'finishing' a piece

[Tash]

ok i've been contemplating this for a while now and i find that i get rather annoyed at the fact that people i hear play don't finish their pieces properly. it's like here's the last chord and whilst i'm playing that i'll just take my hands off the keys and shut the book and take my foot off the pedal.
i find it to be very abrupt and doesn't let the audience gradually float out of the atmosphere that has been created until that last note- it's like being woken up from a good dream but someone coming and poking you. i found that lang lang does this so was a bit disappointed in that

do you take into consideration that last note/chord when you're playing? cos even though it's just one note it's importance in my opinion is very great and i think it's sad to just brush it over.

[janice]

(Sorry if I misunderstood you at all)
But as a recovering perfectionist--lol--I absolutely HATE it whenever I see someone play and at the end they will give a big sigh and slouch and let their wrists droop (while fingers are still on the keys).  grrrrr  usually this is done without the big sigh.  And the foot remains on the pedal for who knows how long!!  I believe that hands should be released WITH the pedal, correct?  Isn't this standard practice or is it just a pet peeve of mine?

[abe]

lol, yes it does seem a bit mellow dramatic janice, but who can resist when coming to the last chords of, say, op. 55 fminor nocturne of chopin?

[Tash]

yes the hands should come off with the pedal! but yeah how long you play the chord should really be taken into some significant consideration  i reckon

[jeff]

ok i've been contemplating this for a while now and i find that i get rather annoyed at the fact that people i hear play don't finish their pieces properly. it's like here's the last chord and whilst i'm playing that i'll just take my hands off the keys and shut the book and take my foot off the pedal.
i find it to be very abrupt and doesn't let the audience gradually float out of the atmosphere that has been created until that last note- it's like being woken up from a good dream but someone coming and poking you. i found that lang lang does this so was a bit disappointed in that

do you take into consideration that last note/chord when you're playing? cos even though it's just one note it's importance in my opinion is very great and i think it's sad to just brush it over.

i notice this too. i guess those people just don't have the same sort of appreciation for creating an appropriate atmosphere surrounding a musical performance. they would probably not be very successful at other performing artforms such as drama and dance

i personally take pride in my beginnings and endings - even if everything in between sucks

[bernhard]

Yes, I agree that the atmosphere of the piece should define how it ends. So in certain pieces the last note/chord should be allowed to keep ringing until the sound dies away.

However other pieces should end abruptly, and if you are given to theatrical gestures, you should play that last chord, lift your hands abruptly from the keys and in one single movement stand up, flick your hair abruptly to the left and as the hands come down use that movement to close the piano lid with a bang!  

Then take your bow.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Motrax]

Taking your hands off the keyboard before lifting the pedal can be fine in a few situations. Ending the last note by carefully lifting the pedal can give a different sound than ending the last note with both the keys and the pedal. More often than not, though, I lift the pedal first, and then lift my hands off the keys. This usually has a more final ring to it, and gives the audience time to let the music fully settle and sink in.

Bernhard, you forgot to mention to knock over the piano bench as you shoot off of it.  

[bernhard]

Bernhard, you forgot to mention to knock over the piano bench as you shoot off of it.  

Jerry Lee Lewis! Yeah!