Pianist

For the passionate players, or early beginners, Pianist magazine will teach you the art of piano playing through professional advice, sheet music and lessons for all levels. Your piano playing journey starts here with the magazine that doubles as an entertaining read and the ultimate interactive piano teacher. Read, learn and play the piano with Pianist magazine every issue. Improve your piano playing and perfect your tone with 40 pages of specially selected sheet music. Whether it’s reading fascinating industry articles or putting your fingers to work with beautiful sheet music, you’ll be playing like an expert in no time with a digital subscription to Pianist magazine!

A matter of finesse

Pianist

Music in the Rockies • At Bravo! Vail in July, Erica Worth collected pearls of pianistic wisdom and immersed herself in an American festival with an international outlook

Perpetuum mobile • Agility of both mind and fingers is key to the success of Clare Hammond, reviving repertoire and taking music out of the concert hall and into schools and prisons, as she tells Peter Quantrill

IMPROVISING FOR EVERYONE • Tom Donald’s latest masterclass on Pianist’s YouTube channel addresses the all-important subject of improvising. We can all do it, he says, so read on and then watch his lesson

FANCY FOOTWORK: ADD FINESSE TO YOUR PEDALLING • We should not think of the pedal as an ‘on-off’ switch, says Mark Tanner, who advises using a little bit of finesse and flutter with your right foot

PICK AND MIX: WHICH STUDIES TO PRACTISE? • In the last issue, Graham Fitch focused his attention on exercises. Here he addresses the topic of studies (etudes), first explaining the difference between the two, and then discussing the studies that are worth our valuable practice time

FRANZ SCHUBERT MOMENT MUSICAL NO 3 IN F MINOR OP 94 (D 780) • Close attention to details of phrasing, dynamics and articulation will reveal the character of this perennial favourite, says Matthew Mills

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN BALLADE NO 2 IN F OP 38 • Fiery turbulence and absolute control: these are just two techniques you will need to master in order to bring this showpiece alive, says Pianist’s pianist, Chenyin Li

EDVARD GRIEG PRAYER, NO 19 FROM 23 SHORT PIECES EG 104 • Legato is of the utmost importance in this poignant miniature by the Norwegian colourist, says Melanie Spanswick, who offers strategies to ensure seamlessness in both hands

Louis KÖHLER (1820-1886) • No 26 from Exercises and Melodies for Children Op 218

Melanie SPANSWICK • Tubular Chimes

Mel BONIS (1858-1937) • The little beggar from Album for the Young Op 103 No 2

Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907) • Prayer, No 19 from 23 Small Pieces EG 104

Henryk PACHULSKI (1859-1921) • Un peu de rêves from Album for the Young Op 23 No 4

Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937) • Second movement from Piano Concerto in G (opening)

Leokadiya KASHPEROVA (1872-1940) • Deux roses No 2

MOZART arr. Franz LISZT (1811-1886) • Ave Verum Corpus S 461a

Gabriel DUPONT (1878-1914) • Clair d’étoiles from La maison dans les dunes

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) • Moment Musical No 3 in F minor Op 94 (D 780)

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) • Adagio from Sonata Op 2 No 3

Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849) • Ballade No 2 in F major Op 38

PIANO TEACHER HELP DESK Playing with finesse • How can we encourage our pupils to refine their pianism, interpretive approach and general standards as they practise? Kathryn Page has some suggestions

CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND ART OF Alfred Brendel 1931-2025 • When Alfred Brendel died peacefully at his home on 17 June, an outpouring of tributes commemorated one of our century’s greatest artists whose...