Music to Ice Skate By

 The winter Olympic Games are upon us. Tomoko's daughter Beata was an Olympics dance skater, and she continues in that profession. Beata had the advantage of knowing about music, starting with her mother, so she understood the importance of music -- and choosing the most effective pieces -- for choreographing a skating routine.

Classical music is a mainstay of ice skating, ranging from lighthearted winter waltzes to intense dramatic scores used by Olympic champions. 

Iconic Classical Pieces for Skating

These works are specifically associated with the atmosphere of ice skating or are frequently performed in competitive routines: 

• The Skaters' Waltz (Les Patineurs) by Émile Waldteufel: Composed in 1882, this is the most iconic piece of "skating music," featuring flowing melodies and the sound of bells to mimic a wintry rink.
• Boléro by Maurice Ravel: Famous for its steady, building rhythm, most notably used in the perfect 6.0-scoring routine by Torvill and Dean in 1984.
• Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: A competitive staple, used by gold medalists like Oksana Baiul (1994) to evoke elegance and drama.
• The Four Seasons: "Winter" by Antonio Vivaldi: Features sharp, rapid string work that matches the precision of high-level footwork.
• Carmen (Habanera/Prelude) by Georges Bizet: Frequently used for its intense energy; famous for the 1988 "Battle of the Carmens" between Katerina Witt and Debi Thomas.
• Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven: A popular choice for romantic or emotional programs, used by pairs such as Gordeeva and Grinkov. 

 

Popular Orchestral Selections

Many skaters select movements from larger classical works that provide a mix of slow, lyrical sections and powerful finales: 

• Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 and No. 3.
• Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade.
• Saint-Saëns: "The Swan" from The Carnival of the Animals and Danse Macabre.
• Stravinsky: The Firebird and The Rite of Spring.
• Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony No. 5. 

 

Curated Playlists & Collections 

You can find these and other classical skating tracks on the following platforms:

• 55 Ice Skating Classics (Spotify): A comprehensive collection including Strauss waltzes and Puccini arias.
• Figure Skating's Greatest Hits (Europadisc): A curated CD featuring Tchaikovsky, Ravel, and Vivaldi.
• Best Figure Skating Classics (Apple Music): Includes competitive favorites like the "Sabre Dance" and "Méditation" from Thaïs. 

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

Clowning Around on the Piano

Clowns have been a mainstay of entertainment – and sometimes insight – for centuries.  And those clowns might delight, amuse, or even sadden you.  Several piano pieces evoke the image of clowns. Here is a sampling, particularly of classical compositions.

Kabalevsky's "Clowns" is a lively and playful composition, capturing the lighthearted and sometimes mischievous nature of clowns. It's often used in educational settings due to its accessibility and engaging melody. 

Fučík's "Entry of the Gladiators" reflects a classic circus march, although it was not original written about clowns. Nevertheless, it is instantly recognizable and often used as a theme for clown acts. Its energetic and dramatic nature perfectly captures the excitement and spectacle of a circus performance. 

Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Clowns" appears in Act II of The Nutcracker. It features a lively and whimsical melody that is often interpreted as representing the playful and sometimes clumsy movements of clowns. 

Mendelssohn's "A Dance of Clowns" is part of his larger work for Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is characterized by its playful and lighthearted melody, often used to represent the mischievous and energetic nature of the clowns in the play. 

Sondheim's "Send In the Clowns" is a ballad from Act II of his modern take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While the original context is a sad and introspective song, the piano arrangement can be interpreted in various ways, highlighting both the humor and pathos associated with clowns. It's a beautiful and expressive piece. 

Whether you are playing for laughs or performing a homage to classical clown interpretations, hopefully the music will bring a smile to the audience.

The Flowering Piano

It's summertime: the prime time to see flowers in gardens and fields. Piano composers have been inspired by flowers, as these examples demonstrate. 

• Debussy's "Bruyères":

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  This piece from Debussy's "Préludes, Book II" is a tone painting of the French word for heather, capturing the flower's delicate beauty and subtle fragrance, according to Interlude.hk.
• MacDowell's "To a Wild Rose":

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  A quintessential example of a piece inspired by a single flower, this work is cherished for its simple, elegant melody and its evocation of the wild rose's natural charm. 
• Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers":

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  Originally part of the ballet The Nutcracker, this piece is a grand and celebratory waltz, often arranged for piano and admired for its lively and joyous character. 
• Schumann's "Blumenstück":

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  This "Flower Piece" for piano is a collection of short, contrasting sections, each suggesting a different aspect or mood of flowers. 
• Rachmaninoff's "Lilacs":

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  Op. 21, No. 5, is a lyrical and expressive piece for piano, capturing the delicate beauty and romanticism associated with the flower. 
• Debussy's "Jardins sous la pluie" (Gardens under the rain):

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  This piece from the "Estampes" suite is a depiction of gardens buffeted by a downpour, showcasing Debussy's mastery of creating evocative soundscapes, according to Musicnotes.com. 

May the piano pedals make the musical petals to help your summer blossom!

May (Birth) Day for Piano Composers

 Several of Tomoko’s favorite composers were Romantics and were born in May. Here is a sampling of them.

Wagner was born on May 22, 1813, in Leipzig and died in 1883 in Venice. He was particularly known for his Romantic operas.  His lieder that were often performed in the original piano version.

Brahms was born on May 7, 1833, in Hamburg, and died in 1987in Vienna.  His Romantic approach was exhibited in his professional piano composing, performing and conducting. When he toured, he met with several famous peers: Liszt, Wagner, Berlioz, and the Schumans. Most of his music was written for vocal performance, but he also wrote two piano concertos.

Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840, in Votkinsk, Russia and died in 1893 in St. Petersburg. A Romantic composer, he was the first internationally renown composers. His piano music was often targeted to the home market, which increased its popularity. Tchaikovsky started piano lessons at age five, and was quite proficient by age ten, but then he was forced to be trained to become a civil servant. As an adult, he received Western musical theory training, which he merged with his Russian musical upbringing.

Massenet was born on May 12, 1842, in Montaud, France and died on 1912 in Paris. Similarly to Wagner, Massenet is most known for his 30+ Romanic operas, altjough he also wrote piano pieces. To earn a living Massenet started as a private piano teacher and a piano accompanist. His first published composition was a substantial piano work in nine sections.

Fauré was born on May 12, 1845, in Pamiers, France, and died in 1924 in Paris. Fauré’s compositions bridged Romanticism and Modernism.  Although not born into a musical family, he showed promise before the age of ten, and he was trained to be a church organist. However, he preferred the piano to the organ. It was only in middle age that he had enough time to compose, escaping from Paris to focus in the countryside.

Fruitful Music

 

Fruit probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about piano music – except maybe the advice of the piano teacher who recommends playing the piano with hands curved as if holding an orange. Nevertheless, piano composers have been inspired by fruit, as evidenced in the following pieces.

Speaking of oranges, Prokofiev wrote the farcical fairy tale opera For the Love of Three Oranges. In this story, the cursed prince has to search for three oranges and finds love in the process. In one production, the audience received “scratch'n'sniff” cards to get more engaged. Piano arrangements are available, but not while sniffing....

It's a bit of a stretch, but Tchaikovsky's “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from his Nutcracker Suite does have a sweet sound. In this case, plums have been “dressed up” for the holidays as was the suite itself.

Plums, especially within the context of cooking, also inspired Bernstein. His work La Bonne Cuisine (Four Recipes) has as its fist “Plum Pudding,” which was composed for voice and piano. The lyrics were adapted from Emile Dumont's 1899 cookbook

Satie took a tongue-in-cheek approach to incorporating fruit in his piano suite Three Pieces in the Form of a Pear. There are actually seven pieces, and they have surprising features. As for the pear, the suite was compased for a piano duet: a pair of performers. So not really about fruit – but maybe he sounds a bit fruity.

Obviously, grapes consitute the basis for wine, which then led to several other music, but we'll let that vein age for now...

If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On

 In the play "Twelfth Night," Shakespeare wrote: "If music be the food of love, play on." In reality, food can inspire composers. Tomoko appreciated good food herself, and likely played to fuel her own soul Here is a sampling for you to taste.

Probably the most famous food-related piece -- and comic opera -- is Bach's Coffee Cantata. Bach himself liked coffee, and it is told that this piece was performed in a coffee house. The underlying story tells of a young woman's obsession with coffee, which her father wants to curb. 

Prokofiev's opera (which has been arranged for piano) Love for Three Oranges tells a fanciful tale of a prince cursed by a witch to search for three oranges, and finds love on the way.

Another performance piece, in this case a ballet, that food inspired is Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, especially "The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies." The then new piano-like instrument the celeste, with its high-pitched glittery tone, evoked the crystalline texture of sugar plums.

Schubert was inspired by the unlikely food-related song "The Trout", which used the metaphor of fishing as a girl "hooked" a mate. He transformed the piece into The Trout Quartet, which is performed by a piano and four stringed instruments. The work is rather melancholy, as was Schubert at the time. 

Want to play a piano duet about food? Taste-test Satie's piano suite Three Pieces in the Form of a Pear (which actually includes ten morsels). It's a very playful set of miniatures with a surprising variety of moods. Get you get the joke about pears and (piano) pairs?

The (food) take-away? Food-inspired music can be a buffet of delight to feed the soul.

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.

Summery Piano

 

Piano playing knows no season. However, any season has more flavor when savored by playing a seasonal piano piece. Here are ten evocative summery pieces to enjoy.

Benjamin Britten: Holiday Diary. An evocative seaside holiday

Claude Debussy. “Voiles” from Preludes Book 1. A sensory musical expression of breezy sails

Gabriel Fauré. Three Songs, Opus 18 No. 1 “Nell.”: an art song with the sun as a recurring symbol

Edvard Grieg. Lyric Pieces, Book 10 Opus 71, No. 2 “Summer Evening”: A quick sketch of a tranquil Norwegian summer evening

Ernest Moeran. Summer Valley: A pastoral sense of Britain and Ireland

Francis Poulenc. Napoli: A three-movement suite that captures the spirit of an Italian summer evening

Ned Rorem. End of Summer: A chamber piece for piano, clarinet and violin that expresses the sensitivity of summer’s end

William Grant Still. “Summerland”: an almost mesmerizing summer day on the plains

Joseph Suk. A Summer’s Tale, Opus 29: a tone poem of a moody summer day

Pyotr Tchaikovsky. “June,” Barcarolle from The Seasons: sixth of a 12-movement piano piece;it depicts a gondola ride

Falling For The Piano

 

Musicians are often inspired by nature. For instance, Tomoko likes to garden, and she sees the garden as a metaphor for musicians; both take much work and much patience. “Labor is labor,” says Tomoko. Both require connections, and both offer ways for self-expression. The rewards can be immediate, as when planting or weeding – such as working through a particular section of a composition – and sometimes it takes years to see the results.  Autumn is one example of inspiration for composers.

One of the most known compositions is Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ “Autumn,” which has been arranged for piano.

Tchaikovsky’s composition The Seasons is comprised of 12 movements, one for each month. Autumn months paint musical scenes of a harvest and a hunt, and his October movement “Autumn Song” reflects a mournful fall.

While Felix Mendelssohn is very famous, his sister Fanny is not as celebrated. Indeed, some of her compositions were written under her brother’s name. Her excursions into nature inspired her cycle of piano pieces titled Das Jahr (The Year), which include autumn months.

Born soon after Fanny died, Cecile Chaminade was a French composer and pianist – and the first female composer to be award the prestigious Legion of Honor. Her most famous piano composition is Automne, Etudes de Concert, Opus 35, which contrasts seasonal peace and melancholy with a dramatic storm scene.

In his second book of preludes for piano, Debussy’s piece Brouillards (Fog/Mist) leverages the black keys to create a hazy sound, more pronounced than the faint left hand chords.

A more upbeat impression of fall is captured in Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag.“

An even more recent piece is American composer Joseph Schwantner’s piano miniature “Veiled Autumn,” which mirrors the changeability of fall weather.

So if autumn feels like the darkening end of the year, music lovers can feel uplifted by this autumn-inspired piano works.