Just wondering if anyone has done the Fiocco piece for Grade 5? We have introduced notes inegales on the 2nd page at bar 15 which sounds lovely, but are not sure whether to play them for the remainder of the piece i.e. when they appear again at bar 25. Bit trickier to 'swing' them with all the ornaments but it does sound nice.

Just wondering what your thoughts were and any rules you use?

Thanks.

I don't know this piece at all. Have just had a look at it and would personally say that if you are using notes inegales at bar 15 then continue them at bar 25. My general "rule" is not to mix them. Either notes inegales through the whole piece, where appropriate of course, or straight notes throughout.

Thanks Porilo. That makes sense. It sounded odd with the second lot of semiquavers straight .Just wanted to check we were on the right path.

My feeling is that in a reasonably short piece and in an exam, I'd go for one or the other consistently. I have a pupil doing this (it's her favourite piece). We tried it both with and without the notes inegales and she (as I) preferred it without.

Thanks Seer Green. Much appreciate the advice. It does makes sense. Maybe we'll have a go playing straight also and compare.

I agree about consistency, but why does playing it in an exam make a difference? Surely what's good playing in an exam situation is (or should be) exactly what is good playing outside an exam situation. Perhaps I'm being naive here.

I'm probably just thinking about exam pressure and that it might be safer with one or the other on the day. At the end of the day, as long as the candidate is confident with what they're doing and it sounds convincing, I don't suppose it matters either way.

When I performed it in an exam I "inegaled" them at bar 15 and played them straight at bar 25. I love the bit at bar 25 and it never occurred to me to swing them there.

fyi I got a distinction

Much better, I think, with notes inegales - and certainly bar 25 must be the same. As the notes at the bottom of the page say: "the non-triplet semiquavers which FIRST occur in bar 15.............."

I tell my pupils that the left hand semiquavers in bars 10 and 11 should also be inegales if the others are.

You won't be marked down at Grade 5 whatever you choose to do, though.

Italian baroque?
If so, then no, I'd not do inegales. If French, and and notes are basically stepwise, with only the occasional third, then I'd consider using them.

Good point as I've regarded them as a French style item - like double dotting - unless it was intending to be "French" style (don't know the piece so can't add much more value!)

I did them straight throughout (non ingales )
distinction-March 2012

I don't think it makes that much difference as long as you sound sure of what you're doing and not too tentative

Joseph Fiocco belonged to an Italian family of musicians that settled in Brussels. ............. His published keyboard works owe much to those of Francois Couperin, for example in their fanciful movement titles and profuse ornamentation. (from the notes at the bottom of page 1.)

The piece was published in Brussels in 1730 as part of Pieces de clavecin.

As I understand it, convention says that passages of equal (appropriate) note length should be "swung", but bars of mixed note values need not be.

I'm presenting bar 25 both ways to my student, and letting them choose. The bars which contain only semiquavers are much better swung, IMO.

Some great replies.

Thank you everyone!