Piano Performance

pianoexpert wrote:

You are funny!!!!!!Hahahaha!!!! Naturally, Cortot's video is a bit Liberty...... His fantastic approach to Romantic music, which is also the subject of reflection in some of his beautiful books, is modernly—with respect being paid—a bit decadent. Nancy's observations on non-verbal communication, to which our Music belongs, are beautiful. That interpretation must stem from "communicative clarity" is no doubt, and on this, I believe, we all agree. And it is anyway difficult and, as our friend always maintains, it takes assimilation time, study time... or simply time. I believe, try it and see, that the maturation of a piece also occurs partly with the passage of time, even in the absence of study. Our own maturation also changes, and every musical experience opens new perspectives for us. Having played, for example, a new program in public becomes a great experience for us—an experience that, if left to sleep for some time, will return to us, upon resuming the study of those pieces, new ways of understanding. In short, the piece, to put it in French, enters you "par coeur".....I wonder if I managed to be clear in my communication?

M°, you are always crystal clear...

playing is not just technique and physicality, but from the moment it involves a person's entire emotionality, it is greatly affected by the maturity reached and furthermore by the state of mind one has during that period, or even in that very moment.... and in my opinion, it is one of the most complex and complete forms of communication!!!!

"complex and complete"....I like it! I would add...simpler and more complex at the same time. "the less you do, the more you do" could be a goal (certainly not fixed and definitive). That is, we realize that naturalness and the release of tension govern our muscular-pianistic apparatus. I never tire of recommending the reading of Monique Dechausses: "l'homme et le piano". A small book that deals precisely with this. Unfortunately, it is in French....but....dear Nancy, remembering the advice of Ethnomusicologist Sorce Keller, which I have already recounted, it is worth venturing into the new language, even without knowing it. Knowledge of the topics treated will help to understand....without translating literally (anyway, a small dictionary nearby, perhaps technical, can help us)

pianoexpert wrote:

"complex and complete"....I like it! I would add... more simple and more complex at the same time. "the less you do, the more you do" could be a goal (not certainly fixed and definitive). That is, we realize that naturalness and the loss of tension govern our muscular-pianistic apparatus

Sacrosanct words!! It often happens to me that I begin the execution of a piece (when it is not yet ready) with such a load of tension that the sound results strident and crushed and the phrasing dyspneic! Only by concentrating and resizing the perception of real difficulties without emphasizing them does the necessary naturalness return.....think simple to make it simple!!

Thank you for the indication, I will certainly try to read it....dictionary glued to the fingers!!!

I am glad you want to read it. It's a small book but beautiful! You say things that I fully agree with.

In complete agreement, Paolo. The same piece played wonderfully by an 8-year-old child becomes very different when played at 20, and then at 40, and so on. Understanding music is strictly linked to understanding life..

Every piece is never the same. Just like our mood and our heart.

As for Chopin's prelude and Schumann, I will say more later.... right now I am in a hurry...

Bye.

Very well done Giovanni, the prelude is very beautiful. For Schumann, perhaps it is as Maestro Ferrarelli says, it needs time and maturation; in any case, compliments.

Forgive me Stefano, I am arriving tremendously late with my response. Thank you for the compliments, I am glad that you liked the prelude; a comment from you, as well as those from the friends on the forum, helps me to grow and to improve myself.

Yes, it is for me too.

It's just that I always find an obstacle every time I have mastered a piece; at a certain point, I acquire such ease in performing it that I start to unlearn it... how should I say.. I allow myself things that I didn't do before.

I have always been told to put it back to slow tempo with a metronome, but it is not easy.

I would like to take up Chopin's preludes again, which I studied years ago.

I will try and maybe I'll post them..

Thank you! I look forward to your piano performances

Yes, I liked Chopin ...the piece is there. However, I miss the soprano in the right hand terribly.

At the fifth measure everything changes and the sound is milder and reminiscent (almost a recollection ``mirroring the first four measures which instead prove to be affirmative and incisive....almost the imposition of death upon our fragile existence) and at this moment the pinky plays an extremely important role...the Eb to be precise, and then D C etc...must peek out from the other fingers of the right hand (perhaps trying to put more weight on the pinky) and this also in the other four measures where he indicates pianissimo for the re-exposition of the theme (from the 9th measure to the 13th). Here it would be nice to get a tip from Paolo or Simone whether to use (one string in the piano from the 5th measure to the end, or modulating on the last measures by increasing the volume, or even playing the first part of the piano softly and then using one string only in the pianissimo part....what a beautiful piece this is!!, incredible the 12th measure where in such a natural way the melody takes a turn of rebellion against death...a sort of small crescendo ...almost a revenge that somehow reminds us of the immortality of our spirit..

It is also very difficult to bind the soprano.

Great piece. Truly a beautiful choice...I don't know if they remain or not in your spirit, but No. 4 and No. 6 are also magnificent.

I would gladly listen to them.