Ah . . . the memories! I gave my first piano recital at the age of 9, and one of the pieces I enjoyed playing at that time was Mozarts Piano Sonata No 16 in C Major (K. 545, 1788/1805), a piece that nearly every beginning piano student learns. Perhaps more than the sonata by itself, however, I truly loved playing it in the arrangement for two pianos by Norwegian Romantic composer, Edvard Grieg. It was this setting that my piano teacher and I chose to perform at that first recital long ago. What a joy it was to hear all those beautiful, if decidedly non-Classical harmonies and sounds swirling around Mozarts simple, elegantly transparent, childlike melodies. Of course, Grieg wrote this arrangement as a pedagogical tool -- quite common in the 19th Century. With it, the student learns to LISTEN to the other player or players in an ensemble, to SING the central melody clearly against the ensemble, and to maintain tempo and rhythm throughout his playing. Here is a lovely performance of this arrangement, featuring pianists Chi-Hsien Kuan & Michael Christensen, taped during the 2010 Concours Grieg in Oslo. Enjoy!
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 18:22:00 +0000
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