[SMT-PAIG] Expressive shaping of sound

[Tekla Babyak]

Hi John,

Thanks for bringing up this fascinating question! It's very interesting to
think about works that offer the performer a leading role in the creation
of meaning. I very much admire Janet Schmalfeldt's work on form and
performance in her book *In the Process of Becoming: Analytic and
Philosophical Perspectives on Form in Early Nineteenth-Century Music*,
particularly the fifth chapter "On Performance, Analysis, and Schubert"
(pages 113-131).

The chapter offers a brilliant reading of how "the formal ambiguity of
Schubert's opening" in the first movement of D. 845 enables the performer
to be "very much in charge of how listeners will perceive the unfolding
design" (118). Discussing a range of recordings and possible interpretive
strategies, Schmalfeldt demonstrates how the performer can influence our
perception of the formal boundaries and goals in this movement.

Always attentive to emotional expression, Schmalfeldt shows how the
performer's approach to form shapes the affective meanings of the music.
She points to certain performance choices that might imbue the movement
with a lament-like quality through highlighting its F-to-E bass motion (see
page 121). Or the performer might choose a more heroic tone by emphasizing
the pitch F as though this note is making a bid for autonomy (page 122).

Thanks again for starting this discussion; now I'm feeling motivated to put
my current projects on hold so that I can head to the piano and try out D.
845! :)

Best,
Tekla

Tekla Babyak (she/her/hers)
Independent Scholar, Davis, CA
Disability Activist with Multiple Sclerosis
PhD, Musicology, Cornell University (2014)
Member of the American Musicological Society Council and the Committee on
the Annual Meeting


On Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 9:48 AM John Paul Ito <itojp at cmu.edu> wrote:

>
>
> Hi everyone,
>
>
>
> With apologies to those of you who will have seen my full message on SMT
> Discuss, I wanted to bring one small, targeted request to this group.
>
>
>
> I’m looking for literature on the topic of the way in which specific
> performance inflections can steer the meaning and expression of music in
> one direction or another.  For example, how might a performance of
> Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony take a position on its being either
> triumphant or sarcastic?  Or, how can a cover or a remix of a pop song
> change meaning and expression in relation to the original?  I’d be happy to
> hear about insightful discussions of any kind, including in magazine
> articles, record reviews, etc.
>
>
>
> Thanks for any leads, and hope you’re all well,
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
> *PS: Please get enough sleep. Missing sleep knocks down your immune
> system. Even mild sleep deprivation makes it more likely to get a cold
> virus. (Google it…)
>
> I’ll be adding this tag to my emails until it seems like this message is
> getting out enough.
>
>
>
> ___________________________________
> John Paul Ito
> Associate Professor of Music Theory
>
> Director of Graduate Studies
> www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/johnito/
>
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> <http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/johnito/research/FIT/FIT.html>
>
>
> School of Music
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