John Bell Young and the Russian School

[ramseytheii]

Hi, a while back someone had posted an article by John Bell Young on something from the Russian education that related to the English world intonation.  Intonatsia?  Or something like that.  Does anyone know what I am referring to, and if they have this article, can they kindly repost it?
Thanks very much,
Walter Ramsey

[rach n bach]

The one in this thread?

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,4340.0.html

[ramseytheii]

Thjat's the one, thanks very much.  A pity that Bernhard never responded after that initial tease.  The article is fascinating to me, I hadn't read it before, but was talking with a Russian pianist recently who talked about "intoning" the melodies in a Medtner sonata, and somehow deep in the recess of my memory was this article which I had never read...

I agree with the poster in this thread who said there are precious few concrete indications.  When Young says the intervals have to be "felt in your gut," I am imagining the poor masterclass student saying to himself, "play two notes by feeling them in my gut."  Really, what does that mean?

But then again, what concrete examples can he give?  Finger-legato for one, which is an essential tool for the kind of playing he is talking about.  Also there are some tendencies of singers which can be included as sorts of "rules," such as lingering on high notes, stretching out larger intervals, et cetera.

I think he gets it wrong in his critique of pianists and their foregrounds and backgrounds.  I think the real problem today is that pianists are so concentrated totally on the upper voice, that everything else is relegated to the background, no matter what, and this has become depressingly conventional.  It's true that older time pianists cultivated a sense of mystery, but not at the expense of all the music that was on a page.  The tendency to insist only on the upper voice does a disservice to the huge amount of music that is remaining latent in any piece.

Just a few thoughts on this interesting article.

Walter Ramsey

[pianowelsh]

Dont blame the younger generation for projecting the top line always!! its the fuddy duddy old professors in conservatories that 'TEACH' them they must always do this!  I have printed off the article and will peruse it before giving a full response.