"Sacred" music for piano solo

[bernhard]

I have a student who is a committed Christian, and she has decided that she is now only interested in religious music. She brought me a CD to listen to, with some ghastly pop Christian music saying this is what she wants to play from now on. I was horrified at the prospect of having to listen to this drivel, so I suggested to her instead that she should dedicate her musical studies to some of the greatest sacred music ever written – and gave her a number of CDs to listen to by Bach (St Matthew Passion, Mass in B-minor, cantatas, etc.) Mozart (Requiem), Beethoven (Mass in B minor) and Arvo Part, plus Gregorian chant and the like. She was suitably impressed and wants to have a go.

So here is the problem: Does anyone have any suggestions for “sacred” pieces? Preferably originally written for piano solo, that are not too forbidding (around grade 5 – 8 )? Although there seems to be plenty of “sacred” pieces for voice or choir, the only ones I could come up with for piano solo were:

1.   The Bach Chorales (not exactly for piano solo, but feasible)
2.   Myra Hess’s transcription of “Jesus, Joy of men”
3.   Schumann’s “Ein Chorale” from the album for the young.
4.   Sgambatti transcription of Gluck  - Dance of the blessed spirits
5.   Tchaikovsky “In Church” from the album for the young
6.   Alan Hovhaness – “The mystic Flute” (this one may be pushing it a bit…)
7.   Liszt – The shepherds at the manger; Sancta Dorothea and Ave Maris Stella are the three easiest ones – everything else is more difficult. Transcription of Schubert’s Ave Maria.
8.   Bach – Gounod – Ave Maria.
9.   Granados – “The Evening Bell” (from Bocetos).
10.   Messiaen – Vingt regards (but this is far too difficult for her level – and I doubt she will like it)

Anything else?

Best wishes,
Bernhard

[xvimbi]

Wow, you've got a problem...

Tchaikovsky's “Morning Prayer” from the album for the young

terribly bad with sacred music...

[Belgedin]

Didn't Hess transcribe Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze" and "Sleepers Awake" (among others)? Or are those too difficult?

Basically everything of Bach's can be considered "Sacred" I think. I mean it doesn't have to have a Christian title too have been written for Christ.

Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" from "The Messaiah"would probably float her boat as well (if you can find a transcription.)

[willcowskitz]

I have a student who is a committed Christian, and she has decided that she is now only interested in religious music.

Someone who can't find God in music by herself will not get any deeper into essence of God by playing pieces that were "spiritually" titled. If she lacks understanding (spirituality), that's it, by being handed "sacred" pieces she'll just keep searching for God in all the wrong places. Also, "decided that she's only interested in religious music" sounds as retarded as suddenly deciding that the Bible is all the literature that I'll allow myself to read.

I didn't have anything to contribute, just amused again at the indirectional proportionality of spirituality and religiousness.

[galonia]

She brought me a CD to listen to, with some ghastly pop Christian music saying this is what she wants to play from now on. I was horrified at the prospect of having to listen to this drivel,

LOL, Bernhard, I love your use of the word "drivel" - my sister is actually in one of these Christian pop groups, and it's only for her sake that I'll listen to their CDs, otherwise it's pretty horrid stuff.

Perhaps your student can play hymns from church?  That's how I learnt to read chords efficiently, and the traditional hymns are quite nice, unlike the modern Christian pop.

[Op. 1 No. 2]

Leos Janacek has a small piece called "Lord Jesus Christ is born" (Translated from Czech), which is a short piece, and is very easy. I don't know if that's what you're looking for, but well.

[shasta]

Ack.  Tell your student to switch to voice.   

[dreamaurora]

Uh, well, I guess you will just have to transcribe those Hillsong and Integrity songs for piano, I know how you feel, the contemporary musicians in my previous church swear that contemporary Christian music are the only good music being produced nowadays. 

[shasta]

Ack.  Tell your student to switch to voice.   

Another thought... why don't you steer into some chamber music and accompaning?  She may progress more quickly by having to play for/with other musicians, she would learn much more about musicianship, presence, and cooperation than she would sitting around playing by herself, plus there's plenty of sacred music in that arena. 

[Rafant]

Dear Prof. Bernhard:

Please be aware of the christian denomination of your student. Suggestions as Masses, Requiem, Ave Maria (Gounod, Bach or Schubert), no matter how beautiful musically, have their place mainly under catholic faith. On the other hand, for Evangelical, Protestant, and Baptist church, the praise music should be devoted strictly for the Lord. If she is Lutheran, as was J.S. Bach, I’m not sure, better ask her about it. She surely have a pastor who is going to guide her in this area.

About her interest only for christian music, take into account that is due to a deep love for the Lord in her heart, and it seems to me admirable. She wants to devote her musical talents only to the Lord. All her motivation, her gifts, her sacrifice in piano playing are to honour Him. To grasp this is beyond the scope of anybody who doesn’t share her faith. So I think that your approach is wise: To guide her efforts towards the best music that the human being has created for praising the Lord. I don’t like christian pop music either.

Bach’s Chorales are fine. Piano transcriptions of Erwarte Dich, Jesus Joy of Men and Sleepers Awake are also suitable. Bach is the main composer for this kind of music, I think.

Best regards.

[peter_g_moll]

I have a student who is a committed Christian, and she has decided that she is now only interested in religious music. She brought me a CD to listen to, with some ghastly pop Christian music saying this is what she wants to play from now on. I was horrified at the prospect of having to listen to this drivel, so I suggested to her instead that she should dedicate her musical studies to some of the greatest sacred music ever written – and gave her a number of CDs to listen to by Bach (St Matthew Passion, Mass in B-minor, cantatas, etc.) Mozart (Requiem), Beethoven (Mass in B minor) and Arvo Part, plus Gregorian chant and the like. She was suitably impressed and wants to have a go.

So here is the problem: Does anyone have any suggestions for “sacred” pieces? Preferably originally written for piano solo, that are not too forbidding (around grade 5 – 8 )? Although there seems to be plenty of “sacred” pieces for voice or choir, the only ones I could come up with for piano solo were:

1.   The Bach Chorales (not exactly for piano solo, but feasible)
2.   Myra Hess’s transcription of “Jesus, Joy of men”
3.   Schumann’s “Ein Chorale” from the album for the young.
4.   Sgambatti transcription of Gluck  - Dance of the blessed spirits
5.   Tchaikovsky “In Church” from the album for the young
6.   Alan Hovhaness – “The mystic Flute” (this one may be pushing it a bit…)
7.   Liszt – The shepherds at the manger; Sancta Dorothea and Ave Maris Stella are the three easiest ones – everything else is more difficult. Transcription of Schubert’s Ave Maria.
8.   Bach – Gounod – Ave Maria.
9.   Granados – “The Evening Bell” (from Bocetos).
10.   Messiaen – Vingt regards (but this is far too difficult for her level – and I doubt she will like it)

Anything else?

Best wishes,
Bernhard

Ah, a favorite topic of mine.  There is a huge mine of material out there.  The trick will be to convince your student that indeed this is religious or spiritual.  I think you have taken the right tack by adopting a positive attitude and by steering her towards the great choral and orchestral classics by Bach and others.  And indeed if she’s convinced that this is the way to go, then you’ve not got a problem but a fantastic opportunity because she’ll work on the pieces you suggest with much more persistence, having a clear goal ahead.

I’d suggest you persist further by referring her to the great pianistic classics which were developed with explicit religious motivations:

1.     Franck, Prelude, chorale and fugue.  Both Aguettant and Cortot commented at length on its religious meaning in his famous book.

2.     Franck, Prelude, aria and final.  Cortot and Aguettant, similarly.  

3.     Liszt's Variations on Weinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen.  

4.     Busoni’s  Fantasia nach J.S. Bach.  Uses 4 chorales/hymns by Bach.  Composed in 4 days, in memory of his father.  Busoni wrote that when he performed it for the first time, people in the audience were weeping.  

5.     Liszt’s Funerailles.

6.     Alkan’s variations on Luther’s hymn Ein feste Burg.  I don’t know if this is any good musically – it’s not in print or on CD.

7.     Mendelssohn’s Prelude and Fugue in E minor which ends with a glorious chorale, practically identical to Ein feste Burg.

8.     Bach-Bauer, transcription of organ prelude Nun komm der Heiden Heiland.

9.     Liszt's Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude.

Several of these are on the two CDs Awadagin Pratt.

She won’t be able to do these right away.  But you can draw up a road-map of pieces – which I know is your strategy – so that she can get there.  The road-map could include some easier ones, which also have a clear religious motivation:

10.     Franck-Bauer, Prelude, fugue and variation.  Grade 8 level or so.

11.     Bach-Friedman’s Mein glaeubiges Herze, frohlocke.  About Grade 8, maybe only 7.  Out of print.  Get it on internet from the Australia National Library, $15 or so.  Super piece, lively, massive drama at end.  Played well by Petronel Malan in her CD Transfigured Bach.

12.     Paert’s Zur Genesung von Arinuschka.  Grade 1, but performance requires Grade 6 ability, I’d say.  

13.     Amy Beach’s Out of the Depths, Op. 130.

14.     Amy Beach’s By the still waters, Op. 114.

15.     There are several more pieces, some quite accessible for someone with Grade 5 to Grade 8 ability, in the CD by Elena Riu, Piano Icons for the 21st century.  Includes Tavener’s Ypakoe (which means “obedience” in Greek).

16.     I also agree with Belgedin who says that much of Bach is sacred in a sense.   Think of the symbolism in intervals common in that time – the tritone as the cross, etc.  The Sinfonia #9 in Fm would have been heard in Baroque times as having a strong religious sense.  The bad guys are the minor 9ths halfway through, which are finally overcome by good.  

17.     Hinson's 3 compendia of works suitable for playing at church.  The references are from his Guide to the pianist's repertoire, 3rd Ed. (Indiana, 2000).

     (a)     Classical music for the church service Vol. 1 - Alfred 452.  Bach through Granados.

     (b)     ditto, Vol. 2 - Alfred 453.  Bach through Khatchaturian.

     (c)     Classical music for the worship service - GS 19092, 1980.  Bach, Grieg, Gurlitt, Handel, Heller, Kohler, Kuhnau, Mozart, Nichelmann, Scarlatti, Schumann, Tchaikowsky.

18.     My all-time favorite: Brahms' setting of the Dies irae in Intermezzo Op. 118:6 in E minor.  Not easy.   Suitable for Maundy Thursday.

Here are some more, all culled from Maurice Hinson's Guide to the pianist's repertoire, 3rd Ed. (Indiana 2000).  I haven't heard or played them.

19.     H. Lichner, Fantasie on Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, Schott 07149.

20.     Robert Dett, Eight Bible vignettes (Belwin-Mills).  Romantic style.

21.     Carl Reinecke, Christmas Sonatina Op. 251/3.  In Hinson's World's greatest sonatinas, Alfred 4617.

22.     Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Evangelion: the story of Jesus, narrated to the children in 28 little piano pieces.  Forlivesi 1959.  4 vols.

23.     Andre Hajdu, Two prayer songs (IMI 423).  Intermediate level of difficulty.

24.     Hugo Herrmann, Cherubinische Sonate (Sikorski 396 1956).

25.     Ditto, Liturgische Fantasien.

26.     Grant Johannesen, Improvisation on a Mormon hymn (OUP).

27.     Johann Kuhnau, Musicalische Vorstellung einiger Biblischer Historien, 1700.  (Kurt Stone; PWM; Alfred).

28.     Sergei Liapunoff, Christmas festivals (MMP)

29.     Andre M. Marescotti, Massada (Joubert 1983)

30.     Flor Peters, 12 Chorale Preludes (CFP)

31.     Francis Poulenc, Trois Pieces 1928 (Heugel), including Hymne.

32.     Hermann Reutter, Fantasia Apocalyptica (Schott 1926).  On two familiar chorales.

33.     Gustav Adolf Schlemm, Sieven Klavierstuecke nach Albrecht Duerers Kupferstich.

34.     William B. Goldbert, Chorale prelude on Now thank we all our God.  (Chronos Music 1989).

35.     Gordon Rumson, Threnody for John Ogdon in the form of chorale variations with introduction and finale (Sikesdi Press 1991).  Includes Dies irae theme.

36.     Yuji Takahashi, Chained hands in prayer (Zen-On 416 1979)

37.     Louis Weingarden, Triptych 1969 (Bo&H).

38.     Alan Stout, Music for Good Friday Op. 24 1955-58 (ACA).

39.     Philip Glass, Solo Piano (Amsco).  Includes Mad rush which was originally composed for organ for the entrance of the Dalai Lama at St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York.

Now here are some items quoted from Steward Gordon's A History of keyboard literature:

40.     Ernst Bloch, Visions and prophecies, 1940.  Representing his "Jewish" style.

41.     Henk Bijvanck's 4 sonatas, sonatina and Piano solo.  He seeks to infuse these with is own spirituality.

Here are some items from Maurice Hinson's The pianist's guide to transcriptions, arrangements and paraphrases:

42.     Brahms' Six chorales for organ trans. Busoni, Op. 122.

43.     Dello Joio's Christmas music.  Trans. by him for duet.

Here are some items drawn from Robert Rimm's The composer-pianists: Hamelin and the eight:

44.     Bach, Thirteen Chorale Preludes (originally for organ), transcribed for piano by Samuil Feinberg.  Recorded beautifully by Martin Roscoe in a 2004 Hyperion release.

45.     Sorabji, Variations and triple fugue on Dies Irae (1923-1926).

Finally, some of my favorites (for listening that is!):

46.     Ottorino Respighi, Three preludes on Gregorian melodies.   Beautiful, listenable, obviously modernized, but clearly modal.  Difficult, regrettably.

47.     Deodat de Severac, Coin de cimetiere au printemps, from his En Languedoc.   Uses Dies irae and another melody which I suspect is from a well-known mass.  Poetic, quite cheerful actually, freely tonal.  About Grade 6 level, I think.

48.     Paul Ben-Haim, Sephardic melody from Three songs without words.  Trans. by Rami Bar-Niv, "Dedicated with love to the memory of his son Shai".  I have an mp3 and a CD recording.   Poignant, even heart-rending, wistful.  Obviously a Sephardic/Hebrew/middle Eastern type of melodic strain.  Grade 8+ difficulty, I'd guess.  I got the score from Bar-Niv -- see his web site.

Good luck.

[bernhard]

Wow, you've got a problem...

Indeed, with a capital "P".

Tchaikovsky's “Morning Prayer” from the album for the young

terribly bad with sacred music...

Good suggestion, I had overlooked this one. Thank you.

Best wishes,
Bernhard

[bernhard]

Didn't Hess transcribe Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze" and "Sleepers Awake" (among others)? Or are those too difficult?

Basically everything of Bach's can be considered "Sacred" I think. I mean it doesn't have to have a Christian title too have been written for Christ.

Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" from "The Messaiah"would probably float her boat as well (if you can find a transcription.)

Yes, I agree that Bach always dedicated his pieces to God. But I don’t think that his keyboard pieces in particular had any “religious” program – except perhaps for some of his organ works.

I will consider transcriptions if I cannot find anything else, but I would rather use pieces originally written for piano. Handel Messiah is a good case in point. No matter how good the transcription it cannot possibly compete with a full choir.

Thank you, I appreciate your suggestions.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Someone who can't find God in music by herself will not get any deeper into essence of God by playing pieces that were "spiritually" titled. If she lacks understanding (spirituality), that's it, by being handed "sacred" pieces she'll just keep searching for God in all the wrong places. Also, "decided that she's only interested in religious music" sounds as retarded as suddenly deciding that the Bible is all the literature that I'll allow myself to read.

I didn't have anything to contribute, just amused again at the indirectional proportionality of spirituality and religiousness.

Indeed. I could not agree more. However, Rafant (see below) is the one who got closest to this lady’s peculiar psychology.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

LOL, Bernhard, I love your use of the word "drivel" - my sister is actually in one of these Christian pop groups, and it's only for her sake that I'll listen to their CDs, otherwise it's pretty horrid stuff.

Perhaps your student can play hymns from church?  That's how I learnt to read chords efficiently, and the traditional hymns are quite nice, unlike the modern Christian pop.

Yes, I tried playing for her some hymns and the Bach Chorales. She was not impressed. She thought they were boring. In fact she claimed they could not possibly be Christian! She is Chinese, and converted to Christianity a few years ago – so all the exposure she has had to “Christian” music is this awful pop stuff which she thinks it is the greatest religious music ever. My mission as I see it is to improve her taste . It may well be an impossible mission – and I am the Tom Cruise of piano teaching ).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Leos Janacek has a small piece called "Lord Jesus Christ is born" (Translated from Czech), which is a short piece, and is very easy. I don't know if that's what you're looking for, but well.

Thanks, op.1 no.2. I will check on that. Is it originally for piano? (and do you know the publisher?)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Ack.  Tell your student to switch to voice.   

 

Nah. I need the money.

[op.109]

Scriabin's Fifth sonata....perfect for the puritanical pianist

Just curious, but roughly what level is your student at?

You could perhaps give her some basic piano transcriptions of famous religious music-I'm sure you could find a good one of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, for example.

You could also find arrangements of famous hymns, like Amazing Grace, The Old Rugged Cross, etc.  Actually, I often find hymns to be good sight reading practice.

Christmas carols, maybe?

I'm afraid that your choices of piano music are limited to mostly very simple stuff.  With the exception of Messiaen and Bach, I haven't found much religious-type music to be very rewarding, and so am not terribly familiar with it.

[op.109]

Yes, I tried playing for her some hymns and the Bach Chorales. She was not impressed. She thought they were boring. In fact she claimed they could not possibly be Christian! She is Chinese, and converted to Christianity a few years ago – so all the exposure she has had to “Christian” music is this awful pop stuff which she thinks it is the greatest religious music ever. My mission as I see it is to improve her taste . It may well be an impossible mission – and I am the Tom Cruise of piano teaching ).

I feel compelled to comment with respect to this.  Certain Christians simply don't like or have any interest in music other than overtly Christian music, perhaps your student is like this.  I agree with the above poster who suggested voice lessons if the student honestly loves Christian pop (which, IMO, is even worse than regular pop music).  Your best bet is to ask for the hymn book from her church, and teach her lots and lots of hymns.  They're fairly easy, so she should be able to learn many of them quickly.  Then, she can play them for her church's services.  This will give her lots of performing experience, let her "serve God," learn religious music, all at once.  She may be invited to play with the choir at other area churches if she's good enough.  Perhaps, she could move on and play as a pianist with a Christian ensemble.  Usually, I think, the ensembles are mostly vocal, with piano serving more as an accompaniment, so she probably won't need the technical assurance necessary to tackle the most difficult classics.

I think one of the more popular Christian music pianists around today is a man called Anthony Burger:

  http://www.anthonyburger.com/home.htm

Maybe you could visit his contact page and email him, asking for some suggestions about Christian music that he plays.

[bernhard]

Uh, well, I guess you will just have to transcribe those Hillsong and Integrity songs for piano, I know how you feel, the contemporary musicians in my previous church swear that contemporary Christian music are the only good music being produced nowadays. 

I have no idea what you are talking about . Hillsong? Integrity?

Any details?

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Another thought... why don't you steer into some chamber music and accompaning?  She may progress more quickly by having to play for/with other musicians, she would learn much more about musicianship, presence, and cooperation than she would sitting around playing by herself, plus there's plenty of sacred music in that arena. 

Actually, this apparently is what she wants to do. She wants to accompany her fellow worshippers at the piano. She wants to sit at the piano and play while they sing. The problem of course is that then I will be stuck with this horrendous pieces. My plan is to teach her superior sacred music, so that in the process she either gives up her original intentions, or learn enough from the good quality repertory to allow her to do her stuff independently.


Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Dear Prof. Bernhard:

Please be aware of the christian denomination of your student. Suggestions as Masses, Requiem, Ave Maria (Gounod, Bach or Schubert), no matter how beautiful musically, have their place mainly under catholic faith. On the other hand, for Evangelical, Protestant, and Baptist church, the praise music should be devoted strictly for the Lord. If she is Lutheran, as was J.S. Bach, I’m not sure, better ask her about it. She surely have a pastor who is going to guide her in this area.

About her interest only for christian music, take into account that is due to a deep love for the Lord in her heart, and it seems to me admirable. She wants to devote her musical talents only to the Lord. All her motivation, her gifts, her sacrifice in piano playing are to honour Him. To grasp this is beyond the scope of anybody who doesn’t share her faith. So I think that your approach is wise: To guide her efforts towards the best music that the human being has created for praising the Lord. I don’t like christian pop music either.

Bach’s Chorales are fine. Piano transcriptions of Erwarte Dich, Jesus Joy of Men and Sleepers Awake are also suitable. Bach is the main composer for this kind of music, I think.

Best regards.

Indeed, Rafant, you got very close to the whole situation here. As far as I can tell her denomination is Baptist. But as I said above, she is Chinese, so I am not sure she actually understands such divisions – this is all she was exposed to in China, and I think it was a bit shocking for her to realise that “Christianity” is a quite large umbrella. So although she told me she is Baptist, she was not sure herself  - I will have another Chinese student talk to her and translate.

She wants to devote her musical talents only to the Lord. All her motivation, her gifts, her sacrifice in piano playing are to honour Him. To grasp this is beyond the scope of anybody who doesn’t share her faith.

Yes, this is exactly what she told me. You grasped the situation admirably.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Ah, a favorite topic of mine.  There is a huge mine of material out there.  The trick will be to convince your student that indeed this is religious or spiritual.  I think you have taken the right tack by adopting a positive attitude and by steering her towards the great choral and orchestral classics by Bach and others.  And indeed if she’s convinced that this is the way to go, then you’ve not got a problem but a fantastic opportunity because she’ll work on the pieces you suggest with much more persistence, having a clear goal ahead.

I’d suggest you persist further by referring her to the great pianistic classics which were developed with explicit religious motivations:

1.     Franck, Prelude, chorale and fugue.  Both Aguettant and Cortot commented at length on its religious meaning in his famous book.

2.     Franck, Prelude, aria and final.  Cortot and Aguettant, similarly.  

3.     Liszt's Variations on Weinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen.  

4.     Busoni’s  Fantasia nach J.S. Bach.  Uses 4 chorales/hymns by Bach.  Composed in 4 days, in memory of his father.  Busoni wrote that when he performed it for the first time, people in the audience were weeping.  

5.     Liszt’s Funerailles.

6.     Alkan’s variations on Luther’s hymn Ein feste Burg.  I don’t know if this is any good musically – it’s not in print or on CD.

7.     Mendelssohn’s Prelude and Fugue in E minor which ends with a glorious chorale, practically identical to Ein feste Burg.

8.     Bach-Bauer, transcription of organ prelude Nun komm der Heiden Heiland.

9.     Liszt's Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude.

Several of these are on the two CDs Awadagin Pratt.

She won’t be able to do these right away.  But you can draw up a road-map of pieces – which I know is your strategy – so that she can get there.  The road-map could include some easier ones, which also have a clear religious motivation:

10.     Franck-Bauer, Prelude, fugue and variation.  Grade 8 level or so.

11.     Bach-Friedman’s Mein glaeubiges Herze, frohlocke.  About Grade 8, maybe only 7.  Out of print.  Get it on internet from the Australia National Library, $15 or so.  Super piece, lively, massive drama at end.  Played well by Petronel Malan in her CD Transfigured Bach.

12.     Paert’s Zur Genesung von Arinuschka.  Grade 1, but performance requires Grade 6 ability, I’d say.  

13.     Amy Beach’s Out of the Depths, Op. 130.

14.     Amy Beach’s By the still waters, Op. 114.

15.     There are several more pieces, some quite accessible for someone with Grade 5 to Grade 8 ability, in the CD by Elena Riu, Piano Icons for the 21st century.  Includes Tavener’s Ypakoe (which means “obedience” in Greek).

16.     I also agree with Belgedin who says that much of Bach is sacred in a sense.   Think of the symbolism in intervals common in that time – the tritone as the cross, etc.  The Sinfonia #9 in Fm would have been heard in Baroque times as having a strong religious sense.  The bad guys are the minor 9ths halfway through, which are finally overcome by good.  

17.     Hinson has put out 3 compendiums of works suitable for playing at church.  His famous book lists most of the pieces.

18.     There are more in Hinson which I’d noted when browsing.  If there is popular demand I can list those too.

Good luck.

Now we are talking! 

Yes, Peter, thank you indeed for a most interesting list. I was beginning to wonder if the piano was more appropriate for “devilish” music (see the thread on “diabolus in music” started by EH Pianist).

You are right, the first 9 pieces you suggested are too difficult for her, but if she likes them we can prepare the way for them. I wil check the rest.

Could you give more details to the Hinson 3 compendiuns? (Title, publisher, etc.). I am not familiar with them.

Again thank you very much (feel free to list more! )

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Scriabin's Fifth sonata....perfect for the puritanical pianist

Just curious, but roughly what level is your student at?

She is around grade 5-6.

You could perhaps give her some basic piano transcriptions of famous religious music-I'm sure you could find a good one of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, for example.

You could also find arrangements of famous hymns, like Amazing Grace, The Old Rugged Cross, etc.  Actually, I often find hymns to be good sight reading practice.

Yes, this is what I have suggested to her. Some she likes, some she does not. One problem is that she has some pretty fixed ideas about what "Christian music" is - namely the stuff they sing at her Church.

I'm afraid that your choices of piano music are limited to mostly very simple stuff.  With the exception of Messiaen and Bach, I haven't found much religious-type music to be very rewarding, and so am not terribly familiar with it.

Yes, I am starting to get this impression as well.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

I feel compelled to comment with respect to this.  Certain Christians simply don't like or have any interest in music other than overtly Christian music, perhaps your student is like this.  I agree with the above poster who suggested voice lessons if the student honestly loves Christian pop (which, IMO, is even worse than regular pop music).  Your best bet is to ask for the hymn book from her church, and teach her lots and lots of hymns.  They're fairly easy, so she should be able to learn many of them quickly.  Then, she can play them for her church's services.  This will give her lots of performing experience, let her "serve God," learn religious music, all at once.  She may be invited to play with the choir at other area churches if she's good enough.  Perhaps, she could move on and play as a pianist with a Christian ensemble.  Usually, I think, the ensembles are mostly vocal, with piano serving more as an accompaniment, so she probably won't need the technical assurance necessary to tackle the most difficult classics.

Yes. Your appraisal of the situation is correct.

Part of the problem is that she comes from China. She is not used to Western music (she had a lot of difficulty practising scales: she could not tell by ear where to stop!). She converted to Christianity as and adult and all she ever heard is this ghastly pop Christian music. She believes this to be the epitome of Western music, and would not believe me when I told her in no uncertain term that it was crap

I have the music from her church. She got me a couple of CDs and the sheet music (actually fake books). I listened to it and was ready to confess any crime/secret! It was baaaaad!

Although she is now playing pieces of grade 5/6, she does not have yet the knowledge/skill to get a fake book and come up with noce arrangements. She wants to do what's on the CD, but this will take a while. This means, that if she wants to play this rubbish, I will have to sit down and write the arrangements myself. As far as I am concerned this will be a total waste of my time and a job I do not look forward to. So my (secret) plan is to improve her taste, teach her pi