Whenever I’m considering new music for my piano students, there is one important test that a piece must pass. I must like it. If I play through it and don’t like it, it’s a definite pass. If I play through it and feel indifferent, it gets set to the side. But if I play through it and find myself wanting to play through it again (or over and over again!) because I’m enjoying it, I start contemplating which students might also enjoy it. And that is exactly the state I found myself in while playing through Jakub Metelka’s delightful three volumes of piano music!
Jakub is a contemporary Czech pianist, teacher and composer that I recently came across. The first to be published of the three books I played through is “Modern Piano Studies.” Reminiscent of the Gillock Preludes, it features short character pieces in all 30 keys. Titles as varied as “Grasshopper Race,” “Stormy Sea,” and “Goodbye Forever” capture the array of moods throughout the book. Several of the selections contain echoes of composers like Beethoven and Chopin, which will be fun for students to discover. Intermediate students will find the book challenging and musically satisfying. The shorter lengths would make it feasible to work through the whole book throughout the course of a year, and will give students experience playing in keys they will almost never encounter elsewhere! In his introductory notes, Jakub encourages students not to “avoid the compositions that have a larger number of sharps or flats, because they hide the most beautiful melodies and the most interesting technical elements.” Indeed, students will face 2 against 3 polyrhythms, repeated notes, simple ornamentation, Alberti bass, parallel thirds, and more, all within the context of such delightful music that there will be ample motivation to learn and play each piece with excellence!
The next book – “Little Virtuoso” similarly contains a variety of keys (I think c# minor is his favorite!) and pieces that evoke diverse emotions (from the somber “Pet Cemetery” in e-flat minor to the gentle “Snowflake” in B-flat Major to the energetic “Beauty Riding” in e-minor). There are 15 pieces and each one is worthy of the time and effort required to master it. I would consider these a little bit more difficult level-wise than Modern Piano Studies.
“The Secret Garden” is slightly more difficult than Little Virtuoso and also favors key signatures with two or more flats or sharps. Yet each piece fits well in the hand and students who learn to play them well will sound like accomplished pianists. Each of the books sports a clean layout with extensive markings, including fingerings, enabling the student to realize the composer’s musical intent. I also appreciate that Jakub has included quality recordings of each piece on his website and his YouTube channel. Here’s his complete recording of The Secret Garden:
Jakub also has a handful of additional piano solos that are available individually as pdf downloads on his website. I am so excited to add Jakub Metelka’s beautiful piano music to my studio library to be enjoyed by my students and myself. I hope you enjoy listening to and playing his music and introducing your students to him as well!
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