Piano Forum



Rhapsody in Blue – A Piece of American History at 100!
The centennial celebration of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue has taken place with a bang and noise around the world. The renowned work of American classical music has become synonymous with the jazz age in America over the past century. Piano Street provides a quick overview of the acclaimed composition, including recommended performances and additional resources for reading and listening from global media outlets and radio. Read more >>

Topic: Best memorisers?  (Read 4242 times)

Offline ajlongspiano

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 691
Best memorisers?
on: August 25, 2014, 02:08:54 AM
Hey there everyone! I was just wondering what your opinions are on who was/is the best memoriser of piano. I have heard that Richer was pretty incredible. He reportedly learned the whole Prokofiev 8th Sonata in 3 days. Looking forward to your responses.

Offline dima_76557

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1786
Re: Best memorisers?
Reply #1 on: August 25, 2014, 03:30:32 AM
Best memorisers?

Franz Liszt, Camille Saint-Saëns and Josef Hofmann could play the most complicated compositions perfectly after hearing them only once and without seeing the printed notes. :)
No amount of how-to information is going to work if you have the wrong mindset, the wrong guiding philosophies. Avoid losers like the plague, and gather with and learn from winners only.

Offline j_menz

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10148
Re: Best memorisers?
Reply #2 on: August 25, 2014, 03:52:57 AM
And Mozart's little Papal theft job no doubt qualifies him for contention.
"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility. There are so few of us left" -- Oscar Levant

Offline gapoc459

  • PS Silver Member
  • Jr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 62
Re: Best memorisers?
Reply #3 on: August 25, 2014, 03:04:17 PM
I am currently reading Daniel Barenboim's memoir. Here is an anecdote about Dmitri Mitropoulos, who in his opinion had "the most phenomenal memory of anyone I have ever met."

"The story is told that when he was Music Director in Minneapolis and was supposed to conduct the world premiere of a new American piece, the orchestral parts did not arrive until the day before the first rehearsal, and the conductor's score never arrived at all. So he took the orchestra parts home and spread them out on the floor the way an orchestra sits. He then memorized the piece overnight and the next morning rehearsed it from memory."


'Nuff said?
Currently working on Beethoven: 
Piano Concerto in C minor, Op. 37
Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat, Op. 7
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor "Appassionata", Op. 57
Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90

Offline coda_colossale

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 278
Re: Best memorisers?
Reply #4 on: August 25, 2014, 05:29:50 PM
Everybody knows the story of Lugansky learning Rach 3 in three days right? ;D
Rachmaninoff too is said to have a phenomenal memory.
I'd say İdil Biret, too. She has the largest repertoire I know and she's still learning and recording new repertoire at 72.

Offline stevensk

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 641
Re: Best memorisers?
Reply #5 on: August 26, 2014, 05:45:57 AM
Hj Lim played Rachmaninoffs first and second pianoconcert without sheet at a concert in Barcelona earlier this year, and Rach 3 the next day. -She holds all of the Beethoven sonatas in her head  + Chopin ballades and lots of encores as well. Incredible!

Offline coda_colossale

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 278
Re: Best memorisers?
Reply #6 on: August 26, 2014, 09:08:57 AM
Hj Lim played Rachmaninoffs first and second pianoconcert without sheet at a concert in Barcelona earlier this year, and Rach 3 the next day. -She holds all of the Beethoven sonatas in her head  + Chopin ballades and lots of encores as well. Incredible!
Yeah, you've pretty much summed up the perfect mediocre pianist.

Offline visitor

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5289
Re: Best memorisers?
Reply #7 on: August 26, 2014, 09:48:21 AM
A good number of the composer geniuses were phenomenal memorizers, I have read crazy anecdotes  of incredible music memory from a number of the giants. Ie Shostakovich , Kosenko, etc

Offline stevensk

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 641
Re: Best memorisers?
Reply #8 on: August 26, 2014, 10:22:43 AM
Yeah, you've pretty much summed up the perfect mediocre pianist.

And you seems to be this forums perfect hater.
For more information about this topic, click search below!
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert