Memorial "Grandmother with grandchildren" by Otto Gutfreund and Pavel Janák, erected in 1922 in Ratibořice (Hradec Králové Region, Czech Republic).
By Kozuch - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11432940
Grandmama tells a Ghost Story Kullak Grade 4 ABRSM 2019 - 2020
This piece has also been in the ABRSM syllabus in 1995, 1985 (possibly) and 1940 according to my records. This piece was played at a Royal School’s High Scorer concert in Auckland by a mature piano student. Her performance I can still recall all these years later, as the character and story were brilliantly portrayed.
The footnotes to one copy that I have state ‘Theodor Kullak, one of a family of musicians, was a pupil of Czerny and became court pianist to the King of Prussia. He was a co-founder of a conservatory in Berlin in 1850, but after a falling out with his partner, he set up a school of his own (also in Berlin) five years later’. The ABRSM notes for 2019 – 2020 state that Kullak ‘devoted much of his energy to teaching and writing educational music’. And it goes on to say ‘Kullak’s witty characterisation and attention to details help make the piece inspiring for students and a delight to teach’.
Character/story of the piece – the title leaves no doubt as to how the music can be interpreted and in addition to this, Kullak was written parlando at the start of the music which means ‘being performed in a style suggestive of speech’. The player must create a story to accompany this piece ensuring that the music has brighter and darker moments according to the melodic material. The grandmother of this story uses different voices – a whisper at times, a ‘normal’ voice at other times, and of course, a louder voice where appropriate. There are moments where the listener should feel a sense of anticipation which are juxtaposed with areas of shock, surprise and fear. Kullak has written in bar 54 (where there is a whole bar rest) ‘Grandmother falls asleep’. It is the grandchild who finishes the story.
The word parlando means speech or eloquence and as the ABRSM notes state ‘a strong emphasis should be placed on the declamatory melody line with due consideration given to the details of rhythm, articulation and expression’.
Form – this character piece has a rondo form with the opening music appearing three times throughout the piece and once when it interrupts the ‘C’ theme where there is a variation of the main theme. At the beginning of the music the key is D minor however the use of chromatic notes creates drama and tension in the music. The repeated theme remains in D minor however in the start of the ‘B’ theme, the music moves quickly through F major, G minor. A minor before returning to the dominant at the end of the section. The ‘C’ theme has a much brighter character as the music is in the key of G major.
Main part of the music – this should occur in bar 44 at a fortissimo level to differentiate it from the other forte dynamics that are present in the music. Because of the placement of the main part approximately four-fifths of the way through the music, the player must ensure that the listener’s interest is maintained to the end. Each section of this music should also have a main part, as if each section could stand on its own.
Phrasing – the phrasing in this piece consists of many phrases which are of varying lengths. Many are four bars long however there are some that are three bars in length whilst others are six in length with the last phrase being five bars long. It is amazing to notice the details that Kullak has written in this piece and the phrasing is one aspect that requires study. Many phrases commence with a quaver upbeat however there are two phrases that start on the second beat of the bear and another two phrases the commence on the first beat of the bar. These differences contribute to changing the tension and drama of the music. The majority of the phrases have a question-and-answer format within a set of two phrases.
Tempo, time signature and rhythmic patterns – ensuring that this piece is played at the correct tempo is a vital decision that the player must make when playing this piece. One copy I have suggests a tempo of 80 crotchet beats per minute which is appropriate for the style and character of the piece. If played too fast the music will lose its dark and menacing effect however if played too slowly it undoubtedly will sound dull and laboured. Some players may find it difficult to begin the piece considering that it starts with a quaver upbeat. The player will need to imagine that the music is already in action before they start to play. It is interesting to note that Kullak has chosen the simple duple time signature for this piece rather than a quadruple time signature. This is deliberate on Kullak’s part as the duple time signature provides a feeling of relentless momentum and has a more accented character. The rhythmic patterns that could cause concern in this piece are the dotted quaver/two demisemiquaver pattern and the quaver/two semiquaver patterns. The player must be careful in the holding of the long notes as required and particular care must be taken with the held notes for instance in the L.H. in bars 1 – 3.
Touch/articulation – considering the changes in the story that this piece requires, alterations in the touch used will enhance these changes. The staccato touch employed in this piece needs to a slight tenuto effect as a too crisp detached sound will not be appropriate. As a contrast to the staccato use in this piece, the slurred parts should have a cantabile weighted touch, with the use of weight from the shoulder with the amount of weight determined by the dynamics of the phrase. Kullak has used accent signs as well as ten. in some areas too. It is interesting to note the Kullak uses accent signs in different positions in the bar.
Balance between the hands – this is another aspect that Kullak utilises as a means of portraying the story that is being told. There are instances where the is a traditional use of balance where the R.H. is predominant. The L.H. has an extremely important role to play in this piece where it is not much quieter than the R.H and there are occasions where the L.H. has the same balance as the R.H. In bars 39 – 43, Kullak has marked under the L.H. ‘marcato il basso’. Clearly the L.H. has the balance during these bars. There is a moment of part playing in the L.H. in bars 1 – 3 for example. By changing the level of balance between the hands will highlight the drama of the music.
Dynamics – here is an opportunity for the player to employ a wide range of dynamics from ppp to fortissimo. The subito piano for example in bar 17 may be a little difficult for some players to achieve. In my opinion the use of the accent, for example in bar 2 more of a dynamic one rather than percussive, these accents should always be considered in relation to the context of the phrase. Again, Kullak (of course) is using the application of dynamics to portray the story of the music. The direction of any repeated notes dynamically will be crucial for the dynamic direction of the phrase.
Pedalling – Kullak has written in a few suggestions for pedal such as in bars 36 and 37, and the use of the una corda is suggested in bar 20 for example. If the reduction in dynamics can be achieved by the player rather than having to use this pedal this would be advisable as so often the use of the una corda deadens the sound completely. The use of the una corda pedal can result in a lack of lustre and resonance on some pianos.
Agogic effects – Kullak has written numerous tempo markings in this music, and these must be strictly observed. It would be advisable to only observe these markings. For example, a slowing at the end of the ‘A’ theme could possibly result in the final note of the section being held for too long. In every instance where Kullak has inserted the word a tempo the player must be careful that they do return to the original speed as it would be possible for the speed to gradually slow down. Considerable practice with the metronome will ensure that the player is completely secure with the overall tempo of the piece. Once the player can play the music in the correct time, they will then know how they are altering the speed of the piece. Any slowing in the tempo must not be at the expense of the rhythmic patterns, for example the quaver notes must not be played as crotchets. In addition to the tempo markings, Kullak has used fermatas at the ends of some phrases. In my opinion Kullak has used these so that the player can allow some of the sound to dissipate before moving to the next part. In every position, the player will need to judge how long they feel they should wait. These fermatas along with the changes in the tempo are another way in which Kullak adds drama and mystery to the music. The fermatas should let the listener consider what is coming next in the music.
Considerations when playing this piece –
· The mordents played in this piece add a degree of tension and surprise to the music. One suggestion is to play these mordents ahead of the beat so that the final note of the mordent is played with the L.H.’s first note of the bar.
· The L.H. leads at the beginning of the ‘B’ section.
· The player will need to highlight specific notes of any chords played according to the context of the music.
· More fingering could be inserted as this will avoid any uncertainty in specific parts of the music.
· There are some quite ‘tricky’ corners in this piece. The double thirds bar 4, as well as the chord passages in bars 7 – 8 and bars 45 – 7.
· The melody moves from single notes to notes as part of a chord; the player must ensure that the melodic line is preserved.
· The playing of the L.H. thirds in bars 1 – 3 may be a little difficult to achieve for some players.
· The music must often have a mercurial and unpredictable character.
· The highest note of a melodic pattern need not necessarily be the loudest; by pulling back dynamically on the higher notes will add a degree of tension and drama to the music.
· There could be a concern co-ordination wise between the hands in bars 16 – 20.
· There are constant changes between the use of staccato and legato.
· It may be difficult to differentiate between the hands dynamically in bars 39 – 43.
· Wherever the ‘A’ section returns the player must change the dynamics.