🇫🇷Charles Camille Saint-Saëns ： Mazurka No.3 in h-moll Op.66

Saint-Saëns’s Mazurka No. 3 is marked by the driving momentum of the mazurka’s triple meter and accents that seem to shift the center of gravity. Within its light-footed dance character, the tension and shading of the minor mode come together as contrasting ideas alternate and carry the music forward. Highlights include the moments when rhythmic elasticity joins with a singing melodic line, as well as the changes of expression when an idea returns. In performance, avoid making the beats overly mechanical; instead, shape a natural flexibility by sensing where the accents fall. Bring the melody clearly to the fore, keep the accompaniment light, and use the pedal with restraint so that the sound remains clear and the dance-like vitality can emerge.