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Topic: "Cantabile" pieces  (Read 3155 times)

Offline piulento

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"Cantabile" pieces
on: April 04, 2016, 08:30:52 PM
Hi there,
I'm looking for a song-like piece to mainly work on my musical touch and sound (not looking to work too much on technique for this specific piece).
Some ideas I had - Mendelssohn's song without words op. 19 no. 1, Chopin's nocturne op. 55 no. 2, Schubert's impromptu op. 90 no. 3.
Does anyone here have any similar ideas? What are your favorite "cantabile" type pieces?
Thanks in advance!  :)
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Offline visitor

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Re: "Cantabile" pieces
Reply #1 on: April 04, 2016, 09:05:10 PM
one of my faves, hides that cantible in the inner voice for the thumbs to handle at first then shifts it to the right hand then back to the left. so the singing part really jumps around between the hands. so lovely and sad.
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Offline mjames

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Re: "Cantabile" pieces
Reply #2 on: April 04, 2016, 09:49:49 PM
Chopin's op. 27 no.2 is a wonderful study on ornaments+phrasing. If you're not accustomed to this style, you can use his earlier nocturnes such as the op. 9 no. 1 and op. 9 no. 3 to start out. Worked for me! To be fair, pretty much every nocturne is a study on musical phrasing.

Scriabin's Waltz op. 38 and the first Poeme from the op. 32 set. There are also quite a few wonderful preludes you can choose from, such op. 11 no. 15, op. 15 no. 1, op. 16 (entire set), and op. 17 (entire set).

The lesser known Russian contemporaries also have a few interesting miniatures up their sleeves. Check out Liadov ( I like his Op. 9 waltz) and Medtner's op. 7 arabesques. The first one in B minor (medtner) is a great study in cantabile playing, and it's not demanding either unlike his other works (looking at you Nightwind..)

ALSO, go back to the bearded dudes (baroque) if you want to further improve your touch and voicing skills. Scarlatti (obv. the sonatas) and Bach (blat partita for ex.)would be my pick.

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Offline immortalbeloved

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Re: "Cantabile" pieces
Reply #3 on: April 04, 2016, 11:36:46 PM
Quote from: visitor on April 04, 2016, 09:05:10 PM
one of my faves, hides that cantible in the inner voice for the thumbs to handle at first then shifts it to the right hand then back to the left. so the singing part really jumps around between the hands. so lovely and sad.


I played this as I was listening to Bach's WTC in C major (the first one in book 1) and it works and sounds like they mix and match so well.
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Offline mjames

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Re: "Cantabile" pieces
Reply #4 on: April 05, 2016, 03:25:58 AM
wow

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Offline thalbergmad

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Re: "Cantabile" pieces
Reply #5 on: April 05, 2016, 05:25:45 AM
Nothing could be more suitable than Thalberg's Op.70.

Thal
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Offline irrational

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Re: "Cantabile" pieces
Reply #6 on: April 05, 2016, 04:30:22 PM
Not really looking at difficulty. But just some ideas from mainstream composers.

I love Mendelssohn Op.19 No.1.
Some of his others are as wonderful of course. Op. 30 no. 6...

Sibelius Romance Op. 24 No.9 is really beautiful. His impromptus are also great.
Schubert impromptus are perhaps more along the lines you are looking for?

Rachmaninov Op. 34 No.14

Liszt consolations. No.3
Liszt songs without words transcriptions: (I don't have the originals to hear what they sound like)
 S.547 No.2 - (Mendelssohn)
 S.467 No.4 - (Beethoven)
 S.485 No.1/2 - (Dessauer)
But there are so many wonderful ones there. Schubert transcriptions as a matter of course.
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Offline bachopiev

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Re: "Cantabile" pieces
Reply #7 on: April 07, 2016, 02:00:42 AM
I second mjames's recommendation of the Opus 9 Nocturnes by Chopin.

Some other pieces that come to mind:

Mozart Sonata No. 6 (D), Mov. 2 (A fairly easy movement, technically. Like much of Mozart, it gives you a chance to work on your musicianship without worrying about your technique too much. It is certainly a very singing piece.)
Mozart Sonata No. 8 / 9 [A minor] Mov. 2 (A harder movement than the aforementioned mozart, but it's not too bad. Again, this piece really given you a chance to hone in in your musicianship without spending too much time concerned about technique).
Schubert Impromptus, Op. 90, and Op. 145. Every impromptu is tremendously cantabile.
Chopin Bolero (a little-known work that is fairly easy, and gives you a great chance to work on your musicianship)
Beethoven Sonata No. 31, Mov. 1 (a very singing, flowing work)
Beethoven Sonata No. 32, Mov. 2 (probably the most subliminal movement of all of the Beethoven sonatas, this is an absolutely incredible piece. It's rather hard, but it's not unmanageable, and the piano truly sings in this piece).
Beethoven Sonata No. 31, Mov. 3 (this is harder than Mov. 1 of the same Sonata, but it is definitely the most cantabile of the lot. Why? Because Beethoven actually imitates actual singing -- how much closer can you get to cantabile? In this beautiful movement, Beethoven includes a Recitative, Aria, and Arietta. He evens throws in a fugue based on a chorale often sung in Christian mass. This piece gets my highest recommendation, because Beethoven actively sought to imitate the human voice, which is the very definition of cantabile, i.e. "singingly".
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Albeniz - Suite Espagnole
Bach - Goldberg Vars
Chopin - Ballade No 2, Barcarolle, Polonaise Op 44
Beethoven - Sonata No 31
Mozart - Sonata No 14
Schubert - Sonata No 16
Prokofiev - Sonata No 2

Offline visitor

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Re: "Cantabile" pieces
Reply #8 on: April 07, 2016, 10:39:59 AM
Lullabys by their naturw and source melodies are goid to explorw, as are pieces not explicity labeled as lullaby but still evocative of them such as some impressionost and neo impressionist stuff. I love Ferde Grofe when he writes or is transcribed to solo piano. Really nailed the "suite" in his day
this is so vivid and peaceful from the mississippi suite. I can close my eyes and inagine walking on warm evening on by a grand old plantation house and gearing a mother sing this to ger baby to get to sleep  :)



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Offline katydid_mlad

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Re: "Cantabile" pieces
Reply #9 on: November 29, 2022, 07:40:44 AM
Chopin Etude Op. 25 No. 7 in C sharp minor
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