Today’s post is the second in the new series written by pianist and piano professor Julian Jacobson. In this week’s article, he traces the journey from the beginning, and explores the reasons why he feels drawn to this repertoire. Is Beethoven my favourite composer, as people tend to assume? The answer is “yes and no…
Tag: piano
Chakra Suite for Clarinet & Piano
2020 is not a year which we will remember fondly. It’s been extremely upsetting for us all to witness the demise of the ‘live’ performance what with the closing of theatres, concert halls, and many arts venues – and some will probably never re-open. Those of us who teach have been generally been fortunate, with…
Perfect Pedalling
We all know there’s no such thing as ‘perfect’ piano playing, but hopefully these tips might be helpful. The sustaining or damper pedal is one of the most important assets for a pianist. It adds another dimension to the piano timbre, and can provide a whole variety of sound layers. The most commonly used pedal,…
10 Top Tips for Tonal Beauty
The following article was originally published in Piano Professional magazine, which is an EPTA UK (European Piano Teachers Association) publication, and it appeared in the most recent edition; Issue 37. You can read the original article by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page, and I have compiled a list of ten…
Words and Music with Lucy Parham and Friends
British concert pianist Lucy Parham came to prominence when she won the piano final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1984, and has since played with many of the world’s finest orchestras and conductors. More recently, she has become synonymous with performances of Words and Music. Lucy teams up with eminent actors, and themes…
Pascal Rogé in conversation with Melanie Spanswick
The thirty-first Classical Conversation in my series features French concert pianist Pascal Rogé. We met earlier this month at Jaques Samuel Pianos in London to chat all about his life and work. In 1962, at the age of 11, Pascal Rogé was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire, having previously studied with his mother. By the age…
And the WINNER is…
As many of you know, I held a little competition earlier this week in conjunction with the Pianist Magazine. You can read the article here. The prize was an opportunity to win the Magazine’s new Piano Techniques app. Those who took part were asked to leave an appropriate comment in the comment box at the end…
PIANIST Magazine’s NEW PIANO TECHNIQUES APP
Pianist magazine, in association with Steinway Hall London, is proud to present its first-ever stand-alone app: Piano Techniques. When you’ve read the articles, watched the lessons, listened to the music, your playing will be better! It doesn’t matter what level you are – there’s something here for beginner through to advanced players. The app contains some of the best articles from within the pages…
Sonya’s Lullaby Op. 16 by Oliver Knussen
I was introduced to Oliver Knussen’s music as a young student. Playing unusual, less familiar repertoire was always an interesting discovery. Oliver Knussen was born in Glasgow in 1952. His father was the principal double bass player in the London Symphony Orchestra, with whom he made his debut in April 1968 conducting his First Symphony in London…
10 Top Tips for Successful Piano Practice in 2014
As the year draws to a close, we tend naturally to reflect on the past twelve months, typically pondering various events, occasions and experiences. Although humans want and need to move forward, sometimes it’s also necessary to examine the past, searching for methods to improve and succeed in many areas of our lives. Certainly, professionally this can help…
Melanie Spanswick 