Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev ： Tales of an Old Grandmother Andante assai Op.31

The third piece from Prokofiev’s *Tales of an Old Grandmother* is a short work with a slow Andante assai pace, leaving an impression of quiet, story-like shadows and unstable sonorities that do not conform to a fixed tonality. Rather than unfolding as a broad, singing melody, its expression is shaped by a concise narrative manner and the colors of its harmony. A key point for listening is the careful transition between its brief sections, while keeping the melodic direction clear even at restrained dynamics. In performance, avoid rushing and preserve the pauses, paying close attention to the balance between voices and to pedal clarity in order to convey the tension beneath its simplicity.