From Alamy.com
What is the story the player wishes to convey to the listener?
This piece needs to reflect the vitality and energy of the giga. Even though the music is in a minor key it has for most of the time, quite a strong character which needs to be played with aplomb and flamboyance. It would be beneficial to suggest to the player that they watch some videos of the dance. As the footnotes state - 'this giga changes mood several times from forceful to gentle and back to forceful'. The player will need to have in their mind an image of what the dancers are doing in each melodic fragment in the music. In addition to this, the player should consider how the leaps in the melodic line contribute to the story and mood of the music.
What is the structure of the music?
The piece is in binary form with the first section containing 12 bars. It commences in the key of D minor and at the end of the first section it is in the key of A major. There are a number of key changes in the second section and this section is 11 bars long.
Main part of the music
In my opinion the third phrase should start off quietly at an mp level. In bar 17 the dynamics should be at a pp level, which will mean that the crescendo towards the end of the music will be more highlighted. The main part of the music is at the end of the penultimate bar of the music.
Phrasing
There are varying lengths of phrases in this music. The second phrase commences in bar 6 with an upbeat of a dotted crotchet. The third phrase commencing at bar 13 is four bars long, the only one of the phrases to be of that length. All of the others are longer than the third phrase with the last one being seven bars long. The piece is 23 bars long in total.
Metronome mark, time signature and rhythm
The speed chosen for this piece is crucial, as it will help to convey the character of the dance. If played too fast, many of the details will be lost however if played to slowly its character will be more restrained thus lacking the energy and vivacity the music requires.
Since the music is in compound time, the listener must be made aware of this right from the start. The player should place a small emphasis at the beginning of each dotted crotchet beat so that the time signature is conveyed to the listener.
There is a possibility that the player may play the quavers unevenly. The player should use time names in their head when playing this music to ensure that the quavers sound evenly. All dotted crotchets in this music need to be observed correctly.
Beginning and ending
This piece should start with a flourish; the player should imagine the dancers coming onto the stage, getting into position and starting to dance the moment the music begins. The player needs to start the music with a definite downward movement. And at the end, the music should finish with strength and boldness. The player must observe the fermatas used in the final bar; they need to let some of the sound die away before gently lifting their hands off the piano and placing them back in their lap.
Details and considerations
Musical Period and composer
Carlos de Seixas was born on the 11th June 1704 in Coimbra, Portugal. His father was organist of Coimbra Cathedral and he died in 1718. A few days before his death, his son Carlos succeeded him in this position at the age of 14 years old. In 1720, de Seixas moved to Lisbon becoming court organist and harpsichordist. In Lisbon de Seiaxas met Domenico Scarlatti. He died in 1742 of rheumatic fever.
He composed in many styles and some are in the galant style of the period. There are many instances of the use of improvisation in his music. Sadly many of his compositions were lost in a devastating earthquake in Lisbon in 1755.
Touch
The constantly changing moods in this music can be portrayed in many ways. One way is by altering the touch in both hands. At the beginning, the RH needs to employ very curved fingers with considerable energy going into the keys. The two-note slurs in bars 3 and 5 add emphasis to the music when the first note is played of each. However, at the start of the second phrase the RH needs to play with a more legato touch on the whole, before becoming energetic again in the last three bars. Even though some of the notes in the RH of the third phrase are detached these should not be as detached as how some of the previous two phrases were played. This phrase needs to have a calmer quality to it. Bars 17 to 19 of the last phrase continue this calm mood and then for the last bars of the piece the RH becomes energetic again.
Throughout, the LH must ably support the RH's touch. Where the LH is paying dotted crotchets the player needs to play these with sufficient resonance so they are heard throughout the beat. The LH answers the RH in bars 7, 8 and 20 and these melodic fragments should be played legato. Wherever the LH is playing crotchet and quaver patterns, these should be played with energy as the RH does.
Throughout the piece the thumb must be played in a 'tall' position as there could be instances where the thumb could be played too heavily.
Balance between hands
Comibra Cathedral
By Chris - Coimbra Cathedral, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34633223
Primarily the melody is in the RH however there are a few instances where the LH 'fills in' for the RH. The LH though needs to be gently supportive of the RH as it will contribute greatly to the dynamics as well as providing the foundation tempo-wise for the music.
Phrasing
As discussed before, the phrase lengths of this music are not the same. There is an anacrusis beginning to the start of the second phrase and as a result, this phrase has a calmer, more relaxed character. The player needs to consider how each phrase connects to the following dynamically.
Articulation
Obviously this is very important in imparting the Baroque style. Most of the time, the LH should be played with resonance with only a small amount of separation between notes or chords. The LH should be played legato, as the editor has suggested in bars 7, 8 and 20. The RH though has a variety of articulations that can be employed in this music. There are two notes slurs, small melodic legato fragments and varying degrees of separation between notes according to the character. Whenever the music is louder in dynamics the separation between the notes could be greater than when the music is quieter.
Dynamics
As stated in the footnotes the dynamics and slurs are editorial suggestions only. In my opinion it would be preferable for the player to start the music at mp level with the dynamics increasing a little in bar 3 before diminishing to the end of the phrase. The second phrase should start at a p level as suggested. The player must remember to play the sf within the context of the Musical period. The ABRSM teaching notes for this piece suggest that the player hesitates slightly before playing these two sf notes. It is interesting to note that these sf notes are in a similar position in each of the two sections. As stated before, the player should commence the second section at a mp level. And, if the player starts the third section even quieter at pp level the increase in dynamics will have a greater effect on the drama of the music. The player should be made aware that the dynamics of the piece should be within those that are appropriate for the Baroque period. The sequential patterns in the RH should be highlighted by the use of changing dynamics.
Rubato
The use of rubato is not appropriate in this style of music. Once the music commences, the listener must feel that there is a motoric feel until the end. Nevertheless, a very slight slowing at the end of the first section and a slight slowing at the end of the piece would be beneficial in the performance of the music.
Use of the LH
As is the case in all music, changes in the LH's dynamics will make a considerable difference to the overall dynamics of this music. The LH needs to be an active and engaged partner throughout the music. The LH provides the overall momentum of the music. In bar 11 the two hands are equal partners in playing the A major chord. There are a few 'tricky' corners in the LH that will require special practice. And in regards to the rests, the player must 'play' these so the previous notes are lifted at the correct time.
Use of the RH
Throughout this piece the RH provides the changes in character. Some areas are calm and peaceful; others are more forceful and definite in character. The player must be extremely careful to not overstate the note that leaps in the RH; these notes will stand out because of the leap anyway. The player should consider how these leaps affect the character of the music. After playing these leaps the player should ensure that the hand reverts to a close position in shape otherwise tension may creep in. A very slight hesitation before playing the BB in the RH in bar 14 will highlight this leap. In bars 13 to 19 the player could consider imagining that there are two instruments playing, one taking the legato parts and the other the detached parts as if they are answering each other.
Pedalling
This is not a consideration for this piece.
Additional considerations
Bars 1 - 6
· start this phrase at mp level; it would be best to retain the use of the louder dynamics for nearer the end of the music.
· let the peak for this phrase be at the start of bar 3 at mf level.
Bars 6 -12
· start this phrase as suggested by the editor at p level.
· let the peak for the phrase be on the second beat of bar 10 at mp level.
· the sf shouldn't be played too loud; keep the level of these two notes within the overall dynamic level of the phrase.
· the player needs to ensure that the top note of a melodic segment is not unduly accented, for example the high RH A in bar 10.
· a change of character in this phrase.
· the first part of the phrase is a little contrapuntal in style.
· at the end of the phrase the two hands need to seamlessly connect from one to the other so that it sounds as if only one hand is playing.
Bars 13 -16
· because the mood of this phrase is calm and gentle, start at an mp level.
· let the peak of the phrase be near the end of bar 15 at mf level.
· the use of sequential patterns needs to be highlighted for the listener by the use of suitable dynamics.
· and, as mentioned before there are two instruments being played here, one that is playing in the legato parts and the other in the detached parts.
Bars 17 - 23
· start this phrase at pp level as this will provide considerable leeway for a crescendo to the end of the music.
· let the peak of this phrase be at the end of the penultimate bar at f level.
· the player will need to employ tone matching in the RH after the tie in bar 20. This note needs to be played with enough resonance so that it lasts for its full length.
· again, there are two voices combining at the start of this phrase.
· the LH fingering in bar 21 is a little awkward and as a result the LH may let go of the D too soon.
· at the end the player will need to wait and extra beat or two so that sufficient sound has died away before gently lifting off both hands.