Chord Progressions, Stock Formulas, and Recurring Figurations in Sperger's CadenzasIn keeping with Mozart's practices, Sperger's cadenzas elaborate the cadential progression V6453-I, while his lead-ins prolong V or V7.23 Sperger's cadenzas may delay the inevitable final trill and the expected resolution to the tonic with anticipatory predominant harmonies built upon chromatic neighbor tones to scale degree 5, including the secondary dominants V7/IV, V7/V, and vii°7/V. These progressions result in basslines that include scale degrees 3-4-#4-5, ♭7-6-♭6-5, #4-5-♭6-5, or ♭6-5-#4-5. This last chromatic encirclement of the dominant is called the le-sol-fi-sol schema.24 Upon arriving at a dominant pedal point, Sperger alternates between the cadential six-four chord and V7, with occasional detours to IV. Sometimes Sperger resolves V7/IV to a scalar outline of ii, ambiguously implying deceptive motion. In these instances, Sperger prioritizes resolving tendency tones like sevenths rather than explicitly playing roots. A variety of stock formulas and recurring figurations appear in Sperger's cadenzas. Arpeggiated or scalar forms of the cadential six-four chord and V7 are ubiquitous in his cadenzas. Another common technique is the waveform scale, in which each quarter-note beat alternates between descending and ascending sixteenths, thereby outlining triads. Bariolage harmonic progressions, dominant pedal-point patterns, and double-stop scales in thirds appear in multiple cadenzas, some reproduced exactly, others with variations. Sperger also employs the rhythmic devices of diminution and augmentation to insert stock formulas from one cadenza into another. Motivic Development Devices and Thematic Quotation Strategies in Sperger's CadenzasTable 1.2 shows four strategies that Sperger employs to develop thematic fragments, motives, and figurations from the movement in his cadenzas. He transposes thematic fragments using the model-sequence technique to dissolve thematic quotations and to make transitions within the cadenza. In a strategy that I term the motivic-development schema, Sperger states, restates, and then develops a motive by spinning it out, either punctuating the end with a rest or transitioning directly into the next idea. In a related strategy that I call the triple-statement launch schema, Sperger repeats a bar-long dominant-pedal pattern three times before launching into another idea, often scalar figurations that ascend to the final arpeggiation of the cadential six-four chord in the high register. Though Sperger occasionally builds constructions resembling antecedent and consequent pairs that imply either half and authentic cadences or dominant-tonic alternation, his cadenzas rarely articulate formal cadences. Internal cadences in a cadenza are rare, since cadenzas normally generate suspense by delaying the resolution of a movement's final cadence.25 Whereas Mozart's piano cadenzas include homophonic textures and multi-voiced chords, Sperger favors monophonic textures, double-stops, or bariolage passages in his cadenzas. Table 1.2. Motivic development devices in Sperger's cadenzas with examples labeled as Concerto.Movement.
Table 1.3 lists the diverse strategies that Sperger employs to quote themes in his cadenzas. As an opening or closing gambit,26 Sperger may begin or end a cadenza with a memorable thematic incipit that he develops using the model-sequence technique. Motivic citation refers to the quotation of a short musical motive, usually one that appears during the recapitulation or the transition to the cadenza.27 Varied recall occurs when Sperger quotes a previously heard theme with new variations. Sperger sometimes anticipates themes from the next movement or recollects themes from the previous movement. Sperger transposes themes originally heard in a non-tonic key into the tonic or places them over a dominant pedal. He occasionally transforms a theme's character from lyrical to dramatic by changing from the tonic major to the parallel minor key. Table 1.3. Thematic quotation strategies in Sperger's cadenzas with examples labeled as Concerto.Movement.
Manuscript Fermata Embellishments as Evidence of Sperger's Performance PracticesThe manuscripts in Part 2 contain evidence of Sperger's performance practices, which will form the basis of the discussion about learning to improvise cadenzas in Part 3. Sperger's cadenzas traverse the Viennese violone's four-octave range, employing harmonics and stopped notes in the highest octave and only one G# below the low A string. Sperger often notates several different embellishments for the same fermata in the solo part and/or on the cadenza page, which provides evidence of the evolution of his musical ideas. Sperger uses notations that resemble Coda and Dal Segno symbols to show corrections, insertions, and multiple beginnings or endings in his cadenzas. Sperger's use of false ending trills in cadenzas that contain a second iteration of the four-part form recalls Danuta Mirka's conception of the cadenza as a witty game between the soloist and the orchestra.28 These double cadenzas show Sperger subverting gestures that usually cue the ensemble to reenter. The next section analyzes selected cadenzas from Sperger's estate.
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Part 1: Deducing Sperger's Cadenza Playbook Part 2: Tracing Sperger's Creative Process Part 3: Reconstructing Sperger's Improvisatory Language Sarah Lahasky, Editor Editorial Board Kathleen Horvath Andrew Kohn Shanti Nachtergaele Fiona M. Palmer Tae Hong Park Sonia Ray Phillip Serna |
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