Analysis of the Piece

This short 8-measure piece is extremely challenging. Expressing much with few notes is very difficult. The piece is neatly divided into two 4-measure sections, which we will refer to as the first half and the second half.

Cadences

Please observe the end of the first half. Measure 4 concludes on the tonic chord, but the melody ends on C, the third of the tonic chord, thus constituting an imperfect cadence. Unlike the settled atmosphere of a perfect cadence, this creates an expectation for the music to progress.

Measure 8 of the second half also ends on the tonic chord, but the melody concludes on the tonic note. This signifies a perfect cadence, and to convey a sense of conclusion, it is advisable to slightly relax the tempo, among other expressive means.

Peak Points in the First Half

For the first four measures, where would the peak point be?

• From a pitch perspective, the two Es in measure 2 are at the highest position, so one might consider this the peak.
• Alternatively, measure 3, being the dominant chord, could be regarded as the point where the peak is reached.
• Another reason for measure 3 being the peak point is that it marks the highest note reached by the left-hand canon.

In any case, measures 1 and 4 are the beginning and end of the phrase, so their dynamics should not be strong. The peak should occur in either measure 2 or measure 3.

Structural Similarity and Dynamics

The second half is quite similar to the first. Measures 6-7 correspond exactly to measures 2-3.

As one approach, the first half could be played with relatively strong dynamics such as mf, while the second half could be performed with mp or p to create an echo-like effect.