New flagship digital pianos 2020-2021 Kawai Es920 and Roland FP-90X

Kawai ES920 vs Roland FP-90X Digital Piano Comparison - Feature Rich Flagship Digitals 26 June 2021 video by Merriam Pianos
Roland FP-90X In-Depth Review and demo - 25 June 2021 Merriam Pianos Roland FP-90X This flagship model has the PHA 50 keyboard action, usually reserved for the high end LX digital pianos. FP-90X Demo and review For full specifications see the Roland website.
Next is Kawai ES920 Digital Piano Kawai ES920 in-depth interview - 40 minutes! Kawai ES920 - Merriam Pianos - Review Kawai ES920 - Alamo Music review Kawai ES920 demo by Merriam Pianos - with line out demos Kawai ES920 vs Yamaha p515 For an overview of the Roland FP-30x FP-60x and FP-90x see this video below.

Chopin's Grand Valse Brillante (opus 18) Tutorials

Chopin's Grand Valse Brillante in Eb major, opus 18 - a great concert showstopper and encore! It was composed in 1833 and then  published in 1834. There are also Waltzes by the same name under Opus 34 if you want to explore more of these concert waltzes.

By far the most authoritative tutorial is in French - by Pianiste Magazine on Youtube. By authoritative, I mean that the instructor is a professional pianist at a high standard (concert pianist or even a professor at a music conservatoire). Now fear not that it is in French - if you can't understand, you can click the settings and turn the captions on and get it to translate into English.
This particular tutorial is run by Jean-Marc Luisada


Luisada describes the waltz as an encore piece that's an audience pleaser especially after a serious concert. And that's because it's delightful, energetic and beautiful. Luisada says it accompanied a Charlie Chaplin film at a fast tempo. Luisada also adds that this waltz wasn't designed to be danced at all. There are some useful technical tips in the video as well. Well worth checking out!


Other - tutorials on the Vales:
 Piano Secrets Youtuber has a tutorial - it's mainly on getting the best fingering, analysing what the harmonies (chords) are and the variations in the themes.

Chopin. Etude Op.25 No.1 'Aeolian Harp' - tutorials masterclasses (LTCL/LRSM)

This blog post will collate all the Chopin. Etude Op.25 No.1 'Aeolian Harp' - tutorials and masterclasses to aid your self study. An Aeolian Harp - is a musical instrument played by the wind - so imagine the evocative sound of air breathe to make a musical cascade of melodies.

Aeolian Harp - played by the wind.

The Art of Piano Technique has a 30 minute masterclass to get you started.

• Match the wrist movement to the known direction of the music (basically when the direction of the music moves to the right of the keyboard, the wrist moves in that direction and vice versa)

Josh Wright's tips:

• Finger staccato, then accent the top, with circular motion of the wrist/hand.
• Down into the melodic line but bouncing or hopping in a staccatto fashion.
• Dotted and different types of rhythms in groups of 3s (1-2-3) and 6s.

Elsa Puppulo in Spanish (but subtitled in English)
Elsa's tips are:

• Remember that these are studies designed to improve technique. So Elsa first describes the technical challenges, arpeggios in both hands simultaneously whilst maintaining a melodic legato melody. 

Liszt - Sospiro - S.144 Concert Etude Masterclasses Tutorials - (LTCL/LRSM)

Nicknamed Un Sospiro - or 'sigh' is Liszt's  - S.144 Concert Etude in D flat major. I've compiled a selection of masterclasses and tutorials from Youtube.

To get started Josh Wright shows you some hand crossings, fingerings and pedalling.

Josh's key points are:

• Complete control over the hands to get an atmospheric sound of background water. Josh suggest flatter fingers and pulling back of the fingers to get a softer sound. Finger staccatto, fingertips to help releasing cleanly and having a solid touch within a soft dynamic. 
• The first part should not be stormy (or too tumultuous), rather more very soft - and evocative of a 'sigh'. 
• In the score note that m.s. (left hand) and m.d. (right hand)

As ever, Josh Wright has a Q&A tips and strategy sessions here for more technical aspects:



Here's a tutorial (below) from the French Pianiste - youtube site. You can get this translated into english in Youtube first by turning on the closed captions, then selecting in the settings menu - auto generate (translate) and select English. Here are some of the key ideas, it's mainly for advanced pianists who have grasped the notes and   the more technical basics and want to improve on the expression and interpretation.
     

• The rapid accompaniment in the left hand is like the the human breathe, with a 'aerial' melody in the right hand.
• Be careful not to make  abrupt movements that disturb the flow of the melody.
• Bar 9, the bass changes and so the harmony and more expression
• With the octave broken melody - try not to rush these and have a direction with the melody.
• Bar 18-19 masssive 

Edna Golandsky Masterclass in New York City Yamaha, 2018.

Alan Frazer masterclass in 2008 in Austria.

Rachmaninoff Prelude op.23 no.5 in g minor - masterclasses and tutorials (LTCL/LRSM)

Rachmaninoff's Prelude op.23 no.5 in g minor, premiered in 1903 in Moscow. It's in the alla marcia or March style. It has a military feel and style to it. Pianist Emil Gilel's performed it at the war front in support of the Soviet Army in World War II.

Here are some masterclasses. The first one is by Lang Lang, the introduction is in Spanish, but later
Lang Lang runs the class entirely in English. Rachmaninoff's G minor prelude is featured 14 minutes into the video. After the performance, Lang Lang comes in at 18 minutes in.



Lang Lang's ideas

• The beginning as a soft march,  with the dramatic melody entering later.
• Imagine different instruments - trumpets, strings, and percussion (so think orchestrally)
• Two different sounds - the octaves vs. the repeated chords.
• Bring out the passionate motifs (bar 17)
• Middle section (pp part) - like a beautiful girl arriving, bring your heart out. Watch out for the  two voices (countermelody)

Josh wright has tips also recorded in 2014.
 

Josh Wright's ideas:

• When to pedal on and off in the beginning (a pedal  for each bass octave in the beginning)
• Stroking out with the elbows, down and off  for the repeated  percussive parts 
• Sweeping motions to move  up and down the keyboard and release tension.

Alan Weiss masterclass below recorded in Barcelona 2006- duration 33 minutes.