Prof. Jerzy Marchwiński
Frederic Chopin Symposium Speech
Warsaw Academy of Music, 1976
FREDERIC CHOPIN’S CHAMBER WORKS AND SONGS:
PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me
discuss some of the challenges encountered by performers of
chamber works and Songs by Frederic Chopin.
However,
please accept my two initial reservations – they will help to define the area
onto which I am going to venture.
First of all,
I am not a scientist, musicologist or a theoretician, but a performer and
teacher/performer. I truly respect the
scientific methods and often make use of
the results of such research – mostly to determine the historic
authenticity of a composer’s life and work.
However, I generally leave this domain to the experts, theoreticians and
musicologists. They have their own goals to achieve in art, while we, the
performers, have ours. We can live in perfect harmony, without any errors
resulting from overstepping one another’s competences.
Nevertheless
scientists, even prominent, venture to discuss performance issues and at times
prove to be almost ignorant; conversely we, the performers, may be dilettantes
in science and all our efforts there may prove useless and worthless.
Secondly, I
would like to differentiate between performance
challenges and performance problems. I
understand challenges as
subjective. For some artists, the purely
technical texture proves to be a veritable trap; others stumble over the cantilena
and the narrative, while still others struggle with expression or the inability
to read and understand the character of a work.
Therefore,
challenges should be solved individually both by independent performers and by
students, although the latter may be
less experienced in an individual search for solutions and they tend to
seek the assistance and decisions of
their teachers.
The true
problems are the reefs and dangers which stand in the way of the majority – if
not all – performers while working on the pieces.
In my view,
Chopin’s Songs and chamber works pose
the following problems:
1. Positioning them among all Chopin’s works;
2. Notation and text problems;
3. General problems of ensemble performances.
I do not intend to discuss today the elementary, simple and
obvious issues, as I am talking here to outstanding teachers, pianists and
students to whom the art of piano playing and the art in general has disclosed
at least a part of its innumerable secrets.
Positioning chamber works and Songs
among Frederic Chopin’s works
To proceed orderly, let me recall the opus numbers:
· Introduction and Polonaise for cello and piano, Op.3
·
Trio for violin, cello and piano, Op.8
·
Grand Duo
for cello and piano on themes from “Robert the Diable” by G. Meyerbeer(appr. Op. 16-17)
·
Sonata for cello and piano, Op.65
· Posthumous Songs published as Op. 74
Chopin created his chamber works early and
late in his life. The Introduction and Polonaise and the Trio were written
between 1828 – 29, Grand Duo in
1832 while the Sonata for piano and
cello is the last work covered by the opus numbers.
Ten of the Songs were written between 1829-31, four between 1836-38 and the remaining ones
between 1841-47. (Chronology by Maurice Brown: CHOPIN. An index of his works in
chronological order).
It seems worthwhile to ask the composer himself about his
opinion on his chamber works.
· This is what he wrote in a letter to Tytus Woyciechowski on
Sept. 09, 1828:
“As far as my new works go, I have nothing
done yet, with the exception of the Trio in g-minor which I started after your
departure and left not quite finished. I
tried the first Allegro
with an accompanist before I left to
Sanniki and I plan to rehearse the rest as soon as I am back.”
· To
Tytus Woyciechowski, on Jan. 14, 1829:
“I
wrote at his place (Radziwiłł’s manor in
Antonin) the Alla polacca with
cello. It is nothing but glitter for the drawing room, for the
ladies.”
· To
Tytus Woyciechowski, on April 10.04.1829:
“[…] my Polonaise with cello, to which I
added Adagio, an introduction specially
for Kaczyński. We rehearsed it and it
seems acceptable.”
· To
Tytus Woyciechowski, on August 21, 1830:
“Kaczyński and Bielawski will see me
tomorrow. At ten in the morning I will
rehearse my Polonaise with Cello and Trio, with Elsner, Ernemenn, Żywny and
Linowski. We will play until we drop dead.”
· To
Tytus Woyciechowski, on August
31, 1830”
“I rehearsed the Trio last
Sunday. Perhaps it is because I have not listened to it for a long time, but I
am quite content with myself (a happy man), but I got an idea into my head – to
use viola instead of violin, as the fifth resonates the best for the violin, and therefore it is used the
least. Thus, the viola will be stronger against the cello which is my proper
writing focus; then it will go to the
print. “
· To Jan Matuszyński, on December 26, 1830:
“After lunch came Wild - a famous, or even the most famous
German tenor. I accompanied him the Othello aria by heart; he sung it like a
master he is.”
· To his family in Warsaw, on June 23, 1831:
„Cicimarra said that nobody else in Vienna
is as good an accompanist as me. ‘I know
it perfectly well’ thought I (Hush!)”
· To Tytus Woyciechowski,
on December 12, 1832:
„(…) Schlesinger, who employed me to write
something based on the themes from Robert.”
· To his family in Warsaw, on December 12, 1845:
„I rehearsed some fragments of my Sonata
with cello with Franchomme and it went
well. However, I do not know if I can find time to print it still in this
year.”
· To his family in Warsaw, on
October 11, 1846:
„Sometimes I find my Sonata with cello
satisfactory, at other times – not.
I discard it, then I put it together
again ...”
· To his family in Warsaw, in
April 1847:
„Before she (Delfina
Potocka) left, Franchomme and I played
her my Sonata, at my place.”
These are the
most important quotes from Chopin’s correspondence. There are also various brief yet always
precious comments in a number of letters;
they not only show Chopin’s authentic interest in singing, but also his
excellent knowledge of the repertoire and even technical terms used by singers.
According to
his contemporaries, he was a perfect accompanist and he also required that his
students play in ensembles. Mikuli says that he actually ordered his assistant Mrs Rubic to learn
singing.
In his youth,
Chopin befriended Antoni Radziwiłł, the author of music to
Faust and dedicated the Trio to him. His friendship with Franchomme – artistic and everyday – continued
for many years and resulted in the Grand
Duo, composed jointly. One may also assume that it may have influenced the
Sonata with Cello as well.
I am sure that
Chopin was one of the artists who as a
rule do not create to order in the most explicit sense, with the exception of
trifle, marginal items, but work almost always under the internal summons of
their genius which is their sole commander. Such summons govern both the contents and the form of the work, jointly
and severally, and they are crowned with
incorruptible perfection. The toil and
struggle with the matter and with oneself to achieve perfection are the sign that the artist truly and deeply strives for
internal freedom. In this sense, Chopin
was the most liberated of all the free spirits.
He yielded only to his birth date – but none of the geniuses, even the
greatest ones, have yet been able to free themselves from this constraint. The place of
birth, however, was for him not
just a name in the certificate, but the
vital, beloved essence of his life and creation. He never bowed to convenance
and to the pressure of well-meaning
friends and refused to compose
symphonies or operas. He wrote
because he needed and wanted to do it. All his legacy was such – including
chamber works and songs. It seems that
this chamber character, or in other words intimacy, is the most transparent feature of the whole
repertoire of his works.
Without the
overwhelming effect of the symphony, without the operatic wedgies, lipstick and
elevated stage, Chopin appeals directly to the most sensitive sides of the
human soul. The spirit of chamber music
is present – at least by my ear – in the pieces which seem purely pianistic,
such as the Sonata in b-minor. The
phrasing between measures 144
- 160 in the Scherzo with the
marvellous, cello-like singsong of the
left hand and equally singsong-like,
polyphonic chords in the right-hand part could actually sound equally
natural when played by a string quartet.
I had been
pondering over a certain unwillingness or even bias which I noted in some performers and
theoreticians who do not treat Chopin’s solo pieces, chamber works and songs as
equal, being definitely partial towards the solo works. Evaluating comparisons
are always abhorrent, especially when they refer to art created by geniuses; in
such cases they prove particularly
aimless and pointless. Chopin’s
chamber works and songs are just different from the solo works, because they
are another type of art of different character. The artist is one person, but
his works are many and various.
The piano
genius of the composer uses the identical instrumental texture in all the
works; the type of the musical narrative is also the same. The elements of the work and the concepts are
perfect and the structuring of the whole is just an authentic masterpiece; this holds true for all Chopin’s
works.
I position
Chopin’s songs similarly to the
Mazurkas, although some of them are written in duple metre. Nevertheless, they share with the
Mazurkas the same root – the authentic
Polish, vernacular folklore. It would be a vain attempt to seek there any
direct quotations from the folklore; however,
the songs grow out of the actual, palpable, obvious but elusive soul of the Polish people, the nation
– and it undoubtedly defines their character. However, this is neither the right place nor am I the
right person to name here the sources of
this exceptional power which binds us
all so vitally and so cordially and at times so painfully with the land of our
childhood where bread had such a
delicious taste.
The joy,
longing and the merriment of Polish people are inherent in the songs and
dances. In Chopin’s life, the drama of Polish history and fate of the nation
were neither an ornament nor a stigma, but the very life itself. Their
truth and power were incredible,
if one realizes that even the tune to such a personal, private song Out of my sight charms with the rhythm
of the mazurka.
The folk and
national character of Chopin’s songs poses the paramount problem for the
performers which at times almost turns
into a trap. Schubert’s songs can happen
anywhere. Chopin’s songs can happen only
here, under the Polish sky. They are
just like the Mazurkas. Their simplicity
is so misleading. In fact, they are incredibly difficult.
The Songs are
full of emotion, natural and vivid, which never let Chopin move away from his home and fatherland, in
spite of his physical absence there.
Sensing his near end he wrote a letter
to Wojciech Grzymała in Edinburgh,
1848: “And meanwhile, where did my
art go astray? Where did I squander my heart? I hardly remember now how people
sing songs at Home”.
Text problem
The second
problem encountered by performers setting to work on the chamber songs by Chopin are the issues and doubts
concerning the text itself: its authenticity, variants, inaccuracies etc.
I intended to
start this part with a general appeal to
remember that Chopin’s pieces are a
living work of a genius which talks to
us and resonates with the audience – and
not with printed pages covered with notation… however, this would be a wrong
audience for it!
Such
appeal should be directed to scientists
and editors. The historic narrative of
the artist’s life with all its complexity, relationships, structuring and
aspects should be investigated by an intelligent and sensitive biographer or
even a scientist who would separate facts from legends and authentic events
from apocrypha, giving us an unrestrained access to the facts or just the most
credible information about the composer.
The important and complex problem
of the notation and text is of a very similar nature.
The whole
huge, investigative, comparative work which consists in reaching to the sources and then correcting and verifying the information is
actually burdening the editor. He has to resort to his Benedictine patience and
exactness and deduction skills equalling that of Sherlock Holmes –
particularly in this era which values urtext editions and the most authentic
versions – to reach the manuscripts and first editions, to show the work in its
original rendering free from the traditional overgrowth, distortions or just
plain mistakes of the copyists or the nonchalance of early editors. Again, as
in the previous case, we – the performers – are actually interested only in the
effects of his work. We would like to
get a text which is credible in its authenticity, which transfers the concept
of the artist in its entirety and is free from errors, mistakes and
deformations.
In Chopin’s
case this is particularly important. The more detailed the study of the
notation of his work, the better the
perception of the mastery of the composer’s workshop. One can just marvel at
the deep musical wisdom, logic,
precision and exactness as well as the unyielding imperative of perfection
which undoubtedly tormented the artist himself but at the same time it gave us,
the performers, an incredible opportunity to enjoy the most wonderful adventure
– to participate in the thinking process of a genius. I see Chopin as an artist endowed with
immense internal freedom and therefore
never yielding to the creative pedantry.
His various, even the most trifle solutions of tying, articulation or dynamics are always
justified, even if at the first glance
they seem unnecessary or just erroneous.
Every detail
is of significance. In my opinion, the
perfection of the detail is one of the essential characteristics which
distinguish a great, outstanding performance from a mediocre, common one. Many performers and composers have excellent
creative or interpretation concepts.
However, some are able to turn them
into pure gold, while others generate just tombac. Some associate musical thoughts in an
ordinary, typical, routine or just banal manners, while others, who are doomed
to be genial and original, combine them following their own
rules of perfection, mastery and creativity. Chopin,
the primus inter pares,
the perfect architect of the whole and the master of a detail, obliges the
performer to keep both these aspects in
mind.
Lew Tolstoy
was right to speak about 95 percent
of craft and just 5 percent of genius in
art. In my view, these five percent of
Chopin’s genius is a mystery which should not be touched, similarly to the
seeds of our own talents. However, one should examine the handicraft which is
there to be learnt and showed in the spotlight. It is available for all and one and it should be the focus of
our teaching effort and of the performing toil.
As always, we strive to provide
the most perfect rendering of the composer’s thought by comprehending and
mastering the craft recorded in the notation. Obviously, the text, the graphic
recording of the thoughts is imperfect, incomplete and sometimes just helpless
when facing the vastness of such thought.
Still, it remains the external and palpable reflection of the craft.
Hence the importance of its authenticity and recommended diligence of study.
Among the
available texts, the PWM/Chopin Institute’s
edition of Utwory kameralne (Chamber Works), which
involved extremely valuable co-operation of the Wiłkomirski family, meets the requirements posed to reliable,
critical and credible publication. The editors put considerable effort to
consult manuscripts and first editions, providing a text which is quite
credible.
Professor Jan
Ekier, with his usual generosity and openness, told me once a story, almost an
anecdote, which gives an idea of how inquisitive the researcher on Chopin’s
works should be. An excellent cello player Franchomme had been Chopin’s friend for many years. Actually, on his part it was not only
friendship but almost a cult. In
addition to that, Franchomme was an extremely exacting person, almost a pedant.
The conclusion is very easy: whenever any doubts concerning Chopin’s texts
occur, one may assume with quite a high probability that works issued in
Franchomme’s lifetime were proofread by the latter and therefore are the most
credible versions.
Chopin’s
chamber works were printed in his lifetime, but all the Songs were
posthumous. There is no way to know
which parts are authentic and how they were treated by Fontana, the
first editor of this collection.
One should realize the challenges facing a contemporary editor who will
venture to create an authentic notation of these Songs, as they were conceived
by their author.
To give but a
few examples, let us consider the
beginning of the piano part in The Wish which differs significantly in
the manuscript from the text published in almost all the editions, or the
problem of Leaves are Falling, a song which had been
lost according to the introduction to the National Edition, but was
reconstructed by Julian Fontana from memory.
General problems of ensemble performances
It is worthwhile to mention the third problem, related to
ensemble performances. Let us start with a reservation. As I am aware of the
high professional level of my audience, I shall not speak about obvious, common
sense issues generally known to those
who freely wield their artistic tools
and craft, enjoying considerable erudition in music. I also keep in mind the
vastness of the problem, which can be embraced with the mind, but almost evade
the power of the word and the pen,
particularly if the latter is not fluent enough. Therefore, my comments on
ensemble performance are just a personal suggestion, presenting one of the many available solutions.
Primarily, the
musical work should be treated as a whole intended to be performed by two or
more persons. I would compare it to a
mosaic composed of leading and
accompanying elements, and not a combination of
two or three parallel lines. A
musical work is at the same time uniform and complex, with basic elements of
rhythm, melody, harmony etc., and essential ones - articulation, dynamics and timbre, are mobile
and dynamically interdependent.
Therefore, the
ensemble performances are a team work based on
a similar, although not necessarily identical understanding of such
interdependence. Such perception
immensely affects the relationship of the performers, effectively erasing any
privileged or underprivileged positioning of the musicians as
each of them performs in turn the
leading elements which are of greater importance and then switches to the accompanying ones which are of lesser
significance for the time being; such
shifts occur multiple times throughout the performance. For this reason, the performers should enjoy equal or almost equal
status. A dictator or a usurper and a
servant or a slave should not perform jointly; the same
concerns a partnership of a master and a
considerably less skilful performer. The lack of confidence in oneself and
consequently in others does not bode
well either. Generally, some reasonable confidence in the musical skills,
wisdom and good will of a partner seem to be the key to successful
co-operation.
I do not think
that the compatibility of personalities and characters of the partners is a
necessary condition for a good team performance. The polarisation of two
different individualities may become a fascinating adventure for the audience,
and it may add brilliance to the interpretation. Such individual features should not be
eliminated but channelled towards the
overall goal which is the success of the performance. I do not see any reason for a pianist to imitate a cellist while playing
the marvellous singsong beginning of the Largo from the Sonata op. 65.
Let each play his or her own.
Each of them is free, each is a different person with a unique, individual drop of eternity which is called life. They are bound by the fact
that they are performing together, by
their musical education and skill and – at least in theory – by the ordinary
common artistic sense which effectively protects us against interpretative
vagaries and absurdities.
In my career as a performer and teacher I follow three
guidelines which determine the duties of each performer, to be completed before
the first meeting with the partners:
· Each of them should study the whole work, the whole notation
and the whole text of the songs;
· Learn one’s own part as well as possible. In my view, there are
no main and support parts in music, or
in theatre. There are only masterful renditions and poorly played parts.
· Have one’s own concept of the work as a whole, but never forget
that the final version may emerge only when playing together.
I am convinced that the above
guidelines are true and effective. They
are of utmost importance for the affirmative attitude of the ensemble, as they
create the atmosphere of respect for the author, the work and oneself.
Each of Chopin’s chamber works is a full, complete entity
although the instruments in them are not always given equal treatment or
prestige; the piano seems to be
privileged – for instance in the Trio.
However, I am
positive that if the performers meet these three requirements for preparing
oneself for the first rehearsal – and I emphasize here
that this work has to be done fully and
thoroughly before the rehearsal – they may realize that there are no
essential problems obstructing the team performance. Obviously, this holds true
not only for Chopin but also for works by other composers. The result should be
a dialogue, or rather a conversation for three, conducted in this case in the
extremely flexible language of Chopin’s music, creatively enhanced by the
timbre of each of the performers. That
conversation is live and dynamic, and each time it will be different, provided
that the performers present similar
level of knowledge, skill, craft, preparation, confidence and artistic sound
reason. In fact, one should not take into consideration any other arrangements.
I would like
to direct your attention to a performance problem in the Songs concerning piano
players. They have to be aware that the
tolerance and interpretation intentions must be much higher than in partnership
with instrumentalists. Each singer has his or her own individual instrument
which is actually unique in the history of mankind.
One should not
only keep this in mind, but should consciously protect the things unique and
extraordinary – particularly in the present age of mass production. Out of My Sight can be sung by a tenor or a bass, and the Melody
or From the Mountains, Where They Carried... - perhaps the most beautiful of Chopin’s
Songs can be sung by a woman or a man, Żylis-Gara or Hiolski. The songs will remain the same, yet they
will be so different.
If the pianist
partner overlooks the ramifications of the fact that every singer sings in his
unique, individual voice, if he does not have the ability to play perfectly
well in various keys, tempi and dynamics – or if he is unable to learn it, if he cannot rise above his own
interpretation, which may be perfect but nevertheless inflexible, the strive for the perfect performance will end up with the inevitable
defeat of both and the vexed listener will find himself alone in the woeful post-disaster zone.
Summary:
For the
purpose of this presentation where all the participants present sufficiently high level of musical
education, abilities and artistic craft, I can see three problems affecting the
performance of Chopin’s chamber
works and songs:
· The positioning these works among the legacy of Chopin and
perceiving them as equally valuable as
the solo works and differing from them
only due to their ensemble character, however equally masterful with respect to
their overall architecture and the exquisite structure of its elements. These
works were written out of the internal desire, without any external pressure to
which Chopin was, nota bene,
totally immune.
· Just as in the case of any other works, one should show immense
respect to the text and notation which is the testament of a genius and also
a transmission of the thought of an
artist and the life of a person. It is
also a masterpiece of the composer’s craft
entrusted to us, palpable, and available for the study.
· The set of general problems of ensemble performances. In
addition to the high level of professionalism, they require trust and
tolerance, the ability to understand the partners and to think critically; all
these features are the indispensable key to the success of any team activities.
In addition to the three problems discussed herein, I can see
many others, but they are not artistic in character. All of us encounter them when entering the intricate meanders of
communicating with another person.
Although they may be applied to aesthetics, as in this case, they also
refer to the philosophical understanding of goodness, truth and beauty which
may unify people or separate them.
I did not
discuss any detailed or particular problems posed by ensemble performances of
chamber works and songs by Chopin, because I simply do not see any. I am deeply convinced, based on long years of
my stage and teaching experiences that the individual, thorough work is a
sufficient preparation for performing music in an ensemble.
I did not
discuss any piano problems, as they are the same for all the works of Chopin
and they have been discussed many times by outstanding experts.
I did not
discuss any performance problems faced by violinists, cellists and vocalists
either, as I do not have enough competence and none of my partners authorised me to speak in his
or her name.
Let me
end this presentation of performance
problems in chamber works and Songs of Frederic Chopin with a comment on
altruism – this very special state of mind which is the key to the success in
chamber performances. An altruistic
performer places the good of the others: the author, the work and the partners
above his or her own personality, no matter how precious, and values the joy and emotions of the audience more than his own satisfaction.
Warsaw, 1976
(jmarchwinski@gmail.com)
