This piece has been in the ABRSM syllabus on several occasions, the most recent being in 2017 – 2018. Previously it was in the 1999 – 2000 syllabus as well as 1983, 1984 and 1989. On the three last occasions, it is listed as being attributed to the composer’s father, J. S. Bach.
Clavichord. By Christian Kintzing - This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57858377
Character/story of the piece – the title of the piece should be the starting point for the interpretation of this piece. Arias are found in Baroque opera, so one can assume that the composer used the opera arias as his inspiration. The player should consider the music in terms of a singer and the accompaniment. This aria has a dignified, dramatic and gracious character that has touches of boldness on occasions. There are times where the LH accompaniment supports the RH melodic line, the RH should be considered the singer. However, there are occasions where the LH has its own melodic line such as in bar 1. There is a question-and-answer situation in the third phrase with the LH ‘answering’ the RH’s melody and in doing so, the LH helps to support the RH and sustain it. And, whenever the LH moves in similar motion with the RH it reinforces the melodic line. The player should write some words to accompany the RH melodic line, there should be a few moments of indecision. These should occur in the first and third phrases.
Form – this piece is in binary form with each section being of equal length. This piece is in F major and by the end of the first section the piece has modulated to C major. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss modulation with the player. The third phrase remains in C major, providing the piece with an air of suspense and expectancy, before returning to F major at the end of the piece.
Main part of the music – the main part of the piece should be near the end; in this case it should occur in bar 12 with the loudest being on the second beat of the bar. Nevertheless, the player should be aware that the dynamics should not be too loud at this point considering the musical period of when it was written.
Phrasing – there are four phrases in this piece, three are four bars in length with the first phrase being only three bars in length. As a result, the first phrase has a degree of urgency and tension. The phrases should be considered in sets of two, as the first phrase in each set is balanced by the second phrase. And, all the phrases have effectively two parts to All phrases commence with an upbeat; the player should consider how the upbeat affects the character of the music. There should be little or no pause at the end of the first section. Consideration should be given to how one phrase connects the next; the starting level of dynamics at the start of a subsequent phrase is important.
Tempo/time signature and rhythmic patterns – it is suggested that the speed of this piece should be played at 69 minim beats per minute. This suggested speed is appropriate providing the music with momentum and energy. It is important for the player to understand the difference between duple and quadruple time, and this should be apparent in their playing of the piece. The articulation that has been suggested on the music helps to contribute to the duple time. There are no rhythmic patterns which the player should find difficult in any way. Throughout this piece the rests are very important and must be strictly observed. There could be a tendency for players to release the minim notes too soon.
Touch/Articulation – the melodic fragments that are marked with a slur should be played as legato as possible, with some weight from the shoulder. The detached notes played in this piece should not sound the same as some occur at the end of a slur where the last note is a quaver, others occur on crotchets or minims. Those that happen at the end of a melodic pattern should be very gently detached with the finger remaining in contact with the key as the hand lifts. The wedge-shaped articulation marks indicate a stronger sound, these should be played with more energy, with a degree of ‘attack’ and an accompanying elbow movement. The detached crotchets with differing degrees of energy according to the dynamics of the phrase. The footnotes are very helpful regarding articulation. They state “unmarked crotchets should be lightly detached. The staccato wedges and slur in the RH of bars 12 – 14 are the composer’s own; all other marks of phrasing, articulation and dynamics are editorial suggestions only”. There are numerous changes of articulation in this piece, and this is one of the aspects that helps to create the character. These constant changes will require of the player, precision and attention to detail throughout. The changes often occur simultaneously with necessary changes in the touch. Even though it is not marked on the music, slightly separating the minims in bar 4 will add buoyancy and energy to the piece.
Balance between the hands – as with the articulation and touch, the player needs to change the balance the hands in this piece. For example, the piece starts with a contrapuntal touch which should be highlighted and following this, the hands are in ‘unison’ with the same dynamics in each hand. This continues at the start of the second phrase before the music becoming a traditional RH balance piece.
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Dynamics – considering the musical period of the piece, the forte in bar 12 should not be too loud. Obviously, all other dynamics should be considered in relation to how loud the music will be at the climax. The LH’s dynamics in the third phrase should propel the music forward. In the final phrase, the LH’s dynamics could increase which will help to contribute to the overall dynamics of the music. Although the piece starts with a quiet dynamic, the music should be played with a warm, resonant tone.
The ABRSM 2017 – 2018 Teaching Notes on Piano Exam Pieces state “the title “Aria” suggests a cantabile style of playing, its minim pulse helping the lines to flow, without undue accentuation”.
Considerations when playing this piece –
· The player must have a strong sense of the ‘geography’ of the piano considering the changes of position throughout.
· Some editions of this piece have a trill present in the first bar in the RH. As the 2017 – 28 ABRSM Teaching notes suggest, this trill could be played as eight semiquavers as this would be easier to execute.
www.masterclass.com/articles/arias-in-music#a-brief-history-of-the-aria-in-music