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Minuet in A minor Z649 Purcell ABRSM Grade 1 2023 – 2024
This piece has also been in the Grade 1 syllabus in 2009 – 2010 and 1978.
Character/story of the piece - it is necessary for the player to understand the style of the minuet and watching this dance online would be helpful. The word minuet means small, pretty and delicate. The word minuet is most probably used because the steps in the dance are quite small and short. At the time when this dance was the most fashionable, it was slow, ceremonious and graceful. The minuet became a stately court dance in the 17th and 18th Centuries. The name is also given to a musical composition written in the same time and rhythm, but when not accompanying a dance the tempo was quicker. The player should imagine each hand being one of the dancers, the left hand is the male dancer, and the right hand is the female dancer. The melodic patterns should be thought of regarding the steps and the movements of the dance.
Main part of the music – this should occur on the second beat of bar 11 at a mezzoforte level. There is a danger that is the main part occurred in the following bar, the chord could possibly be played too loudly and with a slight accent. Considering that the main part is earlier rather than later in this piece, the dynamics should not drop too much in the final two phrases.
Form – this piece is in ternary form, with the first and third sections the same but with a small alteration in the L.H. of the final bar. The key of the piece is A minor; the music moves to C major half-way through the first and third sections however each of these sections concludes in A minor. This move to C major changes the character of the music at that time.
Phrasing – in this piece Purcell has used an interesting pattern of phrases with the first and third sections containing two phrases each which are four bars long. These two phrases have a ‘question and answer’ character, and in the last bar of the first phrase, Purcell has written a kind of crotchet up-beat which provides momentum into the subsequent phrase. However, as a contrast Purcell only writes one phrase in the second section, and this highlights the drama and momentum of the main part of the music.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns - the first beat of the bar must be gently emphasised so that the minuet character is projected. Nevertheless, in some cases Purcell has written the music in sets of two bars. For example, in bars 1 and 2, there should be a small emphasis on the first beat in bar 1 but not in bar 2 as there is a two-note slur on beats 2 and 3. Some players may find the playing in triple time a little difficult, as there are times where the player will add an additional beat at the end of a bar. A tempo of 112 crotchet beats per minute is appropriate. There is a danger that the player may play the sets of quavers unevenly. This can be prevented with the use of curved fingers being played just in front of the nail, the use of time names and the player ensuring that the fingers are equally curved, and the keys are played from the same height. The dotted crotchet/semiquaver pattern in bar 11 may present difficulty to some players.
Touch/Articulation – in the first and last sections the player needs to use a cantabile touch, however in the middle section an intense touch should be used. The L.H. needs to be played with a variety of touches – the dotted minim chords require resonance so that they last for the bar providing depth to the music, in the second phrase the L.H mirrors the R.H. touch as it takes on a melodic role particularly in bars 6 to 8 and in the second section the L.H. should commence using an intense touch (with resonance on the minim in bar 9 and dotted minim in bar 12) before moving to a cantabile touch in bar 11. Any detached notes should be played gently. The articulation suggested in the copy should be followed, as considerable interest is provided by these markings. The fingers should remain in contact with the keys as they return to their resting position, for example at the end of bar in the R.H.
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Dynamics - considering that this piece was written in the early Baroque period the dynamics used should be those that are appropriate for the period. There should always be a feeling of restraint in this music, so any excessively loud dynamics will affect the elegant and stately quality that the music has. Each section needs to have a main point. Tone-matching is a skill that is required when playing this piece, as the melodic lines are long especially considering that in the first and last sections the phrases should be thought of as one.
Balance between the hands – clearly this piece requires R.H. balance however in some instances the balance between the hands will reduce, this being where the dynamics are quieter or at the ends of a phrases where the hands merge.
Rubato – there must not be any slowing down at the end of the first section otherwise this will affect the change of character created by the upbeat that commences the third phrase. In the second section a slight acceleration prior to the main part is a stylish addition and this can be balanced by a small rallentando in bar 11 although this must not affect the rhythmic pattern in the R.H. And a slight rallentando in the final two bars is appropriate however the player must ensure that the notes are not double in rhythmic value.
Considerations when playing this piece -
· The natural accidentals that have been used are unnecessary and could, in some cases, be confusing for the player.
· The player of the legato thirds in the L.H. will be difficult for most Grade 1 players. One suggestion is for the player to practise these legato movements using a hard surface feeling how the weight moves from one finger to the other. There is a danger that the playing of these chords will split.
· Some Grade 1 players will also find that the independence of hands required is quite complex initially.
· The player needs to consider how the use of the two-note slur such as in bar 2 affects the character of the music.
· The player must ensure that the timing is correct in the final bar in the L.H.
· The change of articulation in the R.H. in the second section adds to the drama and excitement of this phrase.
· The player must ensure that they do not lift off the L.H. too soon at the end of bar 11.
· The melodic material in bars 8 – 12 is interesting; it is as if a different couple has interrupted the dance.
· A larger range of dynamics could be employed in the last section.
· The player must be careful how they lift off at the end of bar 12, there should be no clunking sounds as the keys return to their resting positions.