Any pianists who play chamber music?

[tosca1]

Are there many members who play piano in chamber music ensembles?  The repertoire is vast for piano trios and piano quartets.  Personally I prefer the piano trio ensemble in terms of balance and colour and there is so much literature starting with Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven and of course the Romantic School.
It is most fulfilling forms of music making I have ever experienced  although it is logistically more difficult to arrange rehearsals when you have to two other people to organise times with.  However, most string players are highly enthusiastic to have the opportunity to play in a piano ensemble.  
Of course it is the pianist who has the most difficult role technically and musically but with thorough work and preparation and capable string colleagues it can be a fabulous musical experience.
I have the impression that many of the members are young piano students and would have plenty of stringed instrument playing friends to form ensembles with.

Go for it!

Robert.

[dinosaurtales]

I would love to play chamber music, especially with strings.  In Portland here, I can find good wind instrumentalists easy pie, but string players are tough to find.  There are two problems, as I see it:  First, finding strings that can play at the difficulty I would be interested in - There just aren't very many who can hack much out.  My piano teacher confirmed this, so I am not the only one to run into this.  Second, when I do locate a violinist or quartet that wants to do romantic era music, they always "have" a "good pianist" (always sort of implying that I probably am not - I hate musicians for that - they are So-o-o-o insecure).  Anyhow, I keep on searching, and maybe I'll find some strings to play with.  

[tosca1]

Thank you for your reply.  It is difficult to find sufficiently capable string players and unlike the pianist these people have to create their pitch and sour intonation can be hideous and much worse than a few botched notes on the piano.  It is also important to find people that you can feel comfortable with both musically and on a person level as any difficult or disgruntled player can badly affect the ensemble.
Best wishes and thanks again for the reply.

tosca1

[ludwig]

 I have been playing chamber music for a while with several different groups... There are a lot of beautiful music written for quartets, trios, quintets etc... Like I said before on another post, I am not very keen on Mozart's piano sonatas and solo works, however, he did write several great chamber works. Works of Brahms, Mendelssohn, Beethoven (especially) are great to play. I also wished that I could play a string instrument, because of the great chamber works for these instruments, but I also like the unusual combination and rich and balanced sounds of other chamber music. Yeah, I strongly agree, Chamber is wonderful.

[tosca1]

A  good point Ludwig.  The solo music of the classicists like Haydn and Mozart can be sparse in its writing but in the chamber ensemble the sonority is fuller and the texture with the combination of instruments becomes richer and more coloured.
Thank you for your reply.

[trunks]

I love Beethoven's Archduke Trio, Op.97. But then it's never easy to find two partners who are also into this piece.

[tosca1]

Don't be discouraged at not being able to find suitable string players immediately. Most string players are delighted to find a pianist who can play some of this repertoire.

Performing and practising the solo repertoire can be isolating for the pianist yet playing in a chamber music ensemble is a shared musical experience.
Most of the repertoire is sufficiently challenging technically and musically for the pianist to maintain development and it is a perfect discipline for developing musical taste and listening acuity.
You can also improve your sight-reading as well as the pianist always has more notes to play than the individual string players.

In every respect playing chamber music is delightful.

Kind regards,
Robert.  

[thomas_williams]

I cannot describe how I wish I could play as part of a chamber group.....The following ("POLL: Local Chamber Music Organizations" in Student Corner) is not the only thread I have started about that:

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=stud;action=display;num=1077165547

Please have a look at it, if you haven't already.  And post your thoughts on it.

[tosca1]

Hi Thomas,
There is an international organisation called "Amateur Chamber Music Players" which is based in the USA but has branches  throughout the world.  These are people of varying ages and levels of musical proficiency.  I am not a member but I believe that members must give evidence of their playing level so that you can find people of a similar standard  as yourself to play with.
The internet contact is:
                                      webmaster@acmp.net
Hope this will be a helpful lead for you.
Kind regards,
Robert.

[anda]

playing chamber music is a totally different experience, and can be a wonderful one! i have been playing for about 10 years in different groups - from duos to septet, and i'll tell you, the more, the merrier

[thomas_williams]

I have heard of ACMP and in fact have visited their website but am not a member.  I seems there are hardly any opportunities in my local area for chamber music below the collegiate level (I am still in high school), in spite of the fact that I live just an hour or so from Atlanta, a very culturally (and musically) rich city.  One of the smaller towns closer by has a university with a pretty good music department, a county symphony orchestra, and some other good things, but there still seem to be no opportunities.  One person (a cellist) who teaches in the area referred me to someone in Atlanta who does that kind of work (putting groups together and such), but I really wish I could do it closer to where I live as driving to Atlanta on a regular basis would not be practical at this point, maybe not even possible.  As 6th Gen Beethoven said in his post under "POLL: Local Chamber Music Organizations" (Student's Corner), "I hate this artistically void society."

Regards,
Thomas

[tosca1]

What about attending a summer music school?  That is where I first made contact with other instrumentalists to play chamber music. There must summer or any time of the year music schools in Atlanta which is not so far away.
I agree with you that we can feel at times that we are isolated by our love of good music. That is only a perception and not the reality.  Playing the piano can seem an isolating and solitary business. Make contact with  string players and your music making and motivation will be uplifted by the wonderful experience of ensemble playing.
Kind regards,
Robert.

[rachlisztchopin]

i play piano duets does that count???

[tosca1]

Piano duets are great fun but very difficult to play well and make sound as one.  In piano duets there is the problem too of restricted freedom at the keyboard for each player.  I prefer the piano duo where the  two pianos can give a more expansive sound and you have the physical space to play comfortably.  There is an extensive repertoire for the piano duet and piano duo which is very exciting.  

However, the blend of string sound with the piano is a special delight and exploring the balance of musical lines and colours in the ensemble is the particular pleasure of playing chamber music.

Kind regards,
Robert.

[Ecthelion]

I would like to play Sonatas for Violin and Piano, is that Chamber Music too with only two instruments?

For example the Mozart Sonata in B K.378 sounds wonderful. Mendelssohn's Sonatas for Violin and piano in F major and minor are also very nice.

kind regards, Ecthelion

[Xelles]

beethoven's Sonata for violin and piano (Op. 30 No. 2 in c minor) -  . I think it's the best one, worth playing.

[Ecthelion]

Thanks for advice! I will listen to the piece! Do you know op. 47 "Kreutzer" from Beethoven? Another very beautiful Violin and Piano Sonata... But I really don't know if I could play something like this. The question is also if I would find a violinist  

regards, Ecthelion

[tosca1]

Yes, most of the two instrument repertoire would be chamber music.  In the sonata repertoire for piano and violin both instruments have an important part.  The piano is not simply an accompaniment for the violin solo, but an integral part of the musical whole.
Chamber music is distinct from  orchestral music in that it is essentially music making within a small ensemble.  There is the term Chamber Orchestra which may have say 15-20 players but compared to the full symphony orchestra the difference is obvious.

Enjoy your music,
Robert.

[thomas_williams]

Hey, does anyone here play chamber music for piano with woodwinds or brass?  In my area there are probably more competent woodwind and brass players than string players-- the public high schools and even the nearest university have no orchestras, but they do have bands.  Interestingly, at the church I visited this past Sunday, the hymns were accompanied by piano, organ-- and trumpet.  I think playing with woodwinds and brass would be fun.

[thomas_williams]

And I just thought of another thing about the apparent lack of local string players.  About two months ago (February 14) I was in a high school level competition sponsored by the local Kiwanis Club.  Out of the ten contestants (all classical performers) there were five pianists, four vocalists, and one flutist-- but no string players.