i would need some advice on how to use the pedal in the famous “Clair de Lune” from Debussy's Suite bergamasque. My edition simply provides the indication “con sordina” at the beginning of the piece, and then says nothing else. I suppose, therefore, that the use of the pedal has been left to the taste and good sense of the performer. Personally, I would like to use it as little as possible because, as much as it may seem pleasant sometimes, it actually tends to mask the harmonies and cause a bit of loss of musical sense... not to mention that it would be a decidedly dishonest way to cover up my technical inaccuracies. That being said, however, I am very disoriented in front of the score. In short, I was thinking of using it only in the accompaniment arpeggios and to connect the numerous leaps present in the piece. What do you suggest?
One of the few Authors where the pedal is an integral and indispensable part of the writing is Debussy himself. In the famous piece, one can use ordinary or syncopated pedaling on the first page since the hand binds the sounds well. It is recommended to depress both pedals. The sound must be evanescent, and this can be achieved by playing by letting the fingers fall softly and freely until you feel the escapement slipping... before the bottom of the key has even been reached. Almost no weight from the shoulder or arm. Typical French music "touch," also called a way of playing (Cortot also uses this definition often): "sur l'escapement," meaning on the escapement. When the episode with the low octave begins, for those who have it, tonal pedaling can be used. Otherwise, the low note must remain as much as possible, even when moving to the second page. Therefore, "pedal on the beat." In the arpeggios, change it at the beginning of each arpeggio, taking care to let even the first note of the arpeggio remain. As it progresses, one must look at it closely... it cannot be much "described." However, already having mastery of the first two pages will suggest to you the correct way to use the pedal in the remaining part of the piece. Happy studying.
P.S. Casella says that, in his opinion, Debussy absolutely did not think about hammers in his piano compositions. I would say not in all of them, but this is one of those. Forget the hammers!
Damn Pianoexpert, thanks a lot! Unfortunately, however, I must make a clarification: I only have a Korg digital piano that only has the sustain pedal (at most you can use the "half-pedal"), so I cannot play on the escapement because the mechanics are completely different.
Yes, but you can still use the technique of letting your fingers fall with their own weight. Undoubtedly, the acoustic piano is necessary to understand certain technical choices that then, perhaps, with experience, can be "imagined" on digital instruments, to be used for convenience, but not for study in an absolute sense! Anyway, you can still choose the ordinary pedal, syncopated, or on the beat. Knowing how to use the pedals is fundamental
Unfortunately, they cannot be explained in words. It would be complicated and there would be a risk of misleading. Let's say summarily that 'on the beat' means placing the pedal at the beginning of the phrase you want to pedalize: down with the pedal at the moment the first note or the first notes of the new harmony are played. 'Ordinary' refers to "changing", i.e., lifting the pedal simultaneously with the notes of the new harmony. 'Syncopated' is when it is changed a moment after the new harmony. This last one works well in a succession of chords as in the piece "La cathédrale engloutie" by Debussy (jokingly called by pianists... the swallowed cathedral because of 'engloutie'). Anyway, it's easier to do it than to say it. Bye
hi anthos, wouldn't it be faster to purchase the Curci edition of clair de lune? giovanni dell'agnola's revision includes pedal, even 1C...
also by debussy and also from curci and always with pedal, you can find all the preludes, children's corner, jardins sous la pluie, l'isle joyeuse, the arabesques
.......... Anyway, the pedals indicated in musical editions are the most diverse and are purely indicative. It is not certain that 1C (una corda) is always appropriate. It depends on the preparation of the piano and its sound possibilities, the acoustics, the regulation, etc.... Furthermore, it is not necessarily correct to always use the sostenuto/una corda pedal where one must achieve piano, pianissimo, or pianissimo with three ppp. Michelangeli's last two recordings of Debussy's preludes have been described as "luminous"; his "pianissimos" are almost all achieved with three strings (tre corde), and "il Grande" entrusts the sensation of piano and mezzoforte to other accentual decisions. Without using comparisons, you can listen in the Audio section to my concert recording of Debussy's Estampes. In the final chords of the coda of Soirées dans Grenade, to obtain three shades of piano, I started from a relative piano with 3 strings to reach the ppp... by saving the una corda pedal specifically for the final chord. Only a rather "short" Yamaha had been made available in the hall, but it was mechanically new and it was a gamble to try. The regulation of the escapement very close to the strings and a certain correct regulation of the springs allowed me to achieve this.
Yes, indeed, Debussy without pedal... mmmm... you're going to take away what Cortot defined as the soul of the piano. I understand what you mean when you talk about the overbearing nature of the pedal. Sometimes one is led by habit to use it too much and in a confusing way. Even great pianists sometimes err with excessive penalization, and certain pieces are seriously unlistenable. Barenboim's Mozart, for example.
Away with the hammers, in the sense that the notes should appear like drops of water fallen from who knows what sky... truly an incredible composer.
