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The Little White Cloud Jessie Blake Grade 1 ABRSM 2023 – 2024
Character/story of the piece – although this piece has the title “The Little White Cloud” it is essentially a waltz. The introduction to this piece at the top of the page states ‘this is a dreamy waltz which contrasts a singing right hand with a detached left hand. Pay careful attention to the changing dynamics in the melody’. So, The Little White Cloud refers to the dreamy nature of the waltz. Obviously discussing with the player, the characteristics of a waltz is necessary for the interpretation of the piece. Throughout this piece there are moments of energy which are balanced with times where there is a relaxation in the momentum. The L.H. has an important role to play with its relentless off-beat patterns present in most bars. The player must consider what the dancers are doing throughout the music.
Form – this piece is in binary form although the second section contains similar material to the first section. However, in the second section the melodic leaps are greater, instead of fourths there are sixths which adds an additional dimension to the music. These greater leaps provide more drama to the music. The piece is in C major throughout although there are moments where the music has touches of a minor key. The natural signs in the R.H. are unnecessary.
Main part of the music – the composer has provided several dynamic markings in this piece, which, on the whole, the player should use. Nevertheless, it is advisable to place the main part of the music in bar 30, as this will mean that the energy and momentum will be retained for longer. At this point the dynamic level should be forte however the player must guard against any harshness in the tone. It is advisable that the player does not remain at this dynamic level for too long.
Phrasing – the phrasing in this piece is clearly defined, it contains eight phrases, all four bars in length. In each section there is a sequential pattern in the first two phrases. The second phrase is a second lower than the first phrase. These two phrases do not balance each other, the following two phrases are required to balance the section. The third and fourth phrases are balanced and one reason for this is how there is movement at the end of the third phrase leading into the fourth phrase. It is interesting to note how the composer has used a descending melodic pattern to complete the first section but in the second section the last phrase commences on a higher note than the last note of the previous phrase.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – there is a danger that too slow a tempo could result in the music sounding laboured and lacking in momentum. A tempo of 126 crotchet beats per minute is appropriate, as this will provide the music with enough energy and momentum but not so fast that it loses its dreamy character. There are no rhythmic patterns that would cause any concern for the player however they must be aware that the long notes are held for their correct value.
Touch/articulation – clearly the R.H. must be played with a cantabile tone throughout. The player must carefully consider how the right shoulder, arm and hands are used so that the cantabile tone is projected. There are numerous tied notes that will require sufficient tone so that their sound lasts for their full length. The staccato chords in the L.H. need to be played with a flexible wrist with gentle energy from the fingers. There is a danger that the second staccato L.H. chord is held too long. Both L.H. chords must sound equal in length. The composer has marked in the phrase marks and the player must observe these accurately.
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Balance between the hands – considering the cantabile R.H., clearly the balance must be to the R.H. Nevertheless, the L.H. plays an important role in this piece as it contributes by providing the beat and maintaining the momentum of the music.
Dynamics – as discussed before, the loudest dynamic, forte, should occur in final phrase. This piece will benefit from the use of a wide range of dynamics from pianissimo to the mentioned forte. Obviously, most of the dynamics are provided by the L.H. considering the number of chords it plays in comparison to the R.H.’s melodic notes. The dynamics of the L.H. should never be bland and uninteresting. For example, in bar 8 the L.H. should increase its dynamics slightly when the second chord is played as this will help to provide the momentum into the subsequent phrase. From bar 25 the L.H.’s dynamics should increase a little, as this will create a degree of drama to the music. The player must consider how to move dynamically from one phrase to the following, in other words how loud should the next phrase commence.
Agogic effects – clearly the application of some rubato is appropriate for the style of the music however, as it is in most cases, less should be used than more. A slight slowing at the end of the first section is suitable, as is a slight acceleration of the speed in bar 24 as this will help to balance the rit. in the third to last bar. There should be no rubato used in the first two phrases, it is best to allow the listener to know what the speed of the beat is before there are any alterations to it.
Considerations when playing this piece –
Tone control and tone-matching are important skills that are required when playing this piece, especially considering that the tempo is reasonably slow.
The highest notes of a phrase are not necessarily the loudest.
The changing notes of the L.H. are significant; sometimes these provide a restless character to the music.
Could the player highlight any particular notes of the L.H. chords?
The player must consider how long to wait at the end of the piece before lifting their hands off the keys.
There is a danger that both notes are not heard of the L.H. chords.
The piece should commence gently, as if the music is already playing.
The player should consider how the L.H.’s augmented intervals in bars 29 and 30 contribute to the character of the music.
In bar 16 the player needs to move both hands simultaneously into their new positions for the commencement of the following phrase.