Oh Liszt, why? Why did you have to be so good? Why did you have to play such hard stuff? Why by yourself? Why in profile? Why from memory?! Over one hundred years after Liszt's death, and still, I am not the only one (I hope) who despairingly asks these questions.
Liszt became one of the first great concert pianists, as the term is applied today, and years later, pianists are still struggling to emulate his style because, as hard as that style may be to echo, the idea of millions of screaming fans fainting and fighting to get closer so they can see a classical pianist play is undeniably appealing.
And that is at least a large part of why Liszt did what he did; for the fame, the glory, and the adulation. And we should be thankful for him, for the mania he inspired, because it made what we are popular, and the profession we aspire to, that of performance pianist, more accepted. Liszt was the first great superstar, like The Beatles, except that where there were four of them, there was only one of him, and his hair was probably better.
Liszt's playing, and his composing were groundbreaking in their beauty and virtuosity, and he was a highly respected pedagogue. However, I find some of his ideas on technique to be contradictory, or at least confusing. For example, he advocated playing with the "palm of the finger," but then later, on page 185 it is mentioned that Liszt advocated a higher bench, so that the forearms are slanted down. Attempting to play with the palms of the fingers, while the arm is slanted downward, seems to me to be very hard on the wrists. In this, as in other contradictory areas, I would take one piece of advice, and leave the other. I like the idea of playing with the palm of the finger, especially for certain passages, since thinking about a cushion would change how I play, if playing in this position does not actually change the sound in and of itself (does it matter what we press the key down with, as long as we worry about how we press it down?).
Liszt's exhortation that we should always search for expression while we play is a good one, and perhaps a way to make even the most crazy virtuosic passages more bearable. This ability to express emotion is what distinguishes us from machines, so we have no excuse in not taking full advantage of it. This goes along with Liszt's advice about self analysis. Too often, especially when I am left alone to study by myself, over a break, perhaps, I become too complacent with my own technique. Stringent self analysis, helped by reading books on technique (such as this one!) and listening to recordings of great pianists may go a long way towards remedying this problem.
Franz Liszt revolutionized piano playing, taking performance practice in particular further than anyone has since, and paving the way for our modern pianism. And in considering all this, I am left with just one more question; who did he say Beethoven's piano sonatas were by, if he didn't credit Beethoven?
I KNOW. SERIOUSLY. He makes us all look bad. Or like "children" as our text would suggest. As I read about this I couldn't help but think, there is NO modern figure that is this highly respected/worshiped in classical music. It's kind sad that it seems as though our art is a dying one. I wonder what we can do to try to modernize it, keep it new (without shoving objects in between the strings)and if it would ever be possible to have arenas of crazed fans ever again!
ReplyDeleteIn regard to your question about bench height and finger position, I think that it's possible to play with the fleshy part of your finger from many angles, without straining the wrist. I get where you're coming from, but I think the change comes from the fingers, and perhaps less from the wrist. But what do I know? No one's ever compared me to God.
:)
Maybe you're right; he probably meant only a gentle slope, at any rate. It still seems awkward to me, just as playing with a higher bench in general always feels awkward to me. But the idea of more power in playing is indeed appealing. :)
ReplyDeleteHIGH BENCH ALL THE WAY. Ok I'll stop yelling now. When playing difficult music requiring speed and strength, I always with with a higher bench, though I do sit a bit higher on average. Not an extreme angle but a slight slant down to the keys, this forces more arm technique. Playing with the "palm" of the fingers I think should be reserved for special occasions or very soft playing. It creates a slower key descent and is often very useful for quiet endings, and a lot of Debussy...
ReplyDeleteI know that the reading says the palms of the fingers specifically. But what if Liszt used the description to mean having a connection of the fingers to the palm of the hand, and that one should play from this location. Just a thought. I certainly like the though of playing with the palm of the fingers themselves. There are certain instances in which playing on the pads are best.
ReplyDeleteI also like the idea of self analysis. I, too, find myself complacent with my own technique and get into some what of a rut when left to learn on my own over breaks and such. This is just part of the life of a growing pianist.. : )