François Couperin (1668 – 1733) Louis Couperin had an interest in and a command of the contrapuntal keyboard technique and the conservative use of ornamentation and chord selection. Generally, only especially long note values received ornaments to sustain the sound. He favoured and manifested the use of major and minor tonalities. In his Sarabande, he... Continue Reading →
The Harpsichord had sparkling clarity but it lacked expressive power. Keyboard manufacturers had pathed a way to make the instrument more capable of greater nuances. In 1709, Bartolomeo Cristofori, the Florentine instrument maker, began to manufacture realised the pianoforte – a harpsichord with hammers. The Italian gave his instrument the shape of large harpsichord called... Continue Reading →
Domenica Scarlatti (1685 – 1757) pathed a way for the future school of piano composition. A Neapolitan composer, his harpsichord work was largely composed in Madrid or other Spanish cities. He lived in Spain under the patronage of Queen Mariá Bárbara. He composed more than five hundred of pieces in Spain for the Harpsichord. He... Continue Reading →
Early Keyboard Instruments Echiqüier, Clavichord, Harpsichord and Piano are each stringed keyboard instrument with various shape and sizes each having their own merits, strengths and weaknesses. Echiqüier In French, Echiqüier means chessboard. In England, it was called a Checker. Echiqüier performers were in demand in their hey day and were well rewarded for their services.... Continue Reading →
In my recent blog called Piano Practice regarded as a Nuisance? I would like to take this opportunity to re-consider our practice approach. Besides my busy teaching schedules, I am always pleased and delighted to sit down after dinner to practice my repertoires. So many of us (piano teachers) can easily brush aside our own... Continue Reading →
In my previous blog, I posted on what preventative measures to consider and how to deal with sound mitigation for your piano should you receive a complaint from your neighbour(s). In this second half of my blog, I would like to shed some light on the legality aspects of this issue. I was fortunate to... Continue Reading →
Have you ever had a complaint from a neighbour about your piano playing? Have you ever thought how can my piano playing and practice become a nuisance to my neighbours? If you live in a flat, apartment or condominium type of living arrangement, it may well be a concern. Recently, I received a Cease and... Continue Reading →
Kim Chang's Piano Studio 