Nikolai Karlovich Medtner ： 8 Mood Pictures Allegro con ira Op.1-7

This short piece is marked by a sense of urgency, as though driven by anger, and by a powerful momentum that continually presses forward. Sharp accents and finely animated movement heighten the tension, while changes of register and dynamics create the impression of shifting scenes. Rather than relying on sheer force, performers should clarify the direction of each short phrase while keeping the motion of the individual voices organized. In the rapid passages, it is important to avoid stiffening the wrists or arms and to preserve lightness. Even at the climaxes, the tone should not become excessively harsh; carefully controlling the range of dynamics and the density of the sonority brings the work’s intensity and tension into sharper relief.