The picture shows Dietrich Buxtehude playing a viol, Johann Adam Reinken at the harpsichord, and an unidentified person singing. From Alamy.com
Sarabande from Suite in E minor, BuxWV 236 Buxtehude Grade 4 ABRSM 2021 - 2022
This piece may well appeal to those candidates who prefer playing music that is less relentless in its energy and momentum and this piece by Buxtehude could fill that category for them. It is a serenely beautiful piece containing a melancholic character, poise and melodies which are haunting and elegiac. The player must be capable of voicing particular notes and allowing the LH to support the RH in a resonant but non-obtrusive way.
Character/story of the piece - obviously one of the starting points concerning the interpretation of this piece is its title, Sarabande. Discussion of the characteristics of a saraband is critical to the understanding of the piece. Although the sarabande may have originated in Spain where it initially was a lively dance accompanied by castanets , the dance spread to Italy and then to France where it became slower, serious and stately in character. The sarabande is in slow triple time featuring an accent on the second beat and it resembles a minuet in character. It usually forms the third movement of a lute or harpsichord suite by Buxtehude. In addition to a discussion concerning the characteristics of the sarabande, a conversation about fugal texture would be appropriate too. The player should think of this piece in relation to layers and textures, and which ‘layer’ is at the forefront at any given time. It would be advisable for the player to create some words for each part and when a particular part has the spotlight, the words should reflect this. There are several excellent videos available of dancers dancing the sarabande that would be useful for study.
Form - this piece is in binary form with the first section ending in B minor. The second section returns to E minor in bar 10, there is a modulation to G major in bar 12 before returning to E minor in bar 16. Although both sections are marked to be repeated, this is not necessary in the exam.
Main part of the music - the main part of the music should occur at the beginning of bar 19 however there could be a mini-climax in bars 11 and 12 where the music moves to G major. Considering the character of this piece, the dynamics should not be too loud at the main part, mezzoforte is sufficient. Players though, must remember that a mezzoforte in Baroque music is not as loud as it would be in later music.
Buxtehude playing the viol. From the painting "The Musical Party" 1674 by Johannes Voorhout, from the Hamburg History Museum, Licence Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
Phrasing - there are five phrases in this piece, two in the first section and three in the second. The music has an episodic feel to it, the phrases do not necessarily balance each other. This does not mean though that the phrases do not contain some similarity regarding the melodic material. The player should consider how the fifth phrase contributes to the character of the piece overall. This last phrase helps to bring all the parts together in a satisfying conclusion.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns - as the player becomes more familiar with the piece it would be very easy to allow the music to gradually become faster than its appropriate speed. A speed of crotchet = 69 is suitable as it gives the music elegance, poise and stateliness. Considering that this piece is a sarabande it is in triple time. There are no rhythmic patterns that should be of concern to the player in this piece. However, the player must strictly observe the held notes, as it would be easier to play if some of these notes were lifted before their correct time. In addition to this, there are some parts where there is a degree of syncopation such as bar 1, bar 5 - 7. and bars 9 and 10.
Touch/articulation - as can be expected in a piece such as this, the player has much to consider regarding touch and to a lesser extent, articulation. Concerning touch, the player should always consider which voice is being played and tailor their touch accordingly. For example, the bass part (which underlines the piece entirely) should be played with resonance and depth so the music is provided with an anchor. In bars 5 - 8 the melodic material is split between the bass and tenor and the listener should be made aware of this by playing the bass part with resonance and the tenor with a more intense touch. This could also be applied to the soprano and alto parts. The bass line must be held at all times although as described above, there could be breaks between the bass and tenor parts in bars 5 - 8.
Balance between the hands - this is obviously not a concern in this piece however the voicing of whichever part requires prominence is. Playing each part on its own will be beneficial so that the player knows where each part is playing at any given time and will help when highlighting a particular part. The player must be very careful how loud each part should be at any given time.
Dynamics - as stated above, the dynamics should have a quality of restraint in this piece. Therefore, the dynamics should never become particularly loud at any time. Tone-matching is essential when playing this piece so that the parts, the listener must be aware of all of the parts at any time however a subservient part must not overshadow the part that is being highlighted. Increasing the bass line’s dynamics will contribute considerably to the overall dynamics of the music.
Considerations playing this piece-
· For some players the use of the direction of the stems of the notes may seem unusual and incorrect.
· Finger substitution is a skill that will be a necessary one to have when playing this piece.
· The player must be careful with the timing in the last bar on the last beat, as the quavers could be doubled.
· There are instances where the chords could split when played; the player must ensure that they are ready to play the chord with controlled weight behind the keys. In addition to this there is a danger that the first notes of each section may not be heard or some of the notes may note be heard.
· There is a change of character in the second section; the alto becomes more prominent and the music gains a higher degree of intensity as it moves towards the end of the piece. The texture becomes a little denser and all the parts are wishing to contribute as much as possible nearer the end.
· At the end of the two sections the parts come together in a feeling of resolution and acceptance.
· There is a beautiful melodic line in the second phrase.
· The third phrase is a dignified contest between the alto and soprano parts.
· In the second section, the alto and soprano share some of the same notes, the listener must be made aware of this.
· There are instances where the parts are contesting with each other in a restrained and dignified manner.
· At the end it seems as if the soprano part has the last word.