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Hi Peyton:
I just finished the first page of the 48.1. And, like you, I like it so much more than the 55.1. I agree, the melody is astounding. And the way Chopin keeps repeating it over and over, faster and faster...it blows me away every time I hear it. But to be able to play it...well, that may be a different story. As I have often mentioned, I lack much of the technique required to play such a composition (and I wonder if I'll ever get through the 55.1. It will either make me or break me.) However, I'm not a quitter; it's just going to take me a while.
Mel: Good Luck on both the waltz and the polonaise. I envy your skill to be able to play them although I am certainly aware of the hours and hours and hours of practice involved. Now Mel, you know I can't do "fast". How in the world could I ever play the Minute Waltz?
Ozor Mox: It must have been something to hear Chopin's Fanatasisie for the first time. So happy to learn he's made it to your list of favorite composers. From what I've read, he wanted it destroyed because he thought it was too similiar to another composer's work. Check back a few pages on this site and you can read the whole story. Welcome!
Kathleen
Chopin’s music is all I need to look into my soul.
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Wow--what a wonderful resource to have Hershey here. I hope he understood that when he said "fire away" that I have quite an arsenal of questions!
Gosh, where to start. First, Hershey, I am totally befuddled by the whole relaxation issue when I play. I have been playing for 35 years, 11 actively with a teacher, and all these years I have wrestled the pieces into submission with my hands, forcing the notes in the exact way you said not to do ("press harder here, a little less now"). Many people have commented on my lack of passion/emotion/feeling when I play, but I really don't know how to fix that.
I heard a young Polish pianist last spring at a Chopin Society concert, and I was struck by the color in his playing, just as you mentioned. In fact, when I came home I even told my husband, "I see now that have been playing with the primary colors while this young man has the box of 64 Crayolas." Or more. I just don't know how to move from where I am to more colorful playing.
I am also playing the 55/1, and I have been working on it since April or May. Do you have a tempo you recommend for the first section--up to the piu mosso? I've heard a wide variety, and I am not quite sure what Chopin intended or if that is known by anyone.
Unlike everyone else that contributes to this thread, I know nothing of the life of Chopin or anything about him--I am almost ashamed to admit this to this erudite group! I am not familiar with your show, but the talk of it has me very anxious to see it. Is LA the only U.S. destination on your tour schedule? My family does a good bit of traveling in the summer, so maybe I would try to make our trips coincide with your tour if I could. Or maybe my piano teacher and I will take a special trip to see you!
Thanks for any and all ideas you have. I have loved learning from your responses.
Nancy
Estonia 168
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Originally posted by NancyM333: I heard a young Polish pianist last spring at a Chopin Society concert, and I was struck by the color in his playing....... Adam Golka?
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No, Stanislaw Drzewiecki. He was really terrific. Our small Chopin Society gives free tickets to piano students, so my children and I get to go to these wonderful, small concerts. This group seems to get great pianists on a small budget. Ingrid Fliter, an Argentinian pianist who won the Silver Medal at the 2000 Chopin competition at Warsaw, played last fall. On the night she played it was announced that she had won the Gilmore Artist award, a cash prize given every four years to an exceptional talent (no competing required, just a decision by a foundation). We've been very fortunate to have access to these artists whose programs mostly consist of Chopin, at least when they play here.
Nancy
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Hey Nancy, I'm going to a concert by Stanislaw Drzewiecki at the London Chopin Society in December! What a coincidence. BTW he was actually born in Russia but I think he considers himself a Pole.
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Well, as difficult, as this is to admit, I think I am living in the wrong country!! We get nothing like what you have described here in Rockford, IL. Rockford has a very STRONG Swedish population (founded by Swedes year ago). I'm not sure if they're "into" classical music that much. Sorry to any Swedes who may be reading this (I am 1/4 Swedish myself), and if I am wrong in my assumption (probaby am). :rolleyes: Just wish I could attend all those Chopin concerts you are speaking of. Kathleen
Chopin’s music is all I need to look into my soul.
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Hello all -
While I will be playing opus 22 (Grande Polonaise Brilliante) this coming season - I never took the time to read through the other works for piano and orchestra - the Air on Polish National Themes, the Krakowiak - it's amazing what he was able to do - when just a boy! Some o the wonderful and exotic harmonies are really stunning and so very Polish - they really do create that wonderfil buzzing sound that is so apparent in traditional folk music. Do give some of this a read if you have a chance -
For today's questions - Nancy M: The whole idea of relaxation is something that takes a lifetime to achieve. With certaiin artists, it comes quicker and younger, others, it is a lifetime commitment fo work and revision.
Begin by letting your hand drop in your lap. Let it drop completely, as i it were dead weight. You must not control it, you must allow it to drop. When it's down there, and when it is relaxed simply twiddle your fingers. Remember - no tension in the arm, hand, nothing... when you twiddle your fingers, it should be easy - an "air trill" as it were. Keep on thinking and connecting your brain to what you are actually doing with your hands - relaxation, no tension, no "force." Work on this feeling, do it a lot, remember it, constantly work - even when around the house, of connecting your conscious brain to the activity in your arms and your body. This doesn't come easily - it is hard thinking work.
When you are closer to understanding your body - then, go to the piano. Drop your hands on the keys, do not worry about sound, what you hit, hitting something at all - just drop. Chopin was very clear himself - let the hands drop onto the keys - let the natural weight of the hand take you to where you must go. Don't imagine pushing AT the piano - imagine there to be natural weight in your arms and et gravity do it's thing. Anything against nature wil make it more difficult for you to play.
The most important thing in all of this, is to engage the mind, in what is logical for YOU. Everyone has a different approach to accomplishing the goal, because our physiognomies are all different. Think of what it is that will allow you freedom at the keyboard and then work in that direction. The fingers must not be forced, they must work naturally.
As for 55/1 - you must listen to the heartbeat of the piece - by this - I mean, every work, for each individual has an inner life, for me, 55/1, I play it in cut time, I feel two beats per bar, not fast, but feel the rhythm of the work - follow the bass F- G - Ab, etc. but create color, don't push. And above all, use your ears. That's really the only thing that plays piano.
Peyton: Don't give up on 48/1 because the octaves scare you. Go back, and slowy and easily approach each one, lightly and carefully. My guess is that you are looking at the "whole" and it is putting you off. Never mind - each octave, and then the direction that octave takes, and make them all melodic. Do three at a time - and remember Chopin wasn't a Lisztian virtuoso, he was a very delicate pianist... remember =- Facilement, Easily, but don't get ahead of yourself - just take the configurations three octaves at a time, and don't force. The piano makes enough noise without any pushing.
Hope this is of some help.
Hersh
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Thank you so much for these suggestions, Hershey. I am reading a book currently called "Passionate Practice," and it advocates a similar drop weight exercise. I was thinking the author might be "way out there," but now I see she is right on. I will try to be patient with myself as I learn this technique. I am definitely one who likes instant gratification (if a cake bakes in an hour at 250 degrees, won't 30 minutes at 500 degrees work the same?), but in my heart I understand the concept of incubation of a skill.
I appreciate your thoughts.
Nancy
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A question for Hershey:
Any general advice about mastering 10/12 - I've been working on that one a year, or the first scherzo (op 20) (particularly dynamics) would be greatly appreciated.
Slow down and do it right.
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Frycek -
To begin, your tag line makes the most sense - "slow down and do it right."
Indeeed - this is the place to begin.
Again, playing well, easily, quickly has to do with many things, but it begins with relaxation. So that first.
Of course one of the wild and great performances of this piece (for me) may just be Richter - may be on YouTube - if not, it is certainly in certain other visual collections.
Begin to practice this thing QUIETLY (he says with screaming capital letters) and I mean, quietly, piano - pianissimo. That way, you won't be forcing notes to sound but you will be relaxed in the hands, the arms, and you will make a beautiful sound. Eventually, when both your ear and hands are attuned, you can make dynamic adjustments. Practice this in groupings, rhytmically, (changeing rhythms, etc.) but never loud, you'll just hurt yourself. Think easy, light, and above all, legato - there should be no tension in the hand. If there is, you won't be able to ever play quickly. Map out the choreography so that you amke certain that your hand is behind the wrist (ie - the hand and wrist , and of course, the arm) should be behind the notes that are being played, not stretching from elsewhere. Practice easily, slowy, legato, with a metronome. Do two weeks of daily work that way. If it is too much, then in groupings - but make certain that each group is worked out. Get the technical stuff right and free all the while thinking of the music - but don't "force" the music the just yet - otherwise you will "show off" and either damage your technical work, or never solidify it.
As for opus 20 - sheesh! Light thing you like!
This guy is a biggie - and the business is the same - get it quietly, lightly, armonioso, (so that the many notes are part of a structural harmony first) and then worry about speed and fire. First things first, slowly, in groupings. Look for patterns, and above all, ALWAYS with EASE.
This kind of work is hard to describe in words. Hopefully one day there will be a chance to show you in person.
H
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Maryrose--What I especially loved about Stanislaw Drzewiecki's performance was that for his encores he played very easy Chopin pieces, things any of us could play. Since I was not distracted by the impossibly speedy fingers and enormous jumps all over the piano, I could concentrate on absolute beauty of the way he played. It helped me hear the color he put into his playing. I think maybe the difficult pieces are so intimidating to me, so far beyond my ability, that I can't quite pick up the nuances that the pianist puts into them.
Nancy
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Nancy - it will be interesting to see if Stanislaw Drzewiecki does the same at the forthcoming recital. I'll let you know. Hershey - when talking about playing the piano you sound just like Chopin himself (Well, strictly speaking, he would be unlikely to have said "this guy is a biggie" but I mean the essence of what you say!)
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Hershey, thank you very much for your advice. I seem to have reached a plateau in 10/12. I'll back off a bit and practice it as you suggest.
Slow down and do it right.
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Hi Hersh: You haven't heard much from me because, quite frankly, I am not in the same league as Frycek, Peyton, MaryRose Nancy, and Ragnhild. Not even in the same ballpark!! Maybe I'm in the parking lot someplace. But I wanted to write to tell you that I actually took your advice to heart yesterday, and it paid off, big time. I usually don't practice when I am physically tired because when I do the results are always horrendous. Anyhow, after a hectic run-around-town (actually drive around town) morning, I was exhausted. However, I made a pledge never to get a let a day go by without playing/practicing, no matter what. I had just read your message about completely relaxing and letting the arms hang loose. It didn't take any real mental focus for me to do this, since they were hanging pretty loose already. I played my favorite waltz by Chopin. That little A minor one that was on the soundtrack of Desire for Love. Whenever I sit at the piano, I think to myself...well, what and how many wrong notes are you going to hit today? Yesterday, I couldn't have cared less. I was too tired to worry about wrong notes. I just went "with the flow," as they say. AND I have never played it better. Imagine my surprise!! Hersh, it's one thing to read about technique and practicing tips from a book; it's quite another to have an artist of your stature speak to us personally. Once again, I want to thank you. We all so appreciate you and your willingness to share what you've have learned through years and years of hard work and experience. Have you helped turn me from a dud to a diva?? Well, not quite, because I have a long way to go. But I will remember yesterday's experience and hope to approach the piano each and every time with that "loose as a goose" attitude. MaryRose (she's so funny) is right-on when she mentioned that you do take on Chopin's persona when talking about playing the piano. There is no greater compliment that we could pay you. Oh, another great Chopin quote (paraphrase). Practice is the best teacher, time is the best critic. Regards, Kathleen (Kasha)
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Kathleen - "I am not in the same league as Frycek, Peyton, MaryRose Nancy, and Ragnhild" I assure you that I'm standing right next to you in that parking lot. Shall we just get in the car and put on a CD of Rubinstein?
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MaryRose...so good to have some company out here. I was getting a tad lonely. Where should be go? Carnegie Hall? Maybe they'd let us sit in the parking lot there, especially if we're playing a Rubinstein CD...playing Chopin, really LOUD! To give the place some ambience.
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I'm not in the parking lot either. I'm off in the deep dark woods practicing where no one can hear me.
Slow down and do it right.
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Frycek: Your practicing sounds like someone else's recital. But one good thing about playing in the dark woods is that you wouldn't be able to see the keys...one of Chopin's suggestions to his students about blowing out the candles to discover if they really knew the piece. (I almost said turning off the lights...then realized the light bulb wasn't yet invented.) But watch out for that posion ivy. Kathleen
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Hershey, Thank you for that advise concerning 48/1. I've got to get back up to that octave section but when i do I'm sure it will help. It always seems to come back to relaxing the hands and arms doesn't it? And now I guiltily ask another question (I am amazed and honored that you take the time you do with us poor amateurs ) I have been playing the 28/3 prelude for a year now and just can't seem to get the left hand to speed. My problems start with the jump in measure 7. That second finger (or at least that's what I use) on the E then jumping to the D (measure 8). I just can't seem to do it smoothly at speed. The rest of the piece comes and goes depending on how much coffee i had that morning but I can rarely play that last measure well.
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Only a few words from the dark wet Norwegian Woods... I have been reading this thread very carefully, trying to catch all your advice, Hershey, even if I have not posted too much. I have not played Chopin at all lately just because I can not stand to listen to all my mistakes. Yesterday, though, I got the opportunity to practice 1 hour on my friends Kawai upright. I felt so much better having a descent piano to play, that even the mistakes sounded better Hershey, do you play the Nocturne in Bmajor (32.1) ? For me this one suits my personality, and I like the ending which is a little "scary" (or full of "angst" as Kathleen would say). But I really do not now clearly how I want the ending to sound (from the repeating LH triplets). I admire you Frycek, playing the 10/12, of course I am not at your level. But what I think we all have in common here is the sincere approach, wanting to do the best we can. I have had so many disappointments especially from not being the singer i would like to be, but I know I just can't let be playing and singing. Ragnhild
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