Jesse Myers Piano Studio ... Clip of the Week

Northwest Pianos, My recital clips

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:35:00 +0000

Here is a "reader's digest" version of my recital on 9-12-09. The recital was a part of the Northwest Pianos Sauter Concert Series.

Bach on a Clavichord

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Here is the Toccata from Bach's 6th Partita in e minor played on a clavichord. The clavichord was a common instrument found in many homes from the 16th century to the 18th century in Germany. We often hear Bach's music played on a harpsichord, since much of his music was written for the instrument. However, hearing his music played on a clavichord is more rare. In contrast with the harpsichord, the player can control dynamics and even a type of vibrato making it capable of playing a more cantabile melody. This would probably lead one to wonder why the clavichord was used less as a performance instrument then and is used much less now. Its small size and soft volume made it a convenient home tool for composition and thus made it impractical for public performance. Above is a picture of a clavichord from Bach's birthplace home in Eisenach.

Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:29:00 +0000

I really enjoyed this clip of the second etude. Being one of the most challenging of the 24 Etudes (I think I've said that before about other etudes as they are all quite demanding), this focusses on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers of the right hand. The pianist is required to play the chromatic writing with these fingers due to the thumb and forefinger executing the accompanimental writing. This particular pianist demonstrates remarkable precision and flexibility. This is a fine example of the technique needed for this work.

Pogorelich owns two Chopin Etudes

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:44:00 +0000

I've posted a few examples of Chopin Etudes in the past, but I keep finding new clips of really great and unique performances of them. The first etude in the clip is one of my favorites, Op. 10 #8. This study was composed to develop fluidity in the right hand while passing the thumb under the 4th finger and vice versa in an arpeggio-like sequence. This all happens over a challenging but playful melody in the left hand. Lastly, he performs the etude in thirds; probably the most difficult of all his etudes. He makes it look quite effortless.

It may be just a rumor but I hear if you grow your hair out in a crazy plume it just might give you piano super powers.

My recital date is set for 9-12-09

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:59:00 +0000

I've scheduled my recital for September 12th, 2009 at Northwest Pianos in Bellevue. I'll be performing two Beethoven piano sonatas and pieces by Debussy and Gershwin. At least that's what I'm planning for...

Congratulations!

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:57:00 +0000

Congratulations to Isabella de Leon for winning the music division of a competition for Seattle's Filipino community.

Absolute Pitch and Genetic Research

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:14:00 +0000

After discovering a few of my young students have perfect pitch, or absolute pitch, I began looking for answers into the cause of this. The problem is that very little is known about the factors that affect these people with absolute pitch. A few important trends in these individuals, though not required, are: early musical training, speaking or understanding pitch-sensitive language such as Vietnamese or Chinese, and having the "musical gene". The latter of these has become the focus of Dr. Jane Gitschier at the University of California, San Francisco and Dr. Nelson Freimer at the University of California, Los Angeles. They are currently compiling research which they hope will lead them to the discovery of this gene. Below is a link to their page about the study at UCSF and a rather introductory video about the beginnings of their study.

UCSF absolute pitch webpage

Alexander technique

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:22:00 +0000

Below is an article discussing the practice of Alexander technique in relation to piano. Though I haven't spent time taking private lessons in Alexander technique to teach the material, I am intrigued by the subject and its positive effect on posture and physical approach to the instrument.

Enjoy!
__________________________________________

An Introduction to the Alexander Technique
for Pianists and their Teachers
by Deborah Fishbein Adams
Reprinted from Exchange, The ATI Journal, Vol 3. No. 2, 1995
Copyright © 1992, Deborah Adams, All rights reserved

A student enters the studio for a lesson in the Alexander Technique. Before her is a chair, perhaps a table and a mirror. The teacher guides the student to the chair, his hands perceptively, gently cradling her head. He says, "neck free, head forward and up."

What does this instruction mean? What is the purpose of this extraordinary event?

The words are an attempt to clarify a new languague--that of kinesthesis, the sense which involves tension, position and weight. The kinesthetic sense is stimulated by shifts in bodily movements and so informs us of the ongoing quality of our movement as we participate in our daily lives. During the Alexander lesson the student experiences particular internal movement which she associates with the words that are spoken while the movement is elicited.

The purpose of the lesson is to teach her to achieve a heightened sense of awareness so she may be able to respond to the directions being given. Thus, she will learn to influence herself to achieve a degree of freedom and ease in movement and thinking which otherwise may not surface.

Alexander teachers are common on college music faculties, and the interest seems to be increasing in proportion to the number of injuries suffered. I find this unfortunate because, although cure very often results, the Technique itself is an educational process. The Alexander work encompasses much more than body mechanics and is invaluable to a performer and teacher on many levels. I also believe that students respond to this work more readily when they are not in pain. It makes more sense to teach it to musicians before they experience any difficulties and perhaps prevent the trouble altogether.

A brief history of F. Matthias Alexander and his discovery will help you understand the nature and ramifications of the Technique he developed. Alexander had been a successful reciter in Australia for several years when he began to experience difficulties with his voice. When he recited, he became hoarse. He audibly gasped in air, and occasionally lost his voice. Naturally, he sought medical help for his problem. He was given inhalants and told to rest his voice. The problems subsided for a while until he began to recite again.

Every time he performed the problems recurred. I am sure this sounds familiar to anyone who has dealt with performance-related injuries. Alexander's first significant discovery was that while he was reciting he was doing something to himself which caused the difficulties with his voice. He used mirrors to observe himself reciting. He noticed himself pulling back his head, depressing his larynx, and sucking in air through his mouth (which produced a gasping sound). When he compared this to his ordinary manner of speaking he observed himself doing the same three things but to a far lesser degree. It is important that Alexander noticed his use during recitation far more easily than he did during ordinary speaking because it was only with excruciatingly close observation that he was able to detect those same patterns of use present during both manners of speaking. He discovered that when he did not pull his head back, his larynx was not depressed and he did not suck in air.

While these initial observations were profound, they were not sufficient to satisfy Alexander. In his determination to find a complete solution Alexander devoted many years to perfecting his technique. (He describes his journey toward his discovery in his book The Use of the Self.) He eventually realized that there was a critical relationship between the head, the neck and the back, such that when the neck remained free from being held in a fixed manner, the head would move, in response to gravity, in a direction he called "forward and up." This would elicit length along the spine, width within the torso, and contribute to a magnificent ease and lightness in being. He termed this the Primary Control.

This direction, "forward and up," may need some clarification. "Forward" is the movement of the center of gravity of the head. It is a direct result of the freeing of the neck muscles as they attach both to the head and the upper torso. The movement "up," resulting from the movement forward, calls forth a length along the spine and movement through the whole body which allows the student to experience natural length and width. Though these movements follow one another, they feel as though they are happening at the same time. Alexander described this as "all together one after the other."

The Primary Control is not a posture. It is a dynamic relationship that is constantly changing as we move throughout our day. The challenge in learning the Alexander Technique is not so much to activate the Primary Control, but to avail ourselves of this relationship during our life, whether we are playing the piano or teaching or sitting at a computer--right while we are living, doing whatever we are doing.

We achieve this, in Alexander's words, by inhibiting our habitual reaction to any stimulus. By this, Alexander referred to our ability to intercept any habitual response to any stimulus. For instance, in the art of playing the piano, the pianist who always misses a particular note in a piece has a particular way--a habitual way of preparing to play that note.

If the preparation can be addressed, the control over the note will be addressed also. The Alexander student, through an increased awareness, detects the habitual response (to the always missed note) which is present before the note is missed. She "inhibits" her usual response to that section of the music and directs herself in the fashion she has learned from her Alexander teacher, i.e., neck free, head forward and up, etc. This aids her ability to elicit the Primary Control, which allows new insight into her dilemma. All of this can happen so fast that the inhibitory process is actually renewed again and again with no beats lost. Inhibition is crucial to the learning of this technique. We continually respond to stimuli from a familiar, habitual frame of reference.

True inhibition requires us to be constantly open and attentive to ourselves so we can recognize our habits and perhaps replace them with unknown and unfamiliar responses. The process is beautifully improvisatory. "In Alexander's usage, inhibition releases rather than represses spontaneity by suspending habitual responses to stimuli long enough so that intelligent guidance and reasoning can intervene." note1

People who study the Alexander Technique do not have fewer "bad habits" than those who don't study the Technique. What they do have is a way of recognizing their habits and a way of addressing them. The Alexander Technique seeks a particular freedom from habit (and tension) which leads to a feeling of movement potential rather than one of weight and fatigue. Descriptions of the results of the work are always insufficient. Words fall short of the actual experience of a hands-on lesson. With this in mind, I would like to present some specific applications of this work. These are examples of ways in which I use the Alexander work in my teaching of piano, and in my own performances.

Tone Production refers to the quality of sound that is produced by descent into the key and is completely dependent upon freedom of the arm. Achieving freedom in the arm is not an unusual request from a teacher. It is even a common phrase among pianists. What is usually overlooked, however, is the way to do it! Arms do not free by themselves. In fact, a totally free arm would be weighty and uncontrollable. What is really expected is a poised and light arm, one that is supported by a back which is connected through a whole body that is fully grounded. Expectations of the arm alone will narrow the thinking (kinesthetic and intellectual) to that area of the body. With the guidance of an Alexander teacher a student can learn what it means to free the arms relative to the use of the entire organism. How can I free my arm if my head is thrown back (face up toward the ceiling), my shoulders raised, my back tight, and my feet not grounded?

The Primary Control is one way to address this. The teacher helps the student to free the neck, allow the head to move forward and up, and lengthen and widen the back all of which grounds the feet. The internal movement is sensed all the way to the floor as well as away from it. Now the teacher lifts the student's arm. The release through the arm adds length to the back and more freedom in the neck region. The head subtly moves forward and up again. In a continuous loop, one area frees in relation to the whole person, which, in turn, invites more freedom and so on. The student internally feels the arm as longer, freer, and more connected to the rest of her. Unlike the isolated instructions to the arm, this type of instruction allows the teacher to address the arm's function relative to the other arm's function, the foot that is pedaling, the ears that are listening and so on. The tone produced from this state of being is always more full and beautiful than the previous attempt. I have never known it to fail! Equally exciting is the student's recognition of her new sound and an eagerness to produce this tone on her own.

As the work becomes more internalized, the student learns to welcome her own Primary Control even more and to more enjoy the sound, of her own playing. She learns to hear more keenly the differences in tone quality that are produced.

Rhythm is the single most important ingredient in communicating music. It is truly organic. The heartbeat is one pulse of the body. There are also pulses in the fluid that moves from the top of the spine to the sacrum. The body's natural pulses need the freedom to work in order to perform music with the rhythmic integritry that takes advantage of the body's own stable rhythm. Anything we do to obstruct this flow will directly influence the rhythmic flow of the piece. Sometimes we are anxious about performing and this prevents rhythmic stability. The Alexander lesson tends to have a calming effect on the student and so can address this particular problem. Sometimes we are inattentive while playing; the Alexander lesson helps us find our vitality and keep us more alert to our rhythmic pulses.

Pedalling is an area of piano study that I find very neglected in teaching. Our ability to operate a pedal freely is dependent on where we sit (how high or low, how far away) and how we are grounded through the floor or pedal extenders. If we are not grounded we need to hold ourselves up in a way that usually tightens the back and prevents the freedom of the arms discussed above. One of the activities I work with is a simple repetition of damper pedal movement while my students guide themselves away from interfering with the Primary Control. There is no need to pull down through the chest and lower back in order to operate a pedal. Far too many students pedal with the movement of their arms rather than in response to the arm movement. So the student's physical balance is totally dependent upon the pedal they are unable to release the pedal without throwing their balance off (which leads to missed notes and uncontrolled sounds). Through the Technique I have seen students change this lack of balance and this division of the workings of the arms and feet to a cooperation among them. The limbs move in concert with one another. I will never forget a student who came to me with the following common dilemma: "I practiced my right hand alone, and my left hand alone and then I tried to add the pedal. I can't seem to think of all these things at the same time." In his lesson I convinced him that the only dilemma was that of separating his body into parts instead of seeing the parts in relation to each other. He had not seen each part related to the integrated whole. In no time he was able to coordinate all the movements. It was an important lesson for both of us!

Arpeggios tend to create panic for many pianists Those with small hands are usually the most concerned. I have never understood this because while a large hand span may feel secure, the notes of the arpeggio are not all played at the same time. It seems that the ability to move quickly and freely from one note to the next is important; no two notes are so far apart that they cannot be connected. One of the aims of the Alexander Technique is to help a student to respond appropriately to a given stimulus. The best way to inhibit a habitual response is to catch yourself as you are about to make the response. The best way to catch yourself is to be open and responsive to your environment. If we focus on a small part, we are not prepared for the larger demands that might be coming. That is the problem with arpeggios. Many students restrict their vision to one or perhaps two octaves. Their vision is directed toward the fingers that are already prepared to play. By reminding them to expand their field of vision--which tends to happen as we free out and up into the space around--the student is prepared for what is coming instead of what she is already playing. The inhibitory process leads us to the future. It asks us to respond to what is coming rather than what has passed. It sounds so simple. It really is.

We often fail to convey the emotional content of a piece of music because we translate the emotion into physical gestures instead of the appropriate sound. How many have you seen a performer raise her shoulder during a climactic moment in a piece only to close your eyes and hear no excitement in the sound? The score is marked "agitato." The performer can feel the excitement building but gets lost in her own emotions. If she recognizes this and intercepts her response to the tension of the music, she can free herself to produce the sound she wants. The extraneous movements we make are often matched with extra effort. When the performer retains her intention (the sound she wants) and releases the effort she has needlessly added, she frees herself to produce the sound she desire--whether agitated, tranquil or whatever. Now the performer can detect the difference in sound as distinct from the difference in physical sensation. What before felt agitated to the performer now sounds agitated to the listener.

This example of emotional content addresses many difficulties surrounding musical interpretation in general. There are so many times when we think we are conveying our interpretation of the music when all we are really doing is feeling the effect of what we are trying so hard to do. Some students sound as though they haven't thought about their music in the least. What is often the case is that they have thought about it. They have even made some astute observations that they are trying to communicate. What seems to be the trouble is not their musical ability at all. It is their inability to get the sound they hear through their body and out of the fingers without impeding the flow of this movement. In this instance the Alexander Technique can be a way of liberating the student to communicate all that she has wished to communicate for so long.

The Alexander Technique is used in injury rehabilitation. Many pianists who complain of hand, wrist, and arm pain are suffering because they have become accustomed to using themselves inappropriately. I have worked with several pianists who have been diagnosed with tendonitis. Their problems often stem from the stressful conditions they have placed on themselves. The Technique has provided a way for them to observe themselves in a new way. This observation leads to change in many cases. When the student truly makes the changes, the pain usually disappears.

I would like to clarify what I mean by "change." A student who notices that her right shoulder is tense and raised up may try to produce "change" by putting her shoulder down. This may temporarily relieve the previous discomfort. In time, however, a new symptom will most likely occur. A student who notices the same shoulder tendencies and sees how the constructive use of the Primary Control can effect change will be more successful than the first because this student is examining the relationship of one part to a whole structure.

We must address the entire human being. Alexander carefully chose the words use of the self (not use of the body) because he was addressing the habitual responses of the entire person. An injured musician is injured psychologically as well as physically. There is a tendency to protect an area of pain in the body as well as protect the dignity of the individual. All of these factors must be addressed in the rehabilitative process.

The teaching of the technique is an art form in itself. A lesson usually results in the student feeling lightness and ease. There is enormous value in this. The student learns that these feelings are actually possible and, very importantly, also begins to recognize her response under these new conditions. We have all had piano lessons in which the teacher continually coached us on particular pieces of music. While we learned to play certain pieces well, we were never given the tools to examine music on our own. We were not encouraged to make our own decisions about interpretation. The real value in the work is the process through which we travel in order to reach the results that "feel" and sound so good.

The true teaching of the Alexander Technique is to show us how to really see ourselves--to recognize little idiosyncrasies without passing judgment on them--to truly hear the sounds we make; to help us recognize the things we do to ourselves that cause our dilemma; to help us understand that there are other choices that can be made besides our habit; and to guide us into realizing that the choices definitely are available to us. It is a wonderful journey toward self discovery.

I would like to add a personal note regarding my reaction to people who first suggested that I study the Alexander Technique. I had worked for some time with a teacher who truly helped me to become unencumbered physically and intellectually. I had previously tried to play the instrument quite stiffly for years. Releasing muscular tension while playing was a completely foreign idea to me. During my study with this teacher I learned how to "relax" with my playing. When it was then suggested by friends that I study the Alexander Technique, my immediate response was "I don't need it. I am most relaxed when I play the piano." I, like most others, had no idea that the Technique would offer me something other than relaxation.

The Primary Control has nothing to do with relaxation as we usually understand it. The clarity I experienced in myself with my very first lesson was stikingly new to me. I could address any issue (use of an arm use of the pedal, rhythmic integrity, etc.) through the Control. For this reason I urge anyone with the tiniest interest in this work to seek out a teacher and experience it. Words only go so far.

Some piano teachers seem to fear that the Technique is a piano technique meant to replace the technique they are teaching. It is not. This Technique deals with the workings of the human being in relationship to his environment. It is not meant to replace your teaching but to enhance it, to help its interpretation, and to help your students do what it is you wish them to do. Many of us are afraid to challenge our own ways of thinking. We become comfortable teaching in a particular way because the responses are predictable. The Technique helps us to respond to the unpredictable while allowing our perceptions to be fresh and insightful. We can be a learners as well as real participants in our students' learning.

"Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it." note2

Pooh was right. There is another way. We need only be open to finding it and accepting it.

About The Writer
Deborah Fishbein Adams is a teacher of piano and the Alexander Technique in Boston, MA. A former adjunct professor of piano at Duquesne University, Deborah holds a Master of Music Degree from Boston University and is certified to teach the Alexander Technique by the Alexander Technique center at Cambridge (Tommy Thompson, director). She is a certified member of the Music Teachers National Association and a Teaching Member of Alexander Technique International (ATI).

A trio... of sorts

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:58:00 +0000

I thought I would share with you a recording of the third movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Three video recordings have been spliced to create this: live recordings from Murray Perahia, Willhelm Kempff, and Daniel Barenboim. These three rank among my top ten or so for the interpretation of Beethoven Sonatas. But of course I prefer one over the other; I'll reserve judgement. To me, listening to this recording isn't effective as a whole because the style differences are so drastic. However, the differences in interpretation are more obvious when presented this way. What are some of the individual traits you notice in each performer and which do you prefer?

Benjamin Zander seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 21:57:00 +0000

One of my students, Jasmine, sent me this wonderful video a while back. While most of my clips are of piano performances, this is a seminar dealing with attitude, essentially. Benjamin Zander has the ability to invoke an amazing sense of positivity in his audiences. The lessons learned in his seminars reach beyond musical issues and into goal setting and attitude. These are issues that we often struggle with as students and teachers. I hope you enjoy this.

Benjamin Zander seminar

A four-fingered pianist

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:56:00 +0000

What can I say? An absolutely astounding feat. This is not only inspirational for pianists, but this is inspirational to me as an instructor. I would love to meet her teacher!

Following along to Chopin's E-Flat Nocturne

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:54:00 +0000

There is a wealth of classic recordings accompanied with the sheet music available through YouTube. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of listening to new music, or probably in this case–familiar music, while following along to the sheet music. I find this to be the most useful way to listen to music academically and I firmly believe that through a routine of this, you will become a better musician and sight-reader.

Here is a clip of Artur Rubinstein playing a famous Chopin Nocturne. Rubinstein was one of the greatest interpretors of Chopin's music. It is useful to literally see his interpretation while hearing.

Corgliano's Etude Fantasy

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:52:00 +0000

I have been completely consumed by a piano work by the American composer John Corigliano. The piece is called Etude Fantasy and it addresses a series of modern technical difficulties through the form of a fantasy, which is essentially free form and almost improvisatory in its writing. This week I invite you to check out a recording (one of the few) of the fourth movement of this work performed by David Jalbert.

There are not many recordings of this work and I've set the piece in my sights because I believe I have some unique ideas in terms of my own interpretation. I have been working on the first movement which is for the left hand alone and have yet to tackle this fourth movement. All of the movements are connected by a common thread, a group of six pitches (a tone row) and a "melodic germ" as the composer refers to it. If you enjoy this movement and are interested in hearing the rest let me know and I will post it for you. Or better yet, pick up the recording, it is exceptional and includes other modern works by Rzewski.

This is an important example as it is the first of my "clips of the week" to address modern notation. Just a quick look at the first page and it is obvioius we are not dealing with Beethoven here. What are some of the interesting and unique notational issues you notice when following along?

Corigliano - Etude Fantasy (mov 4) PDF (BEGINS ON PAGE 19)
David Jalbert, piano mp3

Argerich plays Ravel

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:49:00 +0000

Ravel's Jeux d'eau (Fountains) takes its spirit from the poetic imagery of Henri di Régnier. Under the title of the score reads: "Dieu fluvial riant de l'eau qui le chatouille" (a river God laughs at the water that tickles him).
Ravel's piano music is often referred to as impressionistic for being partnered with the French art movement of the same title in the late 19th century and having allusions toward other art forms, especially in the picturesque titles. He revolutionized not only piano composition, but piano technique. This clip is a wonderful example of this. Notice the sweeping gestures, wide-open hand positions, repeated notes, black-key glissandi, and use of the full keyboard

Two Rachmaninoff Examples

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:46:00 +0000

This week's clip is of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in D, Op. 23 #4. This is one of my favorite pieces of Rachmaninoff's output. The melody should sing as much as possible, regardless of it being sometimes obscured by other voices. In working on this piece with one of my students, we frequently discuss the density of the music and how to approach the melody. My suggestion is always keep the melody in the foreground and study the work to discover the middleground and background voices. In a piece this complex, each voice should be played invidually to hear the contour of the line as well as the resolution of the phrases. In the forward to the Peters Edition of the Preludes, Editor Ruth Laredo says "The right hand must sing as if it were a human voice – accompanied by a cello in the left hand."

I have two recordings for you, one by John Ogdon and the other by Simon Trpceski. They are both remarkably different.

Ogdon Recording
Simon Trpceski Recording
Sheet music

Two Beethoven Recordings

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:43:00 +0000

For this week's clip I thought I would try something new. Beyond upgrading from email clips to web postings, I now have the ability to provide you all with mp3's and pdf's from my personal library. These are locked for student usage only.

In working with one of my students on a Beethoven sonata, the concept of interpretation, and liberties for performers came up. As an exercise, it is useful to juxtapose two recordings and listen to the differences in interpretation. I find it very helpful to follow along to sheet music as you listen to performances. I am providing you all with the two recordings of Beethoven's Op.31 #2 Sonata, "The Tempest". The first is a recording of one of my professors at the University of Washington, Craig Shepard. This is a live performance in 2004 in which he did a astonishing series of recitals encompassing all 32 Beethoven Sonatas. One of the remarkable things with this performance is his ability to create such dynamic range, resulting in clear and unique voicings. The second is a recording of Daniel Barenboim's 1969 studio recording. His rhythmic drive gives the sonata a sense of urgency and persistency. Please follow along to the pdf and feel free to give me your observations.

Sheppard Recording
Barenboim Recording
Sheet Music

Cziffra's Flight of the Bumblebee

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:42:00 +0000

Here is an arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov's "flight of the Bumble Bee" by Hungarian pianist Cziffra, performed live. It sounds more like the Flight of the Pterodactyl to me.

I have stumbled across many great performances, in this miraculous realm we call youtube, that are accompanied with the sheet music. This is a great tool for everyone as they listen to new music. Try to find some more of these and share them with me if you wish. I am always curious to know what interests you.

Gould's Goldberg variations

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:41:00 +0000

This week's clip is of Glenn Gould performing the first portion of Bach's Goldberg Variations. He recorded these twice, once in the 1950's and again in the 80's. Each version is quite different from one another. There is so much emotion, beauty, and genius in this work. The aria, or the opening theme, is the subject for 32 variations. You should listen to them all, even by different artists. Glenn Gould sitting at the piano has become an iconic image of Bach in the 20th century. With his unique approach, both physically and musically, it is quite obvious the music completely consumes him.

Enjoy,

Ligeti's Etude #13

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 20:39:00 +0000

For this week's clip, I wanted to send you all some modern piano music. My first choice was to share with you some Ligeti Etudes. These works are really interesting and are some of the most important and influential piano pieces of the past twenty years. Ligeti died two years ago while working on his third book of etudes. He began the first book in the mid 1980's At first, I had difficulty finding recordings of exceptional pianists performing these works. But with some adventurous browsing I stumbled upon an amazing pianist who has prepared some artful cinematography and a stunning performance of one of the Ligeti etudes. I continued to peruse this pianist's collection of videos and found some wonderful four-hand works. Check them out for yourself.

Ligeti is a Romanian composer who became famous for writing the soundtrack for 2001: Space Odyssey. Since then he has remained among the most important and influential composers of the late 20th century, especially for the piano. His etudes are considered to be some of the most challenging and physically exhausting works for solo piano.

The first video is of Ligeti's etude number 13, "The Devil's Staircase". The second video is a two-piano tango, previously unfamiliar to me, of astonishing choreography.

Fleisher plays Ravel

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:37:00 +0000

After the last clip of the week, several students had asked about literature for the left hand. Often times these pieces were commissioned by injured pianists. Other times they are written for study. Perhaps the most important work of all for the left hand is Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand Alone. Ravel said about the work, "The listener should never feel like more could be accomplished with two hands".

Leon Fleisher is performing this concerto. This clip is of the cadenza only. Here is an exciting tidbit about Leon Fleisher that you all can be excited about. My piano Professor at Bowling Green studied with him extensively. Here is a quote from Wiki "As a teacher, Fleisher has carried on a tradition that descends directly from Beethoven himself, handed down generationally through Carl Czerny, Theodor Leschetizky, Artur Schnabel, Fleisher himself, and then to hundreds of Fleisher's own piano students over nearly half a century." That means that you all are descendants of Beethoven's studio.

Enjoy,

Hamelin plays Godowsky

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:36:00 +0000

Here is a clip from the Grammys. This is Marc-Andre Hamelin, a Grammy winning Canadian pianist with exceptional technique and artistry, performing Chopin's first etude rewritten by Godowsky. As you may know, an etude is a piece for study, and in these cases, of extreme difficulty. Though they are studies in technique, they are frequently performed and Chopin performed them as well. Godowsky took Chopin's etudes one step further by making them more difficult, much more difficult. Remember my performance of Chopin's etude Op10 #4 sent out a couple of weeks ago? Well, Godowsky rewrote it for the Left hand alone. That's a very bitter humble pie. If you are interested in these olympiad feats, check out Hamelin's recording of the Godowsky-Chopin etudes and of course the original Chopin etudes (two sets of twelve, Op.10 and Op.25).

Enjoy,

Aimard plays Debussy

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:34:00 +0000

Here is a clip of one of my favorite pianists, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, playing two Debussy etudes, nos. 1 and 5. In this first etude, titled After Mister Czerny, Debussy pokes fun at the often times boring exercises of Czerny. This piece gives the impression as if the student is getting tired of the exercises and wanders off into a dreamlike, sonorous, and very French sound world. The second etude is an etude for octaves. Also, notice how he misses the last chord in the first etude. You cannot tell by his demeanor. It is instances like that that can humanize these performers and allow us to not be so hard on ourselves when mistakes happen.

Enjoy,

Jesse Myers plays Chopin

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:31:00 +0000

During many lessons, the topic of how to practice often comes up. Since practice is very personal and often private, we sometimes have bad habits that go unnoticed. In my preparation for competitions and recitals I started video taping my practices so that I can improve my time spent at the piano. One of my biggest surprises I had with this is that my nerves were getting the best of me, and this was just a silly camcorder. I highly recommend this to any of you who would like a different perspective on your playing. It may even help you battle performance anxiety. That said, I thought I would share with you some of my practicing. After a few takes and viewings/criticisms I have something with which I am fairly happy. Here is yours truly playing Chopin's Etude in C# minor Op. 10 #4

This video isn't as condensed as it could be, it may take up to a minute or two to finish downloading.

Argerich plays Scarlatti

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:30:00 +0000

Here is a clip of Martha Argerich playing a Scarlatti sonata. Scarlatti is a Baroque composer who wrote a great deal for the harpsichord, over 500 sonatas in fact. Scarlatti's music is now often played on the piano. His sonatas were single movements and only a few minutes in length, which contrasts with the Classical sonata-allegro style of Beethoven and Mozart. Martha Argerich is one of my favorite pianists and a champion of virtually any style and composer. For those of you who question the importance of alternating fingers during repeated note passages, this should clear that up... :)

Gyorgy plays Liszt

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Myers Piano Studio) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:28:00 +0000

Here is a clip of Adam Gyorgy, a young rising star who has been winning many important competitions lately. He is playing an etude by Franz Liszt. The piece is titled Gnomenreigen, Dance of the Gnomes. Liszt is a Hungarian born composer who spent much of his life in Paris and Weimar. He is considered on of the greatest performers of the 19th century along with Paganini. Liszt is commonly referred to as the "rock star" of the 19th century.

Enjoy