Classical Compare & Contrast weekend with Nicholas Walker – mixed ability
We’re delighted to welcome back concert pianist and Royal Academy lecturer Nicholas Walker for a weekend exploring the fascinating world of Classical piano music.
From Mozart and Haydn to Beethoven, C. P. E. Bach, Clementi, Dussek and some much less familiar composers, Nicholas will explore how understanding the music and instruments of the period can transform the way we play it today.
This is a mixed-ability weekend, and you’re welcome to bring repertoire by any of the great Classical composers — or come ready to discover some new ones!
A weekend of exploration
The Classical period is often thought of as the age of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. But there is a huge amount of wonderful music beyond the familiar names, much of it accessible to amateur pianists.
Nicholas will introduce some of these lesser-known composers (such as Clementi, Cramer, George Pinto, Cipriani Potter, Philip Cogan and Dussek) and explore the connections between them, helping us to hear familiar repertoire in new ways.
Preparation
You are of course welcome to bring music by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, but it’s well worth having a look at some of the music mentioned above (referred to by Nicholas Temperley as composers from “The London Piano School” – many of whom can be found on IMSLP.
Nicholas would also highly recommend Türk’s “Sixty pieces for aspiring players” books 1 and 2, published by the ABRSM. This book is a manual in classical taste, feeling, style and ornamentation, and the book illuminates the meaning of gestures and figuration common to all classical composers. None of the pieces are difficult, but every page is a joy, full of intelligence and wit.
The weekend will include two interactive workshops:
The sound
The piano changed enormously during the 18th and early 19th centuries, and the modern grand is very different from the instruments Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven knew.
How can we use the resources of a modern piano to create a sound world that reflects the composers’ intentions? And how should our approach to articulation differ between composers?
Bring along a piece – or even just a phrase or two – and explore these questions with Nicholas and the group.
Ornamentation
Ornaments can be wonderfully expressive – but they can also be puzzling!
Why are they there? What exactly are we ornamenting? How should they be played, and how does the answer change according to the composer, period and region?
We’ll also look at the close relationship between ornamentation and improvisation, including ideas from C. P. E. Bach’s famous Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments.
Playing, learning and performing
Alongside the workshops, there will be plenty of time to explore your own repertoire.
You’ll have the opportunity to:
- receive a one-to-one lesson with Nicholas
- take part in, and observe, two performance masterclasses
- practise and play on our nine grand pianos, available from 7am–8pm
- share and explore repertoire with the other guests
- hear Nicholas perform in an exclusive Saturday evening salon concert
Saturday evening recital
On Saturday evening, sit back and enjoy a private recital by Nicholas in the main hall of the Finchcocks family home.
He’ll perform a selection of his Classical repertoire, including Mozart’s Rondo in A minor.
Nicholas Walker
Nicholas Walker is a concert pianist, lecturer and recording artist who has performed throughout the UK and internationally. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music and Moscow Conservatoire and has performed in major concert halls including Wigmore Hall, as well as with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic and Philharmonia.
He is particularly renowned for his performances and recordings of Beethoven and the Russian repertoire, and his extensive recording catalogue includes works by Balakirev, Liszt and many lesser-known composers.
Nicholas is also a passionate advocate for exploring unfamiliar repertoire and bringing his extensive musical knowledge to the Finchcocks piano community.
And, of course, there’s Finchcocks…
Your weekend also includes:
- accommodation in our Grade I listed country manor
- delicious lunches and three-course dinners prepared by our chef
- wine with dinner
- plenty of time to practise and explore our nine grand pianos
- the chance to meet and socialise with a small group of fellow piano enthusiasts
- the famous Finchcocks bubble — a place where you can forget about everyday life for a few days and simply enjoy playing the piano!
For booking enquiries, please contact fill in the form below.
