The Complementary Role of Piano Accompaniment

Christian Halfpenny

The 5th edition of Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians defines an accompanist
as: ‘the performer playing as a rule with a single singer or instrumentalist usually on
the pianoforte, whose part is nominally subsidiary, but who … should be regarded as
an equal partner in the interpretation.’ 1 This shows the issue of balancing the two
parts, with both vocal accompaniment and piano-four hands having their own
difficulties.

The role of keyboard accompaniment has developed gradually over time, during the
Baroque period music often relied on figured Bass and the inner parts were often
partially improvised to fit with the melody. Yet these patterns eventually became
rather generic and were simplified into what is known as Alberti Bass after Domenico
Alberti (1710-1740) who used it in his compositions. However Apel states that it is
wrongly attributed to him, as Thomas Tallis was using this arpeggio figure two
hundred years prior. 2

Whilst Mozart moves away from the convention of Figured Bass, elements of
‘Alberti’ bass like sections may be found in Bar 14 of ‘Ridente La Calma’ K152 -his
arrangement of the aria ‘Il caro mio bene’ from Josef Mysliveček’s opera Armida.
(FIG.1) This style of accompaniment is stereotypical of Mozart, in that the music
never overpowers the lyrics, the piece is written in a simple strophic style and whilst
the music does follow the lyrics, it does not change based on their meaning. 3 This is
an important consideration when performing with a vocalist, as it can be difficult for
the pianist to find appropriate points to express the underlying music. Consequently it
is important to understand the shape of melody, as the vocalist may want to add

1
Kurt Adler (2012) The Art of Accompanying and Coaching Springer Science and
Business Media p.5
2
Will Apel (1997) The History of Keyboard Music to 1700 Indiana: University Press
3
Kurt Adler (2012) The Art of Accompanying and Coaching Springer Science and
Business Media p.15
Ritardandos or other changes of Tempi to enhance certain moments in their own
interpretation of the work, which will need to be supported by a sympathetic
accompaniment.

Conversely, Beethoven had the opposite opinion and often gave the music greater
importance than the words, this is evident in his setting of L’amante Impaziente or
‘The Impatient Lover.’ (Op 82 no 3&4) Although both of these pieces use the same
libretti, written by Pietro Metastasio, they sound very different, the first; is in the
Buffa style, and features Secco or lightly accompanied recitative, the second, follows
opera seria conventions, and therefore contains a more elaborate accompaniment,
examples of which may be found in the appendix. (Fig.2 & Fig.3)

Although it is first through Franz Schubert’s work, that we may hear our modern
understanding of accompaniment, which reflects the moods or emotions of the lyrics.
Adler states that ‘[Schubert] elevated the piano accompaniment from a subordinate
position and designated it as the carrier of psychological motivation for his songs’
4
lyrics.’ This marked a paradigm shift within the field of accompaniment, and
Schubert may be described as the originator of this style, which has influenced almost
all modern accompaniments. Furthermore Schubert portrays this emotion in
interesting ways throughout his music, an example of this may be found in the
galloping rhythms of Erlkönig, or the continuous movement of Gretchen am
Spinnrade, which symbolically represents the motion of the Spinning wheel. Adler
further states:
‘There is no human emotion for which Schubert did not find musical expression.
Even when he used the strophic song he enriched it by giving the piano part special
significance.’ 5
This quote will be useful to the performer, as it shows that at some points they should
be in the foreground, as opposed to merely playing a supporting role. Interestingly,
even though Schubert was already well established in the Germanic tradition of Lied
writing, in his aria ‘Vedi Quanto Adoro’ D510 there is a direct reference to the
aforementioned ‘Alberti’ bass figures. An example of this may be found in bar 57
(Fig.4) and this is possibly due to the influence of his previous teacher, Antonio

4
Ibid p.16
5
Ibid
Salieri. (1750-1825) In this piece it is clear that Schubert is composing for an Italian
audience, a performer wishing to execute this music correctly should use this
knowledge to inform their aesthetic decisions. Another important factor to consider is
Yehudi Menuhin’s comment that: ‘German composers of lieder have given the piano
long evocative solo passages …here the accompanist carries the drama forward all by
himself’ 6 This is apparent in bar 12 as the pianist plays repeated, declamatory chords
whilst the soprano line rests, which builds tension towards the cadence.(Fig.5) This
piece may be seen as a fusion of the musical output of two distinct countries, as it
contains both ‘Alberti’ bass figures with Italian libretto, but also contains features of
the German Lied tradition.
Menuhin continues by discussing how the modern concert grand is a very different
instrument to the piano that Mozart composed for, as it possesses a much wider range
of dynamics. Consequently greater care must be taken when accompanying delicate
instruments such as woodwind, and also during piano four-hands, when the extra
attention must be paid to the balance of the parts. 7

‘[Piano four-hands] destabilized traditional musical divisions between symphonic and

chamber genres, professional and amateur music cultures, and even repertories
gendered as masculine and feminine. By bringing music intended for the public
sphere…into the domestic space of the bourgeois home parlor, the four-hand
transcription profoundly altered the generic identity and consequent reception of
musical works.’ 8
This quote shows not only the large social influence that this
method of transcription had, but also that it should be seen as a reduction of an
orchestra, and therefore each of the inner parts may be considered equally as
important.

With regards to piano four-hands it is necessary to have a greater understanding of the

phrasing of the piece, as its effectiveness is often based on how well the melody is

6
Louis Kentner (1976) Yehudi Menuhin Guides: Piano London: Macdonald and
Jane’s p.95
7
Ibid
8
Thomas Christensen ‘Four-Hand Piano Transcription and Geographies of
Nineteenth-Century Musical Reception’ Journal of the American Musicological
Society, Vol. 52 No. 2, Summer, 1999 p. 225
articulated and the balance of the two separate parts throughout the piece. This applies
to Mozart’s Sonata in B-flat Major (K.358) as there are various sections where the
two parts imitate each other; this is shown in bars 23-26 between the treble and bass
parts. (Fig.6 & Fig.7 Respectively) Naturally as the performers are accompanying one
another, the main themes are often passed between the parts. This may be described
as antiphonal and should sound almost like an echo. Owing to the polyphonic nature
of the piece, the performers would be advised to discuss the individual sections, and
special care should be taken with the bass part, so that it doesn’t sound too heavy and
overpower the treble. Furthermore any inconsistencies in timing need to be addressed
early on with this type of music, as there are lots of parts in octave unison, including
trills and other ornaments, which will sound especially unclear when desynchronised.
(Fig.8)
In addition it is well known that Mozart was a great improviser and did not notate his
improvised cadenzas, as a result of this we have very little knowledge of how these
sections were performed, but there is a lot of information on how to properly execute
the other ornaments found in his works.
In some cases, performers add their own embellishments to the melody, sometimes
omitting certain figures, or even replacing trills with turns etcetera. There are also
technical issues with the ornaments. An example of this would be the trills, which
should begin on the upper note. ‘Mozart’s basic trill model shows the upper start note
and anchor,’ 9 Neuman continues to describe how the trill should be in time with the
music and at first crescendo, then diminuendo, towards the end of the ornament.
These important stylistic conventions, amongst others, are necessary knowledge for
performers wishing to create a coherent and convincing sound.

Finally, this essay aims to show how the role of keyboard accompaniment has
changed over time, and across different countries, whilst also dealing with issues
relating to the balancing of parts, performing this repertoire on modern instruments,
and how to accentuate the most important theme at the appropriate time. Also, there
are aesthetic questions regarding the performer’s interpretations of the piece, and
whether it should be historically accurate, or a modern interpretation. After collating

9
Neumann Frederick (1983) Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-baroque Music:
With Special Emphasis on J.S. Bach p.379
the evidence above, both the advantages and disadvantages of each choice may be
considered in relation to the programme.
 Bibliograpghy

Adler Kurt (2012) The Art of Accompanying and Coaching Springer Science and
Business Media

Apel Will The History of Keyboard Music to 1700 Indiana: University Press

Christensen Thomas ‘Four-Hand Piano Transcription and Geographies of Nineteenth-

Century Musical Reception’ Journal of the American Musicological Society, Vol. 52
No. 2, Summer, 1999 p. 225-298

Kentner Louis (1976) Yehudi Menuhin Guides: Piano London: Macdonald and Jane’s

Neumann Frederick (1983) Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-baroque Music: With

Special Emphasis on J.S. Bach
 Appendix

Figure 1:

Figure 2:

Figure 3:

Figure 4:
Figure 5:

Figure 6:

Figure 7:

Figure 8: