Michael Bach

Dies ist der zweite Teil der Analyse der

Sarabande in d-moll

 

Glossar und Faksimile der Abschrift von AMB siehe Analyse Teil 1:
https://www.bach-bogen.de/blog/thebachupdate/urtext-klartext-eine-analyse-der-sarabande-in-d-moll-teil-1-takt-1-10

 

Notenbeispiel T 11-16

 

T 11

Plötzlich antwortet nur eine einzelne Note auf die Spannungsakkorde, das vermisste e3! Diese Note ist nun die Auflösung des Quartvorhalts f3 der ZD aus dem Vortakt. Unmittelbar danach erscheint wieder die Note f3: Ist dies ein erneuter Quartvorhalt – oder bereits der Grundton der tP? Ein großer Intervallsprung nach unten zur Baßnote c2, und dann zum g2, bestätigt hingegen die ZD der tP. Der Quartvorhalt wird anschließend wieder zu e3 aufgelöst.

T 12

Der Oktavsprung f3 zu f2 beschließt die erste Satzhälfte mit der tP.

T 13

Die an die Note f3 angebundene Note es3 suggeriert die Septim der tP: Wird die tP jetzt zur ZD der sP mutieren, die sodann auf der 2. Zz erwartet werden darf? Die Auflösung wäre dann das Intervall d3-b3.

Statt dessen werden die Noten es3 und a3 nicht aufgelöst und die Oberstimme erhält einen Triller mit der Note b3. Ist die Note es3 nun die kleine Sext des Neapolitaners und b3 dessen Terz? Vertritt die Note a3, als Terz, immer noch die tP?

Interessant ist hier die freistehende 1/8-Note b3 (ohne Unterstimme). Damit wird dezidiert vermieden, daß die Note d3 im Folgetakt als die unmittelbare Auflösung (zur sP) der Note es3 empfunden werden kann – die beiden Tonhöhen werden voneinander separiert.

T 14

Trotzdem bleibt die Frage bestehen, ob die Auflösung zur sP in diesem Takt doch noch erfolgen wird, d. h. ob die Note d3 zur Terz der sP wird. Die beiden 1/16-Noten der Oberstimme sind wieder gebunden, so daß die Baßnote d3 mit der Note b3 zusammen angespielt wird. Dies könnte die erwartete Auflösung des Tritonus es3-a3 vom Vortakt bedeuten. Übrigens: neben der Auflösung zur sP wäre der Trugschluß zur Moll-Sub ebenso möglich.

Aber nein, nichts dergleichen tritt ein, denn es erklingt in der 2. Zz plötzlich die Terz fis3, die Terz des Intervalls d3-c4 der 1. Zz (Dieser Vorgang ist in etwa vergleichbar mit der „nachgelieferten” Terz e3 in T 11). Verdeckt wird das fis3 allerdings, „in vertrauter Manier”, durch den Triller mit der Note g3. D. h. die Moll-Sub, als Auflösung, wirft ihre „Schatten voraus”. Die nachfolgende 1/16-Note es3 könnte entweder die None der ZD der Moll-Sub sein oder bereits die kleine Sext der Moll-Sub, also des Neapolitaners.

Anmerkung

Die Wiederholung der 2. Satzhälfte, läßt den harmonischen Kontext sich ein wenig anders entwickeln. Die Terz f3-a3 des T 13 wird nun, nach der Rückkehr zu d-moll im Schlußtakt, als der Moll-Tonika angehörend aufgefaßt. Die 1/8-Note es3 und der Triller mit a4 und b4 wird nicht mehr mit der tP in Verbindung gebracht. So könnte in der Wiederholung durchaus im T 14 die Baßnote g2 als Grundton der Moll-Sub erscheinen. Mit anderen Worten, der Beginn der 2. Satzhälfte hat beim zweiten Mal einen konsistenten Moll-Charakter, der harmonisch weniger bewegt ist.

T 15

Wie in T 3 scheint mit den Noten b2 und g3 die Moll-Sub sich zu etablieren. Doch mit den sich hoch aufbäumenden Intervallen der Noten a2, fis3 und es4 ersteht erneut deren ZD als D9-Akkord. (Dies demonstriert einen enormen Unterschied zur indifferenten Tonfolge in T3.

T 16

Dessen Auflösung zur Moll-Sub folgt mit dem Akkord g2-d3-b3 der 1. Zz – wäre da nicht der Triller mit der Note c4! Denn eine Auflösung besitzt traditionellerweise keinen Triller. Demnach wird die harmonische Entwicklung noch weiter geführt und findet hier noch keinen Abschluß. Die ZD der Moll-Sub bleibt mit der Septim c4 und der nachfolgenden 1/8-Note a3 gegenwärtig. Eine mögliche Auflösung, wenn auch sehr unauffällig, könnte in der Note g3 der 3. Zz gesehen werden.

 

Notenbeispiel T 17-20

 

T 17

Die Note e3, anstelle der zu erwartenden Note es3 (kleine Sext der Moll-Sub), überrascht nach den vorausgegangenen „es”-Noten. Sie bildet mit der Note b2 einen Tritonus (ZD), der sich in der 2. Zz mit den Noten a2-f3 auflöst, also doch noch einmal zur tP.

T 18

Die Note d3 mutet, ebenso wie die Note e3 des Vortakts, wie eine Terz an, hier diejenige der sP. Der Hörer antizipiert deshalb einen weiteren Quintfall von der tP zur sP. Jetzt aber überrascht die nachfolgende Note as2, da sie nicht leitereigen von der sP ist. Sie bildet mit der vorangegangenen Note d3 einen weiteren Tritonus, wodurch aus der sP die ZD von Es-dur entsteht. Oder umgedeutet, Es-dur könnte die Gestalt des Neapolitaners annehmen (Moll-Sub mit kleiner Sext „es” anstelle der Quint „d”), was prompt mit dem Tonschritt g2 und es3 in der 2. Zz geschieht.

T 19

Die Note cis3 führt eindeutig wieder eine Terz ein, hier diejenige der Dom. Somit hat sich die Moll-Sub, respektive der Neapolitaner, erneut in die Dom verwandelt. Interessant ist, daß die Note cis3 keinen Triller erhält: JSB möchte diesmal die Dom unzweideutig etablieren (vgl. T4).

T 20

Auch dieser Takt steht unangefochten in der Dom. Ein 2er-B akzentuiert ihren Grundton a2.

Anmerkung

Bemerkenswert ist, daß die letzten 5 Takte keine Bindebögen aufweisen. Dies bedeutet, daß über einen längeren Zeitraum hinweg keine Tonhöhen hervorgehoben werden, was dem suchenden Charakter der Tonfolgen bis zu T 19 entspricht. Mit dem Erscheinen der Dom geschieht ein „Erwachen”, gekennzeichnet durch das große Intervall nach oben (cis3-b3) und die beginnende 1/16-Bewegung. Die beiden Te 19f festigen die Dom, bevor es harmonisch wieder kompliziert wird.

 

 

 

 

Michael Bach

Dies ist der erste Teil der Analyse der

Sarabande in d-moll

 

Interpretation der “Sarabande in d-moll”
Michael Bach, Violoncello mit BACH.Bogen

https://youtu.be/ZnUPLFZCgWA

 

Abschrift von Anna Magdalena Bach, Digitalisat der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – PK

 

Glossar

JSB = Johann Sebastian Bach
AMB = Anna Magdalena Bach

2-B, 3-B, 4-B = Bindebogen über 2, 3 oder 4 Noten
drei 2-Bn = drei Bindebögen über 2 Noten
1. Zz = 1. Zählzeit eines Takts
Zzn = Zählzeiten
T, Te, Tn = Takt, Takte, Takten

c4 = c’

Sub = Subdominante
Dom = Dominante
Moll-Sub = Moll-Subdominante
Moll-Dom = Moll-Dominante
tP = Tonikaparallele
sP = Subdominantparallele
tG = Tonikagegenklang
DD = Doppeldominante
D7-Akkord= Dominantseptakkord
D9-Akkord = Dominantnonakkord
Dv-Akkord = verkürzter Dominant-Nonenakkord
ZD = Zwischendominante

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Der Bindebogen-Kodex

Ich setze hier einige Erkenntnisse, die sich aus meiner detaillierten Analyse aller „Suiten” in der Abschrift  von AMB ergeben haben, quasi als Axiome voraus. Ich bezeichne sie als den „Bindebogen-Kodex” in diesen Solowerken für Cello. In der „Sarabande in d-moll” kommen folgende Regeln in Betracht:

1

Die erste Note unter einem Bindebogen ist betont, sowie die erste nachfolgende Note. Je länger der Bindebogen ist, um so stärker wird die darauffolgende Note betont und um so schwächer ist die erste Note des Bindebogens. Dies führt manchmal zu dem Extremfall, daß außergewöhnlich lange Bindebögen sehr leise beginnen müssen, wobei die Tonhöhen im Anschluß sehr stark akzentuiert sind (z. B. T 13 der “Allemande” in G-dur).

2

Folgen zwei Bindebögen unmittelbar einander, so erhält die erste Note des 2. Bindebogens eine Betonung, wobei die nachfolgenden, angebundenen Noten decrescendieren. Die erste Note nach dem 2. Bindebogen ist infolgedessen unbetont.

3

Bindebögen werden in der Regel nicht notiert, wenn die Mehrstimmigkeit diese sowieso vorgibt. Die längste Note bestimmt dabei den Bogenstrich und die Länge der Bindung (legato) über den kürzeren Notenwerten. Ist trotzdem ein Bindebogen über den kürzeren Noten notiert, so bedeutet dies eine Durchbrechung dieser Regel. D. h. dieser Bindebogen soll ausgeführt und folglich die längeren Notenwerte gemäß des Bindebogens aufgeteilt werden. Die Tonhöhen der längeren Notenwerte werden somit repetiert.

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Die Analyse der „Sarabande in d-moll”

 

Sarabande in d-moll,  Edition Michael Bach
Notenbeispiel T 1-4

Bindebögen, die sich aufgrund der Mehrstimmigkeit von selbst verstehen und die JSB deshalb nicht notieren mußte, sind in Klammern hinzugefügt.

 

Vorbemerkung

Bei der „Sarabande” in d-moll fällt die ungewöhnlich große Anzahl von Trillern auf. Es sind insgesamt 7 Triller, jedoch nicht 8, wie fast immer angenommen wird, denn in T 5 ist bei AMB keiner notiert 1). Wie bereits in der Analyse der „Sarabande” in Es-dur aufgezeigt 2), verwendet JSB den Triller, um zwei Harmonien simultan erklingen zu lassen. Ein Triller ist ergo keine bloße Verzierung, die nach traditionellen Regeln, nach vorgegebenen Verzierungstabellen ausgeführt wird. Eine derartige Konvention gibt es in diesen Solowerken für Violoncello grundsätzlich nicht. Dies bedeutet in erster Linie, daß weder ein kompositorisch relevanter Triller weggelassen noch irgendein anderer hinzugefügt werden kann.

 

T 1

Ungewöhnlich ist weiterhin, daß die „Sarabande” in d-moll mit einer Prim eröffnet wird. Die Schreibweise von JSB ist immer ein einzelner Notenkopf mit zwei Notenhälsen 3). Kaum ein Cellist spielt diese Prim d3-d3. Dabei entwickelt sich aus ihr eine Dissonanz, das Sekundintervall d3-e3, das noch seltener ausgeführt wird. Dieses Sekundintervall ist indes essentiell, weil die Interferenzen dieser Dissonanz einen ähnlich oszillierenden Klangeffekt wie bei einem Triller ergeben. Außerdem ist die Sekund das Umkehrintervall der Septim, welche in diesem Satz eine eigene Ausprägung gewinnt.

Wie ebenfalls schon in der „Sarabande” in Es-dur aufgezeigt, müssen dissonante Intervalle real erklingen, um als solche wahrgenommen zu werden. Es trifft keinesfalls die These zu, daß hier die Note d3, wenn sie nicht mehr gespielt wird, vom Hörer imaginär verlängert wird, um eine Dissonanz mit dem erklingenden e3 zu bilden. Der Musikhörer kann, aufgrund von Hörgewohnheiten, manchmal Auflösungen der Dissonanzen antizipieren, umgekehrt aber nicht Dissonanzen fiktional ergänzen. Das menschliche Hörverständnis tendiert dazu, komplexe harmonische Gefüge und komplizierte Intervallverhältnisse in einfacherere Konstellationen zu überführen.

Übrigens, noch eine Anmerkung zum Metrum: Wird die 1. Zz nur einstimmig gespielt, so kann fälschlicherweise leicht der Eindruck entstehen, als sei diese 1. Zz bloß ein Auftakt zum folgenden Doppelklang mit Triller.

Die Bindung der Noten in der Oberstimme, welche aufgrund der 1/4-Note d3 in der zweiten Stimme erfolgt (s. „Bindebogen-Kodex”), betont die 2. Zz.

Die 2. Zz besteht aus der Quint a2-e3 mit einem Triller auf der Note e3. Die Quint mit dem Grundton a2 legt eine dominantische Funktion nahe. Obwohl die Terz „c” der Moll-Dom fehlt, könnte der Triller e3- f3 als eine Kombination der Quint e3 der Moll-Dom und der Terz f3 der Moll-Tonika aufgefaßt werden.

Für die Annahme der Dom (in Dur) fehlt die Voraussetzung, nämlich das hierfür absolut notwendige Erklingen der Terz „cis”. Darüber hinaus könnte mit dem Intervall a2-f3 alternativ noch die Moll-Tonika oder die tP vertreten werden.

Der Triller, welcher gleich zu Beginn des Satzes steht und deshalb kein konventioneller Auflösungstriller von etwas Vorangegangenen sein kann, symbolisiert die vage harmonische Zugehörigkeit dieser 2. Zz. Die Tonhöhen des Trillers verstärken die Irritation, denn üblicherweise wird mit einem Quartvorhalt getrillert, der anschließend zum Grundton der Auflösung wird. Das würde hier bedeuten, daß in der 2. Zz die ZD der tP erklingen könnte. Jedoch die Baßnote a2 (die Sext der ZD der tP) widerspricht dieser Annahme.

Daraus folgt, daß sich in T 1 eine Anfangsharmonie, ein Grundton noch nicht etabliert hat. Natürlich kann vorausgesetzt werden, daß alle Sätze der „Suiten” mit der Tonika beginnen. Aber durch die Sekundreibung d3-e3 sowie dem Triller werden Zweifel an der harmonischen Stabilität geweckt.

Wieder erfolgt in der 2. und 3. Zz eine Bindung der Oberstimme wegen des 1/2-Notenwerts der Baßnote. Gemäß des „Bindebogen-Kodex” decrescendieren die gebundenen Noten bis zur Auflösung im nächsten Takt. Die beiden 1/16-Noten sind kein kurzer Nachschlag des Trillers sondern bilden eine melodische Überleitung zur Terz des Akkords der Moll-Tonika. (JSB hat in den „Suiten” nie einen Trillernachschlag notiert.)

T 2

Nun erklingt zum ersten Mal der vollständige Akkord der Moll-Tonika.

T 3

Mit den Noten b2 und g3 wird die Moll-Sub angedeutet. Danach ist fraglich, ob mit der Folge von 1/16-Noten die ZD der tP oder der D9-Akkord erstehen wird. Der relativ lange Bindebogen über diesen Noten betont deutlich die 1. Zz des Folgetakts. Dabei werden die Tonhöhen unter dem Bindebogen egalisiert, sie werden nicht in ihrer harmonischen Funktion unterschieden beziehungsweise gewichtet (im Gegensatz dazu T 7).

T 4

Die Note cis3 ist eindeutig die Terz der Dom. Sie wird aber verdeckt durch den Triller mit d3, dem Grundton der Moll-Tonika (im Gegensatz dazu T 19). Die Grundharmonie d-moll behauptet sich demnach noch immer. Wie in T 1 ist dies kein Auflösungstriller, denn der gesamte T 4 verbleibt, mit den Noten h2, a2 und der Septim g2, in der Dom.

 

Notenbeispiel T 5 – 10

 

T 5

Der 3-stimmige Akkord der 1. Zz repräsentiert fraglos die Moll-Tonika.

Die nachfolgende Quint a2-e3 erhält jetzt keinen Triller, entgegen der allgemein verbreiteten Aufführungskonvention! Der Grund liegt darin, daß dieser Takt eben keine Wiederholung des T 1 sein kann, denn d-moll hat sich zwischenzeitlich als Grundtonart etabliert. Es geht dieser 2. Zz auch keine Sekundreibung voraus. Die reine Quint, ohne den Triller mit f3, wirkt „dominantischer” als die 2. Zz in T 1.

Anmerkung

Vielleicht etwas spekulativ ist die Hypothese, daß infolge des Verzichts auf einen Triller e3-f3 in diesem „Wiederholungstakt” sein Erscheinen in T 8 um so eindringlicher ist.

T 6

Die erwartete Moll-Tonika erklingt wie in T 2.

T 7

Wieder, wie in T 3, stellt sich die Frage, ob sich nach der anfänglichen Moll-Sub, die ZD der tP oder der D9-Akkord entwickeln wird. Mit dem Erklingen der Note c4 wird der D9-Akkord zwar ausgeklammert, mit den drei 2er-Bn werden aber weiterhin die Tonhöhen der noch denkbaren Harmonien akzentuiert: die Terz b3 der Moll-Sub, der Grundton c4 der ZD der tP und die Terz a3 der tP. Gleichwohl, mit den Noten c4 und a3 wäre die Moll-Dom, nach der Moll-Sub, wohl am naheliegendsten.

T 8

Der Triller e3-f3, im Gegensatz zum Triller in T 4 nun unbetont, ist vieldeutig: Besteht er aus einem Zusammentreffen der ZD der tP mit ihrer Auflösung (Terz e3 der ZD und Grundton f3 der tP) oder der Moll-Dom mit der Moll-Tonika (Quint e3 der Moll-Dom und Terz f3 der Moll-Tonika)?

T 9

Die nächsten beiden Takte erzeugen mit ihren Dissonanzen eine diffuse Situation. Die 1. Zz könnte die Moll-Tonika oder die tP bedeuten.

Der Akkord der 2. Zz könnte der Moll-Sub oder der sP angehören, beide mit der harmoniefremden Oberstimme a3. Andererseits könnte die Note b2 im Baß die kleine Sext der Moll-Tonika sein.

Infolge des 2er-B in der 1. Zz wird die Baßnote a2 repetiert und erklingt zusammen mit der Septim g3. Für die Annahme eines D7-Akkords fehlt es jedoch an der Terz „cis”.

Der 3/8-Notenwert der beiden Unterstimmen der 2. Zz ist bemerkenswert. Dadurch erklingen die beiden, mit einem Bindebogen versehenen 1/16-Noten g3 und f3 alleine. Ein Zusammenklang der Noten b2-d3 in den Unterstimmen mit g3 würde den Akkord der Moll-Sub vervollständigen, respektive mit f3 denjenigen der sP. Dies soll hier nicht entstehen, weshalb komplette Akkorde mit Terz vermieden werden (vgl. T 21).

Anmerkung

Die Septim b2-a3 wäre sinngemäß austauschbar mit einem Triller a3-b3 in der Oberstimme, unter Weglassung der Baßnote b2. Dies spricht für die Präsenz zweier Harmonien, entweder der Moll-Tonika mit der Moll-Sub oder der tP mit der sP. Mit dieser Analogie enthüllt sich die Wesensverwandtschaft von Sekund, Septim und Triller, die in dieser „Sarabande” geradezu zelebriert wird.

T 10

Wieder bleibt die 1. Zz harmonisch mehrdeutig. Zwar scheidet jetzt die Moll-Tonika endgültig mit den Noten b2 und g3 aus, es bleiben aber immer noch die Moll-Sub und gegebenenfalls die ZD der tP als Alternative. In der Oberstimme findet sich wieder ein 2er-B über den 1/16-Noten, was die Septim b2-a3 akzentuiert. Aber es fehlt, nach wie vor, der klarstellende dritte Akkordton, um zwischen den konkurrierenden Harmonien zu entscheiden.

Die 2. Zz bringt starke Dissonanzen. Der Akkord g2-f3-b3 könnte als ZD (D7-Akkord) der tP mit Quartvorhalt f3 zu bezeichnen sein. Allerdings haftet ihm wegen der Baßnote g2, an Stelle der ebenfalls denkbaren Note c3, und der Oberstimme b3 immer noch etwas „Subdominantisches” an.

Es folgen nun die beiden 1/16-Noten c4 und d4 in der Oberstimme statt der vorstellbaren Noten a3-g3, welche analog zum Vortakt erwartet werden könnten. Durch den Zusammenklang von g2-f3-c4 wird die vorangegangene dissonante Spannung noch intensiviert. Mit den Tonhöhen „f” und „c” ist die Moll-Sub verdrängt worden und die ZD der tP scheint nunmehr alleinig zu herrschen.

Diese explosive Dissonanz verwandelt folglich die vorangegangene Moll-Sub endgültig in die ZD der tP, was in diesem Satz eine Seltenheit ist. Denn meistens geschieht die Umwandlung der Moll-Sub in die Dom, weil die Noten „g” und „b” zur Septim und None der Dom umgedeutet werden können. Beide Noten können sich aber auch in die Quint und Septim der ZD der tP verwandeln. (Daß die Umformung der Moll-Sub entweder in die Dom oder in die ZD der tP ein Thema dieser „Sarabande” ist, hat der T 3 bereits angedeutet. In T 4 geschieht die bevorzugte Auflösung zur Dom.)

Auffällig sind die Notenwerte der beiden Unterstimmen: Im Gegensatz zum Vortakt notiert JSB nun einen 1/2-Notenwert. Dies bedeutet, in Verbindung mit dem 2er-B auf den beiden 1/16-Noten in der Oberstimme, der eine Repetition in den Unterstimmen bewirkt, daß in der Tat diese drei Tonhöhen g2-f3-c4 zusammen erklingen sollen, um eine schneidende Dissonanz zu erzielen.

Anmerkung

Die Moll-Tonika, welche 9 Takte lang latent präsent war – man könnte einen Orgelpunkt „d” unterlegen – wird in diesem Takt endgültig verdrängt. Die tP bzw. ihre ZD bahnen sich rigoros ihren Weg.

Bemerkenswert ist hingegen die Tatsache, daß die eigentlich unverzichtbare Terz „e” der ZD der tP fehlt, so daß von einer zweifelsfreien ZD doch nicht unbedingt die Rede sein kann.

 

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1)
AMB notiert ein „tr”, manchmal zu einem „t” verkürzt. Andere Symbole für Verzierungen tauchen in den „Suiten” nicht auf, außer einer einzigen Vorschlagsnote in der „Allemande” in G-dur. Auch diese singuläre Vorschlagsnote ist harmonisch begründet.

2)
Die „Sarabande” in Es-dur enthält nur einen einzigen Triller, der ungewöhnlicherweise auf der letzten Note der ersten Satzhälfte platziert ist.

3)
Die identische Schreibweise findet sich ebenso in den Abschriften von Johann Peter Kellner und den beiden aus der 2. Hälfte des 18. Jhdts.

 

 

 

 

For glossary, slur-code and facsimile of the manuscript of Anna Magdalena Bach see Analysis Part I:
https://www.bach-bogen.de/blog/thebachupdate/urtext-plain-text-an-analysis-of-the-sarabande-in-eb-major-part-1

 

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Sarabande in Eb Major,  Edition Michael Bach

Sheet music sample mm 25-28
Slurs that are understood from the polyphony and that JSB therefore did not have to notate are added in parentheses.

 

M 25f

Measures 25 and 26 correspond, in this case a fifth lower, melodically and harmonically to mm 9 and 10. Again, there are two possible harmonic progressions that are parallel, in major or in minor (tonic-Sub or DR-Rel).

M 27

Measure 27 is similar to M 11, launched with a tied note. Now the DR (respectively Dom) is expected here analogous to the previous example. The short irritating sixteenth note Ab3: Does this mean a transformation to the D7-chord? The answer lies in the quarter note in the bass, so that the upper voice is slurred and the note Ab3 can not be clearly classified as a chord tone of the D7-chord, but rather as a passing or suspended tone (see, in contrast, the mm 6, 16 and 18 where the sixteenth can be construed as chord tones).

Important in this context is that this note is tied, and thereafter the emphasis will be placed on the root of the DR, G3. However, the irritation of the coincidence of both pitches of the minor seventh (Bb2-Ab3) may well be highlighted since this peculiarity, a dissonance on the fourth sixteenth note of the first beat, already found in the previous measure continues in the following measures.

Also interesting is the slur on the 3rd beat of this measure which causes a crescendo to the next measure as opposed to mm 11 and 31.

M 28

Now one expects the final measure of the “Sarabande” with the tonic. However, the Rel is strongly emphasized with it, the end of the movement is thus delayed. JSB now writes a slur on each of the two sixteenth notes in the 1st and 2nd beats. This causes accentuations of the top note Eb4 and the note Eb3 on the 3rd beat.

It is striking that the bass note C3 on the first beat is a quarter note. The slur on the two sixteenth notes violates to a certain extent the rule of the “Slur-Code”, that all notes in the upper voice are slurred. In addition, the other rule does not apply, that if two slurs follow each other immediately, then the second slur decrescendos. The top note would not be stressed at all if all the notes in the first beat were slurred, as in this case, in direct connection to the slur of the previous measure, here would be a decrescendo. JSB intends, however a strong prominence of the Rel and just the tonic (root Eb5) in this measure. Both harmonies are equal.

The mixing of these harmonics, Rel and tonic, is demonstrated in particular by the pitch Bb3 which is contained in this measure. For the triads of the tonic and the Rel differ only by the pitches C and Bb. The coincidence of the notes Bb3 and C3 signals, in the context of the two notes Eb3 and G3, the dazzling presence of both harmonies. Therefore JSB has not reduced the bass note C3 to an eighth note so that both pitches C3 and Bb3 are heard together, and thus indicates the ambivalent harmonic situation of this measure.

The end of the phrase arrives back on the note Eb3, the root of the tonic or the third of the Rel, which is tied, as in mm 4, 23 and 25f. One last time, this Eb3 is emphasized and reinforces the tonic character at the end of the measure.

Note:
From m 25 a stepwise building crescendo is generated due to the slurs. There is no let-up of the sound intensity until m 29.

Sound example mm 25-28

*

How was passage has played in the cello competition?

Interpretation of mm 25-28 by the 11 participants

Similar to mm 5f the consistent two voices in the first beats were never heard, in particular the dissonant harmonies of the fourth sixteenth note with the bass, which was regularly shortened to an eighth note. A legato was not played at the dotted rhythms alike, sometimes even the rhythmic impetus was reinforced by over-dotting (32nd notes). A dynamic increase of up to m 28 was rarely heard. Often this measure was conceived as an overtone ornament, as if it were a “triad” of a fundamental.

*

 

 

Sheet music example mm 29-32

In the following passage which expands the second half of the movement with four final bars the “tone-defining” harmonies are mingled and lose track of harmonic function. But, in spite of everything, the ties make it possible to deliver a consistent picture of the harmonic sequence.

M 29

The note Eb3 still does not imply transition to the tonic but it is here harmonized with the tritone A2. This is reminiscent of m 23, so that the s6-chord can be expected. However, this time the bass note C2 is missing. The note Gb3 then transforms the harmony to a DD9-chord. But again, as in both previous measures, there is a quarter in the lower voice, so that the dissonant sixteenth note Gb3 is slurred to the previous note. This clouds the clarity of the harmonic progression, similar to the slurring of the seventh Ab3 in m 27. In addition, now a decrescendo is generated with the slur, which causes the questioning character or the weakening effect of this twist.

M 30

The top note Eb4 is tied again. The bass descends by semitone from A2 to Ab2. Although with this Ab2 the seventh of a D7-chord is notated. But why did JSB not simply write the usual bass note Bb2? With a bass note Bb2, in conjunction with a quarter note for the chord, the Dom would be unambiguous. This would otherwise be contrary to the tie since the seventh of a SD is never connected to the suspended fourth of the resolution. As such, the bass note Ab2 is not to be interpreted as seventh of the Dom, it does not sound in this way.

These considerations lead to a different interpretation of the harmonic development in this measure. With the half tone movement A2 in the previous measure to Ab2, this time noticeable downwards, we arrive at the SR. It has the same root as the DD in m 29, where the upper Eb4 acts as seventh in both chords which justifies the tie.

Both the upper part and the chord tones differ now from the preceding measures that would be analagous (mm 2, 4 and 22f). The top note is Eb4 already resolves to the sixth and fifth, D4 and C4 in the first beat. The chord tones are therefore reduced to an eighth note so that no slurring occurs in the upper part (a suspension action is not usually bound in the suites to its resolution). The fact that the chord tones shrink to eighth notes thickens the harmony.

This “resolution” or continuation of the seventh Eb4 (seventh chord on the SR) in the sixth d4 causes the s6-chord of the Rel, which is continued to F4, DR with seventh.

The three-part harmony at the beginning of the measure could suggest an S65-chord (Sub with added sixth F3) which has the identical pitch content. But, the overall context, ie the “voicing” is more prone to interpretation as the SR chord with seventh.
Note:

Only the curved bow allows both the tieing of the seventh Eb4 as well as the chord, without leaving the seventh, so that all three notes of the chord can be played together. Nevertheless, a bow change is inevitable, but the upper voice should not be interrupted (3rd beat of m 29 in the up bow and chord in the down bow). The concave bow however has to move from the upper part to the lower voices and causes an interruption on the tied Eb4. This suggests the “other” harmony, the D7-chord with seventh in the bass and Eb4 as suspended fourth. However, this is clearly in contradiction with the notation, ie the “compositional ” tie. In other words, JSB must have had an opportunity to perform these three voices on the instrument.

The seventh chord on the SR can only be realized with the involvement of the left hand thumb. While this case is a game of extreme technique, it is not an isolated case in the “Suites” (see m 11 and “Prélude” in C major).

 

M 31

The note Bb3 is now tied. It could continue to be heard as a third of the DR, or as fifth of the tonic. In both interpretations there is no difference in intonation because of the fifth relationship Bb3-Eb3. The fact alone that the last tie does not re-trigger an interpretive conflict in terms of an either-or-decision on the prevailing harmony, signifies a relief of the harmonic ambiguity is initiated.

Again, the chord tones have only an eighth note, so that the sixteenth Ab3 can be clearly articulated (dampen the G-string). This pitch does not belong to the DR, but to the tonic. It is certainly no longer appears that the major keys should again gain the upper hand. However, the Rel is not yet completely ruled out.

Now, with the hint of tonic or Rel, the Sub is now clearer after a last appeal to its Rel in the 2nd beat with the note Eb3. Here, the bass note is also shortened so that the note Eb, fifth of the Sub, is not slurred. So there is no preference between the two harmonies. A quarter note Ab2 in the lower voice would give momentum to the SR, because the note Eb3 would then be regarded as a passing note. And now, in the 3rd beat follows either the Dom, or the DR? This remains open.
Note:

Despite the note Ab3 in this pool of harmonies, the DR is still included. The presence of the DR is even highlighted in the first beat of the following measure again. The note Ab3 could then be regarded as a minor ninth suspension over the root G. This semitone Ab-G is answered in the final measure with the semitone resolution D-Eb.

As it happens, the leading tone suspensions are the subject of this movement. In m 27 the suspension Ab3-G3 of the DR has already been addressed. In m 29, the suspension Gb3-F3 can be heard. In m 30 the suspension is Eb4-D4. These half steps derived from the initial motif with suspended fourth (m 2 and m 4), by transferring them to other pitch and function levels (9-8, or 7-6 suspensions).
M 32

After the penultimate measure failed to clarify motion of the relative major and minor keys towards tonic, there follows with a garland of rising sixteenth notes the very last effort to resolve these ghostly harmonic events. In the first beat again the DR appears through (a 3-slur on the note G2, which integrates the fifth Bb2 of the tonic), The harmony now pivots towards principal key by emphasizing the note Eb3 on the 2nd beat (directly adjoining slurs).

These two harmonies, the tonic and DR, are, similar to the tonic and the Rel in m 28, connected by an interval of a second, namely with the notes D and Eb. The note D3 acts as leading note, creating a stress on the 2nd beat and not on the first. These internal dynamics, created by the placement of the slurs, revives the 2 octave ascending line.

Therefore, the second half of the movement does not end with a triumphant tonic sound. Neither is the bass note Eb2 stressed (no slur in the 3rd beat of m 31, but an octave leap down) nor the final high note Eb4, which is achieved with a decrescendo.
Conclusion:

The last 4 bars show in intensified form the ambiguous harmonic progression. While in m 29 the DD with its ninth is still relatively clear, in m 30 an episode suddenly begins with the tieing of the high note Eb5 and the chord which is so multi-layered that the harmonic complexity can not easily be brought to a common denominator, in the sense that unambiguous chords cannot be determined.

While it is obvious, these bars can be ascribed to the harmonic progression DD9-D7-T which many analysts**) do. This superficial harmonic analysis does not thoroughly describe the end of the “Sarabande”. The two ties also clearly thwart this simple interpretation. It can not be assumed that JSB comes to such a banal conclusion after all these harmonic excursions.

The second part of the movement is more prone to the darker, deeper registers in the minor keys. Only in the final measure does Eb major resurface.

Sound example mm 29-32

*

 

How was this passage played in the cello competition ?

Interpretation of the mm 29-32 by the 11 participants

The same applies as in the four previous measures, because no cellist realized the coincidence of the ninth Gb3 with the bass note A2 in the first beat of m 29. Some cellists simulated the ties of the upper voice in mm 29ff by playing only the two bass notes of the chords without sustaining the upper voice. Others, however, arpeggiated the chord, so that the upper part was played twice. Thus, these measures were aligned with those that include a suspended fourth. The final measure was regular started with an emphasis (and a tenuto) on the bass note. Some added an ornament to the final note Eb4.

*

 

Polyphony with the Curved Bow
Although the interpretation of this movement is possible with the today’s commonly used concave bow, the curved bow has great advantages at central points of the composition, eg in m 21, where the bass A2, the third of DD, finally appears for the 1st time, can be fully sustained with the curved bow for a quarter note. The same applies to the root C2 of the s6-chord in m 23. The ties and chords in mm 29ff can only be performed in the notated form with the curved bow.

The advantage of the curved bow is also heard in the chord progression of the m 15, the chord tones can be heard simultaneously and so gain clarity. In the harmonically ambiguous chords in mm 6, 16 and 18 the curved bow allows the simultaneous performance of two harmonies for their full duration of a dotted eighth note.

Similarly, the curved bow is sonically preferable in those places where there is in the upper voice of a chord a suspended note that resolves in the next beat (mm 2, 4 and 22f ), because the bass notes can be sustained, which strengthens the suspended dissonance.

Last but not least, the curved bow is advantageous in all two-voice passages because it facilitates playing technique, because the flexible nature of the bow hair allows a more even sounding of two tones.

JSB’s polyphonic notation cannot be clearer.

The quarter notes in the lower parts of mm 2, 4 , 9, 22f , 25 and 28 signify a clear harmonic situation and require a melodic design of the upper part as a result of the slurring of sixteenth notes.

The sixteenth notes in the upper voices of mm 10f and 26-29 are perceived only as dissonant, but only if they sound simultaneously with the quarter note in the lower voice.

The dotted eighths in mm 6f , 14, 16 and 18 illustrate a harmonically ambivalent situation. The following sixteenth then sounds separately and therefore as a chord tone (and not as a passing note or suspension).

 

The Ties

 

Ties in JSB are important clues to understanding the underlying harmonies. In particular, this applies to measures 23f and 29f, which are widely interpreted as Dom In reality they are marked as Sub.

In m 23 the chord C2-A2-Eb3 is not intended to be a DD7-chord which resolves to the Dom In this case, the note Eb3 would first be seventh of the DD and then the suspended fourth over the Dom The note Eb3 should not be tied in this interpretation. But JSB uses a tie, indicating that it is instead the s6-chord, whose presence in the first beat of the following measure is prolonged. This suggests that with these ties those pitches are connected, which are at the same time chord tones in both harmonies and identical in pitch.

 

Frequencies of pitches connected by ties
M 4f

The tonic is initially retained, the note Eb3 is its third. That is, the harmony does not change.

M 6f

The note Db4 is construed in m 6 as the seventh of the tonic and in m 7 it becomes the ninth of the Dom of the DD. Here the tritone G3-Db4 in both chords is identical and thus the pitch Db4.

M 9ff

No matter what chord progression is assumed (Dom-tonic-Dom (DD) or DD Rel -DR – DD Rel), the pitch Bb3 remains, whether it is the key note or a fifth, unchanged.
Calculation based on D3 : 8/5 – 16/ 15 x 3 /2 = 8/5 – 6/ 5 x 4 /3 = 8/5

Calculated based on Bb2 : 2 – 4 /3 x 3/2 = 2 – 3/2 x 4/3 = 2

M 13f

Same situation as in m 6f : the seventh becomes the ninth.

M 18f

Analogous to mm 9ff is the note C4 once root (Rel) , then (SR) and remains unchanged.

M 23f

The harmonic development in m 24 is unclear. The continuation of the s6-chord is on the 1st beat of m 24 is still open, the bass note Bb2 being a passing note. The harmony initially does not change (see m 5). Therefore, the note Eb3 remains unchanged.

M 25ff

Here the same applies as in mm 9ff.

M 28f

The tritone causes the s6-chord to be expected again as in m 23, i.e. that the frequencies of the third of the Rel and of the third of the s6-chord are identical.

M 29f

The note Eb4 is now the seventh of the DD and of the SR. Both have the same root, and consequently the same seventh.

M 30f

Again, the harmonic situation is ambiguous. The tie is justified in all harmonic interpretations. Either the DR is retained across the bar line, or a modulation from the Dom to the tonic occurs instead. Then Bb3 would be the keynote of the Dom or the fifth of the tonic, in both cases the pitch is identical.

 

Frequencies of those pitches that are decidedly not connected by ties
M 1f

As shown in the analysis, here is a clear resolution of the SD with seventh Db4 to Sub with suspended fourth Db4. The two pitches are not identical.

M 3f

Again, the resolution of the seventh of the Dom to the suspended fourth of the tonic takes place.

M 5f

Again, with the descending fifth in the bass a resolution with suspended fourth in the upper voice is simulated.

M 15f

The same applies across this bar line.

M 21ff

These bars are similar to mm 1 and 3
In other words, every time a SD seventh is turned into a suspended fourth over the harmonic resolution, there is no tie. To take up the metaphor of Thomas Mann (see analysis of the “Prelude” in G major) again , “Servant tones” obviously are not connected to “Master tones”. Because the suspended fourth does not constitute pitch of the chord of resolution.

 

Comparison with other manuscripts

It might be of interest, to compare with the other three surviving copies from the 18th century. As for the slurs, these copies are generally much too vague and arbitrary, to be amenable to analysis. In rare cases they can be used to identify pitches.

All copies add ties and as desired additional trills and suspensions. The note durations were not given the attention they deserve by Johann Peter Kellner.

 

Source B (Kellner)

In mm 3, 8, 13 and 19 trills are added.

Different note durations can be found in m 6 (lower voices eighth note), m 13 (lower voice dotted half note), T 15 (lower voices eighth and dotted eighth notes), m 18 (lower voices eighth note) and m 24 (lower voices dotted eighth note) .

Ties are lacking in the mm 13f and 30f. Additional ties were added in the mm 14f , 21f and 22f .

Slurs are missing in m 2 on the sixteenth notes, in m 27 in the 3rd beat and in m 28 on the first beat.

 

Source C

In mm 1, 3, 13, 19 trills are added, as well as suspension marks in mm 2, 4, 14, 17 and 20.

The note durations are all correct, except for the dotted half note in the lower part of m 13.

Ties are added to mm 21f and 22f.

A slur is absent in m 14.

The same applies to Source D.

It appears unmistakably in a direct comparison with these other transcripts, that only the AMB mamnuscript can be considered to be authentic.

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*)

Cello-Competition for New Music and award of the Domnick Cello Prize

Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart, Germany

January 20-25, 2014

 

The Participants:

Charles-Antoine Duflot
Raphael Moraly
Armand Fauchère
Magdalena Bojanowicz
Darima Tcyrempilova
David Eggert
Hugo Rannou
Minji Won
Beatrice Holzer-Graf
Hanna Magdaleine Kölbel
Jee Hye Bae

 

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Examples from Secondary Sources

Allen Winold, “Bach’s Cello Suites“, Indiana University Press, Bloomington 2007 Allen Winold,

musical examples mm 23-32 (Exclamation marks, question marks and hooks added)

 

Ingrid Fuchs, “Die Sechs Suiten für Violoncello solo“, Diss. Wien 1980 Ingrid Fuchs,

harmonische Skizze der Sarabande in Es-Dur (questions marks added)

 

 

For glossary and facsimile of the manuscript of Anna Magdalena Bach see Analysis Part I:
https://www.bach-bogen.de/blog/thebachupdate/urtext-plain-text-an-analysis-of-the-sarabande-in-eb-major-part-1

 

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Sarabande in Eb, Edition Michael Bach
Sheet music example mm 13-16
Slurs that are understood from the polyphony and therefore not notated by JSB are added in parentheses.

M 13

The beginning of the second half of the movement is linked with the tonally indeterminate open fifth at the beginning of the movement. At the same time, this fifth corresponds in a peculiar way with the preceding trill, because the two pitches represent the basic sounds of the dominnat (Bb2) and the DD (F3). On top of that, surprisingly, the note Ab3 sounds without a bass note on the 3rd beat. (In the lower part of this measure there is only a half note, Bb2. The quarter rest on the 3rd beat is missing because it is unnecessary to notate.) Thus, it is questionable whether the note Ab3 on the third beat, is to be regarded again as a seventh. Due to the fact that the two notes in the upper voice are slurred, the note Ab3 on the 3rd beat is highlighted. It is also connected to the first beat of the following measure.

M 14

The bass now does not present Eb2 and Bb2 as in m. 4, but rather B4 as the third of the chord. The note Ab3, 3rd beat of the previous measure in this measure is the ninth of the SD of the Rel. This harmonic shift mirrors the harmonic action of mm 6-7 (with the notes Db4 and E3). The lower voice is reduced to a dotted eighth note so that the subsequent sixteenth note F3, the seventh of the SD, is highlighted as a chord tone. The slurred three sixteenth notes in the 3rd beat again accentuate F3 as the chord seventh.

M 15

The three chords of m 15 are played forte: First, because of the upwards octave leap; Second is the concentration of single chords, consisting for the first time in this movement of a sequence of chords that is unambiguous; Third, there appear here for the first time both the Rel and the SR, which interfere more and more in the harmonic action in the second half of the movement; And fourth, the first chord, i.e. the Rel, is approached by a series of three bound sixteenth notes and is therefore stressed. The Rel follows its s6-chord and its DD7 chord.

M 16

The resolution of the DD7 chord does not occur immediately in m 16 because this chord (as in m 6) again contains two harmonies: the SD of the Rel, and the SDD of Rel (root notes G2 and D3, respectively) both without their third. The dotted eighth note in the lower voices accentuates the subsequent sixteenth note A3, which belongs to the SDD. But, the next two measures unequivocally express the SD of the Rel.

 

Note:

To express the ambivalence of this chord, it is recommended to sustain all pitches equally (see m 6) and then subsequently to mute the open strings with the appearance of the sounding of the A3 string.

 

Sound example mm 13-16

*

How was this passage performed in the cello competition?

Interpretation of mm 13-16 by the 11 participants

The performances of cellists are all relatively the same: the chords were broken, although with the concave bow, three notes in the forte would be feasible. The emphasis on the Rel in m 15 was missing in all interpretations. Some cellists transformed the sixteenth notes to thirty second notes. Also, often the bass B2 in m14 note was shortened. A single cellist shortened the bass note Bb2 of m 13 to a quarter note and simulated a “slur” on the note C4 in mm 15f by simply omitting the C4 in the upper part of m 16 . A tie is not justified, as it would negate the suspended fourth, and consequently the harmonic ambivalence of that chord

 

*

Sheet music example mm 17-20

M 17

What follows now is not return to the Rel, rather by means of a half step alteration the expected pitch Eb3 is substituted by the surprising pitch E3 sounding with its tritone Bb2: the SD of the SR is achieved. The SR appears on the second beat, as in m 15, but without the dissonant added sixth and now prepared with its SD. The octave g2-g3, however, remains harmonically vague, since the third is missing. The two notes will rather be considered as passing notes. This octave now initiates a development that is characterized by an entanglement of SR, Rel, and its SD, and DR, harmonies, which are sliding through by means of stepwise motion.

M 18

The first chord in m 18 can not be unambisuously interpreted as the SR, and the octave g2-g3 in the previous measure can not be considered as its SD. Rather, the chord of the first beat could also be the SD of the Rel, with the ninth Ab3 in the upper voice, the seventh F3 in the bass and a suspended fourth C3 in the middle voice. This chord is also ambivalent as those of mm 6 and 16. The second beat confirms the SD, which resolves to the Rel.

M 19

The tie of the upper part C4 of the previous measure indicates that the pitch also belongs to the subsequent harmony: The root C4 of the Rel becomes the fifth of the SR. However, it lacks the third Ab3. The continuation via the attached sixteenth note D4 to the fifth G3-D4 on the second beat can be seen either as the DR or as the SD of the Rel due to the absence of the third: major or minor? The “harmonic inertia of hearing” tends towards the SD as in the previous measure the B3 was sounded.

As a result of the quarter note and half note in the lower part of m 19, the upper voice is tied in accordance with an emphasis on the second beat. The dissonant fourth G3-C4 at the end resolves not in two parts, but rather clarifies itself quite simply to the single note C4 in the next measure.

 

Note:

On the top note D4, a trill is often performed, but this is misplaced because with a trill D4-Es4 the third of the Rel or a suspended sixth of the SD would be introduced. This passage “thins”, as more and more thirds and sixths are left out of the harmonies, in order to end on an isolated, fragile C4.

In addition, the top note Eb4 is reserved for m 21.

 

M 20

The gradual transition to the Rel is completed with the appearance of the third, Eb3, on the 2nd beat. The last sixteenth note, Bb2, however, can not be interpreted as the seventh of the SD of the DD which actually appears, but unexpectedly, because that Bb2 is a diatonic pitch of the Rel and is understood as such in this context. This means there is no modulation, so it lacks the third E3.

 

Sound example mm 17-20

 *

How would this passage be performed in the cello-competition?

Interpretation of mm 17-20 by the 11 participants

In this passage, the lower voice was almost always reduced in time, especially in the two-part passage of m 17, where a kind of chord breaking was unnecessarily imitated, because the two voices can be easily performed with the concave bow as notated. The same applies to the mm 18f, where almost always the sixteenth note D5 and without exception the eighth note C5 sounded alone. One of the cellists shortened even the sixteenth notes to thirty-second notes, some other cellists also exhibited that tendency. In mm 18f another cellist curiously imitated relatively often the bowing style of three-part passages with the concave bow “tie-play” (eg mm 1-4 ) in which the note C4 in m19 was omitted, playing only the note F3, even though two voices as notated are easily executable. The note Eb4 was always added in m 19, in all cases as trills, except in one case as a long suspended Eb4.

 

*

Sheet music example mm 21-24

 

M 21

All the more surprising, after the consistent absence of thirds previously, and as a result of a further half step move, is the entry of the bass note A2 instead of Ab2, which now appears as the third of the DD. The DD came in this movement, despite powerful intensification in mm 5-7 not yet properly ?in sequence?. However, here it is at once “in place”, without a preparatory SD.

The octave leap in the upper voice (similar to m 15) additionally causes an intensification of the sound.

The third A2 in the bass is very important, because with it the motif of the “empty” fifth at the beginning of the movement is now rendered “concrete” with the addition of the third to the harmony. It is the last time that this motive will appear and at the same time the only time where the DD rules unchallenged, now introducing energetic passages.

The DD is clearly established with a three-part chord. The harmony is perfectly clear and the subsequent notes, especially the seventh Eb4, now no longer requires the root F3. Therefore, in the first beat, the note F3 is shortened in the lower voice to a quarter note. The upper voice can now sound brilliantly.

 

Note:

There is yet another reason for the three-part chord: The answer is provided later in m 23 with the irregularly notated chord on the 3rd beat. This “premature” or additional focus effect in 3/4-time due to the three regularly positioned chords approaching respectively on the first beats of mm 21-23, is thus more “out of sequence” and therefore more expressive.

 

M 22

In the second beat of m 22 the familiar resolution of the suspended fourth to the dominant appears, with its third D4 in the upper voice. As a result of the slur in the first beat, and the lack of slurring in the previous measure, it also receives an accent. Clearly, in this and the following measure, the emphasis is on the chord, as well as on the 2nd beat. In contrast to mm 2 and 4 this results in a sustained forte .

M 23

A corresponding resolution to the tonic with stress on the second beat occurs in m 23.

Now, on account of the deep bass note C2, the heavily accented chord on the 3rd beat poses a harmonic puzzle. It looks like a DD7-chord, but turns out to be a s6-chord with root note C2 and with an added major sixth A2. This interpretation is actually “enforced” by the tie, because a seventh Eb3 of the DD7-chord, as explained above, can not be bound to the suspended fourth of its resolution (see opening measures).

Second, in order to specify the DD7-chord it would be sufficient to notate the tritone alone. The bass note C2 is not resolved. It can not, in the case of a DD7-chord, be resolved to Bb1, which exceeds the lower range of the cello. The note C2 shifts, actually merely on account of its sonority and force (open C-string) to the tonic keynote from F2 to C2.

The note C2 therefore remains valid as the root over the bar line. That is, it “plays” in about the same way as in m 5 where it indicates there is no chord change at the beginning of the measure. The harmonic twists happen, just as in m 5, only here in the course of m 24. (It is recommended that to allow the C string to resonate beyond the end of the measure.)

And third, a return to the DD7-chord is, according to the harmonies of the previous measure (DD7 – Dom – tonic) unlikely, because in the “Suites” of JSB there are no harmonic “repetitions” – unless, an identical motive is directly repeated.

With the s6-chord the harmonic puzzle continues. But what happens to these harmonic and metric interruptions?

M 24

In the lower voice a relatively inconspicuous eighth note Bb2 now appears, exactly as in m 5. It acts like a passing note. A deliberate and unequivocal resolution of the tritone would have a significant quarter note result. A resolution on the first beat is excluded for a moment, so it is unclear here just as it was in m 5 how the harmonies will progress.

Due to the (unstressed) note D3 in the 2nd beat, and the sixth A2 of the s6-chord in the previous measure, the SD of DR may be suspected. For the adoption of a SD of DR, that would normally follow the s6-chord, the third F#3 is lacking, because we hear instead F3, the minor third.

Then in the third beat, deviating from m 5, there is no quarter note Ab4, and the D7-chord is not clear. Rather, what happens here is a diminuting reconciliation, similar to m 8, for the DR, only here the minor character is more explicit.

Sound example mm 21-24

*

 

How was this passage performed in the cello competition?

Interpretation of mm 21-24 by the 11 participants

The surprising DD chord at the beginning of m 21 was always broken, and the intensity of this harmonic eruption was never dynamically highlighted. In general, the ties in the first beats of mm 22f were not performed nor the dissonant harmonies of the upper voice, in particular the sixteenth notes with the underlying fifth. Sometimes, however, even the top note of a chord was omitted, following the oft repeated pattern “syncopation – imitation”. In m 21, a single cellist prolonged the lower voice to a half note and so imitated m 13, which (as explained in the analysis above) is absurd. Because this measure is comparable neither with the mm 1 and 3, or even m 13 in its harmonic development.

 

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*)

Cello-Competition for New Music and award of the Domnick Cello Prize

Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart, Germany

January 20-25, 2014

 

The Participants:

Charles-Antoine Duflot
Raphael Moraly
Armand Fauchère
Magdalena Bojanowicz
Darima Tcyrempilova
David Eggert
Hugo Rannou
Minji Won
Beatrice Holzer-Graf
Hanna Magdaleine Kölbel
Jee Hye Bae

 

 

Michael Bach

This is the first part of the analysis of the

Sarabande in E Flat Major

with performance examples

and the interpretations of the cello competition *)

 

 

Interpretation of the “Sarabande in Es-Dur”
Michael Bach, Cello with BACH.Bow

https://youtu.be/-Vz9Qs3TiWA

 

Copy by Anna Magdalena Bach, digital scan of the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin – PK

 

Glossary

JSB = Johann Sebastian Bach
AMB = Anna Magdalena Bach

2-slur, 3-slur, 4-slur = Slurs over 2, 3 or 4 notes.
Three 2-slurs = three slurs over 2 notes
m, mm = measure, measures

C4 = middle C

Sub = Subdominant
Dom = Dominant
Rel = Relative minor
SR = Relative minor of the subdominant
DR = Relative minor of the Dominant
DD = Dominant of the Dominant
D7-chord= Dominant seventh chord
D9-chord = Dominant ninth chord
s6-chord = Minor subdominant with sixth instead of fifth (ii6 chord)
SD = Secondary dominant
SDD = Dominant of the secondary Dominant

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Foreword

The analysis of the “Sarabande in E Flat Major” by JSB presented here is offered in comparison to the individual interpretations of the participants in this year’s Cello Competition for New Music in Stuttgart* ). This is to elucidate the extent to which today’s current interpretations do justice to the original manuscript. In this “Sarabande” there are no significant deviations in the Urtext editions from AMB’s copy, and there are no scribal errors on the part of AMB. Nevertheless, a performance convention has been established that modifies the musical text. This relates to the polyphony, to the slurs and to the addition of “ornaments”.

It does not seem to be common knowledge (even the Urtext editions do not consider the following) that in polyphonic passages the longer note values dictate the bow stroke. That is, the sounds of other voices which have shorter note values, are slurred accordingly, for example, here in the opening bars.

More important than the slurs, however, are the accents that are implicitly notated. Consequently, the slurs allow clear conclusions to agogical and dynamic processes. Thus, JSB therein had an effective, and at the same time flexible notational symbol at hand.

In general, the slurs are identical to the bow strokes. Nevertheless, for technical reasons, a stroke of the bow can be changed once. The key remains that the meaning of a “compositional” slur is recognized and the resultant sound is implemented accordingly. Nevertheless, the slurs are in the “Suites” almost always identical to the optimal bow strokes. The two exceptions are in this “Sarabande” measures 29f

Ties do not cause accentuation, as they merely extend a pitch. However, in this movement something else is very striking, namely that JSB decidedly notated ties across the barline. In some interpretations this resulted in the misconception that a tie is missing in the first and third measures on the pitch Ab3 and Db4, which would have to be supplemented as well as sometimes in similar looking places.

And so, once again we are brought back to the harmony. Because only deep harmonic analysis gives us the crucial insight as to why no ties are present, for example, in the first 4 measures. The formative ties in this movement are therefore to be understood less as articulatory binding, but rather as a sign that creates harmonic meaning. In the cello competition a mistaken understanding of the meaning of the tie, resulted in ties often being applied to all similar looking musical motives without consideration of their harmonic context.

The usage of ties in this “Sarabande” also explains, for example, why in m 23 the s6-chord is articulated rather than the DD7-chord. This makes it possible to tie the note Eb3 to the note Eb3 of the first beat of the following measure, and has an impact on the weighting of the individual chord tones with one another. The “absence” of a tie in the opening measures, for example, gives us the indication that the seventh of a Dom chord (Ab3 in m 3), and the suspended fourth of its resolution (in musical notation the same note Ab3) is, strictly speaking, not the same pitch frequency. This leads to tangential topics such as micro-tonality.which deal with issues beyond the intonation of tempered tuning.

The key of E flat major is strengthened in the opening measures of the “Sarabande” with its Sub and Dom But the DD, expected in m 8, is “denied” in the first half of the movement, a fact which disturbs the listener. The DD occurs later in m 21, “belatedly” so to speak, and in conjunction with the opening motif, but only once, then all the more surprising and heroic.

In contrast, the minor keys play a dominant role, although they are more likely to remain in the background. They are often confused with the Dom or the DD. They (the minor keys) bring something like anexus of harmonic gravity, but their chords do not explicitly appear.

An outstanding feature is the trill at the end of the first half of the movement. It can be demonstrated that in the Cello Suites no ornaments exist that can be understood in the traditional sense as beautifying or decorative embellishments. Trills in the Cello Suites are always an indication of two or more oscillating harmonies. This trill on the root of the Dom, not on its third, also creates an open end to the first half of the movement, because its resolution is missing. The somewhat clueless trilling of some of the artists in the cello competition is discussed below.

The Curved-Bow-specific issue is not presented in this analysis, although the included sound examples are performed by me with the curved bow. However, there are two places that are definitely not feasible without the curved bow: mm 30f. For other passages the curved bow offers various modes of bowing that correspond to the compositional structure according to the motto: the best instrument is just good enough for JSB.

The polyphony, especially with regard to the note values, is precisely notated. JSB has written nothing alterable in these works. Every pitch and every note value, as well as every slur and every trill has its explanation. The transcript of AMB bears witness.

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