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Khachaturian - Toccata
ABRSM Grade 8 - C7
Aram Khachaturian’s Toccata is surely one of the most effective showpieces for the advancing pianist. Although it looks and sounds very difficult it is actually much more approachable than you might think, with patterns that are always highly pianistic and often surprisingly simple to memorise. There is plenty of scope for narrative and imagery in this piece, the pedal bringing textures together to create a soundscape that is at times savage and barbaric, then scintillating and brooding. In this excerpt from his video walk-throughs for the piece, Graham Fitch demonstrates an approach to learning bar 74 which looks daunting due... Read >>
S. Coleridge-Taylor - Impromptu in B Minor (No. 2 from Two Impromptus)
ABRSM Grade 8 - B1
The title “Impromptu” is a generic term that carries little meaning other than a spontaneous approach on the part of the composer. Coleridge-Taylor’s Impromptu in B minor follows the A-B-A model of Schubert and Chopin’s forays into the form, the more florid outer sections contrasting with the song-like middle section. There are frequent tempo modifiers in the A sections that indicate rubato, but nothing in the B section. Here, the performer calls upon their musical instincts to allow phrases to move forwards and backwards, and to breathe naturally. Preview (please log-in or... Read >>
Debussy - Arabesque No. 2 (from Deux arabesques, L. 66)
ABRSM Grade 8 - C2
Debussy’s two arabesques are from his early period, before he became influenced by Impressionism. Arabesque No. 2 requires a certain deftness (lightness) of touch to bring out the balletic qualities in the piece. The pedalling is too subtle for the player to notate in the score (Debussy famously didn’t even try), calling for light touches here and there to add colour and resonance. Certain spots (bars 42 and 82, for example) call for longer pedals to sustain the harmony, the rests are not to be taken literally here but instead indicate to play the surrounding notes lightly. ... Read >>
JS Bach - Prelude and Fugue in B-Flat Major, BWV 866
ABRSM Grade 8 - A1
This prelude and fugue from Book 1 of The Well-Tempered Clavier is one of the few entry level works from Bach’s timeless masterpiece, the lively fugue more approachable than many of the others because the notes lie relatively comfortably under the hands. In three voices, there are three motives (subject, countersubject and the motive that first appears in the soprano voice in bar 9). These themes then join together in different combinations (a compositional device known as triple counterpoint). The Prelude is in toccata style, made up of passages in broken chord figuration, solid chords, and scale-like passages. Depending on... Read >>
Tchaikovsky - Juin: Barcarolle (No. 6 from Les saisons, Op. 37b)
ABRSM Grade 8 - B3
Les saisons (The Seasons) is a collection of 12 pieces published in 1876, each piece bearing the title of a month of the year inspired by an epigram from a Russian poet. The epigram for Juin: Barcarolle is worth keeping in mind as we study the piece: “Let us go to the shore; there the waves will kiss our feet. With mysterious sadness the stars will shine down on us”.A barcarolle is a song of the Venetian gondoliers. We feel the movement of the gondola moving through the water in the LH, the RH melody line needs a flexible approach... Read >>
Schubert - Impromptu in A-Flat Major (NEW VERSION) (No. 2 from Four Impromptus, Op. 142, D. 935)
ABRSM Grade 8 - B9
Schubert wrote two sets of Impromptus, each comprising four pieces. The term “impromptu” conveys a sense of improvisation or spontaneity, yet the formal structure (ABA) is very clear here. The A-flat Impromptu is based on a very simple, pure melody that reminds us of a gentle dance (a minuet, or maybe even a sarabande). Control of texture is all-important here; voice the right hand chords to the top, making sure to support the sound from the cello (low left hand notes) and respond to the changes in register. The middle section (trio) is more active rhythmically, with a constant triplet... Read >>
Beethoven - Adagio cantabile (2nd movt from Sonata in C minor ‘Pathétique’, Op. 13)
ABRSM Grade 8 - B12
The famous second movement of Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata begins in the manner of a string quartet, the first violin entering only in the second phrase. Play the viola-like semiquaver part very softly and judge how much to give the cello line so that it supports the melodic line on top. When the main melody returns, the triplet figuration encourages the music to move forwards. The coda, an adieu, brings the music to a gentle close. Organise the ornaments rhythmically in the middle section, ensuring they enhance their surroundings. Preview (please log-in or... Read >>
Mozart - Allegro (1st movt from Sonata in F, K. 332)
ABRSM Grade 8 – A2
The first movement from Mozart’s Sonata in F, K. 332 is bursting with different ideas, contrasted so dynamically you would think you were at the circus! From innocent, graceful minuets to the drama of the hire-wire act (with its gravity-defying hemiolas) we aim to characterise each scene of the opera as vividly and as colourfully as possible. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This piece is available for digital download individually from the ABRSM shop here or in print... Read >>
Mozart - Alla Turca (3rd mvt from Sonata in A, K. 331)
ABRSM Grade 8 – A1
Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This piece is available for individual purchase as a digital download here or in print as part of the Piano Exam Pieces 2025 & 2026 Grade 8 publication here. Open domain editions are also available here. You can listen to a recording of this piece and others from this grade on Spotify using this link. ... Read >>