Composers vs Engravers: stem direction
Posted: 17 Dec 2015, 20:59
E. Gould mentions that the standard rules for stem direction are sometimes flexible. For example, the direction of the stem of a middle line note (p. 13) or beamed group (p, 25) should follow the prevailing stem direction.
But many composers have applied this principle in a much broader way. I became aware of this in looking through autographs, which show a very creative approach to stem direction. The manuscripts also show that while these compsoers were quite aware of the standard rules, they didn't apply these rules mechanically, because they were incapable of doing anything mechanically.
Here is an example by J. S. Bach. Note the stem direction in measures 2 where Bach goes beyond Gould's recommendations to keep the stems going in the same direction throughout the phrase. Note also how Bach makes the stem direction in bars 2 and 3 of the LH match bar 1. He uses stem direction to encompass whole phrases. Here is a similar example by Mendelssohn: It is not just beamed groups that received this treatment. Here is an example from Don Giovanni in which the quarter notes are treated as groups and stem direction is maintained throughout. Mozart could not bring himslef to break up the phrase with awkward stem direction changes: Here is an example by Chopin in which stem direction is used orchestrally. The 16th notes and following long note always have up stems to distinguish them from the following chords, which represent a different orchestral color. Here is the Breitkopf first edition, which changes the direction of the stems. The distinction between colors is now confused, and the player has lost an important interpretive clue. Here is the French first edition which preserves the composer’s stem directions: Here is another example from the same piece by Chopin in which the cantilena melody is shown exclusively in up stems to show the unbroken sweep of the melody: Here is an example by J. S. Bach in which the stem direction in the bass suddenly changes to show an unusual voice leading as if the bass part splits into two voices F# and Ab both leading to the following note G. The first copy is by the composer, the second, by a trusted associate who preserves directon of the stems. To my knowledge, no suceeding edition of this work preserves this important notation by Bach. Only the Schenker analysis in “Five Graphic Music Analyses” (Dover) points out this notation.
But many composers have applied this principle in a much broader way. I became aware of this in looking through autographs, which show a very creative approach to stem direction. The manuscripts also show that while these compsoers were quite aware of the standard rules, they didn't apply these rules mechanically, because they were incapable of doing anything mechanically.
Here is an example by J. S. Bach. Note the stem direction in measures 2 where Bach goes beyond Gould's recommendations to keep the stems going in the same direction throughout the phrase. Note also how Bach makes the stem direction in bars 2 and 3 of the LH match bar 1. He uses stem direction to encompass whole phrases. Here is a similar example by Mendelssohn: It is not just beamed groups that received this treatment. Here is an example from Don Giovanni in which the quarter notes are treated as groups and stem direction is maintained throughout. Mozart could not bring himslef to break up the phrase with awkward stem direction changes: Here is an example by Chopin in which stem direction is used orchestrally. The 16th notes and following long note always have up stems to distinguish them from the following chords, which represent a different orchestral color. Here is the Breitkopf first edition, which changes the direction of the stems. The distinction between colors is now confused, and the player has lost an important interpretive clue. Here is the French first edition which preserves the composer’s stem directions: Here is another example from the same piece by Chopin in which the cantilena melody is shown exclusively in up stems to show the unbroken sweep of the melody: Here is an example by J. S. Bach in which the stem direction in the bass suddenly changes to show an unusual voice leading as if the bass part splits into two voices F# and Ab both leading to the following note G. The first copy is by the composer, the second, by a trusted associate who preserves directon of the stems. To my knowledge, no suceeding edition of this work preserves this important notation by Bach. Only the Schenker analysis in “Five Graphic Music Analyses” (Dover) points out this notation.