Liszt’s monument to Bach: The variations on Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, for Solo Piano

Abstract

This paper presents an analytical view of Liszt’s Variations on J. S. Bach’s Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen motive, and in particular examines ways in which Liszt addresses the structural dilemmas inherent in the passacaglia. Liszt’s work is considerably longer than J. S. Bach’s passacaglias on the same motive. The brevity of the motive, together with its strong sense of harmonic closure, demand special treatment in this larger scale work if forward momentum and interest are to be maintained. Liszt addresses these problems in a number of ways: by borrowing from J. S. Bach techniques of pairing and dovetailing of statements of the motive so as to mask the underlying regularity; by moving gradually away from a strict passacaglia format to one in which the motive is given much freer treatment; and, most importantly, by placing the passacaglia within a larger context. Liszt’s quotation at the end of the variations of a chorale imposes a further structure on the work, providing a goal towards which the variations are directed. Alongside the freer treatment of the motive in the second half of the work, Liszt is carefully preparing the ground for the emergence of this dramatically contrasting material. The resulting structure is far more complex than the title ‘Variations’ might suggest. With devices drawn from Bach’s own practice, and from his own experiments in chromatic harmony and motivic structure, Liszt constructs a solid edifice that parallels the implicit narrative of Bach’s cantata, and reveals the extent of Liszt’s understanding and admiration of the master.