Evolving Performance Practices in Beethoven's Cello Sonatas: Tempo, Portamento, and Historical Interpretation of the First Movements

TL;DR

This study investigates how performance practices for Beethoven's cello sonatas have evolved from 1930 to 2012, with a focus on tempo and portamento. It combines audio analysis of 22 historical recordings with computational metrics to compare actual tempos and portamento usage against historical metronome markings, and across periods before and after the HIP movement. Key findings include a post-1970 tempo acceleration, a substantial decline in sliding portamento, and the emergence of silent portamento as a contextual expressive device, influenced by pedagogical and recording-era factors. The work highlights the need to reassess Beethoven's tempo indications and portamento conventions in modern performance and offers a methodological framework for analyzing polyphonic musical contexts.

Abstract

This paper examines the evolving performance practices of Ludwig van Beethoven's cello sonatas, with a particular focus on tempo and portamento between 1930 and 2012. It integrates analyses of 22 historical recordings, advancements in recording technology to shed light on changes in interpretative approaches. By comparing Beethoven's metronome markings, as understood through contemporaries such as Czerny and Moscheles, with their application in modern performances, my research highlights notable deviations. These differences prove the challenges performers face in reconciling historical tempos with the demands of contemporary performance practice. My study pays special attention to the diminishing use of audible portamento in the latter half of the 20th century, contrasted with a gradual increase in tempo after 1970. This development is linked to broader cultural and pedagogical shifts, including the adoption of fingering techniques that reduce hand shifts, thereby facilitating greater technical precision at faster tempos. Nonetheless, my study identifies the persistence of 'silent portamento' as an expressive device, allowing performers to retain stylistic expression without compromising rhythmic integrity. My paper offers valuable insights for performers and scholars alike, advocating a critical reassessment of Beethoven's tempo markings and the nuanced application of portamento in modern performance practice.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Example of original metronome design, which Beethoven could have misread.
• Figure 2: Blum’s example of Casals’ fingerings as extensions in J. S. Bach’s Suite for Violoncello Solo No. 4 BWV 1010, bar 1.
• Figure 3: Cherniavsky's examples of what Casals' lizard technique would have looked like on paper.