3 Pieces for Piano Solo & 2 Piano Duets

This latest collection of piano works by Clemens Hoffman is a continuation of his two previous books, 18 Pieces for Piano and 25 Sketches for Piano. While containing the same special mix of styles, techniques and timbres, these new pieces are longer and technically more complex. The 3-part piano duets also offer the new element of ensemble playing.

An exciting and educational journey for any eager piano student who is looking for a new challenge.

Enjoy!

1)     Piece for Piano

Starts with simple chords, supported by a thematic bass line. The main melody is played both in the right and left hand. A climax of broken chords towards the end, followed by a calm finale with thematic material in the left hand.

2)       Tree of life

This piece more or less describes the stages of human life. A peaceful and hopeful start at birth, gradually blossoming into full bloom with a jazz-waltz-like theme. The dissonances signal the decline towards old age, with illness and ultimately death dealing the final blow. But it doesn't stop there. The end sounds like a kind of release...

3)     Adagio

A longer piece of mainly familiar musical material, inspired in particular by Dmitri Shostakovitch's second piano concerto. Dedicated to all the oppressed peoples on this planet, this piece is full of contradictory emotions, including battle, power, pain, stillness, beauty and struggle.

You might call it a theme with variations, but I still prefer Adagio. Quite a challenge, both musically and technically, for any pianist who is up for it! 

Piano Duet I

• Part 1:  A simple and clear theme with part of the C major scale gradually appearing in the lower parts. Some dissonances in the accompaniment towards the end.
• Part 2: A calm Satie-like movement with the emphasis on tone and atmosphere.
• Part 3: A resolute and rhythmic third movement with sharp dynamic contrasts, ending with fourth intervals in the upper parts.

Piano Duet II

• Part 1: Starts with a calm melodic theme, returning in various keys, supported by lines of ascending and descending seconds.
• Part 2: This calm movement starts with a melody in the left hand of the primo part which is later copied by the secondo part before returning to the primo. The atmosphere and stillness play a key role here too.
• Part 3: This fast final movement presents some rhythmic challenges with a powerful unison finale supported by a syncopated bass line.