Grade 5
ABRSM 2021 & 2022
A5
B2
Starry Dome is from 'Piano Meditation'.
George Nevada is a pseudonym of Manfred Schmitz.
B3
A lyrical piece from Tchaikovsky's collection 'Album for the Young' op.39.
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.
B4
B6
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.
For videos of other Studies in the op.47 collection, click here.
To listen to op.47 no.15 on Spotify, click here.
B7
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.
B8
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.
B9
C2
Changing Times is from 'Cool Piano 5'.
The Changing Times refers to the changing time-signatures (2/4, 3/4 and 4/4) and tempos.
C3
This Tarantella is no.4 from Musique d'enfants, op.65.
C8
'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?