Franz Reizenstein: Five by Ten (1952) for pianoforte

In 1952 Alfred Lengnick & Co. published what is a remarkable set of graded teaching pieces. In fact, it is wrong to suggest that they are purely educational. Virtually all these pieces make fine recital numbers for pupils ranging from about Grade 1 to Grade 7. The series was edited and graded by the redoubtable Alec Rowley.

The interesting thing about this collection is that it is a conspectus of musical composition in Britain at the beginning of the 1950s. It was eclectic group of composers commissioned by the publisher to write these miniatures. Some of them were already rather well-known, if not household names, such as William Alwyn and Edmund Rubbra. Others were on their way ‘up’, like Malcolm Arnold and Elizabeth Maconchy. A few of them have been ‘rediscovered’ in recent year with several CDs of their music released. This includes Franz Reizenstein, Bernard Stevens and William Wordsworth, although their popularity nowadays is limited to enthusiasts. Charles Proctor, Madeleine Dring and Julius Harrison are on the margins of British musical history.

For the record, my favourite piece in this series is by Malcolm Arnold and is called – ‘The Buccaneer’. It has all that composer's trademarks and is a fine piece that could be played at any recital.

Franz Reizenstein (1911-68) contributed seven well-crafted pieces to this collection. They were dedicated to the head of Lengnick, Bernard de Nevers as a 60^th birthday gift. The concept of the Five by Ten collection is to present ‘modern’ pieces in order of increasing difficulty. Reizenstein’s first number is the evocatively, if slightly sentimentally, titled ‘The First Snowdrop.’ This piece is based on a little motif in the right hand which is extended to seven bars. It is then repeated with slight variations. The accompaniment is largely in two parts with the left hand showing little interest in imitating the main theme. Towards the end, there is a little flourish followed by a reprise of the opening phrase, this time supported by two-part chords. ‘The First Snowdrop.’ concludes with a partial C major chord. The music is played quietly and ‘wistfully.’ I guess that ‘The First Snowdrop; is a ‘good’ Grade 1 piece.

Despite the intention that the following two pieces are meant to be at the Grade 2 level, I feel that they demand just a little more experience. ‘Cello and Violin’ written in 6/8 time has an expressive tune which is shared between the hands, passing from one ‘instrument’ to the next. A little rhythmic subtlety requires concentration to ensure the tied notes are played ‘in time’. The melody is often supported by two note chords with intervals of seconds, thirds and sixths. The piece is written in E minor and calls for a tempo of ‘andante.’

Equally tricky for Grade 2 is the little ‘Swing Song.’ This piece is predicated on a ‘swinging’ tune based on a two-phrase theme. It is written in a miniature ternary (three-part) form with a short coda. The middle section is largely related to the opening material but is played ‘forte.’ The interaction of the two hand requires ‘careful counting.’

Another piece that uses a ‘jaunty’ compound time signature (6/8) is ‘An Echo Tune’. This is played ‘andantino’ but calls for judicious execution of the musical imitation between the two parts. Its structure is based on the opening two bars which are repeated with subtle variations. ‘An Echo Tune’ is also written in E minor but includes several chromatic notes.  It is a Grade 3 piece. Of the same level of difficulty is ‘A Walking Tune’ which is appropriately signed as ‘andante con moto.’ This is no stroll, but a brisk walk. The opening bars belie the piece’s difficulty. The tune is initially presented in unison. However, this does not last long, before the two hands are required to ‘do their own thing.’ ‘A Walking Tune’ is written in D major but wanders off into a reflective parallel key of D minor.

I am not a piano teacher, but I would suggest that a convincing performance of ‘Study in Accidentals’ is beyond Grade 4. The entire piece is a masterclass in Reizenstein’s style. Despite the work opening in a solid D minor, the tonality starts to shift after just three bars. Before long, the ‘accidentals’ lead to ever more complex relationships. The key signature is a relatively unusual 12/8 which allows for a good ‘undulation’ to develop. Several patterns of melody and accompaniment are generated including two part ‘invention’ style writing sometimes with the right-hand part thickened with two and three note chords. A succession of thirds chords played in each hand is a feature of the middle section of the piece. Eventually, after many ‘tortuous excursions’ into several unrelated keys the closing chord is a solid D major.

Franz Reizenstein’ final number for the Five by Ten collection is a little character piece: the ‘Cunning Fox’. Once again, this piece is written in 12/8 time (the same time signature as the second movement of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony) which gives the piece an air of an Irish jig. The abiding interest here is generated by the ‘cunning’ variety in the development of the piece. It is almost as if the composer has joined half a dozen phrases with slightly different melodic and rhythmic activity to create a small compendium of musical devices. I think this is pushing beyond well the ability of a Grade 5 student.

These seven pieces are presently available on CD. In 2014 Martin Jones included them on his survey of Franz Reizenstein’s ‘Piano Music for Children’ on the Lyrita label (SRCD. 347).

Other works on this interesting disc include Five Imaginative Pieces (c.1938), Study in Irregular Rhythm (c.1960), Three Pieces (c.1960) and Three Short Stories. I was unable to find a review of this CD.

All seven pieces from Five by Ten have been uploaded to YouTube: search on ‘7 Children's Piano Pieces’

The sheet music, Five by Ten in six volumes is still available from music shops. Second-hand copies can be picked up easily and are generally well worth investigating.