Fascinating as always, thank you! I'm currently playing the Italian Concerto, and I'm in favor of slower tempos to respect Bach's phrasings. It adds a whole new layer to the piece. Appreciate your insights!
These seem like specious discussions to me. Stradal's indication for "Allegro energico" (72 to the quarter note) is clearly a misprint. The tempo is 2/2, so the metronome is definitely referring to 2/4. The small difference between the initial "Allegro energico" and the "Allegro energico" of the Fugue (72 ... 80) probably depends on the wider sonority (in octaves) of the initial Theme. The Fuga is lighter, therefore a little smoother.
If it helps, Yakov Milstein's 1960 Mosow 'Urtext' gives half-note 72 for the Allegro energico, which may confirm that Stradal's quarter note was a misprint. Quarter note 72 is obviously not allegro energico! (I am reminded of Moscheles trying quarter-note 138 for the first movement of Beethoven's Hammerklavier and realizing it was much too slow, although he also thought half note 138 too fast, and in the end recommended half note 116.)
Excellent analysys as usual, thank you! I'm looking forward to hear your rendition of the sonata. However I also doubt that the final fugue could be twice as fast as the original theme!
Technical issues aside, why not the fugue subject in doppio movimento to the opening? Same theme different character. Isn't it possible composers change the tempi of their compositions over time and maybe even to accommodate their students?
Thank you for your comment. Of course, nothing is impossible and no one can tell for sure today how Liszt understood his own Sonata. However, the score of the Sonata is so precise and it appears to me that Liszt did everything to communicate that the fugue should be played at the same or at least at a comparable speed as the beginning. If he wanted doppio movimento he could simply have indicated it in one way or another but he didn't.
Fascinating as always, thank you! I'm currently playing the Italian Concerto, and I'm in favor of slower tempos to respect Bach's phrasings. It adds a whole new layer to the piece. Appreciate your insights!
Thank you for your comment and appreciation. The subject of tempo in Bach's music is a fascinating field for sure!
These seem like specious discussions to me. Stradal's indication for "Allegro energico" (72 to the quarter note) is clearly a misprint. The tempo is 2/2, so the metronome is definitely referring to 2/4. The small difference between the initial "Allegro energico" and the "Allegro energico" of the Fugue (72 ... 80) probably depends on the wider sonority (in octaves) of the initial Theme. The Fuga is lighter, therefore a little smoother.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Are you familiar with the Liszt Pädagogium?
If it helps, Yakov Milstein's 1960 Mosow 'Urtext' gives half-note 72 for the Allegro energico, which may confirm that Stradal's quarter note was a misprint. Quarter note 72 is obviously not allegro energico! (I am reminded of Moscheles trying quarter-note 138 for the first movement of Beethoven's Hammerklavier and realizing it was much too slow, although he also thought half note 138 too fast, and in the end recommended half note 116.)
Excellent analysys as usual, thank you! I'm looking forward to hear your rendition of the sonata. However I also doubt that the final fugue could be twice as fast as the original theme!
Thank you very much! The Sonata will be published on UA-cam soon.
I think that Stradal's first metronome refers to the Lento assai introduction.
@ruramikael Stradal indicates the exact bar so we know for sure that he talks about the Allegro energico.
Strange, it must be some typo.@@bernhardruchti
@@ruramikael Why would you assume that?
Technical issues aside, why not the fugue subject in doppio movimento to the opening? Same theme different character. Isn't it possible composers change the tempi of their compositions over time and maybe even to accommodate their students?
Thank you for your comment. Of course, nothing is impossible and no one can tell for sure today how Liszt understood his own Sonata. However, the score of the Sonata is so precise and it appears to me that Liszt did everything to communicate that the fugue should be played at the same or at least at a comparable speed as the beginning. If he wanted doppio movimento he could simply have indicated it in one way or another but he didn't.