Mozart sonata k. 283 1st movement Scarlatti sonata k 1

Unfortunately, there are "schools" obsessed with the metronome!!!!! It seems they must unconsciously teach students the "fear" of being "caught" out of time!!!! Thus, sometimes the pianist, the musician, grows up believing that everything must be strictly "to a metronome"; in fact, they cannot detach themselves from the comfort of the metronome as if it were a "pacifier"!!! In this way, one does not learn to personally manage time and to make "the basic tempo" appropriately flexible. No Composer and no score is exempt from tempo variations, naturally all built upon a solid and conscious choice of a "basic metronome". Everything must be governed by taste and proper measure. For example, it is believed that "rubato" tempo belongs only to Chopin. But that is not the case. As far as Mozart is concerned, from his own letters it can be seen how he played with great expression. He emphasizes this when speaking of Clementi and the musical "competition" held with him. He explicitly accuses him of playing "without feeling", "feeling" which implies the use of flexible tempo. Regarding "breaths," I think they are indispensable in Music and must, certainly, be realized skillfully, without creating actual "caesuras" in the musical discourse. They are certainly more readily accepted live, in concert, because the visual element helps. In recording, a bit less so. We must take into account that the pianist's body movement justifies and shortens the breaths which, I remind you, can be realized without or with pedaling (depending on the use of the pedal on the downbeat or upbeat, ordinary).

Eh, in the sonata I must make extensive use of rubato... especially on the first two beats... not to mention the rondo later on...

Clementi might have been a "mecanicus" at the beginning of his career, but definitely less so afterwards! And technically, I doubt anyone was at his level before Liszt... perhaps not even Beethoven (Beethovenians, don't shoot me ahahah)

pianoexpert wrote:

Unfortunately, there are "schools" obsessed with the metronome!!!!! It seems they must unconsciously teach students the "fear" of being "caught" out of time!!!! Thus, sometimes the pianist, the musician, grows up believing that everything must be strictly "to a metronome"; in fact, they cannot detach themselves from the comfort of the metronome as if it were a "pacifier"!!! In this way, one does not learn to personally manage time and to make "the basic tempo" appropriately flexible. No Composer and no score is exempt from tempo variations, naturally all built upon a solid and conscious choice of a "basic metronome". Everything must be governed by taste and proper measure. For example, it is believed that "rubato" tempo belongs only to Chopin. But that is not the case. As far as Mozart is concerned, from his own letters it can be seen how he played with great expression. He emphasizes this when speaking of Clementi and the musical "contest" made with him. He explicitly accuses him of playing "without feeling", "feeling" which implies the use of flexible tempo. Regarding "breaths," I think they are indispensable in Music and must, certainly, be realized skillfully, without creating actual "caesuras" in the musical discourse. They are certainly more readily accepted live, in concert, because the visual element helps. In recording, a bit less. We must take into account that the pianist's body movement justifies and shortens the breaths which, I remind you, can be realized without or with pedaling (depending on the use of pedal on the downbeat or upbeat, ordinary).

....I fully agree on everything. Not to mention those who replace the metronome with a pencil tapped very nervously on the wood of the piano... which beats the subdivisions at stratospheric speed; it penetrates your brain like a nail.

Chopin continuously reiterated that playing must be like singing (in my own words) and I challenge anyone to sing while holding their breath... and this is a valid principle for all music.

In the end, we didn't record a thing today... between pianos, drums (of pots), and other things, classroom shutters were banging because of the wind.... a mess.

We studied Bach... aria variata alla maniera italiana, the theme on the harpsichord.

So my study material now includes: Mozart sonata k 283 (the whole thing), rondo k 511 and aria variata alla maniera italiana. poor me!! Ahahahah

Great, another one telling me to study the "regularity of rhythm and stability" more ahahahahahàhha good heavens they continue not to understand that every breath, more or less long between phrases, has been weighed and studied for different tempos... oh well, never mind, as if it were harder to do it to a metronome beat ahahahah

Let's talk about "breaths". In my opinion, and not just mine, Music without breaths ....cannot live. Breaths can be more or less evident and they do not steal time like silent thieves! Let us say immediately that breaths can be achieved without or under the pedal. It is different if playing live or on a recording. The visual element counts, and how!!! To make a pleasant and almost comical example, let's think of Celentano....yes yes, him exactly, the "king of the ignorant" (but what an ignorant he isn't at all!!! On the contrary....very acute). He has always played comically with long silences of waiting before a punchline. He is famous for this, in addition to his Music. It is fun to hear and see him on TV performing this comic trick. But I remember once right on TV, during a telephone interview, putting this pleasant "waiting expedient" into practice. His pauses seemed interminable... so much so that the host checked if he was still on the other end of the line. He was missing, the visual element, and all the "times" seemed longer than they should be... In concert, the presence and gesture of the musician justify "breaths" much more than listening to the same in a recording. Therefore, let everyone find the right proportion, with musical taste. The important thing is not to believe that there is "a void". If this fear assails us, the phrase will never be calm and flexible. Everything will appear rigid and it will also be difficult to understand the intentions of the phrases themselves. Phrasing involves a succession of breaths and just as a wise orator will "minimize" "catching one's breath", so the musician will become accustomed to dialoguing naturally, without giving the slightest impression of "losing time". All this is a sign of artistic maturity, but, always according to me, one must begin studying by taking the breaths that we need. We will only learn later how to minimize them and we will notice this when, in the piece being studied, we learn to be increasingly ready to almost "anticipate," mentally,

pianoexpert wrote:

Let's talk about "breaths." In my opinion, and not just mine, Music without breaths ....cannot live. Breaths can be more or less evident and do not steal time like silent thieves! Let us say immediately that breaths can be achieved without or under pedal. It is different if playing live or on a recording. The visual element counts, and how!!! To make a pleasant and almost comical example, let's think of Celentano....yes yes, him exactly, the "king of the ignorant" (but what an ignorant he isn't at all!!! On the contrary....very acute). He has always played comically with long silences of waiting before a punchline. He is famous for this, as well as for his Music. It is fun to hear and see him on TV performing this comic trick. But I remember once right on TV, during a telephone intervention, putting this pleasant "waiting expedient" into practice. His pauses seemed interminable... so much so that the host checked if he was still at the other end of the line. He was missing, the visual element, and all the "times" seemed longer than they should be... In concert, the presence and gesture of the musician justify "breaths" much more than listening to them in a recording. Therefore, let everyone find the right proportion, with musical taste. The important thing is not to believe that there is "a void." If this fear assails us, the phrase will never be calm and flexible. Everything will appear rigid and it will also be difficult to understand the intentions of the phrases themselves. Phrasing involves a succession of breaths and just as a wise orator "minimizes" "catching one's breath," so the musician will become accustomed to dialoguing naturally, without giving the slightest impression of "wasting time." All this is a sign of artistic maturity, but, always according to me, one must begin studying by taking the breaths that we need. We will only learn later how to minimize them and we will notice this when, in the piece studied, we learn to be increasingly ready to almost "anticipate," mentally, "the positions of the gesture." I know I don't have everyone "on my side," but this is my opinion (provided I have managed to make myself understood in words!)

Beautiful intervention. Perhaps among the best you have written!

Thank you dear Simone!