Category: pianist

Classical music blog, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Mozart, Mozart Sonata in F Major K. 332, Mozart Sonatas, pianist, piano, piano blog, piano blogging, piano pedagogy, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, word press, you tube

Thoughts on learning Mozart Sonata No. 12 in F, K. 332 (first movement)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

After my review of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Drawing Room" Sonata K. 545 in C, Allegro, I discovered by comparison that the opening movement of K. 332 in F Major, had a more complex mosaic. In the short space of its nearly three page exposition, K. 332's multiple themes weave through markedly contrasting sections. *A Sturm… Continue reading Thoughts on learning Mozart Sonata No. 12 in F, K. 332 (first movement)

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Piano Lesson: Mozart Rondo, Allegretto- Sonata K. 545 with a pedal pushback to Andante

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Each teaching encounter brings a new awakening. A composition that's been practiced to death, taught times over, recorded, retired and reviewed, can still experience a rebirth when a student embarks upon his/her individual musical journey. It's like a parent (mentor) reliving one's own childhood by having children. On Skype today, a pupil who had conscientiously… Continue reading Piano Lesson: Mozart Rondo, Allegretto- Sonata K. 545 with a pedal pushback to Andante

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A NEW interview with pianist, Menahem Pressler

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Just as the clocks were turned back here in the US, a student from the UK notified me of a recently posted interview with Pressler at the Berlin Philharmonic's Digital Concert Hall site. This is a FREE option, not needing subscriber status. (NOTE: The interview is in German with English subtitles) http://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/interview/16878-3 "It is love… Continue reading A NEW interview with pianist, Menahem Pressler

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Sequences and Phrase contouring in J. S. Bach’s French Suite No. 5, BWV 816

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

An adult student and I explored sequences in the Allemande opener of Bach's French Suite in G as we parceled out the treble and bass lines. (Still another voice that danced from the alto to tenor range, was separately identified and practiced) To craft beautiful phrases in the opening movement that limpidly flows in legato,… Continue reading Sequences and Phrase contouring in J. S. Bach’s French Suite No. 5, BWV 816

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Ear Training and Transposing are intrinsic to piano lessons (examples from an Adult lesson in progress)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

It's not easy to plan a one hour piano lesson to include ear training, solfege and transposing. (They belong together, bundled with Theory, and enrich the learning environment) At the Oberlin Conservatory, Theory, Keyboard Harmony, and Eurhythmics were taught separately. Our piano teachers (applied study) adhered to their rigid routine, rarely fitting solfege, sight-reading, improvising,… Continue reading Ear Training and Transposing are intrinsic to piano lessons (examples from an Adult lesson in progress)

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Piano performance: The moment of creation can be deceiving and how we can learn from video playbacks

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I was telling a musical friend about the discrepancy between what we think we're hearing during our own performances and what bears out in a review of our self-made recordings. This is why teaching and learning opportunities abound in comparing one reading to another by way of video/audio replays. It's not only our own playing… Continue reading Piano performance: The moment of creation can be deceiving and how we can learn from video playbacks

J.S. Bach Little Fugue in C BWV 952, Logitech HD10080p, pianist, piano instruction, piano lessons, piano lessons by Skype, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com

Bringing the Keyboard closer to the long distance piano student

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Yesterday, my Logitech cam was un-clipped from the Big Mac during a lesson to Greece. The pupil, hanging out on the island of Kos, needed a graphic representation of my hands braving a few difficult measures in Bach's Little Fugue in C Major, BWV 952. It's the composition where the composer challenges the player to… Continue reading Bringing the Keyboard closer to the long distance piano student

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The piano learning process at all levels of study

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

In spite of my having studied piano for decades, each learning experience is filled with challenges that I must approach with a glut of patience. A new composition has its own form, architecture, harmonic rhythm, fingering that requires a big reserve of self-acceptance in a deadline-free frame. To the contrary, many of my students, who… Continue reading The piano learning process at all levels of study

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Revisiting an old piano piece learned years earlier

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

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 pinned and unpinned) I wrote to a musician friend during the height of my frustration.… Continue reading Revisiting an old piano piece learned years earlier

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Harmonic Rhythm, melodic twists, and emotional shifts in Chopin’s B Minor Waltz, Op. 69, No. 2 (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

The harmonic flow of a piece is one ingredient of phrase shaping, along with melodic contouring that springs from the human voice and its natural breath. All have emotional consequence as music pours out of the heart and soul of a performer. So getting below the surface of a piece of music, means delving into… Continue reading Harmonic Rhythm, melodic twists, and emotional shifts in Chopin’s B Minor Waltz, Op. 69, No. 2 (Video)