By Lance Vanlewen - Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90523741
Dinosaur Don’t Sarah Knonecsni Grade 2 ABRSM 2023 – 2024
Character/story – the player should have absolutely no difficulty in thinking of a story to accompany this piece. This is what the composers says about the piece ‘say the words, “Dinosaur Don’t!” along with the triplets and the quarter note. This will help you to get the rhythm accurate. The story for this piece is of a young boy walking into the forest with his lunch, only to be stalked by a T-Rex who seems to want the boy’s lunch….then it dawns on the boy that the dinosaur really wants him for lunch! The ending section has words you can sing along with – “Can’t you see….Try that tree….Don’t eat me…(then two rests)….for lunch!” You can use your fists for an extra-large accent on the final two notes’. What more can one say? The player should create some words that fit the melodic and chordal line.
Form – this piece is in a kind of ternary form with the third section commencing with some of the material from the first section. The first two sections are both 11 bars long however the final section is shorter, which helps contribute to the drama on this section. This piece has an interesting key structure, as it commences in F minor, however it seems to have moved to DB major by the end of the piece. In the second section the key appears to be in C minor, but it has a restless quality with the chords containing numerous flats.
Main part of the music – the composer has been very helpful with the dynamic markings; the loudest part is in the final bar with the use of a fortissimo dynamic. Therefore, the player must ensure that the earlier dynamics never exceed this dynamic as it would contradict the ending.
Phrasing – the phrases are of varied length, with the shortest being of four bars in duration with the longest being seven bars long. This is deliberate on the composer’s part, as it provides the music with an episodic character; it helps to allow the story to unfold.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – the composer has provided a tempo marking of 120 to 132 crotchet beats per minute. It would be advisable for the player to use the 120 tempo; this would be appropriate for the T-Rex running around. Even though the piece is in simple quadruple time, there are occasions where it feels as if a bar line has been removed. The use of syncopation in bars 19 and 20 changes the character of the music momentarily. Throughout this piece, the rests are vitally important and must be strictly observed. There is a danger that the music is not correctly counted in the final two bars. Some players may find the playing of the triplet pattern a little tricky. Clapping this rhythmic pattern out with the feeling of it moving to the subsequent beat is vitally important. The listener must be aware that at the end of some of the triplet patterns, there is a minim note however others have a crotchet note.
Touch/articulation – there could be some variation in the way the staccato notes and chords are played. For most of the piece, the staccato notes should be gently detached and played with a degree of resonance. A short, crisp staccato sound will not be appropriate for the character of this piece. However, in the final phrase the staccato notes could become shorter and more detached as the notes move higher in register. What a wonderful piece for the use of articulation. This piece has accents, accents combined with staccato dots and staccato dots on their own.
Dynamics – as with the articulation, the player has so many opportunities in this piece to employ a wide range of dynamics. Nevertheless, the player must be extremely careful that the dynamics are not oppressively loud overall, so they must look for opportunities to use quieter dynamics at times. Often it is the L.H. that is generating the dynamics rather than the R.H. The crescendos and diminuendos should be graded to provide interest for the listener. Not all the accents, for example, should be played with the same dynamic; it will depend on the dynamic context of the phrase. The player needs to notice how some of the repeats of the triplet pattern have quieter dynamics. At the start, the dynamics should not be too loud.
By Lance Vanlewen - Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90523744
Balance between the hands – this changes constantly throughout the piece. For example, in the first phrase the balance is to the R.H however the hands become equal partners at the end of the phrase in bars 5 and 6. In the middle section the hands are equal in balance with the L.H. empowering the R.H. In the final phrase, the hands are equal partners as they move up the piano before the final low DBs.
Agogic effects – these should not be present at all. The composer has written in some pauses with the use of rests at appropriate places.
Considerations when playing this piece –
· The player must be very careful that they are playing in the correct register as there are many octave lower than signs in the bass as well as an octave higher sign in the R.H.
· The fingering is crucial and must be strictly adhered to.
· The player must have an excellent geographic knowledge of the piano, as they must move to a new position very quickly.
· The player must notice, for example, that there is an accent in the R.H. in bar 3 however when the pattern is repeated, there is no accent present.
· In bars 1 – 11 there is an ominous, slightly threatening quality. The dinosaur can be heard but not seen.
· In bars 12 – 22, the dinosaur is visible.
· In the final section, there is a negotiation going on.
· The R.H. needs to be in position before commencing the playing of the triplet pattern.
· The accented notes must always be thought in regard to the context of the dynamics of the phrase and their position within the phrase.
· The accents are sometimes placed in positions where they are not expected.
· This piece requires a flamboyant and confident approach throughout. The use of gesture is important in this piece, for example when moving between bars 15 and 16.
· The dynamics should not be too loud at the beginning.
· The player must notice the difference in bar 23 where there is no rest in the R.H.
· There is a danger that the chords could split when played.
· When counting in the player should sat in their head tateti 1 2 3 before commencing.
· In bars 12 – 20 it as if the dinosaur is growling.