Alongside Einaudi and Michael Nyman, Glass' music aims to carry the torch of instrumental music into the modern musical world of a steady pulse and coherent harmony. His minimalist style uses repetition of potent musical ideas as a foundational device for setting up hypnotic musical soundscapes. In this video we take a deeper look at the Opening movement of his 1982 album Glassworks, which is a solo piano piece. With pianist Henrik Kilhamn. Video: https://youtu.be/QEadFTZ71aQ

J. S. Bach proves his compositional genius in the Goldberg Variations. A bass line with implied harmony of 32 bars provides the basis on which Bach creates the world in a piece of music, over 30 variations following the initial Aria. In this video we go through this bass material in depth to see how its harmonic movement enables the piano to sing so beautifully over it. With Henrik Kilhamn. Video: https://youtu.be/8AU7d5hhlwQ

Béla Bartók's six Romanian Folk Dances introduces exciting rhythms, modes and harmonic setups that we are not that used to, coming from a classical perspective. They are very short and make for great intermediate pieces, and this is a long lecture going into details on all six with pianist Henrik Kilhamn. Video: https://youtu.be/GwtCWrx6_SI

Come along when we explore the harmonic journey of Bach's Prelude no. 2 in C minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier. Since there are very few markings other than the notes, pianists different choices create different interpretations of the same music. With pianist Henrik Kilhamn. Video: https://youtu.be/6sQHahneCGQ

Scriabin takes the standard Waltz form and makes it his own with the help of floating polyrhythms, tender melodies, dramatic surges and exploratory harmony in this marvellous composition. The piece was a request by my Patreon sponsor D. E. Frez. With Henrik Kilhamn, pianist. Video: https://youtu.be/IYaEsjTmEvo

A real gem to celebrate the 150 year anniversary of the great Rachmaninoff. This is his way of basically writing a Nocturne, albeit under the wider-encompassing title of a Prelude. But compared to Chopin and the first generation of romantics, Rachmaninoff utlizises the modern piano to its full extent with breathing swellings of sound and aching chromatic harmony, put together to perfection. Henrik Kilhamn, piano. Video: https://youtu.be/zdAF-BOgQ2E

Beethoven's two sonatas in Op. 49 are usually called "Leichte Sonaten" or "Easy Sonatas", and are perfect pieces for early intermediate students who want to become more familiar in the classical style. In this video we check out the music of the 1st movement in Op. 49 no. 2 in G major, with a lot of consideration of the governing Sonata form structure. With pianist Henrik Kilhamn. Video: https://youtu.be/wMMP50y691g

One of Schubert's rare short pieces and true gem: the Moment Musical no. 3 in the set of six, published the last year of his life. The is a great example of his personal musicalstyle that wanders freely through different tonal territories. Video: https://youtu.be/GBUQ7Qdpltg

Op. 62 no. 6 of Mendelssohn's Lieder Ohne Worte has the accompanying title "Frühlingslied" or "Spring Song," and the popularity of the music is testament to its evocative power of summoning those spring feelings! In this video we take a closer look at the playful melody that's constantly undergirded by quick and soft arpeggios traded between the hands. With pianist Henrik Kilhamn. Video: https://youtu.be/Nfxk3dCMaVA

Felix Mendelssohn wrote songs for piano: Lieder Ohne Worte = Songs Without Words. The very first one of all the volumes (Op. 19 no. 1) is a perfect piece for practicing sound balance in the right hand, and the music is just fabulous. You need this kind of sound balance/hand weight for playing these works - Beethoven Moonlight Sonata mvt I - Schubert Impromptu no. 3 in Gb major - Chopin Funeral March - Debussy Claire de lune (fast section) - Ravel Pavane for a dead princess ...and countless more pieces. So I can recommend this piece as a study to lay proper technique ground work within real and great musical context! Video: https://youtu.be/VedGgsxgqTg