Innehållsförteckning för 143 från Pianist

As I sign off this issue of Pianist, I have a treat to look forward to: Margaret Fingerhut’s recital at Wigmore Hall on 25 March. She will be playing pieces featured on her new album, Ukraine – A Piano Portrait (full of gorgeous Ukrainian repertoire), and I’m glad to say that the Somm label has allowed us to include the heartfelt Consolation Op 17 No 4 by Sergei Bortkiewicz. The score also appears inside the magazine, accompanied by precious learning tips from Margaret. Most of us are just starting to scratch the surface of what turns out to be a rich and compelling library of piano literature from Ukraine. To help you dig a little deeper, I have also featured a fleeting Moment of Despair by Mykola Lysenko. In her…

In darkness, we are drawn towards points of light, and Russia’s war with Ukraine has had the unforeseen consequence of directing our eyes and ears towards the cultural heritage of a nation long overshadowed by its neighbour. Sergei Bortkiewicz and Mykola Lysenko have until now been names for the specialist in late-Romantic piano repertoire. Closer to the present, Borys Lyatoshinsky and his pupil Valentyn Silvestrov have likewise, until recently, been eclipsed by their better-known Soviet contemporaries: Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Schnittke. A new album from Somm illuminates these composers in the context of each other and of even less familiar colleagues: the likes of Vasyl Barvinsky and Levko Revutsky. Ukraine – A Piano Portrait is the work of Margaret Fingerhut, the British pianist whose zeal on behalf of forgotten repertoire has…

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 CLARA RODRIGUEZ is celebrated for her captivating performances and her deep connection to Latin American piano repertoire. Her solo career has flourished across continents and she has had notable collaborations, including with the renowned Simón Bolívar Orchestra. She has recorded six solo albums for Nimbus Records and is editor of the series Venezuelan Treasures for…

BEGINNER Remembered as a pedagogue rather than as a prominent composer, Félix Le Couppey taught generations of French pianists at the Paris Conservatoire. His L’Alphabet comprises ‘25 Very Easy Studies for the Piano’ and they are, of course, aimed at the beginner pianist. Playing tips: This study in the key of G major requires a quiet, even and flowing RH touch throughout. When practising slowing, try to depress each note with the exact same weight. It’s not as easy as it seems, because some fingers – such as the fourth and fifth – tend to feel ‘weaker’. The LH is the calm accompaniment. Think in long phrases and try to shape the music; it’s actually a very sweet piece. Bars 16-17 act as a lovely bridge between the developing material…

INTERMEDIATE Alfredo Casella was an Italian composer, conductor and pianist. He studied in Paris, and after touring as a pianist, returned to Italy in 1915. In 1917 he founded the National Society of Music, helping to revive interest in early Italian music. This piece comes from his 11 Pezzi Infantili (Children’s Pieces). With it’s roots in Sicily, the Siciliana was a dance performed throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. In musical terms, it is in ternary form (ABA), with a fairly slow tempo, and in 6/8 or 12/8 time. Here the meter is 6/8, and the pace is Allegretto. Playing tips: The LH is the pulse of the piece and should move along in a calm, even manner. The three-note chords are quite easy to learn; it’s just a matter…

INTERMEDIATE This famous ‘easy’ sonata, composed by Mozart in 1788, demands the utmost delicacy and elegance. He was at the height of his powers but was composing here for supposed beginners. This G major movement is a moment of pure poetry. While it appears simple, its subtlety and harmonic richness are astonishing. Playing tips: Care should be taken to ensure an even touch and absolute regularity in the LH and the semiquaver groups of the RH. Only by mastering these elements can the pianist bring the shimmering line to life. Particular attention should be played to the gorgeous modulations, first to D major (bar 17) and then to G minor (bar 33). These should be accompanied by subtle inflections and dynamics, while the harmonic progressions in the bass also have…

INTERMEDIATE/ ADVANCED READ MARGARET FINGERHUT’S LEARNING TIPS INSIDE HER INTERVIEW The Romantic composer and pianist Sergei Bortkiewicz was born in Kharkov (now part of Ukraine) and moved to Vienna in 1922. He studied with Anatoly Lyadov and Karl von Arek at the Imperial Conservatory of Music in Saint Petersburg. At the Leipzig Conservatory, he became a student of Alfred Reisenauer and Salomon Jadassohn – both pupils of Liszt. Bortkiewicz’s piano style was influenced by such Romantic composers as Liszt, Chopin, Rachmaninov, early Scriabin, as well as Ukrainian folklore. The Lamentations and Consolations Op 17 were published in 1914 and comprise eight pieces divided into two books. The Consolation No 4 is the final piece from Book 1, which was dedicated to Moriz Rosenthal, an early champion of Bortkiewicz’s music. The…

For a little while at the end of last year, the UK media went deliciously doolally over a feel-good story that surely warmed the ventricles of even the hardest of hearts. The BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, local newspapers, radio stations such as Classic FM and Radio 4, websites and blogs up and down the country – and even The Times of India – covered the remarkable story of retired Reverend Ray Eveleigh who passed his Grade 8 piano exam with distinction at the age of 88. This event took place 67 years after he’d taken Grade 7. The gentle Reverend himself was thrilled, but slightly taken aback. ‘I’m surprised that it got so much publicity. With all the news about wars, and problems with the weather, and the situation…

A YEAR IN TWELVE KEYS Chris Caine Trinity College Chris Caine keeps a low profile on the internet, but what a marvellous composer Trinity have decided to promote. There are 12 pieces in this book – one for each month – with subtitles given for each, in the manner of Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons. Targeted at Grade 5 to 8 students, no fewer than seven of the 12 pieces have made it straight onto Trinity’s graded exam syllabus. ‘January’ is written in C major, and the key signature for each successive month moves up a semitone. Remarkably, there isn’t a single accidental in sight (hence the subtitle Diatonic Studies for Piano), but this doesn’t limit the composer’s creativity in the slightest. Pianistically conceived, with helpful hand distributions noted, these 12 pieces…

BEGINNER Johann Wilhelm Hässler was a German organist, composer and pianist. He worked in his father’s hat-making business, while also studying organ with his uncle, Johann Christian Kittel. At the age of 14, he was able to earn his living as organist at an Erfurt church. A meeting in Hamburg with CPE Bach gave him a fresh impetus toward continuing his musical activities. His style represents a transition between Bach and Beethoven, without attaining a degree of the imagination or craftsmanship of either. However, his piano pieces in the lighter style have a certain charm. Playing tips: Start off by practising very slowly, hands separately, following all the dynamic and articulation indications as you go. It’s important that during these early stages of learning, you try to absorb as much…

INTERMEDIATE French composer Cécile Chaminade wrote two sets of children’s albums, the Op 123 and Op 126 – each set containing 12 short and attractive pieces. Published in 1906, the Prélude is the first piece from Op 123. It is perfect for the late beginner/early intermediate-level player. Learning tips: Work on the voicing of the two-note chords in the RH, as the upper line contains the melody and so will need more weight. Think in long, eight-bar phrases, rising in volume to the middle of the phrase and then petering out by the end. There are some wonderful places where the LH melody comes to the fore, e.g. bars 10 and bars 22-23; these moments are like a duet between the hands. The pairs of slurred crotchets in bars 17-18…

INTERMEDIATE Anton Bruckner’s piano music has appeared just once before in the pages of Pianist (the Fantasie in G, all the way back inside issue 91) and with good reason: the Austria composer of lush Late-Romantic symphonic and choral masterpieces, who was also a brilliant organist, wrote very little for the piano. This single-movement work was written circa 1856, though it wasn’t published till 1930. Playing tips: The melody is of the utmost importance – you will need to voice the RH chords carefully, keeping the lower line quiet. One can easily hear the influence of Bruckner’s love of choral writing within the chordal writing. At bar 9, the melody begins to grow; try to make a long, well-judged crescendo throughout the next four bars. The LH is required to…

INTERMEDIATE Read about the English Late-Baroque composer and singer, Elisabetta De Gambarini, in Margherita Torretta’s interview inside issue 141. Playing tips: The ‘tambourin’ is a similar instrument to the drum, so you will need to create a percussive feel to this wonderfully catchy piece. Start by practising slowly and accurately, changing the dynamics for the repeated material. Play with rhythmic conviction; the sound should be crystal clear, even at the allegro molto speed. Chenyin Li’s vibrant recording on the Pianist album should inspire. Pedal is not required.…

ADVANCED READ CLARA RODRIGUEZ’S LESSON Venezuelan composer, pianist, singer and conductor Teresa Carreño was a legend in her own lifetime. Over the course of her 54-year concert career she had been referred to as the ‘Valkyrie of the Piano’. It’s hard to believe that she found the time to marry four times and have six children! This delightful ‘Mi Teresita’ piece was written by Carreño as a waltz to accompany the first dancing steps of her daughter Teresita. Read Clara Rodriguez’s in-depth lesson inside this issue. Rodriguez performs the track on the Pianist album.…

Your new recording features keyboard works by JS Bach and his sons. What was the inspiration for the album? When I read that Mozart said ‘Bach is the father, we are his children. Those of us who know anything at all learned it from him’, I thought, yes, obviously. Then I found out that Mozart was not talking about JS Bach, but about his son Carl Philipp Emanuel! That caught my interest, and I started playing through as much of CPE’s music as I could lay my hands on. His music is incredible; it naturally led to my interest in the other sons as well. You seem to have digressed from the Romantic repertoire of your previous recordings? Well, what is ‘romantic’? I’m sure the so-called Classical composers didn’t think…

BEGINNER Notes from the composer: Wispy Waltz is a quirky little dance in the key of D minor. The tune is featured in the RH part, with the LH playing a much softer, supportive accompaniment role. B§ followed by C# in the melodic line in bar 3 represents the melodic minor scale of the key. Enjoy this sound by using a deep touch, and be sure to crescendo to the minim D on the first beat of bar 4, dying away immediately after, as suggested by the dynamic markings. The LH part would also benefit from shape and colour: aim for a firm touch on the first crotchet beat of each bar and a much lighter second and third beat, as expected in a waltz. The music moves to F…

BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE READ MELANIE SPANSWICK’S LESSON Tchaikovsky composed his Album for the Young Op 39 between the months of May and July, 1878. Wrote the composer about this set of 24 miniatures: ‘A while ago I thought that it would not be a bad idea to make a small contribution to the stock of children’s musical literature, which is very modest. I want to create a series of little individual pieces just for children, and with an attractive title, like Schumann’s’. Indeed, they are perfect for the late beginner to intermediate-level pianist. Read Melanie Spanswick’s step-by-step lesson.…

INTERMEDIATE Mykola Lysenko is regarded as ‘the father of Ukrainian classical music’, but his music is virtually unknown outside his home country. As Bartók did later in Hungary, Lysenko went out into the countryside, listened to what the people were singing and fashioned an individual musical language that brought together the styles of Chopin and Liszt and the essence of Ukrainian folksong. Moment of Despair is the first of just two pieces within the Op 40; the second piece has a more optimistic title: Moment of Echantment. Playing tips: The title says it all, really, with desperation to be conveyed through the music. The melody starts out bare; the staccatos to be taken in context – that is, soft and tenuto rather than short and spikey. Dig deep into the…

INTERMEDIATE READ MATTHEW MILLS’ LESSON & WATCH CHENYIN LI PERFORM THIS AT WWW.PIANISTMAGAZINE.COM The Late-Romantic French composer Mélanie Hélène Bonis (commonly known as Mel Bonis) wrote some 300 works – including pieces for piano solo and piano four hands. Ever since we published the sublime Méditation in issue 110, her music has become rather a ‘hit’ with readers. This cheerful Gai Printemps waltz was published in 1889 and demonstrates many aspects of French Romantic piano tradition: harmonic innovation, lyricism and a sense of refinement. Read Matthew Mills’ lesson on Gai Printemps inside this issue.…

When a piece is prepared and known extremely well, it is all too common for pupils to play with inhibited caution and a lack of physical enjoyment. It is as though they are waiting to be criticised, waiting for an error, and desperate to finish a performance as soon as they can. Wrong note negativity Though we don’t intend to bully our pupils, we should all caution and guard against anything approaching negativity in our teaching. If we want to make our students confident, then we must avoid using the word ‘No’ at all costs. This is a useful game to play with yourself through a day of teaching. How can you guide a student away from something that is clearly misguided without reprimanding them in any way? A negative…

CAN ÇAKMUR Schubert+: Voříšek, Chopin, Scriabin BIS Records 2710 ★★★★ This is the fourth album by Turkish pianist Can Çakmur (pronounced ‘Djahn Tchakmur’) in his Schubert+ series, exploring composers who either influenced, or were influenced by, the Viennese master. The big surprise here is found in two riveting Impromptus by Jan Václav Voříšek (1791-1825). Published five years before Schubert’s own D899 set, they offer melodic unexpectedness, and an awe-inspiring sense of spaciousness and generosity. Indeed, Schubert’s D899 No 1 (C minor) feels a bit less interesting by comparison. That’s nothing to do with Çakmur’s superb performance however, which is subtle, detailed and focussed throughout. His performance of Chopin’s C sharp minor Fantasie-impromptu (with his own surprising ornamentations), although less agitato than many, is a delight. There’s some marmite too, though:…