Alfor's Rarities

[fleubis]

We arrive at the penultimate fugue in this wonderful collection with the prelude in the major key and the fugue in the same minor key. This prelude sure has a lot of octaves in so that it really sounds a lot like a pipe organ to my ears. The composer quite rightly notated it in D flat major instead of C sharp major and thus his chromaticism becomes much easier to read. Unsurprisingly, the fugue in the minor key, is much lighter. Looking forward to the final piece in this collection, Alfred. There is a lot of outstanding invention in this set.

[alfor]

Franz Xaver NERUDA
Praeludien und Fugen op. 78
No. 12. Preludio Fis dur Fuga fis moll

Neruda Prel. & F. op.78,12.pdf

[fleubis]

Many thanks for Alfred for posting ALL TWELVE of the Neruda Op.78 preludes & fugues. This has been an interesting set to play through. Neruda works in a highly chromatic idiom in all these pieces but of course in a much fuller piano style than Bach would have written. One of the more challenging aspects is the rather quick legato octaves the composer calls for...but hey! We're looking for new challenges! Anyone needing a break from the 48 would certainly find some nice material here, as I have.

[alfor]

Happy blessed Whitsun / Pentecost!

Dear fleubis, thank you for commenting Neruda!

Alan RICHARDSON (Scottish composer and pianist)
Sonatina (first edition without opus number; later editions as op. 27; out-of-print)

Richardson Sonatina.pdf

Pianistically excellent, somewhat reminiscent of Ireland, but a bit less characteristic.

[fleubis]

Thanks, Alfred, for the Richardson. The lovely 2nd mov't aria is following by a brilliant presto which is a true delight and really falls easily under the fingers. I don't know how you find these things, but glad you do.

[alfor]

Maybe our top commentators Franz and fleubis are willing to comment this score.

Franz (Ferenc) WEISZ (1893-1944; Hungarian-jewish composer, died in Auschwitz!)
Suite op. 2 (1922)

Weisz Suite op.2.pdf

[fleubis]

The Weisz suite certainly is an effort to be "modern" (1922) , but to my ears not completely successful. That said, the final Arabesque is interesting and is the best piece in the suite but with some problematic 10ths for my small hands.

[tobyjj]

Hello All,

Alfor, thankyou - as always - for your postings. I enjoy looking at the music and the enlightening comments from those that can play them with confidence.

I am curious with regard to a technical question that arises from repeated references to troublesome or problematic 10ths (not just on this forum, of course). For me most 10ths are impossible and not merely problematic (or perhaps I lack sufficient time to educate my hands to accommodate them with ease). For others - since they are only "problematic", it appears the difficulty has been overcome somehow despite having small hands. I am aware of the technique of "rolling" the bottom and top notes, which for syncopated music can even be desirable - (though for me, the separation of the notes usually results in me missing or mangling the top note or hesitating too long in finding it such as to spoil the drive of the rhythm).

I am interested, therefore in any comments, tips or tricks that others use to reduce the difficulty of 10ths (or larger clusters), or any specific exercises which help limber up the hands or "educate" them to deal with 10ths.

Alternatively, for a quick run through when first sight reading a piece with lots of 10ths - what would be the most effective substitution of the 10th by a lesser interval (octaves don't sound right). If reduced to a single note is the bottom or top note the better - or some other more appropriate single note between the two. Since I do not make a living from music, I can legitimately take shortcuts and liberties with the printed score, (though it may be heresy to do so and I would rather not !)

Alfor - apologies if this diversion is too off topic, but Fleubis's latest comments prompt me to ask this question, which I've wanted to ask for a long time.

Regards,
tobyjj

[fleubis]

tobyjj, rolling them is about all you can do. I remember a master class I had with Alicia de Laroccha who had hands even smaller than mine, but yes, if you listen to her recordings you'll hear her roll the chords. I am probably the only person around here complaining about the 10ths. The only solution I know if is to fit your piano with a 15/16 ths keyboard, but I'm not willing to go that route and instead just don't spent much time with pieces which contain a lot of 10th. The vast library of interesting pieces acquired from Pianophilia--and especially Alfor--leave much, much music to play without 10ths.

[WCosand]

I find that some chords are possible only by playing only at the edge of the keys. There are parts of the Franck violin sonata, for example, in which I find the chord becomes playable that way.
Also, make sure that you have the arm in between the top and bottom of the stretch, rather than reaching with the finger playing the melody note and having the arm behind the thumb, or, even worse, having the wrist behind the little finger when the thumb is "problematic."