Appendix
Period
| Level |
Recordings and Editions
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Bibliography
The period designation of a composition is determined by its composer's classification of historical period (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century), based on the composer's dates. If you are unsure of which period a particular composer is classified as, visit the Learning Center: Composers for more information.
Baroque: 1600 - 1750 Classical: 1750 - 1800 Romantic: 1800 - 1900 20th-Century: 1900 - Present The pieces for beginning to early-advanced pieces in this website were graded based on the relative musical and technical difficulty from levels 1 through 10. Musical categories for assessment include: figuration, harmony, melody, rhythm, formal structure/phrasing, articulation, touches, dynamics, pedal, and ornamentation. Technical categories for assessment include: independence and mobility of the fingers, passing under of the thumb (scales - arpeggios), double notes and polyphonic playing, extensions, wrist movements, and chords.
The level designations use Jane Magrath's Pianist's Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature as a point of departure, but examples of musical concepts and techniques given here are that of my own based on her own descriptions of each level.
LEVEL
EXAMPLE OF MUSICAL CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES
EXAMPLE OF PIECES
Level 1:
Five-finger positions, simple rhythms (quarter notes), simple articulations such as legato and arm staccato, single-line melodies, easy counterpoint (such as canon at octave or imitation), basic dynamic changes (f, p, cresc., dim.), basic agogic principle (accel., rit.)
Bartók Mikrokosmos, Vol. I
Level 2:
Hand position shifts, simple 2-voice melody and accompaniment texture, simple broken-chord accompaniment, eighth-notes, dotted rhythms, wrist staccato, finer dynamic changes (mf, mp)
Kabalevsky A Little Joke,
Op. 39, No. 6
Level 3:
Extensions (chord inversions), four-voice chords, different articulations in each hand, dotted eighth- and sixteenth-notes, voicing melody over other voices in a single hand, singing tone, slow Alberti bass, balance of melody and accompaniment, thumb crossing of scale playing, subtle dynamic changes
Gurlitt March, Op. 140, No. 1
Level 4:
Voicing of chords, overlapping pedaling, extensions and contraction of arpeggio playing, quick shifts in hand position, more complex harmony, two-line melodies in one hand, expanded range of dynamics (pp, ff)
Tchaikovsky Morning Prayer,
Op. 39, No. 1Level 5:
Finer wrist motions (two-note slurs, short motives), ornamentation in both hands, evenness of sixteenth-notes in both hands, further independence and coordination between hands, supple wrists (double-note playing), rapid fingers, lightness of touch
Clementi Sonatina in G Major, Op. 36, No. 2
Level 6:
Wider range of dynamics (ppp, fff), double-notes, rapid repeated notes, quick leaps in both hands, quick hand-crossings, rapid passage work, octave extensions, ornamentation while holding a note in the same hand
Grieg Elfin Dance, Op. 12, No. 4
Level 7:
Stronger rhythmic sense (shifting between duple and triple rhythms), musical maturity for lyrical pieces, agile fingerwork, hand coordination required in two-part inventions, extended and more frequent ornaments, coordination of fast passagework, expressive melodies
Bach Invention No. 4 in D Minor, BWV 775
Level 8:
Extended formal structure, technical endurance, drama of sonata structure, more sophisticated rubato, sweeping broken chords and arpeggios, brilliant fingerwork, stronger and richer sound, extreme dynamic contrasts
Haydn Sonata in C Major,
Hob. XVI/35
Level 9:
Larger leaps in the accompaniment, wide dynamic range, double-notes, subtle inflection of melodic lines, refined rubato, agile fingerwork for fast passages, voicing of melody and accompaniment in the same hand, finer gradation of articulations
Chopin Mazurka in B-flat Major, Op. 7, No. 1
Level 10:
Rapid octave movements, finely honed legato, sensitive lyricism, double-thirds, coordination of three-part inventions, finer gradation of dynamics, physical and mental endurance, understanding of overall structure of longer multi-movement works
Mozart Sonata in A Major, K. 331 (300i)
Selection of Recordings and EditionsAlthough many standard editions and recordings are available for Chopin waltzes, only a few were selected for inclusion in this website. For audio recordings, selections were made based on characteristics that can be valuable in teaching specific musical concepts or on special features of performance practice that represent a certain style, school, performer, or time period.
For published scores, urtext editions are included along with some annotated editions, if they contain information that can be pedagogically valuable in teaching particular musical concepts or techniques that are focused on in this website.
Annotated editions for parts of music, created by the author of the website, are included in order to demonstrate details of the teaching and learning technique. These images can be printed out for your personal use at your discretion, only for the purpose of teaching and learning.
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Last updated:
October, 2010