Happy New Year from The Frances Clark Center! In this post about piano history in the month of January, discover two important pedagogical composers, learn about the premiere of a towering piano concerto, and explore the legacy of one of jazz music’s greatest pianists.
January 3, 1956 – Death of Alexander Gretchaninoff
Russian-American pianist and composer Alexander Gretchaninoff was born in Moscow but lived in France and the United States during his lifetime. He studied with Sergei Tanyev and Anton Arensky at the Moscow Conservatory and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. His output includes five symphonies, several operas, several advanced piano works, as well as some pedagogical works. Want to learn more about Gretchaninoff? Read this article by pianist Yeeseon Kwon where she discusses his many pedagogical masterpieces:
January 19, 1975 – Death of Maria Teresa Agnesi
Maria Teresa Agnesi, an Italian harpsichordist and composer lived in Milan, Italy from 1720–1795. Though her compositions are limited, she is known for composing a number of operas and pieces for keyboard including several harpsichord sonatas at the intermediate level. In addition to her keyboard skills, she was also known to be a fine singer. Looking to discover more about Agnesi and her music? Check out our course Hidden Gems: Four Centuries of Piano Music by Women Composers.
January 22, 1859 – Premiere of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1
Johannes Brahms’s first piano concerto was premiered in Hanover, Germany with Brahms as the soloist. The massive three-movement work is one of the towering works of the piano repertoire, lasting more than 45 minutes. In the work, Brahms pays homage to composers such as Beethoven, whose third piano concerto served as a model for the last movement of this concerto. Although Brahms’s piano works tend to be quite challenging, Jarred Dunn’s From the Artist Bench video provides excellent teaching and performance tips for the Intermezzi, Op. 117.
January 23, 1943 – Duke Ellington Big Performance!
Jazz pianist Duke Ellington gave his first performance at Carnegie Hall on January 23, 1943. Known for his incredible jazz hits, some of his most popular tunes are “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Take the ‘A’ Train,” and “Mood Indigo.” Ellington received major awards both during and after his death in 1974 including recognition from the Grammy Awards, multiple honorary doctorates, and the Pulitzer Prize. Looking for more information about Ellington and improvising in jazz styles? Check out this article by Geoffrey Haydon on the harmonic building blocks of jazz!
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
- MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Gretchaninoff’s Musical Gems by Yeeseon Kwon
- MICROCOURSE: Baroque Era Music by Women Composers (from Hidden Gems: Four Centuries of Piano Music by Women Composers)
- COURSE: Hidden Gems: Four Centuries of Piano Music by Women Composers
- MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Brahms Reconsidered: Deriving Applications of Rubato from the Music by Asher Armstrong
- WEBINAR: Brahms: Op. 118: A Piano Teacher’s Mecca with Catherine Kautsky
- VIDEO: Brahms: Intermezzi, Op. 117 with Jarred Dunn
- VIDEO: Brahms: Intermezzo Op. 118, No. 2 with Catherine Kautsky
- MAGAZINE ARTICLE: All’s Well that Ends Well by Tony Caramia
- MAGAZINE ARTICLE: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7: An Essential Building Block of Jazz Harmony by Geoffrey Haydon
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