Worldclass Pianists with bad pitch?

[birba]

Martha Argerich says she doesn't even recognize the keys of the chopin preludes.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Maybe in the preparation and learning, perfect or relative pitch can be helpful, but when you get out on that stage and play your programme, it's the last thing you need.  Unless you have a memory lapse, perhaps and have to play something by ear...

[pianowolfi]

I quit smoking for good
But yes I can imagine that MA doesn't really need it, her fingers and intuition are faster than any cognition/theory and it works perfectly. Never change a winning team

[sashaco]

Martha Argerich may not have perfect pitch, but the idea that she might not  have good relative pitch, the ability to tell the difference between notes, is beyond absurd.  If you can sing a tune accurately you have relative pitch, even if you don't know what key the tune is in, or the names of the intervals involved.  If you can distinguish that there is a wrong note in a chord you have relative pitch, even if you haven't used it to develop the ability to determine which note is wrong.  Is anyone suggesting Martha Argerich can't sing a tune or hear a wrong note when it is played?  Does anyone think she would play a concert on a piano that had not been accurately tuned and not notice?  Get a grip!  My nine year old son, who can play a few simple pieces can hear that the high B natural he plays at the end of Scarborough Fair is not "right" on our piano.  That means he has decent relative pitch, even if he has not yet acquired the mechanical technique of identifying what's wrong with the pitch.

Relative pitch means hearing the differences between notes.  Good relative pitch means hearing the intervals with some precision. If I sing "Here comes the Bride", and deliberately sing the second note a bit flat, most people who listen to music will be able to hear that it's flat, even if they don't know the interval is called in English a "fourth."  Identifying intervals by name, or taking melodic or harmonic dictation, are simply skills that anyone who already has relative pitch can develop with practice.

WHAT are people thinking?

Sasha

 

[haydnseeker]

Being a world class Artist, means world class Travel. There is simply no choice in the matter if you are on the concert stage.  That means hours and hours of time spent flying and in hotel lobbies, or hotel rooms, without access to a piano. Simply to much time to waste.  Many times the maestro has gotten you a copy of the score on how he intends to conduct. You really need to be prepared before the first rehearsal , or in some cases a private meeting with the Maestro. 

Also , no matter how full your repertoire there are new pieces that are presented to you all the time . It is just not practical given that the day has only 24 hours that you can spend enough actual time at the piano to deal with all your obligations and music you encounter.  Much of it by need must be done in your head.

I couldnt imagine how you could possible be on that level as a pianist and not have a wonderfully developed ear.  When I was a young girl studying at Moscow Conservatory with Professor Sofronitsky all students where expected to be able to hear a score in there  head. 

Hopefully that gives a little perspective to this subject. 

Hopes to all that your musical voice in your mind improves. Lady Pianist.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that in the Russian conservatoires they have an exercise where the student is required to memorise a piece entirely from the score, and only after that to play it.  Is that what you're referring to?

I'm intrigued to know what level of piece would be used and how quickly the student would be expected to learn it.

I've tried it successfully myself, but only with elementary pieces.

[sevencircles]

Relative pitch means hearing the differences between notes.  Good relative pitch means hearing the intervals with some precision.

I thought that relative pitch meant that you can always hear the correct intervalls, like if itīs 2:nd, minor third etc. but now I know better 

[mcjanes]

I would be shocked if any professional pianist didn't have SOME level of relative pitch.

That being said, perfect pitch is an overrated ability, especially for a professional pianist. Transposing on the spot would fry your brain.