Allegro in C major

Let the rests speak

Repeated rests give this tiny Allegro much of its buoyancy. The opening leaves space between its gestures; later, the writing fills out, with fuller chords near the end. The challenge is to keep that change in texture lively without letting the thicker passages become heavy. Listen to the upper line as the number of notes under the fingers increases.

Shape the conversation

Graham Fitch likens Classical articulation to speech, with different degrees of connection and separation. Applied here, that suggests making each short gesture clear while keeping its place in a longer sentence. Try counting through the rests aloud, then play without shortening them. Work on the fuller closing bars separately, aiming to let their melody emerge as clearly as the opening notes.

Music in this edition

1. Allegro in C major