Pedaling Mozart (Andante, Sonata in C, K. 545) Video of lesson in progress

Pedaling is a universe often neglected by piano teachers, but needing attention.

Vibrant music-making at rest or at play

Musical silences spring to life in a rare and beautiful performance of C.P.E Bach's G Major Keyboard Sonata.

Piano Workout Plus: Left Hand development tips, and how to produce a “Woodpecker” staccato (Videos)

Any neighbor watching me doing my upper body push-ups using the keyboard as leverage would think I was a bit spacey. But I'm quite down to earth in my daily workout routines at the piano. They include applications of weight transfer into the keys; zoned in left hand practice through scale work (and arpeggios) in…

Ruminations about why some virtuoso pianists book on the continent, leaving the US behind

I couldn't help but obsess over why Grigory Sokolov, for example has no foreseeable concert appearances in the US. Surely I would have flown to NYC, perhaps for a LIVE main course plus a dessert of encores at Carnegie. Horowitz said on camera, circa, 1987, that the 57th Street Hall of musical fame was NOT…

The Gold Standard in piano playing (Sokolov IS a legend in his own time)

I was greeted by two e-mails yesterday that bore links to Grigory Sokolov's digitized recital at the Theatre des Champs Elysee in Paris. (2002) The communication from Seymour Bernstein read as follows: "Stop whatever you are doing! You are about to hear performances that certainly must rank among the greatest examples of music making and…

Share this:

A remarkable, up close and personal documentary about Vladimir Horowitz (on You Tube)

A historic, 50 minute-long, Maysles made film gives a unique glimpse of the pianistic legend as he records Mozart concerto no. 23 (A Major) under the baton of Guilini (personally selected) In between movements, Volodya schmoozes with the page turner, fawning journalists, plus an assortment of friends, hero-worshippers, whose conversations are permeated by off the…

Share this:

Arioso7's Blog (Shirley Kirsten)

Lesson # 1, 8/4/2011

(I will be extracting excerpts from all of Rina’s subsequent lessons with commentary, suggestions)

Today was a musical adventure for myself and a delicate, world-traveled, 4-year old child who had significant exposure to Music Together classes. Having observed her in this group setting, and knowing her parents’ love for the arts, we all decided to begin an experimental journey to the Magical Kingdom of Sounds, with King Meter and Fairy Musicalina who presided over a cosmos of melody, rhythm, soft, loud, sweet and sad sounds.

Following the lesson which I videotaped and had father do the same, I sent an e-mail to both parents going over what we had accomplished in the introductory lesson and what goals needed reinforcement during the week. (This is where parental involvement is pivotal with students of a tender age)

Video, Part 1: I introduced Rina to the piano, its inside…

View original post 733 more words

Piano Instruction: Don’t always accentuate the downbeat– Burgmuller’s music proves it (Video)

http://youtu.be/MgwB3JESuG0 "Inquietude" from Burgmuller's Op. 100 collection of Twenty-Five Progressive pieces, invites a player to examine harmonic progressions as a clue to phrasing a composition that's often pounded to death with unnecessary DOWNBEAT accents. Seymour Bernstein, distinguished pianist, teacher and author, noted in a recent conversation we shared in New York City, that our musical…

Fingering snarls in Mozart’s Allegretto, Sonata in C, K. 545 and suggested remedies from the experts

We all have our nemesis. The last measures (68-73) of Mozart's rondo: Allegretto, K. 545, Sonata in C Major, have ensnared me, barring smooth passage to final cadence. For others the journey is uneventful. Who knows? Size of hands, finger length, state of mind, and lack of sleep, might be variables. But more often than…