I’m reminded of a quote attributed to Sviatoslav Richter when asked how he approached a challenging new composition of virtuoso proportion:
His reply– “I read a new piece and then start practicing the place that irritates me the most. After learning that one I move to the next irritation, etc.”
Well, most of us would die to have such comparable talent, but our perfunctory read of a new composition only skims the surface, requiring our deeper commitment to musical and technical discovery.
I will admit that earlier today I dove into a virgin piece, submerging myself for greater than two full hours as I refined fingering, mapped out harmonic rhythm, probed voice layering, and the rest. It was in readiness for my video tutorial of Mendelssohn’s Children’s Piece, Op. 72 No. 1.
This composition, with a hymn-like, singing tone quality, happened to be the second one brought to me by my “new” Bay area adult student. As it turned out, she was very committed to hard work and personal musical development which was one of the rare blessings to come my way over a long teaching career. For me, this was an opportunity to grow along with her and expand my pianistic horizons.
In the embedded video offered, I literally approached the Mendelssohn work as if I were a maiden voyager on a musical journey, wanting to make my student’s foray a bit easier.
Along the way, I encountered a perfectly heart-warming character piece that looked deceptively simple, but wasn’t. And as I dealt with a choir of voices, with a few inner ones needing to be fleshed out, I re-fingered measures that had poor editorial choices, and examined harmonic rhythm and phrasing to ensure a depth of learning that would be long-lasting.
Previously, I’d studied many of the composer’s “Songs without Words” which provided a good Romantic era underpinning for this undertaking, but still, I required quality time to examine a brand new composition that was not in my repertoire. (Separate hand practice could not be avoided)
The video instruction contained baby-step advances that would bode well for a progressive learning and ripening process, and in this effort, I would partner with an enthusiastic adult student who was on the same page with me.
Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet a new adult piano student who had studied for a few years. Besides having this basic, preliminary information, I had no other tangible clues about her level of playing.
The suspense of not knowing what music she would bring was lifted when two contrasting era works were neatly deposited on the music rack.
The first, Minuet in D, HOB. IX: 20, No.1 was unfamiliar to me. The second composition, Children’s Piece, Op. 72 No. 1 by Mendelssohn was the same, but appearing to be of a more advanced level.
Nevertheless, as I glanced over both works, I mapped them out in a visual scan, knowing that I could adequately read through both. (“How to Improve Sight-reading at the Piano,” amplifies this encounter with a fresh piece of music)
The first lesson brought home how important sight-reading skills are, and their relevance to the very launch of a musical relationship with a new pupil.
In addition, having familiarity with the Performance practice of the Classical and Romantic eras, etc. allows a teacher to navigate “new” compositions, while assisting a student in the learning process from day one.
In the video below, I explored the Haydn Minuet from start to finish, in back tempo, illustrating execution of staccato during the Classical period, as well as ornamentation, and phrasing. (The Mendelssohn analysis will follow in a subsequent blog)
A piano teacher can use the technique portion of a lesson to explore emotions or moods. The student can be instructed to play an arpeggio or scale in a tender way, or with “anger,” “happiness,” etc.
I prefer this type of technique-framed mood exploration to an enlistment of Baroque, Classic or Romantic era repertoire for the same purpose.
In the video below, I play a C Major arpeggio with various emotional prompts to myself, demonstrating how this approach might be applied to lessons.
P.S. Some piano teachers, might oppose applying emotional tags to music, preferring a more abstract frame of reference.
I put into “practice” one of Trifonov’s recommendations, as I mentored a second year piano student this evening.
We started the lesson by playing “happy” and then “angry” consecutive staccato thirds. (“Hopping” from Dozen a Day)
Eventually after completing our scale and other technical routines, we applied the emotion shifts to the opening of “Wild Rider” by Robert Schumann (from the composer’s “Album for the Young”) “Sad” and then “Happy.”
The video demonstrates:
I’m not entirely convinced of this approach as it pertains to mainstream piano repertoire. I think it’s more applicable to scales, arpeggios, octaves etc., that are metaphors for the literature, and feed into it.
To devote time to making a Bach Gigue, for example, sound sad, is for me, counter to the style or spirit of the composition.
Elaine Comparone who plays harpsichord, piano, and organ, agreed.
“It would seem to me that a piece, being a work of art, would possess an intrinsic meaning or feeling(imbued by the composer) that the player would then try to transmit to his/her listeners. It is up to the performer/interpreter to discover this meaning, not to superimpose an entirely arbitrary or perhaps contrary one.
“For instance, can you imagine, or would it make any sense to play the first movement of the Beethoven Pathetique Sonata, for instance, in a perky, playful mood? I’m not sure what Trifonov is getting at. Maybe he feels he can try a bunch of different approaches with the pieces he plays.
“The B-flat Schubert might allow for some variance of interpretation, but I can’t imagine anything more than varying shades of a certain feeling. Maybe that’s what he meant…
“I guess different interpreters can discover varying meanings in a piece. But I don’t see the point of attempting diametrically opposing interpretations on the same piece.”.
Irina Gorin, teacher and creator, Tales of a Musical Journey, however, asserts that she asks her students to play their pieces with two or three different emotions to broaden their depth of expression. As she’s quoted: it applies to “anything.”
In supplementary video footage, Trifonov discussed the role of “relaxation,” and physical “freedom” in beautiful music-making. He reiterated a practicing modality where a pianist plays a composition in “seven different emotions.”
One of my adult students and her husband joined me during the post-recital interview that took place in the private Fresno State University music studio of Professor Andreas Werz, Artistic Director, Philip Lorenz Memorial Keyboard Concerts.
Thanks once again to Andreas, Daniil, and Aviva Kirsten (video assistant) for making this interview flow smoothly.
Fresno had a rare double cultural treat yesterday afternoon. Daniil Trifonov, pianist, feasted listeners to an awe-inspiring recital followed by a riveting interview, revealing the artist’s profound thoughts about piano technique, performance, memorization, competitions, and more.
It was a perfectly delightful foray into the universe of a gifted performer who’s made a meteoric career rise by winning the Tchaikovsy and Rubinstein Piano Competitions.
His closely-spaced triumphs drew the attention of Andreas Werz, Artistic Director of the Philip Lorenz Memorial Keyboard Concerts who tapped Trifonov for an appearance on the well-reputed series, placing the pianist in the good company of Nikolai Lugansky who performed in Fresno a few months earlier.
***
Trifonov’s program included the works of Schubert/Liszt; Schubert–Sonata in Bb Major; Images Book I by Debussy: “Reflets dans l’eau,” “Hommage a Rameau,”
and “Mouvement,” in addition to the Twelve Chopin Etudes, Op. 10.
For each composer the artist elicited a uniquely individual mood and affect from the piano. A tone colorist in the Debussy, he made the instrument shimmer, while in the Schubert works he produced cantabile lines and richly voiced, sonorous chords. An appealing orchestral dimension permeated the Romantic compositions.
A standing ovation brought two well-played encores and sustained applause. Not to forget my daughter Aviva’s rush to the stage, embracing a colorful bouquet of flowers deposited in the pianist’s arms.
The icing on the cake, however, was Trifonov’s post-recital interview, captured “live” on video:
Aviva was thrilled to grab a photo op with Daniil:
Trifonov Bio:
“Born in Nizhniy Novgorod in 1991, Daniil Trifonov is emerging as one of the brightest new names of the next generation of pianists. During the 2010/11 season he won medals at three of the most prestigious competitions in the music world: the Chopin Competition in Warsaw (Bronze Medal), the Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv (First Prize) and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (Gold Medal).
“During these performances he impressed jury members and observers such as Martha Argerich, Krystian Zimerman, Van Cliburn, Emanuel Ax, Nelson Freire, Yefim Bronfman and Valery Gergiev. Gergiev personally awarded Trifonov the ‘Grand Prix’ in Moscow, an additional award given to the best overall competitor in any of that Competition’s categories.
“Following these accolades, Trifonov has been invited to perform by many major promoters worldwide during the 2011/12 season. Highlights include debuts with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (tour), London Symphony Orchestra and Mariinsky Orchestra with Gergiev, Israel Philharmonic with Mehta, Russian National Orchestra with Pletnev, as well as collaborations with other conductors as Howard Shelly, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Pietari Inkinen, Sir Neville Marriner, Diego Matheuz, Antoni Wit. He also gives performances at the Salle Pleyel Paris, Carnegie Hall New York, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Wigmore Hall London, Musikverein Vienna; and venues across Europe, North and South America, Middle and Far East.
During the 2011/12 season Daniil has performed at International music festivals, among them International Piano Festival in the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall (Russia), Festival of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (Israel), Red Sea International Classical Music Festival (Israel), International Keyboard Institute & Festival (USA), BNDNES International Piano Competition Festival (Brasil), International Music Festival “Chopin and his Europe” (Poland), International Chopin Piano Festival in Duszniki Zdroj (Poland).
“In next summer, the debuts in major summer festivals: Verbier, Montreux, Edinburgh, Tivoli, Kremerata Festival, Lockenhaus, Grafenegg, La Roque d’Anthéron, Klavier Festival Ruhr, in USA Blossom Festival and Chautauqua Festival. Among future confirmed engagements: New York Philharmonic Orchestra (Gilbert), Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Dutoit), San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra (Gaffigan), Philharmonia Orchestra (Maazel), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Dutoit), Orchestre de l’Opera de Paris (Jordan), Mariinsky Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra e Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (Gergiev), Russian National Orchestra (Pletnev), BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and recitals in Lucerne Piano Festival, London Queen Elizabeth Hall, Paris Auditorium du Louvre, Zurich Tonhalle, Washington Kennedy Center, New York Carnegie Hall (Stern auditorium), Berlin Philharmonie (Kammersaal), Amsterdaam Concertgebouw (main auditorium), Moscow Philharmonie, ecc.
“Daniil Trifonov began his musical studies at the age of five. He studied at Moscow Gnesin School of Music in the class of Tatiana Zelikman (2000-2009), teacher of such artists as Konstantin Lifschitz, Alexander Kobrin and Alexei Volodin. From 2006 to 2009 he also studied composition and has continued to write piano, chamber and orchestral music since then. Since 2009, he has studied piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music in the class of Sergei Babayan.
“Trifonov won many competitions and in 2008, at the age of 17, he was awarded at the 4th International Scriabin Competition (2008, Moscow) and triumphed at 3rd International Piano Competition of San Marino Republic (1st Prize and Special Prize “Republic of San Marino 2008”). He received a Guzik Foundation Career Grant in 2009, and toured the USA and Italy as a consequence of this.
“Recent concerts by Daniil Trifonov have included his Japanese debut in Tokyo, recitals at the Mariinsky Concert Hall and at Moscow Easter Festival, a Chopin birthday concert in Warsaw conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki, and recitals at the Teatro La Fenice in Italy and at the Brighton Festival in the UK, Festival Pianistico di Trieste (Italy), Rheingau (Germania), Crescendo (Russia), New Names (Russia), Arpeggione (Austria), Dame Myra Hess Series (USA), Round Top (USA). He has also recently performed with the Orchestra Verdi in Milan.
“His first CD was released on DECCA in 2011, featuring a selection of Chopin solo piano works. He’s made recordings for other labels and made a number of radio and television recordings in Russia, the USA and Italy:
Record Labels – DUX (Poland), The Fryderyk Chopin Institute (Poland), Classical Records (Russia), Zvuk Agency (Russia),
Television – Channel One (Russia), Kultura TV Channel (Russia), Nizhny Novgorod TV (Russia), TVP Kultura (Poland), San Marino TV,
Radio – Radio Russia, Polish Radio, BBC Radio 3(UK), WQXR (New York, USA), WFMT Radio (Chicago, USA), KUHF Radio (Houston, USA).”
Piano students have a lot to learn from string players who have direct contact with their sound source by strokes of a bow. As pianists, we are physically separated from the strings as hammers must be activated by our key depressions, but by listening to the swells of a violin, cello, or viola, hearing shades of color and nuance, we can try to emulate a vast range of tonal possibilities. As a first step, we must imagine what we want to hear and find the means to achieve it. What about searching the …
This is so pertinent to our creative learning process at the piano.
