Dissertation PDF
Dissertation PDF
Dissertation PDF
APPROVED:
Gustavo Romero, Major Professor
Elvia Puccinelli, Committee Member
Pamela Mia Paul, Committee Member
Jesse Eschbach, Chair of the Division of
Keyboard Studies
Lynn Eustis, Director of Graduate Studies in
the College of Music
James D. Meernik, Acting Dean of the
Toulouse Graduate School
Watanabe, Chie. Baroque Elements in the Piano Sonata, Opus 9 by Paul Creston. Doctor
of Musical Arts (Performance), December 2011, 37 pp., 46 musical examples, references, 43
titles.
Paul Creston (1906-1985) was one of the most significant American composers from the
middle of the twentieth century. Though Creston maintained elements of the nineteenth-century
Romantic tradition and was categorized as a Neo-Romantic or 20th-century traditionalist,
many of Crestons compositions contain elements of Baroque music. His Piano Sonata, Opus 9
provides significant examples of Baroque elements, while already foreshadowing his mature
style.
The purpose of this study is to explore Baroque elements in the compositional language
of Paul Crestons Piano Sonata, Opus 9. All four movements of the Piano Sonata will be
examined in regards to its stylistic features associated with Baroque practices. These features
mainly consist of rhythm, texture, imitative writing, and repeated phrase structure. Each category
of the study will include comparisons of Domenico Scarlattis keyboard sonatas with Crestons
sonata. Through an examination of the Piano Sonata and its Baroque elements, this study hopes
to inspire renewed interest in the work among musicians and to help the performer give a more
stylistically coherent, and accurate, performance.
Copyright 2011
by
Chie Watanabe
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
All musical examples from Paul Crestons Piano Sonata, Op. 9, are reproduced with kind
permission from Tim Creston and the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Library.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ..................................................................................................v
Chapters
I.
INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1
Purpose.....................................................................................................................1
Significance and State of Research ..........................................................................2
II.
III.
IV.
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................33
BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................................35
iv
......
............................................................................................................................................16
11. Creston, Piano Sonata, fluctuation of duple and triple meter, movement 2, mm. 50-53
..16
12. Creston, Piano Sonata, fluctuation of duple and triple meter, movement 3, mm. 34-36
..17
13. Creston, Piano Sonata, fluctuation of duple and triple meter, movement 4, mm. 176-179 .........
............................................................................................................................................17
14. Creston, Piano Sonata, movement 1, mm. 39-40 .....................................................................18
15. Creston, Piano Sonata, movement 2, mm. 24-26 .....................................................................18
16. Creston, Piano Sonata, movement 3, m. 19 .............................................................................18
17. Creston, Piano Sonata, movement 4, mm. 3-4.........................................................................18
18. Creston, Piano Sonata, movement 1, mm. 12-13.....................................................................19
.....
............................................................................................................................................20
21. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, first category, movement 2, mm. 118-123 .....
............................................................................................................................................20
22. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, first category, movement 3, mm. 25-27
.....
............................................................................................................................................20
23. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, first category, movement 4, mm. 130-134 ......
............................................................................................................................................20
24. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, second category, movement 1, mm. 41-42 ......
............................................................................................................................................21
25. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, second category, movement 2, mm. 114-115 ..
............................................................................................................................................21
26. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, second category, movement 4, mm. 25-26 ......
............................................................................................................................................21
27. Creston, Piano Sonata, chains of the major thirds, movement 4, mm. 1-2 ..............................22
28. Scarlatti, Sonata, chains of the major thirds, K. 29, mm. 15-16 ..............................................22
29. Creston, Piano Sonata, imitative writing, movement 1, mm. 122-136 ....................................23
30. Scarlatti, Sonata, imitative writing, K. 522, mm. 1-5 ..............................................................23
31. Creston, Piano Sonata, imitative writing, movement 1, mm. 14-15 ........................................24
32. Creston, Piano Sonata, imitative writing, movement 3, mm. 18-19 ........................................24
33. Creston, Piano Sonata, imitative writing, movement 4, mm. 80-81 ........................................24
34. Scarlatti, Sonata, imitative writing, K. 160, mm. 4-6 ..............................................................25
vi
vii
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Paul Creston (1906-1985) was one of the most significant American composers from the
mid-twentieth century. While some American composers adopted new musical languages from
Schoenbergs twelve tone method, to an American vernacular idiom or electronic sound sources
Creston maintained elements of the nineteenth-century Romantic tradition. Thus, he is
categorized as a Neo-Romantic or 20th-century traditionalist. 1 However, in his book Voices
in the Wilderness, Walter Simmons points out that even though Crestons music emphasizes
Romantic expression, his harmonic treatment derives from the impressionist writing of Debussy
and Ravel. Many of his pieces also contain elements of Baroque music. 2 Crestons Piano Sonata,
opus 9 was written in 1936, a time when he was still developing his own musical language. 3 The
Piano Sonata contains significant examples of Baroque elements, while already foreshadowing
his mature style.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore Baroque elements in the compositional language
of Paul Crestons Piano Sonata, opus 9. Since Creston frequently used certain compositional
elements throughout his musical life, a closer investigation of the impact of Baroque influences
specifically on the Piano Sonata helps the performer give a more stylistically coherent and
accurate performance.
Walter Simmons, Voices in the Wilderness: Six American Neo-romantic Composers (Lanham, Maryland:
Scarecrow Press Inc., 2004), 203. Also Liner notes of sound recording: American Piano Works. Tatjana Rankovich,
piano; Digital disc (Phoenix USA, PHCD 143, 1999).
2
Simmons, Paul Creston, In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online,
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/06817 (accessed October 15, 2010).
3
Simmons, Voices in the Wilderness, 204.
Henry Cowell, Paul Creston, The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 34 No. 4 (1948): 534.
Paul Creston, On the interpretation of Bach, Etude (September 1931): 671.
6
Creston, The Interpretation of Bachs Keyboard Music, The Paul Creston Collection, Miller-Nichols
Library, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Folder 13, Box 35.
7
Ibid.
8
Fisher Tull, Paul Creston: An Interview. Instrumentalist (October 1971): 42.
9
Simmons, Voices in the Wilderness, 205.
5
information, and introducing his musical language. 10 From that time, Crestons music began to
receive more scholarly attention. There are two essential books about Crestons life, works, and
musical characteristics: Paul Creston: A Bio-Bibliography by Monica Slomski 11 and Voices in
the Wilderness by Walter Simmons.12
Other important sources include Crestons own books and writings. He published two
books on the subject of rhythm: Principles of Rhythm (1961) 13 and Rational Metric Notation
(1979). 14 In his article, The Structure of Rhythm, Creston states that rhythm is the most
important element of music because other musical elements such as melody, harmony,
counterpoint, and form cannot exist without rhythm. 15 In Principles of Rhythm, Creston
categorizes five types of rhythmic structures that are found in the music of the Renaissance
through the twentieth century. 16
Other essential materials, such as manuscripts, Creston's correspondence, program notes,
reviews, and sound recordings, are found in the Creston Collection at the Miller Nichols
Music/Media Library at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Crestons wife, Louise, donated
most of this collection in 1987. Crestons program notes about the Piano Sonata 17 and other
important articles, such as The Interpretation of Bachs Keyboard Music, 18 have been obtained
from this monumental archive.
10
Cowell, 533.
Monica Slomski, Paul Creston: A Bio-bibliography (Wesport, Conneticut: Green Press, 1994).
12
Simmons, Voices in the Wilderness.
13
Creston, Principles of Rhythm (New York: Franco Colombo Inc., 1964).
14
Creston, Rational Metric Notation: The Mathematical Basis of Meters, Symbols, and Note-Values (New
York: Exposition Press, 1979).
15
Creston, The Structure of Rhythm, Clavier (November 1971): 15.
16
Simmons, Voices in the Wilderness, 206.
17
Creston, Piano Sonata, op. 9, The Paul Creston Collection, Miller Nichols Library, University of
Missouri-Kansas City, Folder 16, Box 32.
18
Creston, The Interpretation of Bachs Keyboard Music, The Paul Creston Collection, Miller Nichols
Library, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Folder 13, Box 35.
11
Two theses directly related to the Piano Sonata have also been written. The Solo Piano
Sonata in the United States since 1945: A Survey by Rebecca Jane Edge (1971) primarily
focuses on twentieth-century piano sonatas written by eight American composers. Among the
composers included are: Samuel Barber, John Cage, Elliott Carter and Paul Creston. Edge briefly
discusses Crestons overall musical idiom, addressing form, rhythm, and harmony. 19 By contrast,
The Structure of Paul Crestons Sonata, op. 9. by Janice Shan-Chen Hu Yuen (1975) analyzes
all four movements of the Piano Sonata, providing vital information about the works form,
rhythm, melody and harmony. 20 However, neither study explores the influence of the Baroque
style on the composer.
Ever since the premiere of the Piano Sonata in 1939, reviews of the composition have
been favorable. Frederick Werl described the Piano Sonata as a powerful work, extremely
pianistic, and in every way a most important contribution to contemporary piano literature.
21
Also, Warlgen comments that in the Piano Sonata the variety in melodies, rhythms, textures,
and dissonance levels all combine to provide an enjoyable, absorbing piece for study and
performance. 22 In 1999, pianist Tatjana Rankovich released the first recording of Crestons
Piano Sonata. Mark Lehman reviewed the recording: A work with this combination of
virtuosity, tunefulness, drama, and color offers much to both performers and audiences. 23
Despite its positive critical reception, the Piano Sonata has been neglected and
infrequently performed in concert. Through an examination of the Piano Sonata and its Baroque
elements, this study hopes to inspire renewed interest in the work among musicians and pianists.
19
Rebecca Jane Edge, The Solo Piano Sonata in the United States since 1945: A Survey, M.M. thesis,
North Texas State University, 1971.
20
Janice Shan-Chen Hu, Yuen, The Structure of Paul Crestons Sonata, op. 9, M.A. thesis, Central
Washington College, 1975.
21
Frederick Werl, Publishers Mart, Musical Courier 154 (October 1956): 30.
22
Carol Warlgen, Paul Creston: Solo Piano Music, American Music Teacher xxiv 4 (1975): 8.
23
Mark Lehman, Review of Creston: Piano Sonata; 6 Preludes; Giannini: Sonata; Flagello: Sonata; 2
Waltzes. American Record Guide (November-December 1999): 118.
CHAPTER II
24
Willie Lee Morris III, The development of the saxophone compositions of Paul Creston, D.M.A. diss.,
University of Missouri-Kansas City, 1996. 1-5.
25
Monica Slomski, Paul Creston: A Bio-bibliography, 2.
afford to purchase books and music scores, he spent many hours studying in the public libraries
of New York. 26
Crestons employment as a silent movie theater organist was his first job as a professional
musician. This was a job that he enjoyed and, according to the composer, taught him how to
improvise. Shortly after films with sound replaced silent films, Creston was appointed as an
organist at Malachys Church in 1934. He remained in that position for the next thirty-years. 27
In 1932, Creston decided to pursue a professional career as a composer. Though he had
piano and organ instructors, Creston was self-taught in composition. In an interview with Fisher
A. Tull, Creston recalled his early years of this self-taught education.
I actually learned from the very beginning to teach myself all sorts of subjects. I could
not afford lessons with any subject I wanted to learn. For example, when I wanted to
learn shorthand, I sent for a trial course. In the five days, I copied out the four books of
the course and sent it back. I attribute it to the poverty of the time. So, I taught myself
shorthandI did it through necessity, but in later life I did it by choice because I enjoyed
working that way When one says that he is self-taught- it means that he has been
taught by all the great masters of the past and present. 28
Since the appearance of his first opus work, Five Dances for Piano (1932), Crestons
compositions were gradually introduced to the public. In 1938 and1939, he was a recipient of the
Guggenheim Fellowship. 29 Crestons First Symphony, opus 20 (1940) was also successful and
later won the New York Music Critics Award for the best orchestral work in the 1942-1943
season. 30 During the 1940s and 50s, Creston established himself as one of the most important
composers in America. He proved his popularity among orchestras in the survey prepared by
Rober Sabin during the late 1950s. Paul Creston and Aaron Copland were ranked as the most
26
31
Howard Mitchell, The Hallmark of Greatness, Musical Courier 154 (November 1956): 10.
Simmon, Voices in the Wilderness, 198.
33
Slomski, Paul Creston: A Bio-bibliography, 12.
34
Creston, Principle of Rhythm, iii.
32
he was still receiving commissions for new works. Piano Trio, opus 112 (1979), a commission
that came from The Mirecourt Trio at Grinnell College in Iowa, was performed at a Creston
festival in 1980. The event, along with a documentary on Creston, was broadcast by public
television including Iowa Public Television and San Diegos PBS station. Other commissioned
works included Festive Overture, opus 116 (1981), Sadhana, opus 117 (1981), and Symphony
No. 6, opus 118 (1981). Creston was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1984 and died on August
24, 1985 in Poway, California. 35
Overview of Crestons Output
Creston wrote 120 compositions with opus numbers in all of the major genres except
opera. These works include symphonies, concertos, concert band music, songs, chamber music,
choral works, and instrumental pieces. According to Simmons, Crestons most representative and
significant compositions are Symphony No. 2 (1944) and No. 5 (1955). Also important were the
symphonic poems Walt Whitman (1952), Corinthians: XIII (1963) and Chthonic Ode (1966) as
well as Three Narratives (1962) and Metamorphoses (1964) both for solo piano. 36
Creston was one of the first American composers to compose serious concert repertoire
for often- neglected instruments, such as the saxophone, marimba, accordion, harp and trombone.
When Fisher Tull interviewed Creston about composing a number of pieces for these instruments,
the composer commented:
I have never written for an instrument which I did not think had possibilities as a concert
solo instrument. . . . I have often been asked, Why did you ever write for the saxophone?
It is such an ugly instrument. I always reply by saying, Have you ever heard the sound
of a violin in the hands of a beginner? There is nothing that can be more ugly than that. 37
35
Crestons compositions for these instruments include the Sonata for E-flat Alto Saxophone and
Piano, opus 19 (1939); Concertino for Marimba and Orchestra, opus 21 (1940); Fantasy for
Trombone and Orchestra, opus 32 (1947); and Concerto for Accordion and Orchestra, opus 75
(1958).
Creston also wrote numerous pieces for the piano. Due to Crestons early and continued
training as a pianist, he composed piano works through much of his life. These compositions for
the instrument cover a time span from Five Dances for Piano, opus 1 (1932) to Prelude and
Dance for Two Pianos, opus 120 (1982). Walgren states that Crestons compositions for solo
piano deserve to be compared with those of other important contemporary American composers
and can be used by both pianists and teachers. 38 In addition to his solo piano works, Creston also
wrote works for piano and orchestra: Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, opus 32 (1942); Concerto
for Piano and Orchestra, opus 43 (1949); and Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, opus 50
(1950).
Baroque Elements in Crestons Works
Creston mentioned J.S. Bach and Domenico Scarlatti as being extremely influential on
his works, 39 and indeed, many of Crestons compositions reflect the strong influence of the
Baroque era. In the book, Voices in the Wilderness, Simmons classifies Crestons output into five
distinct groups: works of ambitious intent and serious character; festive and virtuosic works;
Neo-Baroque and Neo-Classical works; prelude and dance; and vocal and choral works. 40 He
points out that Crestons Neo-Baroque and Neo-Classical works are among the most prevalent in
his body of chamber music. These include a String Quartet (1936), the Sonata for Saxophone
and Piano (1939), and the Piano Trio (1979). Furthermore, all of Crestons works entitled suite
38
Walgren, 6.
Simmons, 205.
40
Simmons, 211
39
are based on the Baroque suite, and most of the movements in these works are derived from
dance movements such as the sarabande and gigue. 41 For example, in the Suite for Viola and
Piano, opus 13 (1937), the first movement is a prelude that begins and ends in the style of the
Baroque French overture with double-dotted rhythms. The middle section of this movement also
contains a three-voice invention, another Baroque element. 42 Another example may be found in
the Partita for Flute and Violin, and Strings, opus 12 (1937) that Steven Lowe describes as being
reminiscent of the sprit and sound of J.S. Bachs Brandenburg Concertos. 43 Creston also wrote
suites for saxophone and piano (1935); violin and piano (1939); flute, viola, and piano (1953);
cello and piano (1956); orchestra (Pre-Classical Suite, 1958); organ (1960); string orchestra
(1978); and saxophone quartet (1979).
Crestons pieces for solo piano are also notable for their Baroque elements. The Five
Two-Part Inventions, opus 14 (1946) feature two-part contrapuntal writing with free imitation of
both melodic and rhythmic patterns. 44 Creston returned to the two-part invention again in No. 63
and No. 64, which come from Book IV of Rhythmicon. These resemble Bachs Two-Part
Inventions, which begin with imitation in the lower octave (Examples 1 and 2).
41
Ibid, 227-230.
Kendell L. Crilly, Liner notes of sound recording: American Music for Viola and Piano. Lawrence
Wheeler, viola and Ruth Tomfohrde, piano; Digital disc (Albany Records, TROY 141, 1994).
43
Steven Lowe, Liner notes of sound recording: Paul Creston: Symphony No. 5/Toccata/Partita. Gerald
Schwarz, conductor, Seattle Symphony; Digital disc (Naxos, 8. 559153, 2003).
44
Walgren, 7.
42
10
Example 2. Bach, Two- Part Invention, No. 8 in F Major, BWV 779, mm. 1-3.
11
CHAPTER III
II.
III.
IV.
V.
45
46
Simmons, 205.
Creston, Principles of Rhythm.
12
In the Piano Sonata, Creston used all five rhythmic structures (Examples 3-7).
Example 3. Creston, Piano Sonata, regular subdivision, movement 2, mm. 13-14.
3
3/4
2/4
Example 6. Creston, Piano Sonata, regular subdivision overlapping, movement 1, mm. 81-83.
13
Example 7. Creston, Piano Sonata, irregular subdivision overlapping, movement 4, mm. 123-134.
2
14
barline in the accompaniment. Also the ornamentation of the right-hand melody shares a similar
texture. Additionally, both composers insert the rhythmic structure as a bridge from one phrase
to the next (mm.6-7 and mm.64-65), which is based on a regular pause. Furthermore, both
composers create rhythmic interest without emphasizing the rhythmic effect or changing the
meter.
Example 8. Creston, Piano Sonata, movement 2, mm. 1-10.
15
Ralph Kirkpatrick, harpsichordist and Scarlatti scholar, describes this rhythmic device as the
fluctuation of duple and triple meters, 51 which is one of Scarlattis most characteristic gestures.
In Example 8, when the hemiola is inserted in mm. 4-5, the time signature shifts from 3/4 to 6/4,
triple to duple meter. In Example 9, the three eighth notes of the 3/8 become the duple
subdivision of the 3/4 meter. Creston incorporated this fluctuation of duple and triple meters
in each movement of the Piano Sonata (Examples 10-13).
Example 10. Creston, Piano Sonata, fluctuation of duple and triple meter, movement 1, mm. 89101.
4/4
3/4
3/4
3/4
3/4
4/4
Example 11. Creston, Piano Sonata, fluctuation of duple and triple meter, movement 2, mm. 5053.
3/4
51
2/4
2/4
2/4
3/4
Ralph Kirkpatrick, Domenico Scarlatti (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1953), 296.
16
Example 12. Creston, Piano Sonata, fluctuation of duple and triple meter, movement 3, mm. 3436.
8/9
9/4
9/4
Example 13. Creston, Piano Sonata, fluctuation of duple and triple meter, movement 4, mm. 176179.
3/4
3/4
2/4
3/4
2/4
Virtuosic Texture
Creston and Scarlattis Piano Sonatas also share similarities in terms of their virtuosic
writing. Kirkpatrick describes the identifying features of Scarlattis sonatas as repeated phrases,
contrasting figurations, and wide leaping gestures. 52 Boyd adds that Scarlattis Sonatas mainly
consist of two-part textures; they also contain virtuoso passages in thirds and sixths, scales and
arpeggios. 53 Virtuosic effects similar to those in Scarlattis Sonatas may be found in Crestons
Sonata. For example, Creston uses a wide leaping motion in all four movements. This is
especially prevalent in the accompaniment (Examples 14-17). The most noticeable example is
52
53
Kirkpatrick, 155.
Boyd, 179.
17
illustrated in the first movement of Crestons Sonata as well as Scarlattis Sonata in G Major, K.
427. The syncopated, descending accompaniment contains a wide leaping motion and lies over
the running sixteenth notes in the right hand (Examples 18 and 19).
Example 14. Creston, Piano Sonata, movement 1, mm. 39-40.
18
The composer also shows virtuosity in passages that appear in thirds and sixths. Simmons
states that around the year 1936, Creston tended to lean towards parallelism (doubling of a line
at a constant interval), especially at the major third; this technique may be found in the String
Quartet (1936) and the Piano Sonata. 54 It may be seen that chains of major thirds and sixths, as
well as the combination of both, are fully employed in each movement of the Piano Sonata. A
closer examination of the passages written in thirds and sixths reveals two major types of usage:
doubling melodic lines over a bass-line accompaniment (Examples 20-23) and parallel motion in
both hands (Examples 24-26).
54
Simmons, 205.
19
Example 20. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, first category, movement 1, mm.
53-54.
Example 21. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, first category, movement 2, mm.
118-123.
Example 22. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, first category, movement 3, mm.
25-27.
Example 23. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, first category, movement 4, mm.
130-134.
20
Example 24. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, second category, movement 1, mm.
41-42.
Example 25. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, second category, movement 2, mm.
114-115.
Example 26. Creston, Piano Sonata, use of thirds and sixths, second category, movement 4, mm.
25-26.
Crestons use of thirds and sixths resembles Scarlattis use of the intervals. In the fourth
movement of Crestons Sonata, chains of major thirds are utilized. Similarly, Scarlattis Sonata
in D Major, K. 29 contains running sixteenth-note passages at the major third. In both cases, the
series of major thirds fall under the classification of the second category divided between the
hands (Examples 27 and 28).
21
Example 27. Creston, Piano Sonata, chains of the major thirds, movement 4, mm. 1-2.
Example 28. Scarlatti, Sonata in D major, K. 29, chains of the major thirds, mm. 15-16.
Imitative Writing
Crestons Piano Sonata implements imitative writing, one of the most distinctive features
of Baroque music. Although Creston was largely influenced by the works of J.S. Bach, his
contrapuntal treatment is more liberal, resembling the compositions of Scarlatti. According to
Boyd, Scarlattis imitative writing typically begins in the right hand, and then the left hand
answers. 55 Such an example is found in Scarlattis Sonata in G Major, K. 522 (Example 29).
Similarly, in the first movement of Crestons Piano Sonata, the lyrical, conjunct melody in the
right hand is answered by the left hand at m. 131 (Example 30).
55
Boyd, 179.
22
Example 29. Creston, Piano Sonata, imitative writing, movement 1, mm. 122-136.
122
127
132
Example 30. Scarlatti, Sonata in G Major, K. 522, imitative writing, mm. 1-5.
Many of the other examples of imitative passage are concise and simple, consisting of
repeated short rhythmic and melodic figures. Instances of this are observed in the first, third and
23
fourth movements of the Piano Sonata. (Example 31-33). Scarlattis Sonatas also contain brief
moments of rhythmic and melodic imitation (Example 34 and 35).
Example 31. Creston, Piano Sonata, imitative writing, movement 1, mm. 14-15.
Example 32. Creston, Piano Sonata, imitative writing, movement 3, mm. 18-19.
Example 33. Creston, Piano Sonata, imitative writing, movement 4, mm. 80-81.
24
Example 34. Scarlatti, Sonata in D Major, K. 160, imitative writing, mm. 4-6.
Example 35. Scarlatti, Sonata in G Minor, K. 196, imitative writing, mm. 8-14.
Kirkpatrick, 157.
25
here the passage expands with the descending left-hand melody and the extended right hand
arpeggio. Much of Crestons treatment of the repeated phrase structure is similar to this pattern
that includes three repetitions with the expansion of the last repetition. The following examples
are found at the end of the first movement, the second movement and the middle of the fourth
movement (Examples 38-40).
Example 36. Scarlatti, Sonata in D Minor, K. 9, repeated phrase structure, mm. 16-20.
Extension
Example 37. Creston, Piano Sonata, repeated phrase structure, movement 1, mm. 77-80.
Extension
26
Example 38. Creston, Piano Sonata, repeated phrase structure, movement 1, mm. 196-206.
Example 39. Creston, Piano Sonata, repeated phrase structure, movement 2, mm. 124-132.
27
Example 40. Creston, Piano Sonata, repeated phrase structure, movement 4, mm. 90-93.
57
58
59
28
Example 42. Creston, Piano Sonata, the minuet dance rhythm, movement 2, mm. 38-41.
The third movement contains characteristics of a pastorale, which was one of the most
significant musical and dramatic genres during the Baroque era. Geoffrey Chew describes the
features of an early eighteenth-century pastoral as containing a 12/8 or 6/8 meter, melodies in
thirds and sixths, and long drone bass lines or pedal points. 61 Despite the unusual time signature
of 9/8 meter, Creston used other elements in order to create a pastoral atmosphere. For example,
most of the melodies in this movement consist of third and sixth intervals. Creston also
employed a characteristic sustained drone-like bass in the left hand. In comparison to Scarlattis
Pastorale Sonata in C Major, K. 513, both composers used similar musical devices and
rhythmic patterns (Examples 43 and 44).
60
Ibid, 70.
Geoffrey Chew and Owen Jander. "Pastoral." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online,
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/40091 (accessed March 18, 2011).
61
29
The fourth movement is extremely toccata-like in nature; this is also related to Baroque
musical gestures. The opening sixteenth-note passages are primarily based on scales and
arpeggios, emphasizing the virtuosity of a solo keyboard instrument. Although there is no fugal
section, as is the common practice of a toccata from the middle to late Baroque period, Creston
maintains a sectional form with the alternation of two contrasting sections. The first is vigorous,
and the second contains a more lyrical character. Interestingly, Ferruccio Busonis transcription
30
of Organ Chorale Prelude No. 4, Rejoice, beloved Christians by J.S. Bach shares a similar
texture with the first energetic section of Crestons movement (Examples 45 and 46).
31
32
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION
Paul Creston wrote the Piano Sonata, opus 9 in 1936, just four years after he decided to
pursue his career as a professional composer. As a self-taught composer, Crestons musical
background was based on studying the works and music of Bach, Scarlatti, Chopin, Debussy,
and Ravel, with assistance from Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Scriabin, and Stravinsky. 62 As a
result of being inspired by all the great masters of the past, Crestons composition exhibits a
fusion of musical elements from the Baroque period through the twentieth century, with a
particular emphasis on rhythm. The Piano Sonata serves as one of the earliest compositions that
show Crestons Baroque characteristics.
Through the examination of five Baroque elements - rhythm, texture, imitative writing,
repeated phrase structure and musical genres associated with the Baroque period - one sees that
the Piano Sonata shares numerous similarities with Domenico Scarlattis keyboard sonatas.
Although Creston was largely influenced by J.S. Bachs music throughout his musical life, his
treatment of rhythm, texture, imitative writing and repeated phrase structures resemble more
closely resembles Scarlattis style.
The Piano Sonata has been underrated and infrequently performed in the modern concert
world. As Werl remarked in his review of the sonata, it is an ideal choice for the concert
pianist who is looking for a large, substantial work by an American composer. 63 Due to its
significant musical interest, the Piano Sonata deserves to be performed more frequently. It
contains many virtuosic and lyrical passages that allow pianists frequent opportunities to show
62
John Vinton, ed., Dictionary of contemporary music (New York: E.P. Dutton & Company, Inc., 1974):
63
Werl, 30.
155.
33
their technical and musical skills. Crestons use of five rhythmic structures also provides grounds
for scholarly and artistic interest. Furthermore, pianists may find a more refined interpretation of
articulation and phrasing based on this discussion of use of different Baroque elements. When
Tull interviewed Creston about his process of composition and performance, the composer
commented:
The moment I put notes down on paper that is not the end of the creation. It has to be
performed, otherwise, there remain only symbols on the paper and can be left on the shelf.
It has to communicate to the performer, and through the performer, communicate to the
audience. 64
Crestons statement reflects most composers thoughts and desires about their compositional
process. It is only through a performer that a composers work is given life. Since Crestons
Piano Sonata contains various Baroque elements, performers might consider programming the
sonata with other Baroque compositions, including those of J.S. Bach and Scarlatti. This study
hopes to show that the Piano Sonata should obtain more attention from musicians and pianists
alike, and gain an increased presence in the musical and scholarly worlds.
64
Tull, 44.
34
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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37