rrayner
08-04-2014, 05:00 PM
"Pizzicatti" is from the third act of the ballet "Sylvia", written by Léo Delibes in 1875-6. The piece features pizzicatto strings, where the strings are plucked (pizzicato) to create the sound, thereby giving this piece its name.
The original key was Eb Major, with the transition section at measure 24 in Ab Major, returning to Eb Major at measure 32. The range was too high for the Soprano Recorder, so I dropped the key to C Major, which also should make this piece a little bit easier to play.
The lead was taken exactly from the free score I found online. I have changed some of the markings, etc. The accompaniment is my own creation, with an attempt to stay within the character of the piece. The only place where the harmony is a bit dissonant is in measure 7, where the interval is a raised fifth, but it corresponds to what Delibes wrote, so I am happy with it.
As this piece was originally written for strings, there was no concern for places to breathe, so I have indicated where to breathe with slurs. There are no slurs in the opening and closing expositions, as places to breathe fall pretty naturally. If I had added the slurs, the extra space required would have forced the printed pages to three -- not acceptable to me, as I don't want to have more than two pages in any of these pieces, if I have a choice.
This is a fairly challenging piece, but with patience and practice, it can be very rewarding and fun to play. We think it is a wonderfully catchy, playful melody. We are having a ball playing it and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Ralph Rayner
The original key was Eb Major, with the transition section at measure 24 in Ab Major, returning to Eb Major at measure 32. The range was too high for the Soprano Recorder, so I dropped the key to C Major, which also should make this piece a little bit easier to play.
The lead was taken exactly from the free score I found online. I have changed some of the markings, etc. The accompaniment is my own creation, with an attempt to stay within the character of the piece. The only place where the harmony is a bit dissonant is in measure 7, where the interval is a raised fifth, but it corresponds to what Delibes wrote, so I am happy with it.
As this piece was originally written for strings, there was no concern for places to breathe, so I have indicated where to breathe with slurs. There are no slurs in the opening and closing expositions, as places to breathe fall pretty naturally. If I had added the slurs, the extra space required would have forced the printed pages to three -- not acceptable to me, as I don't want to have more than two pages in any of these pieces, if I have a choice.
This is a fairly challenging piece, but with patience and practice, it can be very rewarding and fun to play. We think it is a wonderfully catchy, playful melody. We are having a ball playing it and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Ralph Rayner