A.I.Khachaturian：Children’s Album, book1 “Pictures of Childhood”

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＞　Children’s Album, book1 “Pictures of Childhood”

Overview

Although it is titled “Children’s Album,” it is a collection of works that can be used by children who have completed the beginner level and are approaching the intermediate level, and is not intended for beginners. It is desirable for students to have completed the basic method using an introductory textbook and have progressed to sonatinas and Bach’s works. Of the ten pieces, only the first was composed in 1926, during his younger years; the rest were written in 1947. The pieces are not overly complicated, have a sense of tonality, and are packed with the essence of modern music, making this a perfect collection of pieces to begin with when learning about modern music. The rhythm, harmony, and phrase structure are all different from those of the classical and romantic eras, which makes it interesting and gives you a fresh sound. It is often said that some students are put off by the sound of contemporary music when listening to collections of contemporary pieces, but even though these are contemporary pieces, from the present (2025) perspective, they are already 100 years old. Children who are accustomed to listening to modern popular music and students who are studying pieces written for children by contemporary composers do not seem to be put off by the sound of contemporary music. However, since there are many accidentals, it is technically difficult if you are extremely bad at reading music. Students who are studying modern textbooks such as Mikrocosmos should be able to play it without any problems. If you are studying around volumes 3 and 4 of Mikrocosmos, it should not be too difficult. Technically, the difficulty level for all pieces is “B2,” but if you are unfamiliar with accidentals the difficulty level will be increased slightly. Khachaturian is from the former Soviet Union, but because he was born in the Caucasus, his musical style is more Central Asian than Russian. The music of the Caucasus, which borders the Middle East such as Turkey and Iran, has a unique atmosphere, and I feel extremely happy to be able to encounter such music in a relatively easy piece.

My recommendation

7. The Little Horse：It has a rhythmic and mysterious feel to it, and is also easy to play. 9. A Glimpse of the Ballet（Invention）：The heart-wrenching beauty of this piece is the best in this collection.

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A Little Song（Andantino）	B2	♫
[1] Introduction. [2] The song(melody) begins. The song(melody) is a four-bar piece. The fourth line returns to the theme. While the beginning descends from C to G, the repetition of the theme ascends from C to G. The theme that follows is an octave higher than the beginning, so play with the awareness that you are singing in a higher voice (as if someone else is singing). Also, the left hand accompaniment is more rhythmic than the first half, so play with a little movement. Consolidate the inner voices in the bass. The bass descends in a chromatic progression. Listen carefully to that. In the final measure, the third note of the C chord is omitted, making it difficult to see the key. It can be in either major or minor, and it would be good to create a floating, liberating feeling. (1”20)

Scherzo

My Friend is unwell

Birthday Party

Etude

Legend

The Little Horse	B2	♫
This is probably a merry-go-round. The inorganic and hard accompaniment played by the right hand brings to mind the image of a horse turning at a constant speed. The horse on a merry-go-round moves up and down, and at the higher parts it gets a little tense, and at the lower parts it relaxes and waves to its parents, saying “Hey!”… I can almost picture such a scene. The melody that appears at different heights should be played with plenty of dramatic accents, imagining various scenes. I think it’s good to play non-legato except for the parts with slurs. The last three sections are like a merry-go-round that is about to stop. It expresses the way the rotation slows down, becoming more mechanical and jerky. (1”19)

In Folk Dance Style（Gallopade）

A Glimpse of Ballet（Invention）

Fughetta