Notes on Popper’s Dance of the Elves
It is sadly undeniable that performers today increasingly treat this charming, fantastical virtuoso miniature as nothing more than an opportunity to break speed records, completely ignoring their real artistic responsibility.
How few players, when learning this delightful, evocative piece, bother to ask themselves: what approach should I take to portray a “dance of the elves”? One look at the score is enough to show any imaginative musician how masterfully Popper creates the elves’ magical world. The piece truly “comes alive,” so to speak, when played with orchestra. With piano accompaniment alone, it becomes pedestrian and loses its orchestral sparkle. The soloist must therefore adapt their technique to match what the score indicates—an approach that pays dividends even in piano performances. This requires, of course, the ability to execute spiccato at every dynamic level and shading—sometimes in the middle of the bow, sometimes at the tip, sometimes at the frog, as explained in the technical chapters of this book.
Let’ us take a closer look at this thoughtful composition! The opening depicts an alarm call or gathering summons, like a tam-tam strike. Note the composer’s marking “sempre spiccato”—continuous spiccato. But don’t carry this into the third measure, because you cannot achieve the same fortissimo spiccato effect anywhere else on the bow. The fifth measure enters at the same dynamic level, then gradually fades to piano through the sixth measure, and with the seventh measure, the elves’ dance truly begins. Grace and agility now blend into enchanting play. Light-footed but unhurried, the elves dart about. Other woodland spirits join in their merry festivities. Mischievous laughter rings out (those downward chromatic runs). Ghostly whispers fill the air. Mysterious, spine-tingling sounds weave through the lovely dance melodies. The wind rustles ominously (chromatic octave scales on the C- and G-strings). And so the elves’ dance swirls along, brimming with humor and charm—offering the player countless opportunities for fine characterization, if they have mastered the proper technique!
Anyone who heard Popper himself play this piece understands the enormous gap between today’s popular performance style and the composer’s own refined, spirited interpretation—it was simply incomparable!
