Mikhail GLINKA (1804-1857)

La séparation

Russian composer Mikhail Glinka is best known for his two operas, Ruslan and Lyudmila and A Life for the Tsar, but he also wrote many piano works. His song ‘The Lark’, which was famously arranged by Balakirev, featured inside issue 111 with a lesson by Lucy Parham. Most recently, his elegant and intermediate-level Mazurka in C minor appeared inside issue 117.

Playing tips: Start out at a comfortable (‘comodo’) pace. You will need to count silently to yourself throughout the first eight bars, because there are frequent rests and the writing is very static. The RH starts its poignant melody at the end of bar 8. Dig the fingers deep into the key bed in order to create a convincing singing (cantabile) tone. The LH takes over and ‘answers’ the melody at bar 17, so put the emphasis on the LH notes whilst the RH accompaniment remains subdued. At bar 24 the melody blossoms, becoming more passionate with its increase in dynamics. At bar 42, a transition passage leads to a brighter development section at bar 52. This section doesn’t last for long, however: the melody returns at bar 69 – this time with the odd Chopin-style embellishment in the RH (see bar 71). Bar 85 sees the thickest texture within the piece – three parts, with the melody appearing in the middle line. This is the most complicated section of the piece, so we suggest that you concentrate your practice on this area first. Tail off calmy from the coda (at bar 100). Playing tips: Use the markings on the score as a rough guide.