Saint-Saëns, lover of irony and paradox, wrote a preface to his edition of Mozart’s pianoforte sonatas, published at Paris in 1915, in which, after a discussion of the ornaments, he has this to say:
“One is accustomed in modern editions to be prodigal with liaisons, to indicate constantly legato, molto legato, sempre legato. There is nothing of this in the manuscripts and the old editions. Everything leads us to believe that this music should be performed lightly, that the figures should produce an effect analogous to that obtained on the violin by giving a stroke to each note without leaving the string. When Mozart wished the legato, he indicated it. In the middle of the last century, pianists were still found whose playing was singularly leaping (as one may say). The old non-legato, being exaggerated, became a staccato. This exaggeration brought a reaction in the contrary sense, and this was pushed too far....
“This music of Mozart during his early years is destitute of nuances; occasionally a piano or a forte; nothing more. The reason for this abstinence is because these pieces were written for the clavecin, and its sonority could not be modified by a pressure of the finger. Clavecins with two keyboards could alternate with forte and piano, but nuances, properly speaking, were unknown to them.
“In the 18th century, one lived more quietly than today, nor were there in music our modern habits of speed, which is often inflicted on ancient compositions to their great injury. It is necessary to shun in the case of Mozart this tendency to hurry the movements, as too often happens. His presto corresponds to our allegro; his allegro to our allegro moderato. His adagios are extremely slow, as is shown by the multiplicity of notes sometimes contained in a single beat. The andante is not very slow.
“It was the rule, in his time, not to put the thumb on a black key except from absolute necessity. This method of fingering gives to the hand great restfulness, precious for the performance of old music that demands perfect equality of the fingers.
“The first pianofortes were far from having the powerful sonority of the great modern instruments. Therefore, it is not always necessary to take Mozart’s forte literally; it is often the equivalent of our mezzo forte.”
SERGE SERGIEVICH
PROKOFIEFF
(Born at Sontsovka, Russia, April 24, 1891)
SCYTHIAN SUITE, “ALA AND LOLLI,” OP. 20
I. The Adoration of Veles and Ala II. The Enemy God and the Dance of the Black Spirits III. Night IV. The Glorious Departure of Lolli and the Procession of the Sun