Contemporary Music Review, 2021
Vol. 40, Nos. 2–3, 300–308, https://doi.org/10.1080/07494467.2021.1988424

Learning, Performing, and Recording
Post-Partitions and other Babbitt
piano works
Mari Asakawa

This article discusses the process of learning, performing, and recording Babbitt’s PostPartitions (1966), as well as Overtime (1987) and other Babbitt works, in the U.S.
and in Japan. Issues discussed include: learning away from the instrument, pedalling,voicing, and body movement.
Keywords: Babbitt; Piano; Post-Partitions; Overtime; Pedal Technique; Voicing; Body
MovementInternalising Babbitt’s Music Away from the Instrument
My first encounter with Babbitt’s Post-Partitions happened when I taught this piece toone of my students. It was during the year in which I took a leave of absence fromperformances due to injury; therefore, given the circumstances, I learned this piecephysically away from the piano. Although I did not originally plan this, I think itturned out to be the best approach for tackling this piece. Helping my student tofigure out complicated rhythms and suggesting productive ways of practising difficult
passages made me want to play this piece myself, and it was with this piece that I went
back to playing the piano after one year of a complete break from even touching thepiano.
Soon, it became a part of my repertoire, and I first performed it at a recital together
with the music of Bach, Schoenberg, and Carter. In my opinion, Schoenberg, Carter,and Babbitt are the twentieth-century composers whose styles clearly have taken rootin the venerable tradition and have flourished, developing into their own personalmanner of writing. After having studied most of Carter’s piano works, whichfeature polyphonic composition of the highest quality, I naturally gravitatedtowards Babbitt’s music, which also belongs to the category of twentieth-century contrapuntal work. After having performed Babbitt and Carter many times, I recently© 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis GroupContemporary Music Review
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recorded Babbitt’s Post-Partitions (1966) and Overtime (1987), which represent two
different periods of his compositional life, along with most of Carter’s middle-to-latepiano works. Also, in lecture recitals since the fall of 2020, I have presented Babbitt’s
Minute Waltz (1977) and It Takes Twelve to Tango (1984) together with PostPartitions.
When I was studying the score of Post-Partitions away from the piano, and listening
to my student struggling to play it, the piece sounded extremely systematic. It seemed
to me that the complexity of the rhythm dominates this composition. Although it iswritten in strict 4/4 from the beginning to the end, its rhythmic intricacies are very
intense and delicate. The 4/4 time signature stands as a firm foundation to holdtogether its complex structure based on the correlation of pitch class, time value,and dynamics.3
I saved a lot of time by figuring out the rhythm first away from the piano, because
when I actually sat in front of the piano and started playing, I immediately started tosee another side of this piece, and the original impression began to change. The more I
learned the score, the more I found that its notational details evoke the kinds ofmusical expressivity familiar to me from other compositions of the past that I
greatly admire.
At first, with the help of the three pedals in various combinations, the polyphony
written on four staves became distinct. Then, the dynamic markings appearing on
every note, which seemed an impossible challenge initially, soon started to act as ameans of expression. What had seemed merely systematically written rhythms
turned out to be a collection of very creative rhythms, with even a touch of swing.

Pedal Technique
Although the piece requires unusual technical skills to perform, it is quite possible tobe very faithful to the score and to bring out the distinct voices in four staves.
As a pianist, I must first point out the infinite possibilities of the pedal techniqueused in this piece, which serves as the most important tool to realise the heavily dense
polyphony that occupies the entire keyboard. Babbitt does not provide any pedal
markings, so it is up to the pianist to develop their own pedal technique.
The most common use of the sostenuto pedal (middle pedal) is to have the longnotes or chords sustained such as in bar 3, in Figure 1, the D-flat that starts

Figure 1 Post-Partitions, b. 3. Accidentals affect only the notes they immediately precede.

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Figure 2 Post-Partitions, bb. 19–20.

halfway through beat two in the second staff,4 and as shown in Figure 2, the last chordin the second staff of bar 19.5 There are numerous other occasions of this kindthroughout the piece. Sometimes the sustained chords do not seem long enough toinsert the sostenuto pedal, as in bar 12 (Figure 3). But even there, it is possible toquickly depress the sostenuto pedal in between the first ffff chord struck in thethird and fourth staves and the eighth note on G3 marked p. In this way, while theloud chords stay ffff, the middle voice in the third staff clearly stands out.6
Secondly, the importance of the releasing technique of the sustain pedal is often
neglected or overlooked. The releasing of the sustained pedal frequently occurs on
the tied notes, such as in the very first measure of the piece (Figure 4) the first Ab
in the second staff from the top. By completely releasing the sustain pedal on thetied Ab, the dampers are placed back on the strings of the notes that are not held,
which stops their vibration so that the tied Ab (left untouched by the dampers
because its key is held down) comes into clearer focus while being able to resonate
through the exact duration indicated.7 Furthermore, such pedalling gives a sense ofwhere the beats are, which helps define the complicated rhythms clearly. Figure 2
illustrates this releasing technique used in conjunction with the sostenuto pedal.
Right after the last ffff chord is struck in bar 19, the sostenuto pedal should be
depressed and held through to the last beat of bar 20. Although the sostenuto
pedal technically retains the pitches D, E, and F as long as it is depressed, the register
is high enough that they die away and only the G5 is left to resonate. Meanwhile, thesustain pedal is quickly inserted right on the last note of the septuplet in bar 20 (theFigure 3 Post-Partitions, b. 12.

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Figure 4 Post-Partitions, b. 1.

A4 in the second staff) and immediately released on the tied G5 (the same releasing
technique is used as above). Re-depressing the sustain pedal allows the higher octave
strings of the manually depressed pitch to resonate and thereby give that pitch a slightboost retroactively. The A4 must be played with a very quick sharp touchaccompanied by a quick insert of the sustain pedal that gives a striking presence,and by very quickly lifting the sustain pedal, the A is immediately cut off, and therefore it does not interfere with the G that is resonant throughout. In this way, the tied
G is highlighted, while other voices in short fragments marked pppp, pp, p, and mp
are also heard clearly and independently.8
Lastly, besides its strategic use, it is worth mentioning the intentional avoidance ofthe sostenuto pedal for musical reasons in other passages. In bars 69–70 (Figure 5),
where Eb and E in the bass are repeated in long sustained syncopated rhythms
with various dynamic indications, the pianist’s instinct would normally be to use
the sostenuto pedal. However, the use of the sostenuto pedal here would eliminate
the possibility of differentiating the written dynamics on the dyads in syncopatedrhythms; it would jeopardise the expressiveness and freedom of Babbitt’s writing.
In places where it is impossible to hold the dyads, such as in bar 69 in Figure 5 thesecond held Eb-E dyad, after G# is caught with the left hand, the pianist must
quickly and quietly reposition the left hand on the dyads caught in the sustain
pedal without re-hitting the notes and then release the sustain pedal. In this way,
the dyad is able to sustain through the indicated duration, which creates the distinct
outline of an expressive bass line in suspended rhythm.9

Figure 5 Post-Partitions, bb. 69–70.

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Using these types of techniques, which require a pianist’s quick reflexes and judgment continuously throughout the piece, can help reveal the expressiveness of Babbitt’s intricate and dense polyphonic writing.

Voicing Skill
The twentieth-century modern piano has an extraordinarily intricate and sensitive
action. This magnificent instrument is capable of producing wide varieties ofdynamics and articulations beyond what one might imagine. It is the human ear
that is sometimes not sensitive enough to recognise the subtlety of sound making.
It is not good enough to be faithful to Babbitt’s dynamic indications; the pianist
must find ways to help listeners hear what he or she is intending to play. Becauseof the highly dense texture that occupies the entire keyboard, the harmonic overtones
can create confusions to the human ear, and we are often lost in a muddle of so many
notes and complicated rhythms. The most realistic and effective solution to help listeners and pianists distinguish the four distinct voices and twelve levels of dynamic
indications in this piece from ppppp to fffff is voicing skill. It is important that thepianists look for ways to reduce the overtones of the higher register, therefore
leaving more space for the middle range to resonate. Babbitt often indicates thesame dynamics simultaneously in high and middle registers, as in bar 2 (Figure 6)
on the last thirty-second notes of the first beat in staves 1 and 3 marked ppp,10 andbar 15 (Figure 7) on the dotted eighth notes in the second and third staves marked

Figure 6 Post-Partitions, b. 2.

Figure 7 Post-Partitions, b. 15.

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Figure 8 Post-Partitions, b. 5.

ppppp and on the dotted eighth notes in the first and third staves marked p.11 In cases
like this, the middle register notes should be played slightly more than the high register notes. In this way, it gives the middle register more presence, while the high register will still be heard effortlessly, and the dynamics will stay in the range indicatedwithout a risk of jeopardising proper balance with the resonant overtone of the highregister. This type of voicing issue can be found continuously throughout the piece.
Bar 5 (Figure 8) demonstrates sudden drastic changes of dynamics that are also
found very often throughout the piece. The repeated D3 and D4 with the muchhigher pitch B5 is one of the many examples where voicing skill can help differentiate
the contrasting dynamics effectively, by playing the middle register notes morestrongly than the higher register notes when marked soft (their initial attack), andby playing the higher register notes more strongly than the middle register notes
when marked loud (their repetition).12 Bar 7 (Figure 9) demonstrates a similar
kind of voicing situation. The higher of the two downbeat pitches marked fffff
must be played as loud as possible, and the next sixteenth notes G7 and G8 at
pppp in the first staff must be played as soft as possible; the lower Eb in the second
staff must receive slightly more resonance. On both occasions, adding a touch ofsustain pedal on loud notes and lifting it completely on soft notes can also help thecontrast to be more evident and effective. The difference is subtle but well-knownby pianists: even though the sustain pedal does not directly increase the loudnessof the key being struck it nevertheless increases the overall resonance of the piano,including especially the other strings one or more octaves away from the key being

Figure 9 Post-Partitions, b. 7.

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Figure 10 Post-Partitions, b. 33.

struck, which resonate in sympathetic vibration with the string (or strings) of that key,
thereby further increasing the loudness of that pitch.
The same type of voicing may also be effective in bar 33, shown in Figure 10. Here,the first and third staves each have pairs of dyads (B2 with Bb3 and F#6 with Eb7)
occurring three times, starting from the second beat in the first and third staves,each time with contrasting dynamics. Again, by weighting (voicing) the registers differently each time as in bar 5 (Figure 8), the contrast will be more distinct to the listener’s ears.
Voicing skill can also be very effective in his later piano works. Minute Waltz, ItTakes Twelve to Tango and Overtime all have much more lyrical textures than PostPartitions. Although these shorter works may seem less technical than Post-Partitions,they require even more sensitive voicing skill to clarify the densely layered lyrical linesthat occupy wide registral spans.
In addition to the technical aspect of voicing, understanding the fundamental principle of dynamic indications can also be an important factor for expanding the possibility of sound making. If these dynamic indications are perceived only as loudness,the sound quality remains one-dimensional. However if they are perceived also asnuance, the possibility of sound making becomes multidimensional. For instance, f
can be played with or without the sustain pedal, or with or without the soft pedal,or with any combinations of pedals. In the same manner, p can be played with orwithout the soft pedal, or with or without the sustain pedal, or in any combination.
Furthermore, the sustain pedal being extremely sensitive, a slight change of pressure
on the pedal can change the quality of the sound to a great extent. When all of these
possibilities are imbued with the touch of the pianist, the possibilities of soundmaking become almost limitless.13
Body Movement
While pedal technique and voicing skill undoubtedly play the most significant roles in
the art of sound making in a dense polyphonic piece such as Post-Partitions, there areother issues worth considering. I am almost hesitant to talk about this piece from aphysical point of view, because every pianist has his or her own style of playing,and my ideas and experimentation with body movement do not necessarily suit

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every pianist who will tackle this piece. However a consideration of this issue, evenfrom a personal perspective, might be a useful resource to pianists who are attempting
to perform it.
To be ready to execute any and all types of leaps in various positions and in variousrhythms, in principle the pianist must be absolutely at ease with his or her body. Themovements must be as effortless as possible. It helps to divide the piece into small segments and take one segment at a time. These segments can be of any length, from justone beat to a bar or more, depending on one’s liking. First, let the body memorise theleaps in relation to the rhythms. Then apply dynamic indications to them, insert
necessary pedals, and work out the voicing. All of these aspects then have to be combined in one sweeping motion. Everything happens so very quickly that there is notime to be listening to the process of what is happening, as in for instance asegment in Chopin, where the pianist listens to his or herself making a crescendo,
diminuendo, ritardando, accelerando and etc. In contrast, performing Post-Partitions
is almost like visualising a fast playback of a vase falling off a table and smashing into
pieces of different sizes and shapes. For example, the very first bar (Figure 4) can beconsidered one segment played in one motion. The pianist must visualise all theelements mentioned above and throw them out in one stroke of motion with absoluteease, so that everything will fall into place perfectly. This relaxed movement makes thebody swing, and contagiously makes the music swing.
Conclusion
Without a question, Post-Partitions is one of the most outstanding contrapuntal
works of the twentieth century. The polyphony in Post-Partitions is much denser,
occupies a much wider range of the keyboard, and requires a much wider range ofdynamics than the polyphonic works of Babbitt’s predecessors. However, the fundamental ideas of pedal technique and voicing skill used to project the polyphony in thispiece rest on the same principles as those used to play Bach’s fugues. For a skilled
pianist, rendering a Bach fugue in a fashion that projects its perfection to listeners
is feasibly within reach, whereas with Post-Partitions the sense of having reachedthat state is much more elusive. The difference between Post-Partitions and its predecessors is that, with this piece, the player must always hunt on, within, and throughthe physical instrument for further ways to project the score as effectively and faithfully as possible for listeners to be able to hear the composer’s intentions.
Happily, we are blessed with the numerous possibilities of the instrument; theproblem usually lies with the pianist, who is at their wits’ end trying to handle thefully equipped modern piano. The only way to realise Babbitt’s score faithfully andeffectively enough is by working to make the most of the instrument’s capacity.
Notes[1] Performance of Post-Partitions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMIad0VPni0.

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M. Asakawa[2] Performance of Overtime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGLzrDgIur4.
[3] Mead (1994, 175–77) discuses dynamics in Babbitt’s Post-Partitions and his music in general.
He describes perceptual issues and conceiving dynamics in terms of contours and theirtransformations.
[4] https://youtu.be/sMIad0VPni0?t=12.
[5] https://youtu.be/sMIad0VPni0?t=76.
[6] https://youtu.be/sMIad0VPni0?t=44.
[7] https://youtu.be/sMIad0VPni0?t=1.
[8] https://youtu.be/sMIad0VPni0?t=78.
[9] https://youtu.be/sMIad0VPni0?t=256.
[10] https://youtu.be/sMIad0VPni0?t=7.
[11] https://youtu.be/sMIad0VPni0?t=58.
[12] https://youtu.be/sMIad0VPni0?t=17.
[13] See Mead (1994, 175–77).

Acknowledgments
I thank C. F. Peters Publishers for permission to reprint score excerpts.

Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on Contributor
Mari Asakawa has established herself internationally in many notable performances, with a concentration on contemporary music. Her recent activities comprise lectures, workshops and recitals
focusing on the music of the great American composers Elliott Carter and Milton Babbitt. In2012, she gave all-Carter Piano Recitals at Carnegie Hall in the presence of the composer. Her
recording The Flow of Music: Piano Works of Carter & Babbitt was released on the Centaur Labelin 2018, and was chosen as ‘specially selected CD’ by the Record Geijutsu Journal. She teaches
piano performance at the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, and lectures on contemporary piano music at the Open University, in Tokyo. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from theJuilliard School and a Master’s degree from Yale University. Her teachers have included Gyorgy
Sandor, Daniel Pollack, and Bruno Mezzena.

ReferenceMead, Andrew. 1994. Introduction to the Music of Milton Babbitt. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press.

Discography
Asakawa, M. 2018. The Flow of Music Piano Works of Carter & Babbitt [CD]. Centaur Records.