Piano Journal 126 interactive

JOU R NAL EUROPEAN PIANO TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION Aaron Shorr in conversation Historical women pianist-composers in Paris The Technique of Marcel Ciampi Tributes to Malcolm Troup Rachmaninoff, chordal composer Childrenʼs piano compositions: connecting learning and creative processes NEWS – INTERVIEWS – REVIEWS THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL FOR PIANISTS AND PIANO TEACHERS ISSUE 126 APRIL 2022 £3

JOU R NAL ISSUE 126 APRIL 2022 Founder Carola Grindea CONTENTS Editor Anthony Williams 3 Editorial by Anthony Williams [email protected] 4 Aaron Shorr in conversation Editorial Consultant Nadia Lasserson [email protected] with Anthony Williams Tel: 020 7274 6821 8 Historical women pianist-composers in Paris Designer/proofreader Helen Tabor helentaborcreative.com by CJ Hazel Piano Journal – EPTA’s official organ 1 3 The Technique of Marcel Ciampi – is published three times a year. It includes interviews with great pianists by Bernard King of our time, important articles relevant to piano performance and teaching, book 2 0 Paying Tribute to Malcolm Troup and music reviews, and EPTA news of activities in all EPTA Associations. by Richard Jack, Malcolm Miller, Nancy Lee Harper Available by subscription, from the EPTA and Dr Marios Papadopoulos website: epta-europe.org As from now, Piano Journal will be 2 5 Rachmaninoff, chordal composer, Part 2 available solely online at a rate of £3 per digital copy with special rates for bulk by Kris Lennox orders. 2 8 Children’s piano compositions: connecting A few hard copies are printed and rates learning and creative processes are UK (2nd class) £21, EU £30, ROW £36 by Marilia Patricio ISSN 0267 7253 3 6 Reviews epta-europe.org The opinions expressed or implied, the methods recommended or advice given in the Piano Journal are not necessarily representative of EPTA’s views and therefore EPTA takes no responsibility for them. Appearance of an advertisement does not necessarily indicate EPTA’s approval of the product or service. The editor welcomes letters from members but reserves the right to edit them for publication. This product is copyright material and may not be copied in whole or in part for any purpose whatsoever without the permission of the copyright owner. 4 2 EPTA News 4 4 EPTA Associations 2

EDITORIAL If you would like to Iam writing this editorial only days after our Piano Extravaganza at Radley College, a contribute an article about concert for nearly 100 pianists from beginners to professionals in arrangements for 21 any area of piano teaching, pianists at 7 grand pianos, glowing in the return to a fully-packed concert hall and a sense interpretation or performing, of normality. Musically, it’s been a hugely reassuring beginning to spring. or if there is a pianist you Politically of course things have not been quite so positive; and I would like to extend our think we should interview, deepest sympathy, thoughts and support to any of our European colleagues who have family then please do not hesitate or friends involved in any of the war-torn regions of Ukraine. to email me: Extraordinarily I found myself before the Piano Extravaganza dealing with an email that [email protected] brought the two events and politics together. It asked that, in the circumstances, we consider not performing the 6-piano arrangement of Baba Yaga in the concert because of its Russian roots. I have since heard similar rumbles of concern around performances of Rachmaninoff’s and Prokofiev’s works. Whilst music can and has been a great vehicle for protest or political messaging, from Bob Marley to Shostakovich, I cannot help but believe that music performance is inherently something that brings people together. Russian composers of the past had nothing to do with the current war, but the emotional power of their music and capability for it to unify, inspire and embrace people of all cultures and beliefs is far more significant than a rather empty gesture of omission from a programme. If the events around us are slightly depressing, I hope that some of the contents of this Journal will bring just a little comfort and distraction. I was thrilled to be able to interview EPTA UK’s new Chair, Aaron Shorr, a few weeks ago and I hope you find the interview relevant and interesting. I was also totally absorbed by Colin Hazel’s recent webinar and article on women composers and fascinated to find out that women composers and teachers were some of the most respected and famous pedagogues of their time. The question why so much of the output from these extraordinary female musicians was cast aside to make way for their male equivalents is something that remains to be answered, but I do hope that gradually more and more of their works come to light and are performed. Colin’s new book New Horizons for Piano is reviewed by Nadia Lasserson later in this magazine. I sadly never met Malcolm Troup but feel I know him just a little now, having read the warm and generous tributes from a number of contributors to a former editor of this Journal. He was clearly someone who could pen a more eloquent editorial than I, and I only hope he looks down and thinks the Journal continues to be as strong and interesting as his own. Kris Lennox continues his analysis of Rachmaninoff as a chordal composer, and Bernard King takes us all through our technical paces with his article on Ciampi. Please let me know if anything in this Journal inspires you to take up the mantle and contribute your own article on any aspect of teaching or performance. Wherever you live or work, stay safe and I hope you get the chance to enjoy the green shoots of spring and a gradual return to normality. Anthony Williams 3

In conversation with Can you tell us your earliest memories of your musical education or piano lessons? Aaron Shorr When I was very young a piano suddenly appeared in our house, primarily for my uncle, the concert pianist Irvin by Anthony Williams Heller, a very fine musician and a pupil of Boulanger. He founded the Canadian International Competitions and was a Adistinguished pianist, teacher and member of the jury in two of the Tchaikovsky International academic, Head of Keyboard at the Royal Piano Competitions as well as the Chopin Competition of Conservatoire of Scotland and previously 1980 when Pogorelić famously didn’t win and was kicked out an honorary member of EPTA UK, Aaron was before the final round. elected to Chair of the charity at the recent AGM. I have known Aaron for nearly 40 years and we My uncle suffered for his art however. When giving his shared the same professor at the Royal Academy of Carnegie debut, he was so petrified and overwhelmed that he Music. One of my most vivid memories is Aaron’s walked around New York for a week trying to make himself adjudication of one of my first piano competitions ill. He gave himself ice baths and walked around in freezing at Radley College where he so beautifully summed temperatures without a coat. He did succeed in getting a mild up not just the playing but also the personality fever and had my brother and sister walking around the lobby of the performers. His comment at the end, saying Mr Heller is very ill this evening, but he will go on complimenting the pianists on some inspired nonetheless. playing and adding, ‘but how can you not be inspired when performing in such a lovely hall Based in Canada we didn’t really have much association with such a beautiful vista’, says much about the with him and I’m quite grateful I wasn’t too aware of how musician and artist behind the man. hard he found performing, as it might have filtered down Looking amazingly calm, considered and to me and put me off my own musical pathway. The piano surprisingly wide awake, Aaron met me via however, whilst there primarily for my Uncle when he Zoom barely two hours after he had returned visited, actually became a great source of fascination for me. from Bucharest. He had been in Romania to give masterclasses to young gifted pianists who haven’t One of my earliest musical memories was being put to had the benefit of conservatoire study. sleep by Chopin Waltzes, first Małcużyński, and, when that 4 wore out, Dinu Lipatti. When my uncle did visit (and we have it on a family tape) I was only three and a half years old and I said, ‘play Cliburn for me’. It was in fact a recording of the Tchaikovsky I wanted, but I thought it was by Van Cliburn. Tell me a little more about your parents’ influence on your musical development. Music was always part of the family; both my parents played the violin but not professionally. They never really picked up an instrument after their 20s but they had incredible taste and knowledge. When I was a young pianist my mother gave me a push, support and a stern kick now and again but had the right balance. Music was always in the house, not imposed, just a natural influence. In fact, I don’t really know how I got to where I have today, it just seemed a natural progression. Do you have strong memories of your first piano lessons and first teachers? Yes I do. I remember them being very colourful and engaging and I pushed on pretty quickly. I was often very attached to my teachers and had difficulty moving on; I really had to be compelled to change teachers, but my parents kept an eye on this and made some considered and strategic decisions. I probably even cried sometimes when I was

“Music was always in the had insight, humour, dark jokes, anecdotes, and he knew house, not imposed, just a instinctively what every pupil needed. And for me he was natural influence.” possibly a different teacher than for other pupils. It was only later I discovered he often lost his temper and would moved on, but my parents seemed to know, in consultation fling them out of the teaching room, something I never with my uncle, the pitfalls of staying with a teacher and going experienced. For me he tried to ward me off practising too beyond their level or experience. much, highlighting the dangers of over-repetition and the monotony that might set in of practising too much. He By the time I was 11 or 12 years old I entered the Manhattan advocated a less regimented but more musical approach. School of Music Junior Dept. That was a big commute for us; we lived out in Long Island and this was at least a 90-min When I finished my studies at the Academy, I was a bit at trip each way. My first teacher there was Zenon Fishbein (a a loss. I had no home anymore, so I applied for the Head of friend of my uncle’s). Then he left the Junior Department and Keyboard at the Royal Welsh. It was an audacious attempt at I learnt with Bennett Lerner, a pupil of Arrau, then finally that age, and I asked Alex for a reference. The interview went after two years, Solomon Mikowsky, and stayed with him well and the Principal at that time said they were considering through my undergraduate times and through my masters. giving me the job, but they read the reference and decided not to offer it, as Alex had said under no circumstances give Did you study any other instruments? him the job as he should be playing. Yes, the tuba. And my colleagues at the RCS do know! I enjoyed it and it gave me a chance to play in orchestra and I can’t be thankful enough for this, though at that time I bands. was pretty desperate, I didn’t have a lot of work at that point. And then you moved to London? Things turned around and in the end he was right. Yes, then I moved to London for a Postgraduate Degree at the Royal Academy of Music where my teacher was the How did your performing career develop? wonderful Alex Kelly, with whom you and I both studied of It was a pretty tough time as my studies at the Academy course, and that was a life-changing experience. finished, my family situation being as it was, there was nothing Mikowsky, who was a fantastic teacher, brought me up to really out there for me. I couldn’t freely give of my time. degree level but was very old school, strict. Cuban by birth, Just towards the end of my time at the RAM however some he had the best combination of Latin American temperament wonderful professional opportunities arose but probably the with a fine European education so moving from him to Alex most significant, and an experience that set me on a different was like night and day. path, was a chance to perform in one of the large composer Alex and my relationship was very different. He was festivals that the Academy put on. These included week- more like a father to me. I had lost my parents within three long immersions with composers such as Messiaen, Boulez months of each other and my sister a little before that, so and Ligeti. The composer featured in my year was Hans Alex took me under his wing and protected me from those Werner Henze in 1987-88. A score was being passed around difficult times, giving me the platform to forge a career in the of Henze’s monumental Tristan Preludes, essentially a piano UK. Alex was a central part of keeping me on track. I stayed at concerto for orchestra and tape. All the students shown the the RAM for two years on a fellowship and was then invited score declined to take it on. back to teach at there. Alex then asked me to learn it. I had played a lot of You and I could wax lyrical about Alex for some contemporary music but even for me this was at my limit considerable time, but what would you say his main of my abilities, but I agreed. I then locked myself away for influence on you was and his qualities in turning you 10 hours a day and became rather desperate as I had never into a professional pianist? tackled anything so complex in my life. There was nothing You know I’m almost lost for words. The biggest overriding to repeat, a different universe. I complained bitterly to all factor was his humanity. Apart from all the wonderful my friends who thought the whole thing a nightmare, and I musical influences, I loved playing for him, it was his thank them for sticking by me. humanity that was the biggest overwhelming factor and Alex eventually referred me to Melanie Dakin for some certainly when I took on the role of Head of Keyboard at the coaching. She studied with Messiaen, and was able to reduce RCS it was Alex that I had in mind as a role model. the score, taking me through it, singing and playing, and I saw Alex was not there just for pianists but for everyone. All the way she was able to digest it and make sense of the music. musicians gravitated towards him. He probably spent more Somehow, days before the actual dress rehearsal, time with singers and other instrumentalists than with performing for Henze, something clicked and it came to me. pianists. In fact, I remember him saying he hated pianists, Finally, I could play it! My friends came expecting it would be he found them boring! More often than not I’d play to Alex a disaster but in fact, it was a big success! and he’d look out of the window and say it’s such a beautiful From that moment onwards I had a long association with day, why don’t we just go for a walk? And we’d go for a walk, Henze . A violinist who I have worked extensively with over or the pub, and talk about life, discuss all things musical and the past decades, Peter Sheppard Skærved, worked hand have dinner. And often you’d receive a letter in the post, in hand with Henze and I was part of those engagements an amazing letter helping you through your journey. He which lasted for years and ended up with Henze writing Fünf HOME Nachtstücke for our London debut. Tell me a little about the more pedagogical and research side of your work. Initially Chris Elton, then Head of Keyboard at the RAM, 5

brought Vanessa Latarche and myself in to revise the LRAM “Setting up a young teaching diploma and we worked on this until Vanessa went pianist properly ... is an to the RCM and I went to the RCS. Quite early on we were art and a skill as well as a looking at the pedagogy and shared classes, each bringing our huge responsibility.” own perspectives to it. ‘not to screw things up’ probably. My philosophy is not The research side began after the RAM built the York to have systems that are too regimented. Every student is Gate extension and those wonderful museums. They have unique, and you need to know how to get the very best a fabulous collection of fortepianos and the RAM asked me out of them. I’m still astonished and look on in wonder to start the research series. It hadn’t been done before, but when something I have said or done results in a dramatic we were engaging in all sorts of research projects around the improvement, and sometimes even I don’t know what development of the piano and performance practice. circumstances brought it about. We are all increasingly thirsty for knowledge in how to teach well, and moments like this You earlier mentioned about your partnership with give much cause for reflection. Peter Sheppard Skærved with whom you have recorded and performed. Are there any recordings you are There was an interesting time in the late 80s and early particularly proud of? 90s. I got to know a wonderful pianist, Nina Walker, also a pupil of Arrau, and she invited me to play for her and she Probably the Beethoven Explored series, where, in immediately identified something I knew was a problem, collaboration with Peter, we looked at a canon area of projecting when playing quietly, something in the use of repertoire, namely the Beethoven Violin Sonatas, and at other my arm weight, and gave me something that was missing in compositions long forgotten from Beethoven’s inner circle my playing. This gave me an insight but also an interest in such as Rombert, Meyseder and Archduke Rudolph, amongst researching and helping my own students in this area. many others. You can hear Beethoven interjecting himself into many of their works. The violin and piano sonatas of I do believe you have to have incredible knowledge and Beethoven stand apart as being unique but the quality shines understanding of the body to encourage an efficient and out even more when you see them in the context of other tension-free technique. This can’t be done just by good compositions of the time. musical knowledge. You have to be single-minded in terms of a physically relaxed manner of playing, encouraging pupils to Performing with Peter Sheppard Skærved use their body in the most appropriate and balanced way. One You are not just a wonderful performer but a well must also avoid getting in the way of natural talent - giving enough information to help them use their natural physical renowned teacher too. Do you have a philosophy on and musical gifts without interfering unnecessarily. teaching, and do you have much experience teaching beginners/early learners? What has your association been with EPTA UK until now? I started out teaching beginners of course and it’s still the noblest part of any teacher’s work, to inspire them and get Murray McLachlan kindly contacted me a few years ago them started. Indeed, I believe that even greater expertise to ask if I would be an honorary member. I was enthusiastic is needed for teaching beginners. Setting up a young pianist to be involved in a small way but feel I would like to make properly, imparting advanced knowledge in an accessible a more significant contribution. In some ways it makes it way, and helping them to understand complex ideas without more exciting and interesting coming in as a little bit of an over intellectualising, is an art and a skill as well as a huge outsider. responsibility. I do coach younger pianists still, but they are mostly quite advanced for their age. I’ve been working in Conservatoires for over 30 years and feel it’s important that we reach out to those teachers who As far as a philosophy is concerned…well (he says jokingly) are working in these institutions as well as local private 6 teachers and those in schools, encourage a widening of the membership and broader participation. There’s a huge resource EPTA can bring to piano teaching and it could be very powerful in supporting teachers with their professional development, not just in qualifications but also in facilitating an exchange of high-quality ideas on pedagogy and good teaching practice. That’s certainly one of the most important areas I want to consider. In a fast-changing world, we are duty bound to be adapting, proactive, innovative and support teachers through the fast changes in technology and society. What is your vision for EPTA UK? We are currently considering and refining a business plan for the next five years embracing such aspirations as building and growing the membership and making sure the website is up to date, easy to navigate, informative and instructive. We want to form new partnerships that share EPTA values

Singapore masterclass Is there a particular message you’d like to communicate to members? and consider outreach into disadvantaged schools. There is a fabulous opportunity to help schools and their pupils where Absolutely. It is that EPTA UK is their organisation and we the provision of good quality piano and keyboard teaching is want to respond to their needs and ambitions. We need to not available. make sure that we have a format that ensures all members have a way to contribute or feed in ideas. The new website This is not a final view of how we will move forwards of will be crucial to this, a key portal, giving the membership course, as it is all done with the collaboration of our excellent a direct line into the organisation. We clearly didn’t know Trustees and management team but also within the context that we would be where we are this year five years ago before of making sure that we are constantly in touch with the COVID, so it needs to be adaptable. membership, open to ideas and thoughts and ensuring that all members feel they have a voice. We wish to embrace their How would you go about increasing membership? contributions and give a clear way to communicate this to the First and foremost, to rethink the advantages that management committee of EPTA UK. membership of EPTA brings and explain them a little more clearly so that EPTA UK becomes the organisation that all piano teachers wish to belong to for information, support and opportunities. I would especially like to consider how we attract young and less experienced teachers, understand what their requirements are, as well as continue to support our more experienced teachers. We should be confident that what we offer is compelling and of value and hope to expand a community that can clearly share ideas, best practice and a discussion format for developing our own teaching. Regional organisations play a massive part in attracting teachers. The energy and commitment of our Regional Organisers is hugely valued and we want to continue to inspire , support and help them to offer a wide range of local events both bespoke to their local members’ needs and to help them be aware of national events. MUSIC TMEACuHsEiRcS NTAeTaIOcNhAeL rAsSSOCIATION National Association Since 1876, Music Teachers National Association has been a leader in empowering the music-teaching profession by providing valuable resources and networking opportunities for its members. MTNA membership complements your EPTA experience and connects you to colleagues in the U.S. and beyond! For more information visit www.mtna.org HOME 7

Historical women pianist-composers in Paris by CJ Hazel In researching pedagogical music by historical women composers for the anthology New Horizons for Piano: Early Grades, CJ Hazel highlights a treasure trove of music for all levels by visionary composers, pioneering performers and revolutionary teachers. Above: ‛Leaving the Music School’, painting by Jean Béraud (1849–1935), 1899. 8

I’ve always been interested in the history of piano Presumed portrait of Hélène de Montgeroult (1764–1836), painted music and of musical education in general. When I started by Louis-Philippe-Joseph Girod de Vienney, Baron de Trémont researching historical women composers who wrote for the keyboard, to see if there was anything I could use in my As a player, she was renowned for her touch and for her teaching practice, it soon became apparent that much of the ability to make the piano “sing”. Reportedly, she modelled best music was to be found buried away in the large technical her style of phrasing after the opera singers Marchesi and manuals and collections of etudes that many of them Creschentini and she encourages students to seek out their produced. Much of this activity centred around Paris and the own vocal models. Cultivating a “singing” style is the focus Conservatory. of her piano method and of most of her etudes. Other piano methods of the era tended to focus more on the development Hélène de Montgeroult is a name that won’t be familiar of finger independence, speed and strength. Some of to most pianists today. But this wasn’t always the case. She Montgeroult’s studies also deal with those things, but a was the first female Piano Professor appointed to teach at singing legato tone is always the main priority, even at speed. the Paris Conservatory in 1795. She and her contemporaries were the first generation of conservatory piano teachers, as In her introduction she observes that the keys should be opposed to harpsichord teachers. Revolution was now and “felt” rather than “hit”. An instruction that appears to have the piano was the future. been an important part of early 19th-century French pianism and echoed by Chopin a few decades later, “Caress the key, The Paris Conservatory was established in 1795 in the never bash it!”. His pupil Mathias elaborates, “You should, so wake of the French Revolution and modelled on the to speak, mould the keyboard with a velvet hand and feel the wildly successful Neapolitan Conservatories which had key rather than striking it!” flourished for over a century. The original purpose was to train musicians for the National Guards Bands who took She also makes comparisons with the use of illusion in part in the popular outdoor concerts organised by the art. Just as artists use calculated deceptions which alter the Revolutionary Government during the Reign of Terror. Other proportions and forms of objects, in order to make them major European cities would soon follow suit in establishing appear what they ought to be, pianists should use the art of their own music conservatories, albeit under less politically illusion to allow the piano to say more than its mechanism charged circumstances. seems to allow it to say, by imitating the phrasing and breathing of singers in the melody, for example, along with It was against this revolutionary background that Hélène tasteful use of ornamentation in the vocal style. For Hélène de Montgeroult, an aristocrat who only narrowly escaped de Montgeroult, to quote from her introduction, the piano’s the Reign of Terror herself, was appointed. Her husband, the purpose “like that of singing itself, is to express the various Marquis de Montgeroult, had been killed in the captivity of emotions of the soul”. Austrian forces while they were en route to Italy, and she was jailed on her return to France and reportedly only spared the Technically, her etudes could be said to combine 18th- guillotine owing to her exceptional musical abilities. century lyricism and counterpoint with 19th-century modulations, experimental harmonies, unusual textures and At the Conservatory, she taught a number of students advanced techniques for vocal imitation. Also worth noting who would later become important musicians such as Louis are the five finger exercises that commence volume one Pradher (who later taught Herz, Fétis and Le Couppey) and which she transposes around the cycle of fifths as opposed Alexandre Boëly (who would later instruct Franck and Saint- to stepwise up and down the keyboard (though the later Saëns). However, she left less than three years later, much to exercises do this as well). Here she uses 30 keys (15 key the regret of her colleagues. signatures) in common with other 19th-century composers such as Farrenc in her 30 Etudes, Op. 26 (see below) or As a composer, she published nine piano sonatas and a set Sterndale Bennett in his 30 Preludes and Lessons, Op. 33. of six nocturnes for voice and piano but her most substantial work is the ‘Complete Course For the Instruction of the Forte Piano’ 9 (Cours complet pour l’enseignement du Forte Piano) published in 1820, a near 800-page work spread over three volumes. Volume one contains 972 preparatory exercises. Volumes two and three are entirely made up of original compositions, most significantly a collection of 114 etudes. In addition, each piece includes detailed written observations from the composer on its purpose and challenges. According to her biographer Jérôme Dorival, she may have begun work on the Complete Course as early as 1788, after one of her pupils, the pianist John Baptist Cramer, requested original studies, and she finished composing it no later than 1812. It’s the largest and most technically comprehensive piano method of the era. Her etudes extended the expressive and technical capabilities of the piano and many pianists have concluded that much of the Romantic piano style, which became popular in the 1830s, actually originates with Hélène de Montgeroult’s method. In any case, she was in her own time very well known in professional piano circles and the Complete Course was reprinted a number of times including a publication in Germany in the early 1830s. HOME

Some of the early etudes are suitable for grades two to embedded melodies within figuration and two against three while later advanced etudes are extended essays in all three cross-rhythms. Etude No. 8 is an enigmatic study in manner of styles from the musical past, present and future. cantabile playing over ostinato triplets, the aim being to free Given Montgeroult’s focus on vocal imitation it makes sense up the right hand melodically to “sing” without disturbing that many of her etudes are essentially songs without words. the rhythm of the left. These techniques are developed and Other romantic genres such as impromptus and nocturnes elaborated on in later intermediate etudes such as Nos. 17, 21, are also represented, though without being named as such. 26 and 28. Ex. 1 – Hélène de Montgeroult – Etude No. 26 - Cours complet Ex. 6 – Hélène de Montgeroult – Etude No. 5 - Cours complet Ex. 2 – Hélène de Montgeroult – Etude No. 28 - Cours complet Ex. 7 – Hélène de Montgeroult – Etude No. 8 - Cours complet Ex. 3 – Hélène de Montgeroult – Etude No. 110 - Cours complet The piano itself was undergoing a revolution during and There are many virtuosic flights of fantasy such as immediately after the time she was composing and, through Etude 107 which is often seen as anticipating Chopin’s its increased sustaining power, becoming more capable ‘Revolutionary Etude’ by some two decades. Etude No. 54 of creating the illusion of a singing line and fulfilling the showcases some of her forward-looking textures and unusual aesthetic she was advancing. approaches to modulation. Another pupil of Montgeroult was Marie Bigot, an Ex. 4 – Hélène de Montgeroult – Etude No. 107 - Cours complet influential French pianist and composer who taught the Mendelssohns in 1816. Bigot also wrote her own etudes and Ex. 5 – Hélène de Montgeroult – Etude No. 54 - Cours complet sonatas, a handful of which survive, and much else which is There are also multi-movement etudes such as number 112 presumed lost. which is a whole sonata in itself. Overall, this represents a large original creative output housed in a single systematic Pianists of the next generation known to have studied piano method. from the Method de Montgeroult include Sigismond Thalberg, From a modern teaching perspective, short, easy to one of the most celebrated pianists of the 19th century and intermediate etudes from Romantic composers can be hard famous for his “singing” tone, and Antoine Marmontel, a to come by and transitioning from late 18th-century styles to celebrated teacher with a long list of famous pupils including 19th-century ones can represent quite a step change in piano Bizet, d’Indy and Debussy. Writing in his 1878 book Les technique. These studies from one of the architects of what pianistes célèbres, he says, “It is with the method of Madame de later became the Romantic piano style could be invaluable. Montgeroult that I began, more than fifty years ago, the study Etude No. 5 provides a relatively easy introduction to of the piano. This date might suggest that the theoretical part 10 and the aesthetic considerations are entirely out of date. It is not so, however.” Contemporaries who recommended Hélène de Montgeroult’s method include Moscheles, Kalkbrenner and Szymanowska. Maria Szymanowska (left) was one of the first professional virtuoso pianists and did much to establish the solo piano recital, touring throughout Europe between 1815 and 1827, her concerts drawing the admiration of many of the leading musicians, artists and intellectuals of the day including Pushkin, Mickiewicz and Goethe, in a career that foreshadowed those of later pianist-composers, such as Clara Schumann and Franz Liszt.

She was a formative influence on her fellow countryman Ex. 10 – Farrenc – Etude No. 11, Op. 42 – intermediate Frederick Chopin, twenty years her junior, who would have etudes been familiar with her 20 Exercises and Preludes, the first Polish concert etudes, which were widely admired. She wrote around 100 compositions most of which were published during her lifetime. They include etudes and nocturnes, as well as mazurkas, polonaises, waltzes, marches, minuets, fantasies and variations, with many examples of brillant style writing which included much more in the way of virtuosic display, sentimentality and humour. Her Mazurka in C is still reproduced in early grades piano collections and some of her other dance movements are suitable for the intermediate level. Ex. 8 – Szymanowska - Etude No. 1 - 20 Exercises and Ex. 11 – Farrenc – Etude No. 7, Op. 26 – advanced etudes Preludes (1819) Robert Schumann wrote favourably of both Szymanowska Not long after and Farrenc’s music. Highlighting Szymanowska’s pioneering Szymanowska’s heyday, ingenuity, given the time she was writing, “much of what Louise Farrenc (left) was would later be seen as common and ordinary should be achieving considerable perceived here as new and outstanding” and Farrenc’s fame as a performer and technique in a review of her Air Russe Varié (piano variations) composer. She was appointed “so sure in outline, so logical in development – in a word, so Professor of the Piano at the finished – that one must fall under their charm, especially Paris Conservatory in 1842, since a subtle aroma of romanticism hovers over them.” a position which she held for the next 30 years. Her Notable late 19th-century female pianist/composer/ advanced collection, 30 Etudes, pedagogues who also passed through the Paris Conservatory Op. 26, was adopted by the include Marie Jaëll and Mel Bonis, both prolific composers Conservatory from 1845 as who wrote for all levels from early grades to very advanced. required study for all piano students to mold their techniques and their musical taste. Jaëll (left) was a hugely They were also adopted by other European Conservatories successful concert pianist and continually republished for the rest of the 19th century. and the first to perform the Along with many pieces for solo piano, including large-scale complete solo works of Liszt variations and over 80 etudes, her other works include two in a series of extraordinary overtures, three symphonies, chamber music, songs, choral concerts in Paris in the music and a set of variations for piano and orchestra Op. 25. early 1890s. A composition She was also a pioneer in the study and performance of early student of Saint-Saëns, Jaëll keyboard music. was a unique composer The early-intermediate etude No. 15, Op. 50 is described by and someone who thought Farrenc as a “Waltz movement that one must play in a light very deeply about piano and graceful way”. It’s a short piece, not completely unlike the technique, touch, physiology ‘Minute Waltz’ but slightly easier to master though no less and musical cognition, satisfying to play and clearly written with younger students publishing eleven books on in mind: the 19th-century Paris Conservatory was a little the subject. Her main focus different to modern music conservatories in that students was on the education of the often enrolled as children. brain through the education of the hand and encouraging pianists to become more consciously aware of their sense of touch and its relationship to sound. Her teaching pieces offer a way into this unique, tactile musical world. Ex. 9 – Farrenc – Etude No. 15, Op. 50 – early- Ex. 12 – Jaëll - Le pâtre et l’écho from Les Beaux Jours (1894) intermediate etudes 11 HOME

Mel Bonis’s piano works Sources: overflow with imagination Belleman, J. 2001. Frédéric Chopin, Antoine de Kontski and the and invention and this ‘carezzando’ touch. Journal of Early Music, Vol. 29 No. 3, August extends to her many pieces 2001. written for small children. Dobrzanski, S. Maria Szymanowska and Fryderyk Chopin: She was self-taught until the Parallelism and Influence. Polish Music Journal. University of age of 12 and something of a Southern California. 2001 star pupil and a prizewinning Dorival, J. 2006. Hélène de Montgeroult: La Marquise et la composer, both inside and Marseillaise. Symétrie. outside the Conservatory. Friedland, B. 1994. (Jeanne-)Louise Farrenc [née Dumont]. Her works, of which there The New Grove Dictionary of Women Composers. London, are over 300, were frequently Macmillan published and performed in Geliot, C. 2000. Mel Bonis. Femme et compositeur (1858-1937). Paris from the 1890s until the Univers musical. outbreak of the First World War. Rose, M. Hélène de Montgeroult and the Art of Singing Well on the Piano. Women & Music, Annual 2001 Ex. 13 – Bonis - Mélisande - Op. 34 (1898) Struber, L. 2017. The Education of Musical Thinking Through the The last few decades of musicological research, and many Hand According to Marie Jaëll. Thesis. University of Washington. new recordings, have brought these and many similar stories to light, not just in Paris but throughout Europe, Russia and CJ Hazel is a freelance musician, North and South America. I’m hopeful that piano music by piano teacher and publisher of New historical women composers will once again be a celebrated Horizons for Piano: Early Grades. and integral part of the world of piano composition, performance and education. For more information, please visit cjhazel.co.uk A concert at the Paris Conservatory in March 1843. François-Jacques Delannoy - Scan from the original work: Jacques-Gabriel Prod’homme; E. de Crauzat (1929). Les Menus Plaisirs du Roi. L’école royale et le Conservatoire de musique. Paris: Delagrave. OCLC 842136603. 12

The Technique of Marcel Ciampi by Bernard King Marcel Ciampi (1891–1980) was one of the most renowned French pianists and teachers in the mid-twentieth century. He was acknowledged as a great virtuoso, and many of the later well-known French pianists studied with him at some point in their careers. Also, he was an authority on Debussy, having studied many of the works with the composer himself. He studied both at the Paris Conservatoire, but more significantly with a Russian pianist who had been a pupil of Anton Rubinstein, leading him to create a technical method that combined both French and Russian approaches, and which became one that dealt a significant blow to the old French finger school. He would never publish this method in his lifetime, preferring to transmit it orally and individually, as he was well aware of the need for demonstration and personal guidance for its full success, and how the written word could be easily misinterpreted. Having studied with him for several years, I became well acquainted with it, and after many years decided that I wanted to document it as it was given to me, principally as a historical record of an approach that was significant in the development of piano playing in France. Right: Marcel Ciampi at the piano, teaching his pupil, Fulbright Pianist Richard Fabre. HOME 13

the unwritten In light of more recent thinking, some of the ideas may seem a little dated and questionable, part of the but taken as a whole, with proper, informed guidance, it does form a clear way to build a method was comprehensive piano technique. It was designed for serious pianists, although he also adapted the intense the principles to be used with talented children. The method has to be taken as a whole, and yogic-like to ‘cherry pick’ from it is often not successful as the mastery of one aspect often depends on approach previous mastery of another. He generally asked new students to focus solely for some weeks or brought to months on the exercises, in order to establish and consolidate new habits without the distraction focus on of repertoire, that could sabotage this. While the notes of the exercises are simple, the unwritten detail part of the method was the intense yogic-like approach brought to focus on detail. The great bonus was that this focused concentration could then be brought to the study of repertoire. In this first instalment I shall give some of his basic principles, some of the muscular exercises he prescribed, and some of the exercises for development of finger technique, since he insisted on this being fully in place so that one could take advantage of his system of attacks, which I will discuss next time. All the exercises were to be played with a focus on a good tonal quality and much freedom. A fuller and more detailed description may be found in my book ‘Piano Journey’ published by Matador. Ciampi’s observations on playing: „ The sitting position at the piano should be sitting, leaning slightly forward from free hips, keeping the stool at a height where elbows can be level with the top of the wood just under the piano keys, so one can play without extending the arms from the shoulders. This encourages freedom in the shoulder joint itself, reduces tension and improves mobility. „ Arms to be in a natural position, elbows neither stuck out, nor pulled in, with freedom to allow a small amount of upper arm rotation to occur whenever needed. „ The basic default hand position is that of the bridged hand, with the wrist very slightly lower than the metacarpal joints which form the bridge apex. „ In rapid finger technique there should be a slight firmness in the hand, although the arm and wrist must still be kept free. „ For finger technique the back of the hand should be almost flat, neither tipping to the thumb nor little finger, although forearm rotary muscles remain unlocked so that minute passive adjustments may occur if needed. The fifth finger is played straight, and the thumb plays raised on the corner of the nail, with a half diamond shape when playing on the white keys. Much mobility is needed in the thumb tip for negotiating moves between the black and white keys. There is freedom at its base where the thumb bone feeds into the wrist. „ The thumb mostly creeps horizontally along the keyboard without real vertical articulation – like a snake; tonal evenness with the other fingers is obtained by a pressure on the keyboard. „ In the exercises, where possible, the fingers are naturally rounded and play at the edges of the keys, which gives the best possible leverage and so more opportunities for tonal levels and colours. „ In rapid finger articulation, to achieve maximum clarity, the finger ascent should be as rapid as the descent. In lifting, the finger remains in one piece from the metacarpal joint, the second and third joints forming a natural curve. „ Rarely should one curl up the fingers or scratch the keys. Although there can be a slight inward pull on the last joint when playing cantabile where one may play more on the pads of the fingers. „ Finger joints should usually remain firm to enable the finger to move as a whole, preserving the precision of attack. For fingerwork to be tonally even, train the second and third finger to lift no higher than the fourth in order to equalise the height of finger attack. The fifth finger is kept free and lifted straight in one piece slightly obliquely to give the equality with the others. Depth of sonority is achieved by keeping the fingers close to the keys and playing with a finger pressure that is equivalent to that of the violin bow on the string, but without stiffening the arms. „ When playing in the centre, the hands fan out before one, although this varies according to the octave in which one is playing. Fingertips and hands lead to the extremities, followed by a free lateral movement from the elbow and upper arm, rather than having the whole arm ‘carry the hand’ there. 14

HOME „ For octave playing keep the bridged hand, the second, third and fourth fingers slightly raised and lightly rounded, pointing towards the fifth. The thumb plays lightly, free at its base, on the side of the nail, slightly raised with the tip changing direction to accommodate black or white notes, and the fifth finger is oblique with, if possible, the last joint forming a little hook. Pressure is towards the fifth finger side of the hands. For extra security of position in virtuoso octaves the second and third fingers may be held together. „ When playing or practising, breathe deeply through the nose, especially when negotiating difficult passages. Our breathing habits tend to get locked into the way we play. „ Always firm hands and free arms. Ciampi’s Muscular exercises Ciampi generally began his training by giving several small exercises for muscular development and movements that probably came from the old Russian school of Villoing and Rubenstein, and that were to be worked at away from the keyboard. They were to be practised daily for some months along with the keyboard exercises and were to establish the co- ordination of movements and musculature he felt indispensable for piano playing and had the basic premise of firm hands and free arms. Development of muscular strength in the hand, while keeping the arm free. Done to a slow count of four on a hard surface. Counting one, throw the hand onto the surface in the bridged, plateaued hand position, holding it there for the count of two. On three clench the hand quickly and firmly into a fist with the thumb outside the palm of the hand and maintain the squeeze throughout the count of four. On four throw the hand back to the starting position onto the surface and check with the non-exercising hand that the joints are quite firm. Keep the hand over the surface without retracting the arm as you clench, with the elbow as free as possible. Repeat ten times four times a day for a few months. Thumb mobility Turn the hand so that the palm faces you and keep the bridged hand shape. Get a sense of the last joint at the thumb tip and move this tip backwards and forwards from its joint, allowing the rest of the thumb to remain free and uninvolved, especially at its base where it joins the wrist. Do this for a minute several times a day. Fifth finger action Make the bridged, plateaued hand shape on a hard surface and allow the fifth finger to lift slowly in one piece from the hand knuckle joint, slightly obliquely, keeping it straight. Then lightly tap with it several times onto the surface, rebounding quickly, allowing the joint to be as free as possible. To think of space around the joint may be helpful here. Focus on the end on the finger. The ‘machine gun’ The purpose is to obtain flexibility in the elbow and firmness in the fingers for fast chord sequences and octaves. Make the bridged, plateaued hand shape on a hard surface. Keeping the elbow as free as possible and the wrist reasonably firm, lift the forearm from the elbow a few inches and freely and passively allow it to drop with an audible tap on a hard surface, rebounding immediately to the starting height. Then there can be a double rebound, followed by a triple, and if sufficient freedom a quadruple. Keep the bridge shape of the hand and make sure finger joints are firm. These can be checked by the other hand after each group. An exercise to encourage firm hands and fingers with free arms. This is done with a partner. With the partner holding their arm out straight, grasp their forearm firmly just above the wrist, which should give the bridged hand shape. While remaining passive allow your partner to gently move your arm through all pianistic movement possibilities, being sure you do not lose contact with their arm. Passively allow your arm be moved, rather than actively ‘do’ the movement. It can be moved up and down, backwards and forwards, side to side, rotationally both ways and with a swing of the elbow out. 15

if one Piano exercises concentrates All the exercises are practised hands separately at first, and later together. Always play at a on the precise speed where every sound can be controlled, which may initially be very slow. rhythmic No. 1 Les Tenues Debussy/ Whole Tone Held Notes placing of each sound, This exercise is for placing the hand and the precise articulation of each finger from the it focusses knuckle while keeping the arms free. It can strengthen the touch, and if one concentrates on the mind the precise rhythmic placing of each sound, it focusses the mind. This is the default position for the hand from which there can be deviation whenever necessary. „ Keep the bridged and plateaued hand. Semibreves are pressed down silently, keeping finger joints firm and thumbs slightly raised with a half diamond shape made by slightly turning the tip towards the second finger. „ Press slightly into the keys with the non-playing fingers throughout the exercise without stiffening the arms or pressing down with the underside of the wrist. Keep checking that elbow joints are unlocked. „ The individual fingers, excluding the thumb, are played softly at a speed of around MM 44–60 per crotchet. There should be a sense of freedom and space around the playing finger and the knuckles, with these joints resembling well-oiled hinges. „ Make eight very rhythmic repetitions of the same sound. Work each finger in turn and then in pairs 54, 43, 32, 53, 42, 52. „ Keep the finger joints firm and make sure the fifth finger lifts obliquely and almost straight. „ Lift very rapidly and listen for a quick, short, soft sound. It is important to focus and place each sound really precisely on the beat. No. 2. Les Battements Articulés/Articulated finger strokes This is to develop clear articulation between all combinations of fingers in passage work. Articulation is defined as the raising of one finger while lowering another simultaneously. „ Keep the bridged hand position and a slight pressure on the held notes while the other fingers swing freely from the knuckle joints with a sense of freedom and space around the knuckles. „ In slow repetitions of this exercise the second, third and fourth fingers lift approximately two centimetres to keep the articulation clear, keeping them with a natural curve with fairly firm joints. Fifth finger lifts straight and slightly obliquely. 16

HOME Thumb rests on the corner of the nail, lightly raised in a half diamond shape. In more rapid repetitions fingers remain close to the keys but lift rapidly. „ The upswing of the finger is as rapid as the down to give maximum clarity. „ There should be a sense of separation of the fingers. The finger pressure on the sustained notes should not cause any stiffening in the arms, and the elbows should remain free. Frequently check on this. There should be a buoyancy in the arms and no sensation of pressing down with the wrist and forearm. „ Play softly at first, repeating each bar about eight times, twice very slowly, twice slowly, twice at a moderate speed and twice quickly keeping it all very rhythmic. „ Listen carefully for equality of tone and absolute clarity, with the same speed of lift between all fingers, and where possible play near the edge of the keys for best leverage. „ Later this can be transposed into all keys. Exercises such as these first two, coming from both the French and Russian-Viennese traditions of Phillip, Long, Cortot and Leschetizky, are somewhat frowned upon today, and certainly, if used unwisely, they have the potential to cause stiffness. However if used sensibly and carefully in moderation they can be extremely beneficial, and of course are a wonderful preparation for contrapuntal playing. 3. Les Substitutions/Substitutions Ex. 3a This develops agility and strength in the fingers, a fast repetition technique and the rapid substitution of fingers for contrapuntal playing or for a melodic line to preserve the legato with intense physical contact. „ Keep a bridged, plateaued hand and free, buoyant arms, avoiding pressing down with the underside of the forearm and wrist. Non-playing fingers are above the keys in a natural prolongation of the hand. „ This is played rhythmically with silent, very precise changes of finger on the key. „ Then this is followed with repetition of the sound, again preparing each successive finger over the key, then swinging it down, catching the sound immediately the previous finger has released it, so there is virtually no gap between the repeated sounds. „ In the silent changes press quite firmly into the key after each finger change with a little vibrato movement. „ It can be beneficial to repeat the 4th/5th finger change about ten times. Ex. 3b This can then be practised in major chromatic thirds 53/42/13/42/53, on a contrary chromatic scale pattern, preparing the next fingers to play over the keys and then making the playing movement so swift that there is no perceptible gap between the sounds. The finger release needs to be very rapid here. Keep the base of the thumb joint free in the thirds when pressing in a little. 17

Thumb No. 4. Les Pouces/Thumbs agility is Ex. 4a vital for good piano Ex. 4b playing. Ex. 4c These develop thumb agility for evenness in passage work. „ Keep the hand bridged and plateaued. „ The thumb glides along the keyboard, playing on the corner of the nail, slightly raised with the half-diamond shape. Make sure the hand is high enough to allow this. „ In 4a the thumb moves exactly behind each finger as it plays to reach its next position. The movements are precise. Listen for equality of tone and on no account twist the hand. „ In 4b allow the second finger to rise slightly with a swinging motion when the thumb plays to ensure really clear articulation, otherwise it may just prod the key and impede fluency and evenness. „ Other fingers are left free, in a natural prolongation of the hand. „ This exercise should be done in a variety of keys. Begin at about M.M. 92 for four notes. „ It can be used with fingering 12,12, or 21,21, and also later with other pairs of fingers – 13,31, 14,41, 15,51. „ To allow the thumb to move easily onto the black keys it will need to straighten a little from the half diamond shape, and ensure the hand is high enough to allow this. „ In 4c keep a little pressure on the sustained notes, without stiffening the arms and let the thumbs glide backwards and forwards under the hand without turning at the wrist unless absolutely necessary. Thumb agility is vital for good piano playing. The tip needs to be very mobile to accommodate both black and white keys and there also needs to be a lot of freedom at the base of the hand, when the thumb bones feed into the wrist. Ideally it should be free enough to replace any finger, and often not very visible, with a tendency to hide alongside or under the other fingers. 18

No. 5 Les Croisements/Crossovers Ex. 5a Ex. 5b HOME These are agility exercises combining rapid articulation with lateral movements along the keyboard, and develop evenness between the hands. „ The hand moves rapidly to the new position with a freely flowing movement of the whole playing apparatus, and the fingers play as near the edge of the keys as possible. The fingers articulate clearly but keep close to the keys. „ After each hand has made its ‘croisement’ the fingers rest freely on the tops of the keys, covering the next four notes. „ These can be practised in all keys – scales, arpeggios and dominant sevenths. Play twice slowly, twice at a medium speed and twice fast. Aim for evenly-graded tone with a little crescendo and diminuendo as the patterns rise and fall, and listen carefully to make sure the articulation is very clear. This is also good to practise with different accents to stimulate more and more precise control of the tone „ The preparatory crossover movements should be made as fast and evenly as possible. There should be a fluid continuous movement of hands and arms from start to finish. Bernard King studied at the Royal Academy of Music, gaining the Recital Diploma, and subsequently in Paris with the great French pianists Marcel Ciampi and Vlado Perlemuter. He has had a varied performing career and taught briefly at the Royal Academy of Music before moving to Scotland, where for many years he was a piano professor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. During that time he was co-founder of the Scottish International Piano Competition and was also appointed an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of his services to the musical profession. He has also had many years of experience as a Grade and Diploma examiner for ABRSM and is also a fully qualified psychotherapist and hypnotherapist with a web site www. confidentmusicalperformance. co.uk which offers help to all those who experience difficulties in this area. 19

Above: Malcolm Troup as Juryspokesman at the BPSE Intercollegiate Competition at the Malcolm Troup - a tribute Austrian Cultural Forum in 1995) by Richard Jack Paying tribute to It is often said that great performers do not always make great teachers, but Malcolm Malcolm Troup was unquestionably Troup both. Those of us who were fortunate enough to study with Malcolm at We are sad to announce the death of Malcolm Troup, City University, on the degree course former chair of EPTA UK, on 8 December 2021 aged 91. which he personally designed, can His charismatic presence as performer, educator and attest to the extraordinary energy chair of many musical organisations inspired many generations of and virtuosity he brought to both his students, performers and audiences. A student of Guerrero in his playing and his teaching. Malcolm’s native Toronto, Troup forged a formidable international career, concerts at the beginning of the meeting his future wife Carmen, whom he married in 1962, whilst in academic year at City were a long- Chile on his first South American tour. As Professor of Music at City established fixture of London concert University, he pioneered degrees in sound engineering and recording, life by the time my year-group started and fellowships in music therapy and Jewish music, young fields he in 1990, but it is difficult to overstate championed through his life. Malcolm was Editor of EPTA’s Piano the impression made back then Journal for over a quarter of a century (1987-2014), oft-regaling readers hearing, and indeed seeing, Malcolm with his lyrically-phrased editorials, interviews and reviews. Dynamic play for the first time, in our first chairman of both the BPSE and IEBS for many years, he displayed week at university. The concert was of characteristic panache as performer and writer until very recently. a scale few pianists would attempt at We hope the following tributes embrace and convey the spirit, any point in their careers, let alone in generosity, expertise and personality of this esteemed musician. their 60s: a selection from Debussy’s 20 great cycle of Etudes, followed by Feux Follets, and then finally Schumann’s op. 13. ‘What concert of etudes would be complete without one of Chopin’s?’ he asked when called back for an encore, an equally magisterial account of the Winter Wind. And what better way to meet this unique musical personality than by hearing him begin with Debussy’s Pour les cinq doigts - that joyous lampooning of the dry-as- dust, routine and pedantic in musical education? Subsequent recitals were on a similar scale: the following year the Chopin Preludes were programmed alongside Wilfrid Mellers’ Natalis Invicti Solis (written for Malcolm when he was Mellers’ doctoral student at York University in the late 60s) with the composer in attendance; in his final year at City before he retired in 1993, Schumann featured again, this time a full-blooded account of Carnaval. Schumann, the most literary of great composers, famously stated that all the arts are fundamentally the same; only the material is different. A musician should therefore engage with all the arts, and avoid the artistically-disastrous pitfall of narrow specialism. There was little danger of the latter for anyone taking Malcolm’s degree course at City, which programmatically broadened the study of music just about as far as possible. This pioneering effort, begun in 1975 after Malcolm had served five years as head of Guildhall, added electronic music, sound recording, acoustics, and cognitive psychology to more

traditional musicological influences. academic and philosophical fads. you were in no The first year of study at City is to this What you learnt from certain of doubt that he day divided into ‘Music in Nature’ his younger colleagues was likely to was really on and ‘Music in Culture’, attempting to be swept away by the next wave of your side bridge the divide between what C. P. intellectual fashion (structuralism, Snow once termed the ‘Two Cultures’ neo-structuralism, post-structuralism, surprised when the Critique of Dialectical of the arts and the sciences. The neo-post-structuralism...?), whereas Reason came out...’) - a higher class of intellectual ambitions were announced what Malcolm taught was likely to stay gossip altogether. He gave an honorary right from the beginning: the very first with you. doctorate to Peter Gabriel, and spoke lecture had the (still) perplexing title approvingly of some works by Brian ‘The ontogenesis of sound’; the first Having studied with the great Eno and Talking Heads, but he was also recording Malcolm played us was not, Chilean-Canadian teacher Alberto critical of regressive aspects of popular as many of us expected, a symphonic Guerrero, and later Walter Gieseking, culture. (‘This is why we like pop work by a tonal master, but the sound Malcolm was obviously intimidatingly music so much, isn’t it?’ he suggested of a baby crying, followed by the sound authoritative as a pianist. But that when we had listened to recordings of a mother’s heartbeat in the womb. authority was worn lightly: there was of sounds inside the womb.) His What he was aiming to do was to nothing of the rank-pulling Professor Socratic method notwithstanding, explore the earliest human experiences Welch or pompous Herr-Professor- his own opinions would emerge very of sound and music, influenced by Doktor about him. Indeed, he could be occasionally, and when they did, they John Blacking’s question ‘How musical subversive to the point of almost being did so strikingly and forcefully. He is man?’. The ethnomusicological a kind of co-conspirator with students. loved Trotsky but could not stand works of Blacking, as well as those Even when he was hauling you up for Adorno, whose every paragraph, he of Bruno Nettl and Alan Lomax, some undergraduate flakiness, you complained, made his head spin. provided further reflections on the were in no doubt that he was really on He shared a universal perspective place of music in society - and on your side. Malcolm’s teaching was at all on music with Mellers, but did not the sometimes fragile nature of times Socratic: what you got from him seem to share the latter’s well-known traditional music in a world subject to were questions, questions and more favourable view of the Beatles - in technological and economic change. questions, sometimes tailored to the one lecture ‘mistakenly’ referring to group, sometimes to the individual, something called ‘Sergeant Pepper’s Such a universal perspective was always designed to push you beyond Magical Mystery Tour’. not for everyone. One of Malcolm’s wherever you currently were, in more traditional colleagues was tastes, habits, experiences - often in It is frustrating at this point to heard to remark that we only got to surprisingly personal ways. Early in find so few recordings of his playing do ‘real’ music from the second year his teaching career, Malcolm once available. His cycle of Messiaen’s onwards (by which he meant harmony famously told a young, bashful piano Vingt Regards from the late eighties and counterpoint). Another joked student not to play another note of is currently out of the catalogue, for that Malcolm’s final-year course on Liszt until he had ‘sown some wild example. One can only hope that aesthetics ‘starts with the ancient oats’. Undergraduate classes were live recordings exist, bootlegged or Greeks, and usually ends there too’. peppered with remarks along similar otherwise, and will start to appear. (It didn’t: we really did get all the lines. To give one example from my From someone whose repertoire way from Plato to post-Freudians own experience: an undergraduate included the first ever performance of and existentialists.) The ambition presentation made passing reference to Boulez’ second piano sonata (before and scope of his teaching might have Wilhelm ‘Make Love Not War’ Reich, which it was considered unplayable) left Malcolm open to the mean- and his attempt to explore orgasmic and rarely-played works such as Villa- spirited charge of superficiality or energy through experimental means. Lobos’ monumental Rudepoêma (which even intellectual dilettantism. But At which point Malcolm broke in: Malcolm performed as recently as anyone who studied with him would ‘.... Which is what all of you should 2007), it would be a welcome tribute know that to be churlish and totally be doing, at your age’. How’s that for if some of his many performances incorrect: Malcolm was no more ‘homework’? from a long career of playing all overstretched surveying huge swathes around the world started to show up of intellectual history than he was A hugely extraverted personality on the internet at the very least - as, playing the most complex score by (as was obvious to anyone who ever for example, many live recordings of Messiaen or Boulez. He was also, in met him, however briefly), there was Freire’s playing have since his death. this author’s experience, completely inevitably an element of display in Until then, we have his example as and utterly free of the bluffing and his playing, but one had the sense at a pedagogue and as a man. At a time evasions so common in academic all times that it was the music that when some university music courses life. If you wanted a really in-depth was on display, not the performer. He have often become more and more account of Kant’s third Critique or maintained the highest standards of specialist, with certain departments Schopenhauer’s philosophy, you would performance for himself and others, seemingly full of ‘Fachleute’ digging have to go on elsewhere (as I did), but without ever descending to intellectual burrows for themselves, but his grasp of intellectual history the snippiness that can sometimes Malcolm’s example shows that depth was completely genuine, and often be heard from musicians, even does not have to be at the expense more compellingly expressed than very distinguished ones. The only other ‘wood-for-the-trees’ specialists. confidential asides he would make 21 The sheer scope of his erudition also were to do with intellectual matters seemed to immunise him against (‘Freudians treat us artists as if we are all neurotics ....’, ‘Everyone was so HOME

of breadth, or vice versa; the arts and as did most of his colleagues. The in London, Troup maintained his sciences can not only be on speaking prize brought Troup to the attention close connection to his Canada roots terms, but can nourish one another; of Norman Wilkes, the British-born throughout, becoming a member of artists can pursue the highest goals Principal of the Toronto (now Royal) the Canada Council International Jury, whilst retaining enormous generosity Conservatory of Music, where Troup a judge for the first S.C. Eckhardt- of spirit; artists can and should reflect was awarded a scholarship to study Grammatté Competition (1976), for the on their place in society and on why with the Chilean pianist Alberto CBC Talent Festival (1978) in Ottawa, and art is important; and as artists we can Guerrero; he graduated in 1948, shortly giving many CBC broadcasts. In 1985 attend to the details (les cinq doigts?) after making his Toronto debut aged he received an Hon LL D (Doctor of without losing sight of the whole and 17 with the CBC Orchestra in Anton Laws) from the Memorial University without becoming pedantic dry- Rubinstein’s Concerto in D minor. of Newfoundland. as-dusts. Virtuosity, generosity and breadth; his legacy as a player and Guerrero, whose lessons acted as an Troup’s concert pianism developed teacher is enormous and will endure. introduction to the world of European apace in the 1950s, when he was also culture, was also the teacher of Glenn awarded the Commonwealth Medal in Dr Richard Jack graduated from City Gould. Whilst Gould’s genius was of 1955, conferred on him by the pianist University in 1993, and currently teaches immediate impression for Troup, so Harriet Cohen. He later recalled piano at King’s Ely Cathedral School and too was Troup an influence on Gould. glittering cocktails at her mews house privately. He is writing a book on piano Kevin Bazzana, in his biography of in Gloucester Terrace at which he playing which draws on recent research in a Gould, has described how, “Troup was was introduced to conductors like number of disciplines. a radical in everything he did – in the Carl Garaguly and composers like way he dressed, the way he spoke, even Sir Arnold Bax, leading to his first Malcolm Troup the way he wrote. He’d write long, European engagements, following (1930–2021) – a tribute involved essays on esoteric subjects studies with Gieseking. These included by Malcolm Miller and then read them to the class … touring Eastern Europe, including the Glenn would just sit there, fascinated.” Prague Spring Festival in 1958 and in Malcolm Troup, who died on Troup and Gould lived near each other Poland in 1959. 8 December 2021 aged 91, was a in the Beaches area of Toronto, and multi-faceted pianist, educator and attended the same school, Malvern 1960 marked his first South academic whose remarkable career Collegiate. Troup recollected later American tour, starting in Brazil and and accomplishments went beyond how, in Gould’s house, “…many happy Argentina, where a meeting with the the concert stage and recording studio hours were spent …stuffing his piano Cultural Attaché to Chile led to a to encompass a wide diversity of with newspapers so that it would tour where he would meet his future musical roles, journalistic, editorial produce the same crackly tone as a wife, Carmen Lamarca Subercaseaux, and pedagogical. As Professor Emeritus harpsichord for our incipient attempts a relation of the cultural attaché and of City University, Chair of the at the Goldberg Variations.” Whilst member of the Chilean nobility. European Council of EPTA, and of Gould moved to New York following Before continuing to Peru and Mexico, various composer societies, Governor Guerrero, Troup chose to accept an Carmen invited Troup to perform of the Music Therapy Charity Trust invitation to study on a scholarship Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations in aid of and Trustee of the Jewish Music at the GSMD in London with Sidney the Hospital Clínico de la Universidad Institute, he added to the cutting-edge Harrison, a decision which also drew Católica de Chile where she worked. contributions to the musical world in him away from a possible career in law The concert raised enough to purchase general, and his flamboyant presence that had been suggested. an incubator for their maternity ward, and charismatic personality inspired which was named after Troup, and generations of students, colleagues, Through his London performances a glowing review paved the way for performers and audiences. and social networking, notably Troup’s appointment in 1967 as Hon. the efforts of Rose Marchioness of Professor of the University of Chile. Malcolm Troup was born in Toronto Headfort (the last of the Gaiety Girls), Carmen followed Troup to Britain in on 22 February 1930 to a musical Troup was introduced to Princess 1961 and the couple were wed at the family; his father William had moved Alice of Athlone, wife of Canada’s Vatican in Rome the following year, to Canada from London with his wife Governor-General and patron of the on 24 February 1962. Their daughter Wendela, a graduate of the RAM, and a Canadian charity IODE which awarded Wendela, born on 10 February 1963, forbear had been Precentor to Queen him both a grant to study with Walter is a writer. Troup maintained strong Victoria in Balmoral. Malcolm’s first Gieseking in Germany in 1954-6, and links with Chile, in 1996 helping piano teacher was his mother and an opportunity to tour extensively to set up the Association of Latin- his earliest musical accomplishments in Canada in 1952. During this tour American Professors of Piano (ALAPP) were, surprisingly, as a composer, of numerous cities and towns, the as an Affiliate of EPTA. In 2009 the when he won the Canadian Authors post-concert receptions were often Universidad Católica appointed him and Publishers Prize in the Junior as significant as the concerts, and Visiting Professor, and he gave a series Section at the age of 11. In an interview to fulfil the requirement of opening of lectures and masterclasses on Ernest for the EPTA Piano Journal (which I with the National Anthem Troup Bloch and his influence new music in conducted for his 80th Birthday), he would, slightly mischievously, play Israel. expressed his gratitude to have started Beethoven’s Variations on ‘God Save by experiencing music from the inside the Queen’, resulting in the patriotic In 1968, with Sir Michael Tippett as out, rather than from the outside in, audiences thus remaining far longer his doctoral examiner, Malcolm Troup 22 on their feet all the way through gained a DPhil at York University with the variations. Though he settled a thesis on “Messiaen and the Modern

Mind” supervised by Wilfrid Mellers. He played mainly Worshipful Company of Musicians (of His affinity for Messiaen is evident in from memory, which he was Master from 1999–2000) his recordings, the Catalogue d’Oiseaux advocating and the societies he chaired. His (on HMV) and the Vingt Regards memorisation interest in outstanding young talent sur l’Enfant-Jésus (on Continuum), as the only way was rewarded in the career of Wu Qian, and frequent concert renditions of to allow full a pianist he ‘discovered’ at the age of 11 those and the Preludes and the Four expression by at the Shanghai Conservatoire during Rhythmic Etudes, his Messiaen judged being free from his 1992 tour of China, facilitating her by the Financial Times as ‘notably the score. place at the Menuhin School, leading perceptive ... with splendid panache’. to prizes and studies at the RAM. In 1992, the ABC invited Troup to of the academic programme there, their Bicentennial Celebrations along introducing one of the first electronic The present writer is one of many with Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod, music studios and innovative BSc who, whilst saddened by his loss, whose masterclasses on Messiaen he (Hons) degrees in recording and will remain personally grateful to had already attended in Darmstadt sound engineering. He also established Malcolm Troup for his enthusiastic in the early 60s. During the tour, his Fellowships in two still young sub- support and encouragement, whether recording of the Vingt Regards were disciplines, Music Therapy and Jewish as friend, mentor or colleague. My broadcast throughout Australia. Music studies, notably the Joe Loss own relationship stemmed from the Lectureship in Jewish Music, in late 1980s when I reviewed his 60th Mellers dedicated his own magnum association with the Jewish Music birthday concert at St John’s Smith opus Natalis Invicti Solis to Troup Institute of which he was a lifelong Square with the City University who performed it in recital on Trustee, supporting its many varied Orchestra, and I joined him later many occasions, an instance of the activities, including contemporary in the inaugural committees of two championing of 20th-century repertoire music performances by Jewish and societies, the Beethoven Piano Society for which Troup was well known early Israeli composers. One of his notable of Europe, co-founded by Carola on, often tackling challenging works by initiatives was a series on ‘Beethoven Grindea, which he chaired dynamically modernists like Stockhausen yet also and Suppressed composers’, which from 1993–2014, and the IEBS, formed unfamiliar ones by composers such featured composers silenced by in 2009. Malcolm Troup’s stylish as Villa-Lobos, Martinů, Bloch and the Nazis, such as Goldschmidt, eloquence and panache would lift Ben-Haim. He often gave research- Reizenstein, Wellesz, Ullmann, Gideon many an audiences’ spirits; he was as based themed programmes, such as Klein, Schedrin and Ben-Haim. Aptly effective a performer on lectern or Beethoven’s virtuoso contemporaries, he received an Hon. Doctorate from concert platform, a rare combination or the Terezin composers, during City University in 1995. of pianist and academic, and yet so which he performed the music of much more. It was especially touching Viktor Ullmann. He compared his 1979 also saw Troup take on the that the BPSE, under the chair of eager interest in contemporary music Chair of the European Council Julian Jacobson, celebrated his 90th with the joy of making new friends, of EPTA, a growing international birthday with a concert in his presence and surrounding oneself with new organisation for which he performed at St Mary’s Ealing, at which he was faces. In interview he reflected on his and lectured regularly; in 1988 he present. Following several virtuoso fascination with “…observing and re- became Editor of EPTA’s flagship Piano pianistic performances, Malcolm rose experiencing this miracle of acquiring Journal contributing lively editorials to give a characteristically gracious and new repertoire each time anew: the of wide-ranging topicality for witty impromptu speech of gratitude. tentative first reading, the dawning pianists, teachers and students. EPTA Amongst his anecdotes he also paid of what is involved, the obsessive offered Troup a platform to nurture tribute to the famous actress Margaret detailed work, the moment when it young talent, as did his adjudication Rutherford, whom in 1953 he had becomes a part of you – only then on numerous competition Juries, accompanied on a poetry-reading tour begins the uphill transformation of including in 1988 the first Chopin of Scandinavia, eventually escaping her what you think you have done into a Competition in Melbourne, in 1990 as increasing attentions, an intriguing public performance capable of being vice-president of the London National episode characteristic of his colourful re-enacted time and time again!” Power World Piano Competition, the life-story. He played mainly from memory, European Union Piano Competition, advocating memorisation as the only the International “Gina Bachauer” Malcolm Troup’s legacy is far- way to allow full expression by being Piano Masters Competition in the reaching, for audiences worldwide, for free from the score. He once remarked, USA and the “Claudio Arrau” Piano students he taught and for whom he “For me, it is physically impossible Competition in Chile. In addition, provided frameworks for studies, new to give a performance while reading Troup supported gifted young pianists paths, and for the many organisations the music – the visual/intellectual through organisations like the he impelled towards action. He mode does not combine well with the espoused, championed and inspired auditory/feeling mode.” in others those values he believed in: diversity, innovation, youthful talent, In 1970-5 Troup was appointed musicology, pianism and pedagogy Director of Music at the GSMD and of the highest levels. In print and in in 1975 was invited to create and person he often expressed his guiding head the music department at City principle, which he attributed to his University, receiving a personal Chair good friend the American pianist in 1981. His influence was especially Jerome Rose, that to live a life in music marked through his role as developer was a reward in itself, without need for HOME 23

fame nor fortune. He himself lived a boy nodded with a big smile. “Then I awe of his encyclopaedic knowledge of most rewarding life in music, inspiring have a wonderful seat for you.” I took the literature connected to my subject colleagues, students and audiences. him to the front row and sat beside matter and was given a list of books That was both his fame, and our good him for the remainder of the concert. to read to deepen my knowledge and fortune. He didn’t budge! And Malcolm understanding of musical aesthetics garnered all his well-deserved glory! and philosophy. New horizons, which Malcolm Troup, born Toronto, 22 February I had never before considered as 1930; died 8 December 2021, London. The other incident was a request having a bearing on the works I was Survived by his daughter Wendela Lumley from Malcolm that I accompany him performing, were opened to me. With (née Troup) and five grandchildren: Saskia, back on the train to London after the his expert guidance, I explored the Cosima, Damian, Natasha and Alexia wonderful annual EPTA conference works of Descartes and S. K. Langer (Lumley). in Manchester. I regretted that I and discovered the writings of Eduard was unable to do so, especially since Hanslick whose doctrines on the Malcolm Miller © 2021 Malcolm said how much his stomach aesthetic approach to music-making hurt. Soon, the reason for his stomach favouring the purely musical and Remembrances of pain became clear. He was diagnosed capturing the autonomous beauty Malcolm Troup with pancreatic cancer. In typical of tonally moving forms I strongly by Nancy Lee Harper, “Malcolm style”, he beat the odds and identified with and which I have since former President of became one of the few survivors of this applied to all my music-making. EPTA Portugal dreadful disease. In 1999, I invited Malcolm to For several years, Malcolm and I I, with so many others, will become the President of our Oxford enjoyed a very collegial relationship miss his warm and friendly smile, Piano Festival. His lecture-recitals in EPTA, he on its Board and editor his camaraderie, his pianism, his were very popular amongst both of Piano Journal, I taking over the brilliant and inquiring mind, his vast students and the public at large. I “European Piano Teachers’ Forum” knowledge, and his inimitable voice distinctly remember the one on while contributing occasional articles calling out an endearing “darling” to Messiaen during which he combined and reviews. Two incidents come many female friends. Malcolm was a his skills as a pianist and an authority to mind when remembering the wonderful colleague who has left an on the composer with a wicked sense Canadian pianistic and academic titan, enormous legacy for posterity that of humour that had us all in stitches! both of which bring back poignant can only grow in importance with the memories. passing of time. I shall for ever be grateful to Malcolm for having instilled in me a In the early 21st century, I invited Malcolm Troup – A sense of wonder in any piece of music Malcolm to perform at my piano Personal Reminisicence I choose to study. Malcolm’s legacy will festival, Celebrando Grandes Pianistas, by Dr Marios live on to inspire many generations of at the Universidade de Aveiro in Papadopoulos, MBE, young musicians who seek to discover Portugal. A disturbing occurrence took Music Director, Oxford the truth behind the notes, away from place. While Malcolm was giving a Philharmonic Orchestra any histrionics that often prevail in brilliant performance of Beethoven’s (Orchestra in Residence at performances of lesser merit. May he Diabelli Variations, a young lad of nine the University of Oxford) rest in peace. or ten years of age began walking up and down the aisle - all within the Malcolm Troup was a role model peripheral vision of the performer. for me. He was one of those rare Horrified, I hoped that the boy’s musicians who was equally at mother would ask him to sit down home as an academic as he was on quietly. This did not happen. Malcolm’s stage as a concert pianist. In an era performance finished brilliantly, when informed performances were but not without a word from him. encouraged, he inspired many artists He asked everyone to remain in the to explore deep into the music hall and began to tell them what and seek interpretations that were enormous concentration was required both intelligent and emotionally to play from memory, especially this captivating. piece. And he said that he hoped the audience would be respectful for the When I was interested in doing second half. As Artistic Director of research on a performance-related the Festival, I naturally did not want subject, he interviewed me and to lose our Portuguese audience. So, I offered me a place at City University greeted the little boy and his mother to read for a Doctorate. Thus began and asked them if they were enjoying a long and fruitful relationship with the concert. “Oh yes,” they said. Then this fascinating man that led to the I addressed the little boy and – to my completion of my degree in 1996 under own surprise – found myself saying, his supervision. His sessions were both “I bet you’d like to be able to see the informative and inspiring. I was in pianist’s hands while he plays.” The 24

Rachmaninoff, chordal composer Part 2 “If explanation is the self-cure for curiosity, we have a lot of explaining to stop doing.” (Adam Phillips; Attention Seeking) by Kris Lennox In Op. 33, we see that the majority of the material percentage is single-note, followed by dyadic, and finally The previous introductory study of Rachmaninoff’s Etudes- chordal. Tableaux (Piano Journal 125) provided a broad overview with regards to the question of how ‘chordal’ is Rachmaninoff’s Op. 39, however, is the reverse of Op. 33’s stats, i.e. chordal music, and also dealt with the broader issue of what is the predominant texture, followed by dyadic, with single- constitutes a chord/associated problems of defining ‘chord’ note representing the lowest material percentage. (in relation to piano performance/technique, and temporal aspects of performance). Interesting to note in Fig. 1 that, despite the chordal predominance, Op. 39 has an almost-perfect balance of This article will give a detailed breakdown of each piece, single-note/dyad/chordal playing. and each set of Etudes-Tableaux. Interpretation is left to a minimum: data is provided for the pianist/teacher to Fig. 2 interpret in the manner most appropriate to their needs (e.g. the pianist/teacher can, with the data provided, pinpoint In Fig. 2 we see a remarkable LH distribution similarity which piece is best to choose if looking to work on LH across both opuses: single-note playing, RH chordal playing etc.) LH single-note is the predominant category in both opuses Both Op. Posth. Works (Op. 33 in Cm; Op. 33 in Dm) (c. 45%) are included with Op. 33 data. Recent publications of Rachmaninoff’s Etudes-Tableaux (i.e. Henle) segregate these C. 1/3 of the material is dyadic in both opuses works from Op. 33; however, this article will consider these LH chordal playing is the least prominent category in both works in the manner in which Rachmaninoff’s Etudes-Tableaux opuses (c. 22%) have been (and are still) performed, recorded and considered Considering the nature of accompaniment/LH lines in (i.e. Cm & Dm as part of Op. 33). piano writing throughout the Classical and Romantic era (i.e. single-note runs implying harmony), it is understandable To recap from the previous article: that Rachmaninoff’s writing, with its predominance of LH There are three possible categories of density: single-note, conforms to this idiom of piano writing. • Single note • Dyad (2 notes e.g 3rds, 6ths, octaves etc) Fig. 3 • Chord (3+ notes) With these categories forming the datasets below. (N.B. Notes regarding interpretation should be seen as a guide to encourage personal and individual interpretation by both student and teacher, rather than as a totality of all information to be derived from each dataset.) High-Level Overview (as %) Fig. 1 Rachmaninoff’s RH writing moves from predominantly single-note in Op. 33 through to predominantly chordal in Op. 39 (this data suggests a tendency towards ‘thicker’ and more chordal RH writing in Rachmaninoff’s later works). HOME 25

One could imagine that writing would become ‘thinner’ as sculpture – with this triune nature reflected in Russian a pianist ages, purely as a matter of loss of technique through literature (i.e. Tolstoy’s Childhood, Boyhood, Youth as a prime time, physical wear and tear, arthritis etc: however, seeing example).) the increased density in Rachmaninoff’s later writing gives weight to the view that we should consider Rachmaninoff a Considering Rachmaninoff’s frequent (and significant) composer first, and a pianist second (i.e. ideas, in later works, use of alla marcia – and in light of the historical importance are more dense). march form has played in Russian through Soviet musical education – interesting future research could be conducted Is a denser texture pianistically reflective of a ‘mind with within this particular domain i.e. detailed analysis of more weight’? One can only speculate. Rachmaninoff’s textural writing, specifically and exclusively for marches. Op.33, Per-Piece & Per-Hand Breakdown (as %) Looking at Op. 33 in Dm (Op. posth.) – another alla marcia Fig. 4 work – a lack of single-note LH writing is also evidenced; from this (and to a point) we can infer an avoidance of single- note LH writing in Rachmaninoff’s handling of the march form (metaphorically, the above makes perfect sense: when marching, we are very aware of the weight of the ground beneath our feet – and marching is most often a group activity; single-note writing would not adequately reflect or represent this weight, nor the group nature of the activity). Fig. 6 Interesting to note that two of the most popular works of The RH data of Fig. 6 confirms the above observation Op. 33 (C major and Gm) are predominantly single-line. regarding marches is not limited to LH-only, but is equally as significant in Rachmaninoff’s RH writing; it would appear …Does this data suggest that, despite harmonic advances, that Rachmaninoff avoids single-note writing for handling the human ear still desires/is still attuned to the beauty of the march form. the single-line melody, with as little ‘clutter’ as possible? Op.39, Per-Piece & Per-Hand Breakdown (as %) Fig. 5 Fig. 7 Most striking is the lack of single-note writing of Op. 33 Fm. Op. 39 No. 2 is particularly striking for the predominance Miriam Morton, in The Arts and the Soviet Child, comments of single-note writing. This work is, of course, perhaps the with respect to Russian musical education of the young, most popular etude from Op. 39 with a general audience (and of the specific focus on the ‘triune’ nature of the Russian/ also perhaps with pianists); this observation only strengthens Soviet child learning to identify and classify musical works, our comments for Fig. 4 that melody within a thinner texture as follows: appears to appeal to the listener. Marches Dances Lullabies/songs. (We see this triune approach with other areas of musical/ artistic development i.e. development of ear, memory, rhythm; compositions based on legends, myths, fairy-tales etc., through dance e.g. ballet, folk and period forming the leading dance forms; art education as drawing, painting, 26

From a compositional standpoint, this is a particularly For example, Op. 33 in C major has the second-highest profound observation. percentage single-note count (81.8%; second highest of both opuses, after Op. 39 No. 2); yet in terms of single notes Fig. 8 performed, Op. 39, 1, 4 and 6 have a higher count. Op. 39 No. 2 once again stands out for its predominance of Of course, from a teaching perspective, we can harness single-note writing. this data (and all other data) for more focused technical study; i.e. if we wish to focus on sheer quantity of single notes Of note is the lack of LH chordal writing in all but three performed, Op. 39 No. 1 is a better choice than Op. 33 in C; works (Nos. 5, 7 and 9). yet, if we wish to focus on ratio of single notes performed, Op. 33 in C is a better choice than Op. 39 No. 1. Fig. 9 (P.S. Take note that the alla marcia works mentioned earlier are the works with the lowest single-note count.) Opp.33 & 39 Combined: Both Hands, Dyad Note Count (High-Low) Fig. 11 Note the steep drop-off for single-note writing throughout Quite a striking dataset i.e. gradual drop-off, until we reach Op. 39 for RH; also note the dramatic increase in chordal an extreme drop-off at Op. 33 in Cm. writing throughout. This, in itself, merits deeper future research. In fact, the progression of Rachmaninoff’s chordal writing Opp.33 & 39 Combined: Both Hands, Dyad Note Count throughout Op. 39 is almost a perfect inversion/mirror- (High-Low) image of the progression of his single-note writing (least- predominant, as opposed to predominant-least). Fig. 12 Opp.33 & 39 Combined: Both Hands, Single-Note Note the extreme drop-off in chord note count after the Count (High-Low) first three works listed. Fig. 10 These three works are, in statistical terms, exceptional (in terms of sheer quantity of notes played as chords). As with our comments for Fig. 11, this extremity of drop-off could certainly merit deeper/further research. Looking at Fig. 10, we can see that note-count data yields a 27 very different perspective from % data. HOME

In Conclusion Children’s piano compositions: Considering all of the above: is Rachmaninoff’s writing connecting ‘chordal’? learning and creative …In short, we still don’t know. processes What we can state with confidence is, specifically with by Marilia Patricio the Etudes, his later writing is more chordal than his earlier writing – but whether we can say his writing is ‘chordal’ or not (…or what such a statement may even mean…) is another matter. We now have a clearer idea of Rachmaninoff’s writing as it stands - but in order to know if it is ‘chordal’ (or not), we would do well to compare it to the writing of other composers. Once compared, we will have a clearer (albeit still limited) insight as to whether Rachmaninoff is, in fact, a ‘chordal’ composer. In the next article we’ll compare Rachmaninoff to Chopin – at which point we’ll be able to confirm, with at least some confidence, the answer to the question ‘is Rachmaninoff a chordal composer?’. Kris Lennox studied music at Strathclyde University and the RSAMD before pursuing an independent career as performer/writer/producer. Currently Kris writes/records/ consults for a number of mainstream artists, primarily within the Pop/Electronic scene. Previously, he performed as a recital pianist/composer, and has a number of classical works published by Music Sales, with compositions featured in publications alongside Glass/Einaudi etc. Kris has authored around 18 books on a diverse range of musical topics, from harmony to synthesis to music education. At the theoretical level, Kris has developed harmonic models for 24-TET composition, and has spent around two decades developing various cryptographic methods of harnessing written music as a form of steganographic cipher. At the non-musical level, Kris has worked in security, business, & compliance as a consultant analyst, developing sector-specific computational/statistical models & algorithms. Kris regularly posts to/can be found on YouTube. 28

An interesting phenomenon may be observed by had his first little piano teachers during the first years of piano compositions instruction. Some pupils are not content with just published by his ‘learning the dots’; they want to explore the instrument too, father (Example top they identify patterns in pieces they have learned and love right – Gespenster-Musik); a pupil of mine, Max Hopp filled to play and often develop their own ‘compositions’, which numerous music notebooks with ‘experiments’ in notation, they present in the piano lesson, as small, finished musical exploring all sorts of musical symbols (Example above left); products. a six-year old pupil, Charlotte, writes a little story and the In my experience as a piano teacher in Brazil, the USA and music to it, using her first knowledge of notation (Example over 30 years in Germany, I have notated and collected such above right – Die Schnecke und der kleine Freund - The Snail and the children’s compositions, always admiring their freshness and Little Friend). poetical content. They reflect true understanding and a very personal appropriation of music. This creative activity at the piano reminds one strongly of a I would allow the term composition for these musical child occupied with drawing or painting. The urge to produce products, for they do not present the spontaneity and their own personal ‘sign’, the beginning of the drawing stages, immediacy of improvisation; although they are not notated links to how the child is mainly occupied with movements of by the pupils themselves, they are crystallised forms, the hand, of the arm, the first lines, then circles, developing immediately retrievable at the instrument. The beginner’s into more and more complex forms, eventually producing mastery of notation is not developed enough for them to meaningful forms. notate their own work. Even though many children are fascinated by musical notation and experiment with musical This same motivation can be identified in the child at symbols, written compositions by children of this age often the piano, the urge to produce their own music, with their seem to be disconnected from the resulting musical sound. own signature. A certain playfulness denotes this process as Some examples of attempts at notation may be observed: well: extracting patterns from music they have learned and Simon Stockhausen, the son of the famous composer, internalised, exploring the topography of the black and white keys, the movements of hands and fingers, the child plays with HOME musical building blocks. It’s interesting to note that the term 29

‘play’ to describe the performance of music at an instrument In observing what fascinates children at the piano, how and also an occupation with games or toys occurs in other they work to produce these small pieces and their most languages too, for example French, German and Arabic! noticeable characteristics, may reveal the most frequent strategies they use and help us find concepts for stimulating Even though most piano pupils will not develop into or protecting this behaviour. composers, or even professional musicians, I consider this creative activity one of the most interesting aspects at the The frequency of certain strategies allows a tentative beginning of piano learning – their own initiative and determination of some categories: deep occupation with musical elements are so rewarding to observe, as are their motoric and mental development. 1. Appropriation and transformation of an element. The following cases show which elements have been taken Piano playing and composition from a learned piece – this is a predominant strategy, in There are some examples of music produced in early which the output is clearly determined by the input. childhood by some famous composers. In the case of Mozart Folksong – Bartók (Die erste Zeit am Klavier) (Marche – Leopold Mozart – Notenbuch für Nannerl Schott Edition), Chopin (Polonaise – Polonaisen Henle Verlag) and Chimes Chimes Chimes – Ashley Prokofieff (Tarantella – Erste Klavierstücke Ed. Sikorski), these are piano pieces, notated by a parent or teacher when they were very young (the first compositions we know were notated when they were four, seven and nine, respectively). These small pieces were probably not composition exercises but rather seem to result from a spontaneous activity at the piano. These future composers developed a quite personal musical language early on with the support of a mentor. How this early output relates to their later work or what it reveals of their learning stages and influences can only be touched on here. In the case of Prokofieff, one might see a connection between the very early Tarantella in d-minor and the Tarantella in his Musiques d‘Enfants op. 65. The history of music has countless examples of pianist- composers determining new directions in music through their very personal approach to the piano in combination with their unique technique – Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy spring to mind here. The piano has been fundamental in the development of compositional talent through the centuries. Characteristics of children’s compositions Many of the characteristics of this output, by children between the age of 6 and 10, can be related to Piaget’s concrete-operational stage: the isolation and appropriation of an element, developing mastery of it and manipulating it through variation and new combinations. ‘Composing’ at this age is strongly defined by a motoric impulse, even though some theoretical knowledge of music has been attained. The musical elements are very frequently taken from some piece they have learned by heart. This repertoire is accessed through an unconscious analysis and transformed into a new piece. And children often discover in their own musical ideas, things they have never learned before. Stravinsky valued the activity of hands and fingers in finding new musical ideas: “Fingers are not to be despised: they are great inspirers, and in contact with a musical instrument, often give birth to subconscious ideas which might otherwise never come to life” (Strawinsky – An Autobiography 1936/1963). Also the topography of the keyboard – the groups of two and three black keys with its repetition in octaves – is a musical playground, very propitious for experimenting. The scope of registers from very low to very high, the effects of the sustain pedal offer added resources to this activity, even if the following examples do not involve other dimensions such as exploration of the strings or the wooden body of the instrument. 30

In the accompaniment in the left hand of Bartók’s Folk 2. Principles of variation and/or mathematical thinking Song we recognise the element that Ashley has used: the These examples show how children develop a mathematical fifth F–C, then G, A and B-flat alternating in the inner idea, frequently following principles of variation. A voice, creating a pattern that she recognises and explores. phenomenon often mentioned in studies of children‘s The diatonic right-hand melody in Bartók might also have musical creativity. determined the movement in eighth-notes in the right hand. Ching Chang Chong - Sabine Playing five-finger parallel patterns on both hands might also have been learned from playing the exercises of her technique book, A Dozen a Day. Working on mastering the left-hand pattern, she brought five or six new little studies on this subject. Sailors’ Dance – Denes Agay (The Joy of First-Year Piano) Ein Lied (A Song) – Luana Sabine begins with a simple downward tone sequence of black keys that will be transformed gradually in rhythm, or through added black or white keys or by combining the tones vertically. Treppe hoch-runter (Steps up and down) – Catalina Luana transfers the accompanying fifth in the left Hand Here an example of subtraction: one step in the scale of Sailor’s Dance from the third to the second eighth-note of between both hands is gradually removed, until both hands the melody, then proceeds upwards with the fifth in the left are directly one beside the other. hand, with the twice repeating third in the right hand as a filling for the fifth in the left. The ending with the downward This kind of strict mathematical construction is very scale with a very particular fingering stops at the dominant G. frequent at this age. HOME 31

3. Rhythmical impulse / metrical freedom 4. Exploring technique The body determines states of intense movement, or great The child discovers a pleasurable movement, of fingers or relaxation, and takes a predominant role in this moment of hands, often of alternating hands and creates a small ‘étude’. creating music. Der Holzhacker (The woodcutter) - Béatrice Capi, Capi – Facundo Facundo comes from South America and is certainly Béatrice takes the broken C-Major chord inversion of the influenced by Latin-American music, with its syncopated right hand and varies the placement of the accompaniment rhythms. He infuses a very simple construction with an of the left hand, sometimes consisting of only one note, energetic impulse; his approach to the piano is always very sometimes of a fifth. physical and direct. Schräg (Crazy) - Isabelle Der Winter kommt (Winter is coming) – Uwe Uwe alternates the motives of the right and left hands, The pattern in the right hand reveals an exploration of consciously and expressly prolonging or shortening the the velocity of five-finger patterns in two positions on the fermate on the long notes. keyboard. 32

Der Treppentanz (Dance on the steps) – Lara Seu Juca (Mister Juca) – Béatrice Lara creats a little study for alternating left and right hands, Children explore in unnumerable examples the limited using only the thumbs. pentatonic scope of the black keys. Achterbahn (Roller Coaster) – Max Zick Zack – Mischa The repeated Cs in the right hand, combined with the descending chromatic scale in the left, were a challenge for Max, that he explored trying to play faster and faster. 5. Exploring the topography of the piano The pentatonic scale of the black keys, the chromatic scale, the diatonic five finger-patterns, especially in minor keys offered by the keyboard opens many possibilities for exploration. Gallop – Mira HOME 33

Die Rose im Wind (The rose in the wind) – Anna Children find great delight in minor keys, which are often much more stimulating than the major keys so common in The chromatic scale, once discovered, is also a frequent beginner piano methods. source of ideas. These are only a few of the strategies piano pupils employ Gruseltango (Creepy Tango) – Hannah when inventing their own pieces or ‘proto-compositions’, but are the most frequent and easily identifiable. It must be noted 34 that in these examples they act spontaneously, without any instruction to compose or to improvise. Suggestions for the piano teacher Stravinsky’s words may be recalled: “Since I myself was created, I cannot help but having the desire to create. What sets this desire in motion, and what I do to make it productive? … The study of the creative process is an extremely delicate one.” (Stravinsky Poetics of Music 1970/1942) One might say as a piano teacher: The nurturing of the creative process is an extremely delicate task. Children do not need to be taught to be creative, they are inately so. Besides, if whatever is created does not come from one’s own volition and interest, it will generally show little artistic value. Some questions arise: What motivates the child? Why do some children show this initiative? Are these little pieces ‘artistic’? Are they important or necessary? Why do some pieces inspire them? Is it possible to identify in the creative strategies of children general characteristics of composition? How can the teacher motivate creative musical activity at this age without forcing an artificial response? In piano pedagogy two challenges arise: most of the tools for stimulating composition strongly involve notation and most suggestions for improvisation do not really connect with the actual pianistic material the child is learning. Not every child shows the need to improvise or compose – this probably depends on personality, genetics or upbringing - nevertheless, the piano teacher may provide a musical learning environment that may opportunely stimulate and nurture this behaviour: • Memorising music – the musical material thus stored will provide seeds for new musical endeavours. • Transposing – transposing the most simple patterns from the beginning reveals a new ‘colour’ that affects and stimulates the inner ear. • Accompanying – when the teacher provides an inspiring accompaniment, the child responds to the musical partnership with enjoyment; sometimes the roles may be reversed - the teacher plays the pupil’s piece and the pupil must ‘accompany’ the teacher. Children often show a surprising sensibility and very suitable response in this kind of limited improvisation. • Improvising – there are numerous approaches to improvising with children, from very limited (developing a five-finger pattern for example) to the completely free. Most children enjoy and respond to this impulse, the teacher must work on his own improvisation skills. • Analysing – Discovering patterns, similarities or relationships in the music with the pupil may lead him to use this understanding in their own explorations. • Embracing mistakes – very often working on a certain technical difficulty to master it inspires the child to produce his own piece.

• Repertoire – recognising the pupil’s preferences and “children do not need to strengths when choosing their repertoire shows interest be taught to be creative, and respect for their personality. Creating any significant they are inately so” art is strongly connected to the love of or fascination of the artist with a certain subject. Bibliography • Attention and time – the child needs the interest and Stravinsky, Igor (1975): Poetics of Music in the form of six lessons. acceptance of the teacher – showing one’s own piece is a 3. printing. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press very private revelation, a very personal offering of self. Strawinsky, Igor (1936/1963): An Autobiography. • Notating or recording – the child recognises his W. W. Norton & Co. Inc., New York, NY piece in video, recording or notation - the teacher plays it Mozart, Leopold (Hg. H. Schüngeler): Notenbuch für Nannerl. himself – it is being preserved, valued. Schott ED 3772. Mainz Final considerations Chopin, Frédéric (Hg. E. Zimmermann): Polonaisen. Working with the beginner piano pupil is a great G. Henle Verlag. München-Duisburg responsibility. Their future development at the instrument Prokofjew, Sergej: Erste Klavierstücke. will be determined by these first years. Edition Sikorski Nr. 2276. Hamburg Recognising and protecting the creative nature of the child Prokofjew, Sergej: Musiques d’Enfants. Op. 65. (1936) is part of our job as piano teachers. Boosey & Hawkes. London Creating music pieces for beginners is a challenging Bartók, Béla (1929/1950): Die erste Zeit am Klavier. task that Bartók, Kabalevsky, Bach, Schumann, Leopold Budapest: Editio Musica Mozart took to heart. Some knowledge of children’s creative Agay, Denes (1972): The Joy of First-Year Piano. processes might be interesting and helpful in this endeavour. Yorktown Music Press Inc. New York, NY Many great artists of the 20th century – Picasso, Matisse, Waxman, Donald (1987, 1958): Pageants for Piano. A method Miró, to name a few – held the art of children in high of progressive pieces for piano. Boston, MA: Galaxy Music consideration, studying it and finding inspiration in it. Klee Corporation, ECS Publishing collected his own childhood works and named them his first Fineberg, Jonathan; Andersen, Troels (Hg.) (1995): opi, and his admiration for his son’s art can be observed in Kinderzeichnung und die Kunst des 20. Jahrhunderts. his own work. Kandinsky once said, “There is an enormous Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje force in the child, that is revealed in his art, and makes it as precious or even more so than the art of the adult.” I hope we may also find inspiration for our work with children in observing and valuing their creative output. Marilia Patricio studied Piano and Music Education at the University of São Paulo in her homeland Brazil and received a Master’s of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Texas Christian University in the USA under Steven DeGroote and Caio Pagano. Living in Cologne with her family since 1988, she is active as a pianist, piano pedagogue and church musician. With a long experience in early childhood music education, she developed an early music program and taught courses for kindergarten teachers for many years. In Brazil, USA and Europe she has given workshops and lectures for piano teachers on diverse themes such as Brazilian Piano Music for Beginners, Film Music for Piano, Contemporary 4-Hands Piano Literature for Beginners, and American Piano Teaching Methods, among others. For over 30 years she has collected and analysed compositions of piano pupils, presenting this theme in numerous conferences in Germany, Switzerland and Portugal. Since 2005 she has been a member of the Board of EPTA Germany. HOME 35

Reviews WIENER URTEXT EDITION Menuetts and there are Zwei Stücke would make an intriguing concert item for Orphika - a smaller keyboard of 3½ as well as proving ideal sight-reading UT 50295 Beethoven Klavierstücke octaves. material in the piano lessons. € 28.50 Allegretto in C WoO 56 has hitherto EDITIONS VANDEVELDE All teachers are familiar with remained unnoticed and is a musical Nathalie Bera-Tagrine: Les Soirées Beethoven’s miscellaneous pieces, or at gem. All these lesser-known works musicales du Trans-Sibérien pour least a vast majority of them, and this take pride of place alongside Für Elise piano latest volume from the Wiener Urtext and the Andante Favori which happen house is a real treasure trove. Complete to be the most popular WoO works for The French composer Nathalie Bera- with all Beethoven’s authentic opus piano. Tagrine is well acquainted with the number works, the volume includes necessity of producing new material the WoO pieces as well as two versions The two versions of the latest 2020 for young, beginning pianists and has of the newly-discovered Ländlerischer discovery, Ländlerischer Tanz, show composed several recent volumes. Tanz. Beethoven’s inconclusive left-hand Les Soirées musicales consists of five notation and the difference in the delightful pieces for early intermediate With over sixty works covering two pages is entirely in the left-hand students, with each one telling a almost 200 pages, here is a book notation. One version has chords, lively story. La fête du village opens with offering an exciting journey through while the second has the same chords rhythmic verve while au bord du lac Beethoven’s younger Bonn years where in an arpeggiated format. consists of calm, arpeggiated, left-hand he experiments with many genres figuration and À la patinoire de Gatchina of composition from contrapuntal True to form, the Edition is a mine is a charming waltz. The fourth and Fugues to Preludes, Bagatelles, Rondos, of information on the history and fifth pieces Le danseur étoile and Michel Waltzes, Für Elise, the Op. 77 Fantasie background of every work including Strogoff are a little lengthier and end and Op. 89 Polonaise. a lengthy dissertation on the true the volume with more musical pictures identity of Elise which eventually if technically more demanding. The volume contains the Bagatelles concludes that this mystery will Warmly melodic with mostly diatonic opus 33, 119 and 126 as well as another remain unresolved for posterity. The harmonies, these pieces will extend two short ones WoO216. All three Editor, Jochen Reutter, has uncovered the techniques of all Intermediate Rondos are there and a further two a fascinating and most intellectual pianists. WoO 48 and 49 are included. The treatise on these numbered and HAZEL PUBLICATIONS two opus 39 Preludes are titled for unnumbered works of Beethoven, and New Horizons For Piano edited by piano or organ and both pass through Sheila Arnold’s Fingerings and Notes Colin Hazel all 24 keys with the first one being on Interpretation are detailed and £12 hard copy and £10 digital substantially lengthier than the comprehensive. available from cjhazel.co.uk second. The WoO Prelude in F minor is less well-known, and the three Beethoven’s individual pieces are Recent years have shown researchers contrapuntal voices are full of musical often neglected and this late volume and publishers discovering and casting depth and pathos. is a nudge to all pianists, students and a fresh light on women composers. teachers to revisit this fascinating and This current volume has an important Beethoven was clearly influenced by stimulating musical journey. place in the piano repertoire. Colin Baroque music and composed a few Hazel has researched many historic dances of the time and the Allemande, EDITION DOHR 18918 women composers who were top Angloise and the Zweistimmige and Lothar Graap: Erde singe, dass es performers in their day as well as Dreistimmige Fugues fall into this klinge - £16.50 category. Dances abound in the WoO Light music in five movements for section with Waltzes, Ecossaises, two keyboard instruments 36 For anyone always on the lookout for new music for two pianos at Intermediate level, this latest edition is a good find. Based on the 1741 Catholic Hymn “Earth go singing, let it go ringing” or “Erde singe, dass es klinge”, Lothar Graap has in fact arranged five different versions of this fine melody for two keyboard players. The style is conversational for the two players and each movement transmits a different musical mood. Four of the movements are in the major key while the fourth is far slower and tragic in the minor key. Both players have equally interesting parts with antiphonal effects and chordal passages under the melodic line. This is an unusual piece to add to the two piano library and is ideal for all players of intermediate level. It

fine contributors to the art of piano repertoire. Colin Hazel recently gave It is over a century since the teaching. Long forgotten, these an EPTA UK Webinar on the topic and birth of this remarkable figure who remarkable women have left valuable EPTA UK members were enthralled now deserves to be brought to light contributions to the world of piano to hear this wonderful music which with her most interesting musical pedagogy and fine repertoire. must now play an important part in compositions and more from this all piano-teaching programmes and wonderful female composer is eagerly Hazel has unearthed sixteen recitals. anticipated. charming pieces for Intermediate pianists which span four centuries. BOOSEY & HAWKES SCHOTT The pieces are set out in chronological KASHPEROVA EDITION ED 23374/9 order and there is also a list of BH 13563 Tim Richards: Beginning Jazz Piano order of difficulty for exploring the Leokadiya Kashperova: In the Midst Parts 1 & 2 - £20.50 each wide array of musical styles and of Nature - £14.99 An Introduction to Swing, Blues, technical challenges. The publication Suite for piano solo Latin and Funk includes interesting and informative biographical notes on each composer A new edition by the neglected The indefatigable Tim Richards, demonstrating their position in music Leokadiya Kashperova (1872–1940) already well-established as a fine jazz history. The largest component are is an exciting development in music pianist and teacher, has authored a of French origin with five pieces by publishing. This is the third of ten new jazz teaching course for lessons or Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, Hélène volumes by this remarkable lady whose self-study. Part 1 is titled “Everything de Montgeroult, Louise Farrenc, claim to fame was as the teacher of You Need To Get Started” and covers Marie Jaëll and Mélanie Bonis who Stravinsky and whose music became basic chords and their inversions is represented by three pieces. All buried in the aftermath of a revolution in three lengthy, detailed chapters. others have one piece each. Elisabetta and two world wars. To quote the Intended for self-study, each chapter de Gambarini is of Italian origin, was introduction, “the accumulated deals with a specific chord and its born and lived in London at the same impact of civil strife, two world wars inversions and offers many exercises time as Handel and took part in many and the constantly shifting sands of for trial. The first chapter deals with of his Oratorio performances. The Soviet cultural policy condemned the use of one single chord, the second other English-born composer is Mary her to become a neglected footnote with “Two-chord Vamps” and the third Wurm, of German descent and who to Russia’s musical history”. Her fifty covers the “Three Chord Trick” where settled in Germany and studied with years of musical creativity put her on every melody can be harmonised by Clara Schumann. Francesca Lebrun the international scale as one of the the use of Tonic, Sub-dominant and and Emilie Mayer are of German earliest female Russian composers. Dominant chords. The depth of detail origin. Anna Bonn was Italian, Maria Kashperova’s regular Tuesday-evening covers various types of jazz and the Szymanowska Polish, Agathe Backer musical gatherings in her apartment Pentatonic and Dorian scales. Each Grandal Norwegian, Elfrida Andrée were a fixture not unlike the Chapter has an overview of every piece Swedish and Amy Beach American. celebrated “Korsakov Wednesdays” and and chord uses covered while Tim international concert tours brought Richards is constantly reminding the This volume is a marvellous her to London twice and also Berlin. student to listen all the while. collection of hitherto unknown She frequently performed the sonatas repertoire by a host of composers by her old St Petersburg colleagues Part 2 continues with Harmony, whose existence was hardly recognised Balakirev and Glazunov, as well as Improvisation, Accompanying and and huge gratitude must be offered her own works which included a Reading from lead sheets. Again, three to Colin Hazel for researching, mighty piano concerto. The suite In the lengthy chapters cover the exploration discovering and presenting this Midst of Nature is in six movements in of all scales, more complex chords most approachable and fascinating progressive order of technical demand with their inversions and how to and difficulty and is influenced by her incorporate them into the playing as HOME childhood haunts in remote and rural well as variations of improvised motifs Yaroslavl with its peaceful meadows, on the right hand and tips on how to rivers and forests. Romantic in style, extend and vary them. Accompanying the first two contrasting Roses are skills take up Chapter two with reminiscent of her childhood garden numerous exercises and pieces to with its perfumes and in similar vein, explore while Chapter three covers the ensuing two contrasting Autumn reading from lead sheets and showing Leaves depict calm and wind. The final two movements are more technically 37 demanding and considerably longer representing the Murmuring of the Rye in the vast expanses of her native fields with a constant moto perpetuo of rapid semiquavers on both hands with a melodic line depicted above the movement. The final The Threshing of the Wheat is a hammered rhythmic piece with flying octave chords on either side of a calmer melodious cantabile section.

Reviews continued... step-by-step methods of adding moods from a Funeral March, through The two volumes come together in cross-rhythms and more adventurous a Mazurka, Nocturnes, Etudes and a folder numbered 9416, but, when melodic variation to that given. Arias, while Debussy adds titles to his purchasing them separately, they have impressionist sound pictures to enable different classifying numbers. No matter. This fully inclusive tutor will enable pianists to fully understand the nature every pianist to discover and explore of the music. Scriabin takes the form It is now 27 years since Toll in Moll or the joys of improvising, accompanying even further to atmospheric extremes. ‘Finer in Minor’ was published and it and working with lead sheets with has been a firm favourite with many its wealth of examples and exercises The 40 Preludes are in chronological students over the years. Several young to work through. Tim Richards has order and there are three pre-Bach children only wanted to play music already published the well-received preludes by Fischer, Kuhnau and in minor mode and worked their “Exploring Jazz Piano” method and Couperin before Handel’s popular G way through the book. I have often this latest course has been devised major Prelude which is followed by no wondered why there was no “major” as a response by general request for a fewer than eight Bach Preludes which “Dur” edition and now, long overdue, it “gentler learning curve, catering for include numbers 1 and 21 in C and Bb has finally been published. the complete newcomer to jazz”, which majors from book 1 of the Well-tempered is exactly what Tim Richards has Clavier. Later 18th-century preludes are The 1994 volume containing minor managed to create without ever talking represented by Tischner and Bertini repertoire has never lost popularity down to newcomers and inspiring before five of Chopin’s 24 Preludes for its selection of 24 of the very all pianists to attempt this exciting in every key. Two lesser-known and best pieces of the repertoire. It musical world. yet musically contrasting Preludes by included many firm favourites such as Heller precede three from Kirchner’s Mussorgsky’s The Tear, Grieg’s Goblin, SCHOTT PIANO CLASSICS opus 65. Debussy is represented with Für Elise by Beethoven, Burgmüller’s ED 23405 Des pas sur la neige, La Fille aux cheveux Thunderstorm, Kabalevsky’s Horseman Preludes: 40 Piano Pieces from 5 de lin and Minstrels. Satie’s Véritables and two pieces by William Gillock. The Centuries, ed Monika Twelsiek - préludes flasques dedicated to a dog are new version of this same titled volume £15.50 somewhat unusual and neglected has ten more pages but has replaced making a welcome appearance in this five pieces from the old edition with Monika Twelsiek is renowned for original collection. Scriabin’s Prelude for thirteen new additions by Bertini, her original collections of piano the left hand appears in two formats, one Massenet, Karganoff, Pachulski, music across the centuries based on for left hand alone and one for both Majkapar and John Kember, to name a particular topic – water, emotions, hands as well as three other Preludes a few, making a total of 33 in all. The tempo, toys, animals, ghosts and from opus 11. The book would not be music is laid out in chronological witches, to name a few previous complete without Rachmaninov’s Op. order with both editions of Finer in editions. The latest publication is a 3 No. 2 in C# minor for students to Minor starting with Telemann and Bach collection of 40 Präludien from the aspire to and Gershwin’s Prelude No. while the concluding two pieces are by Baroque era to the present day. In 3 is another to inspire and enthral. Mike Schoenmehl. It is strange to note her lucid and informative Preface on The final three Preludes take another that it is edited by Martina Schneider the history of the Prelude, Monika slant with jazz, pop and swing forming with four other editors while the major Twelsiek explains the improvisatory a neat concluding trio. A Jazz Prelude volume is edited solely by Martina nature of the pieces based on chord from Kapustin’s opus 53, Eduard Pütz’ Schneider. Schneider also provides sequences, arpeggiated figures and Let’s swing Mr Bach and Rainer Mohrs’ the colourful artwork that borders the musical freedom as refined by Bach. Pop Prelude, in memoriam Eduard Pütz end edges of the pages Subsequent preludes became complete the collection as it started, with Bach’s pieces in their own right and the 24 by Prelude No. 1 in C major. The Greater in Major, Toll in Dur Chopin cover a wide range of musical volume also includes 33 pieces and the 38 As with all Monika Twelsiek’s editor has deliberately selected several collections, this latest one on Preludes unknown pieces as well as hitherto is no disappointment. On the contrary, rarely-met composers such as Tischer, it is full of wonderful music spanning Krentzlin and Daniel Heilbach. five centuries with every piece under Dandrieu’s Les Tourbillons is a sheer the umbrella of Preludes showing how delight, as are Zipoli’s Gavotte, Galuppi’s much diversity is possible within one musical form. Undoubtedly, other pianists and pedagogues would select forty different preludes from the same period, but this particular collection provides excellent educational value for all pianists, young and old. EDITION BREITKOPF 9416 Toll in Moll – Finer in Minor & Toll in Dur – Greater in Major ed. by Martina Schneider Ed 9410 Toll in Moll Ed 8936 Toll in Dur

Presto, Majkapar’s Entry of the Marionettes include some of the most interesting piano. With over 3200 listed works by and Glière’s Aux Champs – all rarely- instruction from composers: Satie over 1600 composers, it is clear that heard works. suggests the pianist should play there is no shortage of repertoire out ‘like a nightingale with a toothache’, there. In Hinson’s systematic way, Spanning over four centuries, Messiaen urged the performer to the book is organised in groups of up the two volumes are packed full of sound ‘like someone sharpening a to eight instruments starting with winning numbers that will never scythe’…” duos for piano and every conceivable lose popularity and appeal to all instrument, even saxophone and Intermediate piano students wishing With the text so succinctly another for piano with English horn to enrich their repertoire as they expressed, Wesley Roberts, who and tape. To give an idea of the scope take their piano journey. More studied with Hinson, has had a of this book, the chapter of music for advanced students will also gain much difficult task in expanding it to create three instruments begins at page 299! pleasure in playing through both a second edition. Hinson’s original volumes and selecting any amount edition never reached the EPTA office A comprehensive chapter of over of them as suitable ‘encores’ in their which makes me unable to compare 120 works for piano with one stringed performances. the two versions, but this volume is and one wind instrument forms certainly an invaluable companion to all one of eleven chapters of trios with BOOK REVIEWS pianists and teachers as an aide-memoire different combinations including and mini encyclopaedia on all things Baroque Trio Sonatas. There are six INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS musical. Ideal for compiling programme chapters of quartets with piano and all The Pianist’s Dictionary Second notes, personal research, score study combinations of string, wind and brass Edition $30 and teaching, this excellent musical instruments, four chapters of piano by Maurice Hinson and Wesley dictionary is a must for all pianists. quintets, only two of sextets and single Roberts chapters for the numerous septets and The Piano in Chamber Ensemble octets. This is an absolute hothouse of Maurice Hinson taught for 58 years Third edition $85 chamber music with piano, enabling at the Southern Baptist Theological An Annotated Guide by Maurice pianists to compile any number of Seminary, Louisville. His numerous Hinson and Wesley Roberts ensemble programmes of all genres of publications and music editions have music from different eras. delighted pianists and teachers over I have just come across a review the years including yours truly whose of this fine book in the second issue The repertoire covers five centuries 90cm music shelf is filled with just of the EPTA Piano Journal which of composition with a strong emphasis some of these scores and books. In appeared in 1980. Roger Green on the 20th century as well as the his Preface to the first edition of this wrote the appraisal and managed to standard Classical and Romantic book, Hinson states: “it is a practical spot a curiosity by Hindemith for periods. In his inimitable way, Maurice guide that covers definitions of terms, heckelphone, viola and piano which Hinson has devised abbreviations to performance directions, names of “turns out to be a fine work too offer as much information on each well-known piano pieces, nicknames seldom heard”. This is just to give you work as is possible: publisher and of piano pieces, forms and styles, plus an idea of the breadth and scope of date of publication, number of pages, brief biographies of leading pianists, the volume. The first edition of this duration of performance, titles of each composers and piano manufacturers as excellent compendium was published movement, a few words about general well as neglected repertoire the author in 1978 and was gratefully received by style characteristics and form and a feels is important.” One extra line is many performing instrumentalists in graded level of difficulty. worth the quote: “it is impossible to search of chamber music to play with Wesley Roberts studied with HOME Maurice Hinson and they co-authored several other books. It might not seem possible to add much to Hinson’s original edition, but Roberts has managed to add no fewer than fourteen hundred more works by more than three hundred composers which do encompass the first two decades of the 21st century as well as the great masters of earlier days. A good example is the sextet chapter where Peter Maxwell Davies is represented with one work and Dohnányi follows after one other entry of Diemer. In the third edition, Wesley Roberts has included three other works by Peter Maxwell Davies and Dohnányi is separated in the alphabetical list by four more composers of sextets which includes two by Brett Dean. Similar examples could be multiplied by hundreds to cover the entire volume 39

Reviews continued... but suffice it to say that the enlarged, couple setting up housekeeping on a the prices of pianos became greatly expanded latest volume is an even respectable scale considered a piano reduced and well within the budgets greater treasure trove of wonderful only less indispensable than a kitchen of every family. Another factor was repertoire for pianists to explore when range”… The author captures the sense that the pater familia was the owner of wanting to play in ensembles. To quote that an aura of “classiness” surrounded the purse strings and neither he nor an old favourite: chamber music is a homes with pianos during the late 19th his wife knew how to purchase the conversation between friends. Indeed, and early 20th centuries. best piano and it was frequently the never has a truer word been uttered daughters who were able to make the and this wealth of musical ensembles The book has three main chapters piano selection. will ensure that all pianists will always and a concluding general overview. The be overwhelmed with like-minded second chapter deals with so-called 1851 was the year of the first friends. There is no doubt that the “piano girls” and the centuries-long truly international and historically thrill of making music with friends association of women and keyboard important trade fair, held in London’s can never be overestimated and this instruments. The longest chapter is Crystal Palace and other international fine volume will ensure that pianists the third which deals in detail with trade fairs soon followed in Vienna, are never short of inspirational ideas advertisements from the late 1700s Paris, New York and Philadelphia. when programming concerts of to the early 20th century. It contains Piano ads featured greatly here. chamber music. the best part of 100 pages with a host of incredible illustrations in colour This book reflects the history of BREPOLS and black and white that demonstrate piano advertising and in so doing Selling Pianos with Pictures – the art of clever advertising. It goes gives a fascinating insight into the Commercial Art and Keyboard without saying that the current social social life of the time as well as the Instruments from the Eighteenth media trends were non-existent in adversity and rivalry between the Century to the 1920s by Michael those days and this made it easier to various piano makers. The extremes Saffle $94, €70 or £59 focus on piano playing as an excellent to which advertisers would reach for a EPTA readers can obtain a 20% pastime for young and old as well as good caption are limitless and I prefer discount with the code PR_MVC4 musical soirées in the home being a to quote some examples to illustrate until 30th June 2022 constant occurrence. However, there as they are indeed priceless and were debates on the premise that enormously entertaining. Michael Saffle is Professor of Music “Pianos may be beautiful and cheap and Humanities at Virginia Tech as but purchasers were not made aware of Steinway well as an author on books about Liszt the tone quality” and that is why the The Measure of All Pianos and Wagner, film and television music. advertisements always “emphasised This intriguing book contains a wealth social caché and domesticity rather John Wanamaker of interesting information on the than acoustic excellence”. Musical So Romantic... THIS CHOOSING A history of advertising pianos over the illustrations were most useful in the last two hundred years. Crammed full advertising of other companies such PIANO of illustrations, this large volume falls as a picture of a mother and her two Cecilian Player between the “coffee table” book and small children singing around a piano You are the judge... The evidence of its the useful “reference book”. used to draw attention to a travel company. It was around the turn of perfection The Introduction quotes Bernard the 20th century that the use of an Janssen Pianos Shaw’s “…the piano is the most illustration was always accepted as the Will not stop the tremendous and important of musical instruments; most efficacious form of advertising awful WAR OF EUROPE BUT will its invention was to music what the and piano manufacturers recognised prevent a FAMILY WAR, because invention of printing was to poetry”…. this long before other merchandise they pacify and satisfy HUSBAND, by the 1890s there was a myriad of companies. “Never underestimate the CHILDREN, WIFE and SERVANT. advertisements for pianos and, in power of a label” became the norm and Kranich and Bach Pianos 1990, John Broadwood bought space in it is interesting to recognise that piano Always Ahead almost every newspaper and periodical makers were in the lead with this. Starck Pianos of the time. Interesting to note that Your Home Needs a Starck Piano - rarely did ads cover more than one On the other side of the spectrum, Points of Superiority in Starck column of a page or exceed five inches the book mentions how parents Piano Quality in size. One essential source of piano assumed that if their daughters slogged advertising appeared on the covers at the piano for several hours each day of sheet music which often depicted they would become socially acceptable amusing individuals at magnificent and infinitely eligible for marriage. The keyboards. There are now millions of quotation could almost be appropriate illustrated designs of piano sales and to today’s mores: a young girl…. several are housed in libraries and “against her will struggles on to attain University collections all over Europe at last perhaps not even mechanical and the United States. The ads helped mediocrity”….”the patience of friends to define personal success and social is exhausted and their ears are tortured standing and pianos soon became by the girl’s wretched performances”… fixtures of all upper, and middle for some time pianos were regarded by class, homes. By 1900, “almost every the lower classes beyond their reach 40 but at the turn of the 20th century ,

Not only were pianos advertised but a wonderful reflection on a golden legato were all approached with an also items associated with them such era in which the piano played an understanding of the potential tension as stools, pedal extensions, polish and extremely important place in social that can occur, and there was good, scarves. history. Enormous gratitude and sound, practical advice about how congratulations must be extended to think about the approach to the And there was even a Convertible to Michael Saffle, the author and keyboard and alleviate this. It is very Bedroom Piano from Charles Hess compiler, for his thorough, painstaking Matthay’esque, founded on ideas of in 1866 and it cannot be forgotten research and detailed study into a cessation of effort and use of gravity that a piano is essential for summer hitherto neglected topic and for amongst others. dancing. A delightful comic strip offering the reader an incredible shows impossible children destroying insight into historic aspects of the The videos have a lot of truly the entire household until mother advertising world. A fascinating read excellent content. Perhaps of necessity purchases a player piano and the final and perusal for music historians and they are very explanation-heavy and picture is of the children on the sofa, pianists all over the world, this book sometimes quite long, so it can take sitting absolutely still as they listen to has a place in every library and music some time to find the bit of advice or the wonderful music. salon. information you are looking for. Whilst hovering over the navigation bar gives The covers of sheet music were Nadia Lasserson you instant access to the sub-headings, priceless in their colourful illustrations linked, listed headings on the right- and can be purchased and seen in COURSE REVIEW hand side may have instantly given the archived music collections today. user a quicker sense of what is covered Teaching Healthy, Expressive Piano in the video and where to look. The advent of radio, television and, Technique more recently, guitars and electric A new Online Course by Penelope Sometimes the broader headings keyboards marked the decline of Roskell were also not quite what I expected. the piano’s importance with their When going to ‘Singing touch’, increasing popularity. This book is Following on from the success for instance, I was expecting an of her award-winning book, The explanation of cantabile with hung HOME Complete Pianist: from healthy technique to weight behind the fingers, not the natural artistry (publ. Peters Edition), more delicate articulated touch Penelope has teamed up with publisher used for the RH in the Schubert Eb Informance to produce a series of videos Impromptu D899. Penelope clearly has which gives teachers, both new and a detailed knowledge of the physiology experienced, an in-depth understanding of the hand, but I wondered if of how to teach all aspects of specifically referencing some of technique to students of all levels. the tiniest unconnected muscles is perhaps less helpful than the broader I was fortunate enough to be given principles of gestural movement, as access to the course and was both pupils will not discern these muscles heartened and hugely enthused by independently. what I saw and heard. These are very small reservations When I am introduced to a new though. It is an excellent resource resource for teachers and pianists I and definitely worth taking the time will admit treading very guardedly to explore. Apart from the content, into the resources and material. As a Penelope’s mellifluous voice and gentle professional pianist, teacher and writer pacing makes the material infinitely of my own book on teaching and enjoyable and calmly reassuring. technique, it is hard to be objective if the philosophy and approach is EPTA members can get a 20% completely counter to my own. I discount by entering the voucher therefore dipped into the Principles of code TECHNIQUE22 here: https:// Healthy Technique and other technique- peneloperoskell.co.uk/roskell- specific videos with some trepidation. academy/courses Needless to say, I found myself still watching a good hour later, dipping Anthony Williams into some excellent advice and explanations, and feeling extremely 41 heartened and reassured. Penelope’s philosophy that at the heart of all technique is the musical and expressive end, not mechanical and mindless repetition, immediately put me at my ease. Posture at the piano, use of gestural movement, encouraging a balanced use of the fingers and arm, staccato and

EPTA News - Spring 2022 by Nadia Lasserson EPTA - EUROPEAN PIANO True to style, EPTA has not been idle during the Covid crisis and the TEACHERS ASSOCIATION pandemic has not deterred everyone from activity. Despite enormous The Parent Organisation difficulties EPTA Associations are proud to announce their competitions, Charity Registered Number 1094973 masterclasses, concerts and seminars against all odds. 34 Carver Road, London SE24 9LT 12th–13th November 2021 EPTA Slovenia was finally able to celebrate its Jubilee Tel: +44 (0)20 7274 6821 20th ”Piano Days” Conference due to be held in 2020. It took place in Portorož Email: [email protected] with the Topic “Nature Inspires” with the subtitle of ‘At the 250th Anniversary Founder Carola Grindea of Beethoven’s Birth’. There was a wide array of lectures, round-table discussions Honorary European President and children’s activities ending with a recital by the Slovenian prodigy Aleksander Dominique Merlet Gadžijev who won the 2nd prize at last year’s Warsaw Competition. 1st–4th December Honorary Vice Presidents 2021 EPTA Portugal held its Annual Conference online in order to save its energy Malcolm Troup, Alberto Portugheis for the forthcoming European Conference in 2022. 19th–26th February 2022 EPTA Albania held its XI Duo-Piano Competition in EPTA EUROPEAN PRESIDENT the Tonin Harapi Hall in Tirana. After two cancellations, everyone was excited to Alberto Urroz (President of EPTA Spain) participate and the event was a great success with more entries than ever before. 3rd–4th June 2022 EPTA Albania will run the “Young Pianists’ Festival”. VICE PRESIDENTS EPTA Italy continued the “I Salotti All Presidents of EPTA National Associations Itineranti by Marcella Crudeli” (pictured right) on 29th January 2022 with a EPTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE concert of six-handed repertoire given Chair: Anthony Williams by the Trio Pianiste and another event Secretary: Nadia Lasserson on 26th February 2022 where Cinzia Treasurer: Derek Watson Pennesi performed music by women Members of Executive Committee: composers and there was a talk on Heribert Koch, Alberto Urroz, Alan Paul, “Maths & Physics Hidden in Music”. Susan Bettaney & Luís Pipa EPTA Israel Associates organised an open Forum on “Mistakes, Memorising and Stage Fright” at the Giv’Atayim Conservatory on 25th February 2022 with Website: www.epta-europe.org Yuval Admony leading the panel of Ifat Zeidel, Sara Tal and Mira Gal. Oded Netanel lectured on the topics and Sara Dvir presented Recreational Teaching for the Young. EPTA – the Parent Organisation – is 20th March 2022 EPTA Belgium Wallonie/Bruxelles organised a recital for Tom de constantly expanding not only in Europe Beuckelaer, winner of the 15th Rencontres Internationales des Jeunes Pianistes held but also throughout the world through its in Grez-Doiceau last November 2021. He was invited by the Municipality to perform Affiliations with the most important at the Cultural Centre in Nethen. Piano Teachers Associations: March 2022 After two enforced years of inactivity, EPTA Greece invited the MTNA – Music Teachers National renowned Hungarian Duo Zsigmond Zoltán and Pap Éva to spend a week giving Association masterclasses and to end the week with a two-piano recital. EPTA Greece is anxious Piano Teachers National Association to renew contact with all its members who disappeared during the pandemic. of Japan, Founder: Yasuko Fukuda May 2022 EPTA Greece is planning to continue last year’s plan of a Russian year Japan Piano Teachers Association, and Katya Lebedeva will run masterclasses, concerts and videos on Russian music. President: Prof Akemi Murakami November 2022 will be the time of the third Russian Music event. Canadian Federation of Music It is heartwarming to note that so many EPTA Associations are continuing Teachers Associations, Co-ordinator: with regular activities. 21st May 2022 EPTA Netherlands will resume the Annual Prof Ireneus Zuk Conference and Marilia Patricio will present her work on students’ compositions. Latin American Piano Teachers EPTA Russia will hold the “Bartolomeo Cristofori” International Piano Competition Association (Argentine, Chile, in May 2022 in St Petersburg, EPTA UK continued tirelessly with fortnightly Ecuador, Brazil) webinars and is pleased to announce 6th March 2022 Dr Alison Daubney & Gregory Daubney on Music Performance Anxiety, 20th March 2022 Kat Perdikomati on EPTA ASSOCIATES: Understanding ADHD, 3rd April 2022 Chris and Elza Lusher on “Dogs and Birds EPTA CHINA ASSOCIATES Piano Method” - Teaching Children from 3 Years Onwards, 1st May 2022 Jacqueline Patrick Leichner Vann will present Dance to the Music of Time, 15th May 2022 Jan Loeffler’s is to EPTA NEW YORK ASSOCIATES be confirmed, 29th May 2022 Michael Stembridge Montavont & Frédéric Aguessy Prof Salvatore Moltisanti will discuss The Pianistic Ideas & Ideals of Alfred Cortot Wrist Technique, 12th June EPTA INDIA ASSOCIATES 2022 Pamela Wedgwood on The Rusty Pianist and 26th June 2022 Christopher Founder-Director: Prabhudas Ivanson Norton will present “It’s never over till it’s over! 40 years on with Microjazz Piano”. EPTA ISRAEL ASSOCIATES EPTA UK also continued the extremely successful National Pianists’ Performance Dr. Yuval Admony Platform series with over 200 young pianists participating. EPTA Israel Associates continues to hold meetings in the Giv’Atayim Conservatory on April 29th 2022 with 42 masterclasses given by Einat Fabrikant, a Doctorate graduate from Yale, and on 20th May 2022, EPTA Israel Associates will present Pilar Leyva talking on “Kinesthesia and Re-engineering of hands. Alternatives for the prevention of ailments at the piano”.

Contact information and news from the EPTA international community www.epta-europe.org EPTA Sweden is resuming with its Annual Meeting on 15th May 2022 which will combine with a masterclass. 22nd May 2022 EPTA Sweden will organise a spring concert in the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and the Annual Conference will be held on 1st–2nd October 2022. EPTA Norway is holding its Annual Conference from 4th–6th November 2022 on “Creativity and Improvisation”, with Sigurd Slaattebrekk giving a piano recital; Henning Kraggerud, violin - lecture recital and masterclass; Petter Richer, guitar - lecture recital; Monica Tomescu-Rohde, piano - performance: “The years of Fanny” (Mendelssohn); Haakon Stoering - lecture about improvisation in classical music; and Hilde Ostby - lecture on creativity. EPTA Germany runs two conferences each year in different cities to enable as many members as possible to attend: the first will be held on 27th–29th May 2022 in Halle with the topic of “Music and Crisis”. Its Autumn Conference will be held on 28th–30th October 2022 in Cologne and will deal with the topic “Diversity”. Further details can be found on www.epta-deutschland.de. EPTA Switzerland also runs two conferences each year in different towns: the Spring National Conference will take place on 8th May 2022 in Burgdorf with the topic of “Motivation”. Following volcano destruction in Croatia, it is amazing to note that EPTA Croatia has managed to organise the Laureats Concert in the new Concert Hall in Split on 2nd April 2022 with the three winners of the 11th EPTA Doa Pejacevic International Competition for young pianists – Mia Pecnik, Zvjezdan Vojvodic and Stipe Prskalo – who will perform Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Schumann’s Carnaval Op. 9 and Rachmaninov’s Corelli Variations. EPTA Croatia was determined not to have yet another online competition and this year’s 7th EPTA Svetislav Stančić International Competition will only have its Pre-Selection Round online so that the Semi-final and Final Rounds will be held in the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb on 9th–14th October 2022. Three finalists will perform with the Croatian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra. The closing date for entries is 10th May 2022 and all details can be found on the website, www.svetislavstancic.com.hr. EPTA Denmark is continuing to organise Grade exams and 2022 will expand to take place in two venues in Copenhagen. 10th–16th July 2022 EPTA Denmark will finally resume the International Piano Week Festival after a three-year hiatus. This will take place in the OrkesterEfterskolen in Holstebro (Northern Jutland). The faculty includes Kevin Kenner (Frost School of Music, Miami) and Eero Heinonen (Sibelius Academy, Helsinki). Cancellations were inevitable during the last couple of years and EPTA Slovenia was unable to run the 2020/21 “Pianissimo” Concert Series although recordings were offered to two young pianists, Nastasja Ušumović Češnjevar and Vid Ibic, in works by Mozart, Chopin and Prokofiev. EPTA Slovenia plans to resume “Pianissimo” for young pianists in 2022. EPTA Finland was forced to cancel the 2022 Annual Seminar and it has been rescheduled for 11th–12th February 2023 in Kajaani. Nothing prevented the publication of journals, and EPTA Russia is pleased to announce the appearance on number 84 of Fortepiano, EPTA UK produced issue 57 of Piano Professional and EPTA Slovenia published the 9th edition of Virkla entitled After Beethoven; the 10th edition is now in preparation. Looking ahead to November 2022, EPTA Slovenia will hold the 21st “Piano Days” in Slovenj Gradec and EPTA Italy will organise the 31st Chopin Roma Competition in Rome. EPTA Belgium Wallonie/Bruxelles will run its Biennial Pedagogy Day on 19th November 2022 on the all-too-common problems encountered in children of “Around Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorders”. The next Rencontres Internationales des Jeunes Pianistes will take place in November 2023. Last but not least, the 44th EPTA International Conference will be hosted by EPTA Portugal in Guimarães, from 1st–4th September 2022. HOME 43

EPTA Associations EPTA ALBANIA EPTA BELGIUM-Flanders/ EPTA CZECH REPUBLIC Brussels Honorary President Takuina Adami Founder and Honorary President President Klodi Zheji Honorary Presidents Louise Hesbain, Roland [email protected] Radoslav Kvapil Jordan Misja High School of Arts, Tirana De Munck [email protected] Tel: +355 42 23 743, Mobile: +355 6740 80111 President Levente Kende President Dr Milan Franek [email protected] [email protected] EPTA ARMENIA Secretary Marc Theuns Tel: +420 728 896 891 [email protected] Vice President Dr Jitka Fowler Fraňková Honorary Presidents Prof. Sergey Sarajyan, Mechelsesteenweg 109/6, 2018 Antwerp [email protected] Prof. Armine Grigoryan Tel: +32 3 281 05 95 Tel: +420 775 974 327 President Anna Hambaryan Schnirchova 25, 17000 Praha [email protected] Marleen Geerts-Meeusen www.epta-cz.com Vice President Astghik Bakhshiyan [email protected] [email protected] Secretary Zaruhi Mkrtchyan EPTA BELGIUM-Wallonie/ EPTA DENMARK [email protected] Bruxelles Administrator Laura Barseghyan President Dr Balder Neergaard [email protected] President Diane Andersen Vice president Vagn Sørensen Tserents Armenia. Str. 7a, Apt. 8, [email protected] Secretary (Acting) Balder Neergaard Yerevan – 0032 Lotsesteenweg 186, B -1653 Dworp Treasurer Lise Andersen Tel: +32 2 380 08 27 or +32 1 045 24 03 Committee Members: Mimi Huang, EPTA AUSTRIA Secretary Marie-Dominique Gilles Committee: Dominique Cornil, Pierre-Yves Inke Kesseler, Elisabeth Holmegaard Nielsen, Honorary Presidents Prof. Walter Cuvelier, Jacqueline Lecarte, Antonio Sena, François Groppenberger, Prof. Anton Voigt Thiry, Fabian Jardon, Sabine Lawalree, Pierre Thomas Søren Pedersen President Prof. Till Alexander Koerber [email protected] Honorary members: Anna Øland, [email protected] www.epta-belgium.be for all information in Tel: +43 664 7 36 09 503 French, English and Flemish. Tove Lønskov, Bella Horn, Arne Christensen, Vice President Dagmar Schinnerl Secretary Heidemarie Schneider–Klimpfinger EPTA BULGARIA Elsebeth Brodersen and Eugen Indjic Treasurer Regina Seeber, Project Manager. Søborg Hovedgade 150 1th Claudia Berzé Planning to reorganise. DK-2860 Søborg, Denmark [email protected] Phone: (+45) 41 188 288 Tel: +43 664 777 36 09 503 Email: [email protected] c/o Anton Bruckner University Hagenstrasse 57, A-4040 Linz EPTA CROATIA EPTA ESTONIA www.epta-austria.at / www.bruckneruni.at Honorary President Vladimir Krpan President Lembit Orgse, [email protected] President Ida Gamulin Vice Presidents Lauri Vainma, alauri. [email protected] [email protected], Martti Raide (Chief Vice President Ivanka Kordić Executive), [email protected] and Mati Secretary Helena Herman Mikalai, [email protected] Trg republike Hrvatske 12, 10000 Zagreb Information manager: Riine Pajusaar, www.epta-croatia.hr, www.idagamulin.com [email protected] Committee Members: Ia Remmel (editor of EPTA CYPRUS the annual magazine “Klaver”), Ruth Ernstson, Tiina Muddi, c/o Estonian Academy of Music Planning to re-organise. and Theatre Tatari 13, Tallinn 10116, Estonia Tel: +372 667 5700 www.epta.ee 44

EPTA FINLAND EPTA GERMANY EPTA ICELAND President Katarina Nummi-Kuisma, Presidium: Dr. Jairo Geronymo (Berlin), Honorary President Halldor Haraldsson [email protected] Prof Linde Grossman (Berlin), Heribert Koch President Ólöf Jónsdóttir Kelohongantie 8B, 02120 Espoo Helsinki (Langerwehe), Jens Hamer (Altenberge), [email protected] Tel: +358 405 615 877 Marilia Patricio (Köln) Treasurer Brynja Gísladóttir Vice President Eeva Sarmanto-Neuvonen, Secretary Sigrid Naumann [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Secretary Einar Bjartur Egilsson Meripuistotie 3A 17, 00200 Helsinki Koenigswarter Str. 4, D-36039 Fulda [email protected] Tel: +358 505 266 440 Treasurer Dr. Rainer Lorenz [email protected] Secretary Peter Lönnqvist, [email protected] www.epta.is [email protected] Nittenauer Str. 31, 93057 Regensburg Orvokkitie 25, 00900 Helsinki Finland Tel: +49 (0)3212 123 1940 Tel: +358 505 658 503 www.epta-deutschland.de Committee Members: www.epta-germany.org Rebekka Angervo, [email protected] Antti Hotti, [email protected] EPTA GREECE EPTA IRELAND Eveliina Kytömäki, [email protected] President Natalia Michailidou Patrons: Frank Heneghan, Philip Martin, John Katariina Liimatainen, [email protected] [email protected] Vice Presidents: Dora Bakopoulos and Kalliopi O’Conor, Hugh Tinney Treasurer/Webmaster Arkko Niini, President Owen Lorigan [email protected] Germanou CommitteeVictoria Whittam and Nicolas Puyane Editor of Pianisti Magazine Tuomas Mali, Secretary Sofia Dousia Administrator Eithne Gallagher [email protected] Treasurer Kostas Tourkakis 16 Rowanbyrn, Blackrock, Co. Dublin www.eptafinland.fi Public Relations Stefanos Theodoridis Tel +353 1 289 3701 Member of executive committee Sara [email protected] EPTA FRANCE www.epta.ie, www.facebook.com/ Galanopoulou EPTAIreland President Véronique Bonnecaze Vice-President Vittorio Forte EPTA HUNGARY EPTA ITALY Treasurer Philippe Yared Secretary Jesse Berberian President Mariann Ábraham President Marcella Crudeli 68 boulevard de Courcelles - 75008 PARIS [email protected] [email protected] www.epta-france.org [email protected] Secretary Silvia Rinaldi Email: [email protected] Hollosy, S.u.15, 1126 Budapest Via Pierfranco Bonetti 90, 00128 Rome Tél. +33 (0)1 46 22 31 85 Tel/Fax: +361 356 05 62 Tel +39 06 507 3889 Ou +33 (0)7 88 55 15 94 www.parlando.hu Committee: Lear Maestosi, Carla Giudici www.chopinroma.it/eng www.eptaitaly.it [email protected] EPTA GEORGIA 45 Honorary Presidents Alexandre Toradze, Valerian Shiukashvili President Nino Khutsishvili [email protected] Dolidzestr 28, ap. 87, 0115 Tbilisi, Georgia Vice Presidents: Sidonia Arjevnishvili, Ketevan Badridze, Maka Baqradze and Levan Inashvili HOME

EPTA Associations continued... EPTA LATVIA EPTA NETHERLANDS EPTA ROMANIA President Juris Kalnciems President Bart van de Roer There are plans to re-organise EPTA [email protected] [email protected] Romania. Secretary Diana Zandberga Vice President Liesbeth Eggen [email protected] Secretary Elize van den Berg, secretaris@ EPTA RUSSIA Rīgasiela 4-3, Baloži LV-2112 Latvia eptanederland.nl Tel: +37 126 204 457 Tel +31 645 085 533 President Irina Osipova Foreign Affairs Co-ordinator Toms Ostrovskis Treasurer Mariska de Waard, [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Leninskiy Prospect (avenue) 64/2 Apt 150, http://www.music.lv/epta/events2017.htm Committee: Olga de Kort-Koulikova, Marc Moscow 119296 www.music.lv/epta/welcome.htm Tel: +7 499 1371526 / Mob: +7 903 6155155 Pauwels, ArielleVernède & Lestari Scholtes www.iospiano.ru www.eptanederland.nl EPTA Russia Structure: EPTA LITHUANIA EPTA NORWAY Chelyabinsk (Ural) – Chairman Andrey Nechaev Kaliningrad – Chairman Vladimir Slobodyan President Kestutis Grybauskas Honorary President Einar Steen-Nøkleberg Petrozavodsk – Chairman Victor Portnoy [email protected] President Otto Graf Rostov-on-Don – Chairman Vladimir Daych Latvia 7-2, 08123 Vilnius LT Vice President Radmila Stojkovic, Samara – Chairman Sergey Zagadkin Tel: + 370 521 38 771, + 370 614 15535 [email protected] Sochi – Chairman Tatyana Agafonova Secretary Aurelija Seliavienė Treasurer Otto Graf, Tambov – Chairman Irina Tsareva [email protected] [email protected] Tver – Chairman Galina Solodova Tel: + 370 620 91291 www.epta.no Ufa – Chairman Rustam Gubaydullin EPTA MACEDONIA EPTA POLAND EPTA SERBIA President Todor Svetiev President Karol Radziwonowicz Honorary Presidents: Arbo Valdma [email protected] Vice President Juliana Zabeva EPTA PORTUGAL and Dušan Trbojević [email protected] President Miloš Pavlović Secretary Dragoljub Apostolov Honorary members: Artur Pizarro, Fernando [email protected] c/o Academy of Music, PituGuli 1, 91000 Laires and Helena Sá e Costa (both deceased) EPTA Serbia Faculty of Music and Arts, Skopje President Luís Pipa, [email protected] Kralja Milana 50, Belgrade 11000 Tel: +389 91 231614 Caminho do Agro, 47, 4900-012 AFIFE, Tel: +381 11 362 1170 Portugal EPTA MALTA Tel: +351 258331860 EPTA SERBIA–VOJVODINA Mobile: +351 934210439 Honorary President Fransina Abela http://epta-lusa.pt/ President Tatjana Vukmanović President Evelina V. Batey https://www.facebook.com/eptaportugal EPTA Voyvodina, Isidor Bajić Music School, [email protected] Njegoševa 9, 21000 Novi Sad Tel: +356 9980 2226 [email protected] Secretary Shirley Psaila [email protected] | Tel: +356 2142 1112 www.epta-malta.com Facebook: Malta Piano Teachers Association EPTA Malta 46

EPTA SLOVAKIA EPTA SWEDEN EPTA CHINA ASSOCIATES President Ida Černecká President Eva Lundgren President Patrick Lechner Head of Keyboard and Dean of the Music [email protected] [email protected] Faculty at the Bratislava Academy. Ruddammsvägen 33, 11421 Stockholm Executive Secretary Dongyang Yu Vice Chairman Martin Tell Tel +86 28 6511 8239 EPTA Slovakia continues to organise annual Secretary Per Olsson Mobile +86 15 2288 11881 events. Vice Secretary Irina Krjutjkova-Lind [email protected] Treasurer Johan Sandback www.epta-china.org Committee: Natalia Kazimirovskaia, Vesna Mattsson, Andreas Juhlin, Ola Råbius-Magnusson and Stefan Gustavsson www.sppf.net EPTA SLOVENIA EPTA INDIA ASSOCIATES Honorary president Dubravka Tomšič Founder/Director Prabhudas Ivanson Srebotnjak Honorary member Majda Jecelj [email protected] President Suzana Zorko DKPS EPTA, Ižanska 12, 1000 Ljubljana EPTA SWITZERLAND EPTA ISRAEL ASSOCIATES Vice President Dejan Jakšič [email protected] President Tomas Dratva Chairman Yuval Admony Committee members: Nuša Gregorič, [email protected] Committee Miriam Boskovich, Dr. Einat Miha Haas, Božena Hrup, Dejan Jakšič, Jurastrasse 45 , 4053 Basel Fabrikant, Prof. Eitan Globerson, Prof. Emanuel Davorin Dolinšek, Sanja Šehić, Julija Kunova, Tel +41 78 612 36 30 Krassovski,, Dr. Ron Regev, Dr.Michal Tal Jana Stojnšek, Sanja Šehić Vice-President Saori Miyazaki Secretary Natalie Yontov Address: Društvo klavirskih pedagogov Committee members Wolfgang Clausnitzer, Academy of Music and Dance, Jerusalem; Slovenije EPTA, Stari trg 34, 1000 Ljubljana Buchman – Mehta School of Music, Tel-Aviv www.epta.si, www.epta.si/eng Kathrin Schmidlin, Susanne Schwarz, Raphaël Sudan University Secretary Mrs. Margot Müller [email protected] EPTA SPAIN Haus der Musik, Gönhardweg 32 CH-5000 www.epta-israel.org Aarau / Switzerland Honorary President Ana Guijarro Mobile: 0041 76 539 76 45 President Alberto Urroz [email protected] [email protected] epta.ch bluewin.ch C/Luis Vives, 8. 4º A. E-28002 Madrid [email protected] Tel: +34 915 630 807 www.epta.ch Mobile: +34 639 894 349 Vice-President Marcela Linari EPTA UKRAINE ALAPP Argentina (Association of Secretary Pablo López de la Osa [email protected] Planning to reorganise. Latin American Pianists and Pedagogues) Treasurer Paloma Molina President Valentín Surif www.epta-spain.com EPTA UK [email protected] Arcos 2030, 15 “C” Buenos Aires (1428) HOME Founder Carola Grindea Tel: (54-11) 4784-0583 Patron Piers Lane Secretary Estela Telerman, Treasurer Lilia Chairman Aaron Shorr Noguera, Members: Alfredo Corral, Ana María Administrator Yvonne Cheng Mondolo, Deputy Members: Martha Bongiorno, [email protected] Tel: +44 771 931 6333 Guillermo Carro www.epta-uk.org Auditor Gloria Diograzia Val www.musicaclasicaargentina.com/surif, www.valentinsurifpianist.com MTNA Music Teachers National Association 47

2022 SUMMER INTENSIVE SEMINARS Join leaders in the field for five interactive, online seminars discussing a range of relevant and engaging topics. Each two-day summer seminar will provide a balance of foundational and innovative teaching ideas through engagement with seminar leaders and guest presenters. July 12 – 13 July 14 – 15 July 21 – 22 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Studio Business Music of Latin America with Heather Smith with Leah Claiborne with Luis Sanchez July 26 – 27 July 28 – 29 Explore our website Collegiate Group Piano Intermediate Students with Andrea McAlister for complete with Pamela Pike seminar schedules REGISTER BY MAY 1 FOR EARLY-BIRD PRICING claviercompanion.com/summer-intensives ONLINE COURSES Our online courses provide opportunities for self-paced study. Explore our website for a complete list of courses. � NEW! Hidden Gems: Four Centuries of Piano Music by Women Composers � � Unsung Heroes in Piano Pedagogy: 20 Pieces by Black Composers to Use in Your Studio Now � � A Pianist's Guide to Studio Management � � A Pianist’s Guide to Teaching in Groups � And more… ENROLL TODAY TO JUMP-START YOUR SUMMER LEARNING! claviercompanion.com/courses HOME