Innehållsförteckning för 138 från Pianist

A mañana attitude to learning a piece properly may give us some instant pleasure, but it creates the weakest of foundations, especially if we have any aspirations to perform it at any point in the future. If we allow ourselves repeated read-throughs, guessing at those passages we have not had the patience to work out thoroughly, or glossing over spots where our random fingering is clearly not working, we can expect a shoddy result, no matter how much time we put in later. The concept I call The Three S’s (separately, slowly, sections) comes from the phrase coined by British MP Sir William Curtis, The Three R’s (reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic), in reference to the foundations of education in Victorian era schools. Similarly, The Three S’s are the basic components…

ABILITY RATING INTERMEDIATE Key F major Tempo Allegro vivace Style Classical Will improve your ✓ Legato playing ✓ Ornamentation ✓ Hand coordination Muzio Clementi’s Six Nouvelles Sonatinas pour le Clavecin ou Piano-Forte Op 36 has become one of the staple repertoire pieces for students learning to play music of what we nowadays call the Classical period. The success of the work was immediate: between its first publication in the late 1790s and a revision by the composer in 1820 there were no fewer than six editions, which are as much testimony to Clementi’s entrepreneurial abilities as his skill as a composer and teacher. In short, it’s a centrepiece of the teaching repertoire, and there are good reasons for it. Clementi’s piano writing was both individual and highly influential. Whilst some…

BEGINNER Virtually unknown today, German composer Arnoldo Sartorio was remembered by past audiences mainly for pedagogical pieces written for his piano students to play. Many of these were issued under pseudonyms, which include Felix Durand, T. Devrient and Christian Schäfer. Sartorio has, however, made an appearance in Pianist; his delightful left-hand-only arrangement of Mendelssohn’s On Wings of Song featured inside issue 122 along with a step-by-step lesson by Nils Franke. Look at the technical tips on the score.…

BEGINNER/ INTERMEDIATE Composed in 1913, Satie’s three short Peccadilles importunes (‘Tiresome pranks’) were dedicated to the pianist Marguerite Long. No 3, presented here, has a very long subtitle: ‘Profiter de ce qu’il a des cors aux pieds pour lui prendre son cerceau’ (‘Taking advantage of his corns to steal his hoop’). Whatever that really means, who knows... but Satie did like to play games! The Peccadilles importunes belong to the set of beginner piano pieces entitled ‘Enfantines’. The other two works within the set are called Menus propos enfantins (Childish small talk) and Enfantillages pittoresques (Picturesque child’s play). They were written ‘with the aim of preparing children for the sound patterns of modern music,’ so said the composer. Playing tips: Play the notes evenly and with great determination. With regards…

INTERMEDIATE WATCH CHENYIN LI & IAGO NUÑÉZ PLAY THIS DUET AT WWW.PIANISTMAGAZINE.COM Playing tips: The Secondo is the hardest of the two parts, mainly because of the repeated notes. The notes themselves are easy enough to learn, but remember, it has to be played quickly! The use of alternate fingers on the repeated notes should help. The Primo part has a much easier ride. Remember to keep the notes staccato and always remain in strict time. Follow the changing dynamic markings which will help shape the piece. Primo…

INTERMEDIATE WATCH IAGO NUÑÉZ PLAY THIS AT WWW.PIANISTMAGAZINE.COM Playing tips from Iago Nuñéz: This celebrated piece, written in 1890, predates the explosion of the tango as a popular dance in the slums of Buenos Aires. Like much of Albéniz’s music, it is important to make links to its dance roots, but do not take as a model the music of Carlos Gardel or Astor Piazzolla; rather, the habanera, with which it shares its characteristic dotted rhythm. Feel free to explore the rubato opportunities that the melody clearly suggests, but maintain a sense of rhythmic discipline with the accompaniment. The acciaccaturas in the LH are important; keep them clean and crisp, whilst the triplets in the melody can be rather languid. The main melody returns three times, so see what you…

INTERMEDIATE The Partitas BWV 825-830 are a set of six keyboard suites which were originally published individually beginning in 1726, then together as Clavier-Übung 1 in 1731, the first of Bach’s works to be published under his own direction. They were among the last of his keyboard suites to be composed, the others being the six English Suites BWV 806-811 and the six French Suites BWV 812-817, as well as the Overture in the French style BWV 831. This expressive Sarabande from Partita No 2 is the fourth of the six-movement work. Playing tips: Keep the fingers close to the keys, as if they are ‘crawling’ over them. This will ensure a good, stable legato. Notice the finger substitutions in the RH in bars 12, 16, 22 and in the…

When a pupil turns up for a lesson with no music, is it possible to work with them on their set repertoire? Understandably if this happens our reaction may be to immediately say ‘no’ – and abandon the lesson. But let’s take a step back and reflect. Music can be approached from many different angles. Unpredictable events that upset our lesson plans need not lead to disaster. We can always adjust and realign our approach. Here are some strategies for the music-less piano lesson. Firstly, have an iPad at the ready. I recommend that every teacher who has one ensures that it contains as much of their students’ repertoire on it as possible. Keep updating your emergency supplies regularly! But I would not go as far as to mark on…

THE SECRET GARDEN Jakob Metelka Bärenreiter Jakob Metelka (b.1986) is a Czech composer, pianist, and teacher with two publications already under his belt from Bärenreiter. Quirky title fonts and three large black-and-white illustrations adds individuality to the overall presentation, and audio recordings of the 15 pieces can be found on YouTube. Although subtitled as ‘Modern Piano Nocturnes’, not all these Grade 5-7 pieces (such as ‘The Storm’, or ‘The Kobold’) reflect the gentle character typically associated with the genre, and the plentiful fingering suggestions hint at some tricky manoeuvrings. Not everyone will find the harmonic twists convincing but the final piece in the book, ‘The Secret Garden’, hits the sweet spot. THE PIANO PLAYER: CLASSICAL CHILLOUT Faber There are seven volumes now in Faber’s Piano Player series targeting the intermediate…

EMAIL: editor@pianistmagazine.com WRITE TO: The Editor, Pianist, Warners Group Publications, The Maltings, West St, Bourne, PE10 9PH. Letters may be edited. Exceedingly expressive I read with interest Kathryn Page’s article, ‘Facial and body expressions’, inside issue 137. She suggests that it’s neither right nor wrong to make expressions when playing. For my part, when I go to a recital, I find it rather off-putting to watch a pianist contort their body and make exaggerated facial expressions. Even worse, some performers make humming noises. I won’t mention any names, but I recently encountered the latter at a Wigmore Hall recital, and I vowed never to hear that pianist again! I believe we should try to avoid making unnecessary gestures from the earliest stages of learning. I’m a firm believer that they…

LESSONS FROM THE EXPERTS MELANIE SPANSWICK is a pianist, writer, teacher and composer. She has published over 25 books including the best-selling three-book piano course, Play It Again: PIANO (Schott), as well as the more recent series, Women Composers – A Graded Anthology For Piano (Schott), which won the 2022 Presto Music Award for ‘Best New Series of the Year’. Melanie teaches the piano at Junior Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Eton College. Read Melanie Spanswick’s lesson 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…

ABILITY RATING ADVANCED Chopin’s Waltz in C sharp minor Op 64 No 2 was composed in 1847 and sits nicely between the sparkling No 1 in D flat (‘Minute’) and the lilting No 3 in A flat. It was written for Madame la Baronne Nathaniel de Rothschild – a painter, a friend of the composer and a member of the prominent banking family. Other Chopin pieces in C sharp minor include the Etude Op 10 No 4, Nocturnes Op 27 No 1 and the Op posth No 20, and Scherzo No 3. Published in 1847, the Waltz was one of the last pieces to be published during Chopin’s lifetime, alongside the Sonata for Cello and Piano Op 65. Consisting of three sections in ABCBAB form, it contains four general defining…

BEGINNER Notes from the composer: Strolling was inspired by one of my favourite sets of Grade 1 piano pieces, Work and Play by Felix Swinstead. His little collection contains 12 charming melodic gems which are both imaginative and fun to play. Strolling’s tuneful LH melodic line requires minimal hand movement, so it lies comfortably under the hand – hence, a perfect piece for the elementary pianist. The leisurely pace, as suggested in the title, offers the player plenty of time for the RH to move around the keyboard. Be sure to work carefully on the two-note RH chords between bars 13-16, the last of which needs a swift hand turn. If your fingers aren’t able to play the chords with a good legato touch, try a little sustaining pedal in…

INTERMEDIATE Russian Romantic pianist, composer and teacher Samuil Maykapar became professor at the St Petersburg Conservatory. He wrote an array of piano pieces for all levels of players – this simple piece, The Little Orphan, appearing within the set of 26 pieces entitled Biriulki (‘Trifles’). Two further Maykapar pieces appear inside these scores pages and you can read all about the composer in Matthew Mills’ in-depth article. Playing tips: This charming little piece calls for a good singing melody line, accompanied by an even and well-balanced LH. Imagine each of the slurred two-note figures is a poignant sigh. Play with plenty of dynamic contrast, especially in the crescendo-diminuendo phrases (e.g. bars 17-18), but avoid extremes. Clean legato pedalling will help with bars 23-27; alternatively, if you’re feeling dextrous you could…

INTERMEDIATE The London Sketchbook is a series of 43 untitled pieces and sketches written by Mozart between 1764 and 1765 while he was London with his family on one of their ‘grand tours’. The set of works is denoted by the K number (15) followed by its respective letter – i.e. 15a, 15b, 15c etc. Most pieces are extremely short, normally lasting between 40 seconds to a minute; however, some span as long as four minutes, as is the case with 15t. Playing tips: This is a catchy piece! The more you play it, the more it will grow on you. The obvious technical issue is the trill in the RH at bars 1, 3, 9 and 11. Practise these bars out of context, in a very slow tempo. If…

INTERMEDIATE DON’T MISS NILS FRANKE’S LESSON ON THIS PIECE Practised year in and year out by countless beginner pianists around the world, the Opus 36 Sonatinas are Clementi’s best-known music. Published in 1797, Clementi called them ‘progressive’, and the beginner to intermediate-level pupil – for whom they are intended – will encounter increased technical difficulty while moving through the series of six mini sonatas. This last Rondo movement from the No 4 Sonatina contains technical issues right from the outset; notice the semiquaver triplet figures at bar 1 and throughout. These motifs alone, which are to be played swiftly and effortlessly, need to be articulated with perfect evenness. Read Nils Franke’s lesson.…

INTERMEDIATE/ ADVANCED The title Pensée fugitive means ‘Fleeting thought’ and this piece certainly has a delightfully mercurial quality to it. Despite the improvisatory feel, though, a logical thread connects each idea to the next. Some playing tips from Matthew Mills: Enjoy the little exchanges between the hands, like relaxed, friendly conversation. Aim for a generous, warm sound throughout. Although the movement calls for an expressive freedom, in such a brief piece extreme tempo fluctuations risk making it sound incoherent. Enjoy the flow of thoughts, but don’t get lost in them! Pedal can be used liberally throughout: changing every half-bar is a good place to start, adjusting as clarity requires. A note about fingering: On the score we offer two choices for the first two RH notes (2-1 or 1-2). We’ve…

BEGINNER This is the final movement of a sonata compiled by Handel around 1750, perhaps for a musical clock; he wrote the original music for an orchestral ensemble. Playing tips: The RH much takes the lead in this sunny but gentle dance. Start off with a firm mezzo-forte and pay close attention to the dynamic and phrase markings. Our pianist Chenyin Li adds some lovely embellishments here and there. They’re not obligarory but they fit within the Baroque style: try imitating them or embellishing the line for yourself if you feel brave! Look closely at the technical tips within the score. The key is C major: no sharps or flats. Enjoy a leisurely Andante pace, but start your practice more slowly and with hands separately. Notice the slur markings in…

We all relish finding that sweet spot in our learning – the perfect balance between feeling settled and challenged. And it goes without saying that, as we improve and age, this balance will likely alter. While some of us like to live life on the edge in pursuit of an ever-more comprehensive technique and repertoire, others prefer a calmer, less pressured environment in which to develop. At any level there’s always mileage in consolidating one’s playing in between more intense periods of learning. There may be stages in our lives when we feel extra adventurous – others when we cherish a slower pace and simply want to play music we know and love. For some, gearing up for some kind of event, such as an exam or concert, presents the…

ABILITY RATING ELEMENTARY Key C major Tempo Allegretto Style Late Romantic Will improve your ✓ Legato ✓ Phrasing ✓ Soft dynamics Thomas Dunhill (1877-1946) was a prolific British composer who wrote many pedagogical piano pieces. Published in 1935, his First Year Pieces comprise 12 short pieces of which Swaying Branches is No 11. It is characterised by a light texture, solid tonality, and a charming melodic line which passes between the hands. A metronome mark of a dotted minim set at 56 bpm will capture the calm, tranquil mood. The piece is constructed in four-bar phrases and note patterns often remain in a convenient five-finger position. Swaying Branches can be practised hands-together from the outset. That’s because the hands don’t often play simultaneously. Notes must run smoothly from one hand…

On these pages, Pianist covers the most basic stages of learning through a series of lessons by Hans-Günter Heumann. This issue we present short exercise pieces by German composer Louis Köhler which require treble-clef playing in both hands. Three pieces from Easiest Pieces Op 190 Firstly, make sure that you are seated in a good postion. Your chair might need to be positioned slightly to the right – you are concentrating on the top half of the keyboard. Maintain a good legato, keeping the pulse as even as possible. Build speed over time. Hans-Günter Heumann continues his series for beginners in the next issue. To find out more about Heumann, visit www.schott-music.com…

BEGINNER/ INTERMEDIATE DON’T MISS MELANIE SPANSWICK’S LESSON ON THIS PIECE Born in Hampstead, London, Thomas Dunhill was a prolific English composer in many genres, though he is best known today for his light music and educational piano works. Dunhill studied at the Royal College of Music, taking composition classes with Charles Villiers Stanford. He was the first winner of the Tagore Gold Medal, awarded to the College’s outstanding students. From 1899 to 1908 Dunhill was assistant music master at Eton; he was also on the staff of the Royal College of Music as professor of harmony and counterpoint. He went on to become an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (today known as ABRSM). Dunhill’s First Year Pieces contains 12 simple pieces which are all…

INTERMEDIATE WATCH CHENYIN LI & IAGO NUÑÉZ PLAY THIS DUET AT WWW.PIANISTMAGAZINE.COM Summer Dreams Op 47 is a suite of six pieces for piano duet which Amy Beach composed in 1901. They are delightful and picturesque miniatures, evoking fairy tales and children’s stories. We’ve done our best to research the meaning of No 4’s title, ‘Katy-Dids’, to discover that a katydids is an insect similar to a grasshopper or cricket. The piece is indeed cheeky, jumpy and at times noisy... so maybe Beach did have the insect in mind! Secondo…

INTERMEDIATE Playing tips: This piece is a wonderful study in balance: both hands have the opportunity to project a beautifully-phrased melody over a chordal accompaniment, while both voices in the imitative middle section need to sing equally. The ‘portamento’ touch is somewhere between staccato and tenuto – keep the fingers in contact with the key surface as you release each chord and aim for a gently pulsating effect, avoiding bumps or undue accents. Read Matthew Mills’ article on Maykapar.…

INTERMEDIATE The music of French Romantic composer Mel Bonis has received somewhat of a revival to date. Pianist has followed suit by featuring three intoxicating pieces inside recent issues: Méditation (issue 110), Phoebé (issue 121) and Mélisande (issue 127). They have all proved popular. This short and exquisite Prélude is of an intermediate level (you can always try sight-reading it through if you feel brave!). Playing tips: The LH that takes centre stage, as it takes hold of the tender melody which should sing luxuriously and be well-shaped. The RH chords are to remain quieter and in the background. At bar 10 the RH starts to take over, with filigree writing that can feel a little uncomfortable at first – mainly because of the syncopated semiquaver/quaver rhythm. Try to make…

ADVANCED DON’T MISS GARETH OWEN’S LESSON ON THIS PIECE Chopin’s Waltz Op 64 No 2 is not as famous as the piece which precedes it – the ‘Minute’ Waltz Op 64 No 1 – but it is still popular. The form is a dance with trio, but Chopin enriches the simple ternary form in a unique way: the themes are followed by a ‘ritornello’ of whirling eighth notes. In the Più lento section at bar 64, the key changes to the more optimistic key of D flat major but, in general, there is a certain melancholy feel to this Waltz (it could be interesting to note that Beethoven used the same key of C sharp minor for his mysterious and often tragic-sounding ‘Moonlight’ Sonata). Lucy Parham plays the Waltz Op…

OLIVER TRIENDL Labor: Piano Concertos for the Left Hand Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz/Eugene TziganeCapriccio C5521 Josef Labor (1842-1924) was a Viennese musician, largely remembered as the piano and composition teacher of Alma Schindler (before she married Mahler). The Capriccio label has lately done much to revive his own music, issuing several compelling albums of chamber music in a conservative but distinctively post-Brahmsian style. He wrote these three capriccio-like concertos near the end of his life, commissioned by Paul Wittgenstein after the pianist lost his right arm in the First World War. No 1 builds Romantic pathos through a long variation sequence, recalling Reger in its complex tonality. No less original in form, Nos 2 and 3 set the scene with a brief rhapsody before plunging into a big symphonic battle. Oliver…

INTERMEDIATE In the early days of cinema, ‘Träumerei’ was so frequently deployed for its reliably tearjerking appeal as incidental music that one film critic was already reflecting, in 1910: ‘We might call Schumann’s “Träumerei” a number with a positive pathetic appeal, and use it at all times when screen action is of a pathetic character, [but] could we hope that the audience would enjoy its third or fourth repetition in one hour?’…

ADVANCED The editor of Pianist has been waiting to put this spellbinding piece in the magazine for many years. There is a historic recording by Rachmaninov, which is worth seeking out (on YouTube) even if the pianist’s unsentimental style is presently out of fashion. In Jascha Heifetz’s playing of the violin-piano transcription can also be heard a noble and unmannered melodic restraint. There’s a more recent recording by Evgeny Kissin, who often plays it as an encore. two-stave option featured here. Playing tips: Chenyin Li, who plays this work exquisitely on the soundtrack, tells us that the hardest technical challenge for her was to catch the LH bass notes with the pedal, especially in the wide chord stretches which need to be arpeggiated. Pedal tips: Ample pedal can be used,…