Developing an interpretation: Playing like you'd sing
Lesson time: (3min 4sec)
Annabel Thwaite shows how to shape a carol the way a choir would sing it - bringing out the soprano melody over a strong bass line, and using 'word painting' to colour your phrasing.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Learn Christmas Classics on Piano
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Lesson transcript:
A Little Word About Voicing
The fantastic thing about these carols is they were sung by choirs. We had:
- Sopranos
- Altos
- Tenors
- Basses
Melody and Support
So we always want a nice, strong, piercing soprano with the melody. And yet, we're always supported by a very meaty bass line.
A few kind of tenors and altos can sort of make their shining moment, say at about bar 13 or bar 14. You can always have a look at the change of harmonic rhythm. Look at the different colors that harmony makes.
The Role of Your Fingers
The fact that your ten fingers have different weighted ideas means you have the capacity to really play around with nuances and harmonic colors.
Exploring Harmony
We have some interesting harmony later on. For example, in bar nine, we have "brightly." It's the first time we don't have an octave, and it represents the highest point changing to "the moon that night." It's quite an unusual, jazzy chord there.
Then, with the word "cruel" coming up, it becomes a little bit more atmospheric and a little bit more emphatic.
Bar 12, 16, and 17 Insights
A little brief word about bar 12 and the ending, bars 16 and 17: we have repeated chords. Notice that I don't play the second one as loud as the first, and that's because I'm thinking of the word "cruel." You don't say "cruel" loudly, so you want to have the first one a little bit louder.
Again, think about the phrase ending in the same way with "fuel" at bars 16 and 17. Consider the upward motion a little less and then landing on the final cadence.
Word Painting
So we're looking at word painting all the time. It gets a little bit more intricate around bars 13 and 14, where "when a poor man came in sight."
It might be interesting there to really focus on that little bit of melodic bass line, which is rather interesting. And again, always remember: we're looking at the melody in the right hand, focusing on voicing.
About the instructor
Recognised as one of Britain's most versatile and charismatic pianists, Annabel Thwaite enjoys a diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, educator and examiner, and has won all the major accompanying prizes, including the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier, Gold Medal, and Richard Tauber Piano Prizes. She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Roberto Alagna, Bryn Terfel, David Kempster and "Only Men Aloud!" Annabel has recorded for Universal records with the "Scottish Tenor", whose album was nominated for a Classical Brit Award and is regularly played on Classic FM. Twice the accompanist for the Festival of Welsh Male choirs, her performances at the Royal Albert Hall were recorded by Sain and have been aired on S4C. She is also a film session pianist, having recorded at Abbey Road the music for the film "Awake", the BBC Jane Austen series "Emma", "The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister" and, most recently, she has appeared on both Blue Peter and "The Rob Brydon Show". "...no doubt helped by the obviously brilliant piano accompaniments from Annabel Thwaite...highly enjoyable." In her MusicGurus courses - Learn Christmas Classics on Piano, Learn Classical Favourites on Piano, and Growing Chamber Groups and Small Ensembles - Annabel shares the musicianship behind that versatile career. You will learn how to bring well-loved Christmas and classical pieces to life at the piano, develop your touch and phrasing, and, drawing on her award-winning experience as an accompanist, discover how to listen, lead and play together when making music with other musicians in chamber groups and small ensembles. read more