Intermediate

Galuppi - Sonata No.5 in C major

Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links Click here to view open domain editions for this work. ... Read >>

Pescetti - Presto (3rd mvt from Sonata No. 6 in C minor)

ABRSM Grade 4 – A1

Pescetti was an Italian composer of the Baroque era, known for his many operas and some keyboard pieces written for the harpsichord and early piano. The term “presto” tells us to play very fast; we find triplets almost throughout in the right hand that require considerable dexterity to bring off. To bring out the energy of this piece, make the suggested dynamic contrasts very clear, adding quick breathing places for punctuation. Enjoy the difference in character and resonance depending on which register of the keyboard we are playing in. Preview (please log-in... Read >>

JS Bach - Invention No. 8 in F, BWV 779

ABRSM Grade 5 – A4

In a Bach Two-Part Invention both hands are equally important - we might imagine a duet between a violin and cello, or flute and bassoon. The F major Invention is exuberant and joyous in character, the theme rising up in ever larger jumps (broken chord) and floating back down in scale fragments. We can energise our playing by making the quavers bouncy. Notice the keys that Bach visits on the journey: a strong arrival in C major (dominant) in bar 12, then brief visits to G minor in bar 16, D minor (relative minor) in bar 24 and B flat... Read >>

Senfter - Erster Schmerz (from Sechs kleine Stücke für Anfänger)

ABRSM Grade 6 – B3

We might imagine an oboe solo, with gentle support from strings. Later on, a middle voice joins in and the harmony gets a whole lot more interesting. The rhythmic challenge is to match the tempo of the A section with the B section, bringing flexibility and nuanced phrasing and tonal balance to the outer sections and dignified tautness to the middle. Compare Johanna Senfter’s Erster Schmerz (First Sorrow) with Robert Schumann’s and Sergei Bortkiewicz’s pieces of the same name. Resources & links Piano Exam Pieces... Read >>

Pescetti - Allegro (4th mvt from Sonata No. 8 in C)

ABRSM Grade 6 – A1

There is plenty of scope for experimentation with dynamics and articulation in this lively Allegro by Pescetti. It requires considerable agility in the right hand and solid, rhythmical support from the left. 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). The syllabus upon which these Practising the Piano Online Academy materials are based is © by The... Read >>

WA Mozart - Allegro (3rd mvt from Sonata in E-flat, K. 282)

ABRSM Grade 6 – A2

Composed when Mozart was just 19, this challenging and brilliant sonata form movement requires precision and clarity in touch, and imagination in characterising the different themes. We find just two dynamic markings (p and f), leaving room for the player to add more shadings in between. 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). The syllabus upon... Read >>

Arne - Presto (2nd mvt from Sonata No. 6)

ABRSM Grade 5 – A2

A lively and joyous English jig from the composer of Rule, Brittania!, there are plenty of opportunities to explore various different touches, textures and articulations. Don’t let the ornaments put you off - trills placed on quavers may be played as acciacaturas (crushed notes). Resources & links Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2022, Grade 5 is available from the ABRSM online shop here. Click here to view open domain editions for this work (external link). The syllabus upon which these... Read >>

Wedgewood - Large Wave

Pam Wedgwood perfectly captures the image of a seascape in sound. Free-sounding sounding music alternates with stricter passages, all brought together by the pedal. Resources & links Click here to purchase sheet music form the Trinity College online store (external link). Click here to view the index for our Guide to the Trinity College Piano Syllabus. Click here to view a complete listing of all of our piano examination resources. The Practising the... Read >>

Kabalevsky - Etude in A minor (No. 3 from 30 Children’s Pieces, Op. 27)

ABRSM Grade 4 – A2

A valuable étude for the lower intermediate player that will accelerate technical development, this piece is built from familiar scale patterns in right hand against a simpler left hand featuring slurred quaver pairs. It makes an excellent recital piece. Resources & links Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2021, Grade 4 is available from the ABRSM online shop here. Click here to view a video from the Quarantine Spots series on the Online Academy featuring this work. The syllabus... Read >>