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Jack Werner – The Beethoven Sketchbook: Miniatures for Piano

Jack Werner – The Beethoven Sketchbook – Miniatures for piano.

In the mid-1960s, London-based MSM Music Publishers began publishing Beethoven’s sketches, arranged by Jack Werner, for various levels of piano study. Unfortunately, Werner does not indicate the individual sources for the sketches, but his references include Kafka, Kessler, Landsberg, and others. We have retained Werner’s extemporaneous titles, as they are all apocryphal. The pianist is Professor Antonietta Cappelli, assisted, where indicated, by her excellent students: Matilde Morosin and Eva Maria Soceanu.

FOREWORD

The Beethoven Sketchbooks are remarkable relics of a very great composer, and perhaps the most human documents ever left by a musical genius. The study of these Sketchbooks gives one an insight into Beethoven’s method of composition, his incessant toil and the pains bestowed on works great and small, the imprint of a powerful individuality searching for the ideal way of expression, and, after the greatest of efforts, finding the form that seemed the last word on the subject. On the other hand there are many charming ideas in the Sketchbooks that have been passed over; whether through lack of time, or because there were more important matters on his mind, we do not know. There is always a regret that these little subject gems did not appear as Bagatelles, or in Sonatina form. How charming and useful they would be to the young student. The question has often come to mind, could one, dare one, use these sketches as the foundation of little pieces?Now at last Mr. Jack Werner has with courage, scholarship and the greatest respect presented many of these sketches in a suitable form for the student. He has not for a moment imposed his personal idiom on the little ideas, but on the contrary he has presented them in a manner closely allied to Beethoven’s own settings and style, and in this way I think that he has justified his great enterprise and given us an entrancing set of pieces.

Beethoven’s Sketches for Piano Teaching: 6 booklets containing various basic techniques. The first volume is very simple, and from the very first study, it features precise phrasing for the right hand and legato accompaniment for the left hand. The presence of phrasing throughout the studies encourages the use of the wrist! The wrist becomes the pianist’s greatest enemy, whether beginner or advanced, if not properly articulated. It determines the melody’s expressiveness, speed, and thus the resulting muscular dissociation.
I recommend studying the melody’s accuracy, proper key attack, and careful phrasing and bimanuality.
Antonietta Cappelli

The Beethoven Sketchbook – Miniatures for piano.

Volume 1 – Antonietta Cappelli, piano.


The Beethoven Sketchbook – Miniatures for piano.

Volume 2 – Antonietta Cappelli, piano.


The Beethoven Sketchbook – Miniatures for piano.

Volume 3 – Antonietta Cappelli, piano.


The Beethoven Sketchbook – Miniatures for piano.

Volume 4 – Antonietta Cappelli, piano.


The Beethoven Sketchbook – Miniatures for piano.

Volume 5 – Antonietta Cappelli, piano.


The Beethoven Sketchbook – Miniatures for piano.

Volume 6 – Antonietta Cappelli, piano.


The Beethoven Sketchbook – Miniatures for piano fanno parte del progetto La ricerca diventa Arte

A New Life for the Unknown Works of Ludwig van Beethoven: An Artistic Exploration by the pianist Professor Antonietta Cappelli.