By Nicolas Lancret - http://collectie.boijmans.nl/object/3473, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67343913
Ninette’s Musette George Nevada ABRSM Grade 4 2023 – 2024
Character/story of the piece – the footnotes to this piece state ‘the ‘musette’ is a type of French bagpipe, popular in pastorales in the 17th and 18th centuries. It also came to mean a pastoral dance piece included in the early French ballets in the early 18th century. Nevada’s style, however, is much more Romantic than that of the original composers of the musette’. This information must be considered when interpreting this piece. It has a waltz quality, the presence of the low L.H. notes followed by two higher chords in some bars is especially reminiscent of the dance. In this piece, there is a couple dancing to the music; the R.H. represents the female dancer and the male dancer is represented by the L.H. There is a change of character in the second section where the parts overlap.
Main part of the music – the melodic material in bars 29 – 32 suggest that the main part is at this point. If the main part is in this area, the player must ensure that the listener’s interest is maintained through to the end. So, it would be advisable to discuss with the player the placement of main parts in the first and third sections too but keeping in mind the dynamic level in bar 29. The loudest part should be at a forte level.
Form – as has already been alluded to, this piece is in ternary form with the first and third sections being the same. This piece is in A major, and it remains in this key throughout the first and third sections. The second section contrasts with the outer section in many ways, and one way is the use of key. The second section commences in C# minor, not F# minor as would be expected. This change of key seems quite abrupt although this of course creates an uncertainty in the music. The composer moves through an interesting harmonic series arriving on the dominant of A major by the end of the section.
Phrasing – all the phrases in this piece begin with an upbeat and the player must consider how this affects the character of the music. The phrases in this piece are long with the first and last sections containing two phrases. These two phrases complement each other as they have a ‘question and answer’ character. Both phrases commence with the same melodic material before diverging half-way through. And, within these two phrases there is contrast and balance too. The player must be careful to ensure that the beginning of these two phrases is not played in the same way. Again, the two phrases in the second section complement each other too although this time there is more contrast in the melodic material between the two. The composer has commenced the second section with similar material that was used in the first section.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – the tempo of the piece is an interesting conundrum as the composer has marked a tempo of c60 dotted minim beats per minute. However, the footnotes state ‘although the composer’s metronome mark is dotted minim equaling c60, students may prefer a slower tempo, for example 44 dotted minim beats per minute’. It may be wise to aim for a slightly higher speed than this, possibly 50 so that the character of the music is adequately portrayed. If played at too fast a tempo the music will lack the vitality and verve that it requires. However, the player must be able to cope with the playing of bars 29 – 32, as this is the most complex area of the piece. There are times where it feels as if some of the bar lines should be omitted especially since there are repeats of some of the melodic material and the long lines of the phrases. Nevertheless, the listener must be aware that the music is in triple time. There should be no rhythmic patterns that would cause any anxiety in the playing of them although executing the appoggiatura in the correct time may be difficult for some. In this instance the player must be very careful that the L.H. does not alter its timing to accommodate the R.H.
Touch/Articulation – in this piece the R.H must be played with a rich cantabile touch however a slightly intense touch should be used in the second section. The player must give much thought to how the L.H. is played, as some notes or chords require a resonant touch whereas in other areas the L.H. will need to play chords with lightness and delicacy. In the second section, the part-playing must be highlighted in both hands, and in the L.H. the resonant notes on the first beat should be contrasted with lighter chords on the second and third beats. Regarding articulation, the player must ensure that the second L.H. chord, for example in bars 5 and 7, is not connected to the note in the subsequent bar. All articulation is written in, and this must be strictly observed. The part-playing in the R.H. in bars 24 – 28 is projected by the articulation that the composer has provided.
Dynamics – even though the main part of the music is played at a forte level, this level of dynamics should not be maintained for very long. This piece demands dynamics that range from pianissimo to mezzoforte for most of the time. The widest range of dynamics should occur in the final section as this will provide the drama that this section requires. Tone-matching is an important skill the player must employ when playing this piece with its long phrases, and in some cases, repeated melodic patterns. The part-playing as discussed above can be highlighted by changing the dynamics from one voice to the next.
Balance between the hands – this is another area where contrast can be used. In the first and last sections the balance is to the R.H. although the hands will merge at the ends of them. In the second section by contrast, the R.H., although still dominant, will be closer to the L.H. dynamically.
Pedal – even though some pedaling has been written in, there will need to be some clarification for the player in this regard. Sophisticated pedaling skills are required when playing this piece, as pedaling the whole bar as described in bar 17 will blur the melodic line. The use of flutter and half-pedaling will be necessary to successfully pedal this piece. There is a danger that the low L.H. notes, such as those in bar 1 will not be picked up in the pedal prior to the hand lifting to enable the playing of the chord on beat two. These notes will need to be played with a degree of resonance so that they sound long enough for the pedal to pick them up.
Rubato – considering the character of this piece, some use of rubato is appropriate. However, the player must adhere to the ‘less is more’ mantra as the use of too much rubato may result in the playing becoming predictable and/or gradually slowing down through the application of too many rallentando. It would be wise to not alter the tempo in the first section in any way so that the listener is aware of the overall beat. A very slight rit. as marked in bar 15 and 16 is appropriate. There could be some ‘give and take’ in the second section however the player must balance any easing of the tempo with a small accelerando elsewhere in the phrase. The player must guard against applying the rubato in the same way, in other words, always using forward movement followed by an easing of the tempo. In the final section a small rallentando at the end of the phrase is appropriate and the rit. as marked at the end of the piece must be adhered to.
Considerations when playing this piece -
· The player must consider how long they are going to wait on the final chord before lifting their hands and pedal at the end. This lift must be achieved without any clunking sounds as the keys return to their resting position.
· The pattern of the R.H chords in bars 29 to 32 are quite awkward to play and there is a possibility that the chords may split when played.
· In the R.H. in bars 7 and 8 the melody is part of a chord which prior to this had been a single melodic line. In this instance the player must ensure that the chord is not played too loudly in comparison with the previous notes.
· Could some of the notes in the L.H. chords be highlighted?