Thursday, January 12, 2017

Hummel, from 6 German Dances & 12 Trios, op. 16

Hummel's Opus 16 was published in 1804, the first in a substantial list of music for both social and professional dancers. (Items drawn from a works list on IMSLP.)
Op.16 - 6 German Dances (1804)
Op.22 - Piano Trio No.3 in F Major (1807)
Op.23 - 7 Hungarian Dances (1806)
Op.24 - 12 Minuets (1806)
Op.25 - 12 German Dances & Coda (1807)
Op.26 - Ballet Music, Helene & Paris (1807)
Op.27 - Dance for Apollosaal No.1 (12 Minuets) (1808)
Op.28 - Dance for Apollosaal No.2 (12 German Dances) (1808)
Op.29 - 12 German Dances for Redout-Deutsche (1808)
Op.31 - Dance for Apollosaal No.3 (6 Waltzes) (1809)
Op.33 - Ballet Music, Das Belebte Gemählde (1809)
S.80 - Contredanses in Bb major for Orchestra (1810)
S.81 - 5 Ecossaisen for Orchestra (1810)
S.82 - 7 Landler for Orchestra (1810)
S.84 - 3 Pieces for Ballet or Pantomime (1810)
Op.39 - Dance for Apollosaal No.4 (4 German Dances & Coda) (1811)
Op.40 - 12 German Dances for the Roman Emperor (1811)
Op.41 - Ballet Music, Quintuor des Negares du Ballet Paul et Virginie (1809)
Op.44 - 12 German Dances & Coda for Redout-Deutsche (1811)
Op.45 - Dance for Apollosaal No.5 (March, 6 Minuets, 6 German Dances, & Coda) (1811)
Op.46 - The Magic Ring or Harlequin as a Spider (Pantomime Music) (1811)
S.92 - Der Zauberkampf, Pantomime Music (1812, WoO.34)
S.88 - Das Zaubershloss, Ballet Music (1814, WoO.32)
Op.70 - 6 Polonaises for Piano (1814)
S.104 - 12 Waltzes & Coda for Orchestra (1817)
Op.91 - Six Waltzes with Coda (for orchestra; Dance for Apollosaal No.6) (1820)
Op.103 - 3 Waltzes for Piano (1824) [concert pieces?]
Op.112 - 12 Waltzes for Piano (1828) [concert pieces?]
As the title suggests, each of the six German dances in op. 16 has two trios. Those pieces of interest to us are the second trio to n1 and the first trio to n3. The score was digitized by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, which holds a copyright to the digitization. I am reproducing short excerpts with added annotations and commentary.

Of the eighteen pieces total, 11 are in small binary form, 7 in small ternary form. Oddly, only one of the German dances is in small ternary form; the other six using that design are all trios, including both of those to n1. In the second trio to n1, the definition of ^5 and the run up to ^8 above V7 are primary.

The first trio to n3 is the only piece I know, with the exception of "Do, a Deer" from The Sound of Music, that presents an entire octave's worth of rising line. The progress is in parallel sixths with the bass, along with octaves at either end. Note that Hummel goes out of his way to harmonize the scale in a very different way in the reprise, a signal to musicians, I would guess, that he knows he is waltzing to the "rule of the octave."