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This Week in Piano History: Beethoven’s Viennese Debut

Written By Curtis Pavey
A portrait of young Beethoven

THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate Beethoven’s debut as a pianist in Vienna on March 29, 1795. At just twenty-four years old, Beethoven’s performance marked the beginning of a lifelong musical relationship with the residents of Vienna.

On the left is the Burgtheater in Vienna, where Beethoven performed his debut. On the right is Vienna, ca. 1800.

Beethoven came to Vienna in November 1792 to study with Haydn. His journey to Vienna was funded by the elector in Bonn who arranged for his visit to help Beethoven develop his skill as a composer. Upon arriving in Vienna, Beethoven studied with Haydn through 1794, when Haydn left for a trip to London and during his absence for the next year and a half, Beethoven studied composition with Johann Georg Albrechtsberger.1 Scholarship suggests that Albrechtsberger was a much more effective teacher for Beethoven, helping him to develop mastery in a variety of contrapuntal exercises that would serve Beethoven well throughout the rest of his life.2 During this time, Beethoven was not merely composing, he frequently performed in private concerts for the wealthy aristocracy of Vienna.3

Beethoven’s public debut on March 29, 1795 was the beginning of a three-day set of performances Beethoven gave in Vienna. Scholarship is unclear over the exact piece performed on March 29th at a charity concert, but it was most likely Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19.4 The concerto, written in three movements, is written for the identical orchestral forces of Mozart’s last piano concerto, K. 595, also in the key of B-flat major.5 The first movement, the longest, is in traditional concerto-sonata form. The fugal cadenza commonly performed in the first movement was actually composed in 1808 or 1809, so Beethoven likely improvised his own cadenza for this concert.6 The second movement is intimate and features moments of tenderness between the piano and orchestra, including moments where the piano accompanies solo instruments. The final movement is sprightly and vigorous with an impressive display of double thirds in the closing moments of the piece.

Krystian Zimermann performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19 with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

The performance must have been a success, as Beethoven continued to perform for the following two days after his initial debut. On the second day, Beethoven performed his own improvisation at yet another charity concert, while on the third day, he performed a Mozart concerto at a performance of La clemenza di Tito that the widowed Constanze Mozart organized.

During the remainder of the year, Beethoven had additional success as a composer and as a performer. In the fall of 1795, Beethoven’s Piano Trios, Op. 1 were published in Vienna and dedicated to Prince Carl von Lichnowsky. Upon hearing the three trios, Haydn advised Beethoven not to publish the third trio, in C Minor, as he was concerned about how the Viennese public would react to it; Beethoven did not agree with his teacher’s advice.7 Besides this, Beethoven performed once again in December 1795. At this concert organized by Haydn, Beethoven performed another concerto, most likely his Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15.8

Examples of two fortepianos. On the left is a 1775 model by Johann Andreas Stein found in the Musikinstrumentenmuseum in Berlin. On the right is a copy after Walter & Sohn, c. 1805, made by Paul McNulty.

Interested in learning more about Beethoven’s piano works? Read this article below by Beethoven-scholar Peter Takács:

The Beethoven Piano Sonatas: Frequently Asked Questions
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Sources
  1. Joseph Kerman, Alan Tyson, Scott G. Burnham, Douglas Johnson, and William Drabkin, “Beethoven, Ludwig van,” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 28 Feb. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040026.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Michael Thomas Roeder, A History of the Concerto (Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994), 180.
  6. Ibid., 181.
  7. Joseph Kerman, Alan Tyson, Scott G. Burnham, Douglas Johnson, and William Drabkin, “Beethoven, Ludwig van,” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 28 Feb. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040026.
  8. Ibid.

Kerman, Joseph, Alan Tyson, Scott G. Burnham, Douglas Johnson, and William Drabkin. “Beethoven, Ludwig van.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 28 Feb. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040026. 


Roeder, Michael Thomas. A History of the Concerto. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994.

Dr. Curtis Pavey is a pianist, harpsichordist, and educator. A performer of works from the 16th through the 21st centuries, he feels equally at home performing or teaching at the piano and the harpsichord. He is currently based in the Cincinnati area and maintains a private piano studio.
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Five Things You Might Not Know About Margaret Bonds

Written By Sarah Rushing

Check out Sarah Rushing’s archived webinar of Margaret Bonds: Troubled Water, where she explores the preparation, practice, and interpretation of this unique piece.

1. Margaret Bonds was raised by four independent, career-oriented women.

At the tender age of four, Bonds’s parents divorced. Instead of growing up in a traditional family structure, Bonds was raised by her mother, two aunts, and maternal grandmother. These strong women supported Bonds in her passion for composing, helping her to see a life beyond the stereotypical roles women were otherwise expected to adopt in the 1920s and 30s. After her divorce, Margaret’s mother chose to readopt her maiden name, Bonds, perhaps later inspiring Margaret to keep her own surname when she married. Bonds continued to defy cultural norms throughout her life, including when she chose to move to Los Angeles alone, without her husband or 21-year-old daughter, in order to pursue new directions in her career.1

2. When Margaret was young, the Bonds family took in several Black artists, including Florence Price.

Margaret’s mother, Estella Bonds, opened the family home to the large community of Black artists in Chicago. As a result, the young Margaret frequently interacted with the likes of Will Marion Cook, Lillian Evanti, Abbie Mitchell, and Langston Hughes. Florence Price became a more permanent visitor, living with the Bonds family for a time. The community Estella created supported Price personally and professionally, often helping with tasks such as copying, extracting, and correcting scores. Soon after, Margaret studied composition with Price.2

The community Estella created supported Price personally and professionally…

3. Bonds was admitted to Northwestern University at the young age of 16.

While at Northwestern, Bonds experienced profound racism. Though she was allowed to study and attend classes, she wasn’t permitted to live on campus or use the facilities. Instead, she frequented the Evanston Public Library, where she first encountered the poetry of Langston Hughes. Hughes would become an important source of friendship and artistic inspiration later in her life, as she later set many of his poems to music.3, 4

4. Bonds was the first Black soloist to appear with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Bonds performed Price’s Piano Concerto at the 1933 World’s Fair held in Chicago. This performance was preceded by another notable achievement for the young composer: winning the Wanamaker Prize in 1932 for her vocal composition, Sea Ghost. These accomplishments helped launch the young musician’s career.5

5. Bonds considered herself a musician and humanitarian, working tirelessly to dispel racial discrimination.

In addition to her activity as a composer, Bonds was passionate about performing and promoting the music of other Black musicians. In 1947, she hired a manager who helped her organize a series of concerts and lectures at Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the south. In the 1960s, she embarked on a similar project in New York City.5

Other resources you might enjoy
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Sources
  1. Peebles, Sarah Louise. “The Use of the Spiritual in the Piano Works of Two African American Women Composers – Florence B. Price and Margaret Bonds.” The University of Mississippi, 2008.
  2. Walker-Hill, Helen. From Spirituals to Symphonies: African-American Women Composers and Their Music. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.
  3. Green, Mildred Denby. Black Women Composers: A Genesis. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1983.
  4. Walker-Hill, Helen. From Spirituals to Symphonies: African-American Women Composers and Their Music. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.
  5. Jackson, Barbara Garvey, and Dominique-René de Lerma. “Bonds [Richardson], Margaret Allison.” Grove Music Online. 30 Sep. 2020; Accessed 6 Jan. 2023. www-oxfordmusiconline-com.databases.wtamu.edu/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-90000318953.
  6. Walker-Hill, Helen. From Spirituals to Symphonies: African-American Women Composers and Their Music. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.
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This Week in Piano History: The Demise of Hanon

Written By Curtis Pavey

THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we remember composer and organist Charles-Louis Hanon, who died on March 19, 1900 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. Author of the infamous collection The Virtuoso Pianist, Hanon is little known besides this work.

Hanon was born in Renescure, a village in northern France. He learned to play organ and later moved to Boulogne-sur-Mer, a coastal city in northern France approximately sixty kilometers away, where he would spend the rest of his life. Hanon worked at the Église Saint-Joseph as a church organist, but resigned his position in 1853; there is speculation as to the exact reasons for his resignation, but some have speculated that he was forced to resign.1 Despite this, Hanon was a lifelong and devout Catholic. Hanon served in the “Les Frères Ignoran tins,” a monastic order that emphasized education for poor children.2 Although primarily focused on his religious callings, Hanon also composed and published a number of keyboard works.

A portrait of Hanon
The cover page for Hanon’s l’Exile
Hanon’s Birthplace: Renescure, France

Hanon’s output includes several works with programmatic titles as well as many works specifically designed for pedagogical purposes. His work, Les montagnes de la Savoie, written for solo piano, is a fantasy in which limited thematic material is repeated with slight alterations to the dynamic level and register. The piece includes a significant repeated note passage as well as chromatic scales, arpeggios, and broken chords. Another work, Souvenirs de Bretagne or Fantaisie brillante sur des airs bretons (Brilliant Fantasy on Breton Tunes), includes melodies from the Brittany region of France. Some of the melodies are given virtuosic accompaniments, while others have more traditional accompanimental patterns. In his L’exilée (The Exile), Hanon presents a work that contains a significant amount of music for left hand alone, complete with filigree, variation, and arpeggiation.

Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, where Hanon passed away.

His most famous work, The Virtuoso Pianist was first published in 1874 and is known worldwide for its use amongst pianists of all levels, including virtuosos such as Sergei Rachmaninoff and Josef Lhévinne.3 Despite this, the work is clearly influenced by other composers, such as Aloys Schmitt who wrote an identical exercise to Hanon’s first exercise more than fifty years prior.4 The Virtuoso Pianist contains five-finger exercises in various patterns, all the scales and arpeggios, as well as more challenging exercises in octaves and repeated notes. Hanon’s work was so popular in the twentieth century that Dmitri Shostakovich even included varied excerpts of the patterns in his Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102. Today, many pianists continue to study the work significantly, transposing the exercises into various keys.

Yuja Wang, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and the Philadelphia Orchestra performing Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102, in Carnegie Hall.

Interested to learn more about using piano etudes in creative ways? Read this article by Scott McBride Smith:

Shouldn’t technical study be fun? Liszt, etude practice, and attention to detail…
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Sources
  1. Andrew Adams and Bradley Martin, “The Man Behind the Virtuoso Pianist: Charles-Louis Hanon’s Life and Work,” The American Music Teacher 58, no. 6 (Jun, 2009): 18-21, uc.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fman-behind-virtuoso-pianist-charles-louis-hanons%2Fdocview%2F217493040%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D2909.
  2. Ibid.
  3. “Charles-Louis Hanon,” In Wikipedia, Accessed February 27, 2023, wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Louis_Hanon
  4. Andrew Adams and Bradley Martin, “The Man Behind the Virtuoso Pianist: Charles-Louis Hanon’s Life and Work,” The American Music Teacher 58, no. 6 (Jun, 2009): 18-21, uc.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fman-behind-virtuoso-pianist-charles-louis-hanons%2Fdocview%2F217493040%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D2909.

Adams, Andrew and Bradley Martin. “The Man Behind the Virtuoso Pianist: Charles-Louis Hanon’s Life and Works.” The American Music Teacher 58, no. 6 (Jun, 2009): 18-21. uc.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fman-behind-virtuoso-pianist-charles-louis-hanons%2Fdocview%2F217493040%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D2909. 


“Charles-Louis Hanon.” In Wikipedia. Accessed February 27, 2023. wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Louis_Hanon

Dr. Curtis Pavey is a pianist, harpsichordist, and educator. A performer of works from the 16th through the 21st centuries, he feels equally at home performing or teaching at the piano and the harpsichord. He is currently based in the Cincinnati area and maintains a private piano studio.
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Teaching Students to Love Classical Period Repertoire: Q&A with Suzanne Newcomb

Written By Suzanne Newcomb

Don’t miss Suzanne Newcomb’s Inspiring Artistry contribution about Beethoven’s Sonatina in G Major, which includes information on how to effectively teach the piece.

Why is it important for students to learn Classical-period repertoire? What are some of the benefits?

Classical-period repertoire represents the foundation of much of the piano music that follows it! Baroque composers (Bach, Scarlatti, and more) paved the way for the keyboard (primarily the harpsichord) to serve as a solo performing instrument. Later developments of the pianoforte helped classical composers write pieces with more contrasting sounds than ever before. Students will benefit from learning how to play with clear dynamics with very little help from the pedal. From a technical standpoint, they can finally use all they have learned from practicing scales!  In Classical-era music, it is essential that a student plays rhythmically and with a steady beat. Metronome work is important, but the student needs to develop an internal sense of the beat, employing only the slightest bit of rubato.

When do you start transitioning students to Classical period repertoire?

There is more intermediate-level piano music written during the Classical period than one could ever study. It’s important to start before this level to help the student understand the style. The Alberti bass pattern is introduced in Piano Adventures as early as Level 3A. As a late beginner, students can play repertoire from the Faber Piano Sonatinas Book 1 as well as Classical offerings in anthologies by Keith Snell, Lynn Freeman Olson, and the Faber Piano Literature books. Some of the classical pieces even stay in a five-finger position. 

What are some of your favorite Classical-era pieces to teach, including lesser-known and flashier pieces?

My students (even college students) love the Sonatina in G Major by Thomas Attwood. Solfeggietto by C. P. E. Bach is fun and challenging. The Sonatina in A Minor by Jiri Benda has some arpeggio flourishes and toccata-like sections. I love Beethoven’s early sonatinas, Mozart’s Viennese Sonatinas, and always include sonatinas by Clementi, Kuhlau, and Dussek. Studying these pieces first sets a student up for success when they begin the full sonatas of Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn. 

Classical-period repertoire represents the foundation of much of the piano music that follows it.

What are some ways you help make Classical-period repertoire engaging and interesting for your students?

My students and I love studying the development of the piano and the music that was composed during that time. I recommend Music and Musicians I and II by Nancy Bachus. The artwork is beautiful, as are the musical listening examples. We also listen to and watch great artists perform these monumental works. We are fortunate to have an authentic pianoforte in our community that we can visit for a class field trip! We also attend concerts together so the students can experience this great music performed in an exciting live setting.

OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
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How To Travel to NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference without Breaking the Bank!

Written By Shana Kirk

Register for NCKP: 2023! Click here to register.

Having spent a good amount of the last 30 years zig-zagging the skies as a music technology consultant, I have personally experienced nearly every curveball air travel can toss my way. In all this time, through quite a bit of trial and error and by picking up ideas from other veteran travelers, I have collected some handy strategies I find myself using over and over. As you plan your NCKP travel, I hope you’ll find these useful, too!

Plan Early!

The one advantage I have found over and over is that early planning pays off. Even if you don’t purchase a ticket early, you can start looking at prices and be ready to buy when you find a good fare. My favorite tool for researching fares is Google Flights. By setting up a fare alert at google.com/flights, you can receive notifications when the fares have dropped. You can also look at a historic price graph and see predictions for the dates you want to travel. Keep in mind, predictions are not guarantees, and you still want to purchase at least three weeks in advance when possible. Also note that some airlines, like Southwest, do not allow Google Flights to display their fares, but they will still be indexed in the overall cost rankings.

Be Flexible!

Fares can vary widely from one day to the next, so if your travel is flexible, it’s useful to check a day or two outside your target dates. Most booking sites have a grid view with fares for a combination of departure and return dates.

Check one-way fares.

While you’re researching fares, it’s often worthwhile to compare one-way options. Because individual airlines base fares on a range of criteria, flying on different airlines or even to different airports in each direction may save money.

Shana Kirk presenting at NCKP 2019.

Check ALL available airports.

Most flight booking sites allow you to choose “all airports” or “nearby airports” instead of just one specific location. Luckily, Chicago has two excellent and well-served airports with easy connections to lots and lots of cities. Each airport is about half an hour away from the Westin Lombard, so you might as well check both! Additionally, I sometimes even check surrounding cities, in case there’s a lower-cost option to fly to a nearby city and carpool the remainder of the trip with a colleague. Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, Milwaukee, WI, and Indianapolis, IN, are all within easy driving distance of Chicago, and you may well have a colleague who would love a driving companion. 

Beware of add-on fees and look for ways to avoid them.

Many airlines charge extra for checked luggage nowadays, and ultra-low cost carriers charge extra for ANY luggage that doesn’t fit under the seat, not to mention charges like seat selection or early boarding privileges. Some airlines offer subscription services or frequent-flyer credit cards that will offset these fees and sometimes even offer extra perks that make air travel more comfortable (like airport lounge passes).

Always check the airline’s own website before purchasing from a discount travel site.

With all of the tricky bag and seat fees out there, it’s often easier to purchase directly from the airline. Should you need to change flights, the airline’s own website will offer the most flexibility for that as well.

Save on ground transportation.

Taxi or rideshare fares can add up quickly in the sprawling suburbs of Chicago. Plan to share a ride with a friend or use a shuttle service (there are several, depending on your destination airport). There’s even a very low-cost regional bus if you are able to manage your luggage. Rome2Rio.com is a great site for comparing various ground transit options for your needs.

However you travel to NCKP, I can’t wait to see you all there! Bon Voyage!

QUICK LINKS FOR NCKP 2023: THE PIANO CONFErENCE
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Five Things You Might Not Know About Claude Debussy

Written By Andy Villemez

Check out Andy Villemez’s video of Debussy: La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin, L. 177/8 where he explores the preparation, practice, and interpretation of this unique piece.

1.  When referring to his own music, Debussy hated the term “impressionism.”

The life of most composers includes small, or even lengthy battles in how their music is received and understood; Debussy was no exception. Due to his overt association with painters like Claude Monet and poets like Stéphane Mallarmé, a newspaper critic was the first to link the aural qualities of Debussy’s music with the visual qualities of Impressionism. In 1908, Debussy wrote to a publisher expressing his frustration saying, “I’m attempting ‘something different,’ realities in some sense – what imbeciles call impressionism, just about the least appropriate term possible.’1

2. He had an alter ego named “Monsieur Croche.”

Literally meaning “Mr. Eighth Note,” Debussy frequently used this pseudonym as a way to channel his more critical and sometimes unorthodox opinions on music and art. Writing as Monsieur Croche for various journals and newspapers, he commented on topics ranging from the operas of Richard Wagner to the “futility of the symphony since Beethoven.”2

In an essay focused on virtuosos, he wrote, “The attraction of the virtuoso for the public is very much like that of the circus for the crowd. There is always hope that something dangerous will happen.”3

In 1908, Debussy wrote to a publisher expressing his frustration saying, ‘I’m attempting ‘something different,’ realities in some sense – what imbeciles call impressionism, just about the least appropriate term possible.’

3. His favorite piano was an upright Bechstein.

In the early part of the twentieth century, piano brands in Europe were about as abundant as today’s selection of pasta sauce in your local grocery store. While Debussy worked with and showed admiration for many piano makers, he is often quoted praising one company in particular saying, “Piano music should be written only for the Bechstein.”4

Much of the sonority and color we have come to love about Debussy’s music was made possible in part by the tone and resonant qualities of his home piano – an upright Bechstein Model 8.

Edgar Allan Poe

4. He loved the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

In his café nightlife, Debussy relished the opportunity to talk with others about Edgar Allan Poe.5 He even wrote two pieces of theatre based on stories of Poe’s, The Devil in the Belfry and The Fall of the House of Usher. While only fragments of these works remain, we know Debussy sought to replicate the fear and anguish of Poe’s works in a new form of condensed opera.6

5. You can hear him play some of his own works.

Debussy lived in the early years of sound recording technology, and you can hear him play fourteen of his own pieces “recorded” onto six piano rolls. These include “La soirée dans Grenade” from Estampes, the entire set of Children’s Corner, and “La Cathédrale engloutie” from Preludes I. While Debussy was elated with the sound quality of these recordings, his performances are free and eccentric – inviting discussion, and even controversy, about how we interpret his scores.7

Other resources you might enjoy
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Sources
  1. François Lesure and Roy Howat, “Debussy, (Achille-)Claude,” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 9 Feb. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000007353.
  2. Claude Debussy, “Monsieur Croche Antidilletante,” in Three Classics in the Aesthetics of Music (New York: Dover Publications, 1962), 8-72.
  3. Ibid, 22.
  4. “1966 Bechstein Model Upright Piano | Debussy’s Favorite Piano,” Cunningham Piano Company, June 6, 2017, https://www.cunninghampiano.com/debussys-favorite-piano/.
  5. François Lesure and Marie Rolf, Claude Debussy (Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press, 2019), 79.
  6. Lesure and Howat, “Debussy, (Achille-)Claude.”
  7. Peter Jost, “Debussy in Urtext – Part 3: Debussy’s recordings of his piano music,” G. Henle Verlag (blog), May 21, 2018, https://www.henle.de/blog/en/2018/05/21/debussy-in-urtext-%E2%80%93-part-3-debussy%E2%80%99s-recordings-of-his-piano-music/.
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This Week in Piano History: The Birth of “Mr. Harmony”

Written By Curtis Pavey
Mario Ruiz Armengol

THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the birth of composer Mario Ruiz Armengol, who was born on March 17, 1914. A Mexican composer, Ruiz Armengol wrote a number of important piano works including a sonata, the 31 Piezas para niños, and 12 Estudios.

Ruiz Armengol was born into a large family in Veracruz, Mexico. His father was a famous pianist and conductor Don Ismael Ruiz Suárez. He began playing piano at the age of eight and also learned to play numerous wind instruments. His early studies occurred  at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música. Throughout his life, he continued his studies and took lessons with famous Mexican composers José Rolón and Rodolfo Halffter.

Mario Ruiz Armengol through the years.

Ruiz Armengol’s music blossomed from an eclectic set of influences including classical, folk, and jazz music. He frequently performed folk music before becoming involved with XEW, a famous Mexican radio station, in 1931.1 During this time, he became acquainted with a number of important classical singers and was well known as an expert accompanist.

The “Presto” finale from Ruiz Armengol’s Piano Sonata (1971) performed by Claudia Corona.

As a composer, Ruiz Armengol wrote music for young pianists and for virtuosos. His 31 Piezas para niños, features 31 short, pedagogical pieces that explore a diverse range of concepts for developing pianists. His Piano Sonata from 1971 is a virtuosic work in three movements that lasts about ten minutes. The finale, marked “Presto,” contains sprightly and vigorous passagework for the pianist. In addition to these large collections, he also wrote miniatures such as Las frías montañas (The Cold Mountains), which contains beautiful, long melodic lines. Because of his use of interesting harmonic progressions, Duke Ellington among others called Ruiz Armengol ‘Mr. Harmony!’2

Curious to learn more about Mario Ruiz Armengol? Check out our course: Exploring Latin American Piano Music: A Cultural Journey with Elementary through Early-Advanced Pieces!

OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Ruiz Armengol’s Las frías montañas performed by Jorge Eduardo.
Sources
  1. Ricardo Miranda Pérez, “Ruiz Armengol, Mario,” Grove Music Online, 2001; Accessed 17 Feb. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000046061.
  2. Mario Ruiz Armengol, “Mario Ruiz Armengol, Excelso Músico Mexicano, Orgullosamente Veracruzano.” 2004, Accessed July 10, 2022, mruizarmengol.com/.

Pérez, Ricardo Miranda. “Ruiz Armengol, Mario.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 17 Feb. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000046061. 

Ruiz Armengol, Mario. “Mario Ruiz Armengol, Excelso Músico Mexicano, Orgullosamente Veracruzano.” 2004. Accessed July 10, 2022. mruizarmengol.com/

Dr. Curtis Pavey is a pianist, harpsichordist, and educator. A performer of works from the 16th through the 21st centuries, he feels equally at home performing or teaching at the piano and the harpsichord. He is currently based in the Cincinnati area and maintains a private piano studio.
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“Piano Inspires” Webinar: William Chapman Nyaho Interview

Written By Piano Inspires

The Frances Clark Center was thrilled to welcome William Chapman Nyaho to our “Piano Inspires” Webinar series. Please enjoy his engaging conversation with Dr. Jennifer Snow, CEO of the Frances Clark Center, and we encourage you to join us for all of our upcoming webinars. https://pianoinspires.com/webinars/

In this installment of our Piano Inspires… series, Dr. Jennifer Snow hosted a conversation with William Chapman Nyaho about his vibrant career and mission as a musician. Due to the overwhelming and enthusiastic response to this webinar, we have decided to make it available here on our open access Discovery page, along with its transcript. We extend our deepest gratitude to Nyaho for sharing his thoughts and inspiring us all through his life story.

If you would like to explore other webinars in our 100+ archive, subscribe now for only $7.99/mo or $36/yr.

SNOW 

Hello, everyone. I’m going to invite Nyaho to join me with his camera. There he is. Hi, Nyaho. Good morning.

NYAHO 

Hi!

SNOW 

Thank you so much for joining us and for doing this today. It’s just fantastic.

NYAHO 

My pleasure.

SNOW 

Thank you everybody for coming. I’m reading in the chat, you too Nyaho. Everybody’s in snowy, snowy cold except for Gale who’s in warm Florida. You’ll all be interested to know because of the geographic communications here in the chat, that I’m actually as far away from Nyaho geographically on the same continent. I’m in Newfoundland, Canada. Hello to all my Canadian friends that are on this wonderful session this morning. Nyaho’s all the way over in Seattle.

NYAHO 

Right.

SNOW 

The joys of technology. I want to thank all of you for spending this amazing time with us this morning with the incomparable Dr. William Nyaho Chapman. We are so glad to have you with us here today, Nyaho. I’ll just encourage everyone, if you have a tech problem, just put it in the chat and the wonderful Michaela Boros—thank you so much to Michaela, for teching for us today—and if you have a question or Nyaho brings something up and you think, “oh, gosh, I’d like to know a little bit more about that,” please, we welcome you to put that in the chat. This is a really amazing opportunity for us to sort of delve into Nyaho not only as the giant in our field and a big change agent, but also Nyaho, you know, where Nyaho comes from and his roots and music and what inspires him and his leadership. I’m first going to—Nyaho said “do not read my bio, please.” You can find out everything you want to know about Nyaho at his website, but I do want to say that I am very honored to be in Nyaho’s sphere, and he’s been a really big influence in my life and a great inspiration. It’s just—Nyaho—such a joy and honor to have you with us today.

NYAHO 

Thank you for your kind words.

SNOW 

I know that’s amplified by everybody here today. Those of you that may not know that Dr. William Chapman Nyaho, earned his degrees from Oxford University—yes, that’s Oxford—and the Eastman School of Music and the University of Texas at Austin. Many of you have heard him perform. He’s part of the Nyaho/Garcia duo, I know he’ll probably touch on that today. And of course, his wonderful work advocating for music by composers of African descent. He is such a bright light in our field. We are very lucky at the Frances Clark Center. Nyaho will be appearing at NCKP this summer. We encourage you all to join us there and gather with us together to celebrate the transformative power of music. He’s a board member for us and he’s also the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for MTNA, so a lot of big leadership roles in our field. All that starting out with all those amazing things, Nyaho.

I would love for us to go way back to the beginning. And think about what were the very first memories you have, what are the very first memories you have of music and music in your life?

NYAHO 

Well, my earliest recollections are in Ghana, maybe four years old or so. I grew up in a family of six kids and my parents were educators and my father was in the civil service, so he was the Secretary to Ghana’s First Cabinet, and he was an ambassador. I was actually born in the US because he was ambassador then. But then we moved back to Ghana when I was just a few months old. My earliest recollections are of my eldest sister, who is a really wonderful pianist, playing all kinds of wonderful music—Bach and Beethoven and stuff, and then and then I also remember us having a record player and hearing things like, the Isley Brothers or Elvis Presley. So, there was just a lot of music at home. 

Also my parents love traditional music. My father comes from the eastern parts of Ghana, and he’s Ewe and it is a totally different language and culture from my mother who comes from the central parts of Ghana, who is Fante, and so there are very different languages in Ghana itself. We lived in Accra or Achimota at that time, and they speak Ga, which is also another completely different language. I grew up with a lot of stuff going on, different cultures, different dances, different music, highlife, you know, all of that going on, in Ghana when I was just a few years old. 

I think I just really loved music and just wanted to imitate my sisters. One other sister, my sister Nibishi played the violin, my brother played the guitar, my other sisters, Manu and Cham, we all, you know, they played the piano or sang. So there’s always something going on. So that’s what I grew up with.

SNOW 

That is incredibly rich, and, I mean, like a global world, just in your home life as a little child.

NYAHO 

Yeah.

SNOW 

It must have been quite the—everyone’s fighting to practice and play the instruments and, you know, growing up with siblings that surround you with music, and especially older siblings. Are you the one that pursued music? Did other ones pursue music as well?

NYAHO 

Yes. So I’m the youngest of six, and my oldest sister pursued music. So she was already just playing quite a storm. She was studying also at the Conservatory in Geneva. So I really looked up to her, she was just really quite wonderful.

SNOW 

I think that’s just so magical. I see that you have a sister here with us today, which is just fabulous. I think we need to interview your sisters next. I have a younger brother and I’m the oldest sister. So those are relationships that are pretty powerful in shaping our lives, aren’t they?

NYAHO 

Absolutely. 

SNOW 

Who were your teachers? You came sort of up in this incredible home, this international, global perspective from your earliest days, and traveled as a family. What an incredible home and your mom must have been balancing so many things with your dad, being in the foreign service, and then a big family of children and this commitment to a really global education, which is something that you’ve had your entire life. I mean, how were those early teachers and influences, how did they kind of touch your life in those early years?

NYAHO 

Well, believe it or not, my eldest sister I would say was my first teacher. She, I think, tolerated me trying to be on the piano. So she taught me a few things. But we moved to Geneva. My father was in the UN. My first formal teacher was a lady called Mrs. Astroff. She was just a kind, kind lady. I remember her being just so embracing of me. I just have these warm feelings, but I was so young. I had Mrs. Astroff and then we went back to Ghana. So I was in boarding school from third grade—which is a very common thing in Ghana: people going to boarding school because we’re coming from all of all the different parts of Ghana to these different wonderful institutions that had been set up around the country. So I was in one of them and my teacher, there was Mr. Esau in primary school. Then, when I got to the secondary division, my wonderful teacher was John Barham, who was an English teacher who now is retired in Norwich in England, and he was just pretty phenomenal. He was not only teaching me piano, but taught music in the school, and so he was just extraordinary. We learned a lot of theory and really wonderful history. He taught us and he also conducted a choir. So, in Ghana, we would have things like the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, pretty much based on the Festivals of Nine Lessons and Carols in Cambridge. It was pretty amazing. 

Some of our teachers, they would also bring teachers in from the University of Ghana, Legon, where they taught us cultural dancing from different parts of Ghana and drumming, and our school also really celebrated all the different languages and cultures of students who were in school. I would go for other classes, or Fante, because my parents are from different parts. We sang the songs and all that. I used to just remember hearing the drumming and dancing and just my heart pounding and just kind of running towards that—the venue where we were learning all these different dances and understanding how different directions from master drummers through the different kinds of drum patterns. So it’s very exciting. That’s kind of my background.

SNOW 

It’s extraordinary and so diverse, rich, and so holistic in experience. It’s so inspiring to hear you speak about it because your whole life’s work is about bringing people into a complete circle of understanding the power of music and culture. That leads to greater understanding of each other and the sense of congruence. I love your face lighting up when you’re thinking about running into those experiences. This sheer euphoria and joy of being together and participating in those experiences is very inspiring. I know everybody is just kind of riveted hearing you talk about this because that’s how you are in the world for those of us that have met you as a complete professional. So those roots are so much a big part of your huge tree. Thank you for sharing that. How do you feel that those sort of formative experiences are really deep, resonating diverse experiences coming from such a diverse culture in Ghana? So many languages and cultural influences. How do you feel that came up through your roots into your tree as a pianist who’s pursued the rigor, as you spoke about, of classical pianism?

NYAHO 

Wow. Well, I really think that just growing up in that milieu in Ghana, I mean, honestly a lot of Ghanians who went to my school just had that kind of experience. We were taught— actually, our school crest was a keyboard, and, and it was devised by Kwegyir Aggrey, one of our founders of the school. The saying pretty much was, you can play a beautiful tune on all the white notes, but add some black notes, and the music is richer. That’s one of the sayings that went through our school. So it was the whole idea of embracing diversity, embracing all. Also, I just loved all these different kinds of musics from classical music to soul to some of my favorites: the Beatles to the Supremes, and all kinds of jazz. They really, I guess, informed me as I went on, but I will say, though, that I did have a little bit of an identity crisis because the whole idea of — I would separate classical music from my traditional music. Classical music in those days for me, was more about Western European musicians and music and composers. Then there was my traditional music, and then there was R&B, the rock music, but I had to kind of find a way to integrate all those aspects of music that I really wanted. That happened eventually.

SNOW 

Also how you have taken that personal journey and work and amplified it to the world. I think that there may be other people that have been on that journey, but they haven’t necessarily stepped into that role of leading a community forward around the full picture of music. It’s sort of like bouncing around in the life of Nyaho, that you then went from Ghana to Oxford. I’m sure that was quite an experience landing in Oxford, though you had traveled the world. You come from this amazing culture with this extremely holistic experience of music and musical expression and dance in a whole range of ways that are deeply cultural, and also are part of the time and the days that you’re living in, and then arriving at Oxford University as a scholar and musician. How was that for you, and what were the influences and impact of being there?

NYAHO 

Well, going to Oxford was quite an extraordinary experience. So I was, I would say, decently prepared through our high school. In Ghana, I took what we call A Level Exams and it was in music. We had to write essays, believe it or not, in high school on Schubert’s Die Winterreise. I had to know about Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony, we had to know about Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, and so I was pretty prepared and knowing how to understand this music art. Mr. Barham just gave us such a wealth of information and how, you know, we would talk about subject matter, tonalities, and all that sort of stuff. 

But interestingly enough, when I got to Oxford, I actually went to my first opera there. Believe it or not, my very first opera was The Rake’s Progress by Stravinsky. So it’s kind of a trial by fire. Just to go back to Ghana, we also learned a lot of operetta like Gilbert and Sullivan. I’m sure if you meet a bunch of Ghanians who went to my school, they can really quote and sing you some serious Gilbert and Sullian, like Pirates of Penzance or The Mikado, and all that kind of stuff. We had such a great education in Ghana, but going to Oxford was also a different ballgame because we had tutors, one-on-one tutors. I had to learn how to compose in the style of Palestrina, three-part Palestrina. In our second and third year it was all five-part Palestrina or Lasso. I had to learn how to write in the style of Bach. I would be given let’s say the beginning of a cantata for maybe soprano, violin, and continuo and had to be able to write something which would resemble Bach with figured bass and all that sort of stuff. 

So that was quite a lot of really rigorous training and just having to bury ourselves in the library and read all kinds of articles to be able to write our essays on, let’s say, Scarlatti sonatas or the beginnings of Tristan und Isolde and the effects of this and that. It was pretty rigorous. I just had to step up to the plate and learn all of this and catch up. One of the things one of my professors there said was that you just need to listen, listen, listen, listen. So that’s what I would do in the days of cassettes. I had this amazing uncle in London, who had just thousands of LPs, who was just really into classical music, and I would spend some of my time and vacations with him. I was just under these headphones and [listening to] recordings, all these symphonies, hearing my Brahms Symphony for the first time under headphones and the hair—you know, the days I had hair—standing on the back of my neck just with the opening. I had an amazing education and discovery of Western classical music.

SNOW 

That is amazing. I mean, just the technical rigor alone, with all that composition and understanding. During your time at Oxford, did you encounter any repertoire of music other than the classical White Western composers, or women, diversity of composers? I mean, at what point for you, because your life’s work has been dedicated to really expanding the canon like nobody else has – when did that intersection happen for you? Because I know, then you were in Geneva, and then you came to the United States? How was that part of you, Nyaho, the man, the person?

NYAHO 

There was very little of that in my education in Oxford, just very little. But what was interesting there was that we’re in different colleges, I was at St. Peter’s College. We could give concerts, we were encouraged to just do concerts and all that kind of stuff. So, in my second year, I just really, even though I was learning all this stuff, I just also wanted to show my background and the music from there. So, I remember putting on a concert. It was very interesting, how do I put it, but it had to do with — I got a choir together. There were about sixteen students. All you would do was put posters up in Oxford and said singers needed for a concert and so on, so forth. So I put on a concert of music by Ephraim Amu, who is just an extraordinary composer from Ghana, who wrote a lot of choral music. I helped teach the students, my colleagues, the Ghanaian language and how to sing it and they were so willing to do it, it was so wonderful. That was one part of the concert. The other part, I played with one of my professors, and we did Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes and then some Dvorak Slavonic Dances. So you just had to be inventive, but in terms of just learning music that reflected my culture, there was nothing there at that time. 

But I remember my mom always encouraging me to learn some of the folk songs and wanting me to compose. I wish I could have done that, I wish I could have just paid attention to her then, but I think it’s still stuck because I really started looking for music by Ghanaian composers. I had no idea of the immense music by African American composers at that time. This is in the late 70s, to the 80s. So it was only after I left Oxford and went to Geneva, I was studying with a Jamaican composer, Oswald Russell, phenomenal pianist that I started playing some of his music, and it’s just absolutely beautiful, gorgeous stuff. He taught me improvisation. Then, I performed some of that when I came to Eastman and also in Austin. But when I became a professor at Louisiana, I was responsible for teaching music literature, and the accessibility to Bach, Beethoven, all these scores was just right there. When I was looking for music by composers of African descent, I literally had pretty much one big recording by Natalie Hinderas. All of you should check that out. It’s an extraordinary CD or recording by Natalie Hinderas. She was a teacher of Leon Bates and she had recorded music by Thomas Kerr, and Nathaniel Dett, and others that I could use, but even getting the scores were manuscripts and stuff like that. So it was only early into the 90s, that I was suddenly – my eyes were being opened to this amazing music around that I’ve been yearning for, that we’re trying to kind of find out.

SNOW 

Did that coincide with any mentors, influential teachers, peers, experiences that really started to – you know, you’re such a trailblazer, and an action-based individual. You’ve brought so much change, there’s much more change that has to come. But in that leadership role, even as a young person, you’re an ambassador for your country through music, you were coming from Oxford to the United States getting your doctorate graduate school in these revered institutions. Are there people that along the way, touched you in ways or opened you up in ways that helped light that up for you, that yes, this needs to change, and that activist inside you and advocate for what is going on here. We’re not even beginning to tell it the full picture of what we need to be exploring.

NYAHO  

Well, three people come to mind. One was Oswald Russell, whom I just adored, and was just an amazing, kind professor, who really got me back into playing the piano, because in Oxford, it was all paperwork, it was all research, that kind of stuff. Playing was sort of secondary in those days. Oswald Russell really encouraged me as a pianist. 

The next person that I would say that really touched me was David Renner, my teacher at University of Texas at Austin. I will never forget this and I think I use this as a jumping off point also. I went to interview with him, I went to audition at Austin. I just knocked on his door and introduced myself. I said I was from Ghana and blah, blah, blah. And then after I played, he said, “Oh, I’d like to see you in my office. Let’s have a discussion.” When I got into his office, he said, “Oh, last night, I read up on Ghana in the encyclopedia,” and that just kind of blew me away, for the first time, in a way, I felt here’s a teacher who is really trying to understand my background, understand who I was, in a way, I was being seen. And that really, really informed me as to how we as teachers need to see who our students are. So that was one big thing. 

Another person who really just embraced me for who I was is Dr. Martha Hilley. I was one of her TAs, and she just really saw me for who I was and just embraced me, and encouraged me in my path. 

Another big influence in my life was I had the fortune to meet Dr. Maya Angelou in North Carolina as a visiting artist, and she was such a tour de force. She kind of gave me this permission to call her anytime if I had, say, if I had problems, I could go and get reality checks with her, where should you say, stop it? She said, “I don’t like whiners,” that kind of stuff, things like that. I could feel safe there. She was the one who I would say things like, “what do you think about me doing a whole recital of music by composers of African descent, because I just thought that was something which was, it felt a little scary in those days, and she just like, really helped me to say, “yes, you can. It’s all legitimate.” So, she was very encouraging and just lifted me up. And then also, when I was recording Senku, my first CD, which I was going to originally do a mixed recital, and, again, I was encouraged to just make it an all music by composers of African descent. I told her, “Well, you know, I’m having issues with just writing all these liner notes.” She said, “Well, why aren’t you asking me to write the introduction?” I’m like, okay! You know, she was just so embracing and loving. So that really helped me along and I just hope I can pass that on to my students, encourage people to be seen, encourage us as teachers to be seen. I’m talking too much here.

SNOW 

I mean, I’ve just been sitting here thinking we need many installments of an hour with Nyaho because there’s so much to explore in that relationship alone. The transformative impact it has had on you and your belief in yourself and your understanding of creating environments for other people is just beyond inspiring. It really is unique, you know, that’s very unique in your life. I feel like that makes so much sense when we think about how generous you are in your leadership, in your scholarship, in your artistry, and in your mentorship of so many young musicians. And, of course, the teaching community. Where do you think we are? I mean, you’ve been working throughout your entire career to broaden the canon to build cultural understanding, to really work for a more global, inclusive community. Where do you think we are now with so much—there’s been a lot of great work done and continues to be done—where do you think we are going? What’s our next stage of evolution really as a community?

NYAHO 

Wow. We still have a long way to go. But I am so encouraged, I nearly interrupted you earlier on to say that the Frances Clark Center, NCKP, MTNA, are doing amazing work of really creating safe spaces for people to say, “okay, yeah, this is not just, this is also about me,” but, I think we still have quite a ways to go. We have a lot of music to discover, from all different parts of the world. We have to kind of completely embrace Native American music, and start seeing Native American composers and what they have to say, and dispense with all the caricatures we’ve had in early pedagogy, there’s so much to do there. 

I will say, for music by composers of African descent, there’s a lot to be learned. There’s a lot of music, to be heard, and to be embraced. There’s a lot of amazing compositions by composers from the African continent, which we have to kind of do the work and understand. When I went to Oxford, I had to get to understand who these composers were. I had to kind of understand Schumann’s work. I mean, there are places in Schumann, you know, I always kind of make a joke, but kind of has [become] quite serious. So for example, there are all these kinds of rubato and things that we have in Schumann, which are not written on the score. But I had to learn about that. Can we learn about how to play music by Halim El-Dabh from Egypt, who was a phenomenal composer? Can we learn to understand that in certain cultures, music doesn’t have to be directed in one way or the other, it’s about being in a trance, it’s about being in a single space? There’s a lot of work to do and if I could do this research when I was in England, or in Switzerland, or in grad school, I think we can do that. There’s a great advocate in theory who’s trying to do some stuff on theory of African American music. We need to embrace that, we need to start looking into these things. So I think there’s a lot of beautiful stuff on the horizon for us to explore. You know, music from Bolivia. 

There’s this is great music out there, and so we still have a long ways to go, but I believe I think we are beginning to sort of—it’s just like the train finally beginning to gather up steam, and we cannot stop, we cannot stop. I am so thrilled that NCKP is having people like Dr. Clairborne, Dr. McCain, really spearheading some of this stuff. I’m so thrilled that MTNA has a whole track on DEI for Pedagogy Saturday. Apparently, they’ve had the most diverse articles and presentations or even submissions. So it’s very exciting, I’m very excited. But it’s a heavy lift, and we just really need to come together and just be lifting everyone up. You know, I’m also just very grateful that organizations like Florida State Music Teachers are doing conferences and breaking down barriers. Or Oregon, all these different states are beginning to embrace or see the urgency of why it’s important to have diversity and equity and inclusion. All I can do is just help in my way and just maybe help connect people here and there.

SNOW 

Nyaho, you are the beacon and the brightest light, guiding us and leading in this work. I appreciate the assessment of where we are. I just came from SphinxConnect in Detroit, where Dr. Leah Clairborne was on a panel discussing research. The impact where she spoke a lot about what you’re speaking about, which is, databases are just the beginning of awareness. Programs are just the beginning of awareness, all very important and powerful, but we have to deepen our understanding and knowledge so that we actually have an understanding of a whole range of composers that haven’t even been explored or discovered. 

You’ve spoken many times that we need, you know, hundreds of recordings, not just one recording. It’s like, we’re in a renaissance in a way like we’re saying, “Okay, we’re discovering.” It’s not that I think some people were aware. We’re shining brighter lights, we’re holding hands together and saying, “Okay, let’s build awareness, but let’s research and delve and really get to know who these composers were, what they did in the world, what does this music mean,” as you say, in ways that we have been steeped in Schumann, or Beethoven, and, and the language and the cultural impact of that music. So thank you for sharing that high vision of where we need to be aspiring, we need to be aspiring towards. It’s very exciting. 

I know the time will run quickly here. So I do want to ask you also, you’re such a mentor to so many young pianists including Leah, Artina, you’re a mentor to me and many others. As a teacher and mentor, what are some of the things that are important to you like deep in your soul that that you think are really important for us to be thinking about in these responsible roles?

NYAHO 

Oh, such a deep and heavy question. I’m just going to rattle some things off my mind, off my head. Teaching with kindness. See teaching with kindness for me, being kind means embracing others, seeing them as human beings, seeing them as equals. It’s so important. I really feel that as teachers, we have such a big responsibility, and as musicians, we have this big response, we’re healers. 

I read in indigenous African cultures, musicians, artists are supposed to have one step in the spirit world and one step on the earth plane, and we’re channels to bring healing and beauty to mankind. I think we need to consider ourselves as doctors, as healers, and bringing beauty and relief to our audiences. That’s all we do. I mean, when you play in a recital, there may be just one person who may have a little bit of relief from what they’re going through by being able to get themselves into a piece. I think we need to really honor that and honor our role. 

This is a calling. Everybody who is here, at this webinar, you’re being called to be leaders in healers in this area. I think the one thing I like to ask, or I hope I can impart with my friends is being kind, is valuing folks and understanding that what we’re doing is a very important mission. The world really cannot exist without culture. It just cannot. Yes, there are all kinds of things going on, but when you think of all the relief that comes momentarily even in a war in the Ukraine, you hear people singing being proud of who they are and we need to foster that. It’s not all about just territories and death and destruction and making people so miserable, or the killings that just keep going on. We need to bring kindness into our culture a little bit more into our teaching. Hopefully, we are preventing another disaster because we’ve taught the student how to be kind to somebody and embrace somebody else. I don’t think I’m rambling along, but there’s so much to be done, and we have to kind of find ways to do it. We have to make it up as we go. But I think it needs to be done with kindness and love. And that’s all in music. 

SNOW 

That is profound and beautiful. Moving. You’re touching hearts so deeply right now. My eyes are getting all [teary]. I know this is touching everybody at this wonderful hour with you. It sort of connects to this idea of belonging.

NYAHO 

Yes.

SNOW 

I would love for you to—yeah, of belonging.

NYAHO 

Yes. So that’s another thing: getting teachers to feel that they belong first. I mean, what I find so wonderful about what’s happening at the Frances Clark Center and MTNA is that there’s a real attempt to open up and to let people in, and to feel that they belong. It’s so important, but we have to work really hard at it. For me, I can say, and I’ve said it in a meeting before, it takes courage for me to show up at MTNA. It takes courage for me to show up at some of these conferences, because, you know, I see so few people of my color there. What are we going to do about that? How can we encourage you to let them know they belong? We need to let first our students, from the ground up, know they belong in the studio. They belong. And ask them what kind of music they love. Then, we, as teachers, need to feel we belong to local chapters, we belong to the classical world, and I don’t have to be stereotyped into, you know, and this happens all the time: “Oh, what kind of jazz are you playing?” It happens, you know, or, “Oh, classical player, you know, what does that mean?” We need to celebrate ourselves. I know Desireé González-Miller is doing an amazing job. All these webinars, you put out, I mean, the incredible information I’ve just heard from music from the Middle East, oh, my God! There is so much to do, and so much to love, and to figure out and we need to step out of our bounds. It only informs other stuff we do, I think, We just need to belong.

SNOW 

I love, “we need to belong, we need to step out of our bounds. If we step out of our bounds, more of us feel like we belong.” Those are so profound, those words Nyaho. I cannot believe how quickly this hour has gone, but it always does. Everybody will know as you and I were preparing today just to kind of go over the things we were chatting away about all kinds of topics, and I’m so grateful for your time and your generosity, your leadership, your extraordinary work, and the biggest heart. You live what you say, and you demonstrate it for us. You’re the model of this. It’s so inspiring for everybody to know that we can—they are bright days ahead and lots of work to do, but it’s going to make the world a better place, and this cultural ambassadorship that you carry is really—I just feel so grateful to be in some of your big light. We love to end this series with a question, which is: you inspire me, everyone on this call, in so many people in so many ways, and especially just spending time with you this morning. I feel like this has been such a great gift to all of us. Who inspires you? What inspires you? How are you inspired?

NYAHO 

I know this may sound—but this is really, you know, sincere from my heart—you all inspire me. You give me a safe space to explore, to feel vulnerable, as a Black classical musician. That’s what you do. You give me strength to continue, seriously. When I say “you,” I’m talking about everybody listening or who is interested in DEI work, and who’s making it possible. You guys really inspire me and keep me going on. I have wonderful friends: Joseph Williams, Leah Clairborne, Artina McCain, Lenny Hayes. They inspire me, they are my inspiration. They tell me: “No, you’re not done yet.”

SNOW 

Beautiful, Nyaho. We have come to our hour. Again, my gratitude overflows to you for your time, for your work, for the power you are in the world, a force of nature. We have got beautiful comments in the chat that I know we will send to Nyaho because he’s so intensely answering all the questions, but marvelous responses to all the wonderful things you’ve explored with us today. Thank you for being so open-hearted, for being so amazing, and for changing our lives. We’re so indebted to you. Thank you everybody for being with us today.

NYAHO 

Yes. I see Gale, Charles, and Jerry, all kinds of wonderful people.

SNOW 

Your sister and it’s oh so lovely to have her with us. Thank you everyone for being with us. Stay healthy, stay well. We will gather together at MTNA soon in Reno and again this summer at NCKP. This was archived—a lot of people asked if it would be archived.

NYAHO 

Can I get to read the chat?

SNOW 

Yes, we’re sending you the chat. You can read it and enjoy every minute of it. So, thank you Nyaho. I know your dance card is full and we are so grateful for you and everything you do and thank you everybody for being with us. What an incredible community it is of life changing work and service to music and humankind.

NYAHO 

Thank you.

SNOW 

Thank you, everybody. Bye bye.

NYAHO 

Bye.

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Five Things You Might Not Know About Filip Lazăr

Written By Danny Milan

Check out Danny Milan’s video of Lazăr: Pièces minuscules pour les enfants, Op.16 where he explores the preparation, practice, and interpretation of this unique piece.

1.  He was a founding member of the Society of Romanian Composers.

Also known as the Romanian Composers’ Society (Societatea Compozitorilor Romani), this organization was founded by Romanian composers George Enescu, Stan Golestan, and several of their contemporaries, including Filip Lazăr. The Society’s goals were oriented towards the publication of new works by Romanian composers and the preservation of Romanian folk material. This led to the creation of the Union of Romanian Composers and Musicologists (Uniunea Compozitorilor și Muzicologilor din România) based in Bucharest, which exists to this day.

2. Lazăr is pronounced “LAH-zur” rather than “luh-ZAR”.

In the Romanian language, the letter “ă” with the upside down cap on top indicates a certain sound and inflection. To most native English speakers, the inclination may be to put the emphasis on the second syllable, especially because of the accented vowel. In Romanian, however, this particular accent on the “ă” typically indicates the opposite and has a more closed sounding vowel. For example, take the village, Bătăr in western Romania. With both capped “ă”s accented, the pronunciation sounds closer to the English word “butter.”

3. The music of Lazăr and other Romanian composers is a largely untapped body of repertoire waiting to be explored.

It may take some searching, but Lazăr’s music can be found. There is much unexplored repertoire just waiting to be further researched and recorded! Exploring the published works is a great start; the major publishers of Lazăr’s music include Durand, Salabert, Max Eschig, Heugel, Vienna Universal Edition, and Editura Muzicală Grafoart.

Pièces minuscules pour les enfants, Op.16
Groupe des Six

4.  Lazăr was among the founders of the Triton Society of Contemporary Music in Paris.

Pierre-Octave Ferroud founded Triton, a chamber music society based in Paris that promoted new music. On its executive committee were composers such as Poulenc, Milhaud, Honegger, Martinů, and Prokofiev. It is noteworthy to mention that three of these members were also part of the important group of twentieth-century French composers called Les Six. What is lesser known is that Filip Lazăr was not only a respected contemporary of Les Six and the Triton Society, but also a founding member of the latter. This is in part due to his residency and activity in France from the late 1920s to the end of his life.

5. Outside of composition, Lazăr was a touring concert pianist who performed many contemporary works of the time.

The fact that Filip Lazăr was a concert pianist speaks to the pianism of his compositions. His prolific performances of his contemporaries’ works certainly influenced his own compositions, and particularly those composed during his time in France. Combining Romanian folk influence and later avant garde compositional styles with refined pianism, Lazăr’s works for the piano are idiomatic and imaginative.

Filip Lazăr
Other resources you might enjoy
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Sources
  1. Blom, Eric, ed. Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians (5th ed.). New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, 1954.
  2. Halbreich, Harry, Roger Nichols (trans). Arthur Honegger. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1999.
  3. Tomescu, Vasile. Filip Lazăr. Bucharest, Romania: Editura Muzicală,1963.
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This Week in Piano History: National Black Women in Jazz and the Arts Day

Written By Curtis Pavey
Michelle Cann
Tania León
Dr. Valerie Capers
Nina Simone
Margaret Bonds

Happy National Black Women in Jazz and the Arts Day! Created by the organization Black Women in Jazz, this day celebrates the remarkable impact of Black women in jazz and all the arts. Today, we are highlighting several Black women pianists and composers who have made special contributions to our field.

Nina Simone, born February 21, 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, was a jazz singer, pianist, and civil rights leader. A child prodigy, Simone studied at the Juilliard School of Music as a classical pianist before becoming interested in jazz composition. Simone recorded over forty albums and received four nominations for a Grammy Award. She received multiple honorary degrees from institutions including Amherst College, Malcolm X College, and The Curtis Institute of Music. One of her most significant works is “Mississippi Goddam, a song which reflected on murders of multiple Black people including Emmett Till. The song challenges listeners to consider the atrocities of racism in the United States. Interested to hear Simone perform this important song? Listen to this recording from 1964. Also, check out this article below about the Nina Simone Piano Competition, founded by pianist Awadagin Pratt.

Nina Simone performs “Mississippi Goddam.“
Opportunities for African American Pianists: Awadagin Pratt on the Nina Simone Piano Competition
Margaret Bonds’ Troubled Waters performed by pianist Samantha Ege.

Composer, pianist, and teacher Margaret Bonds was born on March 3, 1913 in Chicago, Illinois. Bonds is often connected to composer Florence Price, with whom she studied piano and composition throughout high school. She later performed Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, becoming the first African American soloist to perform with the orchestra.1 Bonds studied at Northwestern University as well as the Juilliard School of Music. While in New York City and Los Angeles, Bonds was active as a teacher and arts leader, creating performance opportunities for Black musicians in her community. She is well known especially for her spirituals, songs, and choral works. Interested to hear Bond’s famous composition Troubled Waters? Listen to this recording by pianist Samantha Ege.

Dr. Valerie Capers is a pianist, composer, and arts advisor. The first person to graduate from the Juilliard School of Music with a bachelor and master’s degree who is also blind, Capers has served as a faculty member for multiple important conservatories including the Manhattan School of Music and the City University of New York. She has received four honorary doctorates including an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Susquehanna University, recognizing her tremendous contributions to jazz and classical music. Capers is well-known for her intermediate-level collection titled Portraits in Jazz, which contains twelve pieces in varying jazz styles. Want to learn more about Caper’s life as a musician and composer? Watch this video in which she shares her experiences.

Dr. Valerie Capers shares about her life and her music.
The New York Philharmonic rehearses Tania León’s Pulitzer-Prize winning piece, Stride.

Originally from Havana, Cuba, Tania León is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer as well as a conductor and educator. Among her many other awards are four honorary doctorates from conservatories such as Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The Curtis Institute of Music. Beginning in September 2023, León will serve as Composer-in-Residence for the London Philharmonic Orchestra for two seasons. Her compositions can be heard by top-tier orchestras around the world including the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In addition to her accomplishments as a composer, León has served as a founding member of several important arts organizations including Composers Now, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Son Sonora Ensemble. Interested in hearing some of her work? Listen to this excerpt from rehearsals for her Pulitzer Prize-winning work Stride, performed by the New York Philharmonic.

Currently serving as the Eleanor Sokoloff Chair in Piano Studies at The Curtis Institute of Music, Michelle Cann has performed with orchestras around the world including the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and many others. In 2022, the Sphinx Organization recognized her accomplishments, awarding her their 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence. Since 2016, Cann has championed the Piano Concerto in One Movement by Florence Price, whose music she frequently performs. Besides maintaining an active performance and teaching career, Cann helps create opportunities for young musicians in Philadelphia. She has served in the organization Play on Philly, directing multiple children’s choruses. Want to hear one of Cann’s performances? Listen to this recording of her performing Florence Price’s Sonata in E Minor.

Michelle Cann performs Florence Price’s Piano Sonata in E Minor.

OTHER RESOURCE YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Sources
  1. Barbara Garvey Jackson and Dominique-René de Lerma, “Bonds [Richardson], Margaret Allison,” Grove Music Online, 30 Sep. 2020; Accessed 17 Feb. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-90000318953.

Jackson, Barbara Garvey, and Dominique-René de Lerma. “Bonds [Richardson], Margaret Allison.” Grove Music Online. 30 Sep. 2020; Accessed 17 Feb. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-90000318953. 

Neal, Mark Anthony. “Simone, Nina.” Grove Music Online. 31 Jan. 2014; Accessed 17 Feb. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002258277. 

Tucker, Sherrie. “Women in jazz.” Grove Music Online. 2003; Accessed 17 Feb. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-2000730100. 

nationaltoday.com/national-black-women-in-jazz-and-the-arts-day/

kissfmdetroit.com/2022/03/01/happy-national-black-women-in-jazz-and-arts-day/ 

michellecann.com/about

tanialeon.com/about

valcapmusic.wordpress.com/

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Five Composers You Might Not Know Were Influenced by Indonesian Gamelan

Written By Regina Tanujaya

We encourage you to watch Regina Tanujaya’s archived webinar here: “Piano Music by Composers of Asian Heritage, Part 2,” who’s joined by Chee-Hwa Tan and Li-Ly Chang, and Luis Sanchez. This webinar shares appealing and accessible piano teaching music by composers of Asian heritage.

1.  Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Debussy first heard the gamelan at the 1889 Paris World Exposition. In his “Pagodes,” the first piece of his solo piano work Estampes (1903), the influence of the gamelan sounds in his compositions are heard due to the use of pentatonic scales and the repetitive rhythmic patterns. 

Debussy’s use of close intervals, a semitone or two semitones apart in this piece, could be an effort to imitate the gamelan’s unique tunings that do not exactly fit the western tuning system. With the help of the damper pedal, Debussy’s clusters emulated ambiguous pitches similar to the gamelan.

2. Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938)

Leopold Godowsky, a Polish-American composer, went to Indonesia and wanted to recreate his journey in music and wrote a set of pieces for solo piano called the Java Suite (1925). The first piece of the set is titled “Gamelan.” In his own description of the piece, he mentioned that “the sonority of the gamelan is so weird, spectral, fantastic, and bewitching… so elusive, vague, that on listening to this new world of sound, I lost my sense of reality, imagining myself in a realm of enchantment.”

Like Debussy, Godowsky also used small intervals to create clusters in an effort to mimic the ambiguity of pitches in gamelan music. Aside from the tunings, other distinctive qualities of the gamelan sound are the unique textures and repetitive rhythmic patterns. Godowsky captured that by incorporating repeated interlocking patterns and overlapping voices in this piece.

The sonority of the gamelan is so weird, spectral, fantastic, and bewitching… so elusive, vague, that on listening to this new world of sound, I lost my sense of reality, imagining myself in a realm of enchantment.

Leopold Godowsky

3. Henry Cowell (1897-1965)

Henry Cowell often listened to gamelan recordings and one of his piano works, The Fairy Bells (1928), clearly displays characteristics of gamelan. In this piece, the melody is produced by the right hand plucking strings inside the piano while the left hand plays constant parallel cluster chords underlying the melody. The sounds produced by plucking the strings inside the piano resemble the metallic sounds from the gamelan “xylophones” and the parallel cluster chords recreate the gamelan bell-like sounds. 

Cowell was very influential to many other composers who later wrote for prepared piano, including John Cage and his work Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano, which has some traits of gamelan sounds.

4. Colin McPhee (1900-1964)

Colin McPhee, a Canadian composer, was not only influenced by the gamelan, but also lived in Bali, Indonesia for a while, studying the gamelan extensively. He incorporated substantial gamelan elements into his compositions and wrote significantly about the gamelan in books and in other writings. 

McPhee transcribed gamelan sounds in many of his compositions and many of his best-known works are transcriptions of Balinese music. One of them is a two-piano piece, Balinese Ceremonial Music (1940). The use of two pianos aids in the evocation of the rhythmic complexity and multi-layered texture of the gamelan.

5. Lou Harrison (1917-2003)

Lou Harrison, an American composer, was a student of Henry Cowell. He read Colin McPhee’s articles on Balinese music. Harrison later became so fascinated by gamelan music that he composed many gamelan-inspired compositions and even composed for the gamelan orchestra. In one of his compositions for piano and gamelan orchestra, Concerto for Piano with Javanese Gamelan (1987), the piano must be tuned to an equal temperament to complement the gamelan’s unique tunings.

Other resources you might enjoy
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Sources
  1. Predota, Georg. “Godovsky: Java Suite.” Inspiration (blog). Interlude. February 21, 2023. interlude.hk/godowsky-java-suite/.
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Five Things You Might Not Know About Cécile Chaminade

Written By Angela Miller-Niles
Cécile Chaminade

Don’t miss Angela Miller-Niles’s Inspiring Artistry contribution about Chaminade’s Aubade, which includes information on how to effectively teach the piece, all the way from preparation to performance.

1.  She was the first woman to receive the Légion d’honneur in 1913.

The Légion d’honneur is the highest French order of merit. At 56, Chaminade was enjoying worldwide popularity at this time. Fellow composer Ambroise Thomas stated, “This is not a woman who composes, but a composer who is a woman.”1 

2. At 44, she married music publisher Louis-Mathieu Carbonel. They never lived together and it was widely considered a marriage of convenience.

Carbonel was twenty years older than Chaminade and was a long-time acquaintance of Chaminade’s mother. It was well-publicized that the two did not live together and Chaminade required a “platonic union.” They never had any children, but Carbonel accompanied her on concert tours, possibly to help her acquire safer lodging options. He died of a lung disease after six years of marriage; Chaminade never remarried.

3. Georges Bizet was a family friend and he encouraged Chaminade’s parents to let her study music. He called her “My Little Mozart.”

Georges Bizet lived close to the Chaminade family and her parents knew him well. He heard Chaminade play some of her own compositions when she was around eight years old, and he encouraged her parents to let her study music formally. Her parents, especially her father, initially disapproved of her music studies as they assumed she would be an ordinary housewife without need of a musical education. 

Georges Bizet

Piano rolls of Chaminade’s works produced by Aeolian

4. Chaminade made piano rolls and gramophone recordings during her lifetime.

Chaminade made several piano rolls and gramophone recordings during her life, many of which are popular with collectors. Several of her recordings were produced into piano rolls between 1901-1914, and Aeolian produced additional piano rolls of her music after World War I. Her six gramophone recordings for the Gramophone and Typewriter Company, which feature her own works, are especially well-known. Several of her recordings were re-issued on compact disc and can be found online today.

Chaminade’s Gramaphone Recordings

5. Chaminade’s tour of the United States in 1908 included several Eastern and Midwestern cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Minneapolis.

Before this tour began, hundreds of Chaminade Clubs already existed throughout the United States. Her tour helped solidify her popularity in the United States and encouraged women to study and perform music. Today, many of these clubs are still active, hosting musical events that highlight female composers and performers.

Other resources you might enjoy
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Sources
  1. Jerrould, John. “Piano Music of Cécile Chaminade.” American Music Teacher 37, no. 3 (1988): 22–23.
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This Week in Piano History: The Concert with an Audience of Legends (Including Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Wieck!)

Written By Curtis Pavey
Frederic Chopin

THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, Chopin had his premiere at the Salons de Pleyel in Paris on February 25, 1832.1 Chopin’s first concert after arriving in Paris, this debut marked one of the few times the Parisian public was able to hear Chopin’s performances. 

Chopin initially left Poland for a concert tour throughout Europe, but the journey was extremely difficult and he ultimately left Poland for good. His tour began in Vienna, but was immediately brought to a halt due to an uprising in Poland, which nearly resulted in the assassination of Grand Duke Constantin.2 Because of this, he struggled to find any concerts and spent several months waiting for a Russian passport.3 When he finally left for Stuttgart, he discovered the news that the Polish uprising was unsuccessful and he became extremely depressed.4 His arrival in Paris on October 5, 1831 was thus clouded by this nearly year-long journey and his slow adaptation to Parisian life.5

At the Salons de Pleyel on February 25, 1832, he performed a number of his own works during this concert including his Concerto in E Minor and his Variations on ‘Là ci darem la mano.’ The concert additionally featured Kalkbrenner’s Grande Polonaise for Six Pianos and performances by a number of other Parisian musicians. Among the many audience members were Mendelssohn, Liszt, Friedrich Wieck, and his daughter Clara Wieck.6 

The program from Chopin’s debut performance at the Salons de Pleyel.
A mini documentary by Stanisław Leszczyński and pianist Alex Szilasi, which demonstrate a few pianos from Chopin’s time.
Performing Chopin in the Style of Chopin?

A review in Fétis remarked, “Here is a young man who gives himself up to his innate impulses and, taking no-one as a model, has discovered, if not an utter renewal of piano music, at least a fragment of that which for so long has been sought in vain, namely an abundance of original ideas, the origins of which can nowhere be indicated. By this, we do not wish to maintain that Mr Chopin is endowed with the powerful organisation of some Beethoven, […] I speak here of the music of pianists. […] Mr Chopin performed […] a concerto which astounded and pleasantly surprised the auditorium both with its freshness of melody and type of passages, and also with its modulations and the overall arrangement of the movements. There is spirit in these melodies, there is fantasy in these passages, and everywhere there is originality. […] This young artist also deserves praise as a virtuoso. His playing is elegant, light, full of grace, and marked with brightness and purity.”7 To learn more about Chopin’s performing style, read this article, Performing Chopin in the Style of Chopin?, by pianist Beth Chen!

Chopin maintained a relationship with Pleyel & Co. and its owner, Camille Pleyel. Remarking about his experience playing Erard and Pleyel pianos, Chopin stated: “When I am feeling indisposed, I play on an Erard piano and I easily find in it a ready-made sound; but when I feel alive and strong enough to find my own sound, I need a Pleyel piano.”8 Interested in learning more about Chopin’s early experiences and his relationship with Pleyel pianos? Check out this article by Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger translated by Deana Shuman!

Chopin and Pleyel
Sources
  1. Different sources list this date as February 25th or February 26th.
  2. Jim Samson, “Chopin, Fryderyk Franciszek,” Grove Music Online, 2001; Accessed 20 Jan. 2023, https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000051099.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Ibid.
  6. Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger, “Chopin and Pleyel,” trans. Deana Shuman, Piano Magazine 2, no. 3 (May 2010), pianoinspires.com/article/chopin-and-pleyel/.
  7. “The Years of Adaptation (1831–1835) – 1832,” Calendar, The Fryderyk Chopin Institute, Accessed January 20, 2023, chopin.nifc.pl/en/chopin/kalendarium/123_the-years-of-adaptation-18311835/72.
  8. Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger, “Chopin and Pleyel,” trans. Deana Shuman, Piano Magazine 2, no. 3 (May 2010), pianoinspires.com/article/chopin-and-p

Eigeldinger, Jean-Jacques. “Chopin and Pleyel.” Translated by Deana Shuman. Piano Magazine 2, no. 3 (May 2010). pianoinspires.com/article/chopin-and-pleyel/

Samson, Jim. “Chopin, Fryderyk Franciszek.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 20 Jan. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000051099. 

The Fryderyk Chopin Institute. “The Years of Adaptation (1831–1835) – 1832.” Calendar. Accessed January 20, 2023. chopin.nifc.pl/en/chopin/kalendarium/123_the-years-of-adaptation-18311835/72.

Dr. Curtis Pavey is a pianist, harpsichordist, and educator. A performer of works from the 16th through the 21st centuries, he feels equally at home performing or teaching at the piano and the harpsichord. He is currently based in the Cincinnati area and maintains a private piano studio.
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Effectively Teaching Young Students: Q&A with Sara Ernst

Written By Sara Ernst

We invited our followers to submit questions for Sara Ernst about effectively teaching young students to practice. Today, Sara is answering those questions!

We encourage you to read Sara’s article, “Practicing Alongside Our Intermediate Students,” in the Winter 2022 issue of Piano Magazine.

Additionally, enroll in our self-guided, online course titled The Beginner Course: Establishing Strong Foundations for Young Pianists, to learn more from Sara about teaching beginning students.

Join us on social media for the opportunity to have your questions on a variety of interesting topics answered by additional experts in the coming weeks.

What are your thoughts on having parents involved with practice? When do students need to start being independent from parent help or is that not much of a concern?

My initial short answer to this is: if a parent will practice with the child, then the parent must be involved in the lesson. This will support the child and keep practice focused on goals given by the teacher. My other short answer is: parental support is always needed to schedule the household for regular practice to occur.

I know that children can practice on their own, but I also know that structure is often needed from the parent to ensure complete work. Furthermore, some children feel insecure at the piano alone, while others have never practiced with a parent! In other words, the level of parental participation should be determined by the developmental needs of the child. Some parent-child practice partnerships work well, although the child must be allowed and encouraged to have independent time at the piano to develop agency and intrinsic motivation. Occasionally, I need to encourage parents to embrace the child’s autonomy.

How long do you expect your youngest students to practice and for how many days a week?

My guidance to parents is based on several simple rules:

  • Always practice the day before and after a lesson.
  • Never skip two days in a row.
  • Aim for five or six days a week.
  • Complete the whole assignment every practice day.

Following these guidelines yields at least four days of practice. If assignments are fully completed, and there are four to six days of practice, I find that my students make regular and consistent progress.

The only guideline on practice duration that I maintain is “completion of the assignment.” I estimate my early beginner practice assignments to be 20 minutes in length. As students advance, we discuss length of practice more purposefully, as relates to their goals for study.

What kinds of things do you assign your students to practice? Mostly warmups and rep or other activities as well (theory, off bench, etc.)?

My students’ assignments have warmups, new music, review music, and performance repertoire. Warmups include five finger-patterns, chords, progressions, scales, and arpeggios, although often not all at the same time. New/review music will also include quick-learn and for-fun pieces, to result in routine reading and learning of music. Assignments may include etudes and creative skills, like harmonization and lead sheets. Some of my students’ assignments also include supportive activities, such as sight-reading or theory writing pages for review of important concepts. This last category varies widely based upon the needs of the individual.

What kind of lesson notes do you give students to help them during their practice times? I’m constantly trying to figure out that line between too little instruction that the assignment is not clear and TOO MUCH detail that they never bother to read it. 

One of the principles I discuss in my article is developing student ownership. While I give my students typed assignments (printed out or sent electronically), I encourage them to write in their music, and mark all the elements and details that we work on in lessons, in their own handwriting. The assignment sheet will then have weekly goals, written in a concise style. For instance, the student will have formal sections, brackets, and stars written in the music, and the assignment sheet will indicate, “Complete brackets and stars. Play each section 3x slowly.”

How do you help a young student practice in a way to prepare for a performance?

This is such an important question, and it is a style of practice that can be overlooked. I work with my students to develop their artistic vision for each section of the piece. I coach them through each section, having them play the section multiple times in a performance flow, seeking to hear better sound each time. This is balanced with slow, purposeful repetition, to secure accurate playing. As the performance nears, I coach them through complete rehearsals, again with a performance mindset of artistic listening.

OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
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This Week in Piano History: The King of Etudes

Written By Curtis Pavey
Carl Czerny

THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the birth of pianist and composer Carl Czerny who was born on February 21, 1791. Although primarily known for his numerous etudes, Czerny was a prolific composer publishing over 800 works with opus numbers.

Czerny was born into a middle class family in Vienna, Austria. His father, Wenzel Czerny, was a musician and piano repairman. Although an amateur, he taught lessons and was able to support his family with a modest income. Czerny was a child prodigy and, by the age of ten, was capable of playing challenging works of Mozart and other contemporary composers. He met Beethoven at age ten and was accepted as one of his students. During this time, Czerny studied the works of Beethoven as well as C.P.E. Bach’s Essay on the True Art of Keyboard Playing.1

Portraits of Carl Czerny.

Although Czerny stopped his studies with Beethoven shortly after, he remained a close friend throughout Beethoven’s life. He performed a number of Beethoven’s works including his Emperor Concerto and later in life published a treatise called On the Proper Performance of All Beethoven’s Works for the Piano. According to Lindeman and Barth, the score examples contain rewrites and suggest that Czerny had his own ideas about how Beethoven’s music should be performed.2 Despite this, Czerny’s writing on Beethoven’s works offers an important commentary about Beethoven’s composition and performance style.

Czerny is perhaps best known for the  several hundred etudes published in his lifetime. These vary greatly from works at the beginning level to works suitable for the concert hall. Among his many studies are works such as the School of Virtuosity Op. 365, the School of Legato and Staccato, Op. 335, the 24 Easy Studies for the Left Hand, Op. 718, and the Nouveau Gradus ad Parnassum, Op. 822. The title for this last work appears to be an ode to Clementi, one of Czerny’s friends.3

Although Czerny is known so well for his etudes, he was a composer of a large number of works in diverse genres such as sacred music and serious concert pieces. In the nineteenth century, Robert Schumann, in his journal Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, popularized the idea of Czerny only being a composer of etudes; this idea continues to perpetuate modern discussions of his works.4 Despite this, Czerny wrote a number of serious piano works including eleven published piano sonatas. Liszt is known to have performed and highly reviewed Czerny’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 7.5 The work is an expansive sonata of five movements lasting over thirty minutes. Among the many highlights of this work are the lyrical first movement and the exciting closing movement featuring a virtuosic and chromatic fugue. You can hear a recording of this sonata here, performed by pianist Martin Jones.

Czerny’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 7 performed by pianist Martin Jones.


Besides his compositions, Czerny is also known as an important teacher. He apparently maintained a rigorous teaching load, teaching twelve hours per day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.6 Czerny was a teacher to famous pianists Stephen Heller, Sigismond Thalberg, and Franz Liszt, who later dedicated his own set of etudes, the Études d’exécution transcendante, to him in 1852.

Beethoven was Czerny’s teacher and mentor.
One of Czerny’s star students was Franz Liszt.

Want to learn more about using etudes in your teaching? Check out this article with advice from Nancy Bachus, Seymour Fink, and Marilyn Neeley about using etudes in your studio!

What is the role of “etudes” in a pianist’s development? Which ones do you use and when?
Sources
  1. Stephan D. Lindeman and George Barth, “Czerny, Carl,” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 20 Jan. 2023, oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000007030.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Ibid.
  5. Ibid.
  6. Ibid.

Lindeman, Stephan D., and George Barth. “Czerny, Carl.” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 20 Jan. 2023. oxfordmusiconline-com.uc.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000007030.

Dr. Curtis Pavey is a pianist, harpsichordist, and educator. A performer of works from the 16th through the 21st centuries, he feels equally at home performing or teaching at the piano and the harpsichord. He is currently based in the Cincinnati area and maintains a private piano studio.
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