• Course Dates
    May 21, 2027 6:30 pm –
    May 23, 2027 4:00 pm
  • Observer Pass
    May 22, 2027
    11:00 am - 1:00 pm

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Level: Advanced
Fee: £375

The Classy Classics for piano

with Julian Jacobson

When we began piano we all started with the “classics” – little Bach pieces, a Mozart or Haydn minuet, a Beethoven sonatina.

This worthy and solidly constructed music is the basis for the entire magnificent piano repertoire, and we should always remain faithful to its strengths and virtues: clarity, warmth and variety of expression within formal strictness, contrapuntal awareness. Rhythm is of paramount importance, pedalling should be spare and mainly to serve legato and harmonic continuity. Within these limits is a world of variety, from the bright inventiveness of Haydn through the elegant perfection of Mozart and the wildness of Beethoven at his fiercest to the autumnal richness of Brahms, the classic among the Romantics.

In this course we will explore the mindset and techniques appropriate to each composer, hoping to arrive at a surer grasp of classical style – the Classy Classics – ultimately the greatest style!

Bring two pieces:

  • one first movement of any sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Clementi, Beethoven or Schubert,
  • and one stand-alone “character” piece by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms or Carl Maria von Weber.

 

We asked our course leaders to answer a few questions about their course and teaching:

  1. Greater confidence and security
  2. Greater understanding of the particular repertoire of the course and the ability to continue their exploration of it.
  3. a feeling of “community” – that their fellow participants have similar interests, queries and problems, enabling them to learn from each other (not only from me!) and see how the issues raised by their own pieces apply to all similar repertoire.

“I love working with amateur pianists because they come without preconceptions and are motivated only by the love of music and the piano, and their earnest wish to learn and improve. And because they are so friendly!”

“My teaching style is, I hope, friendly, non-judgmental, humorous when appropriate, but firm on points of detail.”

“My hobby outside of music is deciding what hobbies I would pursue if I had any spare time.”

Some course feedback:

Julian is a superb pianist and very good tutor. He is very detailed and attentive and helpful in a positive sense and gets very engrossed in the particular piece he is dealing with!

Julian has an outstanding gift for sharing with amateur players his wide knowledge of many musical genres/styles while encouraging them to improve technically and to present to listeners a convincing interpretation of the music.

I was very pleased with the teaching from Julian who was very helpful and kind.

As with all Julian’s courses, I always leave on cloud nine with plenty of constructive material to work with. He is so aware of individual needs and can apply the right solution to the problem or provide the advice and guidance needed.

I really enjoyed the course this weekend. I found Julian to be patient and really interested in all of what we had to offer. As I think, the ‘weakest’ member in the group, I thought he was as interested in my playing as the others.

Read more about what participants say about Jackdaws Courses.

A £100 deposit is required to secure your place on this course. The balance of fees, including accommodation, is due 3 weeks before the course start date.

You can also buy an Observer Pass for this course. The Observer Pass entitles you to attend on SATURDAY from 11am–1pm as an observer only and costs £10. This can be redeemed against a subsequent course booking. Places are limited. More info and terms and conditions here.

Details Price Qty
Attendee - Deposit £100.00 GBP  
Observer Pass £10.00 GBP  

Venue:  

Venue Phone: 07880 091066

Address:
Jackdaws Music Education Trust, Great Elm, Frome, BA11 3NY, United Kingdom

Description:

Course Information

Is this Course right for me?

The answer is probably yes as we welcome musicians of all abilities and backgrounds on our courses but if you would like to find out more before you book please read about our course levels, or email or call our office manager Karolyn on 07880 091066 / music@jackdaws.org and she will be able to offer further guidance.

If you are still unsure then maybe consider one of our “Try before you buy” Observer Passes which enable you to come and see one session in action.

Full Observer places may also be bookable for a whole weekend subject to availability. Call / email the office for more information.

Please see our General Course Information pages for further details and schedule information.

Our Courses are for adult musicians (except where stated) and take place at Jackdaws in Great Elm, near Frome in Somerset. The Course Fee includes all tuition, meals and refreshments at Jackdaws. Courses take place in the main studio, with Steinway piano, and generally follow a masterclass format. There are several practice rooms here, too.

Repertoire

For Voice, Piano & Wind courses; participants are usually requested to prepare 2 – 3 pieces in advance. We will ask you to provide a repertoire list for the tutor (& accompanist) ahead of the course.

For Ensemble courses; direction will be given by the course leaders.

Accommodation

If you require B&B, we can arrange that for you; accommodation fees are payable in addition to the course fee.

Meals and Refreshments

Lunch, Supper and morning/afternoon refreshments will be prepared on site by our dedicated Cooks.  If you are vegetarian/vegan, or have a food allergy, you must let us know in advance, so that our cooks can plan the meals for the weekend accordingly. We are ‘allergy aware’, but we rely on participants letting us know if they have specific food allergies. Please also let us know if you carry any emergency medication.

By booking onto a Jackdaws course you agree to abide by our Terms and Conditions and understand the Privacy Policy regarding our handling of your data.