Category Archives: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Would Mozart believe he was “banned” worldwide?!

Posted on November 10, 2015 by

I thought it would never happen! An instant banishment from cyber-space! Mozart’s beloved Andante from Sonata K. 283 was the victim of pure and simple tyranny by the you tube police! The stand-in argonaut imperialist Hyperion, a recording company whose … Continue reading →

Posted in Drawing room sonata, K.545, Mozart, Mozart piano sonata, Mozart piano sonata K. 545, piano, piano blog, piano blogging, piano sonata, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Piano Technique: Trills and the vocal model

Posted on May 3, 2015 by

Joyce Di Donato, “lyric-coloratura mezzo-soprano,” is my model for trilling. In an embedded you tube video, the opera singer emphasizes the undulating character of a beautifully executed trill that leans on the upper note. (Too often pianists deliver a robotic … Continue reading →

Posted in classical music, how to trill on the piano, Joyce Di Donato, opera, operatic trills, piano blog, piano blogging, piano technique, piano trills, Shirley Kirsten, vocal model for piano playing, W. A. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Posted on February 9, 2015 by

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in 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 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

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

Posted on January 18, 2015 by

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) … Continue reading →

Posted in Classical era, Mozart Sonata K. 545, Mozart Sonatas, pianist, piano, piano blog, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano teaching, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Never say never to a finger-trapping passage (Mozart Rondo: Allegro K. 545)-Video

Posted on December 13, 2014 by

While we all experience head on collisions with tricky measures despite our best efforts to avoid repeated catastrophes, (through careful, methodical practicing) there comes a time, to let go, and give the whole undertaking a rest. In my case, it … Continue reading →

Posted in classical music, Mozart, Mozart Sonata in C K. 545, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, word press, you tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mac, me and Mozart: a continuing 4-hand journey

Posted on November 23, 2014 by

I haven’t mastered the split screen on iMovie 11, but I decided to aim my camcorder at Mac and Steinway to get the same effect. Basically I recorded Primo first and on playback added Secondo to Mozart’s final 4-hand movement, … Continue reading →

Posted in 4-hand piano music, Mozart, piano, piano blog, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, word press, you tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When two hands play a 4-hand Mozart Sonata

Posted on November 19, 2014 by

Last night, I challenged myself to have a double duo identity. I separately recorded the bass and treble parts of Mozart’s Sonata No. 1, K. 318, scored for 4-hands at one piano. Logistics-wise, I had to decide which part to … Continue reading →

Posted in 4-hand piano music, Mozart, piano, piano blog, piano blogging, Uncategorized, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments