Sheet music reviews: Big Pieces for Small Hands

Béla Hartmann wrote this set of six pieces for intermediate to advanced players for his daughter. As is frequently the case, young pianists find that their technical ability is far ahead of their physical size. This means they are restricted in looking for more advanced repertoire that is both enjoyable to play and doesn't require too much altering or leaving out of written notes. While young players have a wealth of Baroque and Classical repertoire within their grasps, vast swathes of music are unattainable. Romantic and 20th-century repertoire, with its swirling polyphony and virtuosic writing, is often impossible to tackle. Even without Rachmaninov's legendary hand span of a 13th, this music is tantalisingly out of reach until a pianist's hands have grown and can do it justice.