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Godan Ginuta and Nocturne Op.9 No.2

(autumn)

Mitsuzaki’s Godan Ginuta and Chopin’s Nocturne Op.9 No.2 are considered works of art that create personal connections between the performers and the music, along with the audience. While the Godan represents the season of autumn through its bleak and repetitive manor, the Nocturne is an image of a calm and melancholy night. Both pieces are solo performances of one instrument, allowing the composer to truly explore the depths of their instrument’s capabilities.

The placement of each piece is similar because they are both sandwiched between some sort of introduction and conclusion that share variations of similar themes and rhythms.

The interpretative aspect of these pieces likens them even more due to the lack of a set tempo (senza tempo) throughout some of their sections. Ornamentation allows for each performance of the two pieces to become a unique experience that is more closely connected to the performer. In respect to this, the piano’s damper pedal can be likened to the use of pressure patterns on the koto's 13 strings. Despite the common lack of uniformity of these pieces, they still obtain a set character of expression common to their genres.

Although both pieces of music were written in completely different parts of the world and have absolutely no influence on each other, they share common facets in a way that is still true to their traditional styles.

(nocturne)

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Godan Ginuta is one of the most traditional pieces of koto art music from Japan; it is the music of autumn and the rustling of the leaves, The piece is typically placed in between the maeuta (introductory song) and atouta (concluding song). Although it sounds like an intricate mixture of polyphonies, it is actually performed by just one musician. As the title of the piece suggests, the Koto strings imitate the sounds of the wooden Kinuta or cloth beater. There are five sections (go meaning five and dan meaning sections) within the piece based on this rhythm pattern.

Each section is a variation of the rhythm that may either change the note patterns or alter the sound using physical techniques. Pressing the strings creates a twangy bending sound. The player may also scrape the strings in order to produce a drumming sound. Harmonic clusters are most evident within the middle portion of the piece by strumming across multiple strings. (Megill, and Megill).

This audio file includes all 5 sections of the piece (12 minutes).

The koto is one of Japan’s oldest and most traditional instruments. It originated from China during the 5th century and was brought to Japan around the 7th century. The zither like instrument has 13 strings that also contain movable bridges for each in order to adjust their pitches. The koto is tuned to a five-note pentatonic scale. When playing the koto, only the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of the right hand are used to pluck the strings. The left hand is used to either push or pull the string, altering the sound. Other musical affects can be produced by scraping or striking the strings with “finger picks,” traditionally made from ivory ("International Shakuhachi Society").

Nocturne Op. 9 No.3 (E-flat major) follows No. 2 and is the final piece to the set. It is written in ternary form of A-B-A and contains different sections in legatissimo smorzando adagio (senza tempo). The piece contains “coloratura” ornaments and ends quietly on a long chord, sustained by the left hand, while the right hand continues triplets in a higher octave ("Chopin Music").

This video contains a recording of the piece by Arthur Rubinstein, along with sheet music to follow while listening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3Apq41rrFc

(opening and main theme)

Nocturne Op. 9 No.2 (E-flat major) is the middle piece within Chopin's Opus 9. It comes across as a slightly melancholy response to the No. 1. However, it grows stronger with every measure. The pieces rounded binary form of A,A,B,A,B,A with a coda, increases in right hand ornamentation as the steady left hand keeps a more steady beat.

The senza tempo allows for a freer, more interpretive rhythm, and widely spaced notes combined with the piano’s damper pedal further emphasize the relaxed 12/8 meter. Three upward “leaps” occur throughout the piece’s legato melody, creating more contrast within its somber tone. The piece’s ending builds into a fortissimo crescendo of octaves and eventually decrescendos into silence, tapering off into No. 3 (Johnston).

(part of C theme)

Nocturne Op. 9 No.1 (B-flat minor), which precedes No. 2, contains rhythmic freedom that is characteristic of Chopin’s later works. He occupies the left hand with an unbroken sequence of quavering simple arpeggios, while the right hand performs in note patterns. This piece contains an opening and contrasting middle that is followed by a repeat of the opening ("Chopin Music").

This video contains a recording of the piece by Arthur Rubinstein, along with sheet music to follow while listening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtIW2r1EalM

"There are certain times when I feel more inspired, filled with a strong power that forces me to listen to my inner voice, and when I feel more need than ever for a Pleyel piano."

Chopin

Chopin’s nocturnes are among the most recognized in the world. His Nocturne Op. 9 (1830-1832) is a set of three separate pieces, dedicated to Madame Camille Pleyel.

The French word nocturne translates into "night song," which directly relates the piece's style. The nocturne was originally coined by the Irish composer, John Field, during the Romantic musical period (19th century). It was a character piece that was intended to replace the stiff Baroque and Classical forms of which the Romantic period composers' predecessors established throughout their own careers ("nocturne").

The free form of a nocturne is meant to convey a sense of improvisation. Ironically, every single note's placement within a nocturne is well thought out. Nocturnes typically have song like melodies that can be followed throughout the series. The piano was the instrument of choice for nocturnes because of its ranging notes and the intimacy that can be created between the musician and his listeners ("nocturne").

This video of Yundi Li performing Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 not only shows off the technical difficulty and beauty of the piece, but also the amount of personal emotion that is usually evoked during the performance of a nocturne.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/EvxS_bJ0yOU

#Chopin #nocturne op.9 no.2 #Yundi Li #piano #performance #nocturnes

Introduction to the Composers

Frédéric François Chopin (1810-1849) was known as "the poet of the piano." He was the first composer of his time to focus solely on one area of music until it was perfected. Chopin was a piano virtuoso and composed 21 nocturnes within his lifetime. One of his most famous pieces was his Nocturne Opus 9, dedicated to Madame Camille Pleyel (1833) ("Chopin Music"). This Opus consists of three separate sections, each of which are in a different key. However, they all demand the same technical difficulty and carry similar themes (Poniatowska).

Mitsuzaki Kengyô is known as the inventor of Sôkyoku music (Koto music). He contributed to the reformation of traditional shamisen and koto pieces during the end years of the Edo period (1603-1867), giving the koto a more diversified and equal part. He was a blind man, but that did not affect his success. In 1821, he became recognized as a Kengyô (highest ranking blind musician) and focused mainly on the progression of koto music (Chie). One of Mitsuzaki’s quintessential koto pieces is the “Godan Ginuta.” The “Godan Ginuta’s” sound mimics that of the Kinuta or Japanese wooden block set used for beating silk, in five variations ("International Shakuhachi Society").

#Frederic Chopin #Poet of the Piano

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