|
Feldenkrais Method: developing the piano playing technique. The final condition...
Some
people wish above all to conform to the rules, I wish only to render what I
can hear. There is no theory. You have only to listen. Pleasure is the law. - Debussy
Shortly said: the ARCH-idea is very old and
neither not POOR nor GOOD as well. They, who would not like to use
theirs own hands in completing the MUSICALLY reasonable tasks, they must
suffer from all kinds of the physically dreadful discomfort, but not because
they were able or unable to practically implement the ARCH-idea.
Nothing of that kind could ever take place because this idea is simply
NONRELATED to the piano technique at all. Let you be so kind and start to
seriously examine all the piano techniques presented by so many piano
masters, from Glenn Gould up to Thelenious Monk, whose video-clips could be
found on the www.youtube.com! No one
kind of "arch" or of any other
architectonically firm structure could be found in theirs playing hands'
images. Such idea should be seen as factually ridiculous, and irrational one,
too. Why so? That is so due to the physical impossibility of keeping any –
not only ARCH-LIKE – but just any STABLE FORM inside of the actually WORKING
pianist's hands persistently. Not in octaves, not in sixths, not in the more
complicated polyphonic arrangements and not in larger passages, which
sometimes require extreme stretching of the hands (Chopin, op. 10 No 1, No 2;
Liszt, Feux follets; Schumann, Toccata – and many, many more).
STABLE FORMS could factually NEVER be used by the pianists, apart from the
artificially generated MOTIONLESS forms of the hand. The secret of the
firm is just hidden in the different, much deeper structures, which truly
DO NOT represent any purely PHYSICAL, nor even BIOMECHANICAL nature
indeed! Especially the so called Taubman approach and
especially, the so-called Dr. Chuan Chang's METHOD, are generating a
feeling of the full possibility, TO ALL THE PIANO USERS, to obtain the
equally good piano technical skills, if they only would like to PRACTICE the
piano wisely, ergo, using the "tricks"
proposed by these, so called – scientifically oriented systems. I
would like to ask at this point, if YOU, the Feldenkrais believers,
maybe represent the same, so joyful point of view? Do you actually believe
that they all, who would like to build their piano technique using YOUR
TRICKS, would be able to go over all the imaginable piano instrumental
problems and pleasingly arrive to the real Piano Paradise in the very short
terms...?
Very well, but do you actually believe that all these, who
would like to build their piano technique using even very sophisticated
MANUAL TRICKS, would be able to go over all the imaginable piano instrumental
problems and pleasingly achieve the real Piano Paradise, additionally – in
the very short terms...? This is the very simple explanation, why such TRICKS
cannot work well: - The fingers and hands DO NOT possess particular brains
belonging to themselves; this is the first and the most significant point of
the matter. The next one looks as follows: - The pianist's fingers and hands were created to
help the pianists to transform into sounds the MENTALLY created, MUCH
SPEAKING and EMOTIONALLY INTERESTING MUSICAL structures [the artistic IMAGES
of musical FORMS], through which the pianists factually are EXPRESSING their
own personal reactions on artistically important ARTICTIC WORLD hidden under
surface of the NOTES. These both SIMPLE FACTS should be as easy to comprehend,
as we recognize the difference between day and night! Therefore, if ONE has
NOTHING interesting to "say" via the piano (violin, drums,
clarinet, trumpet, voice, etc.), he should rather look for any other kind of
expression for his own THOUGHTS and EMOTIONS, than to practice HIS HANDS on
the piano, factually having rather incompletely clear IDEA, what for he/she,
basically, is using the instrument... .This is to me the most crucial point
of the actually discussed. .matter, as I see it after more than 15 years
long studies on... .the Chopin's & Neuhaus' Idea!! All the empty hand-related speeches are good for them
only, who are interpreting the piano technique as the highly complicated set
of the hands & fingers' related circus-like tricks, which could
help even the musically ungifted human beings in achieving the Horowitz-like
piano skills. How a desperately sorrowful dream...!
"Almost all vocal coaches agree anyone
can learn to sing." (Found in the Internet) (How dangerous, still economically how a
truly prospective faith...!)
At the last end I would ask if you, The
Piano-Feldenkraisers, factually see any need to inform the piano world
about the tasks, which must be execute by the pianists' internal hearing and
musical fantasy in time of practicing the piano? Do you truly believe that the hearing is related to the "interpretation" only...? Here you are some additional questions: how the pianists
should build the interdependence between theirs [simplifying the issue] EARS
and HANDS if in practicing the instrument they should primarily (means:
mainly if not ONLY...!) watch their hands? How about possibility of pedagogic
involvement herein? Finalizing this text, I would like to articulate some
words about the "physical" and the "musically factual",
really singing legato in the piano playing. The "trick" [the so called overholding],
Mr. Fraser proposes the pianists as primary and apparently most important
kind of articulation of the piano sound, had been as well proposed by Malwine
Bree in her book [firstly published in 1902] presenting the so-called Leschetizky's
Method of the piano. Being legendary or not, if even it had come from
Beethoven, this trick has nothing to do with the real melody-making way that
could for sample be found in the so deeply touching interpretations of Vladimir Horowitz. This
question does not concern just V. Horowitz in any special way; at this place
one could call very many very Great Names, too – as Rubinstein, Cortot, Gieseking,
Benedetti, Gilels and many, many more. In their art of playing the piano, the
very delicate remembrance of the formerly taken sounds is NOT THE RULING kind
of articulation, but actually the very tender and very infrequently used "ornament" that likely crowns the most romantic
phrases. The overholding manner proposed by Malwine Bree and repeated
by Mr. Fraser really could come from Beethoven, who being – in any case to me
– one of the most impressive figures in the entire history of music, as the teacher
of the piano still rather cannot be seen as the real authority; his domain
was COMPOSITION yet...
Just for fun...
The very interesting postscript related to the "overkept" legato suddenly came from Mr. Fraser personally. I must say, I was not
exceptionally surprised, once I sincerely appreciate the Alan's honest
passion for the piano, for teaching and generally – for making the Life
better. One of my strongly beloved sentences looks as follows alike, Only
dead man does not change his mind [the historians must do it for him...].
I truly share many of the Alan's feelings, but... Let us now go to read a text of the next Alan's email: It [the overholding; overkept legato – S.K.] is mainly a
didactic exercise and rarely used in actual playing. The danger in overusing
overholding is that it begins to PREVENT the very thing it was designed to
improve: the movement of the fingers! Overholding empowers the fingers in the
degree to which it shows them how to stand up well - in the degree to which
gives them an experience of possessing and availing themselves of a stable
structure. However, that is a didactic experience which will be used only
occasionally in actual playing for special effect, but most often needs to be
laid aside. If you use it indiscriminately in actual playing, your fingers
will begin to rely on overholding to provide them with their support - but
that support must ultimately derive from their internal activity, not from a
stable base. Beware, over-overholding leads to lazy fingers! Hmmm...! Juxtaposing this text with the general image of
legato presented in the texts describing the Craft of Piano
method, introduced on DVD and confirmed many times on the Alan's Web Site,
one could come to the belief that the content of this postscript is
heralding, perhaps, even revolutionary transformations in the Author's
understanding of the entire piano art? I wish, they will really happen very
soon indeed! In any case such overkept legato has the certain,
particularly revolting feature – its nature is completely inconsistent with
the very nature of singing and at the same time incompatible with nature of
musicality, which basically loves cleanness and precision of and in the
articulated sounds.
Well, thinking about the Feldenkrais Method and
its applying in the pianism generally, in my opinion the most important is
here the following humble point: - Instead of many biomechanical and SKELETAL aspects
of the piano playing technique, in the last end – such factually ART RELATED
element as is the Artistic Image of the Musical Form, including all the side
phenomena accompanying this notion, should immediately be recognized as the
central point of the entire Piano Craft, too. Certainly, if the entire
Piano Craft would not become comprehend as a one more, more or less
matured version of the piano gymnastics method; as I hope, you still
remember this charming advertisement of the buttocks' training, quoted in the
first Part of this text [The unique Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lessons
will give you specific skills for improving stability, balance, alignment and
stamina.]
This is not Cliburn, but the celebrations of
ending of the Idea-Image-Technique piano master Course in
Olsztyn/Poland... At the last end, I would like to inform about the very
interesting event: The Van Cliburn Piano Competition for amateurs.
Under this link
you will get a rare opportunity to become acquainted with several
Participants of this Competition. Let you try to analyze their piano art and
ask yourself, what – if any deficiency of it – is the most important one to
you: hands, fingers, bones, wrists, posture, choreography, or – maybe – the
artistic discourage, lack of musically interesting ideas and thoughts,
emptiness of Form, particular kind of sound, etc, etc. Perhaps, watching
these videos you would be able to figure out a lot of interesting conclusions
concerning your own piano playing habits, too. Thinking about the above quoted Alan's postscript,
speaking about the overkept legato,
I would like to say as follows: Dear Friend! And where from comes everything do you
know? Where from you know that the over-overholding legato leads to laziness of fingers? From own experience, really? Or, maybe here we only
are the next "variations without theme"...? STOP! I am waiting for the more nourishing content put
in the less coquettish language, indeed. Now I feel, I have to say: THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR
PATIENCE, Dear Reader! Waiting on your opinions I am pleased to send you my
Very Best Greetings and Wishes!
Back to the Part I.
|
|
Actualized: 2007-08-06 |
