Innehållsförteckning för 133 från Pianist

EMAIL: editor@pianistmagazine.com WRITE TO: The Editor, Pianist,Warners Group Publications,The Maltings,West St, Bourne, PE10 9PH. Letters may be edited. STAR LETTER Next bar unknown! I am an adult learner and am always looking for helpful hints and tips on my practice, many of which I gain from your wonderful publication. The one thing that I struggle with when a piece is relatively well known is which parts to work on. I have recently been using a ‘random number generator’ from a wellknown search engine where I can ask it to select a number (bar) from any of the numbers (bars) I enter. I tend to practise the bar that is selected plus the next bar and often the first beat of the following bar. This has been such a helpful…

I started piano relatively late on, at nearly eight, but I took to it right away. I was obsessed with it. I was very lucky with my first teacher. Jacqueline Courtin was such a fine person, gentle but strict, extremely dedicated to the music. She had vast horizons, an immense culture, and she was very generous about sharing those. Progress went very fast: she introduced me to the Berg Sonata when I was nine years old. Her scores were always heavily annotated. The first time I laid eyes on that Berg Sonata, the score was nearly illegible, because Courtin was so dedicated, so precise, that she had everything underlined: all the punctuation in red, every phrase, every marking, and God knows it’s heavily marked to begin with. So there was…

As apiano student I sometimes resented the amount of time I had to spend in ear training, theory and harmony classes – time I could be spending practising the piano, building up my repertoire and technique. Now I see that a solid background in musical literacy is integral to becoming a rounded musician. In this article, I present some steps you can take if you feel there are holes in your knowledge, with a particular focus on note reading and harmony. Sight-reading The ability to read music fluently is one of the most essential skills the pianist can have, whether we are sight-reading an accompaniment for a singer or instrumentalist or learning repertoire for ourselves. Expert sight-readers are usually expert musicians, who process the information on the page in the…

Key A minor Tempo Allegro maestoso Style Classical Will improve your ✓Passagework ✓Trills ✓Sudden dynamic contrasts Mozart composed only two piano sonatas in a minor key. This Sonata is the first of the two, and it is particularly significant for that reason. Almost symphonic in its composition, it is a work (which may have been influenced by the death of his mother) that is both tragic and noble. It is also one of his most challenging works for solo piano, both technically and musically. Although we are only looking at the first movement here, I would highly recommend learning the whole Sonata. The almost breathless Finale is preceded by a glorious slow movement that sits firmly at the heart of this work. The opening movement is marked Allegro maestoso and…

Félix Le Couppey was born in the French capital, taking his studies at the famous Paris Conservatoire. In adulthood he became a professor of solfège and then a piano teacher at the Conservatoire (Cécile Chaminade was among his students). His ABC du piano (surtitled ‘Piano Method for Beginners’) consists of easy exercises and studies for the beginner student. Look at the technical tips. Count the pulse silently to yourself before you begin. Andantino means a relaxed, moderate tempo (slightly faster than Andante). The key is C major. Practise the C major scale slowly for a few times before you begin – this will help gain an awareness of the key. Always pay attention to the phrase markings. All of the phrases last two bars (e.g. bars 1-2, 3-4, etc).…

CLICK HERE TO WATCH CHENYIN LI PLAY FAIRYTALE Notes from the composer: I think of this piece as an exciting children’s story, the main theme representing the protagonist who clearly becomes involved in some kind of chase or calamity (the middle 16 bars.) But of course all ends well! The tempo should not be too slow; I like a uniform general tempo of 106 bpm. The Alberti bass should not be too heavy, and do observe the dotted notes under the slur! In bar 12, meno (meaning less) is of course the answering phrase to the preceding bar. The next bar is marked mezzo piano and proceeds to return back to mezzo forte before the middle section. However, don’t overdo the contrast in dynamics in this piece. The middle section…

Sometimes called ‘the Italian Brahms’, Giuseppe Martucci was a composer, conductor, pianist and teacher – and was influential in reviving Italian interest in non-operatic music. Nevertheless, as a conductor, he helped to introduce Wagner’s operas to Italy and also gave important early concerts of English music there. In 1902 he became director of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Naples, where he remained till his death. His son Paolo was also a pianist of note, briefly teaching at the Cincinnati Conservatory in the US. Playing tips: The biggest technical challenge in this pretty gondolier song are the quick jumps which feature throughout in both hands. So as to ensure the tranquil nature of the piece, make sure that the hands remain close to the keys, as this will help a…

TRACK 10 CLICK HER TO WATCH CHENYIN LI PLAY THE PRESTO In order to learn the entire Presto movement, you will need to own a copy of the previous issue No 132. Here we feature the second part of the movement – from bar 60 to the end. (The recording, however, features the movement from beginning to end!) Playing tips: Nimble fingerwork is needed throughout, and we suggest practising at a very slow tempo, hands separately, honing in on the sections that are extra difficult. The score is devoid of dynamic markings; Galuppi, and other composers of the era, expected input from the performer. Some suggestions: Start this second section with a pleasant dynamic of mf or thereabouts, and then from bar 78 start out softly, creating a crescendo all…

‘My job is to have the piano prepared and maintained to the highest level; the pianist’s job is to make music and create magic’ ‘With voicing you determine character, colour, sonority, sustain, dynamic range and orchestral balance within a piano,’ says Ulrich Gerhartz. ‘Through proper voicing, it is possible to make a harsh, uneven piano feel and sound utterly different and come alive.’ Gerhartz has served as the director of concert and artist services with Steinway & Sons for the past 36 years. He enjoys close working relationships with many of the world’s top pianists, including Alfred Brendel, Sir András Schiff and Mitsuko Uchida, as well as overseeing the Steinway instruments at venues like London’s Wigmore Hall. ‘I am one of the people at Steinway & Sons who helps carry…

The extraordinary life of this one-armed Hungarian aristocratic virtuoso was retold by Warwick Thompson in Pianist 104, our ‘left hand’ issue. Perhaps Zichy conceived it originally for LH alone – the opening has the characteristic texture of such pieces – and then arranged it for both hands, in which form it first appeared in 1910 within a collection of contemporary Hungarian piano music. Playing tips: The first gesture in this Idyll is a 10-note broken arpeggio, and it proves to be the principal challenge (even with two hands!). Ripple through the notes of the LH and RH at the same time, so that the whole arpeggio takes less time to execute. Take your time, though, and direct your playing towards the first appearance of the poignant RH melody at bar…

For many pianists a desire to push forward, widen knowledge and become ever more ‘tooled up’, becomes hard-baked into the approach. Stretching ourselves can also appear synonymous with lofty notions of self-discipline, rigour and drive. The repertoire being what it is – endlessly varied and expansive – opens up an Aladdin’s Cave of possibilities. However, along with the positive challenges and scope for variety this new repertoire offers us, can encroach a sense of being overwhelmed by the burden of choice. With only so much time in a day to devote to our playing, we’ll often feel the need to get through X amount of new material. Students and professionals may be especially under pressure in this regard, as will accompanists and pianists whose particular penchant is for chamber music.…

Key A minor Tempo Largo con estro poetico Style Romantic Will improve your ✓ Chord progressions ✓ Voicing ✓ Legato An intense, dark character pervades this beautiful little piece. In the key of A minor, it consists of just 13 bars, yet still manages to convey its solitary message effectively. The suggested tempo of crotchet equals 34-38 beats per minute allows sufficient time for each chord to be savoured, and the ad libitum marking grants even greater flexibility. The work is built solely around chord progressions. Examining each chord and where it leads will help develop a convincing interpretation. Starting with the A minor tonic chord (bar 1), the music moves, rather surprisingly, to F major (or chord VI) in bar 2, and this leads to the dominant chord (chord…

Notes from the composer: A Solitary Tale, in the desolate key of G minor, features a wistful melody played by the RH part coupled with a fairly sparse LH accompaniment. This little piece reminds me of the isolation felt when left alone with my thoughts; one might be reflecting on a past love, a departed family member, or a lost opportunity, but irrespective of the reason, it can be a ‘solitary’ experience. The melodic line demands a deep touch for effective sound projection throughout, even during the pianissimo passage at the end of the piece. The Eb at beat 1, bar 4, and the G at beat 1, bar 12, both require a firm fifth finger to implement the tenuto marking, capturing the solace of the moment. Also important is…

Composed between 1717-20 (but not published until 1802), this elegant prelude is the second of Bach’s Six Little Preludes (BWV 933-938). All six preludes are short, pedagogical works, but they still require a strong understanding of technique. They were not intended for public performance, rather as an aid for instructive purposes. Playing tips: Keep a steady tempo (don’t rush or slow down) and make sure that the LH accompaniment notes are detached, but not staccato. The RH should also have a slight detached quality to the notes – but they need to flow seamlessly. As you can see, the score is devoid of dynamic markings; there are so many ways in which one can interpret this prelude – Bach surely leaves it up to the performer. There are quite a…

TRACK 8 Little-known German composer and pianist Jacob Schmitt was born in Obernburg am Main, studying music under his brother Aloys. He settled in Hamburg, where he became a well-known piano teacher. Publishing many piano pieces, his opus number reached an impressive 337! Playing tips: Enjoy the exchange of seamless passagework between the hands in this charming piece, always making sure to phrase so that you go over the barline, emphasizing the strong beat that follows. Also take note of all the staccatos and slurs. At bar 39 a new section begins; here the RH thumb should act as a pivot as the fingers pass over it in both directions. It’s a fun sensation! Notice the accents over some of the top notes – these are the melody and should…

TRACK 11 It is all thanks to a reader’s letter inside issue 132, asking us to feature more Chopin mazurkas, that we decided to sieze the moment and present another as soon as we could. In the key of G minor, this Mazurka Op 67 No 2 contains two very distinctly contrasting sections. Playing tips: From the moment your fingers touch the keys, try to find an intimate cantabile sound – especially in the RH, which carries the soulful melody. Notice the sf markings which appear in bars 6-8; sink into the chords, feeling the mazurka-style syncopation. The second section, which starts at bar 17, is even more earthy in style. Fall into the sf (e.g. first beat of bar 17), making sure that the acciaccatura falls on the beat.…

SASKIA GIORGINI Liszt: Consolations, Légendes, Liebesträume, Valses-Caprices etc Pentatone PTC5187045 Along with Mariam Batsashvili and Mark Viner, Saskia Georgini is one of the youngergeneration pianists taking Liszt seriously (an attitude accented here by a beautifully prepared Bösendorfer) and presenting him to a new generation of listeners for whom Cziffra’s flights of fancy and Bolet’s steelspun poetry are not even distant memories (though YouTube is proving a great leveller in this regard). She persuasively weaves the six opening Consolations into a span of deepening prayerful contemplation, hardly less ‘spiritual’ in effect than the overt mysticism of the Légendes which close out the album with a relaxed, none-too-solemn handling of their sacred subjects. Her Liebesträum No 3 is all the more affecting for its simplicity, but the Valses-Caprices show that she…

Tech buffs will be familiar with overclocking. You fine-tune a processor so that it runs at a higher than intended speed. In theory you’ll get more out of your computer, more quickly, but you have to know what you’re doing. Hélène Grimaud’s mind runs like an overclocked processor, or so it seemed to me over a Zoom call from Munich one day in May. For the avoidance of doubt, there is nothing mechanical or calculating about her conversation, any more than there is about her playing. To switch to an automotive analogy, she goes at full throttle. In this regard there is a particular meeting of minds with Robert Schumann, who never spent four months on a piece when he could write it in four days. That’s how long Schumann…

Grieg Small Piece No 12: Though deceptively brief and sparse, this poetic gem could add valuably to your bank of approachable repertoire. While sparing in expressive markings, the piece awaits personal insights and ingenuity – make the most of the ad libitum invitation! Langford Fairytale: A sentimental piece that could balance with something more fiery (or work well as an encore?) inviting your full range of expressive insights to tease out its otherworldly qualities. Experiment with the possibilities for varied voicing and enjoy the final ‘soft gliss.’. Cui Prelude Op 64 No 9: This richly emotional Prelude could be the perfect foil to the larger works you’re working up for a performance. Add shape and intensity within the composer’s perhaps surprisingly narrow range of dynamics, the bulk of which lie…

This little gem comes from a set of 25 preludes written in 1901 by the Russian composer, César Cui. He is the least known of the group of five Russian composers, the so-called ‘Mighty Handful’, who came together in the second half of the 19th century. A curious fact about the group is that they were all self-taught and they all qualified in fields other than music: Rimsky-Korsakov was a naval officer, Mussorgsky an officer in the Imperial Guards, Borodin a chemist and Balakirev a mathematician! Cui was also in the military – his day-job was to lecture about artillery fortifications – but he somehow also found the time to compose prolifically. He had a great gift of melody and excelled in writing piano miniatures and songs. Many of these…

LESSON 59: HAND POSITIONS On these pages, Pianist covers the most basic stages of learning through a series of lessons by Hans-Günter Heumann. The short exercise below, by German composer Cornelius Gurlitt, allows you to familiarise yourself with the entire length of the keyboard. Gurlitt Study Op 82 No 27 The 8va sign at bar 2 requires you to play an octave higher than written. The 8b sign at bar 9, and again at bar 13, requires you to play an octave lower than written. You will therefore need to move the hand to its new position very quickly before you strike the notes. It will help to keep the hands close to the keys. Hans-Günter Heumann continues his series for beginners in the next issue. To find out more…

Born in Hungary, the well-connected pedagogue and composer Stephen Heller met Beethoven and Schubert early in life before coming under the patronage of the magnificently titled Count Friedrich Fugger-Kirchheim-Hoheneck. He settled in Paris for the last 25 years of his life. Published in 1874, Album for the Young comprises 25 short works. The full translated title of No 7, ‘Commemoration for Professor Hans Schmitt from Vienna’, doesn’t give us much indication as to who Hans Schmitt was in relation to Heller, but he was no doubt someone close to the composer. Playing tips: Start out calmly, making sure the LH melody sounds out above the rocking RH accompaniment (it’s nice to see the LH start with the melody for a change!). The RH takes over at bar 11. Then at…

TRACK 9 DON’T MISS MARGARET FINGERHUT’S LESSON ON THIS PIECE César Cui, one of the group of five nationalist Russian composers of the second half of the 19th century known as The Five or The Mighty Handful, was the son of a French officer who had remained in Russia after the retreat of Napoleon in 1812. In common with other composers of his generation and background, he had a career outside of music as well, in his case as a professor at the Academy of Military Engineering. This did not prevent him from ambitious activity as a composer and an important career as a critic, often harsh and intolerant in his judgements. Today, Cui is best known for his colourful short piano pieces in which he shows his gifts as…

TRACK 12 DON’T MISS LUCY PARHAM’S LESSON ON THIS PIECE Mozart’s Piano Sonata No 8 in A minor K 310 was written in 1778. The sonata is the first of only two Mozart piano sonatas in a minor key (the other being No 14 in C minor K 457). It was composed in the summer of 1778 around the time of his mother’s death, one of the most tragic times of his life. There is certainly a tense feeling of ‘Sturm und Drang’ in this gripping first movement. The middle Andante cantabile con espressione movement, in the sunnier key of F major, shows signs of optimism, but the Presto finale finds its way back to the tension of this first movement. If you enjoy learning this, then learn the full…

THE CINEMATIC PIANO PLAYLIST Faber In recent years, Faber have published a few volumes devoted to Peaceful Piano Playlists. Like those books, The Cinematic Piano Playlist has an associated Spotify playlist which provides an easily accessible source of reference to the original music. Two of the 38 pieces included in the book ‘Concerning Hobbits’ from The Lord of the Rings, and ‘Time from Inception’ – are currently missing from the Spotify playlist but these pieces can easily be found online. The difficulty of the arrangements (all by Oliver Weeks) range from Grades 3 to 7, and although pianists at a more advanced level will appreciate the fuller realisations of some of the music by Patrik Pietschmann, these provide enough substance to reflect the original scores effectively. THE INTERMEDIATE PIANO SONATA…

The very simplicity of Grieg’s melodic invention can present challenges of its own compared with more superficially demanding works such as the Wedding Day at Troldhaugen from the same set. Playing tips: A quintessential Lyric Piece, this Peasant’s Song unfolds an innocent cantabile melody over luscious chords at a calm pace. It should be played with a certain spontaneous simplicity, as if for the first time. Phrase sensitively, bringing out the melody line at the top of the texture, and bring the LH to the fore in the sonorous deep octaves at bars 13-15. Grieg has carefully notated subtle changes in dynamic which will bring the song to life. The final chord should ring softly like a bell heard in the distance. C# is the key note in this A…