9. Allegretto Scherzando

One of the characteristics of Kabalevsky's music is the "depiction of clowns." This refers to the clowns found in circuses and the like. This prelude should be performed with abundant humor, as if a clown were performing. There are several suggestions for achieving this.

The tempo marking is allegro scherzando in 2/4 time. Please play at a light tempo, ensuring it is not too slow. However, since piu mosso and accelerando appear in the latter half, anticipate these changes and avoid an excessively fast tempo from the outset.

Articulation is also crucial for conveying a light character. Clearly differentiate between legato and staccato. In most cases, the left hand is marked with staccato, so play with short staccatos.

Although this prelude might initially seem to require a straightforward performance, I believe the tempo can be played freely, stretching or quickening it according to the situation. In other words, just as there are tempo variations in a clown's performance, applying rubato is permissible.

At measure 33, the key changes. It would be good to alter the mood slightly as well. Perhaps this signifies the appearance of another clown. From measure 36, it becomes poco piu mosso, and from this point to the end, the right hand is filled with sixteenth notes. This depicts the performance gradually intensifying and gaining speed. Around this point, Kabalevsky does not write staccato for the left-hand eighth notes. Consequently, some performers omit the staccato for the eighth notes from this point onward, but I interpret this as an implicit understanding. The left-hand eighth notes consistently sound lighter with staccato.

Now, the technical challenge of this prelude lies in the staccato eighth notes in the left hand. As you can see up to the first 10 measures, the left-hand leaps are quite wide, creating a figure highly prone to missteps. I recommend practicing initially without staccato, using tenuto and forte. Once this is mastered, reintroducing staccato will allow for a core sound quality, even at pp, and reduce errors.