Download or read book A Performer's Perspective on the Berg Piano Sonata, Op. 1 written by Chiyoon Chung and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Composed in 1909 and published in 1910, Alban Berg's Piano Sonata, Op. 1 is one of the most accessible piano works to come from the New Viennese School, and has appeared on recital programs regularly since the 1920s. The piece has a Romantic, yet modern character. Despite its beauty and relatively unchallenging technical demands, performers may have trouble interpreting it due to its musical language, which wavers between tonal and post-tonal elements; likewise, the tempo and dynamics fluctuate between stability and instability. The purpose of this document is to offer analytical and interpretive perspectives in order to enhance the study and performance of this sonata. The first chapter covers the compositional/musical background of the Sonata, surveys the publication history and history of early performances, and reviews the secondary literature. The document reviews aspects of Berg's study with Schoenberg from 1904, which had a profound influence on Berg. This influence is evident in his first published work, Piano Sonata Op. 1. Instrumental study pieces and songs from 1908 show Berg's early musical language is similar to that of his sonata. Furthermore, the document surveys the published editions to illustrate the differences between the second (1920) and third (1926) editions reviewed by the composer and the misconception about the editions available from the 1950s. Selected analytical literature is reviewed along with the methodologies and concepts involved, such as developing variation and Grundgestalt, which are also used for the analysis in this document. Interpretive problems that emerge in performance are introduced through a systematic comparison of several recorded performances. The second chapter examines analytical perspectives on the Sonata: analyses of the musical components and the formal structure. The motivic and harmonic language of the opening phrase as Gundgestalt is fully examined, which is followed by tracing developmental processes over the course of the work; where relevant, I consider existing analyses by scholars, Theodor W. Adorno, Janet Schmalfeldt, Basili Byros among others. Their formal analyses basically follow Berg's formal structure embedded within three main tempo markings but present slight differences from one another. The formal examination also approaches the overall organization as dictated not only by tonal progressions, but through a three-note motivic design and semitone descent gesture. The third chapter adopts a performance perspective, focusing on interpretational problems and offering solutions based on the understanding gained from the analysis. The style of the piece is considered: especially the dramatic and espressivo quality coming from the fluctuation of musical elements and competing of different formal schemes, sonata form and tripartite format. The special attention is given to tempo issues, and suggestions are offered for proper proportion between various main tempi and interpreting tempo changes in problematic places on a local scale. Recorded performances are once more considered in this regard. The reorganization of rhythm/meters is also suggested to obtain understandable rhythmic pulses between irregular phrases. Finally, phrasing, voicing, and articulation will be examined with suggestion of proper fingering and pedaling.