Interpretation and future repertoire
With
Annabel ThwaiteAnnabel Thwaite shows how reading the harmony of Bach's 'Air on the G String' shapes your own interpretation, then suggests where to go next, including the Goldberg Variations.
What's in the course
21 lessons (1h 0m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Exploring the D Major and A Minor Harmony
So this D major at the beginning, I think, is very sweet; it's very pure.
And yet, A minor at, say, A minor harmony at around bar 11 at the end, this minor, B minor is a little bit colder.
Maybe it's softer, maybe it's a little bit more dramatic.
Understanding Harmonic Tension
So always be aware of this harmonic tension, the harmonic differentiation.
Listen to how many harmonies you can hear in this first bar:
- D major
- B minor
- Back to major
This idea of drawing the audience into your different harmonic colours is really interesting.
A Note on Pedal Use
Finally, a brief word about pedal:
This is Baroque music, so use it sparingly.
Use it to just add a little bit of nuance.
Some people might want to not use any at all.
It depends on what acoustic you're in.
And try not to think about it too much.
Just always use your ear, that's the most important thing, because it's about taste, and it's about refined taste.
Why Study This Piece
I think this is a great piece to study because there are so many possibilities that you can discover within it.
It's a great stepping stone to look at more of Bach's works, including:
- The inventions
- The sinfonias
- The preludes
- The fugues
- The whole key structure
- The Italian concerto
- The very famous Goldberg Variations, which this is very, very similar to, especially the theme.
21 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.
