Introducing Myself: Sorpas

Hi sorpas, welcome. I don't know how to give you good advice regarding this, but there are certainly musicians in the forum who can help you or who have faced the same problem as you before and solved it.

To eliminate the anxiety that arises when playing in public, I never miss an opportunity to play something I've studied for friends who come over to my house, but one could also think bigger.... invite 3/4 friends one evening and play. It will be a pleasant experience for them and a good test for you.

Bye.

Welcome among us. I hope you have watched some of my video tutorials on piano technique. You can ask me any questions you want, but try "hopping" through the Forum for some answers and considerations I have written on the subject.

As far as playing in public is concerned, one must try, among friends, even at the cost of getting everything wrong—I mean everything. Try to authorize yourself to make mistakes, but do not give up on communicating your musical ideas. You should identify which doubts your conscience harbors, which, anyway, when presenting yourself to play, must be "in order." Surely you have studied "conscientiously," but some doubt has remained. Regarding scales, also take a good look at my tutorial on the Mozart sonata. In short, I hope we will talk about it at length.

Welcome and good music

Paolo

I thank you for the suggestions. I have watched and listened to your tutorials on technique, which are undoubtedly interesting. As for the execution of scales, perhaps I tilt my hand, even with the thumb pass to the side (over), an old habit acquired through years of study with the thumb passing under the hand. Unfortunately, I have had to realize the uselessness and danger of many technique books and especially many useless and harmful hours of purely mechanical exercises, when one could study technique more profitably by drawing it directly from a piece of artistic value. Of course, at fifty years old, it will cost me more effort to destroy old habits and acquire new ones, but passion will help me. In your opinion, should I start with simple pieces? If so, which ones do you recommend?

Thank you for thinking of and implementing www.pianoconcerto.it

Dear Sorpas, I don't think it is necessary to use the formal "Lei".

I don't know what level you have reached, but as I advised another member who wanted to clarify problems with the sustain pedal, I would suggest Cimarosa's sonatas. Do not be surprised by their apparent ease; they are extremely useful and not easy at all. Beautiful pieces of Music. Domenico Cimarosa is, for me, an extraordinary Composer. Afterwards, you can tackle Mozart, where there are—as I say in the videos—many and perhaps all the fundamental basic gestures of piano technique. Regarding scales, one must learn to move the hand during the thumb "passage"; this means moving the thumb "beside" and not "underneath". In that moment of movement, the wrist lowers a little. This way, equality is achieved. Another suggestion: Learn to gravitate on the fingertips and simultaneously relax all the large muscles. (See the example performed in one of the latest videos with Simone's contribution).

Thirdly: It is absolutely not too late. Many things are understood definitively in maturity. The capacity for synthesis increases and, I believe, solutions are seen through other paths. Passion is an indispensable "fuel". Happy studying

Thanks for the advice, Paolo. Anyway, to give you an idea of the level of school studies achieved, I will list the diploma exam program: Bach's Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, Chopin's Polonaise in A-flat major and two Mazurkas, Brahms' Ballade in E-flat major, Liapounoff's Transcendental Etude "Summer Night", Bartok's "Allegro barbaro", and Carlo Ardissone's Suite "Saltationes modulatae".

Thanks again. Regarding the forum, I read something that perhaps has always prevented me from improving, namely crystallizing study on a maniacal perfection of detail and losing the "vision" or rather "the listening as a whole", out of fear of not controlling the details. Thank you, this site is truly enlightening. May the Lord reward you for it. Bye.

Welcome Sorpas

I too was very analytical and "maniacal" in the past. I have changed my orientation. This does not mean that I accept mediocre things or that I consider refinement useless. Absolute perfectionism, on the other hand, I believe, can lead us astray. The big picture allows us to glimpse and reach "the whole," which (as Gestalt theory, which is very dear to me, would claim) is "more than the sum of its parts." Then, each of us tries to "smooth out" the flaws....until reaching the maximum of one's own abilities. It is useless to invoke an absolute concept of the "perfect," which instead, for each of us, has a "level." In short, we cannot all be Pollini or Rubinstein, but we must, I believe, demand the most from ourselves. Yesterday I was watching a video of Emil Gilels performing Beethoven. I thought that I could never achieve that control and that mastery of the parts, of the sound, of the memory.....Incredible!!! It is a miracle to see him and we are lucky to have these testimonies. However, many other pianists can play even if they are not extraordinary like him. Each of them can have something interesting to "say" with their own music and it is extraordinary that they can communicate it to others. Everyone will communicate their own ideas while dealing with their own talent.

So I encourage you to play, certainly not "in spite of" your Teachers, who are undoubtedly or were Professionals, considering that it is worth entering into Music even with some small imperfection. I have discovered that Music itself rewards us and suggests the solutions we seek so much and sometimes cannot find, and helps us to fill and resolve those imperfections. Nothing is ever realized at 100% and pursuing the goal of perfection..can deprive us precisely of the "whole."

Sometimes words come to me spontaneously and I thank those who helped me, by creating this site, to make others hear my voice. I am always afraid that the words are too many and/or redundant. Happy studying and congratulations on your interesting Diploma program (Cimarosa's sonatas were only a suggestion to "promote" these compositions which I like very much!!!)

Thank you for the encouragement. And then I will certainly purchase Cimarosa's sonatas. I believe that in art everything must be known, and I do not consider one author secondary to another, nor one piece secondary to another; Casella used to say "fear simple things". Would you kindly indicate which Cimarosa sonata I should study? That way I can report my progress and the difficulties I encounter. Thank you.

Regarding scales, I tried lowering my wrist during the thumb-under passage and immediately noticed differences, but I cannot achieve fluidity (I mean as if it were played like a glissando); I feel different accents between note and note, and intermediate dynamic appoggiaturas. Perhaps I should study them slowly to obtain metric-rhythmic and dynamic equality?

My grand piano is a Kawai KG2D that I purchased in 1982 (listening to your Steinway, which is wonderful, I remembered the years spent in the conservatory). I would appreciate your technical opinion if you are familiar with my instrument.

Thank you again.

First of all, welcome; not to provoke but to understand, I ask

sorpas wrote:

I studied piano at the Naples Conservatory under the guidance of masters Ernesto Galdieri and Carlo Ardissone. I obtained my diploma in 1985. Master Ardissone one day expressed his regret for not having succeeded in making me perform in public as a soloist, something that has not yet happened. I have a sort of block, a real fear that forces me to refuse the stage, even with pieces that I had performed during exams. I cannot understand its nature.

You have been a teacher for almost 30 years; shouldn't you be the one teaching others how to face an audience, how this thing happens ... ?

I am at about one-fifth [of that stage]; I think about the audience, and I think about when my first student will ask me the same question as you ... I hope to find the answer in time

I was re-reading this topic... maybe useful

http://www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/558-concerto-in-vista-molti-dubbi/

Regarding Cimarosa's sonatas (now, I wouldn't want you to take them as a panacea... but they are beautiful) You can choose whichever of the brilliant ones you want. Perhaps I would prefer those that have two themes. They are naturally in a tempo like Scarlatti's and their "development" is very brief.

regarding scales: Uniformity increases with relaxed arm muscles and a flexible wrist. Discontinuities can, I say can, be generated by a lack of "confidence" in the support. In the beginning, I believe one must gravitate quite a bit on the fingers, feeling the bottom of the key. Then one can become skilled at suspending the weight from the shoulder and moving from forte to piano without losing grip on the keyboard....but perhaps I am telling you things that are well known. Anyway, relaxation, even at the expense of a sound that is not quite intended, encourages us not to lose perfect "confidence" with the instrument.

As far as the piano is concerned: it is a good instrument even if not very docile. I know it well It must be well regulated and tuned, interventions aimed at increasing the uniformity of the "touch," and the friction coefficients of the parts must be checked, an excessive increase in which could increase the "lack of docility" of the mechanics (sometimes, for example, that model has jack rails that don't "work" very well if they are plastic....one must then change the center pins) (look at my Tutorials on regulation and tuning). Greetings and Good Music

P.S. I also believe you can tackle some Chopin waltzes. Highly effective pieces and great works of music. They teach us a lot. When I play in concert, I always choose two or three. I also love Mazurkas very much, which I recommend you study in depth. If we ever have the chance to meet for a coffee (With three Cs, naturally!!!), we will talk about it in more detail (After all, we aren't too far apart... me in South Rome--you in Naples, a wonderful city!!!)

If only. Thanks for everything.

Lestofante wrote:

First of all, welcome; not to provoke but to understand, I ask

You have been a teacher for almost 30 years, shouldn't you be the one teaching others how to face the audience, how this thing happens ... ?

I am at about one fifth, I think about the audience, and I think about when my first student will ask me the same question as you ... I hope to find the answer in time

If I were aware of it, I would have already solved the problem! Anyway, thank you.