Dissertation Index
Author: Helmcke, William M. Title: Structure and Meaning in Fryderyk Chopin's Polonaises Institution: University of Massachusetts Amherst Begun: August 2018 Completed: April 2022 Abstract: Proposes the H—E—L—M—C—K—E hermeneutic to decode the Historical, Extramusical, Linguistic, (intra)Musical, Correlational, Kingdom-of-Poland related/Polish, and Era-specific meaning in Fryderyk Chopin’s polonaises. Traces the origin of musical meaning-conveying signifiers on the musical surface via topical analysis to deeper recursive structures in the middleground via Schenkerian analysis (Ch. 1). Identifies and translates all known appearances of the polonaise/polonoise/alla polacca throughout the history of music theory from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century documents in German, Polish, French, and English (Ch. 2). Demonstrates the feasibility of the H—E—L—M—C—K—E methodology (Ch. 3). Applies the H—E—L—M—C—K—E methodology to produce close readings that correlate the intramusical causes (structures) of extramusical effects (meaning) (Ch. 4). Concludes with a quotation by Schenker and suggestions for possible applications to other repertoire and model composition (Ch. 5). Keywords: Fryderyk Chopin; polonaise; musical meaning; hermeneutics; Polish music; nineteenth-century/Romantic music; aesthetics; history of music theory; Schenkerian analysis; musical topics TOC: CHAPTER 1. OVERVIEW OF STRUCTURE AND MEANING IN FRYDERYK CHOPIN’S POLONAISES 1.1 Three Types of Meaning: Cultural/Nationalist, Syntactic, Semantic 1.1.1 Cultural/Nationalist Meaning 1.1.2 Syntactic Meaning 1.1.3 Semantic Meaning 1.2 The H—E—L—M—C—K—E Approach to Decoding Musical Meaning and Analytical Demonstration using Chopin’s Polonaise WN 35 1.2.1 History 1.2.2 Extramusicality 1.2.3 Linguistics 1.2.4 Music 1.2.5 Correlation/Composition as Autobiography 1.2.6 Kingdom of Poland 1.2.7 Era 1.3 The Search for Meaning in Chopin’s Polonaises 1.4 The Problem of Musical Meaning in General and in Chopin’s Music in Particular 1.5 Polonaise as a Medium for Communicating Musical Meaning 1.6 Six Musical Ways that Chopin Communicates Musical Meaning in his Polonaises 1.6.1 Polonaise Rhythm 1.6.2 Polonaise Cadence 1.6.3 Musical Topics: Two Representative Examples 1.6.3.1 Horn Fifths 1.6.3.2 Military Topic 1.6.4 Expressive Chromaticism 1.6.5 Correlation 1.6.6 Intertextuality 1.7 Scope and Depth 1.8 Goals and Methodology 1.8.1 Schenkerian Analysis 1.9 Analytical Preview Using Op. 26 no. 1: Structure, Topics, and Meaning in Context 1.9.1 Analysis I: Schenkerian Analysis 1.9.2 Analysis II: Topical Analysis 1.9.3 Analysis III: Blended Schenkerian and Topical Analysis 1.9.4 Coordination of Analyses 1.10 Summary and Transition 2. POLONAISE IN THE HISTORY OF MUSIC THEORY 2.1 Introduction 2.2 A Brief History of the Polonaise before and during Chopin’s Lifetime 2.3 Significant Polonaise Entries Focusing on Musical Structures 2.3.1 Johann Mattheson (1717, 1721, 1737, 1739) 2.3.2 Johann Adolph Scheibe (1737, 1745) 2.3.3 Joseph Riepel (1752, 1755) 2.3.4 Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg (1755, 1757, 1761 (x4)) 2.3.5 Johann Philipp Kirnberger (1757/67, 1773, 1774) 2.3.6 Charles Burney (1773 vol. 1) 2.3.7 Johann Georg Sulzer (1774, 1793) 2.3.8 Johann Samuel Petri (1782) 2.3.9 Johann Friederich Reichardt (1782) 2.3.10 Heinrich Christoph Koch (1782, 1787, 1793, 1802) 2.3.11 Georg Friedrich Wolf (1787) 2.3.12 Gottlieb Türk (1789, 1802) 2.3.13 Gerhard Ulrich Anton Vieth (1795) 2.3.14 F. G. Drewis (1797) 2.3.15 August Kollmann (1799) 2.3.16 William Crotch (1806) 2.3.17 W. Wilson (1836) 2.3.18 Gustav Schilling (1837) 2.3.19 Adolph Bernhard Marx (1842, 1847) 2.3.20 Carl Czerny (1848) 2.4 Other Less Significant Entries about the Polonaise 2.4.1 Lorenz Mizler von Kolof (1742) 2.4.2 Johann Adam Hiller (1768, 1770 (x2)) 2.4.3 Heinrich August Ottokar Reichard (1779) 2.4.4 Johann Georg Lebrecht von Wilke (1786) 2.4.5 Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart ([1787] 1806) 2.4.6 Johann Nikolaus Forkel (1778, 1788, 1792) 2.4.7 François Castil-Blaze (1825) 2.4.8 Gottfried Weber (1831/1841) 2.4.9 Anton Reicha (1833) 2.4.10 Alexandre Choron (1838) 2.4.11 Heinrich Friedrich Ludwig Rellstab (1841) 2.5 Polonaise Entries Focusing on Aesthetics, Meaning, and Polish Nationalism 2.5.1 Józef Elsner ([1803] 1821, 1813, 1818, c. 1820s) 2.5.2 E. T. A. Hoffmann (1814) 2.5.3 Karol Kurpiński (1820, 1821) 2.5.4 Kazimierz Brodziński ([1818] (1934), 1827, 1829) 2.5.5 Maurycy Mochnacki (1830) 2.5.6 Robert Schumann (1836) 2.5.7 Marceli Antoni Szulc (1842, 1880) 2.5.8 Józef Sikorski ([1843] 2004, 1849) 2.5.9 Józef Bohdan Zaleski (1844) 2.5.10 Eduard Hanslick (1848) 2.5.11 Franz Liszt ([1852] 1863) 2.5.12 Józef Kenig (1856) 2.5.13 Oskar Kolberg (1865) 2.5.14 Count Stanisław Tarnowski ([1871] 1905) 2.5.15 Maurycy Karasowski ([1878] 1906) 2.5.16 Jan Kleczyński ([1879] 1960) 2.6 Conclusion 3. METHODOLOGY: TECHNIQUES FOR DECODING MUSICAL MEANING 3.1 Recapitulation and Pivot 3.1.1 H—E—L—M—C—K—E Hermeneutic in Theory 3.2 Schenkerian Analysis: Its Generative Aspect 3.2.1 The Ursatz (Fundamental Structure) 3.2.2 Schenker, Linguistics, and Syntax 3.3 Correlation-based Topical Analysis 3.3.1 Topical Analysis at a Glance 3.3.2 A Topical Analysis of Chopin’s Polonaise in A Major Op. 40 no. 1 3.4 Linguistic-based Analytical Approaches 3.5 Correlation- and Linguistics-based Approaches 3.5.1 Kallberg’s Genre Contracts 3.5.2 Hatten’s Semiotic Markedness 3.5.3 Zbikowski’s Cross-Domain Mapping 3.5.4. Intertextuality 3.6 Synthesizing, Applying, and Blending these Various Analytical Approaches: Three Examples of Decoding Musical Meaning in Chopin’s Instrumental Music 3.6.1 Musical Meaning in Chopin: Markedness, Domain Separation, and the Signification of Polskość (Polishness) 3.6.1.1 Genre, Correlation, and Markedness 3.6.1.2 Domain Separation, Metaphor, and Meaning 3.6.2 A Musical Rosetta Stone: Chopin’s Songs and their Potential for Decoding Musical Meaning in his Instrumental Music 3.6.2.1 Musical Meaning as Practiced by Beethoven and Chopin 3.6.2.2 How Words Convey Musical Meaning 3.6.2.3 Musical Meaning in Chopin’s Polonaises 3.6.3 On the Role of the Polonaise Cadence in Establishing the Polonaise Genre: Chopin’s Polonaises as a Case Study 3.6.3.1 Establishing the Compositional Norms of the Polonaise Cadence 3.6.3.2 Tracing the Evolution of Polonaise Cadences in Chopin’s Polonaises 3.7 Proposed Algorithm for Decoding Musical Meaning in Chopin’s Polonaises 3.8 H—E—L—M—C—K—E Hermeneutic in Practice and the Hermeneutic Circle 3.9 Multiple Analytical Approaches to Chopin’s Polonaise in A Major Op. 40 no. 1 3.9.1 Section A 3.9.2 Section B 3.9.3 Section C (Trio) 3.9.4 Section D 3.10 Summary 4 ANALYSES GENERATED THROUGH THE H—E—L—M—C—K—E HERMENEUTIC 4.1 Recapitulation and Introduction 4.2 Polonaise Rhythm 4.2.1 Defining the Iconic Polonaise Rhythm 4.2.2 Examining the Rhythmic Profiles of Chopin’s Polonaise Melodies 4.3 Polonaise Cadence 4.3.1 Establishing the Normative Polonaise Cadence 4.3.2 The Polonaise Cadence: Deformations and Unfoldings 4.3.2.1 Deformations of the Polonaise Cadence 4.3.2.2 Unfolding a Diminished Fourth within the Polonaise Cadence 4.3.2.3 Unfolding a Diminished Fourth beyond the Polonaise Cadence 4.3.3 Summary 4.4 Texture 4.4.1 Chorale Topic 4.4.2 Accompanimental Gestures 4.4.2.1 Murky Bass Topic: WN 1 4.4.2.2 Lament Topic: WN 10 4.4.2.3 Polish Light Cavalry and Military Topic: Op. 53 4.4.2.4 Singing Allegro Topic: Op. 3 4.4.3 Call and Response Texture 4.4.3.1 Call and Response: WN 2 4.4.3.2 Call and Response: WN 3 4.4.3.3 Call and Response: WN 5 4.5 Form 4.5.1 Introductions, Off-Tonic Auxiliary Cadence, and Tonic as "Home" 4.5.1.1 Auxiliary Cadence and Op. 22 4.5.1.2 Auxiliary Cadence and Op. 40 no. 2 4.5.1.3 Auxiliary Cadence and Op. 44 4.5.1.4 Auxiliary Cadence and Op. 53: Two Competing Analyses 4.5.1.5 Auxiliary Cadence and Op. 61 4.5.2 Small-scale Form 4.5.2.1 On Motives, Topical Motives, and Augenmusik Hugs: A Close Reading of WN 10 4.5.2.2 Parallel Period, Post-2 Interruption-Fill, and Musical Meaning: WN 10 and Op. 40 no. 1 4.5.3 Large-scale Form 4.5.3.1 Da Capo Ternary Principle 4.5.3.2 Deformations of the Da Capo Ternary Principle 4.5.4 Codas 4.5.4.1 Codas in Works with Orchestra: Op. 2 and Op. 22 4.5.4.2 Coda-like Internal Expansion: Op. 26 no. 2 and Op. 40 no. 2 4.5.4.3 Codas after Structural Closure: Op. 44, Op. 53, Op. 61 4.6 Register 4.6.1 High 4.6.2 Low 4.6.3 Melodic Contour: Ascending 4.6.3.1 Ascending Steps (Ascending 5-6): WN 5, WN 11, WN 15, WN 35, Op. 22 4.6.3.2 Ascending Thirds: WN 35, Op. 2, Op. 40 no. 1, Op. 53, Op. 61 4.6.3.3 Ascending Fifths: Krakowiak Op. 14, Op. 2, Op. 44 4.6.3.4 Ascending (Structure) and Striving (Meaning) 4.6.3.5 Ascent and the Warsaw Rocket 4.6.4 Melodic Contour: Descending 4.6.4.1 Descending Fifths: WN 11, WN 15, Op. 2, Op. 22, Op. 53, Op. 61 4.6.4.2 Descending Thirds: WN 12, WN 15, Op. 2, Op. 22, Op. 26 no. 2 4.6.4.3 Descending Step: Op. 61 and Piano Concerto Op. 11 4.6.4.4 Descending (Structure) and Resignation (Meaning) 4.7 Topics 4.7.1 Military Topic 4.7.1.1 Sikorski on Battle in Music 4.7.1.2 Instrumental Battle Pieces 4.7.2 Horn Fifths: WN 10, WN 35, WN 1, WN 5, Op. 53 4.7.3 5-6-5 Half-Step Motion as Lament Topic: WN 1, WN 2, WN 5, WN 10, WN 11, WN 12, WN 15, WN 35, Op. 22, Op. 26 no. 2, Op. 44 4.8 Expressive Chromaticism 4.8.1 Lowered 6 from the Parallel Minor: Schenker, Mendelssohn, and Schumann 4.8.2 Lowered 2, Lowered 6, and the Neapolitan 4.8.3 Raised 4 and the Polish Lydian: WN 12, WN 3, WN 5, WN 10, WN 15, WN 35 4.8.4 Half-Steps Surrounding 5 and Augmented Sixth Chords 4.8.5 Chopin’s Musical Approach to Żal (Bitter Sorrow) 4.9 H—E—L—M—C—K—E Close Reading of Chopin’s Polonaise in B-flat Major WN 1 4.9.1 Introduction 4.9.2 Section A 4.9.3 Section B 4.9.4 Trio 4.9.5 Section D 4.10 Summary and Implications 5 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Chopin’s Classical Roots, Music as Artifact, and the H—E—L—M—C—K—E Hermeneutic 5.2 Recapitulation 5.3 Future Directions 5.3.1 Understanding Polishness and Meaning in Chopin’s Other Works 5.3.2 Decoding Polish Musical Meaning in Works by Composers other than Chopin 5.3.3 Model Composition in the Tradition of Elsner 5.4 Ultimate Conclusion Contact: william.helmcke@fulbrightmail.org |