Unlike the earlier Mephisto Waltzes, the Third possesses very few passages which are unmistakably linked with the episode from Lenau’s poem. General connections between the Waltzes do remain: the rapid triplet division of the beat, used to evoke a waltz of a truly demonic temper, along with the distinctive, attention-getting opening passage, which in this case is a remarkable satanic fanfare of 4 pitches which, with the exception of a major third, are separated by perfect fourths. Of all the Mephisto Waltzes, I find the Third to be the most puzzling-but also the most compelling-of the group, as the question of tonality with this work is very unsettled. For example: if one were to choose to support D-sharp minor as the piece’s overall tonic, some of the evidence could include that D-sharp is often placed in a very important rhythmic position, along with the fact that the areas in which D-sharp gains prominence are the opening and the closing of the piece, areas which conventionally host the establishment and re-establishment of the tonic. However, the foregoing supports for D-sharp minor are all related in that they are essentially rhythmic in nature-the features which champion F-sharp major as the tonic, on the other hand, are more related to harmonic function. These include: two long dominant prolongations from 1:06 to 1:39 and from 3:41 to 3:55; and a strong cadence on F-sharp at 3:25 and the aforementioned 3:55, the latter of which is set up by a well-prepared dominant.
When the tonal design of the piece is considered, one can discern 4 segments: the first contains the introduction and the initiation of tonal ambiguity (bars 1-107), the second embraces the approach to, and prolongation of, the F-sharp major tonal centre (bars 107-143), the third leads out of this key and into more ambiguity (bars 143-224), and the fourth (bar 224 to end), which includes the coda, gives fairly strong support to D-sharp minor as the closing tonality. In this broad perspective, the opening fanfare figure acts as a delineator of these larger structural divisions: it opens the piece, commences the drive to the first, large F-sharp cadence, finishes the F-sharp section, and ends the piece with some support of a D-sharp minor tonality. Having undertaken an overview of the piece, it’s worth looking a bit deeper into this F-sharp major-D-sharp minor tonal conflict; unlike the earlier Mephisto Waltzes in which formal contrast was provided by evocative themes, the Third derives its drama more abstractly from this tonal polarity.
(not enough space in the description box, go down)
26 сен 2024
