Does anybody know how fast this is meant to be played? I always thought it was supposed to be played at an average speed but I heard a recording where it is played extremely fast. And I've also heard recordings where it's not played that fast. For those of you who've played it, what speed did you play it at?

I have heard it on both harp and piano, and have played it before,but i'm not too sure what exact tempo it is to be played at --the general effect was like a little brook so most likely not too fast. Make sense? It is a lovely piece and I hope you enjoy it!

yea...ive heard extremely fast recordings also and slow ones...btu when i played it, i tried my own interpretation. you should make your own interpretation too to some musicianship

Here's a sound clip from Amazon which sounds a pretty decent speed. I did it about this speed when I learnt it. It is lovely and a staple piece of the Piano repertoire.

Arabesque No. 1

Gae

I am learning this piece at the moment and also have the same question in mind - how fast should I play it?

I have heard recordings and all of which are played super fast, so I was in deep worry that I could not play it well. Having read the replies above, I am relieved. The interesting thing about this piece is that, whether you play it at fast/medium/slow speed, it is still lovely .

Therefore, I think it is more important to focus on expression and the techniques in playing triple against quavers, rather than speed.

The upper right hand melody in bar 3 (or bar 4?) should be flowing and fast enough to be heard and realized easily be the listener, but not too fast, I think. You shouldn't put too much rubato, either. Generally, I can't suggest a strict tempo because the rubato has a big role, even though I've just told you not too much of it.

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I'm learning this piece too at the moment- I might play it for my grade 8 exam. Because I've just started it, I'm doing it quite slowly but I would also be interested to know just *how* fast it should go when I start to speed it up. That clip sounds like a good tempo, Gae- thanks.

thanks to this thread I have a wonderful piece of Debussy floating rather beautifully round my head... I can't remember which one it is though...! ... I just checked the link and it is indeed this one...

I have no idea of the markings on but yep I think however fast or slow you play it, the trick is to make it sound so comfortable, so easy, so relaxed... even if parts of it are pretty hard... in my head it's deliciously relaxed! hehe... if I could play it how I am hearing it I'd be a concert pianist

that is so strange, Im learning it too at the moment! Debussy is tres popular!

not surprising, really... I'd learn it if I wasn't a lot a lot too bad at the piano

Sara-flute said

QUOTE

not surprising, really... I'd learn it if I wasn't a lot a lot too bad at the piano

...or the English Language...!!

Gae

QUOTE (Gae @ Jan 26 2005, 10:53 PM)

Sara-flute said QUOTE not surprising, really... I'd learn it if I wasn't a lot a lot too bad at the piano ...or the English Language...!! Gae

there's only one mature and sensible answer to that, Gae...






Regards...



S

The suggested tempo that I have found for this piece is crotchet=132, but I am not sure whether it would be too fast for andantino (as andantino means slightly faster than andante but may also mean slightly slower, I am not sure whether I should play it faster or slower than andantino in this case).

I just wonder what other people think.

_deleted_

i think that in this case the interpretation of andantino is slightly FASTER than andante.

i am listening to the ABRSM recording as i type this and it seems quite fast certainly considerably faster than i would have played it if i hadn't heard the recording. ( i may learn this piece also for list C, i cant seem to decide on my list C piece!)

i must say that the ABRSM sounds really good fast but it is still important to take it at a speed which you feel comfortable with and that you think fits your personal interpretation, however i would like to nudge you in the direction of slightly FASTER than andante as opposed to slower.