Let’s Play Chamber Music! A Guide for Young Pianists
by Carolyn Bridger
Carolyn began the session by presenting a hypothetical situation in which several young musicians want to play their instruments together and ask their teacher if there is any music at their level that they can learn.
Repertoire resources:
MTNA Website – database of intermediate level chamber music
Kasandra Keeling – repertoire list from 2008 MTNA Conference
Music Libraries – M312 (piano trios), M412 (piano quartets), M512 (piano quintets)
Publishers’ catalogs
What is chamber music? 2-8 players with one person on a part and no conductor. Chamber music began as social entertainment. It still serves much the same purpose. Rather than using the term “accompanist,” which implies a lesser role, the term “collaborative” is being favored to indicate the equal role of each person to work together toward the final musical goal.
Carolyn went on to give ideas for different venues for playing chamber music. Many community centers welcome chamber groups.
Chamber Music Suggestions
Blanchet, Georges – Petites Pieces Tres Faciles en Trio (3) (vln, cel, pno); Eschig
Critelli, Carol – The Empty Birdhouse and Other Songs (9) (vln, cel, pno); Latham
Jones, Henry – Trio for Young players: Variations on a French Tune (vln, cel, pno); Oxford
Kerr, Robert – The American Journey (5) (2 voln, vla, cel, pno); Latham
Kirchner, Theodor – Bunte Blatter (12); (vln, cel, pno); Amadeus
McMichael, Catherin – Summits (4) (vln, cel, pno); Camellia
Peeters, Flor – Larghetto (vln, cel, pno); Schott
Schwartz, Paul – Little Trio (3) (vln, cel, pno); MCA
Scott, Cyril – Cornish Boat Song; Little Folk Dance (vln, cel, pno); Schott
Chamber Music Websites
Chamber Music America
ACMP – The Chamber Music Network
The Collaborative Piano Blog (are you seeing this, Chris? you made the short list on the handout! :-))
Leave a Reply