The other day I was playing through some of Schubert’s ‘Deutsche Tänze’ or German Dances, little dances in triple time which were very popular in Schubert’s day. His many ‘Deutsche’ were clearly designed for practical use, such as someone playing them on the piano after supper so that guests could dance in the drawing room.
I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that Robert Schumann developed his great love for the music of Schubert on the basis of these little dances. Many of them last no more than a minute, even with repeats of both halves. Some are simple and straightforward, while others hint at vistas that could be explored if only we had time.
Today, when as far as I know nobody learns to dance ‘Deutsche’, it is difficult to know how fast or slowly to play them. Are they leisurely, like the ‘Ländler’ to which they’re often compared, or flowing and animated, like a Viennese waltz? And should they be played strictly, or are we allowed to bend the tempo, like Viennese orchestras still do when they play waltzes?
I was amused by Schubert’s elucidation at the head of one of the sets of dances, written in May 1823 (see photo). He writes, ‘Deutsches Tempo’ – in other words, ‘at the right tempo for a Deutsch’. To his contemporaries, this would make sense. But to us? Few of us have any idea of the right tempo or style for ‘a German Dance’. To us, Schubert’s instruction just seems tautologous.
We often see instructions like ‘Tempo di Menuetto’ and feel we know what it means, even though few of us are brought up to dance the minuet. But I imagine more of us have an idea of the minuet than of the German Dance, if only from historical films.
‘Tempo di Valse’ is another example. I’ve seen this defined as ‘with waltz feeling’. Yes, but what is waltz feeling if you’ve never been taught to waltz, or seen people waltzing?
What seems obvious to a musician of one era may no longer be obvious to a musician from another, if the style has gone out of fashion. But all we can do is to try and develop a sense for what feels right for this particular music.
I totally agree with your final sentence! A piece of mine, published in the early 1990s, has the tempo marking ‘Tempo di Ländler’. Under the title, I had added some hints about playing in this style. Initially, everyone seemed to understand what was intended, and I heard some very stylish performances. But in recent times it has been greeted with bafflement – and I’m frequently asked what a Ländler is! I’d love it if people just explored music for its own sake, and found ‘how it works’ for themselves.