Expressive Etudes--Traditional Studies for Artistic Development at the Piano, Book I.

Expressive Etudes--Traditional Studies for Artistic Development at the Piano, Book I. compiled and edited by Suzanne W. Guy The FJH FJH Franz Joseph Haydn (classical composer)FJH Friendswood Junior High (Friendswood, Texas)Music Company, Inc. (2525 Davie Rd., Ste. 360, Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale(lô`dərdāl), residential, commercial, and resort city (1990 pop. 149,377), seat of Broward co., SE Fla., on the Atlantic coast; settled around a fort built (c.1837) in the Seminole War, inc. 1911. , FL 33317-7424), 2001. 29pp., $4.95. Easy. Mention the word "etude e��tude?n. Music1. A piece composed for the development of a specific point of technique.2. A composition featuring a point of technique but performed because of its artistic merit. ," and compositions by Chopin, Debussy or Czerny may come to mind. These composers have written many outstanding compositions, some created as performance repertoire, others to serve as technical studies, but most are not well suited for a beginning student. How nice, then, to discover a book containing etudes specifically written for young students, designed to elevate their musical and technical skills. Suzanne Guy did an excellent job of choosing compositions that span all style periods, in addition to incorporating a broad range of technical concepts. Since each composition targets a specific technical or compositional element, it enables students to focus on and gradually integrate it into their physical arsenal. Especially beneficial are the practice suggestions. Composer biographies also are included at the end of the book. The variety of repertoire included in Book One ranges from Johann Christian Bach Johann Christian Bach (September 5, 1735 – January 1, 1782) was a composer of the Classical era, the eleventh and youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He is sometimes referred to 'the London Bach' or 'the English Bach', due to his time spent living there. to Bela Bartok Noun 1. Bela Bartok - Hungarian composer and pianist who collected Hungarian folk music; in 1940 he moved to the United States (1881-1945)Bartok . Under each title, the author has identified the technical or compositional element that is the focus for the "etude." While that preliminary clue helps the teacher determine which etude is most appropriate for a particular student, I am slightly disappointed that more information is not included that would add greater depth of support for the student and teacher. Lacking is a technically descriptive sentence or two, or perhaps a drawing that could offer students information about the appropriate gesture that would enable them to play the piece more efficiently and effortlessly ef��fort��less?adj.Calling for, requiring, or showing little or no effort. See Synonyms at easy.effort��less��ly adv. . The author could have made reference to relaxation, weight transfer, rotation and so forth. This added physical, choreographic cho��re��og��ra��phy?n. pl. cho��re��og��ra��phies1. a. The art of creating and arranging dances or ballets.b. A work created by this art.2. information might help guide students' approach to a specific composition. It is not uncommon for students to develop technique through repertoire study, with each composition providing the impetus for integrating a new technical component into one's physical and tonal palette. This book (and the five that follow in the series) provides students a source of supplemental repertoire that systematically assists them in expanding their technical skills while enhancing their musical and expressive abilities. Technique essentially serves as a tool to enable the pianist to express the emotion of the music. With that in mind, Expressive Etudes can become a beneficial addition to students' repertoire study, offering a resource for developing and enhancing technique, ultimately helping them become better musicians. Reviewed by Gail Berenson, Athens, Ohio :This article is about the town in Ohio. For other uses, see Athens (disambiguation)Athens is a historic college town in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, best known as the home of Ohio University. .