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December 2011
Teachers' Guide
December 2011
Student Page
Past Issues
Past Teacher's Guides
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interesting links.
Ideas to use
with the December Issue
Recommended recordings
Van Cliburn - Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, Rachmaninoff
Piano Concerto No. 3, Kabalevsky Rondo (Testament Label, 2009)
Van Cliburn Plays Great Piano Concertos (Sony, 2010)
Van Cliburn In Moscow DVD (Video Artists International, 2008)
Tchaikovsky Swan Lake, London Symphony Orchestra/Previn (EMI, 2010)
Swan Lake DVD, Vienna Symphony Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon, 2005)
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major
Jascha Heifetz playing Silbelius, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov Violin
Concertos (EMI, 2006)
DVD: Itzak Perlman, Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra, includes
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition and Romeo and Juliet Overture (Euroarts,
2006)
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture
Concertos
Some late intermediate students might be ready for a challenge of
studying a piano concerto, full or just one movement. Even if a
performance might not be possible in the end, learning a concerto is
a great experience. Here are some recommendations of concertos that
might be appropriate for young pianists:
Haydn - Concerto in D
Kabalevsky - Concerto in D major, Op. 50 and a minor, op. 9
Shostakovitch - 2nd Piano Concerto
Mozart - Concerto in A Major, K414 and A major, K. 488
Intermediate Piano Concertos by current (living) composers of piano
literature for students:
Catherine Rollin - Piano Concerto in C major
Martha Mier - Concerto in Classical Style
Robert Vandall - Concerto in G major
Beginners Corner - Minor Scales
Minor scales are sometimes more difficult for students to understand
than major scales, so it is important to provide plenty of exercises
to help them. In the end the goal for each student is to be able to
remember the pattern of whole and half steps, to be able to figure
out natural minor scales based on major scales (relative keys), and
eventually to remember the number of sharps or flats in each minor
key. Ultimately they will also be able to remember or figure out the
correct fingering for each scale and play them on the piano.
Students don't necessarily need to know all major keys to begin
working on minor scales. Give them opportunities or assignments to
practice singing minor as well as major scales. The better they know
them by ear, the faster they will understand the theory behind them.
The next two issues of Piano Explorer will feature harmonic
and melodic minor scales.
Answers to
December Puzzles
What Instrument (page 7)
1. viola or string bass 2. trombone 3. harp 4. tuba
Split Decision (p. 13)
Scramble (p. 13)
Swan Lake
Sleeping Beauty
1812 Overture
Nutcracker
Perfect 5th (page 14)
Yes: 1, 4, 5, 6, 8
No: 2, 3, 7
Quiz (page 15)
1. a 2. various answers 3. b 4. c 5. c
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