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!

Pianist

Message from the editor

In the moment

Fairy tale takes the prize • Announcing the winner of the 2023 Pianist Composing Competition

Your chance to HAVE YOUR SAY

Your time to SHINE • As the Pianist 2023 Amateur Piano Competition kicks off (see full details opposite), Erica Worth talks about how to prepare for that winning performance

OLD HEAD ON YOUNG SHOULDERS • As a philosopher-pianist of our time, Rafał Blechacz has immersed himself in the world of Chopin for decades. He talks to Peter Quantrill about the sonatas and how they spoke to him afresh after the pandemic

FROM START TO FINISH OPENING AND CLOSING STATEMENTS • Spend a few minutes every day practising the beginning and end of a piece – and the content in-between will be far easier to grasp, says Mark Tanner

LEARNING BY DESIGN MEMORISING MUSIC USING PATTERN RECOGNITION • Ever feel you don’t really know a piece, even if you’ve been working on it for months? Try Graham Fitch’s clever advice for deep, secure learning

LESSONS FROM THE EXPERTS

GRANADOS DEDICATION – NO 1 FROM STORIES OF THE YOUNG OP 1 • Granados sets the scene for his ten-piece suite with a seemingly simple melody. Pay special attention, though, to the three-part layering, advises Melanie Spanswick

JS BACH ALLEMANDE FROM FRENCH SUITE NO 2 • There are three things needed for playing the keyboard, said Bach’s son, CPE: ‘correct fingering, good embellishments, and good performance’. Nils Franke agrees

CHAMINADE MÉDITATION • Accessible to the proficient amateur pianist, this magical piece is best served up sovereign rather than sugary sweet. Simon Callaghan guides you through it

HANS-GÜNTER HEUMANN BEGINNERS KEYBOARD CLASS • On these pages, Pianist covers the most basic stages of learning through a series of lessons by Hans-Günter Heumann. This Czerny exercise piece addresses the dotted quaver/semiquaver rhythm.

PIANO TEACHER HELP DESK • Concert success builds up from the earliest stages of learning – arguably from the very first piano lessons and practice sessions, says Kathryn Page

BACK TO SCHOOL • In the year that Dartington Summer School celebrates its 75th anniversary, and that Piano Week marks its 10th, it seems a good time to look at the founding ethos of some of the most popular summer schools for pianists, and what they offer today. Warwick Thompson investigates

THOROUGHLY POLISH CHOPIN’S MAZURKAS • With the Mazurka Op 68 No 3 appearing inside this issue’s Scores, there’s no better time to explore Chopin’s 58 masterpieces – and Marjan Kiepura is the perfect guide

WHICH PIANO SHOULD I BUY? • It might sound like a dream scenario, but choosing a piano can be overwhelming: John Evans speaks to three concert pianists to find out how they go about it

ALBUM REVIEWS

SHEET MUSIC REVIEWS

Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849) Mazurka Op 17 No 1

Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849) Mazurka Op 17 No 2