FOUR LITTLE DANCES

Autor: Raffaele Calace

Edición: Alison Stephens

Para: Mandolina y guitarra

Nivel: Intermedio

Información:

Gaiété (Mazurka), op.13, No.1
Primo Premio (Valzer), op.13, No.2
Papillons (Polka), op.13, No.3
Jeunesse (Mazurka), op.13, No.4
Calace wrote over 170 pieces for mandolin altogether ranging in difficulty from surprisingly easy Waltzes (also published by Astute: am514-09) through to his two large-scale and challenging Concerti. Much of his music is whimsical, charming and, occasionally, frivolous; but he also wrote many emotionally charged pieces of some substance.
These are Calace’s earliest known pieces written specifically for Mandolin and Guitar. Unusually he has labelled all four of them “op.13”, which suggests that he intended them to go together as some sort of set or suite. They are all types of popular dance form (Two Mazurkas, a Waltz and a Polka). These pieces are perfect for the Lower Intermediate to Intermediate player to learn since they have a definite Calace flavour but without many of his usual technical challenges.

Performance Note: These pieces had very little in the way of original dynamic or playing markings, so I have added editorial markings. The player should feel free to interpret these pieces anyway they feel fit in terms of use of tremolo, dynamics and general colour. As with much of Calace’s music, these pieces benefit from the addition of position playing in suitable passages to make the line smoother, particularly on tremolo passages. I have made a few suggestions to this end but there are many more opportunities for the player to explore.
In essence, these are light, joyful, fun pieces typical of the era in which they were written.