plainchant melodies in the workshop of franz liszt

2. PRESENTATION June 12, 2020

PLAINCHANT MELODIES

IN THE WORKSHOP OF

FRANZ LISZT

Ágnes Watzatka

Franz Karl Prassl

Klaus Aringer

Michael Heinemann

WORK AND RESULTS

1. Research work in Weimar

(July 2019)

a) Liszt’s books about church music

plainchant, liturgy;

b) Liszt’s sketchbooks: original musical

manuscripts and notes;

c) Liszt’s unpublished correspondence.

2. Interimal Evaluation Exam in

November 2019.

WORK AND RESULTS

3. Conferences

a) Halle (2 August 2019)

J. F. Kloss und sein Manual

für Kirchenmusik

b) Szeged (10 October 2019)

The Hymn Pange lingua and

Liszt’s Interpretation of Lenau’s Night Procession

c) Budapest (11 October 2019)

A Patriotic Mass? Franz Liszt’s

Hungarian Coronation Mass

PLANS

1. Conference

CANTUS PLANUS

in Telč, Czech Republic

planned 15 – 19 July 2020

postponed to 2021

2. Conference of the Hungarian

Musicological Society in Budapest

9 – 10 October

Dumont’s and Liszt’s Credo

PLAINCHANT MELODIES IN THE

WORKSHOP OF FRANZ LISZT

• Part I. Plainchant sources and practice in the 19th century.

• Part II. Plainchant in different works of Liszt ̶

piano works, orchestral works, vocal music.

• Part III. Conclusions. Liszt’s methods of integrating plainchant; the role of plainchant in the output of Liszt.

II. PLAINCHANT IN DIFFERENT

WORKS OF LISZT

1. FAUX-BOURDONS

IN LISZT’S PIANO MUSIC

1.1. De profundis –

psaume instrumental

(1834 – 1835)

DE PROFUNDIS − PSAUME INTSRUMENTAL

De profundis: Psalm 130/129; penitential psalm,

in France sung at the end of the masses celebrated for the dead.

The Instumental Psalm: an incomplete piano concerto, composed in 1834−1835.

Finished, published and recorded in 1990 by three different authors. We use the score of Jay Rosenblatt.

THE FAUX-BOURDON DE PROFUNDIS

Novel eucologue en musique

(1851)

compiled by

Abbé Charles Roquefeuil

and Félix Clément

PLAN OF THE WORK (1)

1. EXPOSITION

Theme 1a–b 1–129 d Theme 2 130–161 d

Psalm 162–187 F Psalm Psalm 188–230 f# Minore

2. EXPOSITION

Theme 1a–b 231–271 f#

Psalm 272–280 F# (Lines 1–2)

Theme 1a/Psalm 281–304 F# Fragments

Theme 2/1a–b 304–383 F#

Cadenza Psalm 384–404 Ab Andante

Psalm 405–425 Ab Polonaise Theme 1a–b 426–457 Ab

Coda Psalm 458–508 Ab Polonaise

PLAN OF THE WORK (2)

DEVELOPMENT Theme a. 509–556 C#

(Scherzo) Theme b. 557–585 A

Theme a. 586–627 c#

Theme b. 628–647 bb

Theme a. 648–672 C#

Theme b. 673–705 Db

Transition 706–746 ~

RECAPITULATION Theme 1. 747–757 d Theme 2. 758–789 d

Psalm 790–799 d Fragment

Transition 800–821 d

Coda Psalm 822–900 D March

1.) Psalmody with

the full orchestra

Irregular metric division

– imitating the vocal

psalmody

2.) Psalmody on the piano.

Minore

3.) Psalmody turns to regular

metric units: Andante

4.) Modified harmonies: Polonaise

5.) Extreme

opposition

to the Psalm

intonation:

March

MUSICAL PROGRAMME

LISZT ABOUT THE MUSICAL PROGRAMME:

(Lettre d’un Bachelier ès musique…, 1837)

1.) The work of certain artists is

the reflection of their thoughts and feelings,

moreover, their life itself.

2.) The artist may or has to point to the

CONTENT of his music.

CORRESPONDENCE

Liszt’s letter to the Abbé Félicité de Lamennais,

14 January 1835 :

I shall have the honour of sending you a little

work, to which I have had the audacity to tack a great

name – yours. – It is an instrumental De Profundis.

The plain-song that you like so much is preserved in it

with the Fauxbourdon. Perhaps this may give you a

little pleasure; at any rate, I have done it in

remembrance of some hours passed (I should say

lived) at La Chênaye.

Félicité de Lamennais (1782 – 1854)

Catholic priest and

political theorist,

forerunner of liberal

and social Catholicism.

He stood for

a Catholic Church

independent from

secular power and

supporting the poor.

A new revelation for Liszt:

„Words of a Believer” (1834)

… your latest pages

have transported me,

overpowered me, torn

me to pieces with

sadness and hope! ...

My God, they are

sublime!... Sublime,

prophetic, divine!...

What genius, what

generosity of heart!

The teaching of Lamennais

(Words of a Believer)

VII

God has made neither small nor great, neither masters nor slaves, neither kings nor subjects; he has made all men equal.

XXXVI

Young soldier, whither goest thou?

I go to combat for God…, I go to combat for justice...

I go to ... deliver my brethren form oppression, to break their chains...

I go to combat that all may have in heaven a God, and on earth a country.

May thy arms be blessed ... young soldier!

La Chênaye:

home of Lamennais

in Brittany (Bretagne)

Liszt as a disciple:

enjoyed silence and nature

attended daily teachings with other disciples

went on private walks with the Abbé

played the piano and composed in the salon

Levels of significance

1. The Christian faith of father Lamennais:

reverence to God – fight for social justice

2. The change in Liszt’s faith:

traditional faith – the new faith of Lamennais

Why the Psalm of the dead? Biography?

BIOGRAPHY

Adam Liszt,

father of Franz Liszt:

16 December 1776 –

28 August 1827

Liszt went to La Chênaye

on the 15th of September, 1834

Levels of significance (2)

1. The Christian faith of father Lamennais:

reverence to God – fight for social justice

2. The change in Liszt’s faith:

traditional faith – the new faith of Lamennais

3. Adam Liszt – childhood, childly faith

Félicité de Lamennais – adulthood, new faith

The Instrumental Psalm:

the reflection of Liszt’s thoughts and feelings,

moreover, his life itself.

Thank you

for your

attention!