The Prolonged Touch: Finger Pedaling and Legatissimo in Classical and Early Romantic Piano Music

Blake Proehl

The term prolonged touch comes from Carl Czerny and is synonymous with finger pedaling, legatissimo, overlegato, and, in some cases, legato. This was a common technique used by the early pianists who took it out of the practices of harpsichord, clavichord, and organ playing. Its use in piano music declined during the Romantic period and beyond, due to the development of the piano and its sound, the advancement of damper pedal technique, and a more "literal” reading of notation. My research aims to understand how and where in music the prolonged touch was used in Classical and early Romantic piano music. Passages describing this technique were found in treatises and works by C. P. E. Bach, Türk, Milchmeyer, Adam, Hummel, Moscheles, Czerny, and more. From these passages, I examined the ways the aforementioned composers notated or indicated the use of this technique in their compositions. Next, based on what the treatises tell, I organized categories of musical applications of the prolonged touch. And then I gave examples from piano literature to further illustrate their use within each category. Finally, I demonstrated my artistic use of the prolonged touch in Mozart’s Sonata in F major, K. 332.

To Form a Musical Line

The use of the prolonged touch for creating a melodic like seems to have become a popular technique starting around the turn of the century. Adam first demonstrates it clearly in his 1804 treatise. For his example he states “[w]hen the highest notes form a melody in those places where there is a slur, and if the notes that accompany the melody for a chord, all the notes may then be held under the fingers, as long as the same chord lasts.”1

Figure 3.2.1. Adam forming a melody2

The top line demonstrates what would be the normal notation and the bottom line demonstrates his realized version. It is important to note that on his realized line, he works to show the connection of the highest notes that form what he calls the melody.

Beethoven describes this same sort of technique in his annotations to Cramer’s set of etudes. Of figure 3.2.2, Beethoven states that “the melody lies in the top voice as the notation shows” and that if the notation is like that in figure 3.2.3, the type of execution would be prescribed.3

Figure 3.2.2. Cramer etude 5, mm. 1-34

Beethoven asks in figure 3.2.4 that the top line of each hand be joined together as melody and therefore create a four-part texture.5 In figure 3.2.5, Beethoven instructs that a melodic line should be formed from the first note of each group in the right hand.6

Figure 3.2.4. Cramer etude 7, mm. 1-47

And lastly in figure 3.2.6, Beethoven says that "the first note of the first triplet should be connected as well as possible with the third [note] of the second triplet, so that the melody stands out like this [figure 3.2.7]” 8 This is unusual due to the chord change that happens in the second triplet, and the first melodic note would normally be released with a change of harmony. But Beethoven instructs for the first note of the tonic harmony to be held and connected to the last note of the dominant harmony.

Hummel gives three examples of this same technique of using the prolonged touch to form a melody (figures 3.2.8-10). He states that “there are certain groups of notes which include a melody, and which must not be played detached like other passages; the delivery of them must be connected and the melody brought out.”9 What is most interesting about Hummel’s example is that he does not rely on the slur or any other normal prolonged touch notation, but rather applies this rule to “certain groups of notes which include a melody.”10 This was mentioned before in the notation section. Hummel gives several different kinds of rhythmic figures to demonstrate this idea, all without a slur or tempo context; therefore, there is a wide variety of potential passages that this technique could be applied.

Figure 3.2.8. Hummel's melodic line in groups of three11

Figure 3.2.9. Hummel's melodic line in groups of four12

Figure 3.2.10. Hummel's melodic line in groups of two13

Fétis gives instructions very similar to Hummel for figure 3.2.11. Rather than requiring one of the standard notations for the prolonged touch, Fétis specifies certain note groups that can have this effect. He instructs that if there is a melody on the highest notes of a passage in arpeggios, the melodic note must be held. Not only this, but Fétis instructs that the melodic note is to be played more powerfully than the lower notes. He is asking for the melody to be voiced and brought out over the other notes, which is unique compared to the other treatises surveyed.14

Figure 3.2.11. Fétis on creating a melody15

In part 3 of Op. 500, Czerny gives instructions which create a melodic line and a bass line. For this example (figure 3.2.12), he indicates the use of this touch with the word “legatissimo” and the use of a slur. He notates what is expected of the performer at the bottom of figure 3.2.12 for just the first two measures. The assumption would be then that the rest of the passage would be performed in a similar manner. Within this, even more information is given. First of all, the notation does not continue in a similar manner until the end of the passage. In measure three, since the type of pattern is the same, the same manner of playing would be used. Measure four introduces a repeated note within a beat that creates a new rhythm of a quarter and eighth note for the first two beats. Certainly the same touch would be applied since the left hand pattern has not changed nor has the basic texture. Czerny describes in his text that the notes should be held until the fingers are required to strike another note and this rhythmic pattern is the result. Beat three of measure four also introduces a half note to the melody and Czerny notates this with the use of a long note at the beginning of the chord arpeggiation. The left hand still has the same pattern so the same touch may be applied as with the first two measures. The end of measure five resumes a quarter note length melody and this is indicated with a long note at the being of each arpeggiation so that there is no uncertainty. Measure six is like measures one and two so no extra notation is necessary. However, bar seven introduces a different pattern for both hands. The right hand has the detailed instructions with the first note of each group being notated as the melody so that it is held the entire time and remains the emphasis. This means that the last note that rises higher than the initial melody is part of the accompanying figure and not a part of the melody. The left hand has a change in arpeggiation pattern but would still need the legatissimo touch so that the pedal e-flat and upper tones remain nearly continuous sounding.16

Figure 3.2.12. Czerny on creating musical lines17

In his Op. 500, Czerny gives an example of the kind of expression suitable for brilliant passages consisting of quick notes that consists of arpeggiation that for a melody. For one of the four examples, figure 3.2.13, he adds that the “melody is predominant, and the quick notes are chiefly intended to fill up the time, and to impart more movement and spirit to the passage.” He also states that passages like this are to be played legato rather than in a brilliant touch, which would mark each note.18

Figure 3.2.13. Czerny's melodic brilliant passage19

Franz Liszt and Sigmund Lebert made an edition of Schubert’s Moments musicaux, D. 780 in 1870. In this publication, many alternatives are given to different passages for an updated performance that fits more to what was expected in 1870 rather than the 1820s when Schubert composed these pieces. In m. 30, Schubert writes a slurred broken chord figure that is repeated. From the figuration, this appears to be a use of the prolonged touch to produce a musical line. Liszt and Lebert must have seen this too, however they felt it was necessary to give a more precise notation for the melodic line so that their publication’s audience would understand how to perform these measures. The same idea happens in mm. 37-40 but with the bass line.

Figure 3.2.14. Schubert’s Moments musicaux, D. 780, no. 1, mm. 30-3320

Figure 3.2.15. Schubert’s Moments musicaux, D. 780, no. 1, mm. 37-4021

In the same edition as before, Liszt and Lebert give a suggested rendering of the fourth movement’s opening theme. The right hand is notated to be legato and is highly chordal in nature. The editors decided to find melodic bits to bring out of the broken-chord line.