Watching Andy Murray soar to victory at this year’s Wimbledon was as much a lesson in superlative tennis playing as it was in mental and psychological preparation and willpower. It’s true of course, that many of the top tennis players in the world play very well, so what distinguishes the winner from the runner-up? Especially…
Tag: piano
Piano Talk with Noriko Ogawa: Part 1
Japanese concert pianist has already been kind enough to take part in my Classical Conversations Series and you can enjoy the interview here. However, we decided to meet again and chat more about several subjects. In Part 1 of this two part interview, which was filmed at Steinway Hall in London, we talk about the best…
The Yellow Lounge with Valentina Lisitsa in Paris
Nothing invigorates the soul like a trip to the romantic city of Paris. It’s always a good idea to take time out from our daily routines and do something completely different, but the main reason for my three-day trip last week was to visit friend and the first pianist I interviewed as part of my…
Peter Donohoe in conversation Melanie Spanswick
My guest in this episode of Classical Conversations is British pianist Peter Donohoe. Find out more about Peter, here. Here’s the transcript for those who prefer to read interviews: MELANIE SPANSWICK: British concert pianist Peter Donohoe has had an extraordinary career spanning over forty years encompassing a huge repertoire. He was silver medallist in the 1982…
Celebrating 200 years of Wagner via Liszt
This week marked the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner’s birth on May 22nd (1813 – 1883). Love him or hate him, Wagner made his beliefs heard, whether they be musical or political. His music is decadent to say the least and full of grand romantic gestures, declarations, and huge orchestral forces. It is impressive, even…
Ivan Ilić in conversation with Melanie Spanswick
My Twelfth Classical Conversation features Serbian-American pianist, Ivan Ilić. Find out more about Ivan, here. Here’s the transcript for those who prefer to read the interview: MELANIE SPANSWICK: Serbian-American concert Pianist Ivan Ilić has played concerts all around the world in venues like Carnegie Hall, the Wigmore Hall, and the Glenn Gould Studio. His recordings…
Memorising your piano pieces
‘Who developed the concept of playing from memory?’ This question is often the one asked by many piano pupils, conservatoire students, and professionals. Memorising a work, or playing without the score, certainly puts extra strain on an artist. Every note must be meticulously rehearsed and learned to the point of distraction. In some cases, might…
The Joys of the Parent Pupil.
The new term brings fresh challenges and new pupils for many teachers. One interesting group of prospective students is the ‘parent’ pupil. A parent will occasionally announce that they wish to start playing the piano alongside their child. There are many reasons for this; it may be that they want to keep an eye on…
Practising Piano Scales: 5 Top Tips
Whether you are taking Grade 1 or Grade 8, you will probably need to practice your scales regularly. There is always a strong temptation to just play them through quickly moving on to more interesting parts of your exam. Try not to do this. Scales can be both fun and rewarding as well as a…
British female pianists and teachers: Fanny Davies
Fanny Davies was born in Guernsey in 1861 moving to Birmingham where she gave her first performance at the age of six. She studied privately in Birmingham, then at the Leipzig Conservatory under Carl Reinecke and Oscar Paul. She also studied with Clara Schumann in Frankfurt. Fanny was a successful concert pianist and was considered…
Melodramas
The Melodrama or ‘Recitation’ is a wonderful musical form. They are not a popular or well-known genre in classical music. Yet, many significant composers have written them over the years. A melodrama is a narrated poem or story accompanied by music. Music and words are a great combination. There are many different forms of accompaniment…