The use of the mental status examination (MSE) in fictional characters when interpreting and performing the music of Schumann and Bartók by Rinde Louise WIllemijn Yildiz

Name: Rinde Yildiz  Main Subject: Viola Research Coach: Anna Scott Title of Research: The use of the mental status examination (MSE) in creating fictional characters when interpreting and performing the music of Schumann and Bartók Research Question: How would the MSE of the fictional characters that I create in musical compositions, in combination with relevant biographical information of the composer and scores, influence how I understand, practice and perform Béla Bartók’s Viola Concerto (Op. posthoumus, Tibor Serly Edition) and Robert Schumann’s Märchenbilder (Op. 113) Summary of Results: In order to examine how the MSE of fictional musical characters, in combination with relevant biographical information and scores, influences how I understand, practice and perform Béla Bartók’s Viola Concerto (Op. posthumous) and Robert Schumann’s Märchenbilder (Op. 113) I kept up a logbook to write down all the steps I took during this investigation. The results of this research paper are divided over four layers. Layer one: the biographical information of Schumann and Bartók gained from books, articles and letters; Layer two: a rough interpretation of Schumann’s Märchenbilder and Bartók’s Viola Concerto based on reading scores, examining the manuscripts, playing and listening to various recordings, in combination with biographical information. Layer three: a thorough MSE of the fictional characters that are created in specific sections of Schumann's Märchenbilder and Bartók’s Viola Concerto. Layer four: using the MSE of fictional characters during interpreting, practice and performance and make recordings to find out if there are differences between interpretations before and after the incorporations of fictional characters. During this research I found that the creation and incorporation of fictional characters influenced my playing in such a way that I concretized my interpretations. As a result, I was able to pay more attention to all the details of the piece and to have a clearer image of phrasing. Furthermore, using and experimenting with the MSE meant that I broadened my imaginary palette. Biography: Rinde Yildiz (1991) is a second-year master student at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague where she studies classical viola with Mikhail Zemtsov. During her studies she has been playing in various music groups and formed different ensembles. Besides her studies in music, she studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam where she received her bachelor and master degrees in June 2014 and April 2019 respectively. Concerning her medical studies, Rinde has special interest in the psychiatric branch. Having a background in both medicine and music, she is fascinated in subjects where both fields can be connected.

First motif – Bar 14.

For this section, a more mature and deeper sound was needed. The vibrato could be a bit wider and the timing of my playing is stricter and more articulated. The folk rhythm that is clapped by the character underlines the need of pointing out the folk elements of this section (marked in red). Also, I wanted to make this section a bit more serious and outspoken and to pay more attention to the descending line in the piano. In the video on the right I tried to incorporate these elements of phrasing. Regarding the fictional character I described, I think this phrasing is appropriate for his image. However, these ideas of phrasing, for my experience did not derive from this character but rather from the rough interpretation I did in layer 2.

CHAPTER III: BARTÓK

For this layer, I tried to incorporate the fictional characters in various sections from the first and second movement (including the lento as a transition to te second movement). At the right top of this page, a full score of the piano reduction (from layer 2) is added.

NB. The artistic material that I enclosed in this paper is based on the piano reduction of the Viola Concerto (Serly Edition), and an arrangement for solo viola, string ensemble and piano which I created myself.

First motif – Bar 1.

For this first motif, I have used many imaginations to reach the right sound and phrasing. I imagined someone calling from the mountains, a bird that is whistling a tune and so on.

Having the image of the little boy calling through the mountains, I wanted to create an innocent and searching sound which was not too direct. I tried not to use too wide vibrato. In terms of phrasing, I thought it was important to illuminate the diminished intervals and to keep the direction to the second bar. In the arabesque-like section (bar 5) I imagined the echoing of the voice of the boy in the mountains. The sound of these notes should start from very far away, coming closer when the tempo is speeding up. The outburst that follows after this 1^st motif could resemble the child's inner desire to walk into the Kurdish mountains or a certain danger that lurks. However, when I was playing the syncopated Bflat in a lesson, the teacher started to play a syncopated accompaniment which created the atmosphere of a dance. This gave me the idea to think that this syncopated Bflat should breathe and not become static.

Sometimes it was hard to stay with my imagination since the phrasing that I considered suitable for the fictional character, did not always result in a convincing performance. Therefore, my teacher also gave me a lot of instructions how to play this phrase. In the video seen on the right, I play the first motif (bar 1). Although I think it is a convincing start of the movement, I am not sure if I managed to impose the boy's image in this section.

First motif – Bar 25.

In this section, the floating harmonies in the strings automatically ask for a gentile, beautiful sound. The dissonant tones should not be neglected. I created the fictional character of a well-groomed, friendly, American lady as metaphor for the beautiful sound. Her worries about her husband could be expressed in the dissonant tones of the melody. Also, I think that the timing of playing shouldn’t be too even. Therefore, I described modulative tone of her speech. When the motif is repeated with a more heroic undertone, this could represent her hope that everything will become OK. However, at some point this feeling of hope disappears and her thoughts get tangled in a maze of worries. In the video seen on the right, I actually did not imagine this character but I was more focused on the phrasing that I thought was appropriate regarding my description in layer 2.

Second motif - bar 61

With the image of a crying gypsy woman, I imagined that the quarter notes in this descending material are her gasps of sorrow. The first cry of sorrow (first quarter note) is the loudest, and afterward the crying becomes less. When the motif is repeated in the syncopation, a new cry starts and again the first note is louder. To create a moaning sound, the quarter notes should sound almost legato. The vibrato on the first note is the widest and becomes a bit narrower on the following notes, but while keeping the intensity. Regarding the modulative speech, the timing can be a bit freer, creating tension in the syncopation. Having in mind the gypsy woman, I thought that some hints of little glissandi would suit this phrase. The arabesque-like phrase that ends up in an outburst could be the re-experiences that the woman suffers from.

Comparison: 2^nd motif (bar 61)

In this 2^nd motif, I tended to neglect the 16th notes (even after multiple instructions of ‘phrasing’ from my teacher). When I thought about a bare-footed crying gypsy woman, however, something in my mind changed. When I was playing the 16^th notes, while thinking about this gypsy woman, I could not allow myself to play these 16^ths equally, too fast, or without vibrato. In the left video (earlier in the process), below, you can hear how I played this 2^nd theme, and in the right video (later in the process), I play the 2^nd theme while imagining the fictional character.

II. Adagio Religioso

In the change from the lento to the adagio I made a perhaps controversial decision in the second video below by integrating parts from the orchestral score within the piano reduction.To me, this second movement represents the memories of a beatiful peasant landscape. This image is mainly influences by the floateing chorsds in the strings. Therefore, I could not leave out the string ensemble with this piano reduction.

The fact that I described someone who is somewhere between life and death, or asleep and awake, meant that I felt the urge to create something ‘heaven-like’. I tried to create a certain transcendental state by emphasizing the contrasting sound of the different registers. The high registers needed a floating sparkling sound while the low registers needed a deep sound. The grimaces of the man are reflected in the section with a moment of a hysterical kind of despair (bar 30). The word 'piangendo' written in the score described very accurately what kind of sound and phrasing was needed. The strings are played sul ponticello to create a more spooky sound. Once the grimaces disappear from the old man’s face, we are back at the heaven-like theme, however, disturbed by the staggering of his breathing reffering to death.

FOURTH LAYER: INCORPORATION OF CHARACTERS IN THE VIOLA CONCERTO

I. Moderato

A big challenge in this movement was to play the repeated material with different atmospheres. The characters were useful to describe and become aware of what kind of approach I could use in my playing for different parts of the piece.

Comparison: 1^st motif (bars 1, 14 and 25)

In the video recordings below, I play the 1^st motif three times (bar 1, 14 and 25) . In the video on the left (earlier in the process) the differences in characters may be obvious through the accompanying voices, but considering my timing and phrasing, I did not really experience a difference in my playing. I did not make use of the time preceding the entrance of the motif in order to change the characters. As a result, I think that the motifs therefore are perceived more like a continuation of each other.

In the second video recording (later in the process), I think that the differences between the sections are more obvious in this recording since I searched more for different sounds and timings. However, I am not sure whether this is the result of my imagination, a more logic understanging of the music as a result of studying the piece, or the instructions of my teacher.

Interlude – Lento (Parlando)

Imagining an old man who is suffering from some kind of delirium, I wanted to create a ‘feverish’ or ‘delirious’ kind of atmosphere and achieve something that is emotionally or rationally unrecognizable. Therefore, the peaceful atmosphere acquired from the final chord of the first movement had to be suddenly interupted. I had to make an immediate change.

I wanted to express the feverish state of the man through a development in my vibrato and maintaining the sound over the long notes. I could express the level of agitation through emphasizing the quater notes without slowing down the tempo. In the lower register I wanted to impose a change of mind as if a certain awareness about the situation occurs. This awareness caused despair since the situation I imagined, had no good prospect. I wanted to create a deep sound on the lower E followed by a kind of searching on the way up. Therefore I tried to keep the direction of my phrasing more obvious in the phrase upwards to the Eflat.

Comparison lento (bar 231)

The incorporation of the fictional character helped me to change from the first movement to the lento and from the lento to the adagio. The left video below is a recording earlier in my research (and study) process. I noticed that there is no clear atmosphere change between the end of the first movement and the lento: the energy, the vibrato, and the sound remains the same. Also the expression on my face doesn’t change. The half notes are equally played and the falling line downwards is quite gentle. The right video is a recording later in my research process. I see and feel a change between the ending of the first movement and the second. The vibrato is faster, and there is more direction in the half notes. The falling line has also more energy.

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