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16 September 2018

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MusicOnline UK Teaching Notes - ABRSM Piano 2019/20 Grade 5 - B3

Joueuer de Harpe

Jean Sibelius.

ABRSM Grade 5 Piano 2019/2020.




Teaching Notes

Keep in mind throughout this piece that you are trying to imitate the sound of a harp. You will also need to be quite free with the timing. The Stretto marking at the beginning indicates a faster tempo and if you notice with the video performance above there is an accelerando and deccelerando in bars 2 and 3. This opening section also needs to be played WITHOUT pedal, so a good legato fingering for the LH chords is essential.

In the "Lento e dolce" sections, pedal should be added and changed for each new chord, picking out the melodic line of the top note of each of the arpeggio figures. Don't be in a hurry to finish the long tied note between bars 5 & 6 too early, it is worth 8 beats.

In bar 8, (also 14 & 18) notice the minim A in the RH chord, make sure this is held through the 2nd beat. Between the 3rd and 4th beats of the same bar 8, you will need to swap fingers and even hands on the F and D flat in the bass clef tied chord.

The written out arpeggios should sound different to the  block chords that have an "arpeggiated sign" (e.g. bars12 & 16). In this video performance, you will notice a slight separation and extra weight on the latter.

Finally, observe the "commas" / breath marks in bars 12 & 14 as well as the pause on the bar line after bar 3.


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1 comment:

  1. There is supposed to be no pedal in bar 17 but this sounds particularly thin - I have heard a brilliant performance where half pedalling was used here to good effect.

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