Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ： Children’s Notebook No.5 Sad Tale Op.69-5

“Sad Tale” is a miniature that combines a simplicity suggestive of a child’s perspective with the subdued shades of quietly expressing one’s inner feelings. Within its concise writing, the shaping of the melody and harmonic shifts create changes of mood, while brief sections unfold like a single story. Rather than placing showy virtuosity in the foreground, the piece draws its appeal from making use of resonance and pauses. In performance, connect the right-hand melody with natural breathing, keep the inner voices and accompaniment understated, and carefully reveal the subtle changes in dynamics. By avoiding an overly dramatic portrayal of sadness and maintaining a gently tense, speech-like expression, the work’s delicate character can be brought to life.