Grade 1 Repertoire Book

Contents 3 – March in G HWV 419/3 – Air in D Minor ZT 676 – Sonata in C Major K. 73B – German Dance Hob. IX/22 No. 3 – Minuet in F K.2 – ‘Horn with Echo’ from 49 Pieces for Beginners at the Piano

4 5 6 8 9 11

– ‘Soldier’s March’ from Album for The Young Op. 68

12

– ‘Echo’ from Mayflowers Op. 61

14

– ‘Sad at Heart’ from Album for the Young Op. 47 – ‘The Rope Dancer’ from Little Studies Op. 130 – ‘Scabieuse’ from Album for the Young Op. 138 – ‘L’Arabesque’ from 25 Progressive Studies Op. 100

15 16 18 20 22

Foreword Classics Exploration aims to provide students and teachers with an attractive selection of repertoire suitable to supplement a formal coursework of study. The books in this series are designed to complement the graded examination systems currently in use in UK and many other parts of the world i.e. ABRSM, Trinity, LCM, etc. The pieces have been carefully selected to represent a mix of styles and characters that will appeal to broad range of students. There is also a range of difficulty present in the selection; the easier ones can be given as supplementary pieces before the actual grade and the more challenging ones can be used as bridging point to the next grades. Teaching notes are provided as well to provide teachers with useful info and teaching tips for the pieces. Recordings of these pieces can be found at my Youtube channel by searching for "cwdorianmusic". I hope these pieces will provide many hours of enjoyment for students who attempt them. Editor Charles Wu

All rights reserved. This publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission for education purpose only. This publication may not be reproduced or distributed in any way. Personal website: www.wunadymusicstudio.com Email: [email protected] Copyright © 2011 by Charles Wu

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Georg Friedrich Handel

Copyright © 2011 by Charles Wu

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Henry Purcell


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Domenico Scarlatti



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Franz Joseph Haydn


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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart



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Daniel Gottlob Türk


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Robert Schumann



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Theodore Oesten


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Robert Fuchs


Cornelius Gurlitt



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Stephen Heller



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Friedrich Burgmüller



– March in G HWV 419/3 This little march will be a rewarding challenge for students who can tackle its energetic quaver movements and challenging jumps. Students should not attempt this piece if their hands are too small. The left hand involves quite a bit of jumping and some of them can be awkward e.g. bars 3, 7, 8 and 19. Mastering each hand separately first is essential. A two-in-a-bar feel can be achieved by lightening the offbeat crotchets; note that the time signature is 2/2 instead of 4/4. At bars 12-16, the interplay of melody between left hand and right hand can be imagined as a duet between two instruments to aid the phrasing. The piece can be played detached throughout, but if students wish they can add slurs to the quavers for some variety in articulation. Take care that the detached notes are separated cleanly from each other, but make sure they are not too either. The overall dynamics for this march should be quite lively but not too much, otherwise the piece will sound ponderous. A warm sound will be suitable for this purpose. The final can be accompanied by a slight in the last two bars for a grander conclusion. – Air in D Minor ZT 676 This piece with its gorgeous melody will be especially suited for students who are musically sensitive. The right hand plays the melody throughout and students would do well to play it with a good tone. Be careful of the crotchets at the third beat of each bar; it is easy to accidentally accent them. The left hand should be gentle throughout and not overpower the right hand. Their shaping should follow the right hand to provide an agreeable accompaniment. The minims and crotchets in the left hand should detached but still well sustained throughout to create a contrast with the right hand. If students find it a little tough at this level, the left hand will sound just fine . Tempo chosen should not be too slow so the melody could flow easily. Keep the overall dynamics relatively quiet to maintain the serene character of the piece; the loudest students can go should not exceed . The two four-bar phrases from bar 1-8 will need to be shaped carefully. A slight rise in tone towards the A in the second bars followed by a very subtle will provide a satisfying musical shape. Students can sing out these bars first to get a feel of the shape. Bars 9-16 can be thought as one long phrase with its highest point at bar 13. A suggested starting at bar 10 leading towards this climax will need to be carefully paced lest the dynamic level peaks too early. A slight and can be applied at the last two bars to round off the piece gracefully. – Sonata in C Major K. 73B This attractive beginner sonata by Scarlatti can also be found in some editions as a ‘Minuet’. Though Scarlatti never titled this sonata as such, it is an apt title to describe the dance-like character of this piece. Most of the piece consists of short two-bar phrases such as the one found within the first two bars. Within each of these phrase try to create a question and answer dialogue between the first and second bars; the right hand for these second bars can be slightly lesser in tone. One of the common mistakes students often make is rushing the two semiquavers preceding the crotchets. The right hand should be practiced separately first with careful counting of the rhythms. Be careful not to accent the crotchets following the two semiquaver notes unnecessarily; it may be helpful to think of a subtle towards the end of each bar. Rotate the wrist to the right and lean on the crotchet notes to achieve this. The phrases at bars 9-12 and 25-28 are four bars each; shape each of them with a slight towards the middle of the phrase followed by a . The running notes in the right hand from

bars 17-19 is a tricky spot and may need careful slow practice. The left hand plays a supporting role in this piece; care must be taken not to accent the quavers on the third beat of each bar to maintain a gentle swinging feel. There are no dynamic markings indicated in the original score, but an overall mellow dynamics not exceeding would suit this piece well. Tempo should be moderate and not too fast to maintain the gracefulness of the piece. A slight at the last two bars will bring the piece to a more graceful close. – German Dance Hob. IX/22 No. 3 This delightful little dance is one of Haydn’s most popular easier compositions for piano. Although there is no specific dance mentioned, the dance in question here is most likely a judging from its graceful and smooth flowing melody. The suggested tempo for this dance is ; efrain from being too excited and maintain a steady pulse to let the melody flow gracefully. From bars 1-4 and bars 5-8 try to gently shape the melody up to middle of the phrases before gradually rounding off. Be extra careful of the crotchets at the third beats; avoid creating unnecessary accents on them. Although there is no articulation marking in the original score, a mixture of slurred and detached notes can be utilized here. Students are advised to practice the right hand separately first to execute the suggested articulation markings correctly. There is no dynamic marking indicated in the original score, but an overall mellow dynamics of not more than will suit the character of this piece well. Careful practice and listening will be needed by students to balance their two hands correctly for this piece. The left hand only provides accompaniment to the right hand melody. Students would do well to keep it in check even in the second half of the piece when the left hand plays in parallel motion with the right hand. A slight may be added at the last two bars to give the dance a more graceful close. – Minuet in F K.2 This delightful little piece is a perennial favorite among beginning pianists. The tempo here suggests a lively but unhurried tempo that allows the music to flow gracefully. Phrases here are all four bars in length and take care to round off each of them with a . Think of these phrases as four bars with a rise in tone towards the minims to help shape the melodic line. Although there is no articulation marking in the original score, a mixture of slurred and detached notes will bring out the elegant dance-like character of the piece. Keep the overall dynamics mellow and not more than to preserve the elegance of the piece. The rhythmic patterns here are fairly straightforward and should not pose much problem for students. Be very careful not to accent the crotchets unnecessarily; a common error here is to drop the right hand into the second crotchet of each bar. Every first note of each bar will need to be slightly emphasized with slightly more tone, but keep it gentle and don’t overdo it. Beware the triplets at bar 7; do not rush them unnecessarily. Students will need to balance their two hands carefully for a successful performance of this piece. The left hand will need to be as unobtrusive as possible to highlight the upper melodic line. The fermata at bar 20 can be approached with a slight ; Mozart cleverly introduced a false ending here. A more deliberate is then added at the last two bars to give the its actual ending. – ‘Horn with Echo’ from 49 Pieces for Beginners at the Piano Many young students find this cheerful little piece very attractive thanks to its energetic and infectious tune. But don’t be fooled by its apparent simplicity in notes, there are some tricky bits in there! The dotted rhythms will need extreme care; students often play them as swinging triplets instead. A precise execution

of these rhythms coupled with a steady pulse is the key to a confident and rousing performance of this piece. It may be helpful to get your students to clap or march to the rhythms first. Be careful not to accents the offbeat notes unnecessarily; remember in 4/4 time signature the strong beats are on the first and third beats of the bar. Avoid dropping hands on every single beat in this piece. The left hand and right hand parts of this piece move in parallel motions throughout this piece. There should be no notable coordination issues here with the exception of bar 8 in which there is a change of rhythm in the left hand. Students would do well to practice each hand separately first before combining the two hands first. Take care also to balance the dynamics between two hands carefully. Play the left hand slightly softer than the right hand to project the main horn melody better. – ‘Soldier’s March’ from Album for The Young Op. 68 This piece is part of a collection of short pieces composed by Robert Schumann for his three daughters; its cheerful depiction of a soldier’s march proves to be popular among young students up to this day. Note that the rhythmic patterns for this piece stay the same throughout save for some variation in the middle section. Still, it is a good idea to make students clap or march the rhythms first before learning the notes. Pay careful attention especially to the dotted rhythms; do not turn them into swinging triplets. Make sure that all the rests are observed correctly; students often held the quavers longer than necessary turning them into crotchets. It may be helpful in initial practice to count the rhythm in quavers to avoid this problem. Likewise, do not shorten the quavers unnecessarily causing them to sound too . Precise execution of these rhythms coupled with a steady pulse is the key to successful performance of this piece. Take care not to play this piece too fast; remember that the soldier would not be able to march to the music if it is too fast! The piece should not pose any coordination issues as both hands move in parallel motion throughout the piece. Avoid lifting and dropping hands on the chords to prevent the piece from sounding heavy. The only dynamics articulation Schumann indicated in this piece is but students should try to shape each individual 4-bar phrase in this piece. A gentle rise in tone towards the second bar of each phrase followed by a subtle towards the end of the phrase would give a satisfying musical result. The more ambitious students could try to voice the top notes of the chords to improve the clarity of the melody. Articulation should be nonthroughout, though optional can be added at bars 17-18 and bars 21-22 if some variety is desired. – ‘Echo’ from Mayflowers Op. 61 This gentle, atmospheric piece is an excellent study of dynamic contrasts and tonal control. Students can imagine that they are on top of a picturesque canyon with plenty of echoes to get them in the mood for this piece. The notes are relatively simple and should not pose any coordination problems, but students with good attention to details will be rewarded. Observe the ‘ indication carefully; the tempo should be gently flowing and not too fast. Keep the tempo steady throughout the piece and be careful not to rush the successive triplets at bars 3, 8 and 13. The phrases are four bars each with the exception of the phrase leading to the climax of the piece from bars 9-13. Although it is not indicated in the score, a can be applied here to emphasize this climax. Be careful of the minims at bars 16 and 18; care must be taken not to produce unwanted accents here. Do not let the hands fall unto these notes. The dynamics indicate which passage need to be played as echoes; the words ‘Echo’ are printed above those bars as well. The notes should provide a good contrast to the echoes, but be careful not to play them too loud to maintain the ‘ ’ character. Likewise the accents just need to be slightly louder and more sustained.

– ‘Sad at Heart’ from Album for the Young Op. 47 This melancholic piece will be especially suitable for students who are musical and sensitive. Note that the composer has indicated as tempo indication. Loosely translated as ‘with a little movement’, make sure that the tempo is flowing and not too slow, otherwise the music becomes too sentimental. Keep the overall dynamic soft and do not overdo the that starts in bar 9. The right hand has a beautiful melody that needs to be as as possible; use plenty of wrist rotation here. Also, there should be subtle rise and fall within each phrase; Students can try singing out the melody first to feel the phrases. Listen carefully to ensure that the shapes of the phrases remain consistent, it is easy to produce unwanted accents on the notes after the dotted crotchets. The broken-chord figures on the left hand need to be as gentle and light as possible, providing a subtle and unobtrusive accompaniment for the right hand melody. Students could practice them as block chords first to familiarize themselves with the shapes of the chords. Pedaling is optional in this piece. If students could reach the damper pedal, pedaling could be employed to give the piece a richer sound. Otherwise the left hand broken chords can be held down until the end of each bar to achieve similar effect. – ‘The Rope Dancer’ from Little Studies Op. 130 One of Gurlitt’s most attractive easier study pieces, this piece features a very catchy tune and a brilliant middle section that is definitely a crowd pleaser. Students may wish to master the middle section first as it is definitely more challenging technically. Practice the repeated notes carefully, ensuring that all the notes are even and free of any unnecessary accents. Students can imagine that their fingers are the dancer’s legs tiptoeing on the rope. Also keep each semiquaver note cleanly detached from the others, otherwise the notes will sound ‘sticky’. Do not be daunted by the semiquaver running notes that follow. Think of them as groups of four semiquavers each (G, F#, A, F#) rather than one long continuous sequence. The cadenza like bar 20 can be divided into two smaller parts for practice purpose; the trill and the G major scale can be practiced separately and then combined later. Do not rush this penultimate bar; take a bit more time with the trill and fermatas to give the cadenza a more improvisatory feel. The actual tempo students choose for this piece should be one that is most comfortable technically for the middle section. Refrain from playing this too fast as the indicated tempo marking is only . Although there is no dynamic change indicated at the long phrase that runs from bars 1-8, a subtle towards bar 4 followed by a subtle towards the end of the phrase at bar 8 will help to give some musical shape to the phrase. The restatement of this phrase at the end from bars 21-28 should be treated in the same way as well. Note that the indicated dynamic marking for the middle section is Starting the middle section too loud will cause difficulty later in pacing the that starts in bar 12. Make sure the is gradually increased to accommodate the long dynamics ascent from bars 12-20. It is very easy to peak too early thus diminishing the impact of the climax at bar 20. Keep the left hand waltz-like accompaniment light to allow the melody to soar above. The bass notes can be slightly emphasized and more sustained to provide a clearer pulse. – ‘Scabieuse’ from Album for the Young Op. 138 This poignant piece depicting a flower would suit sensitive students with good attention to details. It is also a suitable study piece to train playing for both hands. Most phrases in this piece start with an upbeat crotchet note. This upbeat note need to be played with slightly less tone than the following crotchet note so the main beat of the 3/4 time signature is clearly defined. The slur at the end of each phrase needs to be rounded off carefully as well; play the second crotchet lighter than the first by leaning over the finger from the first crotchet of the slur. Although the piece seems to consist mostly of two-bar phrases, a more musical performance can be achieved by thinking in longer phrases of four bars especially

through bars 5-8 and 13-16. The loudest dynamic marking here is . Students would do well to control their tones here, keeping in mind the melancholic mood of the piece. The accents require just a little increase in tone to avoid sounding out of place. The and need to be carefully graded as well. The accompanying chords are to be played as light as possible; they need to support the melody without overpowering it. The major key middle section of the piece could be played with slightly more tone to emphasize its sweetness. Reserve the most amount of tone for the climax of the piece at bars 13-14. Although the only pedal markings indicated in the score happen towards the end of the piece, pedals could be added to the accented crotchets to give their tone a nice bloom. From bar 17 onwards, the melody shifts to the left hand. Students can try imagining the sound of cello to achieve the appropriate tone color. Also take care that the right hand’s minims accompanying the slurs at the end of the phrases are not prolonged than their actual values. Don’t rush the ending of this piece; carefully pace the last and let the final minim gently fade off. – ‘L’Arabesque’ from 25 Progressive Studies Op. 100 Burgmüller’s numerous piano studies provide attractive technical exercises for beginning and intermediate students. is one of his most famous; its virtuosity can provide great motivational boost for students. This particular study trains students to play quick 5 note semiquaver patterns on both hands; a task that can be quite tricky but simultaneously exhilarating at fast tempo. Note that although the indicated metronome marking is 152 per crotchet beat, students may adopt a slower tempo of around 130 per crotchet beats to bring out the character of the piece better. Practice with slower tempo using metronome and slowly increase to the desired tempo. The semiquavers need to be treated very carefully. Do not produce unwanted accents on those quavers. Students may also find it helpful to play the semiquavers as block chords first to familiarize themselves with the hand positions. The phrases in this piece are four bars each. Students would do well to shape these phrases according to their rise and fall. Remember to take into consideration the dynamics context when playing the accents in the right hand melody at bar 8 and 25. Here the dynamics are and as such a rise of tone to would be sufficient for these accents. Keep the dynamics of outer sections reasonably quiet to allow a good contrast with the middle section. Take extra care to balance the two hands. The left hand provides accompaniment to the right hand melody and as such need to be lighter. Do not drop the left hand when playing the crotchet block chords; keep the fingers in contact with the keyboard and gently push the notes in. At the middle section, be careful not to play the accompanying left hand semiquavers too loud. Remember that the melody is still played by the right hand.

Grade 1 Repertoire Book

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