Paul Badura-Skoda

A tie is a tie is a tie

Reflections on Beethoven's pairs of tied notes

It is an age-old rule that two notes of the same pitch Lx la

connected by a slur are to be tied. The value of the
second note is added to that of the first one without
producing a new sound. In many cases a tie is equal to I
a prolongation dot; Mozart, for instance, preferred the
notation p T to f . According to some pianists ' proposed modern notation

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only Beethoven is supposed to have taken occasional
exception to this rule. However, there exists a nearly
equally old convention for repeated notes that should
be ever-so lightly separated. The notation of this is a
combination of a slur and dots— f • — called
portato or portamento. Strangely enough this notation is
often misunderstood by pianists and string players
who play the notes far too short. Perhaps it might be
useful to change the conventional notation to avoid
misinterpretation, for example in the variation move-
ment of Beethoven's Piano Sonata op. 109, bars 153ff
(ex.1).
In three of his works Beethoven created confusion by
adding the fingering 4 - 3 to pairs of tied notes, begging
the question of why two different fingers were required
for one sounding note. These notations occur in the
Scherzo of the Cello Sonata op.69,' in the Adagio of the
Piano Sonata op. 106 and twice in his Piano Sonata
op. 110: see ex.2. It is interesting to observe that all
these ties occur on syncopated notes. Furthermore

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The ties in the right hand and the fingering placed over them, here signify
something wholly peculiar. Thus, the second note is repeated in an audible man-
ner with the 3L*1 finger, so that it sounds nearly as follows:^-

that is, the first note (with the 4lJi finger) very tenuto, and the other (with the 3c-1 fin-
ger) smartly detached and less marked: and so elsewhere. The 4U>finger must
therefore glide aside and make way for the third
1 Carl Czernv's commentary on the scherzo of Beethoven's Sonata for cello and piano op 69

84 EARLY MUSIC FEBRUARY 1988

Lx 2a Cello Sonata, op. 69. opening of scherzo most of them could have been notated simply in
Scherzo double note values, avoiding the ties. Before drawing
Allegro motto
any conclusions we must look at similar notations in
several other works and reflect upon their intended
Allegro molto meaning.
Pairs of tied notes can be found in the Adagio of the
E minor String Quartet op.59 no 2, the Grosse Fuge
op. 133, the second movement of the Piano Sonata
t 11 ft op. 111. and of course in the cello part of the Scherzo
op.69: see ex.2a. The most intriguing examples are
those in op. 59 no 2 and op. 111. What caused Beethoven
to use a complicated and time-consuming notation
when the simpler one would apparently produce the
same result in performance? (Compare ex.4a with 3a,

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and 46 with 3c.)

Ex.3a String Quartet op. 59 no 2. molto adagio, b. 8ff

Mollo Adagio. Si tntu questo pezzo con molto di fentimento J-60
h Piano Sonata, op. 106, adagio, b. 165
4 3 4 3 4 3 4^ 3 i. 3

ff f f P1
Iff ^ P | f j "P—»
1
w b Grosse Fuge, op 130. beginning of fugue
Piano Sonata, op 110. 3rd mvt b.5
adagio t

d Piano Sonata, op. 110. 4th mvt. b 125

EARLY MUSIC FEBRUARY 1988 85

c Piano Sonata, op 111. 2nd mvt, b65ff Ex 5a Haydn. Variations in F minor, andante

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IJ Beethoven. Piano Sonata, op.7. 2nd mvt
lenuw

In order to give a correct answer to this question we

need to examine the habits of interpretation that were
radically changed during the 19th century. The late
18th and early 19th centuries emphasized a dearly
articulated method of playing, long legato lines being
the exception to the rule, whereas in the course of the
19th century legato execution became the predominant
manner of performance.2 That is. the normal touch up
to about 1800 was non-legato. which implies a
shortening of the note values: 'For notes which are to
be played in the usual way. that is, neither detached
nor slurred, one lifts one's finger from the key a little
earlier than the value of the note demands.' It seems
in performance. With the notation as given in op.59 no
2 or op. 111 only a dilettante could have played
something like ex.6a instead of the intended 6b. I have
not yet heard a single string player or pianist repeat the
tied notes in op.59 no 2 or 111. In the Grosse Fuge
particularly a repetition of the tied notes would distort
the theme beyond recognition. Besides, there are a few
entries of the theme in 'straight' notation (see ex.7).
Ex 6,1

that in Beethoven's time a crotchet without an artic-

ulation sign was generally shortened to the value of a
quaver or a dotted quaver. It is unlikely that the great
Viennese composers approved of this habit which
deprives many a movement of its intended expression.
The one way to give the performer a hint to keep the ten, ten
note values correctly was the added tenuto' or
'sostenuto'. Thus we understand why in late Haydn
and early Beethoven the word is so often used in places Ex 7d Crosse Fuge. b,167ff
where it appears unnecessary to us; for example, in
Haydn's Variations in F minor (Hbk xvii/4). or the
second movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata op.7
(see ex.5). In ex.2c we find 'sempre tenuto1 in the chord
of the left hand
A written w'ord is. however. easiU overlooked by the
performer. Therefore Beethoven chose a personal
method of notation that made the longer holding of
the notes clearly visible, so that it had to be observed

86 EARLY MUSIC FEBRUARY 1988

b Grosse Fuge. b 273ff
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As stated before, our problem arises from the fact
that two different fingers on one key seem to suggest
two sounds despite the tie. The first author to interpret
it this way was Carl Czerny, whose commentary to the
Sonata for cello and piano op.69 is given as illus.l.4
Since Czerny was Beethoven's pupil it is understandable
that his interpretation was considered obligatory, and
was followed by generations of pianists, including
Hans von Billow5 and Artur Schnabel.6 Yet it is very
doubtful whether Czerny received this instruction
from Beethoven himself. Although there is no doubt
that he studied a number of Beethoven's earlier piano
works with the composer, his later contacts with
Beethoven must have become infrequent. It would be
naive to assume that Czerny had regular consultations
with Beethoven concerning problems of interpretation;
such contacts, had they existed, would have been
traced in the conversation books. In a conversation
with Nottebohm Czerny gave a list of the works which
he had studied under Beethoven's supervision; op.69
was not among them.7
The first musicologist to realize that this interpre-
tation must have been erroneous—in op.69 as well as
op.106 and op.110—was the eminent Heinrich
Schenker. His edition and commentary of op. 110 is a
monument of precision and insight, by far the best
analysis ever made of one of the last Beethoven
sonatas.* Czerny's interpretation was, he claimed, a
misunderstanding: despite fingering indications the
tied notes should not be repeated. His reasoning was
that the cello can reproduce Beethoven's text only by
continued bowing.9 Similarly, according to Schenker,
the tied pairs of notes in op. 106 ought to be played as
real ties, just as in the preceding bar (see ex.8).10
Indeed it is musically wrong to produce the sound of
twelve repeated semiquavers instead of the obviously
intended interpretation given in ex.9. A third option
does not exist: either the second note of a tie is heard
or not.
Ex.8 Piano Sonata, op. 106
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Ex.9
rfffrnft,
By far the most controversial group of ties is the one
found in the 'recitativo' of op.110 (ex.2c). Schnabel
states that:
When the third finger touches the key, it should bring forth
an added pulse, something between a real and imagined
sound, but audible in any case. It might be helpful to think of
a word to represent the desired sound and expression, one
syllable for the group of two notes: perhaps the word 'Du' (in
English, you' is closest in meaning and the sound of its
vowel is identical; but 'Du' is more intimate, expressive and
warm), its vowel to be given soulful emphasis, varying in
intensity between a most tender ethereal sigh and a most
passionate invocation."
Nobody denies Schnabel's achievements as an imag-
inative pianist, but to imagine the word 'du-u' being
pronounced 14 times in succession borders on the
ridiculous. Moreover, Schnabel's interpretation prod-
uces a serious handicap. What looks like a gradual,
written-out accelerando becomes in his way of playing
an irregular rhythm with an unexpected standstill on
the one note without tie: the sixth, notated as a dotted
semiquaver.
The clearest explanation to date of this passage was
given by Schenker. 'We can see that in the authentic
version the tone a is repeated continuously at ever
closer intervals, its duration being at first three
sixteenths, then twice two sixteenths, again twice one
and a half sixteenths and finally nine times one
sixteenth note.'12 He also gives a graph of these
EARLY MUSIC FEBRUARY 1988 87
Ex.10 P Badura-Skoda, Interpreting Mozart on the Keyboard (New York.
S1986), pp 54f
4
C Czerny, On the Proper Performance of all Beethoven s works for the
Piano, ed P Badura-Skoda (Vienna, 1970) [facs edn of Czerny's
Pianoforte-Schule op 500, IV, chapters 2f| No explanation was given
by Czerny concerning the similar passages in the Piano Sonatas
op 106 and 110
5
H von Bulow, Beethoven's Werke fur Pianoforte Solo (Stuttgart.
1886)
(Hier fehlt em 32 tel-Paar) 6
A Schnabel, Beethoven 32 Sonate per Pianoforte (Milano, 1981)
'Czerny (ed Badura-Skoda), op at, p 5
Exll 8
H Schenker, Beethoven Die letzten Sonaten (Sonate As dur op 110)
(Vienna 1972)
'Schenker, op at. p 71
'"Ibid
"Schnabel, op at, pp 235f, fn
l2
syncopations (see ex 10) He insists that Beethoven's Schenker, op at, pp 66f, this translation by P Badura-Skoda
"Bulow, op at, pp 53, 108 (fns)
fingering 4 - 3 does not suggest a repeated sound but a

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silent change on the key for expressive reasons I find
this interpretation—a quasi vocal 'messa di voce',
transcribed into the sonorities of the piano—fully EARLY MUSIC
convincing The fingering 4-3 (with silent change) May 1988
offers two advantages, first, the pianist is induced to
stay on the key as long as possible, and second, a Christopher Page
beating of the key, playing from the wrist like a piano Alejandro Planchart
tuner, is prevented by inducing the fingers to a David Hiley
caressing touch Peter Lefferts
Let us finally consider the last occurrence of
repeated ties, namely in the Arioso dolente. Some
pianists connect these notes using the 'double escape-
ment touch' (see ex 11), but they ought to be reminded
that Erard's grand patent was not yet known to Beet-
hoven Again it is more likely that real ties were
intended. Even the 'Bebung' of the clavichord has
been quoted in order to justify the (slight) separation
of the tied notes, as if Beethoven had tried to imitate a The 5th Hilliard Festival of Voices
peculiarity of a virtually extinct instrument 13 It is Lewes, August 7-13, 1988
ironic that the sign for this vibrato effect was not the
tie but the portato. Furthermore, a note with 'Bebung' England's most challenging summer school for
singers this year presents.
was not repeated at all Instead, the end of the key-
lever, the tangent, remained constantly in touch with Heinnch Schutz Resurrection History
the string while a gentle up and down motion of the Arvo Part "in residence"
Stabat Mater-Fratres-De Profundis
fingertip produced a slight change of pitch And it is Gavin Bryars First Performance
difficult to see a reason why Beethoven should have English Song from Dowland to Purcell
developed a nostalgia for an instrument that meant English Madrigals
little or nothing to him So in conclusion, I propose to concerts - workshops - masterclasses
treat Beethoven's ties just as ties
faculty & guest artists include Paul Hilher.
David James. John Potter, Rogers Covey-Crump.
'In my opinion the fortissimo sign in bar 1 found in many editions Stephen Stubbs. Andrew Lawrence-King
is simply a misread dal segno in the lost autograph, indicating the Rosemary Hardy. Chameleon and Fretwork
entrance of the da capo
J 25 places only - early application advised!
It is typical that Beethoven's indication non legato' in the Finale
movements of the Piano Sonatas op 31 no 3 and op 106 was hull details from Lena-Lns kiesel Administrator f/FV ,Vfonfes Houst
Rodmell Urwes East Sussix 8N7 IHh
'corrected' into 'ben legato' in the complete edition (c 1880)
3
G D F Turk, Kiavierschule (Halle. 2/1802), see also E and

88 EARLY MUSIC FEBRUARY 1988

 usic

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EARLY MUSIC FEBRUARY 1988 89