COMMENTARY
The lyrical piece A Fawn is based on the melody of an unpublished vocal composition (1962), which later was included in Alice in Wonderland (1994-2002). The melody in this laconic monophonic piece without words stands out as the sole means of expression.
The name of the piece symbolizes an image of beauty, tremulousness and natural grace. The pure melody develops leisurely, acquiring dance-like features (revealing the rhythm of the mazurka).
The nine-bar melodic line in the upper register (dolcissimo, legatissimo) is made up of four phrases, distinctively vertically placed according to the author’s conceptual interpretation.
The first phrase begins with a soulful D on the off-beat in duple time and continues with the conjunct motif. Further, from the third bar, the tonality of F-sharp minor and the triple time, the main time of the piece, are determined. The questioning punctuated motif completes the first line.
The following, most intense phrase-the VII natural scale tone environment (D-F-E-D)-leads to a lingering dominant C-sharp (Bars 6-7). The melodic tension gradually subsides in a descending chant, and the free figuration in the broken basic triad concludes the piece. Final peace comes after a pause, when against the background of the concluding F-sharp three pizzicato colorful echoes emerge in turn.
The smooth and measured rhythm with the tranquil movement of crotchets and unhurried small beats-quavers - acquires an important role in the expressive execution of this lyrical piece.
The tender melody of A Fawn has no dynamic crescendos or accents. The lingering intonation support tones-D, A, C-sharp and the final F-sharp-acquire significance. They should be picked out with a tenuto accent and additionally colored with the pedal (the initial D sounds better on a pedal already pressed down). The light and warm nature of the sound is achieved between pp-p by the sensitive touch of ‚singing’ finger tips, legatissimo-by the pr