An afternoon of all that Jazz with pianists, Dick Hyman and Dave Frank

Dick Hyman, jazz pianist, shared his art with an engaged NYC audience in the good company of moderator, Dave Frank.

More on rolling through Bach Invention 1 in C (Live lesson in progress–two parts)

Sometimes a wake up call arrives in the form of a LIVE lesson as it unfolds in real time. A review of footage often clarifies ideas about phrasing, allowing for modifications here and there. If we as teachers are absolute in our thoughts, embracing an unchanging perspective about a composition, then there's absolutely no room…

The rolling wrist through Bach Invention 1 in C Major with a slow motion replay (Video)

Practicing the Bach Invention 1 with a supple wrist, behind tempo.

Arioso7's Blog (Shirley Kirsten)

A serendipitous Facebook Friend request from Jura Margulis on the eve of my birthday, led to this bundle of love delivered on You Tube. As oxymoronic as it may sound, the pianist’s father, Vitaly, channeled through cyber, wooed me into a sanctuary of beauty by his liquid phrasing and total immersion in Chopin’s palette. It was an unforgettable display of Old World playing, like fine wine that lingers after the first sip, only to invite more.

As I combed the Internet for additional samplings of this age-mellowed performer who sadly departed this earth last year but left a treasure trove of his musical genius, I was rewarded for my effort:

Biography:

http://www.vitalymargulis.com/biography.html

Vitaly Margulis, pianist, pedagogue, writer and author of music philosophy studies, was born on April 16th 1928 in the Ukrainian City of Charkov.

He received his first piano lessons from his father, whose teacher, Alexander Horowitz, studied with…

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Playing Bach on the piano: pedal or no pedal

Decisions, decisions about whether to pedal through Bach's ethereal Prelude no. 1 in C Major, BWV 846 (The Well-Tempered Clavier)

Arioso7's Blog (Shirley Kirsten)

Instead of playing through laborious Hanon and Czerny exercises to improve aspects of piano technique, a student can cut to the chase, by snatching selected passages from their pieces that magnify a particular technical/musical challenge.

As an example, one of my adult students, devoted part of her lesson time to practicing a series of descending melodic sequences in the Latour Sonatina no. 1 in C Major. (I’ve bracketed pertinent measures)

At first I demonstrated how to enlist a forward rolling wrist motion for these passages, before the student emulated the approach.

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The instruction below explores this wrist motion in creating a “round” melodic contour. It avoids the more angular, vertical type of playing that lacks “shape.”

Too often, students will play these notes with vertical finger pokes, creating a very “notey” sounding phrase. The forward roll wrist motion helps to counter this tendency. The instruction also fleshes out ways…

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Rekindling ties with a dear NYC friend, her 1893 Steinway B, and piano tinkering grandbaby

Friendship is forever. Coming back to New York City was living proof of it.

My NYC visit with Seymour Bernstein, pianist, teacher, author and composer

Seymour Bernstein is about to add a movie to his list of artistic conquests. A documentary produced and directed by Ethan Hawke is in progress, and who knows, it might land an Oscar. Seymour is so multi-talented that it's difficult to limit a blog about him to one area of his mega creative expression. That's…

A Visit with Elaine Comparone at her Harpsichord Palace in New York City

The colors are splendid in a royal procession of well-maintained harpsichords. THREE reside in Elaine Comparone's West Side musical sanctuary. They are at the service of her Majesty, the Queen. (She leads a chamber group known as The Queen's Chamber Band which is Harpsichord Unlimited's featured attraction) The nonprofit organization keeps harpsichords in the limelight…