Top 10 Classical piano favorites for the Beginner-Intermediate pianists
Classical piano works may seem like light-years away when listening to the great pianists on spotify or youtube… but there are popular works that can be learnt and performed for those who have been learning for only a number of years! The following list of pieces from the Baroque period to the 21st century are a crowd-pleaser for your next performance for friends and family.
Classical piano works may seem like light-years away when listening to the great pianists on spotify or youtube… but there are popular works that can be learnt and performed for those who have been learning for only a number of years! The following list of pieces from the Baroque period to the 21st century are a crowd-pleaser for your next performance for friends and family.
Download: https://ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/7/75/IMSLP03213-Satie-GymnopediesOrEd.pdf
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-sWkmBoU3Q
Loved for their calm, atmospheric, and French aesthetics, Érik Satie’s compositions are a popular choice for film soundtracks. This work is the first of a set of 3 Gymnopédies, all in a slow and lilting ¾ time. Satie may have wanted to invoke the mood of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes’ symbolist paintings.
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzM7bOJ-tT0
Although this work wasn’t published until 40 years after the composer’s death, Bagatelle No.25 in Aminor WoO59, also known as Für Elise, is one of Beethoven’s most well known and popular piano works for it’s catchy repetitive tune, and low level of difficulty. The piece is in Rondo ABACA form, each lettered section being a different theme; As in a pop song where verse and chorus have different chords and melodies that make them sound like different sections. Note that section A is easy, but section B and C is more difficult as chords and arpeggios are introduced!
Download [Page 1-3] https://ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/1/10/IMSLP32718-PMLP01458-Beethoven_Sonaten_Piano_Band1_Peters_9452_14_Op27_No2_1200dpi.pdf
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irkraA_KkcQ
The name Moonlight Sonata was coined by the German music critic Ludwig Rellstab in 1832, 5 years after the composer’s death. Rellstab likened the first movement to the effect of the moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne. This sonata in full has an opening Fantasy (Op.27 No.1) and 3 movements, but the 1st movement has pushed this work to become the most widely known of Beethoven Piano sonatas.
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eujpw5VUuB0
This fan favorite is the first prelude and fugue of Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier, a series of 48preludes paired with fugues that lead you through all 24 major and minor keys. Preludes are an introductory movement that is improvisatory in nature, and in this case prefacing the fugue, an intricate technique of interweaving and connecting multiple individual voices/ lines of music.
Download: https://imslp.simssa.ca/files/imglnks/usimg/e/ed/IMSLP117176-WIMA.5157-canon.pdf
Originally composed for three violins and Basso Continuo in the 1600s, Pachelbel Canon in Dmajor has become a popular music choice for weddings over the past decades.Although this work was not intentionally composed as a wedding song, the use of Baroque music in Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding in 1981 catapulted the trend to search for other Baroque compositions that could be transcribed (a 19th/20th century trend) and performed for weddings.There are many transcriptions available, cello+ piano, 4 ukuleles, string instruments only etc.
Download: https://ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/1/14/IMSLP61906-PMLP02312-Chopin-Op09n2rje.pdf
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu48Z45ibxQ
Chopin’s 21 Nocturnes evoke the night with it’s arpeggiated accompaniment and the composer’s signature beautiful singing melodies. This piece has made it’s way into the soundtracks of films and shows such as Bones, Dexter, Mad Men, and the Simpsons.
Download: https://imslp.simssa.ca/files/imglnks/usimg/f/fe/IMSLP127777-WIMA.c2b3-Chopin_Prelude_Eminor.pdf
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHGHhYZCIQI
This piece was performed at Chopin’s funeral at the composer’s request. The Prelude had become an independent short character piece by the 19th century. This prelude is said to have been titled “Quelles larmes au fond du cloître humide?” translated to “What tears [are shed] from the depths of the damp monastery?”. Can you hear the title when listening to this piece?
Download [Page 5]: https://imslp.simssa.ca/files/imglnks/usimg/b/be/IMSLP51559-PMLP02930-RS70.pdf
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwSPwUV3c_0
Waldszenen “Forest Scenes” is a collection of 9 short pieces composed by German composer, Robert Schumann, between 1848 and 1849.Einsame Blumen is the 3rd piece of the set, and the title translates as “The Lonely Flower”
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv8iHEM4g7QThe eighth of his first book of Preludes (1909-1910) is called “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair”, named after the poem by Leconte de Lisle. Originally written in French, the poem translates to English as:On the lucerne midst flowers in bloom,
Who sings praises to morning?
It is the girl with golden hair,
The beauty with lips of cherry.
For, love, in clear summer sunlight,
Has soared with the lark and sung now.
Your mouth has such colours divine,
My dear, so tempting to kisses.
On grass in bloom, talk to me, please,
Girl with fine curls and long lashes.
For, love, in clear summer sunlight,
Has soared with the lark and sung now.
Do not say no, cruel maiden.
Do not say yes. Better to know
The long lasting gaze of your eyes
And your rosy lips, oh, my belle.
For, love, in clear summer sunlight,
Has soared with the lark and sung now.
Farewell, you deer, farewell you hares
And the red partridge. I want
To stroke the gold of your tresses
Smothering lips with my kisses.
For, love, in clear summer sunlight,
Has soared with the lark and sung now
Download: http://en.scorser.com/Out/300575927.html
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heu9tD0dzkY
All of the following were composed specifically for the film “The Hours” starring Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep. The soundtrack album won the BAFTA Award for Best film Music, and also nominated for Best original score/ soundtrack at the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and the Grammy Award.American composer, Philip Glass, is recognized as one of the most important composer of the 20th century, with his works being associated with minimalism.Due to their minimalistic simplicity and repetitive structures, his works are easily readable.
The soundtrack consists of the following 11 works:
The poet acts
Morning passages
Something she has to do
I’m going to make a cake
An unwelcome friend
Dead Things
Why does someone have to die?
Tearing herself away
Escape!
Choosing Life
The Hours
5 checkpoints before scheduling a piano move / delivery
Does your building have an elevator or flights of stairs? Elevator buildings or first floor deliveries are a base rate of $200 (each way) in the tri-boroughs. A small elevator may be okay as a piano can be placed on its side on a dolly, making the piano human-size. If your building has a service elevator, even better! If you believe your elevator is small, please ensure that you take photos and measurements before booking a piano delivery.NYC is notorious for some tricky and narrow flights of stairs. Note that each flight of stairs adds $70-$100 depending on the size and number of steps per flight. If you’re on the 5th floor of a walkup building, consider how long you will be staying in that location before committing to a difficult move/delivery!
Narrow flights of stairs are okay if the width of the piano can fit through. The biggest concern of all is a tight turn between the flights of stairs. The piano may fit going up a flight, but may not be able to turn at a corner. Make sure to send the piano movers photos and measurements of each turn to avoid penalties and rescheduling. 3 movers are usually required for tough flights and turn jobs.
The size of the piano, of course, matters when scheduling a delivery, not just for flights of stairs but for elevators as well! Be sure to check the Width, Height, Depth measurements of the piano you are getting delivered before scheduling! If you are unsure, our expert movers will be able to direct you.
Most buildings in NYC, both walk-up and elevator buildings, require a Certificate of Insurance for piano moves. What is a COI? A COI is a document issued by the insurance company of the movers that verifies the existence and conditions of their insurance policy. This document provides your building management with the assurance that if any damage is made to the building during your move/delivery, our insurance will cover it! If you’re unsure, please check with your building management before scheduling or securing a delivery. We will require a sample COI from your building management. Providing a COI is free of charge, but will take a day or two. The earlier we have the sample COI, the better!
Location, of course, will also determine the price of delivery, whether it is for a move from one building to another across town, or a piano being delivered from our store to your location.We charge a flat-rate in the NYC Tri-boroughs, but if your location is located past the tri-boroughs additional fees will apply. The same goes for locations that have a toll along the way, as pianos are delivered in trucks e.g. Staten Island.
If you are looking for an interstate OR international move/delivery, there will be significant additional charges and we will work with one or various freight companies to deliver your instrument to you. State and customs taxes will apply, and our movers will notify you of this. We regularly deliver our refurbished and rebuilt Steinway and grand pianos interstate and internationally. Be sure to schedule a trip to try the piano in-store before committing to a purchase and long-distance delivery!
Lovely post by David Burton on his Blog (this is a little late, but better late than never)
Just returned from NYC on Thursday. Must report a great loss to many of us. Carl Demler of Beethoven Pianos in NYC has passed suddenly at 79. I will remember the kindest set of brown eyes I shall never see again. I counted Carl a good friend. He is missed already. Many of his staff have considered collecting their memories and reminiscences concerning him into some kind of book. I hope they do. I would be willing to help in its technical editing and design.
His family and staff are continuing Beethoven Pianos and while there I played their Hamburg Steinway D - a piano of great character, perhaps too bright for some, but not irritatingly bright. After all, it's a Steinway D. I also played a Sauter concert grand, one of their uprights and a remarkable Grotrian upright that actually beat out another excellent Steinway B they had there. This Grotrian upright actually had the best action of those I played with the exception of their Steinway D in the concert area.
Those who might think me crass for promoting pianos at the same time I announce the passing of the master of the store perhaps wont get it: Beethoven's needs to continue. It has a unique place among its worthy competition on New York's piano row. It's craftsmen are incredible artists and technicians who make these great pianos perform as they do. The Sauter concert grand was a beautiful piano with a nice firm touch and warm sound. Rather than the usual black, this piano perhaps mahogany or some darker wood If you are in the market for an incredible concert piano or your own practice piano, please consider Beethoven Pianos www.beethovenpianos.com
Carl Demler's Obituary Notice in the New York Times
We've expanded our showroom to display more pianos.
We're really excited to share that we have expanded our showroom to include more grand and upright pianos. We have also begun renovations on our lower level floor to include more instruments. Please visit our store to see our recent improvements and browser our wider selection.
