What a fun piece this was to learn and play. The cheeky and impressible character of Top Cat is vividly described in this piece.
Top Cat arranged by Nicholas Burt Grade 3 ABRSM 2009 - 2010
From Alamy.com
Character/story of the piece - clearly the title of this song will generate the interpretation of this piece. The player should watch the beginning and ending credits of the cartoon Top Cat that was produced in late 1961 to mid-1962. It features a cast of predominantly cats, the leader being Top Cat (T.C.) who are Manhattan street cats. They are always devising get-quick-rich schemes and the local policeman was always trying to evict them from the alley and to stop the gang using the police telephone. The words to the music of the opening credits follow the melody in this piece and the player should envisage what T.C. is doing throughout the music. The use of T.C.’s hat is an integral part of his character. The player must portray the cheeky and slightly arrogant character of T.C.
Form - this piece is a little hard to quantify form-wise however it could be though of as being in tow sections, with the first section ending at bar 16. From there, the second section commences with an interlude before the original music returns briefly albeit played at a higher octave.– The piece is in C major although a number of chromatic notes are used. By the end of the first section the music is in G major before returning to C major in bar 19.
From Alamy.com
Main part of the music—the arranger of this piece has written a fortissimo marking at the start of the second section, nevertheless it would be advisable to ensure that the main part of the music is placed in the final bar on the final beat. Perhaps the player could consider playing the interlude at forte level, leaving the final chord to be played fortissimo. This is reinforced by the use of accents on several beats in the final three bars.
Phrasing - there are four phrases in the first section and three phrases in the second section. All of the first three phrases commence on the first beat of the bar however the fourth phrase starts on beat four which provides the music with a heightened degree of tension. The fifth phrase, the interlude phrase commences on the second half of beat three. The last phrase again begins on the fourth beat. The fifth phrase only contains three bars however all of the other phrase contains four bars, or in the cases of phrases four and seven, contain four bars plus one beat.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns - the suggested tempo of 132 crotchet beats per minute is appropriate for the piece and should be observed. Even though the music is written as a simple time signature it is in effect written in a compound time signature considering the use of the swing rhythm. There is plenty for the player to learn regarding the use of the swing rhythm, with the exception of bar 8 as well as a number of complex rhythms. It would be advisable for the player to be able to tap out these rhythms with ease away from the piano before learning the notes themselves. And, as is always the case, the use of the metronome is vital in ensuring that the rhythmic patterns contained in this piece are played correctly.
Touch/articulation - the player should consider parts being played by different jazz instruments/ Regarding the LH, most of the time it should be considered as being played by the trombone where there are tenuto markings and the clarinet in the other parts. The RH should be considered as being played by the clarinet and trumpet. For example, in bar 1 the opening chords are played by the trumpet which are ‘answered’ by the clarinet in bar 2. In considering the melodic patterns being played by different instruments, the touch should be altered too. So as per the example of the first two bars, the RH in bar 1 should employ and intense and bright touch highlighting the top notes of the chords. But, in contrast the RH melody in bar 2 should be played with a cantabile touch, thus accentuating the used of the clarinet. Carrying on in bar 3, the player should think of using a cantabile, slightly tenuto touch prior to the trumpets playing in bar 6 with brightness and intensity. In bars 5 and 7, the player should highlight the lower notes of the chords considering the chromatic melody. There are many instances where the player will be required to highlight the top notes of a chord. This piece supplies the player with the opportunity to develop their use of an array of different articulations, many of which are contained within a single bar. For instance in bar 1, the player has three articulation markings that must be observed. The LH is to be played semi-tenuto, the first RH chord with an accent followed by a staccato RH chord. The player must consider their use of staccato, as some staccato markings are independent of any other markings, however there are a few where the staccato is marked at the end of a slur. At no point should the accents be played with any harshness or stridency.
Balance between the hands - again, this aspect requires considerable attention as the changing of the balance between the hands will contribute to the overall character and dynamics of the piece. In the first phrase, and any other phrases where the material is similar, the RH should have the balance although the ‘prowling’ LH should increase slightly in volume in beats 3 and 4 in bars 1 and 3. The second phrase requires different treatment, bars 5 and 7 must be played with both hands with equal dynamics before the RH ‘bursting’ out of the previous bars. The LH is frequently the connecting piece between the phrases and these should be played at a sufficient dynamic level to propel the music. There are other instances where the hands should be played with equal dynamics such as the chords in bars 16, and the final bar.
From Alamy.com
Dynamics - this is another aspect that can be used to highlight the story of the music. There could be a danger that the music is played at a very strong dynamic level throughout the piece, so the player must look for opportunities to utilise quieter dynamic levels. And, by applying quieter dynamics in some areas provides the player with the ability to use crescendos effectively and dramatically.
Rubato - this should not be used at all, any hesitation, for the example at the end of a phrase could be considered by the listener, as if the timing is not being correctly played.
Considerations when playing this piece -
The player will use a number of gestures when playing the piece.
The piece commences with boldness and strength and the player must be ready to play the opening chords with confidence and aplomb.
Frequently the player must think about how the RH is lifted at the end of the melodic patterns and also what to do with the RH when it is not playing.
The LH needs to underpin the music throughout.
The interlude seems to suggest as if the music is moving to another level, so the following phrase should be played with a higher level of intensity. The move to a higher octave contributes to a certain extent to this too.
The player should consider the dynamics of any bars that are repeated such as bars 2 and 4.