Taught by renowned pianist
Seymour Bernstein
In this video, Seymour Bernstein performs Mozart's first-ever composition, a Minuet in G written at age four. Even with a genius like Mozart, you might expect such an early work to be rudimentary – but no, it's flawlessly constructed and very endearing.<br><br>It follows the typical minuet structure: ABA form consisting of a series of perfectly regular eight-bar phrases, each repeated.
Minuet in G, K. 1e
In this video, Seymour Bernstein performs Mozart's first-ever composition, a Minuet in G written at age four. Even with a genius like Mozart, you might expect such an early work to be rudimentary – but no, it's flawlessly constructed and very endearing.
It follows the typical minuet structure: ABA form consisting of a series of perfectly regular eight-bar phrases, each repeated.
No. 4 "Chorale" (Performance)
In this video, Seymour Bernstein performs the fourth piece from Schumann's Album for the Young, 'Chorale.' Evoking a sacred, churchlike atmosphere, this small piece is rather poignant. Both Schumann and Chopin often include chorale-like passages in their piano works. For more insights, watch Bernstein's lesson on this piece.
No. 1 "Melody" (Performance)
In this video, Seymour Bernstein performs the first piece from Schumann's Album for the Young, 'Melody.' Full of lyricism and heartfelt charm, this piece invites the listener into a bygone world of music-making in the home. For more insights, watch Bernstein's lesson on this piece.
No. 2 "Soldier's March" (Performance)
In this video, Seymour Bernstein performs the second piece from Schumann's Album for the Young, 'Soldier's March.' Lightly humorous marches like this one are a recurring topic in Schumann's music, including in his famous Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15. For more insights, watch Bernstein's lesson on this piece.
Addendum: Art Informs Life
Seymour Bernstein is known around the world for his "20 Lessons in Keyboard Choreography," which he recommends to all teachers and developing students, along with his shorter "Musiphysicality" for beginning children. As you progress on the piano, it is imperative that you keep in mind something that Bernstein learned from his friend, the actor Ethan Hawke, who produced a documentary in 2015 called "Seymour: An Introduction." Hawke told him that, before he met Bernstein, he assumed that his life informed his acting. After meeting Seymour, he learned how – much more significantly – acting has informed his life. Similarly, for us musicians, we must realize that we practice and progress because, ultimately, the lessons we learn as developing artists at the piano will apply to all aspects of our lives.
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Unlock Course →An illustrious performer and now, a world-renowned pedagogue, Seymour Bernstein's incredible life is the subject of the critically acclaimed documentary "Seymour: An Introduction" directed by the actor Ethan Hawke.
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