ao)b(Ez.e>.b' ö>'T'= (l)

QzEärclb€ct<b0g-oC)

,r'/'

/

THE PIANo SOLO l'fi.ISiC IN SfiAl,I,ER FORi'tS 0F NICoiÄS I',mTNER'

A Doctanent

Presented to

the Faculty of the Division of lhrsic

School of Fj-ne and' APPlied' Arbs

Boston ÜniversitY

In Partial ftr].:fil].:nent

of the Requirernents for the Degree

Doctor of Inrsi-cal Arts

by

Sister !1. Annette Teresa Covatta, S.N'J'II',"'

August 1-965 "'.\

I}TIR,ODUCTION

Irr the lfunited literature devoted. to Nicolas }ledtner ttrere is

for:nd sketchy anal. Fses of some of his music. A systematic, thorough

analysis of the nrajor portion of Medtnerts output, however, has not been

done. It was therefore considered to be of historical value to exanrine

jn detail the snaLler pieees of Nicolas }iedtner which constitute half

of his plano rnrslc and thereby to draw as defini-te concLusions as pos-

sible as to t) tire elements of Medtnerts pianoforl,e style and 2)

Ibdtrier t s position and irrportance in the area of keyboard nrusic.

The ternr, rtsmaller formstt, refers to those pi-eces in }fedtnerts

repertory ui'rich have a si.lple strr:.ctr:re; .tfrat,

is, they are not con-

structed in forrnal sections such as ilmoverentsrr. the ana\ytical study

has been restricted to these smaller pieces and. does not include ttre

sonatas, concerti, songs, violin-piano duäts, the piano quintet,

cad.enzas to Beeths\rents Concerto No. l+ and the other larger plano works

such as the Second. Trprouisation, 0p. b7 (consisting of fifteen nsket-

chesr'), Theroe and Variaiions, op. 55 and For Tr'ro Pianos, op. 58. Little

er,phasis has been placed on the biography of liedtner but sufficlent

biographical data has been pnesented as !üas necessar1r to establish

I'{edtner in his historical contexb.

The most 5-nportant source has been the conplete col-lected works

of NicoLas ivled.tner published by the i'(oscou Goverannent (L959-L963). ltre

letters and papers of Nicolas l4edtner nhich are kept in the library of

tongress, llashingionl D. C., Tf,ay not be nede availablo to aryone before

19BO by an e4pressed stipulation of Mrs. Nicolas Med,tner who is presen'i;\r

residing in Moscow. Perraisslon was sought from lfs. I{edtner direct\y

aa:d her rep\y was that the letters nu.st remain sealed until the

specified. d.a'r,e. Tne conposerrs book, ltuzg I l"loda (The lfuse and tirej

Fashion), has been nri:nutely scrutinj-zed. All secondary literature

to date has also been revierved and utiLized.

The pieces analyzed jn this stuff are as follows:

op. 1w.2op.. )+

op. 7op. B

op. IOp. 10@. 1l+op. 170p. 20op. 23

w. 260p. 31

0p. 3itw. 350p. 38op- 390p. l+0

@. l+2Op. l+B

h. L9LP. 5roe. Stt

op. 59

].902L902L9A2];905];905L906LOO61908

- L9091910r9l..21913L9t5t9r5

Eight i:dood Pictirres- Ttrree inprovisatiorrs- Four Pieces

?nree .Frabesg:estro Fairy ?a1esThree Fairy Tal-esThree DithyrarnbsTVrc Fal:ry Ta1es

- Three NoveLettes1l,ro Fai:y TalesFour lyrical FragmentsFour Fairy TalesThree PiecesFa5-ry fale jn D I'änorForrr Fairy Ta1es L9L6For:r Fairy Tales 19;.-7Seven 3'orgotten i'felodies 1919Four Forgotten }ielodj-es - l92ASix Forgotten irelodies l92OThree Fairy Tales L922Tbo Fai:ry Tales 1927

Six Fai:y Tales L929Romantic Slcetches for the Young(trour Boolcs - Eight Pieces) - 1933T?ro Elegies I9h5

the fjrst chapter of the stu{g deals with lGdtnerrs position in

history as stated by his contemporaries and by r'rriters of our or^rn tirne.

At'tention is given to the influences of trainjng, persona-lity, environ-

nent, colleagues and the rmrsical id5.orns of the past and the present.

OnJy in subsequent chairbers, however, on the evidence of the music, has

an attempt been nade to deternrlne to ruhat erbent these factors influenced

liedtnert s creative style.

The second. and thj,rd Crapbers constitute the substanti.al content

of the docunent drich i-s the ana3ysis of the rnrsic listed above. the

t1

pieces fron Op. I to Op. 31 are analyzed in Chapter II and the rernaining

works are exanliiled, jrr chapter rrr. Ttre dirrj-sion was rnade at op. 3L

since the pieces after ttris opus seem to have a more elaborate stnrcture,

richer te:rbure and more colorfu1 contrast.

tlre ana\ysis dears nlft the structure of the nmsic as a whole

arrd the reLationshi-ps of ttre units of structure ln terrns of rrcLody ,

harrnoql, rhybhnr, tercbure and coIor. Due erphasis has been given to the

stylistic aspects, whetJ:er indlvi&ralistic or relating to those of

other composers or of o'bher ;... -.cal iöorns. The influence of arqy

extra-mrsicaL associatlon on the forrn or content has been carefully

nobed.

The prccedure of analysis is to folrow through each opus a

discussion of each rmrsieal eiernent rather than to d.iscuss each piece

T"rithin the opus separate\y and inclusive\y. !y this tthorizonta|t nethod.

of conparative analysis w'ithin the frarieworlc of each nnrsical element

a nore accurateSy defined evaluatlon resulted. Some pieces are discussed,

nore tho:.'o,.lgili;r':",,.,- ,-15e-1ii

to a d.efinltion of Medtnerts arb. Characteristic qualities and, tech-

nics are repeatedly poi-nted. out as thry were discovered ln the mrsic as

a neans of categorizing as accurately and thoroughJy as possible the

eLemerrts of l4edtnerts pianoforte style.

A surrnary and conclusion follow the thiJd chapter.

Lt-a

TABI,E OF CO}NBNTS

ATJ A DTIilDvllal-l iuL

r. ]@DTNERIIIHIS}f,LIEU . . . . . .. . . .

Biographicaldata.. ..

lledtner, Rachrnanjnov, Scriabin

aaaaaaa

I{istoricalaccounts.. o. . '.The lthrse andthe lashion . ' . . . .

A}'I,qJtrSIS OF OPUS 1 TO 31 . .

L5

T9

23

26

rr.

PAGE

I

1

11

,l+3

5t((

6T

Lo\JI

71

77

B3

ooo()

9L

9L

97

97

103

10h

113

Opus 1 - Eight l{ood Pictures

Opus 2 -Three lry>rovisations

Opush-For:rPieces .,

araaro

aaaaa0

Opus 7 -Tirree Arabesqr.es . . . . . .

o;lus B - th-o Fairy Tales . . . . . . . .

Opus 9 - Three Faj-:ry Ta1es . . . . . . .

Opus 10 - Three Düh/r'ambs . . o . . . . . .

Opus llr - Two Fairy Tales . . . . . . . .

Opus17-ThreeNovelettes . .. ..

Opus 20 - T\,io Fairy TaLes . . . .

Opus 23 - Four Lyrical Fragments

Cpus 26 - Four Fai-:ry Tales . . . . . . . . .

0pus31-ThreePieces ...... . ' .

Fai4p Tale in D Yiinor . . . . . . . . . . . .

Iff. AIüALYSIS OF OPUS fuTO 59 . . . . . . . r

opus 3h - Four Fairy Tales

Opus 35 - Four Fai-qf Tales

aaaaaaa

CHAPTER

Opus 38 - Seven Forgotten lGloöes "''''Opus 39 - Four Forgotten i{elodies ' ' ' '

Opus h0 - Six Forgotten i'lelodies '

PAGE

119

]--33

Lh0

1lt6Qus L2 - Three FaJ:Y Tales

Opus l+B - T\,ro Fa!ry Tales . .. .r52

ql'ns h9 - Three Hyrms . . . . . . . ., . l-56

opus51 -Sj:cfairyTales .. .. .l-60

Opus 5lr - Ror;:antic Sketches for the Young ' ]-:67

opus 59 - T\,ro Elegies L76

W. SUT"MATU A}ID CONCLUSION . . lBO

BlStroGRAPI{r. .. ....183

APPE}TDIX

Lectrre-Recital .. " .. "'LB6

GTIAPTER I

MEDTT.MR IN HTS }trtTEU

r{rt}rat is genera].ly supposed to be arbistic progress can be a

movemenr, towards perfection only when it contajrs no deliberate depar-

ture from the simplicity of the firndarnental senses of arb.rrl this

stateme,r:t was.macle S the composer, NicoLas l{edtner, in 1935 at the age

of fifty-five, lritir fifty-sjx of his sixby-one works pubJ-ished. It was

i,{edtnerts musical creed and he neYer devi.ated from it, despite the

chan$ing vj.ews of the composers of his tjrne. Medtner, on principle,

refused to be caught up j:r the rapid tide of erbreme experinentation

!fiidl e:cisted in the r,nr,sical i.rcrld i-n rftich he lived. He stood as a

solitalry figrne, revielring t)le stream of rnusical actinity during the

first forr decades of the twentieth century, conrinced that new forms

of erpression eould be found with:jn the oLd framework of wrlting.

Few details have besr reeorded of Medtnerrs early Ij-fe. R.ichard

IIoJ.t, a friend of i;he lGdtners. during thejr years in London, published

a memorial volur,e honori.rrg Medtner, four years after his death. ftte

book is a conpi.3.ation of essays lrritten by adndrers of the composer.

lhe fjrst essay in the volun:e is titled, ttA Short Biograplqlrr ls'ritten

by l{edtrrerrs wlfe, Anna.z Sore biographical data are also j-nc1uded.

in the Preface to tire Co:narLete fubl-ished &rkg of l{edtner which ls

crrmently being pubLished, by tile l{oscow Government.3

INi"iro1", lledtner, fne l"iuse and the Fashiog (nr::aaeLphia:Haverfo rd. CoILege Bootcstöre]I9Ef, E I8:

2Ri.frara Ho1t, Nicols l,ledtner. A Tribute to His Arb and Person-

*iE. (London: oennifTffi'npäl r9EiTffiTzT34. f'. Goedlcke (ea.), Complete Rrblished rr{o1i$s g! !!qq!49r

(Moscow: Governr,ent l&rsical PtlbffiA ffi-Tf

Fron these sources we learn that the German ancestors of

Nicholas ikrlovich Medtner settled in P'ussia before the end of the

eiglrteenth centurlr. Hi-s great-grandfather llas an actor and singer in

tbe Inperiai- Tb.eater at St. Petersburg. His father, Charles Petrorrich,

was a man of r.ride cr:-Itr':re lrith d.eep interests in philosoptry and poetry,

parbicularSy the works of Goethe, Alexandra Carlovna Goedicke,

I[edtnerrs motJrer, one of a fani\y of nrusicians, had been a singer in

her youth. At the age of sjx Nid:olas received his first piano les-

sons from his mother. A prodiry at the keyboard, he was soon playing

the sonatas of iilozar-b and Scarlatti with a bri]liant toueh. At this

same tirne, Alexander, his eighi-year-oLd brother, was pIrying the

violin. Nicholas also nastered the stninged ir.,stnrment and the two

bcys sooa organized an.orchestra for their own enjoyment.

At a very early age lrredtner showed. an interest in composi.tion.

M.,rs. l{edtner r.rrites t}rat " . . . w'ithout }crorring aqrbhjlg aboui theory

the boy covered every bit of paper he could lay hold of with rrmsic.

It was, however, to the piano tlrat he turned to e4press the rnrsic that

was il h:rn. nh

After the initiaL trai-ning at the piano given him by his mother,

Medtner began Lessons lrith F. c Goedicke, hi.s notherts brother, at

that tirae a professor at the I

F.b

T

r

cr.; conselväfory.I;ine of luledtnerl ' 3.P'8'i' il'e he4ted controversy

. . -jr,

lf,€'ür,ieei] ihe F;u.ssiaa nä,tionä-Li+-rr--avirry "a[glTvelrand ttrelr western-

rooted counterparts headed by the Rublnstein brot}ers had subsj-ded

considerably. This was due in part to the urrlversal popula^nity of

LHolt, gp. cit. t p. L7,

TchalkowslEf dro, although a member of the Rubinstejn circle, was

nevertheless appreciated by the national-ists. Tcha:ikows$ studied

corn'position r,rith Anton Rubinstein at the St. Petersbr.rg Consewatory

and J-ater i{as appoj-nted to the faculty of the Moscol'r Sdrool. this

provided a whoLesore exchange of ideas whj.ch figured sigrrificantly irl

bringing to an end. the long batile between the so-called natj-onalists

of St. Petersburg and the eclectics of Moscow.

thus, at the closirrg d.ecades of the nineteenth contury, the two

dominarrt trends j-n Russian nusic differed essent'ially ln method and

style rather tb.an focusirg on the national and non-national aspects.

The d.istinction at ttris period was between Rrassian music ilhich empha-

sized classj-ca1 purity and Russian rmrsic uttich looked toward a so-

called trliberation'r from classical norns. the latter was the direction

taken by the National Sdrool at St. Petersburg with R5:nslq-Korsakov

as iüs leader. Ttre former trerd found its champions at the Moscow

Conse:rratory drere the contrapuntalist and thooretician, Taneiev,

replaced Tchaikq^rs$ as Djrector. this nnrsieal situation exlsted from

the close of the nineteenth centu.ry until the October Revolution in

L9I7. At two cenbers of muslcal thought, Moscorv and St. Petersburg, a

second generatJ.on of Russian musj.cians was being trained..5

Tl:e mrsical scene at St. Petersburg during the close of the

ni::eteenth centur5r and the early twentieth, shor,red a master of orchestra-

tion with a group of prordsing students, in an atnrospheie of relaned

5Bernara Stevens nrakes the point ttrat the traditional associationof nationalistic thi-nking with Moscow and the connection of westernoutlook lrith St. Petersburg were, in the fieLd of rmrslc, reversed.(See; Hs!'rard {artogr, ed., Eraropean Mrsic in the fwentieih CentuEl (New York:Praeger, L957) p. 2oh.

-

so1.idaxi!;r of opi:rlon, bold e4perimentatlon and cosmopolitan i:rfluencest

free froin the strictures of the past. ft was a period of broad t'hhk-

i:rg and rtch creativ:ity under the guidance of a great leader.

the musical cli:nate at the l4oscow Conservatoly lras somewhat

&lfferent. Ur:Like Rirnsly-Korsakov, Taneiev, the Director of the Moscow

SdrooL, was a'purist in academlc procedr:res of writirrg, and adndtted

no ercperC.menbation. Taneievts special- field was theoretical courrber-

point. He wrote a two-volume treatise entitled, rtlnitative Counterpoint

in Strict Sty1e[ which broughi counterpoi.nt into focus as a branch of

pure mattreroatics. Lacking a s'i;rongSy creative itrpulse, Taneievrs own

approach to composition was coldly intellectuaI. He was a kindly,

blue-eyed patriarchal figure in Russian mrsic, a nnn of complete

ilte3-lectual honesty, whose personal life was ascetic. He is con-

sidered by the Russians as tbeir greatest theoretician and contrapun-

tal.j-st. Under bis jnfluenee pupiJ-s at the Moscow Conse:rratory llere

gr"ounded in the canons of striöt contrapuntaS. style

It was in this environment that the boy, Nicolas Mbdtner, found.

himself wilen kre enrolled at the conservatory in L892, at the encourage-

ment of his uncLe. Hi.s wife r,rrites, rr . . . this was the beg5::rring of

öfficult but happy years. His time was taken up with piano lessons

and studies in theory and general ssience. He had no difficulty lnbecordng proficient in these subjects and ttrere nas, therefore, plenty

of tirre left for practising the piano.rt6 Besid.es his regular studies at

the conservatory, Medtner derroted rmch ti.me to composition. In Taneievts

{:ort, gg. gig., p. rB.

()

class in counterpoint l,fedtner developed a nrastery of poJyphorry that

became a hallmark of his style. Taneiev ttrouglrt highly of lGdtner.

irJhen lledtner left the class of Taneiev he did not sever relations

with hls old teacher. Freqrently iuledtner shcn^red hlm hls compositions

and highly valued his criticisrns'

Dqring his early years at the onseryatoly, I'{edtner stuclied

piano w'itJr P. A. Pabst, an adnirable pianist anrd a student of Liszt.

At the sudden death of thjs outstanöng musician, Medtner entered the

piano classes of V. I. Safonov dno was considered the greatest teacher

of piano jn Moscow at that tirne. It is of interest from the point of

view of piano pedagory that during the entjre three years that Medtner

studied $rith hjJA, Safonov never onee plryed a note on the instrument,

his onJy practical denonstration being given on the piano 1id. Recog-

nizing the ocbraorrlinaly talent of the young Medtner, Sa-fonov did all

in his poT,rer to encourage the bnilliant pianist in a career of per-

formance. At his graduation jn 1900 Medtner was alrarded the gold rnedal

for htglr pianistic achievement, and in the same year won first place

in tlTe International irnrsic Competition honoring Anton Rublnstein,

nitlr his performance of Rubinsteints Coneerto ltlo. 5. As a resrrlt of

these laureIs, Safonovts anrbitions for his promising pupil beca.ne

intensified.. He jnsisted that iGdtner perform the sarte concerto Ln

Moscow and St. Petersburg, despite Medtnerrs dislike for the work.

He also ananged a concerb tour that would take Medtner through all

the irrportarrt clties of E\:rope r:trere he would perform the same

concerto. After each concert with the orqhestra, soLo recitals were

planned rith music that would. demonstrate the vi:"buosity of tire young

artist. Medtner declined the tour because he f,e1t that the fu1lness

6

of h:!s creative inspiration T.ras to be found 5n conposing. l4rs. liedtner

speaks of the reactions of relatives and friends to Medtnerrs decision:

ttThis decj-sion provolceC the d.esperate opposj-tionof his relations rd:o sar'r fu it the shattering of a-11

hopes for an exceptionalJy brilliant career, Nevertheless,l'Sedtnerrs decision lras jrrevocable anl he was supported byhis brother, EmLI, and also by Taneiev. Safonov, not un-natural\r, lras not pleased uith thi.s attj-tude on iris pupiJtsparb, and for a long tiy,p, cherished resentment. But itis agreeable to relate that ultinately he forgave }'ledtner,and uhen, some years Iater, he nas conducting in England,he r,srote Medtner en'i;husiasticalJy about the latterrsNietscbe songs uhich he had heard in London gnd invitedhirn to come there arld play under his baton.tt /

AJ.tholgh Medtner aspired to cornposition, he was not to abandon

eoncerb work entireJy. fnrouglrout his Ii-fe he contj-nred to appear in

recitals, playing his ott'n works and the conpositions of the great

masters. One authon gives his i.rrpression of l'fedtner as a piarrist:

rrlloru, in ry eryerience, no one has eg:.al-led l.fedtnerin the ercbraordi::ary imsj-cal clarity of his pIrying, par-tlcularly in cronded and conrploc nmsic in the lor.rer registersof ttre piano (of rrhich there j-s nrucl: jn his om r,rorl;s).l,[oreover, he possessed io an acute degree ttre rare poT,rerof coloring nelodieally passages that jn the hands of othersremajned rnere noies, a:rd his subtleties of rmance and pedal'lrere unforgettable. i,lo one (except pertraps Josef Hoffrnan)produced. so r,rudr effect raith so little v:lsible rreans . ". r,B

In 1908 I'Iedtner toolc a professorsirip at the Moscow Consenratory.

Horrever, he resigned frorn tJeis post the folloni:rg year in order to

devote more time to composition. !y temperament, I'iedtrrer was inclined

to u'riting nusic of an intinate nature, large-sca1e lrorks such as

operas and qrmphonies did not attract him. His early colrposltions were

7&ig. t P. !9.BfOtU..r pp. 93-9h. (.arUfrur Alexander, nl"iedtner as Pianist,,).

enthusiastical-ly accepted in Russian.rausical cireles. Sroruy after

19OO Medtrrer perfornred. his F l.tinor Sonata No, 5 before a distinguished.

group of rnrsj-ci-ans at St. Petersburg. Present among them were Rj$skf-

Korsakov and. Cui. Their response to the composition was whole-hearted

approval. He succeeded in having his music publis):ed at this tirce

r,rith no difficulff.

Ttre initial period of lGdtnerrs creative aetivity coincided lrith

tire period of universal enthusiasn for the rmrsic of Scriabin - music

ldrich brougirt to the fore a complete re-evaluation of long-accepted.

rmrsical principles and traditions. It must be remernbered that in the

early years of the tr,rentieth centurXr creativity in Russian nnrsic had

become relatively static. '[riith the deat'h of Rims\y-1(orsakov in 1908,

leadersirip of the Si. Petersburg center had passed on to Glazounov.

Urder his influence and that of Taneiev in I'foscotr, the dyna;riisn sparlced

by such nen as Glinka, Moussotslg, Rimslry-l(orsakov and Tcl"raikouslqy

had. subsid.ed to a forrn of acad.ehicism, particuLarly in harmonic irnren-

tion. Is it ar4y wcarder, then, that the apparent nwelty of Scriabinf s

harmory was seized r.rith eager rrgenc5r by the young coffposers of the tirp.

InL9l5, the year of Scriablnts death, I'iedtner agail resunred

hi-s teaching at the i,Ioscovr Conse:rratory lrhere he was to remain untjl-

L92L. By tiris same year, l,ledtner had conpleted, thirty-one of, h:is vorks,

close to half of his entire output. these works jncluded most\y piano

sorratas, smaller pieces for the piano and. sorrgs honorirg the poetry of

Heine, Goethe, Lerznontov and hrshkin.

l{edtner, the teacher, r.ras not only concerned r,rith the developnrent

of a rmrsician but also recognized the dirnension of the hunran beirg, the

indirl:ldual. ilis pupilr Elena lfurnitzka, u'rites:

nApart frorn technical work Medtner worl<ed hard to createa spiritual family urrlted by self-dery1ng devotj-on to

. arb: itavir:g as r^re had ].fedtnerrs ornm living exaraple be-for"e us lre gradually became aware of this, as it -r,rege,

oathof setrrice to arb r^thich lGdtnerts ideals inspired.'rz

11ne ri.se of tIrc BolstreviJc Party in L917 which inaugr:rated an

era of suppressi.on and e:rterrrination canrsed rnary noteworbkql Russlans

to flee their ,countqy. Anrong them lras Serge Bachnaninw, lrlro by this

tjr,e had achieved corrsiderabLe popula.rity as a eoncert pianist and

composer. Before the revolution, Raeirraan:lnov traveled, to Lond.on and

the United. States, appearirg in conceri;s as pianist and conductor. De-

spite the naqy j.:evitations to stry i,:r Arerica, he contj-:rued to live

jn l,lcscol'r frcn L9L0 tc L9L?. It was i;-r this latter year that Radr-

nani.:lov, fearJng for the safety of his fandly, r,rent abroad, never again

to visit his native Russia. For a tj:ne he lived in Paris and then

iLivided his time betlreen the Uruted States and Sr,ritzerland.

Another notable musician io leave Russia undor üre new political

reglme lras Glazounov. At the tirne of the revolution Glazounov was

sti1l the clirector of iire St. Petersburg Conservatory. Betr+een 1918 and

L927 be played an importarrt role jn ihe re-organization of the leni:egrad

Conseryatoqr arld exerted onsi.derable influence on the educatj.on of i:he

new generation of Russian nrusicians. In LgZB, hor.rever, he left Russia

and, finally settled in Paris.

After the revoluti-on Medtner continued to teach in }loscor.l. In

1921 he set out on a European tour and was not to return to his rrative

land uniiL 1927 when, W jnuitation of the Btrssian govenurrcnt, he urrder-

took a concert tour throug[out the leailing cities of Russia. After his

9lbid.r pp. loo-101. (E-ena Karrritzka, ttl was a Rrpl1 of NicolaslGdtner. u ) .

departure in 1921 lledtner settled for a tjrne in Germary. The two-year

sojourn in that country was a period of trial for the sensitive com-

poser. fne rnrsj-caI i,rorld. in Gernarry was, at i:hat tfune, a hotbed' of

feverish arrd ertremo e:cperimen',,ation. Conter,rporary con'posors were in

revol-t of the nineteentJr century German ronanticism as nanifested in

lrlagner and i{ahler, At tire sa.ne tine a storm of protest was levelled

against the ocperirnentations of äjndenlth and Schönberg.

For th:is reason, l.ledtnerr,relcomed the opporbunity to tour Arnerica

on concerb engagemen*t s thai lcept him j-n the United States for one year.

0n h:is return, he and hi-s rdfe settled i:r France.

'i.trith reference to Ger:narqir, Richard Holt speal<s of the situation

astr, . . out of the frying-pan and. into the fire."IO In every area

of artistj-c endeavor the fate.of French expression hung in the balance

of a creative crisis. In nusic the confusion was doubLed by the infiL-

tration of the revolutionary achieve:renis of Schbnberg and Stravi.nslqy,

ning$ng lrith tjre 5-r,pressionistic e:cperinentations of Debusql and, to

some exbent, Rave1.

Despite this fiery clinrate on the French scene, I'Iedtner ren:ained

in Paris for ten )'ears. Perhaps the reason for ti:is 1o16 stay was his

qrr,pathetic assoeiations ',:.ith l{arcel Dupre, Glazounov and Rachmani-nov.

Drring this period }iedtner gave a few recitals of his oum trorlcs

in Paris ar:d appeared occasionally in'irlarsaw, Berlin, England and

leipsig. It was also in tire course of this period that he conposed ten

norks from Qrus 116 to Qus 16.

i,ledtnerrs eoncert tour througirout Russia in L927 is indicative of

lORiahod l{olt. l,:edtner and Ilis i,i:sicVarri{yck Ltd.,, 19LB), p.-fi-

(Iondon: Renington,

10

a change in policy by the Rtrssian government lrith regard to rmrsj'c' In

fact, tf,rere riras some infiltration of 1restern culture, iuith due approval

of the governrnenb, between 1921 and 1927.

äowever, r,rith the suprenacär of Stalin in 3lg?7 and t'ire formation

of the first Five-Year Plan all r^lestern norsic '!ras excoriated. In line

with this policy Rachmaninovrs art rqas attacked by Tav{a in 1931' I{e

has since been exonerated.

It lrill be reca11ed, that Glazounov left Russia soon after the

establishment of the new stricture. To this day Glazounovls art is

Looked upon witJr d.isfavor by tire Soviet governmerib and bears the label

ltbor:rgeois. rr

fne musiC of luledtnel', ho',,,''e-,/er, Ifas never the object of political

censure, It is possibie that while Russian r'rri"ters ackno-'rledge r'restern

elements in l{edtnerts mu.sic, t'ny also recoguized certain traits that

are unnristal<ab1y Russian.

In 1935 Medtner sett'led in london lürere he was to reinain until

his death, ltrovenber 13r L951. If the rnrsical activity in Paris -oras

described as, sizzling liberalism, the London situation canr by contrastt

be clraracterized. as set'u1ed conserqatisn. Despite the appearance of

Elgarts art at the close of '"he centurXr, the Teutonic styic r^ras the

d.ominatjng influence in nj-neteenth century Er:glish rm.rsic. The status

quo and. acadenic cor,rpetence seened to be the accepted canons in Lond.onrs

rmsical scene at the tirne nhen l,ledtner went there to l-ive. Ii is not

to be wondered at, then, that this composer lrho firlnly believed in and.

defended the fundaraental positions of classical theory shouLd find the

London nrusical atmosphere the ideal environment in which to carry on

his creaiive rork,

It

the first signs of his hea.rb weafu:ess 4peared in L91+3. Ttrjs

necessitated the postponement and carcellation of scheduled concert

tours. It was in 191+8 tnat lledtnerts music was given enthusiastic

endorsenent W His Highness the l.iaharaja[ of lSsore, a province i.n

South Indi.a. through the Maharajatrts representative, Captain S. T.

Birutead, funds were provided for the recording of l'ledtnerrs piano

rarrks.

The recognition gave l"i,edtner neTr energr and he began the task

of recon*ing his compositions rrittr enthusiastic vigor. qy Jarmaqy,

19h8, he had conpleted three volunes of records, but the project nas

not completed before his death . I4ns. I4,edtner glves the account of

lledtnerrs Last years:

After a )rearts recording l4edtner tore hi-mse}fl awryfronr tJris racrk in crder to finisir his last big worlc, tirePiano Quintet. But as soon as he had conpleted hi.s corqoo-sj.tion and heard i-t performed, trhe state of his heartcompla-tnt seriously deteriorated, and for a long tine hehad to re::rai-n i:r bed. Ide'rertheless, he fi.rmly believedthat he wculd be able t o get up once more to record theQuintet to uiriCr, he attached special inportance. Irrdeed,after a l*rile his health i:nproved sufficiently for hi:tt iobe able to nuke a reeording of this worlc.

Then follo-nred two yearsr struggle wlth increasingweakness ani. the rean:rirrg heart attacks. There were dayswhon his strengih rallied and he tried to work so that herü$t record another najor composltion. . . . he uas ableto take advaröage of a passing Srrlprovement in his con*i-tion and make record5ngs of a group of sor€s withElizabeth Sdrwa.rzkopf as ttre slnger.

Another attack forced hirn once more to give up liork-ixg, and five drys later the en{qanie, He left fure weLdjrr a serene and grateful spirit.r'

A look at }&edtner side ty side his colJeagues, Rachnarrinw and

Scriabln, hi€ltLights riore clear\y his position in ttre rrarsical world of

his tine. lhe tlr.ree coriTposers were students of Taneiev at the Moscow

Conse:nratory. Both Scriabin and Rachnraninov took the gold rnedal at

12

tleir graduation from the Consenratory in 1892, eight years before

Iledtner r^lrn the sane honor.

UnLike lGdtner, Rachnranjnov set out on an e:*errsive concert

tour through the principal clties of Russia the year he graduated.

Cosnropolitan by nature he soon enbarked on a series of concert tor:rs

outsid.e of Russia and. was caught up in a rdairlwind of success. His

styS-e of corposition is in the tradition of Tchaikowsl{y t+ith str.org

western accents. A ronranticist at hearb, Radrnr.aninovrs mrsic unfolds

in tle grand l,isztian manner, r,rith a poetic, l;rrical quali@ and rhap-

sodic texbr.re.

Rachnaninov contrasts ?dth Medtner as did di lasso vrith Palestri:ra

and Handol lrith Bade. Both looked to tee kryboard for the e:pression

of their creative irrpulse. The one, however, is nrore u::iversal in out-

Look, more rtat honerr before the public, more flexible i.:: eryression,

Yet, for all of his out-going activity, Rachmaninov all his life had

grave psychological problens. Fits of depression crippling his crea-

tj.ve flow were not uncomrnon. He looked to Mredtner as friend and support,

and he recognized in Medtner thre selJ-possession and zupporb that he,

regretfirlSy, found wanting.in himself .

. Tn a letter to l4arietta Shaginyan, dated l'Iry' B, L9L2, Rachrnaninov

ercpressed his feelfug for his frierd.:

It occuned tc me yesterday ttrat all you w'ished tosee in rF you can find night at hand, face to face, inanottrer: Medtner . . . . I consider h:im the rnost talentedof all the modern cofiposers. He is - as $lsician and nan -one of those rare beings who galn in staüure the rnorecloseJy you approach them.I2

Scriabin hras a professor of piano at the luloscow Conssratory fron

lzSergei Berbensson and. Jay fryda, Rachmaninoff (New Iorlc: Ner.r

Iork University hess, Ig56), p. 1BO.

1?L)

lBgB until 190L. Previously he was concerbizing orbensively throrghout

Durope and composi-:rg rvith a delicac,y and refinenrent that have tradition-

ally associated hjra rrith the style of Chopin. After 3-eaving his post

of teachjng Scriabin, like i.ledtner, d.evoted hjrnself a1roost exclusively

to composition. Urrli}e }bdürerrs, however, his style changed. radicalJy

from a traditibn rrooted in a Chopil anrl Liszt süy3.e to one set ln an

abstract, rrystical mode. fne technj-ca1 realization of kls ttystic-

philosophic thought was an ultra-novel harrnonic scheme based orl ä slrpet-

posed series of di-ssinilar fourths. As a result, tonal stnrctuces of

tradition were destrqped and a:'i harmon:ic vagueness en'erged thich was

jatended to ocpress strbtleties of the soul and subconscious abstractions.

TLre basesof Scriabjnts ha:"nor[r are the i:rterrrals of the fourt]rt

seventh and nlnth. llith ],ledtner it is the tiiad. Both colqcosers had

a trnedilecüion for d:yttrmic subtleties, but Scrj.abinrs handling of

rhytirnic devices lacked the sense of Srrbegration uith the over-e]l

stncture of the conposition. i'ledtner, on the other hand, viewed rhythn

as a eonstit-r-1e6 part of :re3.o$' and ha.r:nory.

There can be no doubt that I'ledtner nmst have vehenent\y dis-

approved of Scriabiats 1aüer ventures in r,riting procedtres. In his

book, The l.irlse and the Fastrion. he speaks of the Itmodernist conposer't

and orie rnronders if Medtner r'ras not referrjng d:irect\y to Scriabin:

Such a nroder:rlst corryoser alwrys begins by nritingtrweIl-manneredrr rmrsic, but harring once earned respect forkls accepted stoci< of rrlrondstr and. havlng realized ttrat thisstock uiIL not l-ast for a long conversation, he begins tornake use of nnrsical i:eterjecti.orrs or to forrn na'r language_ -on the strength of the forrner respect for their inventor.lJ

13 uuatoerr 9p. gi!., p. Lol+.

1l+

In the Noverber, 1961 lssue of @ there appeared

an arkicle about Medtner'urler the title of 'rA Conter,porary of Scriabin

and Rachrnaninov.rr Irtrhile the autlror does not set up a colparative analy-

sj-s of the tlrree corposers, he sees thern as conbrj.butors to thre further

development of the Liszt and Chopil tradition and at the sarne tfure

adrnits vast dlfferences in the neans each of thern chose to uphold this

tradition.

the author speaks of Rachrnaninov, the briLl-iant virtuoso cauglrt

up in concerb lJfe, who found his idol and j:rspjration in Tchaikotrsry;

Rachman:inov, tJre romarrtic, lrhose creative flow was unstea{y, reflecting

the grand. Lisztian manner in hj-s cor,positioris. Scriab5n, also absorbed

in concerb 15fe, also tlie romanti-c, was jrrfluenced by Chopi:r, liszt,

tlagner and later Debussy. Un-like Rachnaninov whose roots reroaj.ned in

rvesterrr ronanticisn, Scriabin presse<i fr:.rther into regions of incor,pre-

hensibLe obscurities. The eraotionalisra of both corposers lias self-

conscious; tlieir lives were fiLied with neurosis and depression.lh.

Medtner, by contrast, possessed a balanced eraotional nature and

prefered corryosi-ng to ccnrcerbizing. In 1915 Ar-hbur Pougin records

Itledtrrer axlong the cor,posers of ttre ti:ne and onrits him from the list of1y'pianlsts.a) Iiike Radrroarrinovts and Scriabints, l4edtrrerrs art is Ljnked

with the composers of tb '[.Jest. As Rachmaninov ls traditionally iden-

tj-fied with the grandiose flarrrboyance of liiszt, atrd Scriabj:t with the

poetic deLicacies of Chopi.:r, Medtner is associated with the introspection

1l+0, Nuyg*o", Itsovremenn-i]c Slerrabina: Raklumarrinovar " 9S!g@i"lnztrka. nS' (i'ioüenber, l-96f)r pp. 72:75.

l5lrtf,ur Pougin, A Short History of Rrrssian i\'hrsic (New York:Brerrbanots, J.915)r p. 30h and p. 313.

h l

t5

of Sctrurnann and the craftsn:anship of Bratuns.

In 1_91? I,lontagu-Nathan declared that "Medtner j-s j]l fact a

moder.n 3"u1rr*.rr16 In the sane book the author pi:rpoints i'ledtnerrs

position uhen he sffsr rtln l'loscorv Taneiev upheld the architectonic

element jn rrusic. His pupil, Rachnraninov, was romantic . . . perfection

of structure appears to have been on\y a seonda:y consideration. there

is a colnposer uho is to be placed midwef between the two,nI? Another

Russian historian establislred t'fedtner side by side his teacl:er, Taneiev,

both of whorn foirnd. in tlre German classical id.iom theirrt . . . natural

vehicle of . . . nnrsical thoug[1.'r3'B ]lith regard to the Tanei-ev-l'Iedtner

tradition, Sabaniev poi::ts out that ttTaneiev drearned to be uieat t{edtner

became.trl9 f:nl927 Sabaniev lrote an arbicle for }hsic and L.etters jn

r.Jhich he defi.ned what he termed 'tl,ledtnerism , . . the dev:iation of the

Chopin-Liszt-Scriabi-n path irr the &lrection of Brahms-ScLrurnann-

Beethoven.tr20

After }ledtnerts death rrrosi hj.storians contj:rued to place hirn in

the Ger:nan classic tradition. Asaftev speaks of Medtnerts rnrsic as

rf . . . str.ongly pertneated W elements of Germanic ]ate-romantic

16t. i,lotrtagu-Nathan,Palrner and H4rr,rard., I9L7),

' 17:lia ., p. 235.

(London;

tBi*..D, Ca1'"'ocoressi., A Survey of h:sslan Ftusic (Nei+ York: PenguinBoo}cs, l-9ü3), p. 84,

l91eonid Sabaneiev, Moderrr Russian Composers (New York: Inter-national Rrblishers, 1927), p. L35.

Zol"ooia Sabaneiev, ttl\,ro Critiquesrrt lnrslc and Letters(Juty, tg27), p. 33h.

WII

16

culture.ttä Four years later Richard Leonard states in his conprehensive

history of Russian nnrslc that rrl,ledtner descend.ed frorn Brahms and

5"h*rr:n . rr22 Leonard. supporbs his thesis $r listing certajn technical

nannerisms of Brahms uhich are found jn l,ledtnerrs piano mrsic: simi-

larities in contrapuntal tectrnic, depS-oynrent of chords and harr,lonic

teriure, Leonard also mal<es the point, bowovet, that the Russian f,olk

j.diom can be fouttd in lGdtnerts lroiks sudr as the l*iltt_It1"r and the

Sonata Rornantica. l,fedtnerts Ii::k r,rith üre Rr.rssian spi-nit js also sub-

scribed to W Harold truscott, who r,rrites in 1956 tl'lat il . . . there

is in rmrch qf (l,bdtnerr") ** what is perhaps a profornder expression

of and commenta:y on the Russian spirit as one finds i:r the work of

Dostoevstqy, Tchekov, hrshlci:l and. T\rgenev.n?3

There js one posi.üon given to Medtner on whicir all md.ters are

in agtreement. Medtner is uithoub qrestion corrserrrative. ltJhen Richard

HoLt maires this claj-ra be ls careful to.define the rteonsenrativerr as

tt , , , ono who, uhile recognizing the need for irprovenent, adaptation,

nodification lürere it reveals itself, yet cherishes and values t;.)re

labours and traditioru of the past and regards lt herltage as the on\y

basis for trle progress.tt2h This is perhaps the tnre basis of the 1i:ds

21g. U. Asaf tev, Russian itusic, fron the beginning of the 19thcentri4y (lacirigan: ;. f+.IffiffiJE3), p. 25I.

22Ri"hod. A.- Leonard, A i{istory of Rrrssian l6rsic, (New lork: TheV"acnrillarr Conpary, 1957), p-. ffi

23Harord, Tnrscott, r'Nicolas lde<itnerr tt &g-g!gE!grig!(snrnner, 1956) t p. 7.)üXI

hRt"rr"ra Holt.Itd.,ISLB),'Van!tryck,

I'ledtner end His lfusic, (London: Ri:nington,y-..fi

L7

between Medtner and Brah:ns. Llke Brairms, I'ledtner sought to write in

accepted forms and, lrithi:t the traditional framework, to e:cpress uhat

he feIt.

l4ed.tner has been eompared lrith other giarits of mrsic history.

Ilenbion has alreaQy been made of Schunrann, Richard Ieonard speaks of

the t' . . . airily poetic, the s1y3y:rysterious, an. esoteric elenentrrl

as Schunranr:esqre qualities found in l,iedinerts art.25 A connection

is rnade rorittr Beethoven on the basis of }tedtnerts erphasis of design

and stmcture with a preference for sonata-form. Beetbcnren was the

master of nrelodi-c rf,oti-f-d.evelopnent and rhylitm5.c ingenuity; I"led.tner

excqlls in these tuo elenents. In L916 Ernest Nernnan evaluated l'ledtnerrs

pianistic u-riting as a blending of 'rr , . . botlt the thichress and the

fluidity of (the pianots) resonan*u.u26 Ib:is statement cou1d. very well

have been rnade about Beethoven who aehieved sonorous results on the

piano tha,t uere unheard of in i:-ls tirae,

Änother vieru of liedtner which is üaken by nrost r^r'riters is the

position of the solita:1r. ttl4edtner stands isolated ardd$t his contern-

poraries.rr21 This judgment raade i.a,L927 is an echo of Montagu-Nathants

reraark r'rritten ten years earlier: ttlledtner, one of the nost earnest

narsicians in Russj-a . . . stands, as to creative styLer quite a1one,

^' a:*:, Uedtner, though workiag on ofbhodoX llnes, has shonn that while

"5ieo;,a:.c, i;g. ;:.;.24tnU"rU .Van Thal, ed.., Teslament o;Li&ei% Essays and, Papers of

&nest Nernrman, (New Ior{ri mri'e@ p. L93.

27sabaneiev, n?tüo Critiquesrtt l6rrsic and letters, Ioc. cit.

LB

so d.oi-ng lt j-s possible to invest rnrsic r^rith nod.ern fee1jng."z8 TnLgSL

an arbicle appeared in Ternpo uhich clarifles more @ncretely this view

of I'fedtner. The author states that tr . within a eoqlaratively un-

adventurous franelrork l{edtner has beq*eat*red 'i;o t}re uorld a r.real-th of

rnrsic abound.ing in ner.r rhyttrms, flavours and sonorities.rr29 As late as

Ig62 +,he same evaluati-on was nade. His achj.evement is onsidered by

the authors of l&n and !{is i'hrsic to be the attainnent of tr , a

d.iscreet origi:raliüy by wqf of hj-s pianlstic jnvention.tt30

In the January, 1965 issue of ltusiq_egd_I€llgry_, Malcolm Bcyd

speaks of I{edtnerrs style as spri-pging from two main traditioris, the

uirieteenth century German idiorn and the Russian tradition. He speaks

of the }ledtner-Brahms cornparison lriti restrictions to cl-assical outlook

and the use of cross-rhythns. The Beethoven jnfluence he sees as more

far-reae,hing in tenns of sonata strrrcture and thenratic developrnent. In

reference io the hrssian traits i'ir. Boyd makes the point that i.iaile

i{edtaer d:id, not cor:scious\r 't . c'ultivate a tnatiorralt s$rler r.rt

his rrational interest was so $arch a parb of hin that the Russian quali@

is urrrolstaicabJy preseirt i-n his art.31

Tbw we see l4edt'ner äs he stands besj.de b.is eontenrporaries, as

history reccnds hirn fron the turn of the centurXr to our present time.

However, these evaluations and Judgments are made by others obse::rri.ng

2e.,, i..^.-!;.r" :.rr.1iä91-1,-NatJran, An Introduction to Russian }frrsicl,eRoy Phij.iips, L9l7), p. 68

(Boston:

29nrtJ:ur.A-lexanderr t'N. iüedtner, An Appreci.ationrn Tenpo, XKII(l^Iinter, t5t - rSZ)t p. 22.

]-0.1f"" Harrnen and rrtilfled Me1lers, pqand liis }hrsic (Iondon:Qcford Unlversity Press, Lg6Z), p. 893.

3lUalco}n Bcyd, nthe Songs of Nicolas lled,tnerr'r lfusic and. LettersVoI. [6, No. I (.ianuary, Ig6ilr pF, l-$-22

L9

fron the ortside. Or:r r.:nderstan&iag of the creativity of an indiviÖr.aI

would be clearer and more penetraii:tg if the thinki^ug behind the crea-

tive impul-se couLd be revealed to us by the man himself. Fortunate\y,

in 1933 l{edtner oorpiled his beliefs, pri.:rciples and philosophry of

rnrsic in a book which is srtitled., lfuza I Moda (fne Mrse and the

Fashion).32 Il:e book was translated. (rvith sorne annotatlons) W nltrea

J. Swan of Haverford CoILege, ?erursylvania, in the year L951. In the

preface of his book I'Iedürer tells us that he wiIL [ . . . sp€äk of imrsic

as of the native language of every nrusician. Not of the great nnrsical

a"rt - it speaks for itseLf - but of its soil and roots.rr He compares

mrsic to a tt . si.:agIe lyre directing our inaglnation.tr Referring

to the conterporatXr scene he sees thj-s trlJrretr as one which has fr .

obv:ious\y gone out of tune.rr

The book is divided jnto two parts. Part One deals lrith detailed

anaiysis of tire basic elemsrts of rnrsic. The Introduction begins uj.ttr

the poenr of l-er:roontov, rtTne Angel.tt fne poen describes the heaven\y

song of the angel heard by niorbal rnan r'tro, once having heard. the celes-

tiaL strains, couldo Longer bear the nduJ.l sor€s of the earth.rt The

relation of the rr!trlserr rrii;h eternal song weaves its wry through the book

in an unbroken thread. In the introductory chapter Medtner dissusses

and categorizes the principles of all art, He speaks of focal points,

positions of rest and basic centers toward whieh gravi'tati:rg, active

eLements tend. . Motion, for exarple, seeks repose; conplexlty nust

ulti-nate3y resolve in si-urplicitXr shad.ow focuses tonard. light and, p1u-

ralS-ty tends to'rard r::rity. these over-al.l principles are then

32}t"dtr"tr 9p. 9S., p. r.

?a

exempg-fi-ed in tenns of the basic elenents of nrusic and rdt']r reference

to conposers.of great art. ttA cor,plexity of rhybirmr" Ifledtner r'rrites,

I'invariably der,rands the striciest sir,plicity of n'etre, lürereas a

cornplex divislon into beats (l/h, LJ-/b, etc.) becomes intelligible

only thrcugh a conparative3y slqple rhybhn.n33 l{edtner cites works of

Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Schr:berb to i-Llustrate ir-ls points.

- -r- -a ^-----l ^S --.Ttre si:r ctrapters of Parb One deal with eash eLernenL of music j-n

its orrn rigirt and in interelai;ion with t'he other elements within the

framework of its {\:nction i:t the over-all scheme of focal point and

gravitatlon as laid domr in the Introduction. Medtnerrs vielrs are

clear\y stated. witir. regard to rnelody, harmorg, rhythm, form and thene.

He discusses style, sonorifir and the mety constituents of harr,ron:ic

and contrapunbal stmcture; i.e., voice-Ieading, dlssorranrce, and the

cadence. througfrout llis discussion j{edtner is clearJy defendir,rg tds

position against the nnrsical irrnovations of his tiine. Chapter Ttrree

is ecclusively derroted to ttthe Defence of the Fundamental Position of

the Past Tneory o-" "Utri".tt3l+

Hodtnerrs musical art is deeply rooted in his urryielding convic-

tion that the tra&ltional laws of rnusic which he holds to be the sa:ne

for all art must' necessariJy be preserred and observed for a tnre and

faithfirL expression. A deviation from these laws results j.:e a pseudo-

ircndliry is vier.ied by hin as a ilcui iri the sensesrr - senselessness o:

incoargrtrity. Qy rrsensestt Ftedtner means the ir:herent principles of rmsic.

33rbid., p. T7,

50-oI.3b&ig., nn.

2t

ile sees tonaLity as the focal point of the muslcal- language, consonaJrce

is the pivot alrd. dissonance is neanirgful only when it relates to con-

sonance. 1'1:e unresolved. dissorrance is trsenseless.tt In textwe the

center or focal pofut is the horizontal line of harmory; the vertical

line gravitates to it.

l{edtnerplaces prinary i:rportance on the therne, the rr . . .

kernel of form, its principal oon'Lents; and, the d.eveloprnent of the

thene r^ihich is, as it were, the open:i:ng of the keinel, the foi:n of the

rvhole conpos1ti on.u35 tbdtner consid.ers the thenre as an intuit5-ve,

non-j-:rventive ttsense.rt tr"ll:il-e he atterpts to define other elements, of

the musical language, i'iedtne" ru*u"U, the tkreme as ineffable and there-

fore beyond a defiaition outside itsel-f. foe elements trhich constj.tute

the form of the there are rnelody, rhytirm and sonority, In luledtnerrs

scherna every elernent has its f\:nction wb:ic*r sprilgs ftum the eternal

rrl,tr5srt - tt0aretaker of the spirit and the everlasti.ng laws of art.rr36

Specifically, tbi-s firnction is to serve the law of unity and. cohere.nce.

ltre resulti:rg work of ari then becornes an organlc s6rnthesis of all the

elernsrts with ernptrasis on stmcture and design rather than on coIor.

Paxt II of ttfhe liuse and the Fashiontr deals rith a nelar:ge of

topics related aestlreti.cally and praetically to arb. lhe section begi-ns

rrith a poem of Goethe, rtsre itiror of the lürserl translated by Henry S.

Dri.:cker:

Once the n'mse in her eagerness followed t'he'brook as it hurried,Soughb at dar,rn for a calmer spot that would serre her as rn:inor,

35rtia., p. !3.36&ig. t P- 97.

F

h

22

Tossing and tr:nbling the stream nrshed on and never was quiettllever fi.er iraage r.ras clear; the goddess tunred alvay in anger.fnen the brook, r,rittr scoznful derision, ce'lled to her, mocki:rg:ItYou are afraid., of course, of the tüuth you would see i:r r,y niJror.rlBut she alreaff stood at the far-'tirest end of the lalce,Looking with jql at her fj-gure, and fitti:lg the wreatit on her brow'3?

I.ledtner erplains how this poem is aptly applied to the reLaiioii.ship of

t*re l6rse to Fasl:j-on. The lfuse seeks her i-nrage i:r the nrffl-ed. lraters of

a rapid brook, but the resi;J.ess ruater distorts her pictr:re and sire turns

arrry il anger. fhe mj.:ror of the restless brook represents the I'fashionstt

of moderirlsm. Medtner then proceeds to speak on seventeen varied topies

fr.om adventure and heroi-sm in arb to a definition of t'Fine Arbs.rr fne

general tone in Part II is less acadanic, Less fornral arid consequentJy

more vehement in its castigaiion of moCera trends. The book is indeed

the ripened fn:.it of l{edtnerts deep convictions on the fundarnental

nature and puzpose of music and of the contenporary innovatiorrs of hi-s

d۟r.

In the year of l{edtnerrs d.eatir, euLogies appeared i.n narry of

the rmrsi.c publications of the dey. Tne central idea ercpressed jn t'irese

tributes is exenpli-fied j-n this statenent of Richard Holt: 'tHis greatest

s3'i g., na.1lty lras to create a nelr atnaorphere bgr farnifiar materisls . n38

The fami:.lar materials in }rtedtnerrs mr.sic are obrrious. through the

analysis of hjs piano mrsic in sn;rlJ.er forrns t&idr constj.iutes the raajor

contents of this stuffr it is hoped that the rrnew atmosphererr of whj-ch

I'b. I{olt speaks, in whatever degree it exists, dB be nrade nrore clearly

pparent.

37nio. , p. 97.

. 38Ri"tr"d. HoJ.t, rrN. ]4edfurerrtr grarnaphone, )Q(IX (Decenber, L95I),p. 150.

:

I

tt

C}{APTEA, II

ANAIüSIS 0F OPUS 1 to 3L

Perhaps the basic characteristic of Medtnerrs art is

conplexity, specificalJy co::rplexity of forn r,rithjn the co:rposition.

Fronr the earliest p5eces of his youth to the more mature r^rorks of his

advanced years the elerent of eonplexit1r is appareni. A quotation fr"om

tho first piece of Opus I and from the last piece of Opus 59 exerptj-fies

the corrpJ.ex inner form which results froin the concise, inter-relatiorship

of the basic rnaterials of mrsic:

Ef-Ai.iPLE la: No. L

mtAt. +l'4*

zl+

In both exarnples ttre nelod:ic, rllythmic and harrnonic patterns weave

througir the fabric in a close\y-knlt relationship. In a coffelative

concept the three elements gravitate torvard a center of repose I'ilr-lch

appears at tf,re end of the phrase (not seen jn the above exan'q:les).

It mrst be clear, however, that conplexity is not considered by the

cor{roser as an'arbistic goal J-n itsel3, but rather it results front

Medtnerts efforts to unil! and to interrelate as closely as possible

the basic elements of nreIoq7, rhyttrm and, harnory. Medtner strives for

sjrplicity and unit;r jn }1is wor]c, but, as he points out, "Si^nplicity

cannot be grasped. sinrply.ttl F\t'ther:;rore, he cautions, t'Sin'Plicity plus

sin{pliciff i.s equal to emptiness. CorrrpLexity plus cor,plexity to chaos."2

l&edtner urderstands sir,plicity to be the coord:j-natlon and i:rte-

gration of aIL rmsica] elemen'bs to fona an organic whole rooted jn

tonality.3 So weIL does he achieve this that it ls dj-fficult to fjnd

erphasis on a single poi::t. One is aware, hol'rever, of the special

attention given t,o forrn in I'ledtnerts art - form within the corposition

an4 the over-all fo::ro of the outer structure. The general struc'i;ure

of Medtnerts nnrsie foLlows the basic pri.nciple applied to the irrler

form. ltre principal raotives - be thqr rnelodi'c, r\ybhmi'c or botb - are

d.eveloped ertensively thr.oughout the colposition withjn a franework

of ryrnnretry and baLance.

l{edtner is a graphic arbj.st who stresses design rather than

INi-colas iliedtner, - The ifuse anC the Fashion (Haverford: Haverford.CoILege Booicstore)r p. 16.

2rbid.r p. 16.

t

3rbid.. , p. LS.

25

color. He is a thinker who has evs'luated and categorized all the

naterials used by the corposer and at the same tine recognized the

need for inspiration in achievi.:rg a vital, tn e arb. The 5Jrspirati-on

eonres u"itir the ltmost p"to*rv, fundanental, suprene tsenset of nrusic -

the theme."lt This view of the'bhen:e as the focal point of m:'sical a::ü

is rooted. in the tradltion of ihe classlcists. I'Iedtner defines the

theme as ilthe Law that regulates eadr separate work. Evely inspired

therne bears in itself all the elements and senses of the m"r.sical Lan-

guage. It has its own pulsation (riq;bl::a), its own chiaroseuno (irarmory),

its or,rn breathing (cad.ence), its olm perspecti-ve (forrn)."5 In relating

the thene to melo{y }iedtner goes on to say that I'more often than not,

ttre there is . . . in the sl:ape of a melody. The rrelody is, as it trere,

the favorite forrn of a thene, If r.re speak of the theme as of a melodic

fonrn . . . we shalL see tbat its funda"nental senses are contai.ned in

the seLf-sarne cadences, jn that same gravitation to the ton:ic, in that

sarae tenden cJf of dissonances to be resolved jnto "o*o*"u.6

I,lhi1e l'tedtrrer states that ttre rnelody is the favorite musical

elernent for the thene of a compositi.on his deflaition of the theme ia

no lrry adrn:its a sfnorgrJnous relationship with melo{p. frre therire rnry be

ernbodled in ar:y musical elelent such as a rkybbralc pattern, a coloristic

effect or an harrnonic progression. trrihatever fornr it takes it nnrst bet

h&ig., P. l+l+'

)rnid..

F

'Ibid., p. l+5,

A/to

however, the central, raotivating force, the organizi-r:,9 principle of

the conposi-tion. To repeat: the there is t'tbe lav that regulates

eadl separate r.rork.rr Because it is so organically involved in the

structure of the con'position the thene rare\y is 5ure me1off or pure

rl5rtlrm. l,lore frequently, it is realizea by cornbi-rr5ng two or tl:ree

el-eraenbs, For exarrple, jrx the first pieee of l'fedtnerts Opus 1 the

theme is obviously a melody frar,-ed in an ai:qf, open terture. The

textr:re ls an Sntegral parb of the meloff and of the essence in ren-

dering the mood of the poen r.rhich inspired the piece. Given tJee sanp

rneloQy and a dj-fferent texture the effect r.roul-d be conpleteJy trans-

for:ned. In this instance, the texlure remains constarrt a:rd nrelo{y

and texture are, together, tite theme of the piece.

The corplexity of I'ledtnerts craft is cbaracterized by refinernent

and an absence of sentiraentality ar:rC. ti:e cornrimnplace. He enploys an

econox1r of means and a deep concentration whlcir result nore often than

not in an austere, classical style. Yet, there is not lacking i:r .

I{edtnerts art strong enotion, an emotion described by his friend, Richard

Ho1t, as foll-or,rs: trfne emotion of i{edtner, then, is rather that of

Wordsworthian qrality, arising fronr di.spassionate thouglt none the less

profor:nd conternplation of lifets problenrs and rrysteries as apprehended

bry the nind and soul arrd the spiritual aspects of hurnan existence

rather than terpcna.L, [7

The eigfrt pieces which comprise Op. 1 were lrritten in 1902 after

Ibdtner had cor,pleted. his siudles at the i'loscow Consenratory. lbe

t'l{ood Picturesrrr äs }fedtner titles them, are mi:riati:res in terna:y forrn

7R. Ho1t,19h8)r p. 13.

Iledtner ard His ![rsic (London: Heraington, Varr]ffck, Ltd.,

27

diJfering one from the other jn nrood. Tl:e first piece in E l.fajor htas

inspired by lermontovrs poem, ItThe Angefrr. A quotation frorn the poem

is cited. above the rnrrsic, '

From heaven at rnidnignt an angel took lringArid soft was the .song he did sjrg l

The diatonic roel off is synraetrieally arctred j-n a 32-raeasure line. The

four B-measure phrases are orgaJrized in an A-A-B-B melodic schene.

Both the rhybhra and the texLure of the song create an a!ry, d.elicate

effect r,rith the cross beat, rlrythmic pattern at )d4 in L/b rneter and\ythe thin, harraonic outli:re stretching a tenth above ar:d belsn the

melody:

EXAI'FL,E 2: Op. I, #l - reas. 1

Ttre rneloff is idghlighted by doubling at the oetave belou for the first

eight bars. At the repeat, however, an ascending scale-line from Sol

to Mi is counterpointed against the rnelody. The six-note figure is

continued through tuo octaves and overlaps the meloff and cadence.

J

t

BXAI,FLE 3z #t - Dۊs. 9-15

I'he second half of the 32-neasure rnelody introduees a repeated-

note figure, a motif frequently enployed by I'ledtner. The same treat-

ment is given to this portion of the meloff as rras used for the openi:rg

bars: the nreloQy i.s doubled at the octave belolr for thre first aru:ouncernent

and treated carion:ica1ly at the repeat. i'ledtnerrs preölection for

thenratic developmeni is evident at the m:iddIe section where the first

four notes of the song are developed sequentially within the same

rhythnric pattern but with richer, harnrorr:ic interest. Ttre repeated-note

motjJ is heard jn th-is mido3e section also as well as a developmenL of

.the last four noies of the nelo{y. Terctura}Jy, this sectj-on remajns

the same as the first part r.rith its 3 against 2 rtqrthn, ertended ra;lge

and predorainantly honophonlc style. Qynani.call6 the soft contercb

-=-,:tissino -rrithin a few bars aad then recedes

' ..: :. ,-' ''',,'. \ , . - -" . - t.- '1';i l:''1:

:,In sonirasi -r,o ihe refirred iyricism of the first piece is the

forthright, ir,ipetuous character of the second raood pictr.re. It contains

uithin its th,ree pages a synuetrically organized song uhich opens with

a chromatically descending line. the sane idea is announced begir:ning

a tidrd. higher and this is foJ-lowed by a return of the opening lirre

r*hich brings to an end. the fjrst section at rreasure 16.

29

A comparison of the rnelodic rnaterial of the second section lrith

tbe opening bars dessrj.bed above illustrates one method that i'ledtner

er,ploys in uni$ing the stn:.cture as a whole:

Ir comparing the nelodic 1ir:e of the openirg with the bass U:re of the

second section vre note the sane rhytirm, siniJ-arity j:r the texbure of

the acconpaniment and ar: j-nversion of the linear *lrection. The second

melo$r, in the rel-ated key of B l,Iajor, i-s more diatonic and chordal,

The opening accented sixteentii-note is also found jn the second seetion

and the meloQy of Section Tlvo is also repeated a third hi-gher. Then

follows a development of the first three notes of the first nelo$r.

treated in ascending sequences and seiv'ing as a bridge to the return of

the first section.

If contrapntal tJrinking and tÄematic development are ma:ri-fest

in the first two pieces, contrapuntal terbure is the actual thene of

the third rnood picture. Un1ike the first two pieces of the set this

iiiuraber fhree, a roajestic m:iaiature of L3 rneaflrres, is asynmretrical j-n

'its form. As in the first two pieces, however, the. usä of the repeated

note in the r,relodic lirre and the repetition of this line a t'hird higher

appeer:

EXAI'PLE ba: ,il2

aY)<.as, )1 '20

30

EXAl'ryIE 5: 0p. I, it'3

The repetition of this line is extended to four measures clos5-::g on a

half-cadence and then repeated to a corylete cadence, It will be

noted that Medtrrer emp3.oyed ihj-s type of relodlc forrn in the t'nio pre-

vious pieces. fhe abundance of sustained tones and chromatic noveinents

jn the l-i.:res give a concentrated and confined character to the piece.

the nrelodlc line of the fourth piece rnanj-fests, by contrast to

the third piece, greater freedom; each noie evolving from the other

ard flowing in an unend:ing strearn of sheer lyricisra:

Hill"iPIE 6, 0p. t, llh

The accon4ranirnent is set in a thjn, uninposing texbr.rre of broken chords

and. ryncopated. hanmonies. There is also found, in the accompaniment a

canonic treatnrent of the triplet figure of the r,elody. Tiri-s type of

nrotivic counierpojnt is al::iost a cliche in I'fedtnerts lrriting which would

instance the carefuL attent'ion he gives to urriJled, cohesive structi:re.

'Y'leas. I '{

31

Like the fjrsi: piece'of Opus 1, the et'ude-Iiice lfuraber Five j-s

an interpretation of lines by the ltr:ssian poet, Lernontcv:

A snovrstorn is roari-ng and the snotr is connirrg in thicl< nlasses.But ti:rrrugli ihe roar of tire lrir:d a far-away belI --- dronesr-

Thr-is is the echo of the funeral.

fnis texb is interpreted by the virtuosic scale-lines and the harmon:ic

fabrie of the nusic rather than by a significant melodic texb. In

B-Flat nlnor, the piece, in iis opernng six reasures, depicts the storm

u'ith its cascading line of chroi,ratic and diatouic turns in a rbyühn:ic

figure ü Was the uni-'b of measure:J

BXAI,FIä ?: Op. I, ü5

lll <-as, I '

5ca tretJP

eJ.l a

The first five :äeasr:res of the si:rbh piece in D-Flat niajor isI

significant on two points. First, the thenatic material of the corqro-

sition is siated directly and r.:nädorned in the introductory ljne.

Second, the use of the repeated-note idea appears in the nelodic notj-f

of the chonal part of the ljne:

32

EXAIALE B: 0p. lt #6 - meas. 1-5

Little rnelodlc interesi is preseni in the seventh and eighth

pieces of Opus 1, the ther.te in ead: obviousSy being the rhyt,ktr,rlc content.

In this area of rirythin l,iedtner is especlalJy creative. Rhythrnie in-

gemity vitalizes his :rnrsic and nrakes nore meaniryful the melo<ilc .and.

harrnonic content. Cleverness j.n' rllythm for the sake of cleverness js

foreign to }tedbrerts thinking. hrre rhythm is never adrnissj.ble in

Ifedtnerrs esthetics, brrt rhythrn as a part of the 'ifo11*"" of the

:nrsico-sonorous raaterial.lr In his analysis of rhyt'hnr l{edtner finds t}rat

t):e very shaping of the nrelodic contour and the changing of harmoulc

souads enbo{y a sense of rhythm. thus, if a hi.erarcfy of rmrsical e}ements

were to be establisired harmorry and melo{y warld have priority over

rhYtbr,1.B

| . s'Ln"f"

{-r*r r'f,

BNj-colas }Iedtner, gg. cit., p. 50.

33

i'ne eross-beat riryti.rr,ric paitern of tire first pi-ece has aIreaff

been noted, flre triplet figure as seen in predominance in fi.re pieces

of Opus 1 (Nu-'rbers 1, h, 5, 6-, B) and varied ryncopated effects a:'e

anor€ the specific exar,rples of üedinerts rtrythnr:ic vocabulary. l'trorthy

of noie is the rhythmic pattern in iire middle section of the fourth

pl-ece z , _l+ iv-''l i l; i I I

+ c''lt't' jlli ti)

The pattern persists throughout this sectj-on end appears again in an

eight-rneasi:re coda lrhich clirna:ces the piece after tJ:e recapitulation of

the fjrst parb.

The begirrnilg of the sjxt"t piece alternates the meters 3/Z xa

b/b. 11:e un:its in the 3/2 r,teaspves show rhybhriric jnteresi as these

tr.ro examples iLlustrate:

Yleas,|:2, ,t))))).j futrear. ltt j) j),)')')ol'

I{edtnerts concern r,rith the organic evoluti.on of each eleraent within

tjre stmcture of a composition is exernplifJ-ed by cor,rparing the last

rtgrLh:nic fornula quoted above (Mreasure 11) $üth tire one used at the

begin::ilg of the second section of the piece:

Meos t{t 1r "n Y}"l"lE,reä nlore closely related to the h/+ e".canple is the pattern of l"feasrre 13:

.: . 4 \tbJ,.hJIt',; ;".;*^'ü *"v vü-^t--;l?l '!:-;,;-o 5u. -ll-,,- ;;iCCe , +i+ :tX, f,hO fifSt

sgction end, 5/B in the second. This short vj.rtuosic piece js charac-

terized by an irregular interloeking riythnic pattern:

3b

Ilecr, I7---:..

r-

fhe rt5rthmlc ted:nic employed i:r the sixtJ: piece js also present here,

i.e., the use of 'an

almost j.dentical pattern i-r: the l/B secLion as in

the opening Vl+.

In the final piece of Oprrs 1 l,ledtnerts originality in rirythnic

devices is displayed by indieati-ng a rrquasi-valserr s$rle with a dupS-e

meter, This is achi.eved by the uritir:g of quarber-note triplets jn the

bass in groups of six against the normal pattern of l+ sj:cbeenth not€s:

F E--"lÄtr i

EXÄI'FLE 10: Op, 1, #B

')'lttit, I

the position of harroorql in i'iecänerts concept of writing is

central to tlr e musical edi-fice - trthe foundation as r,rell as the cenent

in nllsical constzuction.tt9 }bdiner accepts dissonanrce br.rt rrever djs-

cordance, tire dj-fference being that dissonance is the gravitation of

a non-har:ironic tone reali-zeC in resolution. The self-zufficient non-

harraonlc is dj.scordance.l0 Voice-leading is tJre organ5-zing discipli-:ee

in }rledtnerts harmonic technic. ItTo write in counterpointrtt l'{edtner

states, rtis to give a barnronic coincidence to the separate, hori-zontal,

self-sufficient voices at all points. To write in harrnorg is to aire

at the very sarTre coincidence of poinis, i.e.t & counterpoi6.rrll

The harmonies enployed by l,ledtner throrghout 0pus 1 give elaience

of pLagal preferences. In the first piece, frequent use of tire super-

tonic harmorSr ai pri-ncipal poi:rts of the opening section and at modula-

tory passages of the rniddle pari are in evidence:

9Med.tner,

It'I"dtrru",

11&4-, p-

9P' ci!''

$.. gt.,t>.

p.

p.

66.

7!.

)o

EX.AI'FLE 11: 0!'. L, lt'!

The plagal harr,ronies and the fregrent absence of the leading-tcne in

donrinant han:nonies give an austere, modal quality to this fjrsi; published

piece of I'fiedtner, a quality that has been recognized as an i:rtegral parb

of his si;yle.

the harr:pnic emphasis i:: the second piece is on tl:e <tinrinisired-

seventh cho:'d in a plagal- or mediant contexb ratl:er than tonic:

EXAI'FLE 12: 0p. L, #2 - meas. l+3-1+6

It triJ.l

nEasure

be noted that the sense of firnlity

the piece, ffust, because of the

is lacl<ing in tJre last

qrncopated en&ing of the

37

accompaniment line and, second, because of the choice of the fifth of

ühe chord rather than tire root as the final noie of the nelodic li:re.

T'he srb-doninant and t:ediant chords contirue to predorn5riate in

the third and fourbh pieces. This is striking\y apparent j-:: the nodu-

latory passage of the fourth piece which bridges the first section to

the second.:

.uÄru-*'PLE 13: 0p. l, {fb

Tllror. l2- tY^--- ,'a--

.T:-- a1) lo-, l'.1,

tf.

Donrinarrt harrnonies are used at cao.ential points, but enriched ty appog-

giaturas:

EXAI4PLE Lha: 0p. l, #\

\

6b'

P.t" - ar, L

.5-

\ tl ' _-L\----_---?s)

..-1 I.

3B

EXAIPLE thb: OP. 1,

The piece closes, again, not lrith tl:e root of the tonic in tbe soprano

but r^rith the fjfth of the chord held through tr'ro measures and a fi:ral

arpeggiated tonj-c chord which r"ests in the thjrd.

The harraonic content of the fifth piece j-s the predoninating

factor in 5-:cterpnetirg ihe ttfar-away belltt and funereal rnood of Ler-

montovts poem as quoted above. The tttollir€ of the belltr is heard in

the augnented mediant chord wi'i:h the sub-dornjnant note funct'ioning as

a pedal:

EIHIvFLE 15: 0p. I, i/5

The chcnds are heard again one octave lolrer, fjrst undisturbed by art

aecomparyjng line aC then.r'rith the right hand plaging the scale-line

passage qr:oted in Erample J. lhis is basicalJy the substance of the

piece asi-de from a shorb nrelodi-c jnsertion at the end.

The augmented-second is promir':ent jn the horizontal line just

E"

39

as other zugmented. and. j-nverted-augmenied. inte:lrals precio;ei;nate in the

chord-Une. The appoggia'i:i:ra at the final cadence is a typi-cal I'ledtner-

ian device, In this instance, holrever, the non-harmonis note is tech-

nically an anticipation of the third of the fj-nal chord:

EXAI'PLE 16: Op. L, i/5

fne piece closes with the thfd of the tonic jn the higl:esi voice and

the final sounds of the rrbellrr on B-Flat.

The har"raonic tz'eat:ient jrr the sixth pi-ece i-s wortlly of note.

After the delicate and. somei'ihat brilliant firsi section a neli mood is

introduced - a lyrical and rather rhapsodic setting in B-FIat rn:i.nor,

The nelodic 1lne is heard j-n i;reble octaves above a fully chordal and

octave acconpaniraent. fne hannonie fra:ne'nrork here is exbremely sirrple,

ccnsisting rnainty of the tonic chord rirj-th an occasional augr,ented-sj:cbh

chord. . The rrodal quality of i;his section is i;he result of the use of

tire rratr:ral f cnm of the mj.nor s cale and the rv7 to r progression at theI

cadentiaL passage leading io ',he recapitulation of the fjrst section.

*rom5:rence is given to an ha::norric progression of II to lrl over a V

pedal in D-Flat. fl:is erca.nple appears i.n a pri-neipal parb of the first

section and at the close of the piece. The final cadence, however, is

V-I:

)\te.c.s. Lt" l a

fiU x, tt

l+o

ELAj,PIE 1?: op. l, :f6',i)."s. Sl.ul

W n.lo, t5rt,n, )";y,".'

f? t+

Ttrc de-emphasized dorrinant tonality throughout the piece, ihe accent on

pl-agal and nedlant harznonies and the subtLe inter-change betueen D-Flat

and its relative rninor all ten<i to create a quality of cool.:ress, classi-

caI punity and reticence.

?he tonal organization in the sevenf& piece follovs closely that

of lfulber Sjx. There js a rnodal feeli:rg resultir:g frorn an almost corn-

plete absence of the raised J.eadir:g-tone in the f#-nrinor key. As a

result, the frequently used. ne*lant chord, is an A-i{ajor triad.. Tbe

A-I'lajor chord ar:d its donrinant frequent\y follow the torric of t/t'.üinor.

l-

4r

EXA],{PLE 1BA: 0p. 1, il8

,'l'] l.^:. ',f - l0

E*. na lkl-T----1'111.qr, J.t. 3L

The structr.ne of the bri-dge passage corr:aecting the second section

r,aith the recapitulation is characieristic of )4edtner. Here the donürrant

note, C#, Ls heard above the changing ctrords as an j:tverbed pedal for

sjxüeen reasures. The irarmonies,erphasi-zed are IV, III and \rl. As the

drt is a long note in i;he treble gf eaeh of the 16 measures, the bass, too,

has a long note ui"rich changes in eade of the measures. These bass notes

ascend ln in'r,e:rrals of fourbhs. F\:rtleermore, each long note j:r the bass

forrns an inte:rral of a fourth r'rith the ottrer bass note r.rhich outli.nes

the rhybhnic pattern:

EXAjvPtE 19: 0p. 1, /r'B

'lftzas. 33. JLJL

\z

The harmonic pattern of the six triplets in the eighti: piece is

a typical Medtnerian scirere:

IAAI'IPIE 20: 0p. I, it'B

Here we note an absence of ti:e torric harnoqr and an emphasis on plagaL

relationships. The leadi:lg-tone r,rhich strengthens a key feeli-ng is

noticeably nissing until ti're hal-f-cadence at the erid of the fjrst four

measur€s. fhese rneasures are ihen repeated and close on the tonic.

The pattenr repeats a thirC Ic,',.rer arrd ihe tonic chord is then very mrch

5n promilence.

The pi.ece continues tlrroughout i-n the sarne texbure of noie-

spinrring and lean drords, bui the rururing sixteerihs no longer move

chromatically; they conbi:re cüatorric scale-line rd-'uh chordeJ- outhles.

The harrnon:ic schene of this section is in keeping with the previous

pattern irüh the addition of, the progression V/\fi to VI. Then folloivs

a return to the initial material, this tirne dropping to the fj-fth of

the tonic chord lrith har,ronie er::phasis on V-I, the coda i-s a repeat

of the d.iatonic eiglet-neasure section all on I and cadencing on V/V to I.

Evidense of Gerrnan classicaJ. characterj-stics is apparen'i; j.:r

v*v?s: --, *.,,-.. -i-"i1,*,-:'..- u;-,,'€1o;1ilent of then:aiic raaierial, rnelodlc and

rhybhm:ic, so strongly rooted in the sonata-form principle and so much a

part of western nnrsical thought is a hallnrark of I'fedtnerrs craft jn

tirese early nurnbers. Speclfic pa"ocedures in this area have been pointed

out above. Despite close ties r,rith lrestern styles Medtner nevertheless

A,

l^4)

marrj-fests a Russian character, not rooied. in fol!1ore, but Russian

sti11.12 An early authority on Russian ra:sic, furald Abraham, speaks

of directness o.f e:ryression and conpressed force, couplexities of

rlytiun and modal- tcnaliiies as definite qualities of lfussian mrsic.l3

All of these have been noted above.

T5us, fror,r these eighi pieces of fiedtnerts Opus 1 canbe gJ.eaned

certajn directions in style and cra-ft which contir&e to develop in

depth, more or less.

The ttrree pieces of Opus 2, altnougir. written in the sane year as

Opus 1 (1902), shol.i a rqraCcable eontrast j:: style and structure. Each

piece is exLended to ti:e proportions of an ttabridgedrr sonata, but i.:a an

i-nprovisatory structure, not loosely conceived, to be sure, but sorae-

r"rhat freer and r,rcre spontaneous tharr the first set. fnat I'iedtner can

cope r.rith a large mrsical canvas lflere is rro d.oubt. EacJ: piece unfolds

logical.ly and naturally.

the pieces are iitIed., ttThree Fantastic Trrprovisations'r - arriously

renlniscent of Beethovea rd'ro r,rote improvisations and faniasias fron

whj-eh evolved h:!s distinciive, mature style. In i:rprovisation the

composer has at his disposal. the fuI1 gamr:t of rnusical possibilities and.

creatirrüy. The pulse and definition of his style are more easiJy

deternilrred and more clearlg e:pressed.. Directions of his individual-ity

are more clearly man-ifest. So it is r,rith lledtner in Opus 2.

12e4. I*ichard Ho3-t, Nicolas Medtner, tr?he Art of lrlicolas l"Iediner(Joseph Yasser)r pp. 56-65.--

13Gera1d Abrahann, Stud.ies in Pa:ssian ifusic, p. B.

l'),l.t

The forrnal stlucture of the fj.rst pj-ece is basically 'i;ernary,

There is, nevertheless, considerable freedorn in the fornal frarer'rork.

The open:ing section of thj-rty rneasures is introduciory and signj-ficant

in tr.ro respects. tr''irst, tire rrraterial presented here is heard again

before two pri.:rcipal sections of ihe piece, at one tine j-n a literal

staterent, eC at another ti.le in an abbreviated quotation. Second,

two raotives are introduced here. The first moti-f functions as an

accor,rpani.nent figr:re; the seconcl rnoti-f presents a fragrnent of ihe

rnelodlc and rhythm:ic designs rdrich consti-tute the basic naterial of the

entire - structure.

The second and thjrd pieces are in the framer.lork of a more

clearly defined ternary form. The nriddle section of each of these

pieees is elaborately exbended on apparently new musical ideas but r^rith

subtle sinr-llarities to i;he rest of the piece.

The melodic lines are freer, for the most pat*,, i'rith wide leaps

outli:ring chordal patterr.s and accented by appoggiatr:ras. Yei:, there

j-s evidence of the repeated-note technic so preva-lent in the fi-rst set.

fn the fjrst piece the principal melodic line is not onJy free and

rhapsodic but erbended in length:

EXA],FLE 21: Op. 2, tfl-

Continuing ttre 1ine, there occr:rs a typical Medtnerian lyric r.rith stress

4>

on the cler.onratic tones

El(.Al"PtE 222 Qp. 2o "tfl-

and seguential- pattenr :

bp *- lc-:-4F--, t- qqi-Y:---h+-l^---+.b--,

t---1il/

The nelodic line in the seconC inpro.risation is more diatonic, high-

lighted by tie augrented-fourth interval resulti-rg fnrm the z'aised

sixbh in the relodlc nrlno-r scale. Here, too, there is present a se-

gaeni;ial technlc, and appoggiatura accent:

EXAI,FIE 23r Op. 2, #2

The second neloff

EILAI,IPLE il4t Ogt. 2,

'h'ltss, t {' go

Nrurber 2 is a repeated-note line:

./--

Considerable terbr:ral variety is present i:c the pieces. The first

piece eonslsts basicalJy of srveeping arpeggios and scale-ljne passages.

the middle section of the fjrst nurber has a fu1l, rhapsodic richness

rrith wide-ranged open chords supporting a lyrical 1ine. Tttis j.s

in Opus 2,

Jlalfl

be

inrne4iately contrasted W a pianissirao section on the sa"rre lyrical

material. Tne pianlssirno crescends to a fuli fortissimo and allarg9ndo

section in the grand $anner of I,i szt - one of the fer'r i.:estances of this

sort of dynarcic textwe in lledtnerrs earlier works.

The texbure of tl:e second. pieee is mueh leaner at the starb, but

there are monents of richness anC fulJ::ess. fne style is basiöally

honophonic. ft is in tire third piece &at the terbure sholrs jnterest

jn its cornbination of counteryoint arrd verbical harnton;'. The opening

line is tire basis of the @n'vrapuntal riorkjngs manifest throughout the

pie ce:

EX.L"IPLE 25t üp. 2, ü3 - rireäs. 1-l+

A feu exanples will readi.ly sholr l.iedtnerts linear ingenuity. It will be

noted tlrat in Exarples 26b and 26c on the page f ollor,ring Vtedtner en-

ploys a fragr,ent onlf itt his development:

EXAI8LB 26az Op. 2, i/3

'\'l1tas, t1- t1 --;-/^l -

L+l

El(AtFiE 26b:

1).qr. f,ü-3i

EXAI{PI,O 26C:

I{edtnerts predilection for rlnrLhnrc ingenu:i-ty is again apparent

in this set. fhe meter of the fjrst ir,prcvisation is 6/8. In i;his

first piece 'i:]re henlola iechnic is present although it is not the

d.istinctive rhythraic feaürre of the conposition, The therae is prirnarily

the rhybhnric motj-f (as seen in Example 27b) more than the meLocH-c content

of the passage

EXAYPTE 27at 0p. 2, iil

i 1t'1,n. t t, t

bB

2?b: Op. 2, lll

Some exatq>les wiIL illustraie i;he pre-eninence of

in the corrposition:

EXA}PI,E 2Ba: op. 2, ill - rieas. 61-61+

2Bb: Op. 2, /t'\ - n€as, 200-201

-f

rhythralc motj-fthe

11:e hemi-ola ls also used. in the tl:.ird piece which is set in a

6/\ meterz

r,x:nPiE 29:

In this third piece qmcopated patterns such as these are present:

The larger dfurensional stmctr.re and free inprovisatory styJ-e

result in some interestir€ and varied ional relationships than uere

evidenced in the past sei: of pi-eces. Nurr,rber One j-s in fli nj:ror, The

key sciren'e of the entire pie ce is as follor.is:

3rd section

til-nI

Itedtnerrs modulatory tedrnic in the piece may be defjned as the enplcgr-

ment of er:hesalonj-c change and the use of anticipati-on. Both contribute

to the organi.c uniff of the r'rho1e.

the tech:ric of anticipation is illustrated in the fjrst section.

Tt:e pfuce opens rcith an arpeggiated ehord. nhich pe:rrades ti:e entire har*

monic structure of this section (here illustrated in a veriicai cno:.";*

lst section

f#rn-Bbii - f;r;

2nd section

eb-rn

forra):

The presence of A-Nai;wal j:r th.e choz'd. crea'ves a feelilg of anticipation

or suspension lvhieh is not fully brought to rest until ine S-l''iajor chorcl

is sounded. T:e A-l{atural f\rnctions as a unifying eler,rent, cornnon io

both keys in ttro essentj-al- tonal positions - the t'hircl in f,4-ninor, on

the one hand., and the leadirg-torre j.:e Bb-i'bjor, on the other. tr\sthert

tire A-Natr:ral is exbended. in lj::kj.:cg the fjrst seetion r,rith tire eb-ninor

ionality of the second section. At ihe end of the first section, a V7

Itsoundn is heard. as a result oi a seventh chord built on IV i-:: the f#

rrelodic minor forn. fnis chord., not funeiionir€ as a V7 but as an in-

verted. augmented-sixbh lrith e*:annonic change, becomes the ton:lc -

sjx-four position - in eb-lninor as follolvs:

''ä".1Little modu3-atory interest occurs in the second and thjrd pieces

of the set. The f!rs'i: section of the second irprovisation, in g-minor,

cadences on a soIid. V-I progression and the second section begir:s i::r;ne-

&iately in tle related key of D-I,iajor. The thjrd piece remair:s j.n

f-minor with the exception of sorae parentheii-ca-1, passi-ng ehords.

Harnronically, lle<itnerrs second set is nore corcplex than the first.

P1aga1 preferences are a.rparent althouglr dor,rj:rant harrnonies are used

inore extensively. ltre injection of pedals, appoggiaturas and anticipa-

-;;c:ls as lrelL as the exbensive use of the nelodic ralnor tonality tend

to obscrrre the clarity of the harntonies but in no T{ay distorb them:

1+;Efet"-_IL'l

5t

EXÄI.IPI,E 3Oa: Op. 2, i/2

EXAltrtB 30b: 0p. 2, il3

f71te,1. tt;3' tLz

ltre rexb set of pieces, opus l+, also bears t,l:e date 1902.

Collectively they are caJ.Ied, rrFour Piecestr, but each J-s given a specific

title: Irlo. 1- Etud.e; ltro. 2 - Caprice; Iio. 3 - l'loment ltusical; No. lr -Prelude. Thql are rircini-atures in the nranner of the character piece of

the ni:reteenth century, All are terna:y strtrcture.

, fnese pieces, in comparison with Opus I and 2, are characterized

by less restraint and less of ti:e acaderaj.c q.1a1iff, hesent here is

the energence of a rcre subjective, personal romanticisn, a more con-

vincing western nuanse

The pieces of Opus l+ are homophonic in tei*ure nith, hor.rever,

sone jnteresti:rg counterpoini; in the fourth of the set:

>z

EXAIfPIE 31: q>. )4, ilh

cas, 13-t*

P caolelilo PP

The pattern quoted in Erample 31 contj:mes sequentially a thlrd higherI

(on G) and., again, a third i:igher (on tsb), fnere is Iittle chord.al

terture in aqy of the for.u' pieces.

Key changes are conservative andr effected i.:a tracitional r{ays.

the i;wo pieces of the set tirat a:'e lritten in the ninor rnod.e (Etude

and l,Ioment lfusica1) are in the nah:raI or Itnormaltr ninor forn ruith the

lor,;ered. leading-tone. fnus, a pure, mocial- quality is present in these

pi-eces, 'rüith this i-:: raind, r,re note that the Etude, in g/l-rünor, rnodu-

lates to its relaiive rejor through the connon note of F#:

The second piece, Caprice, never departs from C-llajor. The

Prelude, fourbh jn the set, moves from Eb-Iiajor to its relative nilror

trith the tonic chord ln Bb serving as the pivot, i.e., the Eb-liajor

chord. as r in Eb and rrr in c-r.,inor (natrrral form). An jnterest in

plaga1 chords and er"'learmonic change at modulaiory passages is shown

in the fourth Pie ce:

EXAI'PIE 33: Op. 1r, #\-Ytl

ca.t,.ll - tL -:--;--=1 >, 7 >t>lrtl 17

53

^yLV-h-1 p - J-hiö?zräL;++-- |i lt1i ,t7 t)'/ !)7,F)ai)7li

-)__ o+ D-lr- -14--f---|-.|-.r_

I-j#

:--Ftr::t1}t-.D]9-rO-Nir\.:. 1-lP1 P-_--P---*-,', -);-'h,-fl-'-'-!::y--

tl, t,\"- t/1tr'"\

Despite the standard ional stmcture of ttre set there are pofu,ts

of harmonic j-nteresi utrich unCerscore the har:-aonic vocabulary alrea{y

id.entj-fied. T^Iith l4edtner. In the fj-rst piece, in g#-rainorr the fjrst

pirrase of eight measures is set a1-most entjrely i,rithjn a tonlc frar,rc-

work. The reasures may be outlir,ed in this manner:

i: l:-l -'---l -: )-:_.i:l r-l-:, Ipr,,,il ' I , | ' I " I ü | 7 I Y I

In the second reasure t^te upper au:t''3-iary of g// appears (Nl), anticipat-

ing the zupertonic ha:riior6r of the sixth lTpa$tre. At this poi:rt (sjxth

measure) the #l j-s absorbed in the 116 r,rhile the thjrd of the ton:ic

chord, of # (B) is suspended into the seventh measune. At the haaf

cadence g/f ts suspended into the donri-nant tonality (Bth nreasure). Tlris

type of linear end cohesive harnonlc r.rritjng points to the fact that

Liedtner is at all tirnes concerned ',rith tl:e organic whole of a corqposition.

He tirinlcs linearly and contrapuntal3y rather than vertically and ci'rordalJy.

Herein lies the corplexity of his harmonic stmcture. The same iCea is

jJ-Iustrated by the cadence of this fjrst piece:

>Jo

EXAI'{PLE 3ir: 0p. b, #L

' ')17cas.tLl-ttl

The fX, pr€sent in the penultimate plagal chord functlons as an un-

prepared appoggiatura e:nphaslzi-ng the finality of the piece. Ti:ere j.s

no doubt about the prominence of the fX with its triple presence.

The resolution of the lowest-sounding fl( to D binds the two chords in

zuch a way that, together, they fonn a unit in an i-nterdependent role.

The second piece also nanifests p1agal stress and linear

concepts as these examples illustrate:

+r 4\-{.{ k-_

5t,;..

EXÄl.iPffi 35az op. h, ilZ

EXiI'IPIE 35b: 0p. b, #2 - meas. 125-].'27

lvl .r no rnoslo

In ihe Yoment i'!:sical, i:r c-nriror, three bass figures are heard

t}:.roughout the piece ano forn tire harmonic frar,rework:

EXAIPIE 36a: Cp. b, 1t'3 iltrlPlE 36b: Op. !,,

The rnelodic lines enphasize repeated-note, sequences and appog-

giaturas:

EXÄI'PLE 37a: 0p. \, #2

-#-- r-- --z:---r- -9 ---r i -

-.c4Prt

fit

111'a1.,

c ant abi/e mP.e .!

--q-'--f-*

LI

EICAI,FIE 3?b: 0p. l+, #h

Türus, l'LUJ

A ttr,1+o

r6t I

l).1 1

l-_0:'^

As a1wrys l.rith lGdtner rh)-thn:ic jnterest is present in -i;he Opus l+ set.

The rhyt'hm of the fj-rst; piece is consisi:ently set in a qrneopated

pattern H"ithjn a 2/b meter; i r"'3 rnFor the first tine an irregular neter occurs jn these sfrallpr

pieces. fhe meter signatrre of the Captice is g/8, A com-oarison of

the organization of the rlXftirn in the second piece with the rhybhn

of ]furöer 3 shows subtle sirilarj-ties. (Cf . nxamples 37a and 3?b).

Both begin and end on the up-beat; botir have a sir,ri-Iar ljnear design.

the fourth piece of the sei enploys a tri.plet rirythrn tn 3/2 meter.

The three pieces i;hat r,rake up 'i;he set of Opus 7 are caIled

ttArabesquestt and were rritten in 1905 Aur:.ng .the interi:n betl.reen i{edt-

nerts graduation from the conservatory and his acceptance of a professor-

ship there. I,:ilce the Opus [, eaCr piece bears üs oi'rn titIe. The

fi-rst, in binary stmcture, is ca3-led rtIqfltr. fne second and third ere

tit3.ed, ItTrageQy-Fragment'r; the former in ternary form, the latter in a

rt

,o

free, nai'rative style. All ürree are in rnjnor tonalit;.r. ,

Each of the pieces is rooted in i;henatic developnent and contra-

puntal j:rterest. It i-s specifica-lIy rrith these two areas that the

di"scussion of Opus 7 uiI1 dea1.

The basic rnaterial forLhe three pieces consisis'of the ornailrcn-

tation from lrhieh the title ttArabesque'r is cierj.ved. The arabesque

nuance, i-:r its fundan,ental, general sense of figuration, is present in

each piece r,,iith its orrrarental, inberlocki.ng figures, It is heard in

the first ple ce as an accoirpanirnentaL nroti-f whj-ch becomes rnore chromatic

but is ever present 'oith the fragmentary rleloff weaviag ii;s way around

it, above and belor,r.

E\At'FiE 38: Op. 7, ilt

#j

')i'l<as. J - P d.i - miau- en

The characier of

than the exaaple quoted

ture of the piece,

EX.AI'IPLE 39: Op. 7, #2

the arabesque of the second piece

above but Less integrated into the

is nore'florid

total struc-

. l.iore inLeresting ls

far the most ingenious

the ornarental figure of the t'hird piece,

of the set.

%,.:;:tr'"

by

5t

ExÄi,pui [o: op. 7, i]3

It lri']'l be noted that tl:e contour of the line is less classic, nro:re

decorative and free, The i.rregular riqrbh:iric phrasing e::irances the

character of the figure. Idii:hin tire nrore erbended musical canvas of

this third piece the figure is ',rarj-ed jn dj-fferent lrqrs. A ferv exarnples

of this are:

EX.$'IPüI ,[a: Op. 7, #3

$ütPtE lrlb: 0p. 7,

)1't."s. 5t- /J

-

-7t---#rL*

-3L-,-.J,;v

7, #3

?6>ö

But especially j:r the area of inelodic developmen'b is ihe Qpus J

set praiseiforthy. There is no nelo{y as sucir in the first piece -

IDII. fne therne is the acconpanj-lirentaJ- figure quoted above (nx. f) a.r0

punctuated. by a tno-note motif trhich is ingeniously transforned. tirrough-

out tlre for:r-page cornposition. At the outset ü is hearC. sirpJy as a

quiet statenent:

EXA]{PIB h2t Qo. 7, #I

Later, it is

canonj-cally,

ilG}tPtE !3:

absorbed

slightly

op. 7, ilt

into the stmcture of the arabesque a:rd treated

variedr 'drithjn a sJrncopated riqrühiaic fraraerrtrork.

The nrelodic materiaJ- in the second piece, the Tragic-Fragraent in

A }tinor - is developed by neans of sequences and varied orrr,amentaL

accompaJ$ring 15nes. The fjrst rnelody consists of an ascendi-ng scale-

line in fu1I cl:ords enhar:.ced but undi-str:rbed by the ornamental accolpani-

nent in the bass. Later the neloff becomes lnvolved in the ot:::är^oi-....*

figuration:

,v

ENntiPIE hl+: 0p. 7 ' #2

the second sectj-on of ti:e p:ece a repeated-note motj-f appears lrhictr

developed in a series of sequences.

T6e ttrird piece of üpus 7 in g n:inor conLair:s within its nine

pages the most distinciive exa;q3les of reotivic development i;o'be seen

in the earlier pieces of i'bdtner. ?here are tlro melodi-c fragrients that

fo:rn the naterial for the cievelopnental ieciuri.c einployed i-:: ti:e pieee.

The fjrsi is basically ci:ronatic witfu a syncopated r]ryLitn:

EXAIIPIE )+5: 0p. 7 ' ii3

In

IJ

The line appears frequen'i;ty j:l the piecet

altered, l'rith rhybhnric variation as these

canonically treated, sligl:t1Y

exar,rples ilfustrate :

111 ct. !- l.

6o

EXAI.IPIX 116: Op. 7, #3

')llr.rs. 5l - t'l'

.t- -- -[+_ 1'+'-++tta'l/1t45, t,'1

' The second fragren',, is a

EXAI'PLE l+7: Qo. 7, il3')'fi

cas ' 35' 5t

lypical repeated-note noti-f :

The repeated-noie j-dea flrnctiorrs, for the raost parb, as a lirrk; never

does is appear jn literal quotation. Each tin'e the treai:nent is oontra-

";"r;z-;,in }<eeping liii:h the general character of the piece.

n:r^.-hrla \ ^

lt^irrÄAl'r-f!3 40: Lp. (, li),\4l.o<. ?{'7( ....-

t', +

--L-

V

Jr)l.os.

7t' at,

The cadence cf the tJrjrd Piece is

iGdtner although it is a tYPical

EX!.]'FLE i+P: qo. 7, #3'ltl."i

of its kind enploYed bY

his pIagal preferences.

the first

exaraple of

j'üt'I yrr

{2.}J

0v 9-t

Below the tit'le of tire ii:ird piece is inscribed a Russian phrase

which is translated rtfuernonition of a Revolution". The agitaied,

strong quality which the piece projects is ind:icative of the j-ntention

of }4edtner that this 'tTragic-Sragrneni" should be a vision and a prophecy

of the Bolcirevj.k Revolution. It is per,haps the rnost pianistically

citallenging piece of the earlier compositions. ?he acci:rate perform-

ance of the rtrythm:lc conplexities nhich der,Tand po\'rhyt'hnlc thinlcing,

the pnojection of tJ:e subtle, contrapuntal nuances, and. the rrjrtuosj.c

skill required for the execution of exbended arpeggj.ated pa"ssages at:d

jrrterlocking octave l1nes are factors liiiich place this piece anong

Medtnerr s foremost keyboard coripositions.

In thre saile year , l:9O5 t i{edtner introduced th.e fjrst of hj-s

so-calIed. I'Fairy-Talesrt i-:: his Oirus B set. The Rr:.ssian word is

skazka of which fairy-ta1e is not an exact eq:.ivalent' SkazJly. though

as fantastj-c as l,restern f ai-ry tales, are nore rustic and earthy. Ani-

roals r,rith human attributes pIry a leading role in them. l'ledtnerrs

Faiqr Tales are not d,escriptive; thry are not in the ieast program

music. They are rather tales of onets ercperiences - conflic'rs of the

62

inner life of a man. At oihe:: tires they are renirriscent of childhood

e:rd youth witir their ai:y poetic qualii:y. Like Schumamrs, i{edtnerrs

sensi'bivity is well suited to ihe folk tale atmosphere. 0f all his

co:nrpositions l.{edtnerrs Fairy TaLes seen to be the most rerearkable for

balanced texbr:re and perfection of form.l4

The two'pieees in the Opus B set are linlced both by a cornnron

key - c-ninor - and by identi-caI three-measure introö:ction which

appears also at tl:e close of eai: piece. Both have contrapuntal tex-

ture and honophouic contrasts.

The cleief chat'acterisij-c of the first piece j-s the developn:enial

techn:ic enployed on tno reeLodies. After the introduction the fjrst

nelodic linq is s'i;aied as follcr'.rs:

ETjI'IPLE 50: 0p. B, ifl'

lllr r. 5-t'L

: : ,+i-\-------'p tordomooto o /c.Lrtaa/o

The second lyrical qlotation is sjr-ilar

contrasts witir it by a limi-ted range of

repeated-noted:

to the first rhybl:rrdcal$, but

rnotion and an emphasis on the

üRi"fr""a Ho1t, Nicolas Meclt+eIi { Tribgte-, (Ivan llyJn: 'rMedtnertsFairy Ta1es"), pp. 175 - 1BO.

EXATIDLE 5t: Op. B, lt'L

v ---'- FP crcsccoloi:

Ti:e up-beat of two-sixteentns is a ur:i$ring factor in the plece' Every

phrase, without exception, begins l^ritit this figure. It r'r111 be noted

that the highesi note in the firsi; rrelodic ljne (Exa:np1e 50) is given

rlybhnric enphasis. This sane effect'rvas eraployed'in Opus 7, i'io. 3.

(See Exaryte h5).

nne phrase that follows the first nelody (ikanple 50) is sig-

nificant because of the con'brapuntal development enployed j.:n the second

section. This phrase is inL:'oduced in a contrapuntrfr- terbure as follows:

EXAI'IPLE l2z Op. B, ii'l

lt-I

.-.-- l--1,. t- -lr J ---.

ß--I

Mus. t)'ti

llurl

The second nelodie segnent (itca""nple 51) appeers frequently ti:rougnout

tire developnental section:

BXAI'IPLE 5l+a: Op, 3, /iL

EXATPIE 5l$: Op. B, #1

A glance at the nelodic inaterial of the second fai-qf-Tale of this

sei read:lJy reveals n:yfhraic rather tiran lyr{-cal interest:

EXA'IPIn 55: op. B' liz

Here, too, emphasis is placed on the highest note of the line. The same

enrphasis again appears in the second nrelodic idea of the second piece:

EXAI'LPIE 56: 0p. B, #2

Poeo meno lno5to'e .ztcbilo, e*t ctprcstiooo dism,;olto/-----\. _ - :'"-;=-

c/Dta^c0'l)1 rcs.3?-*0 ---i -

'1)lc,u. '{(.'{1

'l,l'ltos. {- 1

c3b lcJ 5Qot

65

The sjmlla^rity of this nelodic line r+ith the seeond line of the fi-rst

pi-ece (Dranrple 5i) is quiclcry observed.

The co ntrapunta-l thinki:rg of i'iei.'i;ner corbined r,rith his jlierest

iir :notivic developnent are marrifesi; in varied r^req7s 'Lhroug[out this

second tale of Opus B. In the second seetion of the piece, lrhich

fplctions clearly as a developneni of the irritial materi-al, a state:rpnt

of Melody 2 (Exanp1e 56) is given agalnst a lire that is identical in

rhythm and sjmilar in rnelody to i;he nrelody heard at thre beg;n*itt*

- JJ\

(.EjxanpJ.e 5>/:

v.lt,*\-.f-r3F_*-r #l- I |/

T'his id.ea is then repeated a fourtir hi-gper. Meloc$ 1 is later siated

r.rith an j:rteresting chrcraatic, countennelo{y under it. It also

appears in a canonic passage in this second section. tr\riher evidence

of the developrnental tecirnic is the sj-nrultaneous ennouncenent of

Melody 2 agai:rsi a brioge rnotif r+hich appears jn the fjrst section and

functioäs as a link between i.[eIo{y 1 and 2. i'{ore j:riricate stil-l is a

,.....-. .'ri::'a'?s,, previously announcede ina canon

anc.'Ln eu3aeffiatJ-on:

College of the HolY Names

AlbanY, New York

_*a

,/l

66

BitAl'iPIJl 5E: Op. B, iiz - rileas. 138-11+3

As has been pointed oi,ii, the three-rneasure i:rtroduction is iden-

tical in each of the pieces anC tbe sane r,rateriai closes each piece as

r,rell. The ha:mon:ic analysis of this passage reveals, in practice, the

harmonic concepts to linlch lGdiner subscrlbes. He spealcs of non-

harmonic tones as rraccidental harrnoni-c formations.tt His harnoalc

thesis is stated by irinself as foIlor.rs:

Accidental harnonlc forraations gravitate tor*ard proto-types of consonani and dissonant chorcis i:':. t'he sane ria[/ asa dissonance gravitates toru'ards a consonance. Än acciden'i;alharmoni.c formation taken rrerely in the vertical seg:nent ofhar-norq1 as a sel-f-sufficienb chord havi-rg neither outlet norgoai is (contrary to 'i;he eternal lalrs of narsic). äa:'r:ongr,besides a verLi cai 1ine, iras also a horizontal one and i-ts-.-lar,rs apply principally to the interelation of both lines.a)

A looiir at the iniroducto{r measur"es quotecl d:irectly belot'r sholrs

a ri-gid., vertical approach and a quick glance at tire fi:'st and seeond.

chords mani^fests a seen-irg\r irreconcilable situation jn terras of the

above principles. But, the horizontal analysis of the passage shotrs

corrformity wii*r the above-staied concept:

rmfj=

15i'fudtr,"tr 9p. 9&., p. ?1.

Aovl

&{A]@LE 592 Op. B, it'T - rn€as. ]--3

^ ItKe.crldlo

rd.,:iF_+,*€f-- .l --z;f!'7 I

Thus can be gleaneo frorn thre Opus B set a deeper concent:'ation

on colrbrapuntal texbure and ihei:rai;ic developmeni. Especially in Opus B,

Irh,rrber 2 has l"iedtner attained a rich blendir'g of strands, an enlivened

counierpoint due to rhythn:ic interest and variety and a uni-fied struc-

ture resulting frorn veriations of the sane material.

In 1906 }{edtner r,rote a second set of Fairy-Tales, ihe three

pi-eces tirat constituie Opus f . in terru:Xr structrre the iales are

mlniatr:res manjfesting, nore or less, ti:e cheracteristics ah'ea:y iden-

tiiieci lrj-th Medtner. In this set ihe individuality of his rhythrn.is

nore prenounceo and subil-eties in ha:gnonic techri-ic are etnphasized.

The rhrürnric figures in eacb. piece are varied and ah+rys of

j-nterest. In the firsi piece of syncopated paltern fonns the prl-::cipaI

rrqrbhraic content and this is contrasted r,rith a triplet figure in the

second section:

EXAI'IPIE 60a: Op. 9, ilt EX.${PLB 60U: 0:'. i

,L-t\: 2t,L)2)',J

J-

I{l,as. Lt

Tire sane type of contrast bei:r';een

.corposition is found in the third

BY-AttrLE 61a: Op. 9, ii3

duple and

p5-ece:

EXAI''PI,E

6E

iriple unii:s r'rithi.:r the sarae

6rt: op, 9, 1t'3

Tne second. piece contains a syncopated pattern lthicl: retrains consi:ant,

a quasi-ostir-ato effeet :

BXAI4PLE 6Zz Op. 9 ü2 - neas. 1-2

f-----fThe stalrp of inüvidr-ral-ity r'/nich rna:'ks ihe riSrbhnric irwention of

these snall pieces is characi,erized by nobility and grace. fn no iray

are these patterns rnere contrivances of . a clever technician, If l&dtner

chooses to wr-ite a serenade (0p. 9, No, 2 is ca11ed, rralla serenatarr. )

heestablishes a suitable rpvenent in the acconpaniäent rrith enough of

a 1j-Lt to errl:ance the lyrical line rather thran disturb it. If the

inseription is ttinquietott, äs üp. 91'üo. l reads, i,he nrotion is a puI-

sating, interlocking ryncopated fragrnent. .Ll.l.rays }ledtnerrs n"mlti-fonn

variety of rirythrn, a fertility so lavishly displeyed lrithin the short

compass of these three pi-eces, conveys a subile syniiresis of the basic

t=r I5 '- I

elen'Fnts of nelody and harrrlor4r.

The rnelod:ic content is sirple jn its diatonic li.:res, the most

lyrical being ihe prirreipal:eIody of the serenade, No. 2:

EXAi.PIE 63: Op, 9, it'Z

The classj-c synmetry of the ljre is apparent.

of the last eight neasures contrasts r.rith ihe

the beginrirrg phrase.

The

pure

slight cirromaticisn

diatonic line of

the ereative

firre si:rplicity of i;elog,- cha:'acieri-zes the ihird fairXr-ta1g .1

tbe set. Here tlre::e is a total absence of chronai;ic inflection:

EYJI'IPLE 6h: 0p, 9, ;13

A conparison of this li-ne uitir kanple 61a will reveal

inaginati-on of a eomposer r'rho can clothe sinple thought

refi.ned adorr:nent.

witir delicate,

Subtl-ety and anrbiguiiy describe porti-ons of tire harmouic content

i.n Opus 9. There is no zubstantial counterpoint frorn i;rre aspect of

ir,ritatj.on and thernatic variati-on, but there is eviCence of contrairuntal

thinking in the ljnear evolution of the harmory'. For example, i:i the

first piece, the bass-line deseends in a literal natriral mj-nor scale-Iir:e

against the soroe'drat static treble part:

1) )r.s

ItXAfiPLE 6Jz Op. 9 t #l

The second piece in C-fiajor begins r'rit"n a descending chronratic

line fron B-tr-]ai wtrich repeais sj:c iimes aga-inst a nrelocly rooted in

C-l'lajor:

EXÄI,IPIE 66: 0p. 9, #2

T;:e harnory thaj; e-volves grqa i--,ae colsini-ng of i:i:ese ti'io lines is

anbiguous but aurally saiisfyiag. Pere\y does i'redtner ir.clude j:r his

harmonic vbcabulary a pure d.onjnant sound, At cadential pol:ats the

donrp,ant harraorgr is preserrt, but it is tenpered by non-harrno::,ic tones:

EXAIVPLE 6Ja: Op. 9, #I EzuliPrE 67U: #Z EXAI,PIE 67cz ii3

f

"'[)r,:t. rrL- ll"l

7t

In starl: coni;rast to tee three poetic, del-icate fairy-tales of

Opus 9 are tire three pieces nhich malce up Cpus 10. fne compositio;:s

of this set are titled Ditlyra:nbs. As'Llie narne ir,rplies, they are

rhapsodic ancl free, reminiscent of tire exalted strains of a Greelc gocldess

of poetry and song, i'trritten jn tire sax€ year as Opus 9 these pieces are

fllled nith poi,,rer and dlgn:i-ty. Tnq a:e sei in a contrapuntaL frane-

Itork of !'nitative and developnen'i;al design. fne seconci of t'he set is

the lprgest in dj-:nension; i:he third is a short poen characterized by

classic restraj:rt. A1l- three pieces are in najor tonal.iff.

In comparison r.iüi: tire coni;rapuntal structure of tire ttTragie

Fragmentsrr of Opus 7 the inierloenetration of rhythrric wüh melod:ic

motives j-s more fully realized in the Cpus 10 set.

In the f jrst pi-ece, for:r notives forrn ihe basis of tire entjre

composition, T\nlo are rnelodic, i:wo rhybirmic:

EX.AIIPLE 6Ba: Cp. LO, lfl

Il)cor, i'

EXAl,lPiJ 68b: op.

Lr'l zas.

10, /11

2L- 2Y

72

EXA],IPIE 6Bc:?. _

"r n)

EiAlFts 6Bd:

3+ ,ffi

a-/t-r n-

,l ) ).1

A comparison of the two nrelodic lines shows sj-m:jJ-arities irr

r\ythnric pattern (Cf . rneasure 3 of D$I'PLB 6Ba ''rith measure 1 of

EXAi.IPLE 6Bb.). After.the successive statement of thre two nrelodies

quoted above there j-s a bridge passage based on the rhybiuoic figure

(fXai{ptg 6Bc). fhe fieure contirmes and functions as a bass for the

re-statement of Me1off 1, this tine a third l-oner. The second rhythnric

figure (Ex. 6Bd) is then introduced anci it, too, functions subsequently

as a bass for the fjrst nelody. Then follows a canonic treatnent of

the second nreLoff and a return of llelody 1 against the rhybhr$c pat-

tern of Ex. 6Bc. T?re piece enCs lriih an exbension of the tonic ehord

through four neasures in the rhythnric setting of the Ex. 6Bc figure.

Ttre developmental tectinic that is ernployed. in the second. piece

involves a closeJy i.:rtegrated relationship of nelody, rhybhrn, and tex-

ture. In E-Flat nrajor the rhapsodi-c, melod:ic line unfoLds i::rnedia'r,eJf,

at the beginniqg of ti:e piece in fulL chords.

E)(A],[PLE 69: Op. 1:O, ll2

Fragrnents of the Line fol-lmr in a contrapuntaL fabric with special

73

emphasis on the quintuple'b fi-gure:

EXN.FIE JO: 0p. LO, iiz

L_,töTf1-l+L l-' l-

L----:J

This j-s heard agai:rst broken chordal paiterns orgarrized in triplets,

Again i;he rnelody appears in an inner voice r.riti: some al-*,erai;ions:

EXAI.IPLE 71: 0p. LO, ,rt'z

l1l rcs. Ll - 2LI

hu-

rY

l- rr {1oV \.--.4----

A second. section is i:riroduced in !A/E tre-ver and, withi-n this rhybhm

is ortlined a:other expression of the same meloClc thene:

BXAi"[eid] 722 Op. ]-:0, i;2

This honophonic texbure is followeci by a contrapuntal öne, a1w4vs p:

the sane reloff:

7I+

nv.Al'f,'}]I 73:

)11 <os.

w. Lo, ü2

LL. Ll

"\*:-__-;

doä"i I

the quintuplet in this sectj-on ofConsiderable attention is given to

10/B meter:

Ei('Al"fPlE ?lra: 0p. L0, #2 EY-AJ.PIÄ ?i+b: 0p. l-:A, ilz

h1 <";. 7 c'e t Z'z -e..OT---..-

In the Coda, too, a relationsi:ip rrith the thematic material is

The neter here charges to L2/8 ar'C the bass-line acconpanirneni

in triplets:

EXAI{PLE ?5: 0p. l-O, i/2

'1z.1 rer. tt\' til.

apparerrt.

continues

h1tqs. 1t

Tlte fjnal cadential si;racture in the second piece is sinrilar to

tire first with an exbended. four-neasures on the tonic chord.

The tirjrd. pi-ece contains i';"ithin i',,s titree pages an absolute

contxapuntal texture with a sinq)le, classieally-arched rnelodic ljJ1e.

Iiere is one of the rnany instances'oriren liedtnerts rrmsj-c projects the

cLassl-c, st-nple lines of a Greek tenple, beautiful- in lts sirplicity

ancl structurally solid j-:: i'us qrr,uretly. In ti:e construction of a classic

ter,ple, notabiy the Parthenon, a special technic was employed by the

Greeks whidl created a feeling of solidiüy and visual restfulness. The

technlc, knorv-n as entasis, is a system of working l"rith i:percepti-bIe

curues wheretry every line j:r the build:ing loolcs siiraight bui, i-:l point

of fact, the lines are curveci, not no'i;iced by tire human eye but scien-

tj-fically proven to be there. liedtner ernplol's a technj-e somethir:g

like this j-n the third "Ditiyrambrt, tire cl:ief dj-fference being that the

rrcu:lred. linett is pneseni bo'th to the eye and to the ear. But the fact

that it serves the sane fr.nciion as iire architectr:ral entasls is ime-

diate3y accepted r,rhen, by conirast, ihe rrcurn?ert in the r,rusi,eai line is

onitted. l,ledtnerrs line is heard at the opening of the piece and the

triplet in the thjrd lreasuJ.e is the rrcurverr in question:

EXATaIPIE ?6: 0p. ].3, 1t'3

")'?1"or, | - tl

3I i*-T---I

ilii

76

In the iruitative contrapuntal section uhicir follorrs it is clear botlr

to ear and eye that the substitutir€ of a single note for the triplet

decid.edly weakens the structure of the rmsical edj-fice. A portion of

thjs section is quoted in Example 77a as }Ied.tner lrrote it. Example 77bas

w a single note.sho.rs the substitution of the triplet

U(.AI"!PIE llat Op: LA, ll3'Yttas. t3:i{---*

f\I'j-= i tI -----l- |+)4

D(.AIßLE ??b: 0p. l-:O, if3

F\rther on there is an futerPlaY

already introduced in the nelodie 1ine,

u(Al@iE JBa: Op. LO, /i3 - meas' 17-18

of the rhybrrm-lc figure, ,narrd a scale-Iine in triP1ets.

c:

ll)-,'r-,/

77

H(AI,{PIE f8b: op. lO' #3

ElüMPtE f8c: 0p. ].:O' //3

Tbere i.s at a'11 tiraes in }isdtnerts arb evidence of linear design desplte

ttre see1ringly vertical construction of his music. The opening measure

of the third piece of Opus 10 is a typical exairple:

HiliqffE 792 Op. IO, #3

h1at. t. t

In 1908r the year rslren i{edtner accepted a professorship ai the

l,iosco,r Consenratory, he aclded another set to his collection of fairy

taLes. The Opus lL shor^rs a decided advance over the earlier pieces

bearing that name. Tlrere are two pieces in the set and they are starkly

dlfferent one frorn the other in style and character. These are the first

fai:ry tales that Medtner trrites which bear titles that offer some

! t-T-l I -l

1 , - r-q)-l-:=:E

7B

enliglrtennent on the contert of the rnrsic. The first piece is eaIled

n0phe]-5.ars Songrt; the second is titled, rrlvlarch of the Knlghts.tt

fbe rrsongrr is a simp3-e one, noble in essence, ref5ned in line

and poetic in construction. The phrase stnrcture evolves natr.rral\y

in a quasi-recitative style as opposed to the rigid four and eight-

bar scheme i

EXAX{PLE B0: Op, l\t llt')11car. 1- 13

----rz'17 =

-i--==::-

If nattrematical s;rrunetry is laclcSng the balance of linear con-

tour zupplies the artistic requi-rements and clothes the texbure with a

highly imagirrative quality. This type of meLodi-c phrasing is remi-nis-

cent of Robert Schunann rürose nmsical poetry is at ti:nes clothed jn

n$rstety - a quality resulting not onJy from the meLodic organization

but aLso frorn the harrnonic and tocür.rraL content. Llke Schumannrs,

Medtnerrs harrnoni-c i*iom i-s linear and, especially when writing in the

rainor mode, anbigUous. In ttopheliats Songrt, written in F ninorr the

arngibuity of hannorgr results from a consistent use of the raised sj:rth

step and flat seventkr as this exanple illustratesI

ElUl,lPiE 81: Op. Lb, /iL .

}1'lzar. l- ?

79

The piece begins with V7 on the fourbh dogree and on\y at t,he

end of the orposition of the first neLodic line is there heard ä com-

plete dominant harmorgr. This sane obsenratlon was nade in the Oprus 9

fairy tales.

Another instance of the delicate, linear te:cture in this first

piece is a secönd rnelodlc phrase which Ls ln the dominant key:

DCAI,IPIE 82: Op. th, #1

It is treated canonica{y at the close:

UUMPLE 83: Op. Lb, #1

In contrasü rittr ttOpheliars Songrr is the rrl4arch of the lteights.rl

Completely contrapunbai. iJl content, tJre l{arctr is one of the most elabo-

rately developed of argr of lGdtnesrs sp1fts.16

f'------l - Jf -l--'---j. l-- ----.I "-i-r'--"'-.-'

Ifuott, Nicolas l"Iedtner.Yasser, no. 5i-f-

rrThe Art of Nicolas Fiedtner,[ Josetrrlr

The stmcture takes on the for:n of a rondo with developnental aspects

$ti"h categorizes the piece more or less as a sonata-rondo form' The

tuo principal themes are brl.sk in thejr martial character. The fjrst

thenre is stated innrediate3Y:

H(AMPIE Bl+: 0p. t\, #2

lflrs, t'\ a--

T!r!s is followed by an episode of some subsi&iary material and then a

return of the first line in its entirety. fLris concludes the section

of oposition which is follcmed. by the deveiopment section in which

a new thene is introduced i.n b rrrinor:

D('AMPiE B5: 0p. ].'b, #2

}1'kot. 'l'1' 'tö;, tnlrCa/''

ä+T+Resolute in character and sinpler'in rhybhmic design than the first

rnel,ody, although sflistically related to itr t'Lre second theme ie given

signi:ficant treatment througfrout the renrainder of the plece. After a

four-bar connecting passage. the second there is repeatedr now in can-

onic form:

B1

ElUlt{PtE 86: 0p, t\, #2

4.*t}

-Tf

More intrigulr€ stilJ is the appearance of ühe two theres sfuultaneously;

first, ln a single two-voiced counterpoint, then in three parbs rdttr the

second thene forming a canon with itself at the fifth in the two upper

parts ard the first theme appearing in the bass;

Dilj,lPLE BJa: @. ü, #Z

iE7+

ö ra| fr-l

82

DüI'IPIE B7b: Op. J'h, ll2

F\rrther development is pnesent dren the

itse3.:t in augrnentation:

EXAMPi,E BB: Op. 1.b, #2

seond theme is pitted against

'rrlcor. Ll: 12-ar-/t

At the close, the stnrcture buiLds to a climax by a series of brief,

modulatory initatlons based on Theme Ll

f^^,,. trhfi+

r_:} -r --r'

\i-

B3

Dilt{ptE 89: Op. Lb, #2

.111ro'. L?.' b3 s, rl.'--J<

i"t rt

In I9O9 Medtner reslgned from tÄe conservaüory ln order to devote

himself excluslveiy to conpos5lg. It was in this year that he wrote a

set of ilnovelettesfl r*rich constitute his Opus 17. Ttre three norelettes

continue to nanlfest, IGdtnerrs enphasis on thematic development, rhybh-

nlc lngenuity and harmonic conplexities. The first piece, inspired

by lrDaphnis and C16ett whose names are inscribed above tire mrsis is

basj-calJy honophonic in te:rüure with a cantabile nelodic line supported

by arpeggiated. ctrordaL stmctr.re. In the first piece }6edtner gives

rnore attention to li-nes lrhich f\rnction solely as accorparrirnents to

relody than he has bitherto done. the arpeggiated patterns gain irn-

petus as ttrey becore more flor5-d, moving from a si.nbeentih-note to a

thSrty-second-note motion. Ttre thirty-second-note line is heard at

first {iatonicalJy but Later it becomes more ornate il a hearrily-

texbured chromaüic Line.

fire stnrcture and dinansions of the second and ttrjrd pieces are

rnore co1plex and origina-L- in rhyttrnic {ld harmonic patterns' fn a meter

of 3h the rhytfrnuio orgardzation of the second piece is intriguir€ and

well sulted to the chrornatic conte:cü of the tonality:

Bl+

EXAI4PLE 9O: Qp. L7, #2

üu'. { '{

Ttre harrnonic conte:cü here is linear\r concelved. fhe first two

.t

beats ln the Lefb hand are developed sequentially and appear through-

out, the plece.

Tho third rrNovel-ette'r begins with a reLodic statement that exbends

beryond a range httherto found in Medtnerts rrBlo*lc wrlting:

nf feoo.rr{e Äi

?ttf

EJIAMPLE 93.: 0p. L7, #3

In line with the dynandc ctraracter of the reJ.off is the irnagi-

native, non-static r@hnic pattern. The presence of the dotted note

and tripLet figures are characteristic of luledtner. The }Lnear movement

is essentially sirrple, but the vertical coincidences are rich. I?re

opening meaeure is a case in poirrt. l{e note here a movenent frorn I to V

ttrroqh the zupertonic harmor4l, aL1 bound together by suspended and

passing notes.

After the i-nitial statement of tbe nelo(y the opening nrcasur.e

is heard Ln a canonic texture against an latricately organized

f\eo.s.

.'?rrc.ilrr - z3

I csrcz*.en

f flofi#*

triplet -f lgur ed acc orrpanirnent :

EI('AI4PIE 922 W, L7 ' #3

A second ne3.o{y follorslhere emplcying

EKAI'IPLE 93: Op. t7 t #3

This naterial is glven long elaboration in errbended arpeggiated Lj-nes

and ln rich, full-sounding ctronds untll the retrrrn of ttre first section

wtrleh is within a contraprrnbal frame treated technicaLly in the tra-

ültional mainners alreaff described'

The cadences of each of tJle thnee pieces nani-fest conscious

attention by the coryoser to voice-3.ea*ing. Medtner himself speaks of

volce-leadlng as a concepb rhich rtdeterndnes tihe lrterrelatLon of chords

B7

and. renders thejr Lsolated exlstence i-tElossible. . . (Voice-leading)

deterrnines the firnction of ttre separate voices which is connected both

rrith the onstnrction of the rnode (ttre :nterrelation of the degrees)

and rrith the gravitation of .dissonance toward consonance.nl? Tirls is

clear\y illustrated in the cadences of Opus 1?:

EKAMPIE 9l+a: Op. 17 t #l EXATIPLE 9l$: 0p. L7, llz

ltre fia*fcular linear jrrberreLation estabLished here by l'tredtner whictr

respects the gravitation of dissonarpe and respect,s the resolving

djrections of the degrees of the scale results in cadentiaL chords of

rich'barrpqf - a writing pattarn erploying modal lnterdtange and

'l'l'l ros.

l?Nlcolas lbdtner, The }6rse and the Fashion, P. 33,

BB

augmented chords r*rlch becornes more and rnore identj-fied r'rith }ledtner'

The two fa5:ry tales that constitute opus 20 each contain striking

drnanic currürasüs, fr.ne exa.r4rle-e oJ motivic developrnent and solid pianis-

tic uriting. T[e pieces are ctraracterized hy a trrbr*lent, menacing

and forboding mood. Thig quality of enotlon, freely and dynamically

erpressed, always refined but less reticent, ls of the very essonce

of Qns 20. !tredtnerrs rtSrttrrnic, relodic and harmonic vocabulary is

present in thjs work. hesent, too, are certain rnoüifications of

Ibdtrerts rpl-odic and harmonlc inventions. The intelrelation of the two

meLodic thenes in the flrst piece rnanjjest contrast in &irectLon and

unity ln rhYbhn:

H$I8IE 95az OP, 20, #L

1'llcat t' 4 /'

EKAMPIE 95b: Op. n, #L

l,ledtnerrs ttrpical technic of developing the nraLodies in a series

of seqrrential rnodulatory passages is present in the second section'

fnere are, houever, two developrnntal tectrnics that appear for the fjrst

ti-@ j-n l&dtmrrs usic. Eirst i5 s rtra{n of clranging harmuies set

to tb flrtt Eto{7 cqr e T lndek

'l11eat' ll- t,

89

$ullPtE )62 op. n t #L

Jtlc^t. ti-17

bb- vr;oof

Ttris pattene is rspeated four tirnesr each tine a third higher.

The second technic Ln this sectlon is the empLqrment of a typical

BeetJrovian ffnan:ic effect as shoun in the first nrcasure of brarnple g6.

ftrjs eubito pianissirno foLloring a cli:nactic forte is indicated three

ti^nes in the pj.ece. Anoüher example of this is found in the second

piece:

EIUMPL,E 97 z Op. 20, #L

Tlne second fafuV tale of Opus 20 is lnscrlbed as follo'rs: rrA

Song or tBeLlt Fai{y Talle, but not abotrt a beJ-l.n the theme of the

piece is a rtgrthrnic, scale-line figure heard jn varied forrns tlrroughout

the corposition.

D(AMPIE 98a: Op. n t /12

ltlcor, 1 -Y

ExAl,lPLE g$bz #2 - neas. 17 EIOI{PI^E g$cz #2

h'lrar. 73

Ev,lf b: *2 ('v,rnr. ,'r)

--.ü

Against this figure l{edtner ffrites a part for tbe rtght hand that j-s an

uninternrpted displry of vi-rtuosity r' a meLodic Line adorrred by harmonic

enibel'l i shments:

El(Al,lPLE 99: 0p. z}t /12

it

fl{*J

'lt tr

hlcos, tß

s. /-l

Ui/Ä0r I

.f-ü 'LrvürrrNo lltt

Folloning ttrls is an e:carnpLe of inberreLated rnelodic Ilnes,

Ivledtner conbines the first four measures of the nelo{y as lllustrated

in E)r. 99 ufth the secord four measures, eacb uote of the second pattern

foSJoning i.rrrediatel,y eadr note of tlre f,lrst:

EICAI'IPI$ L00: op. z}t /12

)'tl'.t, tL'11

The same idea continues, eackr hand persistüng jn its role; the

lefb lrand pLrytng belL sounds heaqy and ominous, the rigltt hand weaving

a meilodic line ttrrough a l-abyrinth of dissonance untiL the long chain

of ttri.rty-second-notes accelerate to a triplet-figr:red lj.:ne for the

Last seven barg.

Ile four pi.eces of Opgs 23 and the four pJ.eces of Opus 26 ayle

si^milar in stnrctuie as reLL as in harmonic, melodi.c and rhybhrnic

procedures. AIL eight pieces are miniatures, all are in ternary forzn

and all are basLcaf-ly ül a bomophonic frarework with emphasls on melo{y.

Tlre Opns 23 se+' is calIed 'rFour Igfrical Fragnents'r and Opus 26 is a

grgup of fairY tales.

An aralysis of the l;nr.icaL l1nes and ttr.eir harmonic and rhytJrnlc

setüing are wortty of note and deepens our i:rsight of Medtnerrs indivi-

dualiüy as a conposer. It is fjrst of all irrportant to remernber that

all sigful pieces are delicately gtrucürred ütth singl-e-J.ine movement

and rdüh Liütle supporb from stur{y chordal blocks and masslve long-

phrased arpegglos.

lbs ttlirrLcal fragrpntsrt of the first ad fourtb pleces of @us 23

are ln o rdrnor:

92

HüI4PIE lOIa: W, 23t #L'lllcat, 3 - L

$GI{PIE L01b: W. ?3, #b

Ttre slnlLarity of the tuo llnes can be no,ted jn the pnedonrinance

of step-wise noüion, ttre characteristic use of clrronatic inflections

and the brlef instances of nelodic part-r,rriting. In bottr pieces the

nplodic mode of C ninor ts emploDred, clearly proJocted W the accon-

parrying lines. the repeated-note ls the centraL figure in the

acconpardrpnt of the neJ.o{y of the first piece.

the scale-line bass in }fuinber four m oves ln elghth-nobes, carefirJ.iy

respecting the nplodie form of ttre mlnor tonality. The phrase lengths

of both pfucos are appro:clnate\y the sane and eaclr phrase begins on the

up-beat.

Slntlarities are also apparent bebreen the Lyrtcal line of the

secord end thlrd pleces of Opus 231

9n

EXAMPIE L02r Op. 23, lll')l'lcas, L' '/

93

DUMPIE lo3as W. 23, #2

H(AMPLE 103b: W. 23 , #3

'ltlaar. .1- L1

Both Unes are prrrely dlatonic and set Ln a LiLting waltz rhyt*rm.

There is a subtle variation ix the rtybfun of the nelody shomr in Exanple

L03b caused W a *rifting of beats in the second-haLf of the 1ine. l'lktiJ-e

t&is rc}oQr ls c3.early identijied with F minor - although the leading-

tone is conspianously absenb from the accoqparying chcds - the tonality

of the second piece (n:rampfe 103a) Ls indeed anbiguous. The piece as

a l*roLe is r,rritten in A rd.nor, but the meLodic line as seen above can

legitirnately be analyzed in C MaJor. This type of harrncnic anbiguity in

minor tonal-itles i.3 characteristic of Medtner.

In t*re deveLopnental sectlon of the same piece there t" " ,"q',",,-

tial treatrenü - agaln typlcal of l,ledtner - of a fragment of the second

phraseoftheneloÖicline(E:<.].03a)settoade].icate\yf}amedcross-.

rhyühn pattern. The open textrrre, cross-rlgrbhn and linear design are

renlnl.scent of thE nineteenth century Gernsn ronarrticists, Sclrunrann

and Brahms.

gLt

EXAt"lPlE LOl+: Op. 23t #2

.'lll<"t. 21. ?A,.--

The forrr fairy tales of OErs 26 are shorter and Lighter in veln

than most of the earLier fai:;y tales. The wide rang€ of the neLodi.c

Ilne of nurÖer one nerrlfests a sense of uniatribited freedon not often

encountered ln lledtnerrs mlsle.

DUMPLE l-05: Op. 26t lt'L

Sequential technlc is pesent Ln the first for:r-reasure phrase and the

repeated-note notif in the second phrase. The treatrcrb of the repeated,

note here is an instance of l$edtnerts concern with the otganic uhole of

a conposition. T?ris notif öf repeated tones anticipates the tyrical

l,inp of the second section rrlth its ctrangjng mood fron trcantando" to

trglocoeorr s

e5

EKÄI"IPIE 106: OP. 26, #L

\lror. t('LtQtcccto'

a I\rrther exarple of this .brpe of orgarxlc developrcnt is tJoe handling

of the repeated-note notlf in augnentation against a statement of the

first phrase of the princtpa3. melody (See Dc. LO5):

EXIU{PLE 10?: Op. 26, lll-

The princlpal thene of the second pJ.ece of the set ls a repeated-

note motif which is developed canonicalJy:

EXAMPTE L08: Op. '26,

#2

'hlror. tl - 1o't a^

nilffii) ll

lt,

rl III.J IJ I'JL-{tll{

I --r

Tlre Syricism of the third pisce is its ortstan&ing featrire rLth three

rneLodic llrres i.ntroduced into the nnrslcal fabric jntenrittent\y and

returnjng und€r variors guioes throrghotrt the corrposLtion:

96

T*O 109a: op. 26' #3

?1tal. S- |

UüMPIE 1,09b: Op. 26, #3

DilI'iPLE 109c: W. 26, /13

lhe second theune ln Ex. 109b ls heard jn a later stateraent i.n

the bass against a single diatonLc lirre. A series of sequences is

r'lorked, ort, on the flrst theme, arrd the thi-rd therne returns in an imi-

tative passage.

In the scherzo-Lilce fourth pfuce of Opus 26 there energe from

the corplex rlgrt'trmic flane ne.lodic fragnents that are ctrious\y foLt<-lilce

and Russtan ln clraracüer.l8 The folk quallty is nnnlfesüed in the

eLement of repetition and short, brlsk phrases treated sequenbialJy:

UftMFT,E JlO: Op. 26, lfb

I?re r@hnic corple:dty, d5recüness of erpressLon and erphasis on color

hr.t. 2L'30

lSnfcnara HoIt, Nicolas l&dtner, A Menor{.al, Vo1urne, p. 61,.

97

which are typiSied ln the piece derpnstrate a Rrrssian quality.l9

nX.qWf,g 111: Op. 26, llb

The stmcture of tlre piece is organically rooted in epi-sodic treatrent

with an absence of tbematic developnent and evolution. Present is a

return of nelodlc rnaterial but lt is rever deveLoped in the evolving

rraruler of fudtative counberpoint. It is sinply a re-statenentr direct

and unprepared.

No pfuces ln snaller forrns were written in 19Ih. In the following

year Medtner rrrrrte a singl-e faüy taLe in D minor and t'he thrree pieces

of Opus 31. ltre D nrlnor Fairy Tale has the sane style as the fai:qy

tales of Opus 26 i,-ith the ttrin terrbure and rl5rthrnic jnterest. tOrrical.ly,

however, the plece consists of chordal outLines ln short phrases, one

&iatonic rneloQy treated seqrrentla[y ard sections with heaqp chromatic

alterations. A nodal effect results fron t&e consistent use of the

Lorered 3.eadi.ng-öone. Ttre cadence ls an excellent exarple of },Iedtnerts

ch araoteri gtic volce-leading :

I9AUt.tr"r, E$gfgg in Russian SEig, p. 8.

9B

E]OMPI,E LL2:

the Opus 31 tril-ory rnaniJesüs a freer style and a more onrincing

afflliation with the western romantics ttran ttre pevious pieces do.

Ttre first of the set is called rrlryronisationrr and it is in variaüion

form. I{ere t}re B-FIat nllor tonelity ls clearJy esüablished w-ith the

raised J.eading-to ne in predoninance in the reloöc line. The line

ur:folds gracefirLly and. freely uittr no nark of austerity.

D rnjnor Fairy-Tale

lllrat ll'lt

DilllPifi 113: op. 3L, #L

1l1cas.' l- /

Tlne rhythmic pattern of the last neasure above ts significantly used in

the accompaninrent llnes that f,ollow, always preceded by the figure:

The harmonic tecturic is chordal and the clrorrt blocks function at ti:res

as passlng harmonles:

Dill{PtE IIha: Op. 31' #l-

EKAI'{PI*E ::-lrt: Op. 31, #1

the five variations are virtuosic wit& Long streams of chronatic Lines

an6 turns ornarnenting the there. Th€ first variatlon is a dance-Iike

caprice in a light, aily te:rtrre set to a dup3.e reter. The e:position

of the thene at the beglnni4 of the piece is in tniple meter. This is

follorded by a variatton ln the sane cheracter with less ornanen{,ation.

Itre theme is then given to the bass line l.rr the origi-naL tripLe meter.

The florid effect ls at a ninirrnrm unti-l the end of the variat'ion when

1bne 3/h rneter clranges to 6/8, Sjxteenth-note passages then take the

rmrsic from pianissino to a fortissi:no. The rerü variation contrasts

one lin€ in a nartial, qyncopated, rnirile torbure rüith an e)q)ressive,

eantabile line; one effect alternattng with ttre other. Tben foI-lows

a doubl,e-tlr1rd, etude-llke treatnenb rrlth denonstrations of resolute,

bb '^,i, /

'100

bri].liant passag€s alternatine with delicatelye ligbt oII€s. The pj.ece

ends with a re-statenent of ttre tlteme jn its oniginal si-rplicity.

Characterizing the se-cond and thjrd pieces of the Opus 31 set

is the same erphasis on nelodic theme. rrl,Xarche lhnebrerr is the title

glven to the second pfuce and aLl ttre musical elernents are brought toa t^plry in rendering the frrnereal atnosphere. The mrbial effect is

estabLished by ctrords and rrdruntr notes beatlng out ühe cadence:

EXAMPIE Il5: 0p. 3L, #2

Thls persjsts thtoug\out the piece t'l?riJ.e the mLodic Line lreaves its

way throrgh tJre middle of the texüure. The contorr of the neLodlc. lin€t

especially with its chromatic jlflections, create a doleful effecü. A

close Look at ttris ltne from the harrnonic poi:rb of vier'r reveals a lean-

ing touard plaga1 and medianü rel-atlonships:

DGMPIE JJ6: Op. 3L, {12

Itlus. 3 - ,l

101_

TLre procession begins in the dj-süance and the J-or, toLling or resouncl-

ing of the dnun becomes more incessant as the'theme becomes more jntense

until the texüure J.ig[terur once again and the procession fades in the

d:lstance.

the roeLodic Line in the fairy üal.e, Opus 31, rnrmber three, is

soner.rhat simiJ-.ar in dnaracter to ühe meloQy of ttre second piece:

DilMPT,E LL?: Op. 3L, #3

ar1 car . lg- I t,

The conpas and leaps of each are nide. Harraonically, Medtner follows

along the same pattern of r,ritjng as has alrea{y been discussed in previous

pieces. Ttre emphasis in the linear concept of harnorry ls alr.rays apparent.

Tkris is illustrated by the cadences of the flrst and second pieces:

El(Al'iPIE lLBa: Op. 31, #1'Wll,n. Y7' 4

b!- n,anrl

H$MFLE Ll8b: 0p. 31, #2 - teas. 3O-3L

Lo2

In swrnary, the directions of lledtnerrs lrriting technic in the

piano soLo music in gnaller forrns fron Opus 1 to @us 31 indlcate a

curiotrs interplry of classical principles and ronrarrtic ocpression.

The classical styJ.e is presenü in }{edtnerrs prirna:ry regard. for a qpnnet-

rical, cohesive forn. Ths relodic, rrybfudc arrd harmonic content are

itüer^related r4 order to establlsh as rurified a stnicture as possible.

Iledtnerrs rhyttrnic vocabuLary is particular\y imaginatlve. Trlplets,

cross-rhyttrnsr, sJrncopatlon ard herniola are specifically present i.:ir

these earlier pleces. The harmoulc conüent creates a nodal quality

especialiy d.ren the pl,eces are in a nLnor key. In mlnor, the naturaL

form with the lowered. leading-tone is frequent\y uqed. Plagal harmonies

are preferred in all the pleces. Medtnerfs harmonlc movenent is gov-

erned by J.inear direction nhich indlcates his contrapunbal thinking in

writing harmonicaIly. Meloöes glve evidence of the repeated-note

notif, seErential repetitions and consenrative movemenb.

l,ledtnerls deveLopmenta.l sections are najor parts of the stmc-

trrre of the pfuces. lntelodies, rl5rthrnic patterns or fragnents of tüese

are treated contratrnrnbaqy irt canon and augmentation. Obher devellop-

nental techrrics are found in these earLier pieces such as sequential

series, rl"qptürrnlc variatü.ons, combinlag two or more rnelodies and, ornanen-

tation of a relodlc Lirp.

I?re techntcal proceÖrres as nanifested in luledtnerrs art up to

Oprls 31 contiaue to be parb of his vocabrulary, but ruith the subseqrrent

pfuoes in snaller forns there is an lqiecüion of nee coIor, drarnatic

effects and contrasts of rmods.

CHATTER ITI

Ar{ A}üAtrsIs 0r oPus 3L To 5g-l

lhus far the rmrsic of Medtner has proven i-tself to be

architectonic.lrith lts obvious enphasis on conbinrous d.eveloprrcnt. A1-

ttrqugh Beethoven was Medtnerf s ldoL rrcre than G1inka his nrssLan

nationality was ver1r rmch a par-t of his arb. He who uas deeply conrnitted

to the ideaLs of his countrXr and he who absorbed its spirit in everyday

llfe wouLd instinctive\y proJect a nrssian rnrance in his creative

ecpression. the russia"n idion tnüced with Teuüonic eLements ln the

Beethovenian tradition conüirnre to characterLze l,ledtnerrs mrsic in the

sets to be dissrlssed presently.

In these Later pieces fron Opus 3l+ onr however, the erphasj.s on

specific polrrts of tlc russian styLe is shifted. It was noted in the

previous chapters thaü hanronic procedures identified r'rith nrssian

rmrsic were parülcular\y apparent in lledtnerts earlier works. The'erpha-

gLs in the Later pJeces ls on cont'rasts of texüure and tonal color

rithtn the game corposition. Rhffinric corpJ-exlties are ninirnized in the

l-ater setg. Neverthelessl subtle sensltlvity to rhytfrmic change and

flow ls always presenb, lhe elerrent of concent'rated concLseness found

freErerrbly tn the earlier pleces gives wry nor to a sty3.e of free

abandon. Scbra-mrsical irrfluences are nore prominent ln the later

works and mary of them are rooted in nrssian everydry llfe.Nlneteenüh centrrrXr :onantic style ls ev:i.dent b5r a contimed, use

of thematic deve3-oprent rhictr is a prime factor Lu lbdtÄerts rritingprocedrrre. lbloüLc lnventü.on bEomes rmr€ irnagtnative. Qynarnlc nrarkings

101+

and djrections for style and expression are more pJ.entiful- and detajJed.

It rnust be noted that the differences here outUned betueen the pieces

from Opus 1 to 3L and the sets nhich fo]-lsw Opus 31 do not indicate a

radical change jn Medürerrs aJ:ü. ttrey are to be regarded as rarlifica-

tions of the basic pr{-ncip3.es of }bdtnerts aesthetics clearly defined

bf the composer hfunself ütrrorghorrt the pagee of his book, these pria-

clples of the fundaoental Lars of mrslc are never corpromised and are

alrays the essence of l,ledtnerts art.

Tlre four fairy-tales of O,ptrs 3l+ each bear an e:rbra-nmsical in-

scriptJ.on which sheds }[ght on the contenü of the piece. Tire inscrip-

tions deaL rd:ith fairy-ta1e ldeas such as rrThe Fairy VioLi:rrr which is

programned for the first plece of the set and rfThe Kind and Mournful

lfood-gobllx! - assi-grnd to lfuiriber Three. Ttre second and forrbh pieces

of the set bear quotatioru from the mssian poets Tlutctrev and Rrshkln

respectively. the Tiutctrev Lines {nscribed above the mrsic of the

second pfuce a:re:

lrlhen we call sormthjng orlr ownlfe lose lt forever -

fushldnrs }[ne which inspired the rusÖc for the fourbh piece i.s:

Orce upon a ti.me there lived a poor knight.

Ihe general character of the pl.eces is a free, irrpronptu-Like

süyle, in ternary forn. The flrst of the set is nore erbended than the

ottrer three. .L11 four pieces aro lrr minor tonality and the technic

of tle lowored Eecond and sevenüh, frequenuy used ln the eerlier pieces

J.s again enplcyed hers.

l{onttry of note ts t}re nelodic contenü of each pi.ece. I?re relodies

are mor€ ornately arctrEd and free in moverent. Seqtrential. effects are

enate\y arclred and free jn moverrent.

fu the exbension of ttre rnelodic Lirps.

first piece exemplifles these polnts:

FJUI,IPLE 1: 0p. 3b, #t

105

Seqrential effects are er,pJ.cyed

the prirtclpal relody of the

lrltot, g- t{solnrnÄo

ton, /-

'nP esrr'.lsr vo

the second phrase of ühe line is a seguentlal ertension of the thirdand fotrrth nea{rures witÄ r}qfthmic variations - a Qpical iGdtnerian

device. Tbe sudden drtfüs in relodic direction as exenplified here are

typical ocqurences i.n rest€rn technic.

In the second plece the nreLo{y is strongly orientated to the tonj.c

tonalltür, moving J,og{.cal\y triüin subtle rhybhrrtc varLatj.ons, The

second. phrase deparbs fnon the tonic franework to an allusion of tt "

lelative rnaJor key. In contrast to the nelodlc ll.ne of the firsü piece

ühis rnelodic stnrcture is more @ncise and Less free:

Elill'lP[E 2: Op. 3b, #Z - meas. 3-10

106

ttTtre kind and rnournful wood-goblinrr is characterized in the thlrd

piece of the set by a plryfuI, skipplng line with chromatic inflections:

Dill,lPLE 3: 0p. 3l+, ll3 - rreas. 5-9

Similar to ühe nelodic stnrcture of the first piece j.s ttre noblo

line of the last piece:

EIilMPLE l+: Op. 3l+, #b - reas, 1-h

confclpt lc /\ r- :=.->--

e---:-

the conbour of both lines (Cf. Sx. I and Ex. h) noves in broad skips

with tenninal points on tbe losered zupertonic in the first piece and

the loroered J.eading-tone in lfuirber l+.

Consisüenb with this rpdal technic the harrnonic stnrcüure is

rooted tn plagal and rediant tonalities. fn the ctrords lülich accorpary

the melo{y of the fjrst piece the trNeopolLtantt, a lowered supertonic

harmory, l.s proninent. Tlre fourth-piece ln the }cery of D ntnor shovrs

an enrphasis on the rpdlant ctrord rhlqtr is a MaJor triad with the lowered

leading-tone:

107

--__

r{ ntiprl :

The same progression is found i.n the secord piecE:

EXAMPLE 6: 0p. 3b, #2

a'-

-

-{,rnin,Yt*-- --/

Medürerls cadences are rare{y pure in harnonic sornd but more

frequentJy are thq enriched by non-harrnonics. The cadencos are alwrys

dlrect ard they proJect a serure of flnallty despite the de-erphasis of

the leaöng-tone:

r

r.0B

IX$I'iPLE 7a: op. 3b

r'iL

-____.-_ pptnchaan do

q

These cadences exerpli$ Medtnerts attenbion to voice-leading which

results in an archltectonic effect at the qlose. This is partiorlarly

apparent in &anpLe fc. Here an arthenüic dondnant harmory is obscr:red,

by a domirrarrt chord, on the lor,rered fifth degree. The A-rai-nor tonality,

holrever, ls the fourrtation of the cadentiaL sünrcture as it appeais inthe bass-Llne tri.Il. As lrith all rusical elenents I'ledtner views ttre

cadence as an inbegral pa.rt of the rnrsLcal edifice. It0adences nust not

Qpear to uE as sonn lctnd of na1Ls, hamnered. irrbo the separate pieces

of forzn to hold t}ren together. ltrey are thenselves a par{ of a J.iving

forrn. nI

lhe architectonic prd.rriple and tortural contrasts are concomitant

lMrdt*o, gg. 91ü., p. 37,

109

lrr each piece. In the first faüy-tale of OErs 3h tro notives penrade

the over-all sü]:ucture ln va4pi:rg settings:

El$r'{PIE Ba; Op. 3b, lfi

D$MPLE Bb: 0p. 3b, #L

ltrese rptives reüurm ürice aften'rard in direct quotation alternating

first ulth a capriccioso-styled section it a skipping rhrbhm and Lean

terlure. Ttre second altemating passage is a stateJy, vigorous se'gtion

lthich, ln turn, altemates wittr the caprlccioso part. The naLodic

materLal of the second alternating passage returtu, efter a re-staternent

of täe two principal rnorbives, Ln a subtJy tarted form and starkJy con-

trasted settlng, Its furLtla.l statereub ts as f,ollorrs:

LnrXo'. ..tte, ccrnto'nds

' 4t l**-,r'r.,'rrfiPcco cocar,

It0El$l'tPLE 9: 0p. 3b, #L

1111er. 1r1 - 13

I?re variatLon is in a V\ trct€r:

DüI'IPIE 10: 0p. 3b, #L

/-11prc.h'c{6n

?+u =-uILIol

t41

I

'ql

I

<=::

-t

\-:y 1i 17 1i) 77-,.\

Ccn

1fl,^r, ,:7)11- tll .' L^.1 1J..

rr xl ,r -r {r *r "r 'r qr +t- 1+-rrrl\

It ts again varled by the use of trd.pJ.eüs in the bass accorpaninent.

Ihe flrst motif (Uarpfe B) follows wlth a flLorid accoq)animent

lioe:

HilMPIE IL: 0p. 3h, #L

"ltl* lLft ll,1

1It

It is heard, too, as a reciüative:

EIAI,IPLE 12: Op. 3b, lll

In contrast to t'his, the sme notif is later given to ühe bass i-n a

more brisk setting:

EmMPIE 13: Op. 3b, #L

Ihe plece oloses rd.tlr a staterpnt of the second motij (Eranp1e S'b)

sweeping jn a valse-Ilke ffrnrer to ttre end. lltis first piece in the

OErs 3l* set lnsüances lbdtnerrs technic of the organic evolution of

gerrninal ideas, but wittr st'rildng conbrasts ln sf3.e and texture.

In contrast to lüurber One the second piece moves consistently

lciühin a homophonlc fabr:lc of rpLoQy accorpanied by a Itbrook-Li.ketf r

florid, slngLe bass-Line. The third piece is also basicalJy homophonic

rlith its f36llisklng scale-lires grnctuated W octaves.

T?re prlneipal. ne-loÖr in ttre fanrth piece (Bxanpfe b) fu treated

polyphorrlcally and oubüly transf,irrncd throughotrt the sünrcüure:

I lot3*,r'n^fo cc;l "liN

IL2

ETAMPIE lb: 0p. 3l+, llb

A secondary nplodie idea is inbroduced after the po3lphoaic treatment of

the principal rclodf as seen in hanple 3Jr:

ElilI,{PLE 15: op. 3\, itlt

this motiJ is counterpointed against the first melo$r in a three-voiced

tercbure, Meloff One enterj-ng sfunrltaneously uith Melody Ttro, tllis

followed by Me1off One entering,at the third:

H(AMPIE 16r Op. 3b, lfb

1Tt..n,ti.tL tt3

'tne*, 11-(

IL3

This type of polyphonic treatment contirnres throughout the rniddle

sectlon. A florid coda of running 32nd notes follows the closing

section and i:rcroases in momentum as the 32nds move into 6lrtfrs at tire

end.

llre four fairry-tales of Opus 35 are j-:a ternary form and continue

to shoiy Medtnerts predi-Lection for thematic developrßenb as wolI as

the conposerts tendency, in ühese later pieces, to exbend the nelodic

line and to widen its range. The constnrction of l4edtnerrs melodies

is based on evolution of a ger:ninaI idea, sorretines rhybhmic, at other

times, relodic. fhis t;pe of raelodic stnrctr:re is exerplified in the

Opus 35 pieces as follows:

EXAI'IPIE 17a: Op. 35, #lylf.no nIosso ' 'o

n\0tro C<inTctn4O .lfooC

-:-\t7b

ff3

I t.c1 tt t, 6st r>1O 7 ru n <7'tr llo

In Exanple L|a the third npasure lmitates the second and the

melodlc idea ends at the nr:iddle of the fourbh rrpasureo lJkrat follows i-s

an exüension of the ternrinal part of the four-neasure phrase. The

L1l,

seventh measure drich coupletes the neloüic t*rorght is a repeti.tiont

in sequence, of the secorrl neasure'

lhe gerrninaL idea in Exanp].e 17b is the jnterval of a four"bh

n'r{.tten nost frequently fron SoI to Do, ltre intenral of a third pre-

dorninates ln Scariple l?c rrittr evidence of sequentiaL tecirnic (n'easures

5 and 6). fn 'aIL exanples a tryncopated rlythm Js prevalent,

The trrocess of eyolution fol-lo'red in the rplo*lc stnrctr:re is

exbended to the eys3-aIl frarnework of eaclr plece. In lüuber One the

prirrcipal rrp.ilodf as quoted in Eralple 17a reürrns in an jnterllocking

rhybhn, fi-rst r'rith a qrrickened accorpaninent f.iner second, in the sane

rhybfun as the neIoff:

EXAMPLE IBa: 0p. 35, #l DßMPIE LBb: Op. 35, #L

'lTtc.t. 6t s'r'nc',cct,7 r\oro h1c.t. fLl'mrtes rosct

J// I'

1,/

An ilgenious eontrapuntaL terture is inbroduced in the middLe section

of the ftrst piece m a rrelodi-c fragnent fbon the prilcipal. neJ.ody:

UUMPIE 19: Op. 35, /ll (Ct. nxanple 1?a, second neazure)

tta n LI'LLO P

/nerpF ut*t-f

I Yt e,'i

. JJ'

Ttre for.r-note motif perrrades the entire middle section in sequential

patterns ntrich are found in both trebLe and bass. the cLosing four

bars.of the first section appear jn a literal quotation in the middle

parb, thus j.:otegrating the mellodic rnatenlal more erphatically.

lbe forrbh piece of ttre set rnanifests an interpenetation of the

l*nrelodlc idea in the over-alI str:ucture. (Ttre relodic quotatlon l-s glven

ln Exanple L?c.) It is found in successlve sequence, i:r treble and

bassl in augnentation and irr raried acconpanJmental settlrgs as ttrese

exarples ilLustrate:

116

El0MPlE 2Oa:

. 20lb:

2Oct

SCrnpre p,) .29 t Tc-To

^t 't1lctt. 1€-Yrn--; TT

dv

7t--- 2<

:t{ tehlt.'t't roio

o.

\.

l_r7

Ttris fourth fairy-tal.e was insp5red by a quotation fron King tear

3üich is lnscrd.bed above the rusic;

ItBlow, Idxdr rage-Until you break ngr cheeks.tl

In qre spirit of thls texb the settlng of the piece is a rich, rhapsodic

tertgre of sweeplng chord,-1ines, .fhLL sonorous cLrord blocks and con-

trasting sfles. lbdtnerts sfflistic djlection reads: .[lIegro appas-

sionatp e tenrpestoso. Tlne mrsic c1-early breathes th5.s spirit. Moods

quick3y change fron agitated fortisslmo to nenacing pianissimos. Ttrere

are virtuosic passages whLch call for chronatic scale-lires agailst

ascending double-si:cbhs. Th€ rhythmtc contocb is pnedominantly ln

trlpS.ets witll mary irrstances of cross-beat corplerities.

fire second piece of Opus 35 1s aLso characterized by contrasts

of texture and moods. The opening secüion Ls aLearly an etude on

broken tenths and octaves. It ls Ln the middle sectionr ho'reverr that

contrasts are most striking, I?ris secüion ls l-ntro&rced W a rtybhmic

nmtlJ wtrich +pears througfrort:

EIill,lPlE 2!I: Op. 39, #2

Contrasts of mood are indicated by the styllstic örectü-ons of rrrisolutorr

ard rttranquillotr Bhich sre merked fon alternating reasures. Dranatic

effects are actrieted W lnüercepüing a ltcarrtebl,letr eecüion wlth a

nrllf orzaa:lorf npasute :

,r r -.crr] (. n t r- ,l' l)

118

E]GMPIiE 22:

'hltts'

0p. 39' #2

C 1: 7L- _-_R r r ---=----\

) r rl I

,l J- J,

l'? T,{-

trt=Ftrf= u .c

'6-/--- ^+2

ftNFot-.'.'--._----\

Tertufes vary fron the sornErürat tJlin fabric as ocenpllJied above in

Exarples 21 and 22 to a more subsüantiaL one;

EIUMPIE 23at üp. 35, #2

tEXAMPIE 23b: 0p. 35, #2

)t)

t

Agairr, cross-reLationships are part of lGdtrerrs rhybhnic invention as

seen in Eranple 23b.

fn a sorewtrat thi:n, honophoni.c texture tfre tfrfrA fairy-tale of

Oprus 35 contains slylistic cmtrasts such as a cantablle, \yrical f.ine

folLor'red by a resolute, ner+fu-l section. the ffihnic notLfs j.n this

P lrqrto< tllo

,11 ARcAlo

IL9

piece are basically a &tted figure: IT; firis is present in both

the nelo&ic and the acconpanj-rnent liles. l4edtnerrs predilection for

tripLet figures rnani-fests itself in Sngenious wrys throughout the piece:

DßMPIE zha: 0p, 39, #3

EXAMPI,E 2lg: Op. 35, #3

t 1\'

The harmonic cmtent of oprus 35 Ls cdlslstent with ueatnerjs

previous\y defjned harznonic vocabul-ary. Ilc lfuinben Ore, Three and

Four a subtle shlfting fron naJor to mlnor tonalitles ls present.

&cbensive use of the augmented-sjxttr chords, appoggiatura effects and

plagal harnonles is apparent.

Ttre dirnensions of eactr of the four pieces are smaII, but wittiin

the limited cauvas of each is an array of color, dra^na and poetic

J.magination. lhe Oprrs 35 seü was ooryleted jn L9L7 r the year of the

Bolsherrik Revolution. For tno years no pieces in snaller forrns corß

from the pen of lbdtner.

Under patnful cJrcunstances of deprLvation and rith nosünlgic

ltltlr.?I l': f

serrt,ftr€nt of bygone daysr Medtrer began the ruriting of seventeen

pieces fllxicfi he tltles, ItForgotten },lelodies.rr The pieces comprise

Oprs 381 Oprrs 39 and Oprs !0. Most of Op. 38 and all of Opus l+O are

dances, presunably reilriniscent of Russian Life before ühe revolution.

Ttre pleees of OErs 39 are more sombre arll reditative. 1\ro o[€-moverent

sonatas are inöluded in the sets; the Sonaüa RenlnLscenza $hich ls

Op. 3B-No. l and Sonata Traglcar op. 39 No. 5r As large-dirensionaL

works the sonatas are ouüside the scope of tiuis study and hence they

wiLL be refened to only indjrecü\y.

Tlre dances of the Opus 38 set are liveiy l-n character with

enphasis on syncopated rtrybhn, ingenious neLodj-c phrasi.rg and contrasts

of style within the same pJece. A careful scnrtirry of the nelodic

content of the pieces proves to be rnosü j.nteresting since most of them

are rich in rne3.off and, again, most of then use t'he moLodic naterial-

as the evolving elerBnt in the over-alL stnrcture,

I?re principal r lodic line of the frDanza GrazLosarr, Itlumber Two

of ttre oet, wtrlCh appears after a four-rpasure lntroduction, i.s folk-

lil<e in character nith tts öatonic moveneqt, sequential treatrnent and

syncopated rtythm:

DUI\4PIE 25.2 Up. 38, #L

J uaha|,,3.n ot.l,.h'lr"r. ,l- tL'

)L

l_21

Ttre third piece, trDanza Festivafr, i,s Likenise nel-odicalJy

stnrctured ln a fotk-ljlce manner. lbe diatonic mdvement, repetition

of fragrnents of the mJ.o{y ip shifting rhlrühmic beats and brislt, sirnple

rlybhnic conte:rb 41'g all draracteristic of the nrssian foLk melos.

In this dance, too, tlre mello{y appeErrs after a vigorous introduetion:

&KAMPIE 262 Oyi. 38, /13

llli3to 'Mro. Y' I t'

An inJection of chromaticisrn distinguishes ttre nelodic content

of lfuirber Five, ttDanza Rusticar'. The eLernents of sirpliciffr repetition

r,cith srrbtle rhythnric and ornanentaL variations are again found in this

pi-ece. After a four-reasure introduction t'he melodic 3.ine appears

as foLLows:

D(AMPLE 27 z Op. 38, #5

The rpxb dance to appear in the set is lthsber Seven - rrDanza

Sjlvestrarr. I?ris for€st dance is a dlspJ.ry of mrLti-ve.nied rnoods and

styles from the state\y ctraracter to a sprite\r one. lhe piece begins

with a brisk-moqing llne in U/B time rhich ends abnrptly at the seventh

nbssur€r After a tacit neasure a stately seshion is heard fjrsü in

122

sol.id ctrord.s, tiren jn an ar?eggiated fashion. after a return of the

solid chord nEas\u€ a spriteJy qua]jity is introduced' by a thin-textrrred-

toccata-Like figure noning j.-n an ascending ctrrornatic li:le ' Tlae rlrythnic

setting of this passage enhances the delicate effect and one is ren'inded

of ltthe ktnd srd mrrrnful wood-gob]-lntr - Op. 3h, No' 3'

EXAI4PIE 28: 0p. 3Bt #7

leat 7l'LL. icap

- -ü

*dg:

Tno \n.lcaI passages follon in a syncopated rhtrrbhrn and sfuple reLodic

stnrcture. The first ls more state\y and rigo:rous; the second ls'rpre

ercpressive:

DüMPIE 2)at Qp. 38, #7

h1r",' 'tt' 4t

?A

L23

EIUI.IPIE

' 'Wlut.

29b: op. 3Bt /17

v1- i0

Again, the principle of sequentJaS- derraLopnrenü of a gerzninal ldea ts

used. The tectrnic of exbendir€ a mloöc thorght beyong lts tenninal

point by r.epeating a fragrent of the ne.lodic Line - in thj-s case

repeated three ti:nes - is errtdenced in the above Erample 29b'

From this poi:rb in the piece the thematic j.deas hitherto presented.

re-appear in alternating fashion, sometilres literallür sonetiroes with

variation, sometimes i-n fragrnntation.

Ttre cadence of the rrDanza Sllvestrart suggests a panse rather than

an end. Thls was evidenü\y a deliberate intention of the conposer since

an lattaccatt is directed at the close and the eighth piece ir,m,ediate\y

follorcing funsbions as a ItQuasi-Codarf as Lndicated by the composer

dtrectly above the rnrsic. The title of the eighth piece is I'ALLa'Renrln-

iscenza'r, borrowed from ttre flrst piece in sonata forrn. The significance

of this is the fact ttrat the openirrg notive of bottr pieces, lfuinber 1 and.

Iiurber B, are Ldontical - the one in C MaJor, the other in A MaJor.

The acconpani:rent line, honwer, is varledl

121+

DßMPLE 3Oa: Op. 38, lt']-

EKAI,IPIE 30b: OP. 38, lf\

) W trtrt= El-t :"[lr.r. l-!---+----'--t =3-,-f #' t- *

reEEEI-ffi4-

Or.lllg to the nature of tlre form employed ln eactr plece the dirnensions

are starlcJy contrasted. The 2l-page sonata contains rdthln its frame-

work al] the elenenbs of sonata-forrn and' the four-page coda-U-te piece'

Irhrrüer B, never departs from the initiaL stnrcture except to bring the

piece to a,n end,with rolLed ehords rclthin the last forr'measures'

Apar-b f,rom the ei4frth piece tuo others in Qrus 38 .are not' dances'

Ttre fourth is rganzona Fluv:ialart, the sixth - tt0anzona Serenata.tl

Characteristic of iüs title the tt0anzona flLuv:lalarr rpves in 1ong,

florlng slreeps of arpeggiated chord,-}lnes and exbended' scaLe-Ljnes. Tkre

neLo&ic content ls sinpS.e and ö.rect, b keeplng with the sty]-e of

s canzona!

L25

F,tAMgtE 31: Opr. 3Br. #lt

Here agaLn lbdtner erploys sequentiaL tedrnic and syncopated rtqrthro,

The phrase-lengtbs here are shcter than rpst of the relodic phrases

in thd set and a dance-Il}e ctraracter ls de-erphasized wlth preferense

to a cantabiLe style.

the rrOanzona Serenatatr begins in a nranner ldentical nith the

rrsonata Reni:tisce w,an z

EXAMPLE 32.. Op. 38, #6 (Cf. &canple 30a, page L6)

After eight neasures i^n ttris texture a canzona-tJrpe relo{y ls heard

rhich nmlfests a boLder e:panse in phrase lengttr and a wider contour of

nelodic line. Agai-n the ryncopated rhyttrm is present;

D(Al',lPtE 33: 0p. 38, #6

L26

In the third section of the pioce the foregoing nelo{y returns in a

'different teter and in ttre pJ-agal kery:

H(AMPIE 3h: op. 38' {16

Aparü fron the syncopation in rhyttrmlc content and rmlodic

phras5ng other simi.Larities are evident Ln ttre pieces of the set' The

prtncipal neLodies discussed and quoted above are conürasted by ot*rer

rplodlc Lines in most of tfie pieces.

An example of this ls the conürast of the A-MaJor, lively neJ.o{y

in the second plece rith ühe ercpresslve, D-rd.nor ljne nhich enters

Later on:

EIOMPLE 392 üp. 39, #2 (cf. Ekarpls 29, page 1b)

The sa.ne contrast ttr1pe is pr^esenb in the rrDanza Festivatr, itirrnber 3r be-

tlreen ttre D-I'Qjor, brlsk dance'and, a secord roelody ln F#-Minor. Here,

too, the second relo{y is ctraracterized by a cantabiLe style. The

repeated-note idea appears in tbis line as ueIl as ln subsidiary melo-

dies of the four-hh and fifüh pieces of the set:

DUI{PLE 36a: Op. 38, /13

r/ frr..r. 60.'{7 . fr:-.-.

yb- ri,,ir

?flcc '17' ?7

r27

EITAMPIE 36b: Op. 38, #h

&IAMPIE 35c: Op, 38, /15

As has been noted ln the second and thlrd pieces a change in mode

between the flrst and second npLodies jn the fourth and flfth pieces

is also plesenb. lbe nodaL relationship ln each of the four pieces is

a typicat l"ledtnerian scheme:

Iftrmber 2:lfuinber 3:

irhunber lr:lturüer 5:

Introductory passages have a prominent position in ühe stnrcture

of three of the pieces; Iürrbers, Tvo, Three and Forr, Ttrey are sinrJ.lar

ln their triadic constnrction ard in their firnction in the pi.ecos.

In the rrDanza Graziosarr, lülrnber I'no, and ttre ftDanza Festlvatr, Nurnber

Three, ttre eight-rr8srr6 inbrodrcüion ls heard befoze the üwo princlpal

sectioru and, in the trDanza Festivatr, it appears a ttrird, time before

the re-statenent of the pntnclpaL them in an enriched, har:nonic contert

nith florid ornamentation. Ihe tt0anzona Eluvialatt Ls irrtnoörced, by a

folr-neagtlre line flhlcb is idenüical- to the irrtroduction of the thiJd

piece. The cenzona lntroducüory llle ls h€ard orily aü the begi-nning.

A-I,trajor - D-IfinorD-I4aj or-F#hrinor-E-ninor

E-minor - D-I{qiorC-Major - B-flat nü.nor

(pragal)(Ueatant and lor,lered

Leadjrrg-tone)( Iowered lead5ng-tone )( Lo,iered. leading-tone )

h'l c.{zt- zt/

128

The developnenbaL technic is ingenious\y worked out in eactt

piece of the set. the abundance of nelodic matenial in each piece

takes on a varieff of settings in stylistic and te:cbrrral contrasts.

tr\rrLherrnore, slmi1arlties ln thenatic deveLopmenta.l procedures are

fomd in the pieces.

Tlre prirrcipal neJ.o{y of t}re gecond pfuce, rrDanaa &tazilosatt,

qnoted in bcampL6 25t is later enhanced by a chromatic descant:

EICAMPLE 3?: 0p. 38, #2

Tbe sane tedrnic is erployed in the fjJth piece, rrDanza Rrrsticarr:

$ßMPm 38: op.'38, /15 (cf . nrampfe 27)

)11..r 1f. i I

,J

In the second plece, too, fragrrents fron the two rpLodic lirres,

etark\y contrasted fron one another an has been noted above, a,re heard

aiternately uithin a fcmr-neasure phrase,

Itultl-varied settlngs of a subsidiary rneJ.odic Line in t&re thjrd

plece, trDanza Festivarr, ocsur t'trrorghort tbe rriddle sectÄon. the

rhytlltntc content ls the östinguisbtng factor ln the varied passages.

the reilo{y in questJ.on ls stated si:rply and in a cross-rlgrbhmic fornula:

"Yflr.t, 17-r1

L29

EKA]4PI,E 39: Op. 38, it3

the neLody is presented ln sequential patüerns b'ut with ontrasts of

{ynarnic te:ctunss. It, is heard in a higit trebLe ranger a rhapsodic

wide range setting and in a sbateJy, rnajestic, solid-ctrord fashion. ThB

oeguentlal patterns lead ürectly into a series of variatior:s on tlre

nrelody which elplve quite naürral\y one from t*te other:

EXAMPLE hoa: Op. 38, #3 EICAMPLE lrob: Op. 38, #3 TXUMPIE [0c: Op, 3Br#3

Apart frorn the ernphasis on Emcopation the rhybhnic vocabula4r

likewise stresses ttre duplet fLgure. Tfie duplot ls rnost frequent\y

emplryed in the acconpanirental ltne to a nsw setting of a previously

Lntroduced nelo{y as the e:ca^upJ.es on the page following l-Llustrate:

i 'hf..r. Lt{' 2t7

130

Dot{ptin l$a: oP. 38, ll3 DGt4PlE hlU: op. 38, lf5

},Ia4rexarylesofcr.ogs-lhftrrmsarefqtrndthrouglrouttheset.

PassagessimilartothepatterninscarpJ.e28ocorrjnthefjJthand

si:rbh Pieces'

llreharrrronicvocatru-lary5scolparative]ysirple.&rprrasisls

placedtoalessere:rbentonpl.agal.arrd'nedianttorra].ities.I]re

dorninant-tonicprogressionisnol€pronoulcedespeciaJJyinthebrlsk,

folk-Like darrces. flLagal and nedianb relationshlps' howevert are preva-

lent in rnodu]'atorY Passa$€er

Aswasnotedabove,t,trernodr].atorysctremeinthe'tDarrzaFestiva|l'

lüumber Ttree, nove{, frorr the D-l.I4jor kery to F#-rninor. lhe F# tonality

aLtenoates between the rnajor rcde and the rjnor - a typical Medtrerian

tecfrrric. In thls F# passage the harrnonic stnrcture is clearly V - I

r,rithpassjnge}rordsenrichirrgthete:rt.AfterasolidV-Icadencej.nr#-r'inorttresamellElodlcforrrnrlaisre-gtated,thlstlrrrerinE.minor,

and laterl iü Ls re-stated again ln G-minor' Harrnonic' tercbural'contrast

is achieved by the lnsortion of ctrromatlc passages between püe tonal

. parte.

rorndrrlatorypagsagelnthen0anzonaFluvl"a]'atl,l,hrrnberFour'I "rro

reveals a pIagal reLatlonship. Ttne princtpal section of eiglrü

IItt

lli 1

lir,iti:

l:"

1li

r31

lneasures ls set harrnontcaSdy in the tonic stnrctul€ of E-ninor cadencing

.cJ.earJy on v - I. the harmonlc texüure ls enriclxed by the abundance

of chrornatic arrxiliaries in the accompaniment scale-lines' The second

section begins in A-rnj.nor, alrived, at throrglr rv in nAtr uhicil i-s a rnajor

cirord b.liLt on the l-o,rered }eading-tone i31 the openlng kqr of E-rnirtor.

ltris is norb a'consurßTl:rted nodulation, but a tonal tendency ui'rlch reveqls

l,iedtnerts peculiar harmonic vocabularT. From A-nrinor the music moves

through suceessive progressions of trYl-mlnor, B-rdnor and back to A-stinor.

The relationships between these tona-lities lllustrate lvledtnerrs i:ndivi-

dual harmonic Pattern.

lvledtnerts harmonic conctseness ls exenplijied at the close of

the second section in the same canzona. the harmonic contexb of the

two nea$pes imediately preceding the re-Etatenenb of t'tre principal

parb in E-minor ls the dorninant tonalit;r of E. Ilre donrinant is not,

ft11nly conf,irrrpd, horever, until the hearing of the D# Just before the

entra.nce of the nert section:

EIGI'IPIE ,i2, /fb - rFas. l+7-l+B

*1:^i'l t

L32

Ttris type of subtLety in the handling of the doninarrt ctrord has appeared

previousSY and wILL aPpear again.

In a cadentlal passage ln the rtDanza Rusticatr, Nunber Fivet the

Leacling-tone 4pears in an even Less unobtrusive ftrrrner than i:r the

prev5.ouslY quoted exanPle :

EKAYIPIE ü3: 0p, 38' /f5

In ttred6anzona Serenatajj lfunber Si:c, arrd the |tDanza SiJvestrarr,

lfuirber Seven, the hannonlc frane1rork for the principal sections js

basicalJy I a1d IV cadenclrg on V - I. Both pieces are in nrinor' The

eiglrttr pi.ece in A-Major cadences on a cLear VI? - f progression. The

fanfare introdgction to the ttr-irrd and fourth pleces, identical in con-

tent but öfferent in mode, is har:nonlcally set in a ned'iant tonaity'

fn the D-MaJor setting of l{umber tbree tlre rrediant chord Ls rd-nor and

the leading-tone ls unaltered. A rnodal effest ls achieved iJI tile fourth

piece, hooever, lüren the rnedi-arrt chord in E-ninor is heard as a naJor

EIW{PLE L}la: op. 38, {13 ETGMPLE hhb: Op. 38, #b

'lnut. l''t Tflco. t ' Lln r,l

g' I_L'u .l

a

rJ3

Appropriate to the general character of tJle Opus 3B set is the

inclusion of a lrquasi-cadenzatr passage at the close of the ttDanza

Graziosatr, lfuirber Tlro, and in the tr0anzona Serenatatr, Namber Six; for

the general character of thjs fjrst seiü of trForgotten l.{elodiesil rnay be

deflaed as rictr in nelodic frestrness, imaginativeJy f,LexibLe in rfiythrn

ard phrase-Btrtrcturel ribradly gry and festive in a!y1e and homophonicl

for the nost par-b, ln a tfrür b'uü fuIL tocbure.

In L92O l{edtrer rrote a second set of pieces wtrich he calls

rrForgotten I'lelodiesrt - the four pieces of Opns 39 and the Sonata

Traglca rhich is the fiJth rnrriber of the set. - The spiniü of remri.nis-

cence penraded the Opus l8 pieces and ttre renembranceslrere gay, recal.lJ.ng

happier drys and festive times of Russian lLfe. Tiris inspiration

nframedn the set, as lt w6re, by the Sonata Reniniscenza at, the begln-

rdng of ttre rrAIIa Reniniscenzart at, the close. So1 too, ln Opus 39 a

spirlt prevail,s rhich Ls the lce5rnote to the characüer of the rßlsic.

the spirit is sonibre reflection suLninating in a note of trage{y T Ut"

flfth and final rnuriber. Even the ttTaLe of Springil - the third piece

and tlre Least gravo of the eet - reflects a ncre sober quality in con-

trast wit& the erqrberance traditiona4r associaüed. r,rith SprJ-ng. l4edtner

has written no prograr noteg for the rrForgotten Melodiesrr and his

biographers have not rl{sqtrssed them. Brtp the ttrree sets were rrritten

durd.ng a tlo-year period soon after übe Revolutlon and one year before

lfedtnerrs departure fipn hrssLan. In the light of these cjrgunstances

lt r,rould seen logical to assunr that the pieces nere i-nspired by l4edtnerts

love of the RrrsEla he knew and his sorrorr for the new Russia hed cone

upon hLn arul his ountrlnmn.

llre lntrospectirc drarecter of tlre Opue 39 get is achieved by

13tr

a cSromatic hanrnonic tocLure, chronatic rpLodic lines and dramatic

dynamic effects. ltrematic deveJ.opnrent, rt5rt'hrnic ingernrity and a free

abandon ln style - hä-lltrgrks of lbdtnerts writing - a:re ever present'

ttre form of the pleces is ternary l.n sbrusture but sorer*rat nodjJied.

Ch:rornatlcism ls the basic ctraracterisbic of the pieces. Chro-

maticisn, as defined by Medtner, ls an ItaccidentaL hannonlc fcrmationrt

or a dissonance. lbdtner sharply östlryuishes betrüeen dissonance and

discordance. I?re latter ttls simply an accidenüal fornatioril.rr an accL-

dent uitfiort ary harrnonic image.rr HE compares the discordance to noise,

an rrextrlloded dissonancerr, a dlstortion.2

Än exardnation of tjhe chrornatic contenb ln the pieces of Opus 39

qulck\y reveals Medtrerrs fidelilr to hls pri.ncip3.es. The first piece,

in the key of C#-minor, called nlGdltazlonerrs begjxs rrith an ertended

Lntroductory J"Jne on the V9 chord. The chord-Line ts chrcrnatical.ly

erbellished ty tlc lowered chronatlc au:ciliaries of chord tones in wtlich

they are resolveds

D(AMPIE l+5: Qp. 39, #I

After the 2b-masure

ritä a quickened tempo. Th€

nlentoil sectlon the introduction contirnres

general harrnonic schern of the opening

1^tl,-s, t- {

zl4rdt*r, 98. 9l!., pp. 9\-95.

Iine as outlined in Exarnple h5 continres here in a two-l,ine tercbure.

the bass outlines ttre dominanb chord against a treble line nhictr i-ntro-

duces a Dol-hsrmonic tone in- eactr measure. I?re chronatlc descendiag

Line eventualJy resolves on f:EKAI{PIE h6: Op. 39, #L

At the rcsolving Qlt ttre bass-Iine begins a chromatic descending li:lo

fron the dominanb rpt€r Qf, ana ends on the tonlc, #. The same pro-

cedrrre of lntroörcing one note ln eactr reasure is followed. The domi.:aant

harmonic tonaliff mves to the borrowed domlnanü of W and ftnally to

the V of V wtren the irrüroduction closes.

The contour of the prlncipal therne in the first piece, heard

fuonedtately afber the introduction, ls na:rody lnflected by chordal

outllles and chromatic notion. It is lnüroduced i.n the domi.nnnt tonaliW

but Lt ls repeated in the tonic key of O#-mL:aor.

The second pi.ece of ttre eeü, rRo an, beglns lmediately lrith

the sarp rclodf as the ftrst pieces

u6

EXAtiPiE h?: op. 39, #z

lhe last s$. not€s of the lLne are developed throughout both pteces

jn d:i:nlnuüion ard in clrronatic oequential passages:

HilMPLE lr8a: Op. 39, /l?

EICAI'{PIE hBU: O5r. 39, #I

The entire neLodlc f.ine appears ln te:rbural contrasts tlrroughout both

pieces from a thin staterBnb of a slngLe Line accorpanj.nent to an

ag:ltated solLd texbural- lresenüation. Aü tfunes Just the first troo-note

shronatlc figure Ls treated seguenbiallyr at other tü-nes the rcIoff

ls hgard ln thE bass agalnst a chronatl.c degcant in the treble. In the

second pleoe the nelodf ls gHghtly altered brut easlJy recognizable as

a der{.vattve of the ortgLnal theme:

hat. lL.t{

Itll - t.t+

T1rrt. lt-t?

r37

EXAMPTE hg: Op. 39, {t'z

Tlre harrnonic fra.nrenork ln ühe above exampJ.e lJlustrates the homophonic

struoüure €mpLoyed ttrroryhart the two pieces. Ilre harmonic ortLook

nmst be viewed over an entire phrase such as the phrase in hanple lr9.

Here, as througlrout the first tno pieces, Ittredtner erploye the technic

of harrnonic proS.ongation. lhe entlre phrase is ntt'hin ttre tonic frane-

uork. TtrE interrrediary harrnonles are accidenta3Jy forned by the chro-

matic moverent of the llnes toward the flnal F-mfuror ctrord. The tonic

note, F, pervades the phrase. The conplete phrase Ls then repeated,

brut the penu3.tlmate note becomes the finaL note this second time. The

second par'ü of tlc llne (as indicated by (e) in Erarnple lrp) is repeated

J.ttera{y ard folloued by a sequence of it a th-1rd higher tnnr 63ingi:tg

the harmorgr lnbo a rd.nor triad on ttre nedlant. This Ls foLlor'red by Vf

Ln F-ndne nhich noves to the domi:rant at the concilusion of the section.

Ttre chronattc terture ctrarges to e tonal one in t'he third and

fourth pieces. the rrSpring Fajry-Tafeilr EEt the third piece is called,

beglns with a nine-neasure iuLroörction nith ühe bass outlini:rg the

doninant barmotry, and the treble descending ln a pattern of thirds.

A corparl.son of the contoure of the lrrtroörctory treble }lne and the

prt-ucipal nelody relreals a strd-klng sLrril.ariW - a technlc by nor so

defi-nitely reeognized as parü of lbdtrerrs crafbr

138

EKAMPLE lOU: Op, 39, #3

me lnjod1c line contilues to weave tts wry tSrough tonic and pJ-agal

harrronies. Tlre'untrsual ra^nge of the neLodic l-irc and t'he empürasis

given to ilGn, the sub-ne.Jianb of the lcry, are rorttqp of note. Con-

siderabLe developrrent is given to the first slx notes of the, thenre

(Oranpfe 5OU) in a settöng of dranatlc coloration, First the rnotiJ is

heard three tfurps in a bass-Ilno acccdp€udnent, each tj:ne a wtroJ-e-step

Lower. It js then heard ln the treble, three ti:ms, each tine a major

t'trird hi.gher:

H$MPIE 5l,a: Op. 39, #3 EIUMPIE 51b: Op. 39 ' #3

ll;: !. ü,-t*t *

I , _1-_J

a rl

ffF"fTl N.\.-

ft

'Ynu;, 37- +o 'Wtqs, V? - ,/ tr

Ttre nelo{y of the nMornj-ng Canzonatt, the fou-bh piece of Opus 391

is constructed basicalty on a tr,rc-note notiJ:

Ev, 6, b,

ctt.rl-lLl

L39

This is ttre treble ljne of the openlng measure and lts predorri.nance in

the nelodic line which begins irr tJle t&trd 1nasrale is readi\y seen3

EXAMPLE l2z Op. 39, llb

The notif and relodic }[ne qppear in a developlrental passage further on

as tne two ideas are ingeniously inbermingled:

EKAI4PIE 53: Op. 39, #b

The two-note notl.f ls aLso present at the final cadence in an lnverted

direcüion:

EIA]IPIE 5lr: Ogr. 39, #b

T,,ir.11- to, A

The cadence of the first pfuce l.n C#qntnor closes on the Picarff

third preceded by I1?. Ttre otürer cadenceg Ln the set are authentLc.

Prolonged trlIl pansages aruil veloolty llnec are found at ter:nl.nal points

i:

li:1i

ri

171ur. Li'L{

l.

\U

/ ürj*f*

rv L-It u-'

Y

,)

rlo

i11 al] forr pieces - ä tectrnic used often in these later works'

The last set of |trongoüten lGlo&iesrr - the six pieces of Oprrs b0 -

are more si.mi-Lar to the Opus 38 set ttran to Oprrs 39. They are, never-

thelesse m6g'e exbended, abrrrdanb in rtry-thmic lntrigue, thernatic deveLop-

rent and te:cbural cotrbrasts. The ke5rnote to the style of the set in

generaL can be'enpressed by the tLtle of the ftfbh piece, rrDanza Ondu-

Iata.r All six dances ütove in an un&rlatlng nanner. The first plece,

'rDanza co1 cantotr is a three-nood dance nlth its narbial-r snapFy rlSrttrmic

secüion, lts gracefirl, scngllke passage and the fast, o'rir3-ing, virtuosic

thlrd section. The t}ree sections appear in the folloring schene:

I il I III - il I (nodifiedternaryforn)

The trDanza Slnfonlcarr, Iürnber 1\lo, is tfie largest ln dtnensions.

It, too, is ctraracterd,zed by three ontrasthg rnoods, considerabJy ex-

tended and t'henatically related.

T5e sna:llest pLeces in the set are trDanza FLoratarr, I'huüer Three

and ltDanza Onörlatarr, Iiftmber Five. As thejr titLes srrggest ttrey are

allke tn a flexible, f!.oring style. I]ris sbyle iE achieved by the

broad sneep of arlpeggLaüed lJrres and the irreguLar meter. The third

piece ls ln a 7/8 neter and Iihunber Flrp l,s wrLtten tn 5/8 with En

occasloneL bar in 6/8.

The trDanze Jubtlosatr, lihmber Forr, and trDanza Dlthlrarnbarr, I$unber

Six, are ttre least colorful of the set but each contains examples of

lnteresting thenatic deveLotrxnent.

As with tbe dances tn Qnrs 38 the. tramonic vocabula.ry in OErs [O

ls basically sfuple nith little ctrronaticisn and n:ith a preference for

plagel hantuodes.

the laüerost ln thLs set Beemsr to be Ln thE melodles. A care-fre€r

folk-Like draracter, lt wi1L be recalled, was found to fashlon the

nelodies of the Opqs 38 set. Here the melodic qualiry is more iröense,

more eüpressive by its longer phrases and bolder J.eaps. Tlrese clrarac-

teristics are exenpllfied in the flrst plecep appropriateJy titJ.ed,

trDanza co1 cantott. After a fanfare-üCpe inüroduction a song-line for

two vol.oee begf.ns in D-rd,not, 5/8 npter:

the line contirnres for forrr measures in a dorble sequence of the fjrst

two neasures. This is followed by a repetition of the rne3.o(y in the

loaer voLce lrith a descant above. ltre melodic interraLs of the si:cbh

and seven-t'h create the e:rpressive quality in the Ljrre.

In contnast to the eontorrr of the rnelody in the first piece the

principal nelodlc Line of the rrDanza Sinfonicatt moves in a diatoni.c

nanner. It, too, has a quallty of orpressiveness and intensity due to

the eruphesis on the plagal notes, Re and Fa and the up'rard curve at tÄe

end of the }Lnel

EKAI,IPLE 5& Op.

Tlire opening phrase ocsurs throrghout the piece in varied forms. It a-lso

qppeers alternatlng rilth the scherzo figure of ttre ftrst oeotions

ElGl,IPtE 552 Op. I$, #l)Q1<a7. lu- Zi

lÄtz

HicAMPiE 572 üp. hO, #Z

It is then heard againsü an accorpanLmenü Line set in the skipping

rhffim of the fourttr rpasure of Exarple 57, In a section f\rrther on,

a Hne appears utrich is clearly a derlvative frorn t'his sane nelody:

EIUMPIE 58: Op. lp, #Z

Again, it j.s heard in a canonic te:cbure:

EKAIIIPLE 592 üp. bO, #2

the rtqrtlrnri.c figure aeen in the last rpasure of &canple 58 fs

present throrghout mst of the plece. Another rhybhnlc notif is given

considerable contrapuntal. developrent in this second piece. lhe figrrre

flrst appears at the end of ttre Scherzo section:

It is treated canonicalJy furbher on and tor'rard the end of the piece

it becornes the subject of a for-part f\rgato passage.

SirnlLarities ar€ reaö\y seen betneen the npLodic line of the

t&ird md fiJth dancss. ft has alreaQy been noted that by thetr

tttles - rtDanaa Floratart ad trDanze Ondrrlatarr - th€ pieces are

T

1i

'1

..1

1rt11{. tyt - ltl

ll,3

stylistica$r similar. Borbh are rritüen in imegllar reters, Irfirmber

Three in 7/B ald I'lrrrnber five in 5/8. lrlhiJ.e the rBlody of the rrDanza

Fioratan is diatonically shaped md ttre melody of the rrDanza Ondrrl-atan

is constnrcted of broken chords the organizati.on of the phrases is

basicalSy ühe sa{p. Eaeh ptrrase in both pieces begins on a double

up-,beat, i.€.;,the last tno beats of tlte llpa$rrei the opening phrases

of eaeh piece is repeated, then heard in a l"ot'rer seguence. Botb nelodies

u" .ccbrpanted by a mnning bass-line in single sixteenth-nortes:

EXAI,IPLE 60a: Op. bO, #3

E]CAMPLE 6Ob: Op. bO, #9

J1/l ut. l' )

Contrastjrg wittr the broken chord-Iine rrelody in t'Lre fifth pi.ece

(Exarple 6OU) a &iatoni.c reloff is introduced r,rhich is set in a quäsi-

po\phmic te:cbrrre. Thls technic of r,reaving rpl-odic fragrents sinuL-

taneous]y in a given passage ls a favorite one of lubdtner. Uost often

the nelodles ar€ irnitative of care another. Again, this i:rstances

lGdtnerrs concern for a meanlngflrI etmcture ln the ligbt of every

mrsLcal elenent. Ibranrples of thls tectrnic of writjng are found ln nost

of Medtnerts music. Iflustrations fron Opus h0 are as follows:

äi'|1'lctt. l-T

ildr

ItW. tt

HTAMPIE 61b: Op. bO, /12

The rrDmza JubiLosarr, I'lunber Four, lroJects a nartial quaL:ity

W the use of certain nilitary devices. Fotr exanpLe, the piece opens

with a tnuryet caIL:

EX,MPi,E 62t op. l+0, #l+

Thls mti:f is heard fonr tirres, alternatÄng bass and treble. The

vigorors nelodlc Line is then introduced against a tlryical nllita:y

bass accorpaninent:

EXAMPLE 63; Op.. l+0, #lt

tb'

Ttre triplet figuro as it appears in the ntnlrpet call'r is found through-

out the piece.

the nelodic developnn$b in the ttDanza Jubilosarr nanjfests an

ingenions handling of tocbural dontrast. As it is first j-ntroduced

ttre relo{y is clearty a march tune against ühe bass quoted in &ample 6J.

fn a second section a seemingly neer meloQy is heard whictt ls given

eqpal proninence rrith the marbial meloQy for the rest of the piece.

Ttris second neLo{y i.s a sweet-sounöng iong accorpanied W the tonic

harrnorg whidT unfolds in a broken chord-li-ne of triplets. But with

carefirL anallysis one beorms anare of tlre c.Lose relationship betneen

ttte trrc melodies:

UCAMPIE 6lp: Op. lp, #lr

D|(AMPIE 6l+U: Op. l+0, #I+

fius. zf- z?

The rrDanza Dittrtrrranbtt, Iüurber Six, begins w1tb a neLodic llne of

song-liJce qrality, poeti,c phrasiage and stmctured on the pr5nclple of

ropetition:

EXAMPLE 652 W. l+A, #6

Here, too, the pri.aclple of t}tenatic developnent is maniJest€d in üIe

second sbstiion tbere the themtic material ls in inltaüion of the

1ttq. i'Y

il+6

opening relodY:

H(AMPIE 66: OP. L+o, /16 - (cf . ncampLe 65)

After rmdt deve,lopment of the openiry relo{y a netr theme is heard in a

chronatic setting which establishes the ttdoLorosa e tenebrosorr mood

indlcated on the score. Ttrls melody, too, is developed considerabSy

by placing it an octave higfrer, ernbellishing it nLth non-harmonicsr md

setting it in a faster tempo of sixteenth notes as opposed to the

quarter note conbe:cb.

Ttrus, with mrlti-varied rtgrthnic patterns, ingenians handling of

nelodic ldeas in reLation to one another and'!'rithirl the frandworlc of

the rhythruic ttremes; with the display of a rictr, contraptrntal fabric on

the one hand and a thln, pure homophonic. tocbure on the other, l&edtner

has actrieved st e:qlressi-on Öf marsr-faceted rtrtances' The rrForgotten

Melodiesrr of glrqs 38, Oprrs 39 ard Oprrs l+O were the last corrpositions ttrat

ltledtner rrrote cn hrssian soll. One author in Lg53 speaks of l'ledtnerrs

s6rle jn such tenns as lthelghtened enotlonal tenperatnr€... r€stlessness...

yearrdng... tone of protest and excitenpub.il3 Such qtralit,ies are fornd

in the rrForgotten MeLoclieg.rl

Ilre set of sns.ll pleces that follo,red the Optrs b0 pleces was the

three fairy-tales of opus lr2, fi-ittnn lurine lledtnerrs stry in Germar5l.

the sojorrn there was an untrappy one.for Medtner and the fairy-taLes

of Opus h2 ref,Iect his feeling. All three are in the minor mode. Ttre

3A""ft"o, 9.g. sl!.r p. 252,

fjrst piece is the only one wit} a speeial title. ft is ca]-led

rrRussian faüy-Taleft - indicatlve of his abicLing nationalistic spirit.

The three pieces of the set are in ternary form, ridr in rnelodic rna-

terlal, and sfflisticalJy t5nged with a strcng pattros by rneans of t}re

nanner of handling the rrinor mode.

the Bussian Fai4ir-TaLe narrifesüs dlear roots in hrssian follclone,

Ihe neLodic rnatertal is lfedtrnrrs creation but the follcloristic qualities

and hrsilan nelos cannot be denied.

I?re Russia.n folk song is usua{y a si.rple, diatorrlc ljne rith a

frequent appearance of tbe augrented-second intenral. The barrnory is

silple uith a few chord changes and the stnrcture adheres to the pri!-

ciple of repetition as reIL as includes coLorfirl- contrasts. ALI of

these qualities are exenplLfied in the Rrrssian Fairy-tale. Ttre over-aLl

sffle of the plece nry be label-led a tale of co].orfirI contrasts - a

dlgest of Russian folklorisüic pLrrases in capsule form. Four neLodies

are found jn the piece, I?re first one heard at the beginning illustrates

a slmple llne, the augrented-second inbetrral and the princtpJ.e of repe-l

titlonr

E]ßMPIE 6?: op. hz, #t

'll'le.r. l- tl

the same idea is repeated a fiJth hlgber. Tlce eight lreasures are har-

nonized on a proJ.onged doninant chord, rith passing cbronatic harmonles.

$rE dominant note becomes a sustained pedal for the entire phrase.

The second neloff l.Llus'brates the 5-nüerchange of the naJor and

ninor nodes and the mdal qrraliff produced by the Lorlered Leading-tone

fu^t' l'l' 1'l

as well as syncopated rhYthm:

n:fA'lPLE 68: Op. IQ, #L

Herel too, the.bannory is baslca[y tonic rrith a passing fV chord and

the phrase ends on the nediant rnaJor chord j.:r f-nünor.

- A rlgorors tune then f ollows in C-minor, similarly constnrcted

as the eecord tune (Exanpl,e 68), riü syncopated rhyblun, a Lowered,

leading-tone, repetitions and the najor TII chord at the end. lbe

rneloff is heard in the bass against a simple figure of sixteenth notes

ütri& ernphasize the tonic note of C:

uuMPIE 69: Op. I+2, #I

A f,ourbh neLodj-c idea appears which is in a mar"bialr rhybhmic

setting, again Ln an ocbended tonLc t'onaLif of B-fLat minor nith the

l-or,sered leadlng-tone and the second degree in prominence, Ttre prSlciple

of repetltion ig apparent ln the nslodi.c line and in the accorpanirnent

ffuure r

1l+9

DGMPIE JOa: Op. b2, #I

F^,TAMPLE ?Ob: OP. W, #L

The accor4lanimenü figure in DcanpLe 70a contirnres through the melody

as seen in Exarnple ?0b. TJne supertonic harroqp functions as a passing

sound ü.ithin the B-flat miaor frarework. Contr4untal tocbr:re is

created W funitative developlrent of the forrth meJ.ody in one passage

and the same developnental tedrnic of the second, nelody jn srother passage.

Ttre last eight reasures of the piece conbine the fourth rne.lodf :

and tle rhybhnic figUre of the aecomparrfunent to the third rneloQy, all

on the F-minor tonic harmorgr, Ilee dominanü chord is used as a passing

ctrord mithout the leaöng-tone thus highligfrting the nodal sound.

Althotrgb the second taLe does not bear the titIe1 rrrttssiart'r, its

contents neverbhe].ess nanlfest Russi.an characteristics. l'ledtner does

5-nÖicate, however, that the pieee is in the phrygian mode. This mode

contains a lonered, second and sjxbh degrees - 4 Colnnon device in

Rrrssj.an rnrsic. Herel tool the re}ody is basical.\y sfupJ-e lrith sone

syncopation and ulth the repeated-note ideal

1*<r. '\i - tL

D(AMPLE ?1: Op. l+2, #Z

the terture of the piece is rnainly a two-line fabric witür the above

nelody apparing throrghout, sonetimes rnith some variaüion, otlner tines

jn a ],iteral re-staterent. Ttre harmoqp alternates between the progres-

sions I - II and VI - II. Here the louered second and sixth are brought

i-:rto prominence. The harmonic schene is laid out in a broken chord-Line

pattern uhicil becores alnost an ostilato in lts unenöng repetltions:

EXAMPIE 722 üp. Itz, #2

lüLren the meLodlr is repeated the second tine ütre same figure accompanies

tt, but the \Il chord replaces the tonic in the harnorqp:

DcAMPIE ?3! op. b2, /13

Ttre piece ends with a V7 of fI to I cadence.

lhe third fairry-tale Ls the most intricate of the set. Like the

Russian fairy-ta1e this piece is rich in colorfirl contrasts, changing

moods and nelodic materiaL. The Rrrssian character ls not pronounced

in the ttrLrd piece as it was in the flrst tno of the set. lbe piece

begirs nith a quasi-cello solo lLrp in C#-rninorl

15r

UGMPTE ?b: op. b2, ll3

A rrscherzandorr sesbion foLlows. The raised ühlrd ln t'be sane neasure

lrith the raised leadlng-tone instances l.fedtnerts d€vice of inter:ningling

najor and mlnor tona-lities rithin a shorb passage:

EXÄMPIE 75t %. l+2, /f3

ht q. it. zrSoh..p^)q

Before the return of the ucelloil ttreme an agitato passage in B MaJor

ls interJected. Slncopation and chromatisism are characteristic of

this section. After the re-statement of the fi:st therne and the

rrscherzandorr section tire mood changes lnmediately to a gryr light-

hearbed air. the kry of G#-rninor ends on IV and, through enharraonic

change on a doninant pivot in Cfl-minor, the new tune begins in E-Flat

naJor. lbts relodf is folklilce in its Efupliciff and repetitions, itsqrncopation and lrreguJ"ar phrase lengths, ft is hannonized throughout

bgr the E-Flat lilaJor chord:

Lt2

EIüi,IPIE 762 Op, l&, #3

Ihe rne}oQy 1s repeated a whole-tone lower. The piece ends wj.th another

staternent of the first therne and the rrscherzendorr thene. The acconpani-

nrent fi.grrres are sindLar to those f ount in ttre second piece. The har-

monies erployed are substanti.al\y I and V.

In L927, five years after Opus lr2 was completedl l{edtner wrote

the nercü set of smaLl pieces - the two fairy-tales of oprus [8.

qy thjs tjre Medtner was settled in France where, despite the unsettLed

arbistic cJ-5-nate, he enjoyed the comfort of understanding friends

Ttre Opus [B pieces are each given a descriptive title; lüunber One is

calJ.ed, rfThe Dancirg Fa5ry-tal€trr the seond bears the title of ilELf rs

Fairy-talert.

The fjrst plece is po\y-thernatic and considerably erctended. .

thsnatic developnent is brilliantly worked out in botJr pieces. Rl6rbhrnic

devices are imaglnative and i.ntri.grring. Cross-rhrbhms appear not only

ln the actual rtqrthmic patterns but aLso as a result of the melodic

phrasing. It wiLL be recalled that this was a special featrrre of mary

of the dances in the ttForgotten l&lodiesrr sets.

An example of this duaL-c,ross-rtSrthd.c technLc is fotrnd in the

openjng of the first ptece:

L53

EXAMPLE 77t ÜP.

Ithenever luledtmr rrites a dance-rnelody t*ris cross-rhybhn technic i-n the

melod:ic phrase is cerball to appear. Thus, in naly dance tunes of the

first fajrqy-tal-e of Opus lr8 t'fris technic is present:

H(,AI'{PIE JBa: Op. hB, #f EXAMPIE ?Bb:

EXAI'IPIE 78c:

The dance maLoff in Erample ?Bc appears ln tJre first large section of

t}re piece. It is a fast-moving, light-steppirg dance heard against a

lirp of open-fiftlrs on C. The open-fifühs are ln this rtqrthmic pattcrnl

J {LffJThts bass-lirp is the substance of the dance-beat for ühe 5b neasures

of the rrlt'|estott section, In the niddte sesbion of the piece the

f.ight-qutck-paced darce (ncarpfe |Bb) l.s transforrred lnto a rnartial,

sombre variation ln the key of C rnj.nor:

iF

4l

T,I+

UGMPTE ?9: oP' hB, #1

Using the same frarework the ttrerp is then heard i.n C l'trajor and, finally,

a re-statement of tt fo]-lows as lt first appeared in t]re openjlg section.

Contrasting with the quick, lLve1y trrnes already quoted is a

ItcarrtabiJ.err lire wtrich follows jnunediately the trPrestorr dance:

DUMPIE BO: 0p. l+8, #f

TLre ljne contLnues to move in descending seqrrences of the last two

neasures above. Ttre trPrestorr tune appears again and closes this section.

A ner,r section begins and a new relo{y is jntroduced, but one

that is in the style of the iltuestotr tune:

HUI,IPIE 81: Op. bB, #I

Thj.s ner melo{y is ajlso transformed as was the rrPrestorr tune discussed

above. It appears in minor srd then it beones the subject of a fugato

passage wlth entrances at the second and for.rth. thj.s contrapuntal

parb is ttren fol.lored by the nartLal arranger€nb of the,Ithestotr tune.

Stü.Lt anottrer Ldea appear{r n€ar the close of the piece - a heaq1,

{2nrL,c

l{!air. vv).- Vv(

laU<t. tst- t??

L55

ffheelil dance fui a broadened 3/B neter indicated hy lledtner as 3/B = Z/Bt

F,IAMPIE 82: 0p. li8r #1

Ttre piece js stnrctrned by alternations of dance-t;rpes and thei-r

d,eve3.opmenüal variatiorrs. A diagrarn of the oy€r-alL scheme reveals a

baLance of contrasts w'ithix eactr najor section and the architectonic

stnrcture of ttre piece as a wholel 1.6., the fjrst dance frames the

mrsical edlfice and a new idea, strong and dramatic (Dance 5) is

resenred for the cLimax.

Characterlstlc of l&dtnerrs harmonlc voc4buLa4y in the dances *.previorsJy analyzed the harnorlp of trThe Dancing Fa5:ry-talerr is free from

corplexities, llre piece renrains, for the most part, ln C l'lajor rcith

sorp borro'red harnpnies ln sequenbial passages.

The rr$Lf FejJqf-talerr ls snaller ln dimensions tban the flrstpiece of the set and lt, too, has zuperb ecarnpLes of ttrenatic development.

1\oo rclodLes are introduced in the beglnning sect'ion of the piece, Ttrey

are sird.lar in rffihmic contercü ard gernral contorr:

'mrA 6C1. itoa

0:Ä

N

cE

I

{'

funr" f

Ev. 8l

t<itJrril

0AtcE

+ctfr,

l4acc 2l

Fv,7j

|Aa"tJVa/.

Daqcc 2 ---

i)o'.ec I --

\uec,2

D^.c d

Fy. yL

P1.sq.r'fe-

t56

D(AMPIG B3a: Op. bB, #Z

EKIIMPLE B3b: Op. I$, #Z

rte secona exanpre appears in varied forms throtrghout the piece. Firstit is adorned in a qrrickened rhybhnic passage, then it is accorpaniedby a ctrromatic terbr:re:

EXAMPLE B!a: Op. l+8, #2 H(AMPi,E Blü: op. I+8, lfzllt^t. Lc-Io Itu't. tot.-to{-,

the general design of the plece ls linear rnith arpeggiated chonds

and clrromatic scale-lines. The cadence Ls an authentic v _ r over.atordc 1rdal. Ttre r.epeated-note ldea is nezy nmctr in pronJnen:e.- Ttre

5rnage of the 'tcapricious eJ.frr, finally, ls comrincingly pr.ojected inthe piece by alternating e:pressive passages with ltght, ngiocoson ones.

rn the follorirg r€arr Lg2B, Medtner rrrote a sat oi tt"." pleceslOzus L9r ulaich he calLsr |tlhree llyms on lfork.rr The first one is a

lryrnn trbefore worktr, the second, rlHylrur at the Ar?.ilr!, the ürird, ,I{y-rn

after trüork' rr The pieces do not connote the traditionaL id,ea of labonsongs with thelr frenzied exciterent, Rather they enboff a mood ofsereniff, caln and sanctlfljng reverence. To ach:leve tlris l{edtner usesthe slrprest technLcal leans rithouü obnious or even subtle corprexiüies.

l.li

'lI

IJ

A

\ll.-t. vi. ;t

t57

The ttrree pisces are jn C Major, ti-ne signatr:res used are 2/b and lrl+'

fte rrSd}rrnlc vocabr,il.a:y contajrrs no ingeniorrs patterns. lhe fjrst

and thlrd. pieces are rtsrbhrnicaSJy consümcted on a slcbeenth-note

scale-ljne notion in the accolpaniment llne against a nrelody set sirrpJy

to quarter and eighüh notes. the second. pl-ece in b/b is basical'Jy

stmct'red on ä moving of eighth notes againet a nel-ody rhrbhrdcal\y

encased as si-lrp\y as the orther pieces of the set'

ltre nelodies in eadr tnprn are resenred Ln contour, unadorned and

quite ocbeerded. UnLilce most of }hdtnerrs p5ecese the Opus l+9 inf'nns

are npno-thenatic and it is the rrrnsne-lhsrp't that constitutes the essence

of eactr piece. An examinatlon of the relodies iLearly reveals thejr

utrnost sinplicity. An absence of chronatLcisrn and attention to symnetri-

caL bal,ance in Lire and rtybhn are the notable featlres that contribute

to the si:rple qualiff of each melody:

EtUt'iPlE B5a: Op. h9t #L

Ev, Xib'. 0p'v1,'tb.a ( tn-s. f 'to)

+ ':r/ -<--l-

Et, tl c '. oIrL-<--:

(yt.r, {- v)

Tlre neloQy of the first hJrmn (EKaIIele 85a) conti:mes for sixteen

ngasures in a sprunetrlcal rel4tionslnlp to the flrst phrase' For exan-

pIe, t}le second eight-reasure llrE degcends (ftre f:rsü phrase moved

ulfiard. ). Tlre rtry-thn of tfue flrst lpasure in ttre seeond phtrase isi

I

I

I

t

I

158

identical to ttre second npasure of the openi:rg l-ine. Part of the hynn-

3'ine is in tft" E-flat tonal.ity. Ttrrough a series of sequences on frag-

nents of the melody the C-I[,ajor harmorgr returns lrit]r a Literal state:rient

of the hrym. ftre piece is beautifully balanced by the insertion of atrbelL-toJ.lfurgtt, four-rpasure introduction which appears befor"e the re-

güatement of the hyrle and again'at the cLoge.

The second trürnn, ItAt the Anvilrt, is more heauiJy terbured, lrith

a syncopated accorpani:nent part that is boüh linear and chcrdal:

H(AMPLE 86: Op . bg, #Z

Ttre effect achieved fu th:is accorpaninrent pattern against a simplo

rBLodic line is a vitalizing motion and energizlng action. lvith the

ocception of sixteen nxlasures this pattern is present ttrrougfiant the.

pfuce. In the sjJüeen rreasures dren the pulsating motion is inter-

nrpted the treble Llne becomes nrore actlve rrith drromatj.c octave-fl""

and sixüeenth-note movernent.

The neLody of the trArnrilil hrrnn (ExanpLe 85b) appears in four

rnodjJied versions, First, it is heard one octave h5.gher and enriched

by chords tn the louer register of the treble. The second tfurp lt is

sta,ted ln the dornL:carrt key, the ttrird presentation ls in C-major mith

han:uon:ic variationr änd fiJra{f at the close, it ts adorrred by an

ornamental line above as illusürated in this exmple:

w. b9, #z

'llv.t,'l0"tl

L59

BIOMPIE B?:

This lynr, too, begins rittr a fcur-nsasure latroörction w}.Iich is not

heard again in'the Piece.

The nost col-orful of the tlree hnTms is the thjId, ttltrlrn After

ttrork.rr After a four-measure jntroduction on a descenöng chromatic

scale-Li:re the reJ-ody atrryears against a mnnilg sixbeenth-note scale-

3.ine passage in the bass. The melo{y is t}ren taken up w the bass

and the treble acconpanirent is ttre sarne ae tire one heard in the bass

previous\y. ID the niddte section the first neasure of ttre iymn rnelody

is developed at great i.ength in varied harrpnic settings and with nodi-

fied rhythn:

EfAMPI,il BBa: op. L9, ll3 D(At'Pia BBb: op. l$, /f3

Trno {yrurnlce coleistic effecüs are included in the thjrd h$rrrln.

The flrst js a chrornatic scale rrcon strepitott that extends over three-

forrths of ttre kegrboard., heard furmecLiately before the ro-staternent of

the intnoduction and neJ.oQy. At the cllose of this recapituLation a

second chronaüic passage is introduced. Solid chords in both hands

noving chrornatj-caIly and in contrary mtion usher in a coda section

of arpeggios in varied patterns on the tonl.c chord. It is lnteresülng

ttrat, in keepirg with the inspirational nature of the pleces, tbe

cad,ence of each iyrnr ie plagal.

L60

Tlre slx fairy-tales of Opus 51 are dedicated to Zolushka and

,Ivarrushka, two of the most beLoved personages jrr hrssi-an national

lore and corrnon\y referred F ." Ciaderella and Ivan the Fool. Ihis

last set of fai-ry-tales is f\r1l of relodj.c charm, grace and nobility.

In arry of the tales that are directly nelated to nrssian Life and

thought I'bdtnör prcJects a quality that is rurdatiably authontic, The

lndivj.duality of hls nelodic stnrcture, his rhythn and harmorric vo-

cabuJ.ary are €J(pressed rrith graceful ease and naturalness when his

inspirat'lon spr5ngs flom russian ties. The reason for this is that

the characterlstics of }&edtnerts art in terms of technical derrices

coincide in large measure lrith the teclurica1 characteristics of the

nrssian folk-song. this fact was evidenced in the hrssi-an Fairy-tale,

Opus lf, No. 1. fn a more striking nrarner d.oes it reveal itself in the

0pus !L set'. conconitant with ühe mssian qrality is the western-

orientated princlpLe of thenratic developlrent. Each tale is basically

stnrctured on an evolution of the glven folk hrne. .

The foLk reJ.oQy of the first plece in the set is in D-rninor.

Here ls found the repeated-note ldea, syncopated rhyührn, irregu3.ar

nelodic phrasingp repetition scherne ln phrase stnrctures - aI[ ctrarac-

teristics of the nrssi.an nelos:

EIilI{PLE 89: Op, 51, #I

ltre trrne is then repeated, followed bf mrlti-varied forms of the whole

or part of the nailo{y. rn the follontng exanples the fork tune is

161

first augmerbed; seoond, its brisk style js transformed into a legato,

ir6plggrr mood ancl two rreasures only are worked through a series of

sequences; final\y, a contraprrn te:rbure is created by one Line in

augmenbation against a li.ne in ttre original meter:

D(IMPLE POa: Op. 5]-, lft

EIUIIPLE pOb: Op. 5i;'., #I

EIAI4PIE 90c: 0p. 5t, #t

The nature of the folk rnelody ln the thixd fairy-tale is more

ctrordaL than the fLrst. the rhybhnlc schere, botever, is siniLar:

"lru:ir, jö7'to1

I!t;iit:i,t62

ElmfiPLE 9l: Op. 5]-, #3

Here, too, the. developrent of the folk tune constitutes ttre principal

content of the piece. fire fifth and siJcbh neasures of the rrel-o*ic line

are given exbensive developnent. First, the mellodic segrent in question

is heard, followed b5r a reazure related to the nelodic stmcture. This

in turn is followed by the nelody of ühe first nea,sure beginning with

the second note:

H('AI4PLE g2z W. 5:-, #3

33ltt".t. 10.

This Ls repeated and the repetition is follo'red by a developrnent of

the third to sj:rüh n€asur€ of the foLk tune alternating between treble

and bass throrgh a series of sequences. Ttre foLk tune then returns in

the original kef accorpanied by ttre tonic chord arpegglated jn staccato.

the rneloff of both the fourth and si:rbh pieces erphasizes the

repeäted-Dote idea. Tlre fourth fai-ry-tale ls l.rr F#-minor, ttre si:rth

ln O-l4ajor:

r63

UßMPLE 93a: Ctp. 9:., llb

DßMPIE 93b: Op. 5]-, #6

Both tunes are fj.ve neasllres in phrase J.engtlr. Tire F#-minor nelody

repeats a third higher thus pLac5ng it in an A-najor setting - a charac-

terlstic procedr.lre of }bdtner. lhe O-naJor neloQy conüirmes i.n a broken

chord-line of C-n4Je, thus establistring a plagal relati-onship with G.

This, too, is characteristic of Medtner.

ltre first folk tune (Exanple 93a) is developed canonicalJy.

The orre ln G-MaJor (Exarnple 93b) appeare ln various forns. ft is

written t'rith some nodjfication against ascending scales and, in another

section, it appears in a broken octave conte:cb:

EXAI,IPIE gbaz Op. 5]-, #6

1ll'ns. tOt' ro{

161+

El$MPtE thb: op. 5L, #6

Ttre F#-minor trure ln the flfth plece again nstj.fests the sanre l4edtnerian

procedures in lninor-scaLe relodles, i.o,p lorered leading-tone and

shiftiag to the relatlve major tonality:

EI$MPIE 952 Op. 5L, #5

Five of ttre six pieces begins with an inürtducüion. l'trost of

the introÖrctory passages are different firon the rnain structr.re of the

piece i'n terrns of textur^e, rnelo{y and rhyühm. The harmonies enrp3-cyed

are normally suspended tonalitl-es that ultirrate\y resolve to the tonlc

at the end of the passage.

In ühe fjrst piece the open5ng terbure is J.egator the rhytLunic

pattern is a series of four-sixteenth not,es to each beat in 2/1, tqus

contrasting with the staccato terbure and syncopated rtSrthm of the

maln theme. The harmonios are wlthil the frarnework of the borror,red

dominant of V. In D-nlnor thls is the tonaLity of A. Tire Lntroduction

ffna[y resolvee on e clear V - f iadence j-n D-rd.nor:

13t- tgf

ß5

DUMPTE g6z Op. 5]-,1.tu'.J'

(cf. nxarptellt-+

Be)

\--_i-zThe second fatry-tale of the setr r'6itten in A-minor, bears a

slgnature of one shary, thus placing the tonality in the Dorian rnode

stnrchrre. Its twelve-measrre introduction also contrasts r,nith the

basic stmcture of the piece in terrüwaI and rtryttrnic patterns. l'[e].odi-

callyr horever, the introduction qutlir€s the prSncipal tune wtrich

foJ-lorls 5:rnedi.ately :

E](AMPLE 97a: Op. 5]-, #2

EXAMPTE 97b: Op. 5]-, #2

The harnpnies in the lntroductlon are clear\y I and V? - in the natural

nlnor rpde of A.

The short Lntroducto,ry passage in the fourbh pisce, urrl-jlre the

two. inüroductions already discussed, Ls incorporated. in ttre nain stnrc-

ture of the conposlüion and given considerable developnrnü along with

the foLk reJ.o{y, Harrnonically, lt is set Ln a r - v contexb of F#-ninor.

the leading-tore is oonspictrors\y absent frorn the V chord untiJ. the

t66

end of the introductory llne ul'ren the cadence is a solid V - I:$CAMPIE 98: 0p. 5L, llb

In ttre fifth pfuce t*re tripLet acconpani-rnental figure constitutes

the nain idea in the introduction. A cross-rlqrtlinic pattern Ls erpLcgred

hero:

D$MPIE 99: 0p. 5L, #5

llre four-npasure introductory passage j.n the Ei.:sbh piece presents

the repeated-note ldea of the foLk tune accorpanled by a progression of

chords that exernpltfles superbly ttre tectrnlc of harmonic proS.ongatlon.

Here the dotnlnant harnnrry ls prolonged tJarrugh a series of passing

chords and a doninant pedal, appearing at the thiJd measure, senres to

sol-idiflr the donrinant mund. The suspended series f,inally rests on the

tonic at the opening of the principal section:

lrl"z't. t- t-

'ltt"err. t-u

].:67

EKAI4PIE 100: 0p. 5t, 116

'l'tU.s, t.i> --2

The sense of anbicipation creaüed by the harznonic franenork of these

lntroductions exerpLi-fies Medtnerts fine sense of stnrctural values.

Not on\y does Medtrer nantfest a sinilarily rrith Robert Schunrann

in rhyührnlc derrLces and in his i^nterest in a fanciful, poetic atmos-

phere as the Fairy-ta1es ocempliff but a1sol like Schurrunn, lledtner

was inspired to rrite rnrsic fe children. In the latter parb of Schumannrs

Life he wrote the h3 pJ.eces of the Albun for the Young. l"ledtner, too,

in the sEcond-Lralf of his li;fe r'rrote eight pieces uhich he titled,rrRomarrtic Sketches for the Youngn. The eight pieces are divided lnto

four books, two pieces Ln each book. Eactr piece has a descriptive titte,

the fjrst piece of eactr book is in the maJor mode, the second is jn

miror. Lil€ ti€ Album for the Yqnr.r,e eactr piece has son€ techrri.cal prob-

Lem, and eadr piece ts clothed nith an j:nagjnative, poetic spirit and a

sense of wonder. In these miniatures there are no harmonic obscurities,

no heavy chromaticisn in the mdloöes, no ertended passages and no conplex

devel.opnents. There is, ho'rever, an abundance of noble beauty and ar-

tistic sfurplicit'y nade conprehensible to tlre your€ W an open texture

of sJnpJ,e Lines ard liLting rhybhm.

It ts not knorn for hor yotrng a plryer I'bdtner intended his

sketches. An exarntna'bion of the mustc readily nalces clear t*rat a p).ayer

168

noeds sorp proficienry to plef the pieces. The Alburn of Schumann,

reveals the composerrs abiJ-ity to speak musical\y irr an elementary yet

none the less artistic language. Medtner never expresses hjmself in

elementa^ry terms. His most light-hearted mornents betrry his rrarlti-

faceted outlook on rmrsic. Thus, while the Romantic Sketches are

stnrcturally and technically sirple in comparlson with l,iedtnerrs other

works they neverbheless require a certain amount of nmsical nraturity

for fuIL comprehension. They might compare more accurate\y rrith

Schurnannrs Scenes from Childhood which can best be interpreted by an

adult utro is young at heart.

. The two pieces of Book One off-set one another by a contrast of

ideas. The firsü piece is a pastorale prelude jn A-Flat major and the

secord, in C-minor, is caIled 'rThe Little Birdrs Fairy-ta'lsrt. The tex-

ture of the first piece is a nrnning line of sixbeenths against relodic

lines that are constructed in a free, open sbyle. fuamples of these

nrelodi-es are as follolrs:

H(AIFLE L01a: 0p. 5L, T, #I

Dill'PIE 101b: 0p. 5lr, I, #I

There is a Schunannesque character to tJle first example u-ith its diatonic

skips ard syncopated effects. It resenbles somewhat the relodic Ljne inlfuiüer ä of the .Llbum for t}re Toung:

.t

'?t\ta. 17- 11"

t69

EX'Al'trLE L02: Schurnann (Aluurn for Young) - /tZt

Tkre second melody, indicated in Eranple 101b, appears in a

development section within a typical l,ledünerian frarework of ljnear and

vertical motion:

EXIl"lPtE 103: Op. 5U, I, #L

Medtnerrs po\yphonic thinking is clear\y seen i:r a simllar treatrnent of

the sa^rne relody:

FJ(AIVIPLE 10[: 0p. 5]+, t, #t

Ttrus, even in a piece of hB bars, which is the lerrgth of the Pastorale

Prelude, Medtnerrs predilection for thematic development is present.

finthermorer even in a rniniature such as this these devices evolve

freeJy ard naturally lrithort arry forced effect. The piece ends with

/-

170

a canonic scale-line for both hands just before the rv - v cadence.

The secord piece, 'rfhe Little Bjrdrs Fairy-Ta'terrr is thinly-texbured with two gay, free\y sklpping melodies and sorp syncopation:

EXAI"PLB IOSaz Op, 5L, I, #z

EXAI-4PLE 105t: 0p. 5l+, I, #?

v'(-;l

The first meloQy

DUIArc 3"06: Op.

is delicately ornamented as follolrs:

5h, r, /12

Ttre second nelo$r is accor,panled by a scale-line in sjJcbeenths and,

followed by a series of ttbiJd cal'lstt alternating with the first melo$r.

The ftbird callrt is depicted by embelllshed slngle notes in octave skips:

ElilMPtE l-07: Op. 5b, I, #z

mus, t('lj

The piece is franed by a section skipping in a rhyttttn-ic pattern' --41

of ,fJ J.

In the second book of the sketches a contrast is achieved be-

trveen a stately |tsaraband Preluderr and a rtScherzo Fairy-ta1e.tr The

san

n

171

II

prelude of fifty neasures i

in tlre rhythmlc figure of

B-ldajor with the diatonic neloQy set

. This rffihnric motlf ls also present

throughout the accompanjment line, Medtnerls attention to li.:rear motion

is apparent in an ascend5rg accorpaniment Lj.ne against a sinple, d!a-

tonic nelo{y:

DUl,lPtE 108: Op. 5I+, II, #L

Characterlstic deviees of Medtner are nuch in evideice in th.e

rrscherzo Fairy-tale.tr The cross-bar phrasing of the opening nelody is

ururdstakably a Medtner 1abe1 as well as the contrapuntal treatrnent worked

out r,rittr the same nelody. hesent, too, are harmonic changes within the

polyphonic web. For exanple, after the presentation of the neloff in

E-nrinor a canonic texbure is initiated with the first entrance on the

dom:inant and the second on the lowered lea*ing-tone of E-rn:i.nor. If the

harrnonic outlook of B-minor is preferred at the canoni-c entrances then

the passage after the second entrance contains the lowered lead:ing-tone

of B-rainor since this second passage is in a setting of D-najor.

'rJhen, furbher on, the canon begins again jn a B-nrinor setting the second

entrance begins on the raised Leading-tone of B-rainorr this tirne jn a

L72

df-rainor setting. Both examples are here illustrated:

EiilI'iPLE 1O9a: Op. 5lir rr, ll2 ExAl4PrE 109b: 5h, rr' #2

T'liis type of abmpt modal interchange specifically around the leading-

tone i-s a citaracteristic point jn Medtnerrs harrnon-ic thought.

The pralude in the third book is called rrTender Reproach'r and

its texbure consists basically of scale-lixes in a chromatic conter'b.

The first two measures typiff the content of the rest of the piece:

DilIfPIE 1J0: op. 5b,, ].TI, #l

tr\pther on a setting of a simi-Lar te:rbure ls found in C#-niinor -

a rpdi-ant relationship r,rith the tonic of A lilajor. Again, Medtnerts

consciousness of Linear contrast and qrmmetry is apparent in such

passages as this one:

i

1

I

I

)

%L^t. 4f - t7')1L*3 . 17-

J;-i.r..-Jo yI*,1 'e^?'o.

173

EXtü{pIx L[1: 0p. Jfu, tII, ll\.pL&r, .r0

Here a chronratic descending rine in the bass moves contrary to anascendjng line of for.rths and fifths.

variety in ünity is achieved by presenting the treble line ofthe opening section ill d'imirnrtion against the orlginal bass. T'is occi:rsin the re-statement of the theme at the cLose.

Itrhe Ba*e1-organ-pleyer Fairy_tale' wtrich is the second. pieceof Eook rrr is a humorous plece r,rith its shifting frorn diatonic tochromatic settings for the same tune, abnrpt alternations of major andrdnor tonalities, and progression of successi_ve dorninants. that l,ledtnererphaslzes plagal harnpnies, prefers the natural rninor mode and relateskrys around ttre l0wered leadir:g-tone is not surprising. the unlquefactor j-n the piece is the nulti-varied hannonic settir:gs for the samemeloff. t?re little tur:e is r{rybhnrical.\y patterned after the merody inthe first prelude of Book r and the harmonic content is D_rninor andF-I'Iajor - a rnedlant relationshj-p:

F,XAI\PIE 112: Op. fl+, lIT, #z

r FlLI4

The sarie idea is repeated a fifth lorver, the relationsirip thus being

plaga]-. The ne>Ct appearance of the tune shorvs chromatic cha4ges in

the rnelody and the D-nü:ror tonality is coupled ltith 'tNeapolitan[

harmorries; äs €äef, transition into c-ninor ntrich is the nexb harmonic

setting for the ülne.

after a definitive D-minor cadence a nebl tune is introduced,

quieter in mood but related structura[y to the first n'eIo{y:

EXAI,IPIE IL3: 0P. 51r,, IIT, #2

Ttre hartnonic setting here js an A-minor tonality with er'rphasis on tho

natural mode. A new textr:re is introduced jn the coda. Interl0cking

sirteenths support a new song-like melo{y and the harrnon:ies are clearJy

V - I in D-rnlnor with some interplay on ttre borrowed dominant of V'

I"ledtnerts change of movement frequently found il his codas serves to

add a tone of i-:rtensity to the nusic uirich, as in his introductory pas-

sages, jJ-lustrates his sensitive Concern for stnrctural values'

The rrllymn heludet' - the opening piece of Book fV - reseinbles

the structure and terrbr'rre of t'be three wr'sls of opus h9' especialLy

IfumberOneofthesetrrrfi;,rninBefore!üotk'ftlnbothpiecesthesarne

sinplicity j-n melod:ic contour and harnonic content is present' i{ere,

too, the rclodic line is unusua-lly exbended and accompanied by broken

ctrord-LLnes in sixteenths. The middle section of both pieces moves

through the f:lat keys notabiy F-nrinor and E-Flat major. The cadence

in the tTllr:rnn Preluden manifests a trNeopolitantt setting and coneern for

voice-leading, The progression of the bass-Line at the cadence

L75

i-Llustrates lledtnerrs modal outlook:

EXAI,{Pffi 11h: Op. 5b, W, #I

An jnterchange of 6;8 and 3/l+ is the higfrlight of rrThe Beggarrs

Talerr - the last piece of the Rornantic Sketches. lhis i:rterchange isquite obvious in ttre melodic line which opens the pieco jn the natura-l

mode of E-ninor:

EXAI@IE 115: 0p. 5b, w, #Z

Phrase-lengths rcve j:r groups of three bars rather than traditional

four bars. The accompanimenb line is characteristic of Medtner r,rith

erphasis on the llrear aspect resulülng here, and in most of his writing,

in the harmonic prolongation technic. characteristic, too, is the

repetition of the relogr a third higher thus shifting to the relative

najor tonality. The second repetition fo]-lows stiLr a third higher

resulting in a shift to B-minor.

flne rhyttrmic subtleties nnde possible by coröining 6/8 and 3/Lt

are vast. One example ntrictr l,fedtner erploys as a uni$ing device inthe piece is ttre juxbaposition and frequent simultaneous ocgtrrrence of

t'lrese tno rhybhrnic figures ?

L76

ffirnn ,T)),H1 )',Tfr1 THJ

The fjrst pattern is present in every section of the piece. The alterna-

tion of tne 3/\ pattern r*lth the 6/8 one ocqrrs tr,rice jn the first

section and is the onJy rhybhn'dc idea in tire closing section. The

exar4ple below taken fron the closing section furbher illustrates the

ingenious noi-ce-leading of the lines:

ffiAI,IPtE 116: Op.. 51r,, fr|, /12

The [Romantic Sketctres for the loungrr were conpleted in 1933. wh!1e

I,nedtner was sti-LI in Franee. Tlrelve years passed between the'writjlg of

these pfuces and the next group of pieces in sraller forms that was to

be the last set in this medium. In 191+5r eight years before his d.eath,

Medtner r,rote tr1\,lo Elegiesrt, Opus 59. By tJeis tj:ne Medtner was happiJy

settled in London.

The two elegies are strikingJy siratlar in structure, relodles,

harmonic and rhybhnic eontent. The texbure of both pieces is rich in

dissonance r,rith a nringling of homophonic and polyphonic outlooks.

Accomparying lines to the rreJ.off are laid out in broad, rhapsod,ic sweeps

and highly virtuosic pessages. l^lhiIe unusuaL rhybhnic devices are absent

from ttre rmsj-c there are present, neverbheress, subtle rhythrnic

o(

TJ'

L77

figurations which result from tfre linear independence of the strrrcture'

A predornlnance of the repeated-note idea is visible in both pjeces'

The elegies begin in an identical rnnnerr the first in A-nrlnor, the

second in E-Flat m:inor:

EXAMPIE 11?: Op. 59, #L

The harnronic sutlook illustrated here is contj.rnred throughout both

pieces. At fjrst slght, the harrnony seens to be a complex structure,

but when examlned f-inearly, ttre line is actually sjrele. TLre harmorgr

can be reduced to a V - I stmcture. T?re openilg chord is not the first

harmoqp of the piece; rather, the first harnior{f is an imirlied V? :f

A-ni:ror at the sj-rcbeenth r€st. fhis is readiJy adndssible by the fact

tSat the opening pattern of the first measure follows the V chord at

the end of the Phrase.

The two elegi.es illustrate i.n a striking neliner Medtnerts harrnonic

effect of suspending a harmory of reposer such as the tonlct over a long

phrase. lbis he does by movlng f.inese sometines i-ndependent3y and sollie-

tjrnes sj.mrltaneouslyr through a serles of non-harmonics unttL the

phrase ter:ninates on an unndstakable chord of rest. It is precisely

tkr:is type of eortended zuspension ttrat creates the feeljng of tension

and pathos.

Medtnerts genius for thematic developrpnb is cLearLy present

in the two elegies. The opening measure permeates the

b.y appearing in varied forms, sometinres in an rragitatorl

178

entire structure

contert, at

other times in a trcarrtabilerr rnood:

EXA},IMN 11BA: OP. 59, #T F.TAMPLE ILBb: AP. 59, #T

At the end of the second e1ery an ingenious polyphonic develop-

ment is wor{ced out on the same opening bars:

EIiAII)IE 119: 0p. 59, llZ

l{edtnorrs preference for the rrNeopoLltanrr harmory at the cadence is

lllustrated in both piecesr

C a rrt,r b,l o

t.r.ttt! -S

l', r o l*lo

WA. t|lrttt

j-79

EXA},TPIE 12Oa:

''l|/r.rt. t O7

op, 59, llLi 111,,.g. lol

r:'l

/t'l2?,rt = I gt l,:'L_+_l FI{ü(

Fjxally, the OErs 59 p:eces epitornize Medtnerrs western, romanrtic

affiliations. Lile the rrThree tlynnstt of Opus h9 tn:-s rmrsic is con-

stnrcted on a single strand of inspiration nirich evolves from one forrn

to another in a natural nanner. Lacking sudden conürasts jn texbure

the rmrsic projects a thorough-composed stmcttre.

Thus, ttre pieces from Op'us 3h mani-fest a conposer in the fuII-

ness of his a:f . These sets do nob form a separate period of ]'ledtnerrs

creativity such as is seen jn the development of Scriabinrs and Stra-

v:inslryrs writing. With l{edtner there }ras never ary deviation from

the canons and creeds to wfilcir he subscribed. Horever, it is in these

later pJ.eces that the principles and outLooks nanifested in l&edtnerls

rmrsic are crystalllzed and realized definiteJy as hallnrarks of lubdtnerrs

art.

sui'ntAnr Ai{D coNclusIoN

fn the light of this study we are led to say that the elements

of }fedtnerts pianoforte styfe spring flom two trad:itiorrs; the one,

classical, the other nationaL. TLre off-shoots of the classical tra-

dition are idenüi-fied in general by }iledtnerrs consistent i-nterest in

stnrctural probleros. Specifical3y, this stress on stnrctr:re j.s seen

in the perfection of his phrases, t'heir qrru'netry aäd bdtance. Ilelo&lc

Unes are subjected to repetitions and seguences. The nelodic contour

is generally consenrative (triadic and scale-ljne) with frequent use

of repeated tones. Ttre rffihnic setting of the nrelodies nalcesthem

dlstinctive.

Developnenbal technics are particularly in the foreground of

Medtnerrs craft. Sma.Ller pieces are never flagrnentary. Ttle srna-Ilest

mjniatr:re ls a sel-f-evolving, organically uniiled rsork. lGdtner achieves

this by developing arg of the musical roaterial pnesented in the ecposi-

tion of the piece, Sometimes a short rrBlo&ic or rhybhrnlc motif of an

introductory line is developed erbenstvely, at other tines two melodies

or rhyttrmic ideas are treated si:r'nrltaneouslry or anLiphonally. trrlithin

the exposition itself imitatlon and developnent are er,ployed in order

to bind the stmcture of the piece together more cohesiveJy. The

dovelopmental devices are reaLized by pure contrapuntal means (imitation,

canon, f\rgato augmentation, di.mi:rution) and by an harmonic framer,rork

contratrnrntally conceived.

I'ledtnerrs harnnrqr breaks no ner,r ground, but it is singular\y

resourceful within the accepbed cansns. fts resourcefulness is d.efined

by a fusion of harnpnic sounds resultj.rig from the subtle erplqnrent of

181

suspensions and appoggiaturas and also rezuJ-ting fron the cross-

passages effected by the rhybhm nhich leads to renrarkable clashes. fnisLatter factor can be described. as a type of poJyphorgr tlrough rinrbhn.

Medtnerrs codas achieve the greatest jntensity of movernent by

tlre use of suspended harmonies and qrrickened rhythnlc motion. The

cadences a"e dlrect axd arciritectonic irl their reLation to the over-alL

structure of the piece. Princlpal motives appear frequently in the

coda and at the cadence.

side by slde the classical tradition in }bdtnerrs arb are

&rssian natiorral eLraracterj.stics. tlhil-e Bussian folk songs are not

literaJ-Jy quoted in Medtnerts rmrsi-c esthetic and..technical facbors ofthe Russian melos are there poreserö, The hrssi^an jrrfluence is seen

when the malodies are stated directly, withort ary developmental treat-ment. Augnented' r,eIoöc inberrrals of a second. and folrrbh are frequentlyused. Repetition of short, nerociic ideas and a ryncopated., rlrygrnrlc

context, all in*icativa of the &rssian style, are found.

Especia[y jn tonaliV is ]ledtrerts art orientated to Rrrssian

tlllslc. Ihis is na.rri:fested by pJ.agal and moclal tendencles, a shiftingfrom l4ajor to nri.nor, consistent use of the natural forrn of the rnjnor

scale and a de"ernphasis of the 1ea*i:rg-tone. Rl5rbhndc complexities and,

the use of ixregular neters, characteristic of hrssian rmsic, are a-1so

parb of Medtnerrs u-ritilg. An exbra-rousica-L connection between l{edtner

and his corntry is ttre frequent quotation of rürssian poets and, folkcharacters in ttre progranraing of his music.

Apart from the cl,assical and national j-rrfluences, redtnerrs

mrsic shous an affiliation nittr nineteen-cerrbury romanticism. the

182

titles of rnary of the pJ.eces shorü an attraction for the character pieces

of the west. Coloristic effects in rhapsoüic texbr:res and f3-asnjng

sequences are identj-fied rith the ronantic style and are found jn

Iledtner I s nusic.

I{edtnerts association with Bralurs ls found in cerbaln rirythmic

inrrenbi.ons (cr.oss-rhytirnrs and heniola) and a general classical outlook.

Ttre inspiratj.onal content of rnarry of his pieces, tlie hamtonic technic

described above and novel rhybhms compare Medtner to Schumann. lledtnerrs

Link with Beethoven is founded on the developmental technic and accent

on forn.

Medtnerrs position and inportance in the area of keyboard nmsic

are not determined by his sin-i-larities with the great masters of the

past. Rather, they are fornded on hjs contribution to rorsic and the

acceptance of his art. l{edtner contributed nothilg rrnewrr to nnrsical art

i-n terms of rrrhat his contenporaries, weaqr of the traditional formsr lrere

looki-ng f or. Hence, he was accepted by an elite felr. Brat, every a::bist

contributes scrnething new by the art of his creati:rg his unigue erqires-

sion through a formal medium. lledtnerts position is not rrecognized

among ttre forer,pst kryboard trriters but, on the evidence of his music-.

he has bequeathed to keyboard literature a host, of pieces substantial\y

sound in pianlstic invention and rich jn mrsical thorght. 0n the basis

of th;is analybical stuff lt ts belLeved that }tledtnerf s importance as a

corposer rests on his uniqrre style of a fusion of western and Russian

qualities.

BISIIOGRAHIT

hrssian l"hrsic. New Iork: Charles Scribrrert s0nL.

1.

Abrahan, Gerald.Sons, 1939,

Abratram, Gerald.t936.

Studles in hrssian Ifusic. Iondon: lüilIiam Reeves.

Appreciationrrr Termo, No. 22:

Glinkars }fuseum of l6.rsical

His l"fusic. The S'i;orv oflondon: Oxford Unlversity

3.

h.

b.

6,

7.

8.

9,

L0.

Alexander, Arthur. nN. l,ledtner. An3-l+, W:nter t5L-152.

Ardrives of Nicolas !.fedtner. Mosco.lu:Cultrrre. Available.

Asarr""liÄ, *T#rH#äs6rF beginnine or trre lerh centurrr.

Austin, Ml.chael. 'rN. Medtnerrr' &9 cangr, i:3}T-go, Iuarch, 1952.

Bertensson, sergei and Jry lryda. sergel Eachrnaninoff. Nelr york:New York University press, tgff_

Bord, 9. M. _ t'lledtner Reconsideredrr Monthly }fusical Record..

B2: Z60-l+, December, L9SZ.

Bo5rdr |{coIm' ItB"..songs of N. r{edtnerr" }fusic & Ietters. xLüJ(Jarara4p, Ig65), 16-23.

calvocoregsir-M..^D. A survey € Russian lrüsic. New rork: pengu:inBooks, l91JJ.

LL. CoLLaer, Pau1. A Historrr ofDun-Lap, tg9f,-_- -

12' GersüIe, Hen4,r s. 'rl'{ed.tner :Td-Itu lfusicrtr @r!c_44 Recond ggiggIII (Jarmary, 1938), 337-339,

13. Goedicke, A. F. (ed.). Conplete fq@ished tr'Iorks of l4edtner. 12 voIs.Moscow : GoverrunentlffilElsfrrns-iousil TgW6b.- -

1l+. Hannan, ,4.1ec and lliljrid. I"lellers. I'lan andlhe lr,tus:Lc+l ecperience in theJiästffi'siiF@.-

Harbog, Hor,rard (ed.). Du.ropean !fusic in the T.vrentieth centurr-NIen York: Frederfc*Tr6!6FrTnc., IfF- +-

Holt, Richard. Medtr:er gq:d His Music. A Tribute to the Great hrssianQomposer. GEä': -Tiffi'@lvannb,;ffi. ;:iUU'.

:

r5.

16.

I/iodern Ihrsic. New York: Grosset i!

17. HoLtr Richard, ttN. Medtrerrrr Grarnaphone, Zgr Jhg-50, December, I9Sl..

18. Holt, Richard (ed.). Nieolas Medtner. A triErte to His Art and' Persorrality. r,offisän]@ p5f

Jakowleff , V. Nikolai Medtner. I'loskaur L927.

Leonard, Bichard. A Hjstory of Rrsslan }&rsic. New York: The l{ac-nillan Conpar4p, ),957.

Letters of Nicolas Medtner. The Li.brary of Congress, unavailable-----T'eI6reTffi

lGdtner, Nicolas. lhe lvfuse and the fashion. A Defence of theFoundations oI-ThFFUTT ffiiöffins . -ÄfJEm. -Swil

Montagu-Nathan, M. Contqnpcrary Russian Cormcosers. Iondon: CecilPalmer & Haprard, !9L7 ,

Montagu-Nattran, l{. An Introduction to hrssian }&sig,. Boston: IeRoy-PhiJlips', J:9:-7:

Montagu-Ilathan, II. A History of hrssian lvhsic. London: liil-liantReeves, igt8. - #

Lg..

20,

2]-.

22,

23.

2\,.

25.

27.

28.

26. Nestyev, Israel V. Pr.okofiey. CaLi-fornia: Stanford UniversityPress, l-960.

Neygauz, 0. ttsovrenennik Slcyabina: Raldrrnani-novartt &!.g\gg,Ifuqrka, 25t 72-5t Noverrrber, L96L.

ttlz perepiski N. I{etnera i S. Raldrnrarrinovar[ Sovetskrya252 ?6-88, Novenber, I96L.

. t'l{qli o rabote pianista, N. l'letnerrrf SovetskryS l!31s,,75t BB-97, Noveröer, 1961.

Nobokov, Nicolas. 014 [figqqs gnd New }tusip. Boston: Little, Brown& Co. , :.:95:-,

3L. Pinsonneau3-t, Bernard. \ic_oles Medtne{

29.

30,

Montreal: Editions Beau

Russian }fusic.

gor@ggig.

Itrew York:32. Pougin, Arbhr:r. A Short Histlory of- iirentanots.- I9fF -33. Sabaneiev, Ieonid. ttl\,ro Critiquesr" SEig & Letters, VffI No. 3

(.ruly, Lg27 ), 328-33b.

3h. Sabanryeff, Ieonid, Mpdery ftrssian Conposjl's. Neu Tork: Inter-natiönaL zubrisfiäEl-lffi.

35. Sclrerok, Jeffreys. trNicolas Modtnerru & c*t"g, 32596-9t l'Iay, L950.

36. Sorabii, K. S. I'Medtnerr" {199!4 l[gig L932'

3?. Swan, Alfred J. ttl'lecltner and the ifusiq of Orr Tinesr" Slgig' Letterg, Vfrf (Jarmaryr 1927), It6-5U.

38. Truscott, Harold' ttllicolas Medtrrrr t' E Chesterj-an, 3Ltl-9,Sumrner, 1956.

39. \tn kd, Hubert (ed.). Testament of I'irsic. Essrys-and' Paper br&nest Nernrman. Ner'r%ffiLiFeälT.-Knopr t 1963.

!0. VasiSev. ttNicolas, l{edtner, - lbe }6rse and the Fastrionrr Sovetskayai{r.zilrka. 27z[-5o, August, L963.

IECTURE.RDCITAL

The con'poser ard pianist, Nicolas Karlovich I'ledtner, takes ltis

place in history among the so-caIled second generati-on of russian rimsi-

cians. These were tJre men who f ollowed Glinka, Tchaikowslgr, Rimslqy-

I(orsakov, Moussorgsltf and the Rubenstein brothers. Ttris second generation

ilcludes, among others, such composers as Liad.ov, Arenslcy, Glazounov,

Gretcirani-nov, Scriabin and Rachrnan:inov. T'hese men, and 1ledtner is j-n-

cluded among tttem, were trained in the two centers of mssian mlsical

activity durirg the last decade of the nineteenth century - the Moscow

Conservatory and the St. petersbr:rg Conservatory.

As a student at the luloscol.r Conserrratory }ledtner !,ras influenced by

the di-rector of the school, Taneiev uho was a rnaster of theoretical

counterpoint and a purist in conpositional procedures. fn Tanei-evrs class

Medtner developed a mastery of poJyphon-ic u'riting that was to beepne a

hallmark of his style.

ErrrolLed at the l{oscow Consertratory with lGdtner were Rachmafr-inov

and Scriabin. An inberesting and informati-ve artj.cle about i"Iedtner

appeared in the Novenber 1961 issue of Sovetskrya l&rzyka, the Soviet Ualonrs

musical publication. The title d the arbicLe is ilA Conteinpora:y of Scri_abin

and Rachman-tnov'tr The author views the three composers as contributors

to the further developnent of the Liszt and Chopin tradition and at the

same time he adrclts their vast di-fference in the means each of them chose

to uphold this tradition. ?he author speaks of Rachmaninov as the bril-liant vjrtuoso caught up in concert li-fe who found his id.o1 and inspirationin Tchaikowslqfi Rachmaninov, the romantic, wtrose creative flow was unstea{,r,

who reflLected the grand Lisztian manner in his colrposj.tio1. The apthor

187

speaks of Scriabin, also absorbed in concert life, also the ronranbic,

influenced by Chopin, Liszt, 'vtlagner, and later, Debussy' unlike P'ach-

maninov whose roots remained in western romanticisra, Scriabin pressed

further into regions of inconprehensible obssurities. Ttre emotionalisro

of both composers was self-conscious; their lives wäre fjLled with

neurosis and. depression. l4edtner, by conürast, possessed a balaneed

emotlonal life and preferred composing to concertizing although he did

not abandon performance entirel.v. Li-ke Raehrnan:ilov and Scriabin }Ied'unerts

art is linked uith the composers of the west. As Rachmaninov is trad,:i-

ticnally identified rith the flarobuoyance of Liszt and Scriabjl nith the

poetic delicacies of Chopin l,ledtner is associated lrith t'he introspection

of Schumarur and the craftsmanship of Bratrms. Such is the view of a

Sorriet r,rriter of our ti-Irp.I

Goj:re back to the r,rriters of Medtnerrs time ue find sinilar com-

parisors being made. Tn 19171 the Russian rlusical historian, I'iontagu-

Ilathan, obserrred that lrith Rachmaninov perfection of siructure appears to

have been onJy a secondary consideration. His teactrer, Taneiu.r, tigiaty

upheld the architectonic element of masic. I'[r. Nattran states that there

is a corposer who is to be placed between the trao. The composer is

Idedtner.2 Ten years later, Leonid Sabaneiev defined lrhat he terned.

10. N"yg"rrz, Itsowemennik Sloqyabina: RakLurnaninova,rr Sovetsk4rral,hzyka, November, L96I, pp. 12-75.

2l4ontagu-Nathan, Contemporary Russian Conposers (Lond.on: Palmer &Hqn^rard, I9r-7), p. 235.

188

trl'ledtnerismrr. His definition spealcs of rr. . . a deviation of the Ciropin-

Liszt-Scriabin path in the direction of Brahnrs-Schunann-Beethoven. ir3

After l{edtnerts death :-n 1951 most historians contirrued to place

hiin i:: the Gerrnan late romantic culture. ln 1957 Richard Leonard states

jrr his comprehersive history of Russian nmsic that trMedtner descended

fron Brahms and schnrnrann.rrh Leonard supports his thesis by f1r11n*

certain technical mannerisms of Bratrrns which are found in Medtnerrs rmsic.

He points out that the two composers are sirdlar il contrapuntal tech-

nj-cal procedur"esr deplqrment of chords and harrnonic texbure. Leonard

also finds the influence of the Russian folk idiom in l{edtnerts works.

Harold Truscott writes that rt . . . there is in much of (Ibdtnerts) work

lürat is perhaps as profound an eryression of and conqrentary on the

Russian spirit as one finds jrr the work of Dostoevs$r Tchekov, Prrshkin.J

and I\:rgenev.rr)

TLre latest commentary bn l4sdtnerts position appeared in the Janua:Xr,

1965 issue of ifusic and letters. Here }4alcolm Boyd speaks of lledtngrts

styJ.e as sprirrging from two main tradi-tions, the nineteenth century Gernan

idion and the Russian tradition. He speaks of the Medtner-Brairms conparison

with restrictions to cLassicaL outlook and the use of cross-rl1ythms. The

3I*otia Sabaneiev,p. 33h.

rrftao Critiguesrr, l&rsic and i,etlers, July, 1927,

lärsic (New Iork: Thel*Rirrroa A.. Leonard, A History of

l"iacmillan Qo., 1957), p. 3l+z:'Russian

P. 7.foaro1d Tnrscottr'rNicolas l,ledtnertr, fhe Chesterj-an, Sununer L956,

189

Beethoven j:rfluence he sees as more far-reaching in terros of sonata

stmctüre and. thematic development. In reference to the Rr'rssian traits

1"1r. Bcyd makes the point that r,rhile Medtner did not consqiouslf "' ' '

cultivate a tnational styler his national inberest l{as so rmrch a par"b

of him that the hrssian quality is unrnistakably present in his art.6

Medtner.wrote a book j;nJ!33 which he called The }fuse agl the

Fashion. Here Medtner compiled his beliefs, principles and phi"losopkry

of music. The thesjs of the book js suruned up irl this one statsrnent found

i:r the fjrst chapter: tr!'ihat is generally supposed to be artistic pro-

gress can be a movelent towards perfect5-on onJy when it cc,ntains no

deliberate departure from the sirnplicity of the f\rndamental senses of

"tt.tt? Qy ttsensesrr Medtner neans the inherent principles of music. This

was lledtnerrs rmrsical creed from whictr he never deviated despi-te the

changirrg views of the composers of his time. I4edtner, on prlncipler re-

fused to be caught up in the rapid tide of extreme ercperinentation lüich

existed in the narsical world of the early twentieth century in which he

Ilved. He stood as a solitary figure, reviewjng the strean ot r,usical

activity durlrrg the first four deeades of the twentieth century, convinced

ttrat new forms of eryression could be found within the o1d fra.rrrework of

r,rriting. This is perhaps the true basis of the linlc between Medther and

Br*rms. LiJ<e Brahms, Medtner sought to write i:r accepted fonis and,

6alcotm Bcyd, tr1he Songs of Nicolas l4edtnerrr,Jarruanxr, L965, pp. 16-22.

lfusic Letters,an{

TNicol-as l{edtner, fne Itrse and the Fashiog, (PhiJade1phia: HaverfordCoILege Bookstore, ]r9i]-)rE If

190

lrithjn the traditional frairewrcrk, to express what he felt. Ary deviation

from tJ:e traditional laws of rmsic t{edtner regards as a pseudo-ercpression.

He looks upon tonality as the foundation of nmsic and polytonality as

i:rcongruous. Tonality is defjned in his book as the foeal poirrt of the

musical language, consonanee ls the pivot and d:isscnance is meaningful

only ui'ren j.t relates to consonarree.

Throughout the boolc lvledtnerrs vierw are clearly stated with

regard to nnloff, harmor4p, rhybhm, form and there. Medtner places prirury

inporbance on the therre r,rhich he callsttthe kernel o3 1'6rlp.ilB irJhile he

attenpts to define other elen'enbs of the rmrsical language l.fedtner regards

the theme as ineffable and, therefore, beyond a definition outside itself.The thene may be embodied jn ar{f nusical element such as a rhybhnric pat-

ternr a coloristic effect, an harrnonic progressi-on or, nrore frequently,

a melody. trnlhatever fonn it takes it nrust be the central, nrotivating

force, the organizing prSnclple of the composJ.iion. Because it is so

organically involved in the structure of ttre work the theme is usua[y

realized by con'bining two or three elements. For example, in On. i*,irlo. 2, the organizing pri-nciple of the piece is at once the shorb,

rhybhnric nroti-f on a repeated-note and the po\ryhonic tocüure. Hence,

the therne is realized ln both rhybhm and texture. Throughout his dis-

cussion }ledtner i.s clearJy defending his position against the nnrsicaL

ir:novations of his time. Chapter fnree is excLusively devoted to ttfhe

Defence of the tr\rndamental Position of the Past fneory of ifusic.rr9

B*1g., p. 13.

9&ig..r pp. 56-6L.

191

The book is jndeed the ripened fruit of l{edtnerrs deep conrrictions of

the fundamental nature and purpose of mrsic and of the conternporar7

j-r:novations of his dry.

lrlhat, in defini-tion, are the elements uhieh constitute lGdtnerrs

pianistic sQ71e? To arrive at a clear and definite answer to this

problen we sha],] go directly to the music and exa.rrrine representative

pieces from a rnaJor category of Medtnerls pianlstic ortput, nanneiy, the

piano solo rmsic in smaller forrns. hle have ctrosen four from ttr.is reper-

tory wirich eolLective\y define the arb of Medtner. Our discrission of

the nusic and staten'pnt of conclusions are premised by l{edtner's position

in history as evaluated by his contemporaries anl the u-riters of our ou-n

tiJoe,

From the piano solo music in snaller forns the most popular and

best lonor'rn sets are the trskazlqytt, nisleading\y translated ttfairy tales.tt

f sry t'mislead5ng\r" because Russian folk-Iore lo:ows nothing of fajries.

The 1ea<iing role in the "skazlgr't is held by ritches, spirits of the water

and forest, nanrelous animaLs and monsters of every ki:,td. fne French

lrord, rrcorbesrr, is a more accurate synorgrm and the English word, legerrd,

would be more appropr3.ate. In speaking of },ledtnerls fairry taLes lvan

IJyin regards them as i.nbrospective works - that ls, tales of onets

operlenc€s - corrfllcts of the inner lije of a r*,10 Like schunann,

luledtner is well suited to the foLk tale atnosphere, 0f all his composi-

tions lledtnerrs faizy tales seem to be the most rernarkable for balanced

texbure and lnrfection of form. Ttreir Jyrical nature and quasi-narrative

I%icnoaLtd., f955).r pp.

AHolt, Nicolas lGdtner,1?5-iSö:-- -

Tribute (London: Dernis Dobson,

192

tone justi$' the tj-tle.

The rrllarch of the Knightsr, op. il+ No. 2, exemplifies a basic

characteristic of lGd.tnerrs nmsi,c, naneJy, special ernphasis on fory,r;

form within the composition and the over-alI fornr of the outer stnf,cture.The principal motives - be thry nelodic, rirybhnric or boür - are d.e-

veloped erbensively througbout the conposition r,rithjn a framervork ofsyrruretry and balance, rn this piece we are conscious of the fact thatMedtner is a grphic arbist lüro stresses design rather than co1or.

At times, the terh-rre of Med.tnerrs rnrsi.c can be thick and ther'usical canvas heavily Laden r.rith intricate, chromatic lines weaving

themselves i:nterdependently of one another. so it is r+ith the r,l.larch

of the lftrightsr't The piece is 'set, for the rnost part, in the rower

register of the kryboard and the prevalence of chromatic infleetions and

the minor tonality all result in a heaqr, sonorous quarity. Medtner

thi:rks polyphonicalry. rt i.s counterpoint that is the organizing dis-cipline in I'ledtrrerts harmonic tecirnic. rn his book he states, ,r?o w-ritei:r counterpoint is to give a har:noni-c coincidence to the separate,

self-suffi_cient voices at a.l.l points. To r,rri.te in harmor{r is to aim atthe very same cojrcidence of point, i.e.1 at counterpojs!.rr11 Colpletelycontrapurrbar fu contenb the rrr,rarchfr has been appraj-sed by Joseph yasser

asrfone of the most elaborately deveJ.oped of arry of l{edtne"s, *"L..1112fne stnrcture talces on the form of a rondo lnith deveLopmental aspects

which categorizes the piece more or less as a sonata-rondo form.

lllf"dtrr"rr gp,. cit.r p. 75,12Ho1t,

9p,: 9it.r pp. t3-t6.

t93

fne mrsic of l{edtner is alwrys energetic. This is accounted for

nct on'l}r by his poJ.yphonic thinlcing but also by his imaglnative rlrythralc

vocabulary. A curious interpl.4r of trip}ets, duplets, cross-rhythrns

and the henriola is an integrä1 part of l&edtnerrs rlgrthm. $yncopation is

its essential factor. fhe rhybhndc stmcture of the rtl{archrr is founded

on qrncopation.

I{edtnerrs nelodic lines nrake frequent use of ttre repeated-note

motif, sequential repetitions and a son'pwhat ccnservative conbour. These

factors are apparent in the two principal themes of therrl'[arch.rr The

first theme is stated inrmed:j-ately as follolrs:

EXA]{P],E 1: Op. th, No. 2 - IGas. 1-2

the second theme js more resolute in character and simpler in rhgrbhmic

design:

FJ(AII)LE 2: 0p. lL, No. 2 - I,ieas. 3748

The contrapurrtal teclrn-1cs er,ployed in ttre rtllarchrr are nar5r. I?re rhyühnric

flgure of the initial motif f\ffi,tr1 per:vades the enti:ce stmcture and

it is particularly intriguiging when the two themes appear sirmrltaneous\y;

first, in a single-two-voiced counterpoint, then, in three parbs r.rith

the second theme forrning a canon with itself at the fifth jn th,e tlro upper

parts and the first theme appearing in the bass. This is followed by a

101,*/+

clirnactic section in which the second theme ls pitted against itsel-f inaugmentation. The pianissimo section whietr then follows consists of a

series of sequential jfütations based on the fjrst thenie, Apart frorn

these devices tirere are instances of inversion, dinrirmtion and varied

forms of imitation.

Because,of the contrapmnbal precision of the piece and the

chrcmatic texture the nmsic projects an intellectual., austere quality.

Ernest Nelrman raight well be describing the rtliarch of the Ikrightsr ldren

he stated tliat tr. , . Medtrer, wtro has spec.iarized upon the piano as

tnrly as chopin did... has developed a virile idiom and a qrstera of

plarristic sonorj-tj.es that are quite 51s swn.rrl3

tale turn now to an examination of the first fa:iry tale of opus 3h

which lvledtner calls rrrhe Fai.ry violin.'t This piece typifies a change

in style which became apparent fron Opus 3l+ on. The technlcal procedwes

manifested in }&gdtnerts arb in the earlier pieces continue to be a parb

of his craft, but the pieces from opus 3L are injected with more eolor,

dramatic effects and. contrasts of mood.s. lhe eLerent of concentraiecl

conciseness found frequent\y in the earlier pieces gives wey now to a

tfflo of free abandon. hlhiJ.e rlgrtJrmic complexities are m:ininr-tzed inthe later pi.eces subtle sensitlldty to rhybhr,rlc change and flour is a1l+ays

present. Iulelodic invention beconres rnor.e imaglnative. This is clearly

evident in this flrst piece of oErs 3h. The melo*ies are ornateJy

arched and free in movement as irtdicated by sudden shj-fts i-n rnelodic

13ud.Iftropf, 1963),

Hubert^van1hal, Testarnent of l&r,sic (Nelr Tork: Alfred. A.P. l-92.

r95

direction and. broad skips in the contour of t'he line. Sequential effects

are enployed jn the ercbension of the melodic ljnes. The terrrrjrral point

of the line is on the l-o.rered superbonic - ä favorite sound of I'ledtner

as are all the plagal and mediant harmonies. Here is the principal

moloff of Op. 3)+, No. 1:

EXAIPIE 3: 0p.. 3l+r No, 1 - l{eas. 1-3

This L::le just plryed and the eoncluding ljne of ttre fjrst section are

given erbensive developrnent ühroughout the piece.

TLre stmcture of the fai:y taLe as a whole is a modj-fied ternaey

form based on the sonata principle. In Medtnerts stmcture the so-called

nBr section rarely introduces new material. Rather, it is a develop-

mental Section on ar{f of the initial material presented in the fjrst

part. Tbe opening section, or rrAtr section of Op. 3l+, No. 1 is in a

quasi-rond.o f orm which can be e4pressed in the follolrirrg ietier-scheme:

A-B-A-C-Ä. The ccntrasts in style and texture of ttre three parLs are

dranratic indeed. the cantabSJe prlncipal parb alternates flrst t'dth a

capricS.ous, dance-like sectlon, then r^rith a pIryful, presto parb. Hotn'-

ever, the alternations of tJ:eres are not as clear-sut as this description

raay sound. Medtner never isolates one ttrenp from the other, fhematic

rnaterial is always inter-related and it is not uncormon for the thenre

of one section to appear in another, sonretimes qulte obriously, at other

ti-mes, more subtly. So it is jn the first rnajor section of this piece.

lre developnental section rnakes use of the first theme or can-

tabi^Ie therne principal\y and also the frprestott theme. Tkt€ {ynamic

t96

coloration and sudden changes in texbure are rare dramatic monrents in

Iuledtnerrs nusic. $pica1 of the composer is the fact that no natter how

lean the texbure the vigorous pulse is never found. wanti:ig,

Tnis ärst piece of Opus 3h1 ItThe Fairy Violj.n", exenplifies

i"ledtnerrs freer and nrcne colorful style and instances the composerrs

technic of the ,organi-c evolution of germinal ideas ro"ittr striki::g con-

trasts in style and texLure.

Althorgh Beethoven was Medtnerts idol more than Glinka his russian

nationality projected itself without a doubt in his music. l"tredtner was

not j-nclined to quoting nrssian folk melodles, r,üat he ca'lled ttethno-

graphic trinnri:rgsrr. His narsic nevertheless ccntains, at tirnes, mary

characteri-stics of the mssian national style and nraqy of his pieces are

inspired by mssian tales and poens. A case in poi-nt is the Opus 51

set of tales. The pieees are deöcated to Zolushka and Ivanushka, two

of the most beloved personages in mssj-an nationaL lore and connronly

referred to as cinderella and rvan the Fool. this last set of fairy

tales which l'ledtner r,rrote is f\r1I of nelodic charm, graee and nobili-ty.

In a:ry of the tales that are direct\y related to russj.an Ij-fe and

thought liedtrrer proJects a quality that is r:ndecriabJy authentic. The

inilivi&ra1iff of his n'elo*lc stn.ctrre, his rtyttrmic and harrnonic vo-

cahrlary are etcpressed wit'h gracefirl ease and naturalness when hj-s

inspiration springs from mssian ties. lf we analyze russian folk tunes -and this can be said for rnost folk tunes - we find ühat they are usually

sj:lple, diatonic lines r*ith step-wise or trladic contour stmctured. on

the princi.ple of repetition. The harrnory is simple i,rith few chord ehanges

and the rirybhm is either sJrncopated or set to alternating meters. Ifthe melody is in rninor the lowered-seventh is usually enployed ttrus

l

l97

produsing a rnodal sound. Another östj-nction of the nr-inor folk tune is

the sudden shifting to the major mode.

The russian folk tune, DOl,ni mE l,{OTi{ER VOLGA, exeraplifies the

diatonlc nelodic Line and the rnodal sound.:

EXAi'trtE j+:

the triadic shape of the folk ltne and the shj-ft frorn minor tomajor sound.are exenprj-fied by the folk tune, r lirr,L Go rAsr ro rlill

RUXfifIi'.i,G RIVB,:

DiArGrE 5:

rf the tune is in the major mode it is not uncornnon to hear a

predomSnance of plagal- and ned.iant sounds. An exanple of this is tire

folk tune ROI'IAN TREE which also includes alternati-ng rlSrtlenrs:

IXAI@LE 6:

Now turning to l4edtnerts rnrsic, specificalry oErs !r, we hear j-::

the first tale a melo(y set in minor rith the t;ryical folk tune contour

ancl the mod.aL sound effected by the lowered seventh:

198

EXAl,tr'LE 7: Ap. 5]., No. 1

fhe second tale, also in minor, has the sane characteristics as obse:nred

jrr the fi-rst piece with the addition of the shifting to the nrajor mode:

EXAr',trLE B: %. 5l-, No. 2

The sixth piece, u'ritten in the major mode, exempliJ5-es the emphasis on

the p1aga1 sound:

EXAI,iPIE o: 0p. 51, No. 6

The melodic design of the thjrd piece is both triadic and d.j,atonic dn

outline. fne elenent of repetition, syncopa'ied rtryttrm and lack of chro-

naticisnr are all apparent:

il$l,lPLE 10: 0p, fI, No. 3

Again the typicaL l'ledtnerj.an device of thernatj-c deveJ-oi:nont pewad.es

the piece' lhe three-note motiJ at the beginnlng and the second phrase

are given e:*onsive developnent. The two motives alternate between

treble and bass in a serles of sequences. i{edtnerls har:nonic resources

l-99

sre a1tdays conciser but in this piece the dorninant-tonic relationship

ls more apparent. this third tale of Opus 51 reveals without d.oubt that

the composer had a profornd understandi-ng of the hrssian foll< nelos and

he is perhaps at his best rvher dealing with the tales of his native Iand.

Apart from the 33 fairy tales in l4edtnerrs repertory the category

of smaller form pieces jncludes 6L others which bear such titles as

DISlYzul{BS, LYTICAI FTTAGI'EI{TS, NO'I/EIETT&S, AFABESQUBS and II'IPROVfSATIOIB.

Some comnent shoul-d be nade on the eight pleces entitled rrRonrantic

Sketches for the Young.tt ltle recall that Robert Schumann, in the latterpart of his life, r,,rrote the l+3 pieces of the Album for the young. Iledtner,

too, i.:r later J-ife, was i-nspired to r,rrite these sketches for ch-i-Ldren.

Like the ALBUI'{ each of Medtnerts pieces has some technical p:roblem and

eaclr piece is clothed with an i:naginative, poetic spirit and a sense of

wonder. fn these rniniatures there are no harnonic obscurities, no healy

chrumaticism in the melodies, no sctended passages and no conplex develop-

ments. There is, honever, an abundance of noble beauty and artisticsjmpllcity nade comprehehsible to the your€ W an open terb'ure of sinple

lines and lilting dlfihm. rt is not lmom for hov,r young a player Medtner

jatended his sketches, An examination of the rnusic readily makes elear

that a player needs some proficiency to p1ry the pieces. The A1,BIJI,1 of

Schumann reveals the composerts abiIlüy to speak rnrsical\y in elenrenbary

yet none the Less artistlq 'languager lvledtner never eleresses hinself inelernenta:y ter:ns. I{is most light-hearted monents betray his rulti-facetedoutlook on mlsic. Thus, while the Rorrantic Sketcires are structurally and

technieally sir,ple in conparison with Medtnerrs other works tlrey never-

theless reguj.re a certain ar,rount of rnisical raaturity for ful1 eomprehension.

They might eor,pare more accurateJy with Schunrannrs Scenes from Chi1dhood..

Another group of pieces that are signifieant in terms of a defini-

200

tion of I'Iedtnerts pianistic style are the three sets of pieces ]sxorm as

Fgrgotten }ieloöes. Thry were written in 1919 and 1920, two years afterthe October Bolshevik Revolutj-on. Eaclr piece is imprinted r"ritir nostalgicscntiment of bSrgone days. The pieces corprise Oprrs 38, 3g and [0. l{ostof opus 38 and a'rI of opus Lo are dances, presumabJy renr:iniscent ofrussian u-fe before the revolution. The dances are lively in c6aracterwith emphasis on syncopated rlnrthm, ingenious meloöc phrasing and con_trasts of style r'cittrin the same piece. The Forgotten l{elodies were thelast composltions u'ritten by lvhdtner on russian soi_l. The ,rird pieceof opus 38 titled, ,Danza Festi-va, epitomrzes the pieces of the threesets. rt is melodlcalry stnrctured in a folklike manner. Trri-s is evi_denced b the diatonic movement, repetition of fragrnents of the r,e1o$rin shifting rlnrthrai-c beats and brisk, sirrrple, rrythmic eontexb. T?re

dance tune in most of these pieces begins after a vigorous introduction,the openi-rrg bars of üre rfDanza Festivarr, vritten in the character of afanfare, also appear r,rith some extension before the second section ofthe pieco. they appear agai-n in a turbrulent setting just before tir.e re_turn of the fjrst section. The seoond major section of the dance contrastsr^rith the vigorous, iubilant opening by a highly romantic quality. Thed:istinct feature of this second section is the rnrlti-varied settjngs ofthe nrel0dic rnaterial' The me10$r is presented in seqrential patternsb'ut with contrasts of ffnandc tercbures. rt is heard. in a high treblerange, a rhapsodic r,aide range setü_ng and in a stately, majestie sorid_chord fashion. The sequenüia' patterns lead directly into a series ofvariations on the reloff which evoLve guite naturarJy one from the other.Apart from the erphasis on syncopatlon the rtrythnrlc vocabulary likewisestresses the dupJ.et figure. r{arry exarpr.es of cross-rrryt}rms are arso

201

found. The harnionic conbexb is comparatively eimple. fne domilant-tonic

progression is Imre pronounced especia[y in the bri-sk, folk-IiJce d.ances.

The piece is rich in nelodic freshness, i:naginatively flexible in rirybhm

and phrasing, vibrantJ-y gay and festive in styre, and homophonic, for the

most part, in a thin but f\rIL texbrre.

thus, we, have seen that the elements of l4edtnerts pianoforfe style

spring from three outlooks: the cLassical, the rornnti-c, and the national.

The off-shoots of the classical tradition are identified in general by

l{edtnerrs consistent jlterest in structural pr.oblems. Specifically, thi-s

stress on structure is seen jn the perfection of his phrases, thejr

symmetry and balance. Developmental technics are particularly in the

foreground of Medtnerts craft. Smaller pieces are never fragmentary.

The smallest rniniature is a self-evolving, organicalJy unified. work.

Iledtner achieves this by developing aqy of ttre mrsj-cal material presented,

jn the oqposition of the piece. Sometjmes a short melodic or rhybhnr:-ic

nrotif of an jntroductcy line is developed erbensively, at other times

two n'elodies or rhythnric i-deas are treated. sjnnrltarreously or antiphonally.

Iledtnerls harmoqir breaks no new ground, but it is singularly resor:rceful

trithin the accepted canons. His resourcefuLness is defined by a linear

concept resulting jn the lnterpenetration of two harmonic streams. The

cross-passages effected by tJre rhythm also result in ertraordinarlr har-

rnonic colorati.on.

Medtnerrs codas achieve the greatest jntensity of moveroent by

the use of suspended harmon:les and quickened rlrythnrlc motion. The caclences

are direct and architectonic in their relatlon to tkre over-aLl structure

of the piece. hilcipal motives appear frequentJy in the cod.a and at

the cadence, as I,ye shall hear jn these four pieces.

2A2

Side by side the classical tradiüion il Medtrrerrs art are russiannational characterjsti-cs. l,Ihile nrssj.an folk songs are not literalJyquoted in i'ledtnerts music we have seen that estheti-c and technical fac-tors of the russian melos are there present. the russian influence is seen

in the melodj-es when they are stated directly wj-thout arSr developmental

treatnrent' Aug'rnented relo*ic i-ntervals of a seond and fourüh are used..

Repetition of short, nelodic ideas and a syncopated rhrbhnric contert,all indicative of the nrssian folk styre, are found. rn harmorgr, we firrd.

plagal and modal tendencies, a shifting fron major to rnr_nor, *n"i"t"ntuse of the natrral form of the nrinor scale and a d.e-enphasis of theJ-eading-tone. R:ythmic conplexities and the use of iregular meters arealso part of his rßiting. An e:dra-rausical corrnection between l.bdtnerand his corntry is the frequent quotation of nrssian poets and folkcharacters in the programnlng of hjs narsic.

Apart fron the classlcal and national lnfluences }4,edtrrerrs rrarsic

shows an affiliation r'qith nineteenth century romantici.snr. ?he titlesof nrarg of the pieces shqw an attraction for the crraracter piec"" oithe west. lGdtnerrs leani:rgs to ttre fanciful, colori_stic effects inrhapsodlc tertures and flaslry sequences are identi-fied with the ronran.i;ic

style.

The four compositions that r wil] pJ-ay denonstrate a fqsion ofclassical, romantic and national outJ.ooks. with l{edtner there 1s nevera didrotonnr of heart and mind. As we listen to his mrsic we understa'd.more clearly Medtnerts feering for nrbato, or, as he prefe*ed to callitt ,tflexibllity of phrasingrr; the remarkabl_e .resirience

and buoyancy ofhis rhybhm, and, above o]Lr his preoccupat'ion with developnental technics.

rn an address to a group of Moscon mrsiciaru given in l4oscor i.n

203

L927 on the occasj-on of Medtnerrs return to hls native country for a

concert tour the arb of Nicolas Medtner was evaluated as displaying the

highest artistic standards. His creative path was looked upon as 'rstraight

and unswerring.rt

IGdtnerts position and importance in the area of keyboard n'msic

are not deternrined by his sin-ilarities with the great rnasters of the past.

Rather, they are founded on hj.s contribrutlon to narsic and the acceptance

of his art. I{edtner contributed nothing rrneu'rr to rrarsical art in terns

of l^ihat his conternporaries, wearJr of the traditional forrns, were looking

for. Hence, he was accepted by an elite few. But, every artist con-

tributes something new by the fact of his having somethirg to say that

is uniqueJy his oon. And he srys it in an enchanting as ue13. as brilliant

and vitally expressive rnanner.

j