The Pedagogical Relevance of the Historical Precedents to Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas

dc.contributor.advisorBarnett, Gregoryen_US
dc.creatorHerd, Geoffreyen_US
dc.date.accessioned2020-12-04T14:53:02Zen_US
dc.date.available2021-06-01T05:01:13Zen_US
dc.date.created2020-12en_US
dc.date.issued2020-12-04en_US
dc.date.submittedDecember 2020en_US
dc.date.updated2020-12-04T14:53:03Zen_US
dc.description.abstractThis paper demonstrates the pedagogical relevance of technical and stylistic precedents that influenced Bach in his composition of the Sonatas and Partitas for Unaccompanied Violin. By preemptively studying these musical precursors, students develop the needed technical foundation and stylistic awareness to successfully learn and perform the Sonatas and Partitas. This paper identifies three primary influences that impact the technical demands of the Sonatas and Partitas and that have continued pedagogical relevance today: (1) Works by Marin Marais for the viola da gamba. The work of Marais, which exemplifies the chordal-melodic style outlined in Jean Rousseau’s Traité de la viole, offered a precedent and model to Bach in his conception of the violin as a polyphonic instrument. Rousseau argued for the need to maintain a melodious quality even when composing with multiple-stops. Similarly to Marais, Bach incorporated Rousseau’s ideals in composing polyphonically for the violin. The resulting chordal-melodic texture of the Sonatas and Partitas represents an innovation in violin music of the early 18th century. Understanding Bach’s stylistic aims highlights the technical skills necessary to compellingly perform Bach’s chordal-melodic texture on the violin. (2) The work of 17th- and early 18th-century German composers for the violin. The violin music of 17th-century German composers incorporated an array of virtuosic techniques including agile, rapid passagework, dexterous string crossings, and dense passages of multiple-stops. The work of Heinrich von Biber (1644-1704), Johann Jakob Walther (c.1650-1717), and Johann Paul Westhoff (1656-1705) exemplifies the violin techniques used by German-speaking composers of that era. Today, the music of these German violinist-composers is glaringly omitted from pedagogical methods despite its broad applicability to the teaching of the Sonatas and Partitas (3) Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) and Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) were the reigning violinist-composers in Italy in the late 17th- and early 18th-centuries. The music of both of these composers deeply impacted Bach’s writing in the Sonatas and Partitas. In modern violin pedagogy, Corelli’s and Vivaldi’s music is primarily studied by beginner- and intermediate-level violinists. However, the work of both these Italian violinist-composers offers important training opportunities for the technical challenges of the Sonatas and Partitas.en_US
dc.embargo.terms2021-06-01en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationHerd, Geoffrey. "The Pedagogical Relevance of the Historical Precedents to Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas." (2020) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/109613">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/109613</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/109613en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectBachen_US
dc.subjectSonatas and Partitasen_US
dc.subjectPrecursorsen_US
dc.subjectPedagogyen_US
dc.subjectViolinen_US
dc.subjectMarin Maraisen_US
dc.subjectViola da Gambaen_US
dc.titleThe Pedagogical Relevance of the Historical Precedents to Bach’s Sonatas and Partitasen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentViolinen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineMusicen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.majorViolinen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Musical Artsen_US
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