“Liebestraum” by Franz Liszt

Analysis by Sean O'Neil

Context:

Franz Liszt was one of the greatest piano players of his time. Some consider him the greatest virtuoso piano player of all time. He contributed greatly to the Romantic era of music composition, and is credited with creating the symphonic poem. The Liebestraum is considered one of the most famous and widely known piano works in the world, second only to Klavierstuck – Fur Elise, Rondo Alla Turca, and a few others (this is up to debate, however). Its simple melody and beautiful harmonies haunt movie soundtracks around the world.

Musical:

• Speed – Moderato
• Dynamics – Starts off pianissimo, moves into a loud resounding forte
• Melody is played high in the treble clef, harmony is in the treble/bass range, consisting mainly of arpeggios
• Very rubato style of playing, contributes to emotion, Romantic style

Structural:

• 0:00 – 0:20 Introduction, main theme (antecedent) of piece is presented. Very slow, very rubato.
• 0:21 – 0:40 Consequence of initial antecedent is played. Small glissandos pervade the arpeggios, providing a blurry, misty atmosphere, reminiscent of Impressionist works. Key changes to minor for a few seconds
• 0:41 – 1:17 Theme develops, tempo picks up, albeit slowly. Melody is now lower, pedaling is infrequent, providing misty atmosphere. Becomes very fast.
• 1:18 – 1:32 Chromatic scale transition. Fortissimo.
• 1:33 – 1:48 Tempo picks up. Melody is much higher in the register now. Much happier sounding, more major chords being used.
• 1:49 – 2:02 Main theme is repeated, but is now higher in the register
• 2:03 – 2:39 Beginning of piece is played, but with the melody being played in octaves. Very emotional
• 2:40 – 2:58 Scale Transition, same as the first one
• 2:59 – 3:41 Piece returns to mood from the beginning of piece, very slow, very emotional
• 3:42 – 4:02 Main theme of piece is played, more glissandos
• 4:03 – 4:38 Main theme played without arpeggios. Ending is very quiet, almost sad

Etude in Db, “Un Sospiro” by Franz Liszt

Analysis by Greg Sakorafis

Musical

• Written for solo piano
• Key of Db major
• Utilizes a technique in which the melody is played by alternating hands over arpeggios
• Homophonic
• Duple meter

Structural

• 0:00-1:12. Four introductory measures, followed by the statement of the theme. Phrasing is regular in 4+4. After playing through the theme once, it is repeated, only in displaced octaves. The theme then modulates for a short period, arriving on a fermata, and then continues on in the key of A.
• 1:12-2:25. A shorter 2+2 idea ensues between the bass and the treble lines, which then leads to a build in dynamics and emotion. The arpeggio harmony stops for a period, succeeded by a single octave melody, which then falls into a repetition of the 2+2 melody over wide arpeggios, in the key of F. This style continues, modulating and eventually reaching a long descending flourish of notes. After arriving at a short pause, the piece continues in Ab.
• 2:25-3:14. Again, the 2+2 idea is repeated, but in a much calmer and more mysterious manner. Modulations continue to take place, moving more chromatically and building up to another flourish, which descends back down into a pause.
• 3:14-3:54. The original theme returns in the bass, with small extended arpeggios at the end of each two-measure chunk of the phrase. In the spot where the theme resolved in the beginning of the piece, the penultimate note is extended into a passionate fermata, which then resolves into the tonic.
• 3:54-5:35. The mysterious section from 2:25 is repeated for most of its complete duration, except that it resolves into a series of fermati leading to the end (instead of building). The last note is sustained in the tonic and arpeggiated.

Contextual

• Written by Liszt in 1884 as part of the Trois Études de Concert
• Extremely difficulty to perform is a trademark of Liszt's technical mastery of the piano
• Frequent modulations and the date suggest the Romantic Period.

Symphony no. 1 in D "Titan" by Gustav Mahler

III. Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen

Analysis by Rose Bridges

Musical

• D minor and G major
• Duple meter (in 2, I think, since it's a march - though I don't have a score here so I cannot be sure)
• For full orchestra - instrumentation is as follows:
  • Strings: Violins, Violas, Celli, Basses, Harp
  • Woodwinds: 4 Flutes, 2 Piccolos, 4 Oboes, 1 English Horn, 4 Clarinets (in A, Bb, D, and Eb), 1 Bass Clarinet (unsure of key - Bb most likely), 3 Bassoons, 1 Contrabassoon
  • Brass: 7 French Horns, 4 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, 1 Tuba
  • Percussion: 4 Timpani, Cymbals, Triangle, Tam-tam, Bass Drum

(not all instruments are used in this movement - these are for the whole symphony)

• Many contrasting musical styles
• Defies typical symphonic structure - third mvt. is supposed to be a lighthearted and fast minuet, whereas this piece is slow, mostly in minor, and mostly very dark (it's supposed to be a funeral march)
• Funeral march that is the primary theme is based on Frere Jacques - it's essentially a minor-key version of it
• Represents all of the different orchestral choirs fairly equally

Structural

• ABA
• Could also be considered ABACABA because each of the "A" sections in "ABA" also contains a smaller interlude, resembling an Eastern-European folk dance, inbetween the "funeral march" sections.
• A sections (in the ABACABA model) are concieved as rounds on the funeral march theme (the minor "Frere Jacques"), with different instruments adding the theme in at different times, as well as a countermelody layering in on top of it (usually played by oboe or clarinet, but strings as well).
• B sections (in the ABACABA model) are harder to define a structure for - they basically consist of two different themes, played in succession twice.

Contextual

Mahler is considered a part of the late Romantic and early Modernist periods. He is strongly influenced by Wagner and other earlier composers, and in a way took what his influences did a step further - into the 20th Century.

He's also considered a part of the German nationalist school because of his Wagnerian influence, but Mahler didn't really write in a nationalistic style. In fact, many consider him an "internationalist" because he took musical inspiration from many different places. This movement reflects his "internationalism" because of the many contrasting styles it moves through.