The Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 846, opens with a serene, arpeggiated prelude that establishes a harmonic journey, moving through keys like G and F before returning to C. The prelude's simple, broken chords are contrasted by the complex, imitative structure of the fugue, which presents its main theme in multiple voices entering one by one.
Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in D Major, BWV 850 is part of the first book of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. It features a lively, arpeggiated prelude that moves through various keys, followed by a distinctively rhythmic fugue.
i Macht hoch die Tür, ii Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, iii A Sussex Carol
"Macht hoch die Tür" ("Fling wide the door") is a popular German Advent hymn, written in 17th century Ducal Prussia. The melody that is now associated with the text appeared first in 1704 in the hymnal by Johann Anastasius Freylinghausen.
i Song of the Thief (Catalan Folk Song), ii Etude, iii Elegy, iv Prelude
After a recent injury to my left hand I decided to contribute some music for those in need of some right handed challenges. They are completely traditional in style, ranging from a classical minuet and trio to a late romantic virtuoso showpiece. Sometimes aiming to hide their singlehandedness, sometimes embracing it as an aesthetic, they aim to give the right hand something to chew on that will also please the listener.
Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 8, in F major is a technically demanding piece that focuses on the right hand's rapid, legato, and arpeggiated figures, while the left hand provides a main, contrapuntal melody. The "Sunshine" étude, as it is sometimes nicknamed, features a sunny opening in F major, which becomes more turbulent in a D minor section, before returning to the initial theme.
Étude Op. 25, No. 6, in G-sharp minor, focuses on thirds, trilling them at a high speed. Also called the Double Thirds Étude, it is considered one of the hardest of Chopin's 24 Études.
Marking a serious departure in the expected technique developed previously, Chopin wrote this étude with a series of quick, dissonant minor seconds. The effect has earned the étude the nickname "Wrong Note".
Étude Op. 25, No. 11 in A minor, is often referred to as Winter Wind. The étude is a study for developing stamina, dexterity, accuracy and technique
Béla Hartmann - Piano
Since becoming a semi-finalist at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2000 Béla
Hartmann has enjoyed a wide ranging career, performing in venues from New York (Carnegie Hall) and London (Wigmore Hall) to smaller venues across the UK and Europe. His London series of the complete Piano Sonatas of Schubert at Steinway Hall culminated in the release of his highly praised debut CD of Schubert Piano Works (Meridian), and his performances for the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe at St James’s Piccadilly featured Beethoven’s piano variations, including the monumental Diabelli Variations. Aside from that his repertoire includes contemporary works by composers such as Birtwistle, Boulez and Bussotti, and he gave UK premieres of works by Widmann and Petr Eben. His most recent CD features the early Piano Concerto in A Minor by Mendelssohn, recorded with the Keld Ensemble. Béla Hartmann is also a keen musical essayist and has published articles and reviews on a wide range of music-related topics.
Béla Hartmann studied with Vadim Suchanov and Nicolas Economou in Munich, John Bingham at Trinity College of Music, London, and with Elisso Virssaladse in Munich.
As a composer Béla Hartmann has written a number of works, principally for the piano. His “Big Pieces for Small Hands” received critical praise in several countries, as did his “Paraphrases on Waltzes by Brahms”. He has composed and arranged several pieces for 4 and 6 hands as well as a number of concert transcriptions of vocal works by Mendelssohn, Brahms and Mahler. His “All Right – 9 Piano Pieces for the Right Hand Alone” were published by Goodmusic in November 2025.
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