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"To play Chopin, you must know Chopin" this was the agreement reached following a serious discussion on interpreting his music. Rummaging through a couple of his biographies, I came across one written by Arthur Hedley in
The master musicians: Chopin. J.M Dent & Sons LTD, 1947,1963 & 1974.
Here are some excerpts from Chapter 10 Page118, which presents some useful insight in to Chopin as a Pianist and Teacher.
Style:
His playing style was very personal, elusive, so little susceptible to definition that it could not have been handed down to his disciples, even if Chopin had been more fortunate in his pupils than actually was the case. And when he vanished from the scene nothing of his art as a pianist was left; there remained only a legend-and the protests of those who best knew his playing, when they heard his music interpreted by others, even by sensitive artists like Tausig and Rubinstein:' No,no! Not like that!'
Selected Accounts of His playing
By The Daily News
We have never heard music which has so much the air of unpremeditated effusion. The performer seems to pour out , unconsciously as it were, the thoughts and emotions that pass through his mind.......He accomplishes enormous difficulties, but so quietly, so smoothly.... that the listener is not sensible of their real magnitude
By Ernest Legouve
Once at the piano Chopin played until he was exhausted. In the grip of a disease that knows no mercy, dark rings appeared around his eyes, a feverish brightness lit up his face, his lips turned vivid red and his breath came in short gasps. He felt, we felt that something of his life was flowing away with the music; he would not stop and we had not the strength to stop him. The fever which consumed him took possession of us all!
Means by which Chopin achieved his miracles:
-His hands though not large were extraordinarily supple and ideally proportioned for piano playing.
-Strict adherence to time, more so when playing Bach or Mozart he could be as steady as a metronome. Although while playing his own pieces, Berlioz suggests that Chopin could not maintain strict time (probably the "Tempo Rubato", which will have mention later)
-Evenness of touch
-Each of his fingers seemed to be controlled by individual will.
- He always maintained a pure singing tone, a fine legato and a carefully molded phrasing
- Unorthodox finger use (It was considered outrageous in the piano era)
such as sliding one finger over the other, or passing the fourth finger over the little finger.
-pedaling, few or none of the contemporaries experimented and used the pedal to such extreme as Chopin. It has been observed that when he dealt with such passages his feet literally vibrated!
-The tempo rubato......to be continued..below
Last edited by harmonsp : Apr 25 2008 at 7:29 AM.
Reason: continuation
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