Preferred Name
Clement Barrera Acevedo
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2221-7529
Date of Graduation
Summer 2018
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
Department
School of Music
Advisor(s)
Gabriel Dobner
Mary Jean Speare
Lori Piitz
Abstract
This Doctor of Musical Arts document introduces a new source for the Piano Sonata in F Minor, Op. 5, by Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951), deposited in the Special Collections Library of the University of Virginia. This new source is a printed copy of the 1904 publication of the Op. 5 Sonata, which is the first edition. It contains handwritten annotations and corrections which appear to be revision notes by the composer. However, many of these markings do not appear in the 1955 “revised edition” by Belaieff, nor in the 1959 Muzgiz edition. Inscribed on the cover page is a statement that the Sonata is dedicated to the composer’s brother Emil Karlovich Medtner (1872-1936), signed and dated April 6, 1904. This dedication does not appear to be published in any of the editions of the Sonata. The inscription also says Medtner gives this “precious” copy to his friend Alfred J. Swan (1890-1970). Although the existence of the score was mentioned by Swan in his 1967 article, “Das Leben Nikolai Medtners,” no other writing has acknowledged the significance of this score.
The purpose of this document is to provide evidence for the authenticity of the score and discuss why it is important with respect to Medtner scholarship. The annotations and corrections by Medtner reveal a true version of the Sonata that is unique from the existing editions. To illustrate the significance of these penciled-in markings, a comparative study with two other editions will comprise a portion of this document. These revisions include pitches, dynamics, pedaling, expressive markings, tempi, fingerings, and others. The implications of this version on a performer’s interpretation would be too substantial to ignore. It is hoped that this new source will be of interest to Medtner scholarship.
Recommended Citation
Acevedo, Clement Barrera, "Nikolai Medtner: A new source for Sonata in F Minor, Op. 5" (2018). Dissertations, 2014-2019. 199.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/diss201019/199
