The History in Music 7 - Last Works 音乐中的历史7 - 古典作曲家的终曲

Regardless of how glorious a composer's life was, they must eventually face death. For many renowned composers, such as Mozart, death came too suddenly, and they could not finish their last works. However, a topic that deserves a much more thorough investigation is the impact of the idea of “death” on the style, format, and emotions of great composers’ musical pieces. As a musician’s health deteriorates significantly, they perhaps become well aware that death is approaching. As a result, do they reflect their special thoughts and feelings about the Grim Reaper in their music? And if so, how? To explore these questions, it is a useful method to compare the last works (which will be called “later works” for the rest of this article) written by three prominent classical musicians – Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Fryderyk Chopin – with works written during the golden ages of their composition careers (called “earlier works” from this point onwards). Quite surprisingly, there are many notable differences in the music. This article will consider these differences from the perspectives of musical textural complexity, emotional depth, and reflectiveness in the music.

The Changes in Textural Complexity

First, there are many differences in the textural complexity of the music as these composers near the end of their lives. Textural complexity, under this article’s context, is defined as the richness and intricacy when layers of sound are combined. This definition encapsulates several minor defining musical parameters, such as the number of layers, types of layers, interactions between layers, and interplay between the layers and other musical elements. One can make two cases of comparison between the textural complexity of later works and earlier ones for Bach, Mozart, and Chopin.

One case involves comparing the ideas of “pure textural complexity” and the balance between “complexity and accessibility.” Later works sometimes display more evidence of pure textural complexity – often difficult to interpret musically – than a subtle balance between complexity and accessibility. For example, consider Bach’s “The Art of Fugue,” an unfinished piece composed in 1749 or 1750 at the end of his life. “The Art of Fugue” displays pure textural complexity: It comprises complex counterpoints, with a series of fugues and canons revolving around a single theme. The complexity is such that Bach emphasizes less the overarching melody. Instead, he experiments with intricate polyphony in this piece. Now, consider “The Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043” (known as “The Double Violin Concerto”) written around 1730, during the golden period of Bach’s composing career. This concerto is energetic and balances textural complexity with rhythmic and melodic accessibility. Bach focuses on the main melody line, pronounced at the start of the first movement.

Several reasons might explain this phenomenon of artists writing more purely complex works as they face death. In Bach’s case, one compelling reason is his tendency to intellectually explore and experiment with more complicated ways to write contrapuntal music as his understanding of this kind of music deepened. When he was younger, he was more occupied with writing music for performance, not necessarily intellectual exploration. As Phillipp Spitta, a music expert, comments about “The Double Violin Concerto,” “each [violin] is treated with the independence,” which provides both violins with many opportunities to express melodically for an audience. As Bach neared the end of his life, though, with fewer chances to perform, exploring all possibilities of fugue music became a more significant endeavor. Another convincing argument is that later works with purely complex textures often leave important legacies and even possess pedagogical purposes. Bach’s “Art of Fugue” might be written to demonstrate his mastery of fugue music and serve as an educational tool for future musicians.

Another case of comparison regarding the changes in textural complexity between later and earlier works is the musical tone that the textures convey. The delivery of a tone by musical textures is heavily related to the employment of tempo, dynamics, and tonalities. Later works’ textures might display a “heavier” tone, perhaps because all the different musical layers are presented in a slower tempo, minor tonality, or lower pitches. For instance, Mozart’s last work, the “Requiem Mass in D Minor K. 626,” composed in 1791, differs strongly from his “Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551,” an earlier work (1788), although both have rich textures. Mozart shades the Requiem’s textures with a “darker” tone through the use of a slow tempo (as can be heard in the “Lacrimosa” section) and the predominant employment of the D Minor. In contrast, his “Symphony No. 41” has a much lighter and brighter tone despite a similar amount and layer thickness. One can attribute this difference to a faster tempo and a major tonality, which renders the music in a livelier tone, sounding like an extended series of fanfare.

As they gradually became aware of their imminent death, the desire to create profound works to encapsulate their artistic legacy might prompt classical composers like Mozart to create works with a heavier tone. This way, their music acquires a more solemn coating, creating a more resounding resonance with their audience.

Differences in Emotional Depth

The previous several paragraphs established that classical composers’ later works are more likely to possess a heavier tone due to specific arrangements of the tempo, tonality, and other musical elements. These special arrangements also alter the emotional depth of the music. This author defines emotional depth as the range of emotions found in the music or, shortly, the music’s emotional complexity. Pieces with significant emotional depth contain emotions that resonate most strongly with experiences in the audience's lives.

Later works usually possess more significant emotional depth than earlier works. For instance, Mozart’s “Requiem” contains far greater emotional depth than his earlier “Symphony No. 41.” In the “Requiem,” one can discover graveness and solemness, as evident in the passage “Lacrimosa.” Such emotions are conveyed through the slow tempo, gentle dynamics, simple rhythmic patterns, and, most importantly, the D Minor tonality. But there is a range of other emotions present in the “Requiem.” In the “Dies Irae” or “Kyrie,” the music is more fierce and majestic, delivering a holy feel, as if Mozart is piously praying. In all three passages, taken together with the lyrics, there is a sense of regret and desire for redemption. A section of the lyrics from “Lacrimosa” reads, “Full of tears will that day / When from the ashes shall arise / The guilty man to be judged…” Passages like this one reflect the intrinsic yearning for redemption. Compared to the “Requiem,” “Symphony No. 41” is flatter emotionally and does not evoke so much emotional resonance.

Again, several reasons explain the increased emotional depth in later works. As composers near the end of their lives, they contemplate events and experiences that occurred collectively in the past. Consequently, a musician might compile and weave a complex web of emotions to express their whole lives. Additionally, by the time they die, most composers would likely have undergone significant artistic evolution from their early days. Artistic evolution can translate itself into a greater diversity of emotions in musical works.

Differences in Musical Reflectiveness

Finally, later works tend to display more profound musical reflectiveness. The music contains deeper messages that go beyond the expression of surface-level emotions. The musical elements tap into the core identity of the composer to where they belong. To illustrate, this author will compare the Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin’s “Mazurka in F Minor Op. 68 No. 4,” composed around 1846, with a work written in 1831 – during his most prolific period – the “Ballade No. 1 in G Minor Op. 23 No. 5.” The ballade is heroic, dramatic, virtuosic, with sweeping melodies and dynamic contrasts. Several technically demanding passages make the piece complex and massive in musical volume. The Mazurka is, on the other hand, the simplest rendition of Poland’s conventional dance. Chopin wrote the Mazurka, a traditional Polish dance music, three years before he passed away in 1849. The piece is short and light, comprised of subtle harmonic shifts and traditionally simple rhythms. The Mazurka sounds intimate and personal – there is no place for the performer to dazzle with their skills or embellish the music with great flamboyance. The piece is significant because it is a simple yet profound reflection of Chopin’s identity, which lies in Poland’s fragrant earth and the Polish’s deeply-running devotion to their motherland.

Facing death often induces one to examine one's life, tracing back to one's cultural origins. The time before death is one when composers thoroughly sift through and look beyond the epic flashes of their careers, finding where their inner inspirations belong. Besides Chopin, many other Romantic composers returned to utmost simplicity in their later works. One of the most pertinent figures to discuss is Franz Liszt. During the prime of this career, he boasted such dazzling techniques on the piano. He transformed classical music into an art form appreciated by the public through his magnificent live concerts. However, Liszt retired from the world a few years before his death. He joined a church and secluded himself from all kinds of fanfare. A later work, such as “Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude,” is quite reflective compared to his earlier works. The piece abandons all kinds of pure virtuosity as if Liszt metamorphized from a virtuosic pianist to an introspective philosopher. This change can be attributed to Liszt reflecting thoroughly on his need for spiritual peace, which he could not acquire in his earlier performing years.

Conclusion

Death is when even prodigies and talents that once shook the music world must bow down, pray, and embrace solitude. But death is not always something to be feared. Instead, it encourages artists to reflect on their lives’ core values and identities. Through reflection in their music, artists resolve inner conflicts between multiple facets of their identity and arrive at a fundamental peace.

简介

无论作曲家的一生多么辉煌，他们最终必须面对死亡。对莫扎特等许多知名作曲家来说，死亡来得太突然，以至于他们无法完成自己的遗作。然而，“死亡 ”这一概念对伟大作曲家音乐作品的风格、形式和情感的影响是一个值得深入研究的话题。当音乐家的健康状况显著恶化时，他们或许会清楚地意识到死亡即将来临，因此，他们是否会在音乐中反映出自己对死亡的特殊想法与情感？如果有，又是如何在音乐中体现的？要探讨这些问题，一个有用的方法是将约翰-塞巴斯蒂安-巴赫（Johann Sebastian Bach）、沃尔夫冈-阿玛迪斯-莫扎特（Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart）和弗雷德里克-肖邦（Frederyk Chopin）这三位著名古典音乐家创作的最后一部作品（本文其余部分将称为 “后期作品”）与他们创作生涯黄金时期的作品（本文以下称为 “早期作品”）进行比较。令人惊讶的是，音乐中存在着许多显著的差异。本文将从音乐层次的复杂性、情感的深度与音乐的反思性这三个角度来探讨这些差异。

层次复杂性的变化

首先，当这些作曲家接近生命的终点时，他们的音乐在层次声部复杂性上有许多不同之处。在本文的语境中，“层次复杂性 ”被定义为声音组合时的丰富性与多样性。这一定义包含了几个次要的音乐参数，如声部的数量、声部的类型、声部之间的相互作用以及声部与其他音乐元素之间的相互作用。我们可以将巴赫、莫扎特和肖邦晚期作品与早期作品的层次复杂性进行两种情况的比较。

一种情况是比较 “纯粹的层次复杂性 ”和 “层次复杂性与易读性 ”之间的平衡。晚期作品有时倾向于显示更多的纯粹层次复杂性--通常在音乐上很难诠释--而不是复杂性与易读性之间的微妙平衡。例如，巴赫的《赋格的艺术》是一首未完成的作品，创作于 1749 年或 1750 年，正是巴赫生命的最后阶段。《赋格的艺术》展现了纯粹的层次复杂性：它包括复杂的对位，一系列赋格和卡农围绕着一个主题。由于其复杂性，巴赫不太强调主旋律，相反，他在这首曲子中尝试了复杂的复调。现在来看看《D 小调双小提琴协奏曲，BWV 1043》（简称《双小提琴协奏曲》），这首协奏曲写于 1730 年左右，正是巴赫作曲生涯的黄金时期。这首协奏曲充满活力，在复杂的织体与易于掌握的节奏与明显的旋律之间取得了平衡。巴赫将重点放在主旋律上，这一点在第一乐章一开始就很明显。

艺术家在面临死亡时创作出更为纯粹复杂的作品，这种现象可能有多种原因。就巴赫而言，一个令人信服的原因是，随着他对这种音乐理解的加深，他倾向于在纯音乐上探索和尝试更复杂的写法。在他年轻的时候，他更多地是为演奏而创作音乐，而不一定是进行纯音乐的探索。正如音乐专家菲利浦-斯皮塔（Phillipp Spitta）在评论《双小提琴协奏曲》时所说，“每把 [小提琴] 都得到了独立的处理”，这为两把小提琴提供了许多为观众表现旋律的机会。不过，随着巴赫的生命接近尾声，演出机会越来越少，探索赋格音乐的各种可能性成为他更清晰的努力方向。另一个令人信服的论点是，后期纯粹复杂织体的作品往往会留下重要的遗产，甚至具有教学目的。巴赫的《赋格的艺术》可能是为了展示他对赋格音乐的终极掌握，并作为教育未来音乐家的工具而创作的。

关于后期与早期作品层次复杂性变化的另一个比较案例是对比声部所传达的音乐语气。音乐织体所传达的语气与节奏、强弱处理和调性的运用有很大关系。后期作品的复杂层次可能会表现出一种 “沉重 ”的语气，这可能是因为所有不同的音乐层次都以较慢的节奏、小调或较低的音高呈现。例如，莫扎特的最后一部作品《D 小调安魂弥撒曲 K.626》创作于 1791 年，与他的早期作品（1788 年）《C 大调第四十一交响曲 K.551》有着很大的不同，尽管两者都有着丰富的层次。莫扎特在《安魂曲》中使用了慢板（如 “Lacrimosa ”部分），并主要使用了 D 小调，从而为其质感蒙上了一层 “阴暗 ”的色调。相比之下，他的 “第 41 号交响曲 ”的音色要轻快明亮得多，尽管层次的数量和厚度相似。我们可以将这种差异归因于快节奏与大调性的使用，这使得音乐的语气更加活泼，听起来就像一连串延长的喧嚣的乐章。

当他们逐渐意识到自己的死亡即将来临时，创作出深刻的作品来概括其艺术遗产的愿望可能会促使莫扎特等古典作曲家创作出音调更为沉重的作品。这样，他们的音乐就披上了一层更加庄严的外衣，从而在听众中产生更加强烈的共鸣。

情感深度的差异

前面几段已经说明，古典作曲家后期的作品由于在节奏、调性和其他音乐元素上的特殊安排，更有可能拥有更沉重的语气。这些特殊安排也改变了音乐的情感深度，笔者将情感深度定义为音乐中的情感范围，或者说是音乐情感的复杂性。具有显著情感深度的作品包含的情感与听众的生活经历产生最强烈的共鸣。

后期作品通常比早期作品具有更明显的情感深度。例如，莫扎特的《安魂曲》就比他早期的《第 41 号交响曲》更有情感深度。在《安魂曲》中，人们可以发现严肃、庄重的情绪，这在 “Lacrimosa ”段落中很明显。这种情感是通过缓慢的节奏、柔和的力度、简单的节奏型以及最重要的 D 小调来传达的。但是，《安魂曲》中还存在着一系列其他情感。在 “Dies Irae ”或 “Kyrie ”段落中，音乐更加急促、宏大，因此给人一种神圣的感觉，仿佛莫扎特在虔诚地祈祷。在这三个段落中，结合歌词，甚至可以感受到一种遗憾和对救赎的渴望。“Lacrimosa”中的一段歌词写道："充满泪水的那一天/将从灰烬中升起/有罪的人接受审判......” 类似这样的段落反映了人们对救赎的内在渴望。与《安魂曲》相比，《第 41 号交响曲》在情感上较为单一，无法产生如此强烈的共鸣。

当作曲家接近生命的终点时，他们会思考过去共同发生的事件和经历。因此，音乐家可能会将复杂的情感编织在一起，以表达自己的一生。此外，大多数作曲家在去世时，很可能已经经历了从早期到现在的重大艺术演变，艺术进化可以转化为音乐作品中更加多样的情感。

音乐反思性的差异

最后，后期作品往往表现出更深刻的音乐反思性，音乐中包含的深层信息超越了表面情感的表达。通过音乐元素，作曲家得以深入探索他们的核心身份，也就是他们的归属。为了说明这一点，笔者将波兰作曲家弗雷德里克-肖邦创作于 1846 年左右的《F 小调玛祖卡舞曲作品 68 之 4》与创作于 1831 年（肖邦最多产的时期）的作品《G 小调第一叙事曲作品 23 之 5》进行比较。这首叙事曲充满英雄气概、戏剧性和技巧性，旋律舒展，动态对比强烈。其中有几个技术要求很高的段落，使得整首乐曲复杂而庞大。玛祖卡则是波兰传统舞蹈的最简单演绎，肖邦在 1849 年去世前三年创作了波兰传统舞曲《F小调玛祖卡》，这首曲子短小轻盈，由微妙的和声变化与传统的简单节奏型组成。玛祖卡舞曲听起来相当亲切与个人化—没有炫技的片段，更无需用华丽的手法点缀乐曲。这首曲子之所以意义非凡，是因为它最朴素却又最深刻地反映了肖邦的身份--波兰芬芳的土地与波兰人对祖国的深深眷恋。

面对死亡，人们往往会反省自己的一生，追溯自己的文化渊源。在临终前，作曲家们会对自己职业生涯中的史诗经历进行彻底的梳理，超越世俗的需求，找到属于自己最内在的灵感源泉。除了肖邦，还有许多浪漫主义作曲家在晚年的作品中回归了极致的简约。其中最值得讨论的人物之一是李斯特。在其职业生涯的鼎盛时期，他拥有令人眼花缭乱的钢琴演奏技巧，并通过其华丽的现场音乐会将古典音乐真正转变为一种公共艺术形式，受到公众的赞赏。然而，在去世前几年，李斯特选择隐退，他加入了一个教堂，远离了各种喧嚣。与早期作品相比，李斯特晚期的作品，如《孤独中向神的祝福》（Benediction de dieu dans la solitude），颇具反思意味。这首曲子摒弃了各种纯粹的技巧，就好像李斯特从一个技巧高超的钢琴家蜕变成了一个内省的音乐哲人。这种变化可能是因为李斯特彻底反思了自己对精神宁静的需求，而这是他在早年的充满喧嚣、烟火的演奏生涯中无法获得的。

结论

死亡是一个时刻，即使是曾经震撼乐坛的天才神童，也必须俯首祈祷，拥抱孤独。但死亡并不总是可怕的，它反而鼓励艺术家们反思自己生命的核心价值和身份。正是通过在音乐中的反思，艺术家们解决了其身份多面性之间的内在冲突，获得了最深处的、根本的平静。