Piano Journal Issue 122

JOU R NAL EUROPEAN PIANO TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION Heribert Koch in conversation EPTAʼs 42nd International Conference goes online An exploration of playing-related injury Covid-19 and the Piano Concerto Analysis of Chopinʼs Etudes Part 3 NEWS & VIEWS - INTERVIEWS - REVIEWS THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL FOR PIANISTS AND PIANO TEACHERS ISSUE 122 DECEMBER 2020 £3

Founder Carola Grindea JOU R NAL ISSUE 122 DECEMBER 2020 Editor Murray McLachlan [email protected] CONTENTS Tel: 01625 266899 3 Editorial Editorial Consultant Nadia Lasserson 4 42nd EPTA International Conference Report [email protected] Tel: 020 7274 6821 by Nadia Lasserson Piano Journal 6 Living in the Shadows: The Silent Struggle of Pianists Published by EPTA with Playing-Related Injury by Barbara Lister-Sink Designer/proofreader Helen Tabor 1 1 Heribert Koch in conversation helentaborcreative.com with Murray McLachlan Piano Journal ISSN 0267 7253 1 6 Covid-19 and the Piano Concerto Published: Spring, Summer,Winter by Nancy Lee Harper Subscription for three issues: 2 2 Chopinʼs Prelude in E minor: its subtle influence £9 - all subscriptions can now be paid online via the website: by Raymond Head epta-europe.org 2 4 The “Norma” Fantasies of Thalberg and Liszt: A Comparison by Lisa Yui The opinions expressed or implied, the methods recommended or advice given in the Piano Journal 2 9 Music for Solo Piano by John Speight are not necessarily representative of EPTA’s views and therefore EPTA takes no responsibility for by Kolbeinn Bjarnason them. Appearance of an advertisement does not necessarily indicate EPTA’s approval of the 3 2 Setting the Record Straight: the Controversies of product or service. Double Beat Theory by Patrick Hemmerlé The editor welcomes letters from members but 3 4 Analysis of Chopin's Etudes Part 3 reserves the right to edit them for publication. Durational Density by Kris Lennox This product is copyright material and may not 3 8 Reviews be copied in whole or in part for any purpose 4 5 NCKP: The Piano Conference 2021 whatsoever without the permission of the 4 6 EPTA News copyright owner. 2

EDITORIAL HELEN TABOR As 2020 comes to a conclusion and hopes of an Of course, many of us will be disappointed that in 2020 we effective vaccine for Covid-19 send an optimistic were unable in May to be present physically in Bonn, Beethoven’s mood around the globe, it is fitting to look back and birthplace. But lockdown and Covid-19 has given us all newfound pay tribute to the extraordinary courage, resilience, opportunities, facilities and possibilities. I must admit that prior ingenuity, energy and sensitivity shown by so many wonderful to March 2020 I had never even heard of zoom! Now we are colleagues in the piano teaching community - particularly so in gathered online with perhaps the largest ever number of EPTA EPTA. We have all had to learn new skills, cope with all kinds of Presidents at an AGM. Travel expenses and arrangements are no issues and support our beloved students in ways not previously longer an issue, so it is wonderful to welcome everyone here and imagined. In many ways 2020 has been an absolute nightmare. But also fantastic to celebrate a sense of community with the EPTA it has also been sea-changing, making new online approaches to family on a scale that has simply not been possible in past ‘onsite’ communication, performing and teaching that were previously conference years. never considered seem very much the new norm. Nadia Lasserson’s report on the October online EPTA Happy reading, international conference reflects on these changes. It was a phenomenal success and this magazine salutes and congratulates Murray McLachlan, Editor EPTA Germany on their extraordinary achievement. It is only fitting and appropriate that the long-overdue interview with Heribert Koch that has been planned for so long is now published herewith. Bravo and huge gratitude to Heribert and the whole extraordinary family that is EPTA Germany. As a tribute to their achievement this editorial is concluded with a large section from my address to the conference: ‘It is heartening, positive, and deeply moving to be a part of this extraordinary online conference. What a remarkable achievement it truly is in this most ‘unprecedented’ year. EPTA Germany are to be embraced with deep gratitude and admiration for constructing a series of events that will impact positively on our work, motivations and love of music for a considerable time to come. This huge tonic is much more than a short interlude - the quality of the filmed presentations, the immediacy and inspiration in the panel discussions, and the sheer sense of community from the interactions on zoom to the presentations is essential energy and ‘food’ for our continued wellbeing and motivation. We live in deeply unsettling, troubled and insecure times, with many of our colleagues, friends and family members facing uncertain financial futures. Only yesterday the British Prime Minster addressed the UK nation, announcing a second lockdown for England. This follows on from similar measures happening all around Europe. Quite apart from the huge health concerns about infection from the virus internationally, there are huge worries about mental health and wellbeing for us, our students and colleagues. So first and foremost, a wholehearted, enormous thank you and sense of gratitude to EPTA Germany is expressed here. The Five members of EPTA Germany’s Presidium have managed a Herculean feat. They truly deserve an enormous round of applause and bouquets and it is important to name them all: Dr. Jairo Geronymo, Berlin (Presidium), Prof. Linde Großmann, Berlin (Presidium), Jens Hamer, Altenberge (Presidium), Heribert Koch, Langerwehe (Presidium), Marilia Patricio, Cologne (Presidium), Sigrid Naumann, Fulda (Secretary), and Dr. Rainer Lorenz, Regensburg (managing director). 3

42nd EPTA International Conference of European Associations BEETHOVEN 2020 a theme with variations Hosted ONLINE by EPTA GERMANY 30th October–1st November 2020 by Nadia Lasserson The 42nd EPTA Conference was and freshness through the 35 sonatas” “‘fp’ in the first movement of Beethoven’s due to take place in Bonn while Nils Franke presented “Beethoven Sonate Pathétique”. The third discussion with Recitals and Lectures as Student and Teacher”. The second was based on Beethoven and his in the Beethoven-Haus, to Discussion was based on Beethoven’s contemporaries and the panel included celebrate Beethoven’s 250th Anniversary. Piano music – Artistic and analytic Mario Aschauer (USA), Gregor Vidovic Covid-19 prevented musical happenings aspects, with Tomas Dratva (Switzerland), (UK) and Anton Voigt (Austria). Mario all over the world and EPTA Germany, Miha Haas (Slovenia), Jan Marisse Huizing Aschauer presented his new Bärenreiter not to be thwarted, decided to present the (Netherlands), Luís Pipa (Portugal) edition of “83 Diabelli Variations. Conference online. This was to be a FIRST and Einar Steen-Nøkleberg (Norway) Backstory and Waltz”, “Beethoven’s in EPTA’s history, and trepidation as to its forming the erudite panel. Unfortunately Diabelli Variations, the Schusterfleck, and success cannot be denied. Einar Steen-Nøkleberg failed to appear a Viennese Scandal” and “The Longest In the event, it was a “Best”. At the but everyone was able to watch his Diabelli Variation: Emanuel Aloys Förster’s end of every Conference, everyone always pre-recorded video link. Tomas Dratva Capriccio”, Gregor Vidovic showed a link states that it was “the best one ever” performed Beethoven’s rarely-heard “War between “Beethoven and Clementi or The and cannot possibly be surpassed and Symphony - Wellington’s Victory”, Miha Conquest Of The ‘Haughty Beauty’”, Anton yet, EPTA always manages to produce Haas gave a lecture on “Beethoven’s 32 Voigt, with Johann Sonnleitner, talked wonderful occasions year by year. Sonatas: Understanding elements of the about “‘O Hope...’ Archduke Rudolph as The entire team of the EPTA German Performing Practice beyond conventional Composer of Variations on an Original Presidium – Prof. Linde Großmann, Jens wisdom” divided into three sections of Theme by Ludwig van Beethoven”. Hamer, Heribert Koch, Marilia Patricio, “Articulation and Reading of Notation”, The last round-table discussion was Sigrid Naumann, Dr. Rainer Lorenz “Tempo Choice and Tempo Flexibility” based on Beethoven’s influence on and Dr. Jairo Geronymo – collaborated and “Range of Keyboards”, Jan Marisse later composers, and the final panel to present a richly full and stimulating Huizing presented “Quotations and included Susanne Kessel (Germany), Conference. Some of the team dealt with Ideas in Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas”, Luís Till Alexander Körber (Austria) and the technical and recording aspect while Pipa gave a lecture-recital on “Revisiting Yuval Admony (Israel). Susanne Kessel others dealt with the artistic elements Beethoven through Vianna da Motta’s had devised a uniquely original project of the programme. The programme was interpretative score of Piano Sonatas opp. “250 Piano pieces for Beethoven - an indeed massive, with the digital brochure 7 and 31 no. 3”, Einar Steen-Nøkleberg gave International Compositional Project”. extending to 116 pages. an extremely graphic demonstration of She contacted 250 composers and asked All presentations were available on the website one week before the Conference weekend so that everyone could view in advance. This was an excellent way of listening at leisure and being able to savour and digest each brilliant speaker. The actual Conference included five lively ZOOM discussion sessions with panels of speakers invited according to their contributed topics. The first was Early works by Beethoven, pedagogical aspects with a distinguished panel of Carleen Graff (USA), Murray McLachlan (UK) and Nils Franke (UK). Carleen Graff presented “Beethoven’s Elector Sonatas” with many lively excerpts and related anecdotes. Murray McLachlan gave a stimulating and refreshing lecture on “Beethoven and Youth. The spirit of discovery, renewal 4

for a short piece based on any aspect of EPTA Germany invited all pianists the composers whose variations were not Beethoven. No fee was ever discussed, to perform one variation each and, selected in this performance. Readers only the promise of a public performance surprisingly, this was not complete. Dora must forgive this comprehensive list of and recording. Unsurprisingly, no-one de Marinis from Argentina opened with fifteen pianists and fifty composers but refused the request and Susanne Kessel the theme and the first three variations all performances were most inspiring was faced with an enormous amount by Ignaz Aßmayer, Carl Maria von Bocklet and stimulating with incredible variety of tricky contemporary music to study and Leopold Eustachius Czapek. Greek of colours and moods – which is quite and perform. The marathon plan took pianist, Annini Tsioutis, followed with remarkable considering they all stem from ten years to master and materialise. Till Variations 6, 7, 8 and 9 by Moritz Graf the same theme! It is interesting to note Alexander Körber, President of EPTA von Dietrichstein, Joseph Drechsler: the many relatively unknown composers Austria, assumed the role of “Beethoven quasi Ouverture, Emanuel Aloys Förster - that were prolific at the time who all teaching the Variations op. 27 by Anton Capriccio and Jacob Freystädtle. Capriccio, deserve mention as they never appear in Webern to a student”. Yuval Admony the longest Diabelli variation, is also today’s concert halls. introduced his Duo with his Japanese recorded by the author of the Diabelli wife, Tami Kanazawa, in “Beethoven – publication, Mario Aschauer. Numbers In order to make this Conference From Grosse Fuge to Tailor’s Patch” with 10–13 by Johann Baptist Gänsbacher, accessible to everyone, EPTA Germany the Grosse Fuge op. 134 for four hands, Joseph Gelinek, Anton Halm and Joachim arranged a round-table discussion solely Camille Saint-Saëns Variations on a Hoffmann were presented by Carleen for German-speaking members who could Theme by Beethoven and Yuval Admony: Graff (USA). Swiss-born pianist Kathrin not join in with the English-speaking Variations on Diabelli’s Waltz. Schmidlin presented Variations 14 forums as well as their own Annual and 15 by Johann Horzalka and Joseph General Meeting for members of EPTA Other presentations included Huglmann. Henriette Gärtner (Germany) Germany. These were held earlier on each “Beethoven and Chopin in comparison: opted to perform Variations 16, 21 and day to make way for the transatlantic Beethoven Sonata op. 109 – Chopin 26 by Hummel, Kreutzer and Moscheles. delegates to link up during their waking brilliant variations op. 12” in a demonic Tiago Rosário selected Variations 17 hours. Discussions were indeed lively performance given by Marcella Crudeli and 39 by Anselm Hüttenbrenner and and argumentative, with no barriers from (Italy), Miloš Pavlovic (Serbia) presenting Simon Sechter - the latter being a Canon home computers in lieu of live attendance and performing Beethoven’s Sonata in F in three voices. Nadia Lasserson (UK) - if anything the debates were almost opus 14 no. 1 in his usual oblique approach played no. 24 by Liszt and Nils Franke more questioning. to “The Art of Piano Playing in the 21st (UK) presented Variations 25 and 29 by Century: A Pianist as a Reproductive or Joseph Mayseder and Joseph Panni. Susan The EPTA Executive Committee was Creative Artist?”, Stephan Moller Chan (USA) played Variation 28 by Franz delighted that the AGM of all EPTA (Germany) revealed “Beethoven in 1802: Xavier Mozart and Nancy Litten (UK) Associations was well attended, with many The New Way, the Heiligenstadt prepared Variation 36 by Johann Baptist Presidents registering from the comforts Testament and the Sonatas Opus 31” Schenk. Petra Polman (Netherlands) of home and with no travel expenditure pointing out Beethoven’s puzzling new performed Variation 38 by Schubert, incurred. style in these old favourite works former EPTA President of Norway, Einar demonstrated on an 1828 Bösendorfer Steen-Nøkleberg, performed number Any initial misgivings as to the grand piano. Susan Chan (USA) based her 41 by Maximilian Stadler and Iva Zurbo realisation of this Conference were lecture/recital on Turquerie in “‘Exoticism’ (Albania) rounded of the whole project immediately dispelled. It is unbelievable in Selected Piano Works of Beethoven, with Variations 43 – a Polonaise by Václav to realise how many angles of Beethoven Haydn and Mozart” ending with Liszt’s Jan Tomašek – 50 by Jan Hugo Vořišek were debated in this short period of time piano transcription of Ode to Joy. and the Coda by Carl Czerny. Variations by and even more incredible as to how many Carl Czerny, Joseph Czerny, (not related), are still left to discuss at a future date. All that has already been mentioned Joseph Gelinek, Anton Halm, Joachim What is more, all the video links remain was just one part of the EPTA Germany Hoffmann, Friedrich August Kanne, on the www.epta-deutschland.de website Conference. The other section consisted Joseph Kerzkowsky, Eduard Baron von for a year, enabling everyone to enjoy and of the “Diabelli Project”. This began with Lannoy, Maximilian Joseph Leidesdor, revisit to their heart’s content. We are Heribert Koch (Germany) “Exploring the Ignaz Franz Edler von Mosel, Hieronymus all most grateful to EPTA Germany for ‘Microcosm of Beethoven’s genius’ An Payer, Johann Peter Pixis, Wenzel Plachy, creating such a wonderful atmosphere approach to understanding Beethoven’s Gottfried Rieger, Philipp Jakob Riotte, throughout the whole weekend with Diabelli-Variations op. 120” with one of Franz Roser, Franz Schoberlechner, Joseph living proof of its success by the mere fact his students – Fatjona Maliqi (Kossovo) von Szalay, Michael Umlauff, Friedrich that no-one wanted to leave the zoom – performing the work in its entirety Dionysius Weber (no relation to Franz meetings at closing time. Being reluctant with great depth of maturity and insight. Weber, Carl Maria’s half-brother), Carl to let go, delegates continued discussing Diabelli invited composers of his day Angelus von Winkhler, Franz Weiß, and and debating for some time after the to compose one Variation on the Waltz Johann Nepomuk August Wittasek were official closure. We all owe EPTA Germany and 50 responded creating a wide array a huge debt of gratitude for the enormous of musical moods to the complete work. success of the EPTA 42nd Conference. Bravo everyone. BACK TO CONTENTS 5

Lister-Sink: Struggle Living in the Shadows The Silent Struggle of Pianists with Playing-Related Injury by Barbara Lister-Sink, Ed.D. “The pain can be excruciating at times when I play…I’ve had to INTRODUCTION “I have been very depressed… I thought about ending my life Dkeep from crying while performing.” almost every day.” uring the last half century, I have become intimately acquainted with and increasingly dismayed by the As I write, we are in the midst of an historic pandemic that has shadow side of our profession. As a piano teacher cast its own ominous shadow over the globe. It has affected specialising for over thirty-five years in injury- countless lives in great and small ways, many with the gravest of preventive technique, I have seen so much suffering while trying consequences. But the global epidemic I write about is of another to help hundreds of pianists negotiate the arduous, complex sort, one that lurks in the shadows of our piano world. It is the journey through injury, diagnosis, treatment, retraining and decades-old plague of playing-related injury that will affect well recovery. I have wept in the face of their suffering, equaled only over half of advanced pianists in their lifetimes1. It is confined to by their resilience, perseverance and courage. But I have also shed thousands, not millions, but its consequences in the music world tears of gratitude as I listened in a darkened concert hall to their can be devastating in physical, mental, emotional, personal, triumphant return to music-making with the piano. This article is financial and professional ways. dedicated to those beloved piano students, past and present, who have travelled the long, arduous path to injury-free playing. These “Imagine for a moment that your life has taken an unexpected are their own words; this has been their journey. turn…That your vocation…your identity, your passion, your hopes 6

I have wept in the face and fingers. After several months of careful, mindful practice in a of their suffering, very specific way, I was free of pain. But since little was known equaled only by their about playing-related injuries at that time, I was never really sure resilience, perseverance why the pain had gone away. and courage This devastating experience set me on a path of exploration and dreams for your life, and the avenue by which you expressed the and experimentation for the next 50 years. I learned everything I innermost parts of who you are, are all being threatened. The thing could about technique – devouring books, studying Alexander that you once loved so dearly is now causing you daily pain… Technique, biomechanics, neuroscience, and joining forces with the performing arts medicine movement. I even self-financed a You see doctor after physician after specialist, and no one can tell 160-minute video on injury-preventive technique in the late you exactly what is going on….. It has become difficult to accomplish 1990s, doing everything in my power to prevent other pianists simple day-to-day tasks like cooking a meal, cleaning the house, from losing their musical voice, their joy in playing the piano - taking notes in class, and even bathing yourself. You feel out of their best friend. control. You feel powerless and confused and hurting. You struggle to find hope. Everyday is a challenge…This is the lived experience of THE SHADOW SIDE OF INJURY musicians dealing with playing-related injuries.” Pianists’ suffering is not only physical. It can become deeply emotional and leave scars. The world of injury can be a nether How many of us actually play the piano every day? The piano – region of loneliness and isolation with little support: or any musical keyboard – continues to be the world’s most “I used to think that playing-related injuries only happened to popular instrument. For centuries, it has captivated, intrigued, other people. When it did happen to me, it was surreal. Now with this mesmerised and charmed us. Statistics in the last decade report pervasive attitude staring back at me from colleagues and teachers, I that 100 million people play the piano – or some form of realised that no-one can understand until it happens to them…” keyboard – worldwide, including some 30-40 million children in Injury leaves pianists devastated, depressed, disconsolate, even China, and over 23 million amateur pianists and one million suicidal. They often feel worthless, and are accused of being piano students in the US taught by 40,000-50,000 piano teachers. hypochondriacs and in need of psychiatric help: During the pandemic, that number may have increased as people “All of the elements of my journey seem to be corroborated by most shelter in their homes. In times of deep distress, through its other injured pianists; lack of acceptance from teachers and academic music, the piano and those who play it have offered comfort and institutions, going through a litany of medical professionals, and hope, even when all seems lost. So it would seem that the piano feelings of hopelessness and despondency. I’ll never forget my college will continue to be, for millions, young and old, worldwide, an old professor’s response that I would hear for the rest of my college career, and beloved friend. For most, it may be their oldest friend. But for “You know, when people say they have hand problems, sometimes I thousands of serious pianists worldwide, the piano is a foe that think the problem is in their head rather than in their hands. Just be betrayed them and gave them pain. careful, take an ibuprofen and keep practising.” ” Their lives are often left in tatters. Life is a constant struggle. “I have been playing the piano for about 30 years - most of my life. They lose all sense of purpose: I am in constant pain. The pain feels like a punishment... People do “I felt as if I were being punished for pursuing my love and passion. not talk about it. They think it’s a part of being a musician.” I felt imprisoned in my own body, not being able to express myself… Since music is at the core of my soul, I felt that there was no purpose MY STORY for me to live any longer.” I am personally acquainted with the pain, confusion and Playing-related injuries have cost pianists their scholarships, despair. When I was child, the piano became my ticket to a rich positions, gigs and even careers. They often find themselves and deeply fulfilling inner world. I studied with well-trained and caught in a web of confusion, frustration, unanswered questions, loving teachers. But at age 16, while preparing Beethoven’s Third Concerto, I awoke with a burning sensation in my right arm. All Lister-Sink: Struggle - Detail 1 the fast, loud passages I’d practised for hours now caused searing pain. A doctor ordered daily cortisone shots and two weeks of total rest. I managed to perform the concerto, but the pain continued to plague me for six more frustrating years. I was a frequent guest at the college infirmary, soaking my arm in a whirlpool bath and taking aspirin. I continued to play recitals, but I lost confidence and always feared the pain would return, my fingers would stop moving, and I would have to stop playing in the middle of a concert. No one, including a variety of doctors, had any answers. I never even got a diagnosis for my injury. This situation worsened and led to tremendous self-doubt and feelings of worthlessness. My best friend had become my worst enemy. The path I had dreamt of seemed to disappear into a fog of fear and unanswered questions. Then, completely by accident, while living in Amsterdam, I met an extraordinarily gifted teacher far ahead of her time in understanding the root, as well as the means of recovering from injury. Edith Lateiner-Grosz told me, “you must be aware,” (in Dutch “Je moet bewust zijn”) of everything I did with my whole body, not only my arms, hands BACK TO CONTENTS 7

anger and despair. They have lost their musical voice. For many Lister-Sink: Struggle - Detail 2 pianists, there is no way out of this maze of injury: Given the multifaceted “Not being able to play without pain felt like a personal failure; a demands of playing loss of identity. It was a lonely experience, with people sympathising the piano – physically, with you but not fully understanding what you were going through.” mentally, artistically – little wonder that there is FROM THE RESEARCH high risk for injury Like dancers and other “artist-athletes”, pianists combine subtle, complex motor skills to meet high artistic standards. journey, either to prevent or to recover from injury. Scientists have deemed advanced piano playing to be one of Despite the persistently high rate of injury, there are humankind’s most demanding activities. Noted physiologist Homer W. Smith encapsulates the demands of our trade: encouraging signs. Performing arts medicine is now a global field “The most intricately and perfectly coordinated of all voluntary movements that has evolved over the last 40 years, thanks to a number of in the animal kingdom are those of the human hand and fingers, and perhaps dedicated researchers, health-care practitioners and educators. in no other human activity do memory, complex integration and muscular There are a number of performing arts clinics and specialised coordination surpass the achievements of the skilled pianist.” Given the healthcare providers committed to helping musicians worldwide. multifaceted demands of playing the piano – physically, mentally, National and international music organisations promote wellness artistically – little wonder that there is high risk for injury. websites, workshops, resource and referral materials, and lectures, and have developed guidelines for injury-prevention. Dedicated Studies over the last 15 years have revealed researchers have worked indefatigably to understand risk factors and develop effective treatments. • 2005 playing-related injuries vary between 26% and 93%.2 • 2006 Japanese study showed 77% of female pianists had But accurate diagnoses and treatments of these frequently complex disorders are difficult to obtain, and pianists become sustained injuries3 reticent even to seek out medical advice, fearing they will be told • 2010 Australian study reported injuries in 71.9% of they must stop playing – sometimes forever – and find another career path. Since this is an unacceptable choice for most pianists, professional pianists4 they continue in desperation to find solutions. • Women pianists are twice as likely to suffer playing-related “It happened literally overnight without warning and no one really injury because of hand size6, 7 knew what to do with me. I spent the next five years trying everything that was suggested – orthopedists, chiropractors, massage therapy, hot TYPES OF PLAYING-RELATED DISORDERS and cold packs, muscle relaxants, pain medication, yoga...Nothing The list of playing-related neuromusculoskeletal injuries or worked. It was (and still is) the worst time in my life.” disorders is long and continues to evolve. This list below is not comprehensive. Playing-related injuries are complicated by It is my fervent hope that this article and these poignant, even genetics, lifestyle and non-playing-related conditions. The injuries heartbreaking words from my own students might bring more themselves may begin as “simple” as muscle fatigue or forearm awareness to the enormous extent of this pervasive and tendonitis. But if left undiagnosed and untreated, they can evolve unacceptable situation. I believe our piano profession can and into complex disorders involving nerves, muscles, tendons, should do much more to reduce this plague of injury. We owe it to ligaments, joints and fascia, and perplexing neurological disorders our piano students and to our art. such as focal dystonia. POSTSCRIPT Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Sadly, the piano world recently lost one of the most beloved Tendonitis pianists of our times - Leon Fleisher. He was without doubt one Cervical Radiculopathy of the greatest musicians, pianists and teachers of the 20th and 21st Carpal Tunnel Syndrome centuries. His contributions to the global music world were as Cubital Tunnel Syndrome De Quervain’s Syndrome Medial and Lateral Epicondylitis Ganglion Cysts Myofascial Pain Syndrome Nerve Compression Syndrome Osteoarthritis Focal Dystonia If successful diagnoses and treatments are not found, psychological problems may arise. I have also seen hypermobility lead to a number of maladaptive, compensatory malcoordinations when left unaddressed. But the most elusive and confounding disorder I have witnessed in my teaching career is complex or chronic pain syndrome and the resultant “central sensitisation” of the nervous system, a product of the dark side of maladaptive neuroplasticity. WHERE WE ARE TODAY Because I direct a program that focuses on injury-prevention and recovery, most of my own pianists have recovered completely or partially.8 In almost all cases, they have continued, with courage and a can-do spirit, to create a life in music. And as teachers and advocates, they are eager to help others along their own difficult 8

boundless as was his generosity of spirit. 3Aoki, T., Furuya, S., Kinoshita, H. & Nakahara, H. (2006). But Leon Fleisher also brought playing-related injury to Prevalence and causal factors of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremity and trunk among Japanese international visibility. He was one of the most courageous, pianists and piano students. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, resilient and positive forces in our music world because he 21(3), 112-117. himself suffered the devastating loss of use of his right hand. Focal dystonia was the primary diagnosis. After his injury came to 4Ackland, T. & Allsop, L. (2010). The prevalence of playing- great prominence in the 1970s, he paved a courageous path for related musculoskeletal disorders in relation to piano players’ countless injured pianists. He showed them how to turn a playing techniques and practicing strategies. Music and Health, 3(1), potentially devastating loss into a tool for creativity, innovation 61-78. and deeper connection with their own humanity through music.9 5Lister-Sink, B. (1996). Freeing the caged bird – Developing well- CITATIONS coordinated, injury-preventive piano technique [DVD]. Lewisville, NC: 1Chong, J. & Manchester, F. (2014, March).What can go wrong and Wingsound International. what to do to get back on track. Workshop presented for Pedagogy Saturday, Music Teachers National Association and Performing 6http://paskpiano.org/research-linking-hand-span-to-pain-and- Arts Medicine Association: A Pioneering Partnership to Keep injury/ Musicians Performing at the 2014 MTNA National Conference, Chicago, IL. 7http://smallpianokeyboards.org/overview/Evidence from 2Bialocerkowski, A., Bragge, P. & McMeeken, J. (2006a). A different fields. systematic review of prevalence and risk factors associated with playing-related musculoskeletal disorders in pianists. 8Lister-Sink, B. (2015). A study of students’ perceptions of the Occupational Medicine 56 (2006): 28-38. effectiveness of an interdisciplinary method for teaching injury-preventive piano technique (Doctoral dissertation). 9 Lister-Sink, B. (2020). Assisting pianists in their arduous path to recovery. Presentation given at 2020 ISME Virtual Conference. Barbara Lister-Sink, internationally acclaimed pianist and acknowledged global leader in injury- preventive keyboard technique, is a graduate of Smith College, the Utrecht Conservatory and holds an Ed.D. from Columbia University. A Steinway Artist since 1977, Lister-Sink has performed and given workshops throughout North America, Europe and Australia. Her DVD Freeing the Caged Bird – Developing Well-Coordinated, Injury-Preventive Piano Technique won the 2002 MTNA-Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award. Presently Artistic Director of the Salem College School of Music and Director of the Graduate Music Program, she has taught on the Eastman School of Music Artist Faculty and was keyboardist for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. A previewer for Oxford University Press, Lister-Sink was chosen by Musical America Global as one of America’s “30 Top Professionals of 2018” as an innovator, independent thinker, and visionary leader. Music Teachers National Association CONFERENCE HEADLINERS 2021 Angela Myles Beeching Awadagin Pratt CONFERENCE Keynote Speaker Conference Artist Music TeacMhaerrchs 1N3a–1t7io, n20a2l1Association Todd Frazier and Mei Rui MTNA is taking virtual to the next level with Keynote Speakers MUSIC TEACHERS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION McCain Duo Nyaho/Garcia Duo 2021 2021the 2021 MTNA Virtual Conference. Mark your calendars for March 13–17, 2021, and prepare Conference Artists Conference Artists CONFERENCE CONFERENCEfor an unforgettable experience! Visit www.mtna.org for more programming details and registration information MTNA has lined up one of its best programs yet and will deliver it all to you in the comfort of 2021your own home or studio. Even though attendees won’t be gathering in Atlanta, opportunities for EXHIBIT HALLCONFERENCEinteraction with your colleagues and the music Music TeacherisnNdautiosntarlyAswsociilaltiobne an integral part of this premier gathering of studio music teachers. You won’t want to miss any of the exciting live and pre-recorded programming! BACK TO CONTENTS 9

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A Lifetime of Dedication to Piano & Piano Teaching Heribert Koch in conversation with Murray McLachlan Giving a lecture-recital at Prague Music Academy Heribert needs no introduction to readers of Piano Journal and to EPTA members. He is one of the Teaching is a further most inspiring, energised and creative pianist– form of communication teachers working in Europe today. through music and about His performing activities comprise solo recitals and orchestra music and it is totally concerts with pieces from the standard repertoire as well as many indispensable for my life lesser-known works or composers which he often performs in the as a musician form of lecture-recitals. His pedagogic work has been internationally acclaimed, and beyond regular students, an increasing number of well-established professionals are seeking his advice. Heribert often gives lectures on pedagogical themes in the framework of international conferences. He is regularly invited to serve as an adjudicator on international competitions and he gave numerous masterclasses in many countries. Heribert Koch currently holds a teaching position at the University (Musikhochschule) of Münster, Germany. As an editor he has worked on writings and compositions of Carl Reinecke and César Franck, including several first editions of hitherto unknown works. In 2007 Heribert Koch became a member of Presidium of EPTA Germany and was appointed EPTA European President in 2012/13 and 2019/20. Heribert’s dedication to EPTA Germany and most recently to the EPTA executive committee has of course been hugely influential and positive in every way. On the eve of the first ever EPTA International online conference hosted by EPTA Germany, it seemed fitting and appropriate to ask this outstanding musician to kindly share with us reminiscences of his career to date, as well as some of his general thoughts on piano playing, teaching and music. B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 11

Murray McLachlan (MM): Tell us about your earliest Oldemeyer with whom I am still in contact was certainly a very musical experiences. interesting musician. But I felt that socially and musically real life happened somewhere outside. Maybe quite a healthy attitude. So, Heribert Koch (HK): Allegedly I started my performing I kept looking for more outside the University. I particularly career as a triangle virtuoso, although I hardly remember these enjoyed touring internationally as a double bass player in some earliest experiences in domestic music. I grew up in a teacher’s amateur ensembles and as a pianist I attended several family and while none of my parents or other family members was international masterclasses. One of these was with Peter a professional musician, my father played the violin - without any Feuchtwanger and after meeting him it was clear that I wanted to virtuosic skills but as far as I remember with a nice, expressive study with him in London which I did around 1986/87. Although tone. I grew up in a surrounding that was definitely favourable to I later entered the Musikhochschule Karlsruhe in the class of music but unfortunately and strangely, my parents – although Günter Reinhold for a further exam, Peter Feuchtwanger being teachers – didn’t understand the importance of providing remained the teacher with whom I stayed in permanent contact me lessons on a professional level and I received my first lessons and for whom I played regularly even though in later years, these from the local church organist. This meant that in time and from a weren’t lessons any more in the proper sense. very young age I could replace him in the services when he was on holidays. The ability to extemporise the accompaniment of the With Peter Feuchtwanger church songs as well as the preceding little preludes, to improvise MM: Tell us about your teaching career in a nutshell. freely or to spontaneously prolong or shorten an actual HK: I started teaching even shortly before entering University composition according to the unpredictable needs during a service and I have always felt the desire to do it. And it happened to be so was certainly an invaluable training. Sometimes today when I ask successful right from the beginning on a freelance basis that for a a very professional student to extemporise a harmonic extract of a long time it looked like this was going to go on for the rest of my piece that he plays I am surprised how difficult that is for people professional life. The more so as I was never lacking some real who didn’t have the practical training in harmony that I had talents among my students, whether from Germany or from through my early experience as a church organist. abroad. Just with the slightly annoying restriction that some of the best had to remain “secret students” as they were officially MM: Tell us about your first major teachers enrolled at a University. This was among other reasons a HK: When I was 15 or so I finally got a “real” piano teacher. motivation to seize the opportunity to start teaching at Münster Gertrud Meuthen had among others been a student of the University a number of years ago. I am happy to be there, legendary Bruno Seidlhofer and of Ludwig Hoffmann and she had surrounded by nice colleagues who value each other’s work and in a rather unusual career. Playing at a very high level at a young age a piano department at a very high level. she was then forced into a non-musical profession and only at 27, after a divorce, she took up the piano again and entered the Teaching at Münster University Academy. Then she had a few years of performing with some renowned orchestras until teaching totally absorbed her. Maybe it was her own experience with a rather uneven path that made her believe that there were no limits for what I could achieve. She gave me the confidence that I still could reach the highest professional level, despite my advanced age and even though she made me restart like a total beginner. Being asked about musical achievements before the age of 18 I think that, given this background, my first full-length solo recital after a bit more than two years of working with her was quite something. MM: Tell us about your experience at tertiary level education and what the environment was like for you as a student. HK: After finishing school, I entered the Musikhochschule Köln, which is one of the most internationally renowned Universities close by my hometown. My piano professor Klaus The ability ... to improvise freely or to spontaneously prolong or shorten an actual composition according to the unpredictable needs during a service was certainly an invaluable training 12

One of the absolute highlights of our University is the I have of course a strong amazing collection of 15 historic pianos from 1785 to 1871. The inner plan and an idea most amazing fact about this collection is that it is far from the of what I believe is character of a museum with the notorious “do not touch” plates. important to learn and All instruments are in perfect performing condition and all to teach students are allowed to get access, to use them and to perform on them. I never heard of any other University hosting such a show” that one can sometimes observe, when the “master” acts treasure. Amazingly they are being offered for our use by a private like being on stage. I will as often as possible get all participants collector who is a musician himself and a senior professor in involved in the process, letting them try also what we just Münster, Ulrich Beetz. Surprisingly, he is not a pianist but for discussed with the one student who played his piece, sometimes several decades he was the violinist of Germany’s most successful letting them teach each other which can be a revealing piano trio. experience. I even like to involve the audience. As the young artists will have to communicate with the audience while MM: What do you love most about teaching? performing, it can be extremely interesting to integrate the HK: Everything in music making is about exploring and listener’s feedback in our work. For many amateur listeners it is expressing feelings and about communicating them. As a also a surprising and fascinating experience when they are being performer, I communicate both with the composer through his asked whether a passage was more convincing in one way or score and with the audience through my performance and the another. Their enthusiasm about this unexpected experience does feedback that it receives. Teaching is a further form of then again inspire the pianists. communication through music and about music and it is totally indispensable for my life as a musician. It is among the most MM: Do you have a method for teaching? fulfilling and musically-exciting experiences to see a young HK: The idea of a method in terms of a pre-built curriculum musician find his role in communicating with the composer and for teaching is totally foreign to me. I have often observed that with the audience. The fulfilment that I experience while efforts to design a consistent method can lead to problematic teaching is not only about the fact of maybe being able to help a results: it then seems like the need for systematically fitting every musician on his path, which alone would already be worthwhile. aspect of teaching into a curriculum produces narrow-minded Furthermore, the permanent observation of young people teaching which doesn’t correspond with the open-minded nature exploring music does keep myself in a permanent state of of our art. discovery. I almost feel like Schoenberg may have felt when he Nevertheless, I have of course a strong inner plan and an idea wrote about his Theory of Harmony: “Dieses Buch habe ich von of what I believe is important to learn and to teach. The method meinen Schülern gelernt” (“I learnt this book from my students”). how I transmit this may vary individually. This idea of mutual learning is by the MM: Tell us about your broad feelings of being on the jury way an extremely important element of international competitions. in my masterclasses. I totally enjoy HK: I think it is not necessary to refer to Bartók’s famous the possibilities that the statement about competitions being for horses rather than for teaching situation of a public artists to point out the fundamentally problematic nature of masterclass offers. I never do music competitions. It is of course true that the whole life of a them in the style of just a performing artist is a permanent competition. Therefore, the idea private lesson where of music competitions does not seem to be wrong as such. The listeners are allowed (who problem is that many aspects that are decisive for the performer will most of the time not being able to capture his audience in a solo recital are difficult to even understand what is measure in the framework of a typical competition. In a real being said between the recital, the music-loving listener will ideally not compare details teacher and the student). of the performance with the same details as they had been played Even worse is the by others before, but he will value the concert experience. Being kind of “teaching forced to compare in order to make a ranking of the candidates means a great pressure for jury members. As a result, they may unwillingly be in danger to mainly focus on those aspects which can be easily compared. B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 13

I try to encourage Giving a lecture-recital in Paris students to find their for the fundamentally musical aspects in these seemingly very own profile, their meaningless patterns. These exercises do of course lack any personal challenge which individual expression, but it is fundamentally wrong to forget distinguishes them from about basic musical phenomena when working on them. I find it others always surprising when a musician doesn’t understand that the fact alone of using the very precise notes of a diatonic major scale Also does the ranking in the end help only those few lucky for these repetitive patterns is already a musical statement: using ones who were awarded some prize. All others tend just to be this material implies that the fundamental elements of our tonal frustrated about their lower ranking without getting the chance to music, the hierarchy between the different harmonic functions, understand why and to learn something. As a pedagogue whose the importance of the different intervals and the basic phenomenon intention is permanently to help young pianists, I am therefore of tension and release are in use. Therefore, the desirable very much in favour of competitions in which jury members offer “equalness” of touch that is supposed to be trained in these masterclasses after the ranking has been done. It can also be seen exercises must be an equalness in tonal quality but never a “robotic” as a very healthy challenge for the jury members to stand for their equalness in which every note has the same length and intensity. judgement. So, in the end those who did not win a prize win at least a valuable experience that may bring them forward. MM: How do you develop a pupil’s artistic horizons? HK: It is common sense that every musician – like every artist MM: How do you encourage the development of technical – should have a broad horizon, going far beyond his own art. It is work? also common sense that every teacher should therefore contribute to the development of a student’s horizon. I do strongly believe HK: I myself never liked the idea of “technical work” isolated that the success in doing this will not so much depend on how from what I actually want to do: from playing music. Therefore, I much additional information beyond the music itself a piano would feel unable to force my students to work on whatever kind teacher can provide. Probably it will depend more on how much of exercise that would be isolated from a musical experience. the teacher embodies himself the enthusiasm about exploring Nevertheless, it is clear that the task of developing the skills of a everything around the actual topic that he is teaching. This is one young musician must include the constant observation of his / of the main aspects in which a teacher should clearly see his her playing from what might be defined as a “technical” point of responsibility as a role model – maybe even more than in his view. In my teaching I do very often refer to the piano exercises actual piano playing which might unwantedly be copied. that I learnt from my legendary London teacher Peter Feuchtwanger. They are – at least in the way I use them – clearly related to a Masterclass teaching particular aesthetic idea of piano playing and they also have to be seen in the context with some rather unconventional principles of fingering. These are not merely meant to “solve technical problems” but they have a direct impact on the artistic result and therefore it is fulfilling for me as a musician to work on them. Of course, it often happens that I meet students who have been trained differently. In those cases, I discuss the point of view from which such students should approach their exercises. When they bring me Hanon exercises for example (which are still in use despite all negative comments), I try to awaken their awareness 14

I would never encourage anybody who doesn’t have a very strong will to face all the problems that a musician will meet in his life Lecturing about Peter Feuchtwangerʼs piano exercises at the EPTA Portugal conference his life, and who doesn’t have the equally strong feeling that only as a professional pianist can he have a satisfying life. But I will do MM: Are there any works that young pianists should everything to help those who fulfil these conditions and who simply go nowhere near? Is there an age below which have chosen this path. In this context it is very important to students cannot learn late Beethoven, late Brahms, extended rethink how we should define what is a “solo career”. The idea of Schumann? hoping for a career for the sake of having a career is anyway contrary to what it means to be a devoted musician. The idea of HK: I recently read that András Schiff said there should be a having a career in terms of having just enough success for being “youth ban” for Bach’s Goldberg Variations. With all due respect for allowed to dedicate one’s life solely to performing is already more his achievement as one of the most renowned Bach players, such reasonable. But we all know that the percentage of those kind of attitude is contrary to my approach as a teacher. Of course musicians who reach this level is extremely low. But it is very it may well be that as a listener, I will rather enjoy e.g. the Arietta important to point out that those other 99% will not necessarily from Beethoven’s op. 111 played by an old pianist who no longer suffer from a lifelong frustration. I have met a great number of needs to prove anything, rather than by a young competitor who wonderful colleagues who managed to have a successful life as a might be too much focused on presenting his skills detail by musician far from the glitter of the great festivals, earning most of detail. But as a teacher I will not stop a student who feels the their living from teaching or even from other activities but still strong wish to study one of those works: pieces which seem to remaining performers. Such musicians do not only contribute require some particular kind of experience or even wisdom that is enormously to the musical life of their area but they can enjoy a usually not reachable before a certain age. One thing should life-long fulfilment from what some may not regard as being a always be considered: even if many older musicians claim that it “solo career” but which may have the same value for the took them decades to come to some degree of understanding of performer himself. Because actually, while performing it doesn’t one of these works, most of these musicians will admit that they feel much different if you play for 1000 listeners in some famous already learnt these pieces when they were very young. hall or for a number of enthusiasts in a smaller venue who enjoy the exciting feeling of witnessing a live performance of great MM: Is it wrong for students to specialise before they are music. 22? Should young pianists try a little of everything or be restrictive? With Daniel Roth, rehearsing his work for piano, organ and orchestra B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 15 HK: In fact, taking the decision to become a pianist means already an incredibly high degree of specialisation, even years before the age of entering a university. Nevertheless, any further specialisation within this chosen field has of course to be considered carefully in order not to neglect the building of a broad fundament. But when I observe young pianists around the mentioned age, I rarely find any who specialise too much. I rather see the problem that too many are just adding piece by piece to their repertoire, without any clear direction, any plan or “vision”, simply based on the standard rules of typical competitions or exams: yet another prelude and fugue, yet another classical sonata, yet another virtuosic etude, yet another concerto. I try to encourage students to find their very own profile, their personal challenge which distinguishes them from others. MM: Do you worry about the huge number of young pianists who are trying to make solo careers? What advice would you give a young artist who is perhaps not getting past the preliminary round of competitions despite the fact that he/she is practising extremely hard regularly? HK: I would never encourage anybody who doesn’t have a very strong will to face all the problems that a musician will meet in

Covid-19 and the Piano Concerto by Nancy Lee Harper, D. M. A. Fig. 1. Coronavirus (Covid-19) It was a dank day (actually, it was raining “cats and dogs”) Concerto Transcriptions for Solo Piano and I was preparing for an upcoming lecture-recital for J. S. Bach (1685–1750) contributed greatly to the solo concerto the annual EPTA Portugal conference on the solo piano literature when he transcribed approximately twenty works of works of the American composer Beryl Rubinstein (1898– other composers for solo harpsichord. These works, because of 1952). As I was practising, I simultaneously entertained the their rich textures, adapt beautifully to the modern piano. Most of thought, “I wish that I had the opportunity to play a concerto these transcriptions were composed when Bach was court organist with orchestra now. The Saint-Saëns 2nd Piano Concerto would be at Weimar and date from July 1713–1714. wonderful. What a glorious concerto that is!” Transcriptions by Bach Suddenly, a purple ball bounced into the living room with • BWV 592a. Concerto in C Major, after Johann Ernst Prinz Mocha, the family two-year old Rough Collie (the “Lassie” type), von Sachsen-Weimar (1696–1715). The very talented close behind it. She retrieved it and ran out of the room. composer and violinist, by the time of his death at age 18, had composed many instrumental concerti. Bach, who was Then, it happened again. court organist at Weimar, pays tribute to him with this And again. transcription and others. And again. • BWV 909. Concerto and Fugue in C Minor. Andante – Allegro I wondered who was pitching the ball to Mocha. It was eerily – Andante – Allegro – Andante – Adagio – Fugue. Authenticity quiet for a twosome. Mocha had decided that she needn’t wait for uncertain. someone to entertain her. She had found a way to toss the ball, • BWV 972 & BWV 972a (early and later versions). Concerto chase it, and retrieve it all by herself. Smart dog! in D Major after Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto for Five Violins “Ah!” I thought. “Mocha has solved my problem. That’s how I can and Continuo, RV 230 II, BWV 972. I. [without tempo play the Saint-Saëns!” (and no, I don’t mean “Music Minus One”). indication]. II. Larghetto. III. Allegro. • BWV 973. Concerto in G Major after Violin Concerto in G Fig. 2. Mocha, the Rough Collie, and her new ball Major, RV 299, by Antonio Vivaldi (later version published Pianists: if you have no orchestra available now, not to worry. as op. 7, no. 8), BWV 973. I. [without tempo indication]. Keep your concerto chops up to par in spite of the Covid-19 II. Largo. III. Allegro. pandemic restrictions. Play both solo and orchestral parts, but in • BWV 974. Concerto in D Minor after Oboe Concerto in D an intelligent way: play a transcription. You don’t need to make Minor by Alessandro Marcello. I. [without tempo your own, although that could be a rewarding endeavour. indication]. II. Adagio. III. Presto. The art of transcription was an important art in the 19th • BWV 975. Concerto in G Minor. Violin Concerto in G century, enabling the dispersion of a vast amount of repertoire to Minor by Antonio Vivaldi. RV 316 (variant RV 316a, Violin people who otherwise may not have had the possibility to hear it. Concerto in G minor, published as op. 4, no. 6.). I. [without The pianist-teacher-transcriber-raconteur Ralph Berkowitz (1910– tempo indication]. II. Largo. III. Giga – Presto. 2011), who was Gregor Piatigorsky’s (1903–1976) pianist for thirty • BWV 976. Concerto in C Major. Violin Concerto in E Major, years, once expressed to me that he considered the work of a op. 3, no. 12, RV 265 by Antonio Vivaldi. I. [without tempo transcriber to be “useless”. Today, as in the past, its value is indication]. II. Largo. III. Allegro. apparent. • BWV 977. Concerto in C Major. From unidentified work. With the current restrictions, pianists can be grateful for the I. [without tempo indication]. II. Adagio. III. Giga. vast, interesting and challenging transcription repertoire from the • BWV 978. Concerto in F Major. After Vivaldi’s Violin past three hundred years. And some original solo piano concerti Concerto in G Major, op. 3, no. 3. RV 310. I. Allegro. II. Largo. exist too. In this short article, an overview of some options is III. Allegro. presented, with the goal of inspiring you to keep moving forward • BWV 979. Concerto in B Minor. After Vivaldi’s Violin in these thought-provoking times. No time for despair. Concerto in D Minor, RV 813, formerly RV Anh. 10 16 attributed to Torelli. I. [without tempo indication]. II. Allegro. III. Adagio. IV. Allegro. V. (Grave). VI. Andante. VII. Adagio. VII. Allegro. • BWV 980. Concerto in G Major. After Vivaldi’s RV 383: Violin Concerto in Bb major (variant RV 383a published as op. 4, no. 1). I. [without tempo indication]. II. Largo. III. Allegro. • BWV 981. Concerto in C Minor. After Marcello’s Concerto op. 1 no. 2. I. Adagio. II. Vivace. III. [without tempo indication]. IV. Prestissimo.

• BWV 982. Concerto in Bb Major. After Johann Ernst de • BWV 1046. Brandenburg Concerto no. 1 in F Major. Saxe-Weimar Violin Concerto, op. 1, no. 1. I. [without tempo indication]. II. Adagio. III. Allegro. IV. Menuet-Trio I – Menuet-Trio da capo – Polacca – Trio da capo • BWV 983. Concerto in G Minor. From unidentified work. – Trio II – Menuet da capo (transcribed by J. Tülin). I. [without tempo indication]. II. Adagio. III. Allegro. • BWV 1047. Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 in F Major. • BWV 984 (595a). Concerto in C Major. After Johann Ernst I. Allegro. II. Andante. III. Allegro Assai (transcribed by de Saxe-Weimar Violin Concerto, op. 1, no. 4, and possibly Heather Brailsford). BWV 595. I. [without tempo indication]. II. Adagio e affettuoso. III. Allegro assai. • BWV 1048. Brandenburg Concerto no. 3 in G Major. I. [without tempo indication]. II. Adagio. III. Allegro • BWV 985. Concerto in G Minor. After G. P. Telemann (transcribed by August Stradal). Violin Concerto in G Minor, TWV 51: g1. I. [without tempo indication]. II. Adagio. III. Allegro. • BWV 986. Concerto in G Major. From unidentified work. I. [without tempo indication]. II. Adagio. III. Allegro. • BWV 987. Concerto in D Minor. After Johann Ernst de Saxe-Weimar Violin Concerto, op. 1, no. 4, and possibly BWV 595. I. [without tempo indication]. II. Allegro. III. Adagio. IV. Vivace. Fig. 3. Bach-Ernst de Saxe-Weimar, Concerto in D Minor, BWV 987, Fig. 5. Bach-Stradal, Brandenburg Concerto no. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048, opening opening Transcriptions of Bach works by others (selected list) • BWV 1049. Brandenburg Concerto no. 4 in G Major. Many other composers have found Bach harpsichord, organ I. Allegro. II. Andante. III. Presto (transcribed by August Stradal). and orchestral works suitable for the piano. To list a few: • BWV 593. Organ Concerto in A Minor. Editions by Isidore • BWV 1050. Brandenburg Concerto no. 5 in D Major. Philipp (ca. 1900); Samuil Feinberg (1929); Nicholas Locke I. Allegro. II. Affettuoso. III. Allegro (various transcribers: (ca. 1917); August Stradal (1860–1930) Zweites Concert für die Orgel. Kazue R. Isida; Ruoshi Sun; Richard T. Katz). • BWV 1052. Harpsichord Concerto no. 1 in D Minor. I. Allegro. II. Adagio. III. Allegro (transcribed by Adolph Ruthardt (1849–1934), ca. 1885; by K. R. Isida, ca. 2012; R. Sun, 2016–2019). Cadenzas by Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) and Reinecke may also be found. • BWV 1056. Harpsichord Concerto no. 5 in F Minor. I. [without tempo indication]. II. Largo. III. Presto (transcribed in entirety by August Stradal); Largo only: Alfred Cortot (1877–1962) ca. 1953, Pierre Gouin, ca. 2005, and Nels True Daily, ca. 2012. Fig. 4. Bach-Vivaldi-Feinberg, BWV 593, Organ Concerto in A Minor, Fig. 6. Bach-Cortot, Harpsichord Concerto no. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056, opening Largo, opening • BWV 596. Bach/Vivaldi - Organ Concerto in D Minor B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 17 (Maestoso e pesante – Cadenza ad libitum I & II – Maestoso e pesante – Sehr langsam und cantabile – etwas schneller – Fuga; Largo; Finale), arranged by August Stradal in 1920s?; William Murdoch (1888–1942) in 1927; Largo only (n. d.) by Alexsandr Nemerovsky (1859–1915).

With the current • Piano Concerto no. 19 in F Major, K. 459, restrictions, pianists Cadenzas by August Eberhard Müller (1767–1817). can be grateful for the vast, interesting and • Piano Concerto no. 20 in D Minor, K. 466 (Alkan; challenging transcription Hummel); Romanze transcribed by Moritz Moskowski repertoire from the past (1854–1925); Cadenzas by Beethoven, Brahms, Busoni, others. three hundred years • Piano Concerto no. 21 in C Major, K. 467 (David Benjamin, Other Bach concerti may be found in arrangements and b. 1976); Cadenzas by Feinberg, Reinecke, others. transcriptions. Just a cursory glance at the offerings of the Sibley Library (www.imslp.org) will reveal those possibilities. The above • Piano Concerto no. 22 in Eb Major, K. 482 (Hummel; list is only intended as a sampling to whet the pianistic appetite. Reinecke); Cadenzas by Saint-Saëns, Müller, others. Beyond Baroque • Piano Concerto no. 23 in A Major, K. 488 (Reinecke); If the Baroque era is not your “cup of tea” and you want to play Adagio transcribed by Osamu Sasaki (b. 1955); something “meatier” (but don’t underestimate Bach–Stradal!), Cadenzas by Busoni, Rafael Joseffy (1852–1915), others. there are too many piano concerti transcribed for solo piano to list here. To tantalise, here are a few, either complete or in part. • Piano Concerto no. 24 in C Minor, K. 491 (Hummel; Reinecke); Cadenzas by Brahms, Busoni, Fauré, others. Mozart, W. A. (1756-1791) • Piano Concerto no. 1 in F Major, K. 37, transcribed by • Piano Concerto no. 25 in C Major, K. 503 (Hummel; German composer, Carl Reinecke (1842–1910). Friedrich Wilhelm Kalkbrenner, 1785–1849); Cadenzas by • Piano Concerto no. 2 in Bb Major, K. 39 (Reinecke). Reinecke, others. • Piano Concerto no. 3 in D Major, K. 40, Cadenza by Reinecke. • Piano Concerto no. 26 in D Major, K. 537 (Hummel; 1st & • Piano Concerto no. 4 in G Major, K. 41, 2nd movements by Reinecke); Cadenzas by Reinecke, others. Cadenzas by Reinecke. • Piano Concerto no. 5 in D Major, K. 175 (Boyer), • Piano Concerto no. 27 in Bb Major, K. 595 (Reinecke); Cadenzas by Reinecke. Cadenzas by Hummel, Reinecke. • Piano Concerto no. 6 in Bb Major, K. 238, Cadenzas by Reinecke. Beethoven, L. v. (1770–1827) • Piano Concerto no. 8 in C Major, K. 246 (Reinecke). • Piano Concerto no. 1 in C Major, op. 15 (Reinecke); • Piano Concerto no. 9 in Eb Major “Jeunehomme”, K. 271, Cadenzas by composer; Ferrucio Busoni (1866–1924); Ignaz transcribed by Adolf Ruthardt (1849–1934); Andantino, Moscheles (1794–1870); Anton Rubinstein (1829–1894); others. Ferruccio Busoni; Cadenzas to I. and II (Reinecke). • Piano Concerto no. 2 in Bb Major, op. 19 (Reinecke); Cadenzas by composer; Anton Rubinstein; Bernhard Stavenhagen (1862–1914); others. • Piano Concerto no. 3 in C Minor, op. 37 (Reinecke); First movement by Alkan; Cadenzas by Harold Bauer (1873–1951); Amy Marcy Beach (1867–1944); Ferruccio Busoni; Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924); Adolph von Henselt (1814–1889); Mischa Levitzki (1898–1941); Franz Liszt (1811–1886); Ignaz Moscheles. Fig. 7. Mozart-Ruthardt, Piano Concerto in Eb Major, K. 271, opening Fig. 8. Beethoven-Beach, Piano Concerto in C Minor, no. 3, op. 37, Cadenza, 1st movement • Piano Concerto no. 10 in Eb Major, K. 365/316a (Hummel) Cadenzas by Reinecke; Josef Gabriel Rhineberger, • Piano Concerto no. 4 in G Major, op. 58 (Reinecke); 1839–1901. Leopold Godowsky, 1870–1938). Cadenzas by composer; Eugen d’Albert (1864–1932); Brahms; Hans von Bülow (1830–1894); others; Cadenza for • Piano Concerto no. 11 in F Major, K. 413/387a, Rondo: Theodore Kullak (1818–1882). Cadenzas by Reinecke. • Piano Concerto no. 5 in Eb Major, op. 73: Adagio un poco • Piano Concerto no. 13 in C Major, K. 415/387b, moto: Moritz Moskowski (1854–1925); Theodore Pfeiffer Cadenzas by Reinecke; Jeff Manookian (2012). (1853–1929). • Piano Concerto no. 15 in Bb Major, K. 450, • “Triple” Concerto, op. 56. I. Allegro. II. Largo. III. Rondo alla Cadenzas by Reinecke. Polacca. Transcribed by Louis Winkler (1820–1886). 18

Hummel, J. N. (1778–1837) Gershwin, George (1898–1937) • Piano Concerto no. 5 in C Major, op. 113 (Reinecke). • Rhapsody in Blue (1924), solo version by the composer; Chopin, F. (1810–1849) Herman Wasserman (1896–1957). • Piano Concerto no. 1 in E Minor, op. 11 – entire concerto: (Reinecke) (Carl Tausig, 1841–1871) (Lothar Windsperger, Concerto Transcriptions for Piano Duo or Piano Duet 1885–1935); Larghetto only: Mily Balakirev (1837–1910); In this section, I have not listed the usual two-piano versions Wilhelm Backhaus (1884–1969). for the standard piano concerto. In other words, if the original concerto was for the piano, there is no listed two-piano version Fig. 9. Chopin-Bachkaus, Concerto in E Minor, op. 11, Romanze, opening given here since there are usually multiple editions available. • Piano Concerto no. 2 in F Minor, op. 21 – entire concerto J. S. Bach by the composer; by Carl Mikuli (1819–1897); Larghetto only • BWV 1061a (transcription of his own Concerto for Two by Hermann Scholz (1845–1918). Harpsichords) can be for two keyboards, such as harpsichord and organ; two pianos; other. Weber, C. M. Von (1786–1826) • BWV 593, Bach’s Organ Concerto in A Minor has been • Piano Concerto no. 2 in Eb Major, op. 32 (Reinecke). transcribed for two pianos by Isidore Philipp (ca. 1900). Saint-Saëns, Camille (1835–1921) • BWV 596, Organ Concerto in D Minor, transcribed for two • Piano Concerto no. 2, op. 22 transcribed by Georges Bizet pianos by Carl Plato (fl. 1858–1884). (1838–1875). The electrifying 1987 live performance by • BWV 1061. Bach – Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C Nikolai Petrov (1943–2011) of this transcription may be Major (for two pianos by Anton Krause, 1834–1907; and F. heard at https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/ C. Gripenkerl, 1782–1849, ca. 1846). video?fr=mcafee&p=youtube+saint-saens-bizet#id=1&vid=8 • BWV 1047. Brandenburg no. 2 in F Major; Andante: 0ab0666a6f915c81cc21c46e13cc2a8&action=click. Alexander Siloti (1863–1945) for piano, four hands. • BWV 1048. Brandenburg no. 3 in G Major, transcribed for Fig. 10. Saint-Saëns-Bizet, Piano Concerto in G Minor, no. 2, op. 22, III, two pianos, eight hands by Paul Waldersee (1831–1906), opening ca. 1880; for two pianos, transcribed by Thomas Milligan (b. 1947), and Herbert Schulze, ca. 1910; III. Allegro, for • Le carnaval des animaux, transcribed by Lucien Garban piano, four hands, transcribed by Robert Lavigne, and (1877–1959). Mauricio Machalla. • BWV 1049. Brandenburg no. 4 in G Major, for two pianos, Rachmaninoff, Sergei (1873–1943) transcribed by Gustav Clemens Felix Krug (1844–1902). • Concerto in D Minor, op. 30, Allegro ma non tanto • Bach’s Brandenburg concerti lend themselves well to being Transcription by Peng-Peng Gong (Lauren Keiser Music) performed on piano, four hands. Max Reger’s (1873–1916) Transcription by Milton Wong (b. 1966) arrangement of the complete collection may be tempting. Mozart • Piano Concerto no. 10 in Eb Major, K. 365/316a Cadenzas for two pianos by Leopold Godowsky (1870–1938). • Piano Concerto no. 21 in C Major, K. 467, transcribed for piano, four hands by Teo Leonev. Beethoven • “Triple” Concerto, op. 56. I. Allegro. II. Largo. III. Rondo alla Polacca. Transcribed for two pianos, eight hands by Carl Burchard (1818–1896); Transcribed for piano, four hands by Hugo Ulrich (1827–1872) and Robert Wittman (1804–18?). • Piano Concerto no. 1 in C Major, op. 15, for piano, four hands by Friedrich Brissler (1818–1893); Hugo Ulrich (1827–1872). • Piano Concerto no. 1 in Bb Major, op. 19, for piano, four hands by August Gottfried Ritter (1811–1885); Hugo Ulrich (1827–1872). • Piano Concerto no. 3 in C Minor, op. 37, for piano, four hands by Johann Philipp Samuel Schmidt (1779–1853); August Gottfried Ritter; Hugo Ulrich. • Piano Concerto no. 4 in G Major, op. 58, for piano, four hands; A. G. Ritter; H. Ulrich. • Piano Concerto no. 5 in Eb Major, op. 73, for four hands: Brissler; Ulrich. Chopin 19 • Allegro de concert, op. 46 (1841). One of Chopin’s pupils, Carl Mikuli (1819–1897) made a version for two pianos (ca. 1880). • Piano Concerto no. 2 in F Minor, op. 21, for piano, four hands, simultaneously published by Breitkopf und Härtel, Schlesinger, and Wessel. BACK TO CONTENTS

Saint-Saëns Shortly on the heels of Schumann’s “Concerto”, Franz Liszt • Piano Concerto no. 2, op. 22, Pianoforte Doppio Borgato ( (1811–1886) began composing his Concerto sans Orchestra, S.524a, an invention of double grand pianos functioning together; over a period of eighteen years (1839–1857). It is an early draft for see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppio_Borgato): Andante his second piano concerto, Concerto in A Major. The 1839 sostenuto transcribed by Jacob Logan Downer. manuscript for pianoforte solo, like the later draft of 1849, has • Le carnaval des animaux, for piano duet, transcribed by Lucien never been published. “Both scores were rewritten many times Garban (1877–1959). before the first public performance, that Liszt directed in 1857 Brahms from the podium of the Weimar Theatre, with the solo part taken • Piano Concerto no. 1 in D Minor, op. 15, complete concerto by Hans von Bronsart.”2 The manuscript is found in the Goethe- for piano duo, by the composer. und Schiller-Archiv in Weimar, where the Australian–British • Piano Concerto no. 2 in Bb Major, op. 83, complete pianist Leslie Howard (b. 1948) identified it, prepared its concerto for piano duo, by Robert Keller (1828–1891). transcription, and recorded it (Hyperion Records). Liszt Gershwin completed a score for piano solo and a full orchestral score, but • Rhapsody in Blue, versions for piano, four hands and for two placed no title upon either manuscript. pianos, four hands by the composer. Frédéric Chopin’s Allegro de Concert, op. 46 (1841) is a single- Fig. 11. Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue, for two pianos, arranged by the movement piece, which was intended to form part of what would composer, rehearsal no. 12 have become Chopin’s third concerto for piano and orchestra. Jean Louis Nicodé (1853–1919), the Prussian pianist, composer and Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) conductor, created a version with orchestra using some of his own • Concerto per due pianoforti soli (1935). material (ca. 1880). This version followed his two-piano version. Vincent Persichetti (1915–1987) Both are available at https://imslp.org. The solo version is • Concerto for Piano (four hands) Op. 56 (1952). beautifully interpreted by Polish pianist, Adam Wodnicki, at Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVqf1_gduYI. Other orchestral • Concertino for two pianos (1953). versions have been made by Kazimierz Wiłkomirski, Alan Original Concerto for Solo Keyboard (non-transcription) Kogosowski and Ingolf Wunder. Father Bach also composed one of the most frequently played original solo concerti on the piano: Concerto nach Italienischen Gusto, Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813–1888), French composer and BWV 971, I. [without tempo indication]. II. Andante III. Presto. colleague of Chopin, Liszt and others, published his set of 12 The Italian Concerto may be considered to be the first concerto Études in all the minor keys, Op. 39 (Paris, Simon Richault, 1857), for solo keyboard. of which nos. 8–10 are labelled as a concerto for solo piano. Nos. Bach’s son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710–1784), composed 4–7 are titled similarly as “Symphonie pour piano seul. Alkan’s his Concerto for Harpsichord Solo, in G Major, F. 40, perhaps inspired “Concerto pour piano seul” consists of no. 8, Allegro assai (G# by his father’s Italian Concerto. The three movements are: Allegro minor); no. 9, Adagio (C# minor); no. 10 Allegretto alla barbaresca non troppo; Andante; Vivace. A fine improviser, Friedemann made two (F# minor). Indications such as “Tutti”, “Solo” and “Piano” appear, versions of the concerto.1 as well as instructions to imitate various instruments, such as Although technically not a solo concerto, Robert Schumann’s “quasi-trombe” and “quasi-celli”. The noted Canadian pianist (1810–1856) Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor (1835), op. 14, which is Marc-André Hamelin (b. 1961) has edited these studies in a Dover dedicated to Ignaz Moscheles (1794–1870), was branded by Tobias reprint (1995). He can be heard performing no. 10 (https://www. Haslinger as a “Concerto without orchestra”. It was published as youtube.com/watch?v=VIEhFsi6hF8&list=RDVIEhFsi6hF8&start_ Concert ohne Orchester, Dritte grosse Sonate für das Pianoforte. While this radio=1&t=36). literary designation provides some interpretative insight, pianists may want to add this work to their repertoire during the pandemic. Fig. 12. Alkan, Concerto pour piano seul, op. 39, no. 10. 20 The Spanish composer Joaquín Turina (1882–1949) wrote his Concierto sin orquesta, op. 88, in 1935. Dedicated to fellow Spanish pianist-composer, Joaquín Larregla (1865–1945), the attractive 13-minute sectional work is in two movements and deserves to be heard more frequently.

Fig. 13. Turina, Concierto sin orquesta, op. 88, I, opening there has been a “silver The Russian composer and violinist Joseph Achron (1886– lining” of sorts for performers during the 1943), who emigrated to the United States, was described by pandemic Arnold Schoenberg as “one of the most underrated modern composers”.3 Achron studied violin under Leopold Auer and interested will continue to research the topic for their own composition under Anatoly Ljadov in St. Petersburg. He benefit. This article is intended to be an introduction to the performed his first Violin Concerto with the Boston Symphony in subject, a kind of “jumping-off” place to dive into the treasures of 1927; his second Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles the solo piano concerto. Philharmonic Orchestra in 1936, and his third Violin concerto (commissioned by Jascha Heifetz) with the same orchestra in In closing, I wish to share a recent event in our city in order to 1939. Achron’s preoccupation with preserving Jewish heritage encourage those pianists who may have the possibility to perform through his compositions, sometimes uses polytonality and a piano concerto with a live orchestra during the pandemic. The atonality. He composed his final work Concerto for solo piano, op. 74, Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt (b. 1958) was hired to perform in 1941. The society that bears his name is publishing his works: and conduct the Bach Concerto no. 1 in D Minor on the piano. http://www.josephachron.org/. While a chamber orchestra may not pose the same challenge as a full orchestra, “social distancing” precautions still had to be taken. Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji’s Concerto da suonare da me solo e senza For the rehearsal, all wore masks and sat the requisite 2 metres orchestra, per divertirmi KSS69 (1946; 70 pp) I. Incomincia l’orchestra apart. For the performance, the masks came off, although the arrogante e pomposa; II.untitled; III. Scherzo diabolico (a 2-metre distance was maintained for onstage seating. For an reference to Alkan’s Étude op. 39, no. 3). The first movement reflects encore, Hewitt, a Fazioli artist, played her own transcription of programmatic indications to an “imaginary orchestra”, which may Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”. The entire programme, which be represented by the bitonal relationships inherent in the also included a Vivaldi work, was recorded for a future streamed movement. [1] transmission to a paying online audience. Realistically, the audience size has the potential to be much larger than under The Slovak pianist-composer Ján Zimmer (1926–1993) was very normal circumstances. So, there has been a “silver lining” of sorts prolific, writing seven concertos for piano and orchestra. His for performers during the pandemic. And I have Mocha, the Concerto for Piano without orchestra, op. 23 (1955/1956) is 25 minutes collie, to thank for inspiring me to learn more about this in length. See Music Centre Slovakia for his music. important subject of the solo piano concerto. Another prolific composer, Michael Finnissy (b. 1946), is Figure 14. Angela Hewitt conducting from the piano British composer in residence at St. John’s College, Cambridge. (http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5654/208/1600/hewittdance.jpg) His piano concertos nos. 4 and 6 are pieces for solo piano. Piano Concerto No. 4 (1978/96) [20›]; Piano Concerto No. 6 (1980–81) [12›] References See http://www.michaelfinnissy.info/ for information on obtaining scores. 1. The basis for this article is found in “Concerto for solo British composer and Head of Music at Drama Centre London, piano” “https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto_for_solo_ John White (b. 1936, Berlin), has described his unpublished Piano piano#:~:text=%20Similar%20works%20%201%20Various%20 Sonata No. 152 as a concerto for solo piano.[2] White is credited arrangements%20%28by,%E2%80%93%20Concerto%20sans%20 with having invented an early British form of minimalism (called Orchestra%20S.524a%20%281839-1857%29%20More, accessed 28 systems music), with his early Machines.For information about October 2020. his style, see “The Piano Sonatas of John White” by Dave Smith in Jems: Journal of Experimental Music Studies – Reprint Series (11 June 2011) 2. Abrahams, Simon John, Ph.D., Le mauvais jardinier: A http://www.experimentalmusic.co.uk/Experimental_Music_ Catalogue/Jems_files/Smithwhite.pdf. Some of his music may be Reassessment of the Myths and Music of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, King’s heard on YouTube performed by Jonathan Powell and other pianists. College London, 2002, pp. 209–210. Final thoughts 3. Jonathan Powell, liner notes for Kaikhosru Shapurji In this brief overview of the piano concerto without orchestra, several options have been presented. It is hoped that those Sorabji, Concerto per suonare da me solo, Jonathan Powell, (Altarus Records, AIR-CD-9081, 2006), p. 8. 1 https://www.bach-digital.de/receive/BachDigitalWork_work_00009381?lang=en, 30 October 2020. 2 Mariateresa Storino (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9COJiqXG1lY, 31 October 2020). 3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Achron, 31 October 2020. BACK TO CONTENTS 21

Chopinʼs Prelude iitns Esumbtlienionrfl:uence by Raymond Head The opening bars created, for me, a timeless atmosphere of infinite Ihave been attracted by this deeply tranquillity which was only later mysterious piece for a long time. I superseded by something darker. think I first knew about it, like so many people, as a young pianist was George Sand) had lived, I came across preludes were composed in a dilapidated in my early teens because it appeared in a translated copy of George Sand’s (1842) monastery in the mountains. one of my music books. To have a piece A Winter in Mallorca which I avidly read. by Chopin was really satisfying. It meant The incident happened long before This helps to explain what I feel about we had achieved something, a certain Mallorca became a favoured destination the Prelude. The laconic opening (“like the standard I suppose but I knew it was for tourists. The book was fascinating smoke from the funnel”) leads to an proper music, the real deal not some because it revealed the mood the lovers ending of sombre resolve. One cannot boring piece of 19th-century educational George and Fryderyk were in, and a hint live in a dream world forever. music. This prelude is sometimes used to of what atmosphere might have been illustrate the power of Chopin’s intense behind the influence on the writing of As a composer I wanted to create thought. It obviously meant a lot to the E minor Prelude as they sailed from something of my own, something which Chopin because he chose it to be played Barcelona to Palma, Mallorca. In this would honour the Chopin and would be at his funeral. In Late Romantic grandeur instant on deck with a cargo of pigs one short yet have a strong atmosphere, while Chopin’s brevity is often confused with balmy, phosphorescent night in the not sounding at all Chopinesque. At this the inconsequential, or worse merely autumn of 1838. George Sand described time I came across a poem God’s Grandeur children’s pieces as one teacher told me. the magical effect the helmsman had by the 19th-century poet Gerald Manley created in some detail: Hopkins which gave me a sense of The opening bars created, for me, a ecological hope about the future I desired. timeless atmosphere of infinite “The helmsman, in order not to fall The line that attracted me reads, in full, tranquillity which was only later asleep, sang all night long, but in such “...and for all this, nature is never spent”. These superseded by something darker. a strange voice.... that we never tired of lines really appealed to me. The music, Although a short piece the Prelude listening to him. He followed a rhythm brief though it is, gradually emerged from nevertheless carried a strong feeling of and modulation that was beyond all me. Remember I wanted to write a short mystery and timelessness that really held our experience and seemed to let his piece which had a strong, lasting me and still does. It created a feeling of voice wander at random like the smoke atmosphere. Then, I had a large living out of time in the sense that once from the funnel. It was more like a commission (The Fires of Prometheus) for one had entered the spirit of the piece dream than a song, but which followed the pianist Yoshiko Endo and so I slipped one could not tell how long the the rolling of the ship.... and resembled my little piece into the programme as experience had lasted. This was the a vague improvisation.” well. I happily dedicated it to my good, beginning of my involvement with one of [A Winter in Mallorca p.191] supportive friends Jane and Guy the greatest pieces of piano literature The Woolfenden. The piece was greatly Preludes written in 1838–39. Such an idyllic beginning was not to appreciated, attentively received, enjoyed, last: Chopin was often ill, leading to and sensitively played by Yoshiko Endo. Then on a visit to the monastery at George doing all the nursing; the roads All of this happened some years ago and Valldemossa, Mallorca, where Chopin and were impassable; and they had many it remains my only piece in this style. his mistress (the writer whose pen-name problems with the local people - but they 22 did have a distant view of Palma. It was at Few people would have realised that this difficult time that many of the my piece was an experiment in creating a timeless atmosphere - the result of Chopin’s deep influence on me.

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The “Norma” Fantasies of Thalberg and Liszt: A Comparison Part One by Lisa Yui I II Introduction Bellini’s Norma In his memoir, the Austrian pianist August Gollerich described Norma, an opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini, is a the following exchange between Franz Liszt and his pianistic rival, quintessential oeuvre of the bel canto tradition. Set in ancient Sigismond Thalberg: Gaul under Roman occupation, it tells the story of Norma, the Druid priestess and daughter of the high priest, Oroveso. She “At the time [Liszt said], Mme. [Marie] Pleyel wanted me has fallen in love with Pollione, a Roman official and political to compose a piece with Thalbergian brilliance. I therefore enemy, with whom she has secretly borne two children. The role dedicated to her the “Norma” fantasy. . . . When I met of Norma is notorious for being one of the most difficult roles for Thalberg, I said to him: ‘Here, I have cribbed everything soprano. It requires deft coloratura technique, bel canto lyricism from you.’ ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘there are Thalberg-like passages and great stamina. To portray this multifaceted character – at included which are indeed indecent.’”1 once tender, passionate, maternal, terrifying, vengeful and defiant – is a great challenge for any soprano. Despite its initially chilly Liszt was referring to his operatic fantasy from 1841, reception at La Scala in Milan on 26 December 1831, Norma quickly Réminiscences de “Norma”, based on Vincenzo Bellini’s bel canto became one of Bellini’s most popular works. masterpiece. Seven years earlier, Thalberg had published his own III transcription of the same opera, Grande fantaisie et variations sur des Transcriptions on Norma motifs de l’opéra “Norma” de Bellini, Op. 12. Historians frequently refer to this exchange as an amusing example of the rivalry that existed Sigismond Thalberg, one of the most distinguished virtuoso between the superstars of the piano. But a study of the two works pianists in Europe of his time and the composer of numerous reveal that there is more to Liszt’s provocation and Thalberg’s virtuosic fantasies on operatic melodies, completed several indignation than playful jabbing: Liszt had carefully chosen the transcriptions after Norma. In 1834, Thalberg’s Grande fantaisie structure, material and textures used by Thalberg, even improving et variations sur des motifs de l’opéra “Norma” de Bellini, Op. 12, was them considerably. published. Schumann gave it high praise in a review in Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik: “[Thalberg] speaks more ingeniously than is 24 permitted in higher circles.”2

In 1842, Grand duo pour deux pianos sur des motifs de “Norma” de Bellini was published. In 1846, Fantaisie sur l’opéra “Norma” de Bellini was published as part of his Decameron, Op. 57, a collection of ten transcriptions based on popular melodies and operas. Finally, L’Art du chant appliqué au piano Op. 70, a collection of 24 arrangements of vocal music for the piano published between 1853 and 1863, included a straightforward transcription of “Casta diva” the most famous aria in Norma. Thus, over many years, the magnificent melodies of Bellini’s work inspired this pianist, once described by James Huneker as “the greatest singer on the keyboard”.3 Thalberg was known for his singing touch, as well as for popularising the “three-hand technique”, in which the melody is played by the fingers of alternating hands, while the non-melodic fingers execute the accompaniment above and below the melody, filling the entire range of the keyboard. The following example from his fantasy on Rossini’s Moses provides a clear example: (Thalberg, Fantasia on Rossini’s “Moses,” Op. 33) Liszt “Réminiscenses de Norma” dedication The two melodies that are used prominently in both works People in the audience rose to their feet during concerts, are taken from the extreme sections framing the opera. The first, craning their necks to try to see how he produced this effect. But “Dell’aura tua profetica” from Act I, presents the Gauls’ prayer when François-Joseph Fétis, a leading music critic of his time, to inspire Norma with the gift of prophecy to realise their hope praised Thalberg for creating a new style of piano playing4, Liszt to successfully revolt against their oppressors, the Romans. The wrote in sarcastic reply: “Posing M. Thalberg as representative second, “Padre, tu piangi?” from the final act, depicts a poignant of a new school! Apparently the school of arpeggios and thumb- moment when Oroveso weepingly agrees to spare Norma’s melodies? Who would admit that this was a school, and even a new children from the punishment of death after hearing her pleas. school? Arpeggios and thumb-melodies have been played before In the introductions to their fantasies, Thalberg and Liszt both M. Thalberg, and they will be played after M. Thalberg again.”5 include themes from “Ite sul colle,” the solemn orchestral opening to Act I. Liszt was not the only musician to mock Thalberg. Others, including Chopin, ridiculed the banal clichés of Thalberg’s (“Dell’aura tua profetica,” I, i) compositions. By the late 19th century, Thalberg was nicknamed “Old Arpeggio”. But by then he was mostly retired, settled in (“Padre, tu piangi?,” II, iii) Naples, and comfortably, blithely, wealthy. In 1841, ten years after the premiere of Bellini’s Norma and seven years after the publication of Thalberg’s Grande fantaisie, Liszt composed his own transcription on Norma, Réminiscences de “Norma”. He had been asked by his colleague and former lover, Marie Pleyel, to create “a piece with Thalbergian brilliance”. We can surmise that in composing this work, Liszt had two goals: 1) to translate the passion, beauty and drama of this opera to solo piano, and 2) to out-Thalberg Thalberg. IV General Comparisons There are several superficial similarities between the two “gra•••n d”TTBfhhoateenhyytaaabsrreieeegsiapnporipnwmriNoatxhorriimlmaynaactebeexynltytTee1nhr5esa–idlv1b7eaerrmiognuitanrnnoudddtetuLwsciitosnizomtdn: euilrnoadttiiwoenos,.sections. “Dell’aura tua profetica” from Act I and “Padre, tu piangi?” from Act II, with fragments of “Ite sul colle” from the beginning of Act I. ••• Melodies are developed as variations. The two main melodies are superimposed near the end. Curiously, neither includes the most popular aria, “Casta diva”. Opposite, above left: Franz Liszt, portrait by Herman Blow, 1843; right: Sigismund Thalberg, lithograph by Andreas Staub, c.1830. B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 25

(“Ite sul colle,” I, i) V The following chart lists the order of the themes used in Opening Thalberg’s Grande fantaisie and Liszt’s Réminiscences de “Norma”, comparing them with the order in which the themes appear in the If the goal of an introduction is to set the mood of the piece, opera. the two Norma fantasies present vastly different worlds. Thalberg’s bipartite introduction opens with a dramatic and declamatory first Thematic Order of Bellini’s Norma, Thalberg’s Grande fantaisie section (henceforth called Fantasia I), followed by a lyrical second et variations sur des motifs de l’opéra “Norma” de Bellini, Op. 12 and section in true bel canto style (Fantasia II). He primarily uses newly composed material save for a brief moment in Fantasia I, where Liszt’s Réminiscences de “Norma” [primary themes in bold] he includes a chromatic fragment from Ite sul colle (a theme Liszt develops extensively in his own introduction): Bellini Thalberg Liszt (Thalberg, mm. 10–13) Act I, Scene i (Introduction) (Introduction) (Norma, I, i) 1) “Ite sul colle, (Fantasia I) + 3) “Norma viene” The lyrical Fantasia II is complete with Belliniesque fioritura: O Druidi!” (Druid fragment of 1) “Ite sul colle, O chorus and Oroveso) 1) “Ite sul colle, O Druidi!” (Thalberg, mm. 44–52) Druidi!” (Fantasia II) (“First” movement) A detail in a moment from Thalberg’s introduction merits 2) “Dell’aura qua 2) “Dell’aura qua mention as one of the few possible connections to Liszt’s profetica” (Druid 2) “Dell’aura qua profetica” transcription: a triplet motive that appears at the conclusion of chorus and Oroveso) profetica” (+3 (“Slow” movement) Fantasia I. These two timpani-like gestures on F-sharp first appear Variations) (bridge) 6) “Deh! non volerli in the upper register, followed by the lower, preparing us for B 3) “Norma viene” vittime” major: (Chorus) 7) “Padre, 5) “Qual cor tradisti” tu piangi?” 7) “Padre, tu Act II, Scene iii (+Variations) piangi?” 4) “Guerra! Guerra!” (Fantasia III) (“Finale”) (II, iii) (Chorus) 4) “Guerra! Guerra!” 2) + 7) “Dell’aura 2) + 7) “Dell’aura 5) “Qual cor tradisti” qua profetica” + qua profetica” + (Norma) “Padre, tu piangi?” “Padre, tu piangi?” “mashup” “mashup” 6) “Deh! non volerli vittime” (Norma) 7) “Padre, tu piangi?” (Norma, Oroveso) As the title suggests, Thalberg’s paraphrase alternates between variations and free fantasy. It is notable that the three themes – “Ite sul colle,” “Dell’aura tua profetica” and “Padre, tu piangi?” – appear in the chronological order of the opera. The form of Liszt’s Réminiscences de “Norma” is more complex. The materials are arranged to create four large, distinct sections, forming a sonata-like structure: an introduction transitions to an energetic “first movement”, then to a lyrical “slow movement”, and finally concludes with a brilliant finale. Liszt includes themes other than the three Thalberg uses, and does not introduce them in the order in which they occur in the opera. Thus, with the sections divided into a multi-movement, sonata-like structure and the expanded use of material rearranged for increased dramatic effect, the resulting work is significantly more substantial than its predecessor. For the remainder of this article we will study each section of the two fantasies, comparing their similarities as well as significant differences. (Thalberg, mm. 38–43) 26

This rhythmic motive foreshadows a further expansion of timpani effects that appear in Fantasia II: (Liszt, mm. 190–94) (Thalberg, mm. 53–58) (Thalberg, mm. 53–56) Similar rhythmic timpani gestures appear in Norma and Therefore, Liszt modifies the original key of “Qual cor tradisti” Pollione’s love duet in Act II, “Qual cor tradisti”, although here as well as the rhythm and textures of both the timpani gesture they are not in triplets or nonuplets, but in quadruplets on D (the and accompaniment. Liszt may have altered the key to B major to dominant of G major, the key of the passage): more conveniently modulate from the previous section, which is in the parallel minor of B minor. He may have simply switched the timpani rhythm from quadruplets to triplets for technical facility. Whatever the reasons, he changes this passage to the same key, the same triplet timpani motive on F-sharp, the same 12/8 (or triplets within 4/4) accompaniment, and the same three-handed texture that Thalberg used in his newly composed introduction. There is another work by Liszt that is similar to Thalberg’s original melody in Fantasia II. Around 1830 Liszt began to sketch his first piano concerto, and worked on it until well beyond 1850, many years after the publication of Thalberg’s Grande fantaisie. Compare the primary theme of the Quasi Adagio section of the concerto with Thalberg’s theme from Fantasia II: (Norma, II, iii) (Liszt, Piano Concerto No. 1, mm. 107–12) Liszt combines Thalberg’s triplets with the melody of “Qual The similarities are striking: both passages are in B major, 12/8, cor tradisti” and its associated timpani accompaniment in a nobly with a rolling left hand accompaniment in broken arpeggios. sublime passage in his Réminiscences. Although the original aria is While Thalberg marks Adagio con gran espressione, Liszt marks in G major, Liszt transposes the passage to B major, changing the Quasi Adagio with con espressione indicated in the piano part. If timpani gesture to the same F-sharp triplets that Thalberg places we compare the dotted-rhythm melody, a descending line from at the end of his Fantaisa I. Liszt also alters Bellini’s equal 8th- D-sharp down to G-sharp in the opening of the passage from note accompaniment to triplets, creating a further similarity with Thalberg’s fantasy, with a transformation of the main theme Thalberg’s Fantasia II, which is in 12/8. Finally, the three-layered played by the cello in a passage of the concerto, there is a distinct texture of melody, triplets and timpani makes the resemblance resemblance. It is a tempting speculation. between these two passages undeniable: B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 27

Toby WinartoIn the opera, “Ite sul colle” and “Dell’aura tua profetica” precede “Norma viene”. Nevertheless, in his Réminiscences, Liszt shifts the (Thalberg, mm. 45–48) order around and weaves out the themes one by one, opening with “Norma viene”, followed by the noble, processional-like (Liszt, Piano Concerto No. 1, mm. 34-35) orchestral introduction to “Ite sul colle”, finally building up to the Unlike Thalberg, Liszt makes ample use of melodies from energetic theme of “Dell’aura tua profetica”. In a natural process, he the opera in his introduction. Liszt sets the grand, ceremonial brilliantly sets the stage for a pianistic retelling of this tragic work. and tragic mood of the work from the first bar using the theme In comparison, despite brilliant virtuosity, Thalberg’s introduction from “Norma viene”, the priestess’s orchestral entrance in Act I. seems superficial and disconnected to the spirit of the story. Although Eb is the original key, Liszt transposes it here to G minor. The reasons are twofold: firstly, G minor is the key of the opera’s Part II of Lisaʼs analysis will follow in the next issue. opening, from which “Norma viene” derives its majestic dotted rhythm. Secondly, the key prepares for “Ite sul colle” and “Dell’aura Described as “a musical tua profetica” which follows, in the parallel key of G major. phenomenon” (Pianiste), Yamaha (Norma, “Norma viene”, I, iii, Eb major) Artist Lisa Yui enjoys a (Liszt, mm. 1–8, G minor) multifaceted musical career as pianist, lecturer, educator, author (Norma, Sinfonia, G minor) and musical director. Since making her concerto debut at the age of seven, she has performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia. She is the top prizewinner of the Senigallia International Piano Competition in Italy, and has twice been the recipient of a Canada Council Scholarship. Lisa Yui has performed as soloist with prominent orchestras including the Tokyo Symphony, Polish National Radio, Toronto Symphony and Krakow State Philharmonic. She has performed in Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, and the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum in Budapest. She represented Canada to perform in the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi, Japan. Her DVD/Blu-ray of four Beethoven Sonatas and CD of the music of Carl Maria von Weber and Jan Ladislav Dussek garnered rave reviews. Lisa Yui’s insightful writing on a variety of topics has appeared in Clavier, EPTA’s Piano Journal and Listen. Dr. Yui has given lectures on a vast array of topics, and has taught graduate courses on piano literature, historical recordings and the Beethoven piano sonatas. She has worked extensively with cutting-edge music technology through her long-distance remote lessons and performances using the Yamaha Disklavier, an acoustic/digital hybrid player piano. Lisa Yui’s principal teachers and mentors include Byron Janis, Marc Silverman, Giovanni Valentini, Oxana Yablonskaya, Edna Golandsky, David Dubal and Leonid Hambro. She received her B.M. degree at the Juilliard School, where she received the Humanities Award, and her M.M. and D.M.A. degrees at Manhattan School of Music, which awarded her both the Roy M. Rubinstein Award, given to a graduate with exceptional promise in piano, and the Helen Cohn Award as outstanding doctoral graduate. Lisa Yui is on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music and Montclair State University. At Manhattan School of Music, where she is also Associate Dean of Assessment and Academic Programs, she received the School’s 2018 President’s Medal for Distinguished Service. 1 Gollerich, Franz Liszt (Berlin: Marquardt,1908), 138. 2 Schumann, ‘‘Anzeiger,’’ Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 2, no. 44 (2 June 1835): 178. ‘‘[D]arum zitiert jener noch manchmal Goethe und Beethoven, spricht sogar geistreicher als in höheren Zirkeln erlaubt ist.’’ 3 Huneker, Steeplejack (New York: Charles Scribner & Sons, 1920), p.39. 4 Fétis, Revue et gazette musicale 4, No. 17 (23 April 1837): 142. 5 Liszt, Revue et gazette musicale 4, No. 20 (14 May 1837): 171. 28

Music for bSyoJolohnPSipaenighot by Kolbeinn Bjarnason, trans. J.A.S. Life ... Music Award 2003 as the composition of the year 2002. His works have been played and broadcast in many countries. John Speight was born in Plymouth, Devon, in 1945. He grew up in the then coal-mining city of Wakefield in Yorkshire. In 1964 John was elected chairman of the Composer’s Society of he moved to London where he was accepted at the Guildhall Iceland in 1992 and held that post until 1995. During this time he School of Music and Drama to study singing and composition. He was also president of the Nordic Composers Council and also, during this period, studied privately with Richard Rodney president of the Music Council of Iceland. As a singer he has Bennett. given many song recitals, appeared as soloist with many chamber groups and sung opera roles with the Icelandic Opera Company He met his wife, Sveinbjörg Vilhjálmsdóttir, at the Guildhall and the National Theatre of Iceland. School of Music and Drama where she was studying piano and singing. They subsequently worked together for many years as a John Speight is still a prolific composer but retired from duo specialising in the performance of art songs. singing and teaching in 2015. In 1972 they moved to Iceland, Sveinbjörg’s homeland, where ... and Work they have lived and worked since. In 1980 John became an Icelandic citizen. The first word that John Speight writes in his first work for solo piano is “cantabile” (in a singing style). It has always been John’s idea that instrumentalists Is the piano able to “sing”? Strictly speaking the answer has to should “sing” on their be “No”, as each tone begins to diminish as soon as it is struck. instrument. The idea of a singing piano has to be the work of the composer, the performer and, not least, the listener who lets his imagination His list of compositions includes works for solo instruments flow with the music so that the notes seem all to be connected up to large-scale orchestral pieces. He has written and has had and to “sing”. premiered five full-length symphonies. “Symphony No. 2” was selected for and performed at the I.S.C.M. World Music Days in It has always been John’s idea that instrumentalists should Warsaw 1992. Works by him have been regularly performed at the “sing” on their instrument. In his piano music may be found Nordic Music Days Festival; at the Arts Festival in Reykjavík and many examples of melodic, “vocal” ideas. Ideas which are adapted at the Dark Music Days Festival. He spent 1996–1997 in the USA to the possibilities of the piano but have their origins in the where he wrote his third symphony, Sam’s Mass, the work The human voice. We hear these ideas in e.g. Prelude No. 2, in the last Deacon of Myrká for narrator and chamber group and the group of part of Manhattan Moments and in the beginning of Sonata per songs Lady in White as well as other pieces. pianoforte in a simple unaccompanied form but more often than not these ideas are heard in more complex surroundings. John The Deacon of Myrká was especially composed for the group “20th seems to specialise in letting the piano “sing” in various ways. Century Unlimited” in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Five Pieces was written at the beginning of 1968 when John was His group of songs The Lady in White was premiered by John and studying singing and composition at the Guildhall School of Sveinbjörg in New York in 1997 and has since been performed for Music and Drama in London. He wanted to study with Richard instance in Iceland, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in Rodney Bennett, one of England’s most famous composers. These Bulgaria. Sam’s Mass, for solo soprano, solo oboe and mixed choir, five short pieces were shown to Bennett who then accepted John was first performed in England in 1998 and has since been as a pupil. performed for instance in Iceland, Holland, Finland, Paris and at the “Ile de France” festival. He has also written two operas and It is easy to connect these pieces to the Sechs kleine Klavierstücke seven concerti plus many chamber works and almost 100 songs op. 19 by Schoenberg or even the Fünf Stücke für Orchester op. 10 by for voice and piano. His Christmas Oratorio won the Icelandic Webern. Although these pieces by the two masters are not “twelve tone”, John uses the dodecaphonic techniques which, later in their compositions, both Schoenberg and Webern used. It is as if the spirits of these composers infiltrate John’s music as he uses the idea of putting together several short pieces which then form a larger work. Here there are no redundant notes; we are presented with musical contrasts and continuous variation. The B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 29

technique here is not the main thing but rather the way for the piano music as it is set firmly in F major. In the Stravinsky piece Robert Köpf, pixabay.com composer to express his thoughts. we hear familiar rhythms and repeated chords from The Rite of Spring and even Les noces. Thick chords of up to eight notes These five pieces together create a piece which is almost permeate Hommage à Messiaen. At first the chords are played slowly symmetrical but not exactly so. John wants the listener to go on a and the speed is then twice doubled until we eventually return to “journey” in his music and not to be quite the same person at the the speed of the opening of the piece. Over this “chorale” are end of the piece as he was at he beginning. woven phrases which remind one of Messiaen’s bird song. Such “bird song” may be heard in other piano pieces by John. This was, then, where John was situated more than fifty years ago almost halfway between Schoenberg’s piano pieces and In the summer of 1981 John wrote a more extended work for present times and with his roots firmly planted in the fertile Sveinbjörg, Three Preludes for solo Piano. These preludes make more “soil” of the Second Viennese School and the Modernists, both of demands on the pianist than in pieces before: demands which which offered a creative revolution but a revolution which was a have steadily increased with every piano piece since. logical continuation from the “old” music. I would suggest that John first appeared as a ”modernist” composer and, as these words The outer preludes are in the form of a fantasia and are filled are written that is what he still is, searching and fresh in his with eloquence and poetic atmosphere. The first prelude shows creativity but the “modernist” elements have become a less the expressive powers of the instrument and there the composer integral part of his music and, as all serious artists, John is always uses an irregular pedal-point on the lowest note of the true to himself. instrument. The third prelude has “song” of a different nature which floats on phrases played in double octaves. Peace, although Modernism has been variously defined in differing art forms. not total, is found in the second prelude which is unusual in that Modernism in music is often defined from the characteristics the opening phrase is played twice and this phrase is repeated which it lacks (not melodic, formless, avoids repeats and unchanged at the end of the piece. Such repeats are rare in this consonant intervals). This kind of negative approach leads listener composer’s music. Sveinbjörg premiered these pieces in Reykjavík and critic on a slippery downhill slope as they are not listening to shortly after they were written. that which is happening now but rather listening for things which do not exist. Modernist music is often complex, multi- The next piece for solo piano was not written until 1996 (in layered and the “form” created by the composer him/herself. The the meantime John composed Evening Music for two pianos, again music is abstract, various and often with unexpected contrasts. All for Sveinbjörg and Ástmar). In 1996 John wrote Kvöldljóð of these elements are to be found in John’s music and all are clearly found in the Five Pieces. John ... composes much of each piece in his mind before he sits down to write on the manuscript- paper that which is already in his imagination I am not really convinced that the term “modernist” has ever really been high on the agenda concerning his own music. When I spoke to him of the contrasts which permeate his music, he explained that these contrasts were simply because he was always afraid that the listener would get bored and this was his attempt to avoid that. Listeners need variety. We also spoke of music which has no flow and leaves the listener with nothing but incoherent noise which leads to boredom. It is quite clear that John’s music is not in this category and that he does everything to walk the fine line between continuation and contrasts. Sveinbjörg Vilhjálmsdóttir, pianist and John’s wife, premiered these pieces in London. Sveinbjörg also studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the same time as John, and in 1972, after graduation, the couple moved to Iceland where they have lived and worked since. In 1977 John composed a short piano concerto, Concertino, for Ástmar Ólafsson, a pupil of Sveinbjörg’s. The next works for solo piano were composed a year later, also for Ástmar. These are two short pieces written to pay respect to two of the major composers of the twentieth century, Igor Stravinsky and Olivier Messiaen. Some 40 years later John composed a short piece, Hommage à Brahms. These composers had an influence on John’s music as did composers such as Schubert, Mahler and Bartók. These three pieces are almost like character sketches as John uses the styles of the composers but in a very free way. The “Hommage à Brahms” differs from John’s other 30

(“Notturno”) for Andrés Ásmundsson, a pupil of his. This piece is pianist who plays it here, Peter Máté. In some ways the piece is marked Adagio misterioso and is exactly that from beginning to end. influenced by the classical form of the symphony: a forceful first The work is really a set of variations on the song Yfir kaldan eyðisand movement followed by a slow second movement, then comes a (“Across the Cold Desert”) by Kristján Kristjánsson. scherzo-like movement and finally a fast movement. The instruction Calmo at the start of the first movement applies only The second Kvöldljóð on this CD is built on two Icelandic folk to the beginning. The movement is built on a melodic idea which songs and is another example of a meditative approach to the goes through a great variety of changes. The slow movement, Molto songs much influenced by their texts. The first song, Fagurt er í adagio, is composed in one long line from beginning to end with, Fjörðum (How beautiful is the Fiord), tells of the beauty of the of course, several interruptions on the way. It is difficult to fiord in summer but how, in the winter weather, both men and introduce “wrong” notes in a piece like this but most people, I animals die. The second song, Grátandi kem ég nú, Guð minn til þín think, would say that the scale passages in the Molto vivace (“Weeping I turn to you, my God”), is a hymn found in Melódia, a movement are mostly “wrong”. The movement is almost in an seventeenth-century manuscript. A-B-A form with a short tranquillo section in the middle. The final Allegro movement is similar to the first movement but much more The pianist must begin the work by playing “coldly” several fragile. Towards the end of the piece we hear a quotation from the barely distinguishable phrases which are decorated with “icy” two- beginning of the work but we have still not arrived “home”. Here note chords. These two pieces may be enjoyed without the listener the composer thinks back to a place we left long ago. knowing the original Icelandic texts. For those who are familiar with the texts, their thoughts will, undoubtedly, go to the cold There is usually much movement in John’s music but deserts and the northern fiords of Iceland. The work is dedicated occasionally he presents us with stillness as a contrast. This to Þórarinn Stefánsson, pianist. stillness is often in the form of a rocking motion, almost bell-like. It happens twice in this final movement but does not last long... It has never been John’s aim to lead the listener in one way or above all the listener may not become bored! another. The titles he uses are just general in nature e.g. Evening piece, Prelude, Sonata etc. His music expresses nothing but itself, as John Speight has always been true to himself as a composer. another modernist, the French composer and conductor Pierre He has made no drastic changes in his writing but rather has Boulez, said. However the performer has his own understanding slowly developed from one piece to the next, free from extraneous of the music, as does the listener. This understanding is almost influences or surroundings. I think that during the last fifty years always developed without clues from the composer. his music has developed from strictly disciplined techniques to freer, adventurous methods. I do not know for sure if his change Manhattan Moments was composed in the USA for Nína Margrét of habitat, from England to Iceland, had any affect on his music. I Grímsdóttir. The title of the piece is unusual in that it points the somehow feel that had he moved to Argentina or Japan his music listener in a certain direction but tells us nothing more than that would still be in a similar vein as it is now. Behind this music the work is influenced by the atmosphere in Manhattan. Here the exists a strong willed person. John is a prolific composer who composer works with short, contrasting ideas, many of which are composes much of each piece in his mind before he sits down to built on irregular rhythms and syncopations as we find in jazz. write on the manuscript-paper that which is already in his The work, however, starts with quietly repeated chords and then imagination. All of his works are written in a very clear and by parallel fifths and ends in the same quiet atmosphere. The legible script and his methods of working disciplined. His music composer has described these chords as being, perhaps, “more air is always on the move. The listener must concentrate to hear the than sound”. Manhattan Moments is not a long piece but is full of endless colour changes and sharp opposites in the music. If the contrasting ideas put together in a convincing and pianistic listener does that which is demanded of him then he will whole. experience a whole new adventure in sound. Sonata per pianoforte is the most extended and dramatic of John’s music for piano. It is in four movements and composed for the B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 31

Setting the record straight: the controversies of double beat theory by Patrick Hemmerlé So one hypothesis created to deal with this problem was that the speeds were fine, it was just that we read our metronome the As the 250th anniversary year of Beethoven draws to a wrong way. Gadient decided that because metronomes were close, it is fitting to look at the device invented by pendular, they were a modern equivalent for the old way of Maezel and consider some current, controversial and conducting in which the beat would have a down and an up of the radical interpretations which have been circulating conductor’s arm. So, says he, we should take two ticks of the online and elsewhere. Beethoven’s own suggestions of metronome metronome as forming one beat, and if a composer writes speeds have proved to be divisive - not least because of his crotchet = 120, what he means in our modern understanding is infamously fast direction at the start of his celebrated opus 106 really crotchet = 60. ‘Hammerkavier’ Sonata. Certainly Patrick Hemmerlé has no doubts about certain theories that are being branded around of The “alternative reading of the metronome” hypothesis was not late and he outlines the case for disagreement with the ‘double invented by Gadient, but by a man called Willelm Talsma, who in beat’ interpretation that some have taken onboard in their the seventies seems to have been the first musicologist to have performances - quite literally... come up with this theory. One could say he invented it. Authentic Sound is the YouTube channel of a Belgian keyboardist and early music enthusiast named Wim Winters. The channel There was however a major difference. Talsma was quite happy appeared six years ago as a platform to showcase his passion for to divide metronome markings by two for fast movements. He the clavichord, mostly through home recordings. It was worthy of was not prepared to deal with its consequences for the slow attention on many counts. Firstly, Wim Winters is an expert in movements, or for those with more average markings. So he his handling of the medium, and produces high-quality videos. postulated the idea of “variable use of the metronome”. The main Secondly, the choice of repertoire was bold for a clavichord player, problem with the theory was the total absence of any source a lot of Bach of course, but also Mozart, Haydn, early and middle corroborating the hypothesis. Beethoven, Chopin and Schumann. The playing was idiosyncratic, not to everyone’s taste surely, but interesting, and showed a In fact, it seemed to create more problems than it would solve. remarkable confidence in doing things far outside of the norm. Why would composers have adopted a dual way of reading the The name Authentic Sound seemed slightly ill-chosen because the metronome? Why would they not bother to tell us when one performances seemed no more authentic than Glenn Gould’s, system or another was to be used? We have plenty of sources whom paradoxically Winters admires. But this was not an issue. describing the use of the metronome, why would none of them The creativity was authentic if the style was not, and he managed make any reference to it? So the theory never really caught fire and to play the Pathétique Sonata on the clavichord with tempi was quickly discarded. Today it would be almost extinct but for the considerably slower than the ones we are used to and yet make efforts of a certain Johann Sonnleiter who still believes in it, and some sense out of it all. This continued for a solid three years does his best to propagate it. If you want to explore further, you during which he diversified his activities, and though it was can see interviews on the channel of the pianist Bernhardt Ruchti, obvious that the self-imposed constraint of issuing two videos a who is a proponent of the theory. He has interviewed Sonnleiter at week was occasionally stretching him, he managed to remain great length so you should find there all you need to know. interesting. But about three years ago, something happened. Wim got Wim Winters, with the help of Lorenz Gadient, has interested in a theory promoted by a priest and amateur subsequently gone a step further. In a leap of faith, he decided musicologist called Lorenz Gadient, whose book, Takt und that ALL the metronome markings of the whole of the first half Pendelschlag, is a modern attempt to make a case for an alternative of the 19th century should be halved, which had at least the merit reading of the metronome. of being consistent! The idea is simple: many musicians wonder why the early metronome markings have a tendency to be faster than we expect When I watched his first videos I had an open mind. I them to be, Beethoven’s own usually surprises us, not least in the remember, for example, his video on Chopin Etude op. 10 no. 9. I famous case of the probably not quite playable Hammerklavier had to admit he was right: everybody does change gear rather markings. Czerny has a tendency to write border line tempi, abruptly on pages two and four; and he was right: nothing in the particularly in his own music and in his Bach editions which are score suggests we should, apart from the fact it is not really sometimes plainly absurd. Schumann is notorious also in this possible to keep the initial tempo in these sections. So, although I respect, and so is Chopin. was not sold on his idea, I was interested. 32 I decided to test it myself…and came to realise it didn’t have a leg to stand on. The counter evidence comes in different kinds.

The first element is the total absence of any source describing beyond a four-note sequence. a double beat use of the metronome, compared to many which There is something worthy of attention in here, not on a describe the single beat use. Most methods of musical instruction published in the nineteenth century will have a paragraph about musical level, but on a psychological one. On the one hand there is something that can only be described as fundamentalism. Wim metronome use, so it is not very hard to find them on imslp and Winters believes that by following his metronome theory, by not see what they have to say on the subject. Then you have to look at the evidence provided by early putting a pedal that the composer has not specifically written, by putting original fingerings, he will get ever closer to the spirit of recordings. Wim Winters rejects it all, saying that on the one the music as it was conceived. But a curious streak compels him to hand, piano rolls says nothing about the original tempo, an affirmation which only betrays his ignorance on how piano rolls mistrust the mainstream opinion and, like a conspiracy theorist, to look for alternative versions of history. In doing this, he turns work, and that the musicians of the late 19th/early 20th century his considerable erudition on its head, by misreading, were not interested in keeping the tradition, another affirmation which is demonstrably false. misunderstanding, misrepresenting, cherry-picking or simply ignoring the sources he relies on. But the most compelling case for normal tempi in the 19th But can we learn anything from this bizarre phenomenon that century are without a doubt time-durations. We have many documented times of performances, sometimes in minute detail, could be of value? On a psychological level, it tells us something about the danger for example by someone like Alkan, which Wim Winters swears is of mental manipulation. When his followers start giving credit to a double beater (and anyone who has had a look at Alkan’s metronome markings knows he means no joke). Alkan’s extremely some of his seemingly most innocuous claims, they are putting their little finger into a machine which will one day swallow them precise timings for works by him or others are a crucial body of whole. They start believing Czerny’s Bach indication should be evidence against the double beat theory, and as it happens his halved, which on paper doesn’t look completely implausible (just timings show that he was following his metronome quite closely, try playing the Bb major two-part invention at a 108 for the and that these speeds were meant. crotchet), then they gradually believe Beethoven should follow the same path, then Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, and then one I am not writing this article to make a whole catalogue of the arguments against the double day it moves on to Grieg, beat theory. Wim has produced Tchaikovsky and even Debussy, and nobody raises any question. the biggest downfall, asdozens of videos on the topic and The other, more positive and still continues today. Wim more practical thing we can take from this is that if Wim Winters you might expect, comesWinters would have you believe is indeed wrong about his metronome theory, as I believe that you are supposed to have he is, it means that we have yet much to learn and understand with the slow movements.your metronome beating at two about 19th-century style of playing. If I am allowed to speak on a ternary situation, and that for myself for a moment, until I heard about Wim Winters, I They tend to sound likenobody in the numerous usually did not feel very concerned by metronome documents explaining the use of markings. This was a kind of intellectual laziness, to my defence, partly inherited, because none of my teachers ever drew my something written by anthe metronome would have attention to them. In fact it is fair to say that there is a prevalent attitude which tends to simply ignore them, or dismiss them as bothered to mention this colossal being fanciful, inaccurate or even grotesque. But since I engaged problem. in these questions, I now look much more closely. I surprise myself knowing by heart the metronome number of all the untalented disciple ofThat Wim Winters’ ideas are Chopin Etudes and the Schumann Kinderszenen. I no longer regard incorrect is something which can Morton Feldmanbe accepted with a high degree of certainty. So the question is: Why do some people adhere to it despite the evidence? As we have seen he is trying his best to block the evidence on his own channel, and this partially explains how some people get lured. So what are the fruits produced by this strange theory? Three years in, with the release of two videos a week, we now have quite a lot of material at our disposal. With the help of his most fervent disciple, Alberto Sanna, they are working their way through the complete Beethoven Sonatas, a great deal of Chopin, Schubert and Schumann. As one might expect, the practical application leads to Schumann as a chap who probably had a broken metronome. I musical aberrations. It is not rare for a work to last an hour or may or may not agree with the metronome marking of a composer, and few things are ultimately more personal than the more. Any fast movement is abolished. Even the fiercest prestissimo tempo at which one decides to play a work, which anyway never rises above what you might instinctively call an Andante. depends on too many factors to be rigidly fixed once and for all. One can at all time hear absolutely every note. When the composer is writing a tremolo, a trill or an accompaniment But I always now look at the marking , and what is more, I always try it. This has been a transformative experience. Tempi that at figuration, which is quite common in the 19th century, this first glance seemed to me ridiculous started to feel obviously becomes a huge problem. But the biggest downfall, as you might expect, comes with the slow movements. They tend to sound like correct. It has to a large extent shifted my perception of the music written in the Romantic period. To tell you exactly how and why something written by an untalented disciple of Morton Feldman. would take too long and would take me too far, but it is enough to The music is so completely static that it is impossible to process a phrase in its entirety, something which is not helped by the decay say this is something that I found genuinely fascinating. Instead of ignoring metronome marks, I look out for them. I never study of the sound, already bad on the piano, worse on the fortepiano a Beethoven Sonata without looking at the markings by and catastrophic on the clavichord. These problems are compounded by other forms of musical Moscheles, Czerny or Hans von Bülow, and I often find something both unexpected and interesting. extremism, such as the recent decision to avoid any pedalling Wim Winters often says: “These metronomes were ticking on which would not have been specifically written by the composer. Worse still is the misinterpretation of a quote by Beethoven these pianos, so we have to take them seriously.” Although I have which has led to grotesquely exaggerated practice of notes inégales, by force become his nemesis on the internet, this is the one point which effectively kills any possibility of a phrasing extending on which we wholeheartedly agree. B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 33

Analysis of Chopin’s Etudes Part 3 Durational Density by Kris Lennox We no longer live in the CD era – but the artistic use of silence by the audio engineer has remained a salient aspect of audio Background/Process recordings & production. In Piano Journal issues 120 & 121, we analysed two interesting Thus: track duration is not necessarily an accurate aspects of performance/technique, namely, disparity and note count. representation of piece duration. Note count, as a metric, is useful in itself – but becomes very • The beginning of a piece is possibly best measured as the useful/revealing when combined with other metrics. point when the first note is sounded. Looking at note count on its own is a useful way of revealing Dealing with the end of a track: when do we measure the the following: ‘end’ of a piece – specifically with respect to the analysis we are conducting in these articles i.e. that of technique/performance? • Which piece involves performance of the most/fewest notes • Which piece may require the most/least mental • Does a piece ‘end’ when there is no more sound? (and potentially physical) stamina • Does a piece ‘end’ once the pedal is lifted? Etc. • Does a piece ‘end’ when the finger has released the final As with all analytical metrics, they are a prism that we can note? use to shed light on a particular aspect – yet at the same time, This is a problematic issue. revealing little-to-nothing of other aspects. If we consider the ‘end’ to be when there is no more sound, we For example: knowing how many notes we play in a piece are going to add natural reverberation etc to the duration – thus doesn’t reveal anything regarding how dense a piece is. Two pieces skewing the statistics. could consist of, say, 1000 notes; the first piece may last one If we consider the ‘end’ to be once the pedal has lifted, this minute, with the second piece lasting 10 minutes. In this scenario, creates the scenario where a piece may, for example, ask for the the first piece, whilst having the same note count, is far denser than final chord to be held with the pedal for 20-30 seconds (the player the second piece. likely won’t be pushing the keys for the full 20-30s…). Again, this In this sense, knowing the duration of a piece – when combined would skew the statistics/lower the average note count, as the with note count – allows us to calculate the average density of fingers wouldn’t necessarily be active for the sounded duration of a piece (e.g average notes per second). We could call this the the piece. Durational Density. The most accurate figure is attained by ascertaining when the In principle, the higher the durational density, the more fingers are no longer active. difficult a piece will likely be to perform (as we will, on average, The approach I have taken is to add 500ms (i.e ½ second) after have to play more notes per second). the sounding of the final note. 500ms is a working average figure based on experience/judgement: The Problem of ‘Duration’ • If a piece ends staccato, the finger will only be active on the final note for c.<100ms Duration initially seems like a simple metric to calculate: all we need to do is look at a track length on Spotify/iTunes etc, and we • If a piece ends on a long, held note: have our duration. 1. The pianist may be ‘holding’ the note with the pedal …But it isn’t quite as simple as that (…whatever is!)… (i.e. the fingers may not be active) Audio engineers often place silence at the beginning of tracks. The variation of final note duration (when held) This was especially prominent in the CD era as compensation for 2. is considerable, and could range anywhere between CD head/reading latency. Engineers would often follow Red Book 100ms – 5 seconds (or longer) industry ISO standards, and place c.400-500ms silence at the beginning of each track (avoiding the ‘cutting out’ of the beginning of a track due to CD head reader moving to the starting position of I’ve opted for 500ms as a ‘working’ figure (of course, this figure the track). could be more accurate, were a full analysis of this particular aspect Artistically-minded engineers often play with this silence of performance to be researched. But this would require video (often very successfully), i.e. a work following a major work/group footage, thus rendering many valuable recordings obsolete for the of works (say, a sonata) will begin after a number of seconds’ purpose). silence, rather than c.500ms – the effect being one of feeling as if we are in a ‘new place’ (as with all great art, such processes often go unnoticed by the listener). 34

I refer to this duration as the Active Duration. Median Active Duration, Op. 10: As an algorithm: This analysis was undertaken on a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), where duration can be measured with an accuracy of 1ms (i.e 1/1000th of a second): Median Active Duration, Op. 25: Recordings Analysed Analysing only one recording of each work is not an accurate measurement of active duration, as certain performers may give ‘erratic’ performances of certain works. I analysed a number of what could be described as ‘classic’ recordings of Chopin’s Etudes: Opp. 10 & 25 combined, ordered from longest-shortest Active Duration: Rather than automating the process, each work was analysed manually within the DAW (for accuracy/data integrity). Analysing 24 works by six performers took… considerable time…! In taking the durations for all six performers, rather than measuring the average duration, I measured the median duration (doing so avoids any possible ‘skewing’ created by erratic performances: could we dub this the Pogorelich Effect?!). One common criticism ‘outsiders’ have to Classical music is (and I quote a friend): “How many recordings do we need of the same pieces?” It is a valid criticism – and one that should be given serious thought. But, in light of the above method of analysis, each new recording would contribute to the whole i.e. each new recording (if analysed in the above manner) would play its part in shaping the statistics/data. In this sense, all recordings would have an inherent value beyond the obvious artistic value of the recording: the data of the recording would play as much of an historical role as the audio. Thus, from a data perspective, the more recordings we have, the more accurate/representative our data becomes. B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 35

Density: What Wasn’t Analysed Personally, I was very surprised to see Op. 25 no. 8 as the I’ve measured density purely in terms of note count, rather densest work. than in terms of style of execution (i.e single-note, double-note etc). The data could have been stratified further/more granular – From a structural standpoint, it is interesting to note that the but doing so would have been beyond the scope of this article. least dense work (Op. 25, no. 7) precedes the densest (Op.25, no. 8). Despite this, the data is very revealing – and surprising. It is very tempting to make assumptions with respect to Chopin’s Heat Maps/Primary Datasets thoughts and intentions – but doing so would be speculative on For ease of reading, I’ve added a heat map (which allows for our behalf. quick ‘grouping’ analysis regarding density): Opp. 10 & 25, RH only, most-least dense: Opp. 10 & 25 combined, both hands, ordered from most – least dense: It is very tempting to make assumptions with respect to Chopin’s thoughts and intentions – but doing so would be speculative on our behalf. 36

Opp. 10 & 25, LH only, most-least dense: There is much to be said with regards to the above findings – but, in this instance, I feel it may be best to let pianists interpret and discuss the data as they wish. The data has been mined: pianists/educators can now mold and shape the data as they wish. Concluding Thoughts This article brings to a close my introductory analysis of Chopin’s Etudes. Despite the relative brevity of the articles, the data/depth of analysis gives us entirely new insights into Chopin’s great works. At the bigger level, what I’m developing isn’t an analytical method for Chopin’s Etudes – but rather – the foundations of/ algorithms for an objective analysis of difficulty – for all piano works. For the first time in history, are we at the beginnings of the development of a fully objective means of analysing difficulty? Who knows where this approach could lead: perhaps the examination process could be refined: should a piece of, for example, grade x, ever have a passage where the RH is playing in excess of 10 notes per second? An interesting question (one of many) – and an entirely new approach/way of looking at performance/technique. Objective analysis of difficulty could become more than group/ expert opinion (and we know from Asch’s experiments how easily a group can be swayed…!) – if anything, this approach has the potential to become a science. That isn’t to invalidate expert opinion, of course. We still need experts to determine exactly where the goalposts should be in the first place (and to refine thereafter, if necessary). Could it be said that the institute/conservatoire/exam board etc who holds and utilises the algorithms/processes will set the standards for performance and adjudication – measurable as both science/art? Time will tell… 2021 will focus exclusively on the Etudes of Rachmaninoff, building/extending on the analytical tools used in our 2020 study of Chopin’s Etudes. Kris Lennox studied music at Strathclyde University and the RSAMD before pursuing an independent career as performer/writer/producer. Currently Kris writes/records/consults for a number of mainstream artists, primarily within the Pop/Electronic scene. Previously, Kris occasionally performed as a recital pianist/composer, and has a number of classical works published by Music Sales, with compositions featured in publications alongside Glass/Einaudi etc. Kris has authored around 18 books on a diverse range of musical topics, from harmony to synthesis to music education. At the theoretical level, Kris has developed harmonic models for 24-TET composition, and has spent around two decades developing various cryptographic methods of harnessing written music as a form of steganographic cipher. At the non-musical level, Kris has worked in security, business, & compliance as a consultant analyst, developing sector-specific computational/statistical models & algorithms. Kris regularly posts to/can be found on YouTube. B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 37

Reviews SHEET MUSIC music is described as ‘reminiscent of of Dinas Sunset at Dinas Dinlle Beach by Angela Fogg Bartók’s Mikrokosmos’ and there is a with a stately sarabande. Berwin parallel here, a kind of development from Vignettes Diary of a Fly. The Bug Hug, which is to be Very attractive music for Grade 6–7 SP1414 played ‘huggingly’, has a crawling students, pianistic and melodic. You can accompaniment of short motifs whilst the buy a copy at www.timknightmusic.com This collection of seven original pieces treble has chords that slide from one to or email [email protected]. by Lindsey Berwin is for advanced another with slow changes. Cockroach Rüegg students, Grade 8 and upwards. Approach uses dynamics in an interesting a little story in blue way. As the left hand uses repeated quaver Doblinger 01 962 The title Enigma suits the opening of chords – which nearly always include a the first piece perfectly; you do not know second – there are crescendi and diminuendi Mathias Rüegg’s duet a little story in blue quite where you are and the harmony is following the cockroach’s erratic would be a great piece for the end of a unsettled and questioning. After a approach. The last three bars are a concert. The composer, known dramatic and chromatic Più Allegro, the crescendo to fff, giving the player a good particularly as a jazz musician, uses one slow and expressive opening returns, but idea of where this cockroach has ended part, the secondo, to drive the rhythm still retains its sense of mystery. The two up! The right hand semiquaver pattern of and the primo as soloist, as in a jazz preludes both have a technical focus: the Most Mosquitoes is evocative of the late 50s group. The piece begins with a funky slow No. 1 in C minor works on octaves TV show The Twilight Zone, and Bread and groove shared between the two parts and and wide leaps whilst No. 2 in B minor Butterfly flies smoothly around the keys. the music grows stronger and busier as it works on finger agility. It includes adds triplets, semiquavers and consecutive 6ths, 3rds and octaves and Funny, imaginative, pianistic and really syncopation and hurtles towards the final some part-playing with held notes in one good modern music for middle grade clusters and sudden ending. Very exciting part of the hand whilst other fingers play. students who will certainly enjoy these to play and to listen to. These technical challenges do not pieces. Also good PR for ten creatures of Ries dominate the music though; these are two the insect world! Fantasie Nr. 12 Op. 134 nr 1 rewarding pieces to play. The outer Knight Edition Dohr 19073 sections of the Toccata are very energetic Carn Ingli Suite Fantasie Nr. 13 Op. 134 nr 2 but the middle section is a slow and sweet Knight Edition KE401 Edition Dohr 19074 contrast. It is paired with a three-part ISMN 979-0-7981 89-15-2 fugue which is quite chromatic. The final Both these Ferdinand Ries Fantasies are piece is a Chromatic Fantasy, a grand and Tim Knight’s tuneful suite was the type that build on themes by other expansive piece written over three staves. commissioned by Jane Freer and inspired composers. The Fantasie Nr. 12 Op. 134 nr 1 Again, the middle section is tumultuous by the mountain Carn Ingli, on the uses themes from Rossini’s opera and chromatic but the frequent tritones beautiful Pembrokeshire coast in Wales. Semiramide and what a glorious piece it is in the outer sections prevent them from The mountain is 347 metres (1,138 ft) high to play. The arrangement lies so neatly being a calmer contrast. and in English the name means M̒ ountain under the fingers and has the drama of of Angelsʼ. It is where St Brynach is said the opera: young love, political plotting The Vignettes are well constructed and to have lived, communicating with the for the succession of Queen Semiramide, pianistic; there is much to challenge and angels who, on his death, carried his body the ghost of the old King, the displeasure enjoy here. away up the mountain. of the gods and a tragic ending can all be found here. With such a large work as an Igudesman The suite has four short pieces. The opera, Ries has plenty of material to Insectopedia by Aleksey Igudesman introduction has a serious mood and choose from. The second Fantasie, Nr. 13 £13.50 contrasts with the two playful pieces of Op. 134 nr 2, is based on a popular song, UE 38 047 the local village Newport Bay - one on the ‘The Wealth of the Cottage is Love’, from shore and the other out boating and crab another opera, Paul and Virginia, by This is a fun looking book with a fishing. The last piece captures the beauty William Reeve (1757–1815). After a very lovely cover and humorous illustrations grand allegro con fuoco opening we are by 12-year old musician Nelly Josten. The presented with a simple and pretty 38 melody which Ries calls just ‘The Wealth of the Cottage’ leaving out ‘is love’. This is the basis for four extremely sprightly variations and a march. Again the music is very enjoyable to play and it is interesting to see how inventive Ries has been with the 16-bar melody used to create the entire Fantasie. Scarlatti 15 Fugues for keyboard UT Orpheus HS 282 These 15 Fugues are by Alessandro Scarlatti, the father of Domenico Scarlatti. Domenico became the composer of nearly 600 piano sonatas for the Portuguese princess Maria Magdalena Barbara which have become an essential part of the piano repertoire today. The father, Alessandro, was also known as a composer

of opera and today is less well known as a Elisa Bolognini. A good collection for The main change to the well-known composer of keyboard music. However, later grade students. Grade system is the Introduction of “In” – these fugues display a talent and Initial Grade – to the standard 1–8 levels compositional ability with counterpoint Collections of piano examinations. This new Initial that make these fugues well worth examination requires a choice of three exploring. Nine Variations on John Philip Sousa’s pieces out of a possible thirty which March ‘The Liberty Bell’ include pieces by Praetorius, Gurlitt, Initially, these were written as two- by Ulrich Kallmeyer Bartók, Orff, Satie, Kabalevsky and many part fugues. In this edition Francesco Edition Dohr 11320 contemporary composers of which many Tasini has ‘filled in’ third and fourth parts Der Mond ist aufgegangen are from the UK such as Nikki Iles, Mark in an ‘elaboration’ of the original. The by Lothar Graap Tanner, June Armstrong, Christopher extensive and well referenced Edition Dohr 20092 Norton, Alan Haughton and Alan Bullard. commentary explains how this was not St. Martin, St. Martin by Lothar Graap Most of the pieces lie within a five-finger uncommon at the time and it must be Edition Dohr 19027 span with few shifts to different said that the result is very effective. positions. Structurally, you can follow the subject These three short volumes are all sets and the answer, then trace the imitation of variations. Kallmeyer has taken the Grade 1 offers The Toye, an old English between the parts with modulations popular Sousa March The Liberty Bell as his anonymous gem, Mozart’s Minuet in C, which finally link the original material theme. He presents this exactly as you Schumann’s Melodie, Grasshopper by Lajos together for the ending in the home key. would expect and recognise but then Papp, two traditional British pieces of Neat and well crafted they make good takes short motifs of melody to develop which Down By The Sally Gardens is an old pieces of music. Interesting and satisfying in the variations rather than taking the favourite from Ireland, and works by to play, these make good contrapuntal entire melody. These are extremely Elissa Milne, Pam Wedgwood and Chee- material for students on the upper grades. chromatic and it is like hearing the music Hwa Tan as main selection choices with Di Stefano through an aural kaleidoscope; it is what another 21 alternative works. Trilogie du Roi you think but not quite as you know it. £15.50 There is also humour here, the final Grade 2 contains several old favourites UT Orpheus XXS 68 instruction being ‘blow large raspberry for this level: Attwood Allegro, Hassler instead of playing last chord’! Ecossaise, a Minuet by Elizabetta de Salvatore Di Stefano’s selection of Gambarini, Le chant du pâtre by Simone Plé, pieces depict the life of a King. Not any Both sets of Lothar Graap’s variations Intercity Stomp by Christopher Norton, particular King at any particular time, but are written for piano, organ or March Hare by Brian Chapple as well as events and situations that are part of royal harpsichord. The simple theme for Der alternative options by Haydn, Mozart, life. Mond ist aufgegangen – The Moon is Arising Kabalevsky, Gretchaninov and Bartók. – was written in the late 1700s by JAP There are contemporary works by Helen There is the grand Le Triomphe du Roi, a Schulz for a religious text by Matthias Madden, Anne Crosby Gaudet, Heather good processional piece with its dotted Claudius. The music is in a contrapuntal Hammond, Nikki Iles and Sarah Watts. rhythm, and the very attractive and style and very attractive in its simplicity. Grade 3 includes an array of works by swirling dance Valse. Dans La Caverne du Roi St. Martin, St. Martin uses themes from Handel, Haydn, Beethoven, Burgmüller, explores the depths of the keyboard and songs for the feast of St Martin on Gretchaninov, Gurlitt, Weber and Bartók, uses contrast between the staccato in the November 11th. Again they are short and also offering some old favourites from the bass and the legato in the treble. As you contrapuntal in style and at intermediate contemporary scene such as Karen would expect, La Mort du Roi is slow, sad level. They make particularly good Tanaka’s Northern Lights and Matyas and solemn. The final piece is Voyage with material for adult learners. Sieber’s Jazz Etudiette. All the above Grades the performance instruction vagando nel – Initial to grade 3 – include some cielo, wandering in the sky, and the EXAMINATIONS arrangements of popular works such as flowing semiquavers evoke that image. Salut d’Amour by Elgar, the Andante from This piece was also used for the film by Nadia Lasserson Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto and several soundtrack for Un discorso autonomo by traditional folk tunes. They also give ABRSM PIANO EXAM PIECES 2021 & 2022 B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 39 SYLLABUS Grades Initial – 8 Piano teachers all over the world, and especially in the UK, always await the new ABRSM piano pieces with great anticipation and excitement - these latest collections are now available for the next two-and-a-half years. Pupils and teachers will be able to enjoy this new syllabus with much time to consolidate and work through a vast amount of fine repertoire. (The old pieces from 2019/2020 will still be in operation until 31st December 2021, offering an overlap of one complete year.) The new Syllabus has increased the selection of repertoire to thirty pieces for each Grade, offering a huge range of musical variety and styles at every level.

Reviews continued... students an option of playing one piano E Kp380, Paradies Allegro from Sonata in A those details do not need lengthy duet which cannot fail to encourage a major and Les sauvages by Rameau. The comment here and does not prevent very shy candidate who wishes to have a Classical and Romantic periods are students from learning all keys - as and piano partner for a little support in the represented by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, when necessary. examination room or just offer a different Grieg, Schumann, Hensel, Lyadov and Liszt dimension to the exam preparation as while the twentieth century is covered by The “Teaching Notes on Piano Exam well as relaxation and fun. composers from China (Ni. Hongjin and Pieces” are compiled by Sharon Gould, Chen Yi), Argentina (Ginastera), France Julian Hellaby and Anthony Williams and Grade 4 moves into the Intermediate (Grovlez and Mulsant) and Britain (Alan offer extensive ideas and advice related to level repertoire which offers far more Bullard, Christopher Norton, Alan every piece under three separate headings choice of standard classical works. This Richardson and Rhian Samuel). Bartók’s of “Musical Context”, “Technical selection comes with many old favourites Bagpipers from the Sonatina has not been Challenges” and “Performance and such as Bach C minor Prelude, Kabalevsky on the syllabus for many years and Ibert’s Interpretation”. These can only aid the Etude in A minor, Schubert Minuet and Trio, Le petit âne blanc makes a first appearance dilemma every teacher and student faces Beethoven Sonatina in F major, Prokofiev in well over 50 years. when trying to select a programme of Marche, and Maikapar At The Smithy as well only three pieces. Ideally, everyone would as arrangements of the Mendelssohn Grade 8 is regarded as the gateway to a be well advised to study several pieces out Violin Concerto slow movement and serious approach to piano studies and sets of this extensive syllabus to fully realise Shenandoah. Alternative pieces in this students on the path to further ventures his potential at that level before grade offer much interest, with Arvo Pärt into Recital programming. This volume progressing further. Students in search of Für Anna Maria, Martha Meir Worrisome and the alternative pieces offer a fantastic fine musical sight-reading material could Blues, Vaughan Williams Valse Lente, Liszt array of music from all periods. The do far worse than read through pieces of La cloche sonne, Granados Dedicatoria and Baroque includes Bach Fantasia in C minor two or three grades lower than their Sarabande by Buxtehude. as well as the G major Prelude and Fugue current level to raise their musical from Book 1; Handel’s Prelude and Allegro awareness. With thirty pieces in each Grade 5 is often regarded as a from Suite no. 8 in F minor, Scarlatti grade, this new Associated Board syllabus landmark in the development of young Sonata in D Kp443 and Rameau’s Les certainly spoils all candidates and ensures pianists and the selection here offers a cyclopes. There is also a Prelude and Fugue in that there is something for everyone. wealth of treasures at Intermediate level. Bb from Clara Schumann’s opus 16. Sonata EDITION PETERS Bach Two-part Invention no. 8 in F is movements by Beethoven – opus 14/1 in E EP 73547 Grade 8 Piano Anthology regarded as the standard for this Grade –, Haydn – Hob XVI:46 in Ab – and Examination Pieces for 2021 and 2022 and it is back in the syllabus this time, Mozart – K 331 in A – as well as Chopin along with a Toccata in G minor by Mazurka op. 17 no. 4 in A minor, Schubert The long-awaited anticipation and Handel, a Sonata movement by Thomas Impromptu op. 142 no. 2 in Ab, Schumann excitement of the new piano syllabus is Arne, Mozart Theme and two Variations Romanze in F# and Brahms Intermezzo always an exciting period for piano from Ah vous dirai-je maman, a movement op. 116 no. 6 in E add to the wide choices teachers and students and this new from Haydn’s Sonata in G Hob XVI:G1, available. The twentieth century is well syllabus proved to be no exception. There Beethoven Bagatelle in G minor, represented by Rachmaninov, Debussy, then follows the Peters Grade 8 Tchaikovsky’s Douce rêverie. This Grade Poulenc, Chaminade, Bartók, Janáček, Anthology which includes many of the 30 offers a real cosmopolitan array of Villa-Lobos, Khachaturian, Arensy and the pieces set in the syllabus. This year proved repertoire from Bartók, Granados, Scottish Helen Hopekirk whose work we a longer wait than usual but, once Mompou, Amy Beach and William Gillock have not yet had the privilege to hear and published, teachers cannot fail to be through to Einaudi’s Elegy for the Arctic and play. Many EPTA friends are represented thrilled with its contents. There are 30 Heather Hammond’s Changing Times. in the music of today, with Peter pieces set by the Associated Board and Sculthorpe, Cecilia McDowell and Peters has included 24 of them, more Grade 6 is the earliest examination Christopher Norton as well as works by than ever before, thus enabling students that adds credit when applying for John Ireland, Chen Peixun and Uwe Korn. to use the one book for any of the University Entrance in the UK and is required pieces. therefore regarded as a milestone by The above extensive list of choices of teachers and students. Baroque music repertoire at all the Associated Board becomes an important component at this levels of piano is to demonstrate how level of study and there is a wealth of much thought has gone into this new contrapuntal repertoire on offer - Bach syllabus. The repertoire is no longer in Invention no. 6 in E, Handel Fantasia in A, chronological order but is based on Cimarosa Sonata in G, Scarlatti Sonata in A musical characteristics which gives Kp 208 and Solfeggietto by C.P.E. Bach. The candidates far more freedom in their Romantic period is represented by selections. Gone are the days of a Nielsen with Spinning Top and Chopin’s compulsory Baroque, Classical and Mazurka in G minor while the twentieth- Romantic/twentieth-century programme century and contemporary scene cover – candidates can now play two or three much ground with Debussy’s Page d’Album, pieces from the same musical era if Khachaturian’s ever-popular Legend, desired. Prokofiev’s Cortège de sauterelles, Paul Harvey’s catchy Rumba Toccata and a Lullaby Every grade book comes with an by Stephen Hough. accompanying CD with fine inspirational performances by Yulia Chaplina, Mei Yi Grade 7 contains much familiar Foo, Nikki Iles, Dinara Klinton, Charles repertoire as well as a few new surprises Owen, Robert Thompson, Richard Uttley, at early Advanced level with a wealth of Vanessa Latarche and Anthony Williams. contrapuntal pieces for selection, consisting of a Gigue in G by Mozart, Bach’s Scale and Arpeggio requirements have Sinfonia no. 15 in B minor, Telemann’s Vivace changed considerably this time with from Fantasia in G minor, Scarlatti Sonata in actually fewer keys set for each grade but 40

The first List A is there in its entirety TRINITY COLLEGE LONDON Yandell, Space Walk Rag by Philip with Bach Fantasia in C minor and Piano Exam Pieces 2021-2023 Hammond & Anya Suschitzky and works Prelude & Fugue in G major from Book 2, Examination Syllabus Grades Initial – 8 by the ever popular Christopher Norton Scarlatti Sonata in D Kp 443, Handel and Mark Tanner. Grade 2 moves on with Prelude & Fugue from Suite no. 8 in F It is always extra special when several Haydn, Le Couppey, Hummel, Weber, minor, Rameau Les cyclopes, Prelude & examination boards bring out new Telemann and a delightful Mazurka by Fugue in Bb by Clara Schumann and syllabuses at the same time, offering Maria Szymanowska in contrast to the Sonata movements by Haydn Hob teachers and students extra choices when contemporary Fun Fair Blues by Yandell, XVI/461 in Ab, Mozart in A K331, deciding on musical plans for the coming Penguin Parade by Donkin, ’Nuff Said by Beethoven op. 14 no. 1 in E and Martinez period. A wonderful plethora of new Gumbley and Floating Balloons by Sonata in A. It must be the first time that repertoire is on offer while supporting Sukontapatipark. Grade 3 mingles Baroque and Classical works are in the tests continue as before with scale and Couperin, Pachelbel, Scarlatti, Haydn and same list for the student to select one or arpeggio requirements requiring keys Diabelli with Bartók, Schmitz, the other. with one sharp and one flat for Grade 1, Schoenmehl, Bullard, Iles, Donkin and two sharps and flats for Grade 2 and Lynch. Grades 4 and 5 begin the The two remaining Lists B and C are continues in a similar vein until Grades Intermediate path with more substantial compiled of Romantic and twentieth- 6–8. The Initial Grade asks for C major repertoire by Cimarosa, Mozart, century repertoire offering an abundance and A minor scales and chords. Each Schumann, Kuhlau, Lemoine and of choice, from Schubert Impromptu in volume has the scales and arpeggios Burgmüller with new works by Ben Ab op. 142, Chopin Mazurka in A minor written out as well as 6 Technical Crosland, Philip Knowles, Ross Petot, op. 17 no. 4, Schumann Romance in F# op. Exercises of which three remain Bohuslav Taneva and Maria Mitsud. 28, Brahms Intermezzo in E op. 116 no. 6, compulsory. Every Grade offers a choice Arensky Nocturne in Db op. 36, Andante of three pieces out of a possible 35 with 12 Grade 5 includes many old favourites from In The Mist by Janáček, Moment printed in each Exam book and further of Bach French Suite no. 5 Gavotte, Musical in Db op. 16 by Rachmaninov selections available from the Trinity Tchaikovky Reverie which also happens to through to Pierette op. 11 by Chaminade, website. These cover a wide range of be in the new ABRSM Grade 5, Haydn, Bartók’s Rondo no. 1, Snow, Moon and styles, periods and genres and Grades Schubert, Schumann, Burgmüller, Amy Flowers by Peter Sculthorpe, Debussy Initial–3 offer the option of one duet Beach, McCabe’s Sports Car and Cantilena by Rêverie, Toccata by Khachaturian and Vespers with a parent or teacher which is EPTA’s good friend and Founder of EPTA in Venice by EPTA friend Cecilia McDowall. considered an important element in Cyprus, Charles Camilleri. building self confidence in examination This volume is not only a wonderful situations. With 280 pieces available As already mentioned in the ABRSM compendium of fine repertoire for throughout the levels, attention can only review, Grade 6 is the earliest of the three aspiring concert artists but is also part of be given to a selection of this amazingly more advanced examinations which give a well- established examination wide range of exciting and fun-packed candidates extra credit when applying for programme thereby luring many young repertoire. The Initial level includes University. Trinity Grade 6 offers standard and older pianists to work through this several works composed specially for the works by Couperin, Bach, Haydn, syllabus. The fine editing deserves a board by Tom Gerou, Sarah Walker, Schubert, Farrenc, Khachaturian, Bartók, mention as part of the original Mintra Thuntawech and Peter Wild as Casella, Reger and Schitz. Grade 7 Hinrichsen music publishing house well as Praetorius, Handel, Bartók, Kodály contains much of the standard repertoire which was set up in 1874 in Leipzig to and Lajos Papp and range from Classical by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, publish Peters music. Having suffered to Blues. Most of these pieces lie Paradies, Schubert, Mendelssohn, the incredible hardships and lost the house comfortably under the five-finger hand atmospheric Lento by Fibich, Poulenc, during the Holocaust, Peters publishing is position and all offer a wide range of Prokofiev and Peter Warlock. The final now reinstated in its original Leipzig styles for young pianists to work through Grade 8 offers few surprises with Sonata home and continues its fine international in the early piano development years. movements by Scarlatti, Beethoven, work. The whole fascinating story can be Grade 1 includes many old favourites by Mozart, Haydn, works by Bach and read in Music Publishing and Patronage - C.F. Handel, Beethoven, Turk, Reinagle and Handel, Hindemith Ludus Tonalis, Bartók Peters: 1800 to the Holocaust by Irene Diabelli, with a charming Donkey Trot by second of Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, Lawford-Hinrichsen. Dulcie Holland, Pirate Stomp by Naomi Granados Andaluza, Chopin Study in Ab, Debussy Minstrels, and Poulenc eighth The engravings have always been urtext and it is these that are used in this volume B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 41 with lucid printing and minimum markings leaving an uncluttered page to be read. Pagination is intelligently organised enabling performers to give of their best. As is the custom of this particular Peters Edition, there are enlightening and informative Performance Notes by Professor Norman Beed and helpful Aural Notes by Caroline Evans guiding examination candidates through each piece of this volume with microscopic detail. Excellent value for money with 24 wonderful great works from the piano repertoire, this publication is a must for all advanced pianists.

Reviews continued... Nocturne and finale from Suite pour piano. NBOUWY CD REVIEWS However, a few novelties have crept into by Melvyn Cooper this Grade 8 with the rarely-heard Feodora LEARN MORE by Czerny, D’un vieux jardin by Lili www.rslawards.com [email protected] EDWARD GREGSON (b. 1945) Boulanger, Madeleine Dring’s Blue Air Complete Music for Solo Piano: from Colour Suite and Land of the Misty covers a wide span of popular musical An Album for my Friends (2011) Giants by Oscar Peterson. genres, styles, techniques and skills to Three Etudes (2020) perform arrangements of some of the Lullaby (1965) Having mentioned much of the world’s most popular songs, all geared to A Song for Sue (1966) standard repertoire used in this new the appropriate level. Rockschool follows Four Pictures for Piano Duet (1982) syllabus, mention must be made of some the Trinity format of demanding scales Six Little Pieces (1982 rev 1993) Sonatas by Martinez – a neighbour of and arpeggios with the same number of Friday a.m. (1981) Haydn – and several pieces from the sharps and flats as the Grade but is unlike Piano Sonata in one movement (1983) Fitzwilliam Virginal Book with works by Trinity in continuing with seven sharps Murray McLachlan • Edward Gregson • Farnaby, Byrd and some unknown and flats for Grade 7 and wisely demands Rose McLachlan composers. It is wonderful to expose all keys to be prepared for Grade 8. Each Naxos 8.574222 students to the earlier periods of music Grade includes one natural minor scale. and at the other end of the spectrum, Students have the option of two types of With this CD, Murray McLachlan Trinity launched a new venture of a exams for each Grade - either a Grade makes his recording debut for the Naxos composition competition two years ago Exam of three pieces, scales & arpeggios, label. From the first piece to the last, the for each Grade and the winning works technical studies, sight-reading, listener is transported into a world of have all been published in this new musicianship questions on the performed varying styles and moods, beautifully syllabus. From Initial to 8 the winners repertoire and improvisation or a performed by Murray McLachlan, his are: Mintra Thuntawech with Muay Thai ( Performance Certificate consisting of five daughter Rose McLachlan and Edward Boxing Star), Matthew Pittarello’s Viking pieces, of which two must be selected Gregson himself. The selection ranges Village, Waris Sukontapatipark with Floating from the syllabus. This comprehensive from charming miniatures in An Album for Balloons, Edric Tan’s The Night of the Sleepy examination programme is ideal for My Friends, inspired by dance movements Panda, Maria Mifsud’s Remembrance, Gilon students who wish to focus on popular from Bach’s French and English Suites to Fox with Walk in the Park, Oliver Francis music while building technical blocks for the more substantial Piano Sonata. It is Huang-Hsu with Epilogue fifth movement the long journey of becoming a successful always a pleasure to welcome to CD from Tăwăhi, Charlotte Botterill’s Soho and contemporary pianist. A complete collections, refreshing unheard repertoire finally Romance by Dario Sciarra. The programme, these progressive books with newly recorded. It is also rewarding to oldest of these gifted composers is under many popular songs cannot fail to enthral hear solo piano repertoire by an English 30 and the youngest nine years old. A young students and inspire them to composer. The very informative and wonderful way to inspire aspiring pianists progress. They can also be worked on comprehensive cover programme notes and composers of all ages and stages. alongside more classical examination are also written by Murray McLachlan. syllabuses for a lighter approach to Another new project has been the traditional skills while broadening The pieces are very original and what introduction of interesting and helpful musical horizons to become a more is also impressive is that the pianism historic and Performance Notes to every complete musician and pianist. never outshines the compositional piece compiled by Martin Ford, Gwen content and vice versa. Murray Barton and Frances Wilson. Yet another McLachlan has a wonderful cantabile and comprehensive and exciting new syllabus warmth of tone when needed but he also has been compiled by Trinity to inspire displays a virtuoso technique to great young pianists all over the world. effect. Several pieces ‘sparkle’ off the HAL LEONARD keyboard while others ‘fire’ off the keys Rockschool Piano Examinations or are ‘caressed’ with rich, warm tone that Grades Debut to 8 for Contemporary is never sacrificed on the altar of pianistic Piano showmanship. The dedications to these pieces all figure as milestones in Rockschool piano examinations have Gregson’s life ranging from his student been running for many years, but this years while studying composition with year they have focussed on a more Alan Bush at the Royal Academy of Music classical approach to their contemporary in London to the newly composed three syllabus which cannot fail to attract young pianists. The publications are complete and explicit for each Grade and include Performance and Technical Guidance, all six pieces, Technical Exercises that include Scales, Arpeggios, Chord Voicings & Technical Studies, Supporting Tests of Sight-Reading, Improvisation and Interpretation, Ear Tests and General Musicianship Questions as well as information on how to enter the Rockschool Exams, the marking schemes and a page of helpful “piano notation explained”. There are six pieces set for each Grade and candidates have the option of performing two free- choice works. The selection of music 42

etudes composed in 2020. There is a and then more improvised sections PIANO MODERN RECITAL Vol. 1 co-incidental connection with appear which was in keeping with the PATRICK HEMMERLÉ - Piano Manchester, England. Gregson was tradition of the time. The second Vitizlav NOVAK (1870–1949) principal of the Royal Northern College movement, marked Adagio, is cantabile with The Tone Poem ‘PAN’ of Music 1996–2008 and two of the a rich warm tone leading to the Rondo dedicatees also have Manchester finale marked Allegro. This movement The French pianist Patrick Hemmerlé connections. The first of the three etudes is opens with an off-beat theme bringing was born in 1981 and is a prize winner of dedicated to Mark Ray who was Head of humour and lightness to the movement several international piano competitions. the School of Keyboard Studies at the and by the end of the concerto it is back Pan the tone poem is a pianistic journey RNCM and the second etude is dedicated in regular time. through nature. This large-scale work by to Murray McLachlan himself who is Czech born Vitizlav Novak was composed Head of Keyboard at Chetham’s School of The third concerto in C minor Op. 37 in 1910 and lasts 55 minutes. It has five Music and a senior piano professor at the opens in the key often used by Beethoven pieces within its structure: Prolog, RNCM. A Song for Sue is performed for the more dramatic style that became Mountains, The Sea, The Forest and Woman. beautifully by Gregson, and Rose familiar territory for Beethoven. After a Hemmerlé demonstrates to great effect McLachlan joins her father for the Four long opening tutti, the soloist enters with the variety of style and sound contained Pictures for piano duet. Every pianist and three C-minor-melodic, one-octave scale in this work. His wide-ranging use of piano teacher should have this collection passages leading to the first subject being dynamics and expression together with a in their CD libraries. A wonderful clear stated by the soloist in double octaves. fine technique produces a wonderful quality recording of these extremely The second subject is in the usual relative recording of early twentieth-century refreshing and very enjoyable works. major key of Eb and the cadenza heard on impressionistic piano repertoire. LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) this recording is by Beethoven. The The Piano Concertos second movement is in the remote key of Dimitri TCHESNOKOV (1982–) Stephen Hough E major and leads to another sonata- THE SNOW - Two Etudes Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra rondo movement back in C minor then Hannu Lintu after a brief cadenza the theme returns These colourful and descriptive etudes Hyperion but in the tonic major of C but with a demand various and wide-ranging touches lively jaunty feel to the style. of technique and expression. They are The CD Catalogue is not short of virtuoso compositions and the listener performances of Beethoven’s five piano The fourth concerto Op. 58 is in G can detect the changing patterns of ‘snow’ concertos by various artistes, but in the major and opens with a beautifully voiced from the gentle falling flakes of snow, to Beethoven 2020 anniversary year, it seems warm introduction from the soloist, first the snow storm before coming to a only fitting to welcome this new three- with the theme which is then reiterated subdued conclusion. This is a superb CD set to the list. The first concerto in C and developed by the orchestra. The long recording and listeners not ‘in tune’ with major Op. 15 receives a steady, stylistic first-movement cadenza is by Beethoven. twentieth-century or modern piano music performance. The first-movement cadenza Stephen Hough produces some need not fear. The repertoire on this CD was written out by Beethoven but he left wonderfully warm, lyrical tones is all extremely approachable and is it unfinished, then later he composed two throughout the concerto. The stark wonderfully performed by Patrick more cadenzas, the first of which Stephen orchestral opening of the second Hemmerlé. Hough performs on this recording. The movement in E minor is answered by a second movement in the remote key of Ab haunting, pleading first entry by the JOSEPH HAYDN (1732–1809) major starts with a warm lyrical theme soloist. The rondo third movement opens Andante and Variations in F minor from the soloist. It is in sonata-rondo in the key of C major but quickly returns HobXVII form with a coda. The short cadenza to the home key of G major. JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833–1897) towards the end of the movement is by Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Beethoven. The rondo finale is taken at a Concerto No. 5 in Eb major Op. 73 is Handel Op. 24 very brisk pace. known by the nickname ‘The Emperor’. NIKOLAI MEDTNER (1880–1951) The opening piano cadenzas are played by Second Improvisation – In A Form of The first-movement cadenza of the Bb Stephen Hough as ‘cadenzas’ as Beethoven Variations Op. 47 concerto No. 2 Op. 19, is composed by intended rather than performed as alien Dina Parakhina Stephen Hough himself. Hough is also piano figurations as is heard in some Vista Vera Label well known as a composer and improviser recordings. As the movement has a as well as a concert pianist so the cadenza number of cadenza-type figurations from This CD is compiled of three works of is cleverly worked with thematic and the soloist, Beethoven only composes a Variations. In the Haydn F minor variations, rhythmic material used in the movement very short cadenza towards the end of the Dina Parakhina displays a complete sense movement. The second movement is in of style in this set of variations with all the unexpected key of B major and opens the changes of mood well in place, from with a gloriously warm theme by the orchestra. The finale in the home key of BACK TO CONTENTS Eb is a majestic rondo. Very comprehensive, informative Cover Notes are written by Professor Barry Cooper of Manchester University, a greatly respected Beethoven scholar. Each of the five concertos produces beautifully clear recordings which I fully recommend. 43

Reviews continued... the seriousness of the theme to the lyrical András Schiff: Music Comes Out of Silence in Auschwitz. Life could never be easy, and capricious nature of several of the - a memoir and there is much fascinating detail on variations. Dina Parakhina employs Weidenfeld and Nicolson (328 pages) the 1956 uprising and the developing impeccable finger work with intimacy, political scene. Yet music and in fluidity and yet such clarity of line and A pianist at the top of his game in ripe particular the piano was taken seriously phrase. She performs the right amount of middle age, perhaps the pre-eminent and properly funded, and young András humour of the major variation that is Bach pianist of his time; a distinguished had the benefit of a golden era in the often lacking in Haydn performance, and conductor, scholar and teacher; a Franz Liszt Academy: names such as Leó together with pianistic integrity of drama humanitarian whose outspoken views Weiner, Pál Kadosa, Annie Fischer, and poise this is a refined performance. have rendered it impossible for him to György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados thread visit or perform in his native Hungary; a the pages of the book, as well as The Variations and Fugue on a theme by wide-ranging intellectual in the service of classmates such as Zoltán Kocsis and Handel of Brahms ranks as one of the his art. This is in every way an apt and Dezsö Ránki. greatest works in variation form for solo welcome moment for the appearance of piano. From the neo-Baroque flair of the Sir András Schiff’s autobiography, or Schiff plays wonderful tribute to the theme to the most demanding variations, memoir, Music Comes Out of Silence. forceful, life-enhancing, sometimes Dina Parakhina displays a virtuoso eccentric Hungarian violinist, quartet- technique throughout the nearly half an Over the last two decades Schiff has, leader, conductor and inspirational hour of playing time it takes to perform almost by stealth, become acknowledged teacher Sandor Vegh. As with myself, his this work. Her rubato is well judged and as one of the world’s leading pianists. This principal contact with Vegh came through stylistic. The Fugue subjects are robust, is without any of the repertoire normally the International Musicians’ Seminar at but lyrical where appropriate with the associated with stardom in pianists - Prussia Cove, Cornwall. I recall subjects clearly marked. There is indeed Schiff would probably refute the impromptu performances of inspirational wonderful projection throughout this very idea of stardom, as did his great freedom and spontaneous commitment, work. mentor Sandor Vegh: he plays no Liszt, often late at night (and including, on one Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, no glittering occasion, the great Mozart F major four It is surprising that the piano works of transcriptions and little Chopin. His hands Sonata where I was privileged to be Medtner do not seem to be a feature in repertoire can be identified with that of the hind legs of the duet horse with the usual piano recital so it is refreshing other Central European pianists such as András as the front legs). Vegh’s teaching to hear his piano works where possible. Rudolf Serkin, the Berlin-trained Claudio made an indelible effect on all who His Second Improvisation in the Form of Arrau, and Alfred Brendel - though Arrau witnessed it and has clearly rooted itself Variations takes a journey through and Brendel played Liszt. No pianist, in deeply in Schiff’s performing persona. descriptive titles of the theme and several the post-war era, has done more to short variations with a concluding re-establish Bach at the forefront of the Part 2 of the book contains precious episode. The various descriptions in the modern pianist’s repertoire. Anyone insights into the performance of the programme notes are The Mermaid’s Song, fortunate enough to have been present at Goldberg Variations, Mozart Piano Meditation, Caprice, Feathery, Magic, Whimsies, his late-night Proms performances of the Concertos, Beethoven Sonatas, Schubert, In the Stream, The Tumult of the Crowd, In the complete “48” over two years (2017/18) the Dvořák Concerto, Bartók and much Woods, The Wood Goblin, Elves, Gnomes, The witnessed a mastery, concentration and else. Schiff’s incisive wit (he says that he Incantation, The Threat, Foul Weather and complete identification with the timeless has enjoyed jokes all his life) is evident Conclusion. Dina Parakhina paints a but unspectacular music not to be throughout, not least in his “Ten pianistic picture of incredible variety and forgotten. Commandments for concertgoers”. mood together with virtuoso flair and finesse. A recommended CD. And so any music lover or music- While Schiff pays glowing tribute to BOOK REVIEW loving pianists – not all pianists love György Kurtág – perhaps the world’s by Julian Jacobson music! – will find much absorbing and greatest living musician – I would have inspiring material in this handsomely welcomed some more specific detail into 44 produced memoir. The format is that of a his compositions. He also omits to mention dialogue: gently probing, occasionally Elliott Carter, whose wonderful Piano and provocative questions from Martin Meyer, Wind Quintet he premiered together with clearly a cultured and knowledgeable a distinguished band of wind players interlocutor, are answered cogently and including Heinz Holliger. And a detailed often wittily by Schiff. This makes the discography would have helped the reader book suitable for dipping into as well as follow up many enticing repertoire items. for the long read: for those who have the But these are minor quibbles in a book time, their patience will be amply that will reward, inform and entertain the rewarded. The dialogue having reader on many fronts. presumably been conducted in German, Misha Donat has provided an English András Schiff is Honorary UK President of translation of faultless fluency. the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe, of which Julian is the Chairman. The book is in two parts. Part 1, “Making music out of silence”, is largely autobiographical, while part 2, “Politics, Music & Musicians”, is both more general and more polemical. Part 1 delves deeply into Schiff’s origins: while not suffering any particular deprivations himself, his middle class Jewish family had experienced all the horrors of Nazism and subsequently of the Stalin era in communist Hungary. His father’s first wife and four-year-old son were murdered

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EPTA News - Autumn/Winter 2020–21 by Nadia Lasserson EPTA - EUROPEAN PIANO It is no secret that this year has been unprecedented with everyone in shock and TEACHERS ASSOCIATION mourning a life that once was. Musicians have suffered all over the world, not least The Parent Organisation the wonderful EPTA Family. Musicians are always enterprising and quick to adapt Charity Registered Number 1094973 and with the advent of online work, EPTA activities are quickly springing into 34 Carver Road, London SE24 9LT action, either live with safe-distanced audiences or online. Tel: +44 (0)20 7274 6821 Email: [email protected] It is heartwarming to find that a few live concerts did take place in recent months in Founder Carola Grindea halls large enough to maintain safe distancing. Honorary European President Dominique Merlet Last year EPTA Italy Honorary Vice Presidents organised a “Course of Fanny Waterman DBE, Malcolm Troup, Piano Performance” Alberto Portugheis with 22 free lessons from Marcella Crudeli EPTA EUROPEAN PRESIDENT culminating in two live (2019/2020) concerts in October – Heribert Koch (President of EPTA Germany) one with orchestra and one as a solo recital VICE PRESIDENTS –and there were also 15 All Presidents of EPTA National Associations live concerts in many different venues across EPTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Rome. Chairman: Murray McLachlan Secretary: Nadia Lasserson To celebrate Marcella Treasurer: Derek Watson Crudeli’s 80th Birthday, Members of Executive Committee: EPTA Italy continues to Till Alexander Koerber, Heribert Koch, run exams for teachers Alberto Urroz, Alan Paul & Susan Bettaney and students in the Museum of Popular Arts (pictured above). Website: www.epta-europe.org EPTA Croatia courageously ran its Annual Festival with a live concert on 12th December EPTA – the Parent Organisation – is 2020, held in the only restored Concert Hall since the devastating earthquake last March constantly expanding not only in Europe - the Croatian Music Institute (HGZ). The first half was given by Winners of the 2019 11th but also throughout the world through its Osijek EPTA Croatia Piano Competition and the second half included winners from previous Affiliations with the most important EPTA International Piano Competitions held in Croatia. The day began with an AGM and Piano Teachers Associations: ended with the most successful piano teacher, Jelica Kuzmin, receiving an EPTA Award for MTNA – Music Teachers National her devotion and lifetime contribution to teaching and to Croatian Piano Pedagogy. Association Piano Teachers National Association EPTA Albania bravely planned its “XIth Piano Duets National Meeting” for 11th–13th of Japan, Founder: Yasuko Fukuda December 2020 depending on the pandemic situation and has set its XXVth “National Japan Piano Teachers Association, Young Pianist Festival” for 10th–12th June 2021 to be followed by the “National Meeting for President: Prof Akemi Murakami Amateur Pianists” on 18th–20th June 2021. Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Associations, Co-ordinator: EPTA Denmark was able to organise a live Workshop of “Music Work Out” - an amazing Prof Ireneus Zuk ear-training music theory system created by Anette Præst Nielsen, EPTA Denmark’s new Latin American Piano Teachers Vice-President. However, Covid-19 forced the annual Grade Exams, International Piano Association (Argentine, Chile, Week and the Student Recital at the Round Tower to be cancelled. Ecuador, Brazil) EPTA Spain organised its traditional Christmas Concert given by Winners of the VIth EPTA ASSOCIATES: EPTA Piano Competition. Participants sent video recordings for the First Round, and the EPTA CHINA ASSOCIATES Winners performed in the beautiful hall of the Museum of Romanticism in Madrid on Patrick Leichner December 17th. EPTA NEW YORK ASSOCIATES Prof Salvatore Moltisanti Some EPTA Associations were obliged to abandon plans for logistic reasons. EPTA INDIA ASSOCIATES EPTA Greece had a year-long project dedicated to Russian music in collaboration with Founder-Director: Prabhudas Ivanson the Russian Embassy of Athens, intending to present Russian music as well as videos to EPTA ISRAEL ASSOCIATES include Russian Culture and history. Vladimir Viardo had been booked to travel from the Dr. Yuval Admony USA to run a few masterclasses, as well as concerts. The entire project fell apart, with travel also impossible from the USA. EPTA Greece held a meeting in November to plan ahead with For updated news of activities of online activities for its members. each individual EPTA country, please EPTA Slovenia was forced to cancel its Annual “Piano Days” Conference and “Pianission see the website: www.epta-europe.org 2020” Young Artists Concert Series as all Slovenian schools are closed on account of the Covid situation. It was to have been a Jubilee Occasion to celebrate EPTA Slovenia’s 20th Anniversary. 46

Contact information and news from the EPTA international community And yet, several were able to maintain contact through their respective Journals. Many of our wonderful EPTA Slovenian Virkla 8th Edition “Emotions in Music” was published in 2020, with articles Associations are hoping that events will on pianism and pedagogy as well as lectures from Slovenian and International Conferences. be able to go live in 2021 and are planning This can be browsed on www.epta.si/virkla while EPTA Russia uses its Journal to translate accordingly. EPTA Belgium Wallonies/ articles and information from the EPTA Piano Journal to keep members linked to the EPTA Bruxelles has rescheduled the 15th family. «Rencontres Internationales des Jeunes The usual run of Autumn Conferences took place online this year. Pianistes» to 2nd–7th March 2021 in the EPTA Austria had planned its Annual Conference to take place from 20th–22nd November Centre Culturel of Grez-Doiceau, Belgium. but decided to organise a one-day online event with three presentations on the 21st. Some This was due to take place in March of the lectures had been put on the website and the young pianists performing their 2020 and had to be postponed because compositions were recorded on YouTube. The online events were the AGM, “Experiences of Covid-19. The age limit has been and tools for online teaching” and a “Round Table Discussion” for all participants. exceptionally extended to 25 years. This EPTA Ireland was obliged to cancel some planned activities including a Masterclass and is to allow the candidates who applied the annual EPTA Festival. After a Members Online Forum last June, they decided to hold for the competition in March 2020 to every planned date online. Members were given “updates on teaching online and help compete in the same age category they with dealing with associated stress and difficulties”. Janet Day gave a talk on “Motivation: applied for in March 2020.The application exploring ways to motivate students and a consideration of some practising strategies” in fees paid in March 2020 are considered October. And the Annual Christmas concert for students of EPTA members was held online to be valid for 2021 and EPTA Belgium this year. Penelope Roskell will present her new book on Piano technique in January 2021 Wallonie/Bruxelles hopes to welcome and a session on Exam Syllabuses is planned for the spring. everyone in Grez-Doiceau. EPTA Israel Associates held its National Conference on November 20th with the Music Theorist Ram Reuven presenting: “How to incorporate theory in Piano Lessons”, EPTA Denmark is planning to run Music Programmes Specialist Avi Bar Eitan showed “How to use digital tools in Piano the annual Grade exams from March–June Lessons - especially when teaching remotely”, Kobi Sade – a Music Educator for Infants – 2021 and also the International Piano demonstrated “Games in piano Lessons and the Dalcroze method” and, true to tradition, Week (25–31 July), with Professors Yuri Povolozki presented his music for children. Aleksandra Žvirblytė, Eero Heinonen EPTA Israel Associates always includes a well-known living composer. and Kevin Kenner. EPTA Latvia held its Xth International Piano competition: Dedicated to Alfrēds Kalniņš – on 26th November 2020 – in collaboration with the A.Kalniņš Music secondary school in EPTA Italy rescheduled the Roma Cēsis. International Piano Competition from EPTA Portugal went ahead with the “VIth National Pedagogy Conference” and, instead December 2020 to 7th–18th May 2021. of one short weekend, online possibilities enabled it to extend across two long weekends: 13th–15th and 21st–22nd November. Speakers included: Nancy Lee Harper talking about “Beryl EPTA Latvia will run the Jautrīte Rubinstein, an American who studied with Vianna da Motta”; Roy Howat presenting Putniņa International Piano competition “Musical and Pedagogical Aims of Chopin’s Preludes”; Penelope Roskell demonstrated in conjunction with the Valmeira Music “Teaching a Healthy Technique to Beginners”; “The Performing Pianist’s Guide to Fingering” School on 27th January 2021. was discussed by its three authors Joseph Banowetz, Philp Fowke and Nancy Lee Harper; Vera Fonte demonstrated “Memorisation strategies in tonal and non-tonal repertoire”; João EPTA Finland will run its next seminar Bettencourt talked about “The pianism of Claudio Arrau”; Miguel Campinho presented online on 6th–7th February 2021 and it is “Our deepest music romantic: Óscar da Silva (1870-1958)”; while Luís Pipa followed with free for everyone. Details can be seen on Óscar da Silva as the “Melancolic Poet of the Piano”; Tania Lisboa debated “Synchronous the website www.pianopedagogit.fi. Online Learning, Teaching and performing: past and future” which was followed by a Round Table Discussion on “Experiences of teaching online during lockdown”; Nuno Ventura EPTA UK continued to run hugely gave a recital of “Rachmaninoff op. 39 etudes”; Irina Gorin offered “Introduction to piano successful fortnightly Webinars for its pedagogy for beginners”; Alberto Urroz presented Domenico Scarlatti as a “Baroque Musical members with a few extra important ones Cauldron”; and Nadia Lasserson introduced “Key to Success” - A journey through all 30 keys each week. These are all based on pedagogy with Gilock, Gurlitt and Metelka and piano teaching related topics and have EPTA Switzerland was eventually forced to stream its bi-annual Conference on the topic been enormously appreciated and attended of “Motivation” on 7th November. The spring meeting will now take place in Baar and will by large numbers of members - far more be dedicated to “Women & Piano” (as Switzerland celebrates 50 years of voting rights for than ever attended live Conferences. women) on 8th May 2021. EPTA Sweden was obliged to cancel its Autumn Conference in Stockholm as well as In the light of having to cancel so its in-service training day planned in Uppsala. In its place, a digital Autumn Concert and many planned events, it is clear that all Annual Meeting were organised for November 14th when the President, Patrick Jovell, EPTA Presidents are quick thinking and stood down after many years working for EPTA. He must be warmly thanked for all his enlightened in the way they have all commitment over the last few years and Eva Lundgren is welcomed as the new EPTA adapted and continued with events to keep Sweden President - we all look forward to collaborating with her over the coming years. their teachers and members stimulated and encouraged to maintain their fine work, even if home-based. Everyone is learning all the time and becoming expert at running online activities which are such a great comfort for isolated EPTA members all over the world. B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 47

EPTA Associations EPTA ALBANIA EPTA BELGIUM-Flanders/Brussels EPTA CYPRUS Honorary President Takuina Adami Honorary Presidents Louise Hesbain, Roland Planning to re-organise. President Klodi Zheji [email protected] De Munck Jordan Misja High School of Arts, Tirana President Levente Kende Tel: +355 42 23 743, Mobile: +355 6740 80111 [email protected] Secretary Marc Theuns [email protected] Mechelsesteenweg 109/6, 2018 Antwerp Tel: +32 3 281 05 95 Marleen Geerts-Meeusen [email protected] EPTA ARMENIA EPTA BELGIUM-Wallonie/Bruxelles EPTA CZECH REPUBLIC Honorary Presidents Prof. Sergey Sarajyan, President Diane Andersen Founder and Honorary President Prof. Armine Grigoryan [email protected] Radoslav Kvapil President Anna Hambaryan Lotsesteenweg 186, B -1653 Dworp [email protected] [email protected] Tel: +32 2 380 08 27 or +32 1 045 24 03 President Dr Milan Franek Vice President Astghik Bakhshiyan Secretary Marie-Dominique Gilles [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Tel: +420 728 896 891 Secretary Zaruhi Mkrtchyan www.epta-belgium.be for all information in Vice President Dr Jitka Fowler Fraňková [email protected] French, English and Flemish. [email protected] Administrator Laura Barseghyan Tel: +420 775 974 327 [email protected] Schnirchova 25, 17000 Praha Tserents Armenia. Str. 7a, Apt. 8, www.epta-cz.com Yerevan – 0032 EPTA BULGARIA Planning to reorganise. EPTA AUSTRIA EPTA CROATIA EPTA DENMARK Honorary Presidents Prof. Walter Honorary President Vladimir Krpan President Dr Balder Neergaard Groppenberger, Prof. Anton Voigt President Ida Gamulin Vice president Vagn Sørensen President Prof. Till Alexander Koerber [email protected] Secretary (Acting) Balder Neergaard [email protected] Vice President Ivanka Kordić Treasurer Lise Andersen Tel: +43 664 7 36 09 503 Secretary Helena Herman Committee Members: Mimi Huang, Vice President Dagmar Schinnerl Trg republike Hrvatske 12, 10000 Zagreb Inke Kesseler, Elisabeth Holmegaard Nielsen, Secretary Heidemarie Schneider–Klimpfinger www.epta-croatia.hr, www.idagamulin.com Søren Pedersen Treasurer Regina Seeber, Project Manager. Honorary members: Anna Øland, Claudia Berzé Tove Lønskov, Bella Horn, Arne Christensen, [email protected] Elsebeth Brodersen and Eugen Indjic Tel: +43 664 777 36 09 503 Søborg Hovedgade 150 1th c/o Anton Bruckner University DK-2860 Søborg, Denmark Hagenstrasse 57, A-4040 Linz Phone: (+45) 41 188 288 www.epta-austria.at / www.bruckneruni.at Email: [email protected] 48

EPTA ESTONIA EPTA FRANCE EPTA GREECE President Lembit Orgse, [email protected] President Véronique Bonnecaze President Natalia Michailidou Vice Presidents Lauri Vainma, alauri. Vice-President Élodie Meuret [email protected] [email protected], Martti Raide (Chief Treasurer Julie BECHET Vice Presidents: Dora Bakopoulos and Kalliopi Executive), [email protected] and Mati 68 boulevard de Courcelles - 75008 PARIS Germanou Mikalai, [email protected] www.epta-france.org Secretary Sofia Dousia Information manager: Riine Pajusaar, Email: [email protected] Treasurer Kostas Tourkakis [email protected] Tél. +33 (0)1 46 22 31 85 Public Relations Stefanos Theodoridis Committee Members: Ia Remmel (editor of Ou +33 (0)7 88 55 15 94 Member of executive committee Sara the annual magazine “Klaver”), Ruth Ernstson, Galanopoulou Tiina Muddi, c/o Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Tatari 13, Tallinn 10116, Estonia Tel: +372 667 5700 www.epta.ee EPTA FINLAND EPTA GEORGIA EPTA HUNGARY President Katariina Nummi-Kuisma Honorary President Alexandre Toradze President Mariann Ábraham [email protected] President Nino Khutsishvili [email protected] Kelohongantie 8B, 02120 Espoo Helsinki [email protected] [email protected] Tel: +358 405 615 877 Dolidzestr 28, ap. 87, 0115 Tbilisi, Georgia Hollosy, S.u.15, 1126 Budapest Vice President Eeva Sarmanto-Neuvonen Vice Presidents: Sidonia Arjevnishvili, Ketevan Tel/Fax: +361 356 05 62 [email protected] Badridze, Maka Baqradze and Levan Inashvili www.parlando.hu Meripuistotie 3A 17, 00200 Helsinki Tel: +358 505 266 440 EPTA GERMANY EPTA ICELAND Secretary Peter Lönnqvist [email protected] Presidium: Dr. Jairo Geronymo (Berlin), Honorary President Halldor Haraldsson Orvokkitie 25, 00900 Helsinki Finland Prof Linde Grossman (Berlin), Heribert Koch President Ólöf Jónsdóttir Tel: +358 505 658 503 (Langerwehe), Jens Hamer (Altenberge), [email protected] Committee Members: Katariina Liimatainen Marilia Patricio (Köln) Treasurer Brynja Gísladóttir katariina.liimatainen@ Secretary Sigrid Naumann [email protected] kuopionkonservatorio.fi [email protected] Secretary Einar Bjartur Egilsson and Niklas Pokki, [email protected] Koenigswarter Str. 4, D-36039 Fulda [email protected] Rebekka Angervo (webmaster), Treasurer Dr. Rainer Lorenz [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.epta.is Tuomas Mali (editor of “Pianisti” which is Nittenauer Str. 31, 93057 Regensburg distributed to all members), Tel: +49 (0)3212 123 1940 [email protected] www.epta-deutschland.de www.eptafinland.fi www.epta-germany.org B A C K TO C O N T E N T S 49

EPTA Associations continued... EPTA IRELAND EPTA LITHUANIA EPTA NETHERLANDS Patrons: Frank Heneghan, Philip Martin, John President Kestutis Grybauskas President Bart van de Roer O’Conor, Hugh Tinney [email protected] [email protected] President Owen Lorigan Latvia 7-2, 08123 Vilnius LT Vice President Liesbeth Eggen CommitteeVictoria Whittam and Nicolas Puyane Tel: + 370 521 38 771, + 370 614 15535 Secretary Elize van den Berg, secretaris@ Administrator Eithne Gallagher Secretary Aurelija Seliavienė eptanederland.nl 16 Rowanbyrn, Blackrock, Co. Dublin [email protected] Tel +31 645 085 533 Tel +353 1 289 3701 Tel: + 370 620 91291 Treasurer Mariska de Waard, [email protected] [email protected] www.epta.ie, www.facebook.com/ Committee: Olga de Kort-Koulikova, Marc EPTAIreland Pauwels, ArielleVernède & Lestari Scholtes www.eptanederland.nl EPTA ITALY EPTA MACEDONIA EPTA NORWAY President Marcella Crudeli President Todor Svetiev Honorary President Einar Steen-Nøkleberg [email protected] [email protected] President Elin Persson Secretary Silvia Rinaldi Vice President Juliana Zabeva Vice President Radmila Stojkovic, Via Pierfranco Bonetti 90, 00128 Rome [email protected] [email protected] Tel +39 06 507 3889 Secretary Dragoljub Apostolov Treasurer Otto Graf, Committee: Lear Maestosi, Carla Giudici c/o Academy of Music, PituGuli 1, 91000 [email protected] www.chopinroma.it/eng Skopje www.epta.no www.eptaitaly.it Tel: +389 91 231614 [email protected] EPTA MALTA EPTA POLAND Honorary President Fransina Abela President Karol Radziwonowicz Acting President Evelina V. Batey EPTA LATVIA [email protected] Tel: +356 9980 2226 President Juris Kalnciems Secretary Shirley Psaila [email protected] [email protected] Secretary Diana Zandberga Tel: +356 2142 1112 [email protected] www.epta-malta.com Rīgasiela 4-3, Baloži LV-2112 Latvia Facebook: Malta Piano Teachers Association Tel: +37 126 204 457 EPTA Malta Foreign Affairs Co-ordinator Toms Ostrovskis [email protected] http://www.music.lv/epta/events2017.htm www.music.lv/epta/welcome.htm 50