Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner "My God, girl! If you can do this, you should specialize in Bach."

At my first lesson, he assigned a Bach prelude and fugue, a work of Beethoven, some Chopin, and several other composers. I returned three days later. Starting the lesson chronologically, I handed him the Bach score. "Do you have it memorized?" he asked. And I replied, "Yes." So he said, "All right, play it." So I played it through and he didn't say a word. Then he asked to hear the other works, and I went on with them. Again he said nothing but assigned another prelude and fugue to me. I left and came back three or four days later for the second lesson of the week. I started the lesson the same way, handing him the new Bach score. Again he asked whether I ahd this memorized too? I told him that I had; he told me to play it. I played it through, and when I finished he said, "My God, girl! If you can do this, you should specialize in Bach." ... It was the first time I heard that I was doing anything unusual. I had been learning Bach works with my former teacher for four years with the same speed and she had never once mentioned that it was unique. I didn't know - I didn't realize that Bach was more difficult than Mendelssohn to absorb, memorize, play. I just absorbed it all so quickly, so naturally.

...

The decision to try out for the Juilliard School was rather sudden. Only one prelude and fugue by Bach was required for the audition; I had so many prepared that I listed them on paper rather than giving a long verbal recitation of my prepared repertoire. In addition to these, I fulfilled the other requirements... Mr. Hutcheson read off my written list to the judges saying, "Which prelude and fugue would you like to hear?" To my surprise I find in recent years that this query has become legendary and I meet people everywhere in the queue backstage following my concerts asking if this is true. It is true... I won the fellowship and Olga Samaroff became my new teacher. Due to my own interest in continuing work on Bach, I learned three preludes and fugues a week in order to complete the entire forty-eight. Every Monday I'd start a new set; on Friday I'd bring in the three preludes and fugues memorized and worked out in interpretation.

Originally posted by Sonata:
Argerich?! I heard that Argerich had never practice hard when she was young, because every piece for her was easy.

Originally posted by rockpeter:
Yes very interesting read...
Book: Great Contemporary Pianists speak for themsleves.

Peter

Originally posted by thoughtful:
i read that a while ago and had a high expectation of Turek's Bach, especially when she said she worked out a special way to play Bach. Then I came across her WTC recordings...they were utterly despicable. Pounding FORTE brutally whenever the subject appears as if it's the only way to make the subject entry apparent.

Originally posted by thoughtful:
i read that a while ago and had a high expectation of Turek's Bach, especially when she said she worked out a special way to play Bach. Then I came across her WTC recordings...they were utterly despicable. Pounding FORTE brutally whenever the subject appears as if it's the only way to make the subject entry apparent.

Originally posted by Contrapunctus:

Quote

Originally posted by thoughtful:
[b] i read that a while ago and had a high expectation of Turek's Bach, especially when she said she worked out a special way to play Bach. Then I came across her WTC recordings...they were utterly despicable. Pounding FORTE brutally whenever the subject appears as if it's the only way to make the subject entry apparent.

That's the way my teacher tells me to play Bach. [/b]