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Nocturne #2 by Danaë Xanthe Vlasse;
1st place Winner: Music Teacher's Association of California, "Composer's Today" State Composition Contest (Advanced Division 7).
For Intermediate Pianist. Approximately 4’15.”
This Nocturne is written as a teaching piece to help students prepare for the harder Nocturnes of Field and Chopin. It challenges students in many areas, notably in tonal control and pedaling.
The emotional appeal of this piece lies in that it allows students to portray a vast color palette and a range of emotions such that within a relatively short piece they may display a tender melancholic tone as well as a much more impassioned sound.
The simple lyrical theme is instantly charming to audiences. Furthermore, the active accompaniment propels the slow melodic notes and imbues the piece with a constant emotional turbulence that quickly gains a hushed respect from audiences. In my own studio this Nocturne has been a success at every performance!
Many of Mrs. Vlasse's compositions are published by bpr music. Contact the composer to obtain scores for anything not sold through bpr music.
1st place Winner: Music Teacher's Association of California, "Composer's Today" State Composition Contest (Advanced Division 7).
For Intermediate Pianist. Approximately 4’15.”
This Nocturne is written as a teaching piece to help students prepare for the harder Nocturnes of Field and Chopin. It challenges students in many areas, notably in tonal control and pedaling.
- Voicing: The interpretive challenge of voicing a long cantabile melody over an arpeggiated accompaniment is found in the majority of Chopin’s Nocturnes and therefore students must continually work on gaining fluidity in the left hand while projecting and shaping a cantabile line in an independently-voiced right hand. In order to effectively perform this piece, students must carry a long legato melodic line over a wide dynamic range, allowing for the teacher to help them explore “tonal decay” and its effect on long melodic lines over many registers and at many dynamic levels. Students will also need to apply the concept of tempo rubato in studying this work, so phrase markings are clear and hairpins are frequent, in order to help guide that interpretive work.
- Pedaling: Another strength of this piece is that it promotes the use of all three pedals in order to expand the technical tools required to advance into more advanced literature. The Damper Pedal is used throughout, along with simple Sostenuto and Una Chorda Pedal applications. All pedaling instructions are clearly marked in order to facilitate learning. Damper Pedaling is instructed as “half depth” pedaling as well, in certain places. Sostenuto Pedaling in this piece is designed to introduce students to the idea of using the Sost judiciously in order to achieve a subtle harmonic depth by blending certain notes across several measures. Whatever the style of music being performed, students will benefit in learning how gentle pedal work and careful blending can bring a uniquely warm sonority to their playing. None of the pedaling instructions in this piece are mandatory, but the instructions given are a good starting point designed to help guide the student and to encourage critical listening which will in turn allow each performer to discern what best suits that particular pianist’s tastes. This work highlights the concept that with careful attention to pedaling students will grow the sonorities at their disposal for the advancement to their pianism.
The emotional appeal of this piece lies in that it allows students to portray a vast color palette and a range of emotions such that within a relatively short piece they may display a tender melancholic tone as well as a much more impassioned sound.
The simple lyrical theme is instantly charming to audiences. Furthermore, the active accompaniment propels the slow melodic notes and imbues the piece with a constant emotional turbulence that quickly gains a hushed respect from audiences. In my own studio this Nocturne has been a success at every performance!
Many of Mrs. Vlasse's compositions are published by bpr music. Contact the composer to obtain scores for anything not sold through bpr music.