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The short answer
Wooden soldiers enter a children's album. March of the Wooden Soldiers is a march by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 3, an estimate.
- march
- Romantic
- dancing
- playful
- repeated notes
Also known as Op. 39 No. 5; TH 141 No. 5; ČW 154.
History
"March of the Wooden Soldiers" is No. 5 in the published Children's Album. Tchaikovsky composed the 24-piece album between May and July 1878; it appeared that October, dedicated to Vladimir Davydov.
Sources
What to listen for
March through the rests
The upper part alternates short attacks with rests. Keep the rests precise so the two-beat march pulse stays clear.
A dotted little turn
A dotted figure dips to A-sharp and returns to B before a short rest. Keep that long-short rhythm distinct when the figure repeats.
Chord shapes move upward
Short chords lead into a higher note and another chord. Keep the changing shapes light and leave the written gaps clear.
A brief descent and a pause
The upper chords descend through short figures before a longer rest. Let the phrase finish cleanly rather than filling the pause.
A crisp lower-part answer
While the upper part pauses, the lower part plays a repeated-note figure marked staccato. Keep those notes short and evenly placed.
How to practise it
Keep the short entries and spaces clear in the march texture.
- Release into the written rests.
- Make dotted and short values distinct.
- Keep the layers coordinated without constant sound.
How hard is it
The proposed early two-hand target emphasizes a stable pulse, organized articulation and coordination across the complete march, rather than playing a recognizable fragment.
About this piece
- Licence
- Public Domain
- Source
- mutopiaproject.org
More by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Old French SongLevel 3, estimatedWith Maestro
- The Seasons: JanuaryLevel 6, estimatedWith Maestro
- DoumkaLevel 9, estimatedWith Maestro
