David and Lin provided the following notes from this special session.
Performers: Christopher, Nick, Julie. All three performances were really well done!
Observers: Jennifer, Sachie, Linda, Tim, Diana, Ron, David, Luc, Jamie, Lin, Lynda, Sayaka, Janice G, Katherine, Susan, Mary Ann, Liz
Opening Lecture
There are four elements to making music. These are spiritual, intellectual, emotional,
and the communicative spark one needs when communicating with the
audience. A fifth element is also
important, and that is training. Today’s
lecture will focus on this fifth element.
Pianists are in
fact elite athletes.
Our core body
is most important when making music, where everything starts. Not only does the core provide the centre of
gravity, it’s the heart of our musicality and where sound and emotion originate
as well.
It’s important
to sit well forward, with sitz bones towards the front edge of the piano bench.
The playing
apparatus consists of torso, arms, hands and fingers.
When playing
more difficult pieces, a natural response is for the body to tense up but this
is counter productive. Instead, imagine
that your arms are like water pipes with liquid sloshing back and forth through
the torso.
Piano playing
is more skeletal than muscle oriented.
The elbow is a hinge, the shoulder is hinge, with everything hanging
loose.
Finger tips are
where the “rubber meets the road.” All
the body motion must ultimately be transferred through the finger tips.
No amount of
Hanon exercises will make the fingers equal because intrinsically they are
not. However, when fingers are properly
aligned with the arm they can do anything.
Gradually rotate the aligned arm and hand through the “strong point” for
each relatively straight finger. When
playing, get used to shifting the arm and hand ever so slightly to get the best
finger alignment. (An analogy is to think of the aligned arm, hand and finger
as a billiard cue.) This technique can
have an amazing influence on the sound created.
You need to
maintain a balance between moving too little and moving too much.
It is important
to have strong fingers that can always support your sound. Think
“intentionality” in the finger tips while the rest of your body is loose.
It’s also
crucial to really listen to the sounds you are creating in order to make the
appropriate adjustments.
Performance by Christopher – Piazzolla, Milonga del Angel
The
piece sets a mood of bitter sweet angst … if only.
When
playing the opening melody, think of the sound as if being produced by a
clarinet while moving through the first three notes. The fingers should be very intentional,
holding the keys down and trying for finger legato with the melody. To do this, keep the hand moving after you’ve played the note. This should result in a more
seamless quality.
Feel
more of the upward motion when releasing keys rather than the downward. Adjust
until you produce the sound you want; the fingers will “know what to do.”
When
getting louder, feel like your body is opening up more (using the water pipe
analogy).
When
looking at different options for fingering, go with the fingering that “feels
best.”
With
a group of chords that are marked as legato, try to maintain legato for the top
melody line only. The rest of the chords
can just fall away. It’s often good to
practice the legato top line with only the bass accompaniment to maintain the
harmonic melody.
Performance by Nick – Schubert, Impromptu Op 142 No 2
If a player is aware of nuances within the music,
the audience will also be aware during the performance.
When you lift, the sound rises and moves. When you hold down, the sound is constrained.
Your gently moving arms should feel slightly
buoyant.
With the opening section, focus more on the
horizontal melody line rather than detached chords.
Try not to think too much; listen more to the sound
you are creating.
With the flowing section, the thumb should always
be in position well before commencing the next group of notes.
Performance by Julie – Beethoven,
Sonata Op 10 No 1 Second
Movement
This
performance, from memory, had a lovely sense of style and peace.
During
the quiet parts, make each voice sing and try for a bit more dynamic contrast. In your louder parts, you really
connect - good focus in your sound; the dynamics were so communicative.
Even pp must project to the back of the concert hall. Don’t think quiet; think focused, intense.
Listen to each voice and make each one
distinct; think not pianistically, but rather treat every line as a different,
important instrument.
Allow your upper arms to hang from the
shoulders - elbows should not extend out sideways so much.
The 32nd notes need to be
played with more intensity, so that your audience will be carried by
anticipation, listening for what is coming next. Your ear must also be active, preparing for
what’s next.
Make
something of every note and every rest. Something has to happen inside of you
during each rest - either anticipation or exhalation.
The ear is an amazing guide.
Liz also published an entry about the master class on her blog, available here: http://prettyinscarlett.blogspot.ca/2013/09/addendum-ottawa-piano-group-masterclass.html
