Lecture 18. Piano Music of Mozart and Beethoven

YaleCourses

7 Dec 201249:56

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThis transcript covers a Yale music lecture tracing the development of the piano from Mozart's time playing a harpsichord through the powerful instruments of Liszt and beyond. It examines Mozart's transition to early pianos, Beethoven's virtuosic and aggressive piano style, the increasing size and capacity of 19th century pianos, and guest Yale pianist Dan Schlossberg's superb demonstrations on historic instruments.

Takeaways

😀 The script discusses the historical development of the piano from Mozart's time in the late 1700s through Liszt in the mid 1800s.
😲 Mozart preferred the piano over the harpsichord because of the harpsichord's lack of dynamics and inability to shade musical lines.
🎹 Beethoven contributed greatly to the piano sonata as a virtuosic form and his aggressive playing style frequently broke piano strings.
🎼 Chopin and Liszt expanded the capabilities of the piano through extremely difficult technical piano studies and pieces.
😊 The piano gradually developed into a bigger, louder, more resonant instrument through innovations like the cast iron frame.
👂 Good relative or absolute pitch helps pianists mentally hear and remember music.
😓 Performing musicians frequently battle nerves on stage.
🏫 Many musicians pursue graduate degrees to advance their careers.
🚀 The script traces an arc from Mozart's time to Liszt where pianos and repertoire became bigger, louder and more virtuosic.
🎶 Musical guests demonstrate excerpts from the repertoire on piano.

Q & A

What was Mozart's main motivation for switching from the harpsichord to the pianoforte?
-Mozart switched to the pianoforte because the harpsichord had limitations in dynamics and expression. The pianoforte allowed for gradations in volume and more emotional range.
How did Beethoven's piano playing differ from Mozart's style?
-Beethoven's piano playing was more aggressive, physical, and virtuosic than Mozart's style. He used the expanded capabilities of the piano to showcase technical skill.
Why did the piano maker Broadwood give Beethoven a free instrument?
-The piano maker Broadwood likely gave Beethoven a free instrument for publicity and celebrity endorsement of their brand.
What innovations did Steinway pianos introduce in piano design?
-Steinway pianos introduced cross-stringing, where the bass strings cross over the other strings instead of running parallel. This gave a more homogeneous and blended sound.
What is the purpose of the sustaining pedal on the piano?
-The sustaining pedal lifts the dampers off the strings, allowing notes to continue sounding after the keys are released. This allows for a more connected, legato sound.
How did Liszt's technical studies advance piano technique?
-Liszt's transcendental etudes stretched the boundaries of what was considered playable on the piano. They advanced piano technique to new virtuosic levels.
What gives the guest pianist Dan Schlossberg an edge in performing difficult repertoire?
-Dan Schlossberg has perfect pitch for the piano, allowing him to identify and recall notes easily. This aids memory and technique substantially when performing difficult piano works.
Why might a musician take beta-blockers before a performance?
-Musicians might take beta-blockers to calm nerves and reduce physiological symptoms of anxiety like rapid heartbeat. This steadies them for demanding performances.
How does the guest see himself advancing his music career after Yale?
-The guest pianist plans to attend graduate school to earn credentials and make connections that will enable him to sustain a career as a performer, composer, and conductor after Yale.
What compositional characteristic defines Beethoven's sonata performed by the guest?
-The Beethoven sonata showcases the composer's ability to pack musical ideas densely into a short structure. It requires the performer to invest fully in each note.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction on Mozart switching from harpsichord to pianoforte

The professor introduces the lecture which will cover the development of the piano from Mozart's time playing the harpsichord through the modern piano. He discusses limitations of the harpsichord in dynamics and expression which led composers like Mozart to begin using the newly invented pianoforte. A Dutch harpsichord is shown as an example of a common baroque keyboard instrument.

05:03

😊 Mozart's experiences as a freelance pianist in Vienna

When Mozart moved to Vienna as a freelance musician, he started teaching piano lessons and playing piano concertos in public to earn a living. The professor relates this to the experiences of two student musicians in the class. Mozart perfected the piano sonata and concerto genres through his teaching and performing. His piano concertos were very difficult, intended for himself to play in venues like the public casino.

10:36

🎹 Discussion of Mozart's piano, its sound and tuning

The professor shows Mozart's actual piano, discusses its small size, limited range, single strings per key, and leather-covered hammers which produce a shallow, punchy sound. A recording is played briefly on Mozart's piano. The class discusses how its tuning sounds slightly lower than modern standard tuning.

15:37

🎵 Beethoven's powerful piano playing style

After Mozart's death, Beethoven moved to Vienna and astonished listeners with very forceful, aggressive piano playing. His technique was more advanced than Mozart's, partly due to ongoing improvements increasing the size and power of pianos. A 1799 Viennese piano similar to what Beethoven would have played is shown.

20:37

🔊 Discussion of pianos after Beethoven getting bigger and louder

Pianos continued expanding after Beethoven, with bigger soundboards, iron frames, and more strings at higher tensions to produce louder sounds without breakage. Several 19th century Graf pianos are shown, including instruments played by Schubert, Liszt, and Wagner. An 1817 Broadwood piano given to Beethoven is also displayed.

25:39

🎹 Liszt playing on a modern mid-19th century Erard piano

The professor shows an Erard piano played by Liszt, which looks very similar to a modern instrument. A recording of Liszt performing a difficult Transcendental Etude is played briefly to demonstrate the piano's capabilities.

30:40

🌟 Discussion of late 19th century changes like cross-stringing

Details on late 19th century enhancements to pianos are given, including Steinway's cross-stringing innovation allowing more homogenized tone. Also covered are the addition of a third pedal and demonstration of the two earlier pedals for sustaining notes and softening volume.

35:40

👨‍🎓 Interview with talented student pianist Daniel Schlossberg Jr.

Daniel Schlossberg Jr., a junior Music major, discusses his piano background, musical ear skills, tendency to get nervous, practice limitations at Yale, future hopes to perform/compose/conduct, and intentions to attend graduate school to further musical career ambitions.

40:40

🎵 Performance of condensed Beethoven sonata by Daniel Schlossberg Jr.

Daniel Schlossberg Jr. performs a brief Beethoven sonata, providing insights on needing to invest fully in each note when pieces are highly condensed with quick contrasts.

47:00

👏 Performance of technically demanding Scarlatti sonata by Daniel

As the final demonstration of his advanced capabilities, Daniel Schlossberg Jr. plays a Scarlatti sonata in binary form, with rapid Spanish-style passages.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡piano

The piano is the main focus of the video, which traces its development from Mozart's time through Liszt. It starts as a smaller, less resonant instrument called the pianoforte, invented as an improvement over the harpsichord to allow dynamics and shading. Over time it grows bigger and more powerful with technical innovations like the cast iron frame, cross-stringing, and the sustaining pedal.

💡harpsichord

The harpsichord was the primary keyboard instrument of the Baroque period that preceded the piano, but it lacked dynamics and shading. Mozart switched from composing on harpsichord to the newer pianoforte to take advantage of its wider range of expression.

💡performer

The video examines Mozart, Beethoven, and Liszt as pianist-composers who both played the piano and advanced its repertoire. It notes challenges like Beethoven's deafness or musicians getting nervous on stage, requiring drugs to steady their hands.

💡innovation

The video tracks innovations that allowed pianos to become bigger, more resonant, and versatile over time, like the cast iron frame, felt hammers, cross-stringing, and the shift from one to multiple strings per key. This expanded their pitch range and dynamics.

💡pedal

The video introduces the sustain (damper) and soft pedals as later additions to pianos. The right pedal lifts dampers off the strings to allow notes to ring, while the left pedal shifts the keyboard to engage fewer strings per key.

💡composition

In becoming a freelance musician, Mozart perfected compositional genres like the solo piano sonata and piano concerto that demonstrated the expanded musical possibilities. Beethoven and Liszt also contributed extensively to the piano repertoire.

💡pitch

The video examines tuning and pitch, like noting that Mozart's piano sounds almost a half step lower to modern ears based on older tuning. It also discusses the guest musician Dan's ability to recognize and reproduce pitches accurately.

💡form

Musical form is analyzed at points, like noting Mozart's piano concertos have three movements while his sonatas disseminated in teaching would have simpler forms. Sonata form is referenced in both Beethoven pieces played.

💡technique

The video admires the virtuosity and "dazzling" technical skill required to play difficult Romantic showpieces like Liszt's etudes, suggesting few musicians of the time could have managed them. Technique is seen advancing to match piano capabilities.

💡timbre

The tone quality and timbre of early pianos is described as more "punchy," less resonant, almost reedy or rattly compared to the bigger, homogenized wash of sound in late 19th century instruments with crossed strings.

Highlights

Mozart was the first significant composer to switch from the harpsichord to the piano

The harpsichord had limitations in dynamics and expression that the pianoforte overcame

Beethoven astonished Vienna with his powerful, aggressive piano playing style

Beethoven's deafness likely contributed to his messy, imperfect piano technique

Chopin was another wonderful 19th century composer and pianist highlighted

Liszt's transcendental etudes were so difficult probably only 6-7 people in Europe could play them

The evolution of piano design enabled bigger, more resonant and powerful instruments

Cross-stringing by Steinway allowed more homogeneous, unified piano sound

Yale has a world-class collection of historical keyboard instruments on campus

Guest pianist Dan Schlossberg has near perfect pitch helping his musicianship

Performing musicians frequently battle nerves and anxiety issues

Yale's intensive academics afford students little time to practice music

Beethoven's late short piano works pack much into a condensed structure

Scarlatti represented Baroque music alongside Bach and Handel

The guest pianist played works showcasing his technical skill

Transcripts

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