Pianos by the Lake

 

Summertime evokes the image of lakes, and the languid flow of lakes reminds one of the fluidity of some piano pieces. Probably the first composition that comes to mind it Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake. Here is a sampling classical composers who wrote famous piano pieces directly inspired by lakes.

Franz Liszt and Swiss Lakes

• Au lac de Wallenstadt ("At Lake Wallenstadt"): Published in Années de pèlerinage (First Year: Switzerland), Liszt wrote this peaceful piano piece while traveling by a Swiss lake.
• Les jeux d'eau à la Villa d'Este: Located near a famous Italian lake estate, this masterpiece captures shimmering fountains and reflecting pools.

Claude Debussy and Water Reflections

• Reflets dans l'eau ("Reflections in the Water"): The opening piece of his first Images set for piano, designed to sound like rippling, sparkling water.
• La cathédrale engloutie ("The Sunken Cathedral"): Evokes a mystical myth of an ancient cathedral rising from and sinking back into a silent deep lake or sea.

Other Lake-Inspired Works

• The Lake in the Mountains: A serene orchestral/piano-associated pastoral piece written by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
• The Enchanted Lake: Anatoly Lyadov's famous fairy-tale tone poem painting a glassy, magical body of water.

A Little Water Music

 Water is a favorite muse in classical piano music, with composers using flowing arpeggios, shimmering chords, and cascading scales to capture everything from raindrops to roaring oceans. Similar to the Impressionist painters, late 19th century composers defined the "water" repertoire, painting vividly acoustic seascapes and fountains.

Claude Debussy

As a French Impressionist, Debussy revolutionized how water was depicted on the keys.

Reflets dans l'eau (Reflections in the Water): The first piece from his 1905 Images series, it captures the shifting lights and shimmering play of water surfaces. 
Jardins sous la pluie (Gardens in the Rain): A brilliant, virtuosic miniature from Estampes that mimics the frantic, driving patter of heavy raindrops and thunderstorms. 

Maurice Ravel

Ravel leaned into sparkling, ethereal representations of watery mythos and movement.

Jeux d'eau (1901): Often considered the quintessential water-inspired piano piece, it uses cascading, glittering figurations to replicate the joy of fountains and splashing water. 
Ondine: The haunting, technically demanding first movement of Gaspard de la nuit, telling the story of a water nymph singing to seduce a mortal.

Franz Liszt

Liszt brought a highly romantic, virtuosic, and spiritual approach to the elements.

Les Jeux d'eau à la Villa d'Este (1877): A visionary precursor to impressionism that musically describes the fountains at the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, Italy. 
Au bord d'une source (Beside a Spring): From Années de pèlerinage, this lively and sparkling piece imitates the glistening, bubbling flow of a natural spring. 

Frédéric Chopin

Raindrop Prelude (Op. 28, No. 15): Perhaps the most famous of all, characterized by a persistent, repeating note (Ab or \(G\sharp\)) that mimics the steady, meditative dripping of rain.

Setting Poetry to Music

 

April is Poetry Month. Many classical piano composers found inspiration in poetry, either by setting poems to vocal music with piano accompaniment (Lieder) or by creating programmatic piano works directly inspired by poetic themes. Leading piano composers include Franz Schubert, who wrote over 600 songs based on Goethe's poetry, and Claude Debussy, who set verses from Verlaine and Mallarmé. 

Here are other classical piano composers who integrated poetry into their work:

• Franz Liszt (1811–1886): Heavily influenced by literature, including Dante's Divine Comedy, creating works that treated music as a "poetic language".
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): Composed songs based on poetry by Goethe and Friedrich Schiller (e.g., Ode to Joy).
• Robert Schumann (1810–1856): His piano cycles were frequently inspired by literature and poems, including setting scenes from Goethe's Faust.
• Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849): While known as a "musical poet" for his piano writing, he also composed songs set to Polish lyrics. 
• Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): : His virtuoso piano suite Gaspard de la nuit is based on three prose-poems by Aloysius Bertrand.

Iconic Piano Valentines

What’s a better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a romantic piano piece? Sweeping melodies from the Romantic era, focusing on themes of love, longing, and intimacy, set a passionate, intimate mood. 

Frédéric Chopin is widely considered the ultimate romantic composer for the piano.

• Nocturne in E-flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2 is a soft, delicate piece often compared to a whispered love letter.
• Piano Concerto No. 2 (Larghetto) was composed while Chopin was deeply in love with soprano Konstancja Gładkowska, pouring his unspoken feelings into the music.
• Franz Liszt is known for transforming technical prowess into pure emotion.
• Liebestraum No. 3 (Dream of Love), Liszt’s most famous romantic work, was originally a song about unconditional love.
• Consolation No. 3 is a tender, peaceful piece that offers a more intimate, comforting mood.
• Robert and Clara Schumann’s real-life romance is legendary in music history.
• Widmung (Dedication) was originally a song Robert wrote for Clara as a wedding gift. It was later transcribed for solo piano by Liszt to capture its soaring passion.
• Liebesfrühling (Love Spring) is a collaborative set of works expressing their shared devotion. 
• Sergei Rachmaninoff is known for "sweeping" romanticism.
• Piano Concerto No. 2 (Adagio sostenuto)’s slow movement is world-renowned for its lush, heart-aching melody.
• Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Variation 18, one of the most passionate themes ever written, is often performed as a solo piano arrangement.
• Claude Debussy: Clair de Lune is a staple for Valentine’s Day, offering a dreamy, moonlit atmosphere full of tenderness.
• Ludwig van Beethoven: "Moonlight" Sonata (1st Movement) provides a hauntingly beautiful, intimate setting perfect for a quiet evening.
• Johannes Brahms: Romance in F Major, Op. 118, No. 5 is a mature, deeply felt expression of affection. 

No wonder that the Romanic era is one of Tomoko's favorite musical periods. 

Let It Snow

The first snowfalls have arrived. Many piano composers lived in areas that experienced snow, which inspired the following pieces.

Claude Debussy’s "The Snow is Dancing" from Children's Corner is a famous piece that captures the image of dancing snowflakes. Debussy also wrote a piece called "Des Pas Sur la Neige" (Footprints in the Snow). 

Frédéric Chopin’s Étude Op. 25, No. 11, nicknamed "Winter Wind," is a technically demanding and dramatic piece. 

Franz Liszt’s transcendental étude "Chasse-neige" (Snowplow) depicts a heavy snowstorm. 

John Cage’s Winter Music  evokes a frozen landscape. 

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s twelfth piece from his suite The Seasons, "December (Christmas)," captures a wintery atmosphere. His Nutcracker ballet suite also includes well-known winter scenes.

Franz Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise (Winter Journey) includes songs that deal with the hardships and emotions of a winter journey.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Der Schneemann (The Snowman) is often included in lists of winter-themed classical music. 

Leaf Us with Composers

 

It’s the autumn season with leaves falling. When combining the idea of leaves and classical composers, two results are possible: piano pieces that have the word “leaves” in the title.

• Felix Mendelssohn  wrote "Album-leaf in E minor, Op. 117".
• Max Reger composed multiple pieces titled "Albumblatt," including one from his "Bunte Blätter for Piano".
• Camille Saint-Saëns wrote a "Feuillet d'album, Op. 169".
• Moritz Moszkowski wrote "Feuillet d'album No. 2" from his Op. 86.
• Modest Mussorgsky composed a piece titled "Méditation (feuillet d'album)"

 

And there is another possibility: composers who have arranged or been associated with the song “Autumn Leaves,” which is English lyrical adaption of the French song “Les Feuilles Mortes” (“Dead Leaves”) by Hungarian composer Joseph Kosma in 1945.

• Frédéric Chopin was mentioned as a composer whose style was used in arrangements of the song
• Franz Liszt was mentioned as a composer whose style was used in arrangements of the song.
• Sergei Rachmaninoff was mentioned as a composer whose style was used in arrangements of the song.
• Johann Strauss II was mentioned as a composer whose style was used in arrangements of the song. 
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was mentioned as a composer whose style was used in arrangements of the song.

For fun, you can hear a jazz arrangement of “Autumn Leaves” that is transformed into a homage to Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Strauss, Chopin, Brahms, and Rachmaninov at https://youtu.be/0zARLbNo480

Where did classical piano composers get their training?

 

Classical piano composers received training through private instruction from experienced musicians, formal education at music conservatories and universities, mentorship from senior composers, and extensive self-study and practice, including analyzing and copying the works of other composers. The specific method varied, but a strong foundation in music theory, harmony, and composition, often through pattern-based exercises, was a common element across different training paths. Many composers attended formal institutions, such as the Paris Conservatoire or the Mozarteum in Salzburg, which offered structured programs in music theory, composition, and performance. In contrast, some composers initially trained by private tutors, often family members or established musicians. In many cases, these composers were child prodigies who began their musical education at a very young age. Here is a sampling of individuals’ instruction and apprenticeship.

Mozart received intensive musical training from his father, Leopold, who was a composer and violinist. It should be noted, though, while guided by his father, Mozart was a musical genius from a very young age and largely developed his own unique style. Furthermore, starting a performance career as a child (under his father’s management), Mozart’s early education involved traveling throughout Europe, where he observed and absorbed the different musical styles of the time.

Beethoven began piano lessons with his father, who was his first teacher. He then studied with other musicians in his hometown of Bonn before moving to Vienna to study with Joseph Haydn, who famously invited Beethoven to become his student. Beethoven also took composition lessons from the court organist Christian Gottlob Neefe. 

Chopin started learning the piano from his mother before the age of six. He was then trained by private tutors, such as Wojciech Zywny, who recognized and nurtured his unique talent. Next, Chopin studied at the Warsaw Conservatory, which refined his compositional skills. 

Liszt was taught piano by his father from the age of five. After his family moved to Vienna, he studied with renowned teachers like Carl Czerny, a former student of Beethoven, and the court composer Antonio Salieri. While touring as a piano virtuoso, Liszt was influenced by other composers and musicians such as Niccolò Paganini and Hector Berlioz. 

Of course, these and other piano composers only achieved greatness and renown because they understood, practiced and honed the training they received. Teachers can only teach; students have to do the learning.  

 

 

Teaching What You Compose and Play

 Tomoko is known for both her piano performance and her piano teaching ability. Those same skills and careers apply to several outstanding classical piano composers. Here is a sampling.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) was a prolific teacher who instructed both his family members and university students. His famous collections of keyboard music, such as the Inventions and The Well-Tempered Clavier, were expressly written for instructional purposes. His pedagogy focused on attentive listening, finger independence, clear articulation, and a strong understanding of harmony. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) earned a significant income from teaching piano to members of the nobility to supplement his income from concerts and commissions. His lessons combined performance practice, compositional theory, and technique training, sometimes even during informal settings like billiards. However, Mozart thought he could teach more by simply playing a piece for a student than through verbal instruction alone.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) taught piano lessons throughout his career to supplement his income, especially when he started out and before his hearing loss became severe. His most famous pupil was Carl Czerny, who documented and passed on Beethoven's methods for interpreting his piano works. Czerny's pedagogical approach is considered the foundation of modern piano technique. 

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) earned a significant portion of his income by teaching piano to aristocratic students in Paris. He was a meticulous and passionate teacher who focused on beautiful, expressive tone and fluidity, which he often demonstrated on a second piano. His method emphasized relaxation and natural hand movement, rather than the rigid, mechanical exercises common at the time. Students were taught using works by Bach, Mozart, Hummel, and Chopin himself.

Franz Liszt (1811–1886) was a legendary piano teacher who instructed hundreds of students in his masterclasses. He never charged for his lessons, which was a source of frustration for rival teachers. Rather than drilling technique, he focused on musical interpretation, and he used his lessons to discuss a piece's form, proportion, and emotional character.

Clara Schumann (1819–1896) was a highly regarded pianist and composer – and piano teacher – of the Romantic era.  Her disciplined and traditionalist style of playing, which emphasized a singing tone and clarity, influenced many students.

Fall for these Romantic October composers

 

As fall can evoke a romantic spirit, let’s celebrate five Romantic composers who began their lives in October.

Verdi was born October 9 or 10, 1813, near Busselo (Italy). While yet a teenager, Video wrote a set of variations for the pianoforte, which he performed publicly in may venues. As an adult her also gave private lessons, included to Margherita Barezzi, who became his first wife. A romantic, operatic story in itself.

Liszt was born October 22, 1811, in Raiding, Hungary. Like Verdi, who was about the same age, Liszt was a Romantic composer, but his list of piano compositions and performance greatly outpaced Verdi’s. Liszt was also a professional concert pianist, from age 10, and continued for decades, becoming a 19^th century “star” in Europe. He also taught hundreds more students than Verdi.

Johann Strauss II was born October 25, 1825, in Vienna. He composed over 500 dance pieces amd other light music. Known as the Waltz king, he popularized the Viennese waltz.

Saint-Saens was born October 9, 1835, in Paris. He too was a Romantic composer and performer. He started his public piano performances at age 10, although he made more money as an organist.   He taught both organ and piano studies, but left that profession to focus on composing and performing. During World War I he performed frequently to raise money for war charities. Even at age 86 he was still playing professionally.

Bizet was born October 25, 1838, in Paris. Bizet was an award-winning pianist himself, but he didn’t want to be known for this skill, so he seldom performed publicly. Mainly known for his operas, especially Carmen, Bizet also composed for the piano, but was largely ignored for them. To make a living, Bizet made hundreds of piano transcriptions of other composers’ pieces.

 

Animated Piano

Tomoko enjoys films, and appreciates the music that is incorporated into them. 

One specialized type of film is animated films, which started almost as early as “real life” films. As examples,, Gertie the Dinosaur in 1914 and the first feature-length animated film el Apostol in 1917 greatly attracted audiences. These silent films were often accompanied by piano and organ music, and classical pieces were sometimes used because of their familiarity. Even modern animated films, especially cartoons, continue to incorporate classical pieces. Here is a sampling.

One of most well known cartoons that used classical music was Bugs Bunny’s What’s Opera Doc?, which featured Wagner’s Tannhӓuser chorus. Wagner is less well known for his piano compositions. For instance, his Wesendonck Lieder for piano and voice were studies for Tristan and Isolde.

Several other classical piano pieces have become tropes for cartoons because of their vivid connotations:

·         Rachmaninov’s Prelude in C# Minor

·         Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody

·         Mendelssohn’s “Spring Song” from Leider ohne Worter

·         Rimsky’ Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumble Bee

Probably the first full-length animated movie that comes to mind when linked to classical music is Disney’s 1940 Fantasia. Piano composers who were featured in that movie included:

·         Johann Sebastian Bach with his organ music Toccata and Fugue in D minor

·         Tchaikovsky with his Nutcracker Suite; Percy Grainger arranged the Flower Waltz for piano, and Mikhail Pletnev adapted seven segments of the Nutcracker into a concert suite for piano

·         Paul Dukas with his Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which he also transcribed for two pianos

·         Stravinski with his Rite of Spring, which was also composed as a two-hand and four-hand arrangement

·         Mussorgsky with his Night on Bald Mountain, for which he had written a version for piano and orchestra

·         Franz Schubert with his Ave Maria, for which Franz Liszt arranged in three versions for piano.

 Animated films have helped to popularize classical piano, including exposing children at an early age, to animate their interest. Tomoko would approve.

Lineages of Piano Composer/Teachers and Tomoko

 As a piano student, Tomoko took courses in composition, and she has great sensitivity to a composer’s nuanced musical approach and style. Tomoko also knows that several of her favorite piano composers were also piano teachers. Here is a sampling, which also show the lineage and impact of piano teachers.

The late 18^th century pianist Muzio Clementi was known for his piano sonatas and sonatinas. He also taught piano for over twenty year, and passed on his technical legato style to his students. One of those students was the German Ludwig Berger, who even went to Clementi to Russia, and stayed eight years.

When Berger returned to Germany, he transitioned from performing to composing (a concerto, sonatas, and studies) and teaching. His most famous student was Chopin.

Even though Chopin was one of the greatest piano composers even, he did not like to perform in public; he got stage fright and didn’t like being watched. He actually preferred teaching piano, and his etudes were used in such sessions. He wrote many études, which he used in lessons with his students. He mainly taught women who were serious about piano playing, although none performed professionally. One of his favorite students was Adolphe Gutman, who performed with Chopin, and later composed a set of études that were dedicated to Chopin.

Another lineage of piano composers/teachers starts with Christian Gottlob Neefe: a German 18^th century composer and conductor. He started composes at age 12, creaying mainly operas, although he also composed piano pieces. He was also Ludwig van Beethoven’s main piano teacher, and helped Beethoven compose his first works, which were piano pieces.

Besides his composing and public performing, Beethoven taught piano to increase the family’s income. One of his students was Austrian Carl Czerny, who impressed Beethoven with his performance at age 10. On his part, Czerny was impressed with Beethoven technical skill and ability to improvise.

Clementi also taught Czerny, who performed professionally and wrote more than a thousand compositions. Many of his piano pieces were études and piano solo exercises, which he used in teaching the piano. Indeed, Czerny began teaching piano at age fifteen.  His most famous student was Franz Liszt, who dedicated one of his own études to Czerny. Liszt also complemented his performing and composing with teaching, although he mainly taught masterclasses for groups of advanced piano students; he emphasized interpretation in those classes.  

Tomoko’s own students have gone on to perform professionally, compose, and teach piano. So she also has a legacy to be proud of.

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Christmas on the Piano

 

Some of Tomoko’s favorite composers wrote Christmas music for the piano.

Liszt, for example, composed a suite of twelve pieces: Weihnachsbaum (Christmas tree). Several of the pieces are based on traditional Christmas carols. He dedicated this work to his first grandchild Daniela von Bülow, who was born on Christmas Eve. This suite was first performed on Christmas Day, 1881, in Daniela’s hotel room in Rome.

Another composer who was inspired was Bartok, who heard regional traditional Romanian carols, called colinde, and transformed them into two series of piano pieces totaling 30 works.

It is not surprising that Cesar Franck composed four Christmas piano pieces. He was a major French Romantic composer and music teacher. In his thirties he became the organist for the Basilica of Sty. Clotilde in Paris, a position he held until he died in 1890. One of his most famous compositions was the communion anthem “Panis Angelicus,”  but he also wrote a set of four piano pieces specifically for Christmas, again based on traditional carols: “Christmas Carol from Anjou,” “Now Tell Us, Gentle Mary,” “Old Christmas Carol,” and “Whence Comes This Rush of Wings?”

Christmas traditions also inspired composers, such as Berlioz. In 1844 he composed “Rustic Serenade to the Virgin on the Theme of the Roman Pifferari” for the melodium organ, which was invented by an organ builder friend of his. The inspiration came from his time in Rome. While he did not enjoy Rome itself or think much of the music from there, he was impressed with the traditional oboe called a pifferi. The pifferari were rural wandering musicians who performed devout concerts before images of the Virgin Mary.

Another Christmas tradition moved Schumann. His miniature piano composition “Knecht Ruprecht” refers to St. Nicholas’s attendant. This character was a wild country foundling whom St. Nicholas raised, and helps give out presents – or punishments to naughty children. Schumann’s piece is part of his Album for the Young collection, written in 1848.

Mendelssohn also wrote piano works for children. His Opus 72, 6 Kinderstücke (Children’s Pieces), was original not tied to the holiday, but the 1847 English edition of the work was named Six Christmas Pieces.  He wrote this opus specifically for children and adapted his style to children’s musical development (e.g., using fewer accidentals and more familiar time signatures). At the time of this composition, Mendelssohn and his wife lived with a relative who had seven children.

Especially as Tomoko enjoys her grandson Kai, she may well be playing some of these Christmas pieces for him.

 

For Freedom and Independence

 

In July several countries celebrate the spirit of freedom and independence: National Canada Day on July 1, the U.S. Independence Day on July 4, France’s Bastille Day on July 14, to name a few. Such patriotic fervor has long time roots. And it reverberates today as much as ever in our hearts.

 Tomoko places a high value on freedom and independence. She was a very brave young woman seeking opportunity when she left Japan for the United States, and she was worked hard as an independent woman, breaking ground as the first Asian woman teacher at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, for instance.

Composers have also revered freedom and independence through their piano music.

One of Tomoko’s favorite composers, Frederic Chopin, was one of the first composers to incorporate nationalistic elements into his compositions: mainly through the folk idiom of his mazurkas and polonaises.

Another Polish composer, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, was also inspirited by Polish folk music such as his Polish Fantasy for piano and orchestra. Paderewski became a diplomat and spokesman for Polish independence.

The founder of the Russian national school of composition, Mikhail Glinka highlighted Russian culture in his subjects and melodies, as exemplified in his Capriccio on Russian themes for piano duet.

Czech composer Antonin Dvorak also drew on his native Slavic folk dance forms in his piano duet piece Slavonic Dances. Moravian and other Eastern European traditional music forms also inspired him.

Another one of Tomoko’s favorite composers, Franz Liszt, was known as a Hungarian nationalist. In that vein, he based his Hungarian Rhapsodies for piano  on traditional  art songs performed by Romani band.

Following Liszt’s model, Hungarian Bela Bartok, was inspired by Magyar folk melodies, which were well times with his society’s interested in traditional nature culture. An interesting example are 80 folk tunes collected in the two-volume set For Children.

Edvard Grieg helped create a national identity through his compositions, which were inspired by Norwegian folk music. Grieg recorded many of his own piano works.  

Finlandia is the ultimate patriotic song, composed by Jean Sibelius.

Tomoko enjoys the freedom and independence that are expressed in these European piano composers. In that respect, their value of traditional musical form expresses a sense of communal  culture and independence that transcends any nationalism.

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Bringing in Summer on a Tune

 

Summer is a great time to travel, and Tomoko has enjoyed traveling since she was a young woman. Now with the pandemic, it is harder to travel, but Tomoko can enjoy summer travel through the piano pieces she enjoys performing. Many composers of those pieces were inspired by their own travels and sense of place. Here is a sampling to explore.

Probably one of the first thematic piano pieces that might come to mind is George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” which was written for his opera Porgy and Bess. Its tone and pacing reflect a lazy, jazzy afternoon in the South.

Benjamin Britten’s four-part suite of piano pieces, “Ravel’s “Mirrors” (Op. 5), reflects his boyhood pre-war memories of the British seaside where he lived. The lively melody captures summer holiday life with a celebratory movement, stormy sailing, and nighttime peacefulness.  

Claude Debussy’s prelude “Voiles (Veils or Sails)” reminds one of summer breezes, either on land or sea. Its tonality ranges from veiled mystery to bright open sails.

Franz Liszt’s  three-suite set “Années de Pelerinage (Pilgrimage Years)” was inspired by his visits to the Swiss Alps. The piece paints a Romantic picture of flora and fauna as well as still and running water.

Ernest Moeran’s pastoral “Summer Valley” refers to British and Irish landscapes. While he himself lived a creative and lively existence at that time, this composition reflects a more peaceful mood.

Maurice Ravel’s “Mirrors” evokes the impressionistic sound of the ocean, especially movement #3 “A boat on the Ocean.” It is considered one of his three water-themed masterpieces.

Francis Poulenc’s three-movement suite “Napoli” was written during his visit to Italy. The piece certainly plays an homage to Italian barcarolle and caprice. The music’s color mirrors summer streets and shores of Naples.

Whatever the summer mood, there's likely to be a summer piano piece to celebrate summer, no matter where one is. 

The Sounds of Paris

Even as a child, Tomoko looked to Europe for musical inspiration. When Tomoko was in college, she loved to go to concerts when European musicians toured in Tokyo. “One day I will witness such performers in their home country,” Tomoko remembers saying to herself then

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Tomoko’ own first European performance took place in Paris: at the Long-Thibaud International Piano Competition in Paris, which promoted classical music. She admitted, “I feel a little guilty having such a good time here.” Tomoko wasn’t sure if she would ever have a chance to visit Europe again so she took every opportunity to see the sites of Paris.  

Tomoko isn’t the only musician to be inspired by Paris. Certainly, some of Tomoko’ favorite composers spent valuable time in the memorable city.

As a ten-year old protégé, Mozart gave recitals in the homes of wealthy Parisians. Later a local musical society commissioned his “Paris” Symphony No. 31. Unfortunately, most of Mozart’s time in Paris was not enjoyable, especially because his mother died there.

More than fifty years later, Chopin arrived in Paris and stayed for most of the rest of his life, even becoming a French citizen. He gave only thirty public performances because he preferred giving recitals in private salons where his intimate keyboard technique was better suited. Most of his income, though, came from giving private lessons and getting commissions to compose. 

Four years earlier than Chopin, Liszt moved from Vienna to Paris where he gave piano and composition lessons. Liszt stood out because of his virtuoso piano performance technique, but Chopin was sometimes annoyed that Liszt would embellish Chopin’s compositions when performing. Nevertheless, the two men were friends, and made joint appearances at several concerts. 

A generation later, Gabriel Fauré started studying classical music in Paris when nine years old; by his mid teens he was tutored by Saint-Saëns. Later in life, Fauré himself taught at the Paris Conservatoire; among his pupils was Ravel. The music of Mozart and Chopin greatly influenced him; over the years Fauré stylistically bridged romanticism and impressionism.

One of Tomoko’s 20^th century admired composers is Francis Poulenc, who was actually born in Paris at the turn of the century. One of her set pieces that Tomoko performs is “Trois mouvements perpétuels,” which Poulenc composed as a teen on a local elementary school piano. 

The sounds of Paris have certainly influenced Tomoko.