What springs to mind?

When you see this picture of Beethoven, what kind of music do you think of?
His symphonies
or his wonderful piano sonatas?

It might surprise you to know what he spent quite a lot of his time doing.
Although he wrote a lot of piano variations and chamber music, and more than a hundred songs, what he wrote most of was
(drum roll, please Jamie)

Arrangements of British folksongs!

He wrote more than two hundred of them. Why? Because he was paid very well for it. The more they commissioned, the more he churned out.

The portrait on the right is a picture of a teacher of Beethoven (and Mozart). Joseph Haydn is one of the most important composers of the 18th Century.When you think of Haydn, what springs to mind? Is it  his  very popular Surprise Symphony, or his oratorio, The Creation?

You probably don't think of the odd-looking instrument on the left. Do you know what it is? It is called a baryton. Haydn wrote 175 pieces for it, because his patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy enjoyed playing the instrument, and kept asking, and paying, for more pieces to play.
It sounds like a bass viol da gamba, and has 6 or 7 strings which are bowed, and 10 more which vibrate in sympathy with the other strings, or which can be plucked. It is very hard to play and fell out of favour. 

Here is a movement from a Haydn baryton trio. Do you think these instruments will ever return to popularity?

Haydn Seek

He was the most famous composer of his day, more popular than Handel had been and certainly more popular than Mozart or Bach were, in their own lifetimes. He has been called the father of the symphony and the father of the string quartet. New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians says

No other composer approaches his combination of productivity, quality and historical importance in these genres.

Mozart and Beethoven were both taught by him, and were greatly influenced by his music. But surprisingly, most people would not know much of his music.

I'm hoping to change this with The Haydn Pages. This is my effort to add a little about Joseph Haydn, because there is not a lot of information about him that is easily accessible.

As a student, I learnt his wonderful late Sonata in E Flat Major, Hob XVI:52, when I was studying for my licentiate diploma (L Mus A). This is the first movement, played by Bulgarian pianist, Ivaila Ivanova.

Mitchell Con Puts Students in Hospital

Anthony Tran

Mitchell Conservatorium is still putting students in hospital. But we're not making them sick, or injuring them. We are giving them performance opportunities, through Christine McMillan, Arts Coordinator at Bathurst Base Hospital.

On Wednesday, 23rd November, 2011 Belinda Macri and Anthony Tran played some piano pieces at Bathurst Base Hospital. Their piano teacher, David McKay, also played a few tunes.

Belinda Macri, David McKay and Anthony Tran

Australian Music was a special feature of our short concert, which included pieces by Ross Edwards, Elissa Milne, Sonny Chua and the first Bathurst performance of two pieces from Justin McKay's Lewis Carroll Suite.

Ross Edwards: an Australian composer to be proud of

What a great piece of music. Written in 1999 for performance in the new millennium - and as usual, played one year early. The combination of didjeridu with Western classical instruments is very effective.

I think every Australian should know and enjoy this marvellous piece of music.

Roger Woodward recommends ...

When Roger Woodward came to Mitchell Conservatorium and conducted a piano masterclass, he recommended several books.


When Tara Chan, seen in this candid shot during the master class, asked me for information about them, I thought I should post it here for everyone:

Chopin, pianist and teacher - as seen by his pupils by Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger. The link  takes you to Google Books, currently enabling you to read at least a substantial part of the book online. The cheapest place to purchase one at the moment seems to be The Book Depository

The Art of Piano Playing by Heinrich Neuhaus has been on our book shelf for about 30 years or more. My wife, Joan bought it and liked it - now, I'll have to read it, too.

He also recommended C P E Bach's Essay On The True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments.

Roger Woodward told us that the Chopin book gives inside information on how this master performer and teacher taught. Neuhaus' book refines this. The book by Bach's most productive and most famous son gives insight into how Bach should be played by the great master's biggest fan.

A tribute to a remarkable musician

Mitchell Conservatorium cello and guitar teacher, Georg Mertens has been busy, as you will discover if you type his name into your favourite search engine.

As well as performing on and teaching cello and guitar, Georg also composes his own music, and arranges and transcribes the music of some of the great classical and even folk composers. He has written his own cello method, which he has generously provide free of charge on his interesting website.

Over the past 13 years he has hosted 150 performances of beautiful cello and guitar music, in solo and ensemble performances in the unique Jenolan Caves.

He has 76 performances available on Youtube, which include solo cello and guitar, as well as ensemble performances with his violinist friend Gustaw Szelski, who also teaches at Mitchell Conservatorium in Bathurst.

Gustaw Joe Szelski

You can purchase signed copies of his recordings from his own website, from iTunes or from www.amazon.com

I admire Georg's musicianship, but also the hard work he has done in promoting his recordings and his concerts in Jenolan Caves, through his creative use of the online resources we have available to us today.

Well done, Georg.

A master class with a master

Roger Woodward with Fiona Thompson

Roger Woodward led an inspiring master class at Mitchell Conservatorium today. Seven piano students played pieces for his evaluation by Elissa Milne, Gurlitt, Chopin, Liszt, Prokofiev, Haydn, Grieg and Farrenc.

The students who participated were Tara Chan, Eliza Chudleigh, Anthony Tran, Raymond and Maggie Chan, and Namaste Ossig-Bonanno. They were amazed when Mr Woodward played Tara's difficult Prokofiev and Liszt pieces without knowing beforehand what pieces were being presented.

I was also interested that he took the opportunity to practise for his concert tour in the  half hour before the program started. Others would have wanted to rest from their journey, have a cup of tea, or engage in small talk. It was most enlightening to be a fly on the wall and watch him at work.

When Ailie McGarity performed Chopin's Nocturne in E Minor, Mr Woodward told us that it was the second nocturne Chopin ever wrote. And he said that mastering the nocturnes of Chopin is an entry point to all of Chopin's other works.

He recommended Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger's Chopin: pianist and teacher [as seen by his pupils] for information on how Chopin taught. He also said that this book and C P E Bach's Essay On The True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments give lots of essential information about playing the piano, including useful tips on fingering and hand position.

He also highly recommended Heinrich Neuhaus' Art of Piano Playing as a more recent record of teaching piano Chopin's way.

What an interesting afternoon! Roger Woodward graciously gave us an hour of his time and was generous in his praise of our students and our Bechstein grand piano.

It's a bit blurry, but I do love this photo of Roger Woodward and Tara Chan interacting, as he talked with her about the Prokofiev sonata and the Liszt piece which she performed.

Medals and Trophies

Ah, eisteddfods. (I know, I know but eisteddfodau sounds so odd!)

Over the years, our children participated in lots of eisteddfods in the Blue Mountains and Penrith, while we lived in Katoomba and then Blaxland.

And sometimes they won prizes. Usually medals and trophies, but when they were older, they did also win some money. You know the drill: Mum pays the entry fee, but you collect the winnings.

Our son Justin had a creative idea for displaying all the dust-gathering awards.

And a very cooperative golden retriever called Zac.

I wonder what Bathurst Eisteddfod students do with their medals and trophies?