"Down in the Forest" by Landon Ronald

With the beginning of a new semester, a lot of new repertoire is making its way to my music rack these days. Most of it is vocal music, much of which I have either performed or studied. When a student hands me a song I don't know....by a composer with whom I'm unfamiliar.....I become very intrigued and excited to learn more. Such was the case last week when I was first introduced to "Down in the Forest" by Landon Ronald (1873-1938).

Landon Ronald was an English conductor, pianist, and composer. His first professional break came in 1891 when he became accompanist and coach at Covent Garden. Ronald would later make his conducting debut in the same house, conducting the 1896 production of Faust. Shortly thereafter, Ronald would meet the soprano Nellie Melba who was without a pianist and needed to be prepared for the role of Manon. Melba recounts that Ronald spent a sleepless night learning the score (since he was not familiar with the opera) before arriving for rehearsal the next morning. The two worked through the opera as well as many art songs. At the conclusion of their time together, the soprano told Ronald to "Remember that for the future, you are Melba's sole accompanist."  Many years later, in the 1920s, Ronald recommended a career specializing in piano accompanying after hearing a performance by the young pianist, Gerald Moore.

Melba and Moore were not Landon Ronald's only influential friends. He was also a devoted companion of the English composer Edward Elgar and the violin virtuoso Fritz Kreisler. Ronald would become a major proponent of Elgar's symphonic music; as a result of his devotion, Elgar dedicated his symphonic poem Falstaff to Ronald. Landon was the requested conductor for many of Kreisler's concerto recordings. 

Conducting opportunities in major houses soon began to dwindle for Ronald (as they did for many of England's conductors in the early 20th century). As a result, Ronald looked to other arenas to make an impact on the English musical tradition. From 1898 to 1902, he conducted musical theater productions in London's West End. Beginning in 1910, Ronald served as principal of the Guildhall School of Music in London; he would remain in this position until his death in 1938.

The compositions of Landon Ronald are diverse, ranging from a symphonic poem and incidental music to a ballet, Britannia's Reign. However, it is his song repertoire that has seen the most success; of these works, "Down in the Forest" is the only piece that remains in the modern repertoire. 

"Down in the Forest" was composed in 1906, the second song of a five poem cycle entitled Cycle of Life. Upon listening to the song, it is clearly reminiscent of the early years of musical theater with its soaring melodic line and undulating accompaniment. Although the harmonic progression is relatively slow, the perpetual movement in the accompaniment helps to propel the song from one verse to the next with the aid of a recurring piano interlude. Ronald's song is a sharp contrast to the other vocal works produced in the early years of the 20th century and a charming example of British song.

Investigating the Inventions

I'm hearing lots of work on the Bach Two-Part Inventions at WBU lately. These are great works to introduce pianists to the finer points of Baroque style while working on independence of hands. They also serve as a perfect entryway to the preludes and fugues of the Well Tempered Clavier. However, young pianists can find them extremely challenging because of the counterpoint. While my colleague was away last week, I found myself offering advice to freshmen preparing these works and a few points seemed to come up repeatedly.

• Slow and steady practice is necessary. Young pianists often want to attempt to play at top speed from the beginning. This is never advisable, but it is certainly not going to produce success when studying Bach.
• There is great value in practicing each hand separately. Because these works become very complex very quickly, it is useful to work on one hand at a time. While doing so, it is important to also.....
• Be meticulous! Make sure that you are playing accidentals throughout the entire measure. Analyze rhythmic patterns carefully and demand accuracy from the start. Settle on good fingering patterns early in the process and don't forget to address articulation as well. Don't fool yourself into thinking you will remember all of your choices either -- take the time to mark your score (possibly in a colored pencil!) as you are working. It may be tedious work now, but you will be thankful for it later.
• When putting hands together, work from one strong beat to the next. Fewer things can be more frustrating and discouraging than attempting to play a long passage in an Invention when things simply are not going well. Shorten the length of the passage -- maybe to a few beats or a single measure -- as you are putting both lines together. This increases the chance for success and highlights technical patterns that may exist between the hands. Personally, I find that working from the beginning of the measure to the next downbeat -- crossing the bar line -- helps me fix problems while maintaining a constant sense of rhythmic propulsion.
• Ruthlessly fight for steady rhythms! Students often get into the habit of inserting hesitations into the polyphonic writing. The thought is that note accuracy is most important and that rhythmic accuracy can come later. Unfortunately, these pauses in the musical line quickly become set in muscle memory and are extremely hard to correct later. Instead of hesitating, slow things down and play the invention only as fast as you can play with both note and rhythmic accuracy.
• Inventions are all about SHAPE! The Inventions are often approached as technical exercises. These charming works are musical gems! As you are perfecting the notes and polishing rhythms, don't lose sight of the music. Listen for the rise and fall of the line. Notice how the two voices play off of each other, creating a sparkling dialogue. As you find the music, the Inventions will become much more exciting to study, causing you to spend more time with the work rather than dreading more time trying to fix the problems. Simply put, let the two voices sing and enjoy the melody.

Solo Repertoire for the Collaborative Pianist

With the arrival of summer, many collaborative pianists are find themselves with a lighter performance load. This is the perfect time to begin preparing repertoire for next season while continuing to develop our skills. I'm finding that it is also a perfect time to venture into solo repertoire that I generally neglect in the height of performance season. Here are some suggestions of repertoire to consider working on this summer to specifically address concerns common to the collaborative pianist.

• Bach's Well Tempered Clavier is good for every pianist to return to on a regular basis. Not only do the preludes and fugues promote good technique, but the emphasis on melodic figures that appear in all voices -- especially in the fugues -- are great for the collaborative pianist. These works bring our skills (or lack of skill) in the areas of balance and phrasing to the forefront while challenging the pianist to maintain a legato line without being overly dependent on the use of the pedal.
• Currently, I am fascinated with The Songs without Words by Mendelssohn. These charming miniature pieces clearly resemble German lieder with the simple melodic lines accompanied by repetitive figures in the piano. Once again, the Songs without Words require careful attention to balance while also providing an interesting study of harmonic progression and the effect the chords' movements have on the overall shape of the music. I'm working through the 6 pieces in Op. 19 right now in preparation for a scheduled solo recital in the fall.
• To improve my sight reading, I find myself constantly returning to the sonatas of the Classical era. Their adherence to form allows the pianist to anticipate where things are going; the constant use of arpeggios, scales, and sequences develop finger dexterity as well as speed. When you tire of works by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, I suggest looking to the sonatas and sonatinas of Cramer, Clementi, and Kuhlua.
• Song transcriptions are an obvious choice of solo repertoire that will be beneficial to the collaborative pianist. If you are like me, you immediately think of the massive (and incredibly difficult) transcriptions by Liszt and say "No, thanks!" Before you write off the form entirely, a brief search on IMSLP will reveal a treasure trove of standard art songs transcribed by lesser-known composers. Many of these are simply charming and provide challenging material for the developing pianist -- soloist or collaborator. (I'm just beginning my personal exploration of these works, so keep an eye out for a future post about the gems I find in this genre.)

Those are my immediate recommendations. What solo works do you recommend working on during the summer months? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Bach Chorales in Piano Instruction

I have found that many young pianists struggle to play four-voice harmonizations. Because of the many benefits that come from studying them, I require college students enrolled in class piano to play both traditional hymns and Bach chorales. Here are a few of the benefits that comes from this area of study:

• Awareness of voice leading. Few composers understood counterpoint and voice leading better than Bach. By playing the chorales, pianists take the principles they have learned in theory and apply them at the keyboard.
• Re-enforcement of harmonic progressions. Chorales clearly establish traditional dominant-tonic relationships as well as others that will aid the student as they develop their own skills to harmonize melody lines.
• Develops aural skills. Chorale playing requires the pianist to be aware of multiple lines at the same time, ensuring that each voice is shaped independently. This attention to various voices increases the student's aural skills.
• Emphasizes the importance of thoughtful fingering patterns. Bach's compositions require careful planning in order to musically navigate the multi-voiced passages. Students find themselves exploring alternate fingerings, finger substitutions, as well as dividing inner voices between the hands as they play these technically demanding works.
• Prepare students for choral accompanying assignments. It seems that one of the most demanding duties of any musician working in an educational setting is providing piano support for voices during choral rehearsals. Many times, the vocal parts can be more technically challenging for the pianist than the actual accompaniment. Bach chorales and their emphasis on voice leading allow the student pianist to develop skills that will be beneficial in similar scenarios.

Sea-Snatch and The Praises of God: A Look at Two of Samuel Barber's Hermit Songs

The summer is winding down and it's time to get to work on some pieces that are scheduled to be performed in the fall. Instead of just learning the notes and keeping all of my thoughts to myself, I thought it would be fun to share what I'm learning about the pieces and any practice tips I discover along the way.

First, we need to know a little about the Hermit Songs themselves. This cycle of 10 songs was composed in 1953 by Barber and was premiered that same year by Leontyne Price with the composer at the piano.

Sea-Snatch is the 6th song in the cycle and features an ostinato bass line in the piano that serves as the unifying figure of the work. The surging accompaniment is mostly in alternating rhythmic patterns of five and four. Melodically, the bass line continually keeps the opening vocal line before us.

One of the technical challenges the pianist faces is exacerbated by the tendency of many singers and pianists to rush the perpetual eighth notes just as the difficult parallel fourths appear in measures 7. A similar passage returns at the song's conclusion (beginning in measure 27). Let's look at the first of these passages. While the musical structure is one continuous legato line, the phrase is technically divided into groups of two; the successive F's in the fourths can easily be played with the index finger, providing a nice anchor for the entire passage.

The interlude between the verses is the most active passage of the short song. Upon listening to various recordings -- including Barber accompanying Price -- it is clear that the passage is demanding and rarely played cleanly. Some pianists recommend dropping some of the octaves for single notes instead. Others opt to simplify the right hand.  At this point, I am not using either of these options. To aid in fitting things together, I continued using block chords as found on the downbeat of measure 20 before slowly breaking the chords into the two eighth note figure.

The most helpful discovery came from listening to the Barber/Price recording. Barber inserts two rather sizable lifts, interrupting the accompaniment's perpetual motion.  These breaks occur at the end of measure 9 and again just before the final two chords in the lowest register of the piano. Additionally, the composer took a bit of time in measure 19 before launching into the massive interlude.

Once the notes are in hand, settling on a tempo that is comfortable for both pianist and singer will be essential. I am certain there will be a compromise made as we prepare for recital.

The 9th piece in the cycle is The Praises of God and poses some challenges for my relatively small hands. The piece is largely built on broken tenths; to further complicate things, the metric organization appears much more complex than what is commonly found in Barber's other songs. What I found most helpful was to begin with the B major section in the middle of the song first. This section begins firmly in 6/8 and remains in that meter through the end of the vocal line. Next, I turned my attention to the postlude and acquainted myself with the broken 10ths of the accompaniment. Most of the tenths move in third relationships (but beware of the fifth movement in measure 28 though!)

The most challenging portion of the song for me was the transition into the B major section (measures 10-12). I'm not sure if this is due to the dastardly annoying page turn separating measure 12 from the others or the inclusion of a measure of 3/8 before shifting back to 5/8. Regardless of the reason, this is the passage with which I will be spending a lot of time in the weeks ahead.

For now, it's time to head back to the practice room and continue working on these beautiful songs at slow tempi before adding the vocal line to the ensemble!

Pieces Every Collaborative Pianist Should Be Acquainted With - Trumpet Edition

I've been in conversations recently with a pianist who is just beginning to explore collaborative work. As we talked, he asked for suggestions of important repertoire to learn. Rather than just spouting off an answer, I asked him which instrument he would most enjoy working with right away. His response? Trumpet.

This got me to thinking. Wouldn't it be great to have a recommended list of repertoire sorted by instrument type that gave pianists a starting point for learning important works they would encounter? I know it certainly would have been a great benefit to me in my early years as a collaborative pianist when I had a bit more time to learn notes at a more relaxed pace.

Back to my friend. Since I had spent a lot of time playing in the trumpet studio in graduate school, I was able to come up with suggestions based on my experiences fairly quickly. My recommendations were (in no particular order):

• Paul Hindemith, Sonata
• Halsey Stevens, Sonata
• Kent Kennan, Sonata
• Joseph Haydn, Concerto in Eb Major
• Georges Enesco, Legende

What pieces would you have included in this list? I still wish we had a list like this for the major instruments....with comments about some of the challenges and maybe even a little historical background on the piece. (Could this be a project for me to tackle? Hmmm....) Does such a list exist somewhere that you are aware of? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Symphony Surprises

On Monday evening, I returned to my alma mater to hear the University of Memphis Symphony Orchestra present its first concert of the semester. While many of the faces on stage have changed, I was extremely impressed with the quality of music coming from the stage.

When I looked at the program upon taking my seat, I didn't have high hopes. The performance featured winners of the 2013 Soloist Competition. There have been some wonderful winners in the past; my problem was with the instruments listed.  Winners played clarinet, cello, and EUPHONIUM! Really? I was expecting a night that I simply had to get through without falling asleep.

The opening piece, Concert Fantasia on Motives from Rigoletto by Luigi Bassi, was lively and well played. I was mesmerized by the student's technique; I was distracted by my dread of the next piece on the program. (Hey! I'm just being honest!) When John Stevens' Euphonium Concerto (2004) began, I was delighted to realize just how wrong my preconceived ideas had been. The first movement of the concerto was an adventure in sound that delighted. Soloist Geoff Durbin displayed absolute control of the instrument and masterfully colored sounds.

The highlight of the concert, however, was Schelomo by Ernest Bloch. The piece for cello and orchestra is described as a Hebraic Rhapsody, inspired by the writings of Solomon in the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes. Cellist Nathan Cottrell's playing grabbed my ears and refused to let go. His passionate performance conveyed a sense of the questioning and searching of the Hebrew people. I was reminded of how much I have enjoyed listening to Bloch's music and again made a mental note to check out more of this composer's repertoire.

One of the things I love most about music is its ability to surprise and invigorate listeners despite their expectations. That's the mark of great music and powerful performances.

Six Elizabethan Songs by Dominck Argento

In the spring, I was introduced to the first song in this cycle ("Spring") and fell in love with the music. With a recital coming up later this semester, there is a possibility that we will program the entire cycle. I thought it would be a good idea to learn a little more about the work and put some initial thoughts on paper before I get music in hand.

Dominick Argento was born in 1927 and is considered one of the leading American composers of our day. Argento studied at both the Peabody Conservatory and Eastman School of Music, earning a PhD at Eastman in 1957. The composer has given us 13 operas and was one of the founders of Minnesota Opera.  In 1958, Argento was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and spent the year in Florence.  It was in this year that Six Elizabethan Songs was first published for high voice and piano; the work was revised in 1962 for soprano and Baroque ensemble.

The text of the cycle is somewhat unusual for Argento since it is taken from traditional poetry. Other works use diary entries and letters written by various composers. In this celebratory year of the English composer, Benjamin Britten, I found it especially interesting that two of the texts Argento uses in this work appear in Britten's oeuvre as well:  "Spring" shows up in Britten's Spring Symphony while the poem by Ben Johnson featured in "Hymn" is used in Britten's Serenade.

In order to acquaint myself with the entire cycle, I found a recording on YouTube and made a few notes. I'll be interested to examine a score and compare my initial perceptions with the reality of the printed music.

The first of the six pieces is "Spring." The song features an active accompaniment that is punctuated by crisp, detached octaves in the bass. With a charming middle section, this opening piece is exciting and pure fun for the singer and pianist.

"Sleep" follows with beautiful harmonies centered in the lower register. An aggressive middle section arrives unexpectedly, marked with sharp and chilling passages in the right hand against a legato vocal line.  "Winter," the third piece of the cycle, sounds as though it may be the most virtuosic of the set. The song's opening with an unaccompanied vocal line sets it apart from the others of the cycle.

Although "Dirge" is one of the simpler songs of the cycle, I was strangely drawn to its mystery. The chords are simple, reminiscent of church bells. The chords reinforce the dissonance between the piano and the voice and seem to make use of tritone relationships throughout.  "Diaphenia" returns to the joyful sounds of the opening song; its fast sequential passages are similar to "Spring" and were not that interesting on first hearing. One of the challenges the cycle will present is establishing clear differences of mood between "Spring", "Winter", and "Diaphenia."

The closing "Hymn" presents another challenge. With its chordal accompaniment that is often constructed in two-note phrases, it will require some careful planning to insure that the piano's melodic line remains in tact despite the interruptions that occur due to rests and/or sound decay.

Perhaps the most challenging ensemble issue for Six Elizabethan Songs will be found in the attempt to maintain the desirable balance between voice and piano. Whether because of the rapid passages, low piano registers, or thickly textured chords, constant attention will need to be given to the piano's dynamics in relation to the singer.

Orchestral Recommendations?

While doing some shopping last week, I ran into a former student who had taken music appreciation with me. It was nice to hear of her success and that things were going well in her new career. As our conversation continued, she told me that she still listened to the CDs from the class and was ready for some new music. Rather than plunging into unchartered music, she asked for some recommendations. That's music to this teacher's ears!

As we continued talking, I learned that she most enjoys the orchestral repertoire. With little forethought, these are the five pieces I recommended in the produce section of Wal-Mart.

• Piano Concerto #3 - Rachmaninoff
• Symphony #1 - Mahler
• Symphony #7 - Beethoven
• Adagio for Strings - Barber
• The Planets - Holst

What orchestral works would you have included in your list of recommendations for a musical novice (assuming they have already been exposed to several of the "major" works)? I'd love to hear your recommendations in the comment section below.

Getting Back to Basics

Summer is finally here and life is a little more relaxed. Most of my performance responsibilities are on hold until the fall. My teaching load is significantly lighter and I'm feeling rested after the busyness that comes with the spring. With some extra time on my hands, I'm finding that this is the perfect time to get back to the basics.

Regardless of our current duties as musicians, everything we do is based in our mastery of certain basic skills. Even though we use these skills on a regular basis, it's a good idea to revisit them from time to time and give them some direct attention. If your situation is like mine, you might find that there are several sets of "basics" that you need to revisit. Summer may be the perfect time for you to take care of this.

First and foremost, I am a pianist. As the school year gets moving faster and faster, I find that I have less time to devote to sight-reading and adding new literature to my repertoire list. Since I don't have repertoire that needs to be mastered at this time, I'm using the summer as a chance to read through Schumann's lieder (low key) as well as The Messiah. Even though I'm familiar with a lot of this material, I've not performed much of it and can't claim to have it under hand. Sight-reading -- even at a slow tempo -- will prove valuable when I encounter the music in the future.

I'm not just looking at vocal music though. I know that solo repertoire is the best prescription for improving technique. I'm working my way through volume one of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. I'm in no hurry; I simply want to master the music and enjoy the sounds. I started by sight-reading the preludes before settling in to begin working. At the moment, I'm exploring the preludes in C# major and C# minor.

Teaching is the other main part of my career. My music appreciation class is adopting a new edition of our textbook this fall. I'm using the summer to revise my lectures, looking for portions that need to be expanded, clarified, added, or removed. I'm truly enjoying looking at my lectures from a critical point of view. In my private piano studio, I've realized that I am not familiar with music written for children by major composers. Right now, I'm looking at Dello Joio's Lyric Pieces for the Young, Schubert's Album for the Young and Chick Corea's Children's Songs. I may not be able to use much of it in my current situation, but it's important to know what's available.

What are you doing this summer to make sure you're ready for the challenges that will come when school starts again? I'd love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Bouts with Brittan

A new semester has begun and that means I have lots of new music to learn. It's actually one of my favorite times of the year. I thrive on getting all of this wonderful music in my hands that I'm not familiar with and getting to plow through it so I can learn the notes as quickly as possible.

This year has an added "treat" for me. I'm one of the pianists for opera workshop. This term features Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde. This is going to be an interesting experience for me since I am not terribly versed in the British composer's works and it will be my first time to play rehearsals for a full-staged opera. (Previously, I've only played scenes or assisted during vocal coachings.)

I picked up the score late in the spring so I could learn the music over the summer. I worked through a few passages, but quickly realized that I really don't like the show. Its harmonies are challenging and often feels extremely repetitive. At the end of August, however, the cast and I got together for a rough read through. I was pleasantly surprised! Intellectually I know that is a perfect formula, but it was so nice to realize that this short opera is not going to be the horrendous experience I was anticipating. Thankfully I'm only responsible for 1 hour of rehearsals on Monday afternoons most weeks. A few passages are going to demand a lot of work on my part to just get through them, but most are actually quite pianistic.

I know I'm going to learn a lot through this experience. I'm certain there are things I should be preparing for that I am omitting because of ignorance. What was the one thing you wish someone had told you when you played for your first opera? I'll keep you all informed of what's happening as we progress through the semester.

Music in Translation

There are some issues that I simply wish would just go away.  One of these seems to have been a topic of discussion in my world for far too long:  playing music composed for the harpsichord on modern instruments.  While I respect the importance of historical performance, I feel that this is too limiting in the musical development of our students.  Where do we draw the line?  Works composed for harpsichord are off limits, but those for forte-piano are okay?  Or is it a matter of the age of the performers:  you can play all works on a modern instrument until you complete high school and then the rules change?  Who gets to decide what is appropriate?  Why does it really matter?

The topic came up again in a conversation with a friend who teaches English literature.  She made a very powerful observation that essentially settled the issue in my mind.  In other disciplines, it is admitted that the ideal situation is to read literature in the language that it was written;  however, because the texts are so important to a thorough understanding of the discipline, they are often read, evaluated, and cited in translation.  She went further to explain that sometimes works are "translated" when there are significant developments in a language.  Works such as Canterbury Tales and Beowolf have been translated from Old English into modern English so we can read, comprehend, and experience the majesty of the texts.  Thus, it follows that musicians may find themselves in situations where they need to "translate" the performance of some compositions to modern instruments in order to experience them firsthand.

As musicians, most of us will agree that it is ideal to perform Bach and Scarlatti on the harpsichord.  When that option is not feasible for whatever reason, we study the literature on a modern instrument.  Not only do we study it, but we also perform it.  After all, the art of performance is not just about the musician's interest and pleasure; it is also a means of educating our audience and exposing them to music from all eras and of all styles.

Compositions for Children

I have been highly interested in putting together a program of music intended specifically for children.  As I began the search, I found the common works we would expect - Debussy's Children's Corner and the Schubert and Schumann Albums for the Young.  As I began to look deeper, I discovered a couple of additional works that I wasn't familiar with that are proving to be quite rewarding.

First on my list is Musiques d'Enfants (Op. 65) by Prokofieff.  This set of 12 pieces are rather short and are trickier than they first appear.  Not only am I finding them to be wonderfully rewarding to perform, several of the pieces are appropriate for intermediate students who are wanting to explore Russian music.

The other set that is on my plate at the moment is Children's Songs by Chick Corea.  The first 15 songs were originally composed for the Fender Rhodes with the remaining songs intended for the acoustic piano.  Corea states that any of the songs can be played on either instrument.  These are proving to be a little more difficult to become intimate with at this point.  While the Prokofieff grabbed my ear from the outset, Corea's works are less pleasant immediately.  I anticipate that as I spend more time with them in the coming weeks these pieces will become just as appreciated and treasured as the others.

Do you have suggestions of pieces that I might consider adding to my program?  I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to work with children in my church position as well as my teaching and thought it would be fun to present a program that reflects that aspect of my life.

Rediscovering Bach

Like most pianists, I have spent many hours studying the works of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).  From the simple works contained in Anna Magdalena's Notebook and the two-part inventions to the preludes and fugues in the Well Tempered Clavier, I have done my fair share of works by this Baroque master.

When I performed my last graduate recital, I played the Italian Concerto and swore that I would never play another Bach piece as long as I lived.  It's not that I don't respect the composer.  Neither do I adhere to the philosophy that Baroque music should only be played on period instruments.  (In a perfect situation, period instruments are ideal, but we have to play on the instrument that is available.)  I just simply did not enjoy the music.  I'm speaking heresy to many of you now, I know.  It's just a personal preference.  I would much rather play a lovely melody of Beethoven or Faure than fight my way through the thick textures of Bach's polyphony.

This opinion was formed in childhood.  A very well-meaning teacher had me plow through all the inventions despite my complaints that I "hated this dumb music."  With a twinkle in her eye, she declared that when I got older I would finally understand just how beautiful this music is.  (She then had a gleefully wicked grin as she told me that I WOULD play the inventions now and survive!  Oh how I miss her sometimes!)

Now that I don't have a teacher sitting over my shoulder constantly lauding the glory of Bach, I am finding myself drawn to his brilliance again.  As I teach my music appreciation students, we take a look at the fugue and begin to see how intelligent a composer had to be to conceive of a well-wrought composition in this form.  So I decided that it was time to take a journey through the Well Tempered Clavier on my own and give this composer a fresh look.

I have decided to start at the very beginning (you know.....it's "a very good place to start").  The C major and C minor preludes and fugues were very familiar to me, so it didn't take very long to get through them.  They aren't performance ready, but I was anxious to get to some material with which I wasn't familiar.  Where did I find myself?  You guessed it -- face to face with the third prelude in the volume -- in C# major!  After a few deep breaths and talking myself out of quickly running away and finding another work in a more appropriate key, I dove in and began to learn this beautiful prelude.  I grumbled for a few days as I continued to miss E#'s and B#'s, but the frustration quickly passed as I began to be swept away by the harmonic beauty.  The progressions are not mind shattering on paper, but in Bach's hands the music moves to the next tonal center at the perfect moment, creating tension and release.

I'm finding myself anxious to spend some more time with Mr. Bach now.  Will I get through all the preludes and fugues this year?  I'm not sure about that......I don't want to be TOO radical.....but I do plan to spend some quality time with this composer and let the beauty of his sounds wash over my ears with a fresh attitude and approach.

Now, I really must get back to the piano......time to start learning some notes in the C# major fugue!
Kennith

Returning to Familiar Places

Last week, I returned to southern California to visit friends and the school that I loved.  Now I have decided it is also time to return to something else familiar:  my blog.

In keeping with the idea of returning, I made the conscious decision to revisit some familiar solo repertoire in preparation for an upcoming recital.  As I have begun to reacquaint myself with the C major and Bb minor Preludes and Fugues from Book I of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, my perspective on the composer's work has also changed.

During my formative years, I hated to be assigned anything by Bach - or any other Baroque composer for that matter.  I found the counterpoint to be tedious, lacking melodic interest.  What I once considered an exercise is now revealing itself to be profoundly deep and fulfilling music.  I am now understanding why my teachers told me that I would find myself appreciating Bach's music more and more as I aged.  I'm not so sure I like what that says about my fleeting youthfulness, but at least I am enjoying some wonderful music that lessens the blow.  Okay, back to practicing again!

The Importance of Concerts

A sad day has finally arrived. Today is the last day of my summer break. The weekend is very full and a new semester of music classes begins on Monday. While I am enjoying this final day of vacation, I am also putting the finishing touches on courses and making plans for the new year in my piano studio. One of the most surprising decisions I have made is that I plan to have a studio recital this year. This is especially surprising considering the fact that I always DETESTED these forced performances during my early years of musical training.
As I was thinking about repertoire choices for my students, I began to realize how important it is to have them perform. Public performances allow the musician to experience the joy of sharing their art with an appreciative audience and take the pursuit of the instrument out of the practice room alone. The benefits of playing in a recital extend beyond the musical development of the child as well. Performing increases the student's confidence, self-image, and creativity while diminishing their fear of appearing before a large crowd and feelings of inferiority.
Given all of these benefits, why would I hesitate to prepare my students for a studio recital? Aside from the logistical difficulties of securing a convenient location and quality instrument, I also do not look forward to dealing with the pressure often applied to students by over-bearing parents. (I'm experiencing one case of this now – before the child's first piano lesson – and it will probably be the topic of a future post.) While well-intentioned, parents can do great damage to the blooming young musician by placing undue pressure and unrealistic performance expectations on the child rather than encouraging them to enjoy the experience of making music for their friends and family. My studio is still relatively small at this point, so the possibility of comparison between pianists is great. "Why didn't you work as hard as Jenna? Did you HEAR how beautifully she played?" Such comments detract from the individual accomplishments of the student and place the focus on their inferiority in comparison to other players. It is important to remember that no two musicians develop along the same tract and at the same rate. Rather than focusing on the negative, I encourage parents to find the points of growth in their child's playing and focus on the positive.
I'm in the process of selecting repertoire for my young pianists and have discovered a wonderful resource that I want to share with you. Lynn Freeman Olson has compiled and edited First Steps in Keyboard Literature: the Easiest Classics to Moderns in Original Forms. Distributed by Alfred Publishing, this collection is a perfect addition to the piano teacher's library if you are looking for repertoire to introduce your beginning students to Classical literature. The selected pieces are rarely longer than 1 page and many of them are composed in a basic 5-finger position. Rhythms are simple – nothing more difficult than some running eighth notes – and the scores are large and clearly arranged, making them perfect for young eyes. I anticipate purchasing several copies of First Steps in Keyboard Literature this semester as my students and I begin the journey towards our first recital together.
I would love to hear about your first experiences with a studio recital. Your success stories will encourage me to keep the faith. I'll also welcome any stories about mistakes you made that I might be able to avoid. On Monday, I will examine the concert from the other side of the flood lights and explore their importance in the development of the educated non-musician. Let the sharing begin!

Repertoire - Woodland Sketches by Edward MacDowell

As my long time readers know, I am planning a solo recital for the fall season.  It has been very nice to choose music of interest to me personally without having to bend to the demands of academia.  I was settled on very little of the program in the early stages.  The only thing that I knew was that I wanted to highlight American music in the second half since it is my favorite school of music.

While exploring the works of Copland and Barber, I encountered lots of familiar works, but nothing that felt right for the program.  I didn't want anything overly dramatic.  I wasn't looking for nationalistic music -- I've had my fill of patriotic music recently -- so I wasn't sure where I was headed.

After working through some of the rags and some small works by Ives, I recalled a couple of charming pieces from my early years of study:  "To a Wild Rose" and "From Uncle Remus."  Both short pieces by Edward MacDowell (1861-1908) are part of his larger work, Woodland Sketches, Op. 51.  As I began to read the score, I expected to find simplistic ditties that would be of little interest;  thankfully I lay aside my preconceived notions and discovered a wonderful example of American music.

Composed in 1896 in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Woodland Sketches is MacDowell's most famous composition. Peterborough, which later become the MacDowell Colony, was the site of the composer's family farm and was known for its peacefully serene woodland setting.  The 10 miniature pieces of Woodland Sketches seem to take their inspiration from the natural beauty of the area.

While an example of early American music, the piano suite shows more influence of the French and German schools than of the American composers who were active at the same time.  With luscious harmonic structures, the simple melodies are lovingly supported, transporting the listener to the beauty of the forest.  MacDowell was not a musical lightweight, however; technical demands are made upon the soloist in several of the pieces, most notably "Will o' the Wisp" and "In Autumn." 

Perhaps the closing paragraph of the Schirmer edition's introduction to the work provides the best synopsis of Woodland Sketches' place in history.

A bygone era, gracious and sensitive, has been captured and retained in a series of poetic miniatures, and its piquant perfection of feeling is the result of its clearly defined circumspection.  MacDowell employs a limited harmonic range and a simple melodic line, but his originality and quiet virility has given us not a precious bouquet pressed in an album, but a suite of musical water colors, delectable and tensile, a work not of spurious sentimentality but of genuine sentiment. (Woodland Sketches, Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics, Vol. 1805)

Variations on 'America' by Charles Ives (arr. Daniel Dorff)

Over the years, I have often wished that other collaborative pianists would share their insights into the works they are currently learning in the thought that it might prove helpful (or at least, insightful) when I ultimately encounter that piece of the repertoire.

Currently, I am preparing for a July 2 recital that is scheduled to showcase patriotic music for flute, soprano, and piano. The first work that I will examine is Charles Ives' Variations on "America," arranged for flute and piano by Daniel Dorff. As an additional help, I have found a single recording of this arrangement by Pam Youngblood, flute, and Gabriel Bita, piano, that appears to have been released on May 25 of this year.

The Variations were composed in 1892 for organ solo. They were premiered that same year by Ives at the Methodist Church in Brewster, New York. It seems that many of the variations were improvised at that time (as opposed to being completed) and were subject to the approval of the young composer's father. At that first premiere, the polonaise--which was re-inserted as variation IV--was considered inappropriate. The Variations on "America" would ultimately be orchestrated by William Schuman.

The organ composition is interesting because it contains some of the earliest examples of Ives' use of bitonality. The brief forays into bitonality appear as interludes that separate variations II and III and the final two variations. These brief interludes were added to the composition in 1909-10.

The work maintains some of its viability in its original form because it is the only major work for organ by Ives. Despite its historical importance, the important sonorities of the organ's registrations are lost in Dorff's arrangement and make the work rather dull in my opinion.

Regardless of my feelings about the piece, I will be performing it in just over a month, so let's take a look at some of the challenges. First is the question of key. I have not yet obtained a score of the organ solo, so I cannot verify this statement at this time, but let me share with you what my research suggests thus far. Several examinations of the interludes have been located that discuss the use of the keys of F major and Db major in Interlude I followed by Ab major and F major in Interlude II. Dorff's arrangement places both interludes a whole step higher. I question the necessity of this, especially in consideration of the impact that the new tonal areas will have upon the technical aspects of the keyboard part. (As a side note, Dorff's instruments are saxophone and clarinet.)

Both of the bitonal interludes are presented by piano alone. In the original organ setting, the use of contrasting manual stops for each key area allows the passages to be played effectively without forcing the audience to question the performer's ability to play! Dorff's suggestion is to play the right hand fortissimo while playing the left hand pianissimo. While this does lessen the offensive sounds, it also makes the bitonality merely an academic endeavor rather than an aural experience.

Lastly, I take issue with Dorff's metronome markings. When compared to the Youngblood/Bita recording as well as recordings of the organ solo and orchestrated versions housed at youtube.com, Mr. Dorff's suggested tempi appear to be a bit extreme. For example, Dorff marks the allegro of variation V as dotted quarter note = 112 (noting that the allegro is in 3/4). Ives' marking at this point in the original composition suggests his intentions: "as fast as the pedals can go." Such comments clearly suggest that Ives preferred clarity over speed.

I am intrigued by the organ solo, but hope to never see the flute arrangement again after the July 2 recital. Based upon my time spent with the piece and listening to the available recording, I find it an ineffective arrangement with few redeeming qualities outside of variation IV (the polonaise).

If I come up with any new (and interesting) insights as I continue to work through it, I'll be sure to pass it on.

Dumky Trio

I thought I would end each week together by giving you insight into some of my favorite chamber works for various ensembles and exploring some new works together. To kick things off, here's a recording of the Beaux Arts Trio playing the opening movement of Dvorak's Dumky Trio. Notice how effortless Menahem Pressler (b. 1923) makes the piano part look! You can learn more about this tremendous pianist and his career by visiting his website.

I've never played this piece but have always wanted to. Any takers?


Have a great weekend everyone! We'll start our next set of adventures on Monday.
Kennith