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Pianist 121 CONTENTS
August-September 2021
The next issue of Pianist goes on sale 17 September 2021

4
78
Editor’s Note 20 How to Play 1 Maintain a
10 68 How to Improvise Warwick
72
steady pulse with lashings of Thompson speaks to three top
4 Reader Competition Three legato in Cuthbert Harris’s improvisers and asks: ‘Can
readers receive a copy of Gabriela evocative Regent’s Park, says improvisation be taught?’
Montero’s Concertos album Melanie Spanswick
72 Pianist at Work Beatrice Rana
6 Readers’ Letters The joys of 21 How to Play 2 Practise the on the darker side of Chopin
Schytte and dancing to the complex RH rhythmic patterns
Pianist CD with both hands first in Grieg’s 74 Stanisław Moniuszko
Berceuse, suggests Nils Franke International Competition
8 Composing Competition Peter Quantrill uncovers a
2022 Find out how to enter, 22 How to Play 3 Harpsichordist piano competition that shines a
plus read our cover star’s top Mahan Esfahani shares his light on unfamiliar Polish music
composing tips knowledge of Bach with the Giga
from Partita No 1 78 Piano Round-Up In the first
10 Gabriela Montero The part of a new series, we look at
Venezuelan pianist on 24 Beginner Keyboard Class the ins and outs of three new
improvising, Argerich and Lesson 48: Evenness piano models
the need for change
25 The Scores Cuban flavour from 80 Album Reviews Five stars for
14 How to Play Masterclass 1 Cervantes, Nielsen’s quirky five albums including Hewitt
Use the sustain pedal correctly Humoreske, the romantically and Schiff, plus some sublime
and you’ll benefit from a dizzying lyrical Phoebé from Bonis, plus a Schumann from Alasdair Beatson
complexity of colours, says heart melting Schubert Adagio
Mark Tanner 82 Sheet Music Reviews A
67 Piano Teacher Help Desk fascinating survey of 100 pieces
16 How to Play Masterclass 2 Allow your pupils to embrace from Susan Tomes, scales and
Being able to transpose tricky the freedom and joy of playing arpeggios galore from Alfred
passages can add extra security to through improvisation, advises Music, plus meditative piano
your playing, says Graham Fitch Kathryn Page music by Adrian Lord
Cover image: © Anders Brogaard. This page, from left to right: © Anders Brogaard; © Simon Fowler
Notice: Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyrighted material in this magazine, however, should
copyrighted material inadvertently have been used, copyright acknowledgement will be made in a later issue of the magazine.

(VW 

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Away from the page Pianist

A decade or so ago I was invited to a private performance www.pianistmagazine.com
given by this month’s cover artist, Gabriela Montero. Sitting at
the piano without a score in sight, she asked the audience for PUBLISHER
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melodies on which to improvise. As someone who has played Director: Stephen Warner
with my eyes glued to the page for most of my life, I was in Publisher: Collette Lloyd
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on). Six months till deadline, so get improvising, experimenting and create that winning piece!
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WIN GABRIELA MONTERO’S FOR ALL OTHER ENQUIRIES

PIANO CONCERTOS ALBUM
Answer the question below correctly, and you could be
one of three lucky winners to receive Gabriela Montero’s
recent album from Orchid Classics featuring Ravel’s
Concerto in G and Montero’s own Latin Concerto.
Deadline for entries: 15 September 2021.
Where was Gabriela Montero born?
A Brazil
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4• Pianist 121 ISSN 1475 - 1348
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LETTERS
HAVE YOUR SAY
EMAIL: editor@pianistmagazine.com WRITE TO: The Editor, Pianist, Warners Group Publications, The Maltings, West St, Bourne, PE10 9PH.
‘Vanilla’ articulation
In Graham Fitch’s ‘Legato & Staccato’
video lesson on YouTube, he points out
that his so-called ‘vanilla legato’ is the
default touch in piano playing. Is this also
true when there are no legato markings
(or any other) in the score?
Silke Reddemann, Hilfarth, Germany
Contributor Graham Fitch responds:
In the 18th century non legato was the
default touch; legato was indicated by the
composer and used for expressive effect.
Notes that had no articulation markings
(slurs, staccato dots or dashes, etc.) would
have been played with separations between
them, the amount of separation depending
on the context (more separation in crisp
allegros, less in cantabile adagios). Towards
the end of the 18th century, composers were
heading towards longer lines, and thus
greater use of legato as indicated by longer
slurs. Legato was gradually adopted as the
Your chance to
Letters may be edited.
basic touch, which better suited the evolving
pianos with their longer-lasting tonal
properties.
Surprised by Schytte
I was going through your Issue 113 and
discovered an exercise by Ludvig Schytte
[No 8 from 25 Melodious Studies Op
108] and was duly impressed. I have been
using Schytte exercises as replacements
for some of my scale exercises. I have
been using Alfred Music’s Lesson Books
by authors Palmer, Manus, and Vick
Lethco and often find them crashingly
boring. I really think someone should
gather a compendium of these types of
interesting pieces.
Roderick T. Beaman, Florida, US
We are glad that you have enjoyed playing
Schytte studies. Yes, they are a delight, and
they certainly don’t feel like exercises at all.
We have featured more exercises by the
6• Pianist 121
Danish Romantic composer in past issues,
namely issue 102, where we presented Nos
12 and 16 from the same opus.
Music to dance to
I have never enjoyed any other magazine
as much as Pianist. I open it as soon as it
arrives to see what’s inside. Particularly
issue 119, which included Por Una
Cabeza. Playing the disc makes me feel
like dancing and lifts my mood no end.
While having had to shield from Covid
for a year now, I’ve spent more time
playing the piano than previously, and it
has made it bearable. I’ve been playing it
every day since the magazine arrived. I
hope my neighbours love it as much as I
do! In the words of the soft drink
advertisement: ‘I’ve been Tangoed’. If all
your readers have had the same
experience with Pianist magazine, you
have made many people very happy.
Carole Tyler, Birmingham
 C. Bechstein Centre Manchester
is opening in September
with special purchase prices!

Opening soon 7-9 Tib Street, Manchester M4 1LG, info @ bechstein.co.uk

COMPETITION

Creation
from
nothing
As the Pianist 2022 Composing Competition kicks off (see full details opposite),
cover artist Gabriela Montero offers her own thoughts on how to compose
Although my notated composing portfolio is above all. Go to your instrument and, putting aside
still quite small (a piano concerto, a piano/ your inner critic, allow that creative seed to take a hold
orchestral tone poem, a violin/piano piece and of you. Record it and listen to it. You will either be
‘Babel’ for piano and chamber string moved and curious to see how it can develop, or not.
orchestra), I could argue that I have composed You should experience a visceral reaction, one which
thousands of pieces. You see, in my experience, will guide you to ask whether within that spontaneous
improvising and composing are so closely related that act lies a meaningful statement that is worth pursuing.
they are almost indistinguishable one from the other. Now you’re ready to begin working on your material.
I say this because I want you to consider not only the
theoretical processes of notating musical architecture As pianists, we have the good fortune of
but – long before the first note is written down – where, working with an instrument that allows for
why, and how the musical idea comes into existence. infinite colours and harmonic possibilities.
Don’t be afraid to explore unconventional harmonies
To some like myself, a work begins as an and a wide variety of styles. Don’t be afraid to work
experience, conscious or not, that needs to and develop a piece, only to then discard it. The act of
inhabit a musical space in real time. It travels creative exploration will lead to personal discoveries
from my head, my heart, my memories, my fears, my and a more intimate understanding of the relationship
hopes, through my ten fingers, the conduits that bring between imagination and craft.
it to life. It’s an electric impulse. So, what am I really
referring to? Metaphor. Life. Experience. The need to Finally, here is a story which might inspire:
express more than an arbitrary musical motif; the need I have a good friend who is a wonderful, self-taught
to express in the present a poetic, human and personal sculptor. He attended a masterclass one day with an
experience through sound. Italian master, working in marble. The class lasted five
days. On the first day he was given a large, square
Before you create the shape, ask yourself how block of marble. To the horror of the master, he took
you can manifest in music a particular up his tools and began chipping away. No drawings,
memory, feeling, idea or mood. Allow it to live in no plans. The master told him he was wasting his time
you as a statement that describes you or a situation and a valuable piece of stone. But, as the days passed, a
you are living right now. For me, the process of beautiful bust began to emerge from the stone, until
notating and bringing a musical idea to the page finally the master had to declare that his student was a
follows that initial contemplative state, in which genius. He asked my friend, ‘What was your process,
imagination exists without boundaries. Form permits if you don’t sketch out what you are trying to sculpt?’
© Anders Brogaard

us to corral that shapeless unknown into a coherent My friend replied simply, ‘I just saw her in there, and
narrative, but it’s the spark of inspiration that precedes all I did was set her free!’ Imagination leading craft,
that formal moment, and what drives us to find working together in perfect harmony... that, to me,
musical life within those parameters, that interests me is a good way to look at the art of composition. n

8• Pianist 121
 Composing
Competition
Compose your own piece and
WIN a Kawai piano
THE PRIZE
• WIN a Kawai ES520 piano worth
over £1,350 – complete with a
matching designer stand and pedal
unit. Choose between black or white
• Have your winning score featured in a
future issue of Pianist magazine
• Concert pianist Chenyin Li will record
your composition for the Pianist
magazine album
• Be interviewed for an exclusive
feature inside the magazine
ENTER ONLINE AT:
www.pianistmagazine.com
Entry closes Monday 6 December 2021
2022
THE RULES
There are no restrictions of age,
nationality or profession. However, you
are ineligible if you derive any form of
income from composing. Entries from
earning composers will be automatically
disqualified. Your composition must be
written for solo piano. It can be in any
style that you like, and for any technical
level. The length should not exceed 64
bars. Should you win, and if you reside
outside of the UK, you will be required to
pay for the shipping fees of your chosen
piano. Entries cost £25 and must be
submitted online as a PDF by Monday 6
December 2021.
For full terms and conditions, visit:
www.pianistmagazine.com
INTERVIEW

The Natural GABRIELA MONTERO

She’s a born improviser, an inventive composer… and she can play a mean
Rach 2 – but that doesn’t stop the Venezuelan pianist striving for more,
as Jessica Duchen discovers

‘I
was in the shower just now, listening to
what was in my head. I realised that my
inner world is not words. It’s always music.
It’s almost as though nothing exists except
thoughts through music.’
Gabriela Montero is reflecting on the latest twist in
her musical life, which has also not been short of a
surprise or two in the past. This time, it’s a change of
focus – brought about not least by the pandemic
lockdown – which has turned the pianist, long
celebrated for her astonishing improvisations, into a
tells me that I’ve been improvising all my life, so
essentially I’ve been composing,’ she says, ‘but now it’s
become almost an obsession.’
Her compositions start life as improvisations, but can
evolve into something completely different as she writes
them down: ‘It’s almost as if I’m creating a puzzle. I
have to find the right pieces and sometimes I have to
adapt what is already there in order for it to fit in. I love
that. I never thought I would enjoy it so much. But I’m
only able to do this because I’m not performing. If I
had the schedule now that I had before, it wouldn’t be
All photos © Shelly Mosman

composer. She had already recorded her own Latin possible. There’s a silver lining in all of this.’
Concerto, but now she is preparing her debut Like everyone, Montero has been grounded at home
publication of a book of solo compositions and it for many long months, in her case Barcelona, where she
sounds as if there will be much more ahead. ‘Everyone lives with her husband, Sam McElroy, and her two

10• Pianist 121

daughters, Nati and Isa. Her performing life before
lockdown, she muses, was in need of change: ‘Had this
not happened, I’d probably have cancelled some
concerts,’ she says. ‘I’d had enough of all the travelling,
not sleeping, being away for so long from everyone I
love. It’s a very disconnected existence – and then you
have to go onstage and be a kind of guru, a mystical
figure, yet your life is sort of empty apart from these
moments. Then, of course, the world shut down and I
stopped playing for several months. It was good for me
to do that.’
Gabrielao
Mover and shaker
She has her eye on lasting change, and not only for Monter
herself. For the industry, she would like to see more Up clos e
focus on the purity of musical experience and less on
the ‘showbusiness’ which places too much emphasis on
matters like women’s appearances. Among artists
themselves, she longs for more willingness to speak
openly and discuss together the vulnerabilities involved
in a performing career, which often remain taboo: ‘I
like to use the score, which I feel makes me freer on If you could play only one piece from now on,
stage,’ she says. We should, she insists, be able to what would it be?
acknowledge and talk straightforwardly about The Largo from Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 1.
everything from stage fright to the pressures of being a
single mother trying to coordinate a career: ‘When my If you could play only the music of one
kids were small and I was a single mum, I used to speed composer from now on, who would it be?
up the slow movements when I practised because there Mozart.
wasn’t time to play them at the real tempo!’
As for scheduling, just because you can travel from One pianist you’d travel long and far to hear?
Europe to the Far East to give one or two concerts, that Teresa Carreño.
doesn’t mean you should have to. ‘I want to do more
chamber music, I want to be with people more, I want One concert hall you’d like to play in?
to share. I think the rat-race is too much in today’s The Teresa Carreño Hall in Caracas.
world. Too much is expected of us. You can’t give and
you can’t refuel. I hope that when the world comes back Any technical troubles?
to some sort of normality, there is a better future, a Small hands that are quite ‘closed’ mean that I
different expectation for how we do what we do.’ have trouble with big extensions and large chords.
Montero’s journey through music has rarely matched
widespread notions of a modern concert pianist’s career. What advice would you give to an amateur
She is perhaps closer to the composer-pianists of the pianist about how to improve?
19th century, a time in which creating music was as Listen to historical recordings from the age in
important, or more so, than playing repertoire by which the technique was there to serve the poetry
others, and in which improvisation was part and parcel of the music. And learn to listen to yourself.
of musical life. Ironically, too, some of those musicians
were political exiles, as Montero herself has become, If you weren’t a pianist, what would you be?
giving her some extraordinary common ground with I would be Jeff Bezos and fund quality healthcare
Chopin and Rachmaninov. and education for everyone on the planet. That
She was born in Venezuela in 1970, starting out as a would solve most of our problems.
child prodigy who had a natural and inexplicable bent
for improvisation. She made her concerto debut aged One person you’d love to play for?
eight before winning a government scholarship to study I’ve always been asked to play for people, when
in Miami. After ten years there, however, she was what I really want to do is talk to them, have a
almost ready to give up, closing her piano for a couple conversation and learn something from them.
of years and feeling she had lost her raison d’être. A
period of study in London with Hamish Milne at the A composer you’re not quite ready for?
Royal Academy of Music proved helpful. It was Boulez.
nevertheless only when she was 31 and a single mum
of two that she encountered Martha Argerich and What other music do you like listening to?
found her true direction – because Argerich encouraged Everything, except for rap and reggaeton.
V

her to improvise.

11• Pianist 121

INTERVIEW
Words of encouragement
‘My first piano teacher in Caracas was the mother of
Sergio Tiempo, Lyl Tiempo, a close friend of Martha’s,’
says Montero. ‘She had told Martha about her little
“improvising genius”, so she’d known about me since I
was a child.’
‘I hope that when the
world comes back to
some sort of normality,
there is a better future,
a different expectation
for how we do what
we do’
Argerich heard her performing in the International
Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1995 in which
Montero won third prize – ‘She told me later that she
had loved my Ballade No 4.’ About six years later,
Montero went backstage after a concert to say hello to
Argerich. ‘Nati was four years old and I wasn’t playing
much. I wanted to study psychology, I wanted to do
something useful. And then Martha said, “Play for me”.
Really I just wanted to talk to her over a drink.’ But she
played, and she improvised.
‘I’ve always struggled with why I want to do this,’ she
says. ‘You’re born with a gift, people assume that’s what
you want to devote your life to, and it’s also your
12• Pianist 121
nature: how can you run away from it? You can’t – there
isn’t a choice. After the Chopin Competition I nearly
stopped playing. I couldn’t find my own reasons for
continuing, and then Martha heard me improvise and
because she was blown away by that, it gave me the
motivation I needed. I’d had a piano teacher for many
years [in the US] who said it had no value. Then
Martha looked at me and said: “Just do it”. It sounded
so simple. I thought: if Martha Argerich says this,
maybe she’s right! I began to improvise in concerts and
that was when I felt I could start to be myself. So life
took this crazy detour and now it’s been 20 years.’
Montero’s improvisations are mind-boggling to
witness. Often she presents half a concert of ‘normal’
repertoire and a second half devoted to improvisations,
asking the audience to suggest themes (YouTube is
replete with juicy examples).
Brain power
To nobody is this gift more astonishing than to her
husband, who himself started out as a musician, having
studied singing at the GSMD in London. ‘Sam has
heard me improvise hundreds of times, he knows that
nothing’s prepared, he knows I have only basic
knowledge of harmony and theory,’ Montero says. ‘He
wanted a neuroscientist who is an expert in the field to
look into my brain and explain it in scientific terms.’
Sam contacted Dr Charles Limb at The Johns
Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, who had conducted
research into jazz improvisers and has a special interest
in researching the neurology of artistic creators. He
viewed Montero’s videos and agreed with alacrity. The
startling results of his investigation (see ‘Gabriela
Montero on…’) revealed that it was almost as if she had
a ‘second brain’, creating a unique neural pathway and
involving the visual cortex. It led to a documentary
about the experiment called No Horizons.
The documentary, Montero says, is also about how
she has used music to tell the story of Venezuela. Her
world is inextricably tied up with her native country:
often she has been a lone artistic voice speaking up
about the realities of its regime, under which the
country was descending into chaos years before
Covid-19 struck. ‘The whole point of these projects,
including my compositions, is to create a sort of trojan
horse to deliver the story of Venezuela,’ Montero says.
‘When you approach people with overt political
messages, they tend to switch off. But when you frame
it in a human, real story, then they listen and are open
to it.
‘The situation in Venezuela has been taking place
since 1999 [when Chavez came to power], but my life
changed 11 years ago when I chose to become an
advocate, a voice for Venezuelans, because I felt I had to
do something, I had to get involved. Everything I’ve
done or written since then has been on behalf of my
country, in order to speak of what the people of
Venezuela have been enduring, and sadly their situation
has spiralled into hell.’
Now she is an exile: she cannot go back. ‘I effectively
have no home,’ she says. ‘It’s been a huge price to pay,
 GABRIELA MONTERO ON…
THE IMPROVISATION BRAIN SCAN
The team at Johns Hopkins put me into the MRI scanner tube with a
small keyboard. On this I had to respond to random instructions to play
a Bach minuet, to improvise or to play a scale, without knowing which
would be next. The point was to see how my brain would behave
comparatively in the different scenarios. I could not move my head,
otherwise the resulting images of my brain would be fuzzy. After the
initial 30 minutes, the team was so astonished by what they were seeing
that they asked if we could continue for another hour and a half.
After a while, Charles Limb asked me if I see anything while I
improvise. I don’t – I’m not visualising someone running through the
fields or meeting a lover! He was asking because the scans showed that
my visual cortex was becoming much stronger while improvising than
the parts of the brain I was employing to play Bach and scales. I’ve
always said that I ‘get out of the way’ when I improvise – and it
turned out that those parts of the brain that I use to play the written
repertory from memory are almost shut down and then there’s this
little pathway that my brain creates, which they’d never seen before,
which then taps into my visual cortex. So it’s with that part of the
brain that I improvise.
Also, I’m ‘out of it’ – when I improvise, I’m not really there, and
the explanation is that it’s almost like I have two brains, which is
really weird. So, when I say I ‘get out of the way’, I don’t just switch
on a process: that’s what is happening neurologically. I don’t have
any explanation, but I know that it’s when I feel the most honest,
connected and free. It’s my natural habitat.

not to be able to visit my family and see my friends, not
to be able to play in my country, not to be where I’m
from. And I have a constant search for this identity, for
this sense of roots. That is the price you pay for
speaking out, but it is costly.’
Issues close to the heart
It begs the question, too, of why political activism is
rare in the classical music field. While other artforms
embrace the burning issues of the day, many in classical
music shy away from them. Montero is unimpressed by
this. ‘You’d have to eliminate half the canon of classical
music if you were to eliminate any political
commentary,’ she points out, ‘including Le nozze di
Figaro, Shostakovich’s symphonies, and Beethoven, who
was so in tune with what was happening in his time.
I’ve always wondered why classical musicians feel we are
exempted from joining the conversation and being
spokespeople. Why are other forms of the arts allowed
to enter this terrain, yet it appears so disruptive to the
classical world? I think it’s nonsense. It’s just more
comfortable, much easier, not to position yourself than
it is to speak out against injustice.’
Montero’s first recorded composition, Ex Patria,
won a Latin Grammy. The plight of the Venezuelan
people, she says, then inspired the creation of her
Latin Concerto, a powerful, astringent and deeply
moving work that she has recorded on the Orchid
Classics label.
‘Music is an incredibly powerful tool for
disseminating information and for bringing people to
empathise with a human crisis. If I were denouncing
mundane political events, I can see why people would
say that politics and music don’t mix in that way, but
when you’ve been a victim of a country that’s turning to
criminality, you absolutely have to use your voice to
speak out. To me it’s a no-brainer. Music should be the
loudspeaker through which people can tell their stories.
It’s a metaphor for what is happening to them in our
global society and in my case Venezuela.’
For the time being, Montero is home, writing music
and exploring new pathways that will hopefully come
to fruition in the years ahead. Until we can hear her on
stage again, do explore the films of her improvising. She
deserves a place among the great wonders of the
musical world. n
Gabriela Montero plays the slow movement of
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2 on this issue’s
covermount album. See album cover for details. To find
out more about her recordings, publications and other
projects, go to www.gabrielamontero.com. Dr Limb’s
paper can be read at Science Direct:
http://bit.ly/classicalcreativity.

13• Pianist 121

 HOW TO PLAY
STROKES OF COLOUR
THE SUSTAIN PEDAL
Familiarise yourself with the popular right pedal from the very
start, says Mark Tanner – so when the time comes, you’ll
½RHMXWIGSRHREXYVIXSEHHXLSWII\XVETMKQIRXWSJGSPSYV
to your tonal palette
T
he sustain pedal is
the piano’s Swiss
Army knife. That
inconspicuous piece
of brass resting under
the right foot is how we access a
dizzying complexity of sounds,
effects, textures and colours. The
other two pedals – the sostenuto
(or more often a ‘practice’ pedal
on an upright) in the middle, and
the una corda, off to the left – are
far less habitually used devices,
yet each of these opens up its own
Aladdin’s Cave of effects. Though
we tend to think of the sustain
pedal as helping us to achieve two
things – a legato or sustained effect
and a warmth or ‘bloom’ of tone
– in reality this hardly scratches at
the surface of its possibilities.
The extent to which an
intentional blurring or colouring
of sound plays a helpful role
in what we do, will be largely
predetermined by the style, idiom
or era: few of us would seek out
an impressionistic wash of sound
when playing Rameau or Couperin
on the piano, for example. Nor
would we imagine we’re doing
service to Debussy’s La Cathédrale
engloutie or Clair de lune with our
right foot nowhere near the pedal!
And yet, to think of the sustain
pedal as being either ‘up’ or ‘down’
is often insufficiently nuanced
thinking, arguably even when
tackling 18th-century repertoire,
let alone music from the 19th
century onwards. It’s also worth
remembering that the bigger the
room, the less pedal we’ll need.
The magnificently adaptable
sustain pedal became progressively
so during the first half of the
19th century, especially upon
the introduction of iron-framed
instruments when greater tension
on the strings became achievable
virtually overnight. This opened
up a glorious bounty of new
sounds, timbres and otherworldly
effects. Romantic piano music
makes abundant use of the sustain
pedal’s capacities for accumulating
sound and broadening harmonic
effects, for example Chopin’s
swirling accompanimental
textures. Rachmaninov’s C sharp
5
TOP
TIPS
Endless possibilities
1 Pedalling for colour requires sensitivity, but in
particular, good listening skills.
2 Experiment with your instrument to find the
optimum range of pedal movement for achieving
particular shades of colour.
3 Try half pedalling and flutter pedalling to achieve
more complex sound textures and colours,
especially in 19th century repertoire onwards.
4 Have fun with ‘hand pedalling’ to add a frisson
of colour to your impressionistic playing.
5 Used in combination, the three pedals open up
myriad possibilities. First, become confident
using each pedal in isolation; next combine the
sustain and una corda pedals, then try
transferring sounds between sostenuto and
sustain, and in time progress to more ingenious
exchanges and combinations.
14• Pianist 121
minor Prelude, played without
sustain pedal, would make an
utter nonsense of this intense
music. If we take the sustain pedal
for granted however, or apply it
unthinkingly as a crutch, it easily
incapacitates music built from
leaner, more rapidly changing
textures. Our Swiss Army knife
needs a most careful handling.
Merging sound
The sustain pedal lifts the dampers
off the strings en masse, the
equivalent of which would be an
88-fingered pianist pressing down
every key simultaneously! When
the pedal is depressed, besides
allowing all struck strings to
continue vibrating, we’re getting
varying amounts of sympathetic
vibration – i.e. the vibration of
non-struck strings. This extra
degree of resonance comes ‘for
free’, since all we’ve done is
depressed the pedal and played
perhaps one note. Over-strung
(or ‘cross-strung’) instruments,
which emerged from the 1820s,
boast larger and sometimes longer
bass strings, which visibly cross
other strings, thereby adding to its
overall resonant quality, especially
when the pedal is in play. The
full impact of this becomes
unmistakable when we are
utilising a wider range of notes,
whether as chords, flourishes
or arpeggio-type figurations
– though arguably with over-
stringing we lose some of the
cleanness of tone that Beethoven
or Chopin would have known.
To coin a phrase
This fun exercise gives you a flavour
of how the pedal adds colour… but
without using it!
• Place piles of coins slowly on
some random keys right at
the bottom of the keyboard –
black, white or a mix – so that
on acute listening skills than foot
dexterity! Pedalling for colour is a Pedal pressure
little like adding salt to taste, and Mark Tanner shows you how and when to
this is closely aligned with the skill depress the pedal in three of this issue’s scores
of dynamic shading and balancing.
By listening really intently to TRACK 8
Grieg Berceuse Op 38 No 1: This
0)7732
Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907)
Berceuse Op 38 No 1
INTERMEDIATE
recordings of, say, Debussy, Ravel exquisite Lyric Piece has many
or Messiaen, we can gradually

 

 

pedal markings, and these need an


  



 
  





 



 



        



 







 




 

these keys are silently but fully attune to the effects we’re wanting

   


  assiduous treatment to prevent 
       
 


   


   




   
      

depressed. Open the lid of your to emulate as we begin to         

    

muddled harmonies. That said, a

    
  

 
 




 

  

      


 


 

piano to heighten the effect. experiment with the idiosyncrasies




tendency to clear the pedal a



 







  




 












  





 





  

• Now play some single notes we encounter on our own piano.

 


 
  


 




fraction too early may sometimes

   







 
    
 

   
    
      

or chords – experiment with a
different amount of notes, speeds
and volumes in both hands.
• When playing, start around the
middle of the keyboard, but then
venture further away, perhaps
with the hands further apart.
• If you can reach into your piano,
try to strum random strings (still
with some keys held down), to
give a shimmering, ethereal effect.
As with any form of pedalling,
always rock from the heel – at all
costs avoid a forklift truck style
operation from the knee or hip.
When both hands are playing
higher up on the keyboard, expect
in general to use more pedal, and
use appreciably less when both
hands are playing around the tenor
register or lower.
Half pedalling tends to involve
  
 
      


cause tiny but unwanted breaks to
the musical flow. Practise the all-important
transitions, e.g. bars 58-59, to preserve a smooth
LH delivery while the RH repositions itself. The final
bars show Grieg at his most magical; here I like to
be deliberately a fraction ‘late’ with the changes and
live right on the edge of harmonic blurring!
TRACK 9
Cervantes Cuban Dance No 1:
Ignacio CERVANTES (1847-1905)
Cuban Dance No 1
INTERMEDIATE
There are plenty of possibilities for
colourful pedalling in this


 

 
 




 


    
   
   

    
            




 
       
 
           

smaller degrees or even ‘kisses’ of


 
marvellous Cuban dance. These
   



 



 




 

   


 






 

Depending on how many silently pedal, so that a variable amount
  

       



are often so subtle, personal and

  
 
   

   
     


    
    
  

depressed keys you have chosen,

       

of sound (the instrument’s deeper

 

dependent upon the degree to

 

     
       
     

and whereabouts on the keyboard

 

and middle sonorities more so) is



which you’re wanting to tease out


 

    

       
   








  

        

   
  

you’re experimenting, doing this
gives us a diluted version of the
effect the sustain pedal provides
when fully or partially depressed.
You may encounter oddities of
overtones and harmonics, or certain
notes that ring on mysteriously, but
that’s the fun of it. Alternatively,
preserved by the pedal, permitting
warm harmonies and clear
melodies to occur simultaneously,
while flutter pedalling can involve
several partial movements in fairly
quick succession, each of which
progressively clears out the sound
from the upper notes downwards.
those deep inner lines, that
marking them in should be a gradual, thoughtful
process. I like to keep the harmony changes nicely
clear, especially earlier on, but begin to allow
slightly longer, more ambitious pedal effects to
appear during the tranquillo and animato sections.
TRACK 13
Mel Bonis Phoebé: This piece Mel BONIS (1858-1937)
Phoebé Op 30 No 1
4-%2-781%+%>-2)'31
INTERMEDIATE/
ADVANCED

;%8',',)2=-20-40%=8,-7%8;;;

silently depress a few notes with
your LH somewhere nearer the
This can help when, for example, offers copious chances to
holding a chord higher up in experiment with both the sustain



       

 
   

  




   
   
 
   
  

middle of the keyboard. Doing this both hands but at the same time

and una corda pedals in order to


   
   
    

 

 



 
    

gives you the option of lifting and wanting to gradually flush out bass
 
      

subdue the warm, burbling






      
  

     

silently depressing specific keys notes already sounding. These are
semiquavers and keep intact the
          

 

 


quite quickly at will, almost like a admittedly more advanced skills,

    


RH’s shapely cantabile line. Half 

      

     

   

 
 
 
 
 

‘hand pedal’, while playing notes
in the RH. When improvising, this
delivers intriguing and mesmerising
effects, and you could conceivably
experiment when playing specific
moments in impressionistic or
more modern repertoire.
Shades of grey
Depending on the instrument,
pedalling for colour is often most
efficiently accomplished within
a particular range of its up/down
movement (experiment to discover
where on your piano this is best
achieved). A deliberate clouding
or blurring of sound (whether
subtle or more pronounced), as
with direct pedalling and legato
pedalling, perhaps depends more
but once gained can effectively
result in a combination of legato
pedalling – smoothing the
connections between single notes,
harmonies or textures – and more
colourful pedalling effects of the
kinds just described.
Using the sostenuto pedal can be
a convenient shortcut to achieving
daring sound-layering effects,
achieved by depressing it and
holding it down just after playing
certain notes to ‘trap’ them, before
playing different notes elsewhere.
The una corda pedal, which results
in a thinner sound colour on a
grand piano, is often effectively
used in combination with the
sustain pedal, thereby gaining
the veiled, otherworldly sound
pedalling skills are needed
regularly, especially where the melody needs to
come through the texture in octaves, e.g. at bars
22-26. Between bars 38-46 you can be quite daring
– though listen intently for moments where a
fleeting change is needed.
we enjoy hearing in, for example,
Debussy’s Voiles (Préludes, Book 1).
Pedalling for colour is something
a complete beginner can enjoy
doing. To unleash a rainbow
of intoxicating effects on your
instrument, simply depress the
pedal and play a slow whole-
tone scale: C D E F# G# A# C.
Be adventurous and discover the
sound-miracles you and your
piano can produce! n

15• Pianist 121

HOW TO PLAY

FEEL COMFORTABLE
IN ALL KEYS
TRANSPOSITION
For extra security with tricky passages and memorisation,
try adding this handy technique to your practice toolbox,
suggests Graham Fitch

I
n a passionate desire to become masters of our
  

instrument, we pianists spend lots of time learning


repertoire and building up a strong technique. But what


use is technique without solid general musicianship, and a



     
          
reliable ear? I advise my students to include transposition           
as a regular part of their practice; they tell me the improvement     







to the way they listen to their playing is noticeable after just a
few minutes. In this article I’m going to look at how we can use 

transposition to refine our listening skills and improve our tactile

 

    

awareness as we move around the keyboard. For building real


security into a piece we need to memorise, there is nothing better
than being able to play it in a couple of different keys – albeit
slowly. We can also use transposition as a useful supplementary
practice tool to help us overcome technically difficult passages
– those corners where, despite our best efforts, the fingers don’t



  
     
       
       



  
  
 


   
   
seem to want to cooperate.
When we transpose, we play a piece in a different key from Do not feel intimidated by the idea of transposing such a
the original. This can be done in two ways: at sight (a rare skill complex piece from memory: like any skill worth acquiring we
mostly useful to accompanists), or by ear (from memory). To might struggle at first, but persist and you will notice gradual
play by ear or to improvise, we need to be comfortable playing in improvement. If you are a teacher of youngsters, how about
any key, allowing the ear to guide the fingers to the notes we hear including transposition as a lesson and practice activity from the
in our head. The ability to play the melody, chord sequence and beginning? You will find many enjoy the challenge, and can get
indeed improvise on any standard song in any key is an accepted good at it early on in their piano journey. It should not be too
requirement for any professional jazz pianist, yet classically difficult for an elementary player to play the first section of the
trained pianists rarely seem to develop these musicianly skills. Musette in D from the Anna Magdalena Notebook in a few other
keys once they have learned it in the original. Try it in C, then E
Changing keys to aid memory to begin with. There is no need to go beyond the double bar.
A colleague recounted to me a lesson with a famous teacher who
asked, ‘How well do you know this Waldstein Sonata?’. ‘I know 
   
it by heart!’, he responded. ‘Really? What key is it in?’. When he
       
scoffed ‘C major!’, the teacher said, ‘Great! Play it in E major’.
He got through a few bars before starting to fumble, at which
point the teacher exclaimed, ‘You don’t know this piece from a
ham sandwich!’

  

 




 
  
        



      
@ GET IN TOUCH
Graham Fitch would like to hear from readers who have piano-playing
questions, whether about a cer tain technique or a passage in a piece of
music. Please write to the editor at editor@pianistmagazine.com.

 







Intermediate players can develop a sense of keyboard


         

Due to the large number of requests, Graham may not be able to answer
every question that is submitted. geography by adding short cadences at the end of scales, such
as this basic I-IV-V-I progression using the primary chords.
V

16• Pianist 121

RUSSELL HIRSHFIELD
Pianist
Alexander Scriabin, Early Works

Available from Navona Records

www.russellhirshfield.com
WATCH GRAHAM’S ONLINE LESSONS AT WWW.PIANISTMAGAZINE.COM/LESSONS

Learn it by heart in C major, and transpose to every key (major Can you play this passage in two neighbouring keys, D and F
and minor). minor? The secret is to keep the same fingering as the original no
matter which key you practise it in (I’ve added my own, but






















feel free to choose alternatives). Why is preserving the fingering
   
    
important? As we play, we constantly make micro up-down


   
      and in-out adjustments of the hand and arm to accommodate


   










     









 the ever-changing black-white terrain of the keyboard. When
we transpose into another key, we learn a version of the same
passage that is essentially the same, and yet different – not only
because the sounds are higher or lower, but also because our
fingers need to adapt to the different patterns of black and white
notes. When we return to the original key, we find the passage is
Progress to some very simple, short pieces, such as those vastly improved and fits like a glove.
from Daniel Gottlob Türk’s 120 Handstücke für angehende
Klavierspieler. The first few are only eight bars long and very 8IGLRMGEP)\IVGMWIW
simple; learn one or two of these from memory then test your We make similar gains when we transpose technical exercises,
ear by transposing into all 12 keys. Of course, any elementary which are often printed only in the key of C. Whether indicated
level repertoire is useful for this purpose; pick pieces that you or not, these need to be transposed into other keys for maximum
can learn quickly and manage easily. When you know a piece value. British concert pianist, Peter Donohoe, a devotee of
well enough to transpose it, either move chromatically up or Hanon, practises the exercises in C, Db and E. If you are someone
down from one key to the next, or go backwards or forwards who practises Hanon – and there are many – try transposing
through the Circle of Fifths (diagram below). them! [Try the one inside this issue’s Keyboard Class.]
As an acid test of I highly recommend practising double note exercises for
C memory for advanced developing the outer side of the hand, and for coordination
F G
Am players, playing whole within the hand. Such exercises help keep us in great shape
Dm Em D pieces (or just those pianistically as the weaker fourth and fifth fingers learn to be as
Bb
Gm Bm elusive sections of strong and agile as the thumb, second and third fingers. Many
pieces) from memory books of technical exercises print the first part of a given exercise
F#m A
Eb Cm in two or three different in C major, with an indication to carry on throughout all keys.
Fm C#m keys by ear means you Here is another situation where our transposition skills come in
Ab E really know the score. handy, since we must know how to do this. I would like to show
Bbm G#m
D#m This doesn’t have to you a modulating pattern that ascends chromatically through
Db B be done at speed, and all keys – you can be free of the printed page and concentrate
F# it doesn’t have to be on the technique involved (keeping the wrist free and aligning
perfect in expressive the arm behind the playing fingers as you synchronise each
detail. It will take some practice, so be patient with yourself. pair of notes). From a C major five-finger position, move to
Take a piece you consider you know well from memory and the minor by flattening the third degree. Keeping the minor
transpose into a neighbouring key without looking at the music third, flatten the fifth degree (diminished) before flattening
(remember, slowly is fine). How far did you get? If you found the second degree. The final position acts as dominant to the
that challenging, you may discover you only know your piece key a semitone higher. Once internalised, you will be able to
by muscle memory (we absolutely need muscle memory, but it modulate freely (see my video demonstration on YouTube for
tends to be unreliable under the pressure of performance). Some how this works in practice).
time spent transposing the music will certainly help you drill
the notes securely into your ear.

 



8SVI½RIGSSVHMREXMSR
























In addition to helping us memorise, we can use transposition
as a supplementary practice tool for refining motor control and 


coordination in difficult passages. I have chosen a tiny snippet
 

 


















 
from the fugue of Bach’s Toccata in E minor (bar 84), a spot
where students are prone to stumble.

Transposition is like a muscle – the more you use it the


 

 



    stronger it gets. Spend a few minutes every day and you’ll
 
          

  improve, I guarantee, and begin to really feel the multiple
   benefits it has to offer. n





     

     For more on developing transposition skills for technical exercises,
     

follow this link to the Online Academy (bit.ly/transpositionskills).
For more about the art of practising, discover Graham’s Practice
Tools Lecture Series (bit.ly/grahampracticetools).

18• Pianist 121

 THE SCORES
Pianist 121 • Read the lessons • Play the scores

LESSONS FROM THE EXPERTS SCORES

24 KEYBOARD CLASS
MELANIE SPANSWICK is a pianist, writer, teacher
Exercise for finger evenness
and composer. As an author, she is published by
leading publishing houses, and has written a
three-book piano course for those returning to 25 TELEMANN
piano playing; Play It Again: PIANO (Schott Music). Prelude in D
Melanie teaches the piano at Junior Guildhall
School of Music & Drama and Eton College. As a 26 VERDI
composer, her music is published in the renowned La donna è mobile (arrangement)
Edition Schott Composer Series.
Read Melanie Spanswick’s lesson 28 HARRIS
Regent’s Park

NILS FRANKE is Dean of Higher Education at the 30 CHADWICK

University Centre Colchester, UK, having previously Now I Lay Me Down
held posts at the London Academy of Music and
Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and the University of 32 CHAMINADE
Reading. He has recorded for Warner and Brilliant Aubade Op 126 No 2
Classics. Nils specialises in historical performance
pedagogy, with a particular focus on 19th-century 34 KIEL
pianist-composers. His editions are published by
Notturno Op 28 No 4
Wiener Urtext and Schott Music International.
Read Nils Franke’s lesson
37 TCHAIKOVSKY
Morning Prayer, No 1 from
Album for the Young Op 39
MAHAN ESFAHANI is known mainly for his career
as a harpsichordist in two major realms: the great 38 GRIEG
works of the 17th and 18th centuries and for Berceuse Op 38 No 1
championing modern and living composers. More
recently he has a growing reputation as a
commentator with radio documentaries on musical
42 CERVANTES
and social topics for the BBC and articles for the Cuban Dance No 1
Guardian, The New Yorker and Opera. He records
exclusively for Hyperion Records. 44 NIELSEN
Read Mahan Esfahani’s lesson Humoreske Op 3 No 2
© Erica Worth (Spanswick); © Kaja Smith (Esfahani); Hao LV/Lumira Studio (Li)

48 MASON
Serenata Op 39
CHENYIN LI is a celebrated concert pianist known
for her fiery and intelligent performances of a wide
variety of repertoire. Having won multiple 53 SCHUBERT
international competitions, she has established Adagio in G D178
herself as a versatile player who shines in both solo
repertoire as well as concerto. Chenyin has 58 BONIS
performed in many prestigious venues across the Phoebé Op 30 No 1
UK, Europe and Asia and her extensive discography
includes more than 50 albums for Pianist. 63 BACH
Listen to Chenyin Li perform on this issue’s CD Giga (Gigue) from Partita
No 1 BWV 825

Typesetting by Spartan Press Music Publishers Ltd

 HOW TO PLAY
ABILITY RATING LATE BEGINNER
CUTHBERT HARRIS
REGENT’S PARK (ON THE LAKE)
NO 6 FROM LONDON SCENES
-J]SY½RIXYRI]SYVPIKEXSERHKVEHI]SYVH]REQMGW
[MXLGEVIXLMWYREWWYQMRKPMXXPIFSEX[MPPKPMHIEPSRKXLI
[EXIVNYWXTIVJIGXP]WE]WMelanie Spanswick
Key G major Tempo Andante Style Late Romantic
Will improve your Legato playing Pedalling Left-hand leaps
This endearing miniature was
written by the little-known
British Romantic composer
Cuthbert Harris. It moves along
calmly at a dotted crotchet equals
56 beats per minute. Comprising
four-bar phrases, a successful
performance rests on a supportive
and gentle LH accompaniment
combined with an expressive,
cantabile RH melodic line.
By using the pedal with the
LH on its own, you will be
able to hear the sound and
the resonance more clearly
Let’s start with the LH. The
barcarolle-like rhythmic pattern
remains constant throughout,
with harmonies changing every
bar. Bar 1, for example, comprises
the G major tonic chord – G, B
and D. I suggest reading through
the piece and determining the
harmonic progressions by playing
every bar as a chord: play the first-
beat bass crotchet separately, but
then play the quaver and crotchet
chord (sometimes dotted crotchet)
together. This will help you become
familiar with the note patterns and
hand-position changes.
1RZIRUWKH/+ÀQJHULQJ In
bar 1, you can use the standard
© Erica Worth
fingering of 5-2-1 for the quaver
and two-note crotchet chord. Or,
as an alternative, try 3-1-2. (I have (top G, bar 1) with a fairly deep
written this alternative fingering touch; a good arm weight will help
onto the score.) This second option achieve the required cantabile.
requires plenty of lateral arm As a rule, the upper note of
movement and a flexible wrist so each two-note chord must be
that the hand and arm are able to highlighted, as it’s vital to the
swing from the left to right – the melodic line. To do this effectively,
hand guiding the fingers into place move the wrist and hand a little
so as not to cause strain. The third to the right, ensuring your arm
finger basically acts as a pivot. This weight is supporting the fifth
fingering should also help achieve finger, and aim to keep the lower
a smooth LH. note of each two-note chord soft.
:KDWHYHUÀQJHULQJV\RXGHFLGH
WKH/+ÀIWKÀQJHUZLOOVWLOOQHHG
LEARNING TIP
to be agile. Using bar 3 as an To ensure an elegant and flowing
example, place the tip of the fifth performance, try to keep a steady
finger firmly on the first bass note
of the bar with a fairly full tone,
pulse throughout – with just a
brief rallentando during the final
keeping it depressed for its full two bars.
value. Then quickly leap to the D
an octave higher (also to be played Some of the wide intervals within
with the fifth finger); try to play the melody line create intensity
this second note with a softer tonal and drama. The D to the B in the
colour, before going on to play the second beat of bar 2, for example,
second crotchet beat (the two-note provides a yearning effect before
chord) with a little more sonority arriving at the A at the beginning
to that of the preceding quaver. of bar 3. In order to highlight this
Matching the sound in this way effect, play the D with a cantabile
will give the illusion of legato. touch, before moving to the B,
‘placing’ it carefully with a slightly
Once the LH is secure and up deeper sound. The following A
WRVSHHGLQWURGXFHWKHVXVWDLQ can be played with a firmer tenuto
Cuthbert HARRIS (1870-1932)
(right) pedal. Follow the suggested touch: lean into it, ensuring that
BEGINNER/
INTERMEDIATE
TRACK 3 0)7732 Regent’s Park (On the Lake)
Subtitled ‘On the Lake’,
London, in 1870. Chiefly an periodicals and penned various compositions.
Cuthbert Harris was born in Holloway, pieces entitled London Scenes.
Regent’s Park is the sixth in a set of 13
various churches throughout Old Bond Street, At Madame
organist, he held organist positions at (Other pieces include The Nelson Column,
Church, Streatham, where he of the editor remembers
London including St. Leonard’s Parish Tussaud’s and Buckingham Palace.) A colleague
also taught harmony and voice by its charm that he suggested
markings. By using the pedal with
played a III/31 stop Walker organ. Harris
the sound carries for the value of
music by correspondence, learning it when young, and was so taken
at the London Academy of Music, taught lesson on this piece.
wrote articles for music its inclusion. Read Melanie Spanswick’s
prepared students for music examinations,



  
   

    
     

 







 

 




  





  
the LH on its own, you will be the note. Similar intervals at bars







 




 








 









able to hear the sound and the 3/4, 6/7, 9/10, 13/14, 18/19,
resonance more clearly.


21/22 and 22/23 will all benefit


    

    







 
from this approach. n
   
     
  






The RH melody will need some

       
 
  
 

  
     
     



beautiful phrasing. Always aim


More information about Melanie
SEE SCORES for a smooth, melodic line. Try Spanswick can be found at
SECTION to ‘place’ the first melody note www.melaniespanswick.com
20• Pianist 121
HOW TO PLAY
ABILITY RATING INTERMEDIATE

GRIEG
BERCEUSE
LYRIC PIECE OP 38 NO 1
Endorsed by Rachmaninov, Grieg’s writing is wonderfully
pianistic, says Nils Franke. Even the two-against-three
rhythm won’t cause too much concern if you always
VIQIQFIVXSXLMROQIPSH]½VWX
Key G major Tempo Allegretto tranquillo Style Romantic
Will improve your Two-against-three Understanding of structure Phrasing

What is it about the success 33 to the end, which recaps near a sudden movement, hold the
of Grieg’s piano music? I think enough two thirds of the piece. preceding quavers in the RH on
Rachmaninov had worked it Whether you choose to adopt this the pedal, which should give you
out: ‘Grieg … had the gift of repeat or not is entirely up to you: enough time to reposition the RH.
writing beautifully for the piano both versions are equally valid.
and in pure klaviermässig style.’ LEARNING TIP
Rachmaninov’s perception of the The main technical challenge for
If needed, practise the complex
German word klaviermässig was the entire piece appears as early
RH patterns with both hands
that it stood for ‘lies well under as bar 3. For some, the timing of
before copying the sound with
the fingers’ and ‘is comfortable to the lower line in the RH of that
your RH only.
play’. From a pianist’s perspective, bar presents a bit of a challenge.
that sense of idiomatic writing Playing two-against-three notes
must surely be part of the essence in the same hand needs precise Bars 49 to 50 should have an
of Grieg. coordination skills. If you haven’t improvisatory sense to them. This
done this before, it’s worth is implied by the notes in small
Berceuse is the opening piece of learning the placing of notes with print. There are different ways to
Grieg’s second volume (Op 38) different rhythmic patterns. Take achieve this, but a good starting
of Lyric Pieces. Though published bar 53 first of all: here there is no point might be retaining a feeling
in 1883, sketches for some of the additional alto line in the RH, so for the crotchet beats, just spacing
Lyric Pieces go back to the mid- it’s a good texture for learning to things out a little more. For
1860s, when Grieg became more position the second and fourth guidance, listen to Chenyin Li’s
interested in the combination of quaver of the LH literally just after sensitive performance.
musical material from Norwegian the second triplet quaver in the
folk idioms with forms and scoring patterns of the RH. It’s a stepping The section in bars 67-70 is a link
of what some perceive as art music. stone to subsequently taking on passage. These four bars take the
bar 3 (and bar 11). If problems player (and listener) back to the
$WÀUVWVLJKWWKHUHDUHWKUHH persist, here is a back-up plan: play musical material of the opening.
distinct sections: the opening bars the upper line in bar 3 with the The minims in the LH are slurred,
in G major (bars 1-16) which are RH, and the lower (alto) line with and the first crotchets in the RH
repeated (17-32), a contrasting the LH until both the triplets and of each bar are emphasised. For the
middle section around G minor the alto quaver line sound fluid purpose of practising, it’s worth
(33) and B flat minor (41), leading and even. Then copy the sound, leaving out the chords in the LH
to a modulating reworking of the using only the RH. and only playing the crotchets in
opening 16 bars and a four-bar Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907)

the RH against the minims in the

INTERMEDIATE
TRACK 8 0)7732 Berceuse Op 38 No 1

a waltz. Both pieces, and more,

Lyric Piece, Remembrances, this time as
collection of 66 Lyric Pieces the Lyric Pieces are technically
Published in five separate volumes, the have appeared in past issues. Some of
best known pieces, such as this endearing Berceuse – are perfect
includes several of the Norwegian composer’s challenging, whereas others – such as

The LH stretches in bars 39

March of the Trolls and Butterfly.
Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, To Spring, for the intermediate-level pianist.
Arietta, was known to be one of

link passage (bars 67-70), followed LH. You’ll get a clear sense of the
The theme of the first piece in the set, Turn to Nils Franke’s lesson for further
guidance.
to complete the cycle in his last
Grieg’s favourite melodies. He used it

 
  




and 47 aren’t possible to play as



             

by the return of the opening.



descending chromatic line that




 
  





 


 



 


 



 


 




Or so it seems. Grieg must have chords. If you want to play them underpins this link passage. When
 


         
 


    


 


 


   
       
         

    
    


recognised that the quality of the as such, you’ll need to take the adding the offbeat chords in the

 
 




 

  

      


 


 

musical material meant that they





  




  




 






  





 





upper note in the RH (see score) LH thereafter, retain that sense of



  

    


 
  


 


 

harmonic clarity. n
 

could be enjoyed for a bit longer. which requires a quick adjusting

 






 
    
 

   
    
      

  
 
  


   
 

In the single edition of the work, of the position of the RH across

dating from 1890, the composer SEE SCORES the bar line into bars 39 and More information about Nils Franke
agreed to include the repeat of bars SECTION 47. Although it feels like a bit of can be found at www.nils-franke.com.

21• Pianist 121

 HOW TO PLAY
ABILITY RATING ADVANCED

JS BACH
GIGA FROM PARTITA NO 1
IN B FLAT BWV 825
This Italian dance will excite both listener and player if you
spend ample time studying the choreography of each hand,
says harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani
Key B flat Tempo Giga Style Baroque
Will improve your Hand-crossing technique Use of dynamics Slurs

Let us start out with a bit of ‘RH’ or ‘LH’ on the score. [See shifting the hand for the fourth
informed housekeeping. If you ‘alternative’ way in box opposite.] beat and subsequent two bars.
have the volume of all Six Partitas Some scholars believe the name giga That way, we can maintain our
(BWV 825-830), casually glance (or gigue) is from the old French concentration on the RH, making
through it to familiarise yourself ‘giguer’, ‘to jump’; perhaps Bach is sure it fits the crossing of range
with the variety of movement making some reference to this in that it sometimes has to achieve.
names. In this particular Partita, the way the hands interact, which
Bach is very particular when he shows us that this is music for the LEARNING TIP
chooses to use the Italian name eyes as much as it is for the ears.
Learn the RH crotchet notes alone,
for the jig – the giga. This is Bach
all the way through, increasing
showing us that he can write in /HW·VÀUVWZRUNRQWKLVSDWWHUQ
the tempo gradually until you’ve
different styles and with various of a crotchet followed by two
reached the intended speed.
aims in mind; as Bach points out remaining triplet notes within the
on his title page, these works are one whole beat. Now, remember
for a ‘refreshment of the spirit’. that each first note of the beat is Fingering can also help emphasise
played by the RH. To learn music articulations. I haven’t marked any
The giga is a lively dance in like this, I take it apart and for the slurs in the score because I think
compound time. This means that first five bars or so, I play the RH that ultimately phrasing – and its
the bar comprises two or four alone and count each crotchet out subsidiary elements, such as slurs
beats, with each beat divided into loud like so: ‘one, two, three, four.’ and articulation – is an artistic
three. This particular giga has four choice which, though affected by
beats in the bar. At this point, you should plan the fingering that we choose (e.g.
\RXUÀQJHULQJIRUWKH5+ Mine slurs being easier to effectuate with
The division of the beat into is on the score. Always bear in adjacent fingers and staccato being
three is crucial in helping us mind to use fingering to help easier between disjunct fingers over
ÀJXUHWKLVSLHFHRXW Notice how you get your musical ideas across. larger intervals), is something that
each crotchet beat has the stem Believe me when I say that I still can exist in the abstract and which
pointing upwards. This is definitely assiduously write and study all can change with one’s mood over
what Bach intended. Subsequent of my fingerings for all music, the course of a performance.
18th-century copies of the Partitas and especially for music that I
by his students and friends are have played for most of my life. Carry on practising like this
full of variants and the occasional Firstly, it’s important to learn the IRUWKHHQWLUHÀUVWKDOIEDUV
error, but they always make a point choreography of a piece of music. 1-16). Practise with the tempo of
of following this original beaming. Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)

This is particularly important in crotchet equals 80 at first until

ADVANCED
825 flat BWV
TRACK 14
Giga (Gigue) from Partita No 1 in B
0)7732

;4-%2-781%+%>-2)'31
;%8',',)2=-20-40%=8,-7%8;;
that the composer intended the
triplets with the RH. Esfahani argues
of Bach’s Partita No 1 as the
Pianists often refer to the last movement with the RH and the inner
reverse: that is, the crotchet melody notes
Esfahani points out in his lesson can’t ask Bach!) We present both
Gigue. But, as harpsichordist Mahan triplets with the LH. (It’s a shame we
that it should carry the jig’s ‘RH takes the crotchets’; fingerings
inside this issue, Bach himself was clear versions: fingering in bold/black is for
Experiment with both and see

If you look at beats two and three a place like bars 25 to 27, where you can count out loud without
Italian way of spelling, Giga. in grey/italic for ‘LH takes the crotchets’.
on YouTube and speak
A note about the fingering: Look at performances which you prefer? We have found it a
fascinating exercise.
and you will find that most
to pianists who have performed this piece, Turn to Mahan Esfahani’s lesson for
further guidance.
with the LH and the inner
choose to play the crotchet melody notes



                  

of the first two bars, you’ll see


                    

 



     

 writing in the fingering can help any errors or hesitation. Then take
that the stem points upward even

   
   
                                 
            you see patterns that preserve your it up to 95, repeat the process,

 

when the range goes below the two 

      
   
        


                              
energy throughout a strenuous then to 110 and finally to 140.
    

triplet notes that follow.
 

or difficult piece. So, in bar 25, I personally play it at crotchet
   


we see that by holding the LH in equals 160-165 depending on my

         

                               

     
 

 



Play each crotchet with the RH, one position, we can simply use mood and whether my hands are
SEE SCORES
© Kaja Smith

which at times jumps over the different fingers for the triplets in warm enough (and, of course,
LH. We don’t even need to mark SECTION the first three beats before slightly the acoustic in the hall), but you

22• Pianist 121

should always remember that
tempo is less important than the
expression you draw out from
relations between the notes.
The LH is quite straightforward
once you realise how to use your
ÀQJHUVHIÀFLHQWO\DVPHQWLRQHG
earlier). Return to the first five
bars again with both hands. The
fingerings for the RH are above
the notes and the ones for the LH
are below the notes. You will be
surprised how it all fits into place.
7KHRUQDPHQWDWLRQWKDWZRXOG
be necessary for such a piece
is all but sketched out by Bach
already. This includes passing trills
in conjunct (step-wise) motion,
e.g. bars 5 and 7. But that doesn’t
mean we can’t apply it elsewhere.
Firstly, this sort of trill might be
what Bach would have known
as the tremblement appuyé or
‘tied trill’ where the initial note
is the first note of the trill above
the following note to which it is
tied. In the 19th century this was
mistakenly known as an ‘inverted
mordent’ – simply, you might
think of it as a quick trill from
the main note (above which the
trill is notated) which occurs
slightly after the downbeat so as
to show the tension implied by
the slur. If you choose to play it
as a normal trill, though, don’t
forget that the trill is from the
note above! And, of course, if you
wish to show the continuity of the
line a bit better, there’s nothing
wrong with playing the ornaments
slightly before the beat. We can
apply this trill in other places,
e.g. bars 26 between beats two
and three. But the problem with
applying ornamentation in a lot of
Bach is that our originality comes
into conflict with the composer’s.
I promise you, over time you’ll
absorb enough of Bach’s musical
language to know when he might
have decorated something and
how he would have done so.
'\QDPLFVDUHOHIWWRWKH
GLVFUHWLRQRIWKHSHUIRUPHU
Bach would have played this piece
on either the harpsichord or the
clavichord – both instruments are
perfectly capable of dynamics in Don’t forget to enjoy yourself!
their own way. The harpsichord One of the countless marvels of
teaches us the importance of clarity Bach’s music is that we can slightly
in this music, but it’s also possible take ourselves out of the fray of the
on this instrument to create the proceedings – once we’ve mastered
impression of a singing tone by the technical aspects – and be
overholding certain notes past their privileged witnesses to a great
written values and then being very phenomenon taking place before
definite about your articulation in our very eyes (and ears). After all,
other parts of a piece. For example, the Partitas come from a collection
in the long phrase from bars 32 to that Bach called Clavier-Übung
41, I like to play the RH intervals (literally, ‘keyboard practice’);
quite separate in bar 32, a little less he means for us to practise our
separate in 33, and then gradually fingers and minds but also our
less and less separate until the hearts and ears, and rather than
articulation of the RH and LH are trying to get it to be perfect we’re
pretty much the same in bar 40 focusing on the beauty of the
before we take a turn of phrase in process. Bach’s music suffocates
bar 41. On the clavichord Bach if we apply too many formulae,
would have had the gradation e.g. repeats in echo and other
of dynamics possible through schema which, to me at least,
variations of touch as we know on seem contrived. Remember, in the
the modern piano, albeit on a very Baroque era, more is more. Don’t be
small scale. So, in this same section afraid to experiment with different
(32-41), we might also apply less ideas and take risks. n
pressure on the keys and effectuate
a long diminuendo over these bars. Mahan Esfahani’s recording of
Conversely, we might think there’s Bach’s Six Partitas is out now on
a big crescendo into the final home Hyperion (CDA68311/2). Further
stretch and emphasise how close info at www.mahanesfahani.com.
the RH becomes to the LH by bars Lucy Parham returns to this column
39 and 40. in the next issue.
Mahan Esfahani on RH versus LH
So, as we can see in Bach’s original – that is to say, in the printing
supervised by him, which is pretty rare for Bach sources and
something that we’re very lucky to have – the ‘melody’ in crotchets
has the stems pointing upwards whilst the quaver figurations have
the stems pointing downwards. This is irrefutable evidence that Bach
intended for the RH to play the melody.
Now, you might be noticing a lot of videos on YouTube and
elsewhere of great pianists (most notably Sokolov, whose playing of
Bach’s music I absolutely treasure above all others) playing the melody
with the LH. There are a few reasons for this. Early 19th-century
editions of Bach did this to make it easier to play the Giga faster.
As far as I’m concerned, that’s perfectly alright, even if it’s not what
Bach intended. I’m sure he would have appreciated a good and
artistically compelling performance of his music on any instrument
and with any means.
As it happens, I play it the way Bach notated it – again, with the
melody in the RH – and over time I was able to build it up to a pretty
quick tempo. The key thing to remember here is to have a concept
of what you want from the score, and then find the technical means
of bringing it out on the piano (or any other instruments you might
have at your disposal). With Bach, it’s unproductive to think of ‘right’
or ‘wrong’. Though I always like to remember the words of the great
harpsichordist Wanda Landowska, when she (half ) joked:
‘You play Bach your way, and I’ll play him his way.’
23• Pianist 121
 HAN S-G ÜNT E R H EUMANN
BEGINNERS
KEYBOARD CLASS
LESSON 48:
EXERCISE FOR EVENNESS

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 Hanon study which is great for warming up the fingers.

Exercise for agility and evenness

This exercise appears as No 4 of Hanon’s famous volume of exercises, The Virtuoso Pianist – a compilation of 60 exercises meant to
train the pianist in speed, precision, agility, and strength of all of the fingers and flexibility in the wrists. Practise slowly at first,
remembering to give the same weight and touch to each note. As you build up the tempo, you will notice how easily the fingers run
over the keys. Now enjoy playing around with the dynamics and phrasing.

q = 60-108
1 2 1 2 5 1 2 2 5

   
f legato

   
          
 4  3 1   5 4  3 1    
5 5

5
             
          

          
             
8
 4 5 2  
    
5 1 4 2 1 5

      

   
1 2 1 5 5 3 1 2 3

12

                         

   
                     

24• Pianist 121

 TRACK 1
Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681-1767) BEGINNER
Prelude in D

Telemann is one of the most prolific composers in history, at least in
terms of surviving works. He was considered by his contemporaries to be
one of the leading German composers of the time. He was also compared
Follow all the slur markings in the RH. Feel the down/up motion
between the first and the last note within one slur.This means that
the first note is the heaviest and the last note the lightest.
favourably both to his friend JS Bach, who made Telemann the godfather
and namesake of his son CPE, and to Handel, whom Telemann also
knew personally. Look closely at the technical tips within the score.
When you repeat the first section (bars 1-4),
try reducing the dynamics significantly.





   

   
 

 

  
   


  


 

       

  








The LH notes should be slightly detached – neither staccato nor legato,
but somewhere inbetween. Feel like you are ‘treading’ over the notes.












Make sure that the LH remains close to the keys.

The fingers should be poised ready over the notes.



Bring out the

staccatos.    


     



        




     
 

   

Go back to the start, and repeat. 

          
      

   
 
 
 
 
The section from bar 5 is louder and more animated. Both hands
play the same pattern; try to play the notes at exactly the same time.

At bar 7, suddenly reduce the dynamics

in order to create an echo effect. At bar 9, the opening material reappears.
     
         




  
  


 

 


   

 

   


 The dynamics are the same
as at the start, as well.
           
    

 
 
   



Play quietly from bar 11 onwards, Again, observe the staccatos.

bringing the piece to a calm ending.
  
    
   

    


 

    




       

Go back and repeat the

second part (from bar 5).
    

 
   
       


25• Pianist 121

 TRACK 2
Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) BEGINNER
‘La donna è mobile’, from Rigoletto (arrangement)

‘La donna è mobile’ is the Duke of Mantua’s canzone from the beginning showcase for tenors. The Italian words mean ‘the woman is flighty’.
of Act 3 of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto. The canzone is famous as a Look at the technical tips within the score.
Remember that this is an arrangement of a song, so have a
go and try to sing the melody beforehand! That will help you
understand the phrasing and where the music needs to breathe.

 


  


    




  
 
  


       


 
  
  
 





 
  



 



Feel the oom-pah-pah swing of the waltz in the LH.The first beat should be heaviest,
followed by the two lighter two-note chords.Tip: Make sure that the fingers are poised



 
   

 





Bars 4 and 5 act as a musical ‘answer’ to bars 2 and 3.

and ready over the chords – even as you play that first bass note.

   


  

          

 

 



























Tail off beautifully towards the end of this line.

Create a slight decrescendo, as marked.

Bar 10 to the end of this page is a straight repeat.

  
 

    
 



 


  

 



























 








You can make a slight ritardando

at the end of this phrase.


   


  

          

 

 



























26• Pianist 121

 For the next six bars, you need to
make one long, gradual crescendo.
So remember to factor this in and
start out quietly.
Make a slight accent Make a slight accent
on the minim A. on the minim B.
  
  
   



 

        

  

























 
















Pay attention to the RH rhythm

The minim E in the RH in bar 23 is the
at the end of bar 25. It needs
climax of the piece. Hold on to it and allow
to sound clipped and energetic
yourself a bit more time before moving
– triumphant in style.
onwards to the decrescendo in bar 24.
   
  
 
 
   



  


  

 






























Keep the LH chords subdued.They should








not interfere with the RH melody line.

Again, keep the rhythm tight in the RH
for all the quaver/semiquaver patterns.
 

  
  
 

 




  


 
  

  











































End with a flourish, with an accent

Bar 32 is the most technically challenging part of the on the final chord.Then lift the hands
piece.We suggest that you practise this bar on its own from the keys at the same time.
first, hands separately, and extremely slowly.

 


 

   
 
    


       

 

  

 

  
































 





27• Pianist 121

 DON’T MISS

TRACK 3
MELANIE
SPANSWICK’S Cuthbert HARRIS (1870-1932) BEGINNER/
LESSON INTERMEDIATE
ON THIS PIECE Regent’s Park (On the Lake)

Cuthbert Harris was born in Holloway, London, in 1870. Chiefly an
organist, he held organist positions at various churches throughout
London including St. Leonard’s Parish Church, Streatham, where he
played a III/31 stop Walker organ. Harris also taught harmony and voice
at the London Academy of Music, taught music by correspondence,
prepared students for music examinations, wrote articles for music
periodicals and penned various compositions. Subtitled ‘On the Lake’,
Regent’s Park is the sixth in a set of 13 pieces entitled London Scenes.
(Other pieces include The Nelson Column, Old Bond Street, At Madame
Tussaud’s and Buckingham Palace.) A colleague of the editor remembers
learning it when young, and was so taken by its charm that he suggested
its inclusion. Read Melanie Spanswick’s lesson on this piece.



  



 



       


       


 

 

































 








  


  
        










 














 



    

 
 
















 









 









  



 



 








  

 










 






 



 




 

28• Pianist 121





  

    

     
   









 



 











 






  


   
         


 

 



















 

  

   

 

 








 






 
 
















 
  
     
    
 

     
 



































29• Pianist 121
 TRACK 4
George W CHADWICK (1854-1931) BEGINNER/
INTERMEDIATE
Now I Lay Me Down

Along with John Knowles Paine, Horatio Parker, Amy Beach, Arthur
Foote, and Edward MacDowell, American composer George Whitefield
Chadwick was a representative composer of what is called the Second
New England School of American composers of the late 19th century.
Now I Lay Me Down is No 2 from Chadwick’s volume entitled Ten Little
Tunes for Ten Little Friends. No 6, The Cricket and the Bumblebee,
appeared inside issue 116 with a lesson by Melanie Spanswick.
Playing tips: The RH carries the melody. In order to shape it well, follow
the phrase markings and dynamics. Even if the LH takes the role of
underlying accompaniment, it has its own melodic line, so make sure to
phrase it as well, ensuring all the notes are audible. Bars 17-24 see a brief
development, before the opening material returns at bar 25. The piece
comes to an end calmly with chorale-like pianissimo chords.
Pedal tips: See markings on the score.







         
     







                       




  


 
 


    
           

 
    


      



       





  

     
     

            
 
           


 
  
           

      


     
 
   
30• Pianist 121

 
  

 
   


  

 
             
   

       


 


           
 
   

  
  







 
   
               


                         


 

 

           

 


  

                  



       

 
 


    




    
  

                            
 
  

   

  


                  


         

 



  

31• Pianist 121

   
 

 
 TRACK 5
Cécile CHAMINADE (1857-1944)
Aubade Op 126 No 2
Paris-born Cécile Chaminade was a prolific composer. Not only that, but
her music was hugely popular in its day, especially in France, England
and the United States. Readers of Pianist may remember a different,
more challenging version of this piece – Aubade Op 140 – appearing
inside issue 118. We have since received requests for the simpler version
to be featured: so here it is – the Aubade from Chaminade’s Album for
the Young Op 126.


BEGINNER/
INTERMEDIATE
Playing tips: How nice that the LH carries the melody for a change! Use
your sweetest cantabile and keep the RH accompaniment quiet. The RH
takes over with a new melody at bar 17, though not for long, as the
opening material appears again at bar 25. From bar 29 to the end, try to
portray a ‘question and answer’ feel to the music – with the ritardando
being the question followed by the a tempo as the answer.
Pedal tips: See suggestions on the score.





 
  




 
 


           


 











  




  






  












 

  

  
  

            
  

        

 





   







    

 
  

    
    
 




 

   


      
 


  
 










 


  








  



 


 
 
 







          
   






  

 



 









  



32• Pianist 121
 


 
 

         
          
   

  
 

 
 
















 



 


 




   


 
      

    


            

  




 


 



 











 





 

  

     

              

 


 




 
 
 


 


 










   


               

  








 


   







   



 


     





  


 
       
       
  

  

 









  







  


 






33• Pianist 121

 TRACK 6
Friedrich KIEL (1821-1885)
Notturno Op 28 No 4
Friedrich Kiel was a German Romantic composer and music teacher.
Writing of the chamber music of Kiel, the scholar and critic Wilhelm
Altmann notes that it was the composer’s extreme modesty which kept
him and his exceptional works from receiving the consideration they
deserved. Kiel wrote an array of works for solo piano including
Romances, Variations, Impromptus and Fantasies. Published in 1864,
Notturno is the final piece from his Suite Op 28.

 
INTERMEDIATE
Playing tips: A steady pace should prevail, but allow for occasional rubato.
Start off by practising hands separately: The LH needs to be solid, and
there are leaps to be mastered (try not to look down at the keys). The RH
will benefit from slow practice, too, especially from bar 17 where the
sextuplet figurations begin. Bars 31-33 should be taken out of context
(learn these bars first!); start out slowly, building up the tempo gradually.
Pedal tips: Follow the markings on the score.

 


 

   
      


  
 










 


 


 

 
  
 

 




 

 




   

  

             



  


   




 
  
  



 












 





    

         
           

       





 
       
     
  
 








    


     

  
 

    


    




   

  
    
  


34• Pianist 121


     


 
              


    

   
       
   


     

     
                 

  




 


 









 


  

       
 

 








    




    

    





 


     


   

  
 

      

    

 



    
    
 





 






 

              

 







    
  


    


35• Pianist 121


  

               

 



    
  


    
 

 
        
      




 


 

 











        
 
 
 
         


 
 

 


 






     
      

  








        
     
   

         


  
  

 


 






 





36• Pianist 121
 TRACK 7
Piotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) INTERMEDIATE
Morning Prayer, No 1 from Album for the Young Op 39

Tchaikovsky composed his Album for the Young in 1878, exactly 30
years after Schumann composed his volume of works which bears the
same title. The German composer wrote a prolific 43 small works in his
album, whereas Tchaikovsky decided on a more modest 24.
Playing tips: The short and solemn Morning Prayer, which opens the set,
is basically a chorale for four ‘voices’. The technical difficulty here is the
ability to highlight the differences in the voices, especially the RH upper
voice which is usually played by the ‘weaker’ fingers. Lean the hand
slightly to the right, so that there is more arm-weight over those fingers,
and keep the alto line quiet. Marked Lento, the piece might have the
tendency to drag, so follow the musical line and be aware of the pulse.
Pedal tips: See markings on the score.





     


   

       


                
          



      
  
               

     

   



      








  
 
  

 

 
 
 
     
                     



              
     
  



   

   

  





 
   

       
 
 
     

  

            
   

 

    
        




     



           
 




 

 
    



  

  

  
  
 



     
 



       
     
      

      
  


             











37• Pianist 121

 DON’T MISS

TRACK 8
NILS
FRANKE’S Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907) INTERMEDIATE
LESSON
ON THIS PIECE Berceuse Op 38 No 1

Published in five separate volumes, the collection of 66 Lyric Pieces
includes several of the Norwegian composer’s best known pieces, such as
Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, To Spring, March of the Trolls and Butterfly.
The theme of the first piece in the set, Arietta, was known to be one of
Grieg’s favourite melodies. He used it to complete the cycle in his last
Lyric Piece, Remembrances, this time as a waltz. Both pieces, and more,
have appeared in past issues. Some of the Lyric Pieces are technically
challenging, whereas others – such as this endearing Berceuse – are perfect
for the intermediate-level pianist.
Turn to Nils Franke’s lesson for further guidance.

 
 












               

  


  
  


 

 

 

 


       



    

    
           

  


      


 







 










 






 







 











 




      
 
    


 






 




 

 
 

     
          
      
    
     
      




      


 










  

    






 







 



 
 



 
 




 







 

 

 




38• Pianist 121

    
        
 

           


    





 

  

     
    


 

         
         
      




      

 



 



  



 

     









 






  




  




 






 





 


     


 









 



 



 


















 







 



 
 




 




 





      
               
     

    
 







 





















 

   




 


                

   

   
 














 







39• Pianist 121

 

 
  
               
   

 

   

  
  

 





























  
 






      
      
  

 
   

   
  





  




 









    

   
       

 

  
 





 
  
 
          
 



 







    
  
      



     
 
 
       





   

 
  


 



 





 

 


 






   

 
   

     


     









     

      


 

 


  
 
 
 


          



  
   
      
40• Pianist 121
 



            

 

 






       



 




  
 
 
   
       
    
   
     
      


 





 






 
 




           

 


















    

 




 
  


 


 






    
          

   

    




 

   




 


 


 


 


 









      

 



 



  


   





  






  




  




 







 




   





  










  



 
 




  


 
 
     
  
   
         

 
     
     

     
41• Pianist 121
 TRACK 9
Ignacio CERVANTES (1847-1905)
Cuban Dance No 1
Cuban composer and pianist Ignacio Cervantes studied with Gottschalk
and Alkan, but it’s the music of his native Cuba that we hear in this piece
from his six Danzas Cubanas (Cuban Dances). Cervantes’s Cuban-style
music has certainly been popular with readers; Cuban Dance No 2
appeared inside issue 63 and No 6 inside issue 79.
Playing tips: The metronome marking should be viewed as ‘approximate’
– that’s because this sultry dance should be played with lots of freedom

 
INTERMEDIATE
and a real feel for the syncopation. You will notice that there are
scatterings of accidentals throughout, which could be a stumbling block,
so we suggest learning very slowly in order that the odd wrong note
doesn’t find its way into your practice. From bar 17 onwards, a faster
tempo is required (approx crotchet equals 76). The ending is somewhat
abrupt, so make sure you are prepared and that you finish with a flourish.
Pedal tips: See markings on the score.





  











    

     
  

    
            
     

  





 














             





 
 





 





      


    
    
    





 



 


 


  
 
 




  
  




   



 




    

      
       
    
  
   

   
 




 


 

 





   



 
  
       
         

  


 
  
 
 

 

 

 
 
  





 

 


42• Pianist 121






   







     
 
   


       
    





   
 



   

   
         
 


 
  

 
   
 

   

       



 

    


      

      


  
  
      


     
 
 
   



   
     




         





                   


        





     
 

         
 
   

 

  
   


 
       
 

  





 
     
 


             





   
 





  


 


    
 



 

    

  
     


  


          


   
           




    
 
 


 




43• Pianist 121

 
 


 TRACK 10
Carl NIELSEN (1865-1931) INTERMEDIATE
Humoreske Op 3 No 2

Criticism of Nielsen’s piano music has centred on its perceived
‘unpianistic’ qualities, and it’s true that, like Sibelius, the piano was far
removed from the centre of Nielsen’s composing activity. However, also
like Sibelius – and Grieg – he had a master composer’s gift for creating
and sustaining a particular mood from very early in his career. The Folk
Tune which opens this set of five pieces was printed in Pianist 99 and the
Dance of the Elves, the final piece, was printed in Pianist 106.
Playing tips: Start out by practising slowly and hands separately: the RH
melody should dance and flow, whilst the LH accompaniment needs to
master jumps and octaves. Some of Nielsen’s harmonies might sound odd
(e.g. the RH line in bar 6), but that only adds to the quirkiness of the
Humoreske. A calmer, more pastorale-style central section appears at bar
41. Feel the lilt and keep the LH quiet. The melody returns at bar 56,
which leads to a sweet coda (bar 72) that rounds things off.
Pedal tips: Use the markings as a guide. On the whole, shorter pedalling
is required, however the central section will need longer, legato pedalling.

  



 



  

  


  
   
       


  

                


 


 
 




  



  
   


 
 

 



            

  





 
     



        
 



          
       
     

      
  

  

                
        





 



   
  
 
 






 





 

                          




      

   
       

 
   
 



44• Pianist 121
            
     


       


  







 











 





          
  


        
  



   

 



























  

                
        



 

   
  
 
 






 







 
  

     

       
       
     
 



          
      
   



         
             


 


 



 
 




 





  




45• Pianist 121

  
 



 



  

  

   

   

  
     
            

 

 



 



 



 





 



 
   
   





       






    







  
     
      

 
 

 


 




 

 



  
 

 





  

      

  
 

 

  


   
   




 

  
  

 
 


 


 


 




 




 

    

      

       
        

 

















 
 


       
         
       
 




       
      
    
       

46• Pianist 121



  

        
 
       


    








 

 
   







 
           
  
     

 



 





  









              
  
 












 
        


   

                  
     








 










 
 


     


   

        



   
    
  
 

 
  








47• Pianist 121

 TRACK 11
William MASON (1829-1908) INTERMEDIATE
Serenata Op 39

Son of American choral composer Lowell Mason and brother of a
co-founder of the Mason & Hamlin piano company, William Mason
studied piano with Moscheles, Dreyschock and Liszt in Europe. Back in
the US, he enjoyed a long career as a performer and composer, writing
many pieces for piano.
Playing tips: ‘Impassioned and restless’, yes. But the melody is everything,
so shape it well, think in long phrases and don’t rush. Notice the variety
of articulations and all the quick dynamic changes; there’s lots to absorb
so practise slowly. Follow the many shifts of tempo, too. At bar 17, and
again at bar 37, the LH takes over the melody, which has a calmer feel.
There is a fair bit of repetition in this piece, so use your imagination!
Pedal tips: Keep the pedalling light (see markings).

 
    

 


  



 




  

  
   


 





  



  



 



  

  
 



    
     

 
 
  
    
    





 
   
   
    

   
 

      

  

 

   



  


 
  




  



  

 

          
    

 







 










 



 





48• Pianist 121

      

 


       
          
 
     


 





         





 
  

         
 

       


 
      


 
















 













   

 


  

  

     



 

 
     
 


 
 

    
    
  
   

               

   
   




   


  



  


 



 


 

 
     

 
 

    

          


  




  

49• Pianist 121

  
      

 


       
          
 
    


 
 

    
    




  


   
          

   
 

   
 

   
  
     
     



 
   
 


 




  

  
    


  



         
   



 
        

    

  



           

     

 


  
 




   



  



 






  


 


        

 



 





  




  







50• Pianist 121



  

 
  
        
  

 






  




  



 



      


   
       


 




  


 
 











                  


  


 

   



  


 
  




  



  

         
 

  
  
         




     

 
       
      
        
   

 
 




        
 
   

 
51• Pianist 121




      
 



   
       
       

   

 


      


    




      

 


 
         


      


    
 




 


 


 

   
 

       

 
  

      
    

   




 


 



  







  



 
         

      
      

 

 


 
   
   
   
  


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52• Pianist 121
 TRACK 12
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) INTERMEDIATE/
ADVANCED
Adagio in G D178

Schubert wrote his Adagio D178 in 1815 – the year which was known as
the composer’s ‘annus mirabilis’ (miraculous year): He composed over
20,000 bars of music, more than half of which were for orchestra,
including nine church works, a symphony, and about 140 Lieder.
Playing tips: This gorgeous G major Adagio shows Schubert at his most
sublime. There is a certain simplicity which confirms that less can often
be more. However, heaps of musicality will be needed in order to bring
the piece to life. Just look at those first eight bars: how simple the music
seems, right? The notes certainly aren’t hard to master, but it’s what we do
with them! Phrasing, rhythm, voicing, articulation... all need to be
fine-tuned to perfection – and that includes the rests! At bar 32, repeated
quavers appear in the bass line which add a new level of meaning. Then,
at bar 54, triplets are introduced, heightening the mood even more. At
bar 58, the melody returns, with decoration in both hands.
Pedal tips: Change the pedal with the harmonies, and remember to lift
the foot off from the pedal in order to ‘hear’ the rests.











 


  



 


        

  

  

      
 


   
  

  
   







      




  
      

   
      

   

 







 





 

 





  






  
 

       
 

            
    

  

 
   
 
 
    






    

 

       

  

 
 

     


    

  
 








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55• Pianist 121

           

  
 
      
 
  

    
    
    

 



   

 


   
  





    



           


 

 
              


    
  
     

 



                    
 
  


  
     










  

           


 
             

 





 



 


   


 
 






    

  


         
   
    



  




       
 

 





 
 



  
   


  


                    
  



             
   

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57• Pianist 121
 TRACK 13
Mel BONIS (1858-1937)
Phoebé Op 30 No 1
WATCH CHENYIN LI PLAY THIS AT WWW.PIANISTMAGAZINE.COM
French Romantic composer Mélanie Hélène Bonis (known as Mel Bonis)
wrote some 300 works – including pieces for piano solo and piano four
hands. First published in 1909, the romantically lyrical Phoebé is the
opening piece of Bonis’s Trois Pièces pour Piano.
Playing tips: Firstly, even if this piece has an improvisatory feel to it, try
to keep a steady pulse. The tempo is Andante and the whole work, from
beginning to end, should feel like one big dream. Yes, there are
fluctuations in tempo (see bar 15, as one example), but still keep moving.
INTERMEDIATE/
ADVANCED
The hardest technical challenge is in the LH: the constant run of
semiquavers should be played evenly and quietly. Not an easy thing to
do! When you practise slowly, make sure that you lovingly ‘press’ each
and every semiquaver note into the key bed. When you speed up, you
will find that the fingers fly over the keys. The ‘bien chanté’ wording in
bar 4 means ‘well sung’; this applies to the RH melody line which will
therefore need some serious cantabile.
Pedal tips: Ample use of the pedal is required.

 






        





      
   

        


  

 


         
  

 



 
     
         

 


          


  
 

  


 

   
 

   
 



         
 

   

  

 
  

  

  
 

58• Pianist 121

  
  

 

  
  

  
 
        


 


        





 
    

  
   

 






    

  
        
         

  


 


      



   



 

            

           


     

 


  
 

  






  

 




 






           
  

                   

 

 


  



   



        



 
 
 

 

  
     

        

      
   




   
                    
       
  

 



59• Pianist 121

            
   
  
     
       
      
   
             
 
            

  



  





  
 
   
  
   
  
  
 




   

           
         



      
    

     

      
    
 








            

  



 


    
 

   








  
 
        


   


    

   



      

           
       
   




                       


          

 








       


60• Pianist 121

  

                                  
   

 

  

  
             


      


                        
         

         

  


  
 



  




                          

           

    
    


    
 

 

    

                         


       
          
   




  

                      
    



             
    
  
   



61• Pianist 121


           

         

  

  




 





 
    


   



       
    

      

     

  
    

   
    

  
   







    


   


       
      

  

 
    



      

   


  



    

   



  
             

  


    




  
 

     

  
 
        





  
   
   

 

 

  

62• Pianist 121

 READ

TRACK 14
MAHAN
ESFAHANI’S
LESSON
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) ADVANCED
ON THIS PIECE
Giga (Gigue) from Partita No 1 in B flat BWV 825
WATCH CHENYIN LI PLAY THIS AT WWW.PIANISTMAGAZINE.COM
Pianists often refer to the last movement of Bach’s Partita No 1 as the triplets with the RH. Esfahani argues that the composer intended the
Gigue. But, as harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani points out in his lesson reverse: that is, the crotchet melody notes with the RH and the inner
inside this issue, Bach himself was clear that it should carry the jig’s triplets with the LH. (It’s a shame we can’t ask Bach!) We present both
Italian way of spelling, Giga. versions: fingering in bold/black is for ‘RH takes the crotchets’; fingerings
A note about the fingering: Look at performances on YouTube and speak in grey/italic for ‘LH takes the crotchets’. Experiment with both and see
to pianists who have performed this piece, and you will find that most which you prefer? We have found it a fascinating exercise.
choose to play the crotchet melody notes with the LH and the inner Turn to Mahan Esfahani’s lesson for further guidance.







 



         





 




               
                               

 




    
  

 
 
 

 




    


       



  

 
    

                                         
    
   

        

 

  
 

  


        

                                       
           

 


 

 


 

 

                                 
  
  

 
 

  

    
 

     




63• Pianist 121








      
    


       
   

              
       


  
 

    

 

       
 

                                
       
 

    








       

     

 
 

                                
    

     
   

 




   
         


         



 


   
 
  

   
     
 

       
  






  
  



   

  
   
   



       




                
    
    
  





 

64• Pianist 121




 


      

                                

 

 
     

 



                            
 

  
       

 


 

 

   

                               
     
    


    

 

 
 

     

      
   

  

                       
 

           



 

       

 
 

      
  

   

  
 


 
      
  







65• Pianist 121

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66• Pianist 121


PIANO TEACHER HELP DESK
Imp rovis at ion ins p ire s
*VSQXLIZIV]½VWXPIWWSRWXEOIXMQIXSGEWXXLIQYWMGEWMHIERHPIX]SYVTYTMPW´
MQEKMREXMSRVYRVMSXSRXLIOI]WWE]WKathryn Page
W
hen a toddler
first finds
a piano,
inspiration
inevitably
flourishes as fistfuls of keys
are taken in both hands with
uninhibited relish. What fun to
be had! Inspiration is immediate,
impulsive, and intuitive. But
sadly, for many pianists it is an
unknown, mysterious field.
The first thing to say is that it
is impossible in improvisation to
make a mistake. Any single action
at the piano immediately triggers
another action. And of course,
silence is an extremely potent force
in extemporisation (as indeed it
is when interpreting rests on a
printed score). So, it is important
to relax about the whole thing, and
realise that improvisation comes in
many different forms and guises.
You can begin improv work
from the very first lessons by
encouraging beginners to play
single notes with different dynamic
levels, different rhythmic patterns,
and different speeds of release
from the keyboard. This can
be fascinating work when the
sustaining pedal is held down
continuously. Make a melody
from a single note – you can
try and have a slow section, a
faster interlude, and a return of
the opening rhythmic patterns.
Or you could go for a mini set
of variations based on a basic
rhythmic pattern that can then be
elaborated by faster rhythms, and
then expanded into slower ones.
It is always heartening to see the
wonder on young children’s faces
when they are allowed free reign
© Erica Worth
to play randomly over black notes
of the piano with single hands
F O R T H E T E AC H E R
Kathryn Page has appeared in concert
and on television as a soloist and in
chamber music. She is a teacher,
adjudicator and administrator for
Chetham’s International Summer School
and Festival for Pianists, as well as the
Manchester International Concerto
Competition for young pianists. She lives
in Cheshire and has five children.
and the pedal held down. For the sections. They could return to the
smallest pupils it is often good opening idea on the black keys
for you the teacher to hold the with palms at the end.
pedal down so that they are not It is fun to play ground bass
restricted in terms of movement. patterns over and over again and
If you pedal it will allow them to try playing different notes,
physical freedom to walk up and triads, and rhythmic patterns
down by the side of the piano, above then. Theory can be made
exploring the lowest as well as more approachable and immediate
the highest black notes. It is also simply by teaching it as a practical
great fun to let kids stand on the improvised exercise. Take intervals,
stool and pluck and hammer the for example: If you are introducing
strings of a grand piano whilst major or minor thirds, get your
you hold the pedal down. Indeed, pupil to play a ternary structured
all students can improvise with piece in which section A consists
colour by putting plastic and of nothing but major thirds played
paper sheets over the strings then in alternation between the hands
playing notes affected by such and different registers, with the
‘preparations’ and noting the novel pedal held down constantly. The
colours that result. B section could consist of the
thirds being played in both hands,
Calm and calamity unison, fast with no pedal and
Improvisation by way of a story very loud. The return of the A
line is great fun for all levels section could then show the major
too and will do much to inspire thirds, either in a similar way to
confidence via the sense of self- the opening section, or else with
ownership and creativity that will the same rhythms and speed but
result from the whole process. possibly with different dynamics.
Even a simple scenario such as No one should doubt that
‘Peace and calm-Danger-Running improvisation is anything other
away-Peace returns’ can be shown than a highly skilful art form
at the piano by the youngest that takes years of study – but
student playing with their palms that is not to say that we do not
on the keys. Start them off on the have a duty of care with all of our
black notes as softly as possible, students to do at least a little of
then move to the white notes, it in every lesson. Allow all your
using fists rather than palms for pupils to embrace the freedom and
the danger and running away joy of self-ownership! n
67• Pianist 121
PERFORMANCE

When mere mortals watch magical improvisers like Gabriela Montero at work, it can seem
like witnessing one of the great mysteries of the universe. And yet we all spontaneously
improvise when we talk – so why not when we play? Can it be taught? Can it be learned?
Warwick Thompson WDONVWRWKUHHJUHDWLPSURYLVHUVWRÀQGRXWPRUHDERXWWKH
highs and lows of off-the-cuff playing

or Charles Darwin,
improvisation was an
essential foundation of
evolutionary success. ‘[It is]
those who have learned to
collaborate and improvise
most effectively who have prevailed,’ he
wrote in On the Origin of Species. For
many musicians however, the word
‘improvisation’ can sound uncannily
like the phrase ‘tooth extraction
without anaesthetic.’ If improvisation
is vital for our success as a species, why
is it that so few of us feel able to
conquer our fears of improvising at the
piano, even in private?
One answer could be that the best
improvisers are simply differently wired
to the rest of us. As Jessica Duchen
suggests in her cover article, Gabriela
Montero’s brain might have peculiar
neural pathways which aren’t found in
most other craniums. She was born an
improviser. That’s how she can take
former Prime Minister David
Cameron’s sad little hum as he
announced he was leaving office, and
instantly turn it into a fabulously perky
invention in the style of Bach. (Search
for ‘Cameron hums!’ on YouTube: it’s
amazing.) In those biological terms, I
suppose the only option for the rest of
us is a hopeful stab at reincarnation.
But even without metempsychosis, is
it possible we might still be able at least
to lose our terrors, and get a bit
better… and even, yes, have fun? To get
some ideas about how this might be
managed, I spoke to three superb
improvisers – Steven Osborne,
Dominic Ferris and Nahre Sol – about
their approaches to the subject, and to
winkle out some tips for improvement.
Bending the rules
One of the first questions I wanted to
put to my interviewees was: how did
they begin? Were they improvising
from childhood, like Gabriela
Montero? Or did they come to it late?
Steven Osborne tells me that when he
was young, he would listen to his
Main image: © DisobeyArt/Adobestock; © Benjamin Ealovega (Osborne)

‘I’d say, if you find a pleasure in a

chord, or a sound, or a song online,
or a melody in the shower – try
doing something with it’
Sttev
ven Osbo
orne

68• Pianist 121

 ‘Improvisation can’t really be
taught, but you can teach what
boundaries are, and give techniques
to unlock potential’
Dom
minic
c Fe
errris
father playing simple modal
improvisations at home. He also
developed a love of jazz from a young
age. So when he went to the Royal
Northern College of Music, he
continued experimenting with jazz
idiom. Later, on a residency at the
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, he
gained the courage to launch into a
much more avant garde musical
universe of improvisation. ‘It was an
incredible thrill,’ he says. ‘That was
where I found a way of doing
something much more personal.’ From
then on, he began to incorporate
improvisations into his concert work.
‘In improvisation, you get the whole
performer, warts and all; you get the
truly authentic experience, rather than
the sanitized version that I suspect
most of us feel the need to present. But
it requires a great deal of courage.’
Performer, arranger, Steinway artist,
and West End superstar Dominic Ferris
has been a passionate improviser since
childhood. Partly this is because his
family comes from a long tradition of
theatre, variety, and music hall, and
thus learning to play songs by ear at
home was an entirely natural
occurrence. ‘It was how I trained my
ear,’ he explains. ‘It was subconscious, a
feeling thing, not a logical thing.
Somehow, I got out of the way of the
logic of it all, and just let it happen.’
His skills were further honed as an
Anglican organist, when he would be
called upon to improvise during the
offertory, and he continued
experimenting during his studies at the
Royal College of Music. Now he brings
improvisatory skills to session work.
‘There are a lot of session players who
want just to put down what’s on the
score, but I’m not like that… I’m
generally asked because a producer
wants me to put some of myself into
the music,’ he says. During his solo
gigs, he also enjoys letting audience
members shout out random notes,
which he will then form into motifs for
improvisation.
He suggests that one of the great
benefits of improvisation is freedom
from rules. ‘When you’ve learned
music theory – Bach chorales, say, or
the rules of jazz – people find it
difficult to avoid them. But when I
improvise, rules don’t enter my mind. I
think music theory and improvisation
are two opposed things.’
The pros of improv
Two of my three interviewees clearly
had early encouragement to improvise
at home. Nahre Sol, a Juilliard alumnus
with an international career and a
fascinating YouTube channel about
(amongst many other things)
improvisation, was different, and did
not come to it until later in her career.
It was not until she began composing,
after having studied performance at
conservatory, that she began to
experiment. ‘I had friends from the jazz
community who actively encouraged
me to lean more into this, but I also met
plenty of musicians along the way that
told me it was “too late” for me to learn
how to improvise – but I just tried
anyway. I kept in mind the fact that
improvisation used to be a bigger part of
classical music performance, and it
fuelled me to develop my own skills.’
Both Nahre Sol and Dominic Ferris
use improvisation as an entry into
composition – the latter with his duo
partner Elwin Hedrijanto (with whom
he performs as The Piano Brothers).
‘We never sit down and write our
compositions out,’ he says. ‘It is all trial
and error, and we work it all out in the
room. In our piece Rhapsody, for
example, we start with a mechanical,
repetitive figure, and all the other
pieces fit in like a jigsaw. That’s Elwin’s
style of composing. Mine is different
– I prefer the idea of Mahlerian string
69• Pianist 121
lines, lush symphonic sounds. It’s a
wonderful creative tension.’
For Steven Osborne, the benefits
were not in the direction of
composition, but in greater freedom in
his classical work. ‘I looked at scores
differently, and saw where it seemed as
if the composer was improvising. I got
a different sense of how time flows, the
significance of the blank page, the
silence between notes – a greater
emotional logic. It’s not uncommon to
hear classical performances where it all
feels predictable. How do you find an
honest, emotional vitality?
Improvisation led me more in that
direction. I’m still a relatively
controlled player, but not as much as I
used to be.’
Which composers does he think
most often draw on improvisation in
their compositions? Beethoven, I guess,
would be a prime candidate? ‘The
question is more, which of them don’t.
Liszt, obviously – in fact, I wish he’d
been a bit less improvisatory, to be
honest! Chopin, of course; in Bach, it’s
ubiquitous. It’s everywhere.’
Learning to let go
To come back to a vital question for
those of us still in awe of
improvisational talent – can it be
learned? And can it be taught? Nahre
Sol says that it can, ‘but like learning a
language, some have more of a natural
knack for it than others. And the
benefits of starting early really make a
difference. In my experience, the main
thing is to overcome the psychological
barrier of fearing failure, of playing the
“wrong thing.” But there really isn’t a
“proper way” unless you’re trying
strictly to copy an idiom. I’d suggest
starting small, and building from
V
PERFORMANCE
that: one note over a rhythmic passage,
then add more notes – and so on.’
Steven Osborne gives a resounding
‘Yes’ as an answer. ‘It is a crime against
music to hold up Brahms and
Beethoven as “real” music and our own
stuff as “second class”. I even know
some teachers who have forbidden
their students from improvising,
because they think it will interfere with
their classical playing. But improvising
is really the most natural thing in the
world. Think of kids at the piano, the
sheer joy of making noise. And when
you talk, everything is improvised: the
idea that you can only say other
people’s words is absurd. So I’d say, if
you find a pleasure in a chord, or a
sound, or a song online, or a melody in
the shower – try doing something with
it. Play along. Make different
harmonies. Just play.’ He’s aware,
however, of the dangers of falling back
on ‘tricks’ which can help out when the
Muse fails to appear. ‘Speaking as an
amateur, I’d guess that those people
who improvise all the time must
develop a repertoire of things they call
upon when they’re not inspired. I never
had that. If I was relaxed, the results
were spontaneous and creative. If I
wasn’t, it was terrible.’
When Dominic Ferris teaches, he
sees his job more as a psychological one
than a technical one. ‘Improvisation
can’t really be taught,’ he says, ‘but you
can teach what boundaries are, and
give techniques to unlock potential. It’s
one of the most rewarding things, to
feel like you’ve unlocked something in
a student. I encourage students to work
with melody-driven music, and take it
to different places, create new
harmonies, vary the colours.’
‘I kept in mind the fact that
improvisation used to be a bigger part
of classical music performance, and it
fuelled me to develop my own skills’
2ELVI
I7S
SP
So it can’t be taught, but it can, I
suggest cheekily? ‘You’ll have to forgive
me. A lot of these questions you’re
asking me, I’ve never really thought
about, and haven’t really analysed.’ So
he’s improvising his answers, in fact?
‘Exactly!’ The lack of analysis is actually
part of the process, Ferris admits. ‘I
have a very good short-term memory,
but I’m surprised by how much I don’t
remember about my improvisations
afterwards. It’s like I’ve gone to another
place. (Coincidentally – or perhaps not
– this is also how Gabriela Montero
describes her playing.) It’s like a dream
which, however ludicrous the scenario,
feels real and obvious when you’re in it.’
%½RIFEPERGI
I noticed that Steven Osborne does not
improvise very much any more in his
concerts. He once spoke in an
interview of improvisation being like
‘divine inspiration’, and more recently
of subsequently moving away from his
religious faith. Are they connected?
‘No, I think that’s really a side issue. I
improvised for years after not being
religious. I stopped because my classical
playing was getting better, and my
improvising wasn’t, and it was coming
to feel like a parlour trick. I still do
occasional jazz encores and
transcriptions, but I haven’t for a while.’
One thing which seems an
irreconcilable tension at the heart of
improvisation, is the question of
structure. How can you plan the
unplannable? ‘Structure is the one
thing you can never rely on,’ says
Ferris. ‘You can’t have a grand plan. In
my “random note” improvisations, I
use the motif as a kind of anchor, and
that helps. And jazz has structures like
the 12-bar blues. But, overall, if it’s
structured, then it’s not improvisation,
is it?’
But surely the risk of unstructured
70• Pianist 121
performances is that they simply
become amorphous bits of musical
porridge – like stories with a
beginning, and a bit of a middle, but
no end. Steven Osborne admits to
having sat through more than one
interminable evening of dreadful avant
garde improvisations in his time. Nahre
Sol offers a nuanced take on the matter.
‘You really need both structure and
spontaneity,’ she says. ‘In fact, you
wouldn’t really be able to experience
the true characteristics of either if they
existed in isolated form. A “fluid”
moment that is presented within the
pillars of organised form feels more
special than if heard amongst other
sections that have been equally free.
And equally something with clear form
may be too rigid and predictable if not
accompanied by moments that are
more human and expressive. I try to
keep it all in mind, and it dictates what
type of momentum the music needs
from section to section… all the way to
how it almost “wants” to end.’
Improvisation, then, seems to get to
the heart of what art is, and even what
it is for. In music – as in novels, or
cinema, or dance – we all want some
kind of structure, but we all want
something that reflects the
unpredictability of life too. Listening to
a good improvisation, you might get
more of one than the other – but you’ll
definitely get the tension between
them. And you’ll know it will never be
repeated. Even the best recording can
never capture what really happened in
that room, with that pianist, at that
moment, with that audience.
Ultimately, improvisation is the magic
of the new. And where would art be
without it? n
Watch Nahre Sol improvise in the style of
different classical composers on YouTube:
bit.ly/nahreimprovising.
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71• Pianist 121

P I A N I S T AT W O R K
B
arely out of her teens, Beatrice Rana took
silver at the 2013 Van Cliburn Competition
in Texas. Agents and record labels saw and
heard something special – and she made her
debut in these pages as the cover artist of
Pianist 87 in 2015. More than five years on, she has
turned to repertoire of intensely personal significance for
her fourth Warner Classics album: an all-Chopin affair,
pairing the Etudes Op 25 with the Four Scherzos.
The coupling is unusual, if not unique on disc. ‘Of
course,’ she acknowledges, ‘the most obvious thing is to
programme all the Etudes in one album, or a couple of the
Scherzos with something else. But from the first moment I
played Op 25, I felt that it’s one big piece divided into
twelve chapters. These Etudes were composed while
Chopin was in love with George Sand and was already in
poor health. Then he went to Mallorca, where we know
that the locals made life hard for them, and he had
nightmares and visions at night. And it was around this
time that he became aware he’d never be able to return to
Poland. You can hear all these dramatic elements in the
music. As soon as you understand this, Op 25 is like a
72• Pianist 121
UNDER THE
SKIN OF
CHOPIN
Beatrice Rana talks to Erica Worth
about her understanding of the composer
EH\RQGDOOWKHIULOOVDQGÀRULWXUD
book, with the last three Etudes as a dramatic final trilogy
of their own.’
Seeking not to produce ‘just another’ album of complete
Etudes, Rana decided on a complementary set of pieces
which paints a broader canvas of Chopin, the man and the
artist. ‘The four Scherzos are like three pictures of his life,’
she explains. ‘Nos 2 and 3 belong to the same period of
Op 25, while 1 and 4 come at the beginning and, in a
way, the end of his composing life. In No 1 he is still the
young virtuoso who wants to conquer Europe with his
pianism. No 4 belongs to his mature life: I don’t find there
the great drama of the first three, but there is a sense of
serenity, of arrival and even victory. It’s like the final
chapter: notice how it’s the only Scherzo in a major key.
He finally gets there, after all his struggles with love, his
home country and his health.’
A different Chopin
On a technical level – and for most of us this is a very
relative observation – Rana finds the First Scherzo ‘easiest’
© Simon Fowler
to play: ‘It is very repetitive… once you have learnt the
passages then it’s always the same.’ However, all four
Scherzos – to say nothing of the Etudes – require a flawless
technique. What Rana finds most challenging is not the
finger pyrotechnics but the unique rubato which makes
great Chopin playing ebb and flow without losing the line.
‘Whenever I get the opportunity to play Chopin, I realise
how beautiful his music is. The melodies and certain
harmonies are so beautiful that it’s very easy to be too
self-indulgent. For me, it’s all about not playing the music
for myself – but for others.’
The charge of self-indulgence or sentimentality is still
levelled at Chopin’s style from time to time. Rana makes
clear the limitations of such a view: ‘Chopin is reserved,
visionary and mysterious.’ How so? ‘I always have this
feeling that his image is the “sugar” composer. I’m not
saying that’s not true, because he can really speak to the
heart. But we always relate Chopin to his Nocturnes and
Waltzes, which belong to the lighter part of his life when
he was in Paris visiting rich ladies in their fancy
apartments. But we can see that he can be a dark
composer – and intellectual in the use of counterpoint, for SALES HIRE MOVING TUNING
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The time for such space is now over. Our conversation
took place towards the end of June, when she was about to
zip off to Milan to play Brahms’s First Concerto at La
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73• Pianist 121

COMPETITIONS

Finalists and jurors on stage, 2019

COMPETITION
XJUIBEJwFSFODF
Go to Rzeszów in mid-September– or log on to YouTube – for a week that promises an
education in Polish music for entrants, jurors and audience alike, says Peter Quantrill

B
ecoming a rounded musician of any description
is about so much more than getting your hands
around the notes. We all know that, which is
why one of the most popular parts of Pianist is
the Scores section in the middle. We’ve all made
our own discoveries thanks to the ever-questing
appetite of the Editor for unfamiliar repertoire to delight our
minds and our ears as well as our fingers, whatever our technical
standard. I’m thinking here of the Scandinavian treasures
unearthed in recent years, the likes of Peterson-Berger and
Backer Grøndahl, as well as left-hand pieces by Nicolai von
Wilm and Géza Zichy and the new music commissioned by the
magazine’s annual composing competition.
What if there was a performing competition which rewarded
International Competition of Polish Music, held biennially in
the city of Rzeszów in the far south-eastern corner of Poland,
between Kraków and Ukrainian Lviv.
In the competition’s second edition, ten pianists and 20
chamber ensembles will compete in September for first prizes
each of €20,000 plus a number of special prizes. An
international jury (headed in the piano and chamber divisions
by Jarosław Drzewiecki and Andrzej Tatarski respectively) will
judge the musicians – and one more singular aspect of this
unusual competition is the lack of an age limit in either
direction – on their performances not of Beethoven sonatas or
Rachmaninov preludes but music by the likes of Grażyna
Bacewicz, Henryk Pachulski and Juliusz Zarębski.
In one sense, the competition’s aim is clear: the support of
%PPTLXSWŒ4MSXV(VSH^MO

such curiosity, which judged the entrants not only on how they Polish art music both within and beyond its borders. The
played, but the pieces they chose, and helped them to think turbulent history of the nation – invaded and occupied from all
outside the one-size-fits-all shoebox of standard repertoire? In sides over the centuries, presently seeking a distinctive place in a
fact, since 2019, there has been: the Stanisław Moniuszko globalised Europe, as culturally outward-facing as it is politically

74• Pianist 121

conservative – has always nurtured a fiercely held sense of
national pride and identity. Perhaps no country in the world
takes the international promotion of its cultural heritage as
seriously as Poland, through channels such as the Adam
Mickiewicz Institute and the PWM label, which last year
produced a remarkable 36CD survey of Polish classical music
over the last century (see Further Listening). What else would
one expect of a nation which in 1919 elected a professional
pianist – Ignacy Paderewski – as its third prime minister?

Why Moniuszko?
The competition is named after a figure who exemplifies a
century-long gap in the wider appreciation of Polish music,
which tends to begin with Chopin, stop and then start again
with Szymanowski. Stanisław Moniuszko (1819-1872) at least
has a place of honour in his homeland as the founder of a native
operatic tradition with works such as The Haunted Manor and
Halka. Away from the stage, however, Moniuszko also produced
a string of piano mazurkas, waltzes and ‘trifles’ which tickled the
ears and trained the fingers of countless musicians and their
audiences in the bourgeois salons of Warsaw and Rzeszów.
Jarosław Drzewiecki acknowledges the steep drop of that
musical cliff-edge created by Chopin’s sheer genius and his early
death (composers in Austria and Germany experienced much
the same loss of confidence after Beethoven). ‘It was extremely
hard for Polish musicians to compose after Chopin. Trying to
emulate him was a risky enterprise resulting in little more than
pale imitations. In the end, we had to wait for Szymanowski to
come along, and create an inimitable new piano idiom that was
Pavel Dombrovsky, winner of the 2019 competition
melodic touch of Karol Lipiński (1790-1861), for example; the
generous post-Romantic sweep of Ludomir Różycki (1884-
1953) and the bluesy, French-accented language of Roman
Palester (1907-1989).
Several prizes of €500 and €1000 reward adventurous
musicians who show special sympathy with the solo pieces of
particular composers such as Moniuszko, Pachulski and
Żeleński. Anyone with ambitions for a place at the finale on 18
September, however, will have to master a concerto from a list
which ventures way beyond Chopin’s pair of evergreens to
investigate the history of the genre in Poland. The list includes an
engaging post-Mozartian example by Franciszek Lessel (1780-
1838) and a punchy, incisive solo writing of the Symphonic

V
different from Chopin yet still steeped in Polish tradition. Etudes composed in 1947 by Artur Malawski (1904-1957).
However, we will only be able to accurately trace the path
between Chopin and Szymanowski when we are fully aware of
what went on in Polish music during the second half of the
19th century. This was one of our aims in founding the
competition.’
There is, however, a great deal more to the Moniuszko Piano Specialists for four generations

Competition than giving a leg-up to names who might

otherwise fill Volume 93 of yet another obscure Romantic piano
series on CD. Prospective entrants begin with etudes by
Pianos for Everyone
from the beginner to the professional
Chopin, Szymanowski and Lutosławski. Then they range a little
farther afield, with a choice of works by pianist-composers still
enjoying a measure of international fame, Ignaz Friedman and
Moritz Moszkowski. Round 1, however, already requires
prospective entrants to investigate a library of first-rate but
unfamiliar composers who lived and composed beyond the
Moniuszko-Paderewski axis of late Romanticism: the golden

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Jarosław Drzewiecki (centre)

75• Pianist 121

COMPETITIONS
Proud to be Polish
‘We are like detectives,’ says Drzewiecki. ‘We are trying to
discover the mysteries of Polish music for our own sake but also
for the world at large, in the hope that these gems will
subsequently find success and recognition in concert halls
outside Poland.’ While both entrants and jury inevitably show a
native bias, the presence of competitors from North America
and Japan suggests that his hope is well-founded. The jury
includes the Japanese pedagogue Koji Shimoda as well as the
first-prize winner from the 2019 competition, the Russian
pianist Pavel Dombrovsky. As Drzewiecki remarks: ‘We are
counting on our participants to go on promoting the works
they have selected for the competition in their concert
performances around the world. What we’re hoping to achieve
is a kind of organic promotion of Polish music.’
Having enjoyed my own travels through Poland – the country
and its music – for some years, I ask Drzewiecki which
discoveries he has been making through the competition’s
activity. ‘There’s the excellent legacy of Henryk Pachulski: his
wonderful sonatas and variations,’ he immediately replies.
‘Then there are the sonatas, mazurkas and meditations of
Portrait of Stanisław Moniuszko by graphic artist Marcin Władyka

BEYOND CHOPIN: Antoni Kątski and the spectacular piano concertos by Józef
POLISH PIANO MUSIC Krogulski and Ludomir Różycki. People are coming to
appreciate that there is much more to Zarębski than just the
Moniuszko ‘Opera Songs for Piano’ popular Piano Quintet. I’m also looking forward to new
Cyprien Katsaris interpretations of music by Raoul Koczalski and Theodor
Frederick Chopin Institute NIFCCD113 Leschetizky. When we go back and look at how these composers
Typically quirky, beautifully sprung accounts of effortlessly lived and worked, we find out how closely linked the countries
memorable salon miniatures of Europe were during the 19th century, how they formed a
single organism. Composers could travel quite freely across
Szymanowska Mazurkas, Nocturnes, Preludes etc. the continent.’
Anna Ciborowska As, indeed, they have continued to do so, at least until
Dux DUX0450 recently. In 2021, what is it that still makes English music
Maria, not Karol: gently ruminative nocturnes and mazurkas English and Polish music Polish? Rather than a DNA map of
by Chopin’s notable female predecessor, the mother-in-law of definite characteristics, it’s a more subtle and often instinctively
Adam Mickiewicz understood tangle of influences and preconceptions. Take the
example of Chopin, above all, who went to the well of folk
Różycki Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2 melodies from the native regions of Mazowsze and Kujawy for
Jonathan Plowright, BBC Scottish SO/Borowicz inspiration, and yet wove them into a musical fabric of French
Hyperion CDA68066 silk. Later composers followed his lead, looking to the folk
Fire-breathing solo writing, grandly sweeping melodies and a music of Podhale (Paderewski and Szymanowski, then
melancholy turn of mind: a Polish (but French-accented) Malawski), Orawa and Huculszczyzna (Palester, Kondracki) and
Rachmaninov? the mountainous Kurpie region (Szymanowski, Maciejewski).
However, Polishness in music need not be limited to a peasant
Zarębski, Bacewicz Piano Quintets tune or a polonaise rhythm. Panufnik, Lutosławski and Górecki
Warsaw Quintet all ‘sound’ distinctively Polish without relying on such found
Dux DUX0530 materials. ‘This Polish spirit is not easy to grasp,’ admits
High-Romantic and postwar Polish musical voices and big Drzewiecki, ‘but thanks to our competition, we are looking
personalities, both in command of scintillating piano writing beyond just a few turns of phrase to tap into its essence, as well
within a chamber context as bringing to life both artists and music that have suffered
undeserved oblivion. Surely this will benefit listeners and
and for the really adventurous… performers alike.’
‘100 for 100 – Musical Decades of Freedom’
Anaklasis ANABOX The Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition of Polish
(36CDs plus 10 booklets and a book) Music takes place in Rzeszów from 11 to 18 September, with a
The start and not the end of a journey through the rich history repeat of the finale performances in Warsaw on 21 September. All
of Polish music over the last century: ballets, symphonies, rounds of the competition will be streamed live on the competition’s
concertos and so much more YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/IMITpolska. See
polishmusiccompetition.pl for more details. n

76• Pianist 121

 MAKERS
PIANO ǧ
Despite recent shaky times, manufacturers are continuing to develop instruments for pianists
SJEPPPIZIPWSJEFMPMX]ERHEPPX]TIWSJFYHKIX-RXLI½VWXTEVXSJERI[WIVMIW[LMGLWLMRIWE
WTSXPMKLXSRRI[TVSHYGXWMatt Ash focuses on three very different pianos
Kawai KDP120
Kawai’s KDP range has been a stalwart of the entry-level
home digital piano market for years, catering for beginners
and those requiring a digital instrument alongside an
acoustic. In May this year the company announced a
replacement for the KDP110, aptly named KDP120 and
priced at £849.00. A cursory glance doesn’t suggest much
difference from the outgoing model, in terms of retaining the
simple and well-constructed design that has become
synonymous with this end of the range, but the Kawai
development team has been busy making some useful
changes below the surface.
This new model is compatible with Kawai’s PianoRemote
and PiaBookPlayer apps for iOS and Android devices,
offering a more interactive experience than the simple control
panel, positioned as on previous models at the bass end of
the keyboard. Whilst the KDP120 retains the Shigeru Kawai
SK-EX concert grand piano sound from its predecessor, the
Responsive Hammer Compact II keyboard action has been
further refined, with improved cushioning to reduce noise
when the keys are released to their resting position.
Learning the piano in close quarters to neighbours can
sometimes prove a challenge, and there is a tendency for the
sound of digital pianos to suffer at low volumes. Kawai has
addressed this in the KDP120 with Low Volume Balance,
which optimises sound when you can’t play loud and don’t
want to use headphones. This alters the frequency response
curve across the bass, midrange and treble to avoid the
deterioration in tonal quality that usually comes with playing
at low volumes.
Schimmel C121 Elegance Manhattan
Henry Ford’s Model T motorcar of the early 20th century
was famously available in any colour so long as it was black.
The piano market often feels similar, with glossy black
78• Pianist 121
polyester finishes aplenty in showrooms. It can look lovely in
some situations and does infer a relationship to the glamour
of a concert grand, but it isn’t suitable for every setting.
The team at Braunschweig-based piano maker Schimmel
has developed a new ‘Super Matte’ black finish in order to
provide a practical and interesting alternative. This eco-
friendly solvent-free lacquer finish has been developed for
durability and is impervious to fingerprints, making it a good
choice for busy households or rehearsal and teaching rooms.
It offers a more contemporary finish than painted black
oak, and I’ve been informed that, unlike older flat black
finishes achieved by sanding down glossy polyester, Super
Matte black will not develop shiny patches, so you can
simply dust it with a soft microfibre cloth (and definitely no
cleaning agents) to keep it looking its best. The finish is
nicely set-off by polished chrome fittings, which have become
a popular alternative to the more traditional brass.
The finish is of course only the outer surface, but has
thankfully been launched on the C121 Elegance Manhattan
upright – the most recent development of a key model in the
German-made Schimmel Classic range. The C121 is a
mid-range model suitable for players of the full ability range
– inspiring for less experienced players, but rewarding for the
more advanced. It offers a responsive action and depth of
tone to make playing and practising a pleasure, and is
currently priced at £14,900 in the Super Matte and chrome
finish. This model can also be specified with the latest
iteration of Schimmel’s TwinTone silent system, so there’s
flexibility for a full range of situations. I’ve owned a C120 for
20 years and with regular maintenance, including a recent
service in the workshop at Forsyth Music Shop, it remains a
very enjoyable workhorse.
Simon Loat at Forsyth’s tells me they are expecting a special
grand piano in the finish towards the end of 2021 – more
details to follow as they become available.
Bösendorfer 230VC
At the grand end of the scale, Bösendorfer has announced a
new addition to its Vienna Concert range. Managing
Director Sabine Grubmüller says in the press release that
‘The new Concert Grand 230VC achieves our every
ambition, from its radiant, room-filling sound to its near
limitless tonal range, capable of articulating even the most
subtle of nuances.’
Traditional piano design exclusively uses vibrations in the
soundboard to enrich and project the sound, but Bösendorfer’s
VC technology takes inspiration from string instruments in
using the whole body of the piano to support sound
production. This design was first seen in the larger 280VC
Concert Grand (280cm long), and the 230VC (230cm long)
adds to a growing portfolio of models benefitting from the
added depth and flexibility of tone this brings.
I know from playing other VC-equipped models that the
technology builds on the refined and responsive sound that
has always been a characteristic of Bösendorfer pianos, and I
would expect this new size in the range to offer a rewarding
choice for rooms and venues that don’t quite need the scale
of the 280VC.
The musical possibilities of the 230VC are matched by the
wide range of veneers in which Bösendorfer artisans can
hand-finish the piano – the polar opposite of the Model T
motorcar I mentioned earlier – with options including
Macassar, Burl Walnut and Bird’s Eye Maple. The approach
to building a piano at Bösendorfer’s Vienna workshop also
means that a finish can be custom-produced to match a
favourite colour or even to incorporate a particular design.
As always, the best way to experience these instruments is
to contact a specialist retailer who can demonstrate and give
you the chance to compare instruments to find the one that
best suits your needs. Many, but not all, are working on
appointment systems following the pandemic, so it’s worth
contacting them ahead of travelling. This is a luxury
instrument aimed at serious players and collectors, and so a
dedicated appointment to try the piano at length should be a
standard part of your selection process. n

www.kawai.co.uk/products/digitalpianos/kdpseries/
www.schimmel-pianos.de
www.boesendorfer.com/en/pianos/pianos/concert-grand-230vc

79• Pianist 121

REVIEW
ALBUM reviews
MARTHA ARGERICH
Debussy: Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra,
Violin Sonata, Cello Sonata, La Mer
Staatskapelle Berlin/Daniel Barenboim
Deutsche Grammophon 483 7537
+++++
The cover of this album
gives few clues to its
contents, so let me
help. The Fantaisie for
Piano and Orchestra,
with which it opens,
is the piano concerto
Debussy never wrote – or at least called as
such. This is Martha Argerich’s first recording
of it, not that you’d know from her easy
familiarity with the music. Happily, it’s a
joint effort thanks to a score that gives equal
prominence and interest to the orchestra as
to the piano. Argerich and the Staatskapelle,
conducted by Daniel Barenboim, shine one
moment and support or partner the next.
The Violin Sonata was the last piece Debussy
completed. Composed in 1917, it’s a more
disturbed and introspective work than the
mellifluous Fantaisie – qualities Argerich and
Michael Barenboim give ample expression
to. Likewise, the Cello Sonata, to which
the cellist Kian Soltani brings a brooding
intensity ably supported by Argerich.
La Mer brings down the curtain on a
thoroughly sublime album. JE
ANGELA HEWITT
Love songs: solo works by Schumann, Liszt,
Strauss (R), Mahler arr. Hewitt, Fauré, etc
Hyperion CDA 68341
+++++
When, like all musicians,
Angela Hewitt saw her
work dry up in March
2020, she used her time to
realize a 20-year ambition
to record an album of
love song transcriptions.
Whether it was the extra time allowed for
research, or the emotional upheaval of the
pandemic, or just happenstance, the results
have an irresistible passion and emotional
openness. If, like me, you’ve appreciated
Hewitt as a performer of control and precision,
then prepare to throw your hat in the air
listening to the wild rubato of Widmung
(Schumann/Liszt), or thrill to her joyously
uninhibited Cäcilie (Strauss/Reger). But even
these are topped by two arrangements of her
own, of Bist du bei mir (Stölzel, attr. Bach) and
the Adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No 5.
The simplicity, variety of colour, emotional
intensity, and unabashed pathos… I could
almost thank the pandemic for giving her the
chance to reflect such love as this, with all its
pain, tears and joy. WT
Reviews by John Evans,
Peter Quantrill and
Warwick Thompson
ALASDAIR BEATSON
Aus Wien: Solo piano works by Schumann,
Schubert, Schoenberg, Ravel, Korngold
Pentatone PTC5186871
++++
Conceived in response
to what Alasdair Beatson
calls the ‘twin shadows’
of Brexit and the
pandemic, his recital
explores a foreign but
familiar landlocked
shore. No Blue Danube, though the waltz as
a quintessentially Viennese genre features in
Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales, which
like the little Schoenberg pieces Op 19 are
played with a weight and seriousness to
counterbalance the substantial outer panels.
There is a depth of touch and fierceness,
too, about Schumann’s Faschingsschwank
(Carnival Procession) which belongs more
to the character of the album than the
piece. The climax, though, is an outright
winner: Korngold’s Third Sonata of 1931,
dating from his Hollywood years but
sharing Viennese hallmarks of ambiguous
harmony and nervous energy with Ravel
and Schoenberg. Beatson takes the fiendish
writing of the Expressionist outer movements
in his stride, and he gives the Lisztian
Andante religioso space to breathe without
sentimentalising it. PQ
VADYM KHOLODENKO
Tchaikovsky: Sonatas Opp 37 & 80,
‘Troika’ from The Seasons, Romance from
Six Pieces Op 51
Harmonia Mundi HMM 902656
+++++
In 2016 Vadym
Kholodenko suffered
a devastating personal
tragedy, the details of
which are not hard to find
online. Who can possibly
say what affect it might
have had on his life, his art, and his career? At
the risk of being reductive, and on the results
of this heartfelt album, my guess is that he
has found a powerful solace in his playing.
I’d previously thought him a tad mechanistic
as a performer, but here, in Tchaikovsky’s
Grand Sonata (Op 37) and the early Sonata
in C sharp minor (Op 80) he offers warmth,
delicacy and emotional directness. He even
finds a meaningful path, via exquisitely
controlled use of tempi and varieties of colour,
through the rather clunky transition sequences
of the earlier work. His other notable quality
– roof-rattling, Russian-style finger-power –
comes to the fore in the more mature sonata,
and he revels in all the opportunities for
fireworks which it provides. WT
80• Pianist 121
BARRY DOUGLAS
Tchaikovsky Plus One – Vol 3: Dumka, Danse
caractéristique6SQERGIWIXG4VSOS½IZ
Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet Op 75
Chandos CHAN 20160
+++++
The collection of
Tchaikovsky works for
solo piano are the chief
attraction here. They’re
not a mainstay of the
repertoire but in their
freshness, and emotional
and technical range they deserve to be, while
in Barry Douglas, winner of the Tchaikovsky
International Piano Competition in 1986,
they have a real champion. It would be
easy to dismiss them as folksy salon works
until, out of nowhere, the composer lobs a
technical or emotional curveball that leaves
the listener gasping. The collection begins
with Dumka. It begins simply enough but
becomes more complex and dramatic as the
piece unfolds. Later on, Valse sentimentale
traces the same journey. There are more
predictable and introspective pieces, too,
including the two Romances. Scène dansante
is both operatic and virtuosic as well as
orchestral in its scope. It’s a perfect way
to end the selection and makes a fabulous
contrast with Prokofiev’s witty and acerbic
Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet. JE
ANDRÁS SCHIFF
Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 2
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
ECM New Series 485 5770
+++++
Sumptuous Abbey Road
engineering sets the
seal on this first ‘period’
recording of the Brahms
concertos, which only
the most diehard sceptic
can afford to pass over.
The fragile, floated horn solo to launch No 2
perfectly complements both the sweet, pure-
toned and portamento-shaped strings and
the bell-like richness of timbre which Schiff
draws from an 1859 Blüthner, while eliciting
the most dynamic and detailed support from
the OAE. There is little of the preciousness
which I sometimes find in his playing;
the deep currents of feeling in the Adagio
and Finale of the D minor No 1 especially
are borne along by the intensity usually
associated with a live performance, but both
concertos pulse and surge in an authentically
Brahmsian spirit of mingled rage and
affection. I love the Blüthner’s cloudy lower
register in the Scherzo of the Second, and
then Schiff’s sure handling of its limpid top
octave in the Andante. Unmissable. PQ
REVIEW
SHEET MUSIC REVIEWS Reviews by Michael MacMillan
THE PIANO:
A HISTORY
IN 100 PIECES
Susan Tomes
Yale University Press
ISBN: 978-0-30025-392-4
This is Susan Tomes’s
personal tour through the
rich history of the piano’s
repertoire – and what an interesting,
entertaining, and enthusiastic guide she is
over the course of its 350-odd pages. The
selection of 100 pieces she chooses to stop
and talk about aren’t limited to solo works
but also include chamber and concerto
works, reflecting her own considerable
experience as a soloist and chamber
musician. The author draws upon her
intimate knowledge of the music to detail
her observations about the piece and its
performance as well as relating its historical
background. She does so with wonderfully
eloquent and descriptive writing that
reminds me of the wordsmithery of the most
engaging musician-authors such as Stephen
Hough. Favoured recordings and performers
of her chosen repertoire are not discussed,
which I suppose is fair enough given that this
is a history of the piano as viewed through
the lens of its repertoire. A book that should
appear on every pianophile’s wishlist.
NOTES ON
THE PIANO
Christopher Russell
Michael Terence
Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-80094-041-3
Try to look beyond the front
cover of this book, because
the design that looks like it was created
on a budget does its contents a disservice.
Subtitled ‘A Series of Essays on the Playing
and Teaching of the Piano’, this is a 150-
page book containing the distilled thoughts
of a piano teacher amassed over the past 27
years. Covering a wide range of topics, from
methods of practising to sight-reading, and
from fingering to memorising, the author
articulates plenty of sound advice in clear
and concise language that is easy to read and
digest. In contrast to similar books that print
excerpts from the repertoire to illustrate
points under discussion, no notation is
included here, but this does help to maintain
the overall flow of the book’s conversational
tone. Its target audience is both the student
pianist and teacher, but it is ultimately
perhaps the sort of book that piano teachers
would like their students to read, but are
more likely to read themselves.
THE KEY
TO SCALES
& ARPEGGIOS
Jane Mann
Alfred Music
ISBN10: 14706-
12194 (Grades 1&2);
-12208 (3&4);
-12214 (5)
Examining boards
such as ABRSM and Trinity have published
scale books to accompany their graded exams,
and these are often bought as a matter of
course by students taking an exam. There
are alternative options to consider, however,
and anyone who finds it helpful to see scale
fingerings written on top of a picture of a
keyboard will benefit from these books by
Alfred. Content has been revised to align with
ABRSM’s new syllabus, and also contains the
technical requirements of the Trinity syllabus
(with the exception of a B minor scale and
arpeggio at Grade 2, oddly enough). There
is strong emphasis on fingering patterns, and
rules such as ‘Thumbs on C and F’ or ‘3rd
fingers play together’ are useful reminders
when playing hands together. Natural and
melodic minor scales are not covered, but if
this is of no concern, I’d warmly recommend
consideration of these books alongside
the similarly presented Scale Shapes series
published by Chester Music.
PIANO
MEDITATIONS
Adrian Lord
Adrian Lord
Publishing
ISMN: 979-0-9002990-1-7
Piano Meditations is
Adrian Lord’s third
piano album; it is self-
published but there are no quibbles about its
presentation. A few years ago, he published
a collection of 12 calming and atmospheric
pieces in a book titled Sky Blue Piano, and the
five pieces in this new album bear the same
qualities. The music features unhurried tempi
with a good deal of repetition and pianistic
writing that helps the learner to assimilate the
material rapidly. On first playing the pieces
you may come across occasional puzzling
harmonic changes, but listening to the music
float by in the hands of the composer (his
recordings are available on CD, Spotify,
and Apple Music) erases any doubts about
his craft. The shortest and easiest piece –
Space – is just 31 bars long and is accessible
to pianists around Grade 4, whilst the
longest piece, Ascend, is four pages and can
comfortably be tackled by Grade 6 pianists.
82• Pianist 121
EIGHT PIECES
Andrew Kear Harrod
Master Music
Publications
ISBN: 978-1-8389-162-1
Andrew Harrod is a
British composer and
educator currently in his
60s; this is his first published collection
of piano solos, and it is available in both
digital and printed form. Two of the
eight pieces in this book were composed
in 2010, but the others were written
over the course of 12 months in 2018-
19. Introductory notes to all the pieces
identifying the source of inspiration for
the work provide helpful pointers for the
performer. Knowing that Rainbow Waters,
for example, was inspired by the appearance
of a rainbow over the Niagara Falls, guides
the performer’s imagination to recreate
the movement and colour of the water.
Pitched at around Grade 5-6, the composer
uses a contemporary, accessible harmonic
language that is arguably best developed
into a musical and pedagogically satisfying
result in the one-page piece called Solace.
The overall collection is easy to digest, but
that isn’t really enough to make it stand out
from the crowd.
CLASSICAL
VIENNA
Nancy Litten
Alfred Music
ISBN10: 1470613530
This is a collection
of seven piano trios,
all but one of which
were originally written
as piano solos by Haydn, Mozart, and
Beethoven (the other piece was a song).
The arrangements are by Nancy Litten,
whose compositions readers may have
come across in books such as Piano Mix,
Piano Star, and ABRSM exam syllabuses.
The piano, violin, and cello parts are all
written at the same level of difficulty (Grade
6-7), making these particularly suitable
for GCSE/A-level ensembles, and Litten’s
selection includes familiar works such as
Mozart’s ‘Rondo alla turca’, and the first
and second movements respectively from
Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Pathétique’
sonatas. The music is distributed judiciously
across the three instruments, and provides
ensembles ample opportunities to refine
their coordination and enjoy integrating
their parts into a cohesive whole. An
excellent addition to the chamber music
repertoire at this level.
 RITMÜLLER. MY PIANO.
Trust your feelings. And your ears. Ritmüller pianos and
grand pianos offer playing pleasure right from the first
time you touch one of the keys. They have a wonderfully
balanced and full sound, great tuning stability and are
available in a wide variety of models for any playing
situation. Discover the fascination of pianos.
With Ritmüller.

Pictured: Model RS 150 • pearlriverpiano.co.uk • Ritmüller is a brand of the Pearl River Piano Group
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