Piano Journal 127 interactive

JOU R NAL EUROPEAN PIANO TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION Lessons with Continuing our Solomon - as exploration into chronicled in the the technique of diaries of pupil Ella Pounder Marcel Ciampi, and Rachmaninoff, Julian chordal composer Jacobson on preparing for Joseph a Beethoven Banowetz Marathon obituary Till Koerber A dip into in conversation the Piano Journal Archives NEWS – INTERVIEWS – REVIEWS THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL FOR PIANISTS AND PIANO TEACHERS ISSUE 127 AUGUST 2022 £3

Founder Carola Grindea JOU R NAL ISSUE 127 AUGUST 2022 Editor Anthony Williams [email protected] CONTENTS 3 Editorial by Anthony Williams Editorial Consultant Nadia Lasserson 4 Till Alexander Koerber in conversation [email protected] Tel: 020 7274 6821 with Nadia Lasserson Designer/proofreader Helen Tabor 7 On preparing for a Beethoven Marathon helentaborcreative.com by Julian Jacobson Piano Journal – EPTA’s official organ – is published three times a year. 1 0 Lessons with Solomon | The Diaries of Ella Pounder It includes interviews with great pianists of our time, important articles relevant by Richard McMahon and Anthony Williams to piano performance and teaching, book and music reviews, and EPTA news of 1 5 The Technique of Marcel Ciampi, Part Two activities in all EPTA Associations. by Bernard King Available by subscription, from the EPTA website: epta-europe.org 2 1 Rachmaninoff, chordal composer, Part 3 As from now, Piano Journal will be available solely online at a rate of £3 per by Kris Lennox digital copy with special rates for bulk orders. 2 8 Obituary: Joseph Murray Banowetz A few hard copies are printed and rates by Nancy Lee Harper are UK (2nd class) £21, EU £30, ROW £36 2 9 From the Archives: issues 38, 39 & 40 ISSN 0267 7253 by Nancy Litton epta-europe.org 3 4 Reviews The opinions expressed or implied, the methods 4 1 EPTA News recommended or advice given in the Piano Journal 4 4 EPTA Associations 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. 2

EDITORIAL If you would like to Awealth of interesting articles awaits you in this fascinating edition of Piano Journal. contribute an article about We say a sad farewell to Joseph Banowetz, a long-time member and supporter any area of piano teaching, of the EPTA community who leaves behind a legacy of wonderful publications, interpretation or performing, wisdom and inspired pupils. His obituary by Nancy Lee Harper appears here, but equally so or if there is a pianist you does a wonderful review of his recent publication on fingering by Nadia Lasserson. think we should interview, then please do not hesitate The teachings of two legendary pianists and pedagogues are passed on to our readers to email me: by two completely different routes. Bernard King continues to give his insights into the [email protected] teaching of Marcel Ciampi and a light is shone onto the teaching of the great British pianist Solomon in the first of a series of fascinating diary entries from a former pupil, inherited and kindly shared here by Richard McMahon. Those eagerly awaiting Kris Lennox’s final conclusions on Rachmaninoff as a chordal composer won’t be disappointed, as he demonstrates how in-depth musical analysis can be a powerful tool in Authorship Authentication. Couple these with a warm-hearted and absorbing interview with Till Alexander Koerber, President of EPTA Austria and Professor at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz, and a behind-the-scenes insight into the reason behind and preparation required for a complete performance from memory of all 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas by Julian Jacobson and you certainly have plenty to keep you entertained and absorbed. Anthony Williams FEATURED GUESTS Yefim Bronfman Lara Downes Michelle Cann and Yu-Jane Yang and Kimberly Cann Shi-Hwa Wang Tuesday Recital Keynote Address Cann Sisters Piano Duo Formosan Violin-Piano Duo There is a place for Opening Session Recital Opening Session Recital you at the 2023 MTNA National Conference MASTER CLASSES AND TEACHING DEMONSTRATION in Reno, Nevada! Angela Cheng and Dennis Alexander Melody Bober Mark your calendars Alvin Chow to attend this grand, Intermediate Piano Elementary Piano in-person reunion Advanced Piano of the music Lisa Bastien and Lori Bastien teaching profession March 25–29, 2023. Elementary Piano Teaching Demonstration For more information or to register, visit www.mtna.org 3

In conversation with Till Alexander Koerber by Nadia Lasserson Till Alexander Koerber has Till, you came to EPTA unknown to us all except been President of EPTA for the recommendation of Anton Voigt - which gave Austria since 2016. He is us more than enough introduction and confidence in only the fourth President since it welcoming you. was founded by Sebastian Benda, Professor at the Graz University Tell us about yourself and your childhood. Were your of Music and Performing Arts parents musicians and did you grow up with music (and from an entire family of around you? professional musicians). Walter Groppenberger followed in There were no musicians in my family but my sisters and I Benda’s footsteps in 1995 and played music anyway. My father loved Beethoven. We sang a presided until 2006 when Anton lot in the family. I have always composed since my childhood, Voigt, Professor at the Anton especially for my puppet theatre. Bruckner Private University of Music, Drama and Dance in Linz, Who was your first teacher and where did you study? took over. I had my first piano lessons at the age of six. My teacher, Erik Valentin, was actually an entertainer and a songwriter “I have always but his lessons were well grounded and gave me a good composed since foundation. When I was twelve, he sent me away and I my childhood, began lessons with Robert-Alexander Bohnke, with whom I especially for my studied for a total of eleven years, most recently as a student puppet theatre” at the Musikhochschule Freiburg. At sixteen I started having singing lessons and an education as a choral conductor. In my school days I played a lot of chamber music. How did your career as a musician develop? After graduating from high school, I studied piano in Freiburg im Breisgau with choral conducting as a second study. I accompanied a large number of song recitals with professional singers and had the chance to perform in famous concert halls including two performances in the London Wigmore Hall. In 1990 I continued my piano studies in Vienna with Hans Petermandl. At that time I mainly played contemporary music, and so was allowed to teach the subject “contemporary 4

piano music” from 1994 onwards at the Musikhochschule sonatas; Arnold Schoenberg: all piano works; Franz Liszt: Graz, even before I graduated in Vienna. I gave the students sacred piano music, Ernst Krenek: many piano works. an introduction to music after 1945 and also led the practical course. That gave me a lot of pleasure! But my life does not belong to music alone. Our five children take very different paths, and time with them In 1999 I then got a professorship at the Anton Bruckner broadens the horizon a lot. Private University, first for piano chamber music, then also for piano solo. I was Dean for two years, and for a couple of My hobby is philosophy. But I’m still a student there. years I was head of the department for gifted children. Today I teach chamber music, piano, didactics and pedagogy in Is your current post academic or practical, or both? Or classes where the students supervise each other and analyse do you combine both at different institutions? scores together while also preparing their solo and chamber music repertoire. My first job at the university is teaching piano. Chamber music lessons are also part of my teaching duties. I gather that much of your time is spent performing chamber music. Is this your speciality? I like teaching didactics very much, because we can talk about everything that seems important to me for pedagogical I make a lot of music with the Merlin Ensemble Vienna work: about aural training in piano lessons, about ways (www.merlinensemblewien.at), from duos to septets, from of empathy, about cultural and educational policy, about Mozart to world premieres, right across the repertoire. With historical contexts and cultural imprints, about analysis, the ensemble we also work a lot with actors. In “normal about respect and appreciation through teaching. I always times” we have one to three concerts a month. But perhaps teach my students to accept the gift of the music when a my speciality is composing. When I have time to compose, student prepares a work for any lesson. I am always very happy. I have mainly written vocal works, from songs to oratorio. A few orchestral works have had Do you have direct contact with other departments at the good fortune to be performed very well. A symphony is the university to create such a diverse musical arena? still waiting for its first performance. (On my website www. tillalexanderkoerber.at is a catalogue of works.) I include one The Anton Bruckner Private University is a rather small of my compositions in some of my concerts. institution. We have many opportunities for cooperation. We can bring students together for projects with actors, dancers, With five children, like your predecessor Sebastian singers and instrumentalists of all kind. I, myself, have Benda, do you perform chamber music as a family? already initiated and carried out several such joint projects, mostly in connection with music of the 20th and 21st centuries. One of my sons is a bassoonist and we performed together but as a family, we all sing whenever we are together. Now How contemporary are your musical interests? For that the children are bigger, my wife and I play music instance, do you engage with extended techniques/ together more often again. She is a cellist. prepared piano? Have you had a life of performing and how much of I am aware that my students must be exposed to this and this was solo piano? may be interested so I suggest a more competent teacher in this field when they wish to follow this musical path. I don’t play very much as a soloist but have always focused on selected projects: Olivier Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur What are your views on competitions and do you l’Enfant-Jésus; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s complete piano encourage your students to enter competitive events? I always inform my students about competitions and those that wish may enter but this does not occur too often. Sebastian Benda Anton Bruckner Private University, Linz Photo: Simon Bauer HOME 5

I prefer the freedom of repertoire and lack of deadline “I cure the pain through pressures, but if a student is interested, then of course, I am the music and use piano happy to encourage and help in the preparation. As usual, it playing against pain” is up to the individual student and the set repertoire. I do not often sit on competition juries but I do enjoy attending the And you do realise that it was our last live Conference Takács Competition as an adjudicator. I shall be going there until 2021?! later this year. I very much hope that we will be able to meet each other Do you help your students deal with physical stress if face-to-face again soon! ever they have pains? How do you help? Yes, EPTA Spain was successful in running its fantastic I can honestly say that my students do not experience pain Conference live in Madrid, last September before the or stress as I am particularly careful to avoid these problems following lockdown. And EPTA Portugal very much hope right from the start. I cure the pain through the music and to run their coming Conference in September 2022 live. use piano playing against pain, helping them to enjoy the Will you be attending? sound and work the body with the music rather than from an external stance. They must feel the music with their whole Yes, I plan to be there although I will have to leave early body rather than with their fingers. I encourage my students as I am conducting the Fauré Mass on Sunday 4th September, to answer to the score and not to fulfil it. My wife is a cellist here in Austria. I keep myself busy without stress. and is reading a book by William Pleeth who also talks about being at one with the instrument. I am sure this is universal We all look forward to seeing you again after such a across all instrumentalists. long time and thank you. I leave Till Alexander Koerber to have the final word showing what a wise and generous How did you come to decide on the topic for the teacher he is. hugely successful 41st EPTA International Conference you ran in 2019 - “Piano & More – Facets of a Versatile I would like to say one more thing: even if the world often Instrument”? looks bad, meeting the young students fills me every time with great hope and confidence, and with gratitude. We came up with the theme together with the team of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW). It was general enough so that there was room for as many different aspects as possible. Without the great support of the MDW, none of this would have been possible and it attracted many Austrian teachers who were not EPTA members as well as many visitors from abroad. It was actually one of the largest and best-attended EPTA Conference in several years; everyone wanted to come to Vienna and the teamwork was incredible. Yes, our EPTA team is really very good. I look forward to every board meeting. We are all open and eager to learn – and we are open for surprises. We have had two changes of Committee members since the Vienna Conference and they bring fresh, younger energy into our team. Now that COVID is fading, we have many exciting plans for moving EPTA Austria forward. In May 2022, we had our first live conference since lockdown on “Piano Playing and Sensuality” which was well attended, and this year, we will run two conferences to bring our members back. November 2022 will be our large Annual Conference and the topic will be “The Universe of Application”. Our aim is to organise one large Annual Conference with online meetings in between which may link with universities across the country as well as neighbouring countries. We are beginning to plan a piano competition which will include new works for young pianists and we aim to get composers writing for this event. I cannot tell you more at this stage as this is still in the embryo stages. 6

On preparing for a Beethoven Marathon by Julian Jacobson What are the challenges and genius. By this time I’m on a high, rewards of such a venture? and then comes a much-needed (by On 12th November at everyone) short break, followed by the St John’s Church The first question to be asked is why ultimate challenge of Op. 101 and the Waterloo, 9am–10pm, on earth should one even attempt Hammerklavier. Suddenly I’m on the the pianist Julian Jacobson to play the 32 opus-numbered solo homeward stretch of Op. 109, 110 and 111 will perform all 32 Beethoven Beethoven piano sonatas back-to-back without quite realising how I got there. Sonatas, a feat that involves a in a single day? A question that usually mental and physical focus and burns itself into my consciousness It was some 20 years ago that the stamina we can all recognise around 11am, by which time I’ve idea suddenly came to me that it might and admire. already been playing for two hours, be possible and interesting to play maybe five sonatas. I’m already feeling them all in a single day. I had at that “I didn’t want tired yet realise I’m in for the long haul. time already given seven complete to get to 70 and cycles in the normal way, in eight tell people that At this point I usually tell myself well-spaced concerts usually over a I’d had the idea never to even think of ever doing few months. I did the timings and but didn’t have it again. But I plough on, as what found that by omitting most of the the courage else can I do? At a certain point, all exposition repeats (never, however, to follow it being well, I suddenly realise I’m the repeats in minuet/scherzo and through” going to make it, usually around the trio or variation forms) it would take Op. 22 or 26 mark. That gives me the around 11 hours’ playing time. Having HOME adrenalin kick to keep going. And then conceived the idea it wouldn’t let comes the Moonlight and the famous me go. I remember saying to friends middle period masterpieces, Tempest, that I didn’t want to get to 70 and tell Waldstein, Appassionata, Les Adieux, works people that I’d had the idea but didn’t which bear one aloft by their sheer 7

have the courage to follow it through. “For the listener playing than one might do at a busy And so in October 2003 I did my first who stays the festival - rehearsing 10am–1pm for an “marathon”, at St James Piccadilly, and course ... it evening concert, then 2pm–5pm for survived it! can be very a concert later in the festival, then illuminating the evening concert. I find it best not In an unforgettable moment at the to follow even to think of the stamina element end the St. James clock began to strike Beethoven's but focus all my concentration on the ten just as I reached the sublime final unparalleled sonata I’m playing at the moment. notes of Op. 111. I remember going to musical and the pub immediately after and sinking spiritual For the listener who stays the course two pints with barely a pause for development” (and there are always a few!) it can be breath, the third pint taking just a little very illuminating to follow Beethoven’s longer. I then went with friends for a I generally play the sonatas in unparalleled musical and spiritual Lebanese meal and ended up getting chronological opus number order. development from the unpolished home at 5a.m. In other words, I was on I know that the two little Op. 49 rough diamond of Op. 2 No. 1 to the a total high! I repeated the marathon sonatas are much earlier than their realised sublimity of Op. 111. There is in 2004 (Harrow Arts Centre) and 2013 opus number indicates but by then the also, I hope, interest in hearing these (St Martin-in-the-Fields). After the audience and I are surely in need of a with a unified conception, rather than 2013 performance I swore I’d never do bit of light relief. I’ve also twice taken with 32 different pianists, though it again. the Hammerklavier out of sequence, that itself has its own interest. In any playing it much earlier in the day to case, one of the unique joys of the Then came two things: the avoid having it hanging over me and Beethoven sonatas is that Beethoven Beethoven 250th anniversary year of having to play it when I’ve already never repeats himself (“Art demands of 2020, and the pandemic. The former been playing for ten hours, but am not us that we do not stay still”, as he said meant that the Beethoven Piano intending to on this occasion. quite late in life), so I do not feel like Society of Europe (of which I’m one pianist playing Beethoven in my the chairman) put on all 32 sonatas, As for playing from memory, I own way, but rather 32 pianists. If not intended to be played by 32 different simply cannot conceive of doing it any 99 (a different one for each movement, pianists; the latter meant that I took other way: I feel it would come over if I’ve counted correctly). over several of the sonatas myself from merely as a more or less well practised pianists who could not travel. I also read-through if I used the scores and It is absolutely not my intention to performed different single sonatas would lack the inner concentration simply “get through them” more or in several other complete sonata that memory playing forces on one. less unscathed. I am restudying every traversals, including one organised Again I have made an exception for sonata intensely, consulting new (or by Radley College at the Sheldonian, the Hammerklavier with its super- new to me) editions, rethinking old Oxford, just days before lockdown, challenging fugue finale, having read habits, re-fingering throughout. My where all the sonatas except for a few that Busoni, no less, always placed own playing has certainly changed in guest appearances were played by the music on the stand for the fugue. the last nine years. At the beginning of young pianists from Radley, Dulwich I did that myself in 2013 and may or my one-year period of restudy I made College and St Helen and St Katherine. may not do it this time. The greater a conscious decision not to listen to problem anyway is just keeping them any performances or recordings of the I wrote programme notes for all the all up to scratch in a technical sense. sonatas at all, apart from professionally sonatas, gave several other one-off While I cannot hope for a note-perfect (competitions, examining or teaching). performances, taught, coached, wrote performance of all 32, I hope that none If one happens to come up on the and lectured on the sonatas, so they of them will slip below a certain level radio, I rush to switch it off! Many ended up feeling almost part of my where the listener can fully engage years of listening to all the greats DNA. I also gave a cycle of the cello with Beethoven’s dramatic argument and many of the not-so-greats have sonatas and variations with Adrian and poetical inspiration. given me much inspiration and many Brendel. insights: but you can listen to, for There is obviously the question instance, Serkin, decide something is I then took most of 2021 away from of stamina, and I suppose more so wonderful and try to do it like that, Beethoven, playing Haydn, Chopin, as I reach my three-quarter century. and a week later hear Barenboim Debussy, Kapustin, concertos and But after all it is not that much more and decide that’s better and you’ll chamber music… but it wasn’t long do it like that instead. In the end we before I began to find myself hankering have to be responsible for our own after one last go at the marathon. I interpretations and I decided to shut originally planned this to be in 2023 as out all external influences and make the 20th anniversary of my first one, my own misjudgments! Of course, this but decided to bring it forward to 2022 goes only for the piano sonatas and as my personal 75th birthday challenge! I have been listening to many great I will repeat it a week later in Uruguay recordings of the symphonies and on my actual birthday, and am very string quartets. much assuming that will be my last one. But you never know! 8

I have at least twelve editions of the I’m often asked what my favourite learnt by young performers, and in sonatas, including the Tecla reprints of sonata is. My general answer, for cases where I didn’t, I have to spend the very first publications. In general I many years, has been the late A major an inordinate amount of time fixing work from the new Bärenreiter edition Op. 101: nothing compares with the “technical” passages and committing (in which I had a small advisory role): graceful, open-hearted lyricism of its the detail to memory. I did not in fact it’s the cleanest and most up-to-date of first movement, the stirring thrill of specialise in Beethoven in my studies all editions, also having the advantage the March, the unearthly weirdness or early career and am perhaps the of no fingering (apart from Beethoven’s of the short slow movement and the only Beethoven pianist who learnt the own, which is often unusable anyway), jubilant triumph of the Finale. One is Pathétique and Moonlight Sonatas at the which forces me to decide exactly what not surprised to find clear echoes in advanced age of 45! fingering works best for me and for Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt and the music as I conceive it. But I would even Wagner who said he drew on its And the music itself? What can not want to be without the insights first movement for his idea of “endless one say that has not been said a from many famous editions of the melody”. But one should be wary: it is thousand times before. Sviatoslav past, particularly Schnabel, Hans von an experimental sonata and it’s easy to Richter thought that the piano sonatas Bülow and the now rather forgotten, give it a special status on that account. contained the greatest of Beethoven exuberant edition of Alfredo Casella. So that in the end I would not like to and I am not so far from agreeing In the end, with so many sonatas to say I love it more than, say, the E major with him. Though there are certainly prepare, I cannot spend that much time Op. 14 No. 1, my first complete sonata times when I prefer Mozart, Schubert, worrying about minute textual details, apart from the Op. 49s. As for a least Wagner, Debussy, Ravel or modern provided I’m happy that I have as clean favourite, well I do have one and it jazz, I always return to Beethoven and an Urtext as possible as my basis. might surprise people to know which find him the most human and honest it is, but I’m certainly not going to of all composers. I find him also the Most of us are much more conscious divulge it here! greatest actual “composer” in the literal of the issues and problems with playing sense of “putting together”. He is Beethoven on a modern concert grand Certain sonatas need more practice, constantly reinventing his structures than we were even in 2013 when I did and not necessarily the ones that one to convey his always powerful my last marathon. There is at least one would like to spend the most time thematic inspiration, his 32 sonatas are great modern recording of the cycle on musically or interpretatively. The utterly rock-solid and never cease to on fortepiano (Ronald Brautigam) and early sonatas are the product of a challenge, inspire and move me. I hope mainstream artists such as András young virtuoso also bent on making that you will want to join me on my Schiff not infrequently play and record his mark as a performer. They are best ongoing “Beethovenreise”! Beethoven on old instruments. Nobody adds extra notes that weren’t on 9 Beethoven’s pianos any more, or very few (the odd extra notes in Op. 10 No. 3 being an exception, where Beethoven was so very clearly straining for an extended range). I did in fact initially plan to play the first twelve sonatas (up to Op. 26) on a fine fortepiano but the logistics were too complicated. Performances on a modern piano are to a certain extent transcriptions, though less so than in the case of J. S. Bach. But I remain convinced that one can play with complete stylistic adherence on the modern piano, provided you don’t play it with a touch, sonority and pedalling more suited to Rachmaninoff, or even Brahms, or, come to that, Mozart or Haydn. Beethoven is in many ways a transitional composer: both the piano and his own style went through enormous changes between 1790 and 1827, so one cannot and should not attempt to find a single “Beethoven sound”. Again, for me, it comes back to making a relationship with every single sonata and indeed every single movement. HOME

Lessons with Solomon The Diaries of Ella Pounder Co-authors: Richard McMahon & Anthony Williams The renowned pianist Ella Pounder MBE was a fine performer and dedicated teacher. She was a student at the Royal Academy of Music and gave many concerts during the war, particularly in the North of England, often working with Kathleen Ferrier and Isobel Baillie as both soloist and accompanist. As a teacher she taught many distinguished pianists in her influential career and was notable for having received lessons from the legendary British pianist Solomon Cutner from December 1939 to March 1940. The hand-written diaries she kept of these 26 lessons, and inherited by Richard McMahon, offer a compelling and fascinating insight into the technical understanding and teaching of Solomon who had the reputation of revisiting the fundamentals of piano technique with anyone he agreed to teach. 10

His demands on the student seem punishing by today’s immovable thing, or a firm, set, rocklike thing?” The latter is standards and very traditional in terms of approach to finger the truth, because the point towards which the key moves is equality and attack and such a regime is almost certainly a firm, immovable, rocklike basis. This thought immediately a recipe for strained tendons. Indeed Ella does develop gives one comfort and a sense of confidence. The idea that a problem with the fourth finger towards the end of her the keyboard is a movable surface (which in one sense it is) series of lessons. There also however some enlightening – gives one a variable feeling of uncertainty – but the idea of and progressive thoughts such as considering the depth the surface underneath the key, being an immovable basis is of playing, continuing through the key bed, and following a confident, comfortable thought to hold on to. (Incidentally, through as a tennis player or golfer might. when a baby holds your finger, it clutches it firmly – being essentially right in thus clinging to something firm.) We must As the lessons progress it becomes clear that Solomon is have a firm basis for comfort; if the floor were to wobble, one increasingly impressed by Ella’s potential and progress whilst couldn’t balance or control one’s movements. she begins to show signs of frustration with his severely dogmatic approach. 2. The hammer makes the sound, being the far end of the key working inside the piano. We have key, long length of Solomon was giving frequent concerts at the time and wood attached, then hammer – but something is still missing lessons sometimes took place on the same day as concerts – we need finger to complete the see-saw. Now we have:- or live broadcasts. This included the premiere of the Bliss concerto, the manuscript of which Ella had sight of Finger – key – hammer. beforehand. When the finger depresses key at one end – the hammer goes up at the other end. When the hammer falls down at Over the next three editions we will be publishing edited this end, the key comes up at the other end, exactly like a versions of some of her very detailed diary entries. A see-saw. And who is to say which is the more important end complete text of the diary entries will be available on the of a see-saw? Really, both are equally important. Finger, key, website. By way of introduction the first two are published in hammer are all part of each other and work in a continuous full below. motion. Finger can’t achieve anything without hammer, and hammer can’t achieve anything without finger. Lessons with Solomon London – 1939–1940 (war-time) 1st lesson, Dec. 5th, 1939 3. When I am standing on the floor, in a sense, I am part of the floor. When I sit on a stool, I am part of the stool (sitting This first lesson consisted of a talk about the main points “into” the stool as it were), and when my finger depresses of the truth of piano-playing, plus a finger-exercise set to key, I am part of piano. In a sense, I am not playing piano so illustrate these points. 11 1. The first point is, “Is the piano-keyboard surface an HOME

much, as that I am the piano, by this oneness caused by my several keys are down at the same moment. Although there is contact with it. When someone says, “I heard Paul Jones play inevitably a slight overlapping of sounds, the effect is distinct last night at Queen’s Hall – he had a pretty touch,” – – it is and not blurred (as might be expected). really a false statement – for how can you hear touch? In legato it is inevitable that there are two keys down at the Touch is this contact, which can only be felt, neither heard same moment, just as in walking one’s two feet at a certain nor seen. point are both down together at the same time. If this were not so, in shifting one’s weight from one foot to another, 4. Really, tone-production is what they mean. To produce one would be forced to hop. In walking the first foot steps tone, at whatever amount, the key must go all the way down forward, the weight of the body is carried through to this foot and through the immovable surface underneath and beyond. from the behind one. At this moment, two feet are on the Even in pianissimo the key must go all the way down and ground for a slight instant. When the 1st foot has seemingly through, and sometimes it is surprising to realize what taken the weight of the body then the 2nd foot is free to swing strength of finger is needed to control this. forwards to take the next step. 5. What is the difference in the action of touch between Legato in string-playing must have this slight overlapping, pianissimo and fortissimo? The answer is “finger-speed”. In because one bow must do for several sounds. The bow needs fortissimo the swiftness of the key is obtained by aiming very careful control. Lionel Tertis (distinguished violist and a further. The extra vim and speed is obtained by imagining fine artist) says he could make one slow, downward stroke of one is aiming at the floor, and one is stopped on the way by his bow last for five minutes, moving continuously the whole the key. time. The bow must be in constant motion, in constant contact with the string, else the sound would stop. Very difficult to do This was illustrated by clapping: – – “It would take a Lionel Tertis to endeavour. A fine artist.” 1st – pp – hands gently brought together. 2nd – p – moving together with slightly more speed. 8. In piano-playing people attempt too much at first, 3rd – mf – a little more push in the movement together of trying to produce the finished article before the grammar of hands. technique is properly grasped. In painting too, one imagines 4th – f – aiming the hands right across each other, but this to be the case. A man sees a certain blue and tries to meeting and stopping this. reproduce it. He looks at his palette and thinks “Green 5th – ff – aiming much further – that is, imagining that and yellow make blue”. Forthwith he takes a dash of green R.H. is going almost right over to left shoulder – but finding and adds some yellow. Not the shade he requires – so he suddenly L.H. in the way – and meeting in a sudden stop as experiments several times. At last by sheer luck, he arrives at they touch each other. his blue! “This is it at last”– he cries. But the very next day, he An example of this was given from boxing – by showing that can’t find it, because he’s forgotten the exact quantity of each a boxer, wishing to land a knock-out blow on the jaw of his colour which was needed for his blue! A skilled artist, having opponent, aims as if to send him to the other end of the room, learnt all this before, and knowing the precise mixings of his and if he finds the exact spot, will land him such a terrific paints – goes to his palette and immediately produces the force on the jaw, by this far aim, to produce a knock-out. colour which he sees. His technique all thoroughly learnt and Always think: – grasped beforehand. This is how it should be. “AIM FURTHER, AIM DEEPER.” Impress this on your mind. 9. Finger-touch. Let arm be quite relaxed – sit on bed of key through thumb. Considerably curve and bend ends of 6. This leads to another point, “the follow through”. In fingers, and without any pressure from arm – send each all athletics this term is used – in tennis, golf and billiards finger down in this slightly arched movement. Do this for 15 (for example). In tennis, for instance, the racquet starts a minutes, at various times, during the day. Play downwards, long way from the ball, and goes on quite a long way after feel downwards. the blow has been struck on the ball, in the same direction – following on through this movement. In tennis, a sharp, “PLAY DOWNWARDS, FEEL DOWNWARDS” jerky hit won’t take the ball very far, but the “follow through” Not any movement of arm, no movement of shoulder, – i.e. starting away from the ball, going with it in the same, only finger. onward movement, and continuing logically, as it were, this movement, when the ball has left the racquet, will take it 10. Touch is really remembering sensations – for instance, much further. A sharp, jerky hit on the piano key produces when one recalls a piece of music, one should feel the a percussion tone, which soon stops, but the follow through sensation in one’s hands – will be needed to obtain right movement gives fuller and more lasting tone. quality of tone. This only comes by many repetitions of the thing, and by remembering the sensation in one’s limbs. 7. What is legato? Legato is smoothly, but a better description of the word is “continuity” – the tone flowing 11. Practise slow finger exercise, separate hands. continuously in an even, unbroken line. The piano is a (a) Sit through thumb, keep it down all the time. percussive instrument, but a good pianist doesn’t advertise (b) Keep arm perfectly still and relaxed, and move only fingers. this fact, but conceals it. The purest kind of legato is (c) Curve fingers considerably. glissando. In looking carefully at this it will be seen that (d) Follow through – play onwards. 12

2nd lesson Dec. 9th, 1939. (l) Do not move arm – do not move body – keep body quite still. 1. Mr Solomon read through my notes made on last lesson (as he requested). He said they were very good (these (m) In playing scales, it will be impossible to get legato previously copied in this book) and said if I could only put between 4th & 1st, if hands sag or droop towards 5th finger. Lift them into practice as well as I grasped them all would be up this side of the hand. well. (n) It is quite wrong to allow arm to help weak fingers – Alter some points slightly. the only way to help weak fingers, is not to pander to this weakness, but to train them to become strong and resilient. 2. In saying, go to the immovable surface underneath, this is slightly wrong – say “go through the surface.” “Carry (o) Have short finger-nails, so that pad of finger is as free as the movement onwards – this is called always “the follow possible. through”. (p) The sound lasts longer in the “follow through” – than in 3. Does touch happen in contact with something or before? a sharp, percussive movement. Listen for this. It happens before contact. For instance, “put out your hand to shake hands with me”. What happened? Before my hand “TOUCH TAKES PLACE BEFORE CONTACT”. (think of reaches your hand, already your hand is taut and prepared for “handshake”). the handshake. “GOES ON AFTER, BY THE “FOLLOW THROUGH” Pick up this match from the table. Stop just before doing so – what happens? Fingers are prepared and poised already Records of work in Pianoforte with Pouishnoff, to do this act. 1936-1937 4. A difference of effort is needed between picking up a August, 1936 match and for instance a large glass vase. In picking up the large object less care of preparation is needed, because it Audition at Blüthners. is easy to grasp hold of it, being big. But in picking up the smaller object, much more care of preparation of fingers is I called at Blüthners at 2.55pm on a Thursday afternoon, needed, because the object is more minute and delicate. being due to meet Pouishnoff there at 3pm. I noticed how he just went in before me. (The night previously, Wednesday, I So it is in playing fortissimo and pianissimo. The large tone had heard him playing the Brahms Bb major concerto with is easier to grasp than the smaller one. Much more care of orchestra at the Proms in Queen’s Hall. I loved the playing of preparation is needed in the latter. it and the confidence and sincerity of the player.) This always especially strikes me about Pouishnoff. 5. Five-finger-exercise. R.H. & L.H. (a) Tilt hand towards thumb – do not let little finger sag on I was sent upstairs to his studio and he greeted me very keys. Do not allow 4th & 5th fingers to droop on keys – hold quietly and kindly and asked me to sit down and tell him them up from keys. about myself. I told him I had been at the R.A.M. – and he (b) Have fingers more arched, much more arched at the said as far as he knew, no one could teach the piano very well knuckles – deliberately curl inwards. there! Then I told him about Mr Gage and my other doings (c) Work much harder in finger before contact with the and then he asked me to play. I played the Brahms Rhapsody key – more touch needed – touch meaning the action before in B minor op. 79, no. 1, and he said, “Good technique, but contact. watch your pedalling.” Then he moved his chair where he (d) Don’t stop slightly before depressing keys – think of could see my face, and I played the Chopin Ballade No. tennis stroke – one continuous movement. 4 in F minor. He said again, “Good” – but added “rather (e) When key is depressed – follow through. monotonous, needs more variety”. (f ) Fingers must be more steely and more resilient. (g) Don’t try to make much sound, try hard to make touch. Then he talked to me of practising, and said that it meant (h) Little finger in both hands very poor – avoid playing on searching, thinking, analysing, listening, discovering. And the outer side of this finger – straighten its position. that some days, when one’s mood is wrong, no practice is (i) When you move one finger, keep the others still. accomplished because one’s heart isn’t in it. Sometimes, even (j) Before you move a finger – keep them all still. after all this time he says he practises a passage again and (k) Do not be key-conscious – go through keys. Sometimes again and again and makes no progress: then suddenly, one with L.H. hold down five keys, then with R.H. do finger- day he hits upon a new way of doing it and it begins to come! exercise. Perhaps it may be some new fingering, or a different way of (Mr S. heard a blind soldier play at St. Dunstan’s concert moving the hand, a twist of the arm! Then he says to himself once, who obviously was not a trained pianist, but who didn’t – “What a silly fellow you are not to have seen this before”. play one ugly note the whole time. This was because he had Agreed to have me for fortnightly lessons – but wants me to stay on the keys continuously, because if he lifted off he really every week. Shall commence after the hols. would entirely lose his place on the keyboard – had to play continuously through keys to hold on with serenity). 13 HOME

1st lesson Nov 6th, 1936 6. In this piano bar at end – don’t be so cautious in putting fingers over each note – let them drop loosely and apparently “Thirty-two Variations in C minor”, Beethoven carelessly on these notes. Theme 7. At p section, the semiquaver is not sharp enough – see to 1. Music in this gradually rises to climax mark – build up. this. Build up chords in Bass. 2. In the first chord, for instance, don’t carefully place fingers over keys and push, as if you were putting tone into the piano. Instead, drop from a short distance on to the chord – draw tone out. 3. When descent is accomplished, let wrist “give”, else tone will be hard. Think how much better it is to let knees “give”, after a jump – then the body is not jarred and shaken. 4. In the R.H. tone should be slightly more all the way than L.H. And your semiquavers must be timed exactly here. 5. At the forte accent, just before p bar at end – hold on for fully two beats – minim – and cut off dead on the 1st rest beat of piano-bar. 14

The Technique of part two Marcel Ciampi by Bernard King Marcel Ciampi My first article appeared in Piano Journal issue 126. In this second instalment we continue (1891–1980) was with the last of the finger exercises and then focus on starting to introduce Ciampi’s system of one of the most attacks. This will be continued in the final instalment, in the next issue, where also scales and renowned French pianists arpeggios will be discussed. and teachers in the mid- twentieth century. He was No. 6: Les Double Notes (Double Notes) acknowledged as a great Ex. 6a virtuoso, and many of the later well-known French Ex. 6b pianists studied with him at some point in their careers. These exercises develop precision and clarity in double-note passages and also help to build Also, he was an authority up the hand and weaker fingers. on Debussy, having studied many of the works with As much as is naturally possible the bridged and plateaued hand is kept with a sense of the composer himself. He softness in the palm. Ex. 6a is played in all major and minor keys, going up chromatically, studied both at the Paris repeating each bar twice, first as quavers, then triplets, and thirdly semiquavers. In Ex. 6b the Conservatoire, but more pattern is repeated, going up chromatically. significantly with a Russian pianist who had been a pupil Fingers lift very rapidly and swing directly through into the keys from a small height and are of Anton Rubinstein, leading not prepared on the keys. Play as much as is naturally possible through to the key bed, keeping him to create a technical the legato. method that combined both French and Russian The hand must be high enough to get a good finger swing in the articulation. There will approaches, and which probably be a little lateral freedom present for the majority of hands, and also a little of the became one that dealt a Tiroir movement (see No. 10 ) when going between black and white keys. significant blow to the old French finger school. Sounds must really come together, and play mezzo forte, forcing neither actions nor tone. He would never publish If there is too much tension or pushing down with the forearm, the exercises can also be this method in his lifetime, preferring to transmit it 15 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. HOME

The musical practised staccato with a pliable wrist. thought has The first pattern is based on a figure from a Moszkowski Étude de Virtuosité, and the second was to ride on the back of the a warm-up exercise from Rachmaninov. attack for Later, if an advanced player, the Fifteen Virtuosity Studies of Moszkowski complement all these there to be spontaneity finger exercises very well. There are also his easier Twenty Little Studies which are a very good set and creativity for players who are not so advanced, and these can also enable further development of these principles. Ciampi’s Musical ‘Attack’ Ciampi described a musical ‘attack’ in several ways. It could be compared to the breath taken immediately before one speaks, initiated by the thought of having something to say and giving the energy with which to say it. It could also be described as a musical thought that has found an outlet. The musical thought has to ride on the back of the attack for there to be spontaneity and creativity. If thought and action do not coincide, the communication will lack authenticity. So it is a marrying of the thought with the action, both tonally and rhythmically, and to achieve this there has to be real ‘in the moment’ presence and intention on the part of the performer. Pianistic attacks are vertical, horizontal, lateral and rotational movements, used singly or in combination, that enable a musical phrase to be approached with sufficient energy and control, so as to propel oneself through it to the very last sound, while preserving suppleness and fluidity of movement. It is very important not to withdraw the energy on the last sound of the phrase, even if it is being phrased off. In many cases the rebound from the final sound is the energy that carries one to the next location and into the next phrase. They fall broadly into two categories: those that would appear to employ some of the weight of the arm, and those of a rebound or ricochet variety. For the first, the premise was that arm weight was partially released from the back and shoulder so it could be transferred to the fingers and keyboard through the release of the elbow and wrist. For the second, the whole arm was connected into and supported by the back muscles, so that the shoulder and elbow joints were as free as possible, enabling the forearm and upper arm to move easily and buoyantly in any direction required by the fingers as a response to the pianistic demands of the composition. The elbow generally needs to be as free as possible to allow movement on all planes at any time, although there is obviously a little fixation needed to keep the forearm horizontal. This is often where the root cause of stiffness and lack of facility lies. Often one or more of these aspects of freedom is missing or incomplete, and so the necessary minute passive adjustments cannot take place. There are no physical sensations to freedom, only for lack of freedom, and so the ideal state is where one senses nothing between the shoulder and the fingertip. Working on the premise that energy follows thought, it is however possible to free up the elbow by remaining still and imagining all the different ways in which one needs the forearm to move, although this takes some perseverance and practice. Sometimes just having a strong thought of softness around the elbows and shoulders can be helpful. Initially the attacks need to be practised using large movements to ensure that optimum coordination is occurring. Later, the size of the movement can be reduced until it is almost imperceptible to the eye, although the coordination remains the same. If one observes good pianists carefully, even if they do not know it themselves, traces of these movements are often just visible. Sometimes playing can look so easy that it seems as though nothing is going on, but microscopically just under the surface, plenty will be, although probably in an unconscious, passive way. By practising these exercises regularly, hands separately, together, and after some time working two different attacks at the same time to encourage independence of arms and hands, confident mastery of the keyboard can be achieved. As the playing starts to free up, eventually the stage is reached where movements manifest almost unconsciously and spontaneously as a response to the keyboard figuration, as they are natural movements that occur effortlessly in those blessed with a natural technical facility. Working on these attacks can enable one to arrive back at a long-lost place of coordination which can enable fuller freedom in playing. This can result in greater colour, self-expression and projection of musical concepts, realised in such a way that there is real creativity. 16

HOME No. 7: La Franche (Open Attack/Free Fall) Ex. 7 This encourages freedom of the whole arm and a large, free sound. Its great importance is that, in a much reduced and slightly modified form, it can be used to start many phrases with the sense of some weight of the arm behind the fingers, which will help cantabile tone and give stability. It is played with thumb and third finger held together and other fingers slightly raised, keeping the plateaued hand, and being especially careful not to let it tip to the outside during the descent. Pedal can also be used here. Lift the whole arm in one piece from the shoulder joint (not the shoulder itself ) very slowly to a height of several inches, breathing in during the ascent. Be very aware of its weight. The elbow can open a little, and the hand is positioned over the white keys. Then allow the arm to drop with its natural weight while breathing out, with thumb and third finger arriving on the keys held together. The wrist acts as a shock absorber and is neither stiff, nor fully relaxed and dropped. If done correctly there should be a full, round, rich, unforced sound. This is done to a slow count of four. On one the drop and sound are made, for two and three the sound is sustained, and on four the lift occurs. This is really the ‘free fall’ attack that appeared in the German tradition, championed by Deppe and Breithaupt, towards the end of the nineteenth century. However it is rarely used in this absolute way, but is good for freeing up the arm and can be used in a partial and tiny way to begin many phrases, as will be seen in some of the later exercises. It can also be practised initially on the knee or the piano lid to take away the tension that may be there concerning landing securely on the correct key. No. 8: Les Pressions (Pressure Chords) Ex. 8 This can develop a rich, sonorous chordal technique, and is useful for any moderate-paced series of chords of any volume. The attack is made by first placing firm fingers on the key surface, starting with a slightly higher wrist than normal. The wrist and forearm then drop to the normal position to sound the chord. After the initial chord, while holding the notes, the wrist gradually rises, and the elbow follows this rise naturally and is neither pulled in, lifted, nor stuck out. Here, as in most playing, there will be a tendency for the elbow tip to point very slightly away from the body Non-playing fingers are slightly raised and naturally rounded with the hand tilting neither to left nor right. This is done to a count of four. On one, the wrist and forearm fall and the chord sounds, then over two, three and four the wrist gradually rises to the slightly higher position, with the fingers appearing to be glued to the bed of the keys. On the next count of one, the fingers immediately play the next chord with a fall of the wrist to its normal position. This movement from position to position is as fast as possible, as though there is a magnetic attraction between fingers and keys, so that there is no perceptible gap between sounds. There should always be a full unforced sound, which is made by the natural drop of the wrist with firm fingers. If the wrist does not fall too low there is an optimum moment which 17

There should will coordinate and integrate this naturally, producing a good quality of tone. After practising be a sense of on triads in keys containing only white notes, this can be extended to four-note chords and lightness and eventually to keys containing black notes too. buoyancy on the arm This can be employed in any slow or moderately paced chordal music, such as Chopin’s C – like a ping- Minor Prelude, the big chords in Debussy’s La Cathédrale Engloutie or The Great Gate of Kiev from pong ball Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. It can also be used in many pieces on isolated chords, or small chordal passages where a sense of legato is needed. A reverse type of movement can also be used, especially for large, accented chords such as the opening of the Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1. No. 9: Les Volantes (Rebounds) Ex. 9a This was known as the elevator movement and helps achieve a balanced state of the arm that has lightness and mobility. It encourages development of a useful condition for much playing, especially for fingerwork, rapid rebounds and octaves. These are natural, light rebounds of the whole arm in the shoulder joint, the forearm from the elbow and the hand from the wrist joint. The support for the arm comes from the back muscles. These movements are also often used to start light, rapid phrases. They are movements of propulsion that get the energy into the phrase. Immediately prior to the start of the phrase, there is a small, often almost imperceptible preparatory upward movement (rather like the in- breath before speaking), allowing one to drop freely into the phrase with a sense of suppleness and rhythmic purpose. The upper arm will tend to move outward from the shoulder joint in the whole-arm movements. At first, work at a moderate pace with whole-arm rebounds on the interval of a sixth, fingered one and five, keeping this position fairly firm and the middle fingers slightly raised. Holding a pencil horizontally lightly between these two fingers will give the appropriate degree of firmness. The whole arm is lifted in one piece, making sure that the elbow and wrist rise on the same horizontal level. Lift several inches, then drop and bounce very lightly three times on each chord, going up and down the C major scale pattern. There should be a sense of lightness and buoyancy on the arm – like a ping-pong ball, with almost the full weight of the arm being supported by the back muscles. When the movement and conditions are well mastered this can then be played using scales and arpeggios, one octave in all keys major and minor, keeping the octave position lightly in the hand, at approximately MM. 144 per sound. When moving from white keys to black, keep the body quite still and only allow the arms to follow the in- and out-movements of the fingers and hand. Next, the same patterns can be done from the elbow joint, softer and a little faster with four sounds at MM.60, keeping the elbow joint really free. Ex. 9b Thirdly, from the wrist joint, keeping it a little higher than normal (as in the start of the Pression attack). The vocalise pattern in C major is used, as in the thumb exercise, first using just the third finger, then in thirds fingered with two and four, one and three, and three and five, 18

then on a sixth fingered one and five, and finally with an octave. The movements are often so small as to be almost imperceptible to the eye, even when using the whole arm volante. They are also good for rapid rebound chords and octaves, so long as one plays on the rebound and does not force the downward movement. This whole-arm movement helps bring about the basic light condition of the arm which is the default state for much playing, concurring with the statement of Franz Liszt that the hands should ‘hover like birds over the keys’. When working from the wrist or forearm there will still be some passive participation of the upper arm. It should remain supple and not be held rigidly. No. 10: Les Tiroirs (Drawer Movements) Ex. 10a This encourages freedom of the arm to move in and out of the keys with suppleness, and the ability to adapt to the contours of passagework without resorting to twisting the hand excessively. Also, in its extended elliptical version, it is good for rapid leaps. A vocalise pattern in the key of C is used with broken sixths, fingered one and five. There is quite a firm, but not stiff position for this and the hand is held quite high, retaining the bridged, plateaued shape, and avoid tipping towards the fifth finger when it plays. Slide out on the thumb and in on the fifth, like a drawer moving in and out on a horizontal plane. Fingers stay close to the keys and movements are fluid and continuous. Play lightly, making at first quite a large, free movement – it is a non-legato/staccato approach. At first the hands are worked separately, as when together the movements will be opposite for each hand, which will encourage independence. This can then be extended to the octave position and played one octave in all keys, scale and arpeggios. It can also be worked at the opposite way, going in on the thumb and coming out on the fifth, although this is a less common way of using the movement. The whole arm is free in the shoulder joint with the back muscles supporting it; there should be lightness and buoyancy in the arm. One needs to ensure that the arm is free to move back after moving forwards to deal with black keys and chords, as if there is not focus on freedom, the elbow and shoulder can easily jam up. Ex. 10b Ex. 10c A second extended version that covers much more of the keyboard from a fixed thumb is useful for leaps. Here the bottom note is fixed and repeated throughout, but the fifth finger builds a scale, going one note higher each time. As the distance increases the continuous movement spirals and becomes more and more elliptical. This really has to flow without any sensation of stopping or jerking. The notes are played ‘on the wing’, so to speak, rather like polishing a round table or stirring the Christmas puddings! One can also use arpeggio figures for this. The actual movements can be practised away from the piano or on the lid until the correct coordination is achieved. HOME 19

The notes Alfred Cortot mentions this movement in The Rational Principles of Piano Technique and in are played his commentary on the Chopin Études. Also Elisabeth Caland, in her book about the Deppe ‘on the wing’, system, includes quite a lot about elliptical movements, the importance of which was also so to speak, emphasised in the teachings of Peter Feuchtwanger. rather like polishing They can be useful for passages containing large leaps as the flow of the movement is a round continuous. It is also useful for moving quickly between black and white keys to avoid twists. table or stirring the While generally a clockwise movement in the left hand and anticlockwise in the right, there Christmas can be exceptions such as the left-hand octaves in Chopin’s Op. 53 Polonaise. It is often barely puddings! visible, but even the fluency of rapid passagework may depend on the fine adjustments that can be made by allowing this to occur. Also Chopin’s Études Op. 10 No. 7 and Op. 25 No. 8, the left- hand leaps of Op. 25 No. 4 and the Schumann Toccata are good examples of where this comes finely into play. No. 11: Les Précises (Precision Chords) Ex. 11 This is for playing soft chords at a moderate pace with great control and precision and was known as the aeroplane take-off movement. The firm playing fingers are on the edge of the keys with the non-playing fingers slightly raised. The movement is made by a forward, slightly downward and then upward glide, like an aeroplane taking off, followed by an immediate landing on the key surfaces of the next chord, back at the edge of the keys with a lightly balanced arm. It is almost a scooping kind of movement. The slight noise of the fingers landing on the keys should be just audible in the exercise to ensure a freely dropped contact with the keys. This is played very softly with short sounds, at first with white-key triads, then four-note chords, and then later in all major and minor keys. The movement is made on the count of one, and for two, three and four the hand rests on the surface of the subsequent chord. This is useful for any moderately-paced soft chords where a lot of precision is required. The preparation seems to be an idea from the Leschetizky tradition, where ‘preparing’ was an important concept. 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 website confidentmusicalperformance.co.uk which offers help to all those who experience difficulties in this area. 20

Rachmaninoff, chordal composer Part 3 “We proceed, because we have begun.” (Samuel Johnson) by Kris Lennox Issues 125 & 126 of Piano Journal looked at the nature of Rachmaninoff as a ‘chordal’ composer (focusing exclusively on his Etudes-Tableaux), and whether the oft-cited remark of Rachmaninoff as chordal composer is, in fact, true (or not). Readers are encouraged to read both articles prior to consideration of the data in this article. However, we can very briefly summarise our observation of the data presented in Piano Journal 126 as follows: in Rachmaninoff’s later Etudes (Op. 39), he is, in fact, predominantly chordal in his writing (but not in the earlier Op. 33, which is predominantly single-note). Of course, the question remains: is Rachmaninoff a chordal composer? Whilst we can compare Rachmaninoff’s writing to itself, and to our three categories of density (single-note, dyad, chord), we only begin to develop a true idea of whether Rachmaninoff is a chordal composer if we compare the data gathered from analysis of his works with that of other composers. For example: Etudes-Tableaux Op. 39 are predominantly chordal in nature (chordal is the predominant category, representing 34.4% of the musical material), but is this a high or low figure in comparison to the writing of other composers? To answer this question, we need to conduct the same analysis with the music of other composers. Rachmaninoff vs. Chopin: Comparative Analysis In issues 120–122 of Piano Journal we conducted a deep dive of Chopin’s Etudes (Opp. 10 & 25), but as we were focusing on a different set of metrics no details were given regarding how chordal a composer Chopin was. We’ll now look at that data and compare it with our data for Rachmaninoff. Comparing data on note count would be a weak system to use, given the difference in length/ duration/number of pieces of each composer. Consider the following note count data: Fig. 1 i.e Chopin’s Etudes involve the performance of some 6,711 more notes than Rachmaninoff’s Etudes. The strongest metric to use (in this instance) is that of comparing ratios/percentages (take note that the following datasets are rounded to the whole number). HOME 21

Hands Combined Data High-level data is as follows: Fig. 2 As we can see from Fig. 2, both composers are predominantly single-note in their writing, yet with a great disparity: Chopin’s writing is over 50% single-note, whilst Rachmaninoff’s writing is more evenly distributed. Per-opus breakdown is provided in Fig. 3: Fig. 3 The evenness of Rachmaninoff’s Op. 39 is apparent from Fig. 3, contrasted with the single- note dominance in Chopin’s writing across both opuses. LH Data Looking at LH-only data: Fig. 4 Note in Fig. 4 the dominance of single-note writing for both composers, markedly so for Chopin. 22

Fig. 5 provides LH, per-opus breakdown: Fig. 5 We can see in Fig. 5 that, whilst single-note dominant, Rachmaninoff’s writing is relatively balanced whereas Chopin’s writing is more erratic (i.e. doubling of dyadic content across opuses, and a noticeable drop-off in Op. 25 of LH chordal writing). RH Data RH-only, high-level data is provided in Fig. 6: Fig. 6 Fig. 6 provides a clear contrast between composers in their RH writing: Rachmaninoff is notably chordal, whereas Chopin is notably single-note. Fig. 7 provides RH, per-opus breakdown: Fig. 7 HOME 23

Every dataset thus far illustrates Chopin’s tendency to write predominantly single-note regardless of whether we look at hands combined or hands separately. Therefore is Rachmaninoff a ‘Chordal’ Composer? In short, we still can’t say! But what we can say, and say for the first time, with authority, is that Rachmaninoff is more of a chordal composer than Chopin (or rather, Rachmaninoff’s Etudes are more chordal than Chopin’s Etudes). Granted, the work required to answer what is apparently a simple question is considerable/ highly involved, but what we have developed in the process of attempting to answer the question is a method of analysis that we can apply to all piano music (and not only piano music). Any form of analysis that sheds new light on our understanding of familiar works has, by definition, an intrinsic value. Value Beyond Analysis: Authentication Consider the possible scenario of, for example, the discovery of a set of previously unknown Etudes by Chopin (...fantastical...but possible). Suspicions would naturally arise, as would authentication methods i.e. handwriting analysis, dating of ink/paper, source/location of discovery, melodic/harmonic analysis etc. Assuming these new works were created by a very clever forger who passed all known and established authentication methods, we could harness the data/analytic method outlined herein as an extra ‘forensic’ layer of authentication i.e. if, for example, our newly-discovered Etudes consisted of LH single-note content to the value of 35%, this low value would, when compared to the LH single-note data garnered from Chopin’s Opp. 10 & 25, instantly raise our suspicions. In this sense, the included methods represent not only a new method of analysis but also a potentially new method of Authorship Authentication (i.e. they could also be viewed as a security protocol). Whilst the above scenario is highly unlikely, it is within the realm of possibility; our analysis could be potentially harnessed to save an enthusiastic yet unfortunate victim from committing a high six-figure sum on a hammer drop! Composer Claims/Disputations Of course, our potential forgery doesn’t have to be for the purposes of claiming wealth and riches. It can and could be more subtle than that. Consider, for example, the piano works attributed to Scriabin’s son, Julian. What would such an analysis of Scriabin’s music reveal? Could we demonstrate through a forensic analysis of data that Scriabin (or someone else entirely) is likely the composer of his son’s music? Alternatively, could we further bolster the claim that Alexander isn’t the composer, and the works may in fact be Julian’s own? Did Moszkowski write the infamous/fiendishly difficult Paul de Schlözer Etudes, and could we harness an analytical approach to give weight to this claim? The particular question of Moszkowski we might assess from an analytical perspective in a future edition of Piano Journal. In Conclusion/Additional Data My hope is that the included data and possibilities discussed in the latter half of this short essay provide not only useful information for pianists/composers alike, but also stimulate conversation on the harnessing of analytical methods beyond their apparent/surface usage. And for those looking for a per-work breakdown of Chopin’s Etudes, please refer to the datasets below. (*Take note that certain values in the datasets below read as ‘0’ due to whole-number rounding, but in occasional cases there is data present (<0.5%). For example: there is a RH chord present in the final bar of Op. 25 No. 12, but this chord represents less than 0.5% of the total RH musical material – hence the rounded zero value. Graph images (as opposed to numeric values) give hints as to the occurrence of these <0.5% values (i.e. small sliver of data/ colour present).) 24

Fig. 8 25 Fig. 9 HOME

Fig. 10 Fig. 11 26

Fig. 12 Kris Lennox studied Fig. 13 music at Strathclyde HOME 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. 27

OBITUARY Joseph Murray Banowetz (5 December 1934 – 3 July 2022) by Nancy Lee Harper Joseph Murray Banowetz, outstanding Grammy- Paul Kletzki Piano Concerto with the Russian Philharmonic nominated American pianist, pedagogue, author, editor (Naxos). In 1984, he became the first foreign artist to be and recording artist, has died at his home in Texas after invited by the Chinese Ministry of Culture to record and give a long illness at the age of 87. A gifted performer, he world premiere performances of a Chinese contemporary was described as a “giant among keyboard artists of our time” piano concerto (Piano Concerto, op. 25b, by Huang An-Lun). and as “one of the pre-eminent ‘three B’s of Liszt playing’” An outstanding pedagogue, Banowetz taught gifted (the other two being Jorge Bolet and pupils, some of whom won prizes Alfred Brendel). in important piano competitions at Banowetz traced his pianistic home and abroad. His South African lineage back to Clara Schumann pupil, Petronel Malan, also received a through his studies with Carl Grammy nomination. Banowetz served Friedburg in New York City and to on juries of prestigious competitions, Béla Bartók through his studies with such as the Arthur Rubinstein (Israel), György Sándor, initially studying with Antonín Dvořák International Piano him at the Vienna Akademie für Musik Competition (Czech Republic), und Darstellende Kunst where Banowetz Gina Bachauer International Piano earned a First Prize in Piano Competition (USA), and others. As Performance and represented the Professor of Piano at the University Academy on an extended European of North Texas for over forty years, concert tour sponsored by the Banowetz also guest-lectured and taught Austrian government. He continued at the Juilliard School (New York City), his studies with Sándor at Southern Royal College of Music and Guildhall Methodist University (Dallas, Texas), School of Music and Drama (London), earning a Bachelor of Music degree. Photo by Al Key, courtesy of Denton Record-Chronicle, Chopin Academy (Warsaw), Hong Banowetz was known as an dentonrc.com Kong Academy for the Performing Arts, national conservatories of Beijing, interpreter of Romanic music, especially that of Anton Rubinstein, Liszt, Chopin, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and St. Petersburg Conservatory, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Friedman, d’Albert and others. He etc. He had his “Chair” as a Permanent Visiting Professor of performed on five continents as recitalist and as soloist, with Piano at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in the People’s orchestras such as the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Moscow Republic of China, since 1985. State Symphony, Prague and Bratislava Radio Orchestra, Banowetz’s book, The Pianist’s Guide to Pedaling (Indiana Budapest Symphony, New Zealand Symphony (in a 12-concert University Press, 1985) has been translated into six languages national tour), Beijing Central Philharmonic, Shanghai and is considered an authoritative guide. This book was Symphony and Barcelona Concert Society Orchestra, followed more than thirty years later by his The Performing amongst others. Pianist’s Guide to Fingering (Indiana University Press, 2021), in As a recording artist, he has over 35 recordings to his which I was honored to participate. A third book was slated credit on such labels as Naxos, Marco Polo, Toccata Classics, on the topic of interpretation. His many editions of piano Warner Brothers, Altarus and others. These recordings repertoire, offering valuable performative insights, have been include traditional works as well as less-heard repertoire published by Alfred, Warner Bros., Kjos. such as the Liszt Transcendental Etudes in the early and final “Joe”, as he was commonly known to those close to him, versions (Educo); the five Anton Rubinstein piano concerti was a loyal friend to many EPTA members and was indeed and 24 Kamennoy-ostrow; works by Ronald Stevenson with the one of its first members by virtue of his friendship with its pianist-composer; Mily Balakirev; Ignaz Friedman; Karl Ignaz founder, Carola Grindea (1914–2009). Her interview with him Weigl; Sergey Taneyev; Leopold Godowsky; and others. He for Piano Journal (vol. 9, no. 26, 5–11) in June 1988 provides was twice nominated for a Grammy award. The first in 2007 readers with fascinating insights. Banowetz’s sharp wit, vast – Balakirev and Russian Folksong (Toccata Classics) – was for “Best knowledge, and deep intellect, combined with sensitive Chamber Music Performance” – with pianist Alton Chan. artistry, made him a unique and valuable colleague. His It was followed three years later for his performance of the passing leaves an immeasurable lacuna in the world of piano. 28

FROM THE ARCHIVES Continuing our fascinating retrospective history of EPTA through a review and summary of Piano Journal. Pianist, teacher, adjudicator, performer, writer and educator Nancy Litten summarises and selects excerpts from issues 38, 39 & 40 of our EPTA magazine. No. 38 (June 1992) harbinger of total serialism in the feeling as if I was really concentrating Modes de Valeurs, the unadulterated or delivering the best I was capable AN EDITORIAL EDGED IN BLACK birdsong of Reveil des Oixeaux, the of. One can’t go on like that – this is a by Malcolm Troup gamelan transcription of the Ile de Feu thing of the past. I’m happy to be able or the gorgeous colour-complexes of to work mostly in Britain. Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992) is his Cité Céleste. Single-handedly, he no more! We will mourn him as was responsible for rescuing the piano P.D. As time goes on I find the lifelong champion of our noble from the wasteland of the avant-garde. contemporary music less and less instrument during an epoch when her stimulating. I was greatly influenced fortunes waned more than waxed – WHO’S WHO OF PIANISTS: PETER by the earlier 20th-century masters when composers either ignored her or, DONOHOE talks to Sue Edward such as Stravinsky, Prokofiev and worse still, suborned her by stretching Messiaen. The most influential her on the Cageian equivalent of a bed P.D. At the Royal Northern College I musical experience of my life was of nails. Messiaen, to the contrary, learnt with Derek Wyndham, probably my first trip to London in 1969 when treated Dame Piano like the perfect the greatest influence on my career. I saw Charles Groves conducting gentleman he was, never seeking to He once reprimanded me for publicly Messiaen’s Turangalîla at the Proms. grope beneath her Spanish shawls praising him as a teacher. He told me It was at the height of the hippy era or introduce foreign objects into her that I shouldn’t have praised him as I and people were openly crying in the privy parts. Without the least recourse had created my own success. slow movement and waving flowers. to such ungallant tactics or notational It was an unbelievable piece the likes graffiti, he managed from the early S.E. How much of your life is taken of which I had never imagined. Years Preludes of 1928–9 to the late Esquisses up by your career? later I had the privilege of working of 1985, to confide to the piano some with Messiaen while studying with his of his boldest flights or most seminal P.D. All of it! Between 1983 and wife Yvonne Loriod in Paris. musings. Indeed, every one of his 1990 I was progressively spending advances was heralded first on the more time out of the country. In 1990 P.D. I think that every programme, keyboard, whether it be the plainchant I was abroad for about eight months. whether a solo recital or symphonic paraphrases of the Vingt Regards, the I found that for about two years I felt concert, should present an element constantly jet-lagged, never knowing of challenge to both performers and HOME when I was going to sleep, or when listeners. I was going to be hungry; and never 29

CHOPIN THE TEACHER PIANO MUSIC BY MEXICAN composition. When is creativity stifled by W. Graham Robertson COMPOSERS by Ricardo and the inner artist chained, and when Miranda-Pérez M.A. City University is it let loose, to roam unshackled, In his emphasis on freedom and achieving little or nothing? It is suppleness, Chopin anticipated the The piano has always been a the teacher who plays the decisive physical ideology of later teachers such favourite of Mexican composers. role in holding the balance between as Deppe, Matthay, Breithaupt and Before the Independence War (1810–21) originality and disciplined skill, so that Godowsky. ‘On beginning a lesson, it was a symbol of the intelligentsia. talent can emerge unscathed. Chopin’s main concern was to do away When Mexico became an independent with every stiffness or convulsive or country, composers started to create Laura Campbell on pedalling cramped movement of the hand, in pieces based on jarabes, a popular folk Sit away from the keyboard with the order to obtain the primary requisite dance. Towards the end of the 19th right foot flat on the floor. Bring the of good playing: souplesse and with century Chopin’s music was taken right hand down on the knee as the it independence of the fingers.’ as a model and developed in a most right foot points up (keeping the heel ‘Rather than use studies for attaining original way. The Mexican Mazurka on the floor); return and repeat. After beautiful smooth (gebundene) vocal repertoire is impressive in quantity being shown how everything works tone and legato Chopin chose his and quality. Even early examples by inside the piano, play a scale with the own and Field’s nocturnes as they Villanueva (1862–93) betray a delicate RH, playing each note twice, saying were perfect material for learning’. taste. The form was developed further aloud on each pair, ‘Up-Down’. Then Chopin impressed on his pupils the by Manuel Ponce (1882–1948) who is operate the right foot ‘Up-Down’ to importance of chanter avec les doigts. well known for his guitar music, but coincide while playing. Finally tie each In fact, this was not radical or novel, whose main output was for the piano, repeated note, still saying, ‘Up-Down’ but a restatement of views expressed his instrument. He combined the and only the foot moves; eventually do in 18th-century Germany, and termed exuberance of the Romantic style with it without speaking. Cantabile Art by Bach in his preface elements from Mexican folklore in the to the Inventions and Sinfonias. It melody and rhythms, as in his Balada BOOK REVIEWS was further legitimised by Türk and Mexicana. Ricardo Castro (1854–1907) A TEACHER IN TWO WORLDS – Hummel and used to great effect by studied with Carreno and d’Albert in Margit Varró Edited by Mariann Abraham Mozart in the slow movements of his Paris. His Valse Caprice still survives, keyboard works. Chopin revered the art thanks to its virtuosity and charm. In 1938 Margit Varró and her of contemporary singers such as Rubini Rolon (1876–1945) is remembered husband emigrated from Hungary to and Pasta, their vocal artistry being seen for his masterly piano concerto and a the United States, where she made her as an ideal on which he could model set of Danzas indígenas; his studies call home in Chicago until her death at the pianism. His advice was that musical for considerable pianistic command. age of 97, in 1978. She affected a great declamation should be grounded on Bernal Jiménez (1910–56) composed many people through private teaching, the rules that guide vocalists, and that two attractive suites for piano, Antigua lecturing at the Chicago University and it should be perfected by hearing good Valladolid and Carteles (Pastels), creating the Institute of Design, and pedagogy singers. He insisted above all on the the atmosphere of Mexican life. seminars at Roosevelt University. importance of correct phrasing. Wrong Modern Mexican composers use She considered all these activities phrasing was to him as if someone pandiatonicism and constant changes important, not only the training of were reciting a memorised speech in of rhythm. Examples are Galindo the most gifted musicians. One of the an unfamiliar language. (b. 1910); Moncayo (1912–59), whose only times this wise and open-minded foremost works are the Tres piezas and woman shows the slightest hint of According to his pupils Chopin was a Muros Verdes (Green Walls); Chavez disdain in her writing occurs when strict, zealous but generous teacher. In (1899–1978), Revueltas (1899–1948) discussing the ‘master’ teacher who matters of rhythm he was inexorable, and Eduardo Hernández Moncada (b. employs ‘assistants’ to carry out the being particularly censorious towards 1899), whose Costeña is a particularly more mundane aspects of teaching. all ‘lingering and dragging, misplaced brilliant piece. The use of folk She gives the impression that nothing rubatos, as well as exaggerated rhythms is combined with a continual was mundane for her. Douglas Finch ritardandos’. Fingering, scales, arpeggios juxtaposition of major chords and a and pedalling were treated with percussive use of the piano that brings MUSIC FOR ADVANCED PIANISTS pragmatism and thoroughness. ‘An to mind Bartók or Stravinsky. Breitkopf: Beds and Brackets intricate use of the pedals is most important: there are probably 24 READERS FORUM by Nicolaus A Huber different ways of using them but Ludmilla Semkova This is a most unusual piece. It is most pianists never discover more than a few.’ Though other pianist- Dealing with the fundamentals of 11 pages long requiring the following composers such as Godowsky and piano playing we realise what our aim props: a toothpick/match to fasten the Busoni further developed technical is: to achieve the same qualities as keys, and a bottle. The first instruction possibilities Chopin still remained the those of a performing artist – beautiful reads, ‘Find different sounds in the great innovator, ‘the apotheosis of the tone, creation of phrases, and truthful interior of the piano, between the pins piano’. interpretation of the spirit of the in the upper two sections of a Grotian Steinweg or Bösendorfer grand’. 30 Certain signs indicate the opening of

windows and doors. The composer’s brought a small boy about 8 years of must not be bent either upwards or intention is to create a new acoustic age to me. He was a pale, delicate- downwards.’ atmosphere that commands attention. looking child and while playing swayed This is not a piece the conventional on the chair so that I often thought ‘Mozart could not have made any music teacher would be using for he would fall to the floor. His playing use of the pedal, as it was not then teaching purposes. A.S. was completely irregular, careless invented.’ and confused, and he had so little EPTA NEWS knowledge of correct fingering that he ‘There are three phases in learning EPTA POLAND (President Teresa threw his fingers over the keyboard in a new piece: 1) seek the best fingering an altogether arbitrary fashion. I gave and learn to play the piece accurately Manasterska) held its First Congress him a few things to sight-read, which 2) practise it up to the tempo in March at the Chopin Academy. he did purely by instinct, in a manner prescribed by the composer 3) study The programme included recitals and that revealed that Nature herself had the proper style of its execution. presentations by Sebastian Benda here created a pianist. About a year Next to correct execution, nothing (Austria), Edith Picht-Axenfeld, later, when he and his father moved is more important than the right Malcolm Troup (GB), Charles Dobler to Vienna, I devoted almost every choice of tempo. The effect of the (Switzerland), Carola Grindea, and Prof. evening to the young boy. Never finest composition will be disturbed, S. Esterny (Poland). before had I had so eager, talented or even completely destroyed, if it is or industrious a student. Through either hurried too much or, still worse, No. 39 (October intensive study of Clementi’s sonatas, played too slowly. Whoever is not yet I instilled in him for the first time a able to execute such a piece in public 1992) firm feeling for rhythm and taught at the correct tempo, should choose him beautiful touch and tone, correct instead one that is easier. Pupils must AN ‘INTERVIEW’ WITH CARL fingering, and proper musical phrasing, be made to understand that it is not so CZERNY by Dr M. W. A. Smith even though these compositions important what they play as how they at first struck the lively and always play it.’ University of Ulster extremely alert boy as rather dry. Czerny was born in Vienna in 1791 Since I made him learn each piece ‘One of the greatest difficulties is very rapidly, he finally became such that of getting pupils to keep time and died there in 1857. He was an an expert sight-reader that he was correctly. Although a perception of outstanding pianist, and as a boy gave capable of publicly sight-reading even beat is more common in people than performances of Beethoven’s piano compositions of considerable difficulty generally believed, keeping exact time concerti and sonatas. At age 15 he so perfectly it was as though he had while playing is affected by conquering settled on a career as a teacher. His been studying them for a long time. technical difficulties. Any difficulty pupils included many of the great Likewise, I endeavoured to equip him sounds well only when it ceases to be piano virtuosi of the first half of the with skill in improvising by frequently a difficulty to the performer. Nothing 19th century. giving him themes to improvise on. spurs the pupil on to attentive and The young Liszt’s unvarying liveliness industrious practice more than ‘From about 1801 to 1804 my father and good humour, together with the the idea of playing before others. and I visited Mozart’s widow. Every extraordinary development of his Therefore, the teacher should contrive Saturday there were musical soirees talent, made us love him as if he were to organise such events.’ at her house. On one occasion a a member of our family, and I not only young man was asked to play. Never taught him completely free of charge MUSIC FOR DUOS AND DUETS before have I heard such novel and but also gave him all the necessary Edition Kunzelmann (Schott) Grande dazzling difficulties, such cleanness music.’ and elegance in performance, nor Sonate in F minor op. 178 by Carl Czerny such intimate and tender expression. ‘We MUST avoid assuming a Apart from writing a multitude of This was the young Hummel. While bent and crooked position as that Beethoven’s playing was remarkable is both unsightly and injurious to didactic works for the piano, Czerny for his enormous power, characteristic the player. All unnecessary movements also wrote a great deal of chamber expression, and his unheard-of MUST be avoided, for every obliquity music and serious pieces in what virtuosity and passage work, Hummel’s of position, every grimace and every he referred to as his ‘private’ genre. was a model of clarity… Naturally, useless gesture has a disadvantageous His responsiveness and sensitivity the general public preferred him as influence on the hands and fingers. are clearly revealed in this work. pianist. Hummel’s partisans accused The arms ought neither to be pressed He cannot resist, though, frequent Beethoven of mistreating the piano, against the body nor extended outbursts of stunning virtuoso passages of lacking all cleanness and clarity, of outwards away from it but hang freely. as if he were constantly trying to bring creating nothing but confused noise The surface of the forearm, from the to attention the amazing capabilities the way he used the pedal, and finally elbow to the knuckles of the bent of the lighter action of the Viennese of writing wilful, unnatural, unmelodic fingers, must form an absolutely fortepianos. H.D. compositions.’ straight and horizontal line; the wrists Berben Edition (Fentone) Pasticheries ‘From 1816 to 1836 I taught as a rule from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Then I gave (non-Boulangerie) op. 82 by Carey Blyton up teaching entirely. In 1819 a man Here are three Parodies in tribute HOME to composers Warlock, Satie and Lord 31

Berners…. I can’t help thinking that compose and insisted on having her kind of shoes would you use for it?’ the originals, which are also parodies, music published. He used to play her Schnabel said, ‘Open doors, but don’t contain a great deal more substance works while away from her; he loved and wit. H.D. her use of the 9th chord, saying that it push the pupil through.’ Performers on depicted her. a platform are on their own and need BOOK REVIEWS to summon all their resources from THE PADEREWSKI PARADOX Chopin said that she was the only within, so the spoon-feeding approach by Ronald Stevenson woman in Germany who could play can do nothing but harm in the long his music. Aged 12, she was the first run. Profoundly influential in the musical to perform his Mozart Variations world at the end of the 19th century, in public. Just a few months earlier, It is difficult for a child to do Ignace Jan Paderewski was also a Robert, in reviewing the work, had nothing, so pauses and rests are good prominent figure in Eastern European proclaimed about Chopin, ‘Hats off, for poise. As Schnabel said, ‘The notes politics, to the point of being elected gentlemen – a genius.’ I handle no better than my pupils. But Prime Minister of Poland for a the pauses between the notes – ah – year. This tribute to Paderewski is READERS FORUM that is where the art resides.’ accompanied by articles by the master Beryl Champin himself. ‘Tempo Rubato’ is a fascinating No. 40 (February study of rhythm as the ‘pulse of life’. Playing an instrument integrates the 1993) Paderewski draws a parallel between physical, intellectual and emotional, Rubato principle and the arrhythmia developing co-ordination and memory EDITORIAL by Malcolm Miller of the human heart when emotionally to a refined level. No other school Congratulations to EPTA on its affected. Sue Edwards subject has such varied demands to be 15th Birthday! EPTA, as John Hosier carried out at the same time. famously remarked, ‘Is not an STYLISTIC LINKS IN THE PIANO Association but a phenomenon!’ MUSIC OF ROBERT AND CLARA Fastidiousness in preparation Founded by Carola Grindea in 1978, SCHUMANN by Carlos Juris and the idea ‘Prepare, not repair’ EPTA began as a sister organisation can become a habit. Bad habits are to ESTA. It is a European association Sibelius Music Academy, Helsinki notoriously difficult to get rid of, par excellence, with currently 29 In an age when the public expected but it is equally difficult to destroy a member organisations, and only three good habit. It is daunting that we are countries still to join: Portugal, Greece piano virtuosi to perform their responsible to such an extent. I often and Albania. Two recent EPTA UK own as well as others’ works, Clara’s quote the teacher who said, ‘I do not initiatives are noteworthy: the launch father encouraged her to compose mind too much what my students of the British Piano Duo Association at an early age. Her well-rounded think of me now, but I mind very whose Presidents Harvey Dagul and musical education, which surpassed much what they will think of me in Isabel Beyer are leading exponents the training usually given women at ten years’ time.’ Hepzibah Menuhin and promoters of the duo repertoire; the time, had provided her with the said, ‘The strict discipline imposed on and the EPTA Piano Pedagogy Course, technical means. Liszt, whom Clara me by my parents from an early age director Wanda Jeziorska, which is in admired as pianist and disliked as has given me freedom for the rest of its second, oversubscribed year. a composer, arranged three of her my life.’ songs for piano solo, staying close to WHO’S WHO OF PIANISTS: the original version. Clara was only Tortelier the cellist said, ‘If music be MARTHA ARGERICH talks to 14 when she wrote her effective and the food of love, scales are the food of Alberto Portugheis large-scale Piano Concerto. Robert music.’ I have found that a thorough was thought to be the first composer grounding in scales and arpeggios Alberto and Martha, friends and to feature a solo cello accompanying provides a ‘reservoir’ which can be colleagues, both studied with Vincenzo the soloist in his piano concerto, but called on instantly. The mind and Scaramuzza in Buenos Aires and the innovation had already been made fingers seize on one thing instead of an Madeleine Lipatti in Geneva. in Clara’s. Robert told his former avalanche of notes. Of course, the scale composition teacher, Heinrich Dorn, does not always proceed from tonic to M.A. I remember my first concert that it was virtually Clara alone who tonic, so ask the pupil to practise from when I was about four. I played inspired the Concerto, the Sonata dominant to dominant, or mediant to Mozart’s C major Sonata, a Chopin op. 11, the Novelettes op. 21, and the mediant. Waltz, a Grieg Waltz and something Davidsbündler Dances op. 6. While by Beethoven. There was also a piece composing op. 6 he wrote: ‘When I Grasping the note values often where I had to play one note at the top fantasise at the piano all I want is to presents a problem in aural tests. Try and one at the bottom of the piano; paint CLARA all over the place in big whisking away the copy of whatever at the time, with my tiny body, the letters and chords.’ A mazurka theme they are playing and ask them to tell distance seemed gigantic. of Clara’s formed the introductory you the note values of a section. A motif. He also used the theme from frequent question to ask themselves A.P. Did you practise much as a her Romance Variée in his Impromptus. is, ‘Would you sing it or dance it?’ child? Robert repeatedly encouraged Clara to Possibly, with Chopin, it may be danced and sung. The kind of dance M.A. Officially, I was supposed to 32 can often be decided by asking ‘What practise three hours, but in reality, it

was less, because I cheated. What I the composers themselves to know the certain kind of risk; however well you really liked was reading, so I used to truth. have rehearsed, there are moments read while pretending to be practising. when you have to commit yourself I learnt with Scaramuzza for about I have a great need for company, so blindly, second-guessing your partner’s five years. When I was ten my mother like to make music with other people intentions. You are like a fencer or a had a row with him, so I had to go. when I am on the platform. In this way tennis player, having to move fast, to Amicarelli, a former student of his, I don’t feel the solitude. think on your feet. needed to do some teaching, so my mother offered him our home where GREAT PIANO ACCOMPANISTS: Kestukis he could see his pupils. At fourteen I ROGER VIGNOLES talks to Carola Gribauskas, was doing quite a lot of playing and Grindea President my mother thought that it was time of EPTA for me to study in Europe. She took In songs I respond strongly to Lithuania, me to Vienna where I was accepted as the text; perhaps it is the issue of is Vice- a student by Fredrich Gulda. Looking music and words together which I Rektor of the back now I can say that I learnt more find so inspiring. An accomplished Lithuanian from him than anyone else. accompanist must have a working Music Academy, Vilnius, and Head knowledge of languages, especially of Piano Studies. His concert career M.A. By the time I was fifteen I German, French and Italian. Unless took him throughout the Soviet wanted to live alone, be independent, one knows the meaning of every Union and he has also formed a so I moved to Geneva permanently, word of the song one cannot give an Piano Duo with his wife Liudmila studying with Madeleine Lipatti. eloquent performance. Grybauskas, the first professional Later that year I entered both Geneva Duo in the Baltic Republic. and Bolzano competitions and was I do recommend an accompanist to placed first in both. I still have the understand and actually have a feeling MUSIC FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS recording of Liszt’s La Leggerezza and for what singing is about, in a physical Prokofiev’s Toccata from the latter. If a and technical sense. Domenico Cimarosa 62 Sonate per young pianist is ready for a career and has not been taken on by an agent I From Paul Hamburger I learnt how Pianoforte, edited by Marcella Crudeli would recommend him/her to enter to vary not only the sonorities but the The best known of Cimarosa’s competitions, otherwise it may take timbres or colours of a tone. He might too long to be noticed. Whatever the suggest that the left hand should seventy-six operas is The Secret Marriage case, I think it is good to perform in sound like a Cor Anglais and the and his name has also been kept public, to see to what extent you are – right hand like a flute. By imagining alive by two delightful ‘reworkings’: or not – made for the career. a sonority which is not part of the Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra by Arthur capacity of the piano one succeeds in Benjamin, and Cimarosa, an orchestral A.P. You have proved that you are at drawing out a particular sound which suite by Gian Francesco Malipiero. home playing a variety of composers. blends in a different way with the Cimarosa’s success as an opera Do you feel that there are some singer’s voice or with an instrument. composer gained him the appellation composers that you play better than of ‘The Italian Mozart’ but the present others? The more I play Schubert’s music, volume of sonatas displays a keyboard the more I become conscious of the imagination comparable to Domenico M.A. I think I have greater empathy fact that, indeed, he was the first great Scarlatti’s; it is sensationally virtuosic, with Schumann, Beethoven, Prokofiev piano accompanist in a very real sense both in velocity and expression. J.L. – but, of course, one would need to ask – he invented the job as well as the music. In my work, the very act of making music with another artist involves a HOME 33

Reviews COMPOSITORES PORTUGUESES indications unless specified by the Frederico de Freitas and Óscar da Silva. - PORTUGUESE COMPOSERS - composers represented. The styles of Gems such as da Silva’s “Fado” from his COMPOSITEURS PORTUGAIS/ fado chosen range from simple tunes to Páginas Portuguesas (Portuguese Pages), FADOS PARA PIANO SELECÇÃO/ complex fantasies. Keils’s Um fado, Colaço’s delightful SELECTED BY/CHOISIS PAR and Scarlattian “Fado no. 7” from his BRUNO BELTHOISE, JOÃO PEDRO The simplicity of musical form and collection Fados para Piano, António MENDES DOS SANTOS. harmony (often I V V I and alternation Tomás de Lima’s Fado-Fantasia, Bahai’s Volume II, Intermediate-Advanced of minor-major modes) found in Mais um Fado (One more Fado), and (2022) ISMN 979-0-55053-096-6, fados should not belie the enormous Mantua’s 2a Rapsódia de Fados (2nd Fado Ref. AVA212190, 150 pp., possibilities of expression, in which Rhapsody) are sure to please. Female AvA Musical Editions, Lisbon. the piano pales when compared to the composers are also represented, www.editions-ava.com, 36€. voice of Amália Rodrigues or Mariza two perhaps finding it unwise to (available on YouTube). Herein lies the be identified, for they composed Like carefully opening a jewel box, danger of interpretation by student “opposing” fados – the Novo Fado das this new treasure trove of Portuguese pianists. Any teacher of these pieces Salas (New Fado of the Living Rooms) fados from a much-loved cultural legacy would do well to understand the fado by Narciza C. and in response, O fado should be of interest to all pianists, tradition’s freedom of expression das Ruas (The Fado of the Streets) by young, old, amateur, professional. The – unwritten and difficult to convey Clotilde N. Others included are Maria fado tradition of expressive singing – similar to the depth of Friedman’s Victoria, Maria da Conceição Piedade, about “fate” or “destiny”, accompanied interpretation of Chopin mazurkas. Eulália de Souza Amado and the young by the iconic Portuguese guitar, 19th-century Laura Eschrich in her Fado thrived during the 19th and 20th This rich and varied collection has da Sebenta. centuries in cafés and pubs. Later, revived favourites from songbooks, it was imitated by composers of art musical theatre and art music. The Tango, ragtime and other identifiable music. Important to know is that the pianist will want to identify those styles also appear in the fados. More artistic expression of Fado is the first to fados that are imitation of songs, than fifty pieces are found in this be given the designation of “Intangible such as from the Cancioneiro de one volume, making it good value Cultural Heritage of Humanity” by Músicas Populares (César das Neves) for the money, and offering pianists UNESCO. and others. And in identifying these everywhere many hours of pleasure. songs it becomes important to know I only wish that the compilers had Now, in the 21st century, fado, perhaps the sound of the Portuguese guitar given us a short description of each a novelty for some, has the potential and subtle accompaniment figures. piece and each composer. Given the to become a pianistic staple. This is The well-known Fado de Lisboa and A size of the publication, there may have thanks once more to Bruno Belthoise, minha Guitarra (“My Guitar” or Fado de been economic issues to consider João Pedro Mendes dos Santos, and Coimbra), two distinct kinds of fado, that precluded these inclusions. AvA Musical Editions who have are found in the “easy” section. The Congratulations goes to all who had presented the “musical heart” of the compilers have provided the words a part in bringing such an important popular Portuguese patrimony. Their that are found at the end of some publication to the world stage. thoughtfully collected and graded fados with an occasional splash of anthology from easy to difficult levels original covers from first publications. Nancy Lee Harper provides representative as well as Google Translate gets close enough to little-known solo piano pieces and understand the sentiment of the SCHOTT even one for two pianos arranged lyrics. Fortunately, several recordings ED 23422-3, 23475 by Armando José Fernandes. Their of Portuguese fados are available Women Composers respectful editing does not give that will be helpful to understand A Graded Anthology for Piano fingering, rubato, pedal or dynamic the style; the famous Fado Burnay by Books 1, 2 & 3 the young Portuguese pianist Vasco Melanie Spanswick 34 Dantas (https://www.youtube.com/ £12.99 & £13.99 watch?v=D2qYzvmt8P8), found In Piano Journal 126, Colin Hazel’s in three different versions in this modest yet comprehensive volume of collection, is easily available. music by historic women composers was reviewed. Schott has now The pianist will also want to identify published three volumes of music those fados from musical theatre, such exclusively by women composers, as those from Revista à Portuguesa, a kind selected by Melanie Spanswick in of musical review, and others. Some graded order of difficulty and covering of these have been published with the a span of music from the 17th Century song removed since the accompanying to the present day. The first volume piano part doubles that of the voice. is considered to be Elementary, the These pieces can demonstrate an second Intermediate and the third is underlying cultural life, in a similar aimed at Advanced students. way that the French Baroque court dances of François Couperin subtly Interestingly, Minuet by Elisabetta de hint at court intrigues. Gambarini and Andante by Anna Bon also appear in Mr. Hazel’s volume, as Art music in fado is found in well as music by Maria Szymanowska, works by Alexandre Rey Colaço, Ruy Coelho, Francisco Bahia, Alfredo Keil,

Agathe Backer, Melanie Bonis, Louise works from all over the world such ED 23283 Farrenc and Helene de Montgeroult. as the Prélude by Lili Boulanger laced Handel Variations Ms Spanswick’s anthologies also include with chromaticism and double Martin Stadfeld contemporary music by living women octaves, spritely Little Dance by Tatjana £16.99 composers from Brazil, Malaysia, Japan, Komarova, the calmly atmospheric Transcriptions for piano solo on Australia, USA, Russia, France, Austria, Between Dawn, Noon and Midnight by themes by Georg Friedrich Handel Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Mai Fukasawa and fardanceCLOSE by Croatia, Sweden, Norway and Israel. Chaya Czernowin who explains that Martin Stadfeld immediately rose the dance from afar is “either brought to fame as a result of his compelling The first volume is geared at by a gust of wind or so close as to recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations Elementary pianists with 21 appealing require ears grounded onto distorted and has continued to study Baroque short works of different styles. Pierrot repeated detail”. It offers a wonderful music in great depth, leading him to sautille by Hedwige Chrétien, Mirage by exploration into a disparate and freely adapt ten of his favourite works Melanie Spanswick, Joker by Barbara compelling sound world. The volume by Handel to the modern piano. Heller, Fig and Fennel by Wendy also includes Allegro by Marianna von Hiscocks, Two Cats Playing by Vera Martinez, Fanny Hensel’s September, In this collection Stadfeld has Mohrs and The Boat by Felicitas Kukuck Amy Beach’s Sous les étoiles and Prelude selected works from various stages of are examples of the wide array of and Fugue in Bb by Clara Schumann. Handel’s life beginning with Lascia musical styles with different pianistic ch’io pianga from Rinaldo and there are requirements to suit musical moods The three volumes are an eye-opener two selections from Giulio Cesare - Se appropriate to the descriptive titles. into the extensive range of female pietà di me non senti and Piangerò la sorte composers from all over the world. mia. Ombra mai fù from Serse, Wher’er you The second volume includes Allegro Informative biographical notes as walk from Semele and Will the sun forget to moderato by the classical Italian Maria well as performance tips complete streak from Solomon complete the vocal Theresa Agnesi, Song without Words by the books that cover four centuries of transcriptions in this uniquely original Mon Schjelderup with arpeggiated refreshing and exciting music. In all, publication. spread chords, Waltz-Caprice by Dora there are 52 new works to fill students’ Pejačević, Astralis by Jenni Pinnock recitals and Melanie Spanswick must Instrumental favourites include the with tied notes above moving quavers, be congratulated on her extensive Passacaille from Trio Sonata in G major, Etude by Louise Farrenc and Gavotte by research in uncovering exciting music Largo from Theodore, Prelude from the E Cécile Chaminade. to enthral pianists and teachers. major Suite, Siciliano from the Organ Concerto in F major and the Sarabande The third volume is musically Variations from the D minor Suite . fascinating with contemporary Martin Stadfeld’s transcriptions are of particular interest as he remains HOME true to the musical text throughout while adorning it with contemporary pianistic passagework and thicker textures. In other words, he improvises over the original score, creating an enterprising new path to performing Handel’s great masterworks. The composer states that he has not included any musical directives, true to Baroque style, leaving the performer completely free in interpretation. 35

Reviews continued... Stanfeld also explains how closely he contrast before the reprise of the Presto for violin and piano composed for finds links between Handel and Bach, section with a massive accelerando to Joachim to perform and also for especially as they borrow thematic the last chordal bars. Hopefully, more instigating the premiere of the Brahms material to create new works. Much piano works by Coleridge-Taylor will Requiem. His three charming piano of this collection is highly suitable soon be excavated from the bowels of works include a short Kanon from Opus for intermediate pianists, while the the publishing houses and brought 2 and two Klavierstücke from Opps. 2 ten variations on the Sarabande are to light to join this delightful new and 4. Three gems by Julius Grimm, more substantial and require power discovery. one of Brahms’s best friends, show a and advanced technical proficiency wide range of pianistic styles in the to achieve the gradual musical EDITION BREITKOPF 8303 Abendlandschaft, Elfenchor and Elegie. The progression to the mighty climax. Johannes Brahms and his friends cellist and conductor Karl Grädener Works for piano is represented by two Fliegende Blätter, Overall, the collection offers £26.55 one of which consists of relentless, an intriguing new approach that rapid semiquaver movement in each juxtaposes old and new elements into Brahms had an enormous circle of hand while the second piece is calmer the music of Handel. friends in the musical world of his day and more melodious. Best-known and this particular volume of music as a conductor, Otto Deshoff had ED 14075 contains hitherto unpublished piano the privilege of conducting the first Coleridge-Taylor works by twelve of them which include performance of Brahms’ Symphony Papillon two married couples, Robert & Clara No. 1 and his two short, selected piano The well-known Anglo-African Schumann and Heinrich & Elisabeth pieces Novelette and Menuett show composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was von Herzogenberg. his innate musical sensitivity. Ernst considered a child prodigy as a young Rudorff was the Head of Piano at the violinist and studied composition It is extraordinary that so much Berlin Hochschule for forty years and at the Royal College of Music. His Romantic piano music disappeared is remembered for his orchestration of music was extremely popular during into oblivion and Joachim Draheim Schubert’s Fantasia in F minor, and his his lifetime and he had no fewer than is to be congratulated on researching Fantasie in G minor, dedicated in deep 116 works performed in the Proms. and compiling this most interesting reverence to Herrn Johannes Brahms, Sadly, after his death in 1912, his music musical publication. Needless to has many haunting moments. disappeared into oblivion and this say, the music of Robert and Clara lively piano piece has been out of print Schumann is not unknown although Piano repertoire by Max Bruch for many years. Schott Publishing the opening Scherzo from Schumann’s is a rare phenomenon and the Op. House is delighted to present the Piano Quintet, arranged for piano solo 14 Fantasiestück is a delight with its revival of this work and pianists will by Brahms, is unique and technically lively agitato octave passagework. make haste to acquaint themselves extremely challenging. Theodor Kirchner is well-known with this brilliant rediscovered concert in the piano pedagogical world for piece which will undoubtedly be Clara Schumann’s much-loved Intermediate students and he is here included in many recital programmes. op. 21 Drei Romanzen follow. Joachim, represented by Sieben Walzer Op. 23 a legendary in the violin world, is which are dedicated to Brahms and A short piece in ternary form, with represented in a substantial piano which cannot fail to appeal to young the outer sections offering technically- solo Versuch eines Tanzes in several pianists. He was also a gifted arranger exciting, rapid, alternating repeated contrasting sections, musically and transcribed many of Brahms’ notes and chords in each hand, it is rewarding to play. One wonders if works and the next three pieces are not unlike works by Villa-Lobos and there are any further undiscovered piano solo arrangements of Brahms’ Albéniz. A warmly expressive middle piano works by Joachim. Albert Lieder. The final works in this volume section offers attractive musical Dietrich was best known for his are by Heinrich and Elisabeth von 36 first movement of the F-A-E Sonata Herzogenberg with two Fantastische Tanze opus 9 and a Klavierstück from Op. 68 by Heinrich and Drei Klavierstücke” by his wife, Elisabeth. The latter Klavierstücke are all reverently dedicated to Clara Schumann. The final page is taken up with Brahms’ publication of the theme from Schumann’s very last work, the Ghost Variations. Short German biographical notes about each composer are included, for further insight and depth into this prolific period of music-making. This fine collection of mostly unpublished piano music by Brahms’ close circle of friends is a splendid revelation of hitherto unknown great pedagogical repertoire and it is to be hoped that, as from now, all this

fine music will become well-known participate as well as composing her much of his time playing in bands. in concert performances by young own entertaining works. He also spends much time teaching musicians all over the world. The piano and composes a vast amount Editor’s final last words need to be Once again, there is a huge variety of material for his students. These quoted in full: “May this excursion in of musical styles ranging from Alpine 25 Sketches are geared towards the this brilliant period of piano music lead Echoes to Twilight passing through Elegie, intermediate pianist and also offer fine to a rediscovery and re-assessment of Winter Wind, Below the Sea and An Eastern new sight-reading material for more composers who ... successfully created Tale. Barbara Arens has explored several advanced pupils. works which deserve our attention dance patterns to include Just Three today and which can afford pleasure to Chords, Mamba, Waltz and Tango as well The short pieces cover a wide performers and listeners alike”... as arrangements of Scottish, Irish, range of musical styles with classical Welsh, Chinese and English folksongs harmonies that always take a modern EDITION BREITKOPF 9378 , the best-known being Greensleeves. chromatic twist. Three of the pieces Sven Birch Arens has composed a Classical Sonatina are inspired by Bach with polyphonic 11 Easy Pieces for piano in three movements for the right hand material, one piece is intended to only, although many of the works are emulate Chopin’s Barcarolle in left-hand Breitkopf & Härtel continue with suitable for either hand. The most arpeggio figuration. Hoffman offers their Pädagogik series and the eleven fascinating aspect of the volume is that terse yet specific instructions for each pieces by Sven Birch are a welcome there are several classical works by piece showing his vast pedagogical entertaining pedagogical contribution Gossec, the well-known Gavotte, C. P. E. experience in working with young to Elementary and Intermediate Bach, Vogler, Sartorio, Mandyczewski students. No. II should be “Short but students’ piano study. Every piece is in - Through all Keys, a Solfeggio in E minor powerful”, No. III “Melancholy melody dance form covering Boogie and Blues, by Broschi and a fascinating Praeludium, in a traditional piano arrangement Tango, Rock and Ballad, offering early Scherzo, Andante con Variazione from the - expressive”, No. VII “Simple and learners an immediate introduction cello suite by Reger. Completing the meditative”, No. XI “Play legato and to syncopation and rhythmic picture, Arens invited a few colleagues hold the different voices”, No. XXIII irregularities in a most approachable – Nikolas Sideris, Alison Mathews, “Very lively piece but also a bit crazy” style. Octave leaps are well planned so Garreth Brooke and Clemens Poetzsch and No. XXV “The finale. Play it as that small hands can negotiate without – to add to the collection. such!” stress. Always musically interesting, the quirky melodic twists and funky This volume is also published under These few excerpts show the reader rhythms cannot fail to enhance early the Breitkopf Pädagogik umbrella, how thoughtful Hoffman is to cover piano lessons. offering teachers and students many every aspect of intermediate piano EDITION BREITKOPF 9409 alternatives when temporarily disabled technique in these delightful, quirky Barbara Arens by one hand or other, while also and atmospheric pieces. This volume ONE HAND PIANO 2 providing for a weaker hand special, provides excellent alternative new Another 40 pieces for Left or Right stimulating and serious musical work. material for all teachers that is well worth exploring. The well-established German UNIVERSAL EDITION pedagogue and composer has brought UES 101 312 410 37 out a sequel of further pieces for Clemens Hoffman either right hand or left hand. Her 25 Sketches for Piano first volume was published in 2013 and, since then, Arens has continued Clemens Hoffman lives and works in to research old repertoire for one the Netherlands. Coming from a family hand alone, inviting friends of hers to of musicians, he studied piano and composition and subsequently spends HOME

Reviews continued... HENLE VERLAG models”. This Suite was most popular is clearly proving popular and is 1546-8: Schönberg Piano Works when first performed by the pianist opening new doors for contemporary Op. 11, 19 & 25 Eduard Steuermann and Hanns Eisler composers to cater for this level of wrote to the composer about how performance. As in all the ABRSM Henle Verlag is to be congratulated impressed he was by Steuermann’s graded assessments there are three on this new set of Schönberg’s Piano performance of the music. “He also lists of nine pieces in total, requiring Works, Drei Klavierstücke Op. 11, Sechs explained much to me. One has to a selection of one from each list. A Klavierstücke Op. 19 and the Suite Op. look at them very closely however to further 33 pieces are also offered as 25. The first two volumes are fingered understand them.” Josef Rufer wrote to ‘alternative pieces for assessment’, by Emanuel Ax and edited by Ullrich Schönberg to comment that, “they are thus opening an enormous range of Scheideler and Norbert Müllemann tremendously beautiful”. Eisler stated repertoire all within a five-finger hand whilst the Op. 25 is edited by Marte that, “it has the same forms as a Suite position and small chords of seconds Auer and fingered by Shai Wosner. by Bach,” and “shows a joy in music- or thirds. There are some Classics by making that was long absent.” Gurlit, Kabalevsky, Reinagle, Carl Orff In correspondence with Busoni, and Diabelli and the contemporary Schönberg asked the composer to look The informative notes on the pieces are by well-known pedagogues at the Op. 11 as he felt that “technically historical background make these of the day such as Walter Carroll, Pam they don’t present any particular editions all the more interesting and Wedgwood, Joan Last, Peter Gritton, difficulty. But their performance welcome describing the reception Mark Tanner, Karen Marshall and June demands belief and conviction. of these three works when first Armstrong to name a few. That is why I am turning to you”. performed; today’s latest publications Busoni was not overly impressed will be well used and performed by Grades 1 to 3 are accepted as Level 1, with the works and re-wrote the pianists and students the world over. Grades 4 & 5 Level 2 and Grades 6, 7, & second piece much to Schönberg’s 8 Level 3. disapproval. Needless to say, Schönberg ABRSM Associated Board of the left his score untouched. The first Royal Schools of Music The repertoire in Grades 1, 2 & 3 have performance received mixed reactions 2023 & 2024 Piano Exam Pieces no surprises on the Classical side with from reviewers. Korngold certainly Initial – Grade 8 Bach, Beethoven, Diabelli, Dussek and disapproved. Loeschhorn. Once again contemporary Every two years, the Examination composers, all of them EPTA UK The six Op. 19 pieces were composed Boards bring out new syllabuses and members with Pedagogical expertise, at a time when he was not received all teachers and students await the have been invited to contribute: Elissa with popularity. He composed the first selections with avid interest and Milne, David Blackwell, Nancy Litten five in 1911 and followed with the sixth curiosity. The new ABRSM syllabus and Andrew Eales alongside well- after the death of Mahler, whom he offers a far wider range of repertoire established composers such as William revered. Here Schönberg favours the than ever before with a total of thirty- Gillock, Florence Price and Martha Meir. miniature and the six pieces are ever nine pieces in each grade. Once again, popular in recital, posing enormous every student is catered for with all Grades 4 & 5 include many old musical challenges to students. Op. conceivable musical styles on offer at favourites by Pescetti, Handel, 25 show Schönberg finally making every level. Cimarosa, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, his breakthrough and achieving his Chaminade, Bartók and Kabalevsky final way forward with the “Method of The old “Prep Test”, which was never with Chaminade, Florence Price, Composing with Twelve Tones which marked but just offered a Certificate Dorothy Pilling, Mike Cornick and are Related only to one Another”. The with comments, was joined for the David Önaç. work is organised in the format of a first time in 2021 by an assessed “In” Dance Suite in true baroque style with or Initial Grade with just two scales Level 3 includes the three final “counterpoint and strict sequential and Arpeggios with five notes. It Grades 6, 7 & 8 with another wonderful mix of repertoire to select. 38 A Study by Stephen Heller is an unusual choice in the first ‘A’ list of Grade 6, although I wonder if it might be a good idea for every candidate at every level to begin their programme with a compulsory study? Elisabetta de Gambarini and Kuhlau complete the first List of this Grade. Granados and Mendelssohn are represented in the B list while the C List is represented with Richard Rodney Bennett, Elissa Milne and Oscar Peterson. Grades 7 & 8 are slightly more conventional in choice of repertoire with works by Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Debussy, Albéniz, Moszkowski, Martinů, Louise Farrenc, Marianne Martinez and Christopher Norton. There are also pieces by J. P. Johnson, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor,

Param Vir and the Armenian-born the required atmosphere with Grands This is an intriguing new book of composer Dianne Rahbee. and Petits battements, Katadjak, Biguine, technical exercises beginning with Procesión, Parade, L’oiseau bleu with fingers on black and white chord The new ABRSM syllabus is most different key signatures in each hand clusters. This is followed by holding interesting in that it has included and Piétiné couru while the final piece, thumbs while slurring held adjacent many more women composers than Le jeune homme et la mort, has to be the notes. Wrist work is applied in faster in previous years. In fact this year’s pièce de résistance of the whole book finger passagework. There is also total amounts to 77 pieces by women with its heartfelt pathos and sorrow staccato fingerwork for loose wrists, composers in the mainstream and created with long held minimal notes glissandi five-finger clusters, wrist alternative lists. Wonderful that and effective dynamics. This comes movements in chords and inversions, so many are now internationally highly recommended. legato chord passages with different recognised, and even more exciting is dynamics on notes of the same chords the fact that several of them are EPTA Daiki Nishi and rapid tremolando. members. Dianne Rahbee was actually 10 petits mouvements one of EPTA’s first members in 1978 Japanese pianist and composer Daiki The ten pieces which Nishi calls and her music is renowned all over the Nishi spent much of his time in “Mouvements musique” are all world. Some of the historic repertoire France and is now passing on the one page of music with one of the from Colin Hazel’s New Horizons For pedagogical traditions of his teacher, technical exercises applied in each Piano is included in this new Syllabus, Geneviève Ibanez, while he studied at and every one. This volume is full of and EPTA UK members were fortunate the Schola Cantorum in Paris. It covers interesting contemporary repertoire enough to hear these charming pieces the fundamental arm movements for young pianists to enjoy. in a recent webinar offered to EPTA and gestures which, when correctly members. applied, prevent unnecessary pain and BOOK REVIEW fatigue of fingers, wrists and arms. The lengthy alternative lists are also INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS a novelty in their sheer volume and Joseph Banowetz with contributions wide variety of musical styles. by Philip Fowke & Nancy Lee Harper The Performing Pianist’s Guide to It is always exciting to begin working Fingering with the new ABRSM Syllabus and this 2023-2024 is set to keep millions Joseph Banowetz was one of EPTA’s of candidates happily occupied and longest standing members and was still absorbed with a plethora of wonderful incredibly active as a pianist, professor, music. As usual, candidates will be author and pedagogue until his sudden hard pushed to select only three pieces death on 3rd July this year. His obituary for examination out of a possible 39, appears in this Piano Journal. He will be and many may well be tempted to sorely missed by so many of us and as I prepare several programmes at each write, I am perusing his interview with grade as it will be impossible to make Carola Grindea that appeared in issue decisions. The ABRSM never fails no. 26 of Piano Journal, dating from June to appeal to a huge cross-section of 1988! the musical community in its care to represent the greatest possible variety As a student, he was always of musical idioms and styles for encouraged to use the highest quality everyone to enjoy. editions and this, no doubt, led him to publish the most thoroughly detailed EDITIONS LEMOINE Corpus volubilis pour piano livre 2 39 Alexandre Tharaud The distinguished French jazz pianist, Alexandre Tharaud, always produces extremely original work and this latest volume of twenty short pieces is no exception. Every piece is dedicated to specific people: friends, students or contemporary performers of his day. Full of quirky, discordant harmonies, strong dynamic indications, rhythmic dance patterns and distinctively clear pedal markings, this music is immediately appealing to all intermediate pianists looking for novel material. Dances include Mazurka, Minuet, Salsa, Barcarolle and Marche militaire. Descriptive titles create HOME

Reviews continued... books. In his constant search for aids Interpretation: What Can a Modern the full. Pain can be caused by poor to his own pedalling problems when Pianist Learn?” is her quest to find fingering and must be avoided at all a student, he could not understand the best way to combining the purist costs while also knowing the required how there was so little material and elements of Baroque technique with tempo of the performance which this led him to write The Pianist’s Guide the sounds and techniques of the will also determine fingering choices. to Pedalling which has been acclaimed modern piano. The section explores Students must hear a sound and tempo as the most authoritative study of the fingering concepts of Baroque music first before selecting appropriate important topic. from Germany, Italy, Spain, England fingering which has to work at the and Iberia. Dr Harper must be quoted: required speed. And now, with assistance from two “Finally, the art of interpretation is distinguished colleagues, Philip Fowke intimately connected to fingering With almost two hundred musical and Nancy Lee Harper, Professor choices.” Choice of fingering was examples to illustrate his technical Banowetz has comprehensively determined by the choice of keyboard points, Banowetz is thorough to explored fingering, always a bête noire instrument as well as being linked to extremes, covering all aspects of piano for pianists and teachers. (I remember musical expression. There are chapters technique. Thumbs on black keys is as a student, having to sit a 60-minute on Articulation covering Attack, Decay, encouraged whenever a finger pattern Public Examination paper on fingering Lifting and Slurring; Redistribution, can be maintained and when needing alone which involved several tricky Crossing and Turning of the Fingers, to voice several parts on one hand. passages to finger!) Repeated Notes and Glissandi, Banowetz assures readers that this Ornamentation, Singing and Dancing will never be awkward if playing with Philip Fowke’s contributions arose with the Fingers and Bach’s Poetic a flexible hand position. An acrobatic out of a strange coincidence that Meter, all concluding with Dr Harper’s thumb also needs to go under and over enabled him to acquire the complete statement that “fingering cannot the fifth finger to create a pure legato library of Benno Moiseiwitsch’s be divorced from interpretation in single notes, double octaves and music and these treasures showed his regardless of the instrument”. chordal passages. Marking an extra chosen fingerings for performances. strong note with several clumped The book illustrates four concertos All pianists know that there is never fingers is encouraged for greater depth out of the collection: Beethoven’s one definitive fingering solution for and strength of tone. “Portato” can be Emperor Concerto, Tchaikovsky’s First any work and Joseph Banowetz is the even more cantabile by using the same Piano Concerto and Rachmaninov’s first to recognise this. In fact, he often finger on every note. Redistribution Concertos 1 and 2. It is always offers several alternatives for one of notes is greatly encouraged after interesting to note finger choices passage and admits they are all equally first considering the composers’ by great pianists of the last century efficient. The book is intended for suggestions. and these prove no exception. In advanced performers, who, he hopes, defence of redistribution Fowke tells will be stimulated to explore wider At the end of the day, Banowetz an anecdote of his professor, Gordon realms of the arts, literature and poetry always has the music at the heart Green, watching a video of Richter as well as their pianistic studies. The of all his fingering selections. How playing Beethoven Op. 2 No. 1 and introduction explains how a specific I wish I had had lessons with him noting with glee that he played the choice of fingering can enhance the when a student; his explanations are first ten bars (including the LH entry) performance and phrasing, creating so completely logical. His advice of all with the right hand! special effects by melodic emphasis not blindly following fingerings in the and the author is adamant that the score is healthy and his dictum must be Dr Nancy Lee Harper is no stranger pianist MUST explore all possibilities the final word: “If it works, it’s right.” to the EPTA Piano Journal and her before reaching a decision that depicts thesis on “Baroque Fingering and their originality and creativity to Nadia Lasserson 40

EPTA News - Summer 2022 by Nadia Lasserson EPTA - EUROPEAN PIANO This season has seen several wonderful events and EPTA Albania celebrated TEACHERS ASSOCIATION its 25th anniversary in June with the 25th Young Pianists’ Festival. This was The Parent Organisation the first festival in three years after the pandemic and it was wonderful Charity Registered Number 1094973 to see 100 live young pianists once again, thanks to the hard work of the active 34 Carver Road, London SE24 9LT Committee. The Winners: Class I - Eva Lumshi, Tel: +44 (0)20 7274 6821 Ema Osmanaj; Class II - Sabrina Kaciu, John Vongli, Email: [email protected] Greigor Gjini; Class III - Ben Dreshaj, Orajen Popa, Founder Carola Grindea Ronni Banisha; Class IV - Samantha Shpata, Grejsi Honorary European President Fetahu, Amina Dogana; Class V - Hillari Parangoni, Dominique Merlet Dario Konci; Class VI - Enea Kortoci, Ilari Shyti; Class Honorary Vice President VII - Arabela Nuna, Era Kume, Erbli Zade; Class VIII - Alberto Portugheis Elizea Pali, Deranda Dervishi; Class IX - Izabel Haxhiu; Class X - Odessa Meti; Class XI - Jurgen Alia; Class EPTA EUROPEAN PRESIDENT XII - Joel Kakusi, Nikol Tuka. The following weekend, Luís Pipa (President of EPTA Portugal) 11th–12th June, EPTA Albania also ran the XIVth National Meeting for Amateur Pianists with 55 performers who VICE PRESIDENTS all received certificates. All Presidents of EPTA National Associations EPTA Albania: Honorary President EPTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE and Founder - Taquina Adami Chair: Anthony Williams President - Klodi Jekeli Secretary: Nadia Lasserson Vice-President - Herton Mikeli Treasurer: Rina Patel Secretary - Isida Keta Members of Executive Committee: Alberto Urroz, Luís Pipa, Marcella Crudeli, Left: Jury - Teresa Trevisan, Alan Paul & Susan Bettaney Nadia Lasserson Committee and Winners at the Website: www.epta-europe.org Finals Concert on 8th June EPTA – the Parent Organisation – is EPTA Croatia was delighted to be able constantly expanding not only in Europe to organise a concert on 22nd April 2022 for but also throughout the world through its the “laureats - First Prizewinners of the 11th Affiliations with the most important International Competition for Young Pianists”, Piano Teachers Associations: held in Osijek earlier this year. This was held MTNA – Music Teachers National in the new concert hall in Split. The youngest, Association Natali Ružić, performed Barcarolle by the Croatian Piano Teachers National Association composer Blagoje Bersa. Mia Pečnik followed of Japan, Founder: Yasuko Fukuda with Chopin’s Second Sonata in Bb Minor op. 35, Japan Piano Teachers Association, Zvjezdan Vojvodić, played Schumann Carnaval op. President: Prof Akemi Murakami 9 and Jan Nikovic performed Rachmaninov’s Second Sonata op. 36. Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Associations, Co-ordinator: EPTA Croatia will hold the 7th Svetislav Stančić International Piano Competition Prof Ireneus Zuk between 9th–14th October 2022 in the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb and Latin American Piano Teachers will be held in memory of Dmitry Bashkirov who was President of the Jury in 2014 Association (Argentine, Chile, and 2018. Further details can be found on www.svetislavstancic.com.hr Ecuador, Brazil) 21st May 2022 EPTA Netherlands resumed the Annual Conference and Marilia EPTA ASSOCIATES: Patricio presented her work on students’ compositions. EPTA CHINA ASSOCIATES Patrick Leichner May 2022 EPTA Russia held the “Bartolomeo Cristofori” International Piano EPTA NEW YORK ASSOCIATES Competition in St Petersburg. Prof Salvatore Moltisanti EPTA INDIA ASSOCIATES EPTA UK continued tirelessly with fortnightly Webinars throughout the year and Founder-Director: Prabhudas Ivanson will take a break in the summer. EPTA ISRAEL ASSOCIATES 1st May 2022 Jacqueline Vann: Dance to the Music of Time; 15th May Jan Loeffler: Just who plays Dr. Yuval Admony in time anyway? 29th May Michael Stembridge Montavont and Frédéric Aguessy: The Pianistic Ideas & Ideals of Alfred Cortot–Wrist Technique. 12th June Pamela Wedgwood (Faber): The Rusty HOME Pianist had to be cancelled and was replaced by Christopher Norton: It’s never over till it’s over! On 28th June EPTA UK ran a masterclass in Coach House Pianos with Max Yi-Lyne, Marcel Matusiak, Esther Tham, Valerie Chia-En-Chang, Paul Mnatsakanov and Can Arisoy – six young pianists ranging between the ages of 9 and 22 – who all benefited enormously from the expert tuition of Yulia Chaplina. 41

EPTA News - Summer 2022 continued... 27th–29th May 2022 The board of Kiryat Yam Conservatory. Ilana Rubinstein: Lecture-concert on Nocturnes by Field, EPTA Germany was excited to restart Grieg and Chopin / Oded Zehavi - on his works including latest commission for live meetings after two long years in a youth excellency programme / Rob Regev - on Editions: reliability, influences / which several conferences had to take Daniel Hoexter - performing slow movements / Ofra Izhaki - teaching the well- place on Zoom due to the pandemic. tempered clavier and Dr Einat Fabrikant gave masterclasses. The topic was Music and Crisis in the Martin-Luther University, 10th July 2022 EPTA Israel Associates held their Annual Conference in the Halle/Saale. All participants enjoyed Givatayim Conservatory, with Ilana Rubinstein giving a lecture recital on Nocturnes being together and listening to the by Field, Grieg and Chopin, Oded Zehavi presented his works including latest interesting lectures: Prof. Ulrich commission for a youth excellency programme, Rob Regev discussed Editions Mahlert (Music in situations of Crisis) and and their reliability & influences, Daniel Hoexter presented ‘performing slow Prof. Wolfgang Lessing (Motivation – movements’ and Ofra Izhaki ‘teaching the well-tempered clavier’. free Variations on a pedagogical Standard). Dr. Anett Schwarzenberger lectured 17th September 2022 EPTA Czech Republic has rescheduled the piano seminar on ‘teaching rhythmical skills’ and which had to be cancelled in 2020. The programme remains the same .Once again, was also the perfect host, ensuring a the venue is the High School and Music School of Capital Prague and Prof. Peter problem-free course. There were two Takacs (USA) from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music will be talking about topics excellent concerts given by students in Beethoven piano sonatas, Prof. Ingrid Sotolarova (CZ/Portugal) will present some of the Conservatory Halle and the Portuguese piano music for children, Prof. Alena Vlasakova (CZ) will give a lecture Martin-Luther-University. EPTA about ‘Piano Music in the Classical Period in the Education of Children’ and Prof. Germany was thrilled to have two full Jitka Fowler Frankova (CZ) will feature Piano Technique – ‘Exercises and Thorough days of wonderful music, hoping that Descriptions of a famous Czech Piano Professor and Pianist Ilona Stepanova-Kurzova’. on 28th–30th October 2022 the next Annual Conference on the topic of 1st–2nd October 2022 EPTA Sweden will run its Annual National Conference in Diversity, to be held in the Cologne the city of Gävle. Music College, will again be live. www.epta-deutschland.de 14th–15th October 2022 EPTA Iceland will have the next inland conference with guests from Scandinavia and the USA. 10th–16th July 2022 EPTA Denmark was delighted to resume the 19th 4th–6th November 2022 EPTA Norway will run its Annual Conference in Oslo International Piano Week Festival in on ‘Creativity and Improvisation’ with Sigurd Slaattebrekk giving a piano recital, the OrkesterEfterskolen in Holstebro Henning Kraggerud, violin - lecture recital and masterclass, Petter Richer - guitar (Northern Jutland). The faculty - lecture recital, Monica Tomescu-Rohde, piano. Performance: “The years of Fanny” includes Kevin Kenner (Frost School (Mendelssohn), Haakon Stoering - lecture about improvisation in classical music of Music, Miami), Eero Heinonen and Hilde Ostby - lecture on creativity. (Sibelius Academy, Helsinki) and Ewa Pobłocka (Bydgoszcz Music Academy, 19th November 2022 EPTA Belgium Wallonie/Bruxelles will run its Biennial Bydgoszcz). 13th, 14th and 15th July Pedagogy Day on the all-too-common problems encountered in children of “Around 2022 were the evenings of the recitals. Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorders”. Further info at epta.dk/ipw EPTA Italy has resumed the successful Salotti Itineranti Concerts by Marcella May 2022 EPTA Greece continued Crudeli in the beautiful 15th-century Cloister of San Giovanni Battista de Genovesi. last year’s plan of a Russian year and The third concert took place on 26th March 2022 and the fourth on 30th April 2022. Katya Lebedeva ran masterclasses, These include an eclectic mix of presentations. One was on the topic of the little concerts and videos on Russian music. known Pope Benedict XV, who in the early 1900s was Ecclesiastical Governor of the November 2022 will be the date of the Confraternity of San Giovanni Battista de Genovesi. Events of great spiritual value as third Russian Music event. well as several diverse musical performances. EPTA Israel Associates continued November/ to hold events all over the country: December 2022 EPTA 20th May 2022 - Central District Italy is preparing includes the Tel-Aviv area; 3rd June the 31st International 2022 - Northern District covers Haifa, Chopin Roma Aco and Netanya. Professor Pilar Competition. Leyva presented Synesthesia and the re-engineering of hands for the All activities are prevention of piano-related injuries as included on Facebook well as lectures and live sessions. and other social networks. 17th June 2022 - Central District in the Kiryat Yam Conservatory. 24th June 2022 - Northern District in the 42

www.epta-europe.org It is wonderful to hear from EPTA Georgia: Despite the difficult and ‘silent’ period of so many Coronavirus lockdowns for EPTA Georgia, we managed to organise some online workshops and now we are helping to give young talents the opportunity to give concerts, not only in Georgia but also abroad. At present, one of the students from the Central Music School for talented children, Andria Bukhsianidze (13), is in The Netherlands performing charity concerts for supporting Ukrainian refugees. This project, ‘support young talents’, will be growing in future and we hope to let you know about many interesting related projects as well. This is a new initiative and motivation for all of us - ’support young talents’ and we are all are doing our best to continue this work. EPTA Georgia’s Honorary President, Alexander Toradze, died at his home in South Bend (Ind. USA) at the age 69 on 11th May 2022. It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we inform you of passing of the world-renowned Georgian pianist and a teacher, our colleague and Honorary President. EPTA Georgia expresses its deep condolences for this great loss to his family, friends, students and colleagues. Another country that faces adversity is Armenia, and EPTA Armenia is delighted to announce that it is resuming activities in the autumn with concerts and pedagogy days. 29th May 2022 EPTA Slovenia created a new project, running the competition Alexander Toradze ‘Happy Fingers’ Veseli prstki for very young pianists aged 8–9 who were given a chance to win an upright piano for the duration of their musical education. This was held in Photo: Octavio Nava/Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México Ljubljana. Thanks must go to the sponsor Yamaha Piano Centre. Autumn 2022 EPTA Slovenia continues its regular activities with the 10th issue of Virkla with articles on ‘Virtuosity of Teaching’. Contributors are renowned Slovenian and foreign experts on Pedagogy and Performance and Paul Harris is this year’s special guest. www.epta. si/virkla. 11th–12th November 2022 EPTA Slovenia will organise the Annual National Conference, Piano Days, in Slovenj Gradec. The topic With Rhythm Through Time will include projects from music schools, lectures, concerts and a round table discussion. This year’s special guest is world-renowned North Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski. The cycle of concerts for young talents, Pianissimo, is back on track this season with three concert tours already organised for Adam Kamplet, Manca Karmelj and Una Bajić. Društvo klavirskih pedagogov Slovenije – EPTA, www.epta.si 11th–12th February 2023 EPTA Finland will organise the Annual Seminar in Kajaani. 20th–26th November 2023 EPTA Belgium Wallonie/Bruxelles will run the 31st Rencontres Internationales des Jeunes Pianistes in Grez Doiceau. November 2023 EPTA Italy will hold the 45th EPTA International Conference in Rome, with final dates to be confirmed. 29th February–3rd March 2024 EPTA Switzerland is very pleased to announce that the 2024 46th International Conference will be held at the Lucerne School of Music to celebrate its 40th Anniversary in a state-of-the-art infrastructure. And finally, there is no need to remind all our readers about the 44th EPTA International Conference to be hosted by EPTA Portugal in Guimaraes on the theme ‘Piano Teaching and Performing Renewal after the Pandemic’. It’s never too late to attend and savour the amazing musical experience. 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 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 45

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

PIANO EDUCATION PRESS PUBLICATIONS OF THE FRANCES CLARK CENTER Curated, specialized publications to enrich and diversify the piano teaching curriculum Piano Literature for Teaching and Performance Jane Magrath A resource for teachers, students, and performers. It features works from the Baroque through Contemporary periods; listings from underrepresented, women, and living composers; and annotations with composer biographies, musical characteristics, and pedagogical considerations. Suggested grade levels from 1 through 10. Technique through Repertoire, Books 1 and 2 Christopher Madden and Jani Parsons Helps students develop essential technical skills by studying short excerpts from standard piano literature. This two-volume collection contains nearly 150 excerpts designed to help students improve technical skills in the context of motivating, engaging repertoire. From Rote to Note: Elementary Piano Pieces that Reinforce Theory and Technique E.L. Lancaster and Kevin Olson Contains nine pieces based on a theoretical or technical concept that students encounter at beginning levels of study. The pieces are designed to be taught from a musical map without the aid of traditional notation. Legacy Publications The Success Factor in Piano Teaching A Piano Teacher’s Legacy Elvina Pearce Richard Chronister, ed. Edward Darling Questions and Answers Frances Clark HOME PIANOINSPIRES.COM/PUBLICATIONS