Grade 5
ABRSM 2021 & 2022
A5
A6
A7
A8
A9
B1
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Arctic Night is no.1 from Eskimos, a collection of 4 'Characteristic pieces'.
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B2
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Starry Dome is from 'Piano Meditation'.
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George Nevada is a pseudonym of Manfred Schmitz.
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B3
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A lyrical piece from Tchaikovsky's collection 'Album for the Young' op.39.
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The sheet music for op.39 is here.
It may be helpful to think of the opening section being in three parts. A principal RH melody, a secondary melody in the bass that often moves in contrary-motion with the upper melody and a chordal accompaniment in the centre-ground.
As the title suggests it needs to evoke the atmosphere of a relaxing snooze. Soft dynamics and smooth legato lines.
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B4
B6
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Popular amongst Stephen Heller's piano music are his collections of studies op.45, op. 46 & op.47, each group intended to as a precursor to the one before; so op.47 being the easiest.
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For videos of other Studies in the op.47 collection, click here.
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To listen to op.47 no.15 on Spotify, click here.
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B7
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Do take a few minutes to listen to Art Tatum's take on this piece - here it is on YT.
This video is for Hélène.
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B8
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The 9 pieces that make up Impresiones intimas date from Mompou's time in Paris where he was a student at the Conservatoire - he was in his late teens.
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B9
C2
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Changing Times is from 'Cool Piano 5'.
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The Changing Times refers to the changing time-signatures (2/4, 3/4 and 4/4) and tempos.
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C3
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This Tarantella is no.4 from Musique d'enfants, op.65.
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C4 from The Joy of Boogie and Blues
C8
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'Elergy for the Arctic' is from 'Ludovico Einaudi: Extra Elements' (Chester).
I'm grateful to Weijia for introducing me to this wonderful piece that, as the title suggests, makes us stop and think. I wholeheartedly recommend this short video produced by Greenpeace of Einaudi's own performance ...whilst floating on a raft in the arctic, complete with cracking, tumbling ice. I have a hunch it may have been improvised, or certainly created in situ, what do you think?
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