What are some interesting rhythm challenges found in intermediate-level Scarlatti Sonatas?

 

The music of Scarlatti appears to be frequently overlooked by many teachers. It is more common to hear intermediate-level pianists playing much more of the music of other Baroque composers such as J.S. Bach. Part of the challenge for us as teachers is simply that there is so much of Scarlatti’s music available, it is an overwhelming wealth of repertoire to become familiar with. It also does not help that we must still deal with several different cataloguing systems (Kirkpatrick, Longo, etc.) Despite these challenges, there is undoubtedly a charm and drive to his works that is unlike that of any of his contemporaries. It is not just that the sonatas sound so appealing, but also that they are physically so much fun to play! It has been my experience that intermediate-level students who do get to master a Scarlatti sonata tend to get hooked on his music and usually ask to learn more.

I have asked Dr. Steven Rosenfeld to share his expertise with us on this topic. He has written for Keyboard Companion several times before and we are glad to have his ideas here once again. Besides being an excellent pianist and teacher, he also has a special interest in the music of Scarlatti. He has begun a series of recordings of the composer’s sonatas for the Renegade Classics label with more CDs on the way (www.cny-classicalcds.com).

Having known Steve as a fellow teacher and pianist over many years, I have always appreciated his ability to clearly identify problems and solve them in simple and direct ways that work . His solutions are accessible to students of diverse abilities and levels, and you will see that characteristic present throughout his article. He has also punctuated his presentation with audio clips that demonstrate many of his points at the piano, workshop-style. Be sure to listen to these audio clips below, while you are reading the article. Steve concludes his article-workshop with complete performances of a few Scarlatti sonatas. Special thanks go to Karen Bacsik-Kohn of Renegade Classics for giving us permission to share these splendid recordings with you.

by Steven Rosenfeld

Domenico Scarlatti’s 555 sonatas for harpsichord are noted for their originality, inventiveness, and boldness. These qualities can of course be present when performed effectively on the modern piano. Scarlatti’s compositional style, with its sudden mood shifts, unpredictable harmonies, metric displacements, immense rhythmic energy, and flair for compelling and satisfying melodies, is unique in the Baroque period.

While many of his keyboard sonatas are advanced, there are numerous ones that are within the intermediate levels. Even the intermediate sonatas, however, often present rhythmic and musical challenges to young players not accustomed to this style.

This article will list some of these problems, and then briefly provide some exercises and examples that demonstrate how these problems can be solved.

Performing changing note and rest values, including the beat and subdivisions of the beat

The first challenge for many intermediate students is to become comfortable with moving from the beat (for example, the quarter note in 4/4 time) to the various subdivisions of the beat: eighth notes, triplet eighths, sixteenths — and in any sequence. It is possible that students at this level have not had to deal with such frequent and rapid movements from one note value to the next, or would benefit from solidifying this skill. Surprisingly, of the hundreds of Scarlatti sonatas I have surveyed in the recent past, only a few did not use all the note values mentioned above. Therefore, a good way to start is to create rhythm exercises that correct any weaknesses before the sonatas are studied.

I start by making sure students can go from quarter notes to eighth notes to triplet eighths to sixteenths (see Example 1).

They must be able to perform these exercises at slower and faster speeds (quarter note = 60-80). While this series of exercises is basic and simple, I have found it to be quite effective.

The next step is to be able to go rapidly from one note value to the next in any order (see Example 2).

Next, I add rests and combinations of eighths and sixteenths together (see Example 3).

These exercises can be done with clapping, tapping, or playing on a single key. A final exercise using pitches is provided to test the ability to move freely among the different note values (see Example 4).

Counting aloud is preferred, but not mandatory. However, if the student cannot perform the examples with accuracy, then I write out the correct counting and count while the student plays. It is acceptable — and in some cases even desirable — for the rhythm exercises to be approached by imitation of the teacher (the student claps or taps by imitation, without necessarily understanding the rhythm first). This can help with the preparation of executing rhythmic changes, but it is not essential for all students.

I listen for the precision of the student, and clap along to enhance accuracy. These exercises can improve metronome skills, too. To make sure students understand the rhythms, I have them write out the correct counts as a theory assignment. The example I have chosen to illustrate this is the first four measures of Sonata in D minor, called “Gavotta,” which is Kirkpatrick’s listing 64, or simply K. 64 (Longo 58) (see Excerpt 5).

Playing in cut time with precision and appropriate feeling

Scarlatti wrote much of his music in cut time (2/2), which may be a relatively foreign meter for intermediate students. I have found that the easier approach is to not teach the music at first in cut time, but instead in common time (4/4). I usually say, “For learning purposes, we are going to pretend this piece is in 4/4.” Then, we build a comfort level at increasingly faster tempos in 4/4. At a certain point, the counting morphs into two large beats per measure, emphasizing beats one and three. Finally, we substitute the correct counts, counting “1-2” for what were previously beats 1 and 3. This sounds tricky when explained like this, but I’ve found that it beats the difficulties of having to learn a potentially difficult piece in a new meter.

For this example, I have chosen the Sonata in C , K. 420 (L. S2). We start by clapping and counting this in 4/4 time, following the steps outlined above. Then we move to playing, following the same routine. In the first case, the student would play the example counting it in four (see Excerpt 6 and listen to Audio Clip 1).

Then it would be counted with a louder sense of the strong beats one and three (listen to Audio Clip 2),

then played faster and counted in “1-2” for cut time (listen to Audio Clip 3).

Again, notice that the learning process for the student is relatively simple allowing for a smooth and natural progression

Feeling the larger beat units -- the “swing” -- in the music

This point is critical. By “swing” I don’t mean the rhythmic feel of quasi-triplets that we associate with jazz. Instead I use the term in a more general sense: the strong energy impulses inside ourselves that make us want to dance, or make us feel the pulse’s electric power. In Scarlatti’s music, the larger beats provide this by creating an internal desire to make sweeping physical gestures that are dance-like and propulsive. Students need to be aware of these larger beat units, as well as the strong and regular beats in each measure. I teach this through movement, counting, conducting, and singing.

The Minuetto in C Major, K. 73b is a good early-intermediate starter piece. It is also a clear example of the need for the swing element mentioned above. Often, a student will inadvertently accent the second beat too much (see Excerpt 7 and listen to Audio Clip 4).

Also, a student who feels the meter as three equal beats will not get across the feeling of swing in the music (listen to Audio Clip 5).

Granted, in this piece as in much of Scarlatti, the second beat gets significant attention, being both longer and higher in pitch. (This is addressed in more detail in the section on syncopation below.) I have a number of methods for correcting students’ tendency to accentuate beat two or to play all three beats evenly:

• students swing their arms once per measure as I play

• we count a loud “ONE” per measure while the music is being played

• students play and nod the head and/or slightly collapse the upper body on each downbeat

Of course, we all know it is sometimes difficult to get students to sing or move willingly. (A frustrated colleague once described the lethargic actions of some students as being like “broccoli stalks”.) So if I am not able to fully engage students in these steps, I still try to have them observe me. This can be a chance for the student to physically open up and to experiment, so I will likely try again to get them more involved in the process.

Here is the same example played with a slight emphasis on beat 1 to communicate the swing of the music (listen to Audio Clip 6)

Another good example of swing lies in the famous C major Sonata, K. 159 (L. 104). This piece is late-intermediate or slightly beyond. The common problem here is that the pick-up notes on beats 5 and 2 of the next measure can sound as if they are downbeats (see Excerpt 8 and listen to Audio Clip 7).

At the piano, I alternate back and forth between the correct beat organization and the wrong way, and I ask the student to identify which is which. A simple but effective solution here is to let the student initially accent the first and fourth beats equally, and then only the first beat (listen to Audio Clip 8).

Getting the focus off the main beats but instead emphasizing appropriate weak beats: pitch and agogic accents, ties, and different kinds of syncopations

 

If Scarlatti were a less interesting composer from a rhythmic standpoint, perhaps the idea of being able to highlight notes off the strong beat might not be as important a topic. But because there are so many examples where the swing feeling is “tested” by other beats being stressed, we have to find ways to help students become comfortable feeling these off beats, in addition to strong beats.

There are two challenges of a seemingly opposing nature which present themselves simultaneously.  We are, in effect, asking the student to "multi-task" by preserving both the concepts of the swing of the strong beats, and the metric tension created by syncopations on the weak beats.  This might seem like a lot to ask, but the risk is that the student will only stress strong beats, and will miss the expressive and rhythmic opportunities of the strikingly original effects Scarlatti creates through his agogic and pitch accents on weak beats.   

Whether a note on a weak beat sounds emphasized because it is longer (agogic accent), or is a higher pitch, there is frequent use of metric displacement in the music of Scarlatti. Students will also experience the emphasis or mild accentuation of notes held over a bar line (notated with ties) as another form of syncopation. This creates rhythmic vitality and interest. There are different ways to practice these various types of syncopations.

The rhythmic challenge of showing syncopations within the larger beat units is a substantial one. The Sonata in D minor, K. 34 (L. S7), is an early-intermediate piece that has many examples of a significant second beat due to higher pitch, faster note values, and harmonic changes. Responding to this sometimes disguises the downbeat. The only events Scarlatti gave us to still create the feeling of downbeat are the harmonic changes on the first beat of every measure; this is quite a challenging example of syncopation (see Excerpt 9).

Students sometimes alternate between both sides of a good solution to this. Audio Clip 9 demonstrates what it sounds like when the second beat is over-accented; Audio Clip 10 shows too much emphasis on the downbeat (neither one of these is a good solution, yet both surround a good solution) (listen to Audio Clips 9 and 10).

Since Scarlatti obviously wanted ambiguity here, one good solution to communicating the feeling of the downbeats is to lengthen them slightly. I imagine slight fermatas over the downbeats to help this work. Here is how I perform both the syncopation and swing:

Tied notes over the bar line represent a second form of syncopation, and this can be seen in the Sonata in C minor, K. 302 (L. 7). I have students first practice without the tie and then with it:

Then, I replace the quarter note which is tied over the bar line with three repeated eighth notes on C. Finally, a crescendo is played from beat three to beat one of the following measure, and triplet eighth notes are played in place of the tied notes; these techniques help students feel the gesture notated by ties over bar lines:

Sometimes, there are examples of ongoing syncopations - more than one per measure or phrase. This occurs in the Bb major Sonata, K. 411 (L. 69).

This is first practiced by turning the RH quarter notes in m. 3 into eighth notes; the student writes them in lightly and then plays the measure. Then ties are added to each eighth note pair. This helps the student to see the two eighth notes as equaling a quarter note in value. Finally, the ties are erased and the student goes back to the original passage.

Becoming comfortable and confident with trills: the technical and rhythmic problems combined

Trills are prominent in the music of Scarlatti, often appearing at a cadence or the end of a section. However, they are also employed as melodic decorations. I have found that dealing with trills is not just a technical issue for students; there is also a strong rhythmic component at work here. I use what could be called a “mini-trill study” which helps students gain facility in trills, especially forearm rotation. I usually start students on these exercises well before they would be studying any of the Scarlatti sonatas.

A common trill in Scarlatti is the four-note trill (see Example 12). I use this as the basis for teaching all trills, so I have students spend considerable time on it, achieving physical ease and an even subdivision of the beat. Practicing trills “measured” like this is the basis for combining physical and rhythmic skill. Once that is done, the tempo can be increased, but not at the expense of ease or accuracy. I have students start these at q = 80, and eventually get them to work up to q =144:

Next I extend the trill after a period of several weeks. It becomes a five-note trill, with the additional note being either a descending or ascending termination (see Example 13).

I then extend it to seven notes by adding two additional trill eighth notes before the termination. I make sure the student remains focused on keeping the trill perfectly measured and yet feeling easy to play.

This step-by-step process yields good results over time. When trills are then encountered in Scarlatti’s music (or elsewhere), students are ready to integrate them seamlessly into the surrounding music.

Maintaining the longer line while all the various rhythms and beat patterns are happening

This is the final and most important step in addressing rhythm challenges in Scarlatti. If the student is unable to merge strong and weak beat emphasis into a convincing and “felt” sense of line, an important musical factor needed in successful performance is lost. The long line must always be present while the “busy work” of the smaller rhythmic activities is taking place. One of the main ways to get this point across is through singing: we can feel the inflections and rhythms on a broader scale if we can sing the line. For instance, perception of the overall line is frequently distorted by overdoing syncopations or strong beats. On the other hand, not paying attention to these rhythmic events is not advisable either. When a student sings the line, the bumps and accents automatically get smoothed out and the sense of direction is maintained.

Many students are willing to do this, but of course we all know that unfortunately some don’t like to sing, or won’t. As with the body movements mentioned above, some are shy about doing so. So if this is the case, the next best thing is to work with the student in recognizing in the score the three basic melodic shapes of phrases - rising (mainly anacrusic in feeling), falling (mainly metacrusic in feeling), and swelling (which combines anacrusic and metacrusic) - and to help students project these shapes in their playing. By having to identify these shapes before practicing the rhythmic details, students are forced to consider the line as an overarching matter; this will help keep things in perspective while students work out the smaller details of rhythm.

Here are some clear examples of different phrase shapes that are easy for intermediate-level students to perceive and perform:

Rising line, a series of ascending pitches that create an overall shape that is getting higher: mm. 1-3 in K. 172 (L. S40):

Falling line, a series of pitches that are generally descending: mm. 1-4 in K. 60 (L. 13):

A swelling line that grows to the middle of the four-bar phrase and then descends: in K. 391 (L. 79):

As I survey the solutions discussed here for all of these areas, certain characteristics seem to emerge. It seems to me that the simpler and more direct I can make the practice steps for my students, the more effective those techniques are for a majority of them. Although it is sometimes tempting to experiment with more “exotic” solutions, the most basic ones seem to reemerge over the years as the most powerful. Since rhythm plays such an important part in the music of Scarlatti, I am always looking for ways to streamline these techniques even further so that students can grow and progress in the shortest time possible.

Editor’s Note:

So that you can hear Dr. Rosenfeld performing some Scarlatti sonatas, we present a few tracks from one his recent CDs, “The Scarlatti Sonatas, Volume 1” from Renegade Classics. You can get more information on this CD as well as others on the Renegade label at www.cnyclassicalcds.com.  Thank you to Karen Bacsik-Kohn at Renegade for permission to post these recordings, and for her assistance in recording Steve’s audio clips for the rest of this article.

All of the following performances were recorded live in front of an audience. The first and the third ones were done in early 2007 for a small audience at a private residence in Fayetteville, NY. The second recording was made in 2000 during a recital at Syracuse University.

Although none of the recordings from this CD are within the intermediate levels, the Sonata in D Major , K. 430 is early advanced, just beyond late-intermediate level (listen to Audio Clip 14).

Here are performances of two advanced Scarlatti Sonatas: 1) Sonata in G Major, K. 13 (Audio Clip 15), and 2) Sonata in EMajor, K. 162 (the repeats have been deleted from the CD to make Audio Clip 16 smaller in size).

In the next issue: How do rhythm and tempo interact with each other, and how does this inform your teaching?

 

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