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Ravel - Sonatine

Ravel wrote the first movement of the Sonatine in 1903 for a magazine competition run by a magazine but wasn't awarded the prize as he was the only entrant and had exceeded the length restriction! Fortunately for posterity, Ravel soon added a second and a third movement in 1905 and... Read >>


Graham Fitch Repertoire

Burgmüller - 21. L’Harmonie des Anges (The Music of the Angels) in G Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

The marking armonioso (harmoniously) implies that L’harmonie des anges (The Music of the Angels) requires pedal to blend the notes into clouds of harmony. How we pedal is actually the main objective of the étude; it will soon become apparent that there are plenty of possible solutions that can work, and that variety in our pedalling is called for. Literal-minded players may conclude that the pedal must be cleared in the presence of rests. While this may be a good guideline for Baroque and Classical period music, Romantic style is much freer. The left-hand rests in bar 1, for example,... Read >>


Graham Fitch Repertoire

Burgmüller - 22. Barcarolle in A-flat Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

A barcarolle is a Venetian gondolier’s song, and in Burgmüller’s Barcarolle we clearly feel the boat gliding over the water as the boatman sings his wistful song. The main focus of this étude is expressive playing and projecting a beautifully shaped right hand melody over the gently rocking rhythm created by the left hand. As with any melodic line, remember the golden rule: “if you cannot sing it, you cannot play it”. Singing the top line out loud gives us the best idea of how to shape and phrase it artistically. Controlling the left hands chords from bar 12 is... Read >>


Graham Fitch Repertoire

Burgmüller - 24. L’Hirondelle (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

Charming to the ear, L’hirondelle (The Swallow) is one of my favourite études in the set. It is packed with great teaching value, demanding attention to quality and beauty of sound. The main technical features are crossing the LH over the RH in wide jumps (excellent for eye-hand coordination), and skilful timing of the pedal (so that the short LH notes are caught in the pedal with the RH harmonies). Careful LH separate practice at a slow tempo but with fast, precise movements will prepare the ground. Practise also a blocked version hands together where the RH chords come on... Read >>


Graham Fitch Repertoire

Rocherolle - La chapelle (from Souvenirs du château)

Trinity College (Alternative) - Grade 7

This evocative piece by American pianist and composer Eugénie Rocherolle is somewhere between Romantic and musical theatre in style, making full use of the pedal to build up sonorities from sustained bass notes and rolling harmonies. It is music from the heart, calling for the ability to play freely with rubato and plenty of feeling. It makes a very effective recital piece and will be popular with players and listeners alike. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links Souvenirs Du Chateau is... Read >>


Graham Fitch Repertoire

Grieg - Waltz in A minor

Grieg’s Waltz in A minor is on the alternative list for Trinity Grade 4, and will be a popular choice. It is full of character and contrasts, and not without its challenges - especially concerning how to use the pedal. Grieg instructs “con pedale” (with pedal) but does not indicate anything further. In this video I show how to organise the pedalling in order to make some of the joins possible without covering over Grieg’s slurs and staccato markings, and also how to pedal for colour and resonance. Preview (please log-in or... Read >>


Graham Fitch Repertoire

Diabelli - Moderato Cantabile (from Sonatina in F major, Op. 168 No. 1)

The first movement (Moderato) of Diabelli’s appealing Sonatina in F is a model of sonata form in miniature, an ideal way to teach form and structure to the intermediate pianist. The gently expressive first subject with its sighing appoggiaturas gives way to a skittish and playful second subject. In this video I demonstrate the art of finger pedalling in the left hand alberti patterns to create resonance by hand (instead of by foot, which would cloud the texture too much). I also show how to use deconstruction techniques in a tricky left hand passage to improve control and coordination. ... Read >>


Graham Fitch Repertoire

Rachmaninoff - Prelude in C-sharp Minor (Op. 3 No. 2)

(Op. 3 No. 2)

A series of three videos exploring Rachmaninov’s famous Prelude in C-sharp Minor (Op. 3 No. 2) at the piano, with extensive practice tips to solve the technical issues, pedalling suggestions and thoughts on performance – including how to achieve a big sound effortlessly without banging or harshness.... Read >>


Graham Fitch Repertoire

Chopin - Prelude in B Minor (Op. 28 No. 6)

Chopin’s dark, somber Prélude in B minor is much more difficult to play than it looks. The pedalling requires a lot of thought as Chopin gives us only three pedal markings, in those places where he wants special pedal effects that provide generous resonance. In other places, we must therefore be careful to pedal more sparingly and discreetly. The melodic interest is in the long LH rising and falling phrases, yet we clearly hear the tolling of bells in the RH repeated notes. There are some beautiful - and surprising - harmonic moments that you’ll need to savour in order... Read >>


Graham Fitch Repertoire