piano schools

Asking which is the best School is, for me, like asking which is the best Author. A School is formed through core principles that its Representatives have enunciated according to their own experience in the "field". I am speaking of concert performance and musical activity. Even here there is a great diversity of ideas. Personally, for example, I was not accustomed to separating so-called "Technique" from "Music". Those who transmitted the School to me (from the lineage of M. Bajardi, Zecchi, etc.) always emphasized and demonstrated to me that technical solutions are suggested by the musical context and that Technique and Music are made of the same stuff. There are, for example, schools that have students study Hanon, which I deem useless. Conversely, some, considered illustrious, make one repeat a measure a hundred times; or again, those who suggest that one must do 3 hours of "technique" per day, perhaps repeating formulas outside the application of the musical text. The approach to the instrument, I believe, is and must be based on being "tension-free," and from there one can patiently build the tools and gestures that will serve us in executing the Author's idea. Using "technique" books is useful for learning some formulas that, especially in the classical period, are found in musical scores. "Studies" can also be useful. Those by Pozzoli, Czerny, Cramer, etc., help the student repeat these formulas by creating musical phrases, and some even enter the concert repertoire (I am speaking of those by Chopin and Liszt, for example). One must not abuse elementary studies or elementary technical formulas, thinking that everything is contained there. I don't think there exists a School for every repertoire either, but it may happen that a certain teaching is aimed preferably at a specific repertoire. Certainly, a teacher who plays and/or has played predominantly romantic repertoire will be inclined to teach and suggest solutions on pieces from the romantic repertoire, etc.

Personally, I have exchanged viewpoints in the past with Polish and Russian concert pianists and, even in conducting (with the Pole, I attended a score reading course), we discussed a lot about the practicality they applied compared to our approach, which is much more scientific but not of rapid learning (referring to the tedious study of the septichord). In short, ultimately, the sum of experiences forms us. A bit of a long discourse... perhaps I have already rambled too much, disorganically.

I agree with Pianoexpert, an interesting "school" is also that of Mozzati, because it allows one to approach the study of technique by moving directly to the repertoire.

Forgive my ignorance, but I was not aware of the Mozzati school.

Which schools or trends of technical approach are currently widespread in Italy?

Could it be only Vitale's?

Among these schools, which one do you consider more physiological and effective, pianoexpert?

Then another curiosity

Many say that their technique derives from Liszt, but I am not convinced.

Historically, did Liszt and Chopin transmit their technique and create students who then

transmitted something? (at least an influence, also because the instruments of that time

were different and therefore the technique is also different)

At present, the Imola school is highly accredited.

As far as I know, Chopin and Liszt established schools with their etudes, thus passing down technique through repertoire (concert etudes) to us.

I have heard about it. But in Imola, there will be a representative of said teaching tradition. Do you know who it is?

What kind of technique does the Imola school propose?

The techniques that can be observed around are the most disparate and each has its own representative dogmas

1) relaxation and weight release 2) control of every single finger (relaxing the one that is not playing); every finger must be as strong as the others, 3) high sitting position 4) low sitting position

5) elongated fingers 6) curled fingers etc

I would just like to bring some order to establish fundamental physiological truths and avoid falling into wrong techniques (converting to the best is never too late)

I must confess that I have only seen the first two videos of pianoexpert and as soon as I have time I will watch them all (very interesting)

taking an example, in study no. 17 of Gradus ad Parnassum (for the development of the agility of the 5 fingers of the left hand) how do you recommend proceeding

1) slow study phase (how to articulate?)

2) fast study phase (how to articulate?)

3) how to make all the notes uniform?

Do you mean the 17 of the 23 who were preparing only the pianists for the former eighth, or the 17 of the entire work (specifically of the 100)?

I would also like to say my piece...

I always like to refer to nature.

A sinusoid is the simplest motion in nature because it presents no sudden accelerations; everything is gradual and "natural." In nature, forces tend to balance themselves to reach equilibrium. Well, in light of these observations, I believe it is necessary to follow a natural approach, one that allows us to completely release tension while maintaining great clarity in musical phrases... This too is a search for the balance between forces.

When to articulate? When to release the weight? When to seek the bottom of the key? When to play on the escapement?

The musical context suggests it.

Tall technical schools have laid foundations and proposed solutions; the point is that each of us is anatomically different from others, and some technical solutions that work for one hand might not work for another. In my opinion, it is good to know the various technical schools and apply their solutions at our discretion to play with naturalness. It is not written anywhere that one must use a single school of technique and that it is not possible to skillfully mix different solutions according to one's own anatomy. Everything must be aimed at the naturalness of being tension-free and at the sound we intend to produce. Which sound? The one suggested by the composer in their composition.

Chopinauer wrote:

I have heard about it. But in Imola, there will be a representative of said teaching tradition. Do you know who it is?

What kind of technique does the Imola school propose?

If some information might be useful to you, you can find it here

Physiological principles, mechanical principles, but above all "MUSICAL EAR".

Interesting are the books by Heinrich Neuhaus "The Art of Piano Playing" and the book by Chuan C. Chang "Fundamentals of Piano Study".

And then listen, listen, and listen to the MASTERS.

Good studying