Selected solo piano collections of Alexander Gretchaninoff: An analysis for teaching and performance.

Abstract

The final chapter contains a summary, conclusions and recommendations. Appendix A provides a listing of Gretchaninoff's solo piano music collections.

The three following chapters present the teaching and performance analyses of the selected collections respectively: Children's Album (Kinderbuch), op. 98, Historiettes, op. 118 and Five Little Pieces (Pastels), op. 3. After a brief introductory background on each collection, a structural analysis identifying main sections, tonal areas, compositional techniques and other unique musical features of the individual pieces in each collection is provided. Secondly, suggestions identifying pianistic, technical and musical elements for teaching and performing are presented.

The purpose of this document was to provide a teaching and performance analysis of three piano collections of Alexander Gretchaninoff: Children's Album (Kinderbuch), op. 98, Historiettes, op. 118 and Five Little Pieces (Pastels), op. 3. These particular collections were chosen as representative of the early-intermediate, intermediate and late-intermediate level solo piano works of Gretchaninoff as well as for their inherent musical and pedagogical appeal. It is intended to serve as an informative source for teachers who want to supplement their students' repertoires with expressive and accessible music.

The first chapter includes an introduction that discusses the significance of Alexander Gretchaninoff as an important contributor to the intermediate-level piano repertoire. The second chapter provides a brief biography and a general overview of Gretchaninoff's solo piano collections currently in print organized into three levels: early-intermediate, intermediate and late-intermediate.