How To Teach Tarantella by Burgmüller
Today we’re talking about how to teach the Tarantella Op.100, No.20 by Johann Friedrich Burgmüller. (The German spelling of Tarantella is Tarantelle; they are pronounced similarly.) This is a highly patterned, motivating piece for intermediate students with some good technical challenges.
Tarantellas are always good fodder for the imagination, either because you picture someone dancing to avoid a spider or dancing to shake out the spider’s poison!
Wikipedia provides more info about the history of the tarantella here.
Recommended Editions:
Alfred Masterwork edition of Op.100 (Willard Palmer)
Schirmer Performance Edition of Op.100 (Margaret Otwell)
Syllabus listings for difficulty level:
Illinois AIM Level 7
Jane Magrath Level 6
Skills and Knowledge Required to play this piece well:
D minor and D major key signatures
Chords and broken chords in LH
6/8 time (compound meter) - understanding the bigger beat and dance feel
3-note slurs and 2-note slurs
Rotation technique
Repeated notes fingering
Steady tempo
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