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Theses & Dissertations
Dissertations and Theses (pre-1964)
1953
Johannes Brahms: Variations on a theme by Haydn. Analysis and comparison of the version for two pianos, Op. 56a, and the version for orch., Op. 56b Jaffé, Angela Maria Boston University https://hdl.handle.net/2144/4210 Boston University
manc:e toolt p lace i.n Bonn, Germany, August 14. with Brahms P~d Clara Schumann as t he duo-pianists.
The orchestral version was notated a short tirae later and had its 'first pe r formance November 2 .• of' t he same year in Vienna by t he Vienna Philharmonic Orches-
tra under Brahmsf directi on. Unlike many other composers Brahms sketched little
b(3'fore putting a composition on paper , ann most of these rare sketches he himself' destroyed . It is i ndeed fortunate ·that the jTirst draft of t he "Var iations u :for tw~o
·pianos has been pr eserved;. it is writt·e n on eighteen
stave manuscript paper i n open score
~d
contai ns all the
variations but no statement o:f t he t heme .. i. From these s ketches it i s evident that Brahms had the
f inal form and content of the composition very clearly concei ved, develoned, and organized before he first notat ed it. There is no :feeling of experimentation or hesitation ~
and the f .ew cha nges that were made in t he
fina l score indicate 'hat Brahms was at all ti 1es fully aware of all t he details .1
1. Alf:\rted · Orel Skizzen zu Joh . Brahms· Ha dn- Variationen Zei tscbri :ft ttr MusiKwissenscha: , er altrga ng , seohstes He:f't, i::a r z 19 23. Breitkon:f & H~el. Leip zig :r,age 304 . .2. Al f r ed Orel, idem .. pa ge 305
The f'Haydn- Variations 11 a1·e the last independent
work in the varia tion :form tha t Brahms wrote, and t hey constitu te an all-time greatness among the many
of his compositions of this particular type. Brahms, both as a young man and as e. mature artist •
expressed himself freely on the subject of t he variation form. In 18 56 he
~Tote
to Joseph Joa ch i m:
11 At ti1. es I contemplate on the varia-
tion f'onn and fi nd the n.eed for a stricter, purer adherence to the basic form. The ancien ts al rv.a.yt3 kept t he ba ss of' the theine as their real theme. In Beethoven melody, harmony, . and rhythm are ·s o nively varied. But I must confess at times that the ttnew ones " (the t v1o of us !) get. too involved in the theme. ( I do not know t he r l eht expressions) • We stick anxiot.tsly to the melody and do n ot trea·t 1 t t :teshly, do not create so~ething new out of it, but only cover it up so that the melodjr can no l onger
be recognized. n 1
~hirteen
years later Brahms had outgrmm his "a.nxietyn
and his dissatis:faction and had found the answers when "
r. nich
mache manchmal Betraohtungen uber die Var i ations:t'orm und fi nd e, · tia ss sie strenger 1 reiner 13ehal ten '
werden nmsste. Die Al ten behielt en durchwe g d en Bass des Themas , i r.x eigentliches Thei!la , str eng bci . :Sei .Beethoven ist
d~e
M e lod~e 1
liarmon:te, limd der Rhytmus
so schoen variiert. Ich muss a.ber manobmal find en ,
dass Neuer e ( wir beidet} mehr ( ioh 1:'119iss nicht r eohte t. usd:ruec ·""e ) ub er
v
he v1rites to Sohubrin :;; 1
'In a theme :for variations only the base CH~J.."7'ies any rea.l i m )ot:ta.nce for me. But this bass, to me, is sacred • it is the s-Gron€_, foundation on Yihich I will oonstruo·t my sto:ries. Wha t I do with 'the melody amounts o11ly to a game, a viitty playu ••• nover the given bass I d evelo:p, and invent new melodies, I create .. ':i ~Jhil e
the Haydn in:fluence :i.s still strong in the f'i:rst
works of t he period between t he nserenades 11 and the "Variations" a new influence makes itself felt in both the
second of' Brar. .ms t statements and t he "lJariations n thems e lven: ~he
tr~e
i rli"luence of Beethoven.
variation technique of this great master manifests
itself stronr;ly in the treatment of the melody : no longer is it the founda"l:;j_on of a. varia tion; but a f ragment t
a characteristic phrase or rhy-thmic conf'iguration is taken out of its context" developed first into a motive, than
into a variation.
'-· "Bei elnem TheJJS zu Variationen bedeu"Ged mir eisentlich , ;fast beinahe nur der Bass was . Aber d.ieser i.st m.ir heilig, er ist der feete Grund auf dem icb meine Gesch:tchten l:mue. Was ioh mit der J;Ielodie mao he ist nur Spiele• rei oder geistreiche Spielerein ..... "Uber den geg ebenen eJ..~f'inde ihm neue Melo-
Bass eriinde ich ~'rirklich neu, c1ien , ich scha:ffe,.n O!:el. op .• cit. page 307
As to the emotional
imp.l icationt- of t he music
Brahms makes no ment ion of any, but th re can be f'el.t a strong rising an · falling curve in tension. 1:he eie1ht Variations are distinctly divided into two e;roups of fourt in t he first of the two groups -
major and miner mode ohan e f'ro
variation t o va.x·iation,.
t he tempo be-ing the primary :factor 1n a stroP..['; i nc-reas-e in tension from the f:tr st to the second Variation;
t he ttpoco piu animatott \71th the i ntense cross rh;ythm leads into the "piu Vivace'' where the rbytbmio
become of
~ore
patterns
driVing ant:. foroef)tl, so- that the "oon moto"
l"~.rt at ion. .
3 wi th t he . even flow of' eighth and six•
teenth notes create s a tee1:ing of r elaxation 11-ihich is
continued t hrou t.h Variation 4, ttandante eon moto«.
The decrease in tension is bxought a.bout by the same :factors as was t he increase: tempo . . and rhythrn1c oon:figu-
r ations . The ohange of mode added mostl y coloring and ,~Tas
not r eally responsible for the change
o~
mood .•
The ma jor mode of the fifth Variation., t he f irst of the second
group~
together with rhythmic 1ntens1ty and
a ., Viwc·eu tempo makes . a s harp contrast to t he
de~ioate
nandante" and oreaf:e·s strong t:·e nsion a brttJrtly • wi thcn1t gradual i:r..crease a s ;vas the oa se in the first group.
10
The following '' g.razioso rt does not cha.nt;e mode but
changes character completely and suddenly un presents ur1p2~pared tran~ition
another
from one degree of inten•
sity t-o anot her - this time in the opposite: from t ·e nsion
t-o rela.xati·o n. !rhe b.?.rely moVL'lB inner voices create t he fe-eling o'f .restf\1.lness whilEi 'the m.e lQdic
~novement
is
responsible fo:r t he cba.X'li'. lrlg cht:l.:I'a.{'}ter of the variation. VE~.-t'ie:t:ton•
The last
though marked "presto",. uses t he
minol:" mode as vrell a.s evenly flowing r hytmuic patterns
to continue to minimize tension. The final measures. especially in the orc:nE;stra1 ·'lersiot'l 1 h.<:.rv-e hardly any
mov·:.nt; lin(;;s .so .·t hat the en-t:I'fltnce of t he ostinato a t the beginning o:f the Pii ale t akes Jl a c e at the lo·w est tensionp oint of the imaginary ourve • .
.In the Finale we fincl the first climax. in section 8 t i n thi v cH?..Se i t was achieved through ·t he ttddi tion of voices and an i.noLease in t he i rJtensity of rhj thlnic patterns. For the ne:x:t t m variations t h e curve stays at a low point but begins;::.tQ..; . ~:tse i'rom the t welfth to the seventeenth , \. ·~
'.'.:-.: -.-'
.
variation through t he use of addit1o"n al voioea.,. and hari· .. ·
·l
.·
'
•
,..
.
•
.. ,
.
. ......
monic a nd rbythmic pr ogres·si.ons of' increas:ing i ntensity •
.
At the :,· •'
:
'
ba~inn1ng .·,
:
'
of t .hc . l a st section the second cl ima x , .;
is rea.clled •vith. a maj.estic restatement of the choral; t he '
·~
..
.
fianl coda only punotu.G.tes this sta temenjJ vli th forc.e ful
chords and embellishes it
~
ith soaring soale passages.
28
ments involved has b. ,en
c on~~ id ere d ..
Also t h e voice l eadi n g
i s more di verse a nd i nterestin g i n t h e or J 1.estra l v ersion \here t he l a r ger number of
~ va.ilable
instrume nt s - or
hands - pe:cmits more vari et y and f r eedom•
.
11han.y of t 1.~.e piano arpe ggios or runnin g eighth not es
t ake on a di f :fe r e nt charHct e:r when u sed i n
t l~ e
orch estral
version: t h ey a r e e ither repl a ced bs· a cl ifferent confi gurat i on or compl €.1tely ub emdon ed .
9
HA.PT.ET IV .
Hro:-monic Analys i s . The harmonic pro gres s ions j_n b oth v e r sio11s are a l most
identical . There a re a f'ew minor discrept::mcies like t he use of t he same c b.o:rd in e. d ifferen.-t :pos ition or t he
ad.di t ion of a seventh or a n'i.nth t o a ch.ord . The only real · if'ferences occur i n Va riations 3 and 8 : Va riat ton 3:
piano version
i
a m..'.s·oensiOil ~ VII7 V v7 of I V - IV - VII
measu1-e 10 measure 2 2 measure 56
of
l
-orchestra J. no
score
sus p ens ~o
V1
I - VI I 7
Va ria.'t ion 8 : I I ,. I
measure 12 measure 13 measure 14 me<-:. s re 15 rHe as .re 1 6
I V ... I
VI - I
II - I v9 o:f V
V o:f V V- I
v7
me asure 17 met- sure 20
v7
r
h - oiVII 7 I v I
v'9 - I k
-··-
'-~-
These
VI
vrr7 - r
dj_ffe-~E:r.~.ce s
---- --·~----- -
---~-l
resu l-t mainly from the id iomatic
v•riti .tg , espec is.lly in
v. . .riation
8 where the a r pe gc j.os
a.YJ.d n:m1i n '_,. e j_gl1th not ,s of t he p i ;::no j u:;;ti f;>r a. more frequent chtu .ge of' harmony than doe3 the more s·tat1ona ry
line of t he or chestra parts • .IDdio a'tic
ritine· is als o t he :t e a.son for the d iff6r-
·e nc es i rJ. the ninth a nd ter:th varia:' ion of -t.hr. : i n a le.
3
CB. A.eTE!l V.
Orchestrat ion .. A. The Version for 'l:wo Pi anos _,. The Theme : i n t he first ten-mee,su re phrase t he t 1-,10
r·ia.nos double on
ea ,~ h
others parts
~. n
octaves . The first
four Pieasn.r.t:m of t he second half allo·n· fo!' a melod ic indop .nde:nce of the fj,rst p iano af'ter which :t'he d oubling is resu.med. In the cod.etta , beginnj.ng with
t hree ,
!!WaS't.'re
twenty,...
second p iano c :=trries the mel odic mat eria l
t h E;
v_rhile t h e f'irst is redl_wed t o the fnn ct ion of a yJ edal-
p oint .•
Variation 1 has d oub1e cmm:t erv oint bet·ween t he t wo p ianos , ·t.h e inver sion bein g -e:f:fec·ted b .' a. simple c hange
i n registers . All thq way -through this variation t he second pi ano uses t wo very ert;.r eme- ranges maki ng t he t ·wo lines of
:f,i~.no
--
I act as i nner voices i.n a. s ix- part textu re.
Oil] v in tl1e
not the
.
..::~ec~ond
e s se~
hal:f do we :fiu} ~nlnc es where this i s
both p i:::.nos
!4r t:
ei t hor in t h e same reg ister
( mea sures fifteen to ni x:eteon ) or t he f'ir st p iano changes pl a ces v1 ith t h e second. ( measures t werrty- seven t o t-wenty-nine) .• Va ri<.,tion 2 . !J.e re t h e fi rst piano i.s t he distin ct oRt'-:rier of' mel vdio materlal, all second ary hmrmonic ancl
r hy-thmic oonf i eu.xatj_one are left to Piano II.
._, I
"'"'"gaj.n the registers used :ln Piano II pE:rrtlit the lines o:f. Piano I to function as inner voices of
~
harmony ..
The rc . t atement ·Of the thematic materia l t akes n l ac e "'
:in Piano I
v:~hile
the codetta uses aga in the d i alog-ue-
devlce .
Varit:ttion 7. In the first h q l:f of this v r;":.ri:).tton t he ri.ght r.tand of Piano I a nd t he lef t hand o:f .Pi ano II engage in a mock imitation in inversion while the other voices supply a harmonj.c baekg.xound . In t he opening .;,;hrase we f ind. the i'i :a:;t
'iano partly enclosed by the
lines ·O f t he second but most of' t he time it stays in
a hi1:her reg ister.
A~
.me a.s·ure six an interchange of
parts takes place together with a chancre of registers •.
In the sec.ond ha lf the dialo{;;-':Ue idea is used within ea.oh pi ano an
~vell
as between t he two ..
Va.r1.s:t.ion 8 . The seoon.d p iano presents the :ft rst five-
measure ph:r c.me. i n octaves a:fter which Pi a no I e nters. and repea ts it i n a l1it::i:H?.r re f ister in contrary mot i on. With Piano II aetj_ne; as carrier o:f the melodic materia l
a fter the repeat Piano I takes over the aocompa ning
c on-
figur:::ttion , but at mea sure f'i:fteen the order is reversed ..
The second half' ope ns \"fit.h a two-voice i mitation in t he
first p ia."lo" 1Ll'1acoompanied.. The second piano restEOtt es a modification of t he materia l , also unaccompanied. One :.measure be:foro iibc end of' t he phra se ( measure twenty•
3
eight) t he :first p i c::no makes a premature entran ce and then restate s t he t heme. Both instruments t ake
art in
an arpeggio cocle"tta. In t h- Finale we fincl t h e Brot.md bass in Pi a no I I f1.~om
t he first measure to variat ion 7 where it is tempo-
r arily moved to ? i a no I. Va riation 8 eeturns it to t h e second · p iano but the nint h gives it ba ck t o Piano 1 . Va riations 10 and 11 hav e t he ostinato in the second p iano ¥7hile the t welfth, thi rteenth, fourteenth , and f ifteent h variation allow t he gro·und t o f luctua te betwee n
the trebl e and t he bass of t he flrst :pi c;no. In variations 16 t hrough 18 it i s passed
ba cJ~
and forth between the t v'l o
instroment s . In most of t he Fi nale both pi anos are of equal i mportance. Only i n variation B, 9 , 11, and 12 does one s erve as an
a ccompani ment to t he other . No longer is ther e a v1i de
difference i n r egi sters b t a constant ci;oss ing of parts ; i t is t he s eco nd p i ano t h t ca rrie s most of t he t hematic material in t he c oda . It is a lso i nt eresting to note that. when writt en i n op en score , t he arrangement of parts would l o ok l ik e
.Pi ano I I Pi a no I J:>iano I Plano II
--
r i ght hand right hand left he.nd. lef't h8:nd
th~sJ
38
which were capable only of' open notes .. · In Br abms ' orchestrat ion o:f t he t heme oboes ::md
ba s s o ons double the melody with the othe r i n strurnent s ad d ine harmony .
liter t he double b:::\r t be si.ngl e line
.te l ody s·trays i n t he oboes vvith bas soons added a:f"ter f'our measur es , a nd
~-
tutti resta t ement of the 1.;.het'!e and
a tutti oodet ta finish ing t he sec tion . Vari a tion 1 . The fi ve- :fol <1 Bb, t he ba ckbone of t h is
ve.ri:a:tj.on, is given to t he be.s soons ,. contr a- ba s8o on , horJ:'l ,. and timpani i n -the bet-;innin g ; the piccolo i .s introduced when i t moves i nto t he hi gh woodwi nds . The main
interest i s suj).jlie d by t h e entrance of t he s trin ,s which is t1"1e more effective because of t heir a bsence i n the t heme . Variation 2. After a tutti mea .st.rre clarinet und i.n
oct ~\res
b a S '' OOn
oar:r.y t he t hemat i c materia l over })iZ z ica to
{lower) and bowed (upper } strings . This arrange Jent is
,on stant for the whole ve.ri rrtj.on ; flute and piccolo are v <::ry e ffeoti v el y added i n a p i a n i ssiino passa ge :followine,
t he donble bar . Varla t ion 3. Oboes and bas soc)ns , accompanied by t he J.o·d .:,r
.~-tri nGs
in
octaves ~
p resent tlle me l odi c ma-t n rial;
a t t he repe at ( the:re is no doubl e ba:c) their parts are t aken by ;Jiolins an · Violas Ylhile flut es and ba s s oons have grnoefttl arpeggio passag es with diHlo gues between f'lutes I
and !I and basiloons I am't II .• The first hol"n 1.s added
for :fragment a ry intPrludes •. The second half o:f:' t h e
va ri
statement of the theme is in flut e s , oboes, and bass oons i n t he first pl'rrase and i n violins and violas in the
second . Variation 4. Fj.:rst oboe and first horn J.n octaves announce the melody with d ouble counterpoj_nt against it
i n the violas . Flute I e..:1.d bassoon I join
l ~ter
1:
hen cellos
a re adcied to reinforce t he vio·l a s .• St rings :_e>.:nd winds i nterchan e pe.J:'ts i n the second :phra se ( there is a3a.in no double bar ) hut no hor.n is used. A dev e lopment of ·t he doubl e co1.m-
ter::,1 oint
!De
teria l :r·ei:ntroduceo the horn which is :.:Lga.in
t a cit \'1Jhen "'a:rts a re excha:::1.ged at t h e repe a t. Vaxit. tion 5. Flutes, 6boes, and
bas~·wons
ca rry t he
melodic material over low string a oco.Jr•a nimerit .. Clarinets .:1.nu horns :::Jre added in t he second of the t wo fi v - measure pbr eses ¥·here violins joi.rt 'th<:J a ccompaniment. Parts are interchanged between sections
t J:'
the rep eat drop ~"ing ell
lo•v vd nd s and strj.ng s ar_d adding p iccolo for e · ':feet:!. ve
co ntrast to t he previous section . St:!'ine s and horns qre present r-.t -ti::te opel. i n s:· of t he second half bu·t a fte r f'our
l!:e as1 res t l";.e bigh woodwinds woodv;inds an. strings
wj;tr~
'tt'l,
e oYer .. From there on it is
ooc nsional horn
e nt:;:~~nces .
