Nikolai Karlovich Medtner ： 3 Tales No.2 in c-moll Op.17-2

The second piece from Medtner’s 3 Tales is a piano miniature that condenses tension and shifting shades of expression into a brief musical narrative. While the melody often emerges in a songful manner, the movement of the inner voices and accompaniment continually alters the texture, creating a richness beyond a simple melody-and-accompaniment setting. It is important to hear the contrasts as if scenes were changing, while carefully shaping the direction of each phrase and the flow of the harmony. Rather than exaggerating the dynamics, organize the layers of sound and maintain a sense of breath through sudden changes of expression; this brings out the work’s concentrated narrative quality. The smaller figurations should not be played mechanically, but shaped according to their relationship with the melody.