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years, including a whole book on the subject,' but its use by Beethoven
Silence
has never been examined in depth, despite the extraordinary range
and variety of ways in which he exploited it. Here is not the place for a
or aesthetic discussion of what constitutes silence, nor of the
philosophical
ways in which different sorts of silence might be classified; and certain types,
such as those that routinely occur between staccato notes, can be disregarded
how silence had been used in earlier music. It was one of two types,
generally
'structural' or 'dramatic'. A 'structural' silence is one that occurs between
scene 5), where the disguised Guglielmo is completely at a loss for what to
say to Dorabella once he realises she is willing to go for a walk with him.
Humorous silences can also appear in instrumental works, such as at the end
of Haydn's 'Joke' Quartet op.33 no.2, where Haydn (whose uses of silence
also deserve extended investigation) writes a three-bar rest before the final
phrase, to lure the audience into thinking that the work has finished.
Beethoven used all these of silence dramatic and
types structural,
pictorial. One of his most notable examples of pictorial silence, for example,
i. Nicky Losseff & Jenny occurs in the dungeon scene in his opera Fidelio, at the words 'Gott! welch'
Doctor, edd.: Silence, music,
Dunkel hier! O grauenvolle Stille!' ('God! What darkness here! O horrible
silent music (Aldershot,
2007). silence!'). At this point the silence operates on several levels. As well as simply
'darkness' here, the text begins to resemble phrases from the Heiligenstadt
as non-perception of sound is not the same thing as true silence, the absence
(rev. Hermann Deiters & audiences to listen to but for three companions
to sing with and to each
Hugo Riemann): Ludwig van
other. Thus each singer in turn experiences a bar of silence, with the
Beethovens Leben (Leipzig,
1907-1923), vol.3,p.533. purpose being to listen to the others. A wise man, supposedly the Greek
Assai sostenuto
r r
mm
a - ber zu rech-terZeit schwei-gen, schwei-genist lau-te-resGold, lau-te-res Gold.
known to have read the sayings of Epictetus, he clearly concurred with these
in the monastery'). This suggests that being silent is something that has
to be learnt and practised, and it significant that, although in Beethoven's
earliest sketch for 'Das he placed a long rest after the first two
Schweigen'
words ('Lerne schweigen'),10 he later decided to leave the long rest until the
8. The origin of the saying, second 'schweigen', which implies a learning process after a failure to be
which can be found in
silent at the first 'schweigen'.
various forms, is generally
attributed to Epictetus, Since Beethoven held deep of the value of silence, it is
appreciation
though it is not found in hardly that he the effect of or
surprising exploits prolonged unexpected
the main body of his work
transmitted from antiquity; rests in other unusual ways. Often the purpose is to intensify emotion, and
see Hastings Crossley, tr. & here the of silence is that, unlike actual it can be
advantage many sounds,
ed.: The golden sayings of
used with a great variety of different emotions. A relatively straightforward
Epictetus (London, 1903),
appendix A no.VI. example occurs at the start of the slow movement of the Piano Sonata in Eb,
4* X '
jji j'= 4^ a
i0 r ^
t): X -MjS .. ;
i 4 =^=1 .. ^ i ~; ->=44 *1 ik'
-4 Hf %
G? tj k# #W% d J
Ex.2: Beethoven: Piano Sonata op.7, II, opening
Grave
striking use of silence. The slow introduction begins with a series of heavy
chords, each followed by a short dotted figure. In the coda, however,
the chords are replaced by extended rests (bars 29597: see ex.3), giving
silence, for the second and third of these rests normally last about four
('exhausted, lamenting', bars 116134) in the finale of the Piano Sonata in Ai>
op. no, and in a section marked 'beklemmt' bars 4246)
('heart-oppressed',
in the Cavatina in his String Quartet in Bb op. 130. In each case the melody
staggers, with intermittent silences or gasps that are not merely articulation
silences similar to staccato notes but real, expressive ones, always falling
on the beat as in ex.4 and at several levels, the
operating representing gasps
of the 'singer', the physical exhaustion, and the underlying emotional
disintegration.
Beethoven could equally use silence to intensify humour rather than
piano. Here the Scottish theme ends on the leading-note on the last quaver of
Var.i
T T T T
frf" r
r-i i lj nr"T
fY y r y r
"Wt?A
sr r rj
Ex.5: Beethoven: 'Bonny Laddie' Variations op.107, no.2, bars 1319
indicate complete absence of emotion. This occurs in his music for the ballet
goes into raptures as he sees his plan has turned out so well; he rejoices
inexpressibly over it, stands up and signals to the children to stand still.
approach him.
[5] They look at him unfeelingly and turn towards a tree, whose great
size they contemplate.
[6] Prometheus begins to lose his courage again, becomes anxious and
sad. He goes up to them, takes them by the hand, and leads them himself
to the front of the stage. He explains to them that are his work, that
they
they belong to him, that they must be grateful to him; kisses and caresses
13. See Karl Lothar Mikulicz,
ed.: Ein Notierungsbuch von them.
Beethoven aus dem Besit^e der
[7] However, still unfeeling, they just shake their heads from time to
Preussischen Staatsbibliothek
time and show themselves completely indifferent, groping around here
iu Berlin (Leipzig, 1927),
PP-73-75 and there the whole time.'3
happens also in the opening bars where the statues For the final
emerge.
version of this number Beethoven changed the music from his
completely
arrangement, with the original German text from his sketch added beneath,
and the relationship is plain to see: he was clearly indicating emotional
stiffness and insensitivity in the statuesque children by placing silences
between almost every chord. The passages for Prometheus himself, by
IN of stunned silence in
response to a surprise, after which things are never
the same. When children are up to some mischief and suddenly realise they
are being observed and will be in trouble, there is a moment of shocked
to take things in before the laughter begins. Beethoven learnt to exploit this
device of silence as turning-point early in his career, notably in his Variations
on Dittersdorf's 'Es war einmal' WoO66 (1792). In Dittersdorf's theme
the central cadence in the dominant is split in two with a whole-bar rest
quite new ways, making what comes after it strikingly different from the
material before. In variation 5, for example, there is a sudden from a
change
resolute 2/4 to a gentle, lilting 6/8 metre after the silence, while in variation
section (before the return a few bars later). The whole work
semiquavers
is therefore thoroughly whimsical, as the listener is repeatedly left guessing
what will happen after each silence. Finally Beethoven catches everyone
Poco adagio
m
i3
f P Tt r
ig
> in
*
m
(i) Die zwei S. gehen langsam iiber die Biihne aus dem Hintergrund
Allegro con brio
__ ==_
*****if ftr
t t t T
n7**s r % r>;
''in
li 1 mil f i'r JTTJrrf-'
=^=r= -3 AAA ^
pp cresc.
s/
&
-
f '
M= =4 1 --
(2) P. komt allmahlich zu sich den Kopf gegen das Feld und gerath in Entziicken, wie er
m .
1^ Or ;BTffrTl__H > r' V
yftrZ*
sf
stehen -
Poco adagio
;
f f
$ i I
Ex.6: Beethoven: Die Geschopfe des Prometheus, no.i (piano transcription), opening
0 T
rr
T T T T T T T T T T
r ri
$11 "1 P
./ "ft" ^
* -7 A .7 /T\
f=F= ?
1 * p _>
r ^=4 ? "f1
Capriccio. Andante
r\
mm m
^ pr r
r\
P
rf rf rf
-m V
piano than ever before. Thus there appears here a series of rapid changes
in emotion: gentle A major; sudden A minor; then sudden ^instead of pp;
then the silence that gives rise to a complete of and mood.
change register
Without the extended silence the effect would again be very different. The
protagonist seems to need time to pause and take in what has just happened,
and to formulate a suitable what has been lost in the of
response: change
mode in bar 121 cannot be regained without effort,
prolonged, superhuman
and the length of the silence foreshadows this.
pp
2.
tl5g gj
^ 1 f,S 1 1 1 | | T-~ 1 I 1
n A ^ J!" ^ n A
/ / / / A A A A A A A A A
/ decresc. P
J
T ^
/ / / / / /
A A AAA AAA AAA
expected, while William Kinderman has noted, 'In this first movement [...]
the crux of the entire dramatic structure is anchored in a
pivotal temporal
moment that is, paradoxically, soundlessThis silence forms the emotional
Egmont was being composed. the shocked reaction of the Netherlands people. Here is a classic case of an
movement; in a few cases one could argue for a beat twice as fast or slow,
leaving these very short phrases hanging in mid-air while the performer
seems to over what might follow. It is therefore noteworthy that
puzzle
remarks that this is how Beethoven did actually 'Often a
Czerny improvise:
few insignificant tones were all that were needed to improvise a whole piece,
for example the Finale of Op.io N0.3, in D Once an
major."7 improvisation
was under way such rests would not normally be needed, since Beethoven
was surely never at a loss for what might follow during one of his formal
(Princeton, 1964), p.963. all the different elements of Coriolanus's reactions to his trial,
encapsulate
even though the trial does not form part of Collin's play. Thus the opening
of the overture could also be interpreted as a kind of prologue portraying
events from before the start of the play.
recapitulation and coda, only this time in C major. Thus those prolonged
Molto vi\
_v
jsr fPff
sk
<?
13: Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, II (short score), opening
Then the second movement begins with a brief introduction that seems to
contain just the main motif for the movement, repeated several times (ex. 13);
but it actually contains two motifs, for the silence that interrupts the opening
figure is important as a motif in its own right. This is because the rhythm
of bar 1 is incomplete and demands a note at the beginning of bar 2. The
suppressed sound, as if one were about to speak but then refrains at the last
(by being doubled) in bars 7 and 8, before being replaced by an actual sound
in bar 10. There is then absolutely no break in the rhythmic impetus until
bar 148, where the rest that appears there is striking for interrupting this
being trebled in bars 14850 and 15658, just after the start of the development
section. Beethoven continues to treat silence as a motif, for he reintroduces
it twice at the end of the recapitulation (bars 38587 and 39799), but the
second of these is bypassed at the second ending (after the repeat), where
the music through a stringendo into the maggiore or Trio
proceeds straight
section. There are no significant silences in this, but the original ones are
heard at the return of the minore section. One final remains
again surprise
for the 'silence' motif, however: it appears suddenly four bars from the end,
to cut off a reprise of the maggiore section by interrupting the lovely Trio
theme. The occurs after a weak of where
interruption straight pair quavers,
a note would be most strongly and had indeed been heard in a
expected
similar context four bars earlier; so that once more the silence functions
PP
Ex.15: Beethoven: Ninth Symphony, IV (short score, wind omitted), bars 591-96
elements from both the minore and maggiore sections. This final
together
silence therefore neatly helps bring the movement to a close. Thus silence,
in the form of suppressed sound, functions as a motif right through the
being replaced by, say, a single percussion note. This recurring percussion
note would then form a motif in the movement and would be
conspicuous
heard as such. But because Beethoven has used a bar of complete silence
('horror fanfare'), and there are several more in the introduction, as well
19. Amanda Glauert: the importance of silence within poetry and folksong, where a poet works
'Nicht diese Tone: lessons
with and across silence, allowing time for reflection.'9
in singing and song
from Beethoven's Ninth Glauert also singles out the silences at bar 331, after the massive chords on
Symphony', in Eighteenth 'steht vor Gott' (ex.14), ar>d bar 594, just before the solemn passage at 'Seid
Century Music 4/1 (2007),
pp. 55-69; see especially pp.64
umschlungen' (ex.15), as marking respectively a shift from hymn or song to
and 59. march or dance, and a 'point of crisis' where the Freude theme temporarily
These two silences achieve far more than this, however. The
disappears.20
music situated between them remains in 6/8 throughout and is therefore the
longest passage without a change of time in the whole movement. At the most
as music approaches from a distance one hears the low notes first, and the
melody only later, for acoustical reasons. Thus he initially uses just very
low notes on weak beats (bassoons, contra-bassoon and bass drum), then
gradually approaching from being out of earshot, with only the lower notes
audible at first. The effect therefore recalls the opening of the symphony as
a whole, where the music also grows out of silence. The change at bar 331
also brings us down to Earth from out of Heaven and God's from
presence:
majesty to pettiness. The silences seem to imply that, from the vantage point
of Heaven, any earthly march will seem small and puny, with ridiculous little
human beings far beneath ('Turkish' style was often used with overtones of
The silence at bar 594 achieves virtually the opposite effect: it takes
music could be interpreted as suggesting that these petty humans, who had
become increasingly wild and frenzied in their dancing and celebration of joy,
and who are still essentially pagan, for they refer to the gods (Gotterfunken)
and Elysium, suddenly become aware, like the mischievous children
mentioned earlier, that God is watching them, and this is something that
can be signified only by a silence followed by trombone, hinting at Divine
Vater' ('dear Father'); it puts an end to the dancing and prepares for song or
20. ibid, pp.6668.
hymn; and it changes the expression from one of high spirits to one of deep
Vivace
Mri UN
/ /
* m
reverence and awe. The emotion is still joy, but a different kind
completely
of joy inner contentment instead of exuberance.
Beethoven
on a theme later used in the finale of the Eroica Symphony.
In both
the piano variations and the symphony the initial procedure is essentially
the same: the bass line is played on its own, then with a variety of
repeated
just the bass line on its own is bizarre enough, but extraordinarily, two of
the 16 bars are complete silence (ex.16). These silences will of course be
filled later with a melody, and they need to be. Thus they function as
plainly
a kind of tabula rasa, or an empty building site that is to have a magnificent
construction erected on it. They provide both an empty and an
space
invitation for it to be filled up. Although several of Beethoven's other
silences elsewhere occur in contexts that are later with the silences
repeated
filled in (for example, the passage as ex.2), none of them demand so
quoted
Diabelli Variations (see ex.17). Here an incredible 48 per cent of the entire
variation is silence. Beethoven is critiquing Diabelli's theme, observing
that it contains very little material from notes and a rising
apart repeated
sequence. It is therefore possible to make huge omissions and yet still have a
variation that possesses as much substance as the original theme. This is not
Violin I j j j j j j j j
j j i j j j
Violin II
E
Viola
j j j j j j j:
Violoncello
j j j j
Ex.18: Beethoven: String Quartet op.131, IV, bars 187-88
underlying rhythm. A silence on its own has no sense of pulse, and borrows
its perceived pulse from the beats immediately preceding it. But if a rest is
placed on every strong beat at the start of a section in a new metre where no
has been set up, the listener's sense of rhythm becomes disorientated.
pulse
This effect can be used for something of the timelessness of
evoking
effective, however, is that each of the first five bars begins with a one-beat
silence (ex.18). And since all the other chords in the bar are equally long
and there is an incredible sense of motionlessness the stillness
very static,
of the the crotchet chords. The listener will
everlasting despite repeated
be unable to determine for some time where the main beat falls, and the
eventual realization that it falls on the rests brings with it an awareness that
silences, most of which have more than one function, such as those near
the beginning of the Grosse Fuge (op. 133), where the rests separate phrases
while suggesting hesitation and uncertainty, with a hint of gasps similar to
those noted earlier in the sonata It is only through observing some
op.no.
of his more but unusual uses of silence in his earlier music
straightforward
that the full subtlety and many-layered significance of those in his late
quartets becomes evident.
absence of emotion), and it can function either at the core of the emotion