“MendelChopRach” is the companion sheet music for Anne Trenning’s solo piano single, and what an interesting piece of music it is to both listen to and to play! The title is a clever combination of the names of three of the classical piano giants - Mendelssohn, Chopin and Rachmaninoff - and while there are no direct “quotes” from those composers’ compositions, it is very easy to tell which sections of the piece carry the strongest influence by each composer. It is more of an “homage” to them rather than a medley of bits and pieces of their music.

The piece, which is in the key of C minor (3 flats), begins with a three-bar intro that is made up of powerful, majestic chords and octaves. The second section is very fast, flowing and spirited, but not overly difficult to play. The middle section slows considerably and is much more lyrical and melancholy (definitely Chopin’s influence!). At the end of this section, we return to the powerful intro and a shorter variation on the faster theme. The ending is a very fast and flashy run up and down the piano keyboard before the big chords at the conclusion.

One of the things that I really like about “MendelChopRach” is that it allows the pianist to play in three distinctly different styles within the same piece. I would think that would make it an excellent choice for a recital or an audition (a hint of what’s coming in the near-future with this piece of music!) as well as a great piece to learn for one’s own enjoyment. Most pianists at an upper-intermediate or early-advanced playing level should be able to master this piece with some time and effort - especially the really fast passages. I was relieved that pianists are not required to have the same sized hands as Rachmaninoff to play this - there are no reaches of more than an octave.

The sheet music is available from https://www.annetrenning.com.