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S. Heller - Prelude in C# Minor (No. 10 from 24 Preludes, Op. 81)
ABRSM Grade 6 - A1
Stephen Heller is best known for his piano studies. Even though this charming piece is a prelude (from a set of 24 preludes in all keys following the famous examples from Bach and Chopin), it serves as a study in leggiero playing. The required lightness is achieved by finger articulation supported by a weightless arm and feels akin to scratching the keyboard with the tips of the fingers. Most of the passagework is in the right hand, the left hand leading in bar 17. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full... Read >>
Mendelssohn - Venetianisches Gondellied (No. 6 from Lieder ohne Worte, Op. 19b)
ABRSM Grade 6 - B3
Mendelssohn wrote 48 Songs without Words - short, lyrical pieces most of which are suitable for intermediate players. Among these are several Venetian Gondola Songs. The composer is said to have had the idea for this piece when he was on board a gondola during his Italian stay in 1830-31, copying it out about six months later. Wistful in character, the main feature is the underlying rocking motion (supplied by the left hand) over which the right hand spins a melody (often in two voices). This piece presents a challenge with regard to pedalling; we are allowed discreet touches even... Read >>
Granados - Vals poético (No. 6 from Valses poéticos)
ABRSM Grade 6 - B2
Enrique Granados wrote this romantic waltz when he was a student at the Madrid Conservatory, indicating that it should be played sentimentally, with freedom (quasi ad libitum). A vivid imagination will help communicate the spirit of this music; perhaps the repetition of the opening paragraph an octave higher at bar 17 suggests there may be two characters in dialogue? Whatever narrative we explore, we need to bring colour and flexibility to the singing lines as we respond to the composer’s directions for changes in tempo (written-out rubato). Preview (please log-in or subscribe... Read >>
Kuhlau - Allegro (1st mvt from Sonatina in C, Op. 20 No. 1)
ABRSM Grade 6 – A3
Friedrich Kuhlau’s sonatinas are beautiful examples of sonata form in miniature, ideal vehicles for the study of sonatas by the Classical masters. The structure is crystal clear in this Allegro; we find a satisfying mix of cantabile melodies (accompanied by Alberti basses), brilliant passages in fast scales, and dramatic moments that feature left hand octaves (it is perfectly fine to add touches of pedal here). Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This piece is available for digital download individually from the... Read >>
D. Scarlatti - Sonata in A, Kp. 208, L. 238
ABRSM Grade 6 – A10
Born in 1685, the same year as J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel, Domenico Scarlatti wrote 555 single-movement, mostly binary form sonatas for the harpsichord (some possibly intended for the early piano). Some of these works display a bold use of harmony, the influence of the Spanish guitar and of Iberian folk music.To make the Sonata in A, K. 208 interesting on the piano, a wide dynamic palette is essential. The main line needs to be projected and shaped in vocal style, the left hand generally keeping out of the way. Play without pedal and your sound will likely... Read >>
Burgmüller - Velocity, Op. 109 No. 10
ABRSM Grade 6 – A6
Velocity is the tenth piece in a collection of small character studies by Friedrich Burgmüller (1806-1874). In the tradition of the very best studies, each piece presents a technical problem to be overcome and practised, while at the same time having a distinct musical appeal that raises it to the status of art. In Velocity, the main challenge is control of right hand semiquavers at high speed as the patterns move across the keyboard, even crossing over the accompanimental left hand’s repeated chords in two places. The player can develop the necessary leggiero touch by practising the semiquavers at first... Read >>
Schumann - Einsame Blumen (No. 3 from Waldscenen, Op. 82)
ABRSM Grade 6 – B13
Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), Op. 82, is a set of nine short pieces written by Robert Schumann in 1849. Einsame Blumen (Lonely Flowers) is a piece of extreme delicacy and beauty, requiring the performer to paint a picture in sound from the imagination. The right hand is constructed from two voices as though in dialogue, with quite extreme dissonances that only work at a soft dynamic level with careful voicing by the pianist. The quaver rests in the left hand accompaniment imply a light touch, but are not necessarily to be taken as literal silences; in her edition, Clara Schumann suggests... Read >>
Howells - There Was a Most Beautiful Lady (No.3 from Country Pageant)
ABRSM Grade 6 – B9
Sometimes known as Slow Dance, Herbert Howells’ There Was a Most Beautiful Lady comes from the set Country Pageant composed in 1928. Full of piquant modern harmonies there is a strong sense of a much earlier Old English style in this wistful piece. To bring it off, feel the three main beats in a bar (not too slow) while bringing some flexibility to the challenging rhythmic patterns in the right hand. Project the main melody as though an oboe solo. The pedal markings given in the score are “special” pedals; elsewhere use pedal at your discretion. ... Read >>
Prokofiev - Cortège de sauterelles (No. 7 from Musiques d’enfants, Op. 65)
ABRSM Grade 6 – C10
Prokoviev’s Musique d’enfants is a collection of 12 short character pieces suitable for the intermediate pianist, for adults as well as children. There is much humour in Cortège de sauterelles ("Procession of Grasshoppers"), with lively springing movements to be found throughout. At the start of the slower middle section it seems the creatures are calming down for the night, but in the second statement of the central theme the left hand begins to jump again, albeit more slowly. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources... Read >>