The Spanish composer Manuel de Falla composed his Canción in 1900. An intermediatelevel piano solo it is a jewel of the 20th century Spanish piano re Show More...
The Spanish composer Manuel de Falla composed his Canción in 1900. An intermediatelevel piano solo it is a jewel of the 20th century Spanish piano repertoire. Canción is composition for piano in triple time dating from 1900. The opening bars are quite reminiscent of Satie’s music. In a very short space of time the composer takes the player on a simply amazing harmonic and musical journey. Manuel de Falla is widely considered to be the greatest 20th century Spanish composer. The piece is an exploration of a melody in different modalities, textures and styles. The use of the sustaining pedal is indicated in the opening bars of the sheet music score and then the pattern is continued. Pianists should be aiming for a legato touch and there are some subtle changes of tempo to manage particularly at the end of phrases. The Animando e cresc section should be started at the beginning of bar 21. Close
Spanish Dance No. 5 by E. Granados from PlentyMusic for solo piano. This popular and appealing intermediate level movement dates from 1890 and its use Show More...
Spanish Dance No. 5 by E. Granados from PlentyMusic for solo piano. This popular and appealing intermediate level movement dates from 1890 and its use of the phyrgian scale gives it a characteristic Spanish identity. Granados (1867 - 1916) was a Catalan composer and his 12 Spanish Dances date from 1890. His music identifies so much with the sound world of Spain and he is often described as a nationalist composer. Interestingly much of his music is more familiar to audiences transcribed for classical guitar. Changing time signatures are a feature of the movement, with an emphasis on the second beat of the bar and the use of accents and pauses. Ostinato is a term that could be used to describe the accompaniment figuration that features strongly in the movement. An ostinato is a repeating pattern usually repeated through a composition. Both acciaccaturas (crushed notes) and appoggiaturas (leaning notes) feature in the arrangement. The Spanish Dance No. 5 is a very appealing work in ABA (ternary form) which was very much the composing default for instrumental compositions for the time described as the late romantic or nationalist era in music history. The tempo indication given by the composer in the piano score is Andantino, quasi Allegretto indicating a pulse of slightly more than a walking pace with the middle section marked Andante. These markings possibly suggest the music should be played at a faster tempo than demonstrated in the realisation which plays back at a tempo of 50|100|50 beats to the minute. The first and last section are in 6/8 time whilst the Andante B section is in 3/4 time. The slowing downs at the end of phrases and the return to a tempo or tempo primo are not indicated or marked in the music score although they are an important and necessary aspect of any performance as is the use of tempo rubato. Pauses which are often introduced in a performance also are not indicated in the accompaniments and realisations. This is a great movement for instrumental players to explore tempo. Ideally the first and last section should also be played at the same tempo adding an additional performance challenge. The music can be played and given a more dance like character if some of the melodic notes are played staccato. The music editor suggests that this is an aspect of performance that can be explored although the suggestion is that playing should never be too exaggerated. The last note in the arrangement can possibly be omitted. The music editor suggests it is place as the dominant note of the succeeding Spanish Dance No. 6. Representing the Spanish musical elements in the staff notation system is a challenge and clearly some comprises are needed particularly in respect to the notation of scales, harmonic colour, dynamics, tempo and ornamentation. The essential elements of Spanish music are its dramatic character often achieved by modal shifts from minor to major and vice versa, its use of the phrygian scale and rhythms derived from the popular dance rhythms of its diverse and rich culture. When music that identifies with a country or region is presented in a notated music score there are comprises to be made in respect to representing the musical elements. The music editor always suggests listening to performances of music to have an understanding particularly of contemporary practice. Pianists should explore the ensemble arrangements of this work available on the PlentyMusic website. Performers should also understand that there are some ambiguities, contradictions and often errors in the available printed music scores. This is an appealing piece of music with many challenges from the performance, music setting and analysis point of view. The composer was clearly challenging the musical boundaries of his time in respect to how the music of his nation could be represented as notated music. Close
Ave Maria is one of the most beautiful melodies from the romantic era composed by Schubert in 1825 This intermediate level piano arrangement from Plen Show More...
Ave Maria is one of the most beautiful melodies from the romantic era composed by Schubert in 1825 This intermediate level piano arrangement from PlentyMusic is available as a pdf download. The song was composed by Schubert in 1825 as part of a song cycle based on Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake. Many performances that are sung make use of the text of the Latin prayer “Ave Maria.” The work is identified as Schubert’s Opus 52 No.6 D.839. As an instrumental arrangement of Ave Maria the barring has been made appropriate for instrumentalists to read. Whilst the melody and accompaniment does sound very on the ear and suggest that it is an easy piece of music to play there are several technical and musical challenges to be overcome before Schubert's AveMaria can be played both competently and confidently. The playback tempo in the realisation is 36 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute (bpm) although the music editor suggests that it is best to learn the movement with an awareness of an eighth note or quaver pulse triplet figuration geatured in the accompaniment. The tempo marking in Schubert’s score is Sehr langsam which means very slow. Singers do frequently take a slower tempo than instrumentalists. The tempo indication in the PlentyMusic instrumental arrangements is Largo. Whilst use of the sustaining pedal is suggested the pedal markings are only indicated in the first bar and are then hidden in the sheet music score. One of the greatest challenges in music is playing a repeat simply because playing the same music again requires much greater concentration. Logic suggests that playing a repeat should be easier to although this not always seem to be the case. Young musicians in particular need to be aware of this. Instrumentalists need to have a clear understanding and intention as to how the melody is to be played particularly from the rhythmic point of view. The cross rhythms, dotted notes, triplet figuration and ornaments all present challenges. The melody itself needs to be played in a legato or singing style. Players need to be always conscious and aware of the triplet figuration played in the accompaniment. The ornaments have been written out in the video score but are indicated with symbols in the sheet music scores available as pdf download from PlentyMusic. In bars 4 and 5 the third beat melody notes can be played as quarter notes (crotchets) and the challenges of the short essentially ornamental notes can be added later. Pianists who want to explore and be challenged furthermore can look at Liszt’s arrangement of Schubert’s work. When a movement involves reducing the score, as is the case in this arrangement, it means that some aspects of the music score are omitted. It is worth studying the full vocal score which may clarify some of the challenges that need to be addressed by the arranger The approach for the keyboard player should be to keep the melody wherever possible and when appropriate rhythmically independent of the triplet figuration of the accompaniment. Close
The music of J. L. Dussek is well worth discovering and playing. His Opus 20 Sonatinas are brimming with invention and musical interest and are perfec Show More...
The music of J. L. Dussek is well worth discovering and playing. His Opus 20 Sonatinas are brimming with invention and musical interest and are perfect for developing a secure technique on a piano. This is music that both expresses and possesses the joy of its time. A rondo is a movement with a recurring theme. The repeats do not playback in the realisation. Music that has design and clear direction that is essentially pianistic. Musical ideas need to be clearly articulated without necessarily being exaggerated. The realisation plays back at a tempo of 72 dotted quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute. Many of the early published scores of this movement have score detail that possibly is more suitable for the dry acoustic of earlier wooden framed pianos. Pianists may wish to add their own additional score detail particularly in respect to the note articulations but the music editors view is that is best to be minimalist. Some notes may require a staccato, an accent or tenuto marking but this aspect of performance is secondary to the requirement for secure fingering as encourages secure technique. Dussek was a Czech composer and like Beethoven is a transition figure linking the classical period to the romantic in a music history context. Dussek himself was a widely travelled piano virtuoso and was the first pianist to sit with his profile to the audience as is modern practice. The chromaticism in this movement suggests that this is more romantic than classical music. Dusssek is important too for encouraging the extension of the range of the piano to the 6-octave range and introducing pedal markings in the writing of piano music. He also composed music for the harp. The plain score is available as a free score and an edited music score with suggested fingering is available from PlentyMusic for one credit. In the edited music score the suggested fingering is notated above the note for the right hand and below the note for the left hand. Look out for the changing finger on a note which currently cannot be represented as clearly as the music editor intends. Bar 10 and 61 should logically contain the same music but they don’t. Players may well want to consider how they approach these two bars. A possible error in the score but by whom? The copyist, the engraver(s) or even the composer? It’s a much better question than you imagine because music printing of the distant past had so many inconsistencies. The music editor’s view is simply that many composers just did not have time to proof read the printer’s copy. Close
Dussek was a Czech composer and like Beethoven is a transition figure linking the classical period to the romantic in a music history context. His Opu Show More...
Dussek was a Czech composer and like Beethoven is a transition figure linking the classical period to the romantic in a music history context. His Opus 20 Sonatinas are well worth exploring. A purposeful and dynamic intermediate level movement for solo piano. The repeats do not playback in the realisation. Clarity in the articulation of the music achieved by shortening some of the notes and an increasing the dynamics. Smorzando translates as dying away. The realisation plays back at 116 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute and Allegro is the indicated tempo marking in the sheet music score. Whilst musical ideas need to be clearly articulated there should not be exaggeration in the playing. There is opportunity to practice crossing over of hands. Many of the early published scores of this movement have score detail that possibly is more suitable for the dry acoustic of earlier wooden framed pianos. Pianists may wish to add their own additional score detail particularly in respect to the articulation of notes but the music editors view is that is best to be minimalist. Some notes may require a staccato, an accent or tenuto marking but not too many! Dussek himself was a widely travelled piano virtuoso and was the first pianist to sit with his profile to the audience as is modern practice. The chromaticism in this movement does suggest more romantic than classical music. Dussek is important too for encouraging the extension of the range of the piano to the 6-octave range and introducing pedal markings in the writing of piano music. He also composed music for the harp. The plain score is available as a free score whilst the edited music score is available for one credit. Close
The music of J. L. Dussek is well worth discovering and playing. His Opus 20 Sonatinas are brimming with invention and musical interest and are perfec Show More...
The music of J. L. Dussek is well worth discovering and playing. His Opus 20 Sonatinas are brimming with invention and musical interest and are perfect for developing a secure technique on a piano. This is music that both expresses and possesses the joy of its time. A rondo is a movement with a recurring theme. The repeats do not playback in the realisation. Music that has design and clear direction that is essentially pianistic. Musical ideas need to be clearly articulated without necessarily being exaggerated. The realisation plays back at a tempo of 72 dotted quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute. Many of the early published scores of this movement have score detail that possibly is more suitable for the dry acoustic of earlier wooden framed pianos. Pianists may wish to add their own additional score detail particularly in respect to the note articulations but the music editors view is that is best to be minimalist. Some notes may require a staccato, an accent or tenuto marking but this aspect of performance is secondary to the requirement for secure fingering as encourages secure technique. Dussek was a Czech composer and like Beethoven is a transition figure linking the classical period to the romantic in a music history context. Dussek himself was a widely travelled piano virtuoso and was the first pianist to sit with his profile to the audience as is modern practice. The chromaticism in this movement suggests that this is more romantic than classical music. Dusssek is important too for encouraging the extension of the range of the piano to the 6-octave range and introducing pedal markings in the writing of piano music. He also composed music for the harp. The plain score is available as a free score and an edited music score with suggested fingering is available from PlentyMusic for one credit. In the edited music score the suggested fingering is notated above the note for the right hand and below the note for the left hand. Look out for the changing finger on a note which currently cannot be represented as clearly as the music editor intends. Bar 10 and 61 should logically contain the same music but they don’t. Players may well want to consider how they approach these two bars. A possible error in the score but by whom? The copyist, the engraver(s) or even the composer? It’s a much better question than you imagine because music printing of the distant past had so many inconsistencies. The music editor’s view is simply that many composers just did not have time to proof read the printer’s copy. Close
Dussek was a Czech composer and like Beethoven is a transition figure linking the classical period to the romantic in a music history context. His Opu Show More...
Dussek was a Czech composer and like Beethoven is a transition figure linking the classical period to the romantic in a music history context. His Opus 20 Sonatinas are well worth exploring. A purposeful and dynamic intermediate level movement for solo piano. The repeats do not playback in the realisation. Clarity in the articulation of the music achieved by shortening some of the notes and an increasing the dynamics. Smorzando translates as dying away. The realisation plays back at 116 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute and Allegro is the indicated tempo marking in the sheet music score. Whilst musical ideas need to be clearly articulated there should not be exaggeration in the playing. There is opportunity to practice crossing over of hands. Many of the early published scores of this movement have score detail that possibly is more suitable for the dry acoustic of earlier wooden framed pianos. Pianists may wish to add their own additional score detail particularly in respect to the articulation of notes but the music editors view is that is best to be minimalist. Some notes may require a staccato, an accent or tenuto marking but not too many! Dussek himself was a widely travelled piano virtuoso and was the first pianist to sit with his profile to the audience as is modern practice. The chromaticism in this movement does suggest more romantic than classical music. Dussek is important too for encouraging the extension of the range of the piano to the 6-octave range and introducing pedal markings in the writing of piano music. He also composed music for the harp. The plain score is available as a free score whilst the edited music score is available for one credit. Close
This quiet slow movement in reflective mood with a compositional approach that is vocal in its style and reminiscent of Bach’s 4 part chorale writin Show More...
This quiet slow movement in reflective mood with a compositional approach that is vocal in its style and reminiscent of Bach’s 4 part chorale writing although presented with romantic harmony. The melody is not always in the top line and as in 4 part chorale writing it is the tenor line that often needs to be prominent. The second middle section is presented as a fugal exposition. The final section is introduced by a dotted rhythm as an upbeat in bar 32 and returns to the mood and style of the first section although this final section has more contrast and is more dramatic. Schumann’s intention is to combine beauty of sound with a legato touch and it is important for pianists to aim for the best legato possible in their playing. The realisation plays back at 56 quarter note beats to the minute with the tempo is marked adagio in the score. The challenge playing the piano version is simply managing the musical lines and imitation embraced in the texture. The music editor suggests playing through the separate lines of the score to gain understanding of the compositional process and points of imitation. This is a challenging movement from the music reading point of view because of the chromaticism and tied notes. For those wishing to see how the ornaments in the realisation are played refer to the video score on the PlentyMusicCo YouTube channel. Simply click the link on the PlentyMusic home page and search for the score. The final chord should be spread evenly from the lowest to the highest sound. There are many arrangements of this particular movement and the music editor suggests that along with Schumann’s other Studies in Canon they are ideal works to introduce intermediate level players to chamber music playing. It is quite understandable that other composers and arrangers have re-visited the Studies in Canon by Schumann, in a practical way, with arrangements for various instrument combinations. These arrangements encourage a clearer understanding of the contrapuntal aspects of the original composer’s writing. Do explore the organ, piano duet, two piano and trio versions available on the PlentyMusic website. Close
Technical Drill Right Hand Thirds: The letter names of the notes can be seen in the note heads which will useful in learning the note positions in Show More...
Technical Drill Right Hand Thirds: The letter names of the notes can be seen in the note heads which will useful in learning the note positions in this chromatic exercise. Why practice thirds? To strengthen the fingers - particularly the weaker 4th and 5th fingers. Practicing thirds is a very good way to develop legato playing. Thirds have a context in performance pieces and musical composition in general. Tips: Keep the fingers near to the keys. Understand: Imagine the weight of the hand goes downwards through the fingers and to the keys. How to practice: The play back tempo is 100 quarter notes beats to the minute but do not be afraid to start at a slower tempo. Play the right hand and left hand separately starting in different octave ranges of the keyboard or piano If the fingers and hands get tense - stop! Relax the hands and arms by your side and start again. Aim for legato playing (smooth - no gaps) and keep to the specified fingering. Remember: that for both the left hand and right hand fingering is the same in piano playing thumb = 1, index = 2, middle = 3, ring = 4 and 5 = the little finger Further Study: When you are confident with what you extend the exercise and give more work to the weaker fingers. Develop some rhythmic variants of the patterns. You can always record and send them as an an mp3 to PlentyMusic and these can perhaps be shared. Listen: Composers such as Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninov and Kapustin have explored the intervals of a third in technical studies known as Etudes which exist as important and often challenging repertoire for the pianist. Close
This is music worthy of attention and an excellent movement for a keyboard player keen to make progress. The repeating section has been written out si Show More...
This is music worthy of attention and an excellent movement for a keyboard player keen to make progress. The repeating section has been written out simply for clarity as far as reading the music is concerned. In some editions there is a repeat of the opening 12 bar section but in performance this does rather spoil the symmetry of the movement. The music is presented in a plain score format with minimal score detail. Rameau was a leading French composer of both opera and harpsichord music and also known as a music theorist publishing a Treatise on Harmony in 1722. His music was largely out of fashion by the end of the 18th but there is a renewed interest in his music with recent performances and recordings. Interestingly he didn’t start composing opera until he was in his 50’s. He was one of the masters of 18th century French school of harpsichordists, publishing collections in 1706, 1724 and 1727. This particular movement comes from one of the suites from the 1724 collection. Whilst his keyboard music was intended for the harpsichord in more recent times it is frequently performed on the piano and there are transcriptions of movements available for the organ. The music editions available do generally relate to performances on the harpsichord and these generally have ornaments played in both hands which is something not so common in piano music. The rondeau is a form derived from early French poetry which was shared with the chanson (song form) in the medieval and Renaissance times. It features a repeating refrain (or chorus) and something in time that was adopted in both dance and instrumental forms. The form of this particular movement can be represented as ABACADA with A representing the repeating refrain. The fact that there are different numbers of bars in each of the phrases is most likely a connection to the poetry structure of earlier times. The piano version plays back at 96 dotted quarter notes to the minute. There are many recordings of this movement including one or two which are quite free in their interpretation particularly of the repeating refrain section turning it almost into an improvisation. Close
In a performance context the Gigue en rondeau No.1 would be followed by Gigue en rondeau No.2. The two Gigue en rondeau from Rameau’s Suite in E min Show More...
In a performance context the Gigue en rondeau No.1 would be followed by Gigue en rondeau No.2. The two Gigue en rondeau from Rameau’s Suite in E minor from his 1724 collection are excellent movements for a keyboard player to explore. The repeating sections have been written out simply for clarity as far as reading the music is concerned. In some editions there is a repeat of the opening 8 bar section but in a performance this does rather spoils the symmetry of the movement. The music is presented in a plain score format with minimal score detail and ornamentation has been deliberately omitted. Rameau was a leading French composer of both opera and harpsichord music and also known as a music theorist publishing a Treatise on Harmony in 1722. His music was largely out of fashion by the end of the 18th but there is a renewed interest in his music with recent performances and recordings. Interestingly he didn’t start composing opera until he was in his 50’s. He was one of the masters of 18th century French school of harpsichordists, publishing collections in 1706, 1724 and 1727. Whilst his keyboard music was intended for the harpsichord in more recent times it is frequently performed on the piano and there are transcriptions of many movements available for the organ. The music editions available do generally relate to performances on the harpsichord and these generally have ornaments played in both hands which is not something so common in piano music. The rondeau is a form derived from early French poetry which was shared with the chanson (song form) in the medieval and Renaissance times. It features a repeating refrain (or chorus) and something in time that was adopted in both dance and instrumental forms. The form of this particular movement can be represented as ABACA with A representing the repeating refrain or chorus. The piano version plays back at 84 dotted quarter notes to the minute. Close
The Studies in Canon Opus 56 of Schumann are perfect pieces for the music student because they refer to the past with the chromatic language of the ro Show More...
The Studies in Canon Opus 56 of Schumann are perfect pieces for the music student because they refer to the past with the chromatic language of the romantic period and both ordered and appealing music to play. The Opus 56 collection can be appreciated on so many levels and the pieces exist in a number of different arrangements. This is music that re-invents J.S.Bach style than directly imitating or copying it. The realisation in the video score is clearly not as nuanced as a live performance. Pianists should approach playing the Study in Canon No.4 with a lightness in the hands ensuring that there is clarity in their understanding of the musical texture. The texture is straightforward in that there are two melodies exploring the canonic and imitative aspects of the music, a chordal accompaniment and a bass line. The realisation plays at 72 eighth (quaver) notes to the minute in the first section from bar 1 to 19 and then 80 eighth notes for the remainder of the movement with the occasional slowing down or rit. The performance practice associated with the Study in Canon No. 4 also varies adding further interest to the music’s study. The score detail in place in the sheet music score is particularly relevant to the tonal qualities of modern instruments. Managing the tempo through the playing of the whole piece is one of the challenges of a performance and more than one approach can be employed. The dynamic range is an additional aspect of the performance that can be explored. It is necessary to have an understanding of the strong chromatic element in the music which is particularly evident in the bass line and the chordal accompaniment. There is value in pianists playing through each of the lines to understand the imitation processes that are incorporated in the score. The music included in Robert Schumann’s Opus 56 collection has been arranged by Georges Bizet for piano duet and Claude Debussy for two pianos and in these arrangements the composing principles of canon and imitation aspects are much easier to explore. Players need to pay attention to the rhythmic detail and the chromatic detail. The mordents have been written out in the video score although the music editor suggests omitting the small decorative/ornamental notes in the early stages of learning the movement. The uses of the sustaining pedal whilst recommended has not been indicated in the sheet music score. The small decorative notes in the turns in bars 17, 19 and 65 do not sound in the video score or realisation. Pianists will need to ensure that the reading of the notes and accidentals is accurate as the chromatic element in the movement is strong. There is opportunity to explore tempo rubato in a performance. In romantic music this refers to the give and take (speeding up and slowing down) as far as tempo is concerned. Players may well wish to make use of the piano sustaining pedal although its use has not been indicated in the sheet music score. The accompaniment downloads available enable players to enjoy an ensemble music experience playing either the Piano 1 or Piano 2 part. The Piano 1 sounds on the one side of the stereo channel channel and the Piano 2 on the other. Accompaniment 1 plays at 68 eighth (quaver) note beats to the minute in the first section and then 72 eighth (quaver) note beats to the minute. Accompaniment 2 plays at 72 eighth (quaver) note beats to the minute in the first section and then 80 eighth (quaver) note beats to the minute. Accompaniment 3 plays at 76 eighth (quaver) note beats to the minute in the first section and 88 eighth (quaver) note beats to the minute. Accompaniment 4 plays at 80 eighth (quaver) note beats to the minute in the first section and 90 eighth (quaver) note beats to the minute. Accompaniment 5 plays at 84 eighth (quaver) note beats to the minute in the first section and 92 eighth (quaver) note beats to the minute. There is a two bar eighth note (quaver) count in to the sound of a woodblock. In a performance situation printing two pages of music onto one side of A4 offers a practical solution for players. Close
Composed in the key In the key A minor this movement in ABA ternary form has a haunting beautiful quality. Debussy has created an arrangement which h Show More...
Composed in the key In the key A minor this movement in ABA ternary form has a haunting beautiful quality. Debussy has created an arrangement which has beauty, shape and a sense of space. Debussy probably better than any other communicates the elements of the canonic study in his two piano arrangement of this movement creating the space and texture to communicate the details of the canon. Some of the detail of the scoring is different to Schumann’s original version for pedal piano. It is very interesting that other composers have re-visited Schumann’s Studies in Canon Opus 56 namely Bizet and Debussy. Tempo rubato is a musical element that could be explored in a performance although it has not been used in the realisation. The accompaniment downloads available enable players to enjoy an ensemble music experience playing either the Piano I or Piano II parts. The Piano I part sounds on the one channel of the stereo signal and Piano II on the other. Accompaniment 1 plays at 69 dotted quarter (crotchet) note beats to the minute, Accompaniment 2 at 66 dotted quarter (crotchet) note beats to the minute, Accompaniment 3 at 63 quarter note beats (crotchet) to the minute and Accompaniment 4 at 60 quarter note beats to the minute. There is a two bar count in with the sound of a woodblock. As the music is in 12/8 time the music editor suggests that players should familiarise themeselves with this. In a performance situation printing two pages of music onto one side of A4 offers a practical solution for players. Close
Mi-a-ou is the second movement of the Dolly Suite Opus 56 which was originally published as a piano duet. The realisation score plays back at a tempo Show More...
Mi-a-ou is the second movement of the Dolly Suite Opus 56 which was originally published as a piano duet. The realisation score plays back at a tempo of 72 dotted half beats (minim) beats to the minute although there is a slower section towards the end of the movement. The tempo needs to be brisk but controlled. Some use of the sustaining pedal to communicate the range of the harmonic colour is recommended in one or two sections but is not indicated in the sheet music score. The writing is very pianistic in the sense that there are not too many technical difficulties and the chords fall nicely for the fingers. Rehearsal markings are in place in the score. Duettists will need to play with a lightness in the hands and there needs to be clarity in the articulation of the melodic ideas. Fauré as a composer is capable of writing music that has great appeal for both player and audience. The rhythmic detail is always interesting and the combination of a chromatic harmony with the add reference to the modal past gives the music a modern context. There are many recordings from both recent times and the recording archive which are worth exploring. The two piano parts Primo and Secondo can be downloaded as mp3 accompaniments enabling players to enjoy an ensemble music experience playing either the Primo or Secondo part The Primo part sounds on the right channel of the stereo signal and the Secondo part sounds on the left channel. Accompaniment 1 plays at 76 dotted half notes to the minute beats (crotchet) to the minute, Accompaniment 2 at 72 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute and Accompaniment 3 at 69 quarter note beats (crotchet) to the minute. There is a 4 bar click beat before the music starts playing to give a clear pulse to players. The accompaniments have been recorded at a bit rate 256 kbps. When performing printing two pages of music on to one side of A4 offers a practical solution for players. The accompaniments will be uploaded in the next few days. Close
Kitty-Valse is the fourth movement of the Dolly Suite Opus 56 originally published as a piano duet. The music needs to be played with a light one in a Show More...
Kitty-Valse is the fourth movement of the Dolly Suite Opus 56 originally published as a piano duet. The music needs to be played with a light one in a bar feel. Fauré as a composer is capable of writing music that has great appeal for both player and audience. The rhythmic detail is always interesting and the combination of a chromatic harmony with the added reference to the modal past gives the music a modern context. There are many recordings from both recent times and the recording archive which are worth exploring. The video score plays back at a tempo of 69 dotted half beats is the fourth movement of the (minim) beats to the minute. Some use of the sustaining pedal to communicate the range of the harmonic colour is recommended but is not indicated in the sheet music score. The realisation is possibly lacking in a lightness of touch that the music editor suggests is needed. Duettists will need to play with a lightness in the hands which is not altogether suggested in the playback of the video score. Additionally, there is probably a context for tempo rubato when playing this movement. The two piano parts primo and secondo can be downloaded as accompaniments enabling players to enjoy an ensemble music experience playing either the primo or secondo part The primo part sounds on one side of the stereo signal and the secondo part sounds on the other. Accompaniment 1 plays at 69 dotted half notes (minim) beats to the minute, Accompaniment 2 at 66 dotted half note (minim) beats to the minute Accompaniment 3 at 63 dotted half note beats (mimim) to the minute and Accompaniment 4 at 60 dotted minim beats. There is a 4 bar click beat before the music starts playing to give a clear pulse to players. The accompaniments have been recorded at a bit rate 256 kbps. When performing printing two pages of music on to one side of A4 offers a practical solution for players. Close
The Sonata in D for piano four hands Opus 6 was published in 1797. A rondo is a piece with a recurring theme and typically used as a last movement by Show More...
The Sonata in D for piano four hands Opus 6 was published in 1797. A rondo is a piece with a recurring theme and typically used as a last movement by Beethoven in his sonatas and concertos. They frequently contain music and melodic ideas that express the composer’s sunnier and uplifting side. The Rondo from Opus 6 offers a great opportunity for pianists to develop their ensemble playing skills. The playback tempo in the video score is 112 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute. The sustaining pedal can and should be used in a performance although it has not been indicated in the score. Clarity in the articulation of the musical ideas is essential in a successful performance and the contrast between legato and staccato playing can be explored to the full in a performance. Beethoven’s music always has clear harmonic direction and a strong sense of drama. He is also great one for exploring musical form and the dynamic element of music and these elements are evident in what is a relatively early published work. In the video score the ornaments are written out in full. There is always great clarity of intention in the composer’s compositional approach. Accents in Beethoven’s music are quite often placed on the weaker beats of the bar to which help gives his music its characteristic restlessness. Maintaining the rhythmic independence of the musical lines is an important consideration in a performance of the movement. The loud going to soft marking fp is a very characteristic Beethoven score marking. sf in the music score indicates what is known as a forzando or a forceful accent. In the video score the ornaments have also been written out in full. The score layout is ideal for auditioning the movement as a video although the sheet music scores from the PlentyMusic website have Primo and Secondo parts separated onto different pages as is the convention for piano duets. The primo and secondo parts can be downloaded separately as “accompaniments” enabling players to enjoy an ensemble music experience playing either the primo or secondo parts. The primo part sounds on the one channel of the stereo signal and the secondo part sounds on the other. The tempos are as follows in quarter note beats to the bar Accompaniment 1 plays at 116 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute, Accompaniment 2 at 112 quarter note (crotchet) note beats Accompaniment 3 at 108 quarter note (crotchet) note beats and Accompaniment 4 at 104 quarter note (crotchet) note beats. There is a four bar count in /click introduction on the accompaniment mp3 files which are recorded at 256kbps.When performing printing two pages of music on to one side of A4 offers a practical solution for players. It is a good idea for players to use a metronome in their preparation. Close
The Keyboard Sonata in D minor K.417 is a Fuga and can be performed on either the harpsichord, organ or piano and is believed to date from 1754. It is Show More...
The Keyboard Sonata in D minor K.417 is a Fuga and can be performed on either the harpsichord, organ or piano and is believed to date from 1754. It is composed in a style that refences the past and the notation in long notes imitates the style of writing associated particularly with the polyphonic lines of church music. It has some beautiful soaring lines and is a great piece of music for both the player and listener. Domenico Scarlatti did not compose many fugues and whilst he worked in relative isolation his compositional approach anticipates and looks to the future rather than the past. His father, Alessandro was the one more inclined to compose fugues. The organ realisation plays back at 84 half note beats to the minute. Domenico Scarlatti although born in Italy spent most of his working life employed by the Royal Courts in Portugal and Spain working as a musician, composer and teacher particularly of members of the royal household. His contribution to the repertoire are his 550+ keyboard sonata most of which are very inventive pieces in AB binary form. Little of his music was published in his own lifetime. Close
This is J.S. Bach’s transcription of the first movement from A. Marcello’s oboe concerto. Bach was a great copier of music making it suitable for Show More...
This is J.S. Bach’s transcription of the first movement from A. Marcello’s oboe concerto. Bach was a great copier of music making it suitable for performance on the organ. Bach’s version dates from 1715. The score is marked Andante spiccato. Spiccato is a reference to a type of staccato and bowing technique on a string instrument. There is much to be learnt about the baroque concerto playing this movement and the terms frequently associated with the music all have a context. Tutti (all) ritornello (a recurring passage / theme / refrain) ripieno (whole group) concertino (solo group) episode (a musical section or passage that is not the theme). A competent performance of this movement should demonstrate that the player has a clear understanding of both the structure and texture. Remember that Bach’s keyboard transcription was originally an orchestral work. Ornaments featured in the movement are presented simply and consistently. Keyboard players will find many variants in terms of their frequency and their interpretation. Listen to recordings and copy the best of modern practice is the best advice. When learning the piece the music editor suggests omitting the ornaments. The piano sheet music score available from the PlentyMusic website has the symbols for the ornaments in place which understandably gives the score more visual clarity. Players may wish to review the use of ornaments in the light of their own listening and study. Ornaments always need to played rhythmically with clarity and consistency. The piano realisation plays back at 84 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute. The ornaments have been written out in the piano video score available to view on our YouTube channel. Pianists need to approach a lightness in the hands and the music editor suggests a dry acoustic with minimal use of the sustaining pedal. Clarity in the articulation of every note is the challenge in playing the music of J. S. Bach. As is the custom with the notation of baroque music there is very little score detail but understandably as the piano invites dynamic shading there is scope for interpretation and nuance in a performance. The movement ends with a Tierce de Picardy aka a Picardy third. This is essentially refers to the use of a major chord at the end of a piece in the minor key. Close
This is J.S. Bach’s transcription of the second movement from A. Marcello’s oboe concerto. Bach was a great copier of music often making it suitab Show More...
This is J.S. Bach’s transcription of the second movement from A. Marcello’s oboe concerto. Bach was a great copier of music often making it suitable for performance on the organ. This is a keyboard arrangement of an oboe concerto attributed to the Venetian composer A. Marcello although Bach understood it to be a work by Vivaldi. J.S.Bach’s arrangement dates from 1715. It is work that is can be performed on the piano, organ and harpsichord. Careful reading of the score is required because of the numerous accidentals and the rhythmic accuracy that is required to play this movement as notated. The eighth note chordal accompaniment is very helpful in assisting accurate positioning of the notes. Playing a slow movement in a sustained and controlled way is a challenge and requires a different intensity than playing a movement in a moderate tempo. The realisation or video plays back at a tempo of 63 eighth note (quaver) beats to the minute although a tempo range from 60 to 66 eighth (quaver) notes to the minute is appropriate for the movement. and the ornaments are written out in full so what you see in the score is exactly what you hear. The sheet music music available from the PlentyMusic website has the symbols for the ornaments in place which understandably gives the score more visual clarity. The ornament markings in the sheet music score can be cross referenced with the video score and obviously with other recordings of the work. Players may wish to review the use of ornaments in the light of their own listening and study. Ornaments need to played rhythmically with clarity and consistency. There are a number of different ornaments that feature in the score. The music editor suggests omitting the ornaments win the early stages of learning the movement. The ornamentation in the realisation reflects current performance practice. The movement ends with a Tierce de Picardy aka a Picardy third. This is essentially refers to the use of a major chord at the end of a piece in the minor key. Close
The second movement Andante from Kuhlau’s Sonatina in C is an intermediate level piano solo and an excellent piece to play for those seeking to deve Show More...
The second movement Andante from Kuhlau’s Sonatina in C is an intermediate level piano solo and an excellent piece to play for those seeking to develop their legato playing in the context of a slow movement. Playing a slow movement does require emotional range and they are often more difficult to play than musicians imagine when compared to say a minuet and trio and a moderate tempo. This slow movement needs to be played with a clear awareness of the 6/8 timing which needs to be communicated in the playing. The rhythmic detail requires particular attention whilst the melody clearly needs to sing out over the accompaniment. The repeats are played in the realisation. The use of the piano sustaining pedal is recommended and has been notated in just the first line of the sheet music score although its use is required for the whole movement. The convention when playing a repeated note in classical music is often to change the finger used and keyboard players may wish to develop this technique in this movement. A plain score is appended to the edited sheet music score enabling players to edit in their own choice of fingering and pedal markings. Close
The “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” is a very popular piece and is often used as a wedding processional. This shortened version has just 36 bars a Show More...
The “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” is a very popular piece and is often used as a wedding processional. This shortened version has just 36 bars and lasts for just over a minute which is often long enough for the purposes of most weddings. The sounding key of the organ arrangement is G major whilst the realisation plays back at a tempo of 100 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute. Three registrations are suggested and used in the realisation and are suggested for a performance. There is also a piano score attached to the organ score as the music can be quite satisfactorily played on the manuals. Playing the full version is quite a challenge because of the key changes which make closing off the music in the context of a wedding rather unpredictable and often not easy. The sinfonia was originally scored for two oboes and strings and comes from Act III of Handel’s oratorio “Solomon.” The title the was given to the Sinfonia by Sir Thomas Beecham possibly in the 1930’s. Close
A very familiar piano piece known as “Für Elise” and sometimes described as Bagatelle in A minor WoO 59 although it is actually in rondo form. In Show More...
A very familiar piano piece known as “Für Elise” and sometimes described as Bagatelle in A minor WoO 59 although it is actually in rondo form. Interestingly it is a piece that was not published until 40 years after the composer’s death. As a popular piece with some sections invitingly straightforward and others more challenging to play it is a movement that is frequently played badly. Counting and communicating the beats to the bar particularly in the tricky octave sections is essential if the timing is to be accurate. The realisation is lacking in tonal contrast. The movement needs to be played with a lightness in the hands which means that it shouldn’t be played too loudly. The performer needs to aim to communicate the simplicity of the music which actually is quite a rare quality in Beethoven’s music. The realisation is a little bit stiff and lacks fluidity especially in the statement and of the opening motif/shape and its many repetitions. The player has the opportunity to linger a little more than is demonstrated in the playback whilst always suggesting a one beat to the bar feel in the music. The music editor suggests the use the sustaining pedal and its use is indicated in the first section of the sheet music score. The bass line from bar 81 is an opportunity for pianists to use different fingers on the repeating notes and the music editor suggests the players write in their own fingering choices. For those wanting clarity on how to play the turn in bar 51 the music editor suggests looking at the video score on our YouTube channel. Click the link on the home page of the website. The music editor has not made use of repeat signs which is an option that could have been used in the first part of the movement Beethoven expanded the musical forms of the classical period. He also is an important link between the classical and the subsequent romantic age. As a composer he was especially interested in process and the exploration of musical ideas. Für Elise is also a romantic work in the sense that it invites a strong emotional response from both players and listeners. Close
The third movement from Kuhlau’s Sonatina in C is an intermediate level piano solo and an excellent piece to play for those seeking to acquire the p Show More...
The third movement from Kuhlau’s Sonatina in C is an intermediate level piano solo and an excellent piece to play for those seeking to acquire the piano technique needed to play classical music competently. This is a typical last movement of a sonatina or sonata in that it is light in mood and in rondo form. A rondo is a movement with a recurring theme and the structure can be represented by the letters ABACAB + a closing section or coda. For those who persevere in managing to play the movement competently there are many pieces waiting to be played from the classical repertoire. The realisation plays back at a tempo of 120 quarter note (crotchet) beats to the minute. Playing at this tempo does require lightness in the hands. This is perfect music for the piano with both themes and accompaniment perfectly suited to being articulated on the piano. The sustain pedal is may be used but its use is not indicated in the sheet music score. Friedrich Kuhlau (1786 – 1832) was a Danish composer and pianist of the late Classical and early Romantic time who along with a group of composers that includes Muzio Clementi (1752 -1832), Jan L. Dussek (1760 – 1812) and others composed piano music that is has become essential repertoire for the growing pianist. Close
Duet No.3 BWV 804 in G major is an appealing work with a light, dance like character. It is an intermediate level performance piece reminiscent of the Show More...
Duet No.3 BWV 804 in G major is an appealing work with a light, dance like character. It is an intermediate level performance piece reminiscent of the composers Two Part Inventions. The Duet does present a number of score reading challenges for the player even though the music is conceived in two parts. The 4 Duets are part of Clavier-Übung III or the German Organ Mass and composed really at the zenith of the composer’s contrapuntal writing. The edited music score has suggested fingering which may serve as a useful guide to how the movement is studied in the first instance. The music editors concept is that once familiarised with the movement that players will make use of the plain score perhaps substituting their own choice of fingering where they feel it is appropriate. The time signature is in 12/8 and the piano realisation plays back at a tempo of 60 dotted quarter note beats to the minute. There are many fine performances of this movement on several different types of keyboard instrument that are worth exploring. Close
