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Topic: Pieces to improve a pianists ensemble skills  (Read 1944 times)

Offline quantum

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Pieces to improve a pianists ensemble skills
on: July 06, 2006, 06:49:33 PM
What would be your suggestions to improve the ensemble skills of a university level pianist.  What I mean by ensemble skills is that such a pianist has good piano technique but does not know how to communicate between a group of musicians when performing.  Eg: the pianist only listents to themself play and often leaves the other musicians out of the picture. 

I have been approached by someone else to play duets and 2 piano, but they admit they are weak in the areas listed above. 

On another seperate note, do you find this problem is less common with pianists who also double on another orchestral instrument?  Eg: violin, clarinet, etc. 
Made a Liszt. Need new Handel's for Soler panel & Alkan foil. Will Faure Stein on the way to pick up Mendels' sohn. Josquin get Wolfgangs Schu with Clara. Gone Chopin, I'll be Bach

Offline faulty_damper

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Re: Pieces to improve a pianists ensemble skills
Reply #1 on: July 07, 2006, 11:20:34 AM
Unfortunately, music scores do not talk or have the abilty to hear anything you play or say to it nor do they have eyes to see whatever cues you make.

Due to this blatantly obvious fact, there are no pieces that can improve a pianists ensemble skills.  The only way to improve them is to play with others and have a good teacher who can teach you specific ensemble skills.  Hopefully this teacher is not just a piano teacher who plays with others but is also a master in chamber music who can tell you specific things about how top communicate with others, how to cue, what to listen for, etc.  And also one advanced piece of knowledge this teacher can show you is how to look at the score in front of you and how you will change your technique to accomodate the other instruments' range and melodic placement.  This is very important knowledge you should have especially because your instrument is the piano - it is like no other instrument.  It is the glue that binds or wood that sinks the groups ensemble.

Offline quantum

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Re: Pieces to improve a pianists ensemble skills
Reply #2 on: July 07, 2006, 09:47:43 PM
Yes, I agree with you there faulty_damper.  But in the meantime I'm looking for suggestions for duet or 2 piano works to practice in order to work on such ensemble skills.  Preferably not too technical. 

Made a Liszt. Need new Handel's for Soler panel & Alkan foil. Will Faure Stein on the way to pick up Mendels' sohn. Josquin get Wolfgangs Schu with Clara. Gone Chopin, I'll be Bach
 

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