Pianists are getting better, and recordings too.

Here's a little diversion I feel necessary :

My first music was street music on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans. I heard every meter there is to hear in a morning, then again every year. One of the things that struck me was that when the band had an absolute rock solid beat and in tune, that marching club could go on all day. Flat trumpets or a dragging beat, and they would fade by noon.

So "On time and in tune" is probably my most basic musical value. What astounds me is how much like peeling an onion it really is.

Here's one specific example. In the Beethoven Opus 111, Rudolph Serkin comes across as playing series of complex chord progressions from time to time. In the Pollini, every note is voiced. The music is singing all the time :-) It never "congeals" into chord progressions.

I believe the reason for this is that Pollini has "dialed in" the right rhythms in this music.

That is why articulation is so damned important. Both the rhythm and the intonation are set in stone by the articulation. You can slice a beat up any number of ways, by nuance in articulation.

This idea is something of an obsession, but I think it will be sated once I've heard enough of this in music. Still, if that was my diet for another decade, how bad would that really be?

quote:

Originally posted by fred simon:
You wouldn't be mocking me, now, would you, Mr. Far Away?

Would never do that Fred Just wanted to let you know that I think you are up there with the very best. Happy Musical New Year to you from far away

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:

quote:

Originally posted by fred simon:
You wouldn't be mocking me, now, would you, Mr. Far Away?

Would never do that Fred Just wanted to let you know that I think you are up there with the very best. Happy Musical New Year to you from far away

You're very kind; I'm beyond flattered. But I know my place, and I'm not even in the same building, let alone the same room, as Jarrett. Thank-you all the same.

Happy New Ear

Fred

Woke up early in spite of myself, and put on Keith Jarrett doing the Shostakovitch Preludes and Fugues, Opus 87.

Good piano sound on the recording, and very well played.

For me, the music is not engaging. Clear cut case of "not my cup of tea."

Followed up with Pollini's Chopin Etudes. It's Pollini at his best again.

I have been looking for the words to describe what I call "forward momentum" in music. In the case of late Beethoven Sonatas, Chopin and Debussy, it is rooted in the sense that things are in a state of tension that is moving to a resolution. It is a many layered sensation.

You can feel the music moving through time to some destination. The sense of expectation swells, giving glimpses here and there, then arriving somewhere.

Not everyone can do this, and it is doubtful if anyone can do it all the time. But when it happens, it's always a good listen.

The first step is to have a rhythm that accurately divides the beat at any rate required, including a compound subdivision like 2 against 3. The more precise the player's placement of notes, the more in-focus the presentation.

For everyone, intonation is important. If the partials are not properly voiced, the music will be dulled or made strident.

Voicing and the independence of the voices allows the performer to sing.

The melodies are the point of the whole experience. Something Debussy transforms directly into feelings.

This is all speculation, so please take it that way :-)

For the last few weeks, I've been listening to Edna Stern.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-P...id=1262521651&sr=8-3

The CD contains a selection of Bach's 48, and some Bach-Busoni.

She has an impressive resume - Argerich, Fleisher, Zimerman - some of her teachers.

Is is very sensitive playing. Her control of dynamics are first rate. Her playing is very 'romantic' i.e. she explores some of the sonorities of Bach - both with pedal, and levels of voicing priority. Her interpretations aren't for everyone, but I think she is a very intelligent pianist.

The recording quality is superb. I'm not sure what the piano is... It could be a very mellow Steinway, or a Bosendorfer. The bass, in places, is very deep.

I'm looking forward to her future releases.

I ordered this one from Amazon UK.

Thanks :-)

I think you'll like this one, Mike.

If you can identify the piano, let me know.

Usually, I get them quickly... But this one has me stumped!

The Edna Stern certainly does sound like an interesting release, and I have ordered it too!

An related issue that concerns playing the piano.

If an older, experienced player were having a problem with holding the beat in Hanon, I am tempted to suggest "knock 10 points off the metronome and bang the hell out of the notes in strict meter."

Any better advice?

She's already figured that out, as things have slowed down. One trick a teacher showed me was to dot all the rhythms at a much lower tempo, pounding the short notes. Doing it a bit every day, it quickened my articulation.

Any similar experiences?

Mike,

I have mixed feelings about Hanon, and these types of exercises in general. The problem is, people play them in the wrong way - i.e. in a very mechanical way - devoid of musicality. So, if you 'train' your fingers in this way, your playing will reflect this.

The most effective finger exercises are scales;

Play them in groups of 4 (standard)
Play them in dotted rhythms (long-short, and short-long)
Triplets (strong accent on first note, then again with accent on second note, then third, etc.)
Groups of five - irregularity !
Try them legato
Try them staccato
Try them semi-detatched
Try one hand legato, one hand stac. and vice-versa.
Try them loud, and quiet.
Try a crescendo going up, and a dim. going down (and vice-versa).

With the above practice ideas, tackle all the scales - major, harmonic minor, melodic minor, chromatic, sixths, thirds, and tenths. A similar approach can be applied to arpeggios.

Set a low-ish tempo on the metronome - a tempo that all scales can be completed at, then increase as the confidence builds.

As far as technique goes, this is all you need. It will give you fluency of the fingers, pianistic dexterity, increased awareness of fingering, increased awareness of keys, evenness of touch, and improved agility.

Each piece of music has it's very own technical challenges - so, make your own exercises out of the difficulties. Slow them, dot them, etc.

I feel that, sometimes, these over repetitive exercises (Hanon, Czerny, etc.) can create unwanted tension. Remember, the whole body, right up to the knuckles, should be as relaxed as possible - this gives freedom to the fingers (and also improves the quality of the sound ).

It's interesting to note how similar practice routines that work are, even on different instruments.

Dan, did you ever receive Sholomo Mintz playing the Paganini Caprices?

Not great music, but interesting, and a spectacular showcase for violin.

Curious about your reaction ...

Hi Mike,

I've listened to the Mintz a couple of times.

Intonation is extremely well controlled - he knows when to increase, or decrease the 'tuning' depending on the colour/perceived harmonies.

He is definitely of the 'Golden Age'. His dynamic gradations are superb (especially on the final track). From the recording, he seems like a very natural player i.e. the bow is merely an extension of his arm!

I'm going to explore his discography to see what I can find...

Has the Edna Stern arrived? Anyone?

quote:

Originally posted by Dan Carney:
Hi Mike,

I've listened to the Mintz a couple of times.

Intonation is extremely well controlled - he knows when to increase, or decrease the 'tuning' depending on the colour/perceived harmonies.

He is definitely of the 'Golden Age'. His dynamic gradations are superb (especially on the final track). From the recording, he seems like a very natural player i.e. the bow is merely an extension of his arm!

I'm going to explore his discography to see what I can find...

Has the Edna Stern arrived? Anyone?

My Edna Stern is coming from the UK, so I expect it by the end of next week.

Shlomo did a set of Prokofiev Violin Concertos with Abbado/Chicago on DGG that is terrific, and some of my favorite Prokofiev, especially the 1st. He also did a great set of the Prokofiev Violin Sonatas.

I have Mintz doing the Bach Sonatas and Partitas. I don't know how to feel about this one. The playing is flawless, but he distorts the beat to extremes sometimes, and it doesn't hang together for me. The fault probably lay with me.

Dan, thanks for turning me on to the Edna Stern Bach. I'm sure it will turn off the purists, but it is very beautiful.

quote:

Originally posted by Oldnslow:
Dan, thanks for turning me on to the Edna Stern Bach. I'm sure it will turn off the purists, but it is very beautiful.

Oldnslow, could you say a little more than that?
You really have my curiosity up.

in doing a little searching on the Edna Stern Bach, I came across this website, which may be of interest and includes several postings by Ms. Stern:

here

scroll to the top. for other topics put your cursor on "M" which will take you to the music room topics.

and some Edna Stern mp3s here

I have no technical or historical knowledge of the music on Edna Stern's mp3 links above, but as mp3 through my MacBook Pro, all I can say is "WOW".

Mike, I can not comment further other than to add a second "beautiful" to Oldnslow's comment above.

The Bach disc is downloading now, thanks, Dan, for the recommendation on this.

Jeff A

Thanks for the links Jeff, that scratched an itch for me :-)

Edna Sterns sounds terrific.

Meanwhile, I listened to Shlomo Mintz doing the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Violin this morning. I have spend over a decade with Perlman doing these.

The tempos Mintz takes are more deliberate than the Perlman (i.e. a bit slower), and that threw me off for a bit, but I am enjoying the Mintz more with every listen.

Edna is bit of a jewel. I can't even remember how I found her out...

Her interpretation seems to get deeper and deeper the more I listen to it. As you've all said, it is truly elegant and beautiful playing.

From her website, she seems to be working on a CD os Schumann. That'll be interesting!

Mike, I'm going to place a Mintz order on Monday (student loans arrive!!).

quote:

Originally posted by Dan Carney:
Edna is bit of a jewel. I can't even remember how I found her out...

From her website, she seems to be working on a CD of Schumann. That'll be interesting!

She has a Schumann download and a 2001 Van Cliburn competition download, both available: here

Forgot to mention, I now have the Blechacz Sonata CD. Haydn E-flat (Hob. 62), Beethoven Op. 2 no. 2, and Mozart K. 311 (i think...).

Superb playing - not at all over romanticised. Superb range of articulation, dynamics, and sense of pace and rhythm. If Naim made pianists...

Go and get it - I can't recommend this enough. This guy can play anything!

On a side note, I've managed to get a lesson with the well known British pianist Martin Roscoe. Need to find some of his recordings....

I've just listened to Wilhelm Backhaus playing Mozart's last piano concerto, K595, with the Wiener Philharmoniker under Boehm. The recording is over 50 years old.

Pianists are very much less good these days, and current recording engineers don't know arse from elbow.

G