Report from the February 21, 2016 session

Host: Ottawa Pianos

First Round:
Greg: 2nd movement of Beethoven's Sonata Op. 13 (Adagio)
Karin: La Fille aux Cheuveux de Lin, Debussy
Lin E: Chopin Valse Op 69 #2
Erin: Bach, Allemande in G BWV 837
Liz W. (in England): Waltz, Aleksandr Griboyedov
Gared: First Excursion, Samuel Barber
Janice: Mendelssohn Andante Sostenuto Op. 72 # 2
Mary Lou:  Schubert Impromptu #3 in G flat major. Op. 90
Sebastien: Sustenance (own composition)
Amieke: Nocturne, Samuel Barber
John W: Beethoven Sonatina in G major, with ornamentation
Lynda: Grieg, Heartaches Op. 34 #1
Tim: Claire de lune, Debussy
Julie: Ravel Sonatina 3rd movement
Francine: Beethoven, Fur Elise

Round Two:
Lynda: The Heart Asks Pleasure First. Michael Nyman
Greg: Jessica's theme
John: Hymn tune, "Purity" based on a Norwegian Folk Melody
Gared: Boisterous Chipmunk (own composition)
Karin: Lullaby, Mark Tanner

Report from the January 17, 2016 session

Our first session of 2016 was held at the Steinway Piano Gallery, giving us the opportunity to perform on a gorgeous concert grand. Two new members played, and we also had a guest violinist.

Here's what was played:

Greg — Debussy, Claire de Lune
Julie — Moszkowski, Etude No. 6 in F Major, Op. 72
Christopher — Mendelssohn, Song Without Words “Duetto”, Op. 38 No. 6
Erin — Schubert, Waltz in B Minor, Op. 18 No. 6
David — Rachmaninoff, Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14
Gared — Chopin, Nocturne in D Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 2
Nick B — Chopin, Prelude in F# Major, Op. 28. No. 13
Matthew — Bach, Chromatic Fantasy, BWV 903
Karin — Chopin, Andantino from Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38
Barb — Brahms, Intermezzo, Op. 76 No. 7
Tim — Bach, Menuets from Partita No. 1 in B Flat Major, BWV 825
Diane C — Hal Isbitz, At Midnight
Sachie and young student violinist Sumika — Thomas Arne, Sonata No. 5 in B Flat Major, transcription by Harold Craxton
John — own arrangement of two “harp” hymns: Clement Scholefield, St. Clement; traditional, Greensleeves
Janice S — Beethoven, Bagatelle No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 119

2nd round:
Gared — own composition, Clash (an electrifying, percussive rendition of two against three rhythms)
David — Chopin, “Raindrop” Prelude, Op. 28 No. 15
Nick B — Schumann, Scenes from Childhood (Kinderszenen) No. 1, Op. 15
Matthew — Bach, Prelude in D Major
Greg — Nicholas Brodszky, I’ll Walk with God
John — own arrangement of traditional Norwegian folk melody, hymn Purity
Julie — Rachmaninoff, Etude-Tableau in G Minor, Op. 33 No. 8
Diane C — Jean-Baptiste Lafrenière, Valse Miroir

Thanks to Mitchell for hosting our group at Steinway, and thanks to David for stepping in to help coordinate the session.

CBC's "Piano Hero" contest is back

CBC is once again holding a contest where you can submit a video of yourself performing a piece on the piano and vote for your favourites from all the entries.

All the details are at: http://music.cbc.ca/#!/Piano-Hero

Let us know if you enter (from January 11 to 21) so that we can spread the word and vote for you!

"Getting Started"

Southminster's piano restoration project

The restoration project of the Heintzman grand piano at Southminster United Church is described in this article in the Ottawa Citizen, accompanied by a short video:

http://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/local-arts/the-southminster-piano-new-life-breathed-into-a-vintage-grand

Several members of OPG played on this instrument at a past session, as well as at a master class that was led by Roland Graham.

Report from the December 13, 2015 session

Another year of piano music has come to a close with the last session of 2015. A group gathered at John's home and played the following pieces, which included a number of seasonal arrangements:

Round 1
- Karin: “Polonaise in G minor”  by F. Chopin (Op. B.1) (composed when he was 7!)
- Sebastien: “Untitled”, own composition
- Greg: “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring” by J.S. Bach
- Irina: “Waltz” by F. Chopin  (Op. 69 #2)
- Janice S: “Invention no. 6” by J. S. Bach (BWV 777)
- Amieke: “Berceuse” by F. Chopin (Op. 57)
- Francine: “Homecoming” by Hagood Hardy
- Winnie: “O Holy Night” by A. Adam
- John: “10 composers in 6 minutes” -arrangement of “Jingle Bells” in the styles of 10 composers.

Round 2
- Greg: “Prelude in D, #4 of Six little Preludes” by J. S. Bach
- Sebastien: Improvisation on “Misty” by Errol Garner
- Amieke: “Novelette in C major”: by F. Poulenc
- Janice S: “ Invention no. 8” by J. S. Bach (BWV 779)
- Irina: “Italian Polka” by S. Rachmaninoff
- Sebastien: Improvisation on “Stompin’ at the Savoy” by Edgar Sampson
- John: “Sweet Holiness”, own composition

If your resolutions for the new year include playing more piano, or getting more comfortable playing in front of a small audience of like-minded peers, join us in 2016! For details, see the About the Ottawa Piano Group link at the side of this page.

OPG mentioned in the Ottawa Citizen

The Ottawa Piano Group was mentioned in the Ottawa Citizen in an article about various groups trying out the pianos at the new store in town:

http://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/local-arts/steinways-secret-to-success-let-the-people-play

Report from the November 15, 2015 session

Host: Karin

Thanks to Karin for hosting and sharing her two splendid pianos... a German Grotrian Steinweg upright and a 1912 Pleyel 5'6" grand.  From the title of a book of sheet music, our new group motto is Keep Calm and Play On (or variations thereof).

Here's what was played.

Karin, Greg — Haydn, Hungarian Rondo from Piano Concerto in D, two piano transcription by Denes Agay
Karin, Greg — Bill Dooley, Meet Frankie and Johnny, two piano arrangement by Denes Agay
Julie — Moszkowski, Étude No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 72 No. 2
Lorraine — Schumann, selections from Carnaval, Op. 9
John — own arrangement, O Holy Night
Barb — Mikhail Glinka, Variations on a Russian Song Among the Gentle Valley
Christopher —  Clementi, Sonatina in D Major, Op. 36 No. 6
Francine — Henri Bertini, Étude, Op. 29 No. 7
Janice — Satie, Gymnopédies No. 1, 2 and 3
Sachie — Chopin, Preludes, Op. 28 No. 6 and 7
David — Rachmaninoff, Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14, with cello recording by Luca Sulic

2nd round:
John — own arrangement, Huron Carol and We Three Kings
Christopher — Patrick Hawes, Towards The Light
Julie — Yann Tiersen, Comptine d'Été No. 2

Report from the October 18, 2015 session

Host: Ottawa Pianos

Round 1:

- Janice G.: “Scherzo”, by Clara Schumann (op. 10)
- Greg Z.: “Song without words (Daybreak)”, by F. Mendelssohn (op 64 #2)
- Karin T.: “Andantino from Second Ballade”, by F. Chopin (op. 38)
- Lynda J.: “Lied ohne ende” by Robert Schumann, (op. 124 #8)
- Liz (via Skype): “6th  Gnossienne” by E. Satie
- Gared L. : “Etude (the ocean)” by F. Chopin (op. 25 #2)
- John W.: 2 songs, “God and You” (for pre-teens) and “Be grateful” (for teens), original compositions.
- Sachie B.: Preludes, by F. Chopin (op 28# 1,3 and 4)
- Julie E.: “Etude” by M. Moszkowski (op. 72 #1)
- Francine F.:”Suite in G major” by Joseph Hector Fiocco (op. 1  #1)
- Nick B.: “Sonata #5, second movement, by L. Beethoven (op. 10 #1) (note: this piece has 1/128th notes)
- Lorraine: “Rialto Ripples” by George Gershwin

Round 2:

- Janice G.: “Berceuse” by F. Chopin (op. 57)
- Gared L.: ”Mischief”, and another with an undecided title, possibly “Dreams”, original compositions
- John W.: “Cat’s up a tree”, original composition.
- Nick B.: “Fugitive Visions” by S. Prokofiev (composed 1917) (op. 22#1) 

Report from the September 20, 2015 session

Host: Gared

A small group gathered at Gared's home and played a wide variety of music, including a number of contemporary works. We also chatted about piano teachers, piano buying, and technology in today's pianos and teaching methodologies.

Round 1:

- Gregory: “Reverie” by C. Debussy
- Julie: “La Valse d’Amélie” by Yann Tiersen
- Gared: “The Boisterous Chipmunk” (own composition)
- Darlene: “Prelude Op. 11 #5” by A. Scriabin
- David and Christopher (duet): “Sonata Op. 6, 2nd Movement” by L. van Beethoven

Round 2:

- Gared: “Prelude Op. 25 #2” by F. Chopin
- Gregory: “Fly me to the moon” by Bart Howard
- Christopher: “I Giorni” by Ludovico Einaudi
- Julie: “Comptine d’été #2” by Yann Tiersen
- Darlene: Selections from “Variations on the theme Salve tu domine” by W. A. Mozart
- David: “Nocturne Op. 9 #2” by F. Chopin, SoundCloud recording of David playing this piece

Round 3:

- Gared: “Mischief”, “Shapeless dreams”, and “Mouse” (own compositions)