Intermediate

Telemann - Allegro (from Fantasia No. 1 in D major)

Georg Philipp Telemann was a contemporary of J. S. Bach, and actually a much more famous and successful composer in his day. The Fantasia in D major, on Trinity’s Grade 6 alternative syllabus, is a worthy piece and a lot of fun to play. How do we make an edition of our own that adds dynamics, articulation, touch and expression to a score that does not include any of these details? In this video I show you some of the principles involved in making such decisions, looking at several options for interpretation based on the design of the music itself.... Read >>

Beethoven - Bagatelle in G minor, Op. 119 No. 1

ABRSM Grade 5 – A5

A bagatelle is a short piece, usually light in nature. Beethoven wrote several sets of bagatelles throughout his life, the opus 119 set was completed in 1820. The G minor, op. 119 no. 1 is like a minuet, beginning with a melancholy theme in G minor, followed by a calmer section in E flat major. A short bridge brings us back to the opening theme, this time varied with more activity and an especially athletic left hand part. A Picardy third ends the piece with a smile. Preview (please log-in... Read >>

Maykapar - Valse (No. 5 from Biriulki, op. 28)

Maykapar’s elegant waltz has plenty of colour and charm. The player can experiment with different types of pedalling to bring the music to life. Resources & links Click here to purchase sheet music form the Trinity College online store (external link). Click here to view open domain editions for these works (external link, see page 9). Click here to view the index for our Guide to the Trinity College Piano Syllabus. Click here... Read >>

Burgmüller - Berceuse (No. 7 from 18 Characteristic Studies, Op. 109)

Burgmüller’s educational piano music is still among the very best. This exquisite little Berceuse requires considerable control of tone, texture and pedalling to bring out its beauties. Resources & links Click here to purchase sheet music form the Trinity College online store (external link). Click here to view open domain editions for these works (external link, see page 12). Click here to view the index for our Guide to the Trinity College Piano Syllabus. ... Read >>

Valerie Capers - Billie’s Song (No. 7 from Portraits in Jazz)

Valerie Capers composed Billie’s Song as a tribute to the great jazz singer, Billie Holiday. This beautiful ballad is featured in the Grade 4 list from the ABRSM 2023 & 2024 examination syllabus and can serve as a great introduction to the world of jazz. Capers uses lush, extended harmonies to accompany a lyrical melody to project, as she says, the "special warmth and intensity" of "the great lady of song." Performance Video lesson Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) ... Read >>

Heather Hammond - Changing Times (from Cool Piano 5)

ABRSM Grade 5 – C2

We find two time signatures – 4/4, featuring an expressive RH melody with a flowing LH accompaniment in quavers, and then a contrasting jazz waltz in 3/4, faster and with zingy syncopations. Resources & links Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2022, Grade 5 is available from the ABRSM online shop here. The syllabus upon which these Practising the Piano Online Academy materials are based is © by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and is reproduced by permission of the copyright owner.... Read >>

Mozart - Theme, Var. 1 and Var. 5 (from 12 Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, maman", K. 265)

ABRSM Grade 5 – A10

The French melody Mozart used for his 1785 set of twelve variations, Ah, vous dirai-je, maman first appeared in 1761, and has been used for many children's songs since. The innocent theme presented in the right hand can be coloured by some imaginative articulation in the left hand, with the possibility of some overholding (finger pedalling) in spots to create a harmonic carpet. The semiquaver patterns in the first variation require not only careful control but also contouring and phrase shaping. The fifth variation is all about dialogue between the hands, the one interrupting the other in playful fashion. The... Read >>

Pilling - Philomela

ABRSM Grade 5 – B3

There is a plaintive, lamenting quality in Dorothy Pilling’s Philomela. The legendary character of Philomela was changed by magic into a nightingale, expressed by the singing line in the RH of this piece. Notice the phrase structure in the supporting LH, the many two-bar phrases require a little stress at the beginning of the first bar with no accent on the first beat of the second bar. Other features to savour include hemiolas (shifts in rhythmic emphasis) and the ravishing harmonies that were influenced by the composer’s love of Debussy’s music. Preview... Read >>

Chopin - Mazurka in G minor (Op. 67 No. 2)

ABRSM Grade 6 – B1

The mazurka is based on the Polish folk dance that originated in Mazovia, near Warsaw. Chopin wrote more than 50 mazurkas and listening to a variety of them will help develop a sense of the characteristic style. This example, in G minor, was written in the last year of Chopin’s life (1849). Resources & links Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2022, Grade 6 is available from the ABRSM online shop here. Click here to view open domain editions for these works (external link).... Read >>