In this issue
May 2010; Vol. 2, No. 3
Clara Schumann: Ambivalence and resilience
The lives of Clara and Robert Schumann make great movies.Two exist: Hollywood’s “Song of Love” (1947), starring Katherine Hepburn as Clara Schumann and Paul Henreid as…
May 2010; Vol. 2, No. 3
Chopin’s teaching
We all know Chopin’s piano literature - almost every serious piano student plays (or aspires to play) his works. But what do we know about Chopin’s…
May 2010; Vol. 2, No. 3
Chopin and Pleyel
Translated by Deana Shuman The first concert in Paris Chopin’s first concert in Paris (February 25th, 1832) played a determining role in the artist’s career, leading to his recognition as a composer and…
May 2010; Vol. 2, No. 3
Which Chopin?
There have been numerous collected editions of Chopin’s music since his death, and few of them agree on anything. Why is this? The answer lies principally…
May 2010; Vol. 2, No. 3
The life of Chopin (and autographed piano)
The Chopin Foundation of the United States has in its possession a rare and unique item: a Pleyel piano with the autograph of Frederic Chopin. This…
May 2010; Vol. 2, No. 3
Robert Schumann and the art of musical composition
Following hard on the heels of the Mendelssohn bicentenary, 2010 marks the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Robert Schumann (1810-1856), a composer who will surely…
May 2010; Vol. 2, No. 3
The Pedal Piano and the Schumanns
In 1845, Robert Schumann wrote what are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful and enduring pieces of music for the pedal piano, his Six Etudes in Canon Form, Op. 56; Four Sketches, Op.…
May 2010; Vol. 2, No. 3
Eleventh chords in jazz and popular music
There is a swath of New York’s Catskill Mountains, a two-to-three hour drive from Manhattan, that until recently was euphemistically known as the Borscht Belt. As…
May 2010; Vol. 2, No. 3
An Interview with Nelita True: Part II
In the March/April issue, Nelita True, one of the world’s great artist-teachers, discussed her childhood and teen years as a piano student and her evolution as a teacher. She also described the contributions of her major influences: Helen Titus, Leon Fleisher, Fernando Laires, Nadia Boulanger, and Sascha Gorodnitzky. Please tell us about your family background and your home life…
May 2010; Vol. 2, No. 3
A survey of current methods: The Music Tree
This issue continues Clavier Companion‘s survey of piano methods.1 Each article in this series will have three sections-an introductory synopsis by the Associate Editor, two articles written by teachers who have used…