eras. Liebermann

declares his composing philosophy is to write pieces that follow the tradition of Western

Classical Music:

17 Nichols, 156-157. 18 Terry Teachout, “The New Tonalists,” Commentary 104, no. 6, (1997).

19

I am not one of those of composers who believe that important art is always a radical break with the past. I am interested in the traditions of Western music and am interested in working in that continuum, which is why I always named my pieces Sonatas and Concertos and what-not because I want to put forth a clear message that I am part of that tradition.19

This close connection to the Western European tradition is possibly attributable

to some of Schonthal’s values and influence.

Lowell Liebermann knew that he was going to become a composer, even before

he began his formal composition studies at the age of fourteen.20 He recalls his desire to

put down some notes on a piece of paper to create music without comprehending what he

was actually writing while he was taking his piano lessons, which started several years

before composition lessons. He also recalls the time when his first composition teacher

told him that being a professional composer was not going to be easy and “many self-

claimed composers would have to make their living by teaching and would end up not

having their pieces performed.”21 Despite this rather pessimistic view of the profession,

he chose his dream to become a successful composer.

This dogged determination perhaps earned him his current status. Liebermann

may be one of the most prolific and the most performed American contemporary

19 Lowell Liebermann, interview with the author, 3 February 2005. 20 Dean Alan Nichols, “A Survey of the Piano Works of Lowell Liebermann” (D.M.A. diss., Lexington,

University of Kentucky, 2000): 155-156. 21 Yamaha Artist Services, “Natural Born Composer: Lowell Liebermann,” [http://www.yamaha.

com/publications/accent/Accent402/09liebermann.html], accessed on June 6, 2005.

20

composers of his generation.22 His achievements so far include top awards from several

national and international competitions such as the Delius International Composition

Contest, the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy and Institute of Arts

and Letters, Victor Herbert/ASCAP23 Awards, and the American Composers’ Invitational

Award at the Eleventh Van Cliburn Competition. At the age of forty-five, his œuvres

exceed opus 95.24 Since opus 23, Sonata for Flute and Piano, written for the Spoleto

Festival, every piece has been commissioned25 and his wide range of works include three

piano concerti, two operas, two symphonies, several song cycles and instrumental and

chamber works as well as a great number of piano solo works.

His Flute Concerto was commissioned by James Galway in 1992 and was given

its premiere by the flutist on November 6th, 1992 with the Saint Louis Symphony. While

holding a position of a composer-in-residence at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra between

1998 and 2002, some of the large works were written; his Symphony No. 2 was

composed and premiered by the DSO and Chorus in February 2000 and a couple of

months later, the Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra Op. 64 was given its first

performance by Philip Smith and the New York Philharmonic under the Kurt Mazur.

22 Walter Simmons, Review of Lowell Liebermann: Piano Music, Vol. 1 KOCH International Classics 7548 performed by David Korevaar, Fanfare 27 (Jan-Feb 2004): 145; Anne Midgette, “Classical Music Review; Inwardness and Showmanship in the Quirky and Familiar,” New York Times, 21 June 2003, Late Edition, 4.

23 ASCAP stands for American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Awards. 24 According to Liebermann’s official website, his latest composition is Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 95.

The concerto was commissioned by a consortium of eighteen orchestras and was premiered in May 2006. Accessed in August, 2006.

25 Nichols, 157.

21

Distinguished musicians throughout the world such as James Levine, Charles

Dutoit, Stephen Hough, Kurt Masur, James Galway, Joshua Bell and Jean-Yves

Thibaudet have performed his works. The New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan

Opera Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and others have premiered his orchestral works.

L’Opéra de Monte-Carlo premiered Liebermann’s first opera The Picture of Dorian Gray

in 1996, and the two-act opera Miss Lonelyhearts commissioned by The Juilliard School

for its centennial celebration received its premiere by The Juilliard Opera Center in April

of 2006. Many of his works have been recorded and are available via major labels

including RCA Victor Red Seal, Hyperion, Albany, Koch and Centaur.

Currently Liebermann works as a full-time composer, residing in Weehawken, NJ,

just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

Liebermann as Pianist

Because of Liebermann’s close association with the flutist James Galway and

the numerous recordings of Liebermann’s works for flute, the composer may be better

known by flutists than pianists. Nonetheless, he has written a large number of pieces for

piano, and his keyboard works have been performed by many pianists. His relationship

with the instrument began early in life, and he considers the piano as his principal

instrument.26 Pompa-Baldi, the Silver-Medalist of 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano

22

Competition, affirms that because Liebermann knows the keyboard as well as any other

skilled pianist, he is able to exploit the instrument to the fullest.27 During his studies at

The Juilliard School, he continued to take private lessons with Jacob Lateiner28 from

whom he gained valuable insights into the instrument, its literature and compositional

aspects of the vast piano repertoire that eventually formed the aesthetic of his current

writing.

Those who have played Liebermann’s piano music, including myself, have

expressed repeatedly that his works possess a favorable pianistic quality. Undoubtedly,

this is due to his familiarity with the instrument as a performer. In recent years, he has

become more active as a pianist, presenting other composers’ music as well as his own.29

In 2002, he debuted in Berlin, performing his Piano Quintet with the members of the

Berlin Philharmonic. The same year, he gave a premiere of his Cello Sonata No. 3 at an

all-Liebermann concert presented by the Van Cliburn Foundation on his forty-fifth

birthday.

26 Lowell Liebermann, interview with the author, 3 February 2005. 27 Antonio Pompa-Baldi, email interview with the author, 13 January 2005. 28 Jacob Lateiner is a renowned pianist, pedagogue and judicator. He has performed with the

Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the BBC Symphony, the Berlin Philharmonic and other orchestras under the baton of Leonard Bernstein, Serge Koussevitzky, Zubin Mehta, Georg Szell, Erich Leinsdorf, and Georg Solti. As a chamber musician, he collaborated frequently with Jascha Heifetz and Gregor Piatigorsky as well as with the Amadeus Quartet. Recordings include the premiere of the Carter Piano Concerto and Roger Sessions Piano Sonata No. 3. He also studied composition with Arnold Schoenberg. He has been a faculty member at Juilliard since 1966.

29 Yaddo, “ Yaddo Summer Benefit to feature a Piano Duo,” [http://www.yaddo.org/yaddo/

SaratogaBenefit2003.shtml], accessed in August 2006.

23

He also collaborated with tenor Robert White in a recording of his songs, released

on Arabesque in 2004.30 Many of the songs such as Six Songs on Poems of Henry W.

Longfellow Op. 57 demand refined and advanced technique and sensitive musicianship

on the keyboard. Understanding the strength and weakness of the instrument as well as

having in depth knowledge of the keyboard literature maximizes his creativity in

composing for the keyboard.

30 Lowell Liebermann, [http://www.lowellliebermann.com/biography/body.html], accessed in August 2006.

24

CHAPTER III: A BRIEF HISTORY OF IMPROMPTUS

1) Voříšek’s Impromptus

According to The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Musicians, an

Impromptu, “in the 19th century and since, is a composition, usually for piano, in an

offhand or extemporized style or perhaps intended to suggest the result of sudden

inspiration.”31 The title Impromptu is thought to have been used for the first time in 1817

in the music periodical Allegemeine musikalische Zeitung, as the name of a work in B-flat

major for piano by Jan Vaclav Voříšek (1791-1825).32 The Impromptus, Opus 7 were then

published in 1822 by Pietro Mechetti in Vienna, along with Heinrich Marschner’s

Impromptus Opp. 22 and 23.33

Voříšek, also known as Van Hugo Worzischek, was born in 1791, the son of a

school-master and music teacher in Bohemia (corresponds to the modern Czech

Republic). He received musical training from his father during his teenage years. In 1814,

while a student in Prague, he was a frequent guest at musical soirées that included

Beethoven whom he greatly admired. Although his output was cut short due to his early

death at the age of thirty-four, he successfully produced a number of piano works that

31 The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Musician, 2nd ed., s.v. “Impromptus.” 32 Alan Ira Weiss, “The Impromptus, Op. 7, of Jan Václav Voříšek: A Transitional Work Linking

Tomášak’s eglogues and Schubert’s Moments Musicaux and Impromptus” (D.M.A. diss., Juilliard School, April 1977): 1.

33 Ibid, 1.

25

appeared to have been popular at the time of their publications. According to some

sources, Beethoven was among those who formed a favorable opinion on Voříšek’s

music.34

The six Impromptus of Op. 7 are cheerful and charming pieces whose tempo

indications – Allegro, Allegro Moderato or Allegretto – are strikingly uniform. (Examples

3.1.1a to 3.1.1f)35 The use of major keys also supports the consistency of the cheerful

characters in this opus.

(Example 3.1.1a – Voříšek Impromptus Op. 7, No. 1 in C major)

Bars 1-4

(Example 3.1.1b – Voříšek Impromptus Op. 7, No. 2 in G major)

Bars 1-3

34 Ibid, 6. 35 The examples are taken from an edition by Export Artia in Prague. The date of publication is

unknown. Although the author made attempts to get a hold of the publisher and its distributor, it seems to be that the music is no longer under copyright.

26

(Example 3.1.1c – Voříšek Impromptus Op. 7, No. 3 in D major) Bars 1-4

(Example 3.1.1d – Voříšek Impromptus Op. 7, No. 4 in A major)

Bars 1-4

(Example 3.1.1e – Voříšek Impromptus Op. 7, No. 5 in E major)

Bars 1-4

(Example 3.1.1f – Voříšek Impromptus Op. 7, No. 6 in B major)

Bars 1-6

27

All of the Impromptus are in an expanded ABA form, each large section, housing at its

center a contrasting sub-section in another key. One might argue, therefore, that a more

accurate representation of the form is ABA-CDC-ABA.36 The A section begins in a major

key, modulates to either its relative minor or dominant using the same theme, and returns

to the tonic. The first Impromptu, for instance, begins in C major, modulates to G major

and then back to C. (Table 3.1) The middle section of the Impromptus, CDC, is built on

new thematic material though it is closely related to the outer sections. Voříšek never

wrote out the second ABA section, relying instead on repeat signs and the Da Capo sign.

(Table 3.1.1 - Voříšek Impromptus Op. 7, No. 1)

Section A B A C D C Key C G C a e a Sign repeat repeat/fine repeat repeat Da capo

The pieces are numbered in ascending order of difficulty and length. The first

piece is set in C major and an extra sharp is added to the key signature as one goes onto

the next piece. Perhaps Voříšek intended that pieces be studied in sequence so that the

student would have a bigger challenge with each new piece. These pieces manifest an

inherent improvisational quality in that each piece derives from a single musical idea.

Voříšek studied the violin and composition under his father, and he also learned how to

36 Ibid, 8.

28

improvise at the keyboard.37 His improvisational skill may suggest that he wrote down

what he “improvised” at the piano, or at least that he generated his principal material

through improvisation. Regardless of how these pieces actually came to life, it is

plausible that the reason he called them Impromptus may have been to encourage the

performer to play in an extemporaneous manner.

2) Schubert’s Impromptus

Some of the most celebrated Impromptus of all time were composed by Franz

Schubert (1797-1828) relatively close to the time of Voříšek’s Opus 7. Schubert

composed a total of eight Impromptus. The first set of four Impromptus, D 899, Op. 90

was named by the publisher in 1827, a decade after Voříšek’s first publication. The

remaining four, however, were named by the composer.38 Although he did not conceive

the earlier pieces as “Impromptus,” perhaps Schubert endorsed the publisher’s choice,

leading him to subsequently adopt it himself. It is believed that Schubert conceived a

second set, D 935, Op. post. 142, as a continuation of the first set, by numbering the four

Impromptus in the second volume Nos. 5 through 8.39 Although these numbers were

eventually corrected by Schubert to Nos. 1 through 4, it may be appropriate that the

37 Ibid, 4.

38 Charles Fisk, Returning Cycles: Contexts for the Interpretation of Schubert’s Impromptus and Last

Sonatas (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2001):141-142. 39 Schubert Impromptus D 935, Op. post. 142, First edition, Critical Notes (Vienna: Wiener Urtext

Edition, 1973): X.

29

Impromptus in both volumes can be played either singly or in smaller groups or as a set.

The Impromptus of Voříšek and Schubert bear some similarities and differences.

Both composers use the same overall Ternary Form. Voříšek’s Impromptus show an

interesting kind of ABA form: Ternary Form within Ternary Form (ABA-CDC-ABA)

whereas Schubert uses a similar structure in some of his eight Impromptus though they

show far greater formal diversity and thematical and musical development. The A-flat

major Impromptu may be one of the best examples. This comparatively short eighty-six

measure piece, compared to the others written by the composer, some of which as long as

five-hundred, has a beautiful theme embedded in a Sarabande rhythm. Beginning in A-

flat major leads to a clear section break with a double-bar and a change of key signature.

The middle section is set in the subdominant key. Here, however, is one of the significant

differences between Schubert and Voříšek works: the latter simply had a Fine marking

sign at the end of the first section and Da Capo at the end of the middle section. Schubert,

however, marks the middle section “Trio” instead, even though the piece is not marked

“Scherzo,” and still writes out the second A section. In fact, Schubert uses the same

marking in the A-flat minor Impromptu.

The Trio section in both of Schubert’s pieces contrast more dramatically with the

main sections than in parallel places in Voříšek’s Impromptus. The Bohemian composer

seems to organize his pieces through one musical idea that is subtly developed in the

middle section. He does not move far from the tonic but uses its dominant or relative key

as a new key. Schubert, on the other hand, often modulates to a distant key; for example,

the Trio section of the A-flat minor Impromptu is in C-sharp minor, using A-flat as the

30

pivot to the fifth scale degree of the new key. The material of the Trio is completely new.

As a result, the music conveys a different character not unlike the way a B section of a

Da Capo Aria introduces a new thought or emotion. It is also interesting that Schubert

writes out the return of A materials. He uses a bridge to make a smooth transition back to

the original music and never repeats verbatim what he did the first time. He often extends

the conclusion with a coda, some of which are long while others last only a few measures.

Schuber’s Impromptus manifest a wide variety of moods owning to a diversity

of forms, keys, and tempo indications. Perhaps he intended that his sets be played as a

group. Each set includes a through-composed piece, a Theme and Variations movement,

and a Ternary piece. For example, the first Impromptu of D. 899 is through-composed,

but permeated with the process of variations. This C minor piece could be the freest of all

Schubert Impromptus. It begins with a fanfare-like unison held for almost an entire

measure before welcoming a somber theme. (Example 3.2.1)

(Example 3.2.1 – Schubert Impromptu D 899 No. 1 in C minor)

Bars 1-9

31

(Copyright 1976. G. Henle Verlag, München. Printed by permission)

As the music progresses, Schubert “improvises” on the theme, with different

harmonizations and accompanimental figures. The “variations” are not so complex as one

observes in an actual Theme and Variations form: it sounds, rather, like the composer is

meandering over a theme almost without a goal of time or destination.

The themes in Schubert’s Impromptus encompass a striking range of moods and

dramatic evocations when compared with Voříšek’s themes. Perhaps a wider range of

keys contributes partially to the variety of the characters and moods. Schubert sets half of

them in minor and the other half in major keys. A wider range of tempi reinforces the

differences as well: in addition to Allegro and Allegretto, Schubert marks some with

Andante and Allegro scherzando. However, the most important contribution to variety of

sound and expression in Schubert’s Impromptus may be the fact that he was one of the

most influential and innovative song composers of the period with an impeccable sense

of drama and lyricism.

Schubert’s version of Erlkönig, a poem taken from the Schauspiel called Die

Fischerin by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is a great example of Schubert’s imaginative

and narrative writing. Ludwig Spohr (1784-1859) and Johann Carl Gottfried Löwe (1796-

1869), Schubert’s contemporary composers, also wrote songs using this text though they

were relatively simple.40 A contemporary of Goethe, Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752-

40 The Ring of Words: An Anthology of Song Text, with an introduction by Philip L. Miller (Garden City NY: Doubleday, 1966), 26.

32

1814), a successful and well-known song composer during his lifetime, also set the poem

to plain homophonic music. (Example 3.2.2)

(Example 3.2.2 – Reichardt Erlkönig,) Bars 1-16


It was a characteristic of the time for songs to be written with a simple melody and

accompaniment so that an amateur could sing and play. Reichardt wrote the song in

strophic setting which the poet actually preferred.

Schubert’s song, however, is much more dramatic and recalls the scope of an

operatic scena. Each of the characters in the poem – the narrator, the father, the son and

the Erlkönig – has a distinct melodic characteristic sung over a never-ending piano

accompaniment reminiscent of horse’s galloping. The example 3.2.3 illustrates the

climactic moment where the Son cries for help for the one last time. At bar 124, the voice

part hits G-flat, creating a screeching minor second against the right hand of the

accompaniment, and depicts the Son’s terrified emotion.

33

(Example 3.2.3 – Schubert Erlkönig,) Bars 123-125

Schubert’s Impromptus have a similar narrative quality and portray distinct and

unique characters. For instance, the lyricism and dramatic writing seen in his songs such

as Erlkönig is clearly displayed in his E-flat major Impromptu. The contrasting section of

the E-flat Impromptu is set in the key of B minor which is a tri-tone away from the key of

the piece. The modulation from E-flat major to B minor is as striking as the startling

character change between the two themes. (Example 3.2.4a and 3.2.4b) The main theme

seems to portray a stream or breeze and the other, a storm or harsh environment in the

wilderness.

(Example 3.2.4a – Schubert Impromptu D 899 No. 2 in E-flat major)

Bars 1-4

34

(Example 3.2.4b – Schubert Impromptu D 899 No. 2 in E-flat major) Bars 83-86

The way Schubert continues to build the drama in the Coda is especially intriguing. The

last section based on material from the B section modulates back and forth between the

keys of B and E-flat – a battle between the A and the B material – and the piece finally

ends fortissimo in E-flat minor.

3) Later Composer’s Impromptus

There have been a number of works written bearing the title Impromptu since

Voříšek first used it for his piano pieces in the early 19th century. Some of them manifest

a literal attempt to musically reflect the word while others reflect its meaning only

loosely. Many composers favor the variation technique, one of the common musical

processes used in the 19th century. Others utilize Ternary form in order to create formal

unity in the presence of quasi-improvised material. Exemplary models from the 19th and

20th centuries include those composed by Robert Schumann (1810-1856), Frederic

35

Chopin (1810-1849), Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936), Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915),

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) and Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924).

Robert Schumann’s Impromptu Opus 5, written in 1833, is a theme with

variations subtitled Impromptus über ein Thema von Clara Wieck. (Example 3.3.1) This

work is known to be based on a simple Passacaglia bass line, C-F-G-C, with Clara

Wieck’s melody taken from her Romance variée pour le piano, dédiée à Mons. Robert

Schumann, Œvre 3.41 Schumann later decided to revise it in 1850, and the work now

consists of ten variations.

(Example 3.3.1 – Schumann Impromptus Op. 5)

Theme

(Used by permission of Dover)

41 Robert Schumann, Impromptus Opus 5 For Piano (Leipzig: Edition Peters, 1981), Concluding Remarks.

36

Schumann retains the original bass line instead of the melody in the first two variations.

(Examples 3.3.2a & 3.3.2b)

(Example 3.3.2a – Schumann Impromptus Op. 5) Variation I


(Example 3.3.2b – Schumann Impromptus Op. 5) Variation II


37

The bass line is more audible throughout the work and the only time the melody is used

again is in the seventh variation where Schumann uses the original melody as a new bass

line. (Example 3.3.3)

(Example 3.3.3 – Schumann Impromptus Op. 5) Variation VII


Although it may be less popular than some of better-known works such as

Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6, Carnaval, Op. 9, Fantasiestücke, Op. 12, and Fantasie, Op.

17, the piece may exemplify an experimental side of his music making.

It is interesting that Schumann gave this particular title to a rather strict set of

variations. Perhaps this choice aligns with his tendency to assign more poetic names to

his creations: Papillions, Op. 2; Kinderszenen, Op. 15, and Novelletten, Op. 21 are some

of his unconventionally named pieces. Albumblätter Op. 124 also has a poetic title and

two out of the twenty character pieces happen to be named Impromptus. (Examples

3.3.4a & 3.3.4b)

(Example 3.3.4a– Schumann Albumblätter Op. 124 No. 1) Bars 1-4

38

(Example 3.3.4b – Schumann Albumblätter Op. 124 No. 9) Bars 1-4


These two little character pieces have the poetic sense of “improvisation” though

they are tightly organized motivically. The first one clearly spins off from a four

sixteenth-note motive in the right hand which is then imitated in the left hand. The motive

repeats, working as a motor until the end of the piece. It is as if Schumann had a quick

thought that came and went like a gust of the wind. If this music is suggestive of the

mischievous “Florestan,” the ninth piece of Op. 124, might well evoke a vision of the

delicate “Eusebius.” It is slower and set in compound meter. In addition, Schumann

cleverly manipulates time and rhythm, setting the piece in simple triple time though

grouping the eight notes as if in compound duple. A skilled pianist would deliver a subtle

rhythmic displacement by minimizing the second and the third beats yielding a supple

and elegant quality.

39

Between 1835 and 1842, Frederic Chopin also wrote four Impromptus. Like the

Ballades, though on a smaller and simpler scale, the works demonstrate his excellent

poetic and pianistic writing. These Impromptus share similar material, and it is indeed

plausible that Chopin was inspired by Schubert’s popular works.42 The Fantasy-

Impromptu, Op. 66, which was written first and published posthumously, begins with a

declamatory octave chord and spins off from there. (See Examples 3.2.2 & 3.3.5)

(Example 3.3.5 – Chopin Fantasy-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op. 66)

Bars 1-8


42 Jim Samson, The Music of Chopin (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994), 98.

40

This most popular C-sharp minor Impromptu has the simplest construction. It has a clear

ABA form with a coda. The main scheme, after the left-hand introduction, at mm. 5 and 8

has a tripartite construction, 1-1-2 bars, which is closely related to Op. 29. (Example

3.3.6) The contour of the melody as well as the overall form seems to be modeled after

the Op. 66.

(Example 3.3.6 – Chopin Impromptu in A-flat major, Op. 29) Bars 1-4


It is not surprising that Chopin did not publish the C-sharp minor Impromptu as he might

have considered it a “trial” piece to the A-flat major Impromptu. Op. 36 in F-sharp major

seems to start out with material taken from the middle section of Op. 29. (Examples

3.3.7a & 3.3.7b)

(Example 3.3.7a – Chopin Impromptu in F-sharp major, Op. 36)

Bars 1-4

41


(Example 3.3.7b – Chopin Impromptu in A-flat major, Op. 29) Bars 35-40


The upper voice of the contrapuntal lines in Example 3.3.7a seems to be a retrograde

version of Example 3.3.7b. This F-sharp major Impromptu is more developed and more

interesting than the first two. The B section uses an ostinato figure which Chopin later

used for his Barcarolle Op. 60 and the return of the A is not a mere repeat of it, but

varied twice; once with a triple left-hand accompaniment and the other time with duple

accompaniment that is decorated by the right-hand obligato line.

The impact of Chopin’s music in Russia has been so great that his pieces have

been studied by generations of pianists. Alexander Glazunov grew up in that tradition and

became one of the significant late Romantic Russian composers and influential teachers.

He never became a pianist/composer, like Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, or Shostakovich, even

42

though he had the capability of a concert pianist. His contribution to the keyboard

repertoire is relatively small for an accomplished pianist but his works written for the

instrument show a grandiose Russian style with a lyricism influenced by Chopinesque

pianism and his set of two Impromptus Op. 54 clearly shows this quality. Although they

are set in simple Ternary Form and have the Chopinesque quality, their phrasings are

very unique. The first one in D-flat major, for instance, which is reminiscent of Chopin’s

A-flat major Impromptu, has an interesting seven-bar phrase: 1-1-2-3. (Example 3.3.8)

(Example 3.3.8 – Glazunov Impromptu in D-flat major, Op. 54 No.1)

Bars 1-7

(Used by permission of Kalmus)

The second Impromptu in A-flat major, also having an irregular phrasing based on a

three-note motive, is composed in a larger structure. The form again is conventional

43

ternary form though it is made more unique by the outer bodies having a varied section

which is based on the main materials from the first Impromptu. (Example 3.3.9) It is

reasonable to conclude that Glazunov wrote these two pieces as an item.

(Example 3.3.9 – Glazunov Impromptu Op. 54 No.2) Bars 49-57

(Used by permission of Kalmus)

The fact that the section shown above is rhythmically displaced and is indicated to be

quicker makes it sound like an improvisation.

Chopin’s influence was also apparent in Scriabin’s works. Alexander Scriabin

mainly composed for the piano and among his large œuvre there are several Impromptus.

In his early work written in 1891/1892, for example, there are two beautiful pieces that

are greatly influenced by Chopin’s music. (Examples 3.3.10a & 3.3.10b)

(Example 3.3.10a – Scriabin Impromptu Op. 7 No. 1)

Bars 1-6

44


It is remarkable that these Impromptus remind us of Chopin’s Waltzes and Mazurkas.

(Example 3.3.10b – Scriabin Impromptu Op. 7 No. 2)

Bars 1-12


Like many of his early compositions, there is nothing very complex about these pieces

but the piano writing is beautiful and rich. However, it is worth pointing out that there is

evidence of his penchant for rhythmic experimentation and complexity in the second

Impromptu which he later used extensively in his piano sonatas and etudes. (Example

3.3.10c)

(Example 3.3.10c – Scriabin Impromptu Op. 7 No. 2)

45

Bars 37-41

(Used by permission of Dover) In the late 19th and the early 20th century France, Gabriel Fauré and Francis

Poulenc established their own unique languages that differ from the characteristics of

Impressionism. Poulenc, connected to Les Six, wrote his a set of five Impromptus in 1921.

These miniature pieces share many characteristics with his other compositions written in

his twenties which show his love for French Vaudeville. They have an essence of his

charming wit and unpretentiousness that one sees in his songs and chamber music. The

second Impromptu is a great example for his overall light-hearted character with short

phrases in various moods. (Example 3.3.11)

(Example 3.3.11 – Poulenc Impromptu II)

Bars 1-16

46

(Copyright 1998. Masters Music Publication, Boca Raton, Fla. Printed by permission)

His set of songs called Le Bestiaire also exemplifies this characteristic. The songs as well

as the Impromptus last less than a minute each and yet capture a vivid image and mood

instantly. For instance, the piano introduction for Le Dramadaire captures the awkward

physical motion of the Dromedary Camel. (Example 3.3.12)

(Example 3.3.12 – Poulenc Le Dramadaire from Le Bestiaire)

Bars 1-7

(Copyright 1920. Max Eschig, Paris)

Poulenc delivers the tranquil atmosphere of La Carpe in the piano accompaniment and

use of marking such as sans nuances, très triste and très lent. (Example 3.3.13)

47

(Example 3.3.13 – Poulenc La Carpe from Le Bestiaire) Bars 1-5

(Copyright 1920. Max Eschig, Paris)

Although Poulenc’s compositions have certain lightness and charm which some criticize

as a lack of seriousness, he has succeeded in writing pieces in an unmistakably individual

style.

Like Poulenc, Fauré also gained his status as one of the most influential and

innovative composers around the turn of the last century. However, he stayed closer to

the traditional realm of the keyboard language by writing many of his piano pieces with

titles such as Barcarolle, Nocturne, Prelude, and Impromptu. It is clear that he was

greatly influenced by Chopin’s music. Although his music has Chopinesque qualities, his

originality is evident through his unique counterpoint and harmony. He often breaks

away from the 17th and 18th century voice-leading practice and focuses more on linear

and chromatic relationship.

48

Fauré wrote thirteen Nocturnes over four decades and some of them are well-

known among his piano pieces, but he also wrote five Impromptus;43 three in 1883 and

the other two in 1904 and 1906. The Impromptu No. 2 in F minor has been one of the

most popular Fauré pieces44 although Alfred Cortot and Marguerite Long considered the

third Impromptu to be the best of all.45 Fauré used overall ABA form for all of his

Impromptus. The A section of the F minor has the vitality of Scherzo and the character of

Capriccio set by running eighth-notes and accompanied by a brisk and steady pulse.

(Example 3.3.14a) One may see a great influence of Chopin throughout the piece. The

contrasting middle section has a luscious quality created by the Chopinesque left-hand

accompaniment and the use of two-against-three rhythm. (Example 3.3.14b)

(Example 3.3.14a – Fauré Impromptu No. 2 in F minor Op. 31)

Bars 1-10

43 Some sources indicate that Fauré wrote six Impromptus. However, the last one is a piano transcription of the work originally written for the harp in 1903.

44 Maurice Hinson, Guide to the Pianist’s Repertoire, 3rd ed, s.v. “Gabriel Fauré.” 45 Alfred Cortot, French Piano Music, trans. by Hilda Andrews (London: Oxford University Press):

117-120. Marguerite Long, At the Piano with Fauré, trans. by Olive Senior-Ellis (New York: Taplinger Publishing Company, 1981): 91-93.

49


(Example 3.3.14b – Fauré Impromptu No. 2 in F minor Op. 31) Bars 86-95


Although the second and third Impromptus were written in the same year, the

latter shows more of his unique harmonic characteristics. For example, Impromptu No. 3

begins in A-flat major with the left-hand accompaniment seemingly alternating between

the tonic and the subdominant chord. (Example 3.3.15) After the ascending A-flat major

arpeggio in the accompaniment, the second half of the measure begins with an F. Here,

50

Fauré succeeds in creating ambiguous and subtle harmonic progression by an

unconventional voice-leading.

(Example 3.3.15 – Fauré Impromptu No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 34) Bars 1-16

(Copyright Dover. Printed by permission)

The second half of the measure seems to establish a D-flat major chord, creating

I-IV progression. One might have simply outlined the subdominant chord by arpeggiating

it. However, Fauré does not do so, but he moves the D-flat to a B-flat at the third

sixteenth of the beat. It then forms a B-flat 6/4 chord, the supertonic. This chord short-

51

lives when the B-flat seems to resolve down to an A-flat at the last sixteenth note of the

beat, functioning as an appoggiatura. Because this upper neighbor is placed on a

relatively strong beat, it creates an interesting and ambiguous harmony for the second

half of the bar.

A survey of Impromptus written for piano by these composers from the past

reveals that impromptus are generally relatively short pieces. Since Voříšek’s work,

Impromptus have evolved to be more than just simple and cheerful works. Each

composer has used his imagination and skill to craft these jewels that, in one way or

another, are a product of sudden inspiration. In his eight Impromptus, Schubert shows

more formal variety whereas Schumann consistently utilizes variation technique. He also

maximizes his lyricism with a use of extreme drama. The works of Glazunov and

Scriabin demonstrate their unique harmonic and rhythmic invention while showing

Chopinesque quality. Poulenc’s extremely short and witty Impromptus influenced by

French Vaudeville possess the true extemporaneous sense of the word Impromptu.

Although Fauré’s works are aligned with traditional formal ideas associate with

impromptus and pay homage to Chopin’s musical language, they diverge because of his

uniquely rich and subtle harmonic language.

Next Chapter, the author will examine how directly and indirectly Liebermann’s

Impromptus follow the trends of the past. An influence of Schubert Impromptus and a

trace of the harmonic tendency and the musical nuance that Fauré successfully created in

his music will be observed in the works of Liebermann.46 Combining the rich harmonic

52

language and the formal treatment of the Romantic and Impressionistic periods with his

own lyricism, craftsmanship and his interpretation of “Impromptu”, his work successfully

creates his elegant, beautiful and yet intense qualities for which the composer is well-

known.

46 For discussion on Fauré’s influence with the composer see Appendix below.

53

CHAPTER IV: AN ANALYSIS OF THREE IMPROMPTUS, OP. 68

1) Analysis of Impromptu I

Liebermann uses an overall traditional ABA form for this piece and seems to let

the music follow the form not as strictly but to let the “improvisational” aspect of the

piece take its course within the structure. (Table 4.1.1) By means of different tonal

centers – F from the A section and D from the B section – he defines the strong formal

divisions. Additionally, the characteristic textures of the sections are distinct. The A

section is rather chordal whereas the B section is contrapuntal. It is interesting to compare

the beginning and the reprise of A at m. 59, Liebermann combines both textures to

heighten the intensity of the moment.

(Table 4.1.1 – Form of Impromptu I)

A B A

Bar # 1 8 17 25 36 43 47 51 55 59 74 78 85 Bass Line F A F D D Eb Eb F D F D Key Center F: D: F: Texture Chordal Contrapuntal Transition Chordal+ Coda Contrap

The main theme of A is a seven-bar phrase; it is broken down into 2, 2 and 3

measures. (See Example 4.1.1) The irregularity of the phrase and the meter change at m.

7 make this main theme very supple and distinctive. Moreover, an elegant swaying affect

is created by the shortening of bars at mm. 2, 4 and 6 and speeding up of the pulse in m. 7

with an indication of sostenuto. Although Liebermann’s approach to composition is

54

traditional enough to employ a key or tonal center, he uses a more modern approach to

notation in that most of his scores do not include a key signature. The piece definitely

begins with an F tonal center which is eventually confirmed as the key of the piece.

(Example 4.1.1 – Three Impromptus, Movement I)

Bars 1-7

(Copyright 2001. Theodore Presser, King of Prussia, PA. Printed by permission)

This theme manifests stylistic elements essential for understanding the meaning of

the entire piece. First, the interval of a minor-second is a pervasive unifying element. A

minor-second interval and a tremolo figuration hold the whole piece together

thematically. The interval of the minor-second in the first bar of the melody is one of the

most components of the first impromptu and also for the rest of the set. By manipulating

this interval, Liebermann develops and unifies the entire work.

Second, there is a continuous oscillating accompaniment pattern underneath the

melody. This obsessive motoric pattern certainly links Liebermann’s work to

55

Schubert’s.47 For instance, as shown in the example below, one of the beloved Schubert

Impromptus is woven together with sextuplets. In this warm and exquisite G-flat major

Impromptu, Schubert uses the perpetually rotating rhythmic figure in the inner voice with

a delicacy suggestive of an Aeolian harp.

(Example 4.1.2 – Schubert Impromptu D 899 No. 3 in G-flat major)

Bars 1-4


His E-flat major Impromptu also features a continuous rhythmic pattern. This time, the

perpetual triplets are a melody in the soprano. (Example 4.1.3)

47 See the interview with the composer in Appendix below.

56

(Example 4.1.3 – Schubert Impromptu D 899 No. 2 in E-flat major) Bars 1-9


This continuous movement can be seen in almost all Schubert Impromptus. In

many of his songs, this technique is also used to depict a physical object, certain scenery

or mood. For instance, the piano accompaniment of one of the most famous Schubert

Lieder Nacht und Träume portrays the quietness of a holy night. (Example 4.1.4) Sehr

langsam and pianissimo instruct the pianist to play the accompaniment in the calmest

manner.

(Example 4.1.4 – Schubert Nacht und Träume) Bars 1-8

57

(Used by permission of C.F. Peters Corporation)

Without a doubt, one can clearly see a similar consistent rhythmic motion in

Liebermann’s first Impromptu in Example 4.1.1

The consistent sixteenth notes in Liebermann’s Impromptu stimulate uneasiness

or anxiety. This restlessness combined with ambiguous harmonic movement instantly

creates an elusive atmosphere. As the melody moves from C to D-flat, it is harmonized

by a D-flat major first inversion chord and then returns to an F major triad. Nothing is out

of the ordinary so far, but the I-VI-I progression is made in the first measure. What is

interesting here is what follows after the second F major chord in the second measure.

While the soprano moves back to D-flat, making for a nice and easily sing-able melody,

the bass line unexpectedly descends by step-wise motion to F-flat, creating a D-flat minor

chord. Furthermore, this minor chord does not resolve into another chord but instead

functions as a resolution itself within a sub-phrase. The juxtaposition of major and minor

58

sonorities may leave the listener suspended and insecure. The rocking between an F

major chord and D-flat minor sonorities undermines the listeners’ anticipation of

progression. The sub-phrase is then repeated and at m. 5, the line moves by a third-

relation from the D-flat minor chord (enharmonically spelled C-sharp) to the E major

chord, using the two common notes, F-flat/E and A-flat/G-sharp.

The harmonic alternations created by the mobility of the 3rd are typical of Fauré.48

According to Liebermann, Fauré is an important influence on his own harmonic

processes. Indeed, a harmonic similarity may be drawn between both composers’ works.

For instance, the middle section of Fauré’s Impromptu No. 1 in E-flat major includes a

lowered 3rd degree in the chord in m. 37. (Example 4.1.5) This section of the piece is

centered at A-flat, the sub-dominant to the key of the piece. However, Fauré avoids an

expected D-flat major chord familiar to the 19th century ears in favor of the modal D-flat

minor chord. This creates a curious sense of release, arising from his avoidance of a

tonic-dominant tonal axis. It is then enharmonically spelled in the following measure and

a series of modulations ensues.

(Example 4.1.5 – Fauré Impromptu No. 1 in E-flat major Op. 25) Bars 35-37


48 The New GroveDictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., s.v. “Fauré.” In the interview with the author, Liebermann expressed an influence of Fauré on his music and the importance of Fauré’s “sliding kind of harmonic change” in his music. For the complete transcript of the interview see the Appendix below.

59

The B section begins at m. 25 in D major and is prepared by the D major chord

established clearly in the preceding two measures. (Example 4.1.6) The transition from

the end of the previous section to this section is seamless because of the uninterrupted

tremolos in the accompaniment. It is also important to observe the pedal marking at m. 24

that is carried over for the next five measures. This is significant and crucial because the

effect one could have with holding versus clearing the pedal.49


Bars 23-30


It is also important to point out that the melody in this section is derived from the

minor-second motive that we saw at the beginning of the movement. Although the

contour of the melody does not have a neighboring motion but rather a descending three-

49 Liebermann expressed his frustration regarding pianists who disregard the pedal markings that he has put in. For a transcript of the interview with the composer see Appendix below.

60

note motion, it consists of a minor second and a major second combined together linearly.

(See Example 4.1.4, m. 25). It is interesting to see that the melodic line here may have

been inspired by one of his earlier works, Variations on a Theme by Anton Bruckner, Op.

19. (Example 4.1.7) The melody from the third variation has a similar contour and

rhythm.

(Example 4.1.7 – Liebermann Variations on a Theme by Anton Bruckner, Op. 19)

Variation III: Bars 1-4

(Copyright 1987. Theodore Presser, Bryn Mawr, PA. Printed by permission)

The phrase containing a turn-like figure also seems to be reminiscent of Prokofiev’s

lyricism demonstrated in his first Violin Concerto. (Example 4.1.8) The main theme of

the Concerto, for instance, uses an augmented third while a major second is used by

Liebermann. The turn at the end of the first bar has the function of a leading tone to the

dominant in the following measure.

(Example 4.1.8 – Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19)

Violin Solo Line: Bars 1-6

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The intervals and their functions differ, and yet they both enjoy an exotic quality created

by the chromaticism and floating impression of the theme. They have similar sound

qualities that are predominantly produced by the way they use chromaticism and

extremes of instruments. Perhaps, for this reason, Nichols suggests an influence of

Prokofiev on Liebermann’s music.50

One of the interesting aspects of the middle section is the way Liebermann

organizes it contrapuntally. This section uses more polyphony whereas at the beginning

of the piece, we see a clear homophonic texture. The composer utilizes a kind of variation

technique here: he takes the antecedent of the theme, mm. 25 to 28, and reiterates it

throughout the section. An extra voice, for example, is added in the lower register at m.

36 as a new statement of the motive: a new bass line plays a diminution-like fragment

which increases the density of the texture. (Example 4.1.9a) In addition, the eleven-bar

phrase at the beginning of the section is shortened here to a seven-bar phrase. This

shortening of the phrase continues as the next entrance of the theme is diminished even

further to four bars at bar 43. (Examples 4.1.9a & 4.1.9b)

(Example 4.1.9a – Three Impromptus, Movement I)

Bars 36-38


50 Nichols, 161.

62

(Example 4.1.9b – Three Impromptus, Movement I) Bars 43-50


In the variation at m. 43, an even a thicker texture is formed as two lower voices which

are an augmented version of the theme create a stretto at a quarter apart. (Example

4.1.9b) Four measures later, the next and last variation, marked ff, with the doubled

tremolo in the inner voice enters as the B section culminates.

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The return of the A section at m. 59 is well-prepared by a transitional section

where the composer succeeds in increasing intensity and anticipation by manipulating

dynamics, rhythm, and time signature. The theme’s clear arrival into the tonic proves the

recapitulation although this time it is transformed from an elegant and comfortable

character at the beginning of the piece into an agitated and explosive one with rhythmic

vitality. (Example 4.1.10)


Bars 59-60


First, the dynamics and register of the theme are raised significantly. The theme is no

longer stated in its full length, but only its first couple of measures are restated twice and

further developed in this section. Secondly, the obsessively running sixteenth-note figure,

which ties the whole piece together, is transformed from duplets into triplets in the

transitional section. It increases the pace of subdivision within the motor which then

creates more tension with the surrounding voices leading up to the climax.

The inner triplets at m. 63 are juxtaposed with the homophonic texture from the

beginning of the piece. The contrapuntal line is made to become more interesting and

unique by the use of octave displacement. (Example 4.1.11)

64

(Example 4.1.11 – Three Impromptus, Movement I) Bars 63-65


The soprano line, once organized into a close register shown in Example 4.1.12, is fluid

even though it is extremely chromatic. Example 4.9.13 shows an overall slow descent in

the bass line made over the following ten bars, moving down from F-sharp to E-flat and

then reaching F-sharp again at m. 73 and continuing its line to get to the tonic at m. 78.

(Example 4.1.12 – Three Impromptus, Movement I) Soprano line of Bars 63-72


Bass line reduction of Bars 63-78

65

Liebermann’s brilliant keyboard writing, Liszt-like pianism, is exemplified at the

climax of the piece where there is a succession of blocked chord alternating between the

hands and a huge arpeggio moving up and down, played by both hands in contrary

motion. Liebermann, who is a skilled pianist, follows in the tradition of pianist-

composers who wrote idiomatically for the instrument in spite of solely evolving musical

vocabulary.

To conclude this movement, Liebermann brings back the exact music from the

beginning of the piece. However, the meaning of the theme seems to have transformed

after a dramatic cascade of sound collected into the low A with a fermata at m. 77.

Liebermann however does not repeat the material like a replica but adds a contrapuntal

line which leads to the final D major chord which does not resolve until the following

Impromptu.

2) Analysis of Impromptu II

The second Impromptu begins with a D major chord in the second inversion tied

over from the end of the previous Impromptu. By directing the performer to move

straight into the second Impromptu with attacca marked at the double-bar, Liebermann

impels the listener also to go forward without a break. For Liebermann, the continuing

motion is so important that the suspension created by the lingering 6/4 chord has to

broken by another motion without losing momentum. This suspension technique has been

done by composers in the past, such as Robert Schumann in his song cycle Dichterliebe

66

Op. 48 where the first song Im wunderschönen Monat Mai ending in dominant seventh

chord resolves at the beginning of the following song Aus meinen Tränen spriessen.

(Examples 4.2.1 and 4.2.2)

(Example 4.2.1 – Im wunderschönen Monat Mai from Dichterliebe by Schumann)

Last four bars


(Example 4.2.2 – Aus meinen Tränen spriessen from Dichterliebe by Schumann) Bars 1-3

(Copyright 2005. G. Henle Verlag, München. Printed by permission) The musical suspension created by the delay of the cadence successfully reflects the text

and emotion expressed by the poet; his confession for the beloved that has not been

answered. In Liebermann’s Impromptu, with an absence of text, the decision to avoid the

67

resolution from the first to the second is purely for a structural reason or to indicate his

intention that these Impromptu pieces be performed as a set.

The chord held in the treble is now accompanied by an ostinato figure in the

lower voice, an initial note of which is taken from the third of the triad. The F-sharp, the

tonal center of the piece, is the first note of a three-note motive, F-sharp-G-sharp-A.

(Example 4.2.3)

(Example 4.2.3 – Three Impromptus, Impromptu II) Bars 1-2


The motive derives from the minor-second interval that we examined at the beginning of

the first Impromptu; as a matter of fact, the motive here is closely related to the theme of

its middle section. Example 4.2.4 shows how the motive from the first movement is

inverted and used as a new motive in this movement to achieve a greater unity as a set.

(Example 4.2.4 – Motives from Impromptus I and II)

Section B Motive Impromptu No. 1

Main Motive Impromptu No. 2

68

The three-note motive works in exactly the same manner as the unvarying sixteenth-notes

in the first Impromptu. Its function here, however, is not only as a rhythmic motor, but

also as a determiner of the mode.

The form of this movement is much simpler than the previous Impromptu though

both Impromptus are in ternary form. The three-note motive that holds the entire piece

together determines the tonal center of each section. As one can see in Table 4.2.1, the

only significant difference between the motives in Sections A and B is their third pitch.

(Table 4.2.1 – Three Impromptus, Impromptu II)

[Bar Number] 1 18 51

[Section] A B A

[Motive] F#-G#-A F#-G#-A# F#-G#-A

[Mode] F# Minor F# Major F# Minor

By raising the last note of the motive, the intervals between the three notes change from a

major-second and a minor-second to two major-seconds, and consequently this alteration

switches the mode of the sections from minor to major.

The interval of seconds, the essential components of the lower voice, is also

important in the soprano line. As shown in Example 4.2.1, the treble line starts out with

b2 and cascades down in a succession of seconds. Some notes support the harmony

implied by the bass line while others simply create a dissonance against it. As the music

continues, the intervals in the treble line become larger from a second to a ninth, and the

line eventually covers more than a span of five octaves. It moves so fast in thirty-second

69

notes that the dissonances blend into the larger harmonic progression. The soprano acts

like an obligato line, moving as if a bird flying up and down in his free manner, as high

as g3 in mm. 7-8 and as low as C2 in m. 10. (Example 4.2.5) This spontaneous and

flexible soprano line symbolizes the true essence of the title Impromptu.

(Example 4.2.5 – Three Impromptus, Impromptu II)

Bars 7-10


This use of the outer limit of the keyboard range is one of Liebermann’s

trademarks. For instance, the last note of the movement ends with the highest note of the

keyboard whereas the climax of the first movement explodes at the lowest pitch of the

instrument. In her dissertation, Mayumi Kikuchi points out this aspect as well as the

extreme use of a wide dynamic range in many of the composer’s piano works and gives

70

an example of the Nocturne No. 3.51 Liebermann obviously experiments with a wide

range of the keyboard, especially the highest and the lowest registers, and create various

timbres.

The texture thickens when another voice enters at m. 10. It is interesting to see in

the Example 4.2.5 how the new voice is introduced while the stable three-note motive

continues without interruption. It seems like this voice is a new obligato-like line added

on the top as the original treble line finishes with the C2. The new voice takes over the

role of the soprano as the original soprano line then moves up to tenor at m. 11. This

tenor voice, then, plays a contrapuntal line against the ongoing motive for two bars, and

at m. 12 an octave F-sharps is established for the end of the first section.

The outer two voices begin to move inward through the transition to the middle

section, using counterpoint against each other. As you can see in Example 4.2.6, the bass,

which enters after an eighth rest, moves by perfect-fourths while the soprano descends by

perfect-fifths making hemiola against the bass line. Meanwhile, the three-note motive

does not budge until it starts to intermingle with the soprano at m. 16.

(Example 4.2.6 – Three Impromptus, Impromptu II) Bars 13-16

(Copyright 2001. Theodore Presser,

the analysis of three impromptus for piano op · 2020. 4. 2. · piano op. 68 by lowell liebermann...

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