Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rochester, 1956. Bibliography: leaves 333-337.
There is a bit of deception, at once familiar and enjoyable, in the finale of Haydn’s Quartet, opus 33, number 2, which causes amusement every time it is heard. The uninitiated listener is thrown off guard while the initiated enjoys watching the former’s good natured embarrassment. Here is how the deception works. Towards the end of the movement, after one of the many returns to the main theme of this rondo, Haydn introduces a few measures of Adagio followed by the “a” theme of the quick tempo, this time spelled out a phrase at a time with two measures of general rest separating each phrase. Like students in a class in harmonic dictation we hear phrase one – two measures of rest (all four instruments silent), phrase two– two measures of rest, phrase three– two measures of rest, and then phrase four with an unmistakable final phrase; and this is really the end.
In Siegfried’s Funeral Music from Wagner’s Twilight of the Gods, there are long, solemn phrases between somber sounds, as though Time not measured off by sound were an Eternity, or No-Time. In the sixth measure of Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun there is a languorous wait before a reusing out of reverie. In Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony there is a tapering off at the end of the passage where the violins have taken up the lyrical second theme after its announcement by the cellos. The sound is left dangling on the last half beat of the measure by virtue of the full measure of G. P. which follows, which, in turn, is interrupted by a C minor chord, fortissimo-diminuendo and tremulant.
The common ingredient in all these examples is a segment where all sound is stopped; there is a total silence in all voices, and the silence is of long enough duration that we are made aware of the silence for its own sake. Reflection on this device as used in these particular pieces, and in others, stimulated the author’s curiosity as to how widespread the use of silence is among composers, and as to how long a history it has in instrumental music. Speculation as to the possibility of classifying the musical situations under which such silences are encountered and noting trends of usage with individual composers or within entire periods has led to the present investigation.
Little need be added to the implication of the title as to the scope of this thesis, save, perhaps, that the term “instrumental” here includes keyboard works as well as works for orchestra, chamber music ensembles, and the like.
Procedure is as follows: Chapter I includes a discussion as to what constitutes silence in music, and a classification of silences based upon the points at which they occur in forms, the nature of the passages in which they are included, and the effects, subjective or otherwise, they may produce. Subsequent chapters deal with individual composers or with convenient groups of composers showing the manner or frequency of their use of this device.
Statistical data contained in this study is approximate and should be given broad interpretation.
