Danny,
There's evidence to support either note.
Using the A-natural, beginning at m. 20, we have a V-I-V7/V-V in C major.
(In figures that would be 5/3-6/4-#7/4/2-5/3 over a G pedal.) A fairly
straightforward Baroque progression. If you use an Ab in the penultimate
measure, that V7/V becomes a V7b5/V. Ok for Schumann, better for Gershwin, but
a bit funky for Weiss. Not impossible, but very strange. (Remember, the
ordinary #7/4/2 was considered an extremely powerful and expressive harmony at
this time. It still is.) I would expect that if Weiss was to use a harmony
that bold for his time, he would have done it more than once rather than
sounding the wild note for a single 8th note. Another factor is that measures
18 and 19 (those just preceding the pedal-tone section) are made of V7/V-V
harmonies so one would be expecting to hear it again. It would be very
uncharacteristic of him to play with our expectations to that degree. Looking
at the parallel passage in the B section is
unfortunately of little help since it only alternates V/i over an A bass in d
minor.
Having said that, there are lots of half-step dissonances in the piece. In
measures 47 and 49 there is the cross relation of F-sharp over an F-natural in
the bass. Then there's the cool Neapolitan chord in measures 51 and 53. This
might give some support to the A-flat in m. 22. A-flat would be the
"Neapolitan degree" in G major, which is the harmonic region Weiss has almost
tricked us into believing we're going, until he definitively pushes us into the
"proper" region of C-major just at the end of the A section.
My personal opinion is that A-flat is probably a mistake, but its just
plausible to go either way. And it certainly sounds cool with either note.
Chris
--- On Thu, 4/23/09, Daniel Shoskes <[email protected]> wrote:
> From: Daniel Shoskes <[email protected]>
> Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Fidelity or L'infidelity
> To: "lute" <[email protected]>
> Date: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 10:07 AM
> I'm looking at the popular Weiss A minor sonata and
> there are clearly lots of differences between the London and
> the Dresden. Has anyone done a full analysis? For those who
> have played it, do you have a preference (obviously the
> London is more 11 course friendly but does use the 13th).
> I've heard the Paysane recorded with the blue note in
> bar 22 (Ab over a G bass) and with the Dresden version of A
> over the G bass. Likely error in the London or crunchy
> intentional harmony?
>
> Thanks for any thoughts
>
> Danny
>
>
>
> To get on or off this list see list information at
> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
