I designated the last category of doubles Sets of variations or The last movement of a Galant sonata because during the process of my research, I observed that the last movements of many Galant sonatas are concluded with one or more variations. In such cases, the last movement usually represents a dance, mostly a Menuet (Minuetto) or a Vivace in triple meter, and occasionally an Aria. The Galant character of these movements is given not only by the time range of the compositionof the pieces in the 1730s and 1740s but also by their stylistic features. That is true correspondingly for the style of the variations – both the diminutive and ornamental elements are combined here with various rhythmical figures, where stressing the harmony and display of chordal notes play more significant roles than sophisticated alterations of the melody itself. A combination of various elements and a larger range of the melody, using embellished chordal notes and leaps, can be considered as the key characteristics of this type of variation. Therefore, even some of the pieces with the designation Double, such as Menuet allemande and Gavotte de Blavet by Michel Blavet, Largo and Minuetto I et Minuetto II by Jean Daniel Braun, and Sarabande with four doubles by Johann Joachim Quantz, are considered in this research to belong to this category, too.
In total, I have examined 44 pieces with sets of variations in the Galant style. I extracted the rhythmical and melodic elements used in the variations and identified in total 37 rhythmic-melodic figures, which served as typical features of individual variations. The analysis of the complete 44 pieces with the identification of the prevalent elements in their variations can be seen in the spreadsheet attached as Appendix 1 to this exposition. The table below provides examples of each of these 37 categories taken from the pieces listed. These examples may serve as a shortcut or an overview of their possibilities of making variations to any similar pieces of music for any musician or a reader of this exposition.
However, some additional comments are necessary, in order to fully understand my categorization:
- These categories of rhythmic-melodic figures identify the prevalent feature of the variation, but in each variation, more figures could be used at the same time.
- There may be only a slight difference between some of the categories (e.g. “Triplets: smooth melody leading” or “Triplets: variously shaped”) – in that case, an overall feeling of the variation led to the decision.
- Sixteenth notes in 3/8 mean the same type of division as the eighth notes in 3/4 bar.
- Articulation mostly did not play a role in specifying the category – only when the articulation itself became the main feature, for example as in Vaudeville. La Confession by Michel Blavet or in the first variation of the Menuetto in Sonata in D major no. 8 by Václav Vodička (see the figures 1 and 2 below). Whereas for the pattern of four sixteenth notes, where the first note is separated and the remaining three create an alternating second, the articulation did not play a role, as in the Minuetto by J. J. Quantz or in Menuet. L’inconu by M. Blavet or in the Arietta con Variazioni by Giovanni Platti (see the figures 3 and 4 below).
- Each of the composers brings something unique to the categorized figure, offers different solutions for the specific pattern or uses an original alteration of the pattern, such as in the Aria. Andantino con Variazioni by Jakob Friedrich Kleinknecht compared to the Sarabande by J. J. Quantz (see the figures 5 and 6 below).
- Sometimes, a composer uses one prevalent rhythmic-melodic element in the first part of the piece and another pattern in the second part (for instance in Minuetto e variacione in Sonata in G major no. 12 by Lewis Granom) – in that case, I used both patterns in the analysis in the spreadsheet.
- Sometimes, a composer uses two rhythmic-melodic figures systematically for one phrase, as a question and answer, which made the Galant variation of the melody even more elegant (for instance in the Arietta con Variazioni by G. Platti).
- For some composers, it became a crucial characteristic that they always combined various patterns in their variations (for instance Nicola Dôthel), therefore I designated this category as “Combining many rhythmical and melodic elements in one variation”.
- For patterns that could be found only in one specific piece, I decided to include them in another category as a related pattern (see patterns G and L in the spreadsheet).
- I observed four other variation techniques, which I did not include in the table below because they cannot be understood as individual rhythmic-melodic patterns, such as change of meter (e.g. Vaudeville. La Confession by M. Blavet); a new melody in the middle of the variation (e.g. in Sonata in D major no. 12, op. 5 by Carl Friedrich Wiedemann); an alteration of the melody, using similar rhythmical motives in different places (e.g. in Sonata in G major, Wq. 123 by C. P. E. Bach); and an alteration of the melody, keeping the general shape of the melody, but in a varied rhythm (e.g. in Sonata in G major no. 7 by Jan Jiří Benda).
The study and analysis of the pieces listed led me to some other observations and conclusions, which I believe play a role in making variations in the Galant style:
- The pieces chosen by the composers for making variations were all in the tonalities most suitable for the baroque flute, with the prevalence of G major, D major, A major, E minor, B minor and G minor.
- The main melody was always consciously crafted by the composer to be suitable for variations, regarding the length of the melody (often 8+8 bars, 8+12 bars or 8+16 bars) and its shape and a clear periodical structure.
- The harmonic structure and the bass line given by the composer are usually predictable and very often similar to all the other pieces with variations (see the examples below).
- The variations were mostly composed with continuously shorter note values to create the effect of speeding up. In many cases, however, the most beautiful moments were the unexpected changes in this pattern.
- I found the greatest artistry in combining the mentioned elements and in finding solutions to specific situations for the individual shape of the melody and in cadences.
Complete doubles that I composed during the research process can be found in Appendix 2 to this exposition. The paragraphs below describe only my main approach towards the creation of new variations, and some of the difficulties and other aspects that I encountered while making these variations.
To illustrate the complete result better, I included in this exposition the recordings of the chosen three pieces with their newly composed doubles, as seen in the videos below the musical excerpts.
The key approach for most of my variations was that I purposefully chose one piece after which example I crafted my variations, of course with the inclusion of personal artistic judgement for specific situations. In this way, my variations for the Minuetto in E minor (p. 52 of Fantasies and Preludes) by J. J. Quantz were composed after the Sarabande by the same author; in another Minuetto in E minor (p. 6 of Fantasie and Preludes) by J. J. Quantz, I took inspiration mostly from various pieces by M. Blavet, combined with other personal choices, influenced by the style of C. P. E. Bach; variations for the Menuet très petit by M. Blavet were composed after his Menuet Italien with two variations; and a variation for the Minuetto by G. F. Händel in Sonata in G major, HWV 363b was inspired by J.-M. Leclair’s variation for his Minuetto in Sonata no. 2, op. 9 in E minor; variations for the Fantaisie from the Cinquiéme suite in b minor, op. 35 by Joseph Bodin de Boismortier did not have one clear source of inspiration but were composed as a result of the influence of the study of many pieces, combined with my taste and input.
In the process of the research, I found this piece by J. J. Quantz in two separate and not related collections: in Quantz’s Fantasies and Preludes, Giedde 1.45 and Sonate a flute traversiere et basse suivie de differentes pieces sans basse (1740) by Jean Daniel Braun. In the preface to the latter, one reads that while the origin of some of the alone-standing pieces is not quite clear, it is quite likely that they were the work of other authors, only collected (and possibly transcribed) and placed alongside his sonata for didactical purposes of this publication. Therefore, I assumed that the authorship of this piece belongs to Quantz, and I took the Fantasies and Preludes as the primary source, decisive also in the question of articulation and phrasing. While Braun provides the same articulation of three slurred first notes of the bar throughout the piece, Quantz’s articulation (especially in the second part) varies. Therefore, I took the latter as the source of reference, while making a new edition.
I composed four doubles after the example of four doubles from Quantz’s Sarabande from the same collection. Considering the prevalent rhythmic-melodic element of each double, these four belong to the categories of “Sixteenth notes: two-voice leading, three slurred, fourth in a leap”, “Sixteenth notes: arpeggiated in pairs of notes, both ascending and descending directions”, “Triplets: smooth melody leading, stepwise motion or elegant leaps”, and “Sixteenth notes: ascending leaps to the same note or a note of the same harmony, increasing the intervals”. While creating new doubles, I tried to respect the unique shape and characteristics of the Minuetto, while observing Quantz’s treatment of the Sarabande in his variations. There were a couple of elements that required extra care and consideration:
- cadences and closing the phrase,
- the shape of the original melody,
- shapes of the individual variations,
- changes made to the model variations to fit in the new piece.
Compared to the Sarabande, this Minuetto does not quite close the first phrase in a cadence but rather shapes the end of one phrase to flow directly into the following. This can be observed in bars 7 and 8, which can be seen as an extended cadence and consequently give a specific shape to my variation.
Figure 10: Cadence of the first phrase of Minuetto in e minor in bars 7 and 8.1
Figure 13: Solution of the cadence in Double 3.2
The Minuetto in e minor has a specific shape of the melody – ascending and descending in each double-bar. In the first double, I found it quite difficult to follow the general shape of the melody and to maintain a natural and elegant flow at the same time, therefore I chose a different and simpler solution.
Regarding the shape of individual variations and their adaptation to the new piece, I altered the shape of each rhythmic-melodic figure to better suit the general shape of the melody. As can be seen in the pictures below, while Quantz’s variations for the Sarabande respected the rising shape of the melody in each double-bar, I always changed the shape of the figure in the second bar to fit the descending character of the main melody of the Minuetto.
In total, I composed five doubles for this piece, taking inspiration mostly from various pieces from the Premiére Recueil de pieces by M. Blavet. I was not guided by any template set of variations in particular but rather led by the character of the piece itself, as I understood it, and my intuition regarding how I can convey and even elaborate this character in the variations. Containing long upper appoggiaturas, multiple significant silences on the downbeat and repeated higher notes in the leap, it is my understanding that the piece reveals its rather serious character, with certain elements of sadness in the first part, and at the same time implications of urgency and possible grasping for hopeful development in the second part, which is then consequently brought back to the melancholic sentiment. My intention behind the variations was to maintain the character in each of the variations, but also to use them as a rhetorical tool to create a cohesive story, which displays the development of this character.
The first and the fifth variations took inspiration from the Menuet de Blavet avec 12 variations (variations IV a XII), the second variation used the ornamentation of the melody given in the second part of the piece itself, the third variation was inspired partially by the same Menuet de Blavet and the next by the style of C. P. E. Bach, giving to each piece more sensitivity and personal participation on the portrayed affects, and the fourth variation was inspired by the style of the Gigue en Rondeau de Blavet from the same collection. In addition, I altered the bass line of Double 5 (I added diminutions of eighth and sixteenth notes) to highlight the expressive character and the peak of the storytelling, as can be heard in the recording below the musical excerpts.
I took my work on the Cinquiéme suite in b minor by J. B. de Boismortier as a unique opportunity to work on embellishments in general. To me, the suite indeed seemed to offer a space for the performer to insert various ornaments or variations into each movement. I took it as a challenge and explored the possibilities with the aim of performing the complete suite at the Master 1 presentation at the end of the academic year 2023–2024. I embellished each repeat of the Prélude, I created “double-like embellishments” for the recurring theme of the Bourée and the Gracieusement and I composed 3 doubles, being inspired by Blavet, Quantz and personal taste. Although the number of embellishments was continuously reduced during the process of preparation for the presentation, it was discussed in the lessons with my main subject teacher that the addition of ornaments in the Gracieusement, where the recurring melody is already embellished by the composer himself, is superfluous. Therefore, at the performance on the 7th of June 2024 these embellishments were left out, as can be heard from the recording, inserted below.
