COMMENTARY
The tremulous sound coloring of the piece is created by the register, uncommonly high for the melody, and the continuous, single pedal. The transparent-sonorous sound quality is achieved by the softly-disjointed non legato in a pp-ppp diapason, the sensitive touch of the fingers, as if interlocking onto each key. The expression of the melody, filled with child-like intonations, is enriched by the almost continuous gentle chime of small metal bells (left-hand part)-which may be a chain of Eastern bells, or of fishing or toy bells, but undoubtedly metal and sonorous high-pitch bells. Their tremor, emerging as if from the trembling resulting from the breaking of the (New Year) fir tree toy, is perpetually maintained, like the light from a burning candle.
The bells also ring solo, pre-echoing the melody, in dialogs with its ‚pauses’ and silence, and concluding the piece. The verbal text serves as a guide to expressive intonation, as if it had actually been spoken.
Tw o phases can be provisionally noted in the piece. In the first, in the unhurried duple movement, from the D arises a prayer motif, which becomes the melodic grain of the entire piece. Rhythmical changes of motifs with a strong beat and conceptual pauses (up to an entire bar!) add special speech expression to the melody. After the bells’ solo the melody sounds more narrative, chant-like and leads to a relative conclusion on the G sound. The questioning and response-soothing nature of these phrases may be picked out, rounding and softening their endings, like speech intonation.
In the second phase of the piece, the melodic development gradually becomes agitated. The key episode, with a profound quartal step, followed by a transfigured peace. The unexpectedly modulatory conclusive phrase, which ends Nativity with hope and faith, sounds equally transfigured.
The meaningful piano ‚pronunciation’ of speech intonations, listening in to the constant counterpoint of the melody and the c