Stefan Kutrzeba site: Idea-Image-Technique in playing and teaching the piano

[PaulNaud]

Please go to this site.
It's quite interesting.
It's about Idea-Image-Technique in playing and teaching the piano:

https://www.pianoeu.com/indexje.html

[PaulNaud]

Stefan Kutrzeba is a pianist who studied in Poland and Russia. He is living in a small town called PARKANO in the Ylä-Satakunta region of Finland. He is giving seminars and master-courses throughout Europe.
https://pianoart.republika.pl/base.html
https://pianoart.republika.pl/engl2.html

[etudes]

i did masterclass with him in Olsztyn (you even can see my photos there but i am not going to tell which is my photos)
he is incredible (both technical and musical)but its really pity that his course was too short to understand all of the concept he wants to give

[rc]

Just did a quick little skim of the site, and I'm very interested to figure out what's being said there. It's obvious to me the author's first language was not english, so it's a little difficult for me to understand. So far it seems like useful stuff, I'll read through it the next few days (twice probably to understand it ) and get back to ya.

Thanks for the link.

[PaulNaud]

It's not always easy to understand but his research on the issue of piano playing is fascinating.

[pianistimo]

my philosophy is more in the mind and imagination - which directly counters their idea of always thinking of tone and colors.  it's not that i don't disagree - it's that when i feel the most motivated to try harder to get better tones and colors is when i have experienced or seen something in my life that i try to reflect.

that means, to me, that music students should be taking art classes, physical ed, mathematics, etc. to become well-rounded in their experiences of expression.  visiting far off places couldn't hurt.  seeing a beautiful garden.  being in love. being around children. going to a museum.  listening to other's play (not just piano) and sing.  watching conductors as they lead - seeing how they incorporate minute details into a whole.  this to me - is living life and not just watching from the sidelines - trying to make progress without immersion in life itself.  the idea of the lonely artist isn't really that great.  if you isolate yourself and totally get into what sounds good to you - you are forgetting that people don't care if a few notes are off.  they want to hear the heart of the song or piece and feel like they are brought into your world.

[PaulNaud]

As you pointed out, it is true that if you want to be a complete pianist, musician and artist, you should have a solid background and this curiosity about everything!

[PaulNaud]

I'd like to add here the most frequent questions related to the Chopin-Neuhaus' system as reported by Mr. Kutrzeba:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does the Chopin's Method produce good results even in studies on the other composers' works?

- Yes, it does. This Method is NOT related to interpretation of the Chopin's own pieces at all. It shows entirely yet - how the pianists should use the anticipative hearing and artistic fantasy, which - working together - should factually control all the operational aspects of technique of playing the piano.

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2. Would it be reasonable to use this Method in teaching the children who just start to play the piano?

- Yes, absolutely! Because the Chopin's Method accurately shows - HOW is possible to activate the players' personal artistic creativity, and learns - how to use ones hearing in really professional way (in playing the piano such skill should be trained in a different way as in happens in playing the string or wind instruments). These both things - hearing and imaging - are of the most importance operational devices in teaching the piano, especially - in the introductory level of schooling.

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3. Is the Chopin's Method intended for very talented students only?

- No, not at all. This Method helps to activate the musical hearing, and as well, it helps to stimulate the development of musical fantasy. It rationalizes articulation of the sound, connecting this process to higher mental and emotional activity. These values are of the real worth to all of us, the pianists.

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4. Which point differentiates the Chopin's system from other methods, known across history of the piano?

- Herein exist some elements that differentiate the Chopin's Method from all other methods in history of the piano - excluding the Prof. H. Neuhaus' piano teaching system (Prof. Neuhaus had practically tested and in particular meaning - even improved the Chopin's piano idea in his teaching).

Well, Chopin's Method truly connects the technique of playing the piano with artistic aspects of this process, giving clear instructions related to qualities of the sounding object that must be watched when practicing and playing the piano.

This subtle element revolutionizes the whole thing - actually focusing the pianists' ATTENTION on totally different details of playing the piano than commonly is been suggested by all the other methods.

Technically seen - the Chopin's Method teaches, how is possible to take advantage of the keyboard's mechanical resistance. In contrast to other systems yet, which prefer rather "to fight with" or "to beat" the keys - solutions, the Chopin's Method presents totally different, fully ergonomic point of view. It shows how the proper control of color, energy and the dynamic values of every one sound can be used as a perfect agent that maximizes the pianists' instrumental potentiality.

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5. Why the Chopin's Method had not been adequately received by the teachers if it really represents so great worth in teaching and playing the piano?

- "That is the Question"! Though, let you have a look at answers No 8, 9, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

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6. Does the Chopin's Method offer any concrete instructions and give practical guidance for fulfilling of its piano technical idea?

- Yes, it does. Let you have a look at the links maintained at answers No 4 and No 7. Thank you!

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7. Should it mean that the Method gives the very concrete instructions related to the manual aspects of practicing the piano?

- Yes. The Method gives the very precise information related to strictly mechanical relations between particular parts of the player’s hands, too.

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8. Why the Chopin's Method has been so rarely used in the professional piano teaching?

- A troublesome question! Factually, in theory of the piano the Chopin's Method is being known very well. Unfortunately, only HISTORIANS, who for the clear reasons cannot adequately understand and interpret all the practical aspects of teaching and playing the piano, primarily were interested in this Method; just historians have written majority of books and articles related to this method - not the pianists.

That is why all the generous possibilities of this Method could not been adequately described and made well known worldwide. Pedagogically seen - the most important content of the Chopin's Method, related to real mechanisms, which factually determine the technique of playing the piano, had been almost forgotten. That is why - again - the Chopin's Method, even nowadays, is being known and studied rather as the historically interesting - still practically about worthless phenomenon.

Additionally, the Chopin's piano idea, drafted in his "Sketches for the Method", was of so modern character, that its misinterpreting is fully understandable. The truly unreasonable formulas, which primarily speak about purely MECHANICAL elements of the piano technique became more famous instead, however these mechanical elements they actually bring to the light - paradoxically - are truly useless in forming the pianists' abilities to playing the piano well.

Chopin's piano idea, in the last end - in more or less apparent way - had generously stimulated many luminous piano masters. Among others could been maintained here such piano giants as Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) and Anton Rubinstein (1829 - 1894), Leopold Godowsky (1870 - 1938) and Jozef Hofmann (1876 - 1957) as well. Some additional explanations related to this topic could be found via this link.

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9. Does here exist any other "failure" except of Chopin's innovatory, that could influence on his Method’s misunderstanding among the piano teachers in the XIX century and later, too?

- Chopin's Method has been described in a form of the short sketch only; though, herein could been found sufficiently many extensive sentences, which enlighten Chopin’s personal piano pedagogic strategy and give possibility to rightful reconstruction of the main idea of his method.

Across the whole XIX Century the strictly mechanical way of practicing the piano has been persistently maintained by majority of the piano teachers, who strongly believed in possibility to achieve the brilliant instrumental technique just via strengthening of the fingers and via endless repeating of scales, arpeggios, chords etc. The pianists' comprehension of the piano-instrumental schooling becomes heavily dominated by this obsessive, ill-mannered routine.

The Chopin's Method provokes to creativity; it changes specificity of the whole process - the pianist cannot evermore be passive. As well it changes specificity of teaching the piano - a teacher becomes more 'co-searcher' than 'a speaking prophet'; teaching could not happened only FROM teacher TO the student - it should rather be completed BETWEEN them...

These all attributes require more activity from both parts of the system. And because nothing other is as typical to our nature as particular love to 'do nothing', there is no wonder that the Chopin's Method could not achieve as great popularity as methods based on 'repeat it once again' base.

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10. Which element should be noticed as one of the key importance for the whole Method?

- The most important element here is the particular manner of forming the technical habits. The MANUAL side of playing becomes truly dependent on the ARTISTIC - mental and emotional backgrounds, working in the pianist's fantasy. A Will-to-express, The Idea, The Sound, The Control of Sound’s Color & Energetic Intensity, Editing of the Action, The real Expression - forms this particular model that must be completed by factual usage of the anticipative hearing.

'Idea-Image-Technique' is not the intellectually attractive structure indeed, but the real essence of a matter.

Chopin's Method offers the solution, which is likely near to these that actually proposes the modern NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) formula. Therefore its misunderstanding seems to be very natural among the piano teachers who habitually prefer just purely mechanic solutions in the piano technical schooling.

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11. Did Chopin teach the aristocratic ladies and rich young men belonged to the Europeans highest financial circles only?

- No, that is not right. However doubtlessly Chopin was the most expensive European piano teacher in Paris, the World's artistic capital of his times, he had hardly and fully disinterestedly worked with highly talented piano youth, too.

Many brilliant pianists and coming famous teachers studied by him in Paris: A. Gutmann, G. Mathias, F. H. Péru, Th. Tellefsen, E. Peruzzi. Among others were Karol Filtsch, who died as 15 years old boy - being known as the pianist of genius dimension and Karol Mikuli, who became the very famous piano teacher and a respected musical editor.

At last it is reasonable to remind, that Chopin (1810-1849) due to his illness taught within relatively short course of time...

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12. Did any famous piano teacher use the Chopin's Method in his own practice?

- Yes. Prof. Harry Neuhaus (1888-1964) was the one, who used the Chopin's Method in possibly large extend and achieved incredibly great results. His position in history of the piano is nearly incomparable to position of any other Master. However he died quite long time ago, the Idea that he realized, as well as manners he completed it practically in, are more famous nowadays as it happened in time he actually lived and worked.

Information about him and his work could be found using the links proposed on many pages of this Web-site. Still especially profitable would probably be the lecture of his main opus: "The Art of Piano Playing". This book could give very beneficial help to every musician and hobbyist as well.

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13. Did any of Prof. Neuhaus' former students achieve the worldwide success?

- Yes, at least the two of his pupils became the pianists of the highest range - Svjatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels. They both were NOT the genuine and/or typical 'Chopin-players'. This fact, again, highlights greatness and universality of the Chopin's Method.

As well many nowadays worldwide known piano teachers are his former students: Lev Naumov, Evgenyi Malinin, Radu Lupu, Vera Gornostaeva and Svetlana Ivanova are the most luminous examples here.

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14. Is it possible to prove that Prof. Neuhaus' factually continued the Chopin's line in teaching the piano?

- Yes, it has been proved in the paper that had been presented in the University in Köln (Germany) at October 1998. This text could be achieved via this link. For the best result one should obviously read the Prof. Neuhaus' famous work (The Art of Piano Playing) yet. Many interesting data could be found, too, in the book Heinrich Neuhaus (1888-1964) zum 110. Geburtstag (STUDIO-Verlag, Germany, 2000, ISBN 3-89564-067-0).

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15. Does anybody may honestly say, that the Chopin's Method, in the last end, is so enigmatic, shady and complicated - that it could be recognized as object of admiration of the Chopin's enthusiasts only, being less of the real practical worth to piano professionals?

- No, such valuation would be actually unfair. Prof. Neuhaus' pedagogic practice and texts as well, as the truly great results achieved by teachers continuing his tradition, confirmed its incomparable worth.

Apart from these highlights, too: testing this Method in my personal pedagogic work I must say that the very practical, concrete and measurable changes in playing quality that have been noticed by about two hundred students, approved this Method once again and again. These students have taken part in courses and piano-pedagogic experiments organized since 1997 by myself in Finland, Holland, Germany, Poland and in the Internet; such positive results firmly confirmed the greater practical worth of the Chopin's Method.

Here was no one person who would like to say - "IT doesn't work...! " - because IT just amazingly WORKS! Among above maintained young pianists were (and are) the college, conservatory and music academy students from Finland, Holland, UK, Germany, Belgium, France, USA, Australia, Singapore, Canada, Sweden, Poland, Vietnam, Russia and Philippines - including winners of national and international piano-competitions. As well the Chopin & Neuhaus Method's help - given via Internet from this Site, have supported many teachers of the piano from around the World.

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[rc]

I've finally gotten through most of that site (though, there are LOADS of links to all kinds of other sites, I'll check out later). I believe I understand the ideas Stefan is talking about. It's a bit of a tricky concept, not to mention the weird english , but he explains it from enough different angles that the ideas become clear. It takes a little effort from the reader. I liked seeing a little humour too

Well, I really liked all of his ideas, they make a lot of sense. Not all of them are entirely new to me, but I hadn't seen them explained so thoroughly or emphasised so much. What I'd heard before was basically the advice: "listen" and "think ahead", not very explicit. Bernhards words on mental practice goes hand in hand with developing an artistic image, insofar as auditory imagination is concerned. Seymour Fink in his book and video also says technique is only there to serve a musical end, so I guess Fink would assume that a student already has a musical end in mind.

What was a new idea for me was the idea of 'touch' starting from the softest you can manage. I gave this touch a try with a few of the more lyrical pieces I know, while trying to carefully listen, get into that zone. I was very happy with the results of that approach! I felt much more in control of the most subtle dynamics.

So I'm going to keep reading through the site and integrate it into my practice. I think this is some very good stuff. Hopefully I'm not the only other person who's gone to the trouble of reading this site, I would recommend it as well.

[PaulNaud]

rc I'm really happy to see that you seem to understand what Mr. Kutrzeba is trying to explain to us and I'd like to share with you some thoughts related to this approach.
Do you understand the zone as the image or the idea in our brain of an ideal sound?

[rc]

rc I'm really happy to see that you seem to understand what Mr. Kutrzeba is trying to explain to us and I'd like to share with you some thoughts related to this approach.
Do you understand the zone as the image or the idea in our brain of an ideal sound?

My understanding of the zone is more to do with putting the ideal sound into practice... So, you already have an ideal sound when you sit down, and you get into the zone by listening intently as you play to hear and adapt what you're playing to come closer to the imaginary ideal. I figure the zone is specifically about the listening.

Keep in mind, it's taken me a few days to get through the site, so I may have to go over a bit. Is that how you understood the zone?

[PaulNaud]

Absolutely!!!
You must produce a sound that fits your ideal. Perfecting your sound improves your technique because your fingers, hands, arms, possibly your whole body adapt itself to reach this aim.