Tag: Ravel

judi

Mozart, Mendelssohn, Grieg and Ravel!

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In this month’s practice clinic (May 2021), Graham Fitch answered questions on coordinating the hands, using forearm rotation, trills and various other topics. Works featured include Mozart’s Sonata in a minor K310, a Menuet by Lully, Mendelssohn’s Song Without Words Op. 19 No. 4, Grieg’s Summer Eve and Ravel’s Sonatine.

practice clinic screenshot

Practice clinic questions

  • WA Mozart – Sonata in A Minor, K310 2nd Mvt (Bars 16 – 17) – Practice approaches to coordinating the left and right hands, particularly when putting the hands together and playing the trills
  • Jean-Baptiste Lully – Menuet from Essential Keyboard Repertoire (Bar 16) – What is the purpose of the G# in what is essentially a piece in D minor?
  • Felix Mendelssohn – Song Without Words, Op. 19 No. 4 (Bars 1 – 4) – How to use forearm rotation in the right way in order to play the opening four bars without tension or pain
  • Edvard Grieg – Summer Eve (Bars 14 – 18) – Getting the left hand in synch with the right hand both slowly and up to speed
  • Maurice Ravel – Sonatine, 1st Mvt (Opening bars) – Suggestions for overcoming difficulties in obtaining the desired sound and evenness in the opening bars of this work (we also have our own study edition for this work – click here for more information!)

Next practice clinics

Our next practice clinic takes place on Wednesday 23rd June on our Facebook page at 12:00 BST. Please sign-up to our mailing list here for updates on future practice clinic dates.

Watch previous clinics

Recordings of past practice clinics are posted up on our Facebook page and YouTube channel shortly after each event. You can also view our full archive of previous events via these links!

How they work?

Online Academy subscribers can submit questions for practice clinics up to two weeks before each session. This can be done using the link provided on the Online Academy dashboard under “subscription benefits” (click here to sign-in and visit your dashboard).

Further information on how our practice clinics work is available here or please click here to find out more about the Online Academy.

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judi

Rhythmic Challenges, Ravel and Pedalling

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In this month’s Practice Clinic, Graham Fitch answers questions on rhythmic challenges, hand-redistribution, building speed and pedalling in works by Beethoven, Uwe Korn, Ravel and Grieg.

Rhythmic Challenges, Beethoven, Ravel and Pedalling

Practice clinic questions

Beethoven Sonata in E Major, Op. 14 No. 1 (3rd mvt) – I’m having difficulty with the syncopated polyrhythm that starts at bar 108. It feels like I’ve spent longer on those three bars than the rest of the sonata combined! There is a similar problem spot in bar 81 of Op. 14 No. 2, and Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 27 No. 1 (B section) where one hand is missing the first beat.

Uwe Korn Caballos Espanoles (from Tango Meets Jazz) – I’m finding it difficult to play the rhythm of the left hand correctly, especially when playing with the right hand together in Chorus 1 and 2 (bars 22-53). How should I practise to secure the rhythm of the left hand and with pedal? How should the notes in Chorus 2 (bars 38-53) be phrased, and how to practise so that right hand can play through easily in this section. Lastly, is pedal needed for this section?

Ravel Sonatine (3rd mvt) – I have been struggling to come up with a workable fingering for a section from bar 43. I’ve tried redistributing some of the 16th notes from one hand to the other which works OK at a slow tempo but comes adrift when I play at the speed.

Grieg Wedding Day at Troldhaugen. Op. 65 No. 6 (from Lyric Pieces) – I have a question about the pedalling in the opening section. The printed pedalling is very murky, may I alter this or is there a reason behind it? Also, I am finding it hard to make sense of the second part, with the alternating semiquavers. Can you suggest how I might practise it so I can play it at the tempo?

Next practice clinic

Our next Practice clinic takes place on 12th October @ 12:00 BST. Please sign-up to our mailing list here for updates on future practice clinic dates.

Watch previous clinics

Recordings of past practice clinics are posted up on our Facebook page and YouTube channel shortly after each event. You can also view our full archive of previous events via these links!

How they work?

Further information on how our practice clinics work is available here or please click here to find out more about the Online Academy.

Online Academy subscribers can submit questions for practice clinics up to two weeks before each session. This can be done using the link provided on the Online Academy dashboard under “subscription benefits” (click here to sign-in and visit your dashboard).

Further information on how our practice clinics work is available here or please click here to find out more about the Online Academy.

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