the baroque spirit

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BAROQUE 1. Bach, J.S. Bourree in E Minor Take 1 st repeat ONLY The Baroque Spirit, Book 2 (Alfred: 16719) p. 28-29 I like Quarter Note= 138-152 French duple-meter dance with an upbeat 18 th Century theorists described the bourree as light-hearted and joyful dance. Taken from Suite in E minor for Lute (BWV 996), there is an original manuscript that is notated for lute-harpsichord. I would suggest listening to some recordings on lute or guitar. There are many recordings on YouTube. Independence of hands is needed for different articulations. Decision needs to be made on how to articulate the LH quarter notes. How would a continuo cello play it? For the suggested slurs in both hands, one has to make a decision on how to interpret these. I prefer to think of

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Page 1: The Baroque Spirit

BAROQUE

1. Bach, J.S. Bourree in E MinorTake 1st repeat ONLY

The Baroque Spirit, Book 2 (Alfred: 16719) p. 28-29

I like Quarter Note= 138-152 French duple-meter dance with an upbeat 18th Century theorists described the bourree as light-hearted

and joyful dance. Taken from Suite in E minor for Lute (BWV 996), there is an

original manuscript that is notated for lute-harpsichord. I would suggest listening to some recordings on lute or guitar. There are many recordings on YouTube.

Independence of hands is needed for different articulations. Decision needs to be made on how to articulate the LH quarter notes. How would a continuo cello play it? For the suggested slurs in both hands, one has to make a decision on how to interpret these. I prefer to think of the start of a new slur in the same way we use consonants in language; they separate sounds but still allow movement to flow through. If there is big break between each slur, for me it sounds too disjunct.

I personally would change dynamics/inflection on the repeat.

Measures 9-15, I like to highlight the dialogue which is happening in the RH. Particularly in m 13-15.

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I start ornaments above the main note. A couple of different ways to interpret the trill in M. 15: “Sit” on the b and then trill, or let the trill flow right away. Sometimes a student will find it easier to get a faster trill by slightly lingering on the first note and then move through it.

Measures 20-23 makes clear use of melodic minor. For further research:

o Badura-Skoda, P. Interpreting Bach at the Keyboardo Little, M. and Jenne, N. Dance and the Music of J.S.

Bach

Page 3: The Baroque Spirit

2. Scarlatti, D. Aria in D Minor, K. 32Take Repeats

Essential Keyboard Repertoire, Vol. 8 (Alfred: 4619) p.12-13 THIS EDITION ONLY

I like somewhere between 60-80 for the eighth note To me the tempo marking “Allegretto” seems too fast.

Perhaps it means not “Allegro”. The vocal quality inherent to the piece, along with the style of writing to me suggests a slower, more thoughtful tempo. There is a recording of Gilels playing it on YouTube and his tempo may be a bit too slow. He plays it around eighth note = 46.

Since this is an Aria it must a have a vocal quality. One could think of it as the RH is the soprano and the LH is the lute. The melodic line needs to be clearly projected and phrased just like an amazing opera singer. Since the LH “lute” part doesn’t do much, this would give the singer room to ornament and “play around”

Suggested dynamics are alright. I prefer to change the dynamics on the repeat for artistic interest

Technically not a very difficult piece but the “music” is difficult. It will show if the student is listening and reacting to the music; there is not much to hide behind

I would suggest rolling the LH chords in measure 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 17, 21.

The suggested way of doing the trills are “okay” but they feel a bit bland to me. There needs to be a bit more freedom and feeling within the trill. It is not just a trill, but an

Page 4: The Baroque Spirit

emotion. If one does the trill as suggested make sure they have dynamic and rhythmic shape so they don’t sound square

For ornaments in RH (on repeats) I like doing: m. 5 beat 3 start trill on D (upper note)m.10 beat 1 appoggiatura from below A-Bb m. 12 beat 1 appoggiatura from below G-Am. 14 beat 2 and 3 appoggiatura from above G-F, F-E-m. 17 beat 3 trill starting on upper note with exit Bb-A-Bb-A-G-A m. 18 beat 1 appoggiatura from below A-Bbm. 19 beat 3 trill starting on upper note with exit D-C#-D-C#-B natural-C#m. 20 beat 1 appoggiatura from below C#-Dm. 21 beat 3 trill starting on upper followed with portamento F-E-F-E, D-E-F-G-Am. 23 beat 1 filled in as quintuplet (E-F-G-F-E), m. 23 beat 3 trill starting on upper note D-C#-D-C#-B natural-C#m. 24 beat 1 appoggiatura from below C#-D, placing the D on beat 2

It would be beneficial for a student to listen to some of the great opera singers singing baroque music. For instance, Joyce Didonato (Scherza infida); Cecilia Bartoli (Amarilli mia bella). There is also a recording on YouTube of Joyce Didonato singing Amarilli mia bella. A student could do a comparison listening on how these two artists used different ornaments. It will help them see the limitless possibilities

Page 5: The Baroque Spirit

and that there is not one way that is more correct than another

For further research:o Kirkpatrick, R. Domenico Scarlattio Neumann, F. Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-

Baroque Music

Page 6: The Baroque Spirit

CLASSICAL

3. Beethoven, L. Sonatina in F Major, I. AllegroNo Repeat

Piano Repertoire: Baroque and Classical Level 4ed. Snell (Kjos: GP604) p. 26-28

Quarter note = 96-104 Many characteristics of Sonata-Allegro form. Theme 1a (m.1), Theme

1b (m.9), Cadence on V (m.18), Development (m.19), Recapitulation (m.51) is atypical because it uses Theme 1b and not theme 1a. Coda (m.60)

Main challenges are scale passages, Alberti patterns, big dynamic contrasts

Student given the opportunity to explore characters found in classical period music.

Overall, what Snell presents is okay but I find it overly edited. I prefer the Henle or Celebration Repertoire Book 5

The Snell edition has some questionable slur marks throughout. In measure 8, Snell slurs all the 16th notes, in the other editions they are grouped in pairs. If you slur all the 16ths together, the character is different than the one Beethoven intended

M. 2 and 6 (simile) Snell adds Diminuendo marks. Henle does not have the diminuendo signs. In Henle m. 1 is Forte and m. 3 is Piano. The more extreme contrast seems to me to be more Beethovenian

M. 15 Snell omits the Piano mark which is found in Henle and Celebration

M. 21 and 26 Snell Omits mezzo piano mark which is found in other editions

M. 43 Snell has a piano mark where the other editions have Forte

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M. 58 Snell starts Diminuendo on beat one where the other editions have it starting in M. 60. Bringing the diminuendo in at m. 58 seems to me to take away the sparkle of this passage.

Make sure the LH is played legato in measures 13-14 and 15-16 The small notes in measures 9-10 can be crushed (acciaccatura)with

the main note Listen for a light LH thumb in the Alberti patterns and hear the bass

line have a dialogue with the RH in m. 3, 7, and similar spots

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4. Dussek, J.L. Sonatina in G Major, Op. 20 No.1 1st Movt

Sonatina Album, ed. Small (Alfred: 1710C) p. 44-45

Quarter note = 104-116 Sonata Allegro Form He was considered to be the first virtuoso who could produce a true

singing tone on the piano. He was also credited for turning the piano sideways for performances to show off his profile.

I prefer the Celebration Repertoire Level 6 edition. Celebration edition is larger print and spread over 2 pages. The Small edition seems a bit too compressed and I find it difficult to read.

There are some differences in editing between the Small and the Celebration:

o M. 2: beat 1 Small has rest in LH thumb, Celebration has G Octaves

o M. 3 beat 2 Celebration has RH G grace note, Small has no grace note;

o M. 7 the and of 1 Small has accent on RH B, Celebration no accent

o M. 17 Celebration has piano marked and stays piano to m. 25. Small has hair pins with ascending and descending line and a crescendo starting in M. 19 continuing to Forte in M. 21.

o M. 21 Small has it marked Forte with Diminuendo to pianissimo at 23. Celebration stays piano.

o Articulation is quite different between the editions at m. 21-25: Small has eighth note slurred to dotted quarter; Celebration has staccato on the eighth note.

o I would suggest marking any changes that student decides to do in the judge’s copy of the score.

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Main technical challenges: the Alberti patterns, scale passages, balance between the hands, and dynamic changes. Some of the LH passages are a little awkward (m 32-33)

LH Alberti bass patterns will have a tendency to dominate. Keep LH light so the RH melody can always be heard.

Student given a chance to explore thinking in an orchestral way. Tutti vs. section or soloist. Another good spot to create/imagine different instrumental sounds would be m. 21-25.

The RH double thirds may need some extra attention.

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5. Haydn, F. Vivace in D Major, Hob. I:92/4Take Repeat

Essential Keyboard Repertoire, Vol. 8 (Alfred: 4619) p. 50-51

Quarter Note= 126-144 This has all the humorous qualities one expects from Haydn. Difficulties are quick changes in articulation (between staccato and

two-note slurs) and using the dynamics to highlight the register changes.

This is a great piece to help a student get a buoyant, light and sunny sound. In the B section there is a dramatic change. I think of this more as a pretend mad or teasing rather than a true feeling of being upset.

Care needed when thumb plays the last note of 2-note slur. There will be a tendency for it to be accented because of the jump right afterwards. (m. 2 and similar spots)

M. 15 LH is slightly awkward and will need some attention. M. 16 I prefer using fingering 5-3-2-1 so it matches the fingering in m.

17 M. 18 beat 2 will need to be set up in a way that the forte doesn’t

carry over into the piano marking. Finesse needed to craft the transition back to the A section (mm 24-

29).

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ROMANTIC

6. Grieg, E. Puck Op. 71 No. 3No Repeat

Applause, Bk. 1 (Alfred: 2537) p.36-38

Tempo is always an issue with this piece. Students have tendency to start very fast and then have to slow down as they go. I would error on a more moderate tempo that allows the student time to craft the character rather than just be fast and uneven.

Half-note= 120-138 Care is needed to make sure that the thirds sound exactly together

and not rolled Practice blocking the chords to assist students with measures 11-14

and similar spots. G-Flat major, D-Flat Major, C-Flat Major, G-Flat Major

Isolate the chords in m. 25-32 so student understands it’s the same chord but different inversion on each group.

Pickup to measure 33 the patterns changes: it is shorter gesture that is repeated 4 times.

M. 33-36 the 2nd beat now has accent in LH You could divide the broken octaves in measure 19-20 and 78-79

between the hands. RH plays Bb-F-Bb, LH crosses over plays Bb-F-Bb, and RH crosses plays Bb-F and Chord.

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7. Lichner, H. Sonatina in G Major Op. 66 No. 3, 3rd Movt (Rondo) Take Repeat, D.C. & Coda

Three Sonatinas, Op. 66 (Kjos: GP427) p.22-24

This is reminds me very much of Schubert dance so I prefer it Quarter Note = 88 but anywhere from 84-96 would be appropriate

A couple tricky spots with repeated notes. I don’t use the suggested fingering. In measure 3, I use finger number 3 on the downbeat rather than the suggested number 4. I think this will create a bit clearer sound and will also not slow down the gesture. In measure 3 my RH fingering is 3-2-3-2-3-4 and 2 on beat 1 in m. 4. Whenever there are pieces with repeated notes (and the fingering changes), I have my students isolate just the two notes.

For the blocked chords, I suggest a slight wrist staccato with firm fingertips to help with the lightness but also with hearing each note.

Temptation will be to ignore the rests in the LH in m. 10, 12, 16, 20, 29

The Coda needs some attention because with the page turn students will have a tendency to get the LH backwards…. Meaning the will play “A and C” to the pickup to measure 33.

Appropriate piece for small hands

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8. MacDowell, E. Sung Outside the Prince’s Door, Op. 4 No. 1

The Romantic Spirit, Bk. 2 (Alfred: 4639) p.56-57

Musically challenging piece due to voicing, pedaling, key signature (G-Flat Major!), imitation, and dynamic control.

I like it on the slower side, quarter note= 56-66 If I had student playing this, I would also have them play Puck (and

vice versa). Then the key signature won’t be such a big deal. Plus it is such a great contrast between the two.

I would first have students learn the melody lines throughout focusing on sound and listening through the line. Thinking as a singer or wood wind player. One could also mark breath marks throughout the score.

After working on the melodic lines, I would work on the accompanying voices. Listening to how the harmony supports the melody. The chordal material makes up the entourage that follows the singer.

There are some big stretches in the piece so the student would either need to have large hands or be able to use careful pedaling while they break some chords.

At the end there are two gorgeous rolled chords. Make sure to listen through the top note A-flat so that one hears it being pulled towards the resolution on G-flat. This hanging on to the A-flat in your head will make the pedal change appear seamless.

This is a musically more difficult piece, especially when played at a slower tempo. This (like the Scarlatti) will show the artistry that the student has inside.

CONTEMPORARY

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9. Alexander, D. Violetta

A Splash of Color, Bk. 2 (Alfred: 269) p. 5-7

Quarter note = 120-132 Dennis Alexander told me that “I always uses a lot of color imagery in

my teaching and find that technique and touch can so often be enhanced with thinking in terms of colors”

Dennis said that Violetta is more subdued in nature and should have a “warm tone”

Careful counting is needed in measures 2 and 4 (and similar spots). Students will be tempted to compress the 2nd beat into just two eighth notes… the LH E-flat needs to be held for 2 eighths before the RH chord enters on the third.

The opening RH motives I found myself naturally playing 1-2-4 instead of the suggested 2-3-5

The only real difficulty is the rhythm in this piece. Once the student really understands where the beats are the rest of it will fall into place quite easily.

Listen for a projected line of the melody, do not let the LH rhythmic interest take the spotlight

In measure 38, have the student keep the A melody note singing in their ear so the resolution of that line goes to the crossed-over F in measure 39.

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10.Baumgartner, E. Aretta’s Rhumba Take D.S. & Coda

Jazz Connection-Seven Jazzy Solos, Bk. 3 (Willis: 12625) p. 13-15

Half note = 66-72 Cuban inspired Rhumba. For inspiration listen to Chick Corea’s

Armando’s Rhumba. There are several versions on YouTube. Listen to one with his full ensemble and there is one him playing it as a piano solo. Another group to listen to would be Buena Vista Social Club.

I like to bring out the percussive aspects of the Cuban rhumba by detaching LH and even the RH in m. 1-8 and similar spots.

Characteristic rhythmic pattern in Cuban music is the clave. Clave is a pattern consisting of two rhythmic figures that have a tension-relaxation relationship.

Clave rhythm is held together by a half-note pulse. The pulse is very important because it maintains the stability of the clave.

Careful attention to phrasing in m. 9-16. Students will tend to phrase m. 11-12 into one phrase.

M. 16 and M. 40 beat 2, I like to think of it as being a little growly M. 24 beat 2 to downbeat of 25 some possible fingering: 5-3-2-1-2

OR 5-2-1-2-3 Dynamics really will need attention as that will really make this piece

gain even more interest for the listener (and performer!). The trickiest part of this piece is the rhythm. Students will catch on

pretty fast to the rhythm. It’s pretty straight-forward and not all that artistically challenging for the student.

For further research: o Mauleon, R. Salsa Guidebook for Piano and Ensemble (Sher

Music Co.)

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11. Hartsell, R. Storm Etude

Romantic Etudes-Early Intermediate (Willis: HL00416879) p. 20-23

Con Moto section quarter note = 126-144, Moderato section quarter note =80-92

Overall a straight forward piece that has a melodic middle section. The A section has traces of a Heller or Burgmuller Etude but simpler

in technique. Students will have a tendency to rush through the RH triplets and will become a bit sloppy. I would suggest first practicing the chords blocked, then in different rhythms and then as written.

Balance will be an issue in the A section. Students will most likely play the RH too loud and will drown out the actual melody which is in the LH.

The LH melody will need to have dynamic inflection as it can sound quite square if not handled carefully.

M. 18 fingering suggestion 1-2-5, 1-2-5, 1-2-4, 1&5 M. 22-29 particularly awkward writing which makes it difficult to

maintain legato line M. 22 fingering suggestion for LH. 5-2-1-2-5 (finger sub to 1)- 2 M.22-37 Make sure beat 3’s have some grace to them. This will give a

bit of relief from the square writing of the A section M. 46-53 the melody is now LH octaves. These will need some

attention to make sure there is still a shaped line to them and not just pounded out, and that the student doesn’t get fatigued with this extended octave passage.

Last note of piece, I would suggest student crossing over with the RH to play it. It will most likely be more accurate and have a better sound.

Perhaps best for larger hands due to extended octave passages

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12.Mier, M. Katy’s Dance

Jazz, Rags & Blues, Bk 4 (Alfred: 18770) p. 2-3

Quarter note = 126-138 One will need to swing the 8ths. Remember the swung eighth note is

anticipating the next beat. Relate it to what comes next rather than what came before

Loose arm is needed. Almost “pawing” the keys on the chords. Exaggerating the dynamics will really help bring more interest to the

piece. Student will have to have a pretty good sense of rhythm. If the

rhythm is not steady in the LH, the whole piece will suffer. Pay attention to the changing LH patterns. A clear understanding of

the harmony will help the student move hands to correct spot in the allotted time.

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13.Rollin, C. Danza Cubana

Dancing on the Keys, Bk. 3 (Alfred: 39360) p. 16-19

Same rhythm as violetta by Dennis Alexander. Quarter note=152-168 I suggest listening to Cuban pianists Ruben Gonzalez (he is the pianist

for Buena Vista Social Club) and Chuchu Valdez. Composer has detailed pedaling that will need some work if one

chooses to follow it. Varied articulations in the LH (Held notes, tenuto, staccato) M. 36-41: student will most likely play LH octave jumps at first

instead of the 10ths. Helping them understand what chords are formed in the LH will help them “choose” the right note.

M. 36-41 LH will need to be carefully planned for students with smaller hands/stretches

Carefully chosen dynamics and a clear differentiation between them will really help this piece to be successful.

Very fun glissando in measure 35. Make sure it is musically played in the context of what is happening and not the only thing people remember of the piece.

For further research:o Mauleon, R. Salsa Guidebook for Piano and Ensemble

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14. Sprunger, G. Brookside

Water Music (Kjos: WP1158) p. 3-5

Quarter note = 88-96 Very peaceful piece that will not pose many technical or artistic

challenges for the student Will need some dressing up to make sure the piece doesn’t sound

one dimensional Some suggestions… Una corde m 1-7; m. 7 Tres corde… simile

pedaling throughout Listen for a beautifully projected melody in measure 7 and similar

spots M. 33, remember the LH D’s are on the beat Last note of piece, I suggest keep firm wrist and firm fingertip to

make sure the sound is heard. Some attention will need to be paid to the fingering of the 16th note

passages in the RH. A couple fingering choices would be 4-5-4-3-2 or 3-5-4-3-2

REALLY bring out the dynamic contrasts here. It could verge on sounding sleepy instead of peaceful.

ORDER OF TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY (Easiest to more difficult)

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Baroque: ScarlattiBach

Classical: BeethovenHaydnDussek

Romantic: LichnerGriegMacDowell

Contemporary: SprungerHartsellBaumgartnerAlexanderRollinMier

ORDER OF ARTISTIC DIFFICULTY (Easiest to more difficult)

Baroque: BachScarlatti

Classical: BeethovenHaydnDussek

Romantic: LichnerGriegMacDowell

Contemporary: SprungerHartsellAlexanderBaumgartnerMierRollin

Page 21: The Baroque Spirit