GRADE 8, Lesson #7
Teaching Notes Video: CPE Bach - Allegro from Sonata in E Minor
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About C.P.E. BACH – ALLEGRO from SONATA in E MINOR
Three words spring to mind when I start working on a piece of music from the Baroque period. Shape, energy and life! Too often, there can be a rather over pious approach to these works. We should remember, that musicians in this wonderful era in the history of music, were also capable of enjoying themselves and having fun!
Even though the Allegro is in E Minor, it has a distinct sparkle to it and as such should ‘bubble’ along.
BAR 3. You will notice that the second note of the bar is an offbeat and this rhythm appears numerous times throughout the movement. It is a syncopation to be relished! Emphasising a weaker beat in a bar is a common and much used method in Jazz and Rock music and helps the musical line to swing along. Much of the music written in this period was the pop music of its day and this principal applies just as much, to bring both energy and style to music from the Baroque era.
Yes, it is Baroque music, but by no means is it old and dusty!
In this movement, nothing should be forced and articulation should be light. A heavy tongue will simply bring an incorrect and unwelcome character to the music, making it lifeless and therefore highly uninteresting to listen to. In particular, such as the lengthier passages of semi quavers (16th notes), when the tongue is highly active, it should almost dance on the roof of the mouth. To make this possible at higher speeds, it follows that the tongue should also remain close to the point of contact on the roof of the mouth. The further away from this point of contact it is allowed to travel, the further it has to journey to return. If it remains close, then fluidity and precision of articulation will be easier.
BAR 31. With the first appearance of demi-semi quavers (32nd notes) we need to be careful not to let them come across as ‘skimmed’. The quicker the note passes, in many ways, the more it requires our attention. To help with this, try to blow through the second quaver (1/8th note) of Bars 31 and 32, thus promoting direction to the next beat. To help with this, you might like to try playing the 2nd semi-quavers (16th notes) of Bars 31 and 32 softer than the 1st of each bar. In this way, you will have room to ‘grow’ your sound through the remainder of the bar.
BARS 31 to 34 and 42 to 46. In both of these passages, we have extended passages of swift articulation. Try different vowel sounds after the initial articulation consonant, so that note lengths are very slightly different. For example in Bar 45, try ‘Doo-Dah Doo-Dah Doo Dah Doo Dah’ and then ‘Doo-Dah Dee-Dah Doo-Dah Dee Dah’.
A great amount of the music in this movement is focused in the middle and bottom octave of the flute. There are only a handful of notes in the piece from the top octave. The lower down the instrument we have to work, the more difficult it becomes for us to get the sound and resonance that we want as musicians.
The secret is to not fight or bully the bottom octave. If we do, everything becomes too tight and strangled. If forced, the notes will simply kick back and any hopes of making musical shapes will disappear.
It is much better to gently coax, or encourage bottom octave notes to speak. This is particularly relevant in the passage starting in BAR 69.
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