From Alamy.com
Gavotte in F Dussek ABRSM Grade 2 2023 – 2024
This piece has been in the ABRSM syllabus twice before that I know of, in 1989 and 2003 - 2004.
Character/story of the piece – considering that this piece is a gavotte, the player will benefit from watching some videos of the dance itself. As noted by the booklet ‘Teaching Notes on Piano Exam Pieces 2023 – 2024’, the usual format of a gavotte is not adhered to by the composer. Usually, a gavotte is in quadruple time and the first bar is proceeded by an upbeat of two beats. So, as suggested in the notes, the player should consider the bars in pairs as this will help the melodic line to flow more freely. The gavotte was originally a peasant dance and because of the French Court’s sentimentalisation of peasant life, the dance became a carefully mannered courting ritual for royal or aristocratic couples. The upbeat for each phrase could be considered as part of the beginning of a particular part of the dance, perhaps a flourish with the hands or arms or a bow to the partner. Each hand in this piece should be considered as a dancer; there are times where the dancers are imitating each other’s movements and others where their movements are similar both in direction and type. Considering that it is a dance for couples, there is some circular movement, partners are swapped at times, hopping is employed and there is a reasonable amount of forward and backward movement.
This piece is taken from Dussek’s Instructions on the Art of Playing the Piano Forte or Harpsichord (London and Edinburgh, 1796).
Form – this piece is in binary form with the second section repeated. Basically, the piece remains in F major throughout although, because of the use of the B natural, the music has a C major quality. At the beginning of the second section the music feels a little unsettled key-wise and this does not resolve until the end of the third phrase. However, it could be considered to be in ternary form with the return of the original music in the final two phrases.
Main part of the music – this should occur in the penultimate bar. The music should be forte at this point although the player must consider the Musical Period of this piece, therefore the forte should not be too loud. The main part of the first section should be placed in bar 4 and this should be played at a mezzoforte level.
Phrasing – there are eight phrases in this piece, each being four bars long. The phrases should be considered in sets of two, with the first phrase being balanced by the second.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – a speed of c.132 crotchets per minute is suggested, and this is appropriate to convey the character of the dance. There is a danger that with familiarity the music may become faster and this would affect the flowing character of the music with subtle details being missed. As discussed before, this piece should be considered as being in quadruple time with every second bar omitted. If played as a duple time piece it may sound march-like in character. There are no rhythmic patterns which would cause any difficulty; however, some players may have concern with the evenness of the quaver patterns. Well-curved, energetic fingers with time names being used will ensure that the quaver patterns are played evenly. There is a danger that the player may not strictly observe the rests.
Touch/Articulation – the player needs to use well-curved, energetic, strong fingers in this piece and degrees of intensity should be used according to the dynamics of the phrase. Where the dynamics become louder the fingers should be lifted off the keys a little more so that the descent is quicker. Both hands have melodic fragments to play and the melody should be highlighted by the hand that contains it. Therefore the player will need to constantly change between the touch for the melody and the one for the accompaniment. Another consideration for the players is ensuring that the melodic line is heard when moving from a single line to the use of thirds. In bars 17 – 21, the LH’s melodic notes must be highlighted because these complement the melodic line in the RH. Even though there are numerous small slur markings the player should play this piece legato except at the beginning of bars 5 and 21, and the lift after the first quaver in bars 13 and 29 is particularly effective if employed. The crotchets should be played slightly detached.
Peasants dancing a gavotte, from Alamy.com
Balance between the hands – considering that the melody moves between the hands, the player must constantly adjust the dynamic levels of each hand in relation to the other. There are occasions where the balance between the hands will be more pronounced and others where both hands are more similar dynamically. For instance, in bars 15 and 16, the hands should ‘merge’ together and in bars 17 – 21 even though the RH should be played louder than the LH, the balance between the hands should be closer.
Dynamics – there should be a feeling of restraint when thinking about the dynamics used when playing this piece. As stated before, this piece is Classical in style and character, so therefore the dynamics should not be too loud. The opening should be played at a mezzopiano dynamic, with a small crescendo to mezzoforte at the start of bar 4. The third phrase should commence at a quieter dynamic than at the end of the second phrase with the peak of these twos phrase in bar 15. The quietest part of the piece should be played in the fifth phrase, then the use of a crescendo during the sixth phrase is particularly effective in bringing the music back to the opening melodic material.
Agogic features – a couple of touches of rubato in bars 24 and 31 will be appropriate; it would be wise to play bars 16 and 32 a tempo as there is a danger that these notes will be doubled in time.
Considerations when playing this piece –
· There are numerous repeated LH middle Cs in bars 17 – 21; these must be played at a quieter dynamic than those on the first quaver of a pair of quavers. The ABRSM notes suggest the thumb should be ‘kept fairly close to the key surface’ and that ‘it should then be able to repeat with reliable gentleness’.
· Here is an excellent opportunity to show how valuable the learning of scales is with the use of fragments of C and F major scales.
· The use of the two-note slurs when playing the third patterns, for example in bar 4. The player must ensure that the first RH chord of bar 4 is played with persuasion as it could very easily be played with an accent.
· The detached notes contribute a feeling of jauntiness and buoyancy.
· The player must consider how to play the RH C in bars 13 and 29. In bar 13, the dynamic used should not be too loud, it should sound persuasive whereas the C in bar 29 should be played more boldly.
· In bar 13 and 29 there is a sudden change of character, as if the music has finally become free of the previous melodic material.
· Although the dynamic level of bars 17 – 20 should be quiet, it should sound confident and have direction.
· There is a ‘clash’ in bar 4 on the second beat.
· In the last line the LH should have increased dynamics.
· There should be a motoric feel at the end of the piece, as if it is driving towards the penultimate bar. However, this motoric feel should be lessened in bar fifteen so to provide contrast with the ending.
· The notes should be lifted gently at all times but especially in bars 16 and 32.
· To a certain extent the LH dictates the dynamics.
· The quaver patterns must always have shape and direction.
· The LH notes in bars 13, 14, 29 and 30 should be played with a gentle accent and with resonance.
· The LH ‘twists and turns’ with the use of the B flat and B natural.
· Notice how the LH leads into the third and seventh phrases.
· The player needs to think about how to make the piece interesting for the listener considering the amount of repetition.
· The character of the first section feels as if the piece is ‘warming up’.
www.classical-music.com/features/articles/what-gavotte/
www.britannica.com/art/gavotte
Teaching Notes on Piano Exam Pieces 2023 – 2024 ABRSM, published 2022