Piano Journal 128 interactive

JOU R NAL EUROPEAN PIANO TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION Víkingur EPTA Portugal Ólafsson Conference report in conversation A focus on Liberace Continuing our exploration into the technique of Marcel Ciampi, and Ella Pounder’s ‘Lessons with Solomon’ diaries Soler Sonatas on the modern piano NEWS – INTERVIEWS – REVIEWS THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL FOR PIANISTS AND PIANO TEACHERS ISSUE 128 DECEMBER 2022 £3

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Founder Carola Grindea JOU R NAL Editor Anthony Williams ISSUE 128 DECEMBER 2022 [email protected] Editorial Consultant Nadia Lasserson CONTENTS [email protected] Tel: 020 7274 6821 5 Editorial by Anthony Williams Designer/proofreader Helen Tabor 6 Víkingur Ólafsson in conversation helentaborcreative.com Piano Journal – EPTA’s official organ with Nadia Lasserson – is published three times a year. It includes interviews with great pianists 1 2 Just how good was Liberace? of our time, important articles relevant to piano performance and teaching, book by Julian Hellaby and music reviews, and EPTA news of activities in all EPTA Associations. 1 8 Padre Antonio Soler and Performance of his Keyboard Sonatas on the Modern Piano Available by subscription, from the EPTA by Hayk Arsenyan website: epta-europe.org As from now, Piano Journal will be 2 1 Lessons with Solomon | The Diaries of Ella Pounder Pt 2 available solely online at a rate of £3 per digital copy with special rates for bulk by Richard McMahon and Anthony Williams orders. 2 6 The Technique of Marcel Ciampi, Pt 3 A few hard copies are printed and rates are UK (2nd class) £21, EU £30, ROW £36 by Bernard King ISSN 0267 7253 3 2 EPTA Portugal 44th International Conference report epta-europe.org by Nadia Lasserson The opinions expressed or implied, the methods 3 6 Reviews recommended or advice given in the Piano Journal 4 1 EPTA News are not necessarily representative of EPTA’s views 4 4 EPTA Associations 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. Cover photo © Ari Magg 3

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EDITORIAL Piano Journal relies on the With the current political and financial concerns throughout Europe and the generosity and enthusiasm of UK, music takes on more and more importance in our lives. Apart from the all the wonderful academics, enjoyment it gives to us all whether amateur or professional, teacher or pupil, pianists and teachers for its performer or simply a music lover, music enhances our lives in so many other ways, not excellent content. least supporting our emotional well-being and our mental health. I also find the discipline If you would like to of practice wonderful in shutting out worldly concerns and taking my thoughts well away contribute an article about from the drudgery of the inevitable admin. any area of piano teaching, It’s still, however, teaching and inspiring young and aspiring musicians that gives me one interpretation or performing, of the greatest joys and I have found myself taking more and more pleasure from interacting or if there is a pianist you with some very motivated and informed pupils recently and surprised myself with further think we should interview, inspiration from a slightly unexpected source. or you want to suggest As editor of the Piano Journal I have the privilege of reading all of the submissions before contributors that may be publication and I read with fascination the articles on the teaching of Ciampi and Solomon, interested, then please do not making me question my own teaching. Looking back on the last three weeks I realise now hesitate to email me: just how much these articles have genuinely influenced my recent teaching. [email protected] Whilst hearing a pupil playing the Wagner-Moszkowsky Isoldes Tod the other day in preparation for a competition I was reminded of several things I had read in these excellent articles, and my teaching (and hopefully the student’s experience) was so much richer and inventive as a result. We are never too experienced (or old) to learn or remind ourselves of facets of our teaching we may have forgotten or put aside for new ideas. This thought was also highlighted when I attended my first ever EPTA conference in September and had the privilege of enjoying presentations that have inspired my teaching since. These, some fascinating and thought-provoking conversations with delegates, numerous performances, the extraordinarily good hospitality of EPTA Portugal, and the superb organisation of Luís Pipa and his team, made the conference one to remember. Do read Nadia’s excellent report and consider reserving the dates for Italy as soon as you can (see the EPTA News pages). I hope, like me, you find plenty to motivate and inspire you in your teaching and inform your playing in this Journal, as well as giving you the opportunity to catch up on news from our EPTA associates and affiliates. The Journal begins with a genuinely warm and compelling interview with the truly amazing Víkingur Ólafsson, the most wonderful way to lead you into the in-depth discussions on teaching and performance which follow, and don’t miss Julian Hellaby’s insightful and entertaining article on the late, great pianist and entertainer Liberace and Hayk Arsenyan’s discussion in the performance of Soler on the modern piano. Everyone on the EPTA Executive wishes you all a musically rich and wonderful Christmas and New Year. Anthony Williams EPTA Portugal Committee who worked like Trojans throughout the recent conference and kept smiling! HOME 5

© BBC Proms/Mark Allan VíkingurIn conversation with Ólafsson by Nadia Lasserson 6

Víkingur Ólafsson needs no introduction; he has been a member of the EPTA family for many years. Iceland was the first country to join EPTA soon after it was founded in the UK by Carola Grindea in 1978. EPTA Iceland was founded in 1979 by Halldór Haraldsson and Víkingur’s mother, Svana Víkingsdóttir, was one of its first members. Thus he grew up reading EPTA Journals as they arrived in his home. He won the first EPTA Iceland Piano Competition in 2000 at the age of 16 and his many recordings and concerts have received standing ovations all over the world. I feel a strong affinity with you as you have been a member of the EPTA family for very many years, thanks to Inga Ásta Hafstein, Halldór Haraldsson and your mother being a member. I have always loved EPTA and feel very connected to it. I read the fascinating articles and interviews in every Piano Journal throughout my developing years. “I try to keep a Well, you have taken the musical world by storm, composer’s perspective especially the UK, in a very short time since lockdown. on all music I play and How has life been for you since reaching the dizzy understand how it was heights and travelling round the clock? created, from an empty page to a masterpiece.” To be honest it has been a rollercoaster, and during 2019- 2021, the two years that my two sons were born, I travelled HOME a great deal and had to make enormous sacrifices, not only being parted from my wife and children but also with the quarantine sentences for each trip. I’ll give you an example: I spent 70 days self-isolating in the span of six months in the 2020-21 season in order to be able to perform in various countries. That’s more than two months! So, although I was extremely lucky to have concerts to perform, I paid a heavy price to give those concerts. My trip to Japan cost me 14 days of quarantine, but then once that was over I could play eight fully-attended concerts and remember life as it used to be. Similarly, a week of quarantine was enforced before my concerts in Norway and in more places. But the time was not wasted and I had either a piano or a digital piano in every hotel room, so I was able to use the time to practise. I began to enjoy working on digital pianos and particularly liked the Yamaha Clavinova, which I found most useful despite the obvious lack of ‘real’ piano tone and sonority. That lack of tonal magic can reveal things in the music that you might otherwise have overlooked. I have now bought one of my own and really like using it alongside my grand pianos, especially for learning notes and doing groundwork on structure on polyphony. I know that many of my professional colleagues also work with digital keyboards in conjunction with an acoustic piano. The wonderful Sir Stephen Hough enjoys combining the two in his work. I have listened to most of your radio interviews and know many of your childhood stories, but I would love to share the piano story with our readers. Your parents were incredibly wise and while living in a small flat in Germany, bought the most expensive piano that they 7

© Ari Magg “If everything combines could afford after receiving a legacy, so you grew up with well – the instrument, the precious little space but with a wonderful grand piano. technician, the audience As you say, you were playing it as soon as your arms dynamic, the acoustic could reach the keys while standing on tiptoe. You just of the hall and the great waited patiently for your mother to finish her teaching music – one can be lucky so that you could then play “your piano”. and feel that special moment of magic.” Yes, my parents bought that grand piano before they bought an apartment, a great Steinway B model which they 8 selected in the factory in Hamburg. It was economically a crazy move; most people would make a downpayment on an apartment before splashing the money on such an instrument but I think my parents got it just right. The signal was: music is basically as important as food or a roof over your head. So we lived in a tiny flat until I was seven, when we finally moved to a bigger one and I got my own room. In my first years, everything revolved around this glorious Steinway which took up almost all of the living room space. My mother would teach on it and my father would compose on it, and I would try to play it as much as I could when it was free. I now think that, if at all possible, every gifted piano student must be given the chance to play a grand piano as much as possible, preferably in their homes. But of course that is not always an option.

You have taken the “Mozart and Contemporaries” “I love to encourage programme halfway round the world recently, and have young artists to do things also worked with living composers including Thomas differently and be bold Adès, Daníel Bjarnason, Sauli Zinovjev and John Adams, with experimentation whose concerto Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? early on.” you performed for the Philharmonia’s opening concert in London in September and later in the season with the Yes, and in fact we prepared some Bach/Kurtág Duos for Berlin Philharmonic. What is the secret of your stamina my recent CD which was released in October. and your recipe for coping with the stress of such an existence? Your playing always shows such elegance and What is your take on competitions? Did you ever enter lack of effort. one other than in Iceland? I think you have succeeded to conquer the world without winning international An optimistic outlook helps a sincere love for what you do. competitions? Your route was unique. I try to keep myself fit and thus have good energy in both the mind and the body and I have been very lucky with my I did enter two competitions at Juilliard and came first health - both psychologically and physically. I am more than and second. The disappointment of being second was much grateful to get to do what I do, travel the world and work greater than the equivalent joy of being first, and looking with the best orchestras and conductors, and perform the around I quickly realised this was not the path for me. I programmes of my choosing on the most beautiful stages. It wanted to use my years after study to ‘find myself’ as a is still a novelty for me and I don’t take it for granted. musician, by learning huge amounts of repertoire on my own and try to become my own teacher. I used my time to Many parents do not understand the talents of their start a record label, found a festival, create a TV series and children but this was not the case with you. Your mother commission and world première many piano concertos back is also a fine pianist and teacher. How old were you when home in Iceland before my international career took off you started piano lessons and how long did lessons with in 2014-15. And I am so grateful not to have become stuck your mother last? in doing endless polishing on the same etudes and sonatas and concerti and try my luck in the big competition circle. I To be honest, our lessons were not too successful as I was needed this time on my own, free to experiment and make rebellious and, when I was five years old, my mother sent mistakes and learn from them privately. me to study with Erla Stefánsdóttir which enabled her to supervise my practice but with someone else in charge. I There are frankly too many competitions today, and the believe I was quite cocky with the new teacher who greeted danger is that the winners become ambassadors for the me with, “So you want to play the piano?” and I replied, “I competitions rather than for their own art. I also believe KNOW how to play the piano”…. I later studied with Peter that true art is not created in a committee and thus I always Máté who was a wonderful teacher and remains a very good turned down offers to serve on the jury for the major friend today. competitions. Having said all this, there are some wonderful competitions and incredibly talented and successful winners I see that you studied with Ann Schein, another who have certainly managed to become great and individual remarkable and inspiring musician. I met her and heard artists. In the end, each pianist must find their own path. But her play at an MTNA Conference many years ago. How I love to encourage young artists to do things differently and were the lessons and what would you say was her lasting be bold with experimentation early on. influence on you? Many pianists avoid listening to their recordings. Are Ann came to Iceland at the perfect time for me. It was in you in this category and how do you feel when you hear 2000, I was 16 then and had just won the EPTA Iceland Piano your recordings? Competition. My mother arranged for me to play for her. Ann was amazing and helped me prepare for the auditions to get I usually don’t really have time to listen to my own work into Juilliard which was very important for me. Nowadays, after album release. But before the release I am incredibly music students travel abroad for lessons like drinking involved in the editing and mixing and everything that goes water, but in the late 90s this was not really considered an into recording. So I listen to my takes for days, non-stop, and option. Ann was extremely demanding and serious in her analyse them. And I learn so much new with every record. It approach to practising. She influenced my practice method is the best way of growing in music, to record yourself and immensely. At that time, I was studying all the warhorses listen critically. The microphone is my mirror. of the repertoire such as the Liszt Sonata in B minor, and the Tchaikovsky and Brahms Concertos. Once I got to the Have you ever tried your hand at composing after Juilliard, I worked with Jerome Lowenthal and Robert so many splendid transcriptions, which we all loved McDonald, who were in many ways the biggest musical hearing during lockdown? influences of my life, incredibly different and both such deep musicians and human beings. I dedicated my Mozart album Thank you! I plan to publish the transcriptions in a book to Lowenthal ahead of his 90th birthday last February. 9 Your wife, Halla Oddný Magnúsdóttir, is also a fine pianist - did you ever play duos together? HOME

later this year or early next. And yes, when I was young I was occurs? How do you explain it? And do you often feel in always composing in the styles of the various composers I the zone with a peak performance? loved. This really helped me understand the structures of all the great works I was studying, and I only had to stop when I cannot put into words what happens when everything I was in my teens as I became so obsessed with playing the comes together in a peak performance. First of all, a great deal piano. But I try to keep a composer’s perspective on all music of preparation has to be done before the performance, and I I play and understand how it was created, from an empty do mean a LOT of work has to go into every ounce of practice page to a masterpiece. detail. So in a way you have to practise 50% more than is necessary. That’s when things get interesting. If everything Many pianists suffer pain and injuries from over- combines well – the instrument, the technician, the audience practice. How do you manage to prevent this? dynamic, the acoustic of the hall and the great music – one can be lucky and feel that special moment of magic. By being smart and listening to my body. I never do five hours in one stretch but always break into shorter sessions You always have a unique and highly original way of for a healthy frame of mind and body. Footballers never train combining composers. What recording and programmes for too long at any one time and neither should pianists. have you recently prepared? Pianists should always be humble with themselves and need to ensure that the upper body is right for all circumstances I performed several concertos in the autumn which were of the physics of playing. When the posture is correct and new to me, with various orchestras: Ravel’s G major with the body well aligned with just the necessary small amount Concertgebouw, Montreal, Vienna Symphony, Cleveland and of tension, everything falls into place and this is my way of New York Philharmonic, and Schumann’s Concerto with avoiding injuries. Bergen Philharmonic and Czech Philharmonic. I played quite a lot of John Adams and performed his concerto Must Your latest appearance at the Aldeburgh Festival was a the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? at the South Bank where I standing ovation and we cannot wait for you to return. also premièred Mirror Images by Edmund Finnis sandwiched between Philip Glass Etudes in a short contemporary I absolutely loved Aldeburgh and want to return as soon programme. I derive great pleasure and satisfaction when I as possible. I plan to bring the Goldberg Variations there in the work with living musicians as I can ask them any questions I next eighteen months. may have on their text rather than spending hours surmising what the older composers intended. And I prepared a new Does the audience inspire you? Does it vary? album dedicated to a composer who is very near to my heart Absolutely, it takes years to build a meaningful rapport - György Kurtág. I was so moved by our meeting in Hungary with an audience in any one place. When I come on stage in in September 2021 and this CD is my most personal album London I feel “the audience is mine” and it adds a level of to date, a kind of letter of dedication to Kurtág from me. It excitement and happiness for me. It’s something in the air, includes works by Bach, Schumann, Brahms, Mozart and something intangible. I don’t feel the need to visit and play in Bartók which I have put in dialogue with the incredibly every concert hall in the world, I prefer to have a meaningful beautiful soundscapes of Kurtág. And there is even a world rapport with audiences in cities I feel are ‘my cities’ but premiere on there, an impossibly beautiful waltz that Thomas admittedly these are quite a few and across the whole world. Adès wrote especially for the album. I am hugely honoured. Indeed, we all felt your excitement when you played You always say that you wish to discover something two concertos at the Proms in the Albert Hall, then new when you compile and prepare programmes, for your encore and few words said it all. It is true that you yourself and the audience, and this latest CD is another clearly and dearly love everything that you undertake. great coup de foudre which we all awaited with great You are always so enthusiastic and this message anticipation. We will also have the opportunity of immediately comes across to the audience. hearing you in collaboration with Matthias Goerne in a wonderful programme of Lieder. Your wide range of As an artist you must surely have felt those magical musical offerings is much appreciated and we all look moments when a certain transcendental dimension forward to more musical excitement from you in 2023 10 Thank you so much for your time. Thank you Nadia, and all best wishes with the EPTA Journal. And happy teaching and practising to all the piano teachers and students reading the publication!

“I now think that, if at all possible, every gifted piano student must be given the chance to play a grand piano as much as possible, preferably in their homes. But of course that is not always an option.” © Ari Magg HOME 11

Photo: Allan Warren, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License Just how good was Liberace? by Julian Hellaby 12

Julian Hellaby Liberace as pianist “Was he a discusses the man By all accounts, Wladziu Valentino genuinely who, at the height of Liberace, who was born in Milwaukee accomplished his fame from the in 1919, was something of a prodigy. pianist with 1950s to 1970s, was the According to his biographer, Darden a secure highest-paid pianist/ Asbury Pyron (2000), he out-shone technique and entertainer in the world. his first teacher, a Mrs Martin, by the artistry?” time he was 7 (p. 40). At the age of 11 At one time, Liberace was probably he won the National Federation of incompetence” (pp. 148-9). As Jim the most famous pianist in the world. Music Clubs piano competition and Samson (2003) remarks, “The adoration I remember when I was growing up at the age of 20 he debuted with the of the public and the condemnation of in the 1960s and 70s, if any of my, Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the more high-minded critics … went musically speaking, less well-informed Frederick Stock playing the Liszt A hand in hand” (p. 73). Samson was friends or relations happened to hear major concerto to critical acclaim. One writing of Paris in the 1820s and 30s, me play, the name ‘Liberace’ was critic even went so far as to use the but the comment also applies in the often invoked - not because I in any term ‘genius’ (p. 47). In fact, Liberace case of Liberace. way sounded like the piano star, but kept parts of the Liszt concerto in his because his was the only pianist’s name repertoire long after he performed the Nevertheless, it is hard to reconcile that readily sprang to mind. But does whole piece, for example a cadenza such divergent opinions. In the case of ‘most famousʼ equate to ‘bestʼ? In this from the concerto pops up in his Kopelson, Liberace’s later appearances, instance, the obvious answer to the version of the main theme to the film especially during the early-to-mid- question is ‘no’ and by the end of this Born Free (recorded in 1967). There 1980s – which would have been article, I do not think that the answer is also a more substantial extract contemporary with Kopelson’s younger will have changed. featured in the film South Sea Sinner years – became, as noted above, ever (1950) starring Macdonald Carey more flamboyant and ever more It would be too easy however to and Shelley Winters, which perhaps pianistically clichéd, and these might write Liberace off as simply a great gives a better idea of what that early have given rise to the scepticism showman with only a mediocre complete performance might have expressed. But Kopelson also makes a level of pianistic ability. The latter been like. The extract can be found surprising observation when he writes impression might be gained when on YouTube at this address: Liberace of Liberace’s performance of Chopin’s watching the extravagant shows staged South Sea Sinner - YouTube (starting Polonaise in A-flat Op. 53 in the 1955 in the 1980s, late in the pianist’s at 1’ 37”) [https://www.youtube.com/ film Sincerely Yours. He wrote, “Liberace career, where costumes, rhinestone watch?v=cEKgljQl6n0]. Despite one or plays ‘Anthony Warrin’, a semi-popular pianos and banter with the audience two cut bars and tiny technical ‘cheats’ concert pianist who loses his hearing were paramount and the pianism, (as in bars 4 and 8 after letter P), the while performing the Polonaise whilst more than adequate to serve its pianist acquits himself with brilliance … and skips the famous left-hand purpose, was primarily lightweight and and panache, his posture looking octaves. It’s an omission that signifies cliché-driven; “pseudo virtuosity” as relaxed and natural. The performance Warrin’s aural disability of course. He Kevin Kopelson (1996) described it (p. projects confidence and authority. needs to get off the stage as quickly as 140). However, if we listen to Liberace However, when critics turned possible. But it’s also one that signifies tackle the first big octave flourish their attention to Liberace’s pianistic Liberace’s digital disability, because he from Liszt’s ‘Mazeppa’ (Transcendental ability, the verdict was very mixed. probably knew he couldn’t handle the Study No. 4) which he transported into Some critics acknowledged that passage” (p. 161). In fact, Liberace is in his 1950s recording of Hubert Bath’s he could get round the keyboard: the middle of playing the left-hand Cornish Rhapsody, he acquits himself Samuel Lipman (1987) wrote, albeit octave passage in question when the very creditably, playing it powerfully reluctantly, “Liberace played rather deafness strikes. He also performed the and fearlessly. For this reason, most of well. He displayed at all times a large, Polonaise on his 1950s television show, this article will concern itself with the accurate, and brilliant technique, even including the octave passage (though earlier stages of his career when his indulging himself from time to time in without its repeat), and included it in playing was at its best. impressive displays of octaves, scales, a 1950s recording of popular Chopin and complicated passagework.” And, pieces made for CBS. Also, I will be addressing three in the New York Times, one critic wrote, questions that are prompted by “Liberace displayed good fingers and It is probably safe to say that octaves listening to Liberace’s playing (mainly prodigious skill at taking brilliant were not actually a problem for the of the classics): was he a genuinely runs up and down the keyboard” (in pianist, but what of other technical accomplished pianist with a secure Thomas, 1987, p.80). On the other aspects? His performance, given in technique and artistry? Could he be hand, New York Times’s Harold Taubman one of his 1950s television shows, thought to belong to any particular wrote of his “slackness of rhythms, of Chopin’s Waltz in A-flat Op. 42 school? Is there any justification for wrong tempos, distorted phrasing” – roughly as the composer wrote it, the comparisons with Liszt that are (1954). Mark Mitchell (2000) averred though with an added string section at sometimes made? that he was “spiritually and artistically bankrupt” (p. 121), and Kevin Kopelson 13 HOME (1996) bewailed his “technical disability … sloppy fingering … puerile pedalling … artistic

“Liberace had, Wikimedia Commons Tonal subtlety or beauty were not however, also perhaps Liberace’s greatest strengths. mastered the but shortened from two octaves to This aspect was not helped by the art of taking one. Here one suspects that Liberace 1950s television sound, but the a classical played to his strengths thereby 1980s video sound heard in later piece and concealing any possible weaknesses performances serves to reinforce the adapting it so – and it is worth remembering that same impression, and his preferred that it sounded his television appearances, of which piano, Baldwin, tended to provide harder than again this was one, were recorded him with an inherently rather shallow the original live. The performance can be found tone. Even in one of his more positive whilst in some here: Liberace Liebestraum.wmv - moments, critic Samuel Lipman respects making YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/ admitted that Liberace’s tone was it easier.” watch?v=XGAAyNspJRk]. “prevailingly hard-edged” (1987). one point – shows that he was capable But what of his artistry? We get a To summarise Liberace’s pianistic of playing rapid passagework with good idea of the more expressive side capability, we find a performer who evenness and brilliance, and although of Liberace’s playing when listening could get round the keyboard easily there are a few rhythmic eccentricities to his video recording of Chopin’s and had no difficulty with most and the passagework perhaps doesn’t Nocturne in F-sharp Op. 15/2. The aspects of piano technique; a pianist quite achieve the suave flow and shape rubato at the opening may seem who could play expressively, if in a that, say, Rubinstein did (although excessive, to the point of rhythmic slightly contrived way and within Liberace was faster), he proved himself distortion – he is however, consistent. the limitations of a relatively narrow more than equal to the demands of His choice of rubato is otherwise fairly dynamic range; and a pianist with a the piece. The performance really conventional, highlighting expressive tone quality that was not especially dances, although the tendency to points, cadence points, phrase-ends beguiling though never downright introduce early second beats into the and decorative passages. In other harsh or ugly. It should also be left-hand part makes it sound rather places there is a lot of old-style left- remembered that, for most of his ‘Viennese’, which may not be entirely before right-hand asynchronisation, as career, Liberace’s repertoire consisted appropriate for Chopin. However, the well as lower octave bass notes added. not only of classical adaptations and coda is delivered with genuine sparkle There is not a very wide dynamic borrowings but also of jazz standards and brilliance. The performance may range and tonal nuances are limited and popular songs. These were dished be seen and heard here: Liberace (which is also true of the Chopin waltz up in his own elaborately unique Chopin Grande Valse in A-Flat Major video mentioned above), although style wherein tonal and interpretative - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/ the playing is not without variety and considerations, paramount for a purely watch?v=R3uaIDR_i5c]. sensitivity. Overall, the performance classical pianist, were subordinate to has conviction and mastery, not to flair and popular appeal, especially Liberace had, however, also mention complete accuracy (and it in his later shows but also during the mastered the art of taking a classical was live), although the interpretation relatively early years being considered, piece and adapting it so that it perhaps comes across as superimposed if to a lesser extent. sounded harder than the original rather than organic. Starting at 0’ whilst in some respects making it 30” the video can be watched here: So could Liberace, in his formative easier. For example, in the middle Liberace F Sharp Major Nocturne years, be said to have belonged to any section of his performance of Liszt’s - YouTube [https://www.youtube. particular school? Liebestraum No. 3, he adds brilliant com/watch?v=frysJNx3zAI]. Further two-handed roulades as in-fills to thoughts on style and interpretation The American school? the tune – and very well played they in Liberace’s playing are offered in the Liberace, despite his Italian-Polish are too – but does not attempt the next section. ancestry, was born and bred in the far more perilous leaps that Liszt USA, so the obvious place to look for wrote. Also, the second cadenza is an answer to the above question is in flashier but again easier than the Liszt the so-called American school. original: the two-handed descending However, what do we mean by the chromatic scale in split, contrary- American school? Broadly, Liberace’s motion, thirds (bar 59) is included classical contemporaries were the 14 generation spearheaded by Earl Wild, Cuban-born Jorge Bolet, Abbey Simon and Rosalyn Tureck. Harold Schonberg (1987 [1963]) wrote about American pianists as tending to be “pragmatic and eclectic” riding with “the prevailing intellectual trend. As the trend remained antiromantic, so did the pianists”. He regarded them as “awesome in contemporary music. But in Romantic music they have to counterfeit an emotion they do not feel” (p. 496). Schonberg does

not provide any criteria by which is almost certainly ‘no’. For one of classical performance, there was Photo (cropped from the original): Daniel Thompson; authentic emotion can be assessed thing he did not train at any major no need to conform – he was free to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode and in any case he was writing about conservatoire or with any eminent play as the mood took him and as the generation that came just a little teacher so was not aligned with the pleased his public. This, allied to a after the aforementioned quartet: for pianistic mainstream in 30s/40s growing reputation as a flamboyant example, Van Cliburn, John Browning, America. Rather he studied locally and publicity-seeking pianist, may Paul Jacobs and Ursula Oppens. at the Wisconsin College of Music well have helped to turn serious critics under the tutelage of Florence Kelly against him. The almost inevitable One thing that can be said is that (1893–1958). Kelly actually had quite a attitude would be “how can someone the American school was primarily fed distinguished profile, having studied who plays popular music, smiles by graduates of The Juilliard School with, amongst others, Moriz Rosenthal and winks at the camera, tells jokes, or the Curtis Institute, with Bolet (1862–1946), an old-school ‘romantic’ engages in banter with his audience and Simon coming from the latter, pianist. Liberace took lessons from and does not adhere to the mores of Tureck, Browning, Van Cliburn, Jacobs her for around 17 years so she must modern interpretation possibly be and Oppens from the former. Staff at have exerted some influence. Although taken seriously when he tackles the Juilliard in the mid-twentieth century there are no publicly available classics?” – sometimes perhaps we hear were often of East European or Russian recordings of Kelly’s playing, her what we are pre-disposed to hear. origin (e.g. Josef and Rosina Lhévinne, background might suggest that she Ania Dorfmann, Bella Davidovich and was more on the romantic than the A latter-day Liszt? Rudolf Firkušný). At Curtis, the main objective side. Through his teacher, Florence influences tended to be Polish and Kelly, Liberace could in fact trace a German, with, at various times, Moriz On the occasions when Liberace pianistic ancestry back to Liszt: Kelly Rosenthal, Josef Hoffman, Wilhelm played the classics (roughly) as written, had studied with Rosenthal who was Backhaus and Rudolf Serkin amongst one can certainly hear a more freely himself a Liszt pupil. According to his its staff members. Schonberg regarded romantic approach than one would lover Scott Thorson (2013), Liberace Bolet as belonging to a disappearing with, for example, Van Cliburn or liked to compare himself with Liszt: romantic style rather than to the John Browning. In his account of “he would make comparisons not “objective modern school” (p. 492) Chopin’s nocturne in E-flat Op. 9/2 only to his technique but to his style, but, in comparison with pianists of dating from 1956, exaggerated rubato, his glitter, his showmanship” (p. 19). the preceding generation such as left hand before right, spontaneous Others made similar comparisons. Paderewski, Hoffman or Friedman, dynamics, and quavers played as notes The critic Edward Rothstein wrote Bolet sounds relatively straightforward. inégales are apparent. In fact it shares an article for the New Republic entitled In a recent study of recordings of more common features with Vladimir ‘The Franz Liszt of Las Vegas. Liberace the Liszt Sonata by Daniela Tsekova- de Pachmann’s 1915 and Paderewski’s the King of Kitsch’ (1984). He averred, Zapponi (2022), those by Bolet and 1930 recordings than it does with “Both then and now, in both Liszt his younger contemporary American, say Van Cliburn’s (1971) or even Jorge and Liberace, the insistence on Leon Fleisher, were found “as a whole” Bolet’s (1987), and may be heard here: regal mythic powers in the midst of to be “rather classic, balanced and Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat Major, op. 9 - ordinariness, all this is not extraneous without exaggeration. In most cases YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/ to the figure of the virtuoso, but part of the tempos remain stable, the agogic watch?v=AINZ6e7ExJE] his substance, the signs to an audience fluctuations are used judiciously and of the meaning in this nineteenth- sparingly. The pedal work is also spare, The biggest influence on Liberace century music, or its contemporary if not muted, in places” (p. 179), thus was probably Paderewski whom he popular descendants … what is suggesting that the ‘objective’ trend met when he was eight. Prior to this, dreamed of in the music is made real was already underway. Fleisher, from Liberace had “spent hours listening on the stage; what is heard is also seen” the age of nine, studied with Artur to [Paderewski’s] recordings, playing Schnabel who was himself known them over and over again” (Liberace, 15 for his then ground-breaking views 1973, p. 51) but after meeting the great on textual fidelity. “What Schnabel man he recalled, “inspired and fired pioneered was a specific approach with ambition, I began to practise to the texts of musical classicism, with a fervour that made my previous one bereft of evident improvisation, interest in the piano look like neglect” extroverted subjectivism, or the (p. 53). overlay of romantic interpretation” (Botstein, 2001, p. 589). In spite of this So as a classical pianist who was mixed heritage – or perhaps because beginning to cut his teeth around of its synthetic nature – what emerged 1939/1940, his style might already have in 1950s and 60s America was certainly been considered dated, and certainly a slick, streamlined product. Writing the style of performance found in the in 1963, Schonberg heard American two nocturne recordings, made in pianism as akin to “junior executives, the 1950s, are reminiscent of playing company men, well trained, serious, from an earlier era. It was a style that confident and efficient, and rather he heard when he was growing up lacking in personality” (p. 496). and, not having had it trained out of him at a formal institution, it was a So did Liberace in any way fit style he perpetuated. And as he was into this school of cool? The answer not entering the competitive arena HOME

(p. 25–29). This resonates with Jim Liberaceʼs images published with permission of the Liberace Foundation may be traced to Liszt’s incomparable Samson’s account of virtuosity (2003) handling of the instrument” (p. 2). which identifies “a rather fundamental However, pianistic similarities Although Liberace made arrangements human need, the need to admire and would be much harder to trace. After – as did Liszt – he rarely composed. applaud, to experience extremes of all, Liszt was a creative genius who There is just one composition on emotion vicariously” (p. 78). Mark not only played the piano like no YouTube, imaginatively titled The Mitchell (2000) draws a similar, if other before him, but also added to Untitled Composition, a romantic ballad, less flattering, comparison: “Liszt’s its repertoire in a rich and unique featuring some nifty fingerwork, which most brilliant period of performance way – and in a way that, in the absence bears a remarkable resemblance to was called his Glanzzeit. No one had of any recording, tells us a lot about Walter Gross’s song Tenderly. ever played the piano as he did, and his own technique and powers of so this period of “glitter” … had a expression. As Aaron Copland (1953) If Liberace has any legacy at all it grand purpose … Liberace looked rhapsodised: “Liszt quite literally is not in the classical concert hall – back to Liszt’s “glitter” – a ‘rhinestone transforms the piano, bringing out not perhaps glam rock of the 1970s and 80s Rubinstein’ was but one of the many only its own inherent qualities, but and current ‘cross-over’ performers sobriquets … by which he was known its evocative nature as well … even such as the pianist Maksim may … For him though there was only the the percussive piano as we know it trace the performative aspects back glitter” (p. 120). As might be expected, to Liberace but their musical roots the comparisons drawn here do not lie elsewhere. Before moving on, focus on the respective playing abilities however, it is worth highlighting one of the two pianists, but home in on the technical innovation which I have presentational aspects which certainly not seen anywhere else, and this was do bear at least some comparison. the white-note downwards glissando, executed by the right-hand thumb Speaking of Liszt, Schumann is whilst simultaneously picking out quoted as saying: “I have never found black notes with the forefinger as any artist except Paganini to possess in this version of Stormy Weather (at in so high a degree as Liszt the power 1’46”): Liberace Stormy Weather - of subjecting, elevating and leading YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/ the public” (in Schonberg, 1987 [1963], watch?v=JskO8K3lXJI] However, p. 170). Writing of Liberace, journalist since I am unaware of this technique Marian Thomas (Melbourne) stated: being used by anyone else or by any “From the moment he walked before composer, one can hardly call this a the mass of people, he had one and ‘legacy’. all in the palm of his hand. Sighs and gasps could be heard” (in Liberace, Conclusions 1973, p. 288). Back to Liszt: “When So, to return to my opening Liszt played the piano, ladies … question, how good was Liberace? I made a mad rush to the stage to gaze hope there is enough evidence in this upon the features of the divine man. article to establish that at the very They fought over the green gloves he least he was highly competent and had purposely left on the piano” (in was able to hold his own technically Schonberg, 1987 [1963], p. 161). And with many a more renowned classical back to Thomas on Liberace: “A thrill virtuoso, at least in his earlier years. swept through the audience when If his strengths lay more in the area Liberace bent over the stage showing of technique and bravado than in his fabulous rings … many tears could those of interpretation, this is no be discovered in many eyes … We all doubt because, more or less from the rushed to the stage to shake his hand” outset, he was more concerned with (in Liberace, 1973, p. 291). fame, fortune and popularity than with artistic integrity – and this aspect In the 1840s we had ‘Lisztomania’ came to dominate his performances (as Heinrich Heine called it in 1844); more and more as time went by, which in the 1950s, we had ‘Libbymania’ (my is probably why he has largely been term!), both fuelled by a largely female ignored by the musical establishment fan base. and musical scholarship. Perhaps, this verdict, which shows admirable There may even be some gestural honesty from the man himself is similarities: the raised left arm and the relevant: dreamy upward gaze: “You can’t just say to yourself ‘I’m the greatest’ … because you may not 16 be the greatest … The way it worked for me is, I said to myself … ‘Am I the greatest pianist in the world?’ and I had to say ‘no, there are others who are greater … well why do you think

you’re special? … Well I do something never really left him and although he pieces, often drawn from film scores, that the greatest pianists in the world could boogie with the best of them and such as the Warsaw Concerto, the Dream don’t do. Well what is that?’ So you throw off medleys of popular tunes, of Olwen or the main theme from the just go down the line and you start to his technique remained a ‘trained’ one 1944 film Love Story (better known as take an inventory of your capabilities with the technical style drawn from Cornish Rhapsody) by Hubert Bath. Here … and if it’s right and you’re honest composers such as Liszt and Chopin, the brilliance and power are impressive with yourself, then you’re on your rather than from say Charlie Kunz or by any standards, and the piano part is way to becoming a success” (Liberace Fats Waller. Although Liberace played delivered with a fearless panache that Interviewed By Arlene Herson - jazz standards, his arrangements never would have no doubt prompted gasps YouTube, 14’22”) [https://www.youtube. contained extended improvisations of delight from his devotees. Do give com/watch?v=IrYd1UWVe-U&t=940s]. and he did not attempt to compete it a listen! with the likes of Oscar Peterson This article has focused on the more or Erroll Garner – he just gave his Hubert Bath’s ‘Cornish Rhapsody’ classical side of Liberace’s pianism audiences the tunes. In the 1950s he played by Liberace - YouTube because this is probably the best way to was perhaps at his most impressive [https://www.youtube.com/ find out what his musical and technical in pastiche, romantic, concerto-like watch?v=Bvhls8xaZwI] capabilities were. His classical roots Sources Botstein, L. (2001), ‘Artur Schnabel and the Ideology of Interpretation’ in Musical Quarterly, 84 (4), Winter 2001, 587–594. Copland, A. (1953), ‘Liszt as Pioneer’. In Music and Imagination. Harvard: Harvard University Press, copland-liszt.pdf (bestmusicteacher.com) (accessed 07/06/2022). Heine, H. (1844), Musical feuilleton, Paris review. In Docevski, B., A century before Beatlemania there was Lisztomania [https://www. thevintagenews.com/2016/12/26/a-century-before-beatlemania-there-was-lisztomania/?edg-c=1&D2c=1&A1c=1&chrome=1]. A century before Beatlemania, there was Lisztomania (thevintagenews.com) (accessed 05/10/2022). Kopelson K. (1996), Beethoven’s Kiss. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Lipman, S. (1987), ‘Sad Thoughts on Walter Busterkeys, a.k.a. Liberace’ The New Criterion [https://newcriterion.com/issues/1987/4/ sad-thoughts-on-walter-busterkeys-aka-liberace] (accessed, 30/06/2022). Liberace, W. (1973), Liberace: An Autobiography. London and New York: W. H. Allen. Mitchell, M. (2000), Virtuosi. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Pyron, D. A. (2000), Liberace, An American Boy. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Rothstein, E. (1984), ‘The Franz Liszt of Las vegas, Liberace the King of Kitsch’. In New Republic, 2 July, pp 25–29. Samson, J. (2003), Virtuosity and the Musical Work. Cambridge University Press. Taubman, H. (1954) ‘A Square Looks at a Hotshot’, In New York Times, March 14, 1954, p.20. Thomas, B. (1987), Liberace. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. Thorson, S. (2013), Behind the Candelabra. London: Head of Zeus Ltd. Tsekova-Zapponi, D. (2002), ‘Piano Schools, Topics and Liszt’s Sonata in B minor’ in Hellaby, J. (ed). Musical Topics and Musical Performance. London and New York: Routledge (in preparation). HOME Julian Hellaby PhD, MMus, BMus, LRAM, ARAM, studied piano with the distinguished pianist Denis Matthews and later at London’s Royal Academy of Music. He has performed as solo pianist, concerto soloist, accompanist and chamber musician in continental Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and throughout the UK, including recitals in the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room. He has broadcast for overseas television and radio and also for the BBC. Additionally, two-piano work with pianist Peter Noke has included performances across the UK, as well as in Hong Kong and China. Peter and Julian recently celebrated their twentieth anniversary as a duo with a concert in Steinway Hall, London. Julian is a former ABRSM examiner, moderator, trainer and public presenter, and was also a mentor for the ABRSM’s Certificate of Teaching course. He has taught academic music at Coventry University and London College of Music, and also has extensive experience of adjudicating and piano teaching, including in masterclass settings. He has released several CDs for the ASC and MSV labels, and his book Reading Musical Interpretation was published by Ashgate in 2009. His second book, The Mid-Twentieth-Century Concert Pianist: An English Experience, was published by Routledge in 2018 and he is currently engaged in editing a multi-author compilation on the subject of topic theory and performance, also for Routledge. 17

El Escorial photo: David Mapletoft Padre Antonio Soler and Performance of his Keyboard Sonatas on the Modern Piano by Hayk Arsenyan My love and interest in early music goes back to my pairs. On some of the manuscripts, there are signs such as childhood. When I was in high school orchestra in “sigue” which means to follow, or to be continued. American Armenia, our director was a well-known early music musicologist William Newman believes that when Luigi specialist, and we often played works by Renaissance, Baroque Boccherini came to Madrid in 1769 and introduced some of and pre-Classical composers. Fast forward twenty-some years, Haydn’s sonatas, these works impressed Soler and inspired when I was a graduate student in Moscow, I encountered him to expand his later sonatas from one-movement forms the sonatas of Padre Antonio Soler (1729-1783) for the first to three or four movements. This undoubtedly suggests time and was immediately impressed by the beauty of these that some of the sonatas should be paired. However, how works. As I began to include them in my concert repertoire many and which sonatas to pair or group together remains and investigate the music of Padre Antonio Soler, it became a point of debate for the modern scholars of these works. apparent that most of the source material on Soler and his Some scholars pair the sonatas according to their keys, music was written in Catalan. So about ten years later and melodic content, harmonies, contrasting tempi and other after much research, I compiled a performance guide to his characteristics. Today, the estimated number of Soler’s keyboard sonatas on a modern piano, that was a part of my published keyboard sonatas ranges from 130 to 220. Yet, many doctoral essay, published in English by the University of Iowa of Soler’s works are lost, including a set of keyboard sonatas Press in 2009. In 2022 it was also translated into Spanish by in all twelve major and minor keys, entitled “Quadro Libros”. Mònica Pagès, the biographer of Alicia de Larrocha, and got published as a book El Mundo de Soler (“Soler’s World”) by the To assist in interpreting these sonatas on the modern prestigious publishing house Editorial de Música Boileau in instrument, it is necessary to identify general compositional Barcelona. aspects of Soler’s keyboard sonatas, including formal and Among very few published editions of Soler’s keyboard harmonic structure, thematic use and melodic organisation, sonatas, the editions of Frederick Marvin and Samuel Rubio rhythm and metre, phrase structure, texture, tempo are the most commonly used. I am using the Marvin Edition markings, and his use of ornamentation, as well as his choice for my performances because many of the sonatas I play of keys and their correlation with keys that are often used are absent from Rubio’s edition. Marvin is respectful of in Flamenco guitar music. This is important, since a truly the original sources; he puts his own musical suggestions well-thought-out and stylistically authentic performance of in parenthesis, making it easy to differentiate between his the keyboard sonatas on a modern piano must embrace the editorial additions and Soler’s original markings. He spent Spanish characteristics that influenced Soler’s writing, such fourteen years in Europe studying and performing Soler’s as cante jondo, regional dances, and the imitation of specific keyboard sonatas. After copying, editing and correcting the Flamenco guitar techniques. manuscripts, he published the first volume of Soler’s sonatas together with the “fandango” in 1957. Following the tradition It is also imperative to provide a short historical overview of important editing endeavours, Marvin, in his edition of of eighteenth-century keyboard instruments that were used Soler’s 180 keyboard sonatas, gives each sonata an M number in Spain and Portugal, such as the Cristofori, Mirabel and (the initial of his last name). However, numbering the Antunes fortepianos, as well as to discuss eighteenth-century sonatas is generally problematic because of the challenge of Iberian keyboard traditions that influenced Soler’s works. whether to count the sonatas individually, in groups, or in 18 Transition from Baroque to Classical styles in Spain, as well as in the rest of Western Europe, was manifested within a

shift of emphasis from the harpsichord to the pianoforte as allowed a player to change dynamics based on touch. He the predominant keyboard instrument for secular music. One named the new instrument Gravicembalo col piano e forte, which intriguing difference between Spain and the rest of Europe means harpsichord with soft and loud sounds. Its strings was that until the end of the seventeenth century, continuo were struck with hammers, the speed of which determined playing was realised on guitar or harp, and not on the the volume of the sound. The courts of Spain and Portugal harpsichord. The harpsichord as well as the clavichord was purchased the new instrument enthusiastically in the used primarily as a practice instrument for organists. 1730s. This is most likely the time when Domenico Scarlatti wrote some of his sonatas for the pianoforte. The spread of It was not until the reign of Felipe V (1700-1746) that the popularity of the pianoforte in Iberia triggered Francisco harpsichord became the predominant continuo instrument Perez Mirabel, a harpsichord maker in Seville, to build in Spain. Felipe V, the French-born king, and his Italian pianofortes in 1745. Similarly inspired, Manuel Antunes, a queen brought with them an appreciation for French and piano maker in Lisbon, built pianofortes that were the exact Italian music. The royal court’s enthusiasm for Italian vocal copies of the Cristofori piano in 1760. As in Cristofori’s piano, music led to a more frequent use of the harpsichord as “the hammers were covered with soft, thick leather that a continuo instrument. The solo keyboard sonata gained brought out a comparatively soft, mellow timbre unlike that prominence only after the Italian Domenico Scarlatti arrived of quill-plucked harpsichord strings. The Antunes piano had in Madrid in 1729. There were twelve keyboard instruments only one manual of fifty-one keys, and had no pedals, knee (nine harpsichords and three fortepianos) distributed among levers, or stops. However, the una corda effect was available the three palaces of the Spanish royal court (Aranjuez, Buen by manually pushing the entire keyboard to the left. Many Retiro and El Escorial). The harpsichord at El Escorial had of the Antunes fortepianos have survived in such good one manual and two sets of strings: one for loud and brilliant condition that they remain playable”. The first known work sounds, the other for delicate and soft sounds. composed specifically for the piano in Spain was Sebastian Alberto’s Obras para clavicebalo o piano forte, written around Because the registers were operated by hand rather than 1746. However, it was only in the 1760s when many works by pedal, registration was changeable within a piece only explicitly written for this instrument were published. when one or both hands were free. Therefore, it would not have been easy to transform the sound by changing the Two composers working in Seville, Manuel Blasco de Nebra registration during a performance, or to create the “echo and Joaquin Montero, each published a set of six sonatas for effect” within short, repeated passages. Instead, such phrases harpsichord and piano in the 1780s. In the 1770s composers were varied using different articulation and ornamentation. often wrote “for harpsichord or fortepiano” in the titles of their keyboard works, and beginning around 1785, the Bartolommeo Cristofori, an eighteenth-century Italian harpsichord began to disappear from the titles of pieces. harpsichord maker, invented a keyboard instrument that 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 HOME For more information or to register, visit www.mtna.org 19

According to Harold Schonberg, in 1790, Haydn said, “... He Since it is clear that Soler was no longer in the habit of playing the harpsichord,” and he had access to both ... the advised a friend, “to get a piano.” However, Ralf Kirkpatrick harpsichord and pianoforte, in his book “Domenico Scarlatti” convincingly points out the modern keyboard that stylistically it is very difficult to draw a definitive line musician must look to the between mid-eighteenth-century harpsichord music and the musical characteristics of music composed for the early piano of the period. He states, each sonata to help him or “Even in the music of Haydn and Mozart, the transition her infer which instrument ... from the harpsichord to the piano is almost imperceptible.” is better suited for the piece. Since it is clear that Soler had access to both instruments, the harpsichord and pianoforte, the modern keyboard New York based pianist- musician must look to the musical characteristics of each composer Hayk Arsenyan has sonata to help him or her infer which instrument, either the appeared in recitals throughout harpsichord or the pianoforte, is better suited for the piece. Europe, Asia and the Americas, For example, sometimes fast passages of octaves going up or in venues such as Carnegie Hall down are encountered in either hand. (New York), Salle Cortot (Paris), Cadillac-Shanghai Concert Hall {& 38 œ œ œ œ #œ œ Jœ ‰ #Jœœ œœ #œ #Jœœ œœ #œ #œJœ œœ #œ #œJœ nœœ™™(f) ™ (China), Kumin Hall (Tokyo), ™ Petranka Mozarteum (Prague), & 83 œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ j ?‰ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ #œ Auditorio Delibes (Valladolid), œ œJ bœ Jœ bœ œJ bœ œJ #œ Dar-Al-Assad Opera House (Damascus), Sala Cervantes {& œ œ œ œœœ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ b œ bœ œ œ œœœ (Havana), MoBU (São Paulo), Tchaikovsky Hall (Moscow), œJ œ œ œ œ # œ b œ bœ œ œ Philippines National Museum (Bacolod), and televised recitals at the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago, ? œ œ œ & œ œ bœ œ j œ œj ? # œ bJœ œ œJ œ Jœ œ œ œ the Phillips Collection Series in Washington DC and at the œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ Nixon Presidential Museum in Los Angeles. Example 1. Sonata M.13 in Bb Major, mm. 93-107. At the age of 11 Mr. Arsenyan made his debut at the Armenian Philharmonic performing his own Requiem In my opinion, the use of this type of pianistic device for the piano and orchestra. At the age of 17, he made indicates that the sonata was intended for the piano rather his European debut as a soloist with the Radio France than the harpsichord. Because of the rather harsh and loud National Philharmonic Orchestra and was awarded a sound of the harpsichord, these types of passages are likely to platinum medal by the City of Paris. In 2007, Mr. Arsenyan sound noisy and blurry, while on the principally softer and debuted at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall performing with clearer sound of the pianoforte such passages are bound to Pinchas Zukerman and the Manhattan Chamber Sinfonia. have a better acoustic effect. A long-time professor at NYU Tisch School, Dr. The interpretation of a musical composition reflects Arsenyan has presented guest lectures and masterclasses at the performer’s sentiments, knowledge and musical ideas. universities and conservatories around the globe, such as The argument for a stylistically authentic performance is University of Antioquia in Medellin (Colombia), the Hong even more diverse regarding early music, since there are Kong University, the National Conservatory in Damascus no recordings of the composers or performers playing the (Syria), Waseda University in Tokyo, Manhattan School works of the time. Accordingly, it is almost impossible for of Music in New York, University of Texas in Austin, a performer to have a definitive view on the performance among others. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree practice of the sonatas as executed by Soler himself. In my in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University book El Mundo de Soler, I discuss and offer various performance of Iowa and a Master’s degree from the Gnessins Music suggestions on use of specific ornamentation, articulation, Academy in Moscow. In 2007 he received a full-tuition phrasing, pedalling, based on a thorough analysis of Soler’s Yevgeny Kissin award and Professional Studies Certificate harmonic and formal structure of the keyboard sonatas. at Manhattan School of Music in New York. Mr. Arsenyan However, as discussed in the book, some scholars believe that also studied the piano at École Normale Supérieure de the performer of Iberian music should avoid using additional Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot. He is a scholar of Iberian ornaments, yet others believe the contrary. Some pianists state early music and has compiled a performance guide to that Baroque music should be played without pedal, while Antonio Solerʼs sonatas, published in English by the some state the opposite. Although in my book I am providing University of Iowa Press and as a book in Spanish by the a performance guide to Soler’s keyboard sonatas on a modern Boileau Editorial de Musica in Barcelona. piano, I would like to recall Alicia de Larrocha’s quote introduced earlier in the book: “. . . . it is not possible to play Find out more at www.SolersWorld.com pieces of this era in any one way.” However, an examination of the environment in which Soler lived and composed, a study of the eighteenth-century keyboard traditions, an exploration of the Spanish culture that influenced Soler’s compositional writing, as well as listening to various interpretations of those sonatas performed on different instruments will be helpful for the performers to make their own musical choices. Furthermore, I believe that in the particular case of interpreting the keyboard sonatas of Soler, consideration of Spanish dances and guitar techniques is often inspiring and sometimes critical to an informed interpretation. 20

HOME Lessons with Solomon The Diaries of Ella Pounder part two 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. 21

His demands on the student seem punishing by today’s standards and very traditional in terms of approach to finger equality and attack and such a regime is almost certainly a recipe for strained tendons. Indeed Ella does develop a problem with the fourth finger towards the end of her series of lessons. There also however some enlightening and progressive thoughts such as considering the depth of playing, continuing through the key bed, and following through as a tennis player or golfer might. As the lessons progress it becomes clear that Solomon is increasingly impressed by Ella’s potential and progress whilst she begins to show signs of frustration with his severely dogmatic approach. Solomon was giving frequent concerts at the time and lessons sometimes took place on the same day as concerts or live broadcasts. This included the premiere of the Bliss concerto, the manuscript of which Ella had sight of beforehand. We are publishing edited versions of some of her very detailed diary entries over three editions, with this the second instalment. A complete text of the diary entries will be available on the website. Solomon, 1953 22

3rd lesson Dec. 12th Notepaper pinned to diary: Solomon has been very busy in spite of the war. Did the Head Still Tchaikovsky concerts last Sunday in Glasgow and is doing Shoulder relaxed the Schumann concerts this weekend. Takes him almost six Wrist low hours to revise a concerto when he has once learnt it. 2nd fingers round The Arthur Bliss concerto was given to him in manuscript, Special points to notice and remember from this week’s work. and it took sometimes sixteen hours a day practice to get it off. 7. Put this in front of you when you practise. Keep He always feels dreadfully nervous before playing in public, on saying these things to yourself. Not enough but when he begins, loves it. preparation. Think before like the above. Five-fingers. Finger cultivation 8. More sensitivity in the ends of the fingers – more 1. Played this on the piano first. Still not enough resistance in the approach. resistance in the fingers. Went and played it on a Virgil or dummy keyboard. 9. Don’t try to do it without concentrating - it won’t just This keyboard can be made into different resistances. “come”. Everything must happen in the brain first 2. Don’t make a little knock on the keys – gradually push 10. Not a “knack” but a deliberate, purposeful effort downwards. Did this several times. required 3. Work harder in the fingers – in knuckles and at finger 11. Don’t start too quickly on keyboard - prepare by ends. Had to on the Clavier. thinking a minute, and think especially of the three points on the previous page i.e. 4. Went back to the piano - but although the key goes down more easily, all this work must go on in the 1 Raise the little finger part of the hand fingers beforehand. Better. 2 More resistance in the approach 3 More distance from the key 5. Work harder, concentrate harder through the fingers 6. Once or twice Solomon said I had perfect tone – but Exaggerate No. 1 to be sure to get it. When you lift this side of the hand up, automatically the 4th and 5th fingers become in a must be able to do it always. beautiful position. HOME 12. Sometimes your tone is perfect, now do it again. Not so good next time – this is so illogical. Think the same, and with as much intensity every time. It must have the thought in it, if you think intensely, think the same each time, it will be the same each time. 23

13. Should be played over and over perfectly - and about 3 Fourth Lesson (Part One) Friday Dec 15th, 1939 million times! Solomon practised for nine months on a dummy keyboard, listening to the slight clicks made Five-finger exercises by the instrument Much better work now. Some excellent tone in the RH. 14. Don’t make more of this than intended but get it 1. Arm-muscles must be completely freed and relaxed. right. Get more touch, More intensity of resistance in (S played a scale p, mf, f, ff, and I placed my hands the fingers. on his shoulders. His shoulders in each case were quite free. He played a five-finger exercise and I held (People go to the RAM and RCM for several years, then come his upper arm muscle and again it was quite soft and to S for lessons and he has to put their fingers right! He says relaxed. “how many of them have the patience to study a five-finger exercise like this?” “They start by doing a Beethoven Sonata 2. If arm muscles are not quite free, fingers haven’t the before the pupils know the grammar of touch!” It is one thing requisite freedom, and the tone is slightly muddy in to say “crescendo” there but another to teach the pupil how quality. to make a crescendo. The piano teacher should be prepared to teach these things). 3. Shoulders must be completely freed also. Contraction Footnote here also tightens the fingers. Be sure that the (Mr Solomon said when he was a little boy he did many shoulders are dropped to their fullest relaxation. On concerts. Could learn pieces with extraordinary rapidity. He no account allow them to be raised, even slightly. had a lot of talent, and was v. musical for a little boy. But later he was very dissatisfied with his playing. His first teacher 4. Fingers could be further from the key – this gives (the Schumann method) mostly a waste of time. He invested better freedom of following through. six or seven years. Then found out a wonderful man, Dr Roussowetisky. For two years he studied with him, very little 5. Wrist should be lower. If wrist gets raised, fingers (repertoire?) some studies and exercises. He was a gloomy, again loose (sic) their freedom. Take particular and pessimistic man, and never gave him any praise. At the best special note of these points. he would say “not bad”. Years after, when S felt he was becoming what he wanted to 6. Do not move your head at all. Pretend you’re a statue. he went to Dr R and played through a recital performance. 7. Sit up. Think of this. S says he was hankering for a word of praise from this man. He sat quiet right through to the end and said, “now you are beginning to understand what I was teaching you.” “It is one thing to say “crescendo” there but another to teach the pupil how to make a crescendo. The piano teacher should be prepared to teach these things.” 24

I FIVE-FINGER EXERCISE II RH EXERCISES FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT Simply it is to play one note slowly at once, up the five-finger OF 4th & 5th FINGERS exercise, and to hold each note in turn until the 5th finger is Cultivate a quiet resistance in the approach. reached and they’re all down. Work harder than ever in the 4th and 5th fingers. Still holding the 1st and 5th fingers, raise 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers. See that this effort in the fingers don’t cause you to raise the Play the 4th finger and hold it; play the 3rd finger and hold it; shoulders. play the 2nd finger and hold it; lift thumb and play it whilst NO CONTRACTION OF THE ARM MUSCLES. holding all the others on. SHOULDERS DROPPED, WRIST LOW LH Lesson 4 to be continued in the next edition. Hand must be tilted towards the thumb side of each hand. This is vitally important, because it makes the 4th and 5th fingers thereby in a much stronger position. Don’t pander to weak fingers ever, make them strong by pushing through them. HOME 25

The Technique of Marcel Ciampi part three by Bernard King My first article appeared in Piano Journal issue 126, the second in issue 127. In this third instalment I explore some of Ciampi’s lateral attacks and also octaves, scales and arpeggios. Marcel Ciampi (1891–1980) was No. 12: Pivotage (Pivoting) one of the most Ex. 12 renowned French pianists and teachers in the mid- This exercise develops a flexible, lateral technique for extended passages. twentieth century. He was Fingers are firm but will be flatter than usual, like spokes of a wheel, with the wrist slightly acknowledged as a great higher than normal. There should be lateral movement at wrist, elbow and shoulder with free virtuoso, and many of the arms. The movement is initiated by pivoting on each fingertip with the whole arm passively later well-known French following. There will also be quite a lot of rotary freedom. pianists studied with him at Play very softly using the above fingering, only going down into the key until the note some point in their careers. sounds. There is no ‘key bedding’, just a light pressure, with fingers barely articulating. Pedal Also, he was an authority can be used to create a harmonious texture, although one can also practise without, listening on Debussy, having studied for clarity and evenness. Play twice slowly, four times less slow, six times fast and eight times many of the works with faster going up chromatically. This is helpful in much Chopin including the Étude Op. 25 No. the composer himself. He 1, parts of the Ballades, Fantasie and Tarantella, the last movement of the B Minor Sonata at studied both at the Paris the third return of the theme. Also, Liszt’s Transcendental Etude in F minor, Ravel’s Scarbo, Un Conservatoire, but more Barque sur l’océan and Jeux d’eau, and Lyapunov’s Lezghinka. significantly with a Russian No. 13: La Rotation du Poignet (Wrist Rotation/Forearm Rotation) pianist who had been a pupil Ex. 13 of Anton Rubinstein, leading him to create a technical This exercise encourages an unlocking of rotary muscles at the elbow, enabling small, passive, method that combined adaptive movements to be made in all playing. It is really a forearm rotation exercise using the both French and Russian vocalise pattern, as in the thumb exercise. approaches, and which became one that dealt a Fingers used are one and five, alternately sustained throughout the scale forming an anchor on significant blow to the old the minims while the rest of the staccato scale passage is played. The scale itself is played softly French finger school. and quickly, with a minute passive rotation of the forearm. It is important to be free all around He would never publish the elbows here. Fifth finger and wrist are quite firm to ensure tonal control and accuracy. this method in his lifetime, preferring to transmit it The freedom in the elbow that this encourages needs to be present in most playing, so that orally and individually, as miniscule passive adjustments can happen in finger work. These adjustments are unconscious he was well aware of the and should arise naturally if the joints are left sufficiently unlocked. There is a difference need for demonstration between rotational freedom and rotational movement. The analogy of a swing door can be and personal guidance for useful here; it can be left unlocked, closed and unmoving, but still contains the possibility of its full success, and how movement, small or large. One does not have to actively swing it backwards and forwards to the written word could keep it unlocked. Many works call for this, and the Chopin Études Op. 10 Nos. 5 and 10 are be easily misinterpreted. good studies. 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. 26

No. 14: Les Octaves (Octaves) This exercise develops a legato octave technique, based on the ideas from the Kullak octave school, and the exercises are worked in several stages. Ex. 14a (Stages One and Two) Stage One: Hold the chord for four beats and start with the wrist in the normal position. On the counts of two, three and four, with fingers remaining on the keys, the wrist gradually rises. In all stages the arms are free, and simply allow the forearm and upper arm to follow the direction of the wrist, without sticking out elbows or lifting shoulders. After the count of four the wrist falls back to play the next first beat as in the Pression exercise. Stage Two: Using the same chord while holding down fingers two and three, the outer octave is gently repeated without an interruption to the sound, so keys do not come fully to the surface after the sound is made. One almost plays ‘inside’ the keys. Ex. 14b (Stage Three) Stage Three: This is an amalgamation of first and second stages with the ‘inside’ octave repeated along with the gradually rising wrist movement. Thumbs are in the slightly raised half-diamond position and the 1–5 octave position quite firm. Some pressure is kept on the held notes. Work rhythmically in duplets, triplets and quadruplets. Ex. 14c (Stages Four and Five) Stage Four: Just playing the octaves, keeping first the thumb and then the fifth finger sustained. Keep a little pressure on the sustained thumb or fifth and allow the other fifth or thumb to play, repeating the sounds with a gradual rise of the wrist, in quavers (down up), then triplets (down up up), then semiquavers (down up up up). Keep the sound as legato as possible. Stage Five: Repeating both notes of the octave with the gradual wrist rise and same rhythmic patterns. Ex. 14d (Stage Six) HOME 27

Stage Six: Play the octave scale of C major in groups of four notes, dropping on the first and then allowing a gradual rise of the wrist on the second, third and fourth. Play as legato as possible with fingers on the keys, keeping two, three and four pointing slightly towards five. This process should be worked up gradually over time to allow each stage to become well integrated. Then other octave scales can be practised, with a wrist rise for the black notes and a return to normal for the white. Tiroir may also come into play here for moving in and out of the black keys. The Kullak movement can also be used in any finger or chordal passages to help maintain suppleness and security, which will have a good impact on tonal control. No. 15: Les Élans (Thrusts) Ex. 15 This exercise combines vertical and lateral movements for declamatory virtuoso passages. It is a thrusting movement of propulsion, like a ricochet, or a stone skimming across the water surface. Begin with the interval of a sixth with fingers one and five, maintaining the bridge and plateau. Lift the whole arm, and drop lightly onto the first chord, allowing the energetic impulse to ricochet the hand from the first sixth to the second, one octave higher, where the weight drops in and makes an accent. Listen for a natural full sound and keep the hand position firm and arms free. Continue with octaves, also in contrary motion, with one impulse making both sounds. When returning for the next thrust, the hand and arm make a small upward diagonal sweeping movement and then drop directly down onto the next octave. Practise separately and together, often with eyes closed or looking away from the hands to develop confident keyboard mastery. At first one can practise this movement on the piano lid to eradicate the tendency to over-prepare for accuracy and thus interfere with the single movement of propulsion. Sometimes, to be really secure, one can find the first octave, and then lift and pounce on it, with the movement continuing immediately to the second. It is also important to keep the torso immobile here so that distances can be precisely judged. There are many instances where this is useful, such as the opening of Beethoven’s Op. 111, parts of the Liszt Sonata, Schumann Toccata, Brahms G minor Rhapsody and many other works. No. 16: Les Déplacements (Shifts) Ex. 16a This develops very rapid shifts of hands and forearms along the keyboard without involving thumbs passing or twists. The ‘deplacement’ of the forearm is a movement similar to that of ironing. In the first pattern, the second note is arrived at by a lateral movement of the forearm from the elbow, with the hand remaining firm in a slightly open position to ensure the movement is made by the movement of the forearm following the fingertips. It is a rapid movement with no perceptible gap between the sounds. Ex. 16b Then extend the hand to an octave, playing first fifth and then thumb on the same note. Keep the octave position and play by using the ‘ironing’ movement. The non-playing thumb or fifth remains over the other note of the octave, either one octave lower or higher. Again, a very rapid movement with no perceptible gap in the sounds. Practise hands separately or together in contrary motion, keeping hands well up. 28

Ex. 16c This can be further developed with diminished seventh chords in octaves, keeping the arm free. First play the octaves only one octave very slowly, then two a little faster, then three at a fast tempo. Use the fourth finger on the black keys, allowing a little Kullak movement to come into play for black notes. Hands are firm, allowing the ironing movement to happen very quickly so that a near-legato effect is achieved. Non-playing fingers are slightly raised and inclined slightly towards the fifth finger. There should be a sense of horizontal travel rather than vertical attack. Ciampi used to call this a ‘flea jump’! These exercises are good for very rapid shifts, where it is vital for security not to turn the hand out of position, for example Fauré F Minor Impromptu, Chopin Étude Op. 25 No. 12, and some of the central part of Debussy’s L’Isle joyeuse. Lateral displacement also happens more slowly and smoothly in any passage that travels along the keyboard, and Ciampi insisted this should be led by the fingertips, allowing the arms to follow. He did not support the theory of the arm ‘carrying the hand’. The forearm must be very free in the elbow socket to move laterally. No. 17: Les Bascules du Coudes (Elbow Tipping/Swings) Ex. 17 This exercise is an upper arm rotation exercise, very useful for large accents with the thumb and for reaching for distant notes by passing the second finger over the thumb, as in some extended arpeggio patterns. Here, as the thumb note is held, the elbow is turned out, forming a straight line with the second finger, enabling it to go over to reach a distant note. It can also be used as a rapid outward swing of the elbow for assisting the thumb in powerful spread chords. This is useful, especially where an accent is needed on the thumb, as in some Liszt passages, such as from the Second Legend, and Debussy’s Ce qu’a vu le vent d’Ouest. Also in Chopin’s Winter Wind Étude, Ravel’s Ondine, Scarbo and Une Barque sur l’océan, and Lyapunov’s Lezghinka. Generally it is important to leave the elbow joint in such a free state that this often tiny adjustment is always available if needed. There will be a general tendency for the arm, when left free, to be able to move upwards and outwards rather than be clenched into the side of the body. No. 18: Les Gammes (Scales) Ciampi had few special exercises for scale playing, but for fast scales the concept of turning the thumb under the hand can be combined with that of rapidly moving along the keyboard, allowing the fingers to point very slightly in the direction of travel, almost with the sense that they go over the thumb, so that fingers always preparing for and covering notes in advance, and are not left behind out of position over already played notes. This is even more useful in arpeggios, which are discussed later where, often, when the thumb is played, the fingers are left behind, over already-sounded keys, and reach their new location with a huge, sudden twist of the hand, destabilising control. Ciampi used to advise practising at a moderate speed, articulating with quite a high, quick finger lift after each sound, and then to play faster, keeping close to the keys. He also advised in order to develop even control and agility to play all major and melodic minors scales using only a C major fingering, in a continuous chromatic sequence. This is great for coordination and flexibility of the whole apparatus. He was especially keen that we should really master double-note scales and thought them a great way to make good progress, since they required such precision of execution. There was a need for fine coordination with very economic movements, an especially agile thumb, and the ability to balance the voices. He insisted on the bridged and plateaued hand with the fingers lifting very rapidly and a fairly firm wrist with the arm light. He also recommended practising the voices separately. There were various fingerings that could be used, and he favoured both the sliding of the thumb across adjacent white keys and the sliding of the second finger from a black to a white key depending on the musical context. HOME 29

No. 19: Les Gammes en Octaves Emboîtées (Interlocking Octave Scales) Ex. 19a Ex. 19b Prior to this exercise for the interlocking chromatic scale one finds in the romantic period, it is helpful to work at octave scales in tones. These are played close to the keys using Déplacements and a little Kullak for the black notes. First practise the two whole-tone scales separately in each hand. Then take a different one in each hand and play them hands together, making the intervals of minor seconds. Then follow this with the broken scale, as in Ex. 19b. The thumbs should play louder than the fifth fingers to help keep a musical line and avoid a clattering effect. Ciampi advised practising fast octaves such as those in the Liszt Sonata according to the Déplacement exercise, but then to actually play and perform them with the Volante forearm attack, keeping the arms free. No. 20: Les Arpèges (Arpeggios) Ex. 20a This is for developing rapid arpeggios. The preparatory exercise for ascending in the right hand or descending in the left is played with a fairly firm wrist, taking care not to drop the hand on the thumb. The hand assumes a slightly higher position than normal and the thumb retains the half-diamond shape. The hand remains at right angles to the keyboard and as the thumb passes under the hand, the third or fourth finger makes a quick slide towards the palm of the hand and hooks the nail of the thumb so these two fingers are pinched together. This will resemble a ring with the thumb and third finger. Do not allow the arm to pull back here – just the thumb and third or fourth finger are involved. Then the ring is broken as the thumb falls on its next note. The Déplacement is so rapid that no break and, after practising, no accent will be heard. The descent in the right hand or ascent in left is played with fingertips leading and a small turn in the direction of travel, so that the fingers pass easily over the thumbs. In rapid arpeggios, any pivoting or twisting in the ascent would compromise security and leave the hand out of alignment for what is to come. With this method the fingers are always over the succeeding keys, which gives greater security and more reliable tonal control. In slow, extended arpeggios there can be a full, true legato, employing more pivoting movements if needed. 30

Ex. 20b After the preparatory exercise, practise four octave arpeggios and inversions, playing in groups of four with an accent on the first of each group. All keys and inversions are played, starting with the thumb. Here the full hook does not occur, just a tiny pull-out movement of the third finger towards the hand as the thumb goes under, indicated here by the little star. To negotiate difficult shifts such as from white to black keys and vice versa, the Déplacement and Tiroir movements come into play, so the thumb passes over the keys keeping as legato as possible but without twisting the hand. In the right-hand top octave, or the left- hand bottom octave, the thumb can be held to enable a secure turn around, or else an elliptical movement can be employed. Final Observations While the notes of these exercises are simple, to play with real evenness and tonal control needs much focus of concentration. It is in the precision and economy of movements, coupled with really intense listening and attention to the rhythmic placing of each sound, that the technique develops. There has to be a real presence in every sound, which calls for a yogic approach. It can take a couple of months of working for a couple of hours a day to truly own all these principles and reform a technique, to the point where the movements manifest passively in response to the musical figuration, although even after a few weeks a considerable improvement should be noticed. This is best achieved by abstaining from playing repertoire for a period while new habits are being formed. When mastered, Ciampi would use some etudes from Czerny’s Art of Finger Dexterity as a bridge between the exercises and real repertoire. Sometimes two differing aspects would be incorporated at the same time, which would encourage independence, such as No. 9 where there was Tiroir in the right hand and Précis in the left; No. 15, where there was the Élan in the left hand and the Pivotage in the right; and No. 20, where there was Rotation in the right hand and the Bascule du Coude in the left. A few of the others that he liked to assign were Nos. 13, 23, 38, 40, 43 and 49. These were never to be played mechanically, but with all kinds of tonal gradations and phrasings, just as though they were concert pieces. Later one can graduate to the Moszkowski Virtuosity Studies and the Chopin Études. With regard to the Chopin Études, in his view one must see them first and foremost as musical poetry, and he thought that players who were principally technicians would have more problems in mastering them than players who were more musical but less proficient technically. Some of the secrets of the required technique would only reveal themselves through subtle phrasings, shaping and balancing, and allowing the music to live and breathe. While he had a huge virtuoso technique himself, he always said that his aim was to reveal, not to astonish. A clear example of the integration of all these principles can be seen in a YouTube recording of the César Franck Sonata by Yehudi and Hepzibah Menuhin, as Hepzibah studied for her formative years with Ciampi. In conclusion I would like to say that, like Ciampi, my view is that that no written method can replace personal tuition and demonstration, and an experience is always stronger and to be more valued than a concept. Success depends not only on the method, but on the ability and flexibility of the teacher transmitting it, the base to which it is being transmitted and the level to which the student can assimilate it at that time. Here, in the absence of personal guidance, it is for each person simply to make what they can of it. While over the years I have embraced many other technical approaches and ideas, I still find much of value here. and am always happy to discuss or to give help. I may be contacted through my website, www.confidentmusicalperformance.co.uk. HOME 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. 31

EPTA Portugal 44th International Conference report by Nadia Lasserson It was not until arriving in Guimarães, that EPTA delegates EPTA Presidents reached the full realisation of the incredible historic and geographical position of this wondrous medieval walled aspects of the modern piano and their musical incidence” city which played an important role in the foundation of given by José Antunes from Portugal. The four sessions Portugal. Often referred to as the “Birthplace of Portugal” started with Alberto Urroz, President of EPTA Spain, or “the Cradle City”, Guimarães is full of splendid historic presenting “Nature as Musical Inspiration and Renewal” in sites including a castle, an old monastery and lovely cobbled Schumann’s Forest Scenes opus 82 and was followed by Jean- streets of the fortified old town. Jacques Dünki from Switzerland (above) in a delightful and The 44th International EPTA Conference gave everyone the humorous “Cat’s Music - from Cervantes and Scarlatti up opportunity of spending four days in this idyllic spot. There to Present Time” in music by Scarlatti, Schönberg, Reicha was a wealth of presentations and sessions, unfortunately too and Dünki. Tomas Dratva, President of EPTA Switzerland, many, which obliged EPTA Portugal to run parallel sessions for most of the Conference. Many people spent much time running up and down stairs between the two halls to catch at least half of each presentation rather than missing entire performances. It was a relief when there were some plenary sessions. The Conference took place in the newly-built Teatro Jordão Conservatoire, creating a stark contrast with the older parts of the town. After an exciting first morning of reconnecting with friends from near and far, the opening ceremony included the Mayor of Guimarães and the Director of the Conservatoire who warmly welcomed everyone. The afternoon included four sessions after the enlightening and in-depth Keynote Speech “Piano Bits and Pieces - Design 32

Outdoor concert in the Museum Cloister garden on the first night Zoom AGM with EPTA Executive Committee (L to R): Alberto Urroz (Spain), Tomas Dratva (Switzerland), Marcella Crudeli (Italy), then presented “Hexachordus Apollinis - Pachelbel’s Art of Nadia Lasserson, Anthony Williams, Alan Paul, Susan Bettaney Variation”, discussing the various options of instrument for (UK), Luís Pipa (Portugal) and on-screen, Emilie Alazawi (EPTA its execution. The afternoon ended with Luís Pipa, President Treasurer) and Owen Lorigan (Ireland). of EPTA Portugal, performing his own recently-published music which he composed for his three children when students: Ana Julja Špan, Aylin Miliani, Nikita Krebel and young - a trio and three short solo pieces. Our first evening Tina Uršić, to demonstrate the challenges of his charming was illuminated with cocktails and the opening concert opus 13 and 17 Fairies and Fantasy Pieces for Intermediate given by Faro singer Camané and the ever popular pianist Pianists. Heribert Koch (Germany) followed the coffee break Mário Laghina, outdoors in the cloister gardens of the Museu with “Listen by yourself”, to make pianists aware of detail in Alberto Sampaio, Guimarães. Cocktails were served before the their playing, while Ana Maria Beguš presented an interesting magnificent and atmospheric floodlit concert. topic of “SHARE SCREEN?! Did the Pandemic actually give us an opportunity to broaden our teaching horizons?”, The first complete day was extremely exhausting, with no Robert Andres (Croatia/Portugal) skilfully portrayed fewer than 23 presentations in parallel sessions, making it “João Victor Costa and His Piano Music”, Lea Šantek and tricky to attend and fully appreciate everyone. The morning Svetlana Relic (Croatia) proved “The importance of creating began with Otto Graf (President of EPTA Norway), Anne a culture of cooperative relations” with the intention of Braaten, Monica Tomescu-Rhode and Désirée Paulsen Bakke improving mental health, and Fernanda Canaud (Brazil/ performing two of the romantically-enhancing Mozart-Grieg Portugal) depicted the exciting “Brazilian music for piano Piano Sonatas: the C major K545 and the G major K283. and the Modern Art Week of 1922” in a selection of works by At the same time, Janet Palmberg (USA) demonstrated the Francisco Mignone, Radamés Gnattali, Cláudio Santoro and efficient method of “Interleaving and Piano Practice”. Luis Peixe Barrozo Netto. Sanchez (USA) regaled us with “Argentine Piano Gems: The Keyboard Works of Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000) and Piotr The afternoon began with Susan Bettaney’s presentation Róźańskí (Poland) fascinated everyone with “Piano Music of “Sir Lennox Berkeley: Selection of Piano solos, duet for the Left Hand - a journey into the unknown”. Former and two-piano works” with a fine performance of the Six President of EPTA Portugal, Nancy Harper, was unable to Preludes op. 23; she was then joined by Nadia Lasserson for travel and sent her fine recording of “A spiritual journey - the light-hearted duet Palm Court Waltz and two-piano works Four solo piano works by Malcolm Dedman (b. 1948) inspired Bagatelle and Polka. At the same time, Agnieska Zick (USA/ by Baháʼí references while Davorin Dolinšek (Slovenia), in Poland) offered “Rediscovering the unsung keyboard voice true Slovenian character, brought four of Tamara Raźem’s of Emilie Mayer, as a drive toward equity and inclusion in piano repertoire”. Igor Lipinski (USA/Poland) mesmerised HOME the audience with “Reimagining the Piano Recital: Creative Ideas to Engage Your Audience” by combining card tricks with a Bach Toccata as one entertaining example, while Svetlana Kotova (Chile) offered her COVID research project “Female Composers of Baroque: New repertoire, discoveries and proposals”. Till Alexander Koerber (President of EPTA Austria) opened minds with “Body intelligence in piano playing and teaching” while Shannon Wettstein-Sadler (USA) shared music for all levels in “Inspired by Women: Teaching and Performing Piano Four-Hands Literature by Women from Around the Globe” and Katerina Marinelli (Greece/Scotland) and Zack Muir (UK) talked about “Piano teachers’ perspectives on educational and professional aspects of instrumental graded exams in the United Kingdom”. Thankfully the final five sessions of the afternoon were plenary and no choices needed to be made. Yuval Admony (President of EPTA Israel) presented his humorous book “The Wonders of Music/Piano Duets for Pupil and Teacher Fabulous Fables on Music/To Make Theory Fun”; Katarina 33

The historic old town of Guimarães Nummi-Kuisma (President of EPTA Finland) and Kristina Last evening folk concert Junttu showed the continuing ever-popular “Motivation, contentment and joy: Tools to integrate children into musical infrequently-heard music in “Finding Beauty and Pedagogic communities”; Laura Vázquez talked about the important Purpose in Alexander Peskanov’s Youth Piano Concerti”. “Piano development & innovation. Educational projects of Nicola Canton (Ireland) ran a “Workshop: Renewing Scales: Yamaha in Conservatories”. Gary Ingle (CEO of MTNA, USA) How to use improvisation to deepen understanding” and brought “MTNA Greetings and Reflections on the Future of Gulimina Mahamuti (USA) introduced “Gems of Chinese Piano Teaching” and the final concert of the day was given Piano Literature in Xinjiang Musi Style for Intermediate and by Marcella Crudeli (President of EPTA Italy) in “Schubert, Advanced Students” to include the music of Shi Fu and Chen composer unique in his poetic vein as a liederist” in a Yi. The morning concluded with Karina Glasnovic (Chile) a masterly performance of the Four Impromptus. At the start, collection of 17 short pieces for children inspired by Chilean there was a humorous element to the recital with a silent folklore “Mistralitas and Violetas: Women, poetry in music” keyboard that would not sound! Marcella did admit that – Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957), a Nobel literature winner, and this had never occurred in her lifetime of performing! As if composer and songwriter Violeta Parra (1917-1967). these 23 presentations were not enough, the second evening took us to the Grande Auditório Francisca Abreu to hear the The afternoon began with Ann Duhamel (USA) introducing Guimarães Orchestra conducted by Vítor Matos in a fine us to the fascinating “Musical Orchard: Contemporary programme of Liszt’s Les Préludes and Rachmaninoff’s Second Pedagogical Piano Miniatures by Tyler Kline”, a collection Piano Concerto performed by the renowned Portuguese of fifty short pieces often performed by multiple pianists pianist António Rosado. An amazingly absorbing and full day. well as Ana Filipa Neves Ferreira’s interesting presentation of “Sino-Western interculturality in Áureo Castro’s piano The second complete day of the Conference consisted works: A research on performative approaches”. The following entirely of parallel sessions creating huge dilemmas for two parallel sessions were both given by delegates from everyone. Robijn Tilanus (Netherlands) improvised calmly Ireland. Mary Lennon discussed the “Art of Listening: Post- with “Tone diving: A way to connect with your music” Pandemic reflections of a Piano Teacher” while Siobhan while Gabriela Calderón Cornejo (USA) played a selection Kikelly discussed technological advances in “Teaching piano of a hundred years of previously forgotten artists, “Musas: in 2022: Moving forward, embracing change”. Carlotta Masci Piano Works by Latin-American Women Composers”; Luís (Italy) gave a fine, varied recital “From Domenico Cimarosa Pipa (President of EPTA Portugal) presented his latest to John Cage: The interpretation as a poetic value” which publication, “Fingering and Hand Position in Piano Playing: Book Presentation” simultaneously with Ida Trebicka and Elena Nezhdanova (USA) introducing interesting, 34

Banquet in the old monastery pandemic”. The final performance of the entire conference was given by the Munch Duo: Kari Kvernberg and Thomas also included works by Henry Cowell and György Ligeti, Knudsen from Norway, in an exciting version of The Rite while Maria João Lopes presented her inventive “Piano para of Spring for two pianos with percussion which the two Pequerruchos: A Portugueses Piano Method for Beginners”. performers nimbly operated from each piano. Daniel Lin (USA) gave food for thought in “Performance Anxiety: Are we alone?” and Stephen Power (UK) presented Strangely enough, no-one was tired after such an “The Suzuki Piano Approach in the 21st Century: Are Dr exhaustive conference but totally stimulated by the wealth Suzuki’s ideas and educational concepts still relevant today?” of topics and ideas brought to us from all corners of the with his original way of commissioning contemporary globe. The closing ceremony was, once again, a sad moment composers – Colin Matthews, Graham Fitkin, Regis Campo at the realisation of having to part from so many friends and Charlotte Bray – to work with his students in premiering old and new. Luís Pipa invited the Director of the Teatro their piano ensembles. Monica Tomescu-Rohde (Romania/ Jordão to address the audience and say how delighted he Norway) regaled everyone with the story of “Theodora was to be able to offer the magnificent building for EPTA Cormontan - 100 years of silence” before presenting a fun to hold its 44th Conference. Marcella Crudeli once again session “Crowded at the piano: Three pieces for multiple warmly welcomed everyone to Rome for the next 2023 EPTA piano players and one piano” with “Multihands” by Wolfgang Conference in conjunction with the EPTA Chopin Roma Plagge, “Three pianistic dances for eight hands” by Morten International Piano Competition to be held in November of Gaathaug and Kari Beate Tandberg’s “Brikker” for piano, glass next year. Thanks and praise were passed all round with huge jar, paintbrush and a sheet of paper. The final parallel session congratulations to the wonderful team of EPTA Portugal who of the day was a fascinating and revealing quiz to hear music worked tirelessly to enable the conference to run seamlessly, and decide whether it is composed by a male or female in sometimes staying all night to prepare for the next day. “Reflections on piano music and gender during the pandemic”. They do need special individual mention: the Scientific and Organising Committees; Luís Pipa, Luisa Tender, Paulo The final evening brought everyone a real treat in sending Oliveira, Vera Fonte, Catarina Trindade, Filipa Andrade, João coaches to drive delegates to the top of the Penha Mountain Araújo, Natália Ferreira and the Staff Assistants who were co- where drinks and refreshments were offered outside the 12th- opted for this specific conference and to be able to continue century Monastery – Pousada Mosteiro, now a luxury hotel working for EPTA – Maria João Gomes, Pedro Fereira, Pedro – with the most exquisite views. We were all regaled with Teixeira and Silva Ferreira. The daily refreshments at the a wonderful folklore concert by the renowned folk singer/ Teatro were delicious and abundant, the evening cocktails songwriter Daniel Pereira Cristo, master of Portuguese ethnic and dinners were delectable and all the wonderful music music, playing the exotic “ukulele’s grandfather” accompanied that poured out daily was indeed memorable and inspiring. by a band of celebrated local musicians. This was the prelude Everyone has gone home highly stimulated with new ideas to the most delicious conference dinner, a banquet of local for teaching. Many new friendships sprung up between the delicacies. A truly memorable evening. young and old delegates, all so sad at parting, and many made promises of maintaining online contact between conferences. The final morning consisted of four fascinating The idyllic old town of Guimarães had captured hearts and presentations beginning with the intriguing “At the piano enhanced the atmosphere of the wonderful conference. EPTA with Grieg, Saint-Saëns and Busoni - Digitised piano roll certainly appears to have a bright and rosy future with so recordings as a bridge between performance research and much new young blood. It would be appropriate to end this piano pedagogy” given by Sebastian Bausch and Manuel account with a highly original and gratifying quote from Gary Bärtsch (Switzerland), with members of the audience Ingle, CEO of MTNA: attempting to keep up with quirky performance practice and interpretation in the rolls. Laura Granero (Portugal) “EPTA is the grand cathedral organ through which the tonal followed appropriately with Scriabin’s 150th Anniversary and resonations of thousands of individual pipes are fused together into “Between the lines of Alexander Scriabin: The Performance the same glorious music. Some pipes are high and shrill, some are Practice of Scriabin’s Music through the Study and Re- deep and resonant. EPTA has thousands of members, some may be Enactment of his Piano Rolls”. Ana Zão (Portugal) – Doctor/ considered high and shrill, others deep and resonant. But, when Pianist and Founder/Director of the International Centre their voices are fused together through their membership in EPTA, of Arts Medicine (CIMArt) – discussed the never-ending they produce beautiful ‘music’ for piano teachers across Europe and issues pianists encounter in “Pianists’ health problems and throughout the world.” their impact on pianists’ performance: challenges after the Closing Ceremony with Anthony Williams, Nadia Lasserson, Gary HOME Ingle, Marcella Crudeli and Luís Pipa 35

Reviews AvA Musical Editions 222714 Piano para Pequerruchos chamber concerts of their music. Luís Pipa: Music for My Children Maria João Lopes Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur – A collection of seven piano pieces €24.95 Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Francis for children Poulenc and Germaine Tailleferre Pianist and pedagogue Maria João often met but went their separate ways Luís Pipa (President of EPTA Lopes is always devising new methods with their musical endeavours and Portugal) needs no introduction. for her piano students, and this latest always remained friends. Numerous CDs of his fine playing have volume for the very young beginner been reviewed in previous Journals is all-inclusive with theory, exercises It is rare to have works of the six and now, in time for hosting the 44th and melodies in gradual progress. together and, in 1996, Marcelo Bratke EPTA International Conference, he Maria João Lopes has spent many years produced a CD (OLYMPIA OCD 487) has published seven pieces which he researching beginner methods from of early music by each composer. This composed for his children when young all over the world and realised that publication is obviously a reprint and to mark their pianistic development. there is no one specific Portuguese it is fascinating to have one piece by Most of the seven pieces appear volume for local teachers. Printed on each of Les Six in a single volume. in print for the first time and are glossy paper, the delightful coloured Ideal for Intermediate and Advanced illustrated with drawings by each child illustrations by Ana Elisa Aragão pianists, these contrasting pieces are at the time of studying the music with cannot fail to appeal to young children. appealing concert pieces, either singly their father. Posture at the piano, clefs, staves and or as an entire collection: the Prélude note values are all introduced at a by Auric is lively with contrasting The book opens with two gradual pace with even a mathematics sections and little pedal. Romance “Miniatures” composed in 2006 for page to add up the various counts sans Paroles by Durey is full of thick the Portuguese Association for Music of note values. Notation is also very textures and multi-layers. Honegger’s Education Magazine and have not gradual, starting with single notes, Sarabande includes lively double thirds been in print since. His six-year-old hands together, and then proceeding and fourths within the melodic daughter, Susana, performed them at to reading two consecutive notes on a line. Mazurka by Milhaud is mildly the time and loved the use of pedal, stave of two lines playing black notes. discordant yet melodious. The lively wide range of dynamics, dissonances Many of the first pieces have teacher Valse by Poulenc is the longest piece in and use of the high registers. The accompaniments to enhance the the short volume and requires clear, facing page has Susana’s delightful melodies while counting on Middle C. neat articulation. Pastorale by Tailleferre coloured picture painted at the time. Dynamics are colourfully mentioned – the only female composer of the Little Mystery Tale and Pedro’s Walk were as notation gradually increases in group – is dedicated to Milhaud and composed in 2011 for eight-year- the numerous pieces to entertain full of charming melodies and wide old Pedro, with his painting on the young players. Variations of touch left-hand leaps. opposite pages. Both pieces include are humorously introduced as are the dissonances, use of extreme registers sharps and flats. Seconds and thirds as Certainly a novelty, this volume is and a little pedal. Consecutive sixths well as cluster chords are included and full of musical and historic interest on the left hand appear in the strutting there is a charming piece in D major. containing intriguing new recital Walk, obviously reminiscent of the Well-planned, and carefully paced, this repertoire for pianists to enjoy. young boy’s specific moving method. book is a huge success with Portuguese The three pieces dedicated to 11-year- children and will surely cross the waters Above is a copy of the original sketch by old Inês, Luís Pipa’s middle child, were to entertain youngsters all over Europe. Jean Cocteau of the Groupe des six which commissioned by the 1st National he gave my father. Each composer has Piano Competition under 12 category www.pianoparapequerruchos.com an incomplete face except for Jean in the in 2011. These three pieces are slightly middle. NL more advanced, with lively use of ME 00196100 rhythmic staccato on each hand in Ping ESCHIG distribution Hal Leonard Pong, contrasting with a slower middle £14.50 section. Melancolia is a calm, slow piece ALBUM DES SIX with intricate rhythmic patterns, wide leaps for crossing left hand and Le Groupe des Six and their good pedal indications. Determinação is an friend Jean Cocteau often congregated effective, lively, energetic piece with together in the Café de la Rotonde forceful dynamics which contrast with in Montparnasse as they arranged a gentler middle legato LH melody in the middle. It is the first time that we experience compositions by Luís Pipa and it is to be hoped that more will follow as they are attractively appealing to young and old and will certainly be enjoyed by all students and teachers of piano. 36

past and present of the EPTA Estonia Committee: Peep Lassmann, Lembit Orgse, Lauri Väinmaa, Martti Raide as well as Sten Lassmann, Rein Rannap, Kai Ratassepp and Riine Pajusaar. Fine performances from each of these artists enable students to enhance their musical ideas while forming their own interpretative opinions. Congratulations to Martti Raide and EPTA Estonia for bringing this wonderful music in print to enable students everywhere to have the opportunity of discovering and performing this fun music. EPTA ESTONIA BÄRENREITER SCHOTT EESTI KLAVIERIŎPETAJATE BA 11832 Fauré Pavane opus 50 ED 23085 Vladimir Horowitz ÜHING Edited by Jean-Pierre Bartoli £7.50 Fragment douloureux op. 14 €12.00 Piano Pieces from the Treasury of Estonian Children’s Music II edited Fauré originally composed the Horowitz had always composed from by Martti Raide Pavane for orchestra and there are a very young age and was obliged to also numerous arrangements for earn a living as a soloist to support the It is three years since the first solo instruments as well as a ballet. family after the Russian Revolution volume of Estonian Children’s Piano I have always been envious of my forced his entire family to flee. This Music was published and this second instrumental colleagues able to play fragment may have been one of his enlarged volume consists of 24 pieces solo versions of the Fauré Pavane with last compositions before his departure by popular Estonian composers dating piano accompaniment and now, at in 1925. He always claimed that his from 1939–2015. This is the result of last, Bärenreiter have produced it for compositions were left in Russia in a EPTA Estonia’s 2017 survey of the most solo piano. Based on the recordings secret place and the manuscripts were important pedagogical and worthy of Fauré’s own performances of the only returned to him, personally, when works for piano and continues in work, this latest edition is a treasure he returned in 1986. It is related that it similar vein to the first volume of 2019. for all pianists to explore and enjoy. was assumed he would read the music Once again, the titles really capture The editor, Jean-Pierre Bartoli, has when he sat down at the piano but the spirit of each piece with a few maintained the wide leaps of the rumour has it that he was able to play delightful illustrations to stimulate accompaniment and melodic line with every one from memory. young pianists. Sparrows by Heino very clear contrasts of touch and tone Lemmik, The Mouse Jumped by Ester enabling performers to convey the true Dedicated to Felix Blumenfeld, Mägi, But Cinderella Is Very Beautiful by musical character of this calm piece. this haunting piece is marked Lento, Raimo Kangro, The Last Steam Locomotive The Edition includes detailed notes lugubre, misterioso and is full of triplets, by Rein Rannap and One Donkey Finds on performance with an informative chromatic chords and extreme Another by Tarmo Lepik are picked out introduction and critical commentary dynamics which enhance the painful, as examples. The latter would pair well to allow every pianist more insight musical character. Ideal for Advanced with Jacques Ibert’s Le petit âne blanc in into the music. This is an ideal new pianists with large hands, the work any junior recital programme. Other item to be included in Intermediate is scored on three staves with much represented composers are Eduard Oja and Advanced Recitals. crossing of hands. Pianists will be with Estonian Dance, Tuudur Vettik, Eino intrigued and delighted to have an Tamberg, René Eespere, Anti Marguste, original composition from the great Lydia Auster, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Margo maestro and the intention is to edit Kõlar and Riine Pajusaar. Five of these more of these discovered treasures composers were represented in Volume that will eventually enable recital I and it is fascinating to see how prolific programmes with works by Vladimir Estonian pedagogues are in producing Horowitz. characterful music for the young. We look forward to a third volume 37 of this very important pianistic and pedagogical output to be performed not only in Estonia but worldwide. There is an accompanying CD of each piece recorded by members HOME

Reviews continued... Yuval Admony: The Wonders Of maintaining this humorous vein arpeggio figurations and broken Music throughout the eight chapters that octaves between both hands. Piano Duets for Pupil & Teacher cover The Scale, Chords, Tone and – Fabulous Fables on Music – TO Semitone, Intervals, Chord Degrees, Fun to play, worthy of any short MAKE THEORY FUN Clefs and Note Values. Every page is recital, it is good to have a single magnificently illustrated in strong volume with the three Sonatinas. It Yuval Admony has spent several technicolour by Shira Limon. will not be long before they will be years perfecting a highly original frequently included in recitals and way of teaching theory and making The Volume is extremely thorough festival competition classes. it fun for his pupils and here, at last, in every theoretical detail, albeit in is the colourful product. The witty rhyming couplets, the colours are Haydn: Piano Sonata in E Major plot of Major chord, Minor chord, brilliantly arresting and Admony’s Hob. XVI:31 (UT 50449) Ton-Tonon, Sharp, Flat, Diminished compositions are captivating and Haydn: Piano Sonata in G Major Chord, Augmented Chord, Tone, delightfully imaginative throughout. Hob. XVI:6 (UT 50448) and Semi-tone all setting off on a This fun theory book deserves a place musical adventure is charming in in every music teacher’s library as well Edited from the sources by Christa itself. Yuval Admony sets the whole as on the piano of every piano student, Landon, revised by Ulrich Leisinger / story in rhyming verse and each old and young , in order to be sure Notes on interpretation by Robert D. musical item is represented by fun that theoretical knowledge is clearly Levin / Fingering by Oswald Jonas duets for pupils to play with their understood and never forgotten. teachers as they progress through Schott/Universal Edition’s subsidiary the various stages. Admony’s zany [email protected] ‘brand’ Wiener Urtext Edition has sense of humour pervades the entire long held an enviable reputation book from verse to duet… Titles EDITION BREITKOPF 9392 of issuing high-quality, thoroughly such as Bossa Nova Casanova – a piece Jean Sibelius Three Sonatinas for researched scholarly editions which in five finger position that moves piano op. 67 aim to provide the music enthusiast around the keyboard for the student Edited by Kari Kipeläinen and professional alike with relevant with teacher providing a substantial background information to develop a accompaniment, Ballad of a Salad Breitkopf are gradually reprinting historically-informed interpretation. where the student plays bits of the Bb the complete piano works by Sibelius This issue is no different and doesn’t major scale up and down the piano in from the original urtext publications disappoint. rhythmic chunks, Whole-Tone Patrol, of 1912. Composed at a difficult Polonaise with Mayonnaise, Habanera financial time for Sibelius, the three What is more, the brains behind Bomboniera, Mazurka alla Quarta and Sonatinas are nevertheless musically Wiener Urtext Edition also thought Tangled Tango cannot fail to delight all charming and worthy repertoire for about the practicalities of playing intermediate pianists to play this lively Intermediate pianists if in tricky keys music in a live setting in that they repertoire. One chapter is all about – F# minor, E major and Bb minor – chose an exceedingly easy-to-read font, “Domi” and “Nanta” squabbling until but musically gratifying to play. They a clean page layout, and incorporated were reviewed several years ago but manageable page turns on non- “This kind of unity- who would expect in a large volume which included glare paper. In fact, the whole tactile All of the children will give us respect, most of the piano works of Sibelius. experience just oozes quality so that No looking back, no regrets or remorse. The movements are short, in true one wishes there were more page turns Now it’s the time for a Dominant Force.” Sonatina form, technically manageable and thus opportunities to interact with although the third is musically more the score haptically. The entire book manages to convey challenging. All three Sonatinas are all the basic elements of theory full of refreshing melody laced with With the practicalities well taken care of, the scholarly side follows 38 suit. Ulrich Leisinger, Director of the Research Department at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, sympathetically updated what had already been a highly respected edition by Christa Landon. The fingerings provided by Oswald Jonas, despite being decades old, provide much musical and phraseological insight, stemming from a musician whose teacher was Heinrich Schenker, and are definitely worthy of serious consideration. The world-renowned pianist, Harvard University professor emeritus and 18th- and 19th-century music expert, Robert Levin, provides extremely informative, concise and seminal performance notes which

are a must-read for any music-lover sections cover a vast amount of detail, “New Superstar of Classical Piano”, - ignore the last pages at your own offering many musical examples. All the piano world is his oyster and he peril. However, having spoken to Levin examples are stated with the proviso has earned himself the luxury for his personally on the subject, he is far that every pianist’s hand is different latest recording, From Afar, to use two from a dogmatist when it comes to the and physical comfort and ease is different pianos, which opens up an execution and would always encourage foremost in every case. Choosing a enormous topic for debate. an improvisatory approach, whilst specific fingering is always aimed at understanding the idiom of the music achieving greatest musical effect with This wonderful latest CD, From and conventions of the time, which is minimum physical exertion. There Afar, is a selection of 22 short pieces precisely what his contribution helps are instances of alternative fingerings dedicated to György Kurtág as a token us to achieve. changing the overall musical result. of Víkingur’s admiration of the great Changing fingers on a specific note is composer after a visit to his home in This is an edition which delivers often used as a means of heightened Budapest in 2021. Víkingur was invited in spades in terms of scholarship, musical communication. The Finger- to the maestro’s home and ended up practicality and ‘packaging’ - Full House! Crossing chapter has some interesting playing for over two hours. The two facts: “Hummel crossed one finger had such a stimulating time together Jan Loeffler over a short one and under a long one” and, after much reflection, Víkingur while “Chopin frequently passed the decided to make a CD as a “thank-you Jan Loeffler is a longest fingers over each other without letter” to Kurtág rather than merely pianist and Visiting the intervention of the thumb”. writing to him. The CD consists Lecturer of Piano at Pipa shows how finger-crossing can of works by Kurtág, Bach, Mozart, Royal Birmingham enhance musical effects. The final Schumann, Brahms, Bartók, Thomas Conservatoire, chapter discusses how using the Adès and two Icelandic composers, Piano Tutor at composer’s own fingering suggestions Snorri Sigfús Birgisson and Sigvaldi Radley College provide interpretative musical clues Kaldalóns. He feels it is his softest, and a Committee to the overall performance. Full of most tranquil CD so far – almost Member at the musical examples, sensible fingering domestic –experimentally recorded Beethoven Piano suggestions for each one, the short close up thus making the music “like a Society of Europe. volume offers a wealth of valuable secret”- 3D in effect. He has performed tips in the quest of ideal fingering for solo piano and tricky passagework. Pipa has covered People have been questioning chamber music recitals, as well as given a copious amount of detail while the reason for recording the same presentations and master-classes, in Europe, always coming back to the inevitable repertoire on an upright and a the USA and Asia. conclusion in a quote by Hummel: grand piano. Listening to Víkingur “producing the best EFFECT, by the Ólafsson’s various interviews on the BOOK REVIEW EASIEST MEANS, is the great basis of radio explains everything. He grew the art of fingering.” up and practised in his bedroom on Tradisom 2022 an old upright which he loved as Luís Pipa - Fingering and Hand CD REVIEWS well as spending time on the family Position in Piano Playing – Analysis grand piano when it was available to of Mutual Implications with Víkingur Ólafsson From Afar him (his mother – an early member Examples from the Repertoire. It is unbelievable to recall that it is of EPTA Iceland – not teaching or practising herself ). The truth is that The last issue of Piano Journal less than a year since Víkingur Ólafsson Víkingur loved both pianos and could included a review on a book about made his first London appearance after not decide which was best for this fingering by the late Joseph Banowetz lockdown to a completely sold-out programme and finally decided to and the book by Luís Pipa follows a Queen Elizabeth Hall. He was already allow listeners to hear for themselves similar route. It is interesting to note well-known by his numerous CDs and formulate a preference. that both authors discuss similar ideas but had not been seen live for several and offer similar arguments. years. Now, with him hailed as the There is no need to even discuss the transcendental musical content, In his latest book, hot off the controlled tonal palette and press in time for the EPTA Portugal sound world but merely to debate International Conference held in the different sonorities in the September 2022, Luís Pipa presents interpretations of the two instruments. an updated version of his original My luxury of experiencing both Dissertation for the University of performances by alternating the two Reading in 1992. CDs for each piece, really cultivated the listening ear to extreme dimensions. The comparison ends here. Pipa’s I soon became accustomed and was short volume contains four main immediately able to identify the sections: “The Thumb and Little differences even when mixing the Finger”; “Individual Characteristics two CDs. The upright piano has of Fingers, Finger Substitution” and been recorded with the microphone “Double Fingering”; “Finger-crossing placed inside thus producing a Technique”; and “Interpreting most wonderfully warm, rich sound Composers’ Fingerings and Dividing throughout each piece. This is not to Passages Between the Hands”. The four say that the grand piano performances HOME 39

Reviews continued... are not warm and rich in tonal colour branch, the programme continues Blanco López, a pianist, teacher but the upright more readily included with Kurtág’s Twittering played by and music critic. Nana Leonesa was the perception of orchestral timbres Víkingur and his wife Halla and communicated with panache, drama within the music. Víkingur, himself, leads on to Schumann’s Prophet Bird. and confidence, the Berceuse with admits to the microphone being placed Another Brahms Intermezzo, no. 5 lucidity, lyricism, colour and a strong further afield for the grand piano from opus 116 and Kurtág’s Scraps of a projection of an almost Italianesque recordings and admits that it can be Colinda Melody- Faintly recollected end this gondola song-like character, and I deceptive in quality. interlinked glorified mood playlist. particularly enjoyed the rhythmic incisiveness and inventiveness in the Interesting that the selected It is so typical of Víkingur Ólafsson Verbena. Characterisation, humour repertoire consists of short pieces to have such interestingly unique, and personality were also strongly rather than longer Sonatas, Ballades intellectual musical links while conveyed in the 3 Cenas Portuguesas and the like. Víkingur’s programming compiling a programme to delight. by José Vianna da Motta, the scenes is always second to none, with The two different pianos add another vividly brought to life with a sense of uniquely quirky links: flowers, dimension to the final result and, if a playful rubato, subtlety of touch and nature, sleep, dreams. The opening forced to opt for the upright or the articulation. piece is a transcription of a Bach grand, one would not be able to decide. Chorale by György Kurtág, followed There are so many minute differences The more familiar centrepiece of by Ólafsson’s arrangement for solo which can tip the preference either the CD is the Albeniz España, a set of piano of Schumann’s first of “Six way - actually hearing felts of the six album-leaves. It might be naturally Studies in Canonic Form” op. 56 for upright in the Kurtág while the expected that Paulo Oliviera would pedal organ. The Bach Adagio from the distancing of the grand makes tonal bring an authentic Spanish/Iberian solo violin Sonata no. 3, was arranged colours a little drier yet haunting. feel to these pieces in the rhythm and and dedicated to Márta Kurtág and, It is interesting to note that the articulation, and he does, but with as explained in the notes, it ends on upright recording is marginally it too is a refreshing simplicity and the dominant which is seamlessly longer, showing that superb spacing clarity, with a focus on colour, and a picked up in the following Harmonica and timing of exquisite rubato might descriptive and compelling sense of by Kurtág. The three Bartók Hungarian possibly require slightly more time? space and time. Folk Songs from Csik are a fine example that Bartók is actually “all lightness No matter, here is an amazing Two Sonatinas frame the other and song” from György Sándor’s lesson musical journey of personal playlists works, and both were wonderful of 2003 which was the time of an early from the “Master of Icelandic Pianists discoveries for me. The Sonatina by recording of Brahms’ Intermezzo op. who speaks for our time”. Armando José Fernandes may be short 116 no. 4 Notturno. The LH of the latter but nonetheless makes rewarding is utterly harp-like in its orchestral Nadia Lasserson listening and Paulo doesn’t in any way sonority and serenity going straight dismiss the work for all its brevity. The into Kurtág’s A Voice in the Distance. Iberian Impressions drama of the opening, the poetry of One would take it for granted that Paulo Oliveira piano the slow movement and the exciting Ólafsson would include Icelandic folk Odradek Records ODRCD429 buoyancy of the final movement are songs in this epistolary recording and all persuasively conveyed. The Sonatine Snorri Sigfús Birgisson’s arrangement In his debut album the Portuguese pour Yvette by Xavier Montsalvatge is of When Life and Death may Dwell is an pianist Paulo Oliviera takes a personal evocative and colourful and humorous example of sheer mastery of tone and tour through Iberian piano music, music, performed with personality, colour in its simplicity. Kurtág always choosing repertoire from Spain and atmosphere and a sense of narrative. performed his lively transcription of Portugal that has had an influence ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ features the first Bach Trio Sonata for three on his life and introducing us to in the last toccata-like movement hands with his wife, Márta, and he composers that many of us will not which finishes off the CD with cheek offered this music to Víkingur as a have encountered before as well as the and virtuosity. gift which he now performs with his more familiar sounds of Isaac Albéniz. own wife, Halla Oddný Magnúsdóttir, Overall, I enjoyed the very ‘real’ displaying superb musical teamwork. Rather than listen from the sound of the production; the piano Another popular Icelandic folk song, beginning, my first foray into the sounds personal and direct, as if the Ave Maria by Sigvaldi Kaldalóns – a CD was with the three short pieces concert is taking place in your living medical doctor – was transcribed by by the Spanish composer Pedro room. Whilst I would have liked a Víkingur Ólafsson for his wife in 2007 little more abandon at times, perhaps and is another example of sheer poetic a greater sense of risk and romantic beauty. Kurtág’s Little Chorale and his sweep to the more dramatic works, the new transcription of Mozart’s Laudate repertoire choices are inspired and the Dominum is dedicated to Kurtág. The playing is characterful, intelligently last part of the CD consists of links communicated and frequently very with nature and birds beginning with beautiful. I strongly recommend Kurtág’s Sleepily, Schumann’s Träumerei buying this captivating CD (or head to and Kurtág’s Flowers We Are. Thomas Spotify); you will not be disappointed. Adès, a good friend of Kurtág’s, composed The Branch specifically for Anthony Williams this collection. Based on a poem of this title with birds perched on the 40

EPTA News - Autumn 2022 by Nadia Lasserson EPTA - EUROPEAN PIANO COVID may have been a world disaster, and piano teachers were obliged to teach TEACHERS ASSOCIATION online, with all the problems that occurred on systems. Sound quality was The Parent Organisation often poor and live lessons were unequivocally welcomed once danger was over. By Charity Registered Number 1094973 the same token, after EPTA Germany’s online Conference, followed by EPTA Spain’s 34 Carver Road, London SE24 9LT small live Conference that included several online sessions, EPTA Portugal was Tel: +44 (0)20 7274 6821 fortunate to be entirely in person and everyone was delighted to be live once again. Email: [email protected] There have been a few changes and EPTA wishes to thank Kestukis Grybauskas for Founder Carola Grindea his tireless work for EPTA Lithuania over the last 31 years and wishes him well in Honorary European President years to come. His arrangements of well-known music for eight hands on two pianos Dominique Merlet were always extraordinary and memorable. Honorary Vice President 25th June 2022 EPTA Serbia ran its Annual meeting and elected a new committee Alberto Portugheis with Miloš Pavlović remaining President. 13th–20th July 2022 EPTA EUROPEAN PRESIDENT EPTA Portugal ran the 6th Luís Pipa (President of EPTA Portugal) EPTA Piano Festival and Masterclasses with Luís Pipa VICE PRESIDENTS and Alberto Urroz at ‘Quinta All Presidents of EPTA National Associations da Aldeia’, Ponte de Lima (pictured right). EPTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 7th September 2022 EPTA Chair: Anthony Williams Lithuania held its Annual Secretary: Nadia Lasserson conference with AGM and Treasurer: Emilie Alazawi elected a new President - Members of Executive Committee: Professor Aidas Puodziukas, Alberto Urroz, Luís Pipa, Marcella Crudeli, Head of the Piano Department of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Alan Paul, Susan Bettaney & Tomas Dratva EPTA is delighted to welcome Prof. Puodziukas and looks forward to many years of collaboration. Ms. Inga Vysniauskaite was elected Vice-President and Mrs. Aurelija Website: www.epta-europe.org Seliaviene was elected Secretary. EPTA is pleased to welcome them all. 27th September–4th October 2022 EPTA Serbia ran masterclasses given by EPTA – the Parent Organisation – is Professor Igor Lazko from Paris at the high school of music Josip Slavenski in constantly expanding not only in Europe Belgrade. 30 Professors, members of EPTA Serbia and their students took part. but also throughout the world through its Following live meetings, conversations and new friendships in Portugal, an Affiliations with the most important exciting new form of EPTA events has sprung up. Piano Teachers Associations: 16th October 2022 Nordic countries held a fruitful Zoom meeting to discuss MTNA – Music Teachers National possible future gatherings. Members present were: Ólöf Jónsdóttir - President, Association EPTA Iceland; Katarina Nuumi-Kuisma - President, EPTA Finland; Eva Lundgren Piano Teachers National Association - President, EPTA Sweden; Otto Graf - President, EPTA Norway; Balder Neergaard of Japan, Founder: Yasuko Fukuda - President, EPTA Denmark; Vagn Sørensen - Vice-President, EPTA Denmark; and Japan Piano Teachers Association, Johannes Andreasen - pianist and piano teacher, Faroe Islands. President: Prof Akemi Murakami 27th November A second Nordic countries online meeting took place and we all Canadian Federation of Music look forward to further developments. Teachers Associations, Co-ordinator: 23rd October EPTA Israel held an online Webinar for its members with a small Prof Ireneus Zuk selection of speakers from the EPTA Portugal Conference held in Guimarães. Latin American Piano Teachers In the meantime, many live meetings took place and all members were delighted Association (Argentine, Chile, to, finally, be able to get together and communicate in person whilst being inspired Ecuador, Brazil) by wonderful performers. Summer 2022 EPTA France held its first Masterclass in the Loire region. EPTA ASSOCIATES: 16th–17th September 2022 EPTA Czech Republic held the Piano seminar which EPTA CHINA ASSOCIATES had to be cancelled in 2020 and rescheduled twice in the High School and Music Patrick Leichner School, with a Masterclass on 16th September given by Professor Takacs in the Prague EPTA NEW YORK ASSOCIATES Conservatory and an all-Beethoven Recital on the 17th, the day of the Seminar. Prof Salvatore Moltisanti EPTA INDIA ASSOCIATES Founder-Director: Prabhudas Ivanson EPTA ISRAEL ASSOCIATES Dr. Yuval Admony HOME 41

EPTA News - Autumn 2022 continued... 11th September 2022, 25th September, 2nd October, 9th October, 23rd October, 6th November, 20th November, 12th December EPTA UK continued its professional development Webinars on various topics presented by renowned British pedagogues and pianists: Anthony Williams (Chaired Open Forum), Talia Korol (Piano Teachers as Business Owners), Simon Burgess (Tax Advice), Melanie Spanswick (developing Flexible Technique), Nancy Litten (Musicianship for Pianists), Pamela Wedgwood (The Rusty Pianist) and Chris Stanbury (Casio CEO). 1st–2nd October 2022 EPTA Sweden ran its Annual National Conference in the city of Gävle. 15th–16th October 2022 EPTA Iceland held its inland conference with guests from Finland, The Faroe Islands and Denmark. 4th–6th November 2022 EPTA Norway held its Annual Conference in Oslo on “Creativity and Improvisation”. 26th–28th October 2022 EPTA Germany held its Conference in the Cologne Music College on the theme of “Diversity”. Speakers and performers included a lecture recital on Chopin’s Mazurkas, with Prof. Klaus Oldemeyer (piano) and Barbara Zech- Günther (dance). Christine Löbbert talked about working with hearing-impaired students, Cathedral organist Prof. Winfried Bönig gave an evening organ concert in Cologne Cathedral and the Kanazawa-Admony Piano Duo, Tel Aviv, presented “Jewish composers from Europe and Israel – in Quest for a Musical Language”. 3rd November 2022 EPTA Latvia ran the Xth International Piano Competition dedicated to Alfrēds Kalniņš in collaboration with the A. Kalniņš Music secondary school in Cēsis. 4th–6th November 2022 EPTA Norway held its Annual Conference in Oslo on “Creativity and Improvisation”. November 2022 EPTA Greece held the third Russian Music event of 2022. 11th–12th November 2022 EPTA Slovenia organised its very successful Annual National Conference, “Piano Days”, in Slovenj Gradec with 200 delegates. The topic, “With Rhythm Through Time”, included projects from music schools, lectures, concerts and a round table discussion. EPTA Slovenia continued the cycle of concerts for young talents, “Pianissimo”, and continued its regular activities with the 10th issue of Virkla with articles on “Virtuosity of Teaching”. At the same time, Suzana Zorco, President of EPTA Slovenia since 2020, stepped down as President but will continue to run the “Happy Fingers” competition for talented kids. EPTA wishes to thank her for her hard work and is delighted to welcome Miha Haas as new President. EPTA Slovenia is already beginning to plan the 2025 Conference. 18th–19th November 2022 EPTA Spain ran the VIII Certamen de Piano in the Yehudi Menuhin auditorium at the Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio. The Certamen is in collaboration with the CARM from Alfonso X University. 19th November 2022 EPTA Belgium Wallonie/Bruxelles organised the Annual Pedagogy Day on the topic of “Dyslexia and Attention Problems” at the Académie de musique d’Auderghem. A panel of experts discussed these important subjects so frequently encountered nowadays in piano teaching. 20th November 2022 EPTA Netherlands held its Annual National Conference in Utrecht with speakers including Robin Tilanus and Ester Vela from Spain. At this meeting, there were some changes of Committee members. 20th November 2022 EPTA Serbia decided to forge closer links between lower pedagogy levels and the university professors by organising auditions for concertos with orchestra at the Ministry of Defence. Three Concertos were on the syllabus: J. S. Bach: Concerto in F minor, Mozart Concerto in A K.414 and Concerto in D minor K.466. 21st November 2022 EPTA Italy, in collaboration with the Chopin Roma International Piano Competition, held the grand finals of the 31st Competition with the Roma Tre Orchestra. 1st prize went to Denis Linnik from Belarus; 2nd prize was awarded to Vsevolod Brigida from Russia. 91 pianists from 14 countries took part. The “Young Pianists” section was won by Vito Saulle (16 years - Italy), and “Promising young pianist” award went to Vera Cecino (18 years - Italy); the “Duo a quattro mani” section was awarded to Gala Chistiakova and Diego Benocci (Russia-Italy) and “Duo on two pianos” was won by sisters Wei and Rong Shi (32 years - China). EPTA Associate members continue to be active. 1st Oct 2022, EPTA China Associates released an online course by Graham Fitch on “Instruction for the 2023 & 2024 ABRSM piano examination syllabus”. 14th December 2022 EPTA Israel Associates will hold a Masterclass in the “Piano House” Show Room, Tel Aviv, with Bösendorfer Artist, Prof. Baruch Meir, from Arizona University. 15th December 2022 EPTA Serbia will organise the Concerto concert with the top five soloists. 42

www.epta-europe.org 1st January 2023 EPTA China Associates will organise a whole-year online lesson about elementary piano teaching led by Irina Gorin. 13th–17th January 2023 EPTA Croatia will hold the 7th Svetislav Stančić International Piano Competition, dedicated to the late Dmitrij Bashkirov who served on the Jury several times. 13th January 2023 EPTA Croatia will hold the Opening Concert, “In memoriam Dmitry Bashkirov”. After the pre-selection round, sixteen candidates have been chosen by the international jury to enter the competition. The three best soloists will perform in the Finals with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. All rounds are open to the public in the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, Zagreb. The Competition Jury will be presided by Pavel Gililov (Germany), Ida Gamulin (Croatia), Massimo Gon (Italy), Naum Grubert (Netherlands), Vladimir Krpan (Croatia), Murray McLachlan (UK) and Aleksandar Serdar (Serbia/Slovenia). [email protected] | [email protected] 22nd January 2023 EPTA Denmark will hold a Webinar with Yuval Admony about his upcoming book of four-hand pieces. 11th–12th February 2023 EPTA Finland will organise the Annual Seminar in Kajaani. 24th February 2023 EPTA Israel Associates will hold a meeting in the Givatayim Conservatory where Robert Andres (Madeira) will present “From the Baroque to the Post-Tonal: Portuguese Piano Music and Its Neglected Jewels”. 3rd–4th March 2023 EPTA Lithuania will hold the first meeting organised by the new Committee with Concerts and Masterclasses. 18th March 2023 EPTA Denmark will run a “Workshop” with Sascha Nedergaard, demonstrating her new Ny dansk klaverskole (“New Danish Piano School”). March 2023 EPTA Iceland will hold its spring meeting and further details will follow. March 2023 EPTA Netherlands will hold a spring meeting. March–June 2023 EPTA Denmark will hold Grade exams for piano students across all venues in Denmark. April 2023 EPTA France will hold a Piano Competition in collaboration with Kawai France across three weekends. 19th–21st May 2023 EPTA Germany will hold its second meeting on the topic “Diversity” in Berlin. www.epta-deutschland.de 12th–17th June 2023 EPTA Latvia will run the XXIV International Academic Music Competition “Jurmala 2023”. There are four categories up to the age of 21. More information will be available here: https://muzikasskola.jurmala.lv 23rd–29th July 2023 EPTA Denmark will hold the International Piano Week at OrkesterEfterskolen, Holstebro. Further details to be confirmed. August 2023 EPTA China Associates will organise the South West University Press to publish the Piano Professional Series Simplified Chinese Edition of The Foundation of Piano Technique, Piano Technique in Practice, The Psychology of Piano Technique by Murray McLachlan and The Mindful Pianist by Mark Tanner. 28th–29th October 2023 EPTA Switzerland will hold its bi-annual National Conference in Bern on the topic of “Piano in Motion”. 21st–26th November 2023 EPTA Belgium Wallonie/Bruxelles is delighted to announce its bi-annual piano competition “Rencontres Internationales des Jeunes Pianistes” which is open to young pianists of all nationalities, with four age categories up to the age of 24. Further information from [email protected] - www.epta-belgium.be EPTA is clearly very active again with renewed energy as a result of two dormant and difficult years. Congratulations must go to everyone for maintaining the status quo and for creating such interesting events. Special thanks must go to EPTA Portugal with its fine Committee for having masterminded the most amazing and exhilarating four days, full of excitement and inspiration. As usual, everyone felt it was the best ever but then, that is the case after each Conference. Last but not least, EPTA can now look forward to conferences in 2023, 2024 and 2025. 13th–16th November 2023 EPTA Italy will hold the 45th EPTA International Conference in Rome. The closing date for applications is 28th February 2023. 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. June 2025 will be hosted by EPTA Slovenia in Portorož. Onward and ever upward. 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] Treasurer Lise Andersen Yerevan – 0032 Lotsesteenweg 186, B -1653 Dworp Committee Members: Anette Præst Nielsen, Tel: +32 2 380 08 27 or +32 1 045 24 03 EPTA AUSTRIA Secretary Marie-Dominique Gilles Inke Kesseler, Elisabeth Holmegaard Nielsen, Committee: Dominique Cornil, Pierre-Yves Honorary Presidents Prof. Walter Cuvelier, Jacqueline Lecarte, Antonio Sena, François Søren Pedersen Groppenberger, Prof. Anton Voigt Thiry, Fabian Jardon, Sabine Lawalree, Pierre Thomas Honorary members: Anna Øland, President Prof. Till Alexander Koerber [email protected] [email protected] www.epta-belgium.be for all information in Tove Lønskov, Bella Horn, Arne Christensen, Tel: +43 664 7 36 09 503 French, English and Flemish. Vice President Dagmar Schinnerl Elsebeth Brodersen and Eugen Indjic Secretary Heidemarie Schneider–Klimpfinger EPTA BULGARIA Søborg Hovedgade 150 1th Treasurer Regina Seeber, Project Manager. DK-2860 Søborg, Denmark Claudia Berzé Planning to reorganise. Phone: (+45) 41 188 288 [email protected] Email: [email protected] Tel: +43 664 777 36 09 503 c/o Anton Bruckner University EPTA CROATIA EPTA ESTONIA Hagenstrasse 57, A-4040 Linz www.epta-austria.at / www.bruckneruni.at Honorary President Vladimir Krpan President Lembit Orgse, [email protected] President Ida Gamulin Vice Presidents Lauri Vainma, alauri. [email protected] [email protected], Martti Raide (Chief Vice President Ivanka Kordić Executive), [email protected] and Mati Secretary Helena Herman Mikalai, [email protected] Trg republike Hrvatske 12, 10000 Zagreb Information manager: Riine Pajusaar, www.epta-croatia.hr, www.idagamulin.com [email protected] Committee Members: Ia Remmel (editor of EPTA CYPRUS the annual magazine “Klaver”), Ruth Ernstson, Tiina Muddi, c/o Estonian Academy of Music Planning to re-organise. and Theatre Tatari 13, Tallinn 10116, Estonia Tel: +372 667 5700 www.epta.ee 44

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

EPTA Associations continued... EPTA LATVIA EPTA NETHERLANDS EPTA ROMANIA President Juris Kalnciems President Bart van de Roer There are plans to re-organise EPTA [email protected] [email protected] Romania. Secretary Diana Zandberga Vice President Liesbeth Eggen [email protected] Secretary Elize van den Berg, EPTA RUSSIA Rīgasiela 4-3, Baloži LV-2112 Latvia [email protected] 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, Committee: Olga de Kort-Koulikova, Marc Moscow 119296 Tel: +7 499 1371526 / Mob: +7 903 6155155 Pauwels, Arielle Vernède & Heleen Vegter www.iospiano.ru www.eptanederland.nl EPTA Russia Structure: EPTA LITHUANIA EPTA NORWAY Chelyabinsk (Ural) – Chairman Andrey Nechaev Kaliningrad – Chairman Vladimir Slobodyan President Aidas Puodziukas Honorary President Einar Steen-Nøkleberg Petrozavodsk – Chairman Victor Portnoy [email protected] President Otto Graf Rostov-on-Don – Chairman Vladimir Daych Tel: +370 612 99 601 Vice President Radmila Stojkovic, Samara – Chairman Sergey Zagadkin Vice-President Inga Vysniauskaite [email protected] Sochi – Chairman Tatyana Agafonova [email protected] Treasurer Otto Graf, Tambov – Chairman Irina Tsareva Tel: +370 612 94 881 [email protected] Tver – Chairman Galina Solodova Secretary Aurelija Seliavienė www.epta.no Ufa – Chairman Rustam Gubaydullin [email protected] Tel: + 370 620 81291 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) Committee: Marijana Savov Stojanović, Skopje President Luís Pipa, [email protected] Tel: +389 91 231614 Caminho do Agro, 47, 4900-012 AFIFE, Tatjana Đorđević Portugal EPTA Serbia Faculty of Music and Arts, EPTA MALTA Tel: +351 258331860 Kralja Milana 50, Belgrade 11000 Mobile: +351 934210439 Tel: +381 11 362 1170 Honorary President Fransina Abela http://epta-lusa.pt/ President Evelina V. Batey https://www.facebook.com/eptaportugal EPTA SERBIA–VOJVODINA [email protected] Tel: +356 9980 2226 President Tatjana Vukmanović Secretary Shirley Psaila EPTA Voyvodina, Isidor Bajić Music School, [email protected] | Tel: +356 2142 1112 Njegoševa 9, 21000 Novi Sad www.epta-malta.com [email protected] 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 SWITZERLAND EPTA INDIA ASSOCIATES Honorary president Dubravka Tomšič President Tomas Dratva Founder/Director Prabhudas Ivanson [email protected] [email protected] Srebotnjak Jurastrasse 45 , 4053 Basel Honorary member Majda Jecelj Tel +41 78 612 36 30 EPTA ISRAEL ASSOCIATES President Miha Haas Vice-President Saori Miyazaki [email protected] Committee members Susanne Lang, Wolfgang Chairman Yuval Admony DKPS EPTA, Ižanska 12, 1000 Ljubljana Committee Miriam Boskovich, Dr. Einat Vice President Davorin Dolinšek Clausnitzer, Raphaël Sudan, Jean-Jacques Schmid Fabrikant, Prof. Eitan Globerson, Prof. Emanuel [email protected] Secretary Mrs. Margot Müller Krassovski,, Dr. Ron Regev, Dr.Michal Tal Secretary Tamara Ražem Locatelli Haus der Musik, Gönhardweg 32 CH-5000 Secretary Natalie Yontov Committee members: Jana Stojnšek, Lana Aarau / Switzerland Academy of Music and Dance, Jerusalem; Mobile: 0041 76 539 76 45 Buchman – Mehta School of Music, Tel-Aviv Stergulec Žuran, Špela Horvat Gönc, Ana Maria [email protected] University epta.ch bluewin.ch [email protected] Beguš, Jana Zupančič, Jan Pušnik [email protected] www.epta-israel.org Suzana Zorko - head of the ‘Happy Fingersʼ www.epta.ch competition for talented kids Nuša Gregorič - editor in chief of the periodical Virkla Address: Društvo klavirskih pedagogov Slovenije EPTA, Stari trg 34, 1000 Ljubljana www.epta.si, www.epta.si/eng EPTA SPAIN EPTA UKRAINE ALAPP Argentina (Association of Honorary President Ana Guijarro Planning to reorganise. Latin American Pianists and Pedagogues) President Alberto Urroz President Valentín Surif [email protected] EPTA UK [email protected] C/Luis Vives, 8. 4º A. E-28002 Madrid Arcos 2030, 15 “C” Buenos Aires (1428) Tel: +34 915 630 807 Founder Carola Grindea Tel: (54-11) 4784-0583 Mobile: +34 639 894 349 Patron Piers Lane Secretary Estela Telerman, Treasurer Lilia Vice-President Marcela Linari Chairman Aaron Shorr Noguera, Members: Alfredo Corral, Ana María Secretary Pablo López de la Osa Administrator Yvonne Cheng Mondolo, Deputy Members: Martha Bongiorno, [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer Paloma Molina Tel: +44 771 931 6333 Guillermo Carro www.epta-spain.com www.epta-uk.org Auditor Gloria Diograzia Val www.musicaclasicaargentina.com/surif, HOME 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