Anastasia, Ailbhe McDonagh, Grade 3 ABRSM 2021 - 2022
Character/story of the piece – the composer of this lovely piece is from Ireland and she is a teacher, composer and performer. As the footnotes state, Ailbhe McDonagh is an Irish cellist and composer. Considering that she is a cellist, the player may wish to think of the first four phrases as being played by a cello, even though some of the notes would be out of range. The player could listen to a cello recording and notice how the character changes according to the different registers. Or, another way of approaching this music is to consider the first 16 bars as a singer singing a folk song and then an instrument, such as the flute, plays the bars from bar 17. The player could write some words to the music, which will help with the phrasing and dynamics. Of course, it has the feel of a waltz too.
Form – binary form; two sections although the second section is shorter than the first section. Or it could be considered as a character piece and the final ten bars could be thought of as a coda. The piece is in F# minor and remains in this key throughout.
Main part of the music – this is not easy to define. In my opinion the loudest area should be in bar 12 although the final bars have a focus for the listener too, with the change of register, changeable dynamics and the use of different melodic material.
Phrasing – the first four phrases are presented in pairs with the second phrase ‘answering’ the first phrase. It should be noted that the first phrase of each set has a descending melodic effect whereas the second phrase has an ascending melodic effect. These first four phrases balance each other and are all four bars long. The last two phrases are longer, with five bars in total each and seem a little more episodic in character. They do reflect the pairing of the first four phrases with the fifth phrase containing a descending melodic effect and the final phrase with an ascending melodic effect.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – the composer has given the speed as dotted minim equalling 42. The composer is indicating that the music should have a one beat in a bar effect rather than three beats per bar. It would be best if the player commences playing the piece with the metronome at a crotchet speed, but later on it should be practiced at 42. Apart from the syncopated pattern in bar 13, there are no particular rhythmic patterns that could cause any problems.
Own photo.
Touch/Articulation – the two sections of this piece, as discussed above, can be highlighted by the use of different touches. In the first 14 bars the RH should be played using a cantabile touch using varying degrees of weight from the shoulder according to the dynamics. Bars 15 and 16 provide a transition between the two sections, so here the player should ease back on some of the shoulder weight that has been used. From bar 17, the RH should be performed with a bright touch with a degree of intensity and lightness. There are no articulation marks provided at all however one assumes that the piece should be played legato. As the footnotes state ‘Aim for a beautiful singing legato sound in the right hand; think of long phrases and try not to allow any interruption’.
Balance between the hands– for most of the piece, the balance should be to the RH. Bars 15 and 16 should have a sense of unison. In bar 24 the player will need to play the chord with sensitivity by playing the first four quaver notes at a level quieter than the remaining sound of the F#s. The final two quavers of the bar should be played louder than the remaining sound so they lead to the G# in the penultimate bar. Although the balance is primarily to the RH this is not to say that the LH should be subservient to the RH. On most occasions, the LH will need to be played with resonance so that the dotted minims can be heard for the entire bar, thus providing depth and sonority to the music. Again referring to the footnotes, ‘The lower voice is the more important of the two in the LH; so, to create the correct balance in sound, ensure that the inner voice is always softer than the right hand and the lower voice’. The LH in bar 8 provides the connection between the first two phrases and the following phrases. Here the player should provide the listener with a taste of what is to come by playing these notes with a bright tone. There are a few instances where a note of a chord should be highlighted, such as the lower notes in the LH in bars 17 to 21 where there is a descending chromatic pattern.
Dynamics – there are only a few dynamic markings provided by the composer but this is not to say that only these dynamic levels should be used. The first section should be played mostly at a mezzoforte to mezzopiano level and thepiano in bars 15 and 16 must be observed. The second section should be played at a quieter level overall in comparison to the first section and the crescendos and diminuendos should be observed, as these help to provide some of the drama of the music. Sensitive control of the dynamics is paramount when playing this piece.
Pedal – although pedal has been marked on this music, it would be advisable to make some refinements to what has been written. Even though pedal must be used when playing this piece, the listener should never be aware of it being used. The music should always retain an effect of simplicity and over-pedalling would destroy this character. On many occasions, flutter pedal will need to be used and the player must observe those bars that are specifically not pedalled.
Rubato – even though the composer has stated that there should be no interruptions and that the speed is expressed as a dotted minim, the use of subtle rubato will add to the drama of the music. Nevertheless, the ‘less is more’ approach should be applied and what rubato is used should be limited in scale. To a certain extent the composer has written in the rubato in the final bars and therefore the tempo should not be altered in anyway at the end.
Considerations
The highest note of a phrase may not necessarily need to be the loudest.
In some instances the hands will need to be placed well forward on the piano to cope with the playing of the black notes with comfort and ease.
There is a danger that the first notes may not sound or the first LH chord creates a splitting sound. The player must be ‘ready’ to play these first notes.
Look for the melody in the lower LH notes.
Tone matching is a very important aspect when playing this piece.
As is always the case, increasing the LH’s dynamics will make a considerable difference to the overall dynamics.
The last notes should be played with extreme control so they do not split and also played at the appropriate dynamic level.