I am free - you are NOT ! You are brainwashed - I am not ! You are still under m

[vladimirdounin]

I am free - you are not ! You are brainwashed – I am not ! You are still under musical 'Soviet' occupation !

PS from January 6. 2007 . Now this material has an important appendix "STYLE" as a LASH OF SLAVERY!" in PERFORMANCE (on the same page).

I want to discuss the problem that undermines and ruins our business like nothing else does on Earth. At the same time, this problem is still “invisible” for many pianists.

Question : Can a pianist be scared of his/her own ability to play beautifully and suffer because of it ? To help you answer, I would like to remind you that beautiful music is extremely powerful. It can change the minds and hearts of any human being and even of entire nations. A lot of people were executed in my country Russia and elsewhere for performing the “wrong music” or for performing the right music in the wrong way.

 (In spite of deadly jeopardy many Russians enjoyed taking this risk. When serving my term in the Soviet Army, I met a private who amazed his comrades with performances of the first bars of “The International” (Communist sacred anthem). He was extremely lucky that nobody reported his vocal exercises to the Secret Police, because he “sang” them from “a very wrong” part of his body.

Renowned composer Rodion Schedrin wrote the Symphonic Poem “Naughty Tunes”. It was based entirely on the tunes of songs for which the singer was always “awarded” the standard penalty of “10 years in jail”. Schedrin was quite likely to have received those “10 years” if the political climate in USSR had worsened.) 

Under the influence of beautiful music, people become better : they do not want to be mean, to participate in injustices, to rob, to kill, to lie, etc. Consider this: what person in power would want this to happen to people under his authority? Who would carry out his plans and orders ? This is the root of the problem. This is why the best performers and composers are kept or driven away from conservatories and universities, why all the favourites of audiences are always “eliminated” in the very first round of any competition, why they are banned directly or indirectly from the opportunity to transmit their thoughts and feelings to others through their beautiful music. I am not talking about myself. I am not the best and my situation is not the worst, but I know plenty of others who are much better musicians than I and who have not had even my opportunities.

Story No 1. After my performance at the All-Russia Competition, an old gentleman (composer Foret) whom I had never met, embraced me, saying “I voted for you because you played like our pianists did in the days of my youth, before communists seized power in 1917. Be careful : they always destroy people like you !”
His words frightened me : some members of my family who had committed no crimes were executed  simply in accordance with the Communist Party drive to wipe out the “old intelligentsia”. The word “intelligentsia” comes from the original Russian word borrowed by many languages with unfortunately the modified definition : “smart, well-educated, etc.”. Originally, it meant only “ the part of the population that thinks independently”. It signifies that any independently thinking street cleaner or taxi driver is “intelligent” but not necessarily every scientist or professor. No totalitarian regime tolerates this “part of the population”; they always root out any “intelligentsia”. Indeed, hardly any type of political regime in the world likes them.

My head was full of alarming thoughts : Did this fellow say the same things about me during the Board of Adjudicators’ discussion ? Probably yes, because another member of the Board Prof. K.Adjemov formerly friendly towards me, refused to speak to me afterwards and was furiously against me during the discussion, I was told. I remembered that a very old relation of a friend told me that my piano playing reminded him of young Rachmaninov (a personal friend of his) although “Rachmaninov did not play like this in the latter period of his life on his recordings”.

I knew well that Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Horowitz, Hoffman, Metner, Stravinsky and plenty of other pianists escaped from Russia after 1917 : “these dregs had sold their motherland for a dirty sheaf of dollars”. But how could my playing resemble that of those traitors ? I had received excellent marks for my solid knowledge of textbooks like Yury Kremlev’s “Piano Technique”. I always remembered that “piano playing is a clear political issue”, that “piano technique is a powerful weapon of Soviet propaganda and we must use it in full strength against our ideological enemies”. I felt no joy from that victory ( I won a “pass” to represent Russia in the All-USSR competition) . I realized instead that something was very wrong within me and that I had to do something about it urgently.

Story No 2. Many years later, when I arrived at a very luxurious sanatorium ahead of  a concert I was to give with two singers, a very strange looking man was on the stage where we were supposed be preparing. Obviously unauthorized to be there, he was playing on a huge concert Steinway in just a hospital gown with no trousers. I had to ask him to leave the stage and hall and be outside until we will start our concert. So, I headed towards him.

However, after two steps in his direction, I stopped and was absolutely transfixed to hear his rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Meditation, a piece that I had never much appreciated previously. The two singers had the same reaction. Instead of preparing our own concert, we listened for over an hour to stunning music from this trouser-less pianist. It was very difficult for us to perform on the same stage immediately after this improvised recital of one the of the greatest contemporary pianists : Oleg Boshnyakovich.

Later Boshnyakovich invited us to his own concert which we heard on the same stage and piano… it was a very banal and even a bit boring concert with the same program. “Why did you not play the same way for them that you did for us ?” I asked Boshnyakovich. “Who would ever allow me to play in this fashion ?” was his reply. I knew the bitter reason of these words. For almost half his life, this great pianist was forbidden to play the piano by other “pianists in power” because of his “complete incompatibility with the Soviet style of piano playing.” Instead he performed whistling on stage for many years to make a living.

Story No 3. In St. Petersburg I heard Svyatosolav Richter ask my teacher Vladimir Nielsen about the fingering for Chopin’ study No6 Op25. Later they argued about “Bydlo” from Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky and discussed Richter’s last recorded version of Rachmininov’s 2nd Concerto. Nielsen told him “Many years ago you played this concerto one hundred times better than Rachmaninov himself, because you were inspired by this music which Rachmaninov was not at the time of his recording. Rachmaninov was obviously rather tired of playing this great work over and over”. Nielsen however did not like Richter’s last recorded version.

I felt myself confident enough to visit Richter at his home where I asked him : why is my teacher still banned from concerts in Moscow despite the end of political repressions ? Nielsen was always on the black list of Soviet censors; even his most famous students were not allowed to mention his name in their professional résumés. Because of someone’s report to the secret police, he was forbidden to play at the Chopin Competition in spite of his “pass No 1” at the All-Union selection, and so on.

Richter told me that he was unaware of this situation. He thought that Nielsen simply did not want to play in Moscow. “I will say something to the right people” he promised.

A few weeks later, Nielsen received an “unexpected” invitation and was able to play a concert at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow which was previously a drama theatre with poor acoustics for the piano. The best pianists in Moscow never play there. When I read the article about his concert in “Sovetskaya Musyka” (Soviet Music) written by the Docent of Moscow conservatory Leonid Zhivov, I learned the answer to my question “Why ?”. Zhivov wrote in this article “All pianists in Moscow should learn from Nielsen because his music is “alive”, not “dead”…

However, when I pointed to Nielsen that many of his phrases had “non-standard”, reversed accentuation and asked: “Don’t they make your music alive?”, he only ordered: “Shut up and never said this again anywhere!” 
I can tell plenty of stories on this topic, but is it not strange that this very specific aspect of piano technique can cause so much passion and emotion ?

The reply depends on the answer to another question : what is the goal of Art in general ? If we say “Our goal is to reflect the whole world with all its beauty, love, passion, drama, and hope, etc. in our music”, then all possible ways are good except the boring ones.

However, of all the means at our disposal, only one is acceptable : the one which is “approved by the authorities” whose only goal is to make perfect idiots out of normal people. The authorities want obedient robots “ready to carry out any order of ANY government”, who are preoccupied solely with their jobs, watching TV and drinking alcohol and who will die or kill “no questions asked”. From the authorities’ point of view, music is used as a form of brainwashing. To convert people into robots they must be saturated with special “robotic music”. The essential ingredient of robotic art is that “there is no choice”,  “there is no another way”  (to quote from a real song that Soviet people had to repeat and listen to over and over again) other than  the right one provided by the authorities. The pattern “LOUD soft LOUD soft LOUD soft” is absolutely indispensable for this task. This pattern works like a narcotic : look at people sitting in their cars and shaking their heads in time to the beat from their stereo speakers, at mass shows, military parades, etc.

Is the pattern “soft LOUD soft LOUD soft LOUD” any better ? It is not better at all. Everything on Earth is bipolar. There is North and South, left and right, heaven and hell, good and evil, etc. We have two eyes, two ears and nostrils, arms and so on. Imagine that artists were forbidden to draw “anything left” on their pictures: no left legs, no left ears, hands and no clothes with the buttons on the left side; no left-hand traffic portrayed in pictures of countries with motorcars, only right, right and right again.

This is exactly the situation in music. Nowadays, there are more than two generations of pianists who do not suspect nor even imagine that the music Left (one TWO three FOUR) and Right (ONE two THREE four) are equally legal and both absolutely necessary for any normal performance despite official theory in the matter. Listen carefully to any great pianist : no one plays only that “march-like” style; both patterns always support each other. This is what makes their music come alive. But WHAT do we have to teach our students instead ? Only what is written in our textbooks and dictionaries full of false rules and statements. We are only making idiots of our audiences, our students and ourselves when we blindly follow them !

Amazingly enough, some Western musical educators are much more “Soviet” than in Russia. The Russian word “soviet” for many centuries meant “advice” or “council” but since 1917 ”Soviet” has come to be understood as “Totalitarian.” However, no single “Soviet hard liner” hit upon the idea of forcing all musicians in the country to play wrong notes in Mozart or Handel just because some his illiterate editor was unable to print music properly; or of preventing pianists from using pedal; or of appointing one single institution in USSR to take exams from all the students in the country; or of making a list of which Beethoven Sonatas and Bach Fugues are “allowed” and which are “not” at exam performances. In this respect, Western educators have undoubtedly eclipsed the most totalitarian dreams of all Soviet musical evil - doers. They seem to sincerely believe all the written dogma of the so-called “Soviet piano school”, whereas the best Russian performers and teachers always laughed at it (when not in the exam rooms of course) and were great and brilliant not because but in spite of this dictatorship. To paraphrase a Russian saying : “He who knows and can – plays, He who knows but cannot –teaches, He who does not know and cannot – writes instructions for those who teach and play”.

TO BE CONTINUED BELOW:

[vladimirdounin]

The billions that Communists invested in musical education were not just charity from a bloody dictatorship. It was a battle for minds. If THEY won, we lost. Musical education in the West could not compete with the excellence of Soviet pianists and instead of selectively borrowing the best parts of the Soviet system; it has simply surrendered with discretion and copied only the worst part of this system: stupid dictatorship ( but without Russian inherited resistance to any dictates). Look around and you will realize that you are still living under musical “Soviet” occupation; many Western pianists are still “musical slaves” of a system that died many years ago whether or not they understand the meaning of the word “Soviet”.

In music, many of us are not as free as we would like to believe because we lack courage. We seem to adulate pianists who play faster because fast tempo appears to be the most important thing in music (confer e.g. “examination requirements”). This is nonsensical. In any language (music is only one of them) fast tempo is the LEAST important thing. Are the words “I love you”, “I hate you”, “I am your friend”, “I want to console you” or other words more effective because they are spoken “Presto” rather than “Allegro” or “Andante” ? Do you know any actor on the planet who is admired just because he/she speaks fast ? I doubt it. Fast speech is more of a handicap than an advantage for any actor, politician, priest, etc.

There is no reason to be scared of “robots” – they get high marks only from other “robots”, from their “maintenance people”. Audiences do not like them or their recordings. Robots are rather ridiculous because they can not play even two notes on their own without someone else’s CD downloaded in their head, and they are absolutely unable to play any piece slowly (because CD can not play slowly, of course). Ask any “robot” to play their piece only ¼ of normal tempo, and robot immediately will “declare bankruptcy”: slow tempo is incompatible with an empty head. As soon as fair and honest competitions are opened to pianists of all styles, all robots will die off quickly.

Would you be unhappy if you were selling normal good pictures while someone else sold “one-eyed”, “one-handed”, “one-eared” pictures ? Of course not. This type of competition would be very useful for your business: people would compare and appreciate your art even more.

However, suppose you were the salesman of this “one-sided” art ? What would you feel about your competitor selling normal art ? What would you want to do to him and his wares ? This is the reason why so many pianists enjoy being sheep-dogs of our worldwide, global “musical concentration camp” packed with “one-sided prisoners”. They are always ready to attack anyone who dares to step off the path determined by our warders. (The standard phrase of escort to prisoners in Soviet Russia was “Should you make a single step to the right or to the left, it will be considered attempted escape and you will be fired upon immediately without warning.” One of our artists was shot in the arm because he raised his hand to touch a blossom on a tree above his head while he was being led in a line of prisoners.) Read a few posts at random in any forum and you will spot these pianists easily.

This situation explains why the “most overrated pianist ever” is detested so much by all “one-sided musicians” which is why he is the best loved pianist in Russia. All Russians have had more than enough of slavery and they appreciate freedom. Van Clyburn, a student of Russian refugees and who obviously played in a pre-1917 fashion, was and still is a symbol of Freedom in music for my country despite anything he lacked in technique.

Listen to any musical phrase of his and you can always hear the living variety of accentuations, just as in normal human speech of any language. No one “uniform accentuation” can compete with this way of “speaking and singing on the piano”. Bankruptcy is guaranteed. Many “kings of all the pianists of the universe” played in Russia after Clyburn and had empty seats in the hall at the end of their concerts, because they were only slightly different models of “robots” in a country “overstocked” with them.

Is there any way to end this “one-sided slavery” and become a normal “two-sided” pianist ? Yes, of course. Anyone can in just a few days. All you need to do is to play for a short period of time each piece of your repertoire in “reversed”, “left” instead of “right” accentuation. It is terribly difficult the first day and especially the first hour, but you will quickly come to appreciate the change. The next step is to play once with “left” then with “right” accentuation, then continue alternating. In this way, you will get a chance to choose the best accentuation for each phrase and store it in your memory. If you manage to play any piece “both ways” easily, then you are FREE for ever. In any of your phrases you will always play the accentuation that you prefer rather than because it is the only one you know
.
A big advantage of this approach is that your performances will always be fresh. You will be amazed to hear that you play differently each time. Your combinations of Right and Left accentuations never will be repeated because they depend on the state of your mind and soul at the time of performance. Each time it will be a kind of improvisation, and you never will be bored with any of your music.

Don’t be scared with this fact; remember words of the greatest pianists: “You have no right to play any piece on a rainy day the same way as you played it on a sunny day”.  This approach will boost your creativity and you will be interested and inspired even when playing your old repertoire. Any audience will immediately feel and appreciate your style: everyone likes freshly cooked meals; no one likes “canned” or stale ones, especially in music.

To support this post, I have recorded AND PLACED HERE IN  "AUDITION ROOM"a few randomly chosen pairs of absolutely different pieces with “Right” and “Left” accentuations. To avoid being influenced by any previous experience, I have chosen the music to record from my students’ repertoire which I rather sight-read. I have never worked on any of it before as seriously as I would normally for myself. Some of my students play better than I because no one is a slave in my class. They are always FREE to choose ANY accentuation they prefer. As for me, I am not completely free yet, because my “slavery” lasted too long. However, I remember the words of Chekhov that the most important thing for any human being is : “to squeeze out the slave from ourselves drop by drop each day”.

 Can ANYONE ELSE do the same and post recordings of the same pieces or others with BOTH types of accentuation: Left and Right? Who will take up my gauntlet? Prove for yourself now, that the title of this post is NOT about you!

I hope you succeed better than I. I wish this sincerely because I do NOT want to feel alone amongst “one-sided” robots. I am sure a lot of “musical humans” are alive out there somewhere. Make yourselves known, please !

In anticipation,

Vladimir Dounin

PS Try to do the same with any of your songs that I did on my "one - sided recordings": simply replace ALL your accents with their "mirrored reflections". (Do you know how great is look of the house with mirrors and how poor it is without any of them on the wall). Not for ever, just for a few times, for a change. It will give you the greatest opportunity of choice. Instead of unreasonable, suggested by our evil-wishers denial you will be always able to take fully INFORMED DECISIONS about the appropriate Left or Right accentuations in each of your phrases in the future.

Play in any group of notes (four eights or sixteenth, bar, phrase etc) the very first SLIGHTLY (read my FUR ELISE) softened and the last one SLIGHTLY stressed. That's all. It is so simple! And you will be amazed: how fresh and new for you will be any of your old pieces.

To encourage you and all the others to try this way, I pasted here below a real quote from the recent letter of my "distant student" from Australia (I never met her in real yet).

Standard HeaderHide Pane
Eleanor Sheldxxx <xxxxbird_22@hotmail.com>
View Saturday, September 16, 2006 8:24:45 PM

Thank you so much for sending me those. I've just been playing with these numbers - and it has an effect like magic on the overall sound when that stressing is applied. It's beautiful.
                                                                                                        Eleanor

Be positive and logical: why not to look at the reflection? Why your reflection must look necessary worse than yourself? Even more, many of expensive, specially mastered mirrors make your look better than "original you".
(These mirrors make you more high and slim; enhance the colour of your skin etc. It gives you (that is especially important for each lady and PERFORMER) confidence that eventually is stronger and works well, better even than any beauty.

Good Luck!

Vladimir Dounin

[liszt-essence]

Wow.. that's a lot of information vladimir.

My initial response while reading the text was unbelief. If I'm right, you suggest that the music education system aims at keeping and teaching pianists to become "half" pianists.

And that accentuation is very important, because it can work narcotic. Like a beat. Soft loud Soft loud or Loud soft Loud soft.

And that this is integrated with the overall teaching method in the west.

And that fear on the behalf of those who are brainwashed, or robots leads to 'agression' towards those who are different or perhaps better than those who are bound by their misguiding traditions and fears.

Perhaps so, perhaps not. I have not witnessed this for myself so I can't say what is what.
But I'm willing to explore.

I have a question.. This pattern of accentuation. How does it work? Narcotic.. Why?

I think the idea of a left and right accentuation is not so weird. It feels logical, like a balanced system. But could you explain more about this? How do they work, why is it so important to keep the balance so to say.

You know. I definatly believe that our entire society is changed into a system, in which control from above is being intensified in an increasing manner. We are gradually being locked in to a system which is governed by fear and control. That is why I am open to your theory. Something so simple as a rhytm that entrances people, that stops them from diving deeper into them selves where they might find something of them selves which the 'power-elite' would rather not have them to find. Because I believe that we all are truely powerfull and great beings with lots of potentials.

I have followed a study in hypnotherapy, and I know some things about the power of the sub-concious mind. Could you explain a bit more about the exact working of the as you call it 'narcotic' accentuation. It does make sense to me, especially from my hypnotherapy point of view. In which we learn to actually come out of a state of trance and hypnosis, to 'return' to the actual here and now reality, which incorporates all the feelings of who we are and were. It is extremely powerful and people really get to be more of their true selves. This trance is subtle yet strong and is there in most people. When we go to our work, when we do our shopping. When we are sitting at the couch. When we play the piano.. They make us 'sleep' while deep inside of us many great and grave things are going on.But I wont go to deep into this right now, I just wanted to emphasize that it might just make a lot of sense to me where you are coming from.

I believe there are some fundemental patterns in nature, in reality so to say. That can trigger many responses from our system. These patterns exist in sound, in mathematics, in light, in matter. They are building blocks to say, they are often at the very basis of many 'things'

But ok, I will give you an oppurtinity to answer my question, before I get lost in long stories

So, please explain more about this accentuation. How, and if you know, why it can work like a narcotic.

And why it is so important to incorporate both "left" and "right" accentuation. What this does to us, how it works, and perhaps if you will, give me a very concrete example.

Thank you for your intresting story. I'm looking forward to your answers.

[Kassaa]

Can you give audio examples of this accentuation?

Edit: saw your post in the audition room.

[allthumbs]

I am free - you are not ! You are brainwashed – I am not ! You are still under musical 'Soviet' occupation !

This is exactly the situation in music. Nowadays, there are more than two generations of pianists who do not suspect nor even imagine that the music Left (one TWO three FOUR) and Right (ONE two THREE four) are equally legal and both absolutely necessary for any normal performance despite official theory in the matter. Listen carefully to any great pianist : no one plays only that “march-like” style; both patterns always support each other. This is what makes their music come alive. But WHAT do we have to teach our students instead ? Only what is written in our textbooks and dictionaries full of false rules and statements. We are only making idiots of our audiences, our students and ourselves when we blindly follow them !

I read your post with great interest concerning the musical climate in Russia over the last decades and am always amazed that this type of censorship and control went on. This is without total surprise because I have seen many documentaries and read many articles concerning all kinds of censorship, not only in the musical arts but all aspects of Soviet life.

I listened to your examples of this left/right dichotomy mentioned in the quote. While changing the beat from time to time has its place and does make music more interesting when used sparingly, is it not true that there is a natural rhythm that occurs that makes us feel comfortable and in sync with this rhythm?

You mentioned LOUD soft LOUD soft. To me this makes sense, as it is the rhythm of the heart. So in 4/4 time, it sounds natural to hear a piece played in this fashion.

In 3/4 time LOUD soft soft also sounds natural for the rhythm of the waltz. The waltz would not 'glide' any other way!

Does this mean I'm brain washed? I don't think so.

Even different languages has a natural rhythm to it as we ACCent CERtain SYLLables. To acCENT  diFFERent sylLABles just sounds silly.

I suspect that if I learned Russian, you could tell that I wasn't a natural born speaker as I would probably be applying my English accents on Russian words.

Could it be that the Russian way of playing is like this example?

Listening to your musical examples, I noticed that one sounded better to me and one did not. I couldn't really tell you why, but I suspect that the example I liked followed this natural law of rhythm or maybe it something as simple as my own personal preference.

I found your post interesting reading. However, I also failed as did 'berrt' in his post, to see why one way of playing is more subversive than the other and ask the same question as he did; Where's the political impact?


Cheers

allthumbs

[vladimirdounin]

I read your post with great interest concerning the musical climate in Russia over the last decades and am always amazed that this type of censorship and control went on. This is without total surprise because I have seen many documentaries and read many articles concerning all kinds of censorship, not only in the musical arts but all aspects of Soviet life.

I listened to your examples of this left/right dichotomy mentioned in the quote. While changing the beat from time to time has its place and does make music more interesting when used sparingly, is it not true that there is a natural rhythm that occurs that makes us feel comfortable and in sync with this rhythm?

Please, listen to all my NORMAL (not only to the mentioned, deliberately "one-sided" samples of L/R exercises) recordings: Mozart, La Traviata and Rigoletto, Russian-Japanese song, Love Story etc. in the same "AUDITION ROOM". All of them are another proof of the fact that both types of accentuations LEFT and RIGHT are equally LEGAL, absolutely NATURAL and the  both of these LEFT and RIGHT accentuations make us feel comfortable and in sync with the rhythm.

You mentioned LOUD soft LOUD soft. To me this makes sense, as it is the rhythm of the heart. So in 4/4 time, it sounds natural to hear a piece played in this fashion.

Which exactly beat of your heart did you count first in this case?

In 3/4 time LOUD soft soft also sounds natural for the rhythm of the waltz. The waltz would not 'glide' any other way!

Please, listen to my "Drinking Song" from "La Traviata",  "La Donna Mobile", "Fur Elise" etc. in "AUDITION ROOM", all of these are a kind of waltz too. Don't they sound NATURAL and make you feel COMFORTABLE  in spite of their LEFT accentuations?

Does this mean I'm brain washed? I don't think so.

You are free man and you are free to think whatever you like, of course.

Even different languages has a natural rhythm to it as we ACCent CERtain SYLLables. To acCENT  diFFERent sylLABles just sounds silly.

"CON-gra-TU -la TIONS  on THIS your EXample! YOU have IG - nored A lot OF words - EX-cep- TIONS. IT is A big MIS - take" and so on. Do you enjoy this "typically English" ONE - two - THREE - four accentuation on the first syllabus? Or is "i AM li-VING in TO - ron -TO" better? The idea of my article is that we have to use the appropriate accentuation depending on the particular words and structure of each our phrase instead of using ONLY ONE ACCENTUATION THAT WE KNOW.

I suspect that if I learned Russian, you could tell that I wasn't a natural born speaker as I would probably be applying my English accents on Russian words.

Could it be that the Russian way of playing is like this example?

If you mean ONLY accentuation, there is no specifically Russian way to play. Music language is international. I was amazed self to see absolutely the same reactions from all the nations (I am sure more than hundred in total) that I played to.

Listening to your musical examples, I noticed that one sounded better to me and one did not. I couldn't really tell you why, but I suspect that the example I liked followed this natural law of rhythm or maybe it something as simple as my own personal preference.

This is an extremely interesting point: which one of two "handicapped" performances did you still like more? Left or Right? Could you answer this question, please?

I found your post interesting reading. However, I also failed as did 'berrt' in his post, to see why one way of playing is more subversive than the other and ask the same question as he did; Where's the political impact?

I have answered THIS QUESTION RIGHT NOW in "AUDITION ROOM" with the same title.

Thanks for interesting comments!

Vladimir Dounin

[cmg]

Are you talking about that thing that can't be taught -- namely, musicality?  True, authentic personality that transcends virtuosity and, in fact, is superior to it?  That aspect of playing that is free of dogma and style?  That comes from the heart and risks being unstylistic, etc.?

You mention Cliburn!  What a great example.  If he's your example of a truly free musician, I would agree.  My teacher -- Latvian but trained by Russians -- had a sound and approach to playing that is all but unheard of these days -- despite the super-virtuosi out there. 

I don't think an authentic musician could survive any major competition today.  It all sounds cut and dry to me.

[vladimirdounin]

Are you talking about that thing that can't be taught -- namely, musicality? 

Exactly opposite: that thing CAN and SHOULD be taught (my students always have "exception musicality" in comments on their performances at  exams and competitions). The simple removal and preventing of these (very widespreaded) "crocodile-like" mistakes in accentuation immediately makes an impression of "inherited musicality" in spite of the usual complete abscense of this virtue in fact.

True, authentic personality that transcends virtuosity and, in fact, is superior to it?

Exactly! 100% agree. Tell any real story from your life to any audience, e.g. about your last trip to Parys, and the whole audience will be as excited as yourself. Read then from the stage the best reference book about the same city, and people will yawn and fall asleep.

  That aspect of playing that is free of dogma and style?  That comes from the heart and risks being unstylistic, etc.?

Dogma sounds negative. However style is a substantional part of any contents. You can not tell the stories about your experiences from Vatican's capella, corrida and strip-tease bar with the same style and wording.

You mention Cliburn!  What a great example.  If he's your example of a truly free musician, I would agree.  My teacher -- Latvian but trained by Russians -- had a sound and approach to playing that is all but unheard of these days -- despite the super-virtuosi out there. 

I remembers the words of Clyburn's teacher about him: "Whatever he played - it never sounded banal, common". I remember that my teacher Vladimir Nielsen (originally Norwegian) told to me with tears in his eyes: "I just have visited my Motherland, right now!" (apploding to Clyburn's Grieg piano-concerto, which Nielsen himself had played and taught plenty of times during each year). 

 When I was standing in a queue for Clyburn's concert tickets under freezing rain (this queue was standing "live" on the street over several years between Clyburn's arrivals in Moscow, otherwise other queue could be formed on the same site, and you will never get tickets in this case; therefore these hundreds of people - Clyburn worshipers - paid us (students) and gave us tickets "free" to substitude them in this queue), so these people said: no problem, Clyburn will come and warm all of us, each of his notes is warm, not cold like notes of (some famous names ad libitum listed). 

I don't think an authentic musician could survive any major competition today.  It all sounds cut and dry to me.

I worked with several authentic musicians and can witness that no one "counterfeit artist" could compete with them on the stage in spite of numerous awards, honour titles, blatant lie in media etc. However, I never noticed any "cut and dry". Probably, I did not understand something in this sentence.

Thanks,

Vladimir Dounin

[invictious]

In soviet russia, piano plays YOU

[vladimirdounin]

I have a question.. This pattern of accentuation. How does it work? Narcotic.. Why?

I think the idea of a left and right accentuation is not so weird. It feels logical, like a balanced system. But could you explain more about this? How do they work, why is it so important to keep the balance so to say.

Brain (of humans and anymals) reacts in the same way on the signals from environment.

1st situation. When there are "plenty of signals per second" and all of them are different, then our brain has to sort and evaluate them, make choices, preferences, form its own attitude towards them, react on them, generate adequate commands etc.

This situation boosts developement of the brain, activates and involves new and new zones in it  (an average person uses only 4% of total brain's capacity during his/her whole life span, while 96% of brain's cells are just idling; active scientists, writers etc. are using up to 15-20%).  

2nd situation. The signals from outer world are constant, repeating during the more or less long period of time. In this case brain realizes that there is no necessity to be switched "ON" and consume energy from the rest parts of body, simultaneously poisoning them, by the way (work of brain produces plenty of poisonous substances in blood while work of muscles makes blood cleaner generating so called "muscle joy"). The fuel for brain activity can be only of "top quality" - pure glucose, while muscles and other part of body can consume practically anything: fats, starches etc. Therefore, our instinct of self-protection pushes us to keep our brain switched "OFF" as long as possible. We feel ourself very comfortable with brain switched "OFF" and experience pain and anxiety when it is temporary (and especially constantly) "ON".

This is the reason, why all the alcogolics, drug users, sexually obsessed people and simply "too lazy to think" people, especially idiots are much-much happier than all the thinking people. However, this automatically means  that they are out of control over their own lives because somebody else takes all the decisions and plans on behalf of them. And it does not mean at all that these plans and decisions are for the interest of these "OFF" class people, and even that this "their interest" is ever considered in any way.

So, it is really the matter of choice: what to prefer, "OFF" or "ON" position of your own brain.
 
Try a very simple experiment: stroke any child or anymal in the same direction with the same pressure many times. This means for the brain: "there is no change and choice - swith "OFF" and fall asleep".
Now do exactly opposite: stroke in different directions with different, alternating pressure. Child and anymal will awake immediately and look around in anxiety: "What is happening there?"

This is exactly about our music. Constant pattern of accentuations in a short period of time switches brain "OFF", when complicated and sophisticated patterns makes brain more active and responsible.

In this way military marches (especially in combination with real stepping on beat) drive away any thoughts from heads and turn people into robots without any compassion and "chimera called conscience"(Dr.Goebbels - German minister of propaganda - declared in 1938 deliberation of the whole German nation from this "chimera"). Today you can watch these marching millions, and you know the result of these exercises.

I watched together with my friends-musicians a lot of concerts on TV during our tours (otherwise you can simply die because of bordom in hotels between your own performances). What was amazing for all of us: after very long concert with many items in it we had the impression that this singer or instrumentalist played the same song/piece over and over again, in spite of different titles and names of composers. And this makes you sleepy on spot, without any reservations.
It always works like bomb - your brain is "OFF" in 1-2 hours of watching.

You know. I definitely believe that our entire society is changed into a system, in which control from above is being intensified in an increasing manner. We are gradually being locked in to a system which is governed by fear and control. That is why I am open to your theory. Something so simple as a rhytm that entrances people, that stops them from diving deeper into them selves where they might find something of them selves which the 'power-elite' would rather not have them to find. Because I believe that we all are truely powerfull and great beings with lots of potentials.

I have followed a study in hypnotherapy, and I know some things about the power of the sub-concious mind. Could you explain a bit more about the exact working of the as you call it 'narcotic' accentuation. It does make sense to me, especially from my hypnotherapy point of view. In which we learn to actually come out of a state of trance and hypnosis, to 'return' to the actual here and now reality, which incorporates all the feelings of who we are and were. It is extremely powerful and people really get to be more of their true selves. This trance is subtle yet strong and is there in most people. When we go to our work, when we do our shopping. When we are sitting at the couch. When we play the piano.. They make us 'sleep' while deep inside of us many great and grave things are going on.But I wont go to deep into this right now, I just wanted to emphasize that it might just make a lot of sense to me where you are coming from.

It is a very interesting coincidence. Being a student of a Conservatory I participated actively in research studies of famous hypnotist and psychoterapist Vladimir Raykov. He was focused on playing on piano under influence of deep hypnosys and did a very interesting reports with demonstration of videos in Moscow Conservatory. He told us a lot of stories and facts about the real  life of our psychic that we do not realize in our feelings.

I believe there are some fundemental patterns in nature, in reality so to say. That can trigger many responses from our system. These patterns exist in sound, in mathematics, in light, in matter. They are building blocks to say, they are often at the very basis of many 'things'

But ok, I will give you an oppurtinity to answer my question, before I get lost in long stories

So, please explain more about this accentuation. How, and if you know, why it can work like a narcotic.

And why it is so important to incorporate both "left" and "right" accentuation. What this does to us, how it works, and perhaps if you will, give me a very concrete example.

I hope that I answered your question in general and will think over "a very concrete example"



Thank you for your intresting questions. I'm looking forward to your next ones.

Vladimir Dounin

[cmg]

Brain (of humans and anymals) reacts in the same way on the signals from environment.

1st situation. When there are "plenty of signals per second" and all of them are different, then our brain has to sort and evaluate them, make choices, preferences, form its own attitude towards them, react on them, generate adequate commands etc.
  

2nd situation. The signals from outer world are constant, repeating during the more or less long period of time. In this case brain realizes that there is no necessity to be switched "ON"  We feel ourself very comfortable with brain switched "OFF" and experience pain and anxiety when it is temporary (and especially constantly) "ON".

I believe what you are discussing here is a classic Buddhist concept, i.e. "conditioned" and "non-conditioned" intelligence.  Conditioned intelligence is "2nd situation" with our brains switched off, responding without analysis or reflection to the constant, repetitive signals out there.  It is, indeed, robotic behavior and accounts for over 90% of all human behavior.  It is automatic and, essentially, thoughtless.  No reflection whatsoever.  No originality.

The "1st situation" you describe is the optimal one in which the brain is actively processing information -- judging, second by second, the merit/quality of the information that is flooding it.  It is active, vital and alive to each moment.  Totally aware.

In Buddhist psychology, this 1st situation is called "living in the Now," free of all programming and propaganda.  Therefore, the brain in this situation is free to be original and spontaneous.  It is here, then, that true creativity arises.  I believe you are saying, then, that this manner of being totally present in the Now and free of "propaganda" can be taught.  That, indeed, musicans must be capable of this for their music-making to be memorable and genuine.

Do I understand you correctly, Mr. Dounin?

If so, would not this awareness to each instant, to each note, inherently produce the awareness and complete vitality in playing that you are speaking of?

[vladimirdounin]

In soviet russia, piano plays YOU

1st. I do not mind "soviet" but "Russia", please, start with the capital letter. In spite of all her problems Russia was and probably will be a great country in the future. At least, you have to respect Russia for her musical contribution. I am listening to the "Classical Favourites" (the best classical music broadcasting I ever heard) almost 24/7. At least 15-20% of the repertoire are of Russian originity (composer or performer) in spite of the fact that Russia is only one of 200 (less than 1%) of states on our planet. 

2nd. I am not good in English and could not catch the meaning of your phrase, sorry for that.
Could you explain, please?

Vladimir Dounin

[elevateme]

I can't believe you can write all that and not understand piano plays you lol

[liszt-essence]

Brain (of humans and anymals) reacts in the same way on the signals from environment.

1st situation. When there are "plenty of signals per second" and all of them are different, then our brain has to sort and evaluate them, make choices, preferences, form its own attitude towards them, react on them, generate adequate commands etc.

This situation boosts developement of the brain, activates and involves new and new zones in it  (an average person uses only 4% of total brain's capacity during his/her whole life span, while 96% of brain's cells are just idling; active scientists, writers etc. are using up to 15-20%).  

2nd situation. The signals from outer world are constant, repeating during the more or less long period of time. In this case brain realizes that there is no necessity to be switched "ON" and consume energy from the rest parts of body, simultaneously poisoning them, by the way (work of brain produces plenty of poisonous substances in blood while work of muscles makes blood cleaner generating so called "muscle joy"). The fuel for brain activity can be only of "top quality" - pure glucose, while muscles and other part of body can consume practically anything: fats, starches etc. Therefore, our instinct of self-protection pushes us to keep our brain switched "OFF" as long as possible. We feel ourself very comfortable with brain switched "OFF" and experience pain and anxiety when it is temporary (and especially constantly) "ON".

This is the reason, why all the alcogolics, drug users, sexually obsessed people and simply "too lazy to think" people, especially idiots are much-much happier than all the thinking people. However, this automatically means  that they are out of control over their own lives because somebody else takes all the decisions and plans on behalf of them. And it does not mean at all that these plans and decisions are for the interest of these "OFF" class people, and even that this "their interest" is ever considered in any way.

So, it is really the matter of choice: what to prefer, "OFF" or "ON" position of your own brain.
 
Try a very simple experiment: stroke any child or anymal in the same direction with the same pressure many times. This means for the brain: "there is no change and choice - swith "OFF" and fall asleep".
Now do exactly opposite: stroke in different directions with different, alternating pressure. Child and anymal will awake immediately and look around in anxiety: "What is happening there?"

This is exactly about our music. Constant pattern of accentuations in a short period of time switches brain "OFF", when complicated and sophisticated patterns makes brain more active and responsible.

In this way military marches (especially in combination with real stepping on beat) drive away any thoughts from heads and turn people into robots without any compassion and "chimera called conscience"(Dr.Goebbels - German minister of propaganda - declared in 1938 deliberation of the whole German nation from this "chimera"). Today you can watch these marching millions, and you know the result of these exercises.

I watched together with my friends-musicians a lot of concerts on TV during our tours (otherwise you can simply die because of bordom in hotels between your own performances). What was amazing for all of us: after very long concert with many items in it we had the impression that this singer or instrumentalist played the same song/piece over and over again, in spite of different titles and names of composers. And this makes you sleepy on spot, without any reservations.
It always works like bomb - your brain is "OFF" in 1-2 hours of watching.


It is a very interesting coincidence. Being a student of a Conservatory I participated actively in research studies of famous hypnotist and psychoterapist Vladimir Raykov. He was focused on playing on piano under influence of deep hypnosys and did a very interesting reports with demonstration of videos in Moscow Conservatory. He told us a lot of stories and facts about the real  life of our psychic that we do not realize in our feelings.


I hope that I answered your question in general and will think over "a very concrete example"



Thank you for your intresting questions. I'm looking forward to your next ones.

Vladimir Dounin

Thanks for your answers, they definatly make sense. Though I never expected this kind of censorship to exist in our world. I believe the results of these kind of power games will sooner or later come into the open and will cause a rude awakening of many. Just like a butterfly can cause a hurricane. Though where begins deliberate teaching of such methods, and where starts ignorant but good intentional teaching? I will not easily make such judgements.

I also want to thank you for taking time to post about this, It's always nice if someone takes time and energy to share something that is so intresting to read about. If more questions pop up, I will let you know

[teresa_b]

I find "using X % of our brain" comments to be useless and inaccurate.  There is , I think, something to be said for the buddhist concept of being "awake" or "mindful"--meaning you are in the moment-- not daydreaming or unfocused, but alert and aware of what is going on, and paying full attention to it. 

MRI studies and other scans are showing that, as opposed to the notion that scientists and other highly trained people are using a higher % of their brains, they are actually using less, because their brains are more efficient in what they are doing. 

So if you are a highly-trained pianist, for example, you would be using much less brain power to play a beethoven sonata than someone who is a beginner. 

Teresa

[Kassaa]

In soviet russia, piano plays YOU

You forgot the !!

[vladimirdounin]

I can't believe you can write all that and not understand piano plays you lol

I'd like to quote my teacher Vladimir Nielsen:

1. "Everyone, especially the clever one (because he says what he thinks, not just repeats "safe" phrases of the others) always and without fail is stupid in something else".

2. "Who is a clever person in this case? This is the person who knows that he (any "she" never can be stupid, of course V.D.) is stupid and has to learn from the others, who are more competent in this particular area"

3. "Who is an idiot? An idiot is the person who thinks that he is clever and is afraid of situiations when he can look stupid (saying: I do not know, I do not understand, explain me, please etc.)

Why are you surprised with my question? When I got my first job abroad (with only my German language in English speaking country) somebody asked me to make recording of the song "You Turned The Tables On Me". I needed to know: what is this song about (to play it properly)? Therefore I asked 11 English speaking persons: what is the meaning of these words? And all of these 11 gave me immediately 11 absolutely different, incompatible interpretations.

Take any Russian-English dictionary and try to find out the meaning of the sentence: "Kosil kosoy kosoy kosoy" ("Косил косой косой косой"). After you and any western-trained translator will give up, ask any Russian child, and this child will say Russian "Lo!!!" to you.

Vladimir Dounin   

[vladimirdounin]

MRI studies and other scans are showing that, as opposed to the notion that scientists and other highly trained people are using a higher % of their brains, they are actually using less, because their brains are more efficient in what they are doing. 

So if you are a highly-trained pianist, for example, you would be using much less brain power to play a beethoven sonata than someone who is a beginner. 

Teresa

I think that all of us are used already to the fact that each new study completely denies all the previous ones. Probably, it could be explained not only with the fact that only 20% of scientific knowledge in general on the planet are not refuted during each century but and  with great desire of every scientist to be noticed as well. So we always have difficult choice: to believe or to ignore this particular "discovery".

Regarding Beethoven Sonata I am sure that it depends exactly on the type of the pianist that I discussed already in my article. "Robot" (this is out of question) will play more and more "economical" right up to completely "switched OFF" position of his brain.

However, the last words of my teacher Vladimir Nielsen that I heard from him were: "It is such a pity that you are so far from me, in South Africa and can not come and listen to my "Moonlite Sonata"! Only now, right now I have understood: how to play this sonata. You will be amazed, what did I find in its 1st movement!". I do not think that he had his brain switched "OFF" saying these words in spite of the fact that he was moaning a few times during each year, when he received another invitation to play concert with "obligatory "Pathetique", "Moonlight", and "Appassionata". "Why all the rest Beethoven sonatas  are worse for you?" - shouted he always.

Vladimir Dounin

[teresa_b]

Vladimir,

Your comment is entirely consistent with my remark that talking about "% of brain use", or whatever, is really not helpful.  The studies I refer to have used MRI scans that showed quite definitively that smaller areas of the brain were active in the highly-trained people, while they were doing what they were trained to do. 

This is not conflicting with being "awake," or focused.  The brain is not "Switched off" at all when performing Beethoven, but switched ON, with maximum efficiency.  Someone who is trying hard to play Beethoven but is a beginner will probably have more diffuse areas of brain active, but will not be producing the desired result. 

Teresa

[vladimirdounin]

Vladimir,

Your comment is entirely consistent with my remark that talking about "% of brain use", or whatever, is really not helpful.  The studies I refer to have used MRI scans that showed quite definitively that smaller areas of the brain were active in the highly-trained people, while they were doing what they were trained to do. 

This is not conflicting with being "awake," or focused.  The brain is not "Switched off" at all when performing Beethoven, but switched ON, with maximum efficiency.  Someone who is trying hard to play Beethoven but is a beginner will probably have more diffuse areas of brain active, but will not be producing the desired result. 

Teresa

I believe that all these studies resulted in this conclusion.

However I have 2  objections.

1st. Each of Beethoven's Sonatas is such a "huge" peace of art, such a "mountain" that no one can understand it entirely in his/her life time. We can think over and over and discover each day more and more in every of them. Do you know "the circle of knowledge": the more we know - the bigger is our frontier with unknown and more we have do discover and explain. What is the reason to use only some % of our brain capacity if the whole our brain is obviously not enough for the comprehension of this miracle? If tested professionals reduced their active zones, then this is rather a proof of their low professionalism. The greatest professionals (scientists, writers, philosophers etc.) many times told at the end of their lives the same words: "At last I know that I do not know anything at all". Complacency and great minds are incompatible.

2nd. I do not know the right words in English to say that: "This artist gives away himself entirely, completely to his audience, everything he has in himself and in his soul (while some another artist gives only according to the money he was paid)". Maybe it is possible to understand  me.  In all comments on concerts in Russian we usually mention so-called self-giving away, self-sacrificing as a very important virtue of the artist. This is not consistent with the idea of "small zones" as well.

Happy New Year!

Vladimir Dounin

[maxd]

Dear Mr. Vladimir Dounin,

thank you for your sincere interest and information.

I have been studying the relationship between freedom, culture and rhythm for a few years now, and have noticed that there were distinct periods in time when the freedom of the INDIVIDUAL was sacrificed for a pre-conceived TEACHABLE simplified version of reality.

my favourite pianists were professionals before the first world war.

after WWII the pianists up until about 1962 played with less freedom, but still an individual slant of expression.

after 1962 pianists began to be robotic, with the final blow being about 1969.

I had thought that the strictness in rhythm and style was due principally to a farm-animal type of teaching method where the farm animals are fed food on a conveyor belt...much as students received information which was generic in nature and constant in dose.

I also thought that the invention of tape-editing and tape manipulation made it possible for recordings to be technically perfect and BEYOND CRITICISM of the media, reviewers etc..

NEVER did I consider that the soviet model was being assimilated by the western world

I WILL SAY that everything I learned about professional music was from pop records, and therefore my concept of rhythm is more advanced than the average classical student..

Jazz as well as rhythm and blues was traditionally varied in rhythmic accents..

as far as classical piano, the main teachings I respect are from the writings of Chopin, and other classical pianist/composers...NEVER A TEACHER..

I am not a professional pianist.

I do not believe that there is a SIMPLE rhythmic division..

FOLK MUSIC is the only music which has pure rhythmic traditions..

one only has to hear music from the balkan area or other slavic countries to appreciate the complexity of accents which can be used in a melody..

in the 1800's this WAS NORMAL...

please, could you tell us more about the influence of censorship of culture on the lifestyle of the average citizen?

what happens to people?

what kind of other restrictions were put on musicians' interpretation and why?

thank you

[vladimirdounin]

I have been studying the relationship between freedom, culture and rhythm for a few years now, and have noticed that there were distinct periods in time when the freedom of the INDIVIDUAL was sacrificed for a pre-conceived TEACHABLE simplified version of reality.

my favourite pianists were professionals before the first world war.

after WWII the pianists up until about 1962 played with less freedom, but still an individual slant of expression.

after 1962 pianists began to be robotic, with the final blow being about 1969.

I had thought that the strictness in rhythm and style was due principally to a farm-animal type of teaching method where the farm animals are fed food on a conveyor belt...much as students received information which was generic in nature and constant in dose.

I also thought that the invention of tape-editing and tape manipulation made it possible for recordings to be technically perfect and BEYOND CRITICISM of the media, reviewers etc..

NEVER did I consider that the soviet model was being assimilated by the western world

Dear Maxd,

It is extremely interesting! Why don't you want to put here more materials from your studies?
I am sure that we have well known situation (from H.Andersen) with silent masses of people around their stupid naked king (or several kings in our case).

You can read another material on this topic in my "STYLE" as a LASH OF SLAVERY!" on this page.
I will appreciate your comments.

Thank you for your professionalism and honest bravery!

Vladimir Dounin
 

[dnephi]

A lot of what you are saying sounds like Godowsky's teaching methods.

Dear Vladimir Dounin:

He said to practice with similar variations in rythms..

But for expression, i see it less as a DDD ddd DDD ddd but I was taught that I should phrase with a pulse (DDD dd dd dd DDD dd dd dd) for 4 4 , for instance. 

I think also that it depends on the character of the peace, and then that phrases should be shaped somewhat sinusoidally, beginning at a certain volume, reaching a climax, and going back down, although more complicated phrasing exists, along with bringing out important harmonic changes and adaptations for each composer.

But for practicing techniques, you have hit it on the dot.  Godowsky said to practice with alternating accents to no accent to negative accent, which means less than the non-accented, try various patterns, but always do their inverses so that your mind will be "free" to phrase and make the music you want to make.  Similarly, rythmic variations

About your stylistic correctness- I believe that it should be played in a similar style.  Now, it's ok to modify it somewhat, such as bach harpsichord works on the piano.  However, I believe that once one has mastered it technically, one should experiment with different interpretations, at different tempi, and different volumes to see which characters can come out. 

But really, I disagree about playing Mozart over-romanticized.  I appreciate the "different" way Rachmaninoff Plays Chopin's B-flat minor sonata, but prefer the traditional and even more prefer Zimerman's way, which is far removed to the other extreme.

Why don't I bring up the age-old issue of changing the notes in pieces?  Stories of butchered Beethoven and Chopin by exaggerations and extra cadenzas exist..., but then stories of amplified and strengthened pieces.   Cziffra, Richter, Anton Rubinstein, Liszt, and many others felt that it was acceptable to do this after one has mastered the notes technically and think that it could be improved still.

Best of luck, and thanks for reading,

Daniel

[elevateme]

I'd like to quote my teacher Vladimir Nielsen:

1. "Everyone, especially the clever one (because he says what he thinks, not just repeats "safe" phrases of the others) always and without fail is stupid in something else".

2. "Who is a clever person in this case? This is the person who knows that he (any "she" never can be stupid, of course V.D.) is stupid and has to learn from the others, who are more competent in this particular area"

3. "Who is an idiot? An idiot is the person who thinks that he is clever and is afraid of situiations when he can look stupid (saying: I do not know, I do not understand, explain me, please etc.)

Why are you surprised with my question? When I got my first job abroad (with only my German language in English speaking country) somebody asked me to make recording of the song "You Turned The Tables On Me". I needed to know: what is this song about (to play it properly)? Therefore I asked 11 English speaking persons: what is the meaning of these words? And all of these 11 gave me immediately 11 absolutely different, incompatible interpretations.

Take any Russian-English dictionary and try to find out the meaning of the sentence: "Kosil kosoy kosoy kosoy" ("Косил косой косой косой"). After you and any western-trained translator will give up, ask any Russian child, and this child will say Russian "Lo!!!" to you.

Vladimir Dounin   

sorry, i wasnt mocking you at all. i just found it surprising that you could write and understand all that and not understand 'piano plays YOU'. if you were offended you have my most sincere apologies.

[vladimirdounin]

A lot of what you are saying sounds like Godowsky's teaching methods.
He said to practice with similar variations in rythms..

... for practicing techniques, you have hit it on the dot.  Godowsky said to practice with alternating accents to no accent to negative accent, which means less than the non-accented, try various patterns, but always do their inverses so that your mind will be "free" to phrase and make the music you want to make.  Similarly, rythmic variations

Thank you! I did not know that about Godovsky method. I will try to read more about this.

About your stylistic correctness- I believe that it should be played in a similar style.

I would appreciate your reading and comments on my "STYLE" as a LASH OF SLAVERY" in PERFORMANCE on the same page.

Thanks,

Vladimir Dounin

[term]

In music, many of us are not as free as we would like to believe because we lack courage. We seem to adulate pianists who play faster because fast tempo appears to be the most important thing in music (confer e.g. “examination requirements”). This is nonsensical. In any language (music is only one of them) fast tempo is the LEAST important thing. Are the words “I love you”, “I hate you”, “I am your friend”, “I want to console you” or other words more effective because they are spoken “Presto” rather than “Allegro” or “Andante” ? Do you know any actor on the planet who is admired just because he/she speaks fast ? I doubt it. Fast speech is more of a handicap than an advantage for any actor, politician, priest, etc.

There is no reason to be scared of “robots” – they get high marks only from other “robots”, from their “maintenance people”. Audiences do not like them or their recordings. Robots are rather ridiculous because they can not play even two notes on their own without someone else’s CD downloaded in their head, and they are absolutely unable to play any piece slowly (because CD can not play slowly, of course). Ask any “robot” to play their piece only ¼ of normal tempo, and robot immediately will “declare bankruptcy”: slow tempo is incompatible with an empty head. As soon as fair and honest competitions are opened to pianists of all styles, all robots will die off quickly.

how true!
especially what you said about the courage. It can be better not to listen to a recording at all and discover a piece on your own.

[lenkaolenka]

Can someone give me a link to AUDITION ROOM?