Category Archives: piano addict

A Russian composer’s colorful pieces with a strong teaching dimension

Posted on May 21, 2013 by

Native Russian, Samuel Maykapar (b.1867, d. 1938) composed a set of gorgeous, program-inspired pieces, that are carefully phrased, articulated, and fingered. The music is ear-catching in the spirit of Dimitri Kabalevsky and William Gillock as all three composers were highly … Continue reading →

Posted in "In the Garden" by Samuel Maykapar, classissima, classissima.com, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Maykapar Russian Composer, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano lessons, Piano Street, piano teaching, Piano World, Rada Bukhman, Samuel Maykapar, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, The Russian School of Piano Playing, word press, word press.com, wordpress, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Into the Hills with the Sound of Music –a Baldwin Acrosonic “acoustic” sings

Posted on March 5, 2013 by

The video attached to this writing validates the beauty of music-making on a well-maintained, though 1940s vintage era acoustic piano. Baldwin Acrosonics were the Cadillacs of the spinet and console variety pianos. They had a noticeable innovation compared to their … Continue reading →

Posted in Baldwin Acrosonic piano, Chopin, Chopin pedaling, Chopin Waltz in A minor no. 19, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito California, pedaling at the piano, phrasing at the piano, piano addict, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instrruction, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessons in Berkeley California, piano lessons in El Cerrito California, piano studio, piano studio in El Cerrito, piano teachers, piano technique, piano technique and breathing, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, shirley kirsten pianist, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, Shirley Smth Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, studying piano, The art of phrasing at the piano, the art of piano pedaling, The El Cerrito Hills, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube video, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Piano Technique: Are arpeggios “boring?” I don’t think so!

Posted on February 22, 2013 by

Arpeggios don’t deserve a bad rap! Continue reading →

Posted in Chopin, Chopin Waltz in A minor no. 19, classissima, classissima.com, Frederic Chopin, piano addict, piano technique, practicing arpeggios, you tube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Revisiting an old piano piece learned years earlier

Posted on February 13, 2013 by

I find my current musical journey down memory lane to be joyful and challenging–especially as I cut and paste the Mozart Rondo: Allegro, K. 311 pages to fit comfortably on the piano rack. (Deja Vu, Haydn C Major Hoboken XVI35–Haydn … Continue reading →

Posted in Emanuel Ax, Lillian Freundlich, mindful piano practicing, Mozart, Mozart Sonata no. 9 in D K. 311, ornaments, phrasing at the piano, pianist, pianists, piano, piano addict, piano addict.com, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessons by Skype, piano lessons for adults, piano lessons in Berkeley California, piano lessons in El Cerrito California, piano pedagogy, piano playing, piano playing and the singing tone, piano practicing, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano teaching philosophy, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, Shirley Smth Kirsten, the undulating wrist, the undulating wrist in piano playing, trills, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A sentimental journey taken with Mozart

Posted on February 4, 2013 by

Musical memories rekindled Continue reading →

Posted in classissima, classissima.com, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Lillian Freundlich, Mozart, Mozart Sonata no. 9 in D K. 311, New York City High School of Performing Arts, piano, piano addict, piano lessons, Piano Street, piano teaching, Piano World, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, W.A. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Film art and great pianism fuse in a Richter documentary (The Enigma – Bruno Monsaingeon -1998- Parts I and 2)

Posted on February 1, 2013 by

A tribute to Richter in his own words, interspersed with examples of his great artistry Continue reading →

Posted in Bruno Monsaingeon, classissima, classissima.com, Documentary on Richter pianist, Heinrich Neuhaus, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Moscow Conservatory, piano addict, Piano World, piano world-wide, Sviatoslav Richter, The Enigma - Bruno Monsaingeon -1998- Parts I and 2, Uncategorized, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Two musical Eulogies for Newtown’s fallen

Posted on January 28, 2013 by

Two musical offerings are grief-filled expressions of enduring loss in Newtown, Connecticut. Continue reading →

Posted in classical era music, Franz Joseph Haydn, Kreisleriana no. 6 by Robert Schumann, Newton Connecticut, piano, piano addict, Robert Schumann, Romantic era music, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, tragedy at Sandy Hook elementary school, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Well-known Haydn Piano Sonata is pinned!

Posted on January 21, 2013 by

I don’t mean to inject pins into this post, but it amply introduces Haydn’s vibrant Sonata no. 35 in C Major. Yesterday, as I diligently embarked upon learning this masterpiece, I had to deal with basic housekeeping matters: How to … Continue reading →

Posted in Berkeley CA, classissima, classissima.com, Haydn Sonata no. 35 in C, Joseph Haydn, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, piano addict, piano instruction, piano lessons by Skype, piano teaching, Piano World, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mozart is a Challenge in any shape, size or form

Posted on January 15, 2013 by

Tips on learning a Mozart gem! Continue reading →

Posted in classissima, classissima.com, Mozart Minuet K. 5, piano, piano addict, Piano instruction Mozart Minuet in FK. 2, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, you tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Love Story Woven on a Chopin Canvas

Posted on January 14, 2013 by

A few years ago, I received a telling message through my Authors Den website. John Bidwell, a spirited short story writer and poet, shared more than a literary connection with me. He waxed poetic about his late mother and father, … Continue reading →

Posted in a musical love story, Chopin, Chopin's music, classissima, classissima.com, David Bidwell, Eleanor Bidwell, Frederic Chopin, John Bidwell, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, piano addict, Piano World, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube video, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments