Tag Archives: Friedrich Burgmuller

Artful piano playing: Rising above the notes by “feeling,” singing, and “shaping” phrases

Posted on May 12, 2013 by

Burmguller’s “Sincerity,” Op. 100 is the perfect vehicle for spinning limpidly beautiful phrases. But how does the pianist go beyond what appears to be strings of 8th notes that can easily sound typed out. To avoid the ponderous, vertical approach … Continue reading →

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Romantic era piano repertoire: A murmuring stream and the supple wrist (Burgmuller creates beauty from simplicity)

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

“The Clear Stream” from Friedrich Burgmuller’s Twenty-Five Progressive Pieces offers a student an opportunity to create limpidly beautiful phrases from unraveled broken chords spun out in triplets. In order to create the “mormorando” (murmuring effect) in the treble, it’s best … Continue reading →

Posted in Harmony of the Angels by Burgmuller, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, piano instruction, piano lessons, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Berkeley Rose Garden draped in photos and music

Posted on April 23, 2013 by

Today was my maiden journey to the paradise of Roses in Berkeley. No words can amply describe the effect such beauty had upon me. (Taking pictures was irresistible) Burgmuller’s “Tender Flower” was the perfect musical framing. P.S. I made a … Continue reading →

Posted in Berkeley California, Burgmuller, Friedrich Burgmuller, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, piano, piano music and photos, roses, Tender Flower by Burgmuller, The Berkeley Rose Garden, word press, word press.com, you tube, you tube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano Instruction: Don’t always accentuate the downbeat– Burgmuller’s music proves it (Video)

Posted on January 4, 2013 by

“Inquietude” from Burgmuller’s Op. 100 collection of Twenty-Five Progressive pieces, invites a player to examine harmonic progressions as a clue to phrasing a composition that’s often pounded to death with unnecessary DOWNBEAT accents. Seymour Bernstein, distinguished pianist, teacher and author, … Continue reading →

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A Purr-fect sedative for a Cat

Posted on August 19, 2012 by

“Harmony of the Angels” has a soporific effect on Aiden cat while it provided a relaxing prelude to Rina’s earliest piano lessons. Students, young and old, love its thread of sonorities. Continue reading →

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Phrasing at the piano: Listening to the ends of notes as they flow into others

Posted on June 23, 2012 by

I’ve chosen Burgmuller’s “Tender Flower” as the springboard to explore attentive listening and its relationship to phrasing. At the outset, the right moment to begin a piece is a challenge. The player has to experience the whole dimension of silence … Continue reading →

Posted in attentive listening, Burgmuller Tender Flower, El Cerrito piano studio, Friedrich Burgmuller, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Just Being at the Piano by Mildred Portney Chase, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano study, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, 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

Piano Study: Exploring the full gamut of emotions on the way to mastering a new piece (Videos)

Posted on June 15, 2012 by

Taking piano lessons should be a deep-level growth experience with a metaphorical tie-in to life. This means that pieces studied and technique applied should be interwoven to realize emotions of sadness, happiness, grieving, elation, disappointment and whatever comes to mind … Continue reading →

Posted in Burgmuller, Burgmuller 25 Progressive Pieces, classissima, Do piano lessons have to be fun, Friedrich Burgmuller, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, piano teaching, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, whole body listening, whole body music listening, William Gillock, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

For Intermediate Level students: A joyous way to improve piano technique while savoring the Romantic genre (Videos)

Posted on June 9, 2012 by

Piano students in the Intermediate range don’t need to plod through method books to grow technique. In addition, they shouldn’t be subjected to arrangements of the masterworks reduced to painful copies of the original. As example, “Fur Elise” often appears … Continue reading →

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Burgmuller’s beautiful “Tendre Fleur” flows in and out of flower portraits (VIDEO)

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

On my walk from the El Cerrito Hills to BART Del Norte I snapped these pictures and interspersed them in my reading. Composed in the Romantic era, “Tender Flower” (English Tr.) is a gorgeous miniature that says so much in … Continue reading →

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Piano Instruction: “Ballade” by Burgmuller– phrase contouring and curves of energy (Videos)

Posted on April 25, 2012 by

Burgmuller’s Ballade from his Opus 100 Progressive Piano Pieces is often coined “spooks” because of its Halloween-like opener. Composed in 3/8 time, it moves along in ONE, though the performer should not over-emphasize the first beat in each measure. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Burgmuller, Burgmuller's Op. 100 Twenty-Five Progressive Pieces, Friedrich Burgmuller, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano lessons, Piano Street, piano teaching repertoire, Piano World, POWHOW.com, Romantic era piano music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, teaching piano, word press, wordpress.com, you tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment