2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
Music is an art form that appeals to our sensory sphere with the help of sounds. The language of sounds includes various elements, which in professional terminology are called “means of musical expression”. One of these most important and powerful elements in terms of influence is dynamics.
What is dynamics
This word is familiar to everyone from the course of physics and is associated with the concepts of "mass", "force", "energy", "motion". In music, it defines the same thing, but in relation to sound. Dynamics in music is the power of sound, it can also be expressed in terms of “quieter - louder”.
Playing at the same level of sonority cannot be expressive, it quickly tires. On the contrary, the frequent change of dynamics makes the music interesting, allowing a wide range of emotions to be conveyed.
If music is meant to express joy, triumph, exultation, happiness, the dynamics will be bright and sonorous. Light, soft, calm dynamics are used to convey such emotions as sadness, tenderness, trembling, penetration.
Methods of indicating dynamics
Dynamism in music is whatwhich determines the volume level. There are very few designations for this, there are much more real gradations in sound. So dynamic symbols should be considered only as a scheme, a direction of search, where each performer shows his or her imagination to the full.
The level of dynamics "loud" is denoted by the term "forte", "quiet" - "piano". This is common knowledge. "Quiet, but not too much" - "mezzo piano"; "Not too loud" - "mezzo forte".
If the dynamics in music requires reaching the level of extremes, the nuances of "pianissimo" are used - very quietly; or "fortissimo" - very loudly. In exceptional cases, the number of "forte" and "piano" icons can be up to five!
But even taking into account all the options, the number of characters for expressing loudness does not exceed 12. This is not much at all, considering that up to 100 dynamic gradations can be extracted on a good piano!
Dynamic indications also include the terms "crescendo" (gradually increasing volume) and the opposite term "diminuendo".
Musical dynamics includes a number of symbols indicating the need to emphasize any sound or consonance: > ("accent"), sf or sfz (sharp accent - "sforzando"), rf or rfz ("rinforzando" - "enhancing").
From harpsichord to piano
The surviving examples of harpsichords and clavichords allow us to imagine what dynamics is in baroque music. The mechanics of the old forerunners of the piano did not allow gradual changes in the volume level. For a sharp change in dynamics, there were additional keyboards (manuals), which could add overtones to the sound due to octave doubling.
The special system of levers and the foot keyboard on the organ made it possible to achieve a variety of timbres and increase the volume, but all the same, the changes occurred suddenly. In relation to baroque music, there is even a special term "terraced dynamics", since the change in volume levels resembled the ledges of a terrace.
As for the amplitude of the dynamics, it was quite small. The sound of the harpsichord, pleasant, silvery and quiet at close range, was almost inaudible at a distance of several meters. The sound of the clavichord was harsher and metallic, but slightly more resonant.
This instrument was very loved by J. S. Bach for its ability, albeit to a barely noticeable degree, but still to change the level of dynamics depending on the strength of the fingers touching the keys. This made it possible to give the phrase a certain bulge.
The invention of the piano with its hammer action in the early 18th century revolutionized the possibilities of the keyboard instrument. Dynamics in music played on a modern piano has a huge number of gradations of sound and, most importantly, the availability of gradual transitions from one nuance to another.
Dynamics large and detailed
Major dynamics is usually expressed by the symbols set out in the table. Themlittle, they are clear and definite.
However, “inside” each of these nuances there can be a lot of more subtle sound gradations. There are no special designations for them, however, these levels exist in real sound and it is they that make us anxiously listen to the game of a talented performer.
Such small dynamics is called detailed. The tradition of its use originates in baroque music (remember the possibilities of the clavichord).
Dynamism in music is one of the touchstones of performing arts. It is the mastery of subtle nuances, light, barely noticeable changes that distinguishes the game of a talented professional.
However, it is equally difficult to evenly distribute the increase or decrease in sonority when it is "stretched" over a large segment of musical text.
Relativity of dynamics
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the dynamics in music is a very relative concept, as, indeed, everything else in our life. Each musical style and even each composer has its own dynamic scale, as well as its own peculiarities in the application of nuances.
What sounds good in Prokofiev's music is absolutely inapplicable when performing Scarlatti's sonatas. And the piano nuance of Chopin and Beethoven will sound completely different.
The same applies to the degree of emphasis, the duration of maintaining the same level of dynamics, the way to change it, and so on.
To master this means of musical expression on a goodprofessional level, it is necessary, first of all, to study the game of great masters, listen, analyze, think and draw conclusions.
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