Preface by Catherine GUICHARD
The easy pieces for piano, with the exception of "Poursuite", were composed for volume 2 of Le Toucher: "Enseignement du piano basé sur la physiologie", published in 1899 (a second edition was produced in 1930 by A. Rihouet1). A pedagogue above all, Marie Jaëll wished, through these few pieces, to apply the principles of her method based on the knowledge of physiology and the development of tactile sensitivity.
Marie Jaëll's method of teaching music, and the way it is approached with young children, is far from learning by automatism. Knowing how to express and find the musical language of a work, means knowing how to link the sounds of a group together, and therefore knowing how to feel and prepare one's hand to express this language of sounds.
These pieces, of different levels, are intended for pianists, young and old, from their first year of learning for certain pieces ("Les petits lutins", "Les chasseurs"), as well as for more experienced pianists for other pieces ("Petite valse chantante", "Papillons gris"). They present a pleasant harmony and melody, descriptive and simple, like a story that one likes to tell. The differentiation of the roles between right and left hand requires a search for varied timbres and sonorities calling for distinct touches. The movements on the whole extent of the keyboard allow the pianist to tame the space, to move there with ease by seeking the right movement.
