The Slur, the Staccato, and the Turn
A candidate is preparing the first movement of a Classical keyboard sonata in F major, 4/4, Allegro, for the practical exam. In bars 5–6, the right-hand melody is: C5 (quarter) – D5 (quarter, with a turn symbol above it) – E5 (quarter) – F5 (quarter). The left hand has a broken-chord accompaniment: F3–A3–C4–A3 on beat 1, then B♭3–D4–F4–D4 on beat 3. The candidate has two editions: Edition A shows a slur over C5–D5 and a staccato dot on E5; Edition B shows a slur over C5–D5–E5 and no staccato. The candidate must also decide whether to play the turn on the beat (starting on D5) or before the beat. The exam requires stylistic awareness of late-18th-century performance practice. The candidate has a 12-minute programme and has chosen a tempo of quarter = 120. The examiner has asked for a written rationale for the editorial and ornamental choices, including how pedaling on a modern piano would affect the chosen articulation.
1. Choose between Edition A and Edition B and justify using period treatise conventions and the phrase's harmonic rhythm.
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Edition A is the stronger choice. Period treatises such as those of C.P.E. Bach and Leopold Mozart associate a two-note slur with a sighing or portato articulation, and a staccato dot with a detached note. Edition B's three-note slur may be a later editorial smoothing that ignores the harmonic rhythm: the left hand changes from F major to B♭ major on beat 3, so E5 is a dissonance against the new harmony. A staccato dot on E5 clarifies that dissonance and separates it from the resolution on F5. The two-note slur over C5–D5 also projects the anacrusis-like shape of the phrase. The candidate should therefore follow Edition A, but should check the source evidence if available; if Edition A is a scholarly edition based on the autograph, that strengthens the case.
2. Decide whether the turn on D5 should begin on the beat or before the beat. Explain how the left-hand chord change on beat 3 affects the choice.
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The turn should begin on the beat. In late-18th-century practice, a turn written directly over a note often starts on the principal note or on the upper auxiliary on the beat, depending on context; starting before the beat would anticipate the beat and blur the left-hand attack. Here the left hand is still on F major on beat 2, and the turn's upper auxiliary E5 creates a dissonance that needs to resolve within the harmony. Beginning on the beat aligns the ornament with the bass and makes the dissonance expressive rather than decorative. The chord change on beat 3 is separate and should not be anticipated by the turn. The candidate should practise the turn slowly so that the rhythmic placement is clear at quarter = 120.
3. If the candidate performs on a modern piano with sustain pedal, how should pedaling be adjusted to preserve the articulation chosen in (a)?
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The candidate should avoid long sustain-pedal washes. On beat 1, a shallow pedal change can connect the broken-chord accompaniment, but the pedal should be released before the staccato E5 so that the detachment is audible. On beat 3, a fresh pedal can support the B♭ harmony, but again it should be lifted before the final F5 if the articulation requires separation. Finger articulation should do most of the work: a crisp release on E5 and a clean attack on F5. The candidate should also listen for the turn's clarity: pedaling through the turn will smear the auxiliary notes, so the turn should be played with finger pedal or no pedal. The chosen articulation from Edition A should remain audible at the exam tempo.