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Lullaby No. 5 from Six Sketches Stanford Grade 2 ABRSM 2023 – 2023
Character/story of the piece – clearly the starting point for the interpretation of this piece is the title. Being a lullaby, the piece should be played with restraint with attention paid to the many details articulation wise. As the footnotes state ‘this charming lullaby has a slow lilt that imitates the rocking of a cradle. This could be the player’s first exposure to a compound time signature. The player could imagine that the rocking of the cradle changes throughout the piece. The small slurs indicate that the cradle is not rocking too much however the longer slurs as in bar 3 the cradle is rocking further. Perhaps someone is gently pushing the cradle to maintain its rocking motion. There are longer slurs before the climax of the piece in bar 12. Another suggestion could be that the player is on a swing, the more energy that is used are where there are longer slurs.
This piece is taken from a set of pieces called Six Sketches composed by Charles Stanford in 1918. The titles of the pieces are – Gavotte, Scherzo, Minuet, Morris Dance, Lullaby and Hunt the Hobby-Horse.
Form – essentially this is a character piece however to a certain extent the form could be described as ternary. The piece is in G major with a move to E minor in bar 7. By bar 12 the piece moves to C major followed by a section where the music seems a little unsettled tonally. The piece returns to its original key a G major in the final two bars.
Main part of the music – this occurs at the end of bar 12. Stanford has suggested that the dynamics should be forte in bar 13 however it would be best to consider the dynamics to be more at a mezzoforte level at this point. Considering that the main part of the piece is just after half way through the piece it would be advisable to have an additional main part at mezzopiano level at the end of bar 21.
Phrasing – this piece has five phrases in total with four bar phrases occurring at the beginning and end. The longest phrase of six bars is placed in the middle of the piece and this contributes to the feeling of more energy and momentum at this time. Apart from this six-bar phrase, the phrases contain a question-and-answer pattern. It is interesting to note that Stanford changes the position of the two dotted crotchet patterns as in bars 1 and 2 to a different position in the penultimate phrase.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – the editorial suggestion for the tempo for this piece is approximately 60 dotted crotchet beats per minute which us appropriate for its character. However, in my opinion the piece could be played at a slightly faster tempo, 66 dotted crotchet beats per minute which provides the music with a little more momentum. As stated before, the compound time signature may be unfamiliar for some players. It would be advisable to discuss with the player how to project this compound time signature. There are no particular rhythmic patterns that should provide any concern for the player providing the compound time signature is understood. The player should be particularly careful of the dynamics of the single quaver in the crotchet/quaver patterns, for example in bar 8. There is a danger that the player may lift some of the notes too soon, for example the dotted crotchets in the LH.
Touch/Articulation – this piece is full of contrasts, one of which is the changes of touch that are required. The first two bars, and any similar subsequent bars should be played with a gentle resonant touch that is played from the shoulder. Then in bars 3 and 4, the RH should be played with a cantabile touch, and this should become richer when the dynamics demand it. All of the slurs in the piece are original except for the LH slurs (not to be confused with the tied LH Gs) in bars17 and 18. There are a few occasions where slurs are not present in the LH such as bars 7, 15, 16 and 21. In these bars the notes should be gently detached allowing for a little contrast to occur. The player should lift off at the end of the slurs with their fingers in contact with the keys as the ending sound should not sound abrupt in any way at all. There are occasions where the hands have different articulation patterns, they are not always synchronised. In the Teaching Notes on Piano Exam pieces 2023 – 2024 ABRSM published 2022 there is the following – ‘a soft drop into the leys for the first notes of the couplet phrase, followed by a gentle, quiet lift and the smallest silence at the bar line, will shape the phrases like the breaths of a child’.
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Balance between the hands – again, this is another way that Stanford has provided contrast in this piece. In the opening bars, and this should apply to other bars of similar melodic material, the hands should be nearly equal dynamically, however the upper notes in the RH should be highlighted. However, in the following bars the balance should be to the RH. In the third phrase the hands again should be nearly equal in balance with the RH a little louder. But by bar 12, the balance should move to the RH a little more as the RH ‘transcends’ the LH. The LH should be highlighted in bars 17 to 20.
Dynamics – as stated at the beginning, this piece should have an air of restraint and this applies to the dynamics required in this piece. Some players may find it difficult to play using the quieter dynamics required in this piece as there is a danger that some notes or chords may not sound. The player must use controlled shoulder weight into the keys. Even when the dynamics are quiet, there must still be a richness to the sound. There are a number of repeated melodic segments, and the player must consider how the dynamics should be applied so that there is contrast and interest for the listener. The player must ensure that the dynamics are not dropped too soon in bar 17 otherwise there will not be enough ‘room’ for a diminuendo. Connecting one phrase to the following is an important consideration, for example a following phrase may start with quieter dynamics than at the end of the previous one. There will be a large range of dynamics required when playing the third phrase.
Rubato – a few small touches of rubato applied to this music will enhance its character. To a certain extent Stanford has written some rubato in, for example in bar 8 the phrase ends with a dotted crotchet. A very slight accelerando towards the main part of the music and a slight slowing of the tempo at the end of bar 16 are both appropriate touches. The fermata should be considered in regards to allowing some of the sound to die away before the player lifts their hands off the keys.
Pedal – small touches of pedal applied in bars such as bars 1 and 2, with the pedal depressed after the first chord is played and lifted when the second chord is played, would enhance the music. However, this would depend on the skill of the player and would be best omitted if it cannot be managed with ease. There is a danger that in pedalling these chords there is a ‘surge’ in the overall sound.
Considerations when playing this piece –
· Some players may lift the RH Gs in bars 1 and 2 too soon.
· There is a danger that the player may split the notes of the chords.
· At the beginning of and during bar 11 the player must look ahead so that their hand is ready to play the high F at the beginning of bar 12.
· Some players may find it a little difficult to swap between single melodic notes and melodic notes that are part of a chord.
· There are occasions where the music feels as if it is not ‘going anywhere’ and then at other times, the music moves forward melodically.
· Tone-matching is a consideration when playing this piece.