"Novelette" is a character piece meaning "short story," a title favored by composers with a deep knowledge of literature, including R. Schumann. Its form is free, and it can be regarded as a type of fantasy. Ikuma Dan (1924-2001) was also a composer deeply inclined towards literature, having left behind numerous operas, choral works, and solo vocal pieces, and even working as an essayist. While there is an influence from Schumann regarding the title, the music itself shows no such influence; rather, the sonorities suggest the influence of French composers such as Debussy.  Dan worked across a wide range of genres, including vocal works, orchestral pieces, instrumental music, children's songs, and film scores. However, surprisingly few works were written for solo piano; apart from early studies, there were only three pieces: "Piano Sonata in C" (1947), "NHK Radio Broadcast No. 2" (1952), and "Three Novelettes." "Three Novelettes" reveals a tendency towards dramatic sonorities that transcend the boundaries of piano music, such as widely varying dynamics and the use of three staves, which can be attributed to Dan's engagement with chamber works, symphonies, and choral pieces with orchestra at the time of their composition. Other characteristics include a compositional technique reminiscent of cyclic form, where melodies and motifs from the first movement are also used in the second and third movements, as well as advanced virtuosity that fully utilizes the brilliant tone and splendid pianism of Hiroko Nakamura (1944-), the pianist who premiered the work.  The first movement, Allegro moderato, is centered around virtuosic passages that interweave diatonic and chromatic scales with diverse rhythmic patterns, and harmonic sections featuring solemn melodies reminiscent of hymns, with various musical ideas unfolding freely. The second movement, Andante sostenuto e misterioso, is a free three-part form with strong lyrical qualities. The third movement, beginning pesante, presents a rondo-like character, interweaving fanfare-like sections with powerful octaves and chords, and virtuosic perpetuum mobile sections marked Allegro leggero.