Morceau de Concert, Saint Saens
Morceau de Concert
Written 1887 by Camille Saint-Saëns, the work for solo horn and piano was written first, the edition for solo horn and orchestra was developed later. The style is classical with hints of Romanticism. The form of the first movement is theme and variation, there are two themes that Saint-Saëns introduces and then develops from an eighth note pattern into a triplet pattern, and then into a sixteenth-note pattern. This is a piece that I am playing for juries and my lesson teacher has encouraged me to come up with a storyline and characters to convey in a performance. I feel like the initial theme is very masculine and powerful because it is forte and heavily accented. The second theme is very feminine because it is a little softer dynamically; less articulated while graceful and fluid. The variations (both first and second variations) are separated by a recapitulation from the original theme by the accompaniment. The first variation is the first theme in a triplet rhythm, followed by the second theme in a triplet rhythm. The volume is softer in this section and the articulations are softer and more connected than the original theme. In this variation there are hints to the major key but it does not fully transition. For the second variation the dynamic returns to forte and the articulation is tonged, but not heavy. Key notes from the original theme have more value to indicate the first theme between the scale and arpeggio variations. The piece ends with a final recapitulation from the piano and then a coda that slows and transitions into the romantic second movement. Overall the piece contrasts the idea of power and grace in the first movement, love and romance in the second, and harmony and fanfare in the third.
0:00:: piano introduction
0:13:: Theme 1:: VOICE: piano and solo horn; KEY: minor; STYLE: heavy articulation, eighth note sub division; DYNAMIC: forte.
0:45:: Theme 2 :: VOICE: piano and solo horn; KEY: minor; STYLE: fluid, eighth note
Written 1887 by Camille Saint-Saëns, the work for solo horn and piano was written first, the edition for solo horn and orchestra was developed later. The style is classical with hints of Romanticism. The form of the first movement is theme and variation, there are two themes that Saint-Saëns introduces and then develops from an eighth note pattern into a triplet pattern, and then into a sixteenth-note pattern. This is a piece that I am playing for juries and my lesson teacher has encouraged me to come up with a storyline and characters to convey in a performance. I feel like the initial theme is very masculine and powerful because it is forte and heavily accented. The second theme is very feminine because it is a little softer dynamically; less articulated while graceful and fluid. The variations (both first and second variations) are separated by a recapitulation from the original theme by the accompaniment. The first variation is the first theme in a triplet rhythm, followed by the second theme in a triplet rhythm. The volume is softer in this section and the articulations are softer and more connected than the original theme. In this variation there are hints to the major key but it does not fully transition. For the second variation the dynamic returns to forte and the articulation is tonged, but not heavy. Key notes from the original theme have more value to indicate the first theme between the scale and arpeggio variations. The piece ends with a final recapitulation from the piano and then a coda that slows and transitions into the romantic second movement. Overall the piece contrasts the idea of power and grace in the first movement, love and romance in the second, and harmony and fanfare in the third.
0:00:: piano introduction
0:13:: Theme 1:: VOICE: piano and solo horn; KEY: minor; STYLE: heavy articulation, eighth note sub division; DYNAMIC: forte.
0:45:: Theme 2 :: VOICE: piano and solo horn; KEY: minor; STYLE: fluid, eighth note