From Alamy.com
According to the information that I have, this piece has been in the ABRSM’s syllabus many times – in the Grade 2 syllabus in 1960 and 1973 and the Grade 3 syllabus in 1997, 2011 – 2012 and 2023 – 2024. It will be an instantly appealing piece to most players however a degree of caution should be exercised before deciding whether this should be played in an examination. Some players will undoubtedly find the speed of the LH in the middle section a little difficult to play evenly and with confidence.
Character/story of the piece – there should be no difficulty in conjuring up a story to accompany this piece. Perhaps the player could consider that they are standing in a forest and rider on horseback comes towards them and then moves on. During the second section the rider and horse are visible whereas in the outer sections the horse’s hooves can be heard but the horse cannot be seen. This depiction should be applied to the dynamics with the first section commencing quietly and the ending played with the dynamics fading away. Another aspect to consider whether or not the horse is galloping or trotting.
Form – this piece is in three sections with the first and third sections being the same. The piece begins in A minor, however there is a sudden change of key in the second section, which is a little abrupt and slightly jarring in character. The key of the second section is F major.
Phrasing – there are six phrases in this piece, two phrases in each section. All the phrases commence with an upbeat and the player should consider how this affects the character of the music. There is much repetition in this piece, the player must find ways to subtly alter the playing of the phrases so that the listener does not become uninterested.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – no doubt there has been much discussion as to how fast this piece should be played. I have seen variations for the suggested speed ranging from a dotted crotchet beat of 76 up to 132. Clearly it must be played with clarity, evenness, and attention to detail. In addition to this, it must not sound ‘robotic,’ and playing it at too fast a speed may result in this. Personally speaking, a speed of approximately 100 dotted crotchet beats is appropriate. There is a possibility that this may be a player’s first exposure to a compound time signature. The compound time signature must be apparent to the listener, so gently emphasising the first note of each beat is important. There are no difficult rhythmic patterns in this piece, however the player must be careful to hold the crotchet chords for their full value and just detach them prior to the playing of the following quaver chord. Time must be spent on learning howe to count in before commencing the playing of the piece considering its compound time and the use of the upbeat.
By W. Severin - Ernst Burger: Robert Schumann. Schott Verlag, Mainz 1999, S. 317., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23648479
Touch/Articulation – the fingers need to be played with an intensity with energy from the firm fingertips when playing the melody. The two-note slur should be played with a degree of weight from the shoulder when playing the first of the two notes. The second note of the two-note slurs should be played gently and lightly in comparison. The RH staccato notes must be played with finger staccato feeling right to the bottom of the key bed using a flexible wrist. And, there should be a quick release of the staccato quavers. The chords in the accompanying part should be played differently, here arm should be used when playing these. All the notes of these chords must be heard simultaneously, it is possible for these chords to split when played. The staccato sound that these accompanying chords should have should sound not be as detached as those that are played in the melody.
Balance between the hands – clearly the melody must sing out over the accompanying chords in this piece regardless of which hand is playing the melodic patterns. Nevertheless, it is appropriate for the hands to blend dynamically at the end of some of the phrases. This could be the first time a player has been required to highlight the melody in the LH.
Dynamics – overall the dynamics marked are quite loud and the term sforzando is used in the first and last sections. It is interesting to note that the sforzando has not been marked in the middle section and the player should consider why this is the case. Considering that the outer sections are in a minor key, these could be played at a quieter dynamic level than the middle section in a major key. The sforzando notes should not be played out of context, these should never sound excessively loud and the fact that these are situated on the first note of the two-note slur, highlights them anyway. It should sound persuasive rather than percussive. In the 1997 ABRSM Teaching notes, the author suggests that the sforzando contribute to the sense of urgency and speed. It is important that the loudest note of each phrase is not situated in precisely the same place each time, otherwise the dynamics will become predictable to the listener. In addition to this, the player must consider how loud to start the subsequent phrase considering that there is always a rest in between the phrases. The first note of a following phrase should never be much louder than the level of the last note of the previous phrase. Changing the dynamics of the accompanying hand will make a considerable difference to the overall dynamics.
Rubato – even though this piece is from the Romantic period it is not appropriate to use a lot of rubato when playing it. In my opinion, there should be no hesitation between one phrase and the next, there is a danger that the rest becomes a crotchet in length rather than a quaver. A slight slowing in the final bar is suitable.
Considerations when playing this piece –
· As with the variances in suggested tempos for this piece, there are different fingerings suggested too. This is most apparent particularly in the second section. Changes in hand position must be thought of ahead of time.
· It is interesting to note that when the LH is accompanying the RH melody in the outer sections, that although the chords have notes in common the upper notes change in most instances. The player should highlight these changing notes. However, in the second section the RH’s chords are more constant and it is only at the end of the phrases that there is a melodic pattern.
· The hands must ‘freeze’ over the keyboard at the end to indicate the final rests.
· A small amount of pedal could be applied to the first note of the two-note slur.
· The player must look for places where any accumulated tension can be released.
· To a certain extent the piece consists of broken chord patterns.