This month, we celebrate landmark recordings of pop hits and spirituals, and we remember a pioneering composer for prepared piano and a vibrant singer whose influence extends to the piano community.
September 4, 1962
The Beatles made their first studio recordings with Ringo Starr at London’s Abbey Road Studios. The band recorded some of their first hits at this session, including “Love Me Do,” and established a relationship with producer George Martin, who helped launch their album and their revolutionary career as one of the most impactful pop-rock bands of all time.
Interested in including repertoire from The Beatles’ impressive discography in your studio? Check out these book reviews from Piano Magazine with resources for lead sheets and beginner arrangements.
September 5, 1912
Composer John Cage was born in Los Angeles, California. Cage’s impactful approach to the piano pushed the boundaries of traditional compositional styles and expanded the soundscape of the instrument.
Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes are unique and engaging pieces to use in your studio, especially if you have students who are interested in contemporary compositional styles. For more on this topic, see this article from Piano Magazine. Plus, be sure to subscribe to PianoInspires for the latest innovative and dynamic content from the piano community.
September 30, 2019
Soprano Jessye Norman passed away after a long and vibrant career of performing and teaching. Norman’s voice was a “grand mansion of sound” with “enormous dimensions, reaching backward and upward. It opens onto unexpected vistas. It contains sunlit rooms, narrow passageways, cavernous halls.” Such were the high praises of music critic Edward Rothstein of The New York Times,1 and his sentiments were echoed by the music community.
Norman performed and recorded art songs, operas, and spirituals, including Great Day by Thomas H. Kerr, Jr. Two of Kerr’s works for solo piano have recently been published by Piano Education Press and can be found at the links below.
Endnotes
- Wakin, Daniel J.; Cooper, Michael (September 30, 2019). “Jessye Norman, Regal American Soprano, Is Dead at 74”. The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
- MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Learning John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes by Kate Boyd
- MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Summer 2019: New Music and Materials by Suzanne Schons, Carmen Doubrava, Meg Gray, and Adrienne E. Wiley
- MAGAZINE ARTICLE: New Music & Materials by Hayden Coie, Ivan Hurd, Hannah Roberts, Yeeseon Kwon, Adrienne E. Wiley, and Lisa Mioduszewski
- PUBLICATION: Easter Monday Swagger by Thomas H. Kerr Jr., edited by Susanna Garcia and William Chapman Nyaho
- PUBLICATION: Dancétudes by Thomas H. Kerr Jr., edited by Susanna Garcia and William Chapman Nyaho
- DISCOVERY PAGE: This Month in Piano History – September 2024: Celebrate Classical Music Month by Megan Hall
- Use our search feature to discover more!