Liszt - Mephisto Waltz No.3, S216 (Clidat)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 сер 2020
- Unlike the earlier Mephisto Waltzes, the Third possesses very few passages which are unmistakably linked with the episode from Lenau’s poem. General connections between the Waltzes do remain: the rapid triplet division of the beat, used to evoke a waltz of a truly demonic temper, along with the distinctive, attention-getting opening passage, which in this case is a remarkable satanic fanfare of 4 pitches which, with the exception of a major third, are separated by perfect fourths. Of all the Mephisto Waltzes, I find the Third to be the most puzzling-but also the most compelling-of the group, as the question of tonality with this work is very unsettled. For example: if one were to choose to support D-sharp minor as the piece’s overall tonic, some of the evidence could include that D-sharp is often placed in a very important rhythmic position, along with the fact that the areas in which D-sharp gains prominence are the opening and the closing of the piece, areas which conventionally host the establishment and re-establishment of the tonic. However, the foregoing supports for D-sharp minor are all related in that they are essentially rhythmic in nature-the features which champion F-sharp major as the tonic, on the other hand, are more related to harmonic function. These include: two long dominant prolongations from 1:06 to 1:39 and from 3:41 to 3:55; and a strong cadence on F-sharp at 3:25 and the aforementioned 3:55, the latter of which is set up by a well-prepared dominant.
When the tonal design of the piece is considered, one can discern 4 segments: the first contains the introduction and the initiation of tonal ambiguity (bars 1-107), the second embraces the approach to, and prolongation of, the F-sharp major tonal centre (bars 107-143), the third leads out of this key and into more ambiguity (bars 143-224), and the fourth (bar 224 to end), which includes the coda, gives fairly strong support to D-sharp minor as the closing tonality. In this broad perspective, the opening fanfare figure acts as a delineator of these larger structural divisions: it opens the piece, commences the drive to the first, large F-sharp cadence, finishes the F-sharp section, and ends the piece with some support of a D-sharp minor tonality. Having undertaken an overview of the piece, it’s worth looking a bit deeper into this F-sharp major-D-sharp minor tonal conflict; unlike the earlier Mephisto Waltzes in which formal contrast was provided by evocative themes, the Third derives its drama more abstractly from this tonal polarity.
(not enough space in the description box, go down)
INTRODUCTION
0:00 - Introduction; “fanfare” (ff). One’s attention is immediately riveted by the striking fanfare with which the piece opens. The first question one might ask is: what is the nature of the resulting chord and how does it function harmonically? Ways in which it might be interpreted are varied-in D-sharp minor the chord could be labelled as a minor V with a suspended fourth (the D-sharp); in F-sharp major it could be part of a V13 chord. Other aspects then must discern the prominence of one pitch as a tonic over the others: the D-sharp is accented, given considerable weight from a rhythmic standpoint, and from a melodic perspective, gains a certain prominence by virtue of its position on top of the perfect fourth A-sharp to D-sharp, with its implied 5-1 motion.
SECTION A
0:28 - Thematic unit 1 (T1) and
0:41 - Thematic unit 2 (T2). The eerie 0:28 through 0:47 can best be explained as a prolongation of the lower chromatic neighbour, D-natural, to the D-sharp. This D-natural may be thought of functionally as a C-double sharp because it returns at 0:47 to D-sharp; thus it is one of the only appearances of a functional leading tone so far in the work. Subtle whole-tone scale usage from 0:46.
0:54 - Thematic unit 3 (T3). Up until T3 D-sharp functions structurally as a tonic. However a considerable harmonic and tonal uncertainty is created by T3’s C-sharp, prolonged in the bass against the D-sharp reiterated in the upper voice-this particular chord can easily be converted to either a D-sharp minor 6/3 triad or a F-sharp major 6/4 triad, depending upon which of the framing tones one considers to be a non-chord tone.
1:06 - Thematic unit 4 (T4). Bars 35 to 66 contain the first hint at the upcoming F-sharp tonality: the rising fourth, C-sharp (1:06) to F-sharp (1:40) in the bass. Hearing the F-sharp as a tonic however is prevented by the relatively unstable harmonies present in the remainder of the texture. The first half of the area between bars 35 and 66 prolongs a dominant-ninth chord built on a C-sharp, the latter half maintains one on F-sharp. ff is neatly tucked in between the thematic segments and units.
2:12 - Thematic unit 5 (T5). The harmony previously built on the F-sharp resolves as an augmented 6th chord to the F-major triad of this passage: a completely regular sequence, descending by half-step from F to D, disrupting the tonal stability. Liszt eases the descent from one harmony to the next by adding a flattened 7th to each triad which is reinterpreted enharmonically as a raised 6th degree and resolves as part of a German Sixth chord, very much like the resolution of the preceding section’s F-sharp dominant ninth. The downward momentum created by this passage would seem to strongly imply that C-sharp major will follow.
SECTION B
2:39 - T1 and
2:51 - T2. The just mentioned thrust toward C-sharp is delayed by T1's prolongation of the D-minor triad; in this passage then, the D-natural could be interpreted as the upper neighbor to C-sharp, contrary to its earlier role as the lower neighbor to D-sharp.
3:04 - T3 and
3:17 - ff. This D-natural is then deflected upwards to D-sharp in bars 99-110 and then the D-sharp itself becomes the upper neighbour to the C-sharp at the end of bar 110. A surprisingly effective anacrusis to the upcoming F-sharp chord is created by this D-sharp to C-sharp motion, and it is enhanced by the division of the last beat of the bar into quavers.
3:25 - Thematic unit 2, modified (T2a) and
3:55 - T5. This is the first point in the piece in which the prevailing tonal ambiguity gives way; the prolongation of F-sharp major is accomplished by the presentation of two thematic blocks that we have not heard beginning in F-sharp before. The effect is so strong that, were it not for the strong support of D-sharp minor during the last part of the piece, one could say that the Third Mephisto Waltz is in the key of F-sharp major based upon this robust embrace of that tonality. This arrival is made stronger by the protracted preparation and the explicit C-sharp dominant 7th chord prolonged through 3:50 to 3:55. An interesting feature: the somewhat odd succession of chords (F-sharp 5/3 [3:25], G-sharp 6/4 [3:33], A 6/3 [3:41] turning into C-sharp 7) actually has an important structural role-it reproduces the small-scale D-sharp to C-sharp quaver anacrusis of 3:24 in a much larger scale in the bass!
A breakdown of the just established tonal centre begins with the introduction of an E-natural in bar 129; the ensuing measures are near replicas of those from 67 to 82. This passage ends in bar 142 on what appears to be a B-flat minor chord, but because of the bass E-flat (4:16) the actual harmony is a dominant ninth on E-flat (without the G); a chord which contains the same pitches as the fanfare figure which follows immediately.
4:25 - ff. The fanfare is placed in a position analogous to the D-minor prolongation from 2:39. There, the D-minor triad (which was earlier heard as a lower neighbor to D-sharp) was reintroduced as an elaboration of a downwards directed sequence towards C-sharp. Here, the fanfare is also brought back as an elaboration of the step on E-flat/D-sharp in a descending sequence. Consequently we expect the downward impulse to continue in the upper voice to the C-sharp, but instead...
4:37 - T4; the D-sharp starts to regain prominence; the opening figure leads into a section that, like 1:06 to 2:12, prolongs a series of two dominant-ninth chords, one on C-sharp, the other on F-sharp, with ff again tucked in between the thematic segments. Previously, this F-sharp dominant-ninth chord resolved in the manner of an augmented sixth harmony to an F major triad; at this juncture (5:44), its resolution passes directly to an A-major ninth sonority (the use of unresolved parallel ninth chords being a coloristic device usually associated with Debussy and later composers from the turn of the century).
SECTION C
5:44 - Thematic unit 4, modified (T4a). The 32 bars from 180 to 212 act in some ways as a musical foil to the rest of the waltz in that the predominant repeated chord texture and loud dynamic give way to a gentle broken chord figure in the left hand (one might be tempted to draw a parallel here between this and the central “love theme” sections of the previous two Mephisto Waltzes). One of the finest segments in the Mephisto Waltzes.
7:07 - Thematic unit 2, modified again (T2b). From 6:27 to 7:00, the bass ascends from A-sharp (now written as B-flat) to D-flat; at this point (bar 212), the D-flat supports a cadential 6/4 chord, however the last of the parallel 6/3 chords between 7:00 and 7:19 lead the D-flat down to B-flat through T2b. At the same time, starting in bar 224, D-sharp minor seizes control-notice the large V to I gesture from bars 224 to 236.
7:42 - Thematic unit 4, modified again (T4b). The final blow to F-sharp is the chromatic slump of the pitches D-sharp and G-sharp to D and G-natural at 8:02. The D-natural, in particular, acts (as it has done previously) enharmonically as the leading tone of D-sharp minor. Bar 251 is occupied by one lone pitch; this single A-sharp is, in my reading, the dominant preparation for the final, closing reference to D-sharp minor.
CODA
8:37 - ff expanded. The musical weight placed on the A-sharp in bar 251 combined with the preceding passage’s definite focus on D-sharp as a tonal center are, for me, enough to carry D-sharp through the coda to the end. As with the first occurrence of the fanfare, the D-sharp of bar 253 gains a certain prominence by virtue of its position on top of the perfect fourth A-sharp to D-sharp, with its implied 5-1 motion; the A-sharp minor 6/4 triad of 261 and 263 may be regarded as the modally-inflected dominant harmony of D-sharp. The ambiguous final fanfare signals the defeat of both keys-neither the strong, centrally located F-sharp cadences nor the opening/final section’s support of D-sharp minor can overcome the far stronger impression of tonal uncertainty.
You... really like Liszt don't you?
@@babyskunkcat Yes :)
Whoa, thanks! That’s an analysis to rival Ashish Xiangyi Kumar
woa what a hella detail analysis :0
Evidential xD
All the Mephisto waltzes have such attractive melodies
Lies
@@adrianoseresi3525 and what motive would one have to lie about their opinion on music?
Yes
And their difficulty
the introduction give me chills
Like the start of a legendary story.
This and Andaloro’s are the finest recordings of this Mephisto Waltz available. I honestly don’t know how hasn’t slipped into mainstream repertoire.
How about John ogdon
Kelvin Luk - Thanks for bringing him up. I just listened to his recording - unbelievable tempo and technique.
for me, it's lewenthal
@@DottoreSM lewenthal’s is great as well, and his is a live recording of this deceptively very, very difficult piece. This is definitely the underrated gem of the Mephisto waltzes, though I hesitate to say it’s my favorite, since they’re all so damn good!
I tried to learn this piece, I thought it was manageable but it's difficult. For example the music that starts 1:07. Far more complicated than it sounds. It's a great piece of music.
Yeah the rhythm is weird to play
i can play the piece until about 3:56 then i need much more time to practice.
@@appassionato-5867 What I do is combine that part with liszts original piece where It just repeats itself over since it’s more easier. Everything else is like this recording
that is a wild modulation at the start, also so ahead of its time, this feel likes a film score in some places
This is absolutely my favorite Mephisto Waltz it's so fun. I especially love the "climbing up" part with the octaves in the left hand.
I agree.
@Jdrocco I'll take that as a compliment.
@sinihcam ed mueD It is
:(
This is the best channel of UA-cam by far.
Really really thanks for your detailed analysis! It's great!
There is a new recording of this piece by Kit Armstrong and it is of a stunning clarity. I've been listening to this Mephisto waltz non-stop for the past month. I wish more recordings of this piece continue to emerge because it's a first-rate masterpiece.
Beatiful pieces!
7:05 love this part
Amazing. Liszt at his best. Thank you for sharing.
i really love this channel
I didn't think much of this piece when I played it on my own, but this makes me think there's a lot more there.
(Reupload... another comment then lol)
Liszt and his 4/4 waltzes...
“waltz” haha Liszt getting lost in the sauce
It's more the "Mephisto" part than the waltz part that makes it 4/4, or so I've heard. Apparently Liszt associates triple meter with the divine (the Trinity), and duple meter with the devil and the diabolical (falling short of the Trinity) throughout his compositions. The B minor sonata is a great example of this.
the final #Ds in octave sound so satisfying somehow for me xd
h
0:55 scriabin's 4th
Way ahead in time😮
Clidat rende questo valzer un'opera godibile
Wow, one of the best Liszt's mephisto waltz, it's actually more Scriabinisque than in Liszt's style!
Scriabin's Satanic Poem sounds inspired by this.
1:01 mephisto polka's vibes:)
7:06 best part
Interesting that this is a waltz in 12/8 that sounds like it's in 4/4 most of the time.
France Clidat ❤️❤️❤️❤️
my friend: Oh! is this the girl with that colored hair?
You mean that Debussy prelude? That's exactly what I thought too when I first heard it lol
Those fourths thooo
PAPAPA PAPAP... PAPAPA PAPAPA... PAPAPA PAPAP... PAPAPA PAPAPA... PAPAPA PAPAP... PAPAPA PAPAPA... PAPAPA PAPAP... PAPAPA PAPAPA... PAPAPA PAPAP... PAPAPA PAPAPA... PAPAPA PAPAP... PAPAPA PAPAPA...
@Evan Sherman bruh
Best interprétation... One step before Valentina L'initiative who used to be my référence player until now..... What piano is used please Boesendorfer grand ?
Parmi les plus périlleuses pièces cette mephisto valse 3 flirte sans cesse avec des ruptures de tonalité que la grande F Clidat nous aide nous simple auditeur à découvrir !
So many people can’t really see how far Liszt was ahead of his time. He seemed to understand that traditional harmony was going to become moribund sooner rather than later. He was around the time of the Paris Commune. All hell broke loose. Does the The F# major key signature mean anything tonally?. Almost like he anticipated how a couple more decades might develop musically. Chords based on 4ths, not 3rds. This is an odd piece, completely original in every way. Alkan moved in that direction, friends with Liszt, along with Chopin. Another strange late short piece “Bagatelle without tonality” rather “Bagatelle Sans Tonalité”
0:55 hello Mephisto Polka
For me, the opening sounds very oriental
at 0:15 what does that time signature mean, and the tempo marking above it?
Technically the time signature is 12/8; twelve eight notes per bar. but it's meant to "feel" like 4/4 where every three eight notes feels like a quarter note triplet. the quarter = dotted quarter/dotted quarter = quarter bit is just saying the same thing; for the 'feel' of the piece, like if you were going to conduct it, you'd conduct it in 4/4 even through the 'quarter note' is actually a dotted quarter.
if you look at 1:30 you can see he actually writes in 4/4 here, but it has the same 'feeling' as the 12/8 bars; just now with duplets instead of triplets.
@@Mekhami thanks!
@@pleasecontactme4274 Another way to explain is that he is mixing up 12/8 and 4/4 here. Both are quadruple meter (aka 'in four'), so the beats just go thru at the same tempo, switching between duplet and triplet subdivision (without warning).
Because there are more then one way to interprate a change of meter (keeping the 'beat' constant, or keeping the 'note value' constant). Liszt here is saying the crotchet/quarter note in 4/4 is exactly the same as the dotted crotched/quarter note in 12/8 throughout. ('Sempre' means 'always' in Italian.)
@@natheniel ah okay thanks!
A me sinceramente piace moltissimo il primo
these n3 is most impressionism than other three waltzes
thats acually tonality but it cant explain normal harmony theory.. theres no cadence but it sounds like cadence..
Didn’t you already upload this piece with Clidat...?
Re-upload with slightly better sound (hopefully, I got the FLAC for this one but UA-cam may have compressed it anyway) and some analysis.
Andrei Cristian Anghel Right I see :))
unironically the best piece liszt has written
sadly its really underplayed
Nah
@@GUILLOM yes >:(
Maybe second to années de pelerinage
@@cyrusthegreat5434 No, sonata in B minor better
@@cyrusthegreat5434 I do agree that this is really good but I think that some of his opera fantasies and (as Guillom also said) Sonata in b minor is better
This sounds more modern than some Scriabin pieces.
Is that a reupload?
sharp af?
So I gather she was the first record this piece?
The beginning sounds like open strings of a guitar .lol
Sorry, but at 0:11 why is there a 'lang' above the d#?
😂
long pause
is this a particularly hard liszt piece? i want to learn it, i’ve played chopin revolutionary etude and beethoven sonata op 78
It's not hard like the first Mephisto Waltz, difficulty depends on your attitude and personal technique, so give it a shot! Personally I find this much easier than other Liszt pieces, the only things that might need some practice are octaves, tremolos and the repeated chords.
pretty sure this isn't technically any difficult. no 1 as the other guy said, is very hard imo. if you can play revolutionary etude then why not try this
@Franz Schubert I agree.
@The Best Pianist Of The 21st Century, Maybe Not Yes.
@Mathews196 Indeed
Hi, I am not a really good pianist but will you please give me the list of pieces that I CAN play? Because Liszt’s pieces is very difficult...
Try the Consolations. Very musically rewarding, but very much playable by amateur pianists.
The Liebestraumes.
Wow! Are you the one that is both scoring and playing these? If so, wonderful! Thank you anyhow for uploading these!
No, France Clidat is playing this piece, it’s even in the title.
why is it called a waltz if it's not in 3/4 or 3/8? XDDDDDDDDDD
Because
because liszt
Berceuse
It's Liszt lol what do u expect. The guy literally wrote a sonata with one movement.
@@kasajizo8963 so did many other composers