Kinderschuhe-Handschuhe-Handschule

or the values of straightforwardness
1971/1976/2022/2025 (open)
Mixed Styles
Sound étude for piano solo

Homage to Honfleur and Eric Satie

The title refers to my personal experiences from my youth:
(Kinderschuhe) Children’s shoes, the first attempts at walking after taking the first steps barefoot.
(Handschuhe) Gloves, meant to protect me from the outside world but which can also feel restrictive.
“Handschule” (hand school), a short form of a life school, instilled in the child by parents and educators, which is not always a positive influence.

Furthermore, emotional states, such as dreams and romance, are illuminated in quick succession. The main theme is taken from a “children’s melody.” At the beginning of the piece, the pianist wears greasy gloves, a symbol of burdens from the environment, which he removes after a short moment (pause in measure 2). Playing music is meant to represent a release from problems for the pianist. Releasing problems also means allowing for a free interpretation of the composition by the performer, i.e., form and content are determined according to the performer’s judgment and emotions. This requires:

  1. Knowledge of the various emotional expressions within the work.
  2. Awareness of one’s own emotional state during the performance.

An example: The pianist feels in a depressive mood during the concert. That is why he selects the movements “j, k, l” of the composition. Afterwards or during this, he interrupts his playing. After a few minutes of relaxation, the performer believes himself to be in a romantic position. The part “h” of the Klangetude is heard. To reproduce music does not only mean to clarify the composer’s ideas, but also to realise the performer’s emotional world by means of a musical model. The emotional “consciousness” and the resulting selection of music are decisive factors. The pianist’s physical posture during the concert should correspond to his emotional state. The letters “a – r” show my own emotional process during composing. In practical work with a pianist on my piece, another interpretation crystallised:

“a b c c1 d (melody) f g i j k l h d m n o k k k p q r”

These two models alone represent two of many possibilities. It is quite intentional that the composition carries a certain naivety, simplicity, impartiality.

The intimacy of the composition requires an appropriate concert hall atmosphere. One possibility is to place the piano in a romantic living environment. This means using attributes such as: Radio set,

sofa, armchair, floor lamp, carpet, table. The composition can also serve as a “frame piece” of a music programme. In this case, the score is played during the breaks of the other music pieces and at the beginning and end of the concert.

For me, the composition once again means a musical description/processing of my own personal youth problems, views and memories. Because of the very personal character of the piece, it is advisable to contact the composer before any interpretation.

In 2021 I found the cassette with the old recordings of “Kinderschuhe-Handschuhe-Handschule”, which Magda Dijkhorst had played on the old piano in her living room in 1977.  I was able to restore 5 recordings and sometimes re-orchestrated them.
(2025). The first sketches of the piece were my entrance exam for Ton de Leeuw’s composition class. This was particularly special, as the lessons took place in a private setting in Hilversum and not at the conservatory in Amsterdam.

In this new version of the piece I have voice-recorded the text I had written for the premiere on 18.3.1978 during the OMAEX in Erlangen under the title “Children’s Biography”. During the premiere of “Kinderschuhe-Handschuhe-Handschule” the piano was played by Arie de Wit.

© Copyright - Michael Fahres