Winter's Coming...
Get your students together for a fun afternoon of hot chocolate, peppermint candy canes, and snowball cupcakes and celebrate the coming of winter. We'll help you choose the pieces:
Solo Suggestions
Elementary
- "October Wind" by Melody Bober from My First Recital Book. This is a simple piece in C minor with a great teacher duet. This piece makes you feel cold....
- "Snowflakes" by Canadian composer Boris Berlin from Piano Highlights by Berlin. Fast and staccato, lots of expression . . fun!
- " A Winter Tale" by Bartok from For Children, Bk 1 or Bastien's Piano Literature Bk 1. Fairly slow and melancholy - just imagine yourself in the midst of winter's grip on a cold winter's evening.
- " Let's Make a Snowman" by Canadian composer Linda Niamath from All Year Round. Broken chords in A Flat - so lots of playing on black notes. Very expressive.
Intermediate
- "Sleet on the Windowpane" by Margaret Goldston from Seasons. This is a delicate staccato piece.
- "Snow Flurries" by Margaret Goldston 'from Seasons. Lovely phrasing of notes bring images of swirling snowflakes to mind.
- "Sleighing Party Op. 243 No.20" by Koehler from Romantic Spirit Bk1. Fast and vivacious, scale patterns over a staccato bass. Great fun.
- "Rosemary Skating Waltz" by London from Harris Festival Series Lev 4. The waltz tempo produces images of skating outdoors.
- "Sleigh Ride" by Canadian Composer George Coutts from Harris Festival Series Lev 7. Bold and vigorous - images of horses and sleigh bells are brought to mind.
- "Avalanche Op. 45 No. 2" by Stephen Heller from Favorite Classics Bk 1 Allegro vivace - lots of big chords !!
Advanced
We suggest finding transcriptions of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and using "Winter" of course!
Or Tchaikovkys's Seasons - "November", "December" or "January" would all work well. An advanced version of a Christmas piece might be an easy way to get your advanced players to join in.
Duet Suggestions
No recital is complete without duets. - teacher can play too!..
Elementary
- "Building a Snow Fort" by Faber and Faber from Piano Adventures Performance Bk 2.
- "Winter Scenes" by Christopher Norton from Microjazz Duets Collection 1. A gentle piece with a contemporary feel.
Intermediate to Advanced
- "Duet Fantasy on Jingle Bells" arranged by Vandall. This is quite a showy piece suitable for a finale. Robert Vandall also arranges duet fantasies on Joy to the World and Deck the Halls.
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