Pianist

For the passionate players, or early beginners, Pianist magazine will teach you the art of piano playing through professional advice, sheet music and lessons for all levels. Your piano playing journey starts here with the magazine that doubles as an entertaining read and the ultimate interactive piano teacher. Read, learn and play the piano with Pianist magazine every issue. Improve your piano playing and perfect your tone with 40 pages of specially selected sheet music. Whether it’s reading fascinating industry articles or putting your fingers to work with beautiful sheet music, you’ll be playing like an expert in no time with a digital subscription to Pianist magazine!

An eye to the future

Pianist

Your chance to HAVE YOUR SAY • EMAIL: editor@pianistmagazine.com WRITE TO: The Editor, Pianist, Warners Group Publications, The Maltings, West St, Bourne, PE10 9PH. Letters may be edited.

It was a very good year • Pianist looks at some of the manufacturers and retailers who have contributed to making 2023 one exciting year

Spreading a little HAPPINESS CHLOE FLOWER • Chloe Flower’s CV includes Juilliard, the Royal Academy and a stonking Grammys performance with Cardi B. The crossover Korean-American pianist talks to Warwick Thompson about her new Christmas album, a near-death experience and a life full of ‘Chloincidences’

FROM THE TOP ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FINGERTIPS ARM WEIGHT • The act of striking a note doesn’t start with the hand, says Mark Tanner, who advises to begin from the upper body in order to produce a beautiful tone, whether soft or loud

ALL THINGS ORNAMENTAL TRILLING WITH EASE • In this article, pianist and teacher Graham Fitch looks at how to approach trills in the various style periods, as well as offering some suggestions for how to solve the technical problems they pose

THE SCORES • Pianist 135 • Read the lessons • Play the scores

HENSELT REPOS D’AMOUR OP 2 NO 4 • A ravishing tone and a penchant for asynchronicity are just two qualities needed in order to bring this love duet to life, says Henselt advocate Daniel Grimwood

SCHUMANN THE PROPHET BIRD • Cordelia Williams guides you through one of Schumann’s most evocative works where the softest of sounds and myriad colours will help bring this mysterious creature to life

SMETANA PIECE IN G, NO 2 FROM TREASURY OF MELODIES • Lots to absorb within this short 32-bar waltz, says Melanie Spanswick, who offers advice on how to get the Czech-style accents spot-on and to allow time for rubato

Heinrich WOHLFAHRT (1797-1883) • Piece in A minor

Melanie SPANSWICK • Christmas Rock

Bedřich SMETANA (1824-1884) • No 2 from Treasury of Melodies Vol 2

Erik JOHANNESSEN • Waltz for Merete

Carl NIELSEN (1865-1931) • A Dream about ‘Silent Night’

Edward ELGAR (1857-1934) • Sonatina, second movement

Adolf von HENSELT (1814-1889) • Repos d’amour Op 2 No 4

Franz LISZT (1811-1886) • Formerly, No 10 from Christmas Tree Suite S186

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) • Sonata in D K576, slow movement

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) • Fantasia in C minor BWV 906

Gustav Holst (1874-1934) arr. Derry BERTENSHAW • In the Bleak Midwinter

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) • The Prophet Bird, No 7 from Forest Scenes Op 82

PIANO TEACHER HELP DESK Note to self –Teaching resolutions for 2024 • Kathryn Page introduces some feisty and fun teaching ideas for the year ahead

MAKING THE GRADE • As we approach the end of the year, most of us will succumb to the urge to look back, reflect, and for the most part hope to do better next year. As you ponder your year’s pianistic progress, looking for new challenges or some fresh motivation, you may even...