Sostenuto Pedal

[Hailey]

Hi, I have never used the sostenuto pedal before and hence I do not know exactly how it works. For example, does this pedal have to be used with the damper pedal or can it be used alone? Also, how does this pedal function mechanically inside the grand piano? Are there any examples of composers' pieces that require the use of this pedal?  :-/

[Binko_Binobo]

Well, I'll help you with what I know. I've never really used the sostenuto pedal, but I can tell you what it does. Basically, it sustains notes that are already being held down. (And, as far as I know, you will only find a true sostenuto pedal on grand pianos. Uprights have funny middle pedals. Some have "practice"pedals which make the sound very quiet. Others have the bizarre function of releasing only the dampers on lower notes, so left hand parts get sustained, while right hand parts play normally. I suppose this may prove useful if you want legato jumps in your left hand, but I've never seen it used to any good purpose.)

Anyhow, so the sostenuto on a grand piano catches the dampers of notes that are already being held down. You do not need to use it in conjunction with the damper. For example, you can play a C octave down low in your left hand, depress the sostenuta and then continue playing normally with your left and right hands. Thereby, you will have this C octave ringing through the background while the left and right hand continue playing with normal damper action.

You can even "set up" the sostenuto beforehand. One example I heard can be used for Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Before the first notes, press down the left-hand C-sharps without sounding. Now hold down the sostenuto. Continue playing the song normally with the damper while holding down the sostenuto. Your C-sharps will ring through a good portion of the first movement and create an interesting texture. I've never tried this myself, but give it a shot, it may sound good.

As for composers, I can't think of any offhand that have marked Sostenuto in their works. Maybe someone else can stop by and help.

[Pianorak]

Offhand I can only think of Eugen d'Albert's Sonata in F sharp minor.
But I believe Karlheinz Stockhausen and S. Rachmaninov likewise wrote pieces which call for the use of the sostenuto pedal.

[MzrtMusic]

Also, quite a bit of Debussy's music requires the sostenuto pedal. It was developed around 1900, so it's only the "newer" composers that have even had the oppertunity to use it.

Love,

Sarah

[martin_s]

Lots of contemporary music makes use of the sostenuto pedal. I am currently having many nightmares for having to learn my part for a horribl difficult piano trio piece by Pascal Dusapin that calls for lots of weird things, including the middle pedal. It is sometimes marked "Ped III" in music.

[rachfan]

The use of the sostenuto pedal does not necessarily have to be written into the score by the composer to be employed.  Some situations simply demand it.  For example, there might be a bass note, a pedal point for instance, with a long value or even tied to another note.  Yet the LH has to move off that note to attend to another task.  At the same time there are some passing tones such that the damper pedal cannot realistically sustain that important bass note either without muddying the sound.  What to do?  Catch the bass note in the sostenuto pedal, of course.   Here's an actual example: If you have Rachmaninoff's 13 Preludes Op. 32, look at No. 1.  I loved playing this piece, because it sounds like a furious sea breaking against the cliffs.  See the accented whole notes on the first beat of some of the measures?  Those are to be taken with the sostenuto pedal regardless of the fact the Rachmaninoff didn't indicate it.  The reason is that the figuration following those notes is chromatic, meaning frequent damper pedal changes, plus the LH has to subsequently play other notes and cannot possibly continue to hold the whole notes.  So it's the sostenuto pedal to the rescue.  These decisions become part of the pianist's interpretation of the piece.  Generally speaking, you'll find the need to the sostenuto pedal to be infrequent.