Forming sources and peculiarities of interpretation of old suite for two-clavier duo Cover Image

Истоки формирования и особенности интерпретации старинной сюиты для двухклавирного дуэта
Forming sources and peculiarities of interpretation of old suite for two-clavier duo

Author(s): Yuri Scherbakov
Subject(s): Music, 18th Century, Sociology of Art
Published by: Національна академія керівних кадрів культури і мистецтв
Keywords: two-clavier duo; suite; Iohann Mattheson; cembalo;

Summary/Abstract: In the article the specifics of interpretation and genesis process of the old suite for a two-clavier duo are researched. The influence of transformations in the area of improving mechanics of keyboard music instruments in XVIII century on performer’s stylistics is considered. The analysis of four parts of g-moll Suite by Johann Mattheson, one of the first examples of the suite for a two-clavier duo is offered. In the concert practice of modern performers along with music of various styles there can be observed a big interest towards baroque music. This trend is especially characteristic of the European countries. The interpretation of old instrumental music stimulates raising and solving a number of performance problems, which will be the aims of this article. This research will try to solve the tasks connected with the ability of understanding a music text, hiding behind ornamental melodic structure, a genuine inspiration of the creator of baroque music, with reconstruction of authentic, historically genuine sound of instruments on modern pianos. The realization of such tasks will require the performer’s skills of differentiated distribution of dynamics in a special way of articulation as well as consideration of such an important element of music speech as melismatics. Problems of the old music’s interpreting is so complicated that the author of the article agrees with the opinion of Walter Gieseking, who considered that it was necessary to use intuition, which helped one’s mind and feelings and which could direct a thought and perception of musicians-interpreters towards a right interpretation of those works, which had been created by composers of past ages, hundreds years before nowadays. Basing on analytic research of one of the earliest suites created for a two-clavier duo – g-moll Suite (1704-5) by Johann Mattheson, we raised scientific tasks, touching upon problems of instrumental sound (studies of historic traditions, in which the piece was created) as well as upon artistic direction of interpretation and peculiarities of the dialogue between two performers. There is diverse information in the structure of Mattheson’s Suite. Upon a complex performer’s analysis one can discover an emotional element of the music. It reveals in roll call of voices, changes in direction of passage movements, reproduction of intonations, imitations and canons, filled with the expression of the dialogues of conflict or friendship. Performers’ of Mattheson’s Suite will face the problem of discovering of old notation of affects in the grammar, which will reveal for the modern listeners connection of old dances with an individual author’s style and artistic features of composer’s image of the dance. It should be pointed out that genre essence of two-clavier suites of the baroque epoch was still close towards applied and functional basis of the dance semantics. At the primary stage of working on the Suite by J.Mattheson, performers should be familiarized with the decryption of ornaments, suggested by the composer, which makes closer to the right text interpretation. In the instrumental music the process of typification of ornamentation formulae takes place earlier than in the vocal music, and the formulae are written in the music text. We consider that the search of artistic and technical devices of the Suite’s performance should be based on the knowledge of dancing baroque tradition for reconstructing a character of old dances expressed by the composer in the music text. Such approach should be combined with listening to the piano sound and search of timbre correspondence to the sound colour and specifics of harpsichord performance. Studying historic materials of reflecting performers’ stylistics of the past epoch, which has undergone significant changes, modern performers can find emotional expression in the interpretation of old dances, getting closer to the authenticity of the sound. The presented information allows us to make a conclusion that the interest towards performing on two claviers becomes an impulse for organological improvement of mechanics of keyboard instruments and, vice versa, new instruments create favourable conditions for the development of ensemble formation in the composer’s and performer’s areas. Taking into consideration that Johann Mattheson was one of the first in the music history who realized the suite idea in the performance form of a two-clavier duo and directly perceived rhythmic, intonation and kinetic impulses of dancing nature, it can be suggested that his specific musical and personal-domestic perceptions about dances are naturally integrated into individual artistic creativity.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 131-136
  • Page Count: 6
  • Language: Russian