Vahl Piano Studio // Passion, Excellence, Artistry

Apologies! I was having trouble updating the site for a couple of days, but here we go with more notes and reaction to the sessions at MTNA Convention in Milwaukee.

I dragged out all my notes tonight,hoping for a few more posts about the convention before my memory fades.

On Sunday I attended an excellent session presented by students from the University of Michigan and the University of Oklahoma on preparing students for playing Liszt. The students selected two well known Liszt pieces, the Consolation No. 3 in D flat major and Valse Oubliee No. 1, and discussed pieces to teach to prepare for these 2 pieces. I hope you'll profit from these suggestions as much as I did.

Preparatory Pieces for Consolation No. 3 in D flat Major:

Little Flower (Cinguefoil, Op 205, No. 5 – Cornelius Gurlitt ~ Fingerpedal creates rich layers throughout while simple melody must shine through.Level 6.

Evening Peace, Op. 131, No. 20 – Cornelius Gurlitt ~ Complex cross-rhythms and turns ornament the expressive melodyover rolling LH figures. Level 6-7.

Epilogue from Escenas Romanticas, No. 6 – Enrique Granados ~ Nocturne-like with arpeggiated LH; exercise in maintaining RH tone. Level 8

Nocturne in B Flat Major, from 18 Nocturnes– John Field ~ Alternating lyrical texture with light, repeated chords;sensitivity to tone should be coupled with sustained bass. Level 9.       

Traumgesight (Phantom), Lyric Pieces, Op.62, No. 5 – Edvard Grieg ~ Singing melody needs care in phrasing, expecially whenreturning in octaves. Layering appears near the end. Level 9.

Additional Preparatory Pieces for the Consolation:

Andantino from Adventures of Ivan – AramKhachaturian ~ Dreamy Melody gives way to outer layers with controlled andsyncopated inner voice. Singing quality is challenging to project. Level 5.

From Foreign Lands and People, Op. 15 No. 1 – Robert Schumann ~ Both hands are active in sustaining a restrained inner layerbetween the harmonically interesting counterpoint of the soprano and bass.Level 6.

Prelude in D flat Major, Op. 43 No. 1 –Reinhold Gliere ~ RH melody should project over shadowy atmosphere created bybroken chords; LH has melody in B section. Level 7-8.

Venetian Boat Song, Songs without Words,Op. 19 No. 6 – Felix Mendelssohn ~ Image evoking layers challenge control in both hands whilemelody must be carefully shaped and projected. Level 8.

Dedication, Op. 13 No. 1 – Ernst von Dohnanyi ~ Nocturne like LH with complex harmonies provides foundation for emotive RH line. Level 9.

Preparatory Pieces for Valse Oubliee No. 1

Woodpecker, Op. 64 No 9 – Jean LouisStreabogg ~ Waltz bass with quick repeated righthand notes; some arpeggiation in the RH. Level 4-5

Little Leopard – Children’s Album, Book IINo. 4 – Aram Khachaturian ~ Quick staccato chords at the endreminiscent of the Valse; 16th note figures provide practice inrotation. Level 7-8.

Waltz in A minor, Op. Post. – FredericChopin ~ Chopin’s writing allows for practicein creating balance and nuance, as well as ornamenting a singing melody line.Level 7.

Improvisation in C sharp Minor, Op. 84 No.5 – Gabriel Faure ~Hands share in arpeggiated figureswhile RH projects simple meldy line above; similar chord progressions to theValse. Level 8.

Landler, D. 790 No. 3 – Franz Schubert ~Busy arpeggiated RH over waltzpattern. Short in length (16 bars that may be repeated). Level 8-9.

Additional Preparatory Pieces for the Valse:

Bagatelle in A Minor, Op. 119 No. 9 – Ludwig van Beethoven ~ Short, accessible study with arpeggiated RH motives over jump bass. Level 6.

German Dance in C Major, D. 783 No. 9 –Franz Schubert ~ Begins in a similar fashion to theLiszt Valse; big staccato chords and opportunities for contrasting dynamics.Level 6-7.

Valse Tyrolienne from Villageoises –Francis Poulenc ~ Waltz using traditional harmony withlarge leaps in the LH. RH uses arpeggiated figures. Level 7.

Moderato Grazioso from Buds and Blossoms,Op. 107 No. 7 – Cornelius Gurlitt ~ Active RH over simple waltz bass inopening; contrasting B section inclues sweeping arpeggiation in both hands.Level 7.

Boys Round Dance, Op. 36 No. 2 – Niels Gade ~ Lively character similar to theValse; sections with arpeggiation in both hands alternate with waltz-like basswith a missing downbeat. Level 7.

Zurich Sweetheart Waltz – Richard Wagner ~ Strong 3 pattern under many legatosixths and octaves; energy needed comparable to that of the Liszt Valse. Level 7-8.

Romance Op. 31 No. 7 – Reinhold Gliere ~ Arpeggiation alternating betweenhands in a triple meter. Challenge in sustaining legato melody and finger pedal throughout. Level 8-9.

Suggested Lower-Level Pieces by Liszt:

The Tolling Bell, S. 238 – Charming short piececharacteristic of Liszt’s lyrical style. Useful for developing a rich, singingtone in the left hand. Level 5

Nocturne No. 2 (first version) – Expressive and lyrical; undulatingaccompaniment in middle voice (RH) and sustained notes in LH. Excellent fordeveloping balance of 2 voices in the right hand. Level 6.

Album Leaf, S. 164 – Short with some chromaticism andleaping bass. Excellent for learning to voice a melody over a chordal and 3part texture.

Piano Piece in A flat Major, No. 2 S. 189a – Very Chopinesque. Middle voicepasses between the hands. Some large leaps in the B section. Level 6-7.

Nuages Gris, S. 199 – A harmonically interesting yetdark piece with rumbling LH tremolos

Landler in A flat, S. 211 – Playful melody and teasing tempochanges. Requires flexible wrist rotation and ability to voice a compound linein the RH. Accessible for students with smaller hands. Level 7-8.

Five Piano Pieces, S. 192 – Short, lyrical pieces thatrepresent Liszt’s easiest writing. Level 7-8.

Five Hungarian Folk Songs – Recitative style, heavy use ofrubato, and programmatic descriptions characteristic of Petrarch Sonnets andoperatic transcription. See expecially number 2 and 3. Level 7-9.

Consolations (especially E Major) – Accessible and beautiful lyricalpieces, reminiscent of Chopin Nocturnes. Level 7-10.

Etude in D minor, S. 136 – Hand crossings and fast doublethirds that sweep the full range of the keyboard. Presents an initial readingchallenge, but primarily uses two different technical patterns throughout.Level 8.

Fruhling (Spring) S. 448 No. 2 – Nocturne like texture with octavemelody and some LH leaps. Middle accompanimental voice shared between the handsrequires careful attention to balance. Level 8.

Mazurka, S. 384 – Closely resembles a Chopin waltz with a leaping LHaccompaniment and some figuration in the RH melody. Level 8.

En Reve Nocturne, S. 207- Beautiful and short with undulatingLH accompaniment. Singing RH melody develops into trills at the end of thework, which will require some attention. Level 8.

Sadness of the Puszta (Longing of thePlains) – Poetic, dramatic,dark and chromatic. Frequent tempo changes are helpful for preparing to studyoperatic transcriptions of Petrarch Sonnets. Level 8-9.

Weihnachtsbaum (The Christmas Tree) S. 186 – Set of 12 pieces; intended forchildren, though challenging octave and double note passages. Favorites includeShepherds at the Manger, Ancient Proencal Carol, March of the Wise Men,Lighting the Candles, and Slumber Song. Level 8-10.

Berceuse (first version – 1854) S. 174 – elegant piece notated in 3 staves,but patterns fit comfortably in the hands. Requires graceful hand crossings.Maintains the same texture throughout. Level 10.

Sources

Hinson, Maurice.Guide to the Pianist’s Repertoire. 3rded. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2000.

Magrath, Jane.The Pianist’s Guide to Standard Teachingand Performance Literature. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. 1995.

Further Reading

Dalmonte, Rossana. “Pedagogy and Stylistic Influence in the Teaching of Liszt.” Liszt Society Journal 26 (2000), pp. 1-8

Davison, Alan.:Franz Liszt and the Development of 19th Century Pianism: ARe-Reading of the Evidence,” The MusicalTimes, 147 (Autumn 2006), pp. 33-43.

Dumm, Robert W.“Liszt’s Piano Teaching.” Journal of theAmerican Liszt Society 4 (1978), pp. 23-36.

Gerig, Reginald.Famous Pianists & Their Technique.Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007

Gervers, Hilda.“Franz Liszt as Pedagogue,” Journal ofResearch in Music Education, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Winter, 1970), pp. 385-391

Hedley, Arthur.“Liszt the Pianist and Teacher.” FranzLiszt: The Man and His Music, ed. By Alan Walker. New York: TaplingerPublishing Company, 1970, pp. 22-35.

Machnek, Elsie J. The Pedagogy of Franz Liszt. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms, 1965.

Morrison, Bryce.Liszt. New York: Omnibus Press, 1989.

Ullyot, Marianne. “Chopin and Liszt: A Legacy of Teaching.” Journal of the American Liszt Society 10 (1981), pp. 39-42.

Walker, Alan. Franz Liszt, 1861-1886, Vol. III. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996.

Williams, Adrian. “Liszt the Teacher.” LisztSociety Journal 25 (2000), pp. 91-95.

Zimdars, Richard. “The Piano MasterClasses of Franz Liszt: Observations by August Gollerich,” Journal of the American Liszt Sociey XLIV (Fall 1998), pp. 35-46.