Innehållsförteckning för 117 från Pianist

If there’s one video you should watch in order to learn how to sit correctly at the piano, it’s Khatia Buniatishvili’s YouTube performance of the fiendishly difficult Liszt/Horowitz Rhapsody No 2. What incredible posture! So upright, so grounded, so calm and controlled, even if her brain is obviously working on overtime. She’s hardly the only pianist with perfect posture – I’ve just watched Stephen Hough sail elegantly through Paderewski’s Nocturne as a Carnegie Hall recital encore – but most of us can only sit and admire such poise. We spend so much time thinking about our fingers that we often forget about the other important body parts – all of which contribute to good piano-playing. Mark Tanner’s masterclass (p16) explains some posture do’s and don’ts, illustrated by example: the good,…

Which would you choose? Korg’s ‘tiny’ 25-note battery-powered piano measuring 15 inches wide (below), or Steinway’s eye-catching limited-edition Lenny Kravitz grand – the latest from the Steinway collaboration workshop (right)? For a piano of such a small size, Korg’s tinyPIANO impressively features 25 built-in sounds and 50 demo songs that cover a wide range of styles, making it an ideal first piano for any young prodigy out there. It retails at ?160. On the other end of the scale, the Steinway Kravitz features hand-carved motifs on the rim, inner lid and music desk and hand-carved, block-style legs in black ebony finish. Only ten Kravitz models will be produced, retailing at a modest $500,000 (?380,000 approx), so if you’re a fan of the American singer-songwriter, you might need to act fast!…

Much has happened in the life of Lang Lang since he and I spoke face to face in the spring of 2019. DG had just released the Piano Book: a mixed bag of popular classics such as Für Elise, the ‘Raindrop’ Prelude and ‘Nimrod’ with a complimentary volume of sheet music. Now, 18 months on, the pianist is married, soon to be a father, and consumed with passion for another masterpiece of piano literature identifiable by its title alone, but cast on a far more imposing scale: the Goldberg Variations. What has changed? One answer to the question is all too obvious: the pandemic has put paid to a chat in person. When we meet online, he in a Shanghai hotel room and me in my office in London, I…

Posture is a topic that is probably never too far from a piano teacher’s lips. Maintaining a good posture has as much to do with our ongoing ‘piano health’ as our control of the instrument itself. While a well-considered seating position enables a comfortable, tension-free movement of the arms, wrists, hands and fingers, conversely a pianist may encounter aches and pains when posture is permitted to slip. It may be tempting to describe a pianist’s posture as ‘static’, particularly if we find ourselves admiring pianists who appear almost motionless. It would be more appropriate to think of our posture as ‘dynamic’ – i.e. continually adjusting, however subtly, to meet the needs not just of our bodies but of the music being played. Posture isn’t something we set straight once and…

Key D flat major Tempo Musingly Style Romantic Will improve your ✓Pedalling ✓Chord voicing ✓Balance between hands The majority of MacDowell’s published works span a period of just under 20 years. During this time, he went from being a relatively unknown American pianist-composer trying to establish himself in Germany, to Columbia University’s first Professor of Music. By Smouldering Embers was written around 1901. It is taken from one of MacDowell’s final collections of pieces, the Fireside Tales Op 61. In 1908, the composer’s first biographer, Lawrence Gilman, referred to the Fireside Tales as ‘pianistic nature studies’. He suggested that they showed ‘…unfamiliar timbre. There is a turn of phrase, a quality of sentiment, which are notably fresh and strange.’ Gilman concluded that they exhibited ‘graver tenderness, a more persuasive sobriety,…

The Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli was a virtuoso violinist who led some of the best ensembles in his native Italy. He wrote extensively for the violin, including several collections of sonatas. This elegant piece is a transcription of a movement from one of his most famous sonata collections, which inspired many later composers. Take a look at the technical tips within the score.…

Born in Liege, Cesar Franck made his career in Paris as a teacher, organist and composer. This piece comes from L’Organiste, a grab-bag collection of 59 pieces for harmonium and organ, composed in 1889-90 and published in 1896 after the composer’s death. The 8ve sign asks for the pianist to play the notes an octave higher. Read Melanie Spanswick’s step-by-step lesson on page 20. DON’T MISS MELANIE SPANSWICK’S LESSON ON THIS PIECE PAGE 20…

Mikhail Glinka is best known for his two operas, Ruslan and Lyudmila and A Life for the Tsar. The Russian composer also wrote many piano works, including many characteristic dances, such as this Mazurka. The mazurka is a Polish folk dance for a circle of couples, characterised by stamping feet and clicking heels, and traditionally danced to the music of a village band. The music is in ¾ (as it is here) or ⅜ time, with a forceful accent on the second, and often third, beat. Playing tips: Some slow, hands-separate practice wouldn’t go amiss here. The LH needs to be secure, wide jumps and all, while the RH takes control of the somewhat ‘lamentable’ melody. Try to ‘fall’ into the accents but always keep the line moving forward. Rubato…

The first five of Mozart’s piano sonatas were probably written quite close together, before the composer left Salzburg for Munich in December 1774. He later referred to them as his ‘difficult’ sonatas; reflecting, perhaps how their relatively modest technical challenges conceal their depths of expression. The first movement of this Sonata appeared inside issue 95 (watch Chenyin Li perform it on Pianist’s YouTube channel). Playing tips: This elegant Andante, in the key of C major, is in typical sonata form. The exposition takes up the first 15 bars, after which the development begins – which takes us through some intense modulations – and then the recapitulation (return of the opening material) appears at bar 24. The last few bars form a short coda. Take time to study all the articulations,…

Tchaikovsky was in the midst of writing Swan Lake in 1875 when the editor of the Russian music magazine Nouvellist commissioned him to write The Seasons – one solo piano piece for each month, appearing in the magazine in its respective month. The ‘Christmas’ subtitle to this piece, the last in the set, was added by the publisher. January, March, April, May, June, October and November have appeared in past issues. Playing tips: Lucy Parham gives her in-depth lesson on December inside this issue. With regards to pedal, Chenyin Li – who performs the piece on this issue’s covermount – says that in general she uses one pedal change per bar. But she also likes to release the pedal on the third beat in every second bar, depending on the…

MARTHA ARGERICH Beethoven: Piano Concerto 2; Grieg: Holberg Suite etc Seiji Ozawa/Mito Chamber Orchestra Decca 485 0592 How many times has Martha Argerich recorded Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 2? I am not sure I have the energy to trawl the catalogue to find the answer, but I’m guessing it must be about a gazillion. And now – in honour of that ever-present 250th anniversary – here comes another version. But perhaps there’s another reason, too: for although the conductor here is Argerich’s long-time friend and collaborator Seiji Ozawa (leading the hand-picked Japanese Mito Chamber Orchestra), this is only her second recording with him. It’s all lovely, of course, just as you’d expect. It sparkles, scintillates, shines. But then so does her equally lovely recording with Claudio Abbado. There’s an odd…

EMAIL: editor@pianistmagazine.com WRITE TO: The Editor, Pianist, Warners Group Publications, 31-32 Park Row, Leeds, LS1 5JD. STAR LETTER wins a surprise CD. Letters may be edited. STAR LETTER SPECIAL PIECE Thank you for including the Clementi Sonatina inside issue 116 [first movement, Sonatina Op 36 No 3]. I am sure all your readers have an important piece in their repertoire but this piece is very special to me. When I was about 12 years old, learning the piano was becoming boring, as all I wanted to do was play sheet music and rock tunes. On the point of giving up, my despairing piano teacher introduced me to this movement from the Clementi Sonatinas. It was like turning a light on! Its brilliant simplicity and sparkling fingerwork was so rewarding –…

Choir leader John Rutter has transcribed eight of his favourite seasonal choral pieces for piano, designed for early intermediate-level players. The John Rutter Christmas Piano Album includes A Child’s Lullaby, Angels’ Carol and The Colours of Christmas. The transcriptions include the lyrics within the piano score, allowing the possibility for a family singalong (safely does it, of course). Alternatively, you can opt for Rutter’s latest album, The Piano Collection. Pianist, organist and conductor Wayne Marshall performs all eight arrangements, as well as an extra nine pieces including The Lord bless you and keep you, A Clare Benediction, and Be thou my vision. Sheet music: www.bit.ly/ruttersheetmusic Album: www.bit.ly/rutteralbum…

If you could play only one piece in the whole repertoire from now on, what would it be? It’s obvious… the Goldberg Variations! (Liszt’s Liebesträume is too short!) If you could play only one composer from now on, which would it be? Probably Mozart. One pianist, dead or alive, you’d travel long and far to hear? Vladimir Horowitz! One concert hall you love or would love to play in? That’s a hard one. I would say for recital, the Concertgebouw. It’s so inspiring and magical. What would be your advice to amateur pianists about how to improve? When you play, make sure your fingers are connected to your heart. It’s OK to be controlled by your brain – but to really enjoy the music, you have to go directly from…

LESSONS FROM THE EXPERTS MELANIE SPANSWICK is a pianist, writer, teacher and composer. As an author, she is published by leading publishing houses, and has written a three-book piano course for those returning to piano playing; Play It Again: PIANO (Schott Music). Melanie teaches the piano at Junior Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Eton College. As a composer, her music is published in the renowned Edition Schott Composer Series. Read Melanie Spanswick’s lesson on page 20 NILS FRANKE is Dean of Higher Education at the University Centre Colchester, UK, having previously held posts at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and the University of Reading. He has recorded for Warner and Brilliant Classics. Nils specialises in historical performance pedagogy, with a particular focus on 19th-century…

Key A flat Tempo Valse Style Romantic Will improve your ✓Waltz style ✓Phrasing ✓Inner voice projection Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons is a cycle of 12 piano pieces written in 1875-76. Each highly descriptive piece depicts a different month of the year. I’ve played several of them over the years and have always been drawn to their charm and storytelling narrative. The original publisher attached a short poem to prefix each month. He was apparently a connoisseur of Russian literature, but it is not known whether he consulted Tchaikovsky on his personal choice of poetry. The poems are highly evocative and, as they appeared in every edition that was published during Tchaikovsky’s lifetime, I think it’s fair to assume that the composer himself must have known of their existence in one way…

This short, feisty piece is a favourite with beginner-level pianists. It’s full of rhythmic verve and is a great exercise for getting the fingers moving and for practising quick jumps. Look closely at the technical tips within the score.…

This poignant Christmas carol is based on a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti. It first appeared in the English Hymnal hymn book in 1906, set to music by Gustav Holst. This convincing solo piano arrangement is by Pam Wedgwood. Playing tips: After an improvisatory-style introduction, the melody enters at bar 10 in the RH. Give it your best cantabile – there is very little in terms of LH accompaniment to keep things moving. Aim for a good legato throughout. Pedal tips: Ample pedalling is required.…

Niels Gade composed a collection of ten Aquarelles Op 19 in 1852, following them up almost 30 years later with a second set, Op 57. They exemplify the Dane’s Mendelssohnian writing for the piano, which prizes a light and graceful touch. This Elegie is the first of the Op 19 set. The tender Barcarolle (No 5) was featured inside issue 102. Playing tips: There is a Schumannesque quality to the harmonies and textures of this passionate Elegie. It should float along, the RH dancing over the lilting LH accompaniment. Don’t forget to take note of the staccato notes in the melody, as they will add colour and character to the melody. Keep the wrist relaxed when you play the repeated chords in the LH (bars 13-15), or the hand might…

Beethoven wrote several groups of bagatelles – short pieces without a fixed form – throughout his life. The seven Op 33 Bagatelles date from 1802, and, as we say a fond farewell to Beethoven’s big 250th anniversary year, we are delighted to feature the elegant No 4. If you enjoy learning and playing it, take a look at Pianist issue 112 (still available as a digital back issue) in which two of the Op 126 Bagatelles are featured. Playing tips: As always with Beethoven’s music, there’s lots to work on. Listen to Chenyin Li’s performance, and you will notice her articulation is crystal clear, with much non-legato playing. This adds a certain sweetness to the dolce RH melody. At bar 17, a darker development section appears, in which the LH…

‘I have a recurring nightmare that I am in the middle of an important concert, playing to a huge crowd… and I suddenly stop, seize up and panic! Will this happen?’ As both piano teacher and parent, this frightening confession has been shared with me much more often than I would like. In our piano-playing community, fear of humiliation is often linked to a fear of forgetting the notes. Inexperienced players of all ages commonly become negatively fixated by the risk of blanking and freezing – even if they are performing repertoire they’ve known for a long time. What can a teacher do when fear levels reach fever pitch? I want my pupils to take a step back when it comes to the pursuit of perfection. Of course, catastrophic memory…

TRINITY EXAM SYLLABUS 2021-2023 INTITIAL-GRADE 8 Trinity College London ISMN: 978-0-85736-914-7 (Initial); -915-4 (1); -916-1 (2); -917-8 (3); -918-5 (4); -919-2 (5); -920-8 (6); -921-5 (7); -922-2 (8) Trinity’s new piano syllabus covers the same graded levels as its previous iterations – an Initial grade followed by Grades 1 to 8. Books for each grade are available in two variants. One contains 12 pieces, performance notes, and the complete set of six newly written exercises. The other, extended, version additionally includes scales and arpeggios, and a code that provides access to an e-book containing the sheet music for nine more pieces from the syllabus (which is actually the music printed in their 2018-2020 books), and audio recordings for all of these 21 pieces. For a marginal increase in price, the…

Did Beethoven have a lost love? According to author Jessica Duchen, it appears so. In her latest book, Immortal, Duchen delves deep into the secrets behind a love letter written in Beethoven’s handwriting that was found after his death. Who is the subject of this love letter, then? None other than Countess Josephine Brunsvik. Duchen explains: ‘I visited the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn and saw its exhibits about Beethoven’s love life, which seemed to prioritise Josephine Brunsvik. Reading more about her, I became hooked… There is also some suggestion that Josephine had an impact on some of his music. One might say, in the end, that only the music matters.’ For those who fancy a 400-page Christmas read, in this the landmark Beethoven anniversary year, Immortal should be the perfect place…

In this article, I have chosen three pieces that we are featuring in the scores, coming up with some ideas that I hope will help focus and guide you as you practise them. Let’s dive straight in. Janáček The Barn Owl Has Not Flown Away! (p50) This is the tenth and final piece from Book 1 of On an Overgrown Path by Leoš Janáček (1854-1928), a set of autobiographical pieces that recalls the rural Moravia of Janáček’s youth, and his sorrow over the death of his daughter. In this piece we find both nostalgia and grief. There are two main ideas that alternate with each other – the opening cry and ominous call of the owl, and a chorale-like section that feels very calm at its first appearance, but which…

Key G minor Tempo Poco Lento Style Late Romantic Will improve your ✓Phrasing ✓Legato ✓Finger substitution technique This piece sounds like a beautiful Christmas carol. Featuring a wistful melody, it hails from Cesar Franck’s L’Organiste, a collection of over 50 pieces written for the harmonium and intended to be played by church organists. Set in ¾ and consisting of four-bar phrases, it will move along calmly at 62 crotchet beats per minute. Let’s begin with the LH. In bars 1-16 and 27-30, there are two, and, sometimes three, musical lines (or parts). It might be helpful to practise these parts separately, using the intended fingering (or that which will be employed when playing all parts together). From bar 1 to 3, the lower note (G) must be held throughout bar…

On these pages, Pianist covers the most basic stages of learning the piano through a series of lessons by Hans-Günter Heumann. This lesson features a two-page exercise that will help you become accustomed to playing legato and staccato at the same time. It’s not as easy as it seems! Exercise for legato and staccato Try to absorb everything that’s on the page: legato, staccato, dynamics, rests, phrasing and so on. Start out slowly. Hans-Günter Heumann continues his series for beginners in the next issue. To find out more about Heumann, visit www.schott-music.com…

Satie’s Enfantines are three sets of beginner piano pieces, which the composer said were ‘written with the aim of preparing children for the sound patterns of modern music.’ They were composed in October 1913 and published the following year. This calm Petit prelude a la journee (Little prelude for the day) is No 1 from the second set. The annotations are a matter-of-fact itinerary that Satie would have followed himself. For example: se bien lever (wake up) at bar 2, se bien coiffer (brush your hair well) at bar 17 and se bien promener (go for a good walk) at bar 41. Playing tips: Keep a steady pulse and try to make the passing of notes between the hands as seamless as possible – no notes should stick out! Remember…

Some light-hearted playing tips from the composer: Let’s get into the party mood with some Rum and Samba! This samba-influenced piece will have you moving in your seat in no time at all. Before you start to learn it, there must be a caipirinha – Brazil’s most popular drink–sitting right there next to your piano. You’ll need half a lime, one-and-a-half teaspoons of superfine sugar, two ounces of cachaca (Brazilian rum) and ice. Cut the lime into small wedges and mix with the sugar into a glass. Add the cachaca and top up with ice. Add in a lime wheel and you’re all set to party! Practise the LH first, making sure not to spill your caipirinha with the RH. Pedal tips: No need to use the sustain pedal, just…

Edward MacDowell’s music was immensely popular during his lifetime, both in his native US and abroad. Until recent years, though, his music was largely dismissed by the academic musical community – often seen as sentimental and simplistic and not in keeping with the advanced trends in music at the turn of the 20th century. The Fireside Tales Op 61, of which By Smouldering Embers is the final piece, is a set of character pieces composed during the last decade of MacDowell’s career. Read Nils Franke’s step-by-step lesson on page 21. WATCH CHENYIN LI PLAY THIS AT WWW.PIANISTMAGAZINE.COM DON’T MISS NILS FRANKE’S LESSON ON THIS PIECE PAGE 21…

This eerie, hypnotic piece is No 10 from Czech composer Leoš Janáček’s first book of On an Overgrown Path – a cycle of 15 pieces in total, spread over two volumes (ten pieces in the first volume and five in the second). The overall title refers to a Moravian wedding song in which the bride laments that ‘the path to my mother’s has become overgrown with clover’, and the pieces, as Janáček wrote in 1908 in an explanatory letter to the musicologist Jan Branberger who was interested in publishing them, ‘contain distant reminiscences. Those reminiscences are so dear to me that I do not think they will ever vanish.’ Some of these memories are happy, others intensely sad. In 1903 Janáček’s daughter, Olga, tragically died of typhoid fever at the…