Clarity

[tompilk]

I went to see three Mozart Concertos yesterday... and i normally hate mozart but i was amazed by the concertos...
16, 19 and Freddy Kempf played 'Coronation'.
Then he played Pathetique sonata... what was the best was because i was sat on teh front row just left directly in front of him so that i was in the perfect place.. i was amazed. the detail and perfection of each note is inhuman...
I could hear his shoes squeak together and his breathing i was so close!!! and i also noticed that he used very little peddle compared to my mish-mash attempt at it..
My question is: how do they play with such clarity and each note with individuality? Whenever i play with little peddle it sounds shallow and boring, but as soon as i ad pedal, is sounds like mush... how do they do it? i think i need some books.. any ebooks anyone?
Also, he played it with such speed but clarity... im sorry for going on but it was truly amazing (i had to run for teh seats though to the dissapointment of some of teh older people... but so what? it was a once in a life time experience and im not going to meet the old people who's seats i nicked...)
Anyway,
Id be greatful for a reply on this clarity of technique... when to pedal, when to realease notes... longer or shorter for effectiveness when techinique is mainly required... its a big question...
Tom

[jlh]

It IS a big question, and I don't think it's one that can be sufficiently answered in the absence of a personal session with you.  There are a myriad of things that affect tone and clarity.  Maybe if you had a more specific question it would be easier to comment.

[henrah]

Omg, I'm getting so much Deja-vu reading this it's scary....

[teresa_b]

Hi Tompik,

What a great concert!  I love Mozart and have played a lot of it, so I have some ideas.  But really, the most important thing for you to do is practice effectively and have a good teacher. 

Scales and arpeggios are important in order to get clarity and smoothness.  Practice them, and runs in Mozart pieces, with slow tempos, then gradually faster but never at a tempo where they get muddy (NO pedal).  I suggest pedaling in Mozart very sparingly, and not at all in the fast runs except where one brief pedal may be needed to connect two notes. 

Also practice scales and passages with different rhythms and touches (like legato as possible, then staccato, etc.)  Mozart touch is light and not entirely legato--somebody on this forum once said "Like air between the notes"--which I like.

Your playing with no pedal may sound uninteresting to you because you are not concentrating on beautiful phrasing.  Remember, Mozart's melodies are GOING somewhere.  Also, tone down LH accompaniment so there's no chunky-sounding stuff beneath your beautiful melodies. 

Listen, listen, listen and go to more concerts like the one you heard!  (FUN!)

Teresa

[galonia]

Tom, may I congratulate you, you have taken the first step - you can actually HEAR that your own playing is not up to scratch.  This means you are now able to fix it.

If you have a teacher, then that's great, because, as already mentioned, a personal session is the best way to show you.

If you don't, then I recommend you experiment and listen hard.  Recording yourself can help, and listening to good recordings, and continue to compare your own sound with the sound you want to achieve.

In the end, teacher or no, you will have to find your own way to make your own sound.  A good teacher just helps guide you along a path to doing this.

[rc]

Hey,

There's a lot of good advice here already. I'll second scales/arps w. variations of touch.

Remember, before Beethoven there was very little pedalling in music. It was a rare special effect. I suggest Bach would be a great place to practice playing with clarity (pedal-unfriendly imitative counterpoint...). Try playing exclusively without pedal for a while, learn how to get your fingers to do the dirty work of articulation.

Emphasis on listening. I'll bet you've heard it a hundred times before this thread, but seriously: careful listening is the key. It's your quality control, and the only way you can achieve high quality.

Try practicing blind (eyes closed, or just not looking at the keys). It will develop your touch, and also make it easier to focus on the sounds. Easier to listen without visual distraction.