History & Context
With
Annabel Thwaite
What's in the course
21 lessons (0h 41m) · 2 free
Lesson transcript
Silent Night: A Musical Journey
Historical Background
"Silent Night" was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818. The words "Stiller Nacht" were written by Joseph Moore, a young priest.
He visited his friend Franz Gruber, a schoolmaster and organist, and asked him to compose a melody for his lyrics. Gruber also provided guitar accompaniment for the piece.
Musical Arrangement
We have a lovely, almost jazzy arrangement by Lincoln Jaeger. This version is very Debussy and Satiesque, making it perfect for enveloping your French impressionism.
Focus Areas
As we dive deeper into our lesson, we will focus on:
- Chordal Voicing
- Textures
In this context, think of works like:
- Debussy's "Clair de Lune"
- Debussy's "First Arabesque"
These are the kinds of pieces you can really progress to!
21 lessons
0h 41m of structured video lessons
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
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.
