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Bastien Family : Basics Piano level 2　Moonlight Mist

Work Overview

Music ID : 26282
Instrumentation：Piano Solo　
Genre：Various works
Total Playing Time：0 min 45 sec
Piano Solo
piano solo

Commentary (2)

Author : Ooi, Kazurou

Last Updated: May 14, 2024
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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

This discussion is based on the premise of this piece as a pictorial depiction. Rather than clearly articulating the melody, this piece calls for a blurred, hazy, watercolor-like image. Therefore, the use of the pedal is essential. If the learner is a young child, it is recommended to teach them the fundamentals of pedaling first. Regarding the pedal, it can be difficult to discern muddiness, and the environment (e.g., room acoustics) also plays a role. While one should strive to progress the music carefully to avoid muddiness, ideally in a room with minimal reverberation and on a well-tuned piano, there are instances where muddiness itself is hard to perceive, such as in the left hand, which remains identical for measures 1-4. Therefore, try practicing the pedal with the right hand only. Success is achieved if, at the first beat of each measure, the previous note does not linger, become muddy, or get cut off. Furthermore, all five phrases should be played with distinct timbres, volumes, and moods:

  • Measures 1-4
  • Measures 5-8
  • Measures 9-10
  • Measures 11-12
  • Measures 13-16

Personally, I believe rubato is permissible in this piece. Feel free to control the tempo as you wish.

Writer: Ooi, Kazurou

Author : Kumamoto, Ryohei

Last Updated: November 14, 2024
[Open]
Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

The characteristic of the main melody is that within a single measure, it consists only of arpeggiated chords (chord tones), but when viewed over four measures, it is evident that it is formed by a chromatic descending progression. Since the harmonic rhythm also progresses at one chord per measure, harmonic relationships are not established within a single measure. Therefore, when considering these elements in combination, it is crucial to express the piece with large phrasing, mindful of the horizontal flow created by the chromaticism.

Overall Structure

The overall structure is binary form.

  • A [a (measures 1-4) + a1 (measures 5-8)]
  • B [b (measures 9-12) + a2 (measures 13-16)]

a2 can also be interpreted as a coda.

The a1 phrase from measure 5 differs from the a phrase (measures 1-4) in both pitch and harmony. However, due to many common characteristics, such as the chromatic descending progression over those four measures, it is considered a varied (developed) form of the a phrase and thus labeled a1. The a2 phrase, which starts on the same note, is closer to the original a phrase.

The four measures from measure 9 form a sequence of two-measure units. While the A section features four-measure phrases, the b phrase consists of two-measure phrases. In this b section, the flow of the chromatic descending progression remains unchanged; the chromatic progression that was in the right hand in the a section is now in the left hand in the b section. Therefore, even though measure 10 has a quarter rest on the third beat, it is important to be aware of the overall large horizontal flow that descends towards the next measure.

The a2 section consists solely of the tonic chord (I), and its nature can be interpreted as a coda. It concludes on a I7 chord, with its seventh tied over as a dotted half note, bringing it to a close. This is a type of imperfect cadence, a characteristic ending for a modern or contemporary work.

Writer: Kumamoto, Ryohei

Sheet Music

Scores List (1)

Japanese