From personal photo collection.
Character/story of the piece – clearly the starting point in regards to discussing the piece will be its title. It would be interesting to know whether or not Handel actually named it himself. A Gavotte usually commences on the halfway point of the bar, however this piece starts on the fourth beat of the bar. So even though it is named a Gavotte, in reality, it is reminiscent of a bourrée. It would be advantageous for the player to watch an example of this dance so the character of it can be understood. Handel’s Impertinence HWV 494 could be learnt before learning this piece, as there are similarities between the two. Each hand in this Gavotte should be considered as one of the dancers and wherever there are parts where the RH is stationary, these could be considered as where the dancers pause or change direction. The player should convey a feeling of confidence and buoyancy.
Gavotte from 1750 c. Dancing in Streets. Leleux. From Alamy.com
Form – binary from – two sections each repeated (not required in the exam) and the second section longer than the first. The piece commences in G major and by the end of the first section; the music has modulated to D major. In the second section it moves into E minor before returning to G major.
Main part of the music – considering that this piece is from the Baroque period, the main part is in the last two bars. The loudest notes should occur at the beginning of the penultimate bar and the ornament in this bar helps to maintain the dynamics at a reasonably loud level. Players though, must remember that a forte in Baroque music should not be too loud.
Phrasing – this piece has an interesting phrase structure. It contains five phrases overall and the last phrase could be considered as a coda. The first two phrases as well, as the second two phrases, should be considered as pairs. All of the phrases commence with a crotchet upbeat. It is interesting to note that all of the phrases, with the exception of the final phrase, have a mid-way point where the RH pauses on a dotted minim.
Portrait of Georg Friedrich Handel - Balthasar Denner, circa 1726. From Alamy.com
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – a general consensus of opinion seems to be that the piece is best played at the speed of crotchet = 126. If played too slowly, the music does not have the vitality and energy that is vital for portraying the character of the piece. And its elegance and poise will be lost if played too quickly. The piece does not contain any particularly tricky rhythms although the player must be aware of preforming the quaver patterns with evenness. In addition to this, there is a danger that the player may play the ornaments too slowly and in doing so; the LH’s crotchets becoming lengthened. The ornament in bar 11 could be a concern with some players anticipating the beat when playing it. The player must always be fully aware of the LH crotchets maintaining the beat. The ornaments need to be played with a rhythmic sense and a feeling of direction.
Touch/articulation– as can be expected in a Baroque piece, the player has much to consider in relation to the touch and articulation. There are numerous two-note slurs throughout the piece and when playing these, the player must use a small amount of weight from the shoulder on the first note. The second note should be played lighter than the first note. In the third phrase the RH is primarily legato. At the end in the last phrase, the articulation becomes more detached with a two-note slur followed by a detached crotchet. As is always the case, whatever articulation is decided on, it should be consistent in its application. This piece will require of the player, independence of hands so that there can be different articulation occurring simultaneously. The LH should be played with a gently detached touch, certainly not with asharp staccato touch.
Balance between the hands – although the LH does play an important role in this piece, the RH should be projected over the LH. Nevertheless, the LH provides the momentum and drive for the piece and in the mid-way point of the phrase, the LH maintains the energy of the phrase. Here the player needs to consider how loud the LH should be played at these points and this will depend on the dynamic level and the main point for each phrase.
Dynamics – the player must remember that whatever dynamic level they use must be appropriate for the Baroque period. Although the music is marked with a forte at the start of the second section, I am of the opinion that it would be best to commence this section at a quieter level and crescendo to mf at the start of bar 10. The move to E minor could be highlighted by reducing the dynamics to mp overall. The following phrase could be played at a quieter level too, thus reserving the louder dynamics and longest crescendo for the final phrase. I feel that the loudest part of the music should be at the end and also it provides more drama if this final phrase starts quietly and ends at a louder level. As is always the case, the dynamic level of the LH is an important factor when playing this piece.
Ornaments - the ornaments must be played with a dynamic scheme. The player needs to decide where the ornament is leading to and what its purpose is in the music at that point. The ornament in the RH in bar 11 creates a degree of tension and uncertainty as if the listener is unsure as to what will come next. In bar 7, this ornament serves to help let the music have a breathing space at the end of the first section. The ornament in the penultimate bar contributes to the motoric feeling at the end and contributes to maintaining the dynamics.
Agogic features – a very slight rallentando at the end of the first section is appropriate. In the final two bars a rallentando should be used, however it should be subtle and in no way affect the rhythm by doubling the notes in value.
Handel House Museum by David Lally, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=112568556
Considerations when playing this piece –
· The two-note slurs in bars 2 and 12 – 15 are original, the rest (along with the dynamics) are editorial.
· The player needs to look for places where the music can be quieter, as the music should not be loud throughout.
· The player should think about how a change of articulation in this piece affects the character of the music. This can also be related to what the dancers are doing at that time.
· How the player commences and ends the playing of this piece is very important. Both the start and finish should have a definite gesture as is fitting of its character.
· The footnotes state that ‘Handel’s themes give it a lyrical character: a three-note figure (first falling, then rising) in bar 1 and a sequence of two-note slurred figures in bars 2 -3. Almost the whole piece is based on these two themes’.
· The LH’s role is vital to the music. Careful consideration must be given to the phrase ends as well as the octave crotchets in the middle of the phrases. The dynamics of the LH in these areas are very important and these areas help to connect the different melodic themes.