I’m very excited to announce that Olivia Adams is releasing a curated syllabus of music exclusively written by women composers! I use this resource regularly in my lesson planning, and strongly encourage other piano teachers to pick up a copy. The syllabus contains more than 3000 pieces graded to RCM standards, and has been approvedContinue reading “Book Launch – Loud and Clear by Olivia Adams”
Author Archives: nbusch3898
April Showers – Enoch Tsang
Enoch Tsang is a Canadian composer and clarinetist who writes for a wide variety of instruments and ensembles. Nicholas Busch has had the honor of premiering several of his solo piano works since meeting him in 2015. April Showers is a piece that lends itself well to the piano, both because of the timbres intendedContinue reading “April Showers – Enoch Tsang”
Butterflies – Enoch Tsang
Enoch Tsang is a Canadian composer and clarinetist who writes for a wide variety of instruments and ensembles. Nicholas Busch has had the honor of premiering several of his solo piano works since meeting him in 2015. Butterflies provides several distinct challenges for the pianist – mainly the fluidity of the phrases demanded by theContinue reading “Butterflies – Enoch Tsang”
Glass Houses no. 3 – Ann Southam
Ann Southam’s “Glass Houses” is a set of 15 piano pieces inspired heavily by the piano etudes of Philip Glass and themes from Eastern Canadian fiddle music. Each piece in the set contains a left hand ostinato of 7-33 notes that repeats continuously throughout the piece, while the right hand plays repeating melodic cells ofContinue reading “Glass Houses no. 3 – Ann Southam”
Regard de l’étoile – Oliver Messiaen
Le deuxième pièce des Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus de Messiaen, vers 1944.The second piece from Messiaen’s Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus from 1944. II. Regard de l’étoile: Choc de la grâce… l’étoile luit naïvement, surmontée d’une croix… II. Contemplation of the Star: Shock of grace… the star naively glistens, surmounted by a cross… Nicholas Busch –Continue reading “Regard de l’étoile – Oliver Messiaen”
Détester, Aimer – Alice Ping Yee Ho
This work was commissioned by Canadian Music Centre for their 2017 Regent Park Song Book project. Text by Thomass Muir, student at the Regent Park Music School at that time. English translation by the writer as follow: To Detest, To Love Detest, suffer, regret Suffer, regret, cry out Regret, cry out, optimize Cry out, optimize,Continue reading “Détester, Aimer – Alice Ping Yee Ho”
Cock – Alice Ping Yee Ho
The music lyrics of “Cock” is a poem written by acclaimed Nova Scotian writer Carole Glasser Langille, from her book “Church of the Exquisite Panic: The Ophelia Poems”. Music describes the voice of poor, raving, powerless Ophelia, which is related to the theme about contemporary women whose voices were also stolen.For more about Carole’s poem,Continue reading “Cock – Alice Ping Yee Ho”
The Madness of Queen Charlotte – Alice Ping Yee Ho
“The Madness of Queen Charlotte” examines the mental illness of King George III of England through the eyes of his wife. The King’s illness tragically destroyed a long and loving marriage that was bonded by their many shared tastes – including their legendary patronage of music. This work uses contemporary poetry that deals with theContinue reading “The Madness of Queen Charlotte – Alice Ping Yee Ho”
City Night – Alice Ping Yee Ho
Song cycle for mezzo soprano and piano by Alice Ping Yee Ho. This is a series of six urban haikus about love in the city: modern/contemporary/urban setting. Text by Bo Wen Chan: Night in the City Industrial air settles The Prowlers emerge. You seek forever But you cannot catch what lies Beyond the moment MyContinue reading “City Night – Alice Ping Yee Ho”
Coplas Sefardies Op. 22 – Alberto Hemsi
Alberto Hemsi was a Sefardic Jewish man who lived in the Ottoman Empire until moving to Paris in 1957 following political unrest in Egypt. He is often compared to Béla Bartók as his work in ethnomusicology has followed a similar scale and fervency with regards to Sefardic Jewish folk music, and traditional music of TurkeyContinue reading “Coplas Sefardies Op. 22 – Alberto Hemsi”
Nicholas Busch 