Grade 6
A Tale by Xaver Scharwenka
This piece is in d- and is very slow and sad. Think of the minor key sections as sad & soft, while the major key sections suggest moments of joy.

• M.1-4 are repeated in M.5-8 but different. Notice changes in M.7-8. How are the measures different? How would they be played?

• M.9-12 is in a major key. This also announces the first high note-E in M.9.- M.12 moves back to the minor key but actually becomes loud. Why?

• M. 18-19 are repeated in 21-22. How would you play them differently?

• The repeated D in these measures, as well as in 23-24 suggest continuous effort. Does the "tale" end sadly? Or happiily

Grade 7
Venetian Boat Song  by Felix Mendelssohn
Also called Venetianisches Gondellied (German), this is a short piano piece from Songs without Words. To differentiate this one from the other Venetian Boat Songs, this is in f# minor. Mendelssohn was a Jewish German composer and faced much discrimination as a Jewish person in Germany.

Ear/Listening:

• Listen for the aspects of the f# minor key.

• Listen to the rhythm. Where are the strong beats? Why is this rhythm appropriate for the theme of the song (relate to boats or gondolas)? The fact that the bass notes move up and down gives you a hint. Down on the 4th beat.

• Is it a dark or a lighthearted boat song?

Style:

• Romantic pieces have very emotional melodies. This piece is no exception. Work just on the RH melody, feeling the need for pauses, giving more power as the notes build and rise up, and softening when the notes descend.

• Trills occur at the end of  m. 32, 45, and 29. It is best to begin the trill slow and then get up to speed.

• m. 13 has a sf E# G# ascending interval which indicates a cry.

• Towards the end of this section (m. 20), there is a resigned quality, dropping from the high As and G#s to the middle E# G# the piece began with.

• Why does Mendelssohn use the E# G# interval motif?

• The second section is dotted with the same type of interval (but harmonic) as the first section.

• The climax occurs at m. 29. Thereafter, the melody starts falling.

• What do the downward moving RH triads do to this piece of music? It happens twice. This slightly stronger emotion should be expressed in your performance.  

Memory:

• Notice the use of dim7s in the bass clef (m. 28, 33)

The boat stops rocking towards the end, therefore slow down the movement of notes and see Mendelssohn's use of ties and rests.