Listening to Cadenzas

 In this first piece of research for part five of the course, we are asked to listen to some cadenzas by well-known composers. Firstly though, here is wikipedia's definition of a cadenza:

In music, a cadenza, meaning cadence; is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display. Indicated by a fermata in all parts if improvised, a cadenza is usually over a final or penultimate note in a piece or important cadence and the accompaniment rests or sustains a note or chord. Thus it is often before a final coda or ritornello.

Beethoven Piano Sonata No.3 in C Major

 

This first example exemplifies the above definition. The cadenza in this movement appears at the end of the recapitulation, and is followed by a coda. It is written out, as opposed to improvised, utilizing a four semiquaver - two quaver pattern, first in the right hand then in both hands, eventually landing on a G7 (Dominant 7th) chord, followed by a short chromatic descending run to land on a C chord, completing the V-I perfect cadence. There are no bar lines in this written-out cadenza, suggesting a certain freedom of tempo.

Mozart Piano Concerto No.23

 

This concerto was unusual in that the written out cadenza was included in the manuscript. Usually if the cadenza was composed rather than improvised, it was included on a seperate sheet. This is the only one of Mozart's piano concertos where the cadenza was included in the manuscript. The character of the cadenza is that of fast runs interspersed with slower sections, often in the minor mode (I could hear fragments that were reminiscent of Mozarts Fantasty in D Minor). The return of the orchestra was signaled with a right-hand trill and a single, heavy dominant chord in left hand, the trill terminating in a turn or mordent.

Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.5

 

This is a very long cadenza, at 65 bars and around 3 minutes that Bach notated. It starts off fast paced but fairly innocuous, before building to a frenzy from around the two minute mark. Like the Mozart, this cadenza appears to end with a trill and a turn or mordent on the end and the dominant chord in the left hand, which is a clear signal that the other instruments should return. This cadenza is obviously written to showcase the virtuosity of the harpsichord player.