Concerto pathetique
Encyclopedia
The Concerto pathétique, written in 1865, (S.258/R.356), is Franz Liszt
's most substantial and ambitious two-piano work (without orchestra). At least two (solo) piano concerto
arrangements of the work by other composers have the same title.
published the solo piano work Grosses Concert-Solo, (S.176/R.18), by Franz Liszt
. Though not as popular as the later Piano Sonata in B minor
by the same composer, the work achieves significance by the fact that it anticipates the Sonata as a large scale nonprogrammatic work. It shows structural similarities to the Sonata and obvious thematic relationship to both the Sonata and the Faust Symphony
.
One unpublished earlier version of the work exists. This version differ structurally from the published Grosses Concert-Solo, thus revealing the existence of interesting material for a study on the genesis of Liszt’s gradual innovations in constructing a large-scale musical organism, which were to come to full fruition in the Sonata.
In 1865 a two-piano version was published under the title Concerto pathétique which, though not differing structurally from the Grosses Concert-Solo, introduces a more effective layout of the musical thoughts, mainly due to an innovative concerto-like treatment of the two-piano ensemble. The initial conception of a projected piano concerto can further be proved by a number of extant piano concerto arrangements by various composers—including orchestra sketches by Liszt himself.
While the solo version is rarely performed today, the Concerto pathétique has become a repertoire piece of the two-piano genre.
, namely the nonprogrammatic "four-movements-in-one" form.
An earlier unpublished solo version as well as some unpublished orchestra
accompaniment
sketches for a projected piano concerto
version do not contain the slow Andante
sostenuto
middle section, which shows that Liszt’s initial conception was one virtuoso
sonata-allegro
movement with exposition, development, recapitulation, and coda
. The new "comprehensive" sonata form
is the result of an insertion of a slow movement (sometimes compared to the Lento
sostenuto of Chopin
’s Fantasy in F minor
) between exposition and development and a cyclic recurrence of the slow movement theme between recapitulation and coda in order to achieve unity. Since this afterthought of Liszt does not quite agree with the initial intentions, the result is a somewhat loose rhapsodic
structure with interlinked sections held together by a few clumsy insertions.
Liszt did not smooth out those "rough edges." He simply used some of the thematic
material to compose an entirely new work in similar large-scale form — the Sonata in B minor. Here the form convinces because the thematic ideas have been contrived to match each other, which makes the thematic transformation
, already apparent in the Grosses Concert-Solo and many earlier works, more natural. In contrast to the Grosses Concert-Solo the accompaniment figurations in the sonata are permeated by thematic allusions resulting in a more logically compelling development of ideas.
It is typical for Liszt that he did not destroy the earlier work (Grosses Concert-Solo) but rearranged it in the two-piano version Concerto pathétique. Since Liszt had obviously projected a piano concerto and dropped the plan in favor of a solo piece, the two-piano arrangement can be seen as a sort of compromise. In this version Liszt seems to have been more interested in the concerto-like effects of the two-piano ensemble than in structural innovations, because he left the overall design of the solo version unaltered. The suggestion of a concerto version can be detected in various remarks such as quasi arpa, quasi timpani, etc., and the fact that the first piano part is more virtuosic throughout. Later concerto arrangers, like Eduard Reuss (1885, corrected by Liszt), Richard Burmeister (1907) or Gábor Darvas
(1952), have usually incorporated the second piano part into the orchestra part.
Despite the structural relationship between the Concerto pathétique and the Sonata, Liszt always rejected the idea of a preconceived form. In his Faust Symphony
, which employs related thematic material, he does not attempt to write another "four-movement-in-one" work.
’s Konzertstück and Konzert-Allegro, Chopin
’s Allegro de Concert
, or Weber
’s Konzertstück
, one of Liszt’s "war horses"). Such a Konzertstück (concertino
) form seems to be indicated by the title Morceau de Concert [sic] (pour Piano sans Orchestre).
The later Concerto sans orchestre and the existence of sketches (in Liszt’s hand) for a piano concerto version give evidence to the concerto character of the solo version. Liszt was not the only composer to have written a "concerto without orchestra" (a seemingly self-contradictory title).
The term concerto might also point to certain formal procedures. Liszt’s later addition of the Andante sostenuto part to the solo version results in sectional tempo
(and mood) changes somewhat related to a baroque concerto. Another heritage from the baroque age is the idea of competing forces (solo against orchestra for example). The two-piano medium is excellently suited for projecting this concert style (also recognized by Stravinsky
’s Concerto per due pianoforti soli or Busoni
’s Duettino concertante). In a solo piece the idea of struggling forces would be expressed by different moods (registers, modes, keys, dynamics, tempos, etc.) pitted against each other (the opposing characters in Faust). It cannot be doubted that there exists more than just a technical connotation of the term concerto for Liszt’s unlimited imagination.
The adjective grand could mean large-scale and/or indicate a certain grandeur of character, expression, or style. It is commonly used by Romantic composers (Chopin’s Grand Polonaise
brillante). But the German groß does not have that connotation in Grosses Concert-Solo.
The word pathétique is often misunderstood by native English speakers due to the negative meaning of the modern pathetic. The term means "with pathos
" and denotes a passionate rhetoric
al character intending to evoke sorrow. The typical dotted note themes in pathétique pieces such as Beethoven
’s "Pathétique
" Sonata, Liszt’s Concerto pathétique, or Scriabin
’s "Patetico" Etude
Op. 8, No. 12 also point towards a certain heroic quality.
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
's most substantial and ambitious two-piano work (without orchestra). At least two (solo) piano concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
arrangements of the work by other composers have the same title.
History and significance
In 1851 Breitkopf & HärtelBreitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf . The catalogue currently contains over 1000 composers, 8000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on music. The name "Härtel" was added when Gottfried...
published the solo piano work Grosses Concert-Solo, (S.176/R.18), by Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
. Though not as popular as the later Piano Sonata in B minor
Piano Sonata (Liszt)
The Piano Sonata in B minor , S.178, is a musical composition for solo piano by Franz Liszt, published in 1854 with a dedication to Robert Schumann. It is often considered Liszt's greatest composition for solo piano. The piece has been often analyzed, particularly regarding issues of form.-...
by the same composer, the work achieves significance by the fact that it anticipates the Sonata as a large scale nonprogrammatic work. It shows structural similarities to the Sonata and obvious thematic relationship to both the Sonata and the Faust Symphony
Faust Symphony
A Faust Symphony in three character pictures , S.108, or simply the "Faust Symphony", was written by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt and was inspired by Johann von Goethe's drama, Faust...
.
One unpublished earlier version of the work exists. This version differ structurally from the published Grosses Concert-Solo, thus revealing the existence of interesting material for a study on the genesis of Liszt’s gradual innovations in constructing a large-scale musical organism, which were to come to full fruition in the Sonata.
In 1865 a two-piano version was published under the title Concerto pathétique which, though not differing structurally from the Grosses Concert-Solo, introduces a more effective layout of the musical thoughts, mainly due to an innovative concerto-like treatment of the two-piano ensemble. The initial conception of a projected piano concerto can further be proved by a number of extant piano concerto arrangements by various composers—including orchestra sketches by Liszt himself.
While the solo version is rarely performed today, the Concerto pathétique has become a repertoire piece of the two-piano genre.
Genesis of the "four-movements-in-one" form
The experimental nature of the Concerto pathétique gives it an outstanding presence in the Liszt oeuvre. The composer made many attempts to find an appropriate title — Grand solo, Grand Concert, Morceau de Concert, Concerto sans Orchestre, etc. — indicating that this work was an experiment with new forms. The fact that the solo Grosses Concert-Solo has been overshadowed by this later two-piano version has obscured the importance of the former as one of Liszt’s largest and most ambitious original works for the instrument. The Grosses Concert-Solo anticipates several of the most salient features of Liszt's undisputed masterwork, the Piano Sonata in B minorPiano Sonata (Liszt)
The Piano Sonata in B minor , S.178, is a musical composition for solo piano by Franz Liszt, published in 1854 with a dedication to Robert Schumann. It is often considered Liszt's greatest composition for solo piano. The piece has been often analyzed, particularly regarding issues of form.-...
, namely the nonprogrammatic "four-movements-in-one" form.
An earlier unpublished solo version as well as some unpublished orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
accompaniment
Accompaniment
In music, accompaniment is the art of playing along with an instrumental or vocal soloist or ensemble, often known as the lead, in a supporting manner...
sketches for a projected piano concerto
Piano concerto
A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...
version do not contain the slow Andante
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
sostenuto
Sostenuto
In music, sostenuto is a term from Italian which means "sustained." It occasionally implies a slowing of tempo, though more often it refers to a very legato style in which the notes are performed in a sustained manner beyond their normal values....
middle section, which shows that Liszt’s initial conception was one virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
sonata-allegro
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
movement with exposition, development, recapitulation, and coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
. The new "comprehensive" sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
is the result of an insertion of a slow movement (sometimes compared to the Lento
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
sostenuto of Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
’s Fantasy in F minor
Fantaisie in F minor (Chopin)
Frédéric Chopin's Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49, is a single-movement work for the piano, composed in 1841, when he was 31 years old.- Musical form :...
) between exposition and development and a cyclic recurrence of the slow movement theme between recapitulation and coda in order to achieve unity. Since this afterthought of Liszt does not quite agree with the initial intentions, the result is a somewhat loose rhapsodic
Rhapsody (music)
A rhapsody in music is a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasted moods, colour and tonality. An air of spontaneous inspiration and a sense of improvisation make it freer in form than a set of variations...
structure with interlinked sections held together by a few clumsy insertions.
Liszt did not smooth out those "rough edges." He simply used some of the thematic
Theme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...
material to compose an entirely new work in similar large-scale form — the Sonata in B minor. Here the form convinces because the thematic ideas have been contrived to match each other, which makes the thematic transformation
Thematic transformation
Thematic transformation is a technique of where a leitmotif, or theme, is developed by changing the theme by using Permutation , Augmentation, Diminution, and Fragmentation. It was primarily developed by Franz Liszt and his good friend Hector Berlioz...
, already apparent in the Grosses Concert-Solo and many earlier works, more natural. In contrast to the Grosses Concert-Solo the accompaniment figurations in the sonata are permeated by thematic allusions resulting in a more logically compelling development of ideas.
It is typical for Liszt that he did not destroy the earlier work (Grosses Concert-Solo) but rearranged it in the two-piano version Concerto pathétique. Since Liszt had obviously projected a piano concerto and dropped the plan in favor of a solo piece, the two-piano arrangement can be seen as a sort of compromise. In this version Liszt seems to have been more interested in the concerto-like effects of the two-piano ensemble than in structural innovations, because he left the overall design of the solo version unaltered. The suggestion of a concerto version can be detected in various remarks such as quasi arpa, quasi timpani, etc., and the fact that the first piano part is more virtuosic throughout. Later concerto arrangers, like Eduard Reuss (1885, corrected by Liszt), Richard Burmeister (1907) or Gábor Darvas
Gábor Darvas
Gábor Darvas was a Hungarian composer and musicologist. He was one of the first Hungarian composers to work in the field of electronic music. As a musicologist, his interest was primarily in music of the 15th and 16th centuries.He was born at Szatmárnémeti...
(1952), have usually incorporated the second piano part into the orchestra part.
Despite the structural relationship between the Concerto pathétique and the Sonata, Liszt always rejected the idea of a preconceived form. In his Faust Symphony
Faust Symphony
A Faust Symphony in three character pictures , S.108, or simply the "Faust Symphony", was written by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt and was inspired by Johann von Goethe's drama, Faust...
, which employs related thematic material, he does not attempt to write another "four-movement-in-one" work.
Concert piece or concerto?
The word concert(o), except for its spelling, is the only consistent part of the various titles of the Concerto pathétique. It could have different meanings though. The German word Concert (modern spelling Konzert) could mean both concert and concerto, but the titles Grosses Concert-Solo or Grand solo de concert seem just to denote a large-scale concert piece (as opposed to a short salon piece for example), whereas Concerto pathétique calls to mind a concerto. The prefix Concert (Konzert) or the French de concert could also mean a concerto like and/or one-movement work for solo and orchestra (such as SchumannRobert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
’s Konzertstück and Konzert-Allegro, Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
’s Allegro de Concert
Allegro de Concert (Chopin)
Frédéric Chopin’s Allegro de concert, Op. 46, is a piece for piano, published in November 1841. It is in one movement and takes between 13 and 15 minutes to play. The principal themes are bold and expressive...
, or Weber
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
’s Konzertstück
Konzertstück for Piano and Orchestra in F minor (Weber)
The Konzertstück in F minor for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 79, J. 282, was written by Carl Maria von Weber. He started work on it in 1815, and completed it on the morning of the premiere of his opera Der Freischütz, 18 June 1821...
, one of Liszt’s "war horses"). Such a Konzertstück (concertino
Concertino (composition)
A concertino is a short concerto freer in form. It normally takes the form of a one-movement musical composition for solo instrument and orchestra, though some concertinos are written in several movements played without a pause....
) form seems to be indicated by the title Morceau de Concert [sic] (pour Piano sans Orchestre).
The later Concerto sans orchestre and the existence of sketches (in Liszt’s hand) for a piano concerto version give evidence to the concerto character of the solo version. Liszt was not the only composer to have written a "concerto without orchestra" (a seemingly self-contradictory title).
The term concerto might also point to certain formal procedures. Liszt’s later addition of the Andante sostenuto part to the solo version results in sectional tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
(and mood) changes somewhat related to a baroque concerto. Another heritage from the baroque age is the idea of competing forces (solo against orchestra for example). The two-piano medium is excellently suited for projecting this concert style (also recognized by Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
’s Concerto per due pianoforti soli or Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...
’s Duettino concertante). In a solo piece the idea of struggling forces would be expressed by different moods (registers, modes, keys, dynamics, tempos, etc.) pitted against each other (the opposing characters in Faust). It cannot be doubted that there exists more than just a technical connotation of the term concerto for Liszt’s unlimited imagination.
The adjective grand could mean large-scale and/or indicate a certain grandeur of character, expression, or style. It is commonly used by Romantic composers (Chopin’s Grand Polonaise
Polonaise
The polonaise is a slow dance of Polish origin, in 3/4 time. Its name is French for "Polish."The polonaise had a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin....
brillante). But the German groß does not have that connotation in Grosses Concert-Solo.
Pathétique: "pathetic" or pathos?
After 1856 Liszt settled for the name Concerto pathétique. The character of the music had become as important as its form.The word pathétique is often misunderstood by native English speakers due to the negative meaning of the modern pathetic. The term means "with pathos
Pathos
Pathos represents an appeal to the audience's emotions. Pathos is a communication technique used most often in rhetoric , and in literature, film and other narrative art....
" and denotes a passionate rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
al character intending to evoke sorrow. The typical dotted note themes in pathétique pieces such as Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
’s "Pathétique
Piano Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, commonly known as Sonata Pathétique, was written in 1798 when the composer was 27 years old, and was published in 1799. Beethoven dedicated the work to his friend Prince Karl von Lichnowsky...
" Sonata, Liszt’s Concerto pathétique, or Scriabin
Alexander Scriabin
Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist who initially developed a lyrical and idiosyncratic tonal language inspired by the music of Frédéric Chopin. Quite independent of the innovations of Arnold Schoenberg, Scriabin developed an increasingly atonal musical system,...
’s "Patetico" Etude
Étude
An étude , is an instrumental musical composition, most commonly of considerable difficulty, usually designed to provide practice material for perfecting a particular technical skill. The tradition of writing études emerged in the early 19th century with the rapidly growing popularity of the piano...
Op. 8, No. 12 also point towards a certain heroic quality.