Taught by renowned instructor
Claire Huangci
In this lesson, American pianist Claire Huangci guides you through Scarlatti’s Keyboard Sonata in B Minor, K. 27. She begins by teaching you how to evoke the sound of a harpsichord on the piano by lifting your fingers before striking each note in a staccato-like style. This “crispy” touch, you learn, will serve you well in Scarlatti’s music. To imitate the harpsichord even more, Huangci encourages you to use the pedal very sparingly, because a blurred sound will inhibit the clarity and evenness of your playing – which, she tells you, should sound like a Swiss clock. <br><br>You will also learn tricks for tackling technical and musical challenges that appear frequently in Scarlatti’s work: hand-crossings, trills, and repeated notes. To execute hand-crossings, Huangci advises you to relax your body (especially your upper arm) and to practice accenting different notes (first the high ones, then the low ones). To execute trills in Baroque music, you don’t need to play as many notes as possible – phew! Instead, Huangci advises you to pick a number of notes that you wish to play within the trill and focus your energy on playing that number consistently. Finally, don’t feel obliged to play repeated notes with one hand – distribute them between your two hands, but make sure that you don’t accent one note more than the other. <br><br>By the end of the lesson, you will be well on your way towards developing the dexterity and sensitivty required to execute this enduring masterpiece.
Sonata in B Minor, K. 27
In this lesson, American pianist Claire Huangci guides you through Scarlatti’s Keyboard Sonata in B Minor, K. 27. She begins by teaching you how to evoke the sound of a harpsichord on the piano by lifting your fingers before striking each note in a staccato-like style. This “crispy” touch, you learn, will serve you well in Scarlatti’s music. To imitate the harpsichord even more, Huangci encourages you to use the pedal very sparingly, because a blurred sound will inhibit the clarity and evenness of your playing – which, she tells you, should sound like a Swiss clock.
You will also learn tricks for tackling technical and musical challenges that appear frequently in Scarlatti’s work: hand-crossings, trills, and repeated notes. To execute hand-crossings, Huangci advises you to relax your body (especially your upper arm) and to practice accenting different notes (first the high ones, then the low ones). To execute trills in Baroque music, you don’t need to play as many notes as possible – phew! Instead, Huangci advises you to pick a number of notes that you wish to play within the trill and focus your energy on playing that number consistently. Finally, don’t feel obliged to play repeated notes with one hand – distribute them between your two hands, but make sure that you don’t accent one note more than the other.
By the end of the lesson, you will be well on your way towards developing the dexterity and sensitivty required to execute this enduring masterpiece.
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Unlock Course →A one-time child prodigy, Claire Huangci has succeeded in establishing herself as a highly respected artist, captivating audiences with her “radiant virtuosity, artistic sensitivity, keen interactive sense and subtle auditory dramaturgy.”
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