Articulation and interpretation : piano music in the first half of the nineteenth century

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between articulation and interpretation, while striving to contribute some original thoughts about the topic. The study takes into consideration works written for the piano between 1800 and 1850. Apart from being a time of transition from the Classical to the Romantic period, these years also witnessed the emergence of the modern pianoforte. A number of pianists were interviewed about the subject of articulation and its relation to other factors such as tempo, phrasing, and pedalling. The results of these interviews were discussed in relation to eighteenth- and nineteenth-century treatises. The issue of there being a neutral touch or articulation in the absence of articulation markings was also discussed. This dissertation is linked to my final piano recital which consists entirely of works written in the first half of the nineteenth century.