An Analytical Discussion of Jules de Sivrai’s

Grand Welsh Fantasia and Grand Scotch Fantasia

Jules de Sivrai’s Grand Welsh Fantasia and Grand Scotch Fantasia bear immediately apparent similarity, as they both operate by exposing a series of folk melodies and then entering into variations of those melodies. The overall style of the two pieces is similar; but differences in local compositional procedure may usefully be observed. In order to highlight the way in which similar compositional procedures enable musical logic to operate, without affecting the surface-based ‘flavour’ or ‘style’ of a piece, the two De Sivrai works will later be contrasted with Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu (op.66) in C# minor.
In order to maximise clarity, the following tables are presented, giving details of motivic development and labels accordingly, to which reference will be made in the ensuing discussion.
The Grand Welsh Fantasia begins in G major and in triple time with a 16-bar introduction (section A) at Allegro con spirito. The opening motif is a pre-echo of the opening of the first folk tune that will be introduced (A Carol Tune/B1). The Grand Scotch Fantasia also begins with an introduction (Q) before the first statement of a folk melody, and comprises 24 bars of duple time in D major. In contrast to the Welsh Fantasia, the melody is not referred to in the introduction; rather, the accompaniment figuration of ‘Bonnie Laddie, Highland Laddie’ is suggested by the recurring two bar pattern of a crotchet followed by two quavers on a bare fifth.
The first folk melody in the Welsh Fantasia – ‘A Carol Tune’- is exposed from bar 17 (B1, B2) with a simple chordal accompaniment, before a variation (B2a) with semiquaver arpeggio decoration in the right hand, the melody being present in the left hand. The structure of the ariations is slightly more complex in the Scotch Fantasia for the first tune (Bonnie Laddie, Highland Laddie). The melody is constructed from the antecedent and consequent phrases U1 and U2, just as is ‘A Carol Tune’ from B1 and B2. De Sevrai goes on in the former piece, however, to create a tripartite structure (U1a – U2a – U1a) for the variations – the first indication that the Scotch piece is the more involved of the two in structural terms.
After the variations based on B1 and B2 in the Welsh Fantasia, a linking section (C) is employed, which is based on a compressed version of the B2 melody. The section modulates from G major to Eb major, the key of the next melody, ‘Jenny Jones’, beginning at bar 53. The exposition of this melody has a tripartite structure ( D1 – D2 – D1), which is in contrast to the bipartite structure of the preceding tune. With the arrival of a new melody comes a return to the simple, predominantly homophonic accompanimental style of B1/2. The ensuing variations echo this structure, albeit with a repetition of the first (D1a) to give D1a – D1a – D2a -D1a. D1a is of particular interest, since De Sivrai makes first use here of a compositional technique which will emerge as crucial to her variation-writing – the disposition of melody notes in different parts and between the two hands. For example, at bar 77 the first note of the melody is the crotchet e in the right hand on the first beat, and the second note is the b in the left hand on the second beat. It is evident that De Sivrai always indicates where the melody lies through the writing of an accent above each melody note.
There is no need for a linking, modulatory passage such as section C in the corresponding section of the Scotch Fantasia – the prevailing key of U1a, D major, is readily identified as the dominant key of the next section by the addition of a long dominant seventh in bars 66-68. De Sivrai takes the opportunity here to change both key and time signature, to G major in 4/4. The melody here (‘Twas Within a Mile’, V1/2) exhibits the stereotypically ‘Scottish’ rhythm of a stressed semiquaver followed by an unstressed dotted quaver, which is commonly referred to as a ‘Scotch Snap’. ‘Twas Within a Mile’ is unusual for the decoration of V2 with rolled chords and arpeggios, which makes it sound almost like a variation itself. It is as if De Sivrai is attempting to mislead the listener – to soften the previously clear delineation of theme and variation. In ‘Annie Laurie’ (W1) is to be found a continuation of this, and a direct comparison with the Welsh Fantasia. Firstly, the exposition begins (D1) with luscious rolled chords accompanying the melody rather than a more simple figuration, and significantly, the melody swaps continuously from stave to stave, hand to hand.
After the four-bar linking section E of the Welsh Fantasia, which modulates from Eb major to D major, some motivic material which is neither a direct derivative of previous material (though it is linked loosely to D1), nor an exposition of a new folk-tune, appears. It is accompanied by a flowing series of arpeggios in triplet quavers in the new key of D major. This acts as a catalyst for the freely developmental sections F2-4. F2 uses a liquidation of the F1 motive, F3 comprises an exposition of a pervasive semiquaver figuration, and F4 is a development of F3. Just as in the Scotch fantasia at U1a, the tonic chord in F4, D major, is turned into a dominant seventh of the ensuing section before a change of time signature to 6/8, a new tonality of G major, and the general contrast of the allegro con spirito ‘The Dairy House’ (G1).
De Sivrai’s variation technique truly comes in to play in the variations on ‘The Dairy House’. In G1a, the familiar technique of the distribution of the melody between the parts is again seen, mixed with some bravura arpeggio writing, which is further extended in G2a. In G3, the only incidence of a third variation, we see not a development directly of the original theme, but a true variation upon a variation, resulting in remarkably florid and virtuosic writing. G1b recapitulates the main theme of G1, building up the scoring and employing cadenza-like material to set up the final cadence.
Chopin’s Fantaisie-impromptu op.66 in C sharp minor provides an interesting study in comparison to De Sivrai’s two fantasias. There is an obvious link between the titles of the works, which might give some clue as to an underlying similarity, but there is little similarity between the whimsical nature of Scottish and Welsh folk melodies and the driving passion of Chopin’s themes. What is to be discovered, however, is that in her treatment of those folk melodies, Jules de Sivrai was engaging in remarkably similar processes to Chopin.
Just as did the De Sivrai pieces, Chopin’s begins with an introduction, albeit of only four bars to establish the tonality of C sharp minor and the left-hand accompanimental figuration. Theme X is then exposed at bar 5 in the right hand, in a first section that lasts 8 bars. A second theme of 6 bars is exposed at Y, before the two themes are then treated developmentally in Y1 and X1. This mirrors the manner in which De Sivrai exposes tunes successively and proceeds to develop them. Both the Welsh and Scotch Fantasies have points at which a real break is made with the preceding material; in the Welsh at the introduction of ‘The Dairy House at G1 with its new key and faster tempo. In the Scotch, the break comes with the imitation of bagpipes before Y1. Fascinatingly, the Chopin too has such a moment, in the modulation to Db major (effectively the tonic major but re-spelt enharmonically) and the introduction of a completely different theme (Z) using minims crotchets and quavers rather than exclusively semiquavers as in Y and X.
The formal articulation in the Chopin is no doubt much better defined than in De Sivrai’s pieces; far from being evidence of any shortcomings, Chopin’s economy of means in using only three themes (as opposed to six in the Scotch) and his wise choice to recapitulate the opening section almost verbatim to form the last of the three main sections combine to form a most convincing short piano piece. For example, would it not have constituted stronger writing for De Sivrai to recapitulate the theme that opened the Welsh Fantasia (A Carol Tune) rather than the last theme to have been heard (The Dairy House)? The sprawling and over-blown indulgences of De Sivrai’s work belie the syntactic and structural similarities with Chopin’s work. De Sivrai’s compositional technique, to be sure, was sound, there are some elegant sections of thematic variation and truly pianistic writing throughout, but the overall impression left by the Scotch and Welsh fantasies is rather sickly in comparison to the Chopin.
The points raised in this analytical discussion of two closely related pieces and one unrelated (in social and cultural senses) serve to reveal the power which compositional devices such as theme and variation, and the principle of development have over all Western art-music, both tonal and non-tonal. A composer might choose to work with any melody, be it folk-music derived or of his own invention, and achieve a pleasant result if he studies the technique of great composers. Little is known of Jules de Sivrai, save that she worked under said pseudonym. I would contest that she made close study of Chopin’s works, and the motivic and structural successes she achieved in her own works are largely due to that effort.