as well as a lack of formal clarity.
These views are by no means confined to the early- twentieth century either. In
an article of 1985, Peter Benary concludes that the musical sense of the Finale
remains "hidden."
Jim Samson highlights the extraordinary construction of
the single line in this movement, both in terms of phrasing and implied
harmonic background. He describes the effect of the Finale as "...rather like a
film sequence coming in and out of focus, with moments of relative diatonic
clarity...undermined by the shifting, seemingly directionless activity
surrounding them."
Diatonic clarity can be seen in the opening, bars 24-30 (established through
literal repetition), the reprise at bar 34, and the final bars. For the rest of
the movement, repeated shapes emerge only tentatively from a continuous stream
of sound, thereby increasing the elusive quality.
Anatoly Leiken views the finale like a piece for
unaccompanied cello, an instrument with which Chopin was well acquainted.
Leiken notes that the Prelude from Bach's Suite in D major for solo cello
BWV1012 is a similar perpetuum mobile
of four quaver triplets per bar, and that one of its main motives bears a
striking resemblance to the main theme of the first movement of Chopin's opus
35. This parallel adds to his argument that the Finale should not be played too
fast, or else not much remains of a Bach connection in such a performance, and
the listener will have no chance of grasping the Finale's form. In addition, a
fast rendition will cause the movement to appear athematic, whereas in reality
it has "...a system of tonal and melodic repeats that creates a tangible trace of
sonata form."
Charles Rosen views the Finale as "...so much less radical
than this Polonaise [in F Sharp Minor Opus 44] that it may be difficult at
first to put one's finger on just why Schumann and his contemporaries were
shocked by it to the point of considering it unmusical, although it is easy to
understand why they were fascinated."
Formally,
Benary, Peter. 'Ein Fall von Fehlinterpretation,' in Musica 39 (1985), p 28.
