Algoritmo para la extracción del diccionario de colocaciones del corpus

Schnabel’s interpretation of Op.109 begins with the opening vivace section being taken rather fast and with a marked emphasis on the melody notes in the right hand of bars 1 to 4, leaving the left hand rather inaudible. He clearly has decided that it is the right hand melody which is most important, and which needs to be emphasized. Interestingly, he stresses the second of each group of semiquavers as part of the melody, even though they are not indicated as such in the score. This has the effect of a longer phrase with all notes played equally. There is no ritardando at all in the crescendo run up to bar 9; often pianists tend to slow down before the diminished chord. He has decided to proceed straight into the diminished chord for maximum drama rather than postponing it by inserting a ritardando. One could deduce that he is not attempting to highlight the beginning of the adagio as a different fragment, but is proceeding between the fragments without a break. This is certainly the effect that is created.

The arpeggiated chord in bar 9 is played very fast and not expressively, and he then slows down on the first group of semiquavers in the left hand in bar 9 and 10. He possibly feels that the arpeggio should be treated in the spirit of the more animated vivace. The last semiquaver of bar 10 is also slowed down which leads to an expressive piano cadence in bar 11. The contrast between piano and forte in bars 9 and 10 is minimal, despite clear markings for the execution of such dynamics by the composer. Schnabel may have decided here that such abrupt dynamic shifts disturb the overall line, and so he has smoothed over the contrasts. The resulting effect created is of a smooth overall texture with no interruptions or any notes demanding more of our attention than others. In these same bars he does not execute the

mezzo staccati as printed; something he will also not do in the later repeat of the same passage in bars 58 and 59. The result is the same as the earlier passage- an even legato texture.

In bar 11 one might expect more crescendo than provided, due to the build-up of tension at the end of the bar, with an ascending scale leading to a forte chord at the beginning of the following bar. He performs this passage with detachment. In bar 12 the demisemiquavers are played in quite a measured fashion—often the tendency is to accelerate, which he does not do. This results in a somewhat metronomic character, rather than the overall sense of schwung generally adopted in this bar by others. In the middle of bar 13 he provides an effective diminuendo and piano on the last beat. In bar 15 he omits the sforzando marked in the left hand. Bar 15 is also characterized by a very long and spun out ritardando at the end of the bar. This has the reverse effect of other readings such as Richter’s, where there is scarcely any slowing down, in an attempt to link the two passages. In the development section he underplays the dramatic increase in tension starting with the crescendo in bar 21. He perhaps sees this as similar in mood to the calm opening, rather than a new idea. The repeated sforzando markings which occur from bar 33 and which are needed in order to heighten the excitement are not observed. In bar 48 he plays accents on the left hand thumb of the descending passage. He makes another unmarked ritardando in bars 56 and 57 which is not in proportion to the preceding phrase. These are the last two bars before the return of the adagio, and it may be that he may be wanting to emphasize the return of this important moment. In bar 61 he slows down the arpeggios so that they become much freer than marked. In terms of the idea of a topic proposed earlier, entitled “recitative adagio” this could be seen as appropriate, as the freer approach of a recitative could be imitated here as well as its companion section later in the movement.

The last note in bar 62, marked sf. is not observed. The following three bars are played very freely, with many liberties taken with regards to tempo, but the effect is pleasing, because this approach seems to fit well with the free, quasi-extemporized construction of the movement. Bar 65 is slowest of all and provides an appropriately meditative atmosphere in order to welcome the last return of the theme in bar 66. This is played simply and without any affectation, and has a powerful effect after all the rapid development that has occurred in the

preceding two pages. In bar 75 he respects the crescendo asked for here but then makes an accelerando, rather rushing through the contemplative chorale-like passage. Bar 87 to the end is played extremely lightly and with little dynamic variety, although the composer has

marked a long crescendo starting in bar 93.