CIENTIFICAInvestigacin
Volumen 8, nmero 1 agostodiciembre 2013, issn 18708196 32
Manuel Mara Ponce (Fresnillo, Zacatecas, 8 December 1882Mexico
City, 24 April 1948) is internationally recognized as one of
Mexicos foremost composers and has been acknowled-ged as a pioneer
of musical nationalism in his country. He studied in Mexicos
Conservato-rio Nacional, Bolognas Liceo Musicale, Berlins
Sternsches Konservatorium, and Paris cole Normale de Musique (under
Paul Dukas). His eclectic musical style ranges through Baroque,
Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, Neoclas-sic, and Neoromantic.
In addition, many of his compositions are influenced by the music
of Cuba, Spain, and especially Mexico. His cata-logue contains over
three hundred items for voice, guitar, piano, violin, and cello, as
well as chamber and orchestral works. Although his song Estrellita
and his numerous guitar pieces are world famous, fewer people are
familiar with the rest of his music.
A man of vast culture, he wrote over two hundred articles about
musical topics and was the founding editor of three prominent
jour-nals: Revista Musical de Mxico (Mexico, 1919-20), Gaceta
Musical (Paris, 1928-1929), and Cultura Mu-sical (Mexico,
1936-1937). Polyglot and multifa-ceted, he undertook an array of
activities in-cluding teacher, music critic, editor, researcher,
lecturer, administrator, conductor, pianist, and composer.1
Ponces piano output comprises some one hundred works of diverse
length, style, char-acter, and technical level. He created the
Pr-lude et Fugue pour la Main Gauche Seule (Prelude and Fugue for
the left hand alone) in Paris. The Fugues manuscript shows a
conclusion date of 21 January 1931. The Prelude, however, is
unfin-ished and does not have a date. For the print-ed edition2
pianist Carlos Vzquez, Ponces dis-
1 For further information, see Jorge Barrn Corvera, Manuel Mara
Ponce: A Bio-Bibliography (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood,
Praeger, 2004).
2 Published by Southern Music Publishing Company (New York).
Currently available at Peermusic, the global
ciple and heir, skillfully completed it by adding the last
sixteen measures for a total of sixty four.3 This opus and the
earlier piece Malgr Tout (1900)4 are the only ones for the left
hand in the composers inventory.
The Prelude exhibits a through-composed form, a Neobaroque
conception, and a dis-crete Spanish flair. Its imaginative harmony
is based on modal and chromatic progressions. Melodic freedom,
rhythmic interest, irregular phrase span, and frequent modulations
result in a fresh improvisational feeling of an intima-te poetic
quality.
Like Bachs first prelude (C major) from the Well-Tempered
Clavier (Book I), Ponces is a har-monic voyage with arpeggio
patterns made of a continuous flow of sixteenth notes. Unlike Bach,
the Mexican artist does not limit himself to the use of just one
arpeggio type. In fact, he employs three distinct figurations or
melo-dic ideas that we will label as A, B, and C (examples
1-3).
A opens the piece and is the chief melo-dic fabric. B and C
appear for the fist time in mm. 11 and 19, respectively. The bridge
ma-terial in mm. 4, 7-10, 13-14, and 17-18, is a ges-tation that
prepares the arrival of C. C also retains traits from A as seen in
mm. 21 and 25-26.
Once the melodic ideas are presented (mm.
independent, Composers, Manuel Ponce,
http://www.peermusicclassical.com/catalog/catalogmain.cfm?composer_ID=59&search=y
[consulted 9 September 2013].
3 Carlos Vzquez, notes to the recording Angel ASMC-77031, Los
clsicos de Mxico. Manuel M. Ponce: semblanza de un compositor. 30
Aniversario 1948-1978, vol. 1, Msica para piano (Mexico City,
1978).
4 Ponce composed it as a tribute to his friend the Sculptor Jess
Contreras (1866-1902), author of a celebrated feminine marble
figure titled Malgr Tout (In spite of everything). Contreras right
arm was amputated due to cancer. Vzquez, notes to the recording
Angel ASMC-77031. Wikipedia, Jess Fructuoso Contreras,
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jes%C3%BAs_F._Contreras [consulted 9
September 2013].
1-26), the author plays with them largely by expanding their
elements, introducing new harmonic possibilities, and altering
their pla-cement. The small one-measure bridge in m. 4 is stretched
to three whole measures, mm. 30-32. The second part of A, mm. 5-6,
is modi-fied and prolonged in mm. 33-38. Likewise C is greatly
broadened.
B is omitted in the section comprehen-ding mm. 27-52. It emerges
in mm. 53-54 in an upper register and different harmony, serving as
a climax that leads to the higher recurren-ce of C (mm. 57-58)
before returning to the A material that closes the work (mm.
59-64). Ponces clever exploitation of the
melodic-har-monic-rhythmic resources is quite organic, yet
unpredictable like a good improvisation.
Additionally to harmonic variety, the exten-sions reveal
rhythmic displacements as in mm. 31-32, 36-37, 43-44, and 51-52.
The key signatu-re is 2/4. The eight sixteenths in each bar
ex-hibit different melodic shapes and rhythmic groupings: 3+3+2
(Ex. 1); 5+8 (Ex. 2); 8+8 (two-bar pattern that combines arpeggio
and scalar motions, Ex. 3); 2+3+3 (Ex. 4); and 1+3+3+1 (Ex. 5).
There are other permutations not shown in the examples. Besides,
the group perception can also vary according to the given melodic
contour/association. All of these impart an ex-quisite sense of
esthetic plasticity.
One of the most attractive aspects is the complex harmonic
idiom. The main key is A Aeolian. The persistent modulations,
inclu-ding some to very remote areas, deliver a jour-
ney full of fantasy. The mixture of both mo-dal and chromatic
progressions supplies not only contrast but diversity. The
expressive use of non-chord tones effectively enhances the harmonic
richness.
Most of the progressions are organized through ascending (for
example in mm. 11-17) and descending (for example in mm. 1-4) bass
and/or melodic lines. Other sequences illustrate abrupt shifts like
the chromatic me-diant relationship found in the two statements of
C, the first one in G# minor (mm. 19-22) and the second one in B
minor (mm. 23-24). Within the constant modulation, essential
fac-tors are kept stable to provide order and logic. The primary
parts of A and C occur always in the same register and key, except
for the higher instance of C (mm. 57-58) in the cli-mactic segment.
As mentioned before, the ex-tensions of themes (for example in mm.
41-45 and mm. 48-52) offer ample opportunities to develop the
harmonic potential, contribu-ting to sustain the listeners
attention.
Regarding interpretation, the first thing to be noticed is that
the manuscript does not have indications whatsoever (tempo,
dynamics, character, etc.).5 Choosing an appropriate tempo becomes
crucial. One has to bear in mind the general spirit and intention
of the work as well as its formal and harmonic scheme. The
at-mosphere is introspective and, speaking on a subjective level,
it conveys feelings of sadness,
5 The printed version has some marks.
http://www.peermusicclassical.com/catalog/catalogmain.cfm?composer_ID=59&search=yhttp://www.peermusicclassical.com/catalog/catalogmain.cfm?composer_ID=59&search=yhttp://www.peermusicclassical.com/catalog/catalogmain.cfm?composer_ID=59&search=yhttp://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jes%C3%BAs_F._Contreras
CIENTIFICAInvestigacin
Volumen 8, nmero 1 agostodiciembre 2013, issn 18708196 54
nostalgia, longing, and, at times, anguish. Its purpose is not
the mere display of virtuosity like an etude, but rather the
pursuit of deep ar-tistic expression.
There are few commercial recordings.6 Da-vid Wittens rendition
is moving, refined, and elevated.7 By choosing a slower, flexible
tempo, he fully exploits all of the emotive content and beautiful
harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic nuances. Important points, notes,
or harmo-nies are identified and emphasized in terms of pacing,
dynamic, or color.
Ponces Prelude, though technically accessi-ble, is an appealing
and musically rewarding composition both for the student and the
con-cert performer. It demonstrates remarkable creativity and
balance within its sobriety and self-imposed limitations (one hand,
reduced dimensions, running sixteenths).8
Example 1. A, m. 1
Example 2. B, m. 11
Example 3. C, mm. 19-20 Example 4. m. 31
Example 5. m. 36
6 See Barrn, W143.
7 Marco Polo 8.223609 (CD, Germany 1995, recorded 1994-1995)
Manuel M. Ponce: piano music, David Witten, piano.
8 I wish to thank D. L. Sullivan, Ph.D, for proofreading the
article and making valuable editorial suggestions.
