Probstück 14 · English translation

Fourteenth Probstück Annotations §. 1. Some alleged virtuoso might stumble easily when sight-reading the piece. One wanted to say that it was not particularly necessary to write the Discretamente above, since here and there it might go so cautiously that little or nothing of it would be heard. However, the word is supposed to mean that nobody should play it too ungracefully but instead should modestly consider how and in which way to embark on it in order to promenade neatly and carefully without exceedingly boasting. Even when sometimes he thinks to be above the things, wanting to laugh at it, there will be an unexpected stroke that will throw him off the track: and for this he has to credit his indiscretion. §. 2. From the eighth measure on it can nicely be varied in the right hand, which sounds even more strange since one is not used to it in those keys. I have tried it and applied a subtle variation throughout the piece, which sounded right. If somebody wants to know how it was done, I will share a bit here as an example, from which the rest might be deduced: §. 3. The sevenths in the eleventh and twelfth measure can well be treated in that way while the resolutions fall into the hands by themselves. It would be unnecessary to write down something of it here since it will turn out to be in the just mentioned way. One must only play the right chord and move the fingers one after the other and it will be right. There is nothing rare or difficult about it, but it sounds good. §. 4. Although the Discretamente and its presented explanation might mean that nobody must rush too much, I would nevertheless not like it to be turned into a Polish dance, for thus it would lose all its grace. I cannot leave unmentioned that the particular movement and the style in which something is played, give it the right life, without which all sounds harsh and wooden. We often consider an ugly aria to be something unworthy until once we hear how it can be or must be played or sung, and thereupon it becomes our favourite aria. So much depends upon the execution: it makes the difference in music just like light and shadow, which are contending matters. Therefore I wished this piece in particular to be played with a certain movement, never too quick, but with care. §. 5. Everybody will see that it is the same thing that shows up on the other page of the test piece and that it only appears in a different form because of the sharps. I consider this transposition very useful and ask the students to try the same and to diligently transpose the pieces that are not already transposed in here, since thus the key is not changed. §. 6. But nobody must conclude that I wanted all nine keys to be enharmonically interchanged, although one may get acquainted with all the nine, for they appear often enough as relative keys. The ♯D as an enharmonic equivalent of the ♭E and the ♯G of the ♭A seem to be more necessary than the other seven: although St. Lambert and nobody else yet has recorded them. But those two keys are a very different matter than all the other ones, since ♯D is as common as ♭E and ♯G as common as ♭A. ♯B on the other hand is a rather foreign guest, but C a daily one etc. Considering this I wanted to present only the D♯ and G♯ in two different notations here while leaving all the other seven behind and advising a diligent thorough-bass player to have a try at them. It cannot do harm, I guarantee. I am only mentioning nine tones that tolerate such a transposition because D, G and A have been notated the same way until now when one of them is the root of the piece, as I have shown in the zweite Eroͤffnung des Orchestre, p. 439 § 24. Apart from this case, they can also be expressed with two sharps before the note.