First part

Music Lesson

Introduction

I would start also, of course, with the left hand. You know, you could probably see I love doing separate hands. I think it brings a great perspective.

Importance of the Left Hand

There's one very important issue here with the left hand. As you know, the piano is a percussion instrument. Once we hit the sound, all it does is become softer. We cannot make the same crescendo on the sound as a voice can, or on a violin, cello, or wind instrument.

Supporting the Crescendo

So, what we can do is support the crescendo in a lonely right hand by having the left hand really provide this crescendo.

For example:

• We start with piano in the left hand.
• Then we see a crescendo in measures 3, 4, 5 and then diminuendo.

Throughout the piece, the left hand will be the most important part in creating that crescendo and diminuendo.

Technique for Left Hand

Now, regarding the repeating chords in the left hand:

• Again, the wrist is free and the elbow is out.
• We need to ensure that we hear all the notes, whether it's three or four.

The trick here is:

• Keep your fingers on the keyboard.

I'll show slowly. So you see, I'm keeping my fingers on the keyboard. As the text goes on, starting from measure nine when we have the accompaniment in both hands, I suggest practicing it separately, the same way we do with the right hand. This will be very helpful when you put the hands together.

Right Hand Focus

Now, when it comes to the right hand, Tchaikovsky puts in vocal slurs, which, of course, we're not going to be doing. However, we need a very long phrase.

Practice Strategy

What I like to do is ask my students to play the right hand for me with just one chord from the left hand. This could be:

• One thought,
• Second thought,
• Third thought.

As a result, it becomes one long phrase.

Emphasizing Melody

What we really need to accomplish here is to have a long melody that goes throughout eight measures, arriving at a certain point. Things become harder because, as I told you, Tchaikovsky loves his polyphony.

Clear Melody and Accompaniment

He wants to differentiate between parts. For example, let's say that was a soprano violin. Now, there's a cello or bass baritone turn. I always ask everyone to play that melody the way it's written, meaning between the hands, so you know exactly who is playing what.

This is a bit challenging for beginners, and we really need a clear melody with a clear accompaniment.

Musical Dynamics

There is also a perfect case of Tchaikovsky's beloved question and answer. He states, "pi? forte," meaning a little bit more, and "answer less." He then repeats the same thought and ends it in different ways.

Importance of Transition

This is very important for the future. When he comes back in the third part, he does not repeat the inner or middle voice melody twice; instead, he goes straight to the second ending.

It's crucial to keep this in mind, as it will make the third section shorter. Except, he writes a conclusion or a quarter part of the third movement, actually varying and making a variation on that very end.

Putting It All Together

Once you put together the first part, which is not very easy, you really need to capture that spring feeling, the feeling of the wind, of crescendos and diminuendos. Always ensure that you can hear your melody.

The Performer's Role

Now, there's a very simple rule:

• If the performer hears the melody, the audience will hear it.
• If you can't hear it clearly, nobody else will hear it.

Marking Tempo

I would also like to draw your attention to the composer's tempo marking: Allegretto con moto e poco rubato, meaning:

• Allegretto, not too fast, yet one of the faster tempos.
• Con moto means with movement.

We should make sure it moves.

Time Signature and Feel

Plus, the composer could have used three-quarter time but instead chose six-eighths. This always indicates it's a bit faster tempo, with molto rubato. He also mentions dolce, or gentle, reflecting the gentle idea of spring.

Conclusion: Mastering Polyphony

It's quite hard to master all these aspects together, especially when the polyphony starts. I love to compare Tchaikovsky's style of polyphony to a sort of 3D or three-dimensional printer.

We see things in different dimensions this way. When the melody appears, we must hear it between the voices, along with the accompaniment that is either on top or below.

So, it's a very interesting approach!