La Comédie des Fenêtres

Suite for solo piano

Daniel Frantz
About the piece
The ‘Comédie’ of the title points towards the overall operatic inspiration for the suite. The four larger
movements take up the function of scenes, or arias. The three intervening movements use a combination of
various techniques inside the piano and conventional playing to suggest the effect of vocalists singing
recitative and an orchestra accompanying. While these ‘recitative’ movements occupy the place given to the
intermezzi of the early Baroque (which is another source of the ‘Comédie,’ as these intermezzi served to
alleviate the weight of opera seria), they create more of a tragic effect, increasing in space and separation of
the ‘voices’ from one to the next.
The subject of the comedy is ‘Fenêtres’ (Fr., ‘windows’) due to the sharp contrasts between the
‘scene’ movements. In fact, one could think of the entire piece as a sort of pseudo-rondo, with a new scene
exposed in each odd-numbered movement, returning to a development of the same scene in the even
movements.

About the composer

Daniel Frantz (b. 1986) is currently a student at the University of South Florida, pursuing his BM in
Music Composition under the instruction of Dr. Michael Timpson and Dr. Paul Reller. A clarinetist by
training, he has both performed and had works featured in several USF Student Composers’ Showcase
concerts. He is also the 2007 recipient of the Patrick Keim Memorial Scholarship.

Performance notes

In mvt. IV, raise the hammers of the plucked strings before pressing the sostenuto pedal. As much time as is
needed may be taken to do this.

Pluck the strings inside the piano corresponding to the written pitch

Strum the strings between the two written pitches. The desired effect is achieved by
strumming sharply, across the short lengths of string beyond the back pegs.

Strike one of the crossbars inside the piano with the base of the palm. The specific
crossbar to be struck should be dictated by convenience.

i
Strike a flat, wooden part of the piano with an open hand. A wooden piano bench is
ideal for this effect, although any part of the piano that delivers an aggressive,
percussive sound may be used.

In mvt. III, where the following appears:

, the written pitch (the grace note) is to be played with the thumb
of the right hand, while the rest of the fingers and palm are used to strike the wood
of the piano adjacent to the key.

The sustain pedal is to be lifted slightly, enough so that the hammers only partially
dampen the strings. The desired effect is to cut out some of the partials of the
strings, until the pedal indication is ended.

Remove foot from the sustain pedal sharply, so that it returns quickly to its ‘off’
position and makes a percussive sound.

Sustain the indicated note for the written duration (12” = 12 seconds).

Strike each key between the indicated pitches simultaneously.

i.e. - = keys between Gb and Db

ii
 La Comédie des Fenêtres

I Daniel Frantz

   
Andante, calmly
 
    
  

       

    
p mp mf
              
3 3 3

 
pp

cresc. poco a poco mf
u.c.

      3
  
6
         
    

 
  

pp

     
3

     3    
cresc. poco a poco
  
    
p

mf
u.c.

11
      
 
         
   
mf f mf f

  
  
L.H.

       
R.H.

    
  
 
mf f
f
       
    
    

ff  


mf f

    

16

       
  
  mf p

  
R.H. L.H.

   
      
mf mp

   
p
  
          
mf p

2 II
Slow, with freedom
    
             




     mp

          
         
    

mp

   espressivo e

    
Larghetto con rubato
    
26
     
     


p f

             



 

mf

p
 


  
 
          
30

        
           



p    mf

f

   
           

    
35                 
    
 

 
  

 



cresc. fff

           
ff



 III
Presto, rhythmic  
  


   
f

        
    
mf f mf
 3


  
45

     


     

  ff

           

 
 
mp

ff

51 


   


 
 fff
 
          
p
   

fff

57   
 



   
   

 


 p


f mp

IV

      
Senza misura, cantabile

      
espressivo


mp mf
ff
      
     
 
sos. 

64

     
     
3


 

ff pp
       
     
 
sos. 
4

66

 













sos.

67
 
    
   

           
p f ff

    
   



fff



Andantino

          
      


    
f sfz
   
mechanical

       

f sim.

            

   
       
73

     

    
mp
        

                       
77

       
mf f fff mp
    
      

mf
 5

               

 
     
81

      

mf mp


           



        
     
sfz mp sfz mf sfz f ff

            

87
 
             

  
cresc. f

                           

 
f
mf p

    
94

            

    

   
mf

     
p

         
    
 f sim.

                   
99

                  


f

mf

       


                             

102


cresc.

       
 
cresc.

    
Lento
  
105

            




 
f pp

      
         
 pp
f
molto rit.
6
VI
2"

2"
 
2" 3"

3"
   
4"
 
5"
   



19"
12"

 


mp


VII
Grazioso e movendi
      
                 



mp

       
        
  
 
    




 
mp

                    
117

             
 



     
p f
       
detached
      
     
p

mf


       
               
123

   


  
  
mp mf
       
    
  
 
ff
       mf
accel. e decresc.
poco a poco

 
       
a tempo, con brio
130
     
             
 
ppp ff
  

     

                
    
accel. molto pp subito ff
 7
135
    
          
   
   
   

     
   
              
  
 
  
  
        

     
140 long
     
       
        

 pp
      
 
   
            
  pp

accel. e cresc. ffff long