November: "Troika"

This piece is technically very challenging and is therefore recommended for advanced players. "Technical" here not only refers to accurately hitting the notes but also encompasses the skill required to fully express musical nuances, such as a wide range of dynamics, conveying lightness through short staccatos, and maintaining balance.

A crucial and essential element for this piece is improvisation. Performers must first understand the rhythm of 4/4 time, including where the downbeats fall, but thereafter, they must play improvisationally, freely altering the tempo.

For instance, the melody line beginning at measure 9 is merely a variation of the material from measure 1, yet the rhythmic feel present until then is lost from this point. With the exception of measures 12 and 16-17, improvisation is required throughout measures 9-17. A valuable reference for this section is the first movement of his Piano Concerto No. 1. The cadenza in this concerto bears a striking resemblance in atmosphere to the section from measure 9 onwards. Students who have not yet heard it are strongly encouraged to do so.

Therefore, during measures 9-17, play as if the orchestra is resting and the soloist is freely performing a cadenza. The melody line should be sung fully and espressivo.

For measures 13-22, it would be advisable to adopt a slightly grandioso character and take a somewhat slower tempo.

The B section begins at measure 23. This section continues until measure 45, and it also demands improvisation. Furthermore, ensure that you play it without becoming heavy. The fast section of the second movement of the aforementioned Piano Concerto No. 1 might serve as a useful reference for this part, as its atmosphere is similar.

The returning A section is characterized by continuous sixteenth notes, evoking the image of a troika beginning to gallop. After executing a diminuendo in measures 44-45, reduce the sixteenth notes to pp as you enter measure 46 for the A section, and maintain this pp dynamic. Consequently, the melody line appears in the left hand. Despite the presence of numerous sixteenth notes, play measures 54-62 improvisationally once again.

Many performers tend to slow down at the end of this piece. Please consult the score: there is no ritardando marking. This piece concludes without slackening the tempo. In other words, the "troika merely recedes into the distance and disappears from sight," but the "speed of the sleigh itself" must not decrease.