Marina Alcolea

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PIANO AU BORD DE L’EAU

Piano by the Waterside
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12 Pieces for Piano in
Impressionist Style
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ELEMENTARY TO
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
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A project by Juan Cabeza and Marina Alcolea

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 PIANO AU BORD DE L’EAU
Piano by the Waterside
12 pieces for piano in impressionist style
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A musical exploration of reflections, mirrors,
and symmetries in water
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To Elizabeth Swarthout, who, with her talent and expertise, guided me to
rediscover the delight and magic of music making and to whom I will
always be deeply grateful.
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Piano Notebook is a project created to provide various materials,
resources, ideas and activities for piano teachers with elementary
and intermediate level students.

Each publication will address a topic related to piano pedagogy.

Depending on the topic of each notebook, different materials will
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be included, such as compositions, improvisations, arrangements,
technical exercises, audios, card sheets, theory and rhythm.

It will all be sold in PDF format with a studio license, which will allow
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teachers who purchase it free and unlimited use with their own
students.

Juan Cabeza
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 Contents
Introduction 4

About mirror symmetry 5

About symmetrically inverted notation 6

Mirror symmetry in piano technique 7

Teaching and Performance Notes 8

Glossary of French Terms 14

L’Arpe d’eau
Water Harp 17
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Les Vagues berceuses
Swaying Waves 18

Colosses de glace
Ice Titans 19

Le Chant de l’eau
The Song of Water 20
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La Fontaine à vœux
Fountain of Wishes 22

Reflets d’eau
Water Reflections 24
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Refractions d’eau
Water Refractions 25

Lac miroir
Mirror Lake 26

Gare sous la pluie

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Train Station In the Rain 28

La Fureur des torrents

Furious Torrents 30

Néréides
Nereids 32

Miroir d’eau
Water Mirror 35

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Welcome to this world of music, mirrors and water.

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My intention in uniting these three concepts is to awaken the imagination of young
students. To invite them to let themselves be carried beyond the notes into an evocative
world of reflections and water, with impressionistic sonorities.

The pieces in this Notebook are structurally simple, based on simple patterns, but
sophisticated to the ear.

Some of the pieces explore mirror symmetry or inverted symmetry. This symmetry
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challenges students to gain a new perspective through which they can improve their
knowledge of the piano.

This collection of pieces is designed for students from elementary to intermediate level.
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I hope that both students and teachers will enjoy discovering these pieces as much as I
have enjoyed writing them.

Marina Alcolea
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Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Juan Cabeza for trusting me and for his vision without which this Piano Notebook
would not have been possible.

Thanks also to Luis Ortega for his suggestions, his support at all times and for his constant
intellectual challenge.

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 About mirror symmetry
We already know that our hands are symmetrical.

The piano keyboard is also symmetrical although this may not be apparent to everyone
as we are not used to seeing it that way. To understand it, we have to pay attention to
the axis of symmetry.

The axis of symmetry passes through D and G#/Ab:

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In relation to these axes, C and E are a mirror image of each other and D is a mirror
image of itself.

F and B are also mirror images of each other and G and A as well. G#/Ab is a mirror
image of itself.
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C E
D D
F B
G A
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G# Ab

Sharps and flats also change. Sharps are mirrored as flats and flats as sharps. For
example, C# mirrors Eb, F# mirrors Bb, etc.

These correspondences are true for all axes of symmetry and in all octaves of the piano.
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To change from one axis of symmetry to the other one hand needs to move to the
upper or lower octave. I call this modulation of the symmetry axis or mirror modulation.

When changing an octave in one hand, the symmetry axis changes

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 Aboy symmetrically inverted notation
Symmetrically inverted notation is used to make it easier for the interpreter to
understand the mirror symmetry.

This form of notation is a way of writing the score in which one of the staves is written in
a standard way and the other is written symmetrically inverted, using the
correspondences already explained.

When the use of key signature is required, it is also inverted.

In that case there will be as many flats in one staff as sharps in the other, or vice versa.
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We can clearly see the correspondences between key signatures in the circle of fifths.
Imagining a central vertical axis we see that the key signatures on the right mirror those
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on the left and vice versa.
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IMPORTANT: Inverted notation is not used to read both staves at the same time, but to draw attention
to the symmetry system used and thus deduce one hand from the other.

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 Mirror symmetry in piano technique
Symmetrical movements are the simplest and most natural movements we can
perform. As our body is symmetrical, it has a deep intuitive intelligence to perform
them.

It is therefore very beneficial to take advantage of this facility for symmetry in favor of
technical development on the piano.

The method consists of practicing a difficult or troublesome passage by inverting it in

the opposite hand. It can be done with hands together or by alternating them.

EXAMPLE: Chopin, Etude Op. 25 - No. 2

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Inverted example
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This serves to improve technique when one hand has a level of skill that the other does
not yet match. The proprioceptive sensations of one hand guide the development of the
other. In this way, both are developed in a balanced way.
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Mirror symmetry also creates a very solid foundation for the development of
movement. Symmetrical movements create a bridge that interconnects both
hemispheres of the brain. This interconnectivity is the basis for new and more complex
future coordination.

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 Teaching and Performance Notes
L´Arpe d´eau (Water Harp)
A piece conceived for beginner students and ideal for teaching by rote. It is based on
black key patterns. Some of the elements it presents are: crossing hands, and clusters
as well as movements and gestures in mirror symmetry in the form of question and
answer (mm. 1-4) but also in strict symmetry (mm. 9-12). It develops the sense of the
musical phrase and the confidence to move through the keyboard.

Les Vagues berceuses (Swaying Waves)

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This piece explores the whole-tone hexatonic scale. It is a symmetrical scale that exists
in only two positions. Children are fascinated by the sonority of this scale.

It is written on a single staff for both hands. The direction of the note stems indicates
which hand should play.

The student learns to maintain continuity in long phrases and in the alternation of
hands. The fingering 321 or 123 favors, due to the different lengths of these fingers, the
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learning of the in-and-out motions of the forearm, resulting in wider and more fluid
gestures.

I recommend shaping well the arcs of movement in the changes of direction of the
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melody.

You can imagine that the musical phrases are like waves that come and go to try to take
the listener through this experience. At first the waves move quietly, but by the end of
the piece they become more agitated and playful.
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Colosses de glace (Ice Titans)
It is not a piece for beginners but can be taught by rote thanks to its structural
simplicity.

The elements that are combined are: fifths that connect from hand to hand, contrary
motion and big leaps.

When the student has learned the first two phrases based on fifths F#-C# and E-B he or
she can be shown that these two positions are maintained throughout the piece. The
only thing that changes is the first fifth of each phrase, but this in turn changes the
sound perception of the whole phrase.

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 It is a piece of calm and meditative character. One can imagine that the phrases, which
span several octaves from low to high, represent immense glaciers.

Le Chant de l´eau (The Song of Water)

Evocative piece with a singing melody in the right hand and a soft and calm
accompaniment in the left.

From the solitude of the water comes a question, which in the end will have to answer
itself. The slow rhythm of the accompaniment invites introspection.

For all those who once enjoyed listening to the murmur of the water.

La Fontaine à vꟹux (Fountain of Wishes)

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A piece of gentle character with hints of nostalgia and mystery.

The central section and the last chords are written in mirror symmetry so inverted
notation is used. In these sections the student may deduce one hand in relation to the
other.
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Not only are the notes symmetrical. Also, one should pay attention to the symmetry of
the arm movements that facilitate playing in the central section.
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Symmetrical arm movements

Another challenge that the student will find is the pianissimo touch in measures 11
and 12.

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 Reflets d´eau (Water Reflections)
Mirror piece of enigmatic sonority. It’s not written in strict symmetry since the hands
alternate. Symmetry axes also alternate.

Inverted notation is used. In measures 4 and 8 the symmetry axes are played (both
hands meet in the same note). When this happens, either hand can be used, or both at
the same time.

Réfractions d´eau (Water Refractions)

This piece explores the concept of mirror modulation, which as we have seen is a change
in the axis of symmetry that happens when one hand moves an octave. The axes of
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symmetry also alternate.

As in the previous piece, when the hands meet in the middle (the symmetry axis) we can
use the hand we prefer, or play with both at the same time.

From bar 5 onwards, the hands are arranged in relation to the two symmetry axes at
the same time so that their mirrors do not match, but contrary motion is maintained. It
creates an effect of two different tonal centers sounding at the same time.
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Lac miroir (Mirror Lake)
Here is another piece written in mirror symmetry and inverted notation. In the central
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section (mm. 9-20) the use of symmetry is much freer in favor of the melody sung in the
right hand. It is also the most expressive section of the piece culminating in measures
16-20. In measures 17-18 there is a real exception to the mirror symmetry.
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Exception to the mirror symmetry

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 Gare sous la pluie (Train Station In the Rain)
This piece is a warm tribute to the work of my friend Juan Cabeza. Based on Station 3
from his book Piano Train Trips.

A singing melody in the left hand is wrapped by major broken chords in the right hand.

The student should practice well measure 10, as it is the most difficult part of the piece.

La Fureur des torrents (Furious Torrents)

With a strong and vigorous character, this piece also uses mirror symmetry and inverted
notation, except for the measures at the beginning (mm. 1-4) and their recapitulation
(mm. 19-22). Even in this section a certain symmetry can be perceived due to the similar
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distribution of black and white keys in both hands.

As the hands move away from the central axis the sound volume increases. The student
can thus explore forte and fortissimo touch in fast passages.

I recommend practicing well the end of the piece to produce a sudden calm effect.
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Néréides (Nereids)
A sinuous and unpredictable melody unfolds over an accompaniment that shapes the
swaying of the waves throughout this piece.
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It is a complex piece only in appearance. The melody and the accompaniment interact in
a dance of movements and gestures that may look like juggling on the keyboard but can
be solved with fluid, easily coordinated movements.

One of the challenges is trying to maintain the continuity of the musical phrase with
long note values and the alternation of the hands.
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The melody should be brought to life by using a singing tone and making it very
expressive.

Miroir d´eau (Water Mirror)

The last piece in this Notebook is written in mirror symmetry and uses inverted
notation.

Don't let the key signature scare you, the complexity of the reading is only apparent, as
one hand is deduced from the other.

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 It is important to learn the basic positions well in order to facilitate learning. Once these
patterns become familiar the piece is easy to play.

Strict symmetry is used except when the hands alternate. There are two real exceptions
to this symmetry:
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- In the main theme (measure 2) and each time it is repeated throughout the piece

- In the central section (measure 56)

These exceptions are indicated on the score by the symbol (*).

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In the development (mm. 15-34), the hands continue their exploration with
kaleidoscopic imitations and reflections that lead to a mirror modulation (mm. 21-30)
where the main theme is briefly exposed.

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 The symmetry axis is in G#/Ab throughout the piece and during the modulation it
changes to D.

For a better understanding of the structure, it can be helpful to learn the piece by
sections and maybe even leave the development part for the end.

In the middle section (mm. 43-62) the hands alternate in short motifs that contrast with
the cascade of notes in the previous section. The character becomes more paused and
reflective, with melancholic overtones.
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 Glossary of French Terms

French English French English

agité restless léger light

aimable kind légèrement lightly

au début at first lent slow

au mouvement resume original tempo lointain distant

calme calm m.d. (main droite) R.H. (right hand)

capricieux capricious m.g. (main gauche) L.H. (left hand)

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cédez slow down marqué marked

chanté singing modéré moderate

coulant flowing murmuré murmured

dehors restrained tempo mystérieux mysterious

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doux soft plus more

en animant increasing tempo premier mouvement Tempo I

en élargissant slowing down (allargando) pressez increase tempo

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en pressant rushing tempo (stringendo) sans ralentir without slowing down

en retenant holding back (ritenuto) soudainement suddenly

expressif expressive soutenu sustained

flottant floating tendre tender

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furieux furious très very

hésitant hesitating un peu a little

incisif incisive vibrant vibrant

jusqu’à la fin to the end vif lively

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Piano au bord de l´eau
Piano by the Waterside
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 4
Le Chant de l'eau
(The Song of Water)
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 10
La Fureur des torrents
(Furious Torrents)
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 11
Néréides
(Nereids)
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Miroir d'eau
(Water Mirror)
L’exception à la symétrie miroir est
indiquée par ce symbole (*)
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