How important are detailed articulations to you ?

[m1469]

How much attention do you find yourself giving to articulation in general ?

....listening to and molding the beginning, middle, and ends of notes.

Would you rather your teacher worries about these things than you ?

And how much attention do you give to articulation when listening to somebody else perform ?


Thanks for your responses,
m1469

[faustsaccomplice]

Articulation is often what seperates the hacks from the real pianists.

It cannot be ignored.  There is not a great pianist alive who doesn't pay attention to articulation. 

Compare a recording of a student to someone like Horowitz.  Listen to the difference in articulation and you will see how important it is.

[jakev2.0]

Agree totally with the poster above.

[m1469]

Yes.  But how much attention do you find yourself actually giving it in practice and when you listen to others in general ?

[thalbergmad]

For me articulation is everything.

It is a chance to personalise the music and make it your own.

I play as mood dictates and articulation is the tool.

Thal

[kamike]

what, exactly, is the definition of articulation?  Clarity?  balance? precision? 

[burstroman]

Articulation and tone, very important.  They are what I listen for in practice.

[rc]

Agreed, it's where all the flavor is...  All the tiny details come together to create a more beautiful whole.  It's very sublime, a non-musician might not consciously notice the difference but they will certainly feel it.

[nick]

How much attention do you find yourself giving to articulation in general ?

....listening to and molding the beginning, middle, and ends of notes.

Would you rather your teacher worries about these things than you ?

And how much attention do you give to articulation when listening to somebody else perform ?


Thanks for your responses,
m1469

Articulation, or clarity of expressing ones idea, is everything. Yes the preparation or beginning, the note striking or the middle, and the note release or ending is everything. Every moment I practice this and love the sound. Many  produce very loud playing but often it lacks articulation, and one can be distracted by the sheer volume and succession of notes rather than clarity.

Nick

[allchopin]

Articulation is often what seperates the hacks from the real pianists.

It cannot be ignored.  There is not a great pianist alive who doesn't pay attention to articulation. 

Compare a recording of a student to someone like Horowitz.  Listen to the difference in articulation and you will see how important it is.

And Horowitz was notorious for not following what was written on the score.  Maybe following articulation isn't as important as die-hard truists (most pianists) make it seem...

[pianistimo]

yes.  there's different ways to interpret what's written.  for instance, in mozart you have these staccato notes - but the way i play most of them now isn't exactly staccato.  it's more of a non-legato but smoother than i used to play.  also, sfz and fortes are at much different levels.  sometimes there are unwritten crescendos that mozart and probably beethoven didn't write in - but when you just suddenly play a crashing note - it doesn't make as much sense unless it is like the 'surprise symphony' and meant to be that way.

i think articulations should fit a general phrase.  like a color in a painting.  you have a splash - but it doesn't overtake the picture or become too much the center of attention.  i think it is all about knowing where you are going.  like a path in the woods.  you hop over a branch.  you look up or around.  stop for a moment.  listen.  then keep going.  it's like all these actions are there - but you are not focusing on one over the other.  each is important...but where are you going.  are you getting there fast or slow.  how much time should it take to get up a hill vs going down the hill. then you have wind conditions. weather conditions (maybe the piano itself)  and it's response to you (whether it allows you to play the articulations the way you hear in your head).  i often get mad when a pianissimo part is unhearable.  it's like the piano is trying to ruin me.  then, i have to practice to make it the dynamic that i want it to be.

[ted]

Taking articulation to mean the ability to say clearly whatever one wishes to say, its importance is obvious. The desired effect itself, of course, may or may not involve actual precision or clarity. Sometimes an imprecise or vague effect may be the intention. Assuming you mean the word in the first and strictly correct sense, then yes, it is very important to me because I don't want to attempt to say one thing at the piano and accidentally say another.

Mind you, lack of correlation between conscious intention and effect isn't necessarily a bad thing in improvisation. This is because improvisation depends heavily on the unconscious and on constantly surprising oneself. So my answer has to be qualified in this latter regard.

[cjp_piano]

Clearly (ha ha), articulation is part of expressing the music, just as in speech, how you articulate what you're saying is part of communicating the idea.

[quasimodo]

And Horowitz was notorious for not following what was written on the score.  Maybe following articulation isn't as important as die-hard truists (most pianists) make it seem...

I don't agree with your conclusion. What makes Horowitz (or for the matter, any great virtuoso) is their ability to be creative on-the-go. They may not respect the score-markings but they are able to substitute an alternative which makes sense, musically. The difference between them and the rest of the world is their ability to be in control, which involves, technique, musical knowledge and self-awareness.

[faustsaccomplice]

I don't agree with your conclusion. What makes Horowitz (or for the matter, any great virtuoso) is their ability to be creative on-the-go. They may not respect the score-markings but they are able to substitute an alternative which makes sense, musically. The difference between them and the rest of the world is their ability to be in control, which involves, technique, musical knowledge and self-awareness.

There are examples here and there where he did something different, but for the most part he follows everything more accurately than most other piansits.  And when he does make these changes, they are well thought out and fit the music. 
Furthermore, most articulation choices must be made on one's own, and will not be written in the music.  That is where Horowitz is a step above.  He didn't just have legato and staccato, piano and forte...but a million different shades and touches. 

[allchopin]

I don't agree with your conclusion. What makes Horowitz (or for the matter, any great virtuoso) is their ability to be creative on-the-go. They may not respect the score-markings but they are able to substitute an alternative which makes sense, musically. The difference between them and the rest of the world is their ability to be in control, which involves, technique, musical knowledge and self-awareness.

Hmm... well I think we both agree.  The ability for a pianist to articulate is by all means important, but as for articulation markings in a score, there exist widely-differing views.  And Horowitz was one to take these very lightly.