5. Ivan and Natasha

When performing this type of piece, which contains many dissonances, it is important to clearly bring out the melodic line. It may also be necessary to know which notes are chord tones and which are non-chord tones. The key is G minor, and the form is ABA. And please be extremely careful with your score reading.

The first A section spans measures 1-8. You may consider it as a song. Therefore, a certain degree of rubato is permissible, but it should be limited to only slightly deviating from the basic tempo. In the B section, consider the melodic line in measure 9 and the melodic line in measure 10 as separate materials. Measure 9 is like a song, while measure 10 suddenly changes the atmosphere instrumentally. In measure 11, it returns to a song-like character, and in measure 12, the material from measure 10 re-enters, crescendoing up to the peak point in measure 17.

At the peak point in measure 17, whether to bring out the lower voice or the right-hand material can be left to the performer. Personally, I also feel that it makes sense to emphasize the left-hand voice from measure 15. The B section extends to measure 22.

From measure 23, it returns to A. It begins in F-sharp minor, then moves to C minor, and finally returns to G minor. Please ensure that these three keys have distinct atmospheres.

Next, let's discuss melodic shaping. Let's take measure 1 as an example. This is the main material of the piece, but if you play only the melody normally, you might be inclined to play the G-flat in the third beat softer than the D in the first beat. However, the crescendo he wrote indicates that the G-flat in the third beat should be the loudest. Utilize the left hand to create the crescendo, making the third beat the peak. When playing the third beat, pay attention to the balance, ensuring that the G-flat is heard most prominently.