Moderato from Sonata in G minor - Grade 8 Trinity Piano

Sonata in G minor Hob. XVI/44 - Joseph Haydn.

1 - Moderato. Grade 8 Trinity Piano.

PRACTICE TIPS - by Chen Piano

Firstly let's consider the tempo marking "Moderato". This piece is highly decorated including many demisemiquaver flourishes, but nevertheless the pulse is a crotchet beat and so should be fast enough to feel this. It would be tempting to feel it as a quaver beat. That said, whilst learning, you could use a metronome set to a quaver beat to master the timing of the demisemiquavers. In the initial bar, the four opening quavers are marked with a wedge sign, but this marking occurs rarely later in the piece. However, it would be stylistic to keep quavers generally separated except where slurs are specifically marked.

Be careful with the repeated chords from bar 6 that you keep the quavers of equal length. There is a temptation to linger on the 2nd of each pair too long.

Another thing missing from the notation completely is the dynamics. Obviously you will need to add some and you could use this video performance as a guide, but your own interpretation may be different. For example I have kept the theme from bar 15 very light and delicate to start, later crescendo-ing as the pitch rises. This same delicacy I have applied to most of the demisemiquaver passages.

Watch out for overlapping notes, I bring your attention for example to the tied notes in bars 50-51 and also the almost unnoticeable crotchet on the 3rd beat of bar 50.

I have chosen to end this movement on a rather subdued note, not too loud and holding back just on the last two notes.