Piano Sonata, Op. 26 – II. Scherzo: Allegro vivace e leggiero

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Musical Terms (7)

• Adagio mesto Italian
  Slow and mournful. Barber's marking for the third movement of the Piano Sonata.
  This is Barber at his most elegiac. Sustain the long melodic arch across the movement; avoid expressive distortion of individual notes at the expense of the phrase as a whole.
• Allegro energico Italian
  Fast and energetic. Barber's opening marking for the Piano Sonata implies fierce, driving forward motion.
  The energy must be rhythmically precise — Barber's syncopations and cross-accents need clear articulation to register. Maintain a percussive edge without sacrificing legato in the melodic line.
• blues tempo English
  A direction in Excursions No. 2 calling for the easy swing and expressive freedom of blues style.
  Allow the rhythm to breathe with a subtle lilt — eighth notes should swing slightly without becoming fully dotted. Blue notes and bent inflections are idiomatic here.
• cantabile Italian
  In a singing style. Indicates a smooth, lyrical melodic line that imitates the qualities of the human voice.
  Central to Barber's melodic language. Project the melody above the accompaniment with a warm, connected tone; shape phrases with a natural rise and fall, as a singer would.
• con spirito Italian
  With spirit, with vitality. Used in the fugue finale of the Piano Sonata to indicate drive and wit.
  The fugue subject needs crisp articulation and forward momentum. Maintain independent voice-leading clarity as the texture thickens — each voice should remain audible.
• nobilmente Italian
  Nobly, with nobility of bearing. Calls for dignified, elevated expression without bombast.
  In Barber's lyrical writing this means a singing tone of natural authority — not forced grandeur. Let the melody lead; accompaniment figures should recede.
• with quiet intensity English
  A characteristic Barber direction asking for restrained but deeply felt expression — not underplayed, but inwardly concentrated.
  Resist the urge to push the tone outward. The intensity lives beneath the surface: firm finger contact, warm tone, and a sense of long melodic line even in slow passages.