Divine music-making from a seasoned pianist in a memorable retrospective
Category: With your own Two Hands by Seymour Bernstein
The Transfer Piano Student
I would hate to pigeon hole all "transfer" students in one way or another. It would be unfair, and unfortunately many piano teachers shy away from prospects who were immersed in learning environments where little progress was made over a period of years. Some reluctant piano instructors might say, "there's just too much work involved… Continue reading The Transfer Piano Student
Practicing knotty piano passages, and tips on how to avoid fatigue while boosting technique (Videos)
At my You Tube Channel site, I routinely pick up comments daily, and the majority center on piano technique. While I lay no claim to being an expert in this complex universe, my trial and error practicing over decades has come with insights that I enjoy sharing. Earlier today, I'd noticed the following note posted… Continue reading Practicing knotty piano passages, and tips on how to avoid fatigue while boosting technique (Videos)
Accept where you are in your piano studies, know your limitations, but still strive to improve (VIDEO)
This is my credo or philosophy that allows for imperfection without self-punishment. Yet students of all levels tend to invalidate their own performances despite growth spurts springing from dedicated practicing. Many have done all the layered learning steps, but have come to a plateau in a particular piece which is perhaps where that composition will… Continue reading Accept where you are in your piano studies, know your limitations, but still strive to improve (VIDEO)
The Chopin Bb minor Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 1, and arm/hand rotation/phrasing (Video)
Chopin's Bb minor Nocturne (Night Piece) requires a player to use a full arm rotation to fluidly play the arpeggios in the left hand that span over an octave. These broken chords which fill a large space by their expansion, create a Romantic underpinning for the molto cantabile heart-rending melody in the treble. If the… Continue reading The Chopin Bb minor Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 1, and arm/hand rotation/phrasing (Video)
A long distance Chopin Nocturne Makeover that might help others
It's amazing that at 3 a.m. in the morning, I'd be fussing around with the Chopin Nocturne in E minor (Op. 72, No. 1) that I'd previously embedded in a blog about revisiting old repertoire. Either my kind neighbors love classical music, or they've managed to double pack their ears with spongy stopples. (These can… Continue reading A long distance Chopin Nocturne Makeover that might help others
Birds spring to life in these collections for piano!
Here's a case of music composed by a pianist who has an abundance of talent in so many directions that it's dizzying! If I thought LEONARD Bernstein was the renaissance man, with gifts as a conductor, pianist, composer, and mentor, well here comes SEYMOUR Bernstein in a shimmering spotlight of his own! I'm awestruck! Having… Continue reading Birds spring to life in these collections for piano!
Horowitz plays Liszt’s Consolation No. 3 and why it’s so beautiful to our ears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS5LRRsNYZk Every so often a performance like this pops up on You Tube that allows the listener to reflect upon why the playing is so moving. This Romantic era composition, in slow tempo is no race to the finish line. The pianist is challenged to sustain a singing line without losing a thread of connection… Continue reading Horowitz plays Liszt’s Consolation No. 3 and why it’s so beautiful to our ears
Seymour Bernstein, pianist, imparts wisdom about the “undulating” wrist and its influence on the singing tone (Video)
This is my favorite video in a You Tube series featuring Seymour Bernstein, pianist/master teacher, and author of With Your Own Two Hands, a piano learning classic. Part #4 is an engaging demonstration of how the "undulating" wrist helps to produce an astonishingly beautiful singing tone. In the universe of molto cantabile playing, Bernstein also… Continue reading Seymour Bernstein, pianist, imparts wisdom about the “undulating” wrist and its influence on the singing tone (Video)