Piano instruction: Arrangements of Classics or the real deal?

One of my adult transfer students brought an arrangement of Chopin's "Raindrop Prelude" that was an insult to the composer's original intention. It was poorly transcribed in an alien key, awkwardly fingered, and contained a mountain of additional challenges-- a no brain reason to terminate this particular learning adventure. (besides even the "arrangement" was over…

Intermediate Level Piano Repertoire: Album for the Young by Robert Schumann

I took a musical journey down memory lane yesterday, rekindling scenes of childhood as I read through a set of "old" Romantic era compositions. These weren't Robert Schumann's illustrious KINDERSZENEN, but colorful character pieces wrapped into the composer's Album for the Young Op. 68. (As I've said time and again, why give students arrangements of…

A Documentary about Murray Perahia is an ear-grabber

http://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/111 I'm grateful to my UK-based student for sending me this link to a German-produced documentary about Murray Perahia. Having watched back-to-back Lang Lang and Kissin mega-tributes, this one stands out as a tone poem, with Murray descending from the heavens to bless humanity with his music. (Murray plays generously throughout the film, and provides…

Should a teacher demonstrate phrasing and interpretation for a student?

I asked a few piano teachers and a harpsichordist if they felt playing passages, phrases for a student was a viable way to teach, and why? Seymour Bernstein, author, With Your Own Two Hands, rendered a riveting opinion: "I have never taken a lesson with a pianist-teacher who didn’t demonstrate musical and technical points under…

The Gift of Music, An inspiring Evgeny Kissin documentary

The teaser: http://youtu.be/M0U73NRSIkw You Tube can be a gift-giving repository. Documentaries about *Arthur Rubinstein, Lang Lang, Horszowski, *Richter, Kissin, et al, produced and edited with sensitivity and respect for musical art, can light a path of insight like no other. (In this spirit, I eagerly await the film about Seymour Bernstein produced by Ethan Hawke)…

Practicing a Mozart Andante movement, using a “singing pulse”

Murray Perahia clarified the "singing pulse" when he discussed a form of rubato, or flexible time that he believed could apply to Classical era repertoire. In an interview conducted by Sir Dennis Forman in the 1980s, the pianist, known as a formidable musical poet of his generation, discussed the Mozart Concerto No. 21 in C,…

Two sides of the Lang Lang story in and OUT of the heart-wrenching DO OR DIE Documentary

First, here's the documentary that drew my admiration for a Chinese pianist who suffered childhood adversity and abuse, yet triumphed, carving out a career most would never dream of. http://youtu.be/5Ft_xSw9Q54 We learn that Lang Lang's father fostered an "almost lunatic competitive environment," according to the narrator. At the age of 2, the toddler was already…

Piano Instruction, Mozart Sonata in Bb, K. 281 (first movement)

I explore the Exposition, movement 1, Allegro, and ways to practice within a slow tempo frame: http://youtu.be/JVCnRx5aDz4 Play Through: http://youtu.be/Rgx-AG34iW0 LINK: The Most Reviled Scale https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/the-most-reviled-scale-for-piano-players/

Top FIVE Piano Lesson by SKYPE Interruptions! (Videos)

Group web cam lessons on Bow-wow ( Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota) Top Notch Tone Tutorial Class 1) out-take http://youtu.be/fONbHGw8zXM 2) out-take http://youtu.be/Fy-6SkVFqMQ 3) Cat jumps out the window (United Kingdom) http://youtu.be/df7Pfg0Fcnc 4) 5 month-old Baby on lap (Alaska) http://youtu.be/D1HDoNAI75A 5) Earthquake! (Brazil) http://youtu.be/I-dbDgapMmA

Piano Technique: Geography, choreography, and muscle memory in practicing scales (Video instruction)

Today's lesson by Skype from Berkeley, CA to the UK focused on refining e minor scales. Of particular interest, was the segment, midway, that explored un-snagging a portion of the Harmonic minor form in STACCATO. A valuable technique applied included spot practicing critical areas of difficulty.. i.e. C to D# to E in every octave.…