Approach to study with the principles of the Russian school

I find this way of treating the keyboard to be very mannerist. These useless additional movements do nothing but lose real contact with the transfer of weight to the keyboard. The latter, regulated by the shoulder, must not involve the entire apparatus of large muscles, which must remain tension-free. There are many variations. In the nocturne in question, a certain balance of the left arm must be found as it moves across the two octaves, and these additional movements only make the acquisition of this balanced movement more difficult and uncertain. The right hand must always be legato and sonorous (one cannot achieve a good legato if one does not acquire the proportion between intensity and duration of sound). In the piano, melodic legato is the most difficult thing to achieve, i.e., 'singing' on the instrument. I find that this approach is very mannered and betrays the sensation of confidence and constant adherence of weight. Rubinstein, who was a Great in this, and more, declared that there must be a great gravitation of the right hand in the cantabile. He made this weight felt by resting his fingers on someone else's shoulder, and it was impressive. Constant contact and awareness of the "bottom of the key" allow us to achieve a "sincere" and legato sound. Even the imbalance of weight between the right and left hands, which he—Rubinstein, and not only him—constantly implemented in the cantabile, enhances this correct approach and produces greater musicality.

Therefore, in my opinion (although there would be many other things to say and many examples to practice), this way of treating the instrument does not lead down a good path. All elegant and superfluous movements can occasionally be visually introduced in concert, but they must not be a principle that implies a "technical" meaning.

This is my thought.

P.S. It does not seem to me, moreover, that these are principles of the Russian School... one only needs to watch videos of Emil Gilels or Sviatoslav Richter playing, the two best students of Neuhaus.

I don't have time to watch the whole video, I followed the first 10' and it seems to suggest useful principles for the initial approach to the score. Have you ever heard of mental practice?

PS: Russian School?

Paolo, your response surprises me a bit because I thought I understood from other posts that you were a proponent

of this type of approach in which one participates in the production of sound with all body segments well coordinated,

fingers, wrist, forearm, elbow, arm, shoulder, back... it seemed to me that you highly praised, for example, Valentina Lisitsa

who is the apotheosis of this way of playing... one example among her thousands found online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV5U8kVYS88

Regarding the Russian or non-Russian school, the girl in the video claims to teach the Russian school; I don't know if it is true or not... she has her own channel with various videos etc. etc. here is what she reports: "Join my Piano Coaching Program to get access to hundreds of exclusive piano playing tutorials (including step-by-step courses) where I share the professional principles of the Russian piano school "

Regarding Rubinstein, Richter, Gilels, it also seems to me that they don't play exactly in this way, but I wonder:

is there perhaps a "new Russian school"??? Another famous young Russian who seems to me to play like this is Danil Tifonov

Open content (youtube)

Specifically, I have always spoken, even in my videos, about fundamental basic gestures. I intend to exclude mannered gestures, as I see in this video. It does not seem to me that Lisitsa uses them. If some pianist uses them, even she—incidentally, it is only to offer a form of visual elegance—but it is my conviction, and not mine alone, that this is not part of a technique or a new technique. Any gesture that does not transfer the key attack with determination is misleading. I invite you to read Sandor's book "How to Play the Piano," where exactly the fundamental basic gestures are illustrated and studied. It is a manual of piano gestures. Raising the hands and fingers with these mannered movements is useless gesturing. Alfredo Casella says in his fine book "The Piano": "remember that the keyboard is below you, not above you." This means that every gesture preceding the sound attack, as well as gestures following its production, are useless. For example, playing a chord and continuing to apply pressure. Preceding the start of a melody with mannered gestures as seen in the video. It is not a matter of well-coordinated bodily gestures. It is a matter of mixing useless gestures with fundamental ones. And it creates confusion. "Few rules, but clear ones." Think of the beginning of Chopin's Op. 11 in E minor. That famous dotted figure at the beginning of the piano theme has a precise and punctual rhythmic and melodic attack and can only be free from useless additional movements. It is true that a great pianist like Kissin stylizes the gesture greatly and moves a lot with his body... but this serves him to release tension, an emotionality he has sincerely declared in more than one interview. I mean that very personal gestures, which we observe in some pianists, are not however at the basis of the fundamental principles of technique that must be followed during study. This is my thought

I don't know how you can say that Lisitsa doesn't use them... it is all one continuous fluttering of wrists, forearms, and elbows... just look at the very first moments of the video I posted when he prepares the attack of the piece.. a great breath with the wrist raised that carries the forearm and elbow along to the tip of the finger that finally touches the key... after the first interval of a sixth, the wrist already rises again and continues to do so infinitely many times... and I don't think it is just to give elegance to the gesture, but I believe these are movements that have precise acoustic and physiological motivations...

I know Sandor's book well; one of the concepts he insists on most is: low wrist at the beginning of the phrase or group of notes, high wrist at the end of it; he gives many examples with arrows pointing up and down... which does not seem to me at all in contrast with what both the girl in the lesson, Lisitsa, and many pianists of the new Russian generation do..

What may seem affected at first glance, as you say, is not necessarily so.. otherwise, it would also be affected, for example, by the fact that we move our arms when we walk: a useless gesture! What is the point of moving your arms if it is the legs that we must move when we walk..?? and yet, even involuntarily, the arms move because the body is one and you cannot separate the body segments as if we were robots: to every action corresponds an equal and opposite reaction...

Lisitsa is certainly and truly a great keyboard virtuoso. What I tried to say, but surely did not explain well—in fact, I failed altogether—is that these personal "approaches" must not be mistaken for technical solutions. They are "modalities," rather, which are subsequently used as personal bodily expressions that some pianists can afford themselves, provided they have a clear understanding of the basic gestures (weight, joint rotation, etc.). Sandor's arrows and indications refer to micro-movements and intentions—that is, up and down, applying and releasing weight—and not to highlighting movements as if they were part of the solution; movements that, moreover, arise from an after-the-fact observation once a correct naturalness of movement has been definitively acquired. If technique were made up of a series of pre-established movements (raise the wrist, lower the wrist, tight elbow, wide elbow, raise the fingers, lower the shoulder, etc.), one would risk mistaking the "means" for the "end." Lisitsa knows well that "flourishes" and other movements are a pleasant visual image and also a way to find particular sounds—which are, moreover, entirely feminine—but she knows well, for example, how to dose the weight on the keyboard and how to properly transfer this with all parts of the hand and the small and large muscles. Therefore, in my opinion, fundamental concepts must be very clear first, and then, eventually, find particular solutions. Thus, beneath what we see, sound solutions are implied. Instead, it is wrong, in my view, to suggest such mannerisms and such specific movements as a starting point and present them as if they were new and more effective solutions.

For example, it can be misleading to excessively and visually raise every finger if one does not first possess the natural capacity for weight transfer (gravitation) from one finger to another and thus possess good hand balance. (Balance is the starting point that Monique Dechausses calls "the zero point" in her beautiful book "L'homme et le piano").

P.S. Furthermore, sometimes, or often, a solution is found by listening to the sound or the sought-after and produced effect. When what we hear is right and convincing, the hand has achieved what it had to do and is in the correct position. It is evident that based on experience, the Maestro suggests to the student what the path could be, seeking, above all, to emphasize and avoid what the student must NOT do.

Thus, even the indications in Sandor's manual should be taken as indications to be experimented with on one's own hand, ALWAYS IN THE PRESENCE OF A GOOD TEACHER, who correctly interprets the solutions and/or errors that the student implements.