What a Cellist can learn at a Piano Masterclass
January 23, 2012
This past Sunday we capped our weekend in Kansas City by attending a piano masterclass given by Stansilav Ioudenitch. I have been to several piano masterclasses with Sibylle and I always learn something even though I am not a pianist. Yesterday’s class was no exception. Here are my notes.
- Play slower – let the audience hear all the notes. Be aware of the accompaniment
- Use shoulder weight to increase volume
- Extend phrases across bar / measure
- Rebound off notes – feel the weight moving through the note
- Playing with more expression doesn’t mean more attack - it means more lyrical
- Don’t rush through passages, even if they are at a fast(er) tempo
- Resolve technical problems through expression
- Be aware of conversation between solo and accompaniment, whether it is just a piano or an orchestra
- Orchestra accompaniment is like the Titanic – big and powerful – and unable to react to the soloist. Piano accompaniment can and will react to solo
- Performer’s thoughts/emotion will come through in the music. Change your emotion to color the music differently
- Interplay between solo and orchestra or second piano is key
- When developing phrasing think about how a singer would perform the melody
- Technical passages should be played virtuosically yes, but also musically
- Be relaxed – flexible – no extra weight or tension in body
- Make short notes longer to increase expression
- Body motion – elegant body motion – will make elegant music
- Play with no extra motion, don’t waste energy