Small Valse Borislava Taneva Grade 1 ABRSM 2023 – 2024
Character/story of the piece – clearly the starting point is the title for interpreting this piece. It does not contain the usual LH waltz pattern, rather it uses a held bass dotted minim with another LH note played on the second beat- in most of the bars. In this piece the player should think of a couple dancing. In the first two phrases, bars 1 – 8, the couple is moving away before coming back to their starting position in bar 16. There is a feeling of a lessening of the energy in bars 15 and 16; a place for the dancers to ‘take a breath’. This pattern is repeated in the second section (repeat); this time the dancers are even more energetic with only a lessening of the energy in the final two bars.
It should be noted that the first two phrases in bars 1 – 8 the melodic line gradually ascends, however in the third phrase in bars 8 – 16 the melodic line gradually descends. This melodic pattern contributes to the character of the music.
Form – as discussed, this piece has two sections, these two sections contain the same music apart from the last seven bars being different in the second section. The music has a slightly restless quality which can be attributed to the chromatic movement in the LH against a more conventional RH melodic pattern.
Main part of the music – this should occur at the beginning of bar 20 at a forte level. Even so, the player should ensure that the forte is not played with any harshness and in addition to this, to not remain at the forte level too long. This piece has a slightly melancholic character and using dynamics that remain loud for too long will affect this character. And, in the second section the player should aim to be at a mezzoforte level in bar 9, this being the loudest for the first section.
Phrasing – there is an interesting use of phrasing contained in this piece. The second phrase of bars 4 – 8 contains a sequential pattern. However, the third phrase is longer and this phrase ‘answers’ the first two phrases. All the phrases commence with an upbeat and the player must consider how this affects the character of the music.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – the suggested speed is quite fast and one of the complexities when playing this piece is how the player needs to convey the character when playing at the suggested speed. An appropriate speed is 126 crotchet beats per minute or 42 dotted minim beats per minute. There is a danger that the player will slow down too much, in this case the music could start to sound too nostalgic in character. It is interesting to note that the composer suggests that the player thinks of the beat as being one-in-a-bar rather than three in a bar. There are no rhythmic patterns that the player will encounter that they may find difficult although the dotted crotchet/quaver pattern could cause concern. There is a danger that the player could lift off the LH notes too soon. Also, the player may not observe the rests in the RH.
Touch/articulation – this piece must be played with a cantabile touch in the RH. The LH should be played with resonance on the first note of each bar which contains a dotted minim. Thes notes must be heard throughout the bar. The composer has marked small slurs throughout this piece, and these must be strictly observed. The lifts should in no way be abrupt or sound staccato, even those where the notes are repeated. It is important that the lifts in the LH are correctly played too. These lifts help to portray the energy and momentum that this piece requires.
The Hofball or court ball marks a representative ceremony which was organized by a court of a ruling family in Vienna, Austria. During the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I (1848-1916) was the second highest ball during the carnival season . The court ball took place in the Hofburg, for example in the ceremonial hall. The evening was led by the court ball music director. Painting by Wilhelm Gause (1853-1916), a German-Austrian painter.
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Balance between the hands – the balance must be to the RH throughout although in some phrases the balance between the hands may be less than in other phrases. This would depend on the context and the dynamic level of the phrase. It is very important for the player to listen carefully to how the hands are interacting; the placement of the second note of most LH bars must be played with care by listening carefully to the remaining sound of the first beat. If the LH’s second note is a little louder than the remaining sound of the first beat notes, this will provide a degree of forward movement and momentum to the phrases. The second LH note of each bar is more melodic in character. Tone-matching is vitally important here, the quaver must be matched or be played less than the remaining sound of the dotted crotchet.
Dynamics – as stated before, the dynamics used in this piece should usually be restrained and delicate, rather than being particularly loud. A wide range of dynamics can be employed in this piece considering its character and period. The first section should sound quieter than the second section and a wider range of dynamics should be applied in the second section. The LH’s dynamics are crucial for the overall dynamic level of this piece, to a certain extent the LH generates the RH’s dynamics.
Agogics – a little use of rubato is appropriate for this piece, however, as always, it is better to use less rubato rather than more. A small slowing at the end of the first section could be applied and the composer has written poco rit. at the end. The player should be very careful that when applying this rubato at the end the final notes do not become doubled. A slight accelerando prior to the poco rit would be a tasteful addition.
Considerations when playing this piece.
The use of pedal would enhance this piece however the pedal skills required would not generally be those that a Grade 1 candidate could manage.
Gestures are required when playing this piece, they provide fluidity and grace to the music.
The staccato notes at the end of the piece should not be too detached. The player must remember the character of the piece and too short a staccato would not be appropriate.
When there is a repeat, as is required in this piece, a photocopy should be made of the music and the part that does not need to be played the second time should be covered.
The highest note is not necessarily the loudest note in a phrase.
The player must think about how to connect the small melodic fragments into a coherent phrase.
The small slurs contribute to the tension of the piece.
There are some awkward hand movements when the LH thumbs plays black notes.
The player should notice how the highest note is reserved for the main part of the music.