Keyboard instruments > Piano solo
Joseph Haydn
Variations f minor (Sonata) Hob. XVII:6
手引き: Armin Raab
59.00 €
Facsimile of the autograph, hardcover
ページ: 22 (X, 12), 大きさ 31,0 x 23,0 cm
注文番号 HN 3218 · ISMN M-2018-3218-0
難易度 (Piano): 難しい (等級 6/7)
It was by a roundabout route that the autograph score of Haydn’s most important piano work ended up in the New York Library via a collector. Its four leaves contain a fair copy of the work; two leaves with a sketch-like character follow. Haydn composed the work, at the time still entitled “Sonate”, for “Signora de Ployer” (probably the pianist Barbara Ployer associated with Mozart). The variation movement was apparently intended as the beginning of a sonata with several movements. As can be seen from the second part of the autograph score, Haydn later extended the movement and ended it with an expansive Capriccio Coda. The first print already bears the title “Variations”. The moving masterpiece has been played all over the world under the title “Variations in f minor” ever since.
論評
Das mehrfarbige Faksimile ist von hervorragender Qualität und eine kleine bibliophile Kostbarkeit.
[Toccata, 2010]
Henle stelt ons daarmee in staat het muzikaal drama van dit specifieke moment ook optisch mee te beleven en Haydns ervaren, kalme handschrift van de eerste zes pagina’s te vergelijken met het rusteloos gedreven handschrift in de toegevoegde coda …
[Pianowereld, 2009]
Die Einleitung von Armin Raab, dem wissenschaftlichen Leiter des Joeseph Haydn-Insituts in Köln, bringt die nötigen Zusatzinformationen in unprätentiöser Form, und die grafische Qualität der Wiedergabe der Handschrift lässt keine Wünsche offen - insgesamt also eine sehr gelungene Edition und ein schönes Beispiel dafür, dass es spannender ist, einen Einblick in einen vielleicht wirklich nicht ganz zu Ende geführten Kompositionsprozesses zu erhalten, als vor der allzu glatten Fassade eines angeblichen "Urtextes" zu stehen.
[Schweizer Musik Zeitung, 2009]
The levels of difficulty of the
piano music published by G. Henle Publishers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| やさしい | 中くらい | 難しい | ||||||
The levels of difficulty of the piano music published by G. Henle Publishers
| Level | Grade | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | easy | Bach, Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, nos. 4 and 5 |
| 2 | Bach, Well-Tempered Clavier I, no. 1 Prelude C major | |
| 3 | Beethoven, Piano Sonatas op. 49,1 and 2 | |
| 4 | medium | Grieg, Lyric Pieces op. 12, no. 4 |
| 5 | Schumann, Fantasy Pieces op. 12, no. 1 | |
| 6 | Chopin, Nocturnes op. 27, nos. 1 and 2 | |
| 7 | difficulty | Beethoven, Piano Sonata op. 10, no. 3 |
| 8 | Beethoven, Piano Sonata op. 81a | |
| 9 | Schumann, Toccata op. 7 |
Guide to the levels of difficulty
"I don't know what 'difficult' means. Either you can play or you can't" – this was the rather terse comment by the great violinist Nathan Milstein, on being asked about the unbelievable difficulty of Niccolo Paganini's Caprice no. 1.
The relativity of the evaluation of difficulty in music immediately becomes clear. Yet I gladly take up this great challenge, presented to me by G. Henle Publishers. For I am aware of how useful a guide like this can be, both from my own experience as well as that of many colleagues. In particular so as to be able to identify "appropriate" works. For example for music teachers, who teach at very different levels, from beginners to those preparing for music conservatories, but also for all those interested amateurs for whom this guide is intended.
After careful deliberation I have settled on nine levels of difficulty, which I have divided into three groups: 1–3 (easy), 4–6 (medium), 7–9 (difficult). A number of parameters have been considered when assessing the level of difficulty. I have not just looked at the number of fast or slow notes to be played, or the chord sequences; of central importance are also the complexity of the piece's composition, its rhythmic complexities, the difficulty of reading the text for the first time, and last but not least, how easy or difficult it is to understand its musical structure. I have defined "piece" as being the musical unit of a sonata, or a single piece in a cycle, which is why Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier" Part I comprises a total of 48 levels of difficulty (each prelude and fugue is considered separately), Schumann's Sonata in f sharp minor op.11 only has a single number. My assessment is measured by the ability to prepare a piece for performance.
While assessing the pieces, it became clear that the medium level of difficulty (4–6) is the trickiest. Now and again this means that a piece is judged as a "3/4", even if it only deserved a "3" as far as piano technique is concerned. An example of such a "borderline" case (easy/medium) is Schumann's "Scenes from Childhood" op. 15 Von fremden Ländern und Menschen or at the other end "6/7" part of Bach's "English Suites". And of course within a main category there are also "from-to" evaluations (e.g. 7/8).
Any evaluation of art or music will always be subjective, even if the aim was to be objective. Despite the fact that I have endeavoured to be as careful as possible, I am all too aware that the results of my work can be called into question, and am therefore grateful for any suggestions you might have.
Prof. Rolf Koenen © 2010