Pianist

Pianist magazine is adored internationally by those who love to play the piano. From Bach to Billy Joel, the magazine offers a wide range of music styles to learn from, as you don’t just read it – you play it too! With every issue, you’ll find 40 pages of selected sheet music (suitable for players of all levels) accompanied by specially recorded sound files. The sound files act as the perfect learning tool, so you can listen to a piece of music before you learn it. All you need to do is click on the ‘sound’ icon and turn the Scores pages with a light swipe of your finger. With Pianist magazine you can expect nothing less than the very best when it comes to playing the instrument you love. You’ll have everything you need to play like an expert, including notes on technique, pedalling and interpretation, sheet music reviews, Q&As, teaching tips, in-depth ‘How to Play’ masterclasses, readers’ letters, piano news, interviews with top concert pianists and so much more! And guess what? If you opt for the digital issue, you get FREE EXTRA Scores! From the basics of scale playing to the difficult stretches and fast runs, Pianist magazine is your top piano playing guide – giving you the confidence and expertise you need to play like a pro!

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Pianist

READERS’ LETTERS

The Ultimate Pianist Gift Guide • Christmas is upon us, and it’s that time of year when we wonder what to lavish upon friends and loved ones, piano teachers included. We’ve assembled some of the hottest items around – Beethoven making more than one appearance

MOZART IN CHINA • Peter Quantrill hears Mozartians of the future competing on the shores of the Pearl River

HER NAME IS LOLA • She dresses like a showgirl, and owns two Steinways. She has almost a million Instagram followers and plays a mean ‘Campanella’. She was intimidated for years by her fearsome teacher in Tashkent, but now rubs shoulders with Julie Andrews and Donald Trump. Warwick Thompson meets the complex, unforgettable, hard-grafting pianist and composer, Lola Astanova

LOLA ASTANOVA Up close

TRICKY PASSAGES • Why do some passages always go wrong, no matter how hard we practise them? It could be an array of issues, or one simple thing, says Mark Tanner

DANGER AHEAD • Mark Tanner’s advice for smoothing out the sticky spots in three of this issue’s Scores

MAKING EXERCISES MEANINGFUL TECHNIQUE • Part 1: Elementary-level exercises and studies

ALBERT BIEHL FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY • A lively little piece by a relatively unknown German requires nimble fingerwork: it’s all about the accent, though, says Melanie Spanswick

CIMAROSA SONATA IN B FLAT C.27 • Light. Sparkling. Addictive. Nils Franke welcomes you to the world of Cimarosa’s keyboard sonatas

GLINKA ARR. BALAKIREV THE LARK • In order to play this glittering piece, you’ll need some deft fingerwork and your best legato: Lucy Parham shows you how to make Balakirev’s dainty bird sing its heart out

READER COMPETITION

BEGINNERS KEYBOARD CLASS • LESSON 38: WARM-UP EXERCISES & PIECES

Czerny: The Little Pianist Op 823 No 13 • Here, keep the LH quavers nice and even, with a slight emphasis on the first beat of the bar. The RH crotchets should sound even too – try to phrase the melody line and take note of the changes in dynamics. *The RH is played one octave higher in its original version.

Gurlitt: The Young Pianist’s First Steps Op 82 No 27 • In this short exercise piece, the RH almost mimics the LH (though not entirely!). In both hands, feel each note to the depth of the key. Keep hands in a good position with wrists slightly raised. Remember to lift the hands off the keys when there are rests.

Heumann: Finger Strength Study • Finally, a bright little piece which allows for all...