Innehållsförteckning för 110 från Pianist

To thunderous applause, she sat at the Steinway on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall. My hero, poised to perform Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto at the BBC Proms. For the next 40 minutes it felt as though the audience dare not breathe. She was a triumph: such power, such command. Frailty, thy name is woman, said Hamlet. But he never saw Martha Argerich play. Gender imbalance and discrimination is a hot topic right now, in classical music as in other walks of life. In Pianist, I have tried to stay ahead of the curve. We cover plenty of keyboard superstars – Martha, Yuja, Mitsuko – but also women known by more than their first name, writers as well as pianists. This issue I’m especially proud of Jessica Duchen’s cover…

MUSIC MAKES FOR BETTER GRADES High school students who play a musical instrument perform noticeably better in Maths, English, Science and Language exams than their non-musical peers, according to a recent study by the Journal of Educational Psychology. Taking place between 2012 and 2015, the study involved 112,916 students from British Colombia, Canada, who were in Grades 7-12 (equivalent to the UK’s secondary school). Those involved completed at least one standardised exam for Maths, English and Science, and studied at least one instrumental music course. The study, published in June this year, found that participation in music was related to higher scores on all four subjects. ‘These relationships were stronger for instrumental music than vocal music,’ the study explains. ‘Highly engaged instrumental music students were, on average, academically over one…

Radu Lupu has formally retired from the stage at the age of 73. Lupu shot to fame in the 1960s, winning three international piano competitions within the space of three years: Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1966), George Enescu International Piano Competition (1967) and the Leeds International Piano Competition (1969). Decca Records was quick to snap him up, signing him to the label in 1970. Lupu went on to release over 20 recordings between 1970-1993, garnering praise especially for his interpretation of 19th-century German and Austrian music. His playing attracted comparisons to Brahms from conductor Iván Fischer, who worked with the pianist on several occasions. In 2017, Fischer commented, ‘Sometimes, when he’s playing next to me, I don’t even dare to look because I have a feeling that Brahms is…

In 2015, a family of extraordinary musical siblings from Nottingham appeared on Britain’s Got Talent – playing Brahms. An astonished Simon Cowell described them as ‘the most talented family in the world’. The following year, the third eldest, Sheku, won the BBC Young Musician Competition and shot to stardom, playing at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and issuing a debut album that swept the charts. They were, of course, the Kanneh-Masons – and there are six more besides household-name Sheku. I, for one, have been keeping a watchful eye on the progress of the eldest, the pianist Isata. Today this fiery young musician with her talon-like fingers and vivid, natural stage presence is truly in the spotlight. Her debut album on the Decca label showcases her…

MEET THE EXPERTS Mark Tanner is a concert pianist, composer, writer and ABRSM examiner. He has performed extensively in the UK, including London’s Wigmore Hall, and on cruise ships worldwide. Broadcasts include BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. Mark’s music appears in 75 volumes for Edition Peters, ABRSM, TCL and Spartan Press; 30 pieces have featured on exam syllabuses. For Faber, Mark wrote The Mindful Pianist in 2016; in 2019 he co-authored two books with Karen Marshall and edited two volumes of graded repertoire entitled Teachers’ Choice. Graham Fitch is in high demand as a piano teacher in London, working with professional pianists, piano teachers, adult amateurs and motivated youngsters. Graham tutors many piano courses in the UK and internationally – at Finchcocks, Jackdaws, The Summer School for Pianists at…

I heard Chopin’s little Waltz in A minor in a class the other day. The basic feeling, tempo, balance between the hands and the pedalling were all extremely good, and there were some lovely sounds (the opening bars are placed below). But I was struck by how straightjacketed the performance felt from a rhythmical perspective. When I asked the pianist if he had been using a metronome, he told me he had been practising on a digital piano with a waltz backing track. Doing this regularly had completely ironed out any sense of natural phrasing and timing, and the sort of gentle ebb-and-flow rubato this piece needs to bring it to life in performance. Give it a try and you will see what I mean. So, in this article, I…

Key: E flat minor Tempo: Andante Style: Romantic Will improve your: ✓ Evenness of touch ✓ Chord voicing ✓ Tone quality Most of Clara Schumann’s works were written in her early years. Encouraged to compose by her father, her pieces all demonstrate the influence of the composers she was working on at the time. The Three Romances Op 11 were composed in 1839. In my opinion, they represent Clara Schumann’s piano writing at her finest. I have played the set in concert many times and have always had particularly positive feedback about this Opus. I would encourage you to study all three Romances as they make a beautiful set! No 1 is a contemplative gem. It is full of pathos and yearning and it shows a previously unseen maturity in…

As a concertising pianist, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel never got the recognition she deserved – solely giving private performances at her home in Berlin. But she composed some fine works (some still unpublished), even if most of her piano oevre are of an advanced level. Playing tips: In this charming, intermediate-level Bagatelle, keep the pulse moving (the LH repeated notes sound like a heartbeat). There is very little reprise, apart from the two ritardandos (at bar 23 and at the end). Pedal tips: See markings on the score.…

DON’T MISS NILS FRANKE’S LESSON ONTHIS PIECE PAGE 22 Paris-born Cécile Chaminade was both prolific and popular. Her music was hugely popular in its day, especially in France, England and the United States. The late Maurice Hinson, who authored some of the greatest books on piano music, observed that she was one of the first women to make a career out of composing. Read Nils Franke’s step-by-step lesson on page 22.…

On these pages, Pianist covers the most basic stages of learning the piano through a series of lessons by Hans-Günter Heumann. In this issue, we include four simple exercises that will get you used to playing the interval of a sixth. If the exercises are too easy for some readers, use them as sight-reading examples. Repeated sixths in both hands Feel the ‘shape’ of the interval in your hand, even before you play the notes. Then, depress the keys, trying hardest to play the two notes at the same time – and with the same weight. The dotted line above the treble clef at bar 9 requires you to play one octave higher.…

Concert pianist Lucy Parham, who gives a lesson on the Romance, says: ‘With its mournful and yearning undertones, I was immediately drawn to learning this piece. The majority of Clara Schumann’s music is positive and bright, so it was wonderful to be immersed in something darker.’ The track for the Pianist covermount is taken from Parham’s new album, I, Clara. (See full details on back of album cover.) Read Lucy Parham’s step-by-step lesson on page 24. Plus read her illuminating article on the life and works of Clara Schumann.…

Something is changing, and rapidly, in the classical music world: music by women is being recognised and performed on a regular basis. Music composed by women has provided the impetus for several recent concert series and is now found on the syllabi of exam boards where not so long ago, it was a rarity. This year’s BBC Proms included a cornucopia of works by women composer – historic and contemporary – while BBC Radio 3 adds a female-composed work to every Breakfast programme. It doesn’t hurt women composers that others of their gender are venturing into the traditionally male domain of the conductor’s podium. Indeed, it seems to be a golden era for women conductors, with rising stars like Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and…

Maria Yudina Resolute in her resistance to Soviet cultural policies of conservatism and populism, Yudina (1899-1970) recorded and even presented in concert music by modern composers: not only Shostakovich and Prokofiev but also ‘degenerate’ Europeans such as Berg, Honegger and Lutosławski. Despite censuring Stalin directly – ‘I will pray for you day and night and ask the Lord to forgive your great sins’ – she pursued a career relatively unscathed by his regime. Monique Haas While Marguerite Long took all the limelight as Ravel’s favourite interpreter, it was Haas (1909-87) who bypassed the Romantic repertoire and understood the connections between contemporary French composers and Baroque masters such as Couperin and Rameau. Neither cold-steely nor highly perfumed, her Ravel playing is a model of unaffected style and taste. She could also…

MARIAM BATSASHVILI Chopin & Liszt: Consolations, 6 Polish Songs (Chopin arr. Liszt), studies by both etc Warner Classics 9029542786 HHH A lyrical and contemplative recital from Mariam Batsashvili as she contrasts and complements Chopin and Liszt; and, for those that like pianistic fireworks, there is a selection of those on the final tracks. In traversing Liszt’s Bénédiction de Dieu, Batsashvili shows sensitivity if perhaps not enough inwardness, and the tempo could be more spacious than it is. The named composers come together for 6 Polish Songs (Liszt the arranger), charming essays in which Chopin’s vocal parts are subsumed into the piano. Batsashvili plays with shapeliness and affection, and also earthy vigour and boldness when required. Liszt’s Consolations follow, including the familiar No 3; each a prayerlike miniature with a hint…

THE CLASSIC FM FAMILY MUSIC BOX Sam Jackson andTim Lihoreau  White Lion Publishing ISBN: 978-1-78131-807-2 This book is written by Tim Lihoreau, the presenter of Classic FM’s More Music Breakfast, and Sam Jackson, the Managing Editor of the same station. Within its 140-odd pages, some biographical information, key works, and anecdotes of around 30 composers are detailed as well as brief introductions to the orchestra’s instrumental groups. Attractively illustrated, the light-hearted yet informative writing is ideally suited to younger newcomers to the genre. Eight sound-chip buttons featuring music contained in the book complete the title, bumping the cost up to almost £20, although it is rather disappointing to note that they only play a mere six to nine seconds each. This is enough to keep toddlers entertained, but older readers…

Evenness has become an increasing preoccupation for pianists. We gradually realise that hearing semiquavers emerge pristinely from our fingers is as important as being able to play fast. Understandably, once a pianist has built up a set of nimble fingers, they may feel inclined to spend their newfound dexterity at every opportunity. I once asked a young pupil why he played everything so fast, to which he responded, unsurprisingly, ‘because I can’. The moment we begin to prize the skill of playing with clarity we will have turned an important corner. From here, we’ll be inclined to invest more of our practice time improving our control of the keys, helping us to become more attuned to issues of unevenness. Uneven piano playing comes in a variety of guises, each equally…

Key: C major Tempo: Moderato Style: Romantic Will improve your: ✓ Chordal balance ✓ Articulation ✓ Pedalling Maria Szymanowska was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1789. As well as being a virtuoso concert pianist, she wrote over 100 pieces for the piano. This piece is No 3 from a collection of 25 Mazurkas – the mazurka being a lively Polish folk dance which features sporadic strong accents on the second or third beats. Although marked moderato, beware not to play at too steady a pace. You risk losing the character of this dance if the tempo is too slow. A crotchet equals 152 beats per minute could even be stretched a little more for those who prefer a swifter pace. Constructed in Ternary Form (A-B-A), the outer sections feature two-bar…

French composer Louise Farrenc wrote a widely-praised set of etudes in all keys. This, being No 1 from the Op 50 set, is in the ‘easy’ key of C. Playing tips: Even if this graceful piece might not sound like a study, fluidity is the key ingredient here – as well as evenness of touch. That will be tricky to master, especially in the context of a piano/pianissimo dynamic range. Start out by practising extremely slowly, feeling the depth of each key. And remember to hold all the notes down in the LH (see the ties). When you start to increase the tempo, use a slightly lighter touch. Pedal tips: Even if tempting, try not to use the pedal. The fingers alone should be doing the legato work.…

Tips from the composer: This little number pays homage to Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer which was the theme music in the 1973 film The Sting. Once you’ve learnt the notes without looking down at the keyboard, set the metronome so that the click is played on every bass-clef quaver. That way, the quavers will ‘act’ like crotchets and the semiquavers will ‘act’ and feel like quavers. Gradually increase the tempo by no more than 5 on the metronome. Your fingers won’t feel the speed increase. Keep doing this until you reach 160 then halve the metronome speed to 80, back to a crotchet click and keep increasing the tempo by 5 until you reach 100. If you find your fingers lifting up, decrease the speed and stay at that tempo…

WATCH CHENYIN LI PLAY THIS AT WWW.PIANISTMAGAZINE.COM The term ‘rondo’ might have been employed as a means to publish a stand-alone piano piece under a recognisable title; the piece does not follow a rondo structure, but uses instead a monothematic sonata form. The absence of a second subject allows Mozart to fully explore this theme, and throughout he playfully examines myriad versions of the opening motif, including one played by both hands. He also adds different accompaniments and visits various keys. Playing tips: There is much to absorb in every bar, so slow practice is crucial. Use your ears at all times in order to grasp all the nuances of phrasing, articulation, dynamics etc. Pedal tips: See suggested pedalling.…

1 Marie de Bigot: Suite d’etudes 2 Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: Notturno in G minor 3 Sofia Gubaidulina (b1931): Musical Toys, Chaconne and Piano Sonata 4 Eleanor Alberga (b1949): ‘It’s Time is an amazing work,’ says Wallace, adding that this Jamaican-born composer has a wealth of repertoire 5 Unsuk Chin (b1961): Six Etudes 6 Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953): Study in mixed accents; Preludes for piano 7 Vítězslava Kaprálová (1915-1940): Five compositions for piano Op 1; April Preludes; Grotesque Passacaglia 8 Marie Jaëll (1846-1925): Sonata in C; Six petits morceaux pour piano 9 Nina Simone (1933-2003): Transcriptions (various) 10 Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006): 12 preludes, five sonatas 8 inside this issue 1 Szymanowska Mazurka in C (p30) 2 Mendelssohn Hensel Bagatelle (p31) 3 Farrenc Study Op 50 No 1 (p34) 4 Spanswick Kaleidoscope…

WRITE TO: The Editor, Pianist, 6 Warrington Crescent, London, W9 1EL, UK EMAIL: editor@pianistmagazine.com STAR LETTER wins a surprise CD. Letters may be edited. STAR LETTER Furry delights I am very fond of cats, owning three myself, so was delighted to read Jessica Duchen’s article ‘Furry friends’ inside issue 109. It was beautifully written, and some of the pictures were priceless: Wanda Landowska’s cat, perched perfectly on his piano, was the highlight for me. On the subject of cats, I remember reading about Nora the piano-playing cat inside your issue No 36 News section (I am an avid Pianist reader and have been reading the publication since issue No 1!). She had become a bit of a YouTube sensation. I was wondering whether you knew if she’s still alive and…

Pioneering pianist Sarah Nicolls is attempting to raise enough funds to design a new type of grand piano called the Standing Grand. Modelled on a combination of grand and upright (see picture below), the Standing Grand aims to be light and compact enough to bring the fullness of a grand piano’s sound into modern spaces, but will have the same footprint as an upright. The unique design will weigh around 82kg, considerably less than a standard grand piano which typically weighs 450kg. Nicolls says it ‘will make living with a piano much easier. People will be able to take the top half off and lift both sections up the stairs with two normal adults. That is an absolutely radical idea in piano manufacture – anyone who has ever tried to…

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel Bagatelle (p31): Don’t be alarmed by the LH’s repeated notes; the thumb can throb away, but think hard about the other fingers, especially the bass line. Con moto implies motion, not a daredevil pace. Keep pedalling to a minimum. Cécile Chaminade Tarantelle (p38): There is a jig-like 6/8 feel to this delightful Tarantelle. Observe the articulation markings which are plentiful throughout. Evenness will come from letting the music ripple, so that its jaunty personality emerges naturally. Clara Schumann Romance (p62): Tackle the LH first to be really confident of fingerings and places where pedal can help to oil the wheels. Remind yourself from time to time how ‘simple’ the tune is, so that all those semiquavers don’t gridlock your performance.…

Key: A minor Tempo: Vivo Style: Romantic Will improve your: ✓ Pedalling ✓ Quality of sound ✓ Musicianship skills ‘This is not a woman who composes but a composer who is a woman’. These are the words of Ambroise Thomas (1811-1896), the one-time Director of the Paris Conservatoire. Taken as a statement of its time, it’s clear that he admired Cécile Chaminade’s music, and rightly so. But he wasn’t alone. Chaminade’s music was hugely popular in its day. Fritz Kreisler transcribed one of her works, and even a virtuoso of the calibre of Leopold Godowsky recorded her music. Chaminade (1857-1944) was also a fine concert pianist. Her playing was very French; fluid, highly responsive to subtle changes of tempo and beautifully phrased. Performance notes by Chaminade, published in December 1930,…

DON’T MISS MELANIE SPANSWICK’S LESSON ONTHIS PIECE PAGE 20 As well as being a prolific composer, Polish-born Maria Szymanowska was a brilliant (and beautiful) concert pianist. She played to packed out concert halls throughout Europe and became a court pianist for the Russian Tsar. Szymanowska composed over 100 works, including this short, Romantic Mazurka, which comes from a set of 25. Read Melanie Spanswick’s step-by-step lesson on page 20.…

Tips from the composer: Kaleidoscope was written in a couple of hours on a rainy afternoon. The mood is intense, with frequently changing note patterns, synonymous with the title. Set in the dark key of F minor, each four-bar phrase is slightly more demanding than the last, both technically and musically. From bars 1-8, aim to keep the LH accompaniment light and soft. Sing the melancholy melody with a cantabile touch, and observe the quirky accents from bars 4-8. The semiquaver passages demand a crisp clarity; ensure they are rhythmical and even. Tenuto markings from bars 9-12 offer a chance to nuance notes of importance, and when the melody returns at bars 17-20, the intensity is magnified before the powerful semiquaver climax (bars 22-25). Work at this passage slowly, using…

American composer Amy Beach penned her Children’s Album in 1897. This charming Polka is the fifth and final piece in the set. Playing tips: Readers will enjoy learning this piece! The recurring staccato quavers should bounce off the keys with vigour – a sense of playfulness (note the Scherzando marking at the start) should prevail throughout. Aim to keep the fingers of both hands well-articulated at all times. The most playful moment has to be at bars 51-52, where the ritardando leads us into the return of the opening theme. The Polka should end on a real ‘high’: gage the gradual crescendo from bar 63 to the end. Pedal tips: Very little pedal required. Short dabs here and there, if at all.…

French Romantic composer Mélanie Hélène Bonis (known as Mel Bonis) wrote some 300 works – including pieces for piano solo and piano four hands. This beautiful, rippling Méditation is a joy to learn and play. Playing tips: Remember to keep the pulse flowing. The tempo is Andante and it should come across as calm and unrushed. Some of the chords and octaves will prove challenging (starting bar 14), so keep the wrists relaxed – but fingers firm – always aiming to lean onto the top note. From bar 17 onwards, remember to keep the ‘bubbling’ accompaniment quiet and make things especially dolce (sweet) at bar 26. The opening returns at bar 36; try to play it even more poignantly this time around. The coda (from bar 50/51) should die away…

John Geraghty (aka SmashHarry) is a songwriter, music producer, pianist, guitarist, author, teacher and modern artist. He’s currently promoting his new uptempo disco-funk single Diamond Shoes (featuring Ishy Dee). You can hear it now on Spotify/iTunes and on his website at www.smashharry.com. John is also in the middle of final rehearsals, working as musical director and pianist in The Iconic Blonde show starring Verity Burgess (Cats, Evita). In this second lesson of a six-part series, John Geraghty explores how to create seventh chords – and how to use them over a simple, well-known tune Introduction In the last lesson, you learned how to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star using the C major scale along with seven three-note chords from within the ‘family’ of C major. You also learned about root,…

'She was the first concert pianist to play from memory – thus shaping the format of the solo recital as we know it today' It was in the mid-90s that I began playing the music of Clara Schumann. Since early childhood I’d adored and been fascinated by the music of Robert Schumann and my study of him inevitably led me to her. In 1996, to commemorate the centenary of Clara’s death, I became one of the first pianists to record both their piano concertos and solo works on the same album. Later that year I gave a Wigmore Hall recital devoted solely to both of their compositions. History had somewhat forgotten Clara: little was acknowledged about her compositions, or of her prodigious talent as a concert pianist. At that time…