Mazurka in A minor, Op. 24

Instrumentation

Collections

Musical Terms (7)

• à tempo French
  In time, returning to the original tempo after a deviation. Saint-Saëns was notoriously strict about tempo and disliked lingering.
  Saint-Saëns reportedly said that the French style requires the return to tempo to be immediate and unambiguous. After any expressive deviation, re-establish the pulse at once. Unlike Romantic practice, there is no gradual easing back into time.
• bien rhythmé French
  Well-rhythmed. Saint-Saëns's direction for passages requiring secure, dance-like pulse — especially in the gavotte, gigue, and waltz-influenced movements.
  Bien rhythmé means the dance character must feel physical and inevitable. Lean lightly on the downbeat, keep inner voices strictly in time, and allow the character of each dance form to govern the subdivision — compound in the gigue, triple in the waltz.
• clarté French
  Clarity. Saint-Saëns's fundamental aesthetic value — transparency of texture, precision of articulation, and avoidance of sentimentality or excessive pedal.
  Clarté in Saint-Saëns means each voice must be audible and the texture must breathe. Resist the Romantic temptation to blur with pedal; instead pedal sparingly and change it frequently. The clarity of a good harpsichordist is the ideal, even on the modern piano.
• élégance French
  Elegance. A consistent quality in Saint-Saëns's piano writing — refined, proportionate, never exaggerated in either tempo or dynamics.
  Élégance requires restraint. Avoid overdramatic dynamic contrasts or excessive rubato. Phrasing should taper naturally, tempos should be steady, and ornaments should be light and precise. The music should feel effortless.
• jeu perlé French
  Pearlied touch. A French keyboard ideal of light, even, and brilliantly articulated passagework, each note perfectly distinct and equally weighted.
  Jeu perlé is the opposite of arm-weight playing. Achieve it with a high, active finger technique, minimal arm involvement, and absolutely level key-speed across all notes in a run. It is the required touch for the fast passagework in the concertos and the Toccata étude.
• sans lourdeur French
  Without heaviness. A direction to maintain lightness even in loud or technically demanding passages.
  Sans lourdeur is essential in the fortissimo passages of the concertos — full tone is required but never thickness. Use the natural resonance of the instrument rather than pressing the keys harder. Arm weight should be calibrated, not abandoned.
• souplesse French
  Suppleness, flexibility. A quality of physical ease and rhythmic give in the playing, as opposed to rigidity.
  Souplesse in Saint-Saëns means allowing the wrist and forearm to follow the musical line naturally — a gentle give at phrase endings, a slight lean into a peak note. It is not rubato; the pulse remains steady underneath.