Piano Technique: No Pain, Much Gain

Sometimes we learn a floating, flowing path to beauty through the unfortunate school of HARD knocks. To this effect, I recall my esteemed Oberlin Conservatory piano teacher dealing in mindless, stressful repetitions of meaningless exercises that caused joint pain and unremarkable displays of flat-lined, tightly squeezed playing. His teaching, to an extreme level of adherence…

Pianist, Irina Morozova in Concert at New York’s Mannes College

Each year, when compiling my favorite You Tube beamed performances, I invariably dote upon the artistry of Irina Morozova. Her playing is simply heavenly, resonating with a heart-melting singing tone that weaves through undulating, well-sculpted phrases. http://youtu.be/e8BQc5wwQGU It took only a smattering of HD transported Chopin offerings to catapult me to Subscriber status and then…

Teaching piano technique with artistry at the Special Music School/Kaufman Center

Master teacher, Irina Morozova infuses her piano lessons with an expressive music-making approach that applies to technique and repertoire. Scales, arpeggios, chords, Czerny etudes, etc. are not compartmentalized as pedantic exercises bundled in torturous repetitions. To the contrary, they're the substance of a musical craft that she honors with specific, singing-tone framed demonstrations of kinetic…

Irina Morozova, pianist, waxes poetic about phrasing Chopin’s music in words

Irina Morozova on the faculties of the Special Music School in Manhattan, and the Mannes College of Music, imparts inspired "words" about phrasing Chopin's music.

Interpreting piano music: Should we truly realize the composer’s intent?

Matters of interpretation came up at the "Y" Gym yesterday when I bumped into the pianist from a North Berkeley house of worship. Aline is a fine musician who intersperses the service with great masterworks. Recently she played Grieg's "Wedding March" during the basket-passing which lifted spirits as it amassed $$$$. At that very instant,…

Irina Morozova plays Gershwin!

Here's a photo-imported version of "I Got Rhythm!" (Click HD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vaOK7MosFo&feature=youtu.be On the artist's CD menu are the following treats: 1. Gershwin Improvisations for Solo Piano: Clap Yo' Hands 2. Someone to Watch Over Me 3. Sweet and Lowdown 4. Maybe 5. S'Wonderful/Funny Face 6. That Certain Feeling 7. Looking for a Boy 8. Earl…

A musical birthday shared that can’t be overlooked

It's still the right side of midnight on this Coast before the day melts into another, so I have a snatch of time to celebrate the birthday of two favorite musicians, Irina Morozova and J.S. Bach--both born on March 21rst. My feelings about J.S. are well known, as evidenced by reams of you tube postings…

A pianist is a COLLABORATOR NOT an “accompanist”

The "A" word is officially banished from my vocabulary, even if its residual usage in books, newspapers, old reviews, can't be controlled. To boot, anyone who's been handed a stack of music by the High School vocal teacher to ready for the mid-year Christmas program and a few others in between Thanksgiving and semester break,…

The viola will soar to artistic heights in collaboration with pianist, Irina Morozova

Anna Serova, incomparable violist, will collaborate with Irina Morozova, pianist in concert, Feb. 8. Don't miss it!

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…