Fantasy and Fairy Tale: 9 Pieces for the Intermediate Level Pianist.Fantasy and Fairy Tale fairy tale Simple narrative typically of folk origin dealing with supernatural beings. Fairy tales may be written or told for the amusement of children or may have a more sophisticated narrative containing supernatural or obviously improbable events, scenes, and personages : 9 Pieces for the Intermediate Level Pianist, by Jane Trotter. Willis Music Company (P.O. Box 548, Florence, KY 41022), 2004. 24pp. $4.95. Intermediate. Jane Trotter's Fantasy and Fairy Tale, a collection of nine pieces for the intermediate-level pianist, is intended to spark the imaginations of young musicians, while exposing them to a variety of musical styles. Along with the music, the composer includes detailed scenarios for each piece, as well as a discussion of technical elements. The pieces in the collection may be grouped into three categories: those with simple melodies, those emphasizing certain technical elements and those combining intricate phrasing with complex rhythm. In "Song of the Nymphs," "Lament of the Fairy Queen The Fairy Queen was a figure from English folklore who was believed to rule the fairies. Based on Shakespeare's influence, she is often named as Titania. Various things have been named after her:
adj. 1. Having the same sound. 2. Having or characterized by a single melodic line with accompaniment. [From Greek homoph texture in which the melody is accompanied by widely-spaced broken chords. In "Lament," the melody moves above continuous quarter note duplets in 6/4 meter, while "Elves" features a jaunty jaun·ty adj. jaun·ti·er, jaun·ti·est 1. Having a buoyant or self-confident air; brisk. 2. Crisp and dapper in appearance; natty. 3. Archaic a. Stylish. b. Genteel. tune in dotted rhythm, supported by open fifths. "March of the Dwarfs," "Fairies Dance in the Moonlight," "Hall of the Giant King" and "Enchanting Mermaids" are more like etudes than recital pieces. Trotter uses this music to introduce octaves, accented rhythms, a whole tone scale and a continuous cross-hand pattern. "Playful Pixies pixies prank-playing fairies; mislead travelers. [Br. Folklore: Briggs, 328–330] See : Mischievousness " and "Goblin's Surprise" are the most difficult pieces in the collection. Both compositions are quite dissonant dis·so·nant adj. 1. Harsh and inharmonious in sound; discordant. 2. Being at variance; disagreeing. 3. Music Constituting or producing a dissonance. and require careful reading of many accidentals. "Pixies" is particularly challenging because of complicated phrasing and rhythm. In "Goblin's Surprise," a left-hand melody, combining staccato and slurred slur tr.v. slurred, slur·ring, slurs 1. To pronounce indistinctly. 2. To talk about disparagingly or insultingly. 3. To pass over lightly or carelessly; treat without due consideration. phrasing, must be coordinated with off--beat, right-hand eighth notes in rapid tempo. Fantasy and Fairy Tale offers a good introduction to advanced musical and technical skills. However, these short pieces lack interesting developmental material, making them more useful for supplementary reading, rather than for performance. Reviewed by Jonathan Brown, Birmingham, Alabama. |
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