A Guide to the Trinity College Piano Syllabus (2018 - 2020)

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Schein (arr. Snell) - Allemande

Trinity College - Grade 1

Here I look at Allemande (arr. Snell) by Johann Schein (1586 –1630) set for Trinity Grade 1. You’ll notice from his dates that Schein was born nearly a century before Bach, and we have him to thank for being one of the first composers to import the early Italian style into German music.

An allemande is a serious, noble dance in moderate time, very common in baroque suites. In this video, I explore some possibilities for touch, articulation and dynamics, as well as outlining the structure and shape of the piece. Developing an understanding of compositional devices (such as sequence and modulation, etc.) in the early stages of our musical journey will help us appreciate how music is built, which in turn speeds up the learning process as we become more advanced.